The Most Anticipated JRPGs of 2024
Following a series of press conferences during the Tokyo Game Show, various Japanese game manufacturers, including SEGA, SQUARE ENIX, ATLUS, KOEI TECMO, Nintendo, and Cygames, have unveiled highly anticipated sequels and unexpected new games. Have you noticed that 2024 will see a surge of Japanese RPGs? This time, we've compiled several Japanese RPGs confirmed for release in 2024. Whether you're a veteran gamer who's been in the industry for many years or a new friend who recently bought a new console, come and see if there's anything you want to play.
The first Japanese RPG masterpiece in 2024 is SEGA's signature "Like a Dragon 8". The 8th generation adopts a dual-protagonist model, starring Kazuma Kiryu and Ichiban Kasuga. The plot follows the 7th generation, with Kasuga going to Hawaii to find her biological mother and meeting Kiryu, who also came to Hawaii for investigation. Of course, it is no surprise that the Japanese Yakuza intervened, and the local Hawaiian gangster "Sea Wolf" also intervened. With the series launching overseas for the first time, the pattern of the 8th generation is getting bigger and bigger. The combat system is based on the 7th generation, and then "New Dynamic Command RPG Combat" adds many new elements. After awakening, Kiryu can change the original turn-based combat into real-time action, destroying his opponents in just a few seconds. New professions include Samurai, Western Gunners, Dancers, and more. There are also many types of off-field helpers, as well as a more extensive "Baby Battle", regular "Karaoke", "Online Dating Software" and the newly added super classic action game SpikeOut, which makes this title absolutely worthwhile. "Like a Dragon 8" is scheduled to be released on January 26, 2024. Is this the final chapter for Kiryu?
Originally developed by Platinum Studios, but the cooperation was later terminated, it was independently developed by Cygames. It allows four players to fight together and experience a magnificent adventure stage. The action role-playing game "Granblue Fantasy Relink", longed for by gamers, has finally been postponed and postponed. Finally, the launch was confirmed on February 1, 2024. We can control familiar characters such as Grant, Catalina, Charlotte, Lancelot, etc., to form a four-person team and embark on an adventure, aiming for the legendary island "Istarusia" at the end of the sky. Simple operations can produce gorgeous and powerful joint attacks such as combos, secrets, or combos. The cutscenes are very smooth, and the battles look super hot-blooded and gorgeous. There are even ship battles and summons with Lylia, the "Original Bahamut" performance.
When it comes to major Japanese RPG companies, ATLUS is definitely one of the first choices among players. Their iconic remake of "Persona 3 Reload", with a highly popular style, will be released on February 2, 2024. This completely remade version completely revises events, animations, cities, and skills. And add a new system that conforms to modern standards. Of course, classic elements such as the weakening system, 1MORE skills, and overall attack strategy remain unchanged. The light and dark attributes, which originally had fewer skills to choose from, will also bring more changes, and new additions will be added. The "Alternation" technique, similar to the "Baton Succession" of the fifth generation, gives us more room for free display of tactics. The new illustrations of the total attack, the new performance techniques and battle scenes are all much more gorgeous than before. It feels very smooth and it can be said that it is quite sincere.
February 2024 is a series of RPG releases from major Japanese companies, and SQUARE ENIX has chosen one. On such a special day as February 29th, which only happens once every four years, the highly anticipated "Final Fantasy VII Rebirth" will be released, which fans all over the world are looking forward to. "FF VII Rebirth" is the second work in the remake project trilogy. It is based on the plot between leaving "Midgar" and arriving in "Forgotten City" in the original work, and adds many new elements besides the original work. There are new contents not included in the game, such as the fantasy chapter where we have to fight Sephiroth together. The stories of the two divided world lines will develop separately and eventually become a cross-border war, combining the original work, Zack's survival route, and the remake world line. The combat system has "joint action" and "joint ability". The "joint action" that does not consume resources allows two characters to attack together. If the enemy is hit successfully, the enemy will be exhausted and accumulated damage will be caused. "Joint ability" means issuing commands and consuming energy to cast combined skills, which are far more powerful than ordinary commands and actions. They not only cause damage but also have various effects, such as increasing the level of extreme skills. "Final Fantasy VII Rebirth" has been released for four years. It can be said that the development of the remake has exceeded all imagination. Let us look forward to its arrival on February 29th.
After a long absence, Vanillaware announced that it will cooperate with ATLUS to launch a new strategic role-playing game "Unicorn Overlord" on March 8. This is a fantasy battle written with love and bonds, fighting against fate. The protagonist "Alian", the surviving prince of the subjugated kingdom, advances with the People's Liberation Army to lead the people with the legendary "Unicorn Ring". There are more than 60 people in the game who can become our partners, including humans, elves, orcs, angels and other races. After entering the level, the goal of the enemy and our troops is to capture the opposing stronghold. When contact with the enemy troops, the battle begins. The battle is based on the preset settings. The "battle" command is automatically executed. We need to pay attention to the types and abilities of our partners to assemble the strongest troops for battle. The exquisite characters and world meet Vanillaware's consistent standards. The ultra-exquisite "Vanilla Rice" also makes people drool. "The King of Holy Beasts" deserves to be a masterpiece that Vanillaware has polished for ten years. Its high level is highly anticipated. Players who like a strong Japanese strategic RPG style must not miss it.
The new work "Hundred Heroes", led by former "Suikoden" producer Yoshitaka Murayama, was originally meant to recreate the classic JRPG in a modern style. We need to lead more than 100 heroes through a war-torn world to become "The One Savior". We create using the dot-matrix character figures popular in recent years, combined with 2.5D game graphics. The gameplay is similar to encountering enemies in a dark mine. During combat, you issue commands to characters one by one to see whether to use normal attacks or consume SP to perform handsome attacks. Skills to wipe out opponents, and there is also the Hero Combo option, which allows two characters to join forces to perform cool combos. There is also a fortress building system in the game. We need to build strong walls to withstand foreign enemies, develop agriculture, develop special products, and build cities according to our own preferences. "Hundred Heroes", which is full of the Japanese RPG style of the 2000s, will be released on April 23, 2024.
"Team Ninja", a team famous for developing exciting action games such as "Nioh" and "Ninja Gaiden", will release a new PS5 action role-playing game in 2024: "Rise of the Ronin", set in the 19th-century shogunate. At the end of the decade, Japan faced oppressive rulers, deadly plagues, and a persistent civil war, while Western influence gradually made its way in. In this chaotic era, we need to become a ronin and personally participate in the history of Japan, which is about to enter a new era. The characters we meet all have their own so-called "justice" and motivations. Whether we choose for or against them, the choices we make are all very important. They will not only affect the development of the plot but also affect whether we confront the characters with swords. Since it was developed by Team Ninja, the action combat part is naturally very smooth and refreshing, with handsome samurai sword duels as well as unique gun and flying weapons. With ninja tools and other cool actions, "Rise of Ronin" will be an open-world action role-playing game. I am really looking forward to what kind of Japanese ronin experience Team Ninja will bring us.
Following the continuous release of the "Persona" series, Atlus's Studio Zero team will launch a new fantasy role-playing game "Metaphor: ReFantazio" in 2024. The production team has a very strong lineup, including game director Katsura Hashino and character designer Soejima Nariki, composer Shoji Meguro, and others, all of whom are core members of the "Persona" series. The plot tells the story of His Majesty the King being assassinated. When the world falls into chaos, only the next successor who can gain the trust of the people across the country can become the king. We will become the sons of destiny, form teams while traveling around the world, and grow our diverse abilities to become a qualified king. The producer said that this game will not only follow the orthodox path but will use a unique entry point to describe a fantasy world. It must have the chance to become another masterpiece of role-playing from Atlus after the Goddess series.
Nintendo, which dominates all gameplay with its products alone, of course also launched an RPG in 2024. Following the remake of "Mario RPG", twenty years ago, the RPG masterpiece "Paper Mario" was born on the Gamecube. RPG". The feature of "Paper Mario RPG", as the name suggests, is to use Mario, who has become "paper", to solve problems with creativity. For example, you can't squeeze through a narrow alley! Anyway, they are just pieces of paper, you can pass through with a little twist. What should you do if you encounter a river that cannot be crossed? is wrong, why not just flip over? A variety of unique and creative levels and clearance methods with "paper" as the core make "Paper Mario" interesting. The RPG part is to conduct turn-based combat in the paper world. At the right time, press the specified QTE to defeat the enemy with gorgeous moves and heat up the atmosphere of the scene. In this world, there is a giant Bowser and a 2.5D paper dragon. Follow Mario's footsteps to collect star stones and open the Thousand-Year Door to rescue the missing Princess Peach.
After reading the above 9 works confirmed to be released in 2024, let's take a look at the JRPG that has been released for a long time but does not have a confirmed release date but is very likely to be released in 2024. The first is that you can see CAPCOM's highly developed fantasy action role-playing game "Dragon's Dogma 2", which is produced with RE Engine and has an impressive climbing system to climb huge monsters for battle. The professions and spells in the orthodox fantasy world and the AI "follower" system, which are like real companions, are unique offline single-player games where you can connect with other friends. The second-generation followers will be smarter, for example, if you fall from the sky, they will catch you and guide you more clearly in the direction of the task or solution. In the early stages of some professions, we can choose from the four major professions: warrior, mage, thief, and archer to develop the character. Of course, there are also advanced professions, such as the "Magic Swordsman" who can use magic and physical attacks at the same time. His movements are a bit like monsters. As for the hunter's insect staff, the "Magic Archer", which was very useful in the first generation, is good at shooting magic arrows and has extremely high long-range output. Interesting interactions with monsters are also among its features, such as pouring oil and fire, using explosives to blast waterways and wash away monsters, or attacking a giant's knees to make it fall. We can use our creativity to find new ways to fight. At present, CAPCOM has not announced the release date of "Dragon's Dogma 2", but judging from the recent frequent demos and information, it is expected to be released in 2024.
After "FF VII Rebirth" is released, it's time to switch to "Dragon Quest". During the DQ 35th-anniversary live broadcast, SQUARE ENIX announced that producer AMATA Co., Ltd. and the SQUARE ENIX Asano team will jointly develop "Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remastered Edition", with "Masaki Hayasaka" from "Wanderer" as the producer. The unique 2D art and HD-2D technology with 3D miniature screen effects will give this classic RPG masterpiece new life. However, it has been three years since its release in 2021. It is expected to be released in 2024. It is also the DQ series. Another one was selected for "Dragon Quest XII", which was announced at the 35th-anniversary live broadcast conference. "The Flames of Fate" is also very likely to have new news or even be released in 2024. After all, when it was first announced, it was stated that the game had been developed to the mid-stage. Yuji Horii, the father of "Dragon Quest", said that the 12th generation will have a darker style, be more adult-oriented, and revise the command battle system. It feels like it will be a brand new "Dragon Quest". I hope we can see it in 2024.
The last Japanese RPG that might be released in 2024 is the work of SQUARE ENIX. Why did they dig so many holes? They promised that the third generation would be finished, but then a new game plan, “Kingdom Hearts 4,” was suddenly born. It turns out that from the first “Kingdom Hearts” in 2002 to the “Kingdom Hearts 3” in 2019, the complicated plotlines, including the spin-off side stories, are all “Dark Seeker Chapters.” The third generation predicted the direction of the next work. “Kingdom Hearts 4” will lead the story to a new chapter, “The Lost Master.” The art style is very different from the cartoon-oriented presentations in the past and has become quite realistic. The old friend “Keyblade” can stretch its tail and grab distant objects to move across long distances. You can also use the romance drill to deflect enemy attacks and then chase them down. In the past 20 years, “Kingdom Hearts,” one after another, might open a new chapter, which makes you confused about what plot is planned. It will take another 20 years to complete. Anyway, let’s look forward to the release of new information about “Kingdom Hearts 4” in 2024.
In addition to the masterpieces “FF VII Rebirth” and “Dragon’s Dogma 2”, there are also “Star Ocean 2: The Second Story R” which is more exciting than expected, “Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name”, “Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road” of Level 5.
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