On this edition of RPGs Coming This Week: Two next-gen heavyweights tangle with two niche titles. It’s one of the more packed weeks of the year, and I say we dispense with the pleasantries. Let’s dive in!
Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery â March 19th (Windows)
Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery is a strategy RPG remake of Codename: Bakery Girl promising updated and enhanced graphics, mechanics, and narrative. Set 30 years after the events of Girlsâ Frontline, Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery sees AU Special Agent Mendo forced to team up with the enigmatic âBakery Girlâ Jefuty to survive a mission gone awry. Can the two make it through hellish battlefields containing gruesome secrets?
I admit that I don’t know much about the games that preceded it, but Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery has an interesting-albeit-dark premise and eye-catching visuals. Combat seems very much in the vein of classic SRPG titles with a variety of challenges for players to strategically overcome in its impressive-sounding 60-plus-stage campaign. Reverse Collapse: Code Name Bakery might very well be a game SRPG enthusiasts both returning and new to the series could sink their teeth into when it releases on Windows this week!
by Audra Bowling
Dragon’s Dogma 2 â March 22nd (PS5, XSX, Windows)
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a game that some of us never saw coming.
Despite the original Dragon’s Dogma appearing in our feature on the 25 best PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 RPGs two years ago (and four months after Dragon’s Dogma 2 was announced), a ho-hum story and mixed critical reception led to raised eyebrows when Capcom revealed that the aforementioned sequel was in development.
Fast forward to the present day and Scott Clay’s recent hands-on preview has those same eyebrows cocked as if we can, indeed, smell what The Rock is cooking. In Scott’s words, Dragon’s Dogma 2 has the “foundation to be one of the best open-world RPGs released thus far.” His justification?
I got so sidetracked just exploring [the open-world] that I was way past my target location before I knew it. I had already fought a griffon, a giant beast I pushed into a river, and a dragon that appeared out of nowhere and almost leveled me. I havenât felt that much wanderlust since Breath of the Wild. And thatâs how Dragonâs Dogma 2âs exploration is best described: Breath of the Wild without the ability to climb vertically wherever you wish.
The last time Scott was this excited was several weeks ago when he was previewing Unicorn Overlordâwhich is amazing by the wayâso count me among the early fans of Dragon’s Dogma 2 and one who is eagerly anticipating its reception later this week.
by Kyle Cantelon
The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered â March 22nd (PS5, PS4, Switch, Windows)
The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered is a remaster of a 2015 Nintendo 3DS game. It’s a traditional turn-based 3D JRPG that takes strong influence from the SaGa series in its systems and game design, even having former SaGa series composer Masashi Hamauzu compose its OST.
Former RPGFan reviewer and now big-time localizer Derek Heemsbergen found things to enjoy in his review of the original game, although he ultimately found it “opaque” and “frustratingly esoteric”, likely suitable for only a particular audience with a high tolerance for challenge and a lack of handholding.
The HD Remastered version promises improved graphics, battle system advancements, and a revamped sound design, but very little has been revealed about any significant, and sorely necessary, quality-of-life improvements. Will this repackaging be enough to find a wider and more receptive audience, or will it be another resounding “meh”? For the sake of crunchy, challenging RPGs of the future, I hope it’s the former, but my gut says it will be the latter.
by Claton Stevenson
Rise of the Ronin â March 22nd (PS5)
Rise of the Ronin, the newest game from Koei Tecmoâs Team Ninja, releases on March 22nd. This PlayStation 5 exclusive is an open-world action RPG set in 19th-century Japan. The game looks to feature a balanced mix of an interesting story shaped by player decisions, open-world exploration, and challenging combat. The game also features an upgrade system for skills and gear (including a transmog system) and the option to recruit companions during the journey.
Personally, I get strong Assassinâs Creed vibes from the gameplay. Mix in tough combat and stealth elements akin to Team Ninjaâs own Nioh, and you have what appear to be the makings of a fun and engaging experience. I would not be surprised if by yearâs end, we are talking about Rise of the Ronin as one of 2024âs surprise sleeper hits.
by Jimmy Turner
Also Coming This Week
Horizon Forbidden West: Complete Edition â March 21st (Windows)
Horizon Forbidden West is an award-winning game that barely needs any reintroduction here. That said, if you’re a PC type who has been clamoring for the Complete Edition, your time has come. Caitlin Argyros’ review is worth a read for anyone who needs a refresher, but otherwise, just stop reading and wishlist it. We promise you won’t regret it.
by Kyle Cantelon
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