Upcoming Games That Take Place In Sprawling Cities

The combat looks more intense than most LEGO games, and Batman will not be the only playable character. Players can explore the sprawling streets of Gotham on foot, by gliding above, driving the signature Batmobile, and so on. It’s unclear if there will be any chill side quests in Gotham, but either way, LEGO and Batman fans should be pumped to play this in 2026.

Decapolice

A Detective RPG

• Planned Release Date: 2026
• Planned Systems: PC, PS4, PS5, and Switch

Decapolice is another crime-based game, but this time with an anime influence, and is being developed by Level-5. Players will be able to investigate locations using VR to overlay the crime scenes, sort of like the Detective Vision in the Batman: Arkham games. The detective aspect of the game looks intense, sort of like a cross between Phoenix Wright and L.A. Noire.

The city doesn’t look like it’s brimming with activities to do, but the futuristic landscape is enticing, like any good cyberpunk setting should be. Besides solving cases, players can engage in turn-based combat with their small party. Hopefully, this RPG will come out in 2026 and will offer more to do than what has been previously shown.

Ananta

Grand Theft Anime

• Planned Release Date: TBA
• Planned Systems: Mobile, PC, and PS5

Ananta looks like it’s going to have a diverse set of mechanics, and it may also launch in 2026, although there is no set timeline at the moment. It’s going to be a free-to-play game in the style of Grand Theft Auto with a heavy anime influence in its design. Players can roam around town as part of an elite task force, so there won’t be a criminal angle to the story.

Players can drive various cars and bikes, but the more interesting aspect is the Spider-Man-like tether that the Captain of the team wields to swing around. It’s not known how many characters players can have active at one time, but being able to switch between them will be a feature too. Besides the crime-fighting main story, there will also be side activities around the city, from races to slapping opponents in arenas to playing basketball.

Stranger Than Heaven

A Century In The Making

• Planned Release Date: TBA
• Planned Systems: TBA

Stranger Than Heaven is the next big project from the Yakuza team, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, at Sega. The big gimmick with the game is that players will play a drifter who goes through different time periods in the same city, which changes over time. This city, Sotenbori, so far has been shown in 1915, 1929, and 1943. It looks like another crime-infested game with plenty of brawling action, which is what RGG is known for most of all.

Yakuza fans can always count on plenty of weird side stories and mini-games to occupy their time, so hopefully those features return in Stranger Than Heaven as well. Even if there aren’t that many, few games can brag about taking place in multiple time periods, and if anyone can make it work, it’s the Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio team. No platforms or release date have been announced as of yet, which could mean Stranger Than Heaven is a ways off, or Sega could just be waiting to have a big showcase reveal sometime soon.

DokeV

Kingdom Hearts Meets Pokemon

• Planned Release Date: TBA
• Planned Systems: TBA

DokeV could be a long ways off, but it’s still worth discussing here. It’s one of the few monster-catching games that takes place in one big city, with the only other big example being Pokemon Legends: Z-A. DokeV may have environments to explore outside its metropolis, but so far, it looks like most of the action will be urban.

The footage shown so far hints at players being able to ride bicycles and monsters alike, rollerblade, skateboard, and even carry a magical umbrella that lets them glide. Humans and their monsters can fight alongside one another in action combat, which looks sort of like Kingdom Hearts in terms of its design. From bouncing sacks that turn into big boxing gloves and giant hammers, the combat looks more intense than most monster-catching games.