It’s 2019 and boy are we excited to try out new games. And one of our favorite genres to finish is roleplaying game, specifically Japanese Roleplaying Games, well you know, the usual anime-styled characters with deep ‘plots’, impressive combat system and epic soundtracks, though it doesn’t require for the game to be developed directly from Japan, as long as it matches the tropes of being a JRPG. So we made a list of our anticipated JRPGs that are confirmed to have a release date this year and will give some insights on why you should definitely put it on your gaming wish list. And so here we go.

Kingdom Hearts 3 – January 25 (PS4, Xbox One)

This one is a no brainer and it’s about time that this is finally arriving. The latest chapter to the Disney x Square Enix mashup RPG with a very confusing timeline where it continues the journey of Sora. Now featuring more Disney & Pixar characters including from the recent films like Wreck-It Ralph, Big Hero 6, Tangled and Frozen and a more fluid combat system. You should get this if you are a fan of the Final Fantasy or Disney franchise and a definite must buy if you’ve been playing the Kingdom Hearts series as Kingdom Hearts 3 made them to wait for 13 years. And if you are new to the series and wanted to dive into the rabbit hole, you can start off with Kingdom Hearts: The Story So Far which features all of the released Kingdom Hearts games.

Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition – January 11 (PS4, Switch, PC, Xbox One)

If you are into more into combo frenzy battles with strong anime-style characters, then Tales of Vesperia is for you. The 2008 Xbox 360 title (the PS3 version never got a localized release) is finally getting a re-release with the Definitive Edition with updated visuals and additional content. The Tales of series are known to have a responsive and fast paced battle system that allows you to mix special skills into combos, and Vesperia was one of the highly acclaimed game from the series. If you want to get more sidestory of the game, you can watch Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike OVA that is a prequel to the main game focusing on Yuri and Flynn in their early years as part of the Imperial Knights.

Indivisible – 2019 (PS4, Switch, PC, Xbox One)

From Lab Zero Games; the team behind the eye candy Skull Girls fighting game comes Indivisible. The game blends with a metroidvania-like platform exploration and button mapped attacks from party members that was popularized by Valkyrie Profile, Indivisible was a promising title that any fans of the mentioned features should look forward to, including 2D game lovers. The game was crowd funded in 2015 that received more than $ 900,000 in pledges, Indivisible is handled by a team of passionate developers where they are utilizing hand-drawn animation that made Lab Zero Game famous with Skull Girls, and Hiroki Kikuta of Secrets of Mana fame will be composing the soundtrack, and let’s not forget that Studio Trigger will be doing the opening animation for the game. There is still no definite date for its 2019 release, but we are hoping that it will be available this year with no delays.

God Eater 3 – February 8 (PS4, PC)

Inspired by a certain monster hunting franchise, the God Eater series was known to be the lighter anime-ish version. This is the first God Eater title to be developed fully for home consoles (the first two games were originally released for the PlayStation Portable), allowing it to produce fully detailed visuals and a faster gameplay. And just like its predecessors, the game will let you create your own avatar and become a part of the story with other colorful anime characters as the battle against the horde of Aragami continues. You should get this if you are a fan of monster slaying games and battling massive bosses.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses – Spring 2019 (Switch)

Nintendo’s hit strategy RPG is finally getting a home console release after 14 years as recent releases were for portable consoles (DS and 3DS). Now featuring new mechanics such as having squad formation that can improve certain stats and full 3D environment to give that experience of an actual army battle. And yes, you can fully explore your castle and upgrade any facilities to enhance your troops’ capabilities. If you are looking for a great strategy RPG and some character relation build up, you might want to add Three House in your list.

The Caligula Effect: Overdose – March 12, 2019 (PS4, Switch, PC)

A remake of the 2017 PS Vita game, The Caligula Effect: Overdose features a unique battle system and is set in an alternative modern world where society is trapped in a virtual world called Mobius and a group called Go-Home Club sets up a plan to escape the Mobius and its VR program. Combat system has a combo feature that lets your chain your actions and even lets you preview it before you execute the attacls.  Anyone who are into high school anime settings might want to try this one out as development team were also involved in making the early Persona and Shin Megami Tensei games.

Lapis x Labyrinth – 2019 (PS4, Switch)

This bizarre side-scrolling dungeon crawling RPG has that cutesy vibe that is a standard staple for Nippon Ichi Software. It lets you form a party of four out of the 8 available character classes, and take on quests for that glittering treasure loot. The crazy part in Lapis x Labyrinth is it stacks your party to form a giant human tower and you can swap to a different character in real time, with each having unique attacks that help build a versatile team. If you are into hack n’ slash mayhem that are more on grinding with cute chibi characters, or perhaps a sucker for Nippon Ichi Software’s colorful 2D art direction, put Lapis x Labyrinth into your list.

Code Vein – 2019 (PS4, PC, Xbox One)

Though this action RPG may have that vibe from the Souls games but more anime, Code Vein can still stand out as a unique game with its gameplay mechanics. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where you take the role of a vampire-like being called Revenant are remained hidden in society as they continue to fight for survival. You will be assisted by an NPC throughout your missions as you collect blood veils from slain enemies to increase your strength and unlock more abilities, but continue to give in to the bloodlust and your character may end up becoming a mindless fiend called the Lost. This was supposed to release last year, but was eventually delayed to 2019 to polish the game. Souls fans may enjoy Code Vein with its similar gameplay but flashier, and anime fans who are looking for a though challenge may want to add this to their collection.

Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World – March 26, 2019 (PS4, Switch, PC)

A spin-off game in the Atelier series, Ateliers of the New World puts you in the shoes of Nelke von Lustern; a noblewoman in charge of developing her town, and she will be aided by Alchemists from the previous Atelier games. The game will emphasize more in town building but will still feature known features in the Atelier series such as the traditional turn-based combat along with dungeon exploration, research and synthesis. The fun part in this game is the appearance of other Atelier characters, making it like a crossover title and a fan service for those who follow the series. If you are into Atelier games or wanting to try out a traditional RPG with some unique twists, you should go try out Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World.

The Princess Guide – March 26, 2019 (PS4, Switch)

And here’s another Nippon Ichi Software title that any hack n’ slash fans should put on their list. In a land of chaos and war, four princesses must learn how to lead their people to victory in a series of military training. Your Princess will have their own army to bring in her missions, and you can issue commands to assist your princess. The game is more in hack n’ slash, but there is an aspect where you must develop your princess to become a worthy successor to the throne, so you can either praise them or scold them depending on their actions. If you are into moe or anything anime, then this is for you.