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This looks to be the summer, or maybe even the year, for tactical RPGs. Not that there hasn't been floods in the past, but this year looks especially huge for the subgenre. What seems to be helping boost things is that real-time tactical RPGs are also joining in the fray. With this newer arena creating a newer level of freshness, this is looking to be a very exciting time.
Starting things off is the April PSP release, Aedis Eclipse. This is a real-time tactical games that follows in the footsteps of its 2006 brother, Generation of Chaos. This title hopes to not fall into the same pits that its predecessor did with rather painful gameplay and no clear direction as to how to play. Following Aedis Eclipse is Dungeons & Dragons Tactics, currently planned for May. Hoping to reach D&D fans with PSPs, this title uses the 3.5 D&D ruleset to forge a portable tactical adventure. The formula is a single-player adventure with up to six characters available in a party. Ad-hoc multiplayer is planned at this time as well. This title may not be a hit with the mainstream population, but does offer some originality. June may offer a couple of interesting games as well. GrimGrimoire and Hoshigami Remix are both planned for release fairly close together, but due to their unique styles, will likely not interfere with each other. GrimGrimoire is a real-time strategy RPG for the PS2 with a focus on creating units and having them storm opponents or protect the player. Hoshigami Remix is a DS remake of an older PlayStation tactical RPG. The original title was plagued by a high level of difficulty which turned many players off. This new remake offers multiple difficulty levels that the developers hope will allow more people to experience the story of Hoshigami.
Jumping ahead a couple of months to August, we come to Heroes of Mana for the DS. This RPG is another with a heavy amount of real-time strategy elements blended into an RPG setting; the first time this has been done in the Mana series. The outlook is very hopefully on this title with many positive reviews coming out of Japan. Also joining Heroes of Mana are four other likely August releases: Jeanne d'Arc, Luminous Arc, Soul Nomad, and Disgaea PSP. Jeanne d'Arc is a Level 5 developed PSP tactical RPG that stays true to the traditional style of the subgenre. It loosely follows the story of Joan of Arc in a story mixed with magic and monsters. Next, Luminous Arc for the DS is a religious-themed tactical RPG featuring a supposedly deep item creation system and Wi-Fi multiplayer. Soul Nomad, developed by NIS for the PS2, attempts to add a few fresh features to the tactical RPG genre. This title offers the ability to attack and capture townsfolks, army creation with level adjustments, and the ability to tackle extremely difficult enemies very early on. Finally, August is rounded out with Disgaea PSP. This remake takes things a step further and is almost an entirely new game. It now features a brand new quest, multiplayer gameplay, and cameo appearances by characters from other NIS games.
These are just the games with confirmed US releases. Add to this possibility of Fire Emblem: Goddess of Dawn, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Lions War, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, and Final Fantasy Tactics A2 making it over here this year and things just look even better. Will this be the year of the tactical RPG? Will the market flood cause many to go overlooked or will wallets break with tons of new purchases? We'll find out closer to the end of the year.
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