RPGs Coming This Week, 2/23/25

Shadow Spell Saga: The Winds of Fate – February 26th (Windows)

Launching February 26th on Steam, Shadow Spell Saga: The Winds of Fate is an original indie strategy RPG and the first game developed and published by Evan C. Weber. The gameplay footage immediately reminded me of Shining Force for the SEGA Genesis, with its character and world design and the grid-based combat feeling reminiscent of the 16-bit SRPG classics. 

Shadow Spell Saga features a roster of more than 40 playable characters and 26 chapters to play through. From the description, the game’s developer focused on aspects of the story and worldbuilding such as “extensive dialogue”, “dozens of secrets”, and “unlockable lore entries”. Players are also promised challenging tactical combat and alternate maps for replayability. Aside from the game’s two trailers and description on Steam, little is known about the game from this new solo developer, but the gameplay footage shows excellent promise. It could be especially appealing for fans of Shining Force or other SRPGs from that era.

by Jimmy Turner

Him, the Smile & bloom – February 27th (Switch, Windows)

Him, the Smile & bloom is an otome visual novel that follows four women going about their lives. The tale centers around a flower shop all four frequent in some capacity, and the men who work there. It’s an overall pleasant slice-of-life tale with expressive and gorgeous art.

The game already has a physical import copy, featuring a less-than-ideal English translation that I did happen to enjoy playing personally all the same. With PQube handling the localization of this upcoming version, I think it’s safe to say that otome and VN gamers will be even happier, at least from a script front! With four different protagonists and stories to explore, there’s bound to be something for anyone looking for a diversionary romantic tale. This English localization of Him, the Smile & bloom will be sure to blossom later this week!

by Audra Bowling

Monster Hunter Wilds – February 28th (PS5, XSX, Windows)

Listen, this game is the reason most games this month decided to release the week before. Monster Hunter Wilds will be the biggest thing going for the next few months, so getting out of dodge is the sensible thing to do.

In case you live under a rock, Monster Hunter Wilds is the latest in Capcom’s very popular series of action RPGs about taking down dragons, giant lizards, and all sorts of beasts, usually with a few friends. It’s as much a game as a social experience nowadays. And if you’re worried about hopping in without prior experience, don’t fret — there isn’t really an overarching plot, and the story is really just secondary to the hunting. Wilds should also be a decent entry point, with the developers trying to find a balance between onboarding new folks and satisfying veterans.

by Gio Castillo

Omega 6: The Triangle Stars – February 28th (Switch, Windows)

Takaya Imamura, a veteran art director known for his work at Nintendo — most notably, his contributions to F-Zero, Star Fox, and The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask — returns to the gaming scene this week with his new project, the narrative adventure game Omega 6: The Triangle Stars.

Set for release on February 28th, the game embodies the visual novel format not widely available in the West during the early days of gaming. Imamura views Omega 6 as a way to connect back to his roots in indie game development. He desired to evoke the simpler, more intimate experiences of game creation from his early career, emphasizing that collaborating with indie studios Happymeal (Retro Mystery Club) and Pleocene allowed him to reclaim that creative freedom.

Omega 6 is described as a “retro-future adventure infused with RPG elements”. Players will follow two androids — Thunder and Kyla — on a mission to discover a new inhabitable planet for humanity. Along the way, the pair will face a variety of aliens and other treasure hunters in card-based combat. These battles are a rock-paper-scissors, turn-based affair and players will have a limited number of cards with which to perform actions.

From my standpoint, Omega 6: The Triangle Stars looks like a fantastic and fun adventure. Visually, you can see Imamura’s fingerprints everywhere, and the tone feels lighthearted, with the potential for more serious or dark moments. The dialogue I have seen reminded me of Undertale or EarthBound, and that’s never bad. Omega 6: The Triangle Stars looks like a fantastic and fun adventure.

by Jimmy Turner