Diablo’s isometric combat and dark, gothic world; Final Fantasy’s melodrama and character design; and just a flash of Dark Souls’ bleakness and misery seem to combine in Redemption Reapers, the upcoming dark fantasy RPG game coming to Steam in 2023, and overseen by Fire Emblem series director Masayuki Horikawa.
Playing as the Ashen Hawk Brigade, a band of mercenaries, each with their own specialty, your job is to stop an evil, rampaging army called the Mort, which has already destroyed the majority of the world and is regrouping to finish the job. Set in a decaying, gothic landscape – a la Dark Souls – Redemption Reapers uses an isometric, Diablo-style map, and a Final Fantasy-esque blend of real-time and turn-based combat.
Through crafting custom weapons and gear and assigning each of your five party members specific skills, the goal is to push back the Mort, as the dark pasts and relationships between the Ashen Hawk Brigade begin to unfold. While you begin the game as unknown mercenaries, Redemption Reapers charts your rise to fully fledged folk heroes.
Co-developed by Masayuki Horikawa, who has served as writer, producer, designer, and director across several games in the Fire Emblem series, as well as Kingdom Hearts 3, Advance Wars, and Phoenix Wright, Redemption Reapers also features the voice talents of Allegra Clark from Dragon Age Inquisition and Nier Automata’s Kyle McCarley. If that’s not cast-iron RPG prestige, we don’t know what is.
No specific release date is currently set, but Redemption Reapers is due to launch sometime in early 2023. You can add it now to your Steam Wishlist.
In the meantime, you want to try some of the other best JRPG games, or perhaps some great open-world games, to get you ready to take on the Mort. And if you like dark fantasy, the best roguelikes might be your thing, since you’re clearly a glutton for punishment.