Waypoint Wishlist: Turn-Based RPG Edition

With Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 right around the corner, we just can’t stop thinking about RPGs today. Sure, some other big game shadow dropped yesterday, but our hype just can’t be contained for this stylish new RPG adventure. Over the years, plenty of RPGs have come and gone, but some have left far more of an impact on us than we could have imagined. For this episode of Waypoint Wishlist, we’re talking about turn-based RPGs that we’d love to see get a remaster or a remake, and why they deserve it.

Welcome To Waypoint Wishlist: You’ll Need To Wait Your Turn for This One

Brent Koepp – Contributor

I wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t say Persona 4 for this week’s Waypoint Wishlist feature. Look, I know some of you reading this are probably shouting at me, “But isn’t Persona 4 now available on Xbox, PlayStation 5, and PC?” And you’re right. It’s also true that the classic RPG already got a remake of sorts with Persona 4 Golden in 2012.

But I don’t care—I need a modern remake of the game in the same vein as Persona 3 Reload. As much as Persona 4 Golden is my favorite game of all time, many aspects of the RPG now feel dated. In all honesty, I think Atlus spoiled us with Persona 5 and Metaphor: ReFantazio, which feature some of the best combat menus and UI of all time. And while I love Persona 3 Reload, I think it can be a bit harder for some players to get into. Tartarus, for example, can feel like a bit of a slog compared to the dungeon designs in later entries.

We Need ‘Persona 4: Golden Deluxe’, Honestly

But here’s the thing—I think Persona 4 has the best cast of characters in the entire franchise. I will die on this hill! Point being, I really think a proper, modern Persona 4 remake has the potential to connect with a lot of players, similar to the mainstream success of Persona 5. That said, a remake of the 2008 RPG might not see a ton of changes. I actually interviewed Persona 3 Reload director Takuya Yamaguchi in 2024, and in our conversation, he said they were wary of adding too many new features as their priority was to be as faithful as possible to the source material.

Still, I think modern combat, UI improvements, and quality-of-life changes would make it more than worth revisiting Inaba and the Midnight Channel once again. Plus, when you love a game as much as I love Persona 4, you just want everyone to experience it. And selfishly, I also want the best version of my favorite game of all time to exist.

Anthony Franklin II – contributor

I still think Lord of the Rings: The Third Age is one of the best turn-based RPGs I’ve ever played. Maybe it’s my Tolkien-related biases. And if it is, I will gladly accept that. But I do think a remaster or a completely new game in that vein needs to exist. The one complaint I ever had about it was that it was just too easy. It’s been a while since I last played it, but I swear I was at the end of the game in less than a weekend, and my characters were so overpowered that I was blowing through every enemy in sight. So, there would definitely need to be some balancing done. But I loved every single second playing that game and would love to see another.

SHaun Cichacki – COntributor

The idea behind this turn-based RPG was something completely different. At the time of its release, I wasn’t extremely interested in Eternal Sonata, an RPG which plays out as a dream in the mind of Frederic Chopin. Yes, that Fredric Chopin, the pianist. The concept, while being incredibly strange, has become more and more appealing to me as I’ve gotten older. Years after its release, the only way to officially play it is on the Xbox 360 or the PlayStation 3. And I genuinely hope that changes soon, because eBay prices are starting to get a little crazy for this one.

Sure, this is more of an Action Point-Based RPG than other games on the list. But you still, technically, take turns. I just need to see how this story unfolds. If push comes to shove, I’ll shell out the cash to play it on the PlayStation 3. But I believe that this is a game that should make its way to newer consoles. Even if it is a digital-only title. It’s one of the most unique premises I’ve ever heard of, and I think it deserves that extra bit of love and care from Bandai Namco.

Matt Vatankhah – Contributor

A long time ago, before Square Enix merged into the RPG powerhouse of today, they were two separate studios. While SquareSoft churned out some of the greatest Final Fantasy games in existence, Enix served as a formidable rival in the RPG space with their Dragon Quest and Star Ocean series. But I’m not talking about any of those games today. No, I’m talking about a game that doesn’t get nearly enough love. And, one that would shape me as the RPG lover I am today – Illusion of Gaia.

Oh, the core memories I have with this game. From curiously picking it off a Blockbuster shelf to begging my parents to buy me a copy for Christmas. Illusion of Gaia is different, man. Technically developed by Quintet, it was published by Enix as part of the broader Soul Blazer trilogy on Super Nintendo. But Illusion of Gaia has that signature Enix flavor, with more action-oriented gameplay in lieu of traditional turn-based combat. You play as Will, and also a few of Will’s alter egos, traveling through various civilizations and Wonders of the World. It’s a weird one! And, despite Illusion of Gaia never resurfacing since the ’90s, I still think about it to this day.

Dwayne Jenkins – Managing Editor

You want to know which settings I’m sick and goddamn tired of in turn-based RPGs? Space (TM) and High-Fantasy Land. That’s why I want Wild Arms to make a comeback! Outside of Live a Live, how many other JRPGs attempt a grand Wild West adventure? To be fair, I mainly remember playing the Wild Arms 3 demo on a PS1 demo disc. But I had a great time, and honestly, if it weren’t for the fact that the JRPG field was crowded as hell, Wild Arms could’ve made a nice niche for itself.

So, that’s what I want this Waypoint Wishlist: an ambitious Wild Arms reboot that’s equal parts Red Dead Redemption, Persona, and Lost Odyssey. Give me camp, but give me purpose. Let me rob a bank or something — you know, some fun set-pieces that combine Wild West tropes with JRPG goodness! Let me duel my foes at high noon. Have a goofy saloon piano minigame. A series with five main games in it deserves better!

Ana Valens – Contributor

Does anyone remember Okage: Shadow King? I do. I was originally scared of the game on the PlayStation demo disc I had as a kid. But when I finally played the game at 13, I fell in love. Such a strange tale about a boy named Ari haunted by a lovably evil (or evilly lovable?) shadow named Stan. To this day, I still think about the contrasting locations that make up the game’s world, the quirky cast of characters that join Ari and Stan, and the Tim Burton-esque aesthetic that made the game a favorite for many JRPG fans across the 2000s.

Will we ever get a remake or sequel for this game? Honestly, I doubt it. But hey! Sony put Okage on the PlayStation Store in 2016, and I highly recommend picking it if you’re looking for a bizarre PS2-era turn-based RPG to play over the spring. I would like to replay the game myself.

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Thus Ends Another Waypoint Wishlist (Victory Fanfare)

Some of these are some weird and wacky cuts, aren’t they? Needless to say, I’ve got a few new games I need to add to my ‘Must-Play’ list, especially Illusion of Gaia. That one looks incredible, and seems like exactly my type of game. Regardless if we’re aiming for modern classics or the retro runback for this Waypoint Wishlist, RPGs are some of the most influential and wonderful types of games out there. I just need to put aside a few hundred hours so I can make my way through all of the games on this list, don’t I?