Top 5 More Upcoming Turn-Based RPGs

Near the end of 2015, amid claims that turn-based combat in RPGs was dead, we looked at 5 upcoming turn-based RPGs

All of those games are now out, except for Dragon Quest XI, so let’s take a look at five more upcoming RPGs to keep in mind if you still love turn-based combat.

5. Dragon Quest XI

We’re getting this one out of the way early because I technically included it on the previous list, along with two other Dragon Quest titles. Back then, localization was still in doubt, but now we can look forward to Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age in 2018.

Dragon Quest XI has two distinct styles depending on whether you get the PS4 version or the 3DS version, and the 3DS version also lets you go for an even more old-school look, but no matter which version you get, it’s a turn-based JRPG with a traditional style.

Dragon Quest shows no sign of leaving its roots behind, and fans are happy for that.

4. Battle Chasers: Nightwar

Due out next week on October 3 (except for the Switch version, which is coming later), Battle Chasers: Nightwar is a game based on the Battle Chasers comic series and inspired by classic JRPGs.

I have no familiarity with the Battle Chasers series, but Nightwar looks pretty cool. The only thing I’m uncertain about is that it has randomly-generated dungeons, but previews of the game have suggested it does an excellent job with the classic JRPG formula.

3. Lost Sphear

When I finished I Am Setsuna, I was disappointed with the ending… but eager to see Tokyo RPG Factory have another chance. Lost Sphear will be out on January 23, and everything about it looks like exactly what I hoped for: a game styled after classic JRPGs, but with improvements over I Am Setsuna when it comes to the world and ATB combat system.

It remains to be seen if the story, which deals with characters restoring the world around them through the power of Memory, will be satisfying, but I have high hopes for Lost Sphear.

2. Project Octopath Traveler

I was skeptical of Project Octopath Traveler when it was first announced, because it’s being handled by the team behind Bravely Default. To some people, that’s fantastic news (and yes, I did have Bravely Second on my previous list of top upcoming RPGs), but when I tried to play Bravely Default, I couldn’t get invested in the story and characters at all.

However, the demo for Project Octopath Traveler available from the Switch eShop convinced me that maybe I was too hasty in my judgment. It looks beautiful and reminds me of older Final Fantasy games, and the story and dialogue so far seems a major step up from Bravely Default.

Project Octopath Traveler will be out in 2018, and I’m looking forward to it.

1. Trails of Cold Steel III

Finally, while I’m still all the way back with The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (First Chapter), the Trails series has already caught my attention as one I’ll enjoy.

Trails of Cold Steel III will be the newest entry in the series, and it’s due out tomorrow in Japan. No news has been announced yet about it’s Western release, but it seems a given that it will be localized. It won’t be the end of the Trails series, either. According to the developer, Trails of Cold Steel III will bring the overall Trails story to just over 60% complete.

They’ve taken steps to streamline combat, but it’s still turn-based. If it lives up to the standard set by previous games in the series, it is definitely one to be excited for.

Conclusion

Dragon Quest XI, Battle Chasers, Lost Sphear, Project Octopath Traveler, and Trails of Cold Steel III are five of the turn-based RPGs I’m looking forward to the most.

Of course, these are only five of many. Last time, I left off some of the games I ended up enjoying the most, like World of Final Fantasy and Persona 5, so I might have overlooked something wonderful again. What turn-based RPGs are you looking forward to?