If you’re looking for a turn-based JRPG that takes a little (okay, a lot) of skills, Virgo Versus the Zodiac might be for you. It’s a sci-fi/fantasy JRPG about Virgo, who is trying to revive something called the Golden Age and purge the Heretics swarming the galaxy. It’s been available on PC for a few years now, but the game is finally set to launch on console later this month. And its late August launch date is no coincidence: it’s set for the first day of the Virgo constellation!
The Holy Queen, Virgo, is on a righteous quest to restore the cosmos by bringing back the peace and balance of the Golden Age of the Zodiac Realms. The heretics call her the Dreadful Queen, and say her quest in unforgiving, but they don’t know what they’re talking about. To Virgo, her worldview is the only one, and anyone who stands in her way is a villain. She’s the hero of this story, and she’ll make darned sure of it.
Every action means a reaction. The game uses precision timing elements to add a layer of difficulty to its turn-based gameplay. Pay attention to the enemies, counter their attacks, and time holy strikes to smash through their defense. The game has no random encounters, opting instead for bespoke, unforgiving battles designed specially to suit the quest at hand. If you prefer, there is also a shoot ’em up mode.
Related Listening: During the August 2023 podcast, DDNet ranked all the JRPGS. Yep, all of them.
There are a variety of diverse locations to explore, each full of people and items to interact with – including the other Zodiacs. Exploration needs to be done carefully, as the interactions encountered could change the fate of the cosmos drastically.
Developed by Moonana and published by Serenity Forge, Virgo Versus the Zodiac will be released for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series, and Xbox One on August 23. It first launched for PC in December 2019.
