Upcoming RPGs of 2014: Day 1
Whether you're into Western RPGs, Japanese RPGs, dungeon crawlers, hack-and-slash, beat 'em ups, tactical, strategy, or whatever else you can think of, this year will have a wide assortment of games to indulge yourself with in each of these categories.
We are planning a whole week of articles in order to evenly divide out this list of 100 - yes, 100 - RPGs.
I tried to find and post every single RPG that I could find that has either been confirmed for 2014, is seeking a full rleease in 2014 (in regards to games currently on services like Steam's Early Access or in an alpha or beta state), or slated to appear later this year.
The dates listed are their earliest confirmed dates, either being for Europe or North America. Note that we will be going through these titles in alphabetical order, and all release dates are obviously subject to change.
Day Two | Day Three | Day Four | Day Five
100-Turn Hero
Release Date: TBA 2014
Developer: Marvelous Entertainment
The next game from the creator of Half-Minute Hero comes this new mobile title where instead of restricted by time, players will only have the aforementioned 100 turns to slay fiends. It completely flips the switch in taking the game from a break-neck speed to slow and calculating strategy. It was disappointing that Half-Minute Hero's sequel wasn't brought here, and this one technically has not been announced for the West, but I'm crossing my fingers for this one.
Age of Decadence (PC)
Release Date: TBA 2014
Developer: Iron Tower Studio
The Age of Decadence is a pseudo-isometric turn-based RPG by Iron Tower Studio. Set in a low-magic post-apocalyptic world inspired by the fall of the Roman Empire, The Age of Decadence wants to return to the roots of the genre by focusing on the choices and consequences players make during their journey. Expect a depth of skills, branching quests, and a comprehensive dialogue tree to enjoy.
Age of Wonders III
Release Date: Q1 2014
Developer: Triumph Studios
The popular turn-based strategy game makes its triumphant return after almost a decade absence, this time with a brand new 3D engine that looks incredible. Players take control of different leaders that each showcase a different RPG class type, such as sorcerer, rogue, and warlord, that each showcase different specializations.
Always Sometimes Monsters (PC)
Release Date: TBA 2014
Developer: Vagabond Dog
A promising open-world RPG where the focus is on how the character's actions reflects the world around them. Breaching topics as life, love, and hardship, the issues associated with life itself becomes prevalent throughout the game in many respects. Not every choice is black and white: sometimes the player has to decide which path to take, but that's something entirely on their shoulders to bear in a means of self-reflection.
Antharion (PC/Mac/iPad)
Release Date: TBA 2014
Developer: Orphic Software
A turn-based tactical RPG set in a fantasy world that looks to bring back all of the things that made the classic great. The characters are highly customizable, the world is massive, and there is a seemingly endless amount of things to do in this ambitious indie RPG coming later in the year. The team has been hard at creating a fully interactive and dynamic world with a moral compass and approachable design.
ArcheAge (PC)
Release Date: TBA 2014
Developer: XL Games
Having only gone into alpha for the English version very recently, this title encourages its players to become rich and famous. Shortly after leaving the starting area, they will be able to traverse to a new land and build their own castles, plant farms, build ships that you and your guild can man, and more. Additionally, there are big expanses of PVP areas found in the game, but if you happen to kill a member of your own faction and are discovered, you can go to court and if found guilty, wind up in prison where repeat offenders are casted out from society. Large-scale PVP battles will be a norm that can take hours or even days to complete with up to 150 players (75 on each side), trying to take down an enemy’s castle and claim it as their own.
Atelier Escha & Logy (PS3)
Release Date: March 7th, 2014
Developer: Gust
Featuring the same character designs as Atelier Ayesha, a new feature in the series is the ability to choose between two new protagonists. Escha Malier is a 15-year old taught by her mother to become an alchemist. Logix Ficsario is an 18-year old fencer who uses the power of alchemy to craft weapons and armor. It appears that Escha is meant to appeal towards long-time fans, while Logix is hoping to bring in a new audience by venturing into new territory. Throughout the story, players will experience close to the same story no matter the decision of their hero, but there will be differences at key points of the plot. There will also be multiple endings to add replayability.
Barkley 2 (PC)
Release Date: Q1 2014
Developer: Tales of Game’s Studios
The sequel to the most absurd concept to come along in a good long while, Barkley 2 had a very successful run when it appeared on Kickstarter, earning four times its original goal, allowing the team to add features as New Game Plus (a staple in any decent RPG), animated cutscenes, and the ability for people to import their saves from Barkley Shut Up and Jam Gaiden. The successor to the parodic experience throws away the turn-based combat of old and has transformed into an Action RPG due to the fact that this game focuses on a single playable character. Also, instead of “borrowing” a ton of assets from other games, the game here includes entirely original content. Time will tell whether this will hold up as well as the original.
Below (XBO)
Release Date: TBA 2014
Developer: Capybara Games
From the creators of Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP comes a highly appealing roguelike dungeon crawler where the player is trapped inside a remote island and must finds a means to escape its treacherous inhabitants. You can expect genre hallmarks such as permadeath and punishing difficulty to be on display here.
Black Desert Online (PC/PS4)
Release Date: TBA 2014
Developer: Pearl Abyss
An open-world MMORPG that is completely seamless; there are no loading screens, no transitions from field to town - the world is gigantic, all built on a proprietary engine that looks beautiful. There will be large-scale siege battles, player housing with neighbors who will visit you, guilds, a dynamic weather, and a heavy climate system that changes based on what region of the world the player is located in and will have to learn to adapt to.
Blackguards (PC)
Release Date: January 22nd, 2014
Developer: Daedalic
A turn-based RPG where players take control of a convicted murderer with a rag-tag group of criminals. Not only does the premise sound unique and interesting, but there's a good sense of detail and balance found within the game. At key points in the game, players will be able to decide where the story goes, creating multiple endings to head towards. It's also deep in magnitude, promising dozens of hours of gameplay.
Blade & Soul (PC)
Release Date: TBA 2014
Developer: Team Bloodlust
A title that has been seemingly trying its best to come to the West for quite some time, Blade & Soul has always looked wildly impressive with its amazing visuals and physics-based action. The real-time combat system that mixes martial arts with combos is fast and fluid, letting players feel the impact of their moves. Along with an in-depth character creation system, and we have a recipe for an exciting title. The team has spent many months trying to balance the game for the West, so let's hope all their hard work pays off in the localization.
Bless (PC/Mac)
Release Date: TBA 2014
Developer: Neowiz Games
Bless is a large-scale MMORPG will have 10 different races that are divided into two opposing realms – Hierapolis and Cosmopolis. The developers are promising a very rich, heavily detailed world that allows players plenty of freedom to enjoy the game on their own terms.
Borderlands 2 (Vita)
Release Date: Q2 2014
Developer: Iron Galaxy Studios (with Gearbox)
What really is there to say? It's a portable version of one of the best hybrid RPGs around. We loved the original when it appeared on the PC, so being able to take Pandora everywhere we go is a welcome prospect.
Bound By Flame (PC/360/PS3/PS4)
Release Date: Q1 2014
Developer: Spiders Studio
An action RPG where the main character is possessed by demonic forces and must decide whether to embrace their powers or oppose them and instead gain heroic abilities instead. Their body will morph as a result of going one way or the other, and their choices in the many different quests in the games will have an impact on the overall story and providing a completely different experience every time.
Bravely Default (3DS)
Release Date: February 7th, 2014
Developer: Silicon Studio
It has been a long time coming, but finally, the rest of the world (well, we the Americans) will be able to get our hands on this highly-regarded RPG for the 3DS with the help of Nintendo. Serving as a spiritual successor to Final Fantasy: The Four Heroes of Light, Silicon Studio’s other portable title, the international version will receive all of the enhancements that its sequential title, Bravely Default: For the Sequel, had received. The gameplay features a job and turn-based battle system much like Final Fantasy V, with full voice acting and microtransactions.
Breath of Fire VI (Mobile)
Release Date: TBA 2014
Developer: Capcom
The newest sequel to one of the most beloved RPG series around finds itself making way for a mobile platform. After creating their own sprite-based main character, players will start the game inside the town of Dragnier, home to series' regular Ryu. Aside from engaging in time-based action combat, the title will also feature town building to mix things up (ah, Breath of Fire III).
Chaos Rings Sigma (Mobile)
Release Date: TBA 2014
Developer: Media Vision
One of the surprise quality hits in the mobile scene makes its return in this free-to-play online RPG. Featuring all 27 main characters seen in prior titles, expect the turn-based battle system to make its return along with improved visuals and a scenario penned by Yukinori Kitajima who wrote the first game.
Chaos Reborn (PC/Mac/Linux)
Release Date: TBA 2014
Developer: Gollop Games
When you have the creator of XCOM, Julian Gollop, at the helm, you know something exciting is afoot. His latest is a turn-based strategy game with a heavy RPG influence with a single player campaign and a 2-6 person multiplayer arena mode, and even includes extensive cooperative player options. The game serves as an update of the classic 1985 ZX Spectrum game Chaos: The Battle of Wizards.
Chasm (PC/Mac/Linux)
Release Date: May 2014
Developer: Discord Games
A Metroidvania-style action platformer featuring procedurally-generated dungeons, this game features a ton of equipment to pick up, boss battles to test your mettle, a fair amount of secrets to uncover, and different difficulty levels to keep players coming back for more. Everything oozes that old-school feel - the pixel art in particular looks really good,
Check back tomorrow for Day 2 of our coverage!
Day Two | Day Three | Day Four | Day Five