In my seemingly never-ending quest to find that one perfect turn-based tactics or RPG game that will satisfy that strategy itch, I am constantly looking for upcoming games that have promise. It’s tricky to create a good tactics game that has crunchy enough mechanics while still being accessible enough to appeal to a broader audience. This list features four upcoming strategy games that I believe have the most potential, as they seem to have a solid foundation for tactical depth or bring something to the table I have been looking for.
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4. Lost in the Open
I’m a sucker for tactics games that let you control lots of party members, and Lost in the Open appears to fit the bill in that regard. This is a low fantasy RPG where you direct your troops to retake your former throne while dealing with random encounters and managing resources. It promises to be intensely challenging, giving you free rein over how you manage your units’ traits, abilities, and equipment to give yourself the best chance of survival. It is releasing quite soon, on September 26th. Hopefully, it can help tide me over until the new Fire Emblem game for Switch 2 gets announced.
3. Endless Legend 2
This 4X-style strategy game from the Endless universe is one I have been waiting for a long time. Its predecessor, Endless Legend, was released all the way back in 2014, and now the new Endless Legend 2 will finally be going into Early Access on September 22nd. It’s hard to find a solid fantasy take on a 4X game, with the only series I would say is better being the Age of Wonders series in the modern era. The tweaks to combat in this new version have drawn me in, making it likely to replace Civilization for my go-to 4X fix. After a disappointing launch, Civilization 7 has tried to win players back by adding requested features in updates, but it hasn’t really done enough to solve my issues with the game.
In case you have never played an Endless game before, the blend of fantasy and science fiction gives the series a unique atmosphere despite some of the games being of different genres. Dungeon of the Endless, Endless Dungeon, and Endless Space are all spectacular titles, though I do feel developer Amplitude Studios missed a bit with their more grounded take on the 4X genre in 2021’s Humankind.
2. Slaves of Magic
A promising tactical battler that has players exploring a continent under siege from aliens while gathering units, equipment, and resources as they resist the magical invaders and put together a thriving resistance movement. The previews of the game so far remind me of Fell Seal: Arbiter’s Mark, a rare indie title that was able to capture the feel of past greats like Final Fantasy Tactics. It also feels like a dash of X-Com has been thrown in for good measure, a thematic blend that I highly approve of.
I am looking forward to seeing the scope of Slaves of Magic and how engaging its tactical battles can be when it releases on November 3rd.
1. Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles
Speaking of Final Fantasy Tactics, it’s hard to overstate the excitement I have for the remake coming out on September 30th. As one of my formative tactical RPG titles, Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles promises not only updated graphics and gameplay improvements, but also a fully voiced story. It will be hard to resist the call to pour tens of hours back into this classic. While I enjoyed the last big tactics game remaster, Tactics Ogre: Reborn, it could never truly replace Final Fantasy Tactics in my heart.
Previously, this game was remade under the name Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions for the PSP in the 2000s, which I never got to play. Fortunately, this remaster will contain the improved translation from War of the Lions, so I get to experience the new version. It also brings the game to PC, which opens up the possibilities of mods and allows the community to make it a definitive release for both new and returning players to the series to experience it.
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