RPGs Coming This Week, 4/21/26 – Homages and a Trail to the Heavens

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail Patch 7.5 – Trail to the Heavens (Windows, macOS, PS5, XBX)

The hype train and journey to Evercold starts this week as we begin the last major patch phase for Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail with the launch of Patch 7.5 – Trail to the Heavens. While astute players have guessed the next expansion would be taking us off-world, the story up through 7.4 had not given much away. With this weekend’s announcement of Evercold at the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival in Anaheim, now we know where we’re heading, but not exactly how or why. We’ll begin to understand that with Patch 7.5, though this week’s release only gives us Part 1 of the Main Scenario line, with the second part coming in September.

Alongside that new story content is the final segment of the Final Fantasy XI-themed Echoes of Vana’diel raid series, Windurst: The Third Walk, featuring an especially beloved guest character from the series’ first MMORPG. Patch 7.5 also includes a new dungeon, a new trial featuring an especially deep cut from Final Fantasy V, a brand-new PVP map, Archeia Harmonias, and a host of new items, gear, mounts, and minions. Further updates will roll out over the next several months, including the game’s second limited job, Beastmaster; see the full list of upcoming updates on the official Patch 7.5 site. Finally, coinciding with Patch 7.5, Final Fantasy XIV‘s generous free trial will include another expansion: new players will be able to play A Realm Reborn, Heavensward, Stormblood, and now the critically acclaimed Shadowbringers expansions without requiring a paid subscription.

by Mike Salbato

Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta – April 28th (Switch)

Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta is an enhanced port/remaster of 2012’s Ys: Memories of Celceta (itself a new take on the various iterations of Ys IV before it; check out our Ys series primer for the details!). It sports some interesting icon updates and a completely rearranged soundtrack, with the option to use the original OST. Chronologically taking place after the events of Ys X: Nordics, the story involves an amnesiac Adol Christin exploring the mysterious forested region of Celceta with his current but new-to-him comrades. The party dynamics found in some other Ys games are back in full force here, with party members having different abilities on the field to make traversing easier. The game’s original version was a fairly entertaining ARPG adventure, and Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta promises more of the same when it releases as a Nintendo Switch exclusive later this week!

by Audra Bowling

Elementallis – April 28th (PS4, PS5, Switch, XBX, XB1, Windows, macOS, Linux)

Elementallis is a top-down Zelda-like from AnKae Games following their successful 2021 Kickstarter campaign. One of the game’s unique selling points is the elemental combination system, where you can pull up a wheel of various elemental powers in real time (ala Secret of Mana) and cast various elemental spells, with different combinations producing beneficial effects. This elemental combo system is key to combat and puzzle solving and seems to be bringing a bit of Breath of the Wild‘s elemental reaction system back into the traditional top-down Zelda format. Elementallis will be available on all major consoles and PC via Steam on April 28th.

by Ben Love

Monster Crown: Sin Eater – April 30th (Windows)

Studio Aurum followed up their 2020 debut creature-collecting RPG Monster Crown with a successful Kickstarter for the sequel, Monster Crown: Sin Eater. Our own Neal Chandran reviewed the game back in 2021, praising the breeding system and progression mechanics but let down by a myriad of technical problems. As you can probably tell from the title, Sin Eater maintains the edgy tone of the first title (the Steam Store page shows off the main character shooting a gun at one of the creatures in battle), though the Wild West theme to the world sets it apart. The pixel art for the creatures and environments is eye-catching, and the developers promise a robust monster fusion system influenced by the Shin Megami Tensei franchise that sounds intriguing. If they’ve managed to sort out the technical issues that plagued the first game, this could be a real diamond in the rough for fans of Pokémon-influenced RPGs that want a little more darkness and edge to their monster tamer fantasies.

by Ben Love

Ariana and the Elder Codex – April 29th (Windows)

Ariana and the Elder Codex arrives on Steam about a month after its initial release on consoles. A collaboration between Idea Factory and developer Hyde (best known for their work on Digimon Survive), Ariana is a 2D action RPG with Metroidvania elements. The combat is particularly noteworthy, as the titular librarian Ariana can assign different spells to the face buttons and unleash devastating combos. The console release was fairly well-received for an Idea Factory title, so Metroidvania fans who stick to PC might want to give this one a second look.

by Ben Love

Quartet – April 30th (Switch)

Last August, indie developer Something Classic Games returned with Quartet, another offering in their line of turn-based, retro-inspired JRPGs-not-made-in-Japan. If RPGFan’s own Neal Chandran is to be believed, Quartet delivers with its colourful visuals, varied soundtrack, engaging gameplay, and likable cast of eight. Switch players (myself included!) will finally be able to experience its four intertwining stories of airships, wayward wizards, train robberies, and… a playable hippopotamus?!

by Matt Wardell