The slate of upcoming RPGs of 2024 is packed with high-profile video game releases in just the first few months alone. Final Fantasy, Like A Dragon, and a new Persona game all launch within four weeks of each other, and then we get into some more niche games. SaGa, something new from Vanillaware, Paper Mario, Eiyuden Chronicle – good as 2023 and 2022 were for RPGs, somehow it seems like 2024 might be even better. That goes double if we get some of the long-delayed RPGs in the works, such as Bloodlines 2 and Black Myth: Wukong.
All these and more are some of the best RPGs of 2024 to keep an eye on.
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth – Jan. 28, 2024
RGG Studios and Sega are kicking the RPG year off in a big way with Infinite Wealth. Ichiban Kasuga’s story continues in Hawaii, with cameos from Kazuma Kiryu and the rest of Ichiban’s friends. The yakuza might have gone into politics in Japan, but things are heating up in Hawaii. New jobs, outrageous substories, and a bit of heartfelt melodrama put Infnite Wealth firmly in the action game series’ tradition, even if the core team has moved on to NetEase.
And if you need to relax for a bit, there’s even an Animal Crossing-like mode where you can build an island resort.
Granblue Fantasy Relink – Feb.1, 2024
Cygames is bringing a proper Granblue Fantasy RPG to the rest of the world without us having to jump through hoops to play it. While you might be a little lost on who’s who and what’s actually going on if you haven’t played the Granblue fighting games or browser game, it looks like Relink is mostly a standalone experience. It reminds me of Bandai’s Tales series, more specifically Tales of Arise, with flashy combos, elemental affinities, and gorgeous anime visuals.
Persona 3 Reload – Feb. 2, 2024
Hot on Granblue’s heels is Persona 3 Reloaded, the first modern Persona brought back back for even more modern audiences. The saga of Iwatodai Island and the students at its high school is streamlined and with more features inspired by the series’ recent entries. You’ll cook and watch movies together, control every party member, and even hang out with your male friends in scenes that seem like they’re pulled right from Persona 3 Portable – except the female protagonist.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth – Feb. 29, 2024
Leap year day brings us Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the second part of Square Enix’s FF7 trilogy. Rebirth ostensibly covers the time between Cloud and co. leaving Midgar and the events at the Forgotten Capital, with Red XIII, Cosmo Canyon, the Golden Saucer, and Vincent Valentine in between. There’s also Zack Fair, who should be very dead, and who knows what other timeline shenanigans to look forward to. It’s so hefty, Square Enix is putting it on two PS5 discs.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes – April 23, 2024
If you’ve been waiting for a new Suikoden, you’re in luck. The original team is back with a new game under a new name, but the spirit of the PS1 classics is still alive. You play as a trio of heroes fighting back against a wave of political corruption and darkness sweeping over the land. Like the Suikoden games of old, you’ll gather dozens of allies along the way, build a base, and string together spectacular combos with the constellation of abilities at your disposal.
Unicorn Overlord – March 8, 2024
It’s the kind of name only Square Enix could come up with, except Unicorn Overlord isn’t a Square Enix game. 13 Sentinels-maker Vanillaware is responsible for this one, a heady blend of dense medieval magic and politics with tactical battles, and a deep, complex relationship system. Vanillaware’s lush signature style is on full display in the world, characters, and, as always, the food.
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail – Summer 2024
Okay, so FFXIV is technically an MMO, but there’s enough RPG to justify putting it on here. That’s my excuse, at least. Anyway, Dawntrail is a pretty big deal for the 10-year-old game. The Endwalker patches might take place after the crisis ended, but Dawntrail is the first properly new story set outside the Hydaelyn arc. There’s a whole new world, a new class, better graphics, and tacos for G’raha Tia. FFXIV and Dawntrail are coming to Xbox as well sometime in 2024.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak – Summer 2024
Following on from 2023’s Trails Into Reverie is Trails Through Daybreak. Like Dawntrail to FFXIV, Daybreak is a pretty big deal for Nihon Falcom’s decades-old RPG series. Daybreak is the first time Falcom’s had freedom to create not just a brand-new story since Trails of Cold Steel released over 10 years, but a new nation as well. Daybreak finally takes us into Calvard, land of movie theaters, incredible technological advancements, cars, and deep political corruption.
It’s also the first game with a morally dubious protagonist who’s happy to help anyone if the price is right and the first major shakeup to the series’ combat system in, well, practically ever. Daybreak lets you switch between action- and turn-based battles on the fly.
Zenless Zone Zero – TBD
If you wanna piledrive a bear, then this might be the game for you. That’s not a suggestive comment, either. The next big RPG from Genshin Impact-maker HoYoverse stars a bear with some sick wrestling moves and a squad of anime heroes on a quest to save their futuristic, punk-infused world from darkness. Despite the action combat and gacha elements, there’s a heavy undercurrent of Persona running through everything we’ve seen from Zenless Zone Zero so far, including social relationships that play a strong role in your daily life.
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door Switch – TBD
Nintendo is, at last, giving us a (legal) way to play the hit Gamecube RPG without actually having to buy a Gamecube and hope the absurdly expensive disc isn’t scratched. “Bigger and better” is such a trite phrase, but it actually describes Thousand Year Door very well. The world is expansive and more thoughtfully designed than the first Paper Mario’s. The story is more rewarding, combat works better, and the character writing is just superb. There’s a good reason people look back so fondly on TTYD.
SaGa Emerald Beyond – TBD
Square Enix has another SaGa game in the works, one that, at first glance, seems like a bigger, shinier version Scarlet Grace – which is a pretty good thing to be. Details on the story are still pretty light, but it’s got that signature SaGa flair for juxtaposition – magic meets motorcycles, fantasy heroes have an impeccable sense of modern style, and there’s really no telling what’s actually going on. It’s SaGa through and through.
Black Myth: Wukong – Summer 2024
It seems like we’ve been waiting ages for Wukong, but the inventive reimagining of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West is maybe, finally, hopefully releasing in summer 2024. Your journey to greatness takes you through beauty and terrors of mythological proportions. Monstrous adversaries, mystical abilities, and a free and open style of combat that lets you create your own style help set Wukong apart from the other dark fantasy RPGs out there, and it promises to be an experience to remember.
Avowed – TBD
Obsidian’s troubled answer to Skyrim should launch in 2024, assuming no other delays crop up. What Obsidian is cooking remains a bit of a mystery. The team changed course from being a Skyrim-alike, veered away from multiplayer, and is left with, well, we’ll just have to wait and see what.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 – TBD
I’m putting Bloodlines 2 on here mainly in the hopes that it actually does launch at last. The Chinese Room – Bloodlines 2’s new developer – is keeping their cards close, though we do know the long-awaited horror sequel focuses on elder vampires, a war in the Seattle court, and probably plenty of The Chinese Room’s award-winning storytelling.
Metaphor ReFantazio
Atlus’s ambitious RPG is meant to launch in 2024, a bold blend of high fantasy with modern settings, playable rat-rabbit-things, warring factions, and a splash of Ghibli-like aesthetics. There’s more Shin Megami Tensei than Persona about this one, and hopefully we’ll see more in the coming months.
Dungeons of Hinterberg – TBD
Microbirds has something that looks pretty special with Dungeons of Hinterberg. The team blends the usual dungeon-crawling formula with a bit of cozy relationship simulation, and it’s all wrapped in an absolutely gorgeous visual style.
Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF
