On this edition of RPGs Coming This Week: the motherlode. Chances are you were already planning on picking something up from this selection, so what’s a few more gil? Just kidding. We’re not trying to sell you anything, but we are very enthusiastic about these upcoming titles. So let’s just hop right in!
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes – April 23rd (PS4, XB1, Switch, Windows)
A Kickstarter campaign that raised over $4.5 million USD, a spot on RPGFan’s most anticipated games of 2023, then again in 2024. This is the level of excitement, hype, and downright fervor that Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is arriving to this week. Did we mention the amazingly talented Audra Bowling had a full, hands-on preview two weeks ago? Yeah. We’re pretty excited.
If you’ve been following the game’s development at all, then you know that Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a spiritual successor to the beloved Suikoden series. Famous for its dozens of recruitable characters and (mostly) rich political storytelling, Suikoden captured the hearts of RPG fans across the globe, and, if Audra is to be believed, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is “is a Suikoden title in everything but name.”
We would be remiss if we didn’t recognize that the RPG world lost Yoshitaka Murayama, creator of the Suikoden series and director of the soon-to-be-released Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, back in February. For many fans, it will give this week a bittersweet taste. The realization of a dream that has been years in the making, but without one of its most significant contributors around to see it come to fruition.
This RPGFan will choose to see the week as a celebration. Of Murayama’s life work, of spiritual successors, and the rebirth of childhood nostalgia “in everything but name.”
by Kyle Cantelon
Fatermyth – April 23rd (Windows)
Fatermyth is an RPG with an interesting premise, combining tabletop role-playing elements and deckbuilding. In an era where gods rule over humanity and those with power cruelly and horrifically lord over the oppressed, you’re rescued from certain death and invited to play a game that could very well shape humanity’s future by taking on the roles of seven different characters across various eras in a tabletop setting, seeing how their fates ultimately connect as you progress.
Each of the seven has special combat styles that gain higher level skills, and you can even experiment with numerous skills throughout Fatermyth, thanks to a robust equipment system providing you with gear granting bonus effects. A throw of the dice and an advantageous hand could mean the difference between victory and defeat in combat. There’s an innate level of randomness inherent in story scenes and dungeons that should provide challenges too.
Fatermyth flew under my radar originally, but reading up on it has certainly piqued my interest. I love the concept and find the visual aesthetic truly eye-catching. I’m very curious to see how Fatermyth plays when it releases later this week!
by Audra Bowling
Another Crab’s Treasure – April 25th (PS5, XSX, XB1, Switch, Windows)
Another Crab’s Treasure is what you get if you cross Dark Souls and Spongebob Squarepants. Seriously though, this is a Soulslike about Kril the hermit crab and the harsh undersea world of trash and treasure in which he must survive. Kril has lost his shell and must rely on his scavenging skills to find suitable replacements to survive dangerous battles with foes many times his size and power.
Developer Aggro Crab promises an approachable experience for newcomers to the Soulslike experience, while experienced players will be able to forge ahead to better suit their expectation of challenge. The game is rated T for Teen, but with some supervision, this might just be the gateway for younger players to understand why dad has smashed so many controllers in rage over the years.
by Claton Stevenson
Megaton Musashi W: Wired – April 25th (PS5, PS4, Switch, Windows)
Megaton Musashi W: Wired is an action RPG featuring customizable giant mechs that you can take into a story mode, as well as cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes, and is developed by… Level-5!?
It’s not that Level-5 has been absent in the West in the last 20 years (the first Ni no Kuni is awesome), it’s just that it was hard to find a hotter name in the early ’00s RPG scene than Level-5. From the Dark Cloud series to one-off games like Rogue Galaxy, to contributing significantly to Dragon Quest VIII (the first in North America to use the “Quest” name), Level-5 churned out the hits.
So what can we expect from Megaton Musashi W: Wired? RPGFan has you covered. From early March 2023:
A little history on the game: It was originally released in Japan as Megaton Musashi in November 2021 for PS4 and Switch. It continued to get many post-launch updates that added new stories, game systems, and robots (including collaboration ones!). The game was eventually converted to free-to-play just last December as Megaton Musashi X. Alas, none of this would reach English speakers… until now!
Megaton Musashi W: Wired is set to include all the content that has already been released in the original version of the game. On top of that, there will be a bunch of new features added to this version.
Mech-heads out there, we implore you to give this one a shot, and anyone out west who has been missing some of that Level-5 artwork is sure to find something to love here.
by Kyle Cantelon
SaGa Emerald Beyond – April 25th (PS5, PS4, Switch, Windows, iOS, Android)
SaGa Emerald Beyond is the 11th mainline entry in the long-running SaGa series and follows 2019’s Saga Scarlet Grace: Ambitions. For those unfamiliar, SaGa is Final Fantasy‘s weird cousin created by Akitoshi Kawazu, a key Final Fantasy II designer. First released as a trilogy of turn-based Game Boy titles, SaGa has gone on to amuse and perplex RPG fans throughout the SNES, PS1, and PS2 eras before taking an extended hiatus until Scarlet Grace.
SaGa games are known for the breadth of options they give to players, including decisions on what protagonist they want to play as and in what order, rewarding players for taking risks and making their own choices rather than driving players to set destinations and quests. SaGa Emerald Beyond offers players five (technically six, as one is a duo) unique protagonist paths to choose and 17 worlds to explore throughout their journey. Players will use the hub-like Beyond to select between these worlds and take their stories in a direction of their choosing.
Square released a demo in early April offering different protagonist paths depending on the platform; I played the Switch version featuring the white witch Ameya. The game has a certain camp energy, while its aesthetic ranges from Neo-rococo to hard-edged sci-fi. The turn-based battle system appears robust and challenging, with turn order manipulation shenanigans offering opportunities for big swings in advantage if executed well.
As with most SaGa games, Emerald Beyond just won’t be for everyone. I look forward to seeing what level of penetration Emerald Beyond has into the mainstream, or whether it continues to mostly serve its dedicated and tolerant fanbase.
by Claton Stevenson
Whisker Waters – April 25th (PS5, Switch, Windows)
All paws on deck! Feline fanatics unite! Whisker Waters attempts to blend light fantasy with the art of fishing as players create their very own cat character and prepare to tackle different regions.
Whisker Waters features a diverse set of fishing tools and techniques, a semi-open world, and various fish. Developer Underbite Games has worked to create unique behavior for each type of fish to make the experience more challenging and rewarding for fishing fans, as well as those who just want to take their cute kitty to the shoreline.
Did we mention that cats, bears, and birds are all neighbors? You can join them, befriend them, and help them out as you progress throughout the game. Sounds like a nice, stress-free adventure to fit in between all those big-name titles that have been featured lately!
by Kyle Cantelon
Class of Heroes 1 & 2: Complete Edition – April 26th (PS5, Switch, Windows)
If you like dungeon-crawler JRPGs, we’ve got two for you.
Class of Heroes 1 & 2: Complete Edition combines the original game and its sequel, both of which launched for the PlayStation Portable in 2009 and 2013 respectively. Our own Tyler Trosper covered the news that the complete edition was on its way earlier this month:
Class of Heroes 1 & 2: Complete Edition combines two dungeon-crawler RPG remasters in one package. Both titles offer a combined 175 dungeons to explore. You’ll have a variety of classes to pick from when selecting your classmates. You’ll also be able to craft items and weapons and boost your gear’s attributes.
Intrigued? Feel free to check out our reviews of the original and the sequel to see if this is a class you’ll want to attend.
by Kyle Cantelon
Sand Land – April 26th (PS5, XSX, PS4, Windows)
Sand Land is an upcoming title I’ve been mightily curious about. Based on the manga by the late legendary creator Akira Toriyama that’s now a hit anime on Disney+/Hulu, this action RPG puts you into the shoes of the young demon prince Beelzebub as he leads a group of lovable outcasts to find the Legendary Spring in a harsh desert world where everyone is suffering from a severe water shortage. Whether they ultimately succeed is left entirely in the player’s hands in this adaptation.
Sand Land features vehicle creation and customization, along with securing and building up a settlement that serves as a base. You also get to uncover a wide arsenal of abilities as Beelzebub. I love the colorful graphics on display in Sand Land as they truly bring the vistas and characters of Akira Toriyama’s work to life. Sand Land has been on my backlog to both read and watch for a while now, and this RPG take on it promises to be a fun adventure when it releases in the near future!
by Audra Bowling
Stellar Blade – April 26th (PS5)
At first glance, Stellar Blade gives the impression of being highly influenced by NieR: Automata and Bayonetta. But ever since I tried the PlayStation 5 demo, I have to say that players need to bring their A-game; the combat feels a lot closer to Soulslike titles such as Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and it’s likewise more challenging and satisfying to master.
Originally called Project Eve when it was revealed the 2021 PlayStation Showcase, Stellar Blade has sure come a long way before its official release this week. Shift Up Director Kim Hyung Tae, known for his work on the Magna Carta series and Blade & Soul, mentioned that his team spent five years developing Stellar Blade as its first AAA action RPG title. In a one-on-one interview with Kim, NieR creator Yoko Taro even said that Stellar Blade is “much better than NieR: Automata.” I love it when developers recognize and praise each other’s work.
by Tin Manuel
Also Coming This Week
Hammerwatch II – April 23rd (XSX, PS4)
Hammerwatch II is an action RPG that received a mixed reception from the great Jerry Williams last fall. Uninspiring storytelling and a “half-baked” open world on one hand, while also featuring “sound multiplayer with seamless connectivity combined with simple, yet addicting, hacking and slashing.”
It will be up to each individual player to decide; so feel free to dig into Jerry’s review (and more) on our game page.
by Kyle Cantelon
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