One of the Most Intriguing RPGs of 2027 Plays With Time Brilliantly

Marvelous Entertainment introduced the role-playing game Eternal Anima during a Nintendo Direct showcase in September, revealing an intriguing amalgamation of classic JRPG elements. Wade, the protagonist, is a mysterious amnesiac hero accompanied by a diverse cast of colorful characters and a steampunk ship on which the group of freedom fighters travels across vast oceans.

However, Eternal Anima's most unique feature is its time-traveling mechanic, allowing Wade to travel back in time to harness the powers of ancient heroes and alter the future.

The game's turn-based battles are the real standout, offering a fresh and engaging take on classic RPG gameplay. Wade has a special power called Psychometry, enabling him to read memories from objects in the past and foresee future events. This mechanic manifests in two ways: Future Sight, which allows players to push an enemy's attack further forward in time, disrupting the chain of events (Knock Back), and strategically concentrating attacks to push the enemy action so far forward that it eliminates their entire turn.

These mechanics force players to rethink their approach to turn-based battles, emphasizing strategic guarding and using less powerful abilities to save more powerful ones for later in the timeline. This innovative approach also aids in predicting and mitigating calamities in battle.

Eternal Anima's supporting cast is equally captivating, featuring an eclectic mix of fully voiced and well-designed characters, such as the unwavering freedom-seeking warrior Neria, the sentient automaton MAGICK-Operated Sentinel (MOS), and the rebellious and idealistic magic-user Martin. The game's development team, including Katsuhisa Higuchi, Kazushige Nojima, Keisuke Makino, and Hironao Fukuda, brings a wealth of experience working on renowned franchises like Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy, Persona, and Phoenix Wright.

With its combination of retro aesthetics and innovative battle design, Eternal Anima has quickly become an anticipated RPG of 2027, set to be released on March 4, 2027, for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.