On this edition of RPGs Coming This Week: a CRPG throwback, a superhero tactics game, and a new Trails game! Let’s wrap May — low-key the strongest month of the year so far — with a bang!
Also, in case you missed it, here’s a quick note about last week’s column. A few games we covered got delayed, so please be advised.
Capes – May 29th (PS5, XSX, PS4, XB1, Switch, Windows, macOS, Linux)
It’s probably because I just caught up with The Boys, but I’m strongly interested in Capes, a new superhero-themed SRPG from Spitfire Interactive and Daedalic Entertainment. Combat in this game is anything but ordinary; for one, each team member (you bring four in every mission) has different abilities, meaning plenty of options in terms of positioning and team attacks. Throw in team-up attacks and a broad array of upgrades, and we’ve got one of the most promising tactics titles of the year.
by Gio Castillo
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Northern War – May 29th (Windows, iOS, Android)
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Northern War is a free-to-play gacha RPG centered around an important narrative time frame and political region, set chronologically between the events of The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II and Trails of Cold Steel III. Northern War is based on an anime of the same name focusing on an original group of characters investigating threats to their homeland from the encroaching Erebonian Empire.
I was pleasantly surprised by many plot elements in the anime version of The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Northern War, enjoying its peek into a substantial but often overlooked narrative in the main installment games’ lore. Naturally, I’ve been curious about the video game adaptation, especially since you can potentially recruit characters from throughout The Legend of Heroes: Trails series using the game’s gacha mechanics. As a huge Falcom and The Legend of Heroes: Trails series fan, I’m eager to see if Lavian and her comrades’ journeys will resonate as nicely in a free-to-play RPG format as they did on the TV screen when the title releases globally on mobile platforms and PC later this week!
by Audra Bowling
Astor: Blade of the Mountain – May 30th (PS5, XSX, PS4, XB1, Switch, Windows, macOS)
From Colombian outfit C2 Game Studio comes action RPG Astor: Blade of the Monolith — hard emphasis on the action. This game is all about stringing together melee, ranged, and air attacks while switching weapons and utilizing other abilities, including summons. There are side quests to do, powers to unlock, and sprawling environments to explore.
Oh, and you play as a really deadly Jawa Diokek warrior on a quest to uncover the origins of his species. They had me with the combos, but they sealed me with the protagonist. The little guy looks like Vivi if he dropped the confidence issues and got combat lessons from Clive Rosfield.
by Gio Castillo
SKALD: Against the Black Priory – May 30th (Windows, macOS)
SKALD: Against the Black Priory is an old-school CRPG with Lovecraftian elements. Taking strong influence from classic SSI Gold Box AD&D games as well as early Might & Magic titles, SKALD: Against the Black Priory faithfully emulates the look and design ethos of these games whilst offering smoother performance and more expansive story elements. Combat is turn-based, taking place in the overworld and at times within cities and dungeons, against myriad humanoid, animal, and otherworldly enemies.
This is an RPG for those nostalgic for a simpler time, when you could see every little gritty pixel and when games didn’t feel the need to spell out every little element, instead of letting you just go and explore. The only issue I have with this game right now is that it doesn’t come in a cereal box-sized carton filled with cloth maps and a 100+ page manual. It just feels wrong. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for a physical release of this one.
by Claton Stevenson
Tokyo Psychodemic – May 30th (PS5, PS4, Switch, Windows)
Yes. YES. A new mystery game is coming, and it’s about… a pandemic?? Tokyo Psychodemic‘s central conceit is this: paranormal activities are starting to happen in the Japanese capital after a three-year lockdown due to a pandemic. Huh, that sounds familiar.
Unlike other games of its ilk, players actually will do detective things in Tokyo Psychodemic. Expect to pore over security footage, photographs, and various documents to piece the truth together. I’ve also heard good things about creator Shuho Imai and his past work such as Kowloon High-School Chronicle and Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters. Here’s hoping Tokyo Psychodemic is as weird and wonderful as the rest of his catalog.
by Gio Castillo
Also Coming This Week
Xuan Yuan Sword 7 – May 30th (Switch)
Xuan Yuan Sword 7 is a Taiwanese-developed RPG I enjoyed immensely when I played the PS4 version a while ago for review. I’m looking forward to more people getting the opportunity to try the title out when it releases on the Nintendo Switch this week!
by Audra Bowling
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