Another Eden Begins launched September 17, 2026 on Nintendo Switch 2, Switch and PC via Steam at $39.99, developed by Studio Prisma and published by WFS / Wright Flyer Studios.
The hook is the name attached to it: Masato Kato, the writer behind Chrono Trigger. That is a heavy legacy to carry into a crowded year for JRPG throwbacks, and the reviews suggest he mostly pulls it off — with a caveat that comes up in almost every write-up.
What Critics Are Saying
The reception has been genuinely positive but not unanimous, and the disagreement is interesting:
- Niche Gamer — “JRPG Excellence Too Epic For Phones,” arguing the series’ reputation as the gacha game even sceptics can enjoy finally holds up beyond mobile
- Slant Magazine — “Katō Masato’s scrappy, soulful JRPG throwback,” praising it against a field of retro-styled RPGs that often fail to capture what made their inspirations work
- TheSixthAxis — “Just a Tribute,” a cooler take suggesting it leans heavily on Chrono Trigger’s shadow
That last point is the recurring theme. Nobody is calling Another Eden Begins bad. The question is whether it is its own thing or a very well-made homage.
From Gacha to Premium
The interesting angle is the format shift. Another Eden spent years as a mobile gacha title with a reputation for being unusually generous and genuinely well-written — rare for the genre.
Begins is the attempt to spin that into a full premium RPG: a one-time $39.99 purchase instead of pulls. It is part of a wider trend of mobile gacha properties being reworked into standalone releases, and it mostly works, though the lineage shows in places.
A demo is available covering the first six chapters, with progress carrying into the full game — the best way to judge whether the structure suits you.
What You Are Buying
- Turn-based combat with the series’ established systems
- Time-travel narrative in Kato’s wheelhouse
- Switch 2 and Switch versions alongside PC, with the Switch release notable given the original was announced for the platform back in 2018
- Day-one character DLC and a Season Pass — worth flagging, as post-launch monetisation on a $39.99 premium release has drawn some raised eyebrows
Should You Play It?
If you want a modern JRPG that feels like a 90s one — smaller in scale, warmer in tone, more interested in characters than systems sprawl — this is one of the better options of 2026. Kato’s involvement is not a marketing footnote; the writing is the strongest part.
If you bounce off homage-heavy design or dislike a Season Pass on a full-price release, the demo will tell you quickly.
Either way, it is a genuinely likeable game, and the fact that a decade-old mobile gacha spun into something critics are calling “excellent” is its own kind of achievement.
For more review coverage, see our reviews section.
Kato's writing is the whole reason I bought this. The pacing is slow as everyone says, but the time-travel chapters genuinely feel like Chrono Trigger's DNA.
Held off because of the price, then caved at $39.99. Worth it for the soundtrack alone, though I would tell new players to push through the first four hours before judging it.