On this edition of RPGs Coming This Week: the biggest RPG of the year and also the newest Final Fantasy game. Heh, I kid, but word of mouth has me excited about a certain hardcore roguelike. Frankly, word of mouth has me excited about everything that’s coming, so let’s dispense with the preamble!
Ex Astris – February 27th (iOS, Android)
From the makers of Arknights and Arknights: Endfield comes Ex Astris, a real-time/turn-based hybrid that could unite people who like careful planning and people who like dishing out relentless combos. The combat feels like an evolution of Octopath Traveler‘s Break system to the next level; getting foes off balance through attacks and parries will allow players to unload some pretty vicious team combos without consuming action points. The recently released gameplay trailer goes in depth into battles, exploration, and more.
Don’t be deceived by the fact that it’s a mobile RPG; Ex Astris is a premium title ($9.99 USD on iOS and Android), which means you should be able to play through it without spending a dime on microtransactions. If you can’t, then it deserves all the scorn it’ll get.
by Gio Castillo
Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island – February 27th (Switch)
Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is the sixth mainline entry in the long-running roguelike series Shiren The Wanderer as well as falling under the broader Mystery Dungeon series. Developed and published by Spike Chunsoft, Shiren 6 follows the eponymous ronin and his sidekick Koppa, a talking weasel, on a treasure-seeking journey to Serpentcoil Island. Upon arrival, Shiren is drawn into a relentless search for a mysterious girl and an evil beast who holds her captive.
Our own Ben Love seems to have fallen in love with this long-awaited release; find out why in his review. The Shiren the Wanderer series has had a patchy and very belated release history outside of Japan, but Shiren 6 looks like a promising return to form and a must-play game for long-time fans and new players alike.
by Claton Stevenson
Sympathy Kiss – February 27th (Switch)
Sympathy Kiss is an otome visual novel in a modern office setting. You play as designer Akari, chosen to help restore a fading news app to its former glory. Will she and her co-workers succeed, and will Akari finally find the drive and passion that’s been missing in her personal and professional lives?
I had the opportunity to review Sympathy Kiss, and I was overall fairly impressed by how enjoyable an otome VN experience it is. It’s great that now more people have the chance to try the game when it gets officially released on the Nintendo Switch this week!
by Audra Bowling
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth – February 29th (PS5)
I mean, at this point, the blurb kind of writes itself, right?
If you’re visiting a site called “RPGFan”, I doubt you need any other introduction to one of the most anticipated games in recent memory, but Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is here and, if Zach Wilkerson’s review is any indication, it’s here with a mako reactor-sized bang. He gives us a better idea of what to expect than I ever could:
People forget just how weird Final Fantasy VII is, and this version preserves it. For every intense, gut-wrenching moment, there were five more that made me laugh. Ultimately, while I’m certain there are controversial parts of the narrative (and there are a couple that didn’t quite land for me), the story and writing are outstanding on the whole, eclipsing every other iteration of Final Fantasy VII in my eyes.
Oh, heck yeah. That’s what we want to hear. Saddle up your chocobos, y’all. It’s about to get real.
by Kyle Cantelon
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