RPGs Coming This Week, 1/21/24

Lil’ Guardsman – January 23rd (PS5, XSX, PS4, XB1, Switch, Windows)

Point-and-click games were my jam in my younger years. A couple of them have caught my eye in recent years, but I usually never get around to picking them up. That’s going to change in 2024 when Lil’ Guardsman releases on January 23rd. When I saw the announcement trailer, I was instantly hooked by its comic approach and charming art style.

In Lil’ Guardsman, you take on the role of Lil, a twelve-year-old kid entrusted with assessing humans or creatures (elves, goblins, and more) that want to go through the castle gates. You can either admit or deny anyone who wishes to enter, which means you have to question your subjects carefully and use various tools that can aid with your deduction. You hold the power to decide the fate of the kingdom. No pressure, you got this!

by Tin Manuel

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy – January 25th (PS4, XB1, Switch, Windows)

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy will no doubt have you practicing your Chords of Steel by shouting “Objection!” at the top of your lungs. The first game in the trilogy is Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, easily one of my favorite Ace Attorney games. Its follow-up, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies, brings Phoenix Wright back in all his defense attorney glory while also introducing us to the awesomeness that is analytical psychology specialist Athena. I genuinely love how the third game, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice, plays too.

These three titles are impressive additions to the Ace Attorney lineup, with this collection bringing all of them together in one complete package, especially since all of the games’ DLC is included. I can’t wait to again defend an orca accused of murder! Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy promises to delight returning gamers to Apollo’s story arc and will hopefully inspire newcomers to uncover the truths of the courtroom!

by Audra Bowling

Unforetold: Witchstone (Entering Early Access) – January 25th (Windows)

The upcoming Early Access release of CRPG Unforetold: Witchstone is a long time coming for fans. You may have heard of the game when it was announced as Project Witchstone, news on which went dark for a few years. Well, developer Spearhead Games finally broke its radio silence in 2023, and Unforetold: Witchstone is finally coming this week, albeit in an incomplete state.

Speaking as a fan of Spearhead’s Stories: The Path of Destinies, I’m looking forward to checking out Unforetold: Witchstone‘s so-called “sandbox RPG mechanics” and branching progression options. Stories is one of those rare games where choices absolutely do matter, and it looks like Spearhead is continuing to cultivate that idea with this new game.

by Gio Castillo

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth – January 26th (PS5, XSX, PS4, XB1, Windows)

No more samurai cosplay. No more vaguely amnesic titles. This here is the real deal. This is the biggest Like a Dragon game yet.

A follow-up to 2020’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Infinite Wealth looks to build on LaD‘s turn-based gameplay and capitalize on the mainstream success of recent titles Like a Dragon: Ishin! and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. Returning new series protagonist Ichiban Kasuga teams up with his predecessor, longtime series star Kazuma Kiryu, in Hawaii, and the stage is set for the two to complete what might be one of the most compelling “passing of the torch” stories in video game history.

Ishin! was widely praised for its samurai-like gameplay and unique twist on the series’ characters, while The Man Who Erased His Name… wasn’t. Yet that didn’t stop resident Like a Dragon RPG superfan Jono Logan from feeling the hype in his demo preview experience with Infinite Wealth. From the man himself:

Infinite Wealth returns to the JRPG turn-based combat from LaD, along with the series’ new protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga. But for those who miss the days of the Dragon of Dojima, don’t despair because Kiryu is joining the turn-based party in this demo! On top of that, we got a tease of the storyline, dozens of cinematic special moves, a reveal of how Kiryu controls in combat, three full karaoke songs, some substories, and a massive chunk of Hawaii to explore. With all of that on offer, the demo of Infinite Wealth might be the best reason to actually finish The Man Who Erased His Name!

Be sure to visit the site later this week for our Infinite Wealth review, and if you haven’t gotten around to the series in general yet, there is no time like the present. We have just the feature for you to check out: our Like a Dragon (Yakuza) series primer.

by Kyle Cantelon