Part two of our 60-game list arrives! If you were shocked that Cold Steel III wasn't in the first batch, don't worry, because it's right here. It's joined by some other highly-regarded RPG series (even if we lack localization confirmations on some), the perfect game to get your Yakuza-like fix in 2019, and some fantastic-looking indie games like Sunless Skies and... well, you'll see.
Fans of the Trails games have been waiting with bated breath for the next entry in the series to hit Western shores. Well, that wait will soon be over, as NISA is bringing Trails of Cold Steel III to English-speaking audiences this fall! After almost two years of trying to avoid spoilers and worrying about the future of the series in the West, we'll finally get to learn what happens to Rean and his friends from Class VII — all while making new friends from a totally new Class VII! Here's hoping a localization of last fall's Trails of Cold Steel IV will follow shortly, completing this arc of the Trails series for fans around the globe.
Write-up by Caitlin Argyros
We put this game on our list nearly every year, and every time we think "please, let it be this year we see Heart Forth, Alicia!" Metroidvanias exploded in both quality and popularity in 2018, so now is the time to strike. It's been a while since there's been any major updates on the Kickstarter page, but "Alicia" looks as gorgeous as ever. With a beautiful map to explore, tonnes of puzzles to solve and sidequests to pick up, it's clear Alonso Martin has been putting his heart and soul into the game, and we can't wait for Heart Forth, Alicia to finally be released.
Write-up by Alana Hagues
Mechanically, the original Persona Q was a fusion of Persona's supernatural high school setting and Etrian Odyssey's dungeon-crawling, while functioning as a crossover between Persona 3 and Persona 4. Promising more of that formula, some changes are being made. As with the original, the characters from those two games are present, but they have been moved to the back half of the story in order to make the group from 2016's Persona 5 the primary focus. Additionally, the heroine from Persona 3 Portable is present this time. With composers and artists from past Persona titles set to return, the soundtrack promises to reignite feelings of each of the referenced games in the series. Finally, this time the protagonists are trapped in a world of movies, with each dungeon being based on a different film genre.
Write-up by Kyle Seeley
A surprise announcement at E3 2018, Nioh 2 heralds the return of the Samurai-meets-Dark Souls-like action RPG. Not much is known about the game at this time; Team Ninja has confirmed it won't be a "massive departure" from the first game, though we have been promised some character customization, including the ability to pick your gender and your race. You can look forward to a lot of satisfying deaths against huge beasts and other dangerous Samurai warriors when the game launches, hopefully sometime this year.
Write-up by Alana Hagues
Christine Love is a unique creator known for her philosophical visual novels, but now she's trying something new with Get in the Car, Loser!, a post-apocalyptic road trip RPG featuring a party of four tough lesbians on a journey to stop an ancient evil, and have a good time along the way. Featuring music by acclaimed vaporwave artist Christa Lee, Get in the Car, Loser! is the "Disaster Lesbian Representation We Need In 2019," and who could ask for anything more?
Write-up by Robert Fenner
Little is currently known about this in-development Atlus title, but the apparent focus on current world issues in Shin Megami Tensei V is certainly intriguing. SMT staples such as demon collecting and fusions, challenging dungeon-crawling gameplay, and a mature narrative with heavy philosophical notes and hard-to-make choices are sure to be had too. A Nintendo Switch exclusive, SMT series fans should be keeping an eye out for the fifth installment.
Write-up by Audra Bowling
Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark is a lush looking and smooth playing strategy RPG that fans of games like Final Fantasy Tactics should definitely keep an ear to the ground for in 2019. It has already received loads of positive accolades from people who've been playing it on Steam Early Access since August 2018. Developer 6 Eyes Studios has been very attentive to Early Access player feedback and are constantly refining every aspect of the game to make it the very best that it can possibly be. It is clear that a lot of love is being put into this game and should be a worthy addition to any SRPG fan's library.
Write-up by Neal Chandran
The developer of what many consider to be the finest modern Fallout game, Fallout: New Vegas, Obsidian is returning to first-person sci-fi RPGs with The Outer Worlds! Featuring multiple planets to visit, companions to meet, branching dialogue, and a very high level of character customization, The Outer Worlds looks like it will scratch the itch of single-player RPG fans who feel let down by recent MMO versions of beloved RPG franchises (We're looking at you, Fallout 76).
Write-up by Jonathan Logan
The long-awaited follow up to Sunless Seas takes us to the stars. Desperate to hold onto power, the Queen has launched the broken remains of London into space, to rule over it via an artificial sun and the Hours Trade — in which time is mined from asteroids, allowing potential for an infinite reign. Sunless Skies puts players in the shoes of a newly-minted conductor of a chugging space train. Your origin story and your goal is up to you: Will you be a loyalist cartographer, mapping the reaches of the galaxy for your sovereign; or will you be a poet-cum-anarchist, poised to end the monarchy through any means necessary? Sunless Skies finally comes out of early access on the 31st January, and features dozens of stories by several critically-acclaimed writers including Emily Short, Harry Tuffs, and Olivia Wood.
Write-up by Robert Fenner
One of the most anticipated games in recent memory, Cyberpunk 2077 is CD Projekt RED's long-awaited follow up to The Witcher 3. Based on the classic tabletop RPG Cyberpunk 2020, 2077 will feature an expansive open world, branching story paths, and an incredible level of character customization. While rumors have it being released in Q4 2019, CD Projekt RED is on record as saying it's "coming when it's ready."
Write-up by Jonathan Logan
If we didn't know this game was being developed by NIS, we'd never guess it. Visually, at least, Destiny Connect is a wildly new direction for a company whose games feature anime-inspired character and world designs almost without fail. Instead, we're treated with a game that looks like what we'd get if Dreamworks made turn-based JRPGs. With a dash of steampunk and retro aesthetics, and even some time travel, Destiny Connect looks to be a breath of fresh air from the veterans at NIS.
Write-up by Mike Salbato
For several generations, the Bergson family has watched over the majestic Mount Morta, now under attack by a sinister force corrupting all within. Play as various members of the family, each with different abilities and fighting styles in this beautiful upcoming action RPG by Dead Mage Studio. Dungeons will be procedurally generated, and the narrative promises to be full of emotion. Most importantly, the game's exquisitely detailed pixel graphics bring to mind the worlds of Hayao Miyazaki, and that's always a good thing. We'll be keeping an eye out for this gorgeous and unique adventure in 2019!
Write-up by Tina Olah
The Yakuza Saga might be over, but SEGA's not done with Kamurocho yet. Enter Judgment (briefly known as Project Judge), a fast-paced legal thriller in which disbarred lawyer Takayuki Yagami takes justice to the street: with his own two fists. A different side to the fictionalized Tokyo underworld, Judgment sees players investigate crime scenes, trail suspects, and of course, play a slew of classic SEGA games at the arcade. If the past several Yakuza games are anything to go by, Judgment is going to be a treat.
Write-up by Robert Fenner
DONTNOD will continue to work on Life is Strange 2 over the year, but they're already on their next episodic adventure, which looks like it's going in a very different direction. As investigative journalist Sam, you return to your home in West Virginia for reasons not yet known. What we do know, though, is that depending on how far you are into your investigation, you can talk to different people and they may give you different answers. Sam will also be able to go into his "Mind Palace," where he has an inner voice that isn't always the most helpful source of advice. DONTNOD have an excellent track record with the genre, and we're excited to see whether the different context will work in their favour!
Write-up by Alana Hagues
Described as a "feel-good FPS" by developer Aurelien Regard, Away: Journey to the Unexpected is an adorable roguelite in which a young boy ventures into a hole in his grandparents' basement in search of adventure. While his journey is filled with danger, he's not alone: with a little charm, many of the fearsome monsters can be persuaded to join your side. We're very enticed by Away's bright and colorful mix of 2D and 3D, and we can't wait to try it for ourselves when it launches early this year.
Write-up by Robert Fenner
Technically, Romancing SaGa 3 should be on our most anticipated games of 1995 list, but better late than never! Rumor has it that Square Enix is finally bringing the third chapter of their SNES-era RPG series to North America. Previously only available through a fan translation, Romancing SaGa 3 will get a brand-new (official!) localization and be fully remastered with HD sprite work akin to 2017's Romancing SaGa 2. The SaGa series always featured much more experimental gameplay than other SNES Squaresoft RPGs like Final Fantasy, with many saying that this game was ahead of its time. We can't wait to finally play an official version of this lost classic!
Write-up by Jonathan Logan
An action RPG with roguelike features and detailed pixel graphics, UnDungeon has been in the works since 2015, and it looks like 2019 may finally be its year. The original intent of Laughing Machines, the game's development studio, was to create a sci-fi/fantasy title without utilizing the standard tropes of knights, dragons and rocketships; from what we've seen so far, their efforts look to be a bizarre and beautiful success in the vein of Torment: Tides of Numenera and Hyper Light Drifter. As just one example of the game's unique aesthetic, none of the seven playable characters are human. If you've ever dreamed about becoming a floating golden sarcophagus or a sentient puddle of goo, your wishes will be granted. We can't wait to explore this weird new multiverse in 2019!
Write-up by Tina Olah
From the talent behind Astebreed comes the closest thing we'll get to a new ActRaiser game... kind of. Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin follows the titular harvest goddess as she is banished to a dangerous island and left to cultivate the farmland as well as cleanse the island from demons. The gameplay is split into two halves — growing and looking after rice crops, and traditional action platformer RPG action — and as she progresses, Sakuna learns more and more about the people who live on the island. XSEED is working hard to get the game to us soon, so it won't be too long before you can live out your dream of becoming a rice farming goddess who kicks butt!
Write-up by Alana Hagues
Many were left wondering just what the minds behind the Danganronpa series would do after the series "ended," and Zanki Zero: Last Beginning is the answer. Instead of the usual visual novel style, Zanki Zero is a dungeon crawler with survival elements. The world has been destroyed and only eight survivors remain, with the game split into chapters where you control a different character in each one. From the sounds of it, it looks like Zanki Zero is going to be as bleak and mind-bending as those despair filled games, so we'll have to see what horrors await us this March when the game releases.
Write-up by Alana Hagues
Front Mission has long been one of our favorite forgotten series to come out of Square Enix. The mecha-based SRPG series ran strong until the PS2 era, punctuated by the fact that the well-regarded Front Mission 5 never released in the West. Left Alive is a surprise: while set in the world of Front Mission and its armored wanzers, it puts aside strategy RPG gameplay for third-person shooter action. The more we see of Left Alive's emphasis on characters and stealth/shooter gameplay, the more we get Metal Gear Solid vibes (real Hideo Kojima MGS that is, not that online zombie thing). It may not be how we expected to see Front Mission return, but it's intriguing enough that it's on our Soliton Radar.
Write-up by Mike Salbato