Our team really enjoys RPGs. Isometric, Japanese, action; you name it, we’ve probably played it. Lucky for us, PAX had a ton of excellent role playing titles on offer, from soulslikes to Disco Elysium-likes (Crimson Herring’s Isaac Otway is hard at work trying to make that last one a thing). The sheer variety of approaches to the genre at the event was staggering — suffice to say that none of us would have guessed that professional wrestling and JRPGs could be such an effective blend.
While we’re still debating the true definition of “RPG” amongst ourselves, we did manage to agree that all of the games you’ll find below probably count — and they were definitely our favorite RPGs at PAX.
Sovereign Syndicate
Developer – Crimson Herring Studios
Publisher – Crimson Herring Studios
Release Date – Q1 2024
Much like how we had hoped Half-Life would forever change the way games approached narrative (spoiler alert: it didn’t), the release of Disco Elysium had us praying that more developers would follow in ZA/UM’s footsteps when it came to cRPGs. Fortunately, it looks like Sovereign Syndicate may be the answer to our prayers. Set in an alternate-reality Victorian London, this indie cRPG wears its influences — which include Arcanum, Shadowrun and the aforementioned Disco Elysium — proudly.
You’ll play as three different characters (a human, a dwarf, and a minotaur) as you make your way through the game’s well-researched London, which blends true-to-history dialogue and setting with Greek-inspired mythos. Instead of rolling dice, you’ll draw from a crafted deck of tarot cards that influence how well you do on skill checks. You’ll have the same chorus of inner voices as Disco Elysium, but with the added twist that they can take over your personality if you let them.
This one’s pretty niche, but if you do like professional wrestling and JRPGs, there probably isn’t another game out there that checks both of those boxes. In fact, it’s hard to imagine that there will be another in this decade. So for fans of Final Fantasy IV and Macho Man Randy Savage, WrestleQuest is one that’s definitely worth checking out. With its over-the-top gags, combined with classic turn-based RPG gameplay that deftly weaves the hype and spectacle of wrestling into its systems, the game unequivocally does what it sets out to do — it’s also entertaining enough that even if you aren’t a pro wrestling fan, there’s still plenty of fun to be had.
There’s a surprisingly heartfelt story at the game’s core, too — as silly as pro wrestling often is, the fans are serious in their love for their chosen heroes, and WrestleQuest captures this feeling effectively. As with so many of this year’s great indie offerings, the devs aren’t afraid of letting you actually try their game before you buy it: WrestleQuest’s demo is available on Steam right now.
Alterium Shift
Developer – drass_ray, Mottzy
Publisher – Gravity Game Arise
Release Date – 2023
What immediately pops out at you with Alterium Shift is its pop-up book look. Though the game starts you off with a dedicated story for the main character you chose, it doesn’t hold your hand: it won’t tell you which objects you can interact with (and you can interact with almost any), and it won’t tell you where to go next. This, of course, also extends to combat, which is harshly tactical in a way that forces you to learn as you go — which just makes getting the hang of it all the more satisfying.
Alterium Shift is fascinating in that it is simultaneously an old-school JRPG with a classic tactics feel, while also adding on plenty of new mechanics to spice things up. Combined with the unique 2.5D look and some very vibrant, instantly-lovable characters, and you have everything you need for a brilliant continuation of the genre. If you have been feeling starved of classic JRPGs as of late, this should be on your wishlist already.
Atlas Fallen
Developer – Deck13
Publisher – Focus Entertainment
Release Date – August 10
While many games were hard to put down at PAX, this was one of the titles that actually made us late to our next appointment. Set in a fantasy world covered in sand, Atlas Fallen sees you sliding and leaping across the dunes, fighting uniquely-designed foes as you seek to liberate mankind from old, corrupt gods. The developers, who are best known for their soulslike series The Surge, have continued to iterate on the action-RPG combat formula, and what they’ve come up with in Atlas Fallen impressed us a lot.
Combat is fast-paced and weighty, and a number of interesting mechanics: there’s a momentum meter that fills as you fight, unlocking new abilities and making you deal and take increased damage. You can also target specific body parts on larger monsters to harvest unique resources, but with the caveat that doing so makes the monsters angry (and therefore more dangerous).
It’s recently been delayed to August (from a planned May release), but with any luck that just means the game will come out more polished than your average modern title. If you’d like to learn more about Atlas Fallen, you can read our about our hands on impressions!
Enotria: The Last Song
Developer – Jyamma Games
Publisher – Jyamma Games
Release Date – 2024
Enotria is a Souls-like ARPG (and believe us, it is very Souls-like) which is made by Italian developers and steeped in Italian culture and folklore. Based off of Italian Operas, it sees you controlling the one person with free will after the rest of the world is put on perhaps-not-so-metaphorical marionette strings. Set in a vibrant world and with distinct, culturally-informed art, Enotria is a long way from completion (and it shows), but has enormous potential for greatness if the developers maintain their unique vision.
What truly amazed about Enotria was its feel. That is to say, it really did feel like it could be an early build for an actual From Software title. That is not to say it doesn’t innovate — everything from its progression system to its aesthetic and story are something to behold in-and-of themselves. But that is to say that it plays smoothly, and feels like a quality take on the archetype. For fans of the genre, this is one to keep an eye on.
That wraps up out list of the best RPGs at PAX East 2023. If you’re curious about any of the titles and have a question, let us know in the comments, and we’ll get back to you as quickly as we can!
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DanielD
Unabashed FromSoftware fanboy still learning to take his time with games (and everything else, really). The time he doesn't spend on games is spent on music, books, or occasionally going outside.
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