There must be something in the water over in France, because after delivering one of the best RPGs of recent years in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the country is back with another impressive looking role-playing game that’s launching in 2026.
Developed by the Montpellier-based Midgar Studio, Edge of Memories is the sequel to Edge of Eternity, a JRPG-style game that despite showing promise, was let down by one or two technical issues.
Hopefully Edge of Memories won’t come with the same baggage, because based on what I’ve played so far, this could be a one of next year’s hidden gems when it releases for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam.
The game takes place in the continent of Avaris, which is experiencing a devastating plague that is corroding the landscape and transforming its fauna, flora and human inhabitants into “grotesque abominations”.
While this all sounds rather bleak and gloomy, the world of Edge of Memories is actually quite beautiful.
Developed using Unreal Engine 5, the vibrant and visually striking art style is what impressed me most about Edge of Memories. It brings to mind games like Dragon Quest and the Tales series.
If the world looks this good when every beast, bird and tree stump is out to kill you, imagine what it looked like before.
You play as a Soul Whisperer named Eline, who appears to be immune to the curse and is key to saving the world, alongside companions Ysoris and Kanta, who support Eline in battle using different elemental attacks.
Edge of Memories uses a real-time combat system that I found surprisingly satisfying. It’s not on the same level as Dark Souls or anything, but the game’s boss battles, in particular, require more skill than I ever would have imagined.
Group battles against a mixture of weaker and stronger foes call for careful positioning, as you utilise your skills to ensure maximum damage, ideally against multiple enemies.
Bosses throw everything but the kitchen sink at players, who will need to dodge, jump and dash out of harm’s way, all the while chipping away at their health using light and heavy attacks, as well as partner skills and Berserker transformations after building up enough charge. Berserker mode lets players unleash a flurry of faster attacks and powerful abilities, and can genuinely turn the tide of battle when things aren’t quite going your way.
Outside of the combat system, the game also appears to have some light puzzle elements, forcing you to leave support characters behind to open doors, for example.
Hopefully these puzzles will become even more challenging as the game goes on, because they serve as a nice change of pace and make exploring the world that little more absorbing.
While I couldn’t really hear the music, the soundtrack also has the potential to be an all-timer, and is more proof of developer Midgar Studio’s ambition.
Edge of Eternity composer Cédric Menendez returns to create most of the music, while Yasunori Mitsuda – whose credits include Chrono Cross, Xenoblade Chronicles and Shadow Hearts – is responsible for the end theme. Perhaps best of all, however, is Emi Evans of Nier Automata fame will lend her vocal talents.
I really hope Midgar Studio is able to iron out any bugs and apply enough polish to ensure Edge of Memories lives up to its enormous potential.
The game really does look the part, the story is intriguing, and the real-time combat system is surprisingly engaging. I really didn’t expect to enjoy this as much as I did, and look forward to exploring the stunning game world in full when Edge of Memories launches in 2026.