9 Upcoming CRPGs That Show The Genre Is Back

The CRPG is in its transition phase these days, and following the huge success of Baldur’s Gate 3, the genre has a new generation of fans and rekindled the love for the genre in a whole new way. We see all kinds of games in the genre, from big budget titles to indie titles that want to emulate the past.

These titles are heavily inspired by years of CRPGs, and some seem to take familiar properties to the next level in terms of the genre.

We will explore a number of upcoming CRPGs that will continue to innovate the genre.

9

Vampire the Masquerade: Eternal Whispers

Acceptance of the Vampire

Photo by Kwalee

After Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines 2, you’d think that this franchise might have just returned to its eternal slumber, but developer Flyos isn’t saying so fast. Because Vampire the Masquerade: Eternal Whispers is giving people what they’ve been asking for for almost 20 years now. A real RPG in the world of Vampire the Masquerade. Now, this is more of a narrative-driven experience where the fighting seems to be in the background, but that’s okay because the first title in the series didn’t have a fight to write home about.

This looks like a take on Disco Elysium, complete with skill tests, triple visuals and all kinds of weird behavior you can find yourself in. You play as Gabe, a vampire awakened for an unknown reason who is surrounded by a conspiracy, and it will be a deep and complex investigative game. Expect something much deeper than the mainline inline series and something that delves into the wonderful world of Vampire the Masquerade in the process. This could be the one we’ve been waiting for.

8

Trust Town

Disco Fever

Hopetown is a CRPG in name, but in reality, it occupies the space created by the wonderful Disco Elysium in the CRPG world, which is really its own kind of thing. Set in a world reset by a global catastrophe, Hopetown takes place in a small town where you play a journalist investigating a mystery. It won’t be difficult in combat, but instead your choices in conversation will be considered your weapons here.

There will be great options to create what kind of person you want to be during this quest and you will have that kind of visual style that made Disco Elysium iconic. This looks like it takes all the good vibes that Disco Elysium had and brings it back with a new story, and I think the more games we get like that, the better.

7

Entropy

Mixture of Influence

Entropy is a wild looking CRPG that feels incredibly unique and original. It claims to be inspired by JRPGs, but then look at it, and it looks like Pablo Picasso presenting Dragon Age. The combat looks really cool, with classic mixed-reaction-based combat that really needs to be seen to be fully understood. It looks badass from where I’m standing, and has a look that’s not really found in any other game.

It promises tactical combat, colorful characters, and an interesting world to explore, and it’s one of the most creative games I’ve seen in a long time. It might be rough around the edges, but I think it’s something we should enjoy when a game goes to something that no other game has really done.

6

The new Arc Line

The New World

I’m pulling this to make it bigger. New Arc Line has a fascinating steampunk world to get lost in that promises tons of moral dilemmas and multiple story paths to take throughout the game. The characters really stand out here, with an eclectic-looking cast of mutants and humans alike, and a unique-sounding magic system that transcends your typical fantasy-style magic.

This demo isn’t the most flattering first impression of the game. I’m not going to lie there, but it was an early build, and all signs point to a lot of work being done to make this game the next big thing when it comes to the CRPG community. It is very ambitious, releasing on all consoles and powerful PCs, and whenever we get a release date, we will start fueling the hype train for something that will really make its mark.

5

Solasta 2

Ethereal Beauty

Photo by Tactical Adventures

Solasta 2 looks amazing. The first time I pulled it out of early access, it just exploded onto the screen with some amazing looking blooming effects that made this fantasy come to life. However, it’s not your typical fairy tale tone. This is pretty mature in your experience, and leans more towards something like Lord of the Rings than, say, Mythology.

The combat is classic DnD, so if you’ve played Baldur’s Gate 3, it will feel very familiar. There are different visual effects, but for the most part, it’s a familiar place, and it’s done well. You can also create your entire party from scratch, which is a really cool feature that we don’t see in games like this very often. It also has the voice talents of Ben Starr, so if the past is anything to go by, this will be great when the 1.0 release is released.

4

Warhammer 40k: Dark Rebellion

The Black Throne

Warhammer 40k: Dark Rebellion is going to be a dangerous CRPG experience. I say this because it is a direct sequel to Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader, which nailed the dark tone of the Warhammer world and had strong moral choices to make, and you never felt that good no matter how kind you thought you were. This world is sad, but amazing, and this game seems to bring you closer to the ordinary people of the world than the powerful ruler in the first game.

Combat will be outstanding as well, with a really cool mix of CRPG combat and XCom-style mechanics. There will be plenty of build options for your characters, and the investigative nature of this sequel should produce something that feels very different from the first game while maintaining the vibe the series has already established.

3

The Godhead

The return of the Lord

Divinity is the game that brought the CRPG name back into the public consciousness back in 2017, and it was idle as Larian began working on their magnum opus, Baldur’s Gate 3. But those who played Divinity: Original Sin 2 know that it was a complete CRPG masterpiece in every way. From the unique world to the fascinating process behind it all, this is a game world that can be used for countless stories and games in the future.

While we don’t have actual gameplay for this one yet, we can tell that the tone will be surprisingly dark compared to the last game in the series and they won’t hold back when it comes to the violence and brutality that is done throughout the story. We know Larian only makes bangers, so this one should be no different whenever we get our hands on it.

2

Star Wars: Zero Company

International Appeal

Star Wars: Zero Company will rewrite the rules of what makes a good Star Wars game. This setup is a “what if Star Wars had a suicide squad.” Now, don’t let that name scare you, but that’s kind of what the game is all about. You play as a team chosen to take on an emerging threat at the end of the Clone Wars. There will be everything you love from Star Wars here, from blasters, strange aliens, and political shenanigans to the Jedi, the Sith, and the Force.

Instead of real-time action, however, this is a turn-based CRPG that will emphasize cover and all sorts of different classes to fight against. In the gameplay we saw, it reminds me a lot of Marvel’s Midnight Suns. That lower gem had the movement we see here, and I mean that as a compliment. The game looks very story based, which I like, and hopefully, this will be a great new addition to the Star Wars universe and maybe the start of a new series in the process.

1

The Path of Wrath

Lead Responsibility

Path of Wrath is a really interesting looking game that takes the CRPG concept to a place I don’t think it’s been before. What we have here is a tribal CRPG, where you rule a tribe and decide everything from how the tribe should operate to who lives and dies and what other people you will be allies or enemies with. It’s a truly ambitious approach to a genre that has seen many different settings, and this one just stood out.

It’s also visually stunning, with clear cut-scenes that illustrate the dialogue rather than the usual back-and-forth you’ve seen in many non-Larian CRPGs. There’s a sense of style here that elevates the game, and it promises to have intense and creative combat to boot. We don’t have a release date yet, but it’s expected in 2026, so we’ll see if it can make it into the crowded gaming space this year.