On this edition of RPGs Coming This Week, we bring grid-based battles, musical numbers, and one of the biggest indie titles of the year. Let’s get into it!
Untamed Tactics – August 28th (Windows)
First up is Untamed Tactics, a strategy RPG from the minds behind real-life card battler Untamed: Feral Factions. I’m uncertain whether Tactics is set in the same canon as Feral Factions. Still, the two properties share plenty in common—anthropomorphized animals, lushly illustrated aesthetics, and gameplay that rewards planning and skill.
One of Untamed Tactics‘ more unique features is its Parley system, which gives you more ways to interact with foes. It feels like a more subdued version of the Act command from Undertale and Deltarune; there aren’t quite as many weird and wacky options, but you (often) get more peaceful alternatives to simply fighting. Sometimes you just get chances to hit enemies harder.
by Gio Castillo
Goodbye Volcano High – August 29th (PS5, PS4, Windows)
Goodbye Volcano High is an adventure game that tells a coming-of-age story set right at the end of prehistoric times. It’s a tale of teenage dinosaurs figuring out their feelings right on the cusp of an extinction-level event (presumably that one meteor that killed all the dinosaurs).
All of that is wild and worth talking about, but I am most happy to report that the music is good. By they, I mean Dabu, who is most known for composing the soundtrack to Dwarf Fortress. I’m so excited to listen to the soundtrack because the three tracks Dabu’s put out have been incredible. You even get to interact with these tunes throughout the story through a rhythm mini-game.
The tunes will probably be enough to get me to play Goodbye Volcano High, but I’m also intrigued about the story it’s telling and the way it tells it. The game features a branching story with choices that actually matter. There are even times you can doom-scroll on your phone.
by Gio Castillo
Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles – August 29th (PS5, Switch)
Add this one to the list of long-shot RPG localizations that actually happened. Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles compiles remasters of Rhapsody II on PlayStation and Rhapsody III on PS2 in one unlikely package. The Rhapsody games are musically themed; expect characters to break into song several times throughout each game. Their songs tends to be cutesy in a tongue-in-cheek way and generally hilarious.
I feel like the series works as a good starting point for people who want to get into RPGs and as a palate cleanser for folks who’ve been playing a lot of darker media. If you’re coming off, say, Diablo IV or Final Fantasy XVI, you might consider picking up Marl Kingdom Chronicles.
by Gio Castillo
Sea of Stars – August 29th (PS5, XSX, PS4, XB1, Switch, Windows)
It’s finally coming. The stars are aligning on August 29th.
One of my most anticipated RPGs of the year will finally arrive this week for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Developer Sabotage Studios is releasing Sea of Stars, a turn-based RPG that’s highly inspired by Square’s 16-bit SNES classic, Chrono Trigger.
In the three years since its Kickstarter announcement, the studio has never failed to constantly update its backers and fans. A demo is available on all of the platforms mentioned and the full game will debut on PS Plus (Extra and Premium) and Xbox Game Pass on day one. There’s simply no excuse for RPG fans to pass on this gem.
I know everyone is very excited to play this game soon. Personally, I’ll be picking Valere, the moongirl blessed with lunar magic, as my main protagonist. The biggest bonus of all is that the journey ahead will be scored by Eric W. Brown and guest composer Yasunori Mitsuda, famed for doing the Chrono soundtracks.
by Tin Manuel
Also Coming This Week
Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga – Legends DLC – August 28th (Windows)
Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga is a phenomenal SRPG I greatly enjoyed when I played it for review. The Legends DLC makes for a tempting return to the game by promising concurrent story battles to the main campaign, plus new units to peruse for your forces. I’m definitely eager to see what’s in store for Symphony of War with its implementation when it releases this week!
by Audra Bowling
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope – Rayman in the Phantom Show – August 30th (Switch)
Rayman in the Phantom Show, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope‘s final bit of DLC, will mark the first time that Mario interacts with Ubisoft’s premiere platformer mascot. Expect more tactical action, and this time you’ll be graded after each skirmish. Also, today I learned that the Rayman games spawned the Rabbids…
by Gio Castillo
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