2023 has been a memorable year for fans of RPG titles, and the foreseeable future is looking brighter than ever after the recent Summer Game Fest event. Arguably the biggest contribution comes from Xbox Game Studios, thanks to Microsoft’s investments in some of the most successful RPG studios and franchises. But there’s a lot more coming to the market – let’s take a look at the next two years, starting with the second half of 2024.
In the action/soulslike (or light) subgenre, players can look forward to Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree (releasing next week), the one and only expansion for the game of the year 2022. We already have so much talk about this one that it’s not worth dwelling too much on it, but be sure to check out our recent hands-on preview in case you missed it.
Then there’s Flintlock: Siege of Dawn, the new game from developer Ashen A44. Its fantasy world mixes magic and the supernatural with guns while drawing inspiration from the studio’s home country of New Zealand. The “large linear” game will be released on July 18 and Game Pass subscribers will receive it as a free addition to their library from day one.
A little over a month later, Chinese developer Game Science released its first title, Black Myth: Wukong. It is a reinterpretation of the classic 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West. Players will be asked to take on the role of the ape-like creature “Destiny”, who embarks on a journey across beautiful landscapes to uncover the truth behind an old mystery. To defeat his many enemies, designed from Chinese mythology, the Destiny will have to master the techniques of his staff while wielding spells and abilities and acquiring powerful equipment.
Another action RPG scheduled for August is Visions of Mana from Square Enix. In this game, players explore a semi-open world with a party of three characters, all of whom can be directly controlled. Each character has different combat classes, which can be unlocked by acquiring items called Spirit Vessels and can be modified at will, giving them access to new abilities and powerful attacks called Class Strikes.
Returning to the soulslite genre, Italian developer Jyamma Games has set a date of September 19 for Enotria: The Last Song. Far from the dark atmospheres championed by FromSoftware, Enotria takes place in a sunny world inspired by southern Italy, although that doesn’t mean there aren’t threatening enemies to defeat. You can play an updated demo right now on Steam.
Fans of Japanese-made RPGs are in for a treat this October when Atlus plans to launch the long-awaited new Metaphor IP: ReFantazio. With Persona-inspired turn-based combat and a medieval fantasy world called the United Kingdom of Euchronia that somewhat mirrors the modern world, the game will also allow players to develop intimate relationships with their character’s companions.
Players who prefer Western-style role-playing games will undoubtedly find what they’re looking for among these four heavyweights: Obsidian’s Avowed, BioWare’s Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Warhorse’s Kingdom Come Deliverance II and The Chinese Room’s Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines . II.
Unlike the previous titles mentioned in this article, these four titles emphasize the R of the RPG by allowing players to shape the world around them and the storylines through choice-based gameplay, potentially leading to major differences and even multiple purposes.
Despite this similarity, there are a few key differences. Avowed, set in the fantasy world of Eora (previously seen in the Pillars of Eternity games), can be played in first person or third person. It features a group of three characters, although the action is focused on the main character and there are no tactical breaks. However, players can quickly swap their equipment in combat as the situation requires, switching from a two-handed ax to a sword and a spellbook, for example. While interacting with and befriending companions is an important part of the game, there will be no romance.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard takes place in the fantasy world of Thedas, more or less directly following the plot of 2014’s Inquisition. The game is played from a third-person camera close enough to enhance immersion. As in Avowed, the group size is three; However, The Veilguard allows you to pause the action and issue orders to your companions to activate specific skills against targets on the battlefield, potentially enabling devastating combos. The game also allows players to romance any of seven companions, regardless of the main character’s race or gender, and there will even be some nudity.
Kingdom Come Deliverance II, on the other hand, takes place in a purely medieval world, more precisely in 15th century Bohemia. Unlike the previous two RPGs, this one is not group-based and features a fixed protagonist (the same as the first game), Henry of Skalitz, who is on a mission of revenge against the Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund , responsible for the destruction of his village and the death of his parents. Kingdom Come Deliverance II is only available in first person view. Additionally, its unique directional combat system certainly sets it apart from other games, although the developers have stated that it will be a bit more accessible.
Last of the Big Four Western RPGs in 2024, Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines II is also the one that has caused the most concern due to its very eventful development phase. A new studio (The Chinese Room) was created following the split with Hardsuit Labs, but they don’t really have any experience in the genre. Regardless, like Kingdom Come Deliverance II, the game is played in first person and does not rely on companions. Players will take on the role of an elder vampire who has been mysteriously asleep for over a century. They will be able to choose their gender, appearance, history and clan, which will influence the type of powers and abilities they have. The Brujah, Tremere, Banu Haqim, and Ventrue clans will be playable at launch, with two more sets being added later.
Finally, cRPG fans will want to take note of New Arc Line, a steampunk/fantasy turn-based game from Ukrainian indie studio Dreamate Games. It is expected to launch later this year.
As mentioned earlier in the article, role-playing game aficionados can look forward to many interesting projects even through 2025 and beyond. At Summer Game Fest 2024, Playground confirmed that its reboot of Fable (developed in collaboration with Eidos Montreal) would launch at some point next year, and the in-engine trailer certainly got fans excited about it. The idea of returning to the town of Bowerstone after a long time. .
We didn’t see it at this Summer Game Fest, but last year, inXile’s steampunk RPG Clockwork Revolution made a big impression with a gameplay trailer, and a rumor suggests it might actually be launched in 2025.
Next year, Spiders also plans to release GreedFall: The Dying World in Early Access. This game has moved from action to tactical gameplay; you can learn more about it in the new preview. The Gothic Remake is also scheduled to launch for March 2025 at the latest, and more information will likely be available in August at Gamescom. Indie game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, also scheduled for 2025, definitely caught our attention at Summer Game Fest thanks to its unique setting and mix of turn-based and real-time combat. Lately,
Finally, Q4 2025 is the expected launch window for Swordhaven: Iron Conspiracy, the new fantasy cRPG from the creators of the old Fallout-style games Atom and Atom: Trudograd. The game was crowdfunded last month on Kickstarter and will enter Early Access in Q4 2024.
Looking to 2026 and further into the future, a few triple-A RPG titles are already planned: The Witcher remake, in development at Fool’s Theory; the new game The Witcher 4, in development at CD Projekt RED, as is the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077; Elder Scrolls VI and Fallout 5 from Bethesda; the new Mass Effect from BioWare; and Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds 2. On the AA spectrum, Outward 2 is also worth mentioning, as well as the Daggerfall-inspired The Wayward Realms, which was just funded on Kickstarter. Many more games will no doubt be announced over time, but even with those listed here, role-playing game fans will have thousands of hours to sink into these increasingly realistic virtual worlds.