Board 8 > here's some games I'm looking forward to

(+) Yeah! (+)

going to keep this super simple this year

25 - crypt custodian
PC
2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HqGHyHiJlY

it's, I don't know, Spiritfarer as a Metroidvania? I'm not sure I believe in this game super much but man I see that zoomed out map and that tone and say yep, I'll check that out.

24 - quartet
PC, Switch
Q1 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWqCXSxACHA

I'm paying a lot more attention to the indie jrpg space after crimson echoes was so surprisingly good. quartet is the second game from this developer after shadows of adam, a game I haven't played but always hear good things about. I've been meaning to jump in but kinda decided that it'd be better to just jump into quartet.

23 - persona 5 tactica
PC, consoles
11/17/23
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5aBbuInWvs

22 - persona 3 reload
PC, consoles
Q1 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIIPXA2A6cM

I'll take these two together. there are so many dumb persona spinoffs and remakes and I never know if I should care about them. I mean, I care about persona 3, easily my favorite in the series, but I don't need yet another remake, especially one that eschews the stuff that made P3P so good. but... I'm curious to see what it's all about, and it's on game pass which means there's no investment needed to drop in and bail.

tactica looks kinda stupid, like persona q, a game that blended two things I rather enjoy but ended up being less than the sum of its parts. but man, a tactics game using the phantom thieves motif? sure, as a game pass game, I'll check it out.

21 - eiyuden chronicle: hundred heroes
PC, consoles
2023?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q08tFwYlNEc

I've been on a suikoden kick lately, and while this game never jumped out at me like other RPG revivals, I need to see what the OG can do some 20 years later. eiyuden has been pretty silent the last year or so and I imagine it's going to get pushed to 2024. that said, these games never look all that interesting until you get in and see the game's politics take over, and suddenly you're hooked. hoping that's the case here.

Eiyuden was delayed to 2023 in June 2021. Maybe they'll keep delaying it until the Switch 2 comes...

Top list for me is something like:

1. Metaphor
2. Sea of Stars
3. Like a Dragon/Yakuza 8
4. Trails into Reverie
5. 30XX

There's a good number of others I'm interested in, and I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but these are the big ones. 4 JRPGs...

Crimson Echoes? As in the cancelled Chrono Trigger fangame or is there another game by that name?

Probably means Chained Echoes.

haha, dammit! yeah chained echoes

I played some crimson echoes, more than I should have

edit: I even made a video apparently. holy 14 years ago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6s0sE3Q4to

20 - hollow knight: silksong
PC, consoles
2023? haha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSfuFlhsxZY

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/9/1/0/AACmyGAAEmKu.jpg

19 - apollo justice trilogy
PC, consoles
early 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4M9VfoAC68

yeah I've played all these and there's probably nothing new in this package. I'm excited for it to come though because it will mean that I can officially retire my 3ds. having all these games in a super accessible place like switch or pc means that they'll live on well beyond those old dead consoles. also I love that this is called apollo justice trilogy - give the man his flowers.

18 - super mario bros wonder
Switch
10/20/23
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JStAYvbeSHc&pp=ygUGd29uZGVy

what a terrifying fever dream. I kind of hate everything going on here. the character voices, the things talking in level, the strange physics.. man I have no idea if I even want any of this. but man, it's a god damn trip watching some of the stuff in this trailer, and it's probably going to be expertly crafted. I hate how good some of these recycled mario games can be.

17 - super mario rpg
Switch
11/17/23
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r5PJx7rlds

speaking of recycled mario games! I really do like this silly little game even if I make fun of it all the time. I put the original in front of my then 9 year old last year and he really liked it - until he got towards the back half of the game and the isometric platforming got too annoying for him to stick with it. I look at the trailer and it just looks like a faithful recreation and nothing more, but I bet there's all sorts of cute quality of life stuff in here and new content to try to justify a 60 dollar price tag.

16 - mortal kombat 1
PC, consoles
9/19/23
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ6eFEjFfJ0

yeah man I play mortal kombat for the story. it's so good! the way these games play out endear me to these 25 year old characters in a way that street fighter or other fighters wish they could. mk10 and 11 had incredible story modes that were worth just watching, if nothing else. I'm not here to do fatalities and study the meta. I'm here to watch whatever dumb scenes cage and scorpion and kitana are going to get into as they expand the MK lore.

transience posted...

yeah man I play mortal kombat for the story

heck yeah

transience posted...

going to keep this super simple this year

too simple for capital letters

I've been learning MK lore through PrivateBiscuit1's MK ranking topic. I can't help but feel that "good" is a bit of a stretch sometimes!

oh it's stupid as hell. incredibly dumb. super fun to watch it unfold though!

have you played Islets and Sheepo from the Crypt Custodian dev? to me anything they put out will be a day 1 purchase from here on out so i'm fully confident in it. they are casual/easy games but very fun.

nope! I hadn't even heard of the dev until a couple of weeks ago when all the summer game fest stuff was going on. that's really good to hear

Ooh I adored Spiritfarer

15 - aero gpx
PC
March 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTvmVGMkyoA

this year's F-Zero GX clone, but I played the demo during the kickstarter and it actually nails exactly what you want out of another one, the feeling of speed and the responsive movement that a game like wipeout lacks. hopefully it comes to other platforms as well as PC because this kind of game feels like it belongs on a couch.

14 - prince of persia: the lost crown
PC
January 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmX7a_e65uU

this dates me, but I loved the original Prince of Persia back on PC back in like 1990 or whatever. this game kinda looks like that, a much more responsive 2d action game with some metroidvania elements. it looks pretty snappy as a pure action game, and I doubt it's a full on metroidvania in the same spirit as a metroid or an ori, but I want to see what this becomes.

13 - dungeons of hinterberg
PC, Xbox
2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7-3NsH82HA

I'm honestly not 100% sure what exactly this game is. it looks like a zelda-like action-adventure game, but also has some pure combat areas, puzzle dungeons, and also some procedural elements? either way, the art style is great, kind of like Sable but also its own thing.

12 - the expanse: a telltale series
PC, consoles
July 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNbOYZVavbg

the expanse is great and seems like a great fit for the walking dead formula. the main character, carina drummer, is a perfect main character in one of these kinds of games. she's not a so-called "gray" character but you can see her doing the paragon or renegade choices equally. they even got cara gee to voice her. I miss the show so I'm looking forward to having her back.

11 - nova roma
PC
2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU5GB-PUDz4

I love small-scale city builders. I can't do a full-on Cities Skylines but something like a Banished is absolutely my thing. this game looks kinda similar to Banished and I like the roman aspect of the building. I'm always looking for another game that brings the same magic that Banished did.

Silksong coming out this year, I believe

How did I miss the Expanse game announcement? That sounds awesome!

I'm glad to have found more 'mortal kombat plot owns' people.

It is stupid and insane but it embraces it so hard.

Heck yeah The Expanse

I've never gotten into Telltale games though so I'm not sure I'll take the plunge on it

youd probably like them. its not that different from an ace attorney game.

I tried playing the first Walking Dead and got bored pretty quickly

Maybe I gave up before it became good though

yeah you need to give that one a couple hours

Telltale still exists?

"LCG Entertainment, Inc., doing business as Telltale Games" damn that's weird

yeah they reformed after bankruptcy. they finished walking dead s4 in the middle of that

transience posted...

12 - the expanse: a telltale series

????

wot n tarnation

Telltale Expanse was announced ages ago. New Telltale learned nothing from old Telltale's bankruptcy, it seems.

transience posted...

I bet there's all sorts of cute quality of life stuff in here and new content to try to justify a 60 dollar price tag.

This is nintendo, they don't feel the need to do anything to justify overcharging.

I lost some interest in Telltale Expanse upon learning it takes place before the show. I was hoping for more proto-molecule shenanigans.

that's fair. I'm guessing the prequel stuff will try to fil in the gaps of well known characters. they're essentially bulletproof though since they have to make it to the events of the series.

10 - metaphor ref--the persona spinoff thing
pc/consoles
2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btHGCpUPjPk

kinda not sure what to make of this just because it looks like persona 6 but isn't. I'm tentatively just keeping an eye on it to see if worthy of main series-like hype or if this is just somehow the next spinoff. it looks like it might be a class based turn based jrpg, based on the character names? I don't know. right now it's just a lot of style without knowing the substance so I'll wait patiently and try to see if it's worthwhile. if it is real, it probably gets delayed 2-3 times like a proper persona game should.

9 - hades 2
TBD
TBD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-iHDj3EwdI

Hades is real good and this is more Hades. I respect the heck out of the supergiant guys for always coming out with unique games in different genres and no sequels (bastion, transistor, pyre, hades) -- so the idea of them making another Hades game seems super notable, like they're not going to just do the same thing again. this trailer certainly looks like more Hades but I'm sure there's a lot more to it. anyway, hades and good and so hades 2 will be good. I'll wait for the 1.0 release.

8 - suikoden 1 & 2 hd remaster
2023
pc/switch/consoles
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNnhBP_FiXM

for those who don't know, I have a near 25 year battle with suikoden 2, a game that has hilariously screwed me over at least 6 times, whether it is game crashes, lost saves or worse. the last time I played it, it corrupted not only my suikoden 2 save 15 hours in, but also every single PS1 save on my vita. I am praying that the curse of suikoden 2 ends with a new release, and I am going to beat that goddamn evil game or die trying.

7 - final fantasy vii rebirth
ps5
q1 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2aNzos4qi4

I didn't love ff7 remake part 1 or its newly manufactured story beats (especially that end - yikes), and I don't even plan to play this on release since I don't have a ps5. still, I have to see this thing through just to see what insane ideas they go with. there's seemingly time travel and divergent storylines and probably even more insane stuff. just seeing the proper world of ff7 come together is something I'm really keen on, even if I'm not the one driving the bus. ff7 remake is such a bizarre and ambitious thing and I need to see how/if it crashes spectacularly.

6 - arcadian atlas
pc
Summer 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_3faIObbrk

I've been waiting on this FFT-like for like a decade -- I backed this game when it was still talking up playable Booker DeWitt -- and it's finally almost out. arcadian atlas seems to ascribe to the political backstabbery storyline/depressed chess gameplay that makes the FFT/TO games so good, and while it probably can't hang with the king, it'll still be fun to see it try. I love this genre and am eternally hoping the next game is going to be the one.

yknow what this makes me feel like sharing stuff i'm looking forward to too

videogames are exciting

Oh right, forgot Hades 2. Actually pretty surprised that's not in Early Access yet. Thought EA would come shortly after the reveal.

transience posted...

15 - aero gpx
this year's F-Zero GX clone

hold up

Are F-Zero GX clones commonplace in the indie scene now or something and I totally missed it?

I've heard some wild rumors about Rebirth

If any of them are true, the fan reaction is going to be worth watching, if nothing else

_Blur_ posted...

hold up

Are F-Zero GX clones commonplace in the indie scene now or something and I totally missed it?

I mean, there's games like Redout or FAST Racing or you name it that has been billed as a successor of sorts. in reality they're not really that at all. aero gpx is though

Okay yeah, that distinction is really what I was wondering. Aero GPX looks way more fun to me than generic futuristic racer #375. Great one to put on my radar

grab the demo! I think you can still find it on the kickstarter page, or maybe steam

honestly it surprises me aero gpx is purely a f-zero clone and not a future gpx-inspired game. i mean what's even the point of having it in the name if it's not one

I'll do that for sure, though I don't play PC games at all right now and I really hope it comes to consoles! I'm assuming it's as easy to run on PC as it looks

also assuming aero is a reference to aeropolis, the coolest levels in GX

rooting for this game even more!

anyway here's some of my own anticipated releases

ragingstrike
https://twitter.com/v_tarrow_aniue/status/1586660842002874371
despite being a very minor indiegame i'm pretty sure basically nobody knows about it's a cool ass mech game that plays a bit like liberation maiden how can i not be down for that

dream tactics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czzWS1nyYZw
i'm jaded as all hell about the card trend with a stranglehold on the gaming scene at this point but i still respect games that make their integration feel natural but fresh. this is a comfy srpg i'm looking forward to a bit

affogato
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8doDChbKZ8
also speaking of things with card integration, i like this game. there's some cherry tree high comedy club, some va-11 hall-a, some persona elements, some real time reverse tower defense stages, some coffee minigames, some good art and a lot of super catchy jazz. despite the lack of clear focus i kinda really dig the vibe this game has and am looking forward to the full release

took me a few minutes but I found the demo

https://aaronmac64.itch.io/aero-gpx-kickstarter-preview-demo

password: gofast

nice

WarThaNemesis2 posted...

I'm glad to have found more 'mortal kombat plot owns' people.

It is stupid and insane but it embraces it so hard.

I got into the MK plot back in the PS2 era. Embraces the stupid is perfect.

*Ctrl+F "Alone in the Dark"*

Still just me, then.

5 - the plucky squire
pc, switch, consoles
2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr1YO7nxZLU

this insane looking game is full of possibility. all kinds of genres and perspectives are here. I'm sure it can't live up to expectations, but that's because what even are the expectations here? just a wildly creative game in all the best ways.

4 - penny blood
pc, ps5, next gen nintendo hardware
2025?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzi3WGzr_yY

SHADOW HEARTS 4. this will shoot to a very easy #1 when they're ready to show something beyond the most basic tech demo stuff, which will probably be a while. it's still a ways off and probably even gets pushed beyond 2025 because when is the last time these guys actually made a game? it's back in the days in standard definition.

3 - sea of stars
pc, switch, consoles
8/29/23
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZVLA08lcR0

it's kind of a dream: a lovely looking chrono trigger-like that even features music by mitsuda. the tone and feel of this game is right on point for what you'd want. if these guys had any jrpg bona fides to convince me the quality is more than skin deep, oh man. the demo certainly made it seem legit and I'm excited to break in, especially after the last two years have had beautiful throwbacks like fantasian and chained echoes.

2 - dragon quest monsters: the dark prince
switch
12/1/23

in japan, this is labeled as dragon warrior monsters 3. like, oh my god? are they really going to bring it back to the classics? I'll be honest - I'm not convinced, but I have to believe regardless. I absolutely adore the old DQM games and just hope it isn't too much like the Joker games that came out in the DS era. those games are okay, but DQM at its best could be a top 10 game all time for me. I think it's probably impossible to bring back those feelings in the same way that it is for Pokemon fans, but I'm hoping against hope.

1 - earthblade
pc, probably consoles, maybe switch
2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSW8RxkDnSI

it's been five and a half years since celeste, the best 2d platformer of all time. this game looks like celeste's absolute precision crossed with an action rpg/metroidvania like ori, and based on what the devs have said, it's everything I could want from a followup.

I never got into alone in the dark

transience posted...

23 - persona 5 tactica
PC, consoles
11/17/23
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5aBbuInWvs

tactica looks kinda stupid, like persona q, a game that blended two things I rather enjoy but ended up being less than the sum of its parts. but man, a tactics game using the phantom thieves motif? sure, as a game pass game, I'll check it out.

I didn't like P5 but I wanna check Tactica out.

Out of interest, would FF16 have made this list if it didn't come out 1 day before you started it?

Oh right, Penny Blood is a thing

I'm sure I'll get it but it's not even on my radar right now

to be honest, I found out FF16's release date the day before it came out. I haven't even looked at a review or any footage. not having a PS5 helps, but also I just don't care about it that much. it might have made something on the bottom of the list as a morbid curiosity, but I lost that series a long time ago. still haven't played 15.

more

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1719930/Tokyo_Stranger/
off brand world of horror

https://store.steampowered.com/app/913740/WORLD_OF_HORROR/
on brand world of horror because full release still hasn't happened so i can totally count this

silence of switchblade
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ojoi-_pOD8A
summertime just make great vns with a great vibe so naturally i'm looking forward to it

kitsune: the journey of adashino
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu8FT2gJ1mI
was swept away when i first saw this game in yokaze's 2021 showcase and am still interested

machina of the end
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Bhb1dpxncg&t=826s
yokaze titles are always good is all i can say

radio the universe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXGc7QMHTXU
probably never releasing

ghostpia season 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtHZdUIrYOw
it's way too early for there to be a s2 trailer yet but i need it

magic chaos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MN_xMaBgJiM
it's a known fact i'm a very big fan of multiplayer shmup fighters and this is one i've been keeping my eye on the most lately. gonna be fun

lair land story 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rj5lhcSc9M
am worried i won't like it as much as the first one but it's definitely going to be a day 1 purchase for me when it finally comes out

retro game aliens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmpkMkpEzsA
novel novel game

path of the abyss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YctnabRXuXQ
goes hard