7 Games That Came Out in Japan In 2021 That We Hope To See In The West In 2022 - GameRant
The release dates between Japan and countries in the West are becoming slimmer and slimmer. Most fans may have to wait a year, but many come out as worldwide releases. Some are just months apart as well. The release dates are better than they used to be.
Two of the most infamous franchises include Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. Dragon Quest was released in 1986 in Japan and 1989 in North America. Final Fantasy was released in Japan in 1987 and in North America in 1990. Three years for one game? It's hard to imagine waiting that long nowadays, but it could still happen. Here's hoping these seven games will release in 2022 and won't make PS4, PS5, and Switch fans wait much longer.
7 Maglam Lord
Maglam Lord is an upcoming action RPG from Felistella. That company may not sound like a familiar name in the West as they have handled a lot of more obscure RPGs and more ports at that. They are bigger in Japan. Maglam Lord looks to be one of their bigger projects though. Players get to create their own Demon Lord, male or female, who is trying to unlock their true potential. Make comrades, build weapons, explore dungeons, and fight countless hordes of monsters all in the name of becoming number one. The game came out in Japan last March and will release for the PS4 and Switch on February 4 in North America.
6 The Wicked King And The Noble Hero
The Wicked King and the Noble Hero is another RPG, but this one is turn-based. It also looks like a more light-hearted adventure thanks to the aesthetic and premise. The game looks like a storybook as it is about a young girl trying to become a hero. She's a novice, but she is trying her best to save the world.
Thankfully she has a dragon partner to protect her when things get rough along with other allies she can recruit along the way. The game came out in Japan last June and will release for the PS4 and Switch on March 1 in North America
5 Rune Factory 5
It's been a long time since the last Rune Factory came out. Rune Factory 4 was a 3DS release in 2013 in North America. There was a remaster for it but Rune Factory 5 is the first all-new addition to the series in almost a decade for the West. It was supposed to come out in 2020 but got delayed. It did, however finally release in Japan last May and will launch for the Switch on March 22 in North America. The series combines action RPGs with dungeon crawling mechanics and farming. Unlike other combos of this nature, the RPG gameplay seemingly comes first. It's a good game to bridge the gap for this new to sim-like experience.
4 Crayon Shin-chan: Ora To Hakase No Natsuyasumi - Owaranai Nanokakan No Tabi
Crayon Shin-chan, as a property, has been around since 1990. The manga is still ongoing in Japan and there are anime specials, movies, and games still coming too. The first game to ever release in the West was in 2020, Crayon Shin-chan: The Storm Called! Flaming Kasukabe Runner. It was a runner game combined with a brawler. That means that this latest adventure, Crayon Shin-chan: Ora to Hakase no Natsuyasumi - Owaranai Nanokakan no Tabi, which is a mouthful of a name, may get released in the West. There is no date or announcement yet though but hopefully, this Switch exclusive open-world life-sim can get a full translation.
3 The Legend of Heroes: Kuro No Kiseki
The Legend of Heroes has had a complicated history in the West. Its releases are still way behind Japan's, but they are getting better. Slowly but surely the West will get caught up. There has been no announcement yet for The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki coming out in the West despite other games in the franchise getting release windows like Trails to Azure. That won't launch until 2023. What makes Kuro no Kiseki special is that it's the first main game in the series to offer action combat as an option to the traditional turn-based gameplay. It was released last September as a PS4 exclusive.
2 Utawarerumono: Zan 2
Utawarerumono: Zan 2 is another action RPG with no release date in the West. That might be worrisome for some. However, the first game did launch in the West. So, there are hopes this sequel will too. That was in 2019. Utawarerumono: Zan 2 was released last July for the PS4 and PS5.
It looks to be a direct sequel to the original. There is still time to get caught up for those interested in this high-fantasy, anime take on ancient Japan. It should be noted that reviews for it weren't good, but there is always hope the sequel will do better.
1 Megaton Musashi
Megaton Musashi is the latest game from Level-5. That should be a household name by now as they worked on Ni no Kuni, Yo-kai Watch, and even helped with several Dragon Quest games. They are RPG stars and this new venture is all about mechs. Who doesn't want a good mech game with customizable parts and action gameplay? Their track record for releasing in the West has been spotty. There are still a lot of Yo-kai Watch games, from main titles to spinoffs, that are still trapped in Japan. Fingers crossed. Megaton Musashi was released in Japan last November for PS4 and Switch.
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