RPGs Coming This Week, 5/19/24 [UPDATE]

Gestalt: Steam & Cinder – May 21st (Windows)

Gestalt: Steam & Cinder has been in various stages of “coming soon” for almost four years, and the debut title from Metamorphosis Games finally lands this week. If “steampunk Western Metroidvania action RPG” doesn’t sum it up, I’m not sure what will. Seriously though, Gestalt may wear its 16- and 32-bit inspiration on its sleeve, but looks determined to forge its own identity with its beautiful pixel graphics, tight gameplay, and a focus on narrative. We’re hoping the wait has been worth it, and if you want to get a taste of the game, there’s a demo version on Steam.

by Mike Salbato

Wuthering Waves – May 22nd (Windows, iOS, Android)

Fun fact: Wuthering Waves cleared over 30 million pre-registrations a few days ago. That’s more than what Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail managed before release, combined. It’s a pretty crazy statistic and a pretty good indicator that this free-to-play action RPG will be huge.

Wuthering Waves (known online as WuWa) is an open-world affair with a post-apocalyptic theme. Nothing new, but it is gorgeous, and the battles are slick and breezy. As always, the monetization scheme is the primary downside, so I wouldn’t advise letting kids or compulsive gamblers play it unsupervised.

by Gio Castillo

CARDS RPG: The Misty Battlefield – May 23rd (PS5, Switch, Windows)

CARDS RPG: The Misty Battlefield is literally what it says on the tin: an RPG involving cards and mist… on a battlefield. It’s perhaps best described as Fire Emblem meets Slay the Spire, but—based on my experience with the demo—CARDS RPG is quite a pale imitator to either of those titles.

Navigation plays out much like any standard Japanese-style SRPG: small sprites on a square grid, with blues and reds indicating available movement and attacks, respectively. Battles take place in cut-away one vs. one face-offs, with detailed representations of the combatants against a moody environmental background. Unlike most SRPGs, however, CARDS RPG‘s battles utilize a hand of cards drawn from a deck, giving combatants multiple turns to choose between melee, defense, or various spells and potions to best their opponents, or stay alive against fearsome enemies.

Drawing again from my experience with the Nintendo Switch demo, the repetitive in-game voice tracks are quite jarring, droll, and modern-sounding, standing out against the dark and oppressive settings they are piped over.

This blurb should by no means be received as a review, and I also don’t want to give the impression that this game is not good. Still, I sincerely hope the final product has undergone significant polish, balance, and expansion of some seemingly undercooked elements evident in the demo.

by Claton Stevenson

Crown Wars: The Black Prince – May 23rd (PS5, XSX, Switch, Windows)

Crown Wars: The Black Prince is the latest outing from Artefacts Studio, which was responsible for The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos. The team is back with another SRPG, albeit one with a less comedic tone. Crown Wars is set in 14th-century France, and it features some of the well-known figures of the time, like Nicolas Flamel. Skirmishes will have you vie for victory with a six-person squad. As with any SRPG worth its salt, you’ve got classes to choose from, and it’s your job to level up your party’s capabilities over time. If you’re looking for a new game to sink dozens of hours into, this might be one to consider.

by Gio Castillo

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Remaster) – May 23rd (Switch)

After waiting for what feels like a thousand years, a beloved classic Gamecube RPG knocks on the door of the Nintendo Switch on May 23rd. Over the last 20 years, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door has developed a well-deserved reputation as the pinnacle of the franchise. This Switch release vows to provide modern conveniences while retaining the charm and gameplay mechanics that make the original game so revered. 

As with many classic Mario titles in the RPG realm, the game features a mix of exploration, puzzle-solving, and turn-based combat. Timed hits and other button inputs—mainstays of Mario RPGs—keep battles engaging. The Switch remake also promises new side quests, collectibles, combat items and badges, and new game modes for replayability. I have had Thousand-Year Door on my radar since Nintendo announced its release date, and it is one of my most anticipated games of 2024. The original remains one of my all-time favorites of any era. If the game meets or exceeds the standards set by the recent Super Mario RPG remake, then both new and old fans are in for a treat.

by Jimmy Turner

Witch & Lilies (Entering Early Access) – May 24th (Windows)

Where would the world be without yuri? Nowhere good, I imagine. Witch & Lilies is a dungeon crawler where you pit a team against the usual monsters and creepy crawlies, yes, but it’s also about managing an all-female polycule? Okay, just kidding; the relationships seem strictly monogamous so far, but I can’t say for sure…

Witch & Lilies‘ Etrian Odyssey influence is clear, from the aesthetics to the skill tree system, so fans of that series ought to take notice here. The illustrator magodesu, known for their chibi art, took care of character design, while Makoto Kedouin, author of the Corpse Party: Blood Covered manga series, wrote the story. The talent is there, so I hope this game glides through Early Access without much issue.

by Gio Castillo

The Detective Reaper Invites – May 25th (Windows)

My highlight of the week is The Detective Reaper Invites, a so-called “roguelite deduction adventure game” about solving a series of randomly generated murder mysteries. Fail once, and you have to start over. It’s an audacious concept that I desperately hope succeeds.

As if making logical judgments wasn’t difficult enough, there’s even some resource management to consider. You will need to balance your spending throughout each run so you don’t burn all your money on cards, which let you obtain testimonies to inform your deduction. Ugh, feed it into my veins.

by Gio Castillo

Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth Trilogy – May 21st (Switch)

The three Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth games are coming this week to Switch. These are regarded as some of the best games in the series (and ideal places to start, if you’re new).

by Gio Castillo

Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters – May 21st (XSX, XB1)

Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters is also heading to new platforms — Xbox, in fact. This action RPG is a spinoff of the main franchise, and Compile Heart built on its combat mechanics with the recent Neptunia Game Maker R:Evolution.

by Gio Castillo

System Shock (Remake) – May 21st (PS5, XSX, PS4, XB1)

Following its PC release in March of last year, the System Shock remake comes to consoles on May 21st. System Shock set a new standard for first-person shooter storytelling and immersion. The game’s influence is widespread throughout the sci-fi, shooter, and RPG genres. Nightdive Studios did an excellent job modernizing the game’s audio, visuals, and mechanics while remaining faithful to the original. Overall, the PC release received glowing reviews last year, and I expect a similar reception amongst console players. Any fans of story-driven shooters or action RPGs should find System Shock a satisfying experience.

by Jimmy Turner