18 RPGs we can’t wait to play in 2018
#1. Project Octopath Traveler (Switch)
Growing up in the 8 and 16-bit eras of gaming and loving RPGs, I spent hundreds of hours on the RPG classics like Final Fantasy IV & VI, Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana and so on. Many, many games have tried to recapture the feeling of those classics, and while some do a decent job, I would really love a game that somehow feels more modern yet classic at the same time. It sounds like those two things might clash impossibly at first, but based on what I’ve seen so far, that’s what Project Octopath Traveler is not just aiming for, but hitting with very high marks.
The game sort of looks like a 16-bit RPG but with graphical detail and flair never possible on those consoles. If you played those games back in the day but haven’t gone back to them in a long time it might be what you recall them looking like through rose-colored glasses, except Project Octopath Traveler really looks like that and it’s an absolutely stunning visual style. The battles are traditionally turn-based, but with a Bravely Default-inspired twist (which makes sense, since it from the same producers).
There has been a demo available for months and it’s a pretty lengthy one, so it probably gives us the best idea of what to expect from this game more than any other. I can’t remember the last time I explored a demo this fully. You have two characters to choose from with different scenarios and I explored pretty much every inch in each one because I wanted to spend as much time with the demo as possible. Though Octopath Traveler is the working title I hope it just keeps that, but I’ll be very excited to play it under whatever title it ends up having when it hits the Nintendo Switch sometime later this year.
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As you can see, 2018 is a good year to get excited about the RPG genre, and these are just the titles we know about at this time. Many more may be announced in the near future. Probably way too many more, but hey, that’s what a backlog is for right? Happy grinding, and be sure to mention any RPGs you are excited about in the comments below whether or not they are on this list.