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We’re only a few weeks into 2023, but it’s already shaping up to be a strong year for Japanese Role-Playing games.

This year is going to have something for everyone. If you’re a veteran fan of the genre or simply looking to try out your first JRPG, 2023 has a wide swath of titles to choose from. There are new entries to legendary franchises, retro-reimaginings riffing on classic ideas, sequels to long-running series, and even remakes of long-forgotten titles making this year an exciting one for JRPGs.

Here are 10 JRPGs that you should have on your radar in 2023 along with trailers to get you pumped for what’s to come.

Persona 3 Portable

Release Date: Jan. 19th
Trailer: Watch here

Persona has become a mainstay in the JRPG space over the years. However, many fans who’d fallen in love with the franchise thanks to Persona 4 Golden and Persona 5 Royal haven’t had a way to play Persona 3 on modern consoles.

Persona 3 is the first title in the franchise to feature the beloved “social link” mechanics which allow you to build relationships with characters in the game. Persona 3 Portable is a great way to play this title thanks to its streamlined gameplay and the option to play as a female protagonist. If you missed it the first time around, don’t miss your chance to dive in now.

Fire Emblem Engage

Release Date: Jan. 20th
Trailer: Watch here

Fire Emblem is Nintendo’s long-running tactical RPG series that is widely popular in Japan. While it’s taken a few stops and starts for Fire Emblem to find its niche in the West, the last entry Fire Emblem: Three Houses solidified its popularity for good.

With Fire Emblem Engage Nintendo maintains the traditional turn-based combat systems that the series is known for but mixes it up with the “Emblem Rings” system that allows you to summon popular Fire Emblem characters from previous titles. Whether you’re a series veteran or a newcomer, Fire Emblem has always done a great job of being accessible to all audiences and if you have a Nintendo Switch, it’s certainly worth checking out.

Forspoken

Release Date: Jan. 24th
Trailer: Watch here

Square Enix’s Forspoken was one of the first titles announced for PS5. It’s also a new IP and features a Black protagonist, which is rare in JRPGs. With Forspoken, Square Enix is utilizing the power of the PS5 to create a high-energy action RPG that’s all about casting powerful magic spells in a beautiful open world.

In addition to awe-inspiring battles with mythical beasts and undead monsters, you’ll be able to control protagonist, Frey, as she executes awesome parkour moves over mountains, through fields, and in crumbling fortresses all without loading screens. Forspoken is looking to be an interesting new entry from Square Enix and one that will really put your PS5 through its paces.

Like a Dragon: Ishin

Release Date: Feb. 21st
Trailer: Watch here

With the wild popularity of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Sega has decided to remake a long-asked-for title in the Yakuza franchise that never made it out West. Like a Dragon: Ishin is an action RPG that takes place during the Late Edo Period in Japan.

Just like previous entries in the Yakuza series before the release of Like a Dragon, this remake utilizes a robust combat system focused on swordsmanship and gunplay. Instead of fistfighting in the neon-kissed streets of Japan, you’ll play as a long swordsman cutting your way through enemies with katanas, revolvers, and more.

Like a Dragon: Ishin will be a perfect fit for you if you enjoy samurai, action combat, and a deep story-based game that also isn’t afraid to get a little goofy with minigames and long-running gags.

Octopath Traveler 2

Release Date: Feb. 24th
Trailer: Watch here

Square Enix surprised JRPG fans in 2019 with Octopath Traveler, a new JRPG franchise that had a unique 2.5D art style and traditional JRPG gameplay. While many loved the music, presentation, and turn-based battle system, some thought it didn’t all come together.

Octopath Traveler 2 features multiple characters, each with their own intersecting stories. New to the sequel is a day and night cycle which determines the actions characters can perform depending on the time of day. It seems like this will greatly increase replayability. This second foray into the franchise really looks like it will knock it out of the park this time around.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty

Release Date: March 3rd
Trailer: Watch here

Team Ninja is known for making difficult, but rewarding action games. Their latest title, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is taking the lessons they learned from Ni-Oh and making a new Souls-like action game set in a dark fantasy version of China’s Three Kingdoms period.

If you’re looking for an ultra-challenging action RPG after Elden Ring then this might be just what the doctor ordered. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will have loads of character customization, enemy variety, and a unique “morale” system that provides variance in difficulty while you play.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Azure

Release Date: March 14th
Trailer: Watch here

Nihon Falcom’s Legends of Heroes franchise has quickly become one of the biggest JRPG universes in gaming today. Each title builds upon a deeply connected story spanning over 14 games. The latest entry to come to the West is The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Azure which is a sequel to Trails from Zero.

We’ll be honest, at this point, the Legends of Heroes franchise isn’t the most approachable series to get into. But if you are someone willing to commit or have been eagerly anticipating the conclusion to this part of the story, Trails of Azure is for you. Ditto if you’re looking for a complex story with rich characters, fun dialogue, and a unique turn-based battle system.

Final Fantasy XVI

Release Date: June 22nd
Trailer: Watch here

It wouldn’t be a JRPG list without mention of a Final Fantasy title. 2023 is bringing us quite possibly the biggest Final Fantasy of all time with the release of Final Fantasy XVI. While the last entry in the mainline franchise bridged fantasy with reality, showcasing cars, skyscrapers, and more, Final Fantasy XVI seems to be returning to the series’ roots.

Final Fantasy XVI promises us armor-clad warriors, prodigious summoned beasts, world-altering magic, and sweet, sweet melodrama. Now that we’ve seen a few trailers, we know that Final Fantasy XVI has completely moved away from turn-based combat. Instead, it’s embracing an action-packed combat system that has as much Devil May Cry as it does Final Fantasy. This will most certainly be the biggest budget JRPG released in 2023 and one you shouldn’t miss if you own a PS5.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes

Release Date: TBD 2023
Trailer: Watch here

If you’ve been playing JRPG for a while, then you’ve probably heard of the franchise Suikoden. Fans have been clamoring for a new title in the franchise from Konami for years, to no avail. Series creator, Yoshitaka Murayama, answers their pleas with a new project that he funded through Kickstarter called Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes claims to live up to its name with over 100 characters to recruit. Sporting a unique 2.5D aesthetic that iterates on the work that titles like Octopath Traveler have done. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is shaping up to be a unique and robust JRPG with an exciting spin on turn-based combat, and a sprawling world filled with lively characters.

Sea of Stars

Release Date: TBD 2023
Trailer: Watch here

Sabotage Studio burst onto the scene with their megahit The Messenger, a Ninja Gaiden-inspired 2D side-scrolling action platformer. Now they are working on Sea of Stars, a JRPG heavily inspired by Chrono Trigger, Illusions of Gaia, and Breath of Fire.

Sea of Stars promises interactive turn-based combat with timing-based prompts. It will have a richly detailed, explorable world with many traversal options from sailing, swimming, climbing, and more. Another great touch is they’ve enlisted legendary composer Yasunori Mitsuda who created Chrono Trigger’s soundtrack to compose the music for Sea of Stars.

Google recently announced that its researchers had created a “music-making” AI bot that generates original music from any text. Whether it’s a paragraph-long prompt or a one-word phrase, this new technology can transform it into melodic audio. The model system is called MusicLM.

So far, the function is not open to the public. The tech giant has released snippets of audio from songs created using short descriptions that can craft various genres, vibes, and even specific instruments.

MusicLM has been described as a “model generating high-fidelity music” from text descriptions like “a calming violin melody backed by a distorted guitar riff.” The model system can generate music at 24 kHz that remains consistent over several minutes,” according to a report by Cornell University.

The study also reveals that the model system can transform “whistled and hummed melodies” according to the specific style described in a text caption.

It’s unclear when the Google AI music maker will be released to the public, as it will likely stir conversations about intellectual property and copyright infringement. It will be interesting to see how the tech giant rolls out the platform in the near future.

Snippets of the AI-generated songs have been uploaded to Google’s Github account. You can listen here.

Just when you think technology can’t be more advanced, something new pops up. Before, it was NFTs, and now, it’s AI. Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has slowly seeped its way into every facet of our lives, so it’s no surprise music would be next. Google, one of the world’s leading tech giants, announced it had developed a music-making robot that will be able to create “original” audio from texts and prompts.

The Verge reports that Google researchers have created an AI that can “generate minutes-long musical pieces from text prompts, and can even transform a whistled or hummed melody into other instruments.” The model system is called MusicLM.

MusicLM is even said to be able to imitate human vocals, despite having a few kinks, including a grainy or staticky sound.

Currently, there is no way for users to play around with this on their own, but Google has uploaded several 30-second snippets of songs that have been created through this process. The songs were crafted using ” paragraph-long descriptions that prescribe a genre, vibe, and even specific instruments.” Longer pieces could even be generated by one or two-word phrases like “melodic techno” and “futuristic club.”

There is even a “story mode” where the AI model is given a script to modify between prompts.

It has not been announced when the technology will be available for public use, but it will presumably be in the near future.

When he first started doing movies, Dave Bautista took the standard wrestler-to-actor route: He did genre movies and big blockbusters. But he knows he contains multitudes. He doesn’t just want to do movies where he beats people up. Back in 2021, he even said he wanted to play Ernest Hemingway. Someone should make that movie or show! But Bautista does worry there are limits to what he can do, some genres that wouldn’t work for him.

“I know I’m not your typical rom-com lead,” Bautista told Page Six at the premiere of his latest film, M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin. “I’m a little rough around the edges. But I always, you know, I look in the mirror and I say, I ask myself, ‘Am I that unattractive? Is there something that unappealing about me that excludes me from these parts?’”

That said, he’s only saying that because he wouldn’t mind doing one. They “just never come my way,” he said, adding, “I’ve never had an offer to do a rom-com. I still have high hopes. I’ll just keep searching.”

Someone, please accept this challenge. Put the erstwhile Drax the Destroyer in a charming rom-com where he owns a book shop and has a fling with a famous movie star, and at one point finds himself at a press junket where he’s forced to awkwardly pretend he’s a journalist from Horse & Hound. That’s right, remake Notting Hill with Dave Bautista and — why not — his Guardians of the Galaxy co-star Pom Klementieff as Julia Roberts.

Between this and the thing where he wants to play Lex Luthor, too, Dave Bautista is out here this week trying to speak his dreams into existence. And to that we say… good!

(Via Page Six)

HBO’s emotional third episode of the zombie series “The Last Of Us” became an instant favorite among fans, thanks in no small part to Linda Ronstadt’s late 1970s ballad, “Long, Long Time.”

Using the song as the episode’s title, “Long, Long Time,” moves away from the show’s main plot to instead focus on a heartbreakingly beautiful love story between Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett), from its endearing start all the way to its bittersweet end.

The song makes its first appearance during the initial stages of Bill and Frank’s romance as they play the tune on the piano, just before they share their first kiss.

We see their entire lives together play out—one of closeness, devotion, and savoring homegrown strawberries—until they meet their end. The song then plays on the radio, bringing the bottle episode to a poignant close.

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Series co-creator Craig Mazin recalled in an interview with IndieWire that he searched far and wide for the right song to encapsulate a theme of “commitment.”

“It was important for me to show that the romance, however long it lasted, it didn’t last. And then it’s arguing. And then it’s bargaining. And then it’s realizing what the other person does for you…The whole idea was to hit the highlights of moments in your life where love means something different,” he said.

Still broken after watching Nick Offerman sing “Long, Long Time” by Linda Ronstadt on #TheLastOfUs pic.twitter.com/TSytBb2kZI

— Dave Quinn (@NineDaves) January 31, 2023

It wouldn’t be until Mazin reached out to a friend with an “encyclopedic knowledge of all music” that he would stumble upon Ronstadt’s song, which had fallen into obscurity.

Clearly, Mazin made the right choice. Immediately after the episode aired on Jan 29, viewers were hailing it as “one of the greatest episodes of TV ever made.”

Music streaming service Spotify also reported that “Long, Long Time” received a 4900% increase in plays compared to the previous week. The chart-topping phenomenon resembles that of Kate Bush’s 80s pop hit “Running Up That Hill,” which saw a huge spike in plays after it was used in a pivotal episode of Netflix’s “Stranger Things.”

Oh, so all our hearts were breaking last night… 🍓 #TheLastOfUs pic.twitter.com/upTiav0MLw

— Spotify News (@SpotifyNews) January 30, 2023

During its original release, “Long, Long Time” spent 12 weeks on Billboard’s top 100 list and earned Ronstadt a Grammy nomination for “Best Contemporary Female Vocal Performance.” Sadly, due to a 2013 diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare neurological condition similar to Parkinson’s disease, the rock icon hasn’t sung her legendary ballad, or any of her great songs, in over a decade.

Though Ronstadt has yet to comment on the use of her song in “The Last Of Us,” the singer did post an older clip of a live performance onto her Instagram soon after the episode aired, along with the caption, “I think I’m going to love you for a long long time.”

See on Instagram

We might never hear Ronstadt sing again, but her music is being honored in beautiful ways. Her song’s comeback through the show (which let’s not forget is an adaptation of a video game) is a perfect example of how great art has a way of finding new life time and time again.

With over 125,000 followers, 34-year-old Oliver James is a star in the BookTok community. And it all started with a very simple goal: Learn to read.

For most kids, school is a place where they can develop a relationship with learning in a safe environment. For James, school was the opposite. Growing up with learning and behavior disabilities subjected him to abusive teaching practices in special education, which, of course, did nothing to help.

“The special education system at the time was more focused on behavioral than educating,” he told Good Morning America. “So they spent a lotta time restraining us, a lotta time disciplining us, a lotta times putting us in positions to kinda shape us to just not act out in class.”

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Reading struggles carried over into James’ adulthood, and as is the case for many adults who are functionally illiterate, it significantly reduced his employment opportunities and affected his self-esteem. As he would tell you, even a trip to the grocery store would be a source of anxiety.

@oliverspeaks1 Even something as simple as grocery shopping is a challenge for me. #readingbooks #books #booktok #groceryshopping ♬ original sound – Oliver James

However, when he and his girlfriend decided to expand their family of three, James became determined to change things.

Starting his journey with a book of inspirational quotes gifted by his girlfriend, James began reading bits out loud and posting to TikTok. Being a personal trainer by trade and an aspiring motivational speaker, he would often combine his interests, like practicing planks while reading thought-provoking excerpts.

@oliverspeaks1 Motivational speaker to be. Learning to read. #motivationalspeaker #handstand ♬ Pieces (Solo Piano Version) – Danilo Stankovic

With his heartfelt honesty and exuberant personality, it’s no surprise that he has grown a loyal following. Fans will often send James more books to read in hopes for one of his popular book reviews. In fact, James has such an overwhelming to-read list that he’s had to build his first bookshelf.

But perhaps the biggest impact has been the way reading has shaped James’ relationship with his son. In an interview with NPR, he shared that they’ve not only bonded over books like “Percy Jackson” and “The Witches,” but reading has proven to be a great resource for mental health, which has helped James become a better parent.

@oliverspeaks1 Replying to @thenerdysswer thank you for sending me the book the witches my son picked it to read and that was very special to our family. ##booktok##readmorebooks ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey

“I didn’t know how much my journey was going to affect him, but I see now it’s not even about the reading. The books I’m reading have taught me about my mental issues, which I can now not put on to him. I can actually work on them, so he doesn’t end up with the mental issues I have, because I can take them out of my household because I’m working on them. Without these books, I might have shown him these mental problems,” he told NPR.

James’ new goal is to read 100 new titles by 2024—ambitious for any bookworm in this day and age. But this man has already shown himself and the world just what can be done with simple daily practice and a dash of hope.

If you’d like to support James on his reading journey, you can purchase something from his Amazon Wishlist here.

Ever since social media has given fans more access to their favorite stars than ever, the dark side of fandom has been counterbalanced by a silver lining — artists can clap back, often in clever, hilarious, and sometimes downright profitable ways.

After a troll online called out Latto for allegedly wearing the same pair of leopard-print panties two days twice in a row, the Atlanta rapper’s response not only put the peanut gallery in its place, it also nearly netted her $100,000 when she put the underwear in question up for auction on eBay (after providing photographic evidence that like Albert Einstein, she has a drawer full of identical pairs from Target).

Unfortunately for Latto, eBay pulled the listing for violating its “used clothing policy” according to TMZ. According to the policy: “Used underwear and socks are not allowed, even if they are clean.” I guess if Latto’s really serious about profiting from her pantaloons, she’ll have to try one of the (many, many) other platforms where such things aren’t just allowed, but encouraged (seriously, there are so many).

Look, fam, no kink-shaming here… but where are y’all getting the money for this? In this economy!?

Anyway, Latto likely doesn’t need the extra income. She’ll be honored as one of Billboard‘s Women In Music in March, which will undoubtedly lead to more lucrative opportunities. She was also Billboard‘s top new artist in 2022, thanks in large part to her hit “Big Energy,” which peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 and stuck around for 51 weeks.

After a 4-11 start, the Denver Broncos fired Nathaniel Hackett, who only coached one season for the franchise. Denver expected to make a push for the playoffs after acquiring Russell Wilson via a trade last offseason, but Wilson struggled in his first year with the team. While Hackett was hired to lift the offense based on his work with Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, the team struggled to put together any prolonged stretch of competent offensive football, plus there were some bizarre late-game situations that cost them several times this season, like settling for a 64-yard field goal to win a game.

Denver needed an experienced head coach that could get the best out of Wilson, and they may have found their man. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the team is hiring former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton.

Payton has spent the last year working as a Fox analyst after stepping away from coaching. He is still under contract with New Orleans, which will require Denver to send compensation back to make the hire official. According to Schefter, Denver will send their 2023 first-round pick and a 2024 second-round pick to the Saints for Payton and a 2024 third-round pick.

This means Denver will send out another first round pick after sending two first rounders to Seattle in the Russell Wilson trade. The lack of Draft resources will prove to be a challenge for Payton, but this bet could pay off if Payton can get help Wilson regain his Seattle form.

It’s been nearly three months since Kari Lake lost her bid to be governor of Arizona, and like her hero, Donald Trump, she won’t go away. Instead she’s cried voter fraud without supplying clear evidence backing her claims. She’s even had her own experts screw up her defense. The former anti-Trumpist’s actions probably won’t get her installed in the job she didn’t get, but it might send her somewhere else instead: to jail.

As per Newsweek, Arizona secretary of state Adrian Fontes has sent a criminal referral to the state’s attorney general, Kris Mayes, arguing that Lake committed a felony by tweeting out pictures of voters’ signatures. In a tweet from last week, Lake claimed that there were nearly 40,000 illegally counted votes allegedly featuring mismatched signatures.

“I think all the ‘Election Deniers’ out there deserve an apology,” Lake wrote.

Instead of changing minds, Lake may have incriminated herself. In his criminal referral, Fontes said posting unauthorized voter signatures was in violation of a state law that outlawed “records containing a voter’s signature” from being “accessible or reproduced by any person other than the voter.”

“The protections afforded by this subsection prohibit posting any information derived from voter registration forms or precinct registers to the internet, and under no circumstance may a person other than the voter or [a] statutorily authorized person reproduce a voter’s signature,” reads the referral.

Fontes pointed out that violating this law results in a class 6 felony. It’s the least severe of the state’s felonies, but its penalties can result in fines, probation or a prison sentence between four months and 5 ¾ years. It’s not yet known if the Mayes will investigate.

Lake herself has not weighed in on scoring a criminal referral, but her campaign Twitter account, Kari Lake War Room, did. “Adrian Fontes wants Kris Mayes to investigate & potentially imprison @KariLake for the ‘crime’ of … sharing signature verification evidence that was presented before the @AZSenateGOP & is currently in her lawsuit,” the account wrote. “Welcome to the Banana Republic of Arizona.”

Meanwhile, some on the far right, including Steve Bannon and Lake herself, have been referring to her as the state’s real governor, despite her getting fewer votes than the since sworn-in Katie Hobbs. Will she keep doing that from the slammer? We may find out.

(Via Newsweek)

When the San Francisco 49ers lost in the NFC Championship Game to the Eagles on Sunday, there was an expectation that for the second straight offseason, Kyle Shanahan would have to replace one of his coordinators.

Last year it was offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel that got his first head coaching job in Miami, but this year all eyes were on the other side of the ball for San Francisco and defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans. The Niners were the best defense in football this year and Ryans name had steadily risen from potential head coach to a guy that was almost unquestionably getting poached this offseason. The Houston Texans became the team linked most to Ryans, with it being reported as a foregone conclusion that once the Niners were eliminated, the Texans would finalize a deal for him to be their next head coach.

However, through Monday afternoon, there was nothing official and no update from the leading newsbreakers in the NFL on Ryans to the Texans. That’s when the recently retired JJ Watt decided to offer what seemed to be a tease/confirmation of what everyone expected, posting a picture of he and Ryans when they were teammates in Houston.

And on Tuesday, Adam Schefter revealed that Ryans is, indeed, heading to the Texans.

Ryans played the first six of his 10 NFL seasons in Houston from 2006-2011 before finishing his career in Philadelphia. He has been an assistant in San Francisco since 2017, spending the last two seasons as their defensive coordinator, presiding over the NFL’s best scoring defense this past season. Taking over a Texans team that has won just 11 games in the last three years will present a steep hill for Ryans to climb, but with the No. 2 overall pick coming in as the new face of the franchise at quarterback, hopefully this hire will be a long-term one for Houston.

The Texans have fired their last two head coaches after one-year stints, as David Culley and Lovie Smith both were given just one year with one of the league’s worst rosters before being ousted. Ryans represents a very different hire to Culley and Smith, who, at least from the outside, seemed very much like they were there to be the adults in the room until the organization could figure out its direction and go for someone younger. Ryans certainly fits that bill at 38 years old and will bring a different energy to the Texans, one that is much needed within a franchise that has been wandering aimlessly for a number of years now.