All JRPGs Confirmed for 2018 Release

All JRPGs in 2018 Q1

2017 saw a resurgence in quality JRPG titles, from nostalgia-fueled hits to exceptional AAA productions. This looks set to continue in 2018 with several awesome titles already confirmed for the year and plenty others that we’re expecting to launch soon after. Best of all, JRPG fans don’t have long to wait before the first in a deluge of tantalizing new adventures arrives across multiple different platforms. Quarter one is already shaping up to be a busy one, seeing the release of all-new IPs, generation debuts for a well-established franchise, anticipated sequels, and the launch of a game based on a hugely popular anime license.

The big headlines for the first few months of 2018 are Monster Hunter World and Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom. Monster Hunter World’s arrival on a current generation home console marks what could very well be its coming of age in a global sense, and JRPG fans have been eagerly anticipating the follow up to the anime-like Ni No Kuni for years. Beyond those two heavy hitters, though, there are some smaller gems in between that mean it’s going to make playing every JRPG in Q1 a huge challenge, even for the most dedicated of players.

You can check out a list of all confirmed JRPGs for 2018 below and which platform each is available on, starting with the year’s Q1:

• Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory (1/19)
• Lost Sphear – PS4, PC, Switch (1/23)
• Monster Hunter World – PS4, Xbox One (1/26)
• Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology – 3DS (2/13)
• Secret of Mana – PS4, PS Vita, Steam (2/13)
• Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet (2/23)
• Yakuza 6: The Song of Life – PS4 (3/20)
• Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – PS4, PC – (3/23)
• Atelier Lydie and Soeur – PS4, PS Vita, Switch (3/27)

All JRPGs in 2018 Q2 & TBA

The big question that’s on the lips of every gamer, let alone every JRPG fan, is whether Kingdom Hearts III will finally release in 2018. The game’s absurdly long development cycle has become somewhat of a running industry joke, but developer Square Enix has assured us that Kingdom Hearts III will certainly launch in 2018. We’ve heard that before, though, right?

Elsewhere, the Nintendo Switch arguably has the year’s other most intriguing JRPG: Project Ocopath Traveler. The game’s stunning pixel art/ 3D graphics hybrid and a traditional battle system was a huge hit when the demo launched last year. Veteran JRPG fans will surely be watching that one closely.

The final big question mark of the year for JRPG fans is whether Square Enix will localize Dragon Quest XI before the year’s end. The latest entry in the long-standing franchise looks like a sumptuous blend of Zelda and Ni No Kuni, with all the usual tropes of the series that you’d expect to see. Western platforms haven’t yet been confirmed, but we’re expecting the game to launch on the Nintendo Switch as well as PS4.

• Edge of Eternity – April 2018
• Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition – TBA 2018
• Final Fantasy XV (PC) – TBA 2018
• Code Vein – PS4, Xbox One, PC – TBA 2018
• Project Octopath Traveler – Switch – TBA 2018
• Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age System TBA – TBA 2018
• Kingdom Hearts III – PS4, Xbox One – TBA 2018
• Valkyrie Chronicles 4 – PS4, Xbox One, Switch – TBA 2018
• Project Phoenix – PS4, PS Vita, PC, Android – TBA 2018
• Harvest Moon: Light of Hope – PS4/Switch – TBA 2018
• Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux -3DS – TBA 2018