Every time I turn around, it feels like an RPG I need to
make time for is on the horizon. At times this can be overwhelming, especially
considering the time commitment, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. The only
way the genre gets better is for developers – big and small – to try new
things; the more variety we have, the more opportunities there are to draw new
players into the genre and help it prosper. One of my goals with this column
has been to talk about a wide array of games. That means touching on everything
from the triple-A juggernauts to the smaller gems you might not know much about.
Today’s column focuses on the latter – three upcoming games that as an RPG fan
you should have on your radar. These titles are coming out in the very near
future, and they also have one more thing in common – they’re all sticking with
the tried-and-true turn-based battle system and doing interesting things with
it.
Earthlock: Festival of Magic (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii
U, PC)
Release: September 1 (PC, Xbox One) (PS4, Wii U TBD)
I first came across Earthlock when I was at a Microsoft
event at GDC a few years ago. I was so intrigued by it, I immediately added it
to our best indie games of GDC that year. The small team at Snowcastle Games is
comprised of developers who worked at Ubisoft, LucasArts, and Rockstar North.
They’ve all come together for this passion project with one goal: to create an
RPG they’d want to play themselves. Earthlock is inspired by the classic RPGs
they played growing up and the team wants to put their own stamp on the genre.
The art style and story are inspired by its Scandinavian origin (the studio is
located in Oslo, Norway).
In Earthlock, the world of Umbra is in trouble. It’s stopped
spinning, leaving half in darkness, half in light. To get to the bottom of
things, a group of unlikely heroes band together. I played a beta build
recently, and the colorful world and turn-based battle system were my favorite
parts.
During my demo, I swapped between two different characters’
stories, got introduced to two party members (one was called a hogbunny and
looked the part!), and made my way through areas such as a moldering swamp, a
creepy mansion, and an ancient temple. The adventure begins with Amon, a desert
scavenger searching for relics to sell, finding an artifact he wants to learn
more about. You also meet Ive, who you can to swap to at any point later
in the game. She has a royal upbringing and is joined by stormdog, Taika, who
resembles a tiger.
Earthlock has a lot of interesting systems at play. First
off, in battles, you swap between two different stances, which give you access
to different abilities (swapping costs one turn). Once you build up attacks,
you can unleash specials, which do deadly damage or heal up your party. Every
character has their own abilities and a talent tree where you can customize
their skill sets. In addition, by pairing certain characters together you increase
their bonds, lending you combat perks, such as making abilities more
powerful. As you can see, you have a lot of control, and the battle system
constantly keeps you on your toes.
I enjoyed experimenting with my characters’ abilities,
especially since attacks have different damage types, such as exploding,
slashing, and piercing. Finding out what is most effective against certain
baddies can be make-or-break. And just when I thought I was out of systems to
master, the game lets you harvest your own ammo with the seeds you find in the
world, which provide elemental perks. I only found two party members during my
trek, so I’ll be interested to see how the game changes once you get a bigger
party and can experiment with even more battle skills.
For more on Earthlock: Festival of Magic, check out the official site.
Cosmic Star Heroine (PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, PC)
Release: Late summer, early fall
I’ve played a few demos of Cosmic Star Heroine throughout
its development, and it just keeps getting better. For those not in the know,
this is the most recent game by Zeboyd Games, the developer of Cthulhu Saves
the World and episodes three and four of Penny Arcade Adventures: On the
Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness. This is Zeboyd Games’ most ambitious project
yet, and Cosmic Star Heroine feels like the game the two-man team was destined
to make as hardcore RPG fans. The team cites Chrono Trigger, Phantasy Star, and
Suikoden as inspirations, and you can see that in its many features, such as
character combo techniques and building up your own spy headquarters. The 2D
graphics and overall style also evoke a nostalgic, 16-bit feeling.
The story follows Alyssa L’Salle, who uncovers a government
conspiracy. The government fires back by outing the legendary spy to the
public, meaning every enemy now has her on their radar. When you begin the
game, she’s tasked with destroying potentially dangerous materials near an
old research facility, where terrorist activity has been detected. Alyssa soon
witnesses the terrorist team being murdered, but not by anything human. Zeboyd
said it was influenced by sci-fi films such as Blade Runner and Alien, so you
can only imagine what Alyssa will be up against.
The battle system has been the star of every demo I’ve
played. It allows for a lot of strategy and room for experimentation. Most
abilities only have one use and then must be recharged. It makes every turn
matter. Do you get rid of all your abilities before recharging, or do you
prioritize recharging immediately after using one the enemy is most weak
to? That doesn’t even consider if you should spend a turn buffing to deal more
damage the next. Characters also have some nifty skills at their disposal. For
instance, one character can use a turn to make an attack hit multiple enemies,
while another skill lets her repeat her last turn without recharging. As you
battle, you fill a gauge, which, once filled, activates hyper mode. This deals
double damage and ailments are more likely to be inflicted. I thought about my
moves and enjoyed discovering the fastest ways to take down enemies.
I haven’t been able to test it out or see it in a demo yet,
but I’m most excited to recruit party members and build up my own headquarters. Zeboyd Games discussed this feature more on a blog post, saying,
there should be around 20-25 characters to recruit. The more people you bring in,
the more rooms you open in your base, which has three main floors and two
smaller floors. Yes, if you’re a Suikoden fan, this should scratch that itch.
To learn more about Cosmic Star Heroine, check out Zeboyd Games’ official site.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II (PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita)
If you’ve read my review of the first game, or seen my
enthusiasm for it on Twitter, you know by now that I’m a big fan of Trails of
Cold Steel. It may not have flashy graphics or the best environments, but its
Persona-like school and social structure alongside the intriguing political warfare
storyline more than make up for it. If you haven’t played the first game, you
must, especially since the next entry in the trilogy is set for a fall release.
Your save data from the first game carries over to Trails of Cold Steel II,
meaning the bonds you formed in the first game won’t be forgotten. Different
cutscenes appear depending on who you cozied up to, and characters also
reference past conversations. NPCs that you helped will also remember your
efforts.
I’ve played a few hours of the second entry, and it answers
a lot of lingering questions from the first game almost immediately. That being
said, there’s also lots of twists and surprises in store, and plenty of
characters facing their own inner demons. At the start of the game, protagonist
Rean and all of his classmates are separated, so you’re spending your first
hours trying to figure out what has changed since the events of the first game
and where you can find your classmates. This offers the opportunity for
characters who had minor roles in the last game to join Rean in battle, such as
his sister Elise and mercenary Toval. I won’t spoil much beyond saying that the
civil war is continuing to heat up and bigger threats are looming.
The turn-based combat system remains mostly the same, which
is fine by me. I love the variety it offers for every turn, with magic, special
attacks, and the linked characters and randomized turn bonuses. Cold Steel II
adds a new overdrive mode, which allows linked characters to act uninterrupted
for a set amount of turns. It also comes with the handy perk of of fully
restoring HP, EP for magic, and CP for specials along with clearing all status
abnormalities. You also engage in giant robot battles, which we got our first
taste of at the end of the last game. This series just does so many things
right, from epic battles to character interactions. I grew to love Class VII
and can’t wait to see how they face new dilemmas.
To learn more, visit the official site.
I have a feeling we’ll have a lot to talk about in the
coming months with so many games on the horizon. It’s one thing to anticipate
them, it’s another thing to experience them and discuss our journeys.
Hopefully, one of these games caught your eye. Until next time, grind on!
Source: Gameinformer