Marvelous’ new role-playing game finds a way to make turn-based combat exciting again

When Marvelous Entertainment showed off role-playing game Eternal Anima during a Nintendo Direct showcase in September, it had the familiar hallmarks of a retro JRPG. There was its handsome, mysterious (and, of course, amnesiac) hero Wade, a cast of colorful, magic-wielding supporting characters, and a world on the brink of ruin. There was also a massive, steampunky ship, upon which Eternal Anima’s group of freedom fighters sail across vast oceans.

The most unique component of Eternal Anima is its time-traveling mechanic, which sends Wade into the past to seek the powers of ancient heroes, allowing him to change the future. The most intriguing aspect of Eternal Anima’s time-manipulation theme, however, comes in the game’s turn-based battles, which offer a compelling new perspective on classic RPG gameplay.

After spending an hour with Eternal Anima and coming to grips with how unique the time-based battles are, I found it has quickly become my most anticipated RPG of 2027.

Eternal Anima is set in a fantasy world named Urvis Ael, officially described as “a false paradise where hoping for a better future is a capital offense.” Protagonist Wade serves as a soldier in Urvis Ael, but he wields a powerful ability called Psychometry, which lets him read memories embedded into objects from the past and foresee events that will occur in the future.

Branded as a heretic for his gifts, Wade throws himself in the sea in search of answers.

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