The Best of 2016: Top 10 RPGs

After the success of games like Divinity: Original Sin and Pillars of Eternity, old-school isometric style cRPGs seem to be making a comeback, in addition to newer RPGs with beautiful and atmospheric worlds, and stories that will leave you begging for more. Here’s our list of the 10 ten RPGs released this year, in the order they were released.

1. Grim Dawn

• Release Date: 25th February, 2016
• Platforms: Windows PC

Grim Dawn is an isometric action-RPG coming from the engine on which Titan Quest was developed. Enter an apocalyptic fantasy world where humanity is on the brink of extinction, iron is valued above gold and trust is hard earned. It feautures complex character development, hundreds of unique items, crafting and quests with choice & consequence. The combat is fast and action-packed, crafting plays an important role in the game and the dark, Victorian era fantasy world is sure to maintain its grip on you.

2. Dark Souls III

• Release Date: 24th March, 2016
• Platforms: Windows PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4

A worthy and fitting conclusion to the Dark Souls series, this game went on to become the best selling Bandai Namco game ever, selling over three million within two months of its release. It is a game that recognizes the value of perserverance, where you have to suffer through numerous defeats before you can enjoy the sweet taste of victory. It makes you question your instincts, and sometimes even whether the point of it. But each time you kill a boss, you’re filled with a determination which makes you carry forward, slaying through every last monster that the game has to throw at you.

3. The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine

• Release Date: 31st May, 2016
• Platforms: Windows PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4

If you’ve ever wanted to get drunk with a vampire, this game is just for you. The Blood and Wine expansion pack (YES, an expansion) won the best RPG of the year at the Game Awards, and it’s not surprising at all. This DLC is better than a lot of full-blown games, and it really shows what amazing things game publishers are capable of. CD Projekt Red is pulling all the right stops when it comes to spoiling its fans, and the results seem to speak for themselves.

4. I am Setsuna

• Release Date: 19th July, 2016
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and Windows PC

A top down RPG inspired by the Nintendo-era classic title Chrono Trigger, I am Setsuna is a tribute to the glory of the old-school jRPGs that made Square Enix such a huge success. Though some might argue otherwise, this game successfully establishes its own identity while calling out to the golden 16-bit days. Set in a grim world, it is a bittersweet journey of a maiden who is to be sacrificed to appease the demons. It offers amazing boss battles and it sure you make you nostaligc of your childhood gaming days.

5. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

• Release Date: 23rd August, 2016
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC

Whether you want to sneak past enemies or shoot an infinite number of holes in their bodies, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided makes it immensely satisying. There’s a buttload of powers that make you so overpowered I can only imagine the bad guys cursing the developers. Adam Jensen deserves a nerf, they think, as they you book them a one way ticket to neverland with your super awesome augmented powers.

6. Persona V

• Release Date: 15th September, 2016 (Japan)
• Platform: PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4

Persona V hasn’t been released worldwide yet, but it’s out in Japan since a couple of months. Kotaku describes it as “Smart, fun and very Japanese”, which means that it’s made by the Japanese for the Japanese, and doesn’t seem to be apologetic for what the outside world might think about it. The game follows a group of high school students who awaken their personas (powers) and become masked vigilantes, called the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. It draws heavy influence from the local places and culture, so it could be a great way to give the players a taste of what Japan has to offer.

7. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition

• Release Date: 28th October, 2016
• Platforms: Windows PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4

A remaster of the five year old Skyrim, it still has the same charm that made players fall in love with the game. Bethesda has been kind enough to leave the bugs that existed in the original game. What it adds to the game is additional lighting effects, godrays and visual upgrades, making the game a little better looking than the original. It also brings the power of mods to the consoles, so expect a lot more people replacing dragons with Thomas the Tank Engine. Choo choo motherfuckers!

8. Tyranny

• Release Date: 10th November, 2016
• Platform: Windows PC, Linux and Mac

The portrayal of evil is mostly signified by dark figures laughing maniacly sitting in a lonesome tower, but Tyranny is one game that tries to take it a step further. You play as the pawn of Kyros, a being of immense power who has defeated the forces of good and now rules the world. Your aim it to wipe out every last remaining bit of resistance, though that doesn’t necessarily make you the bad guy. Faced with morally challenging decisions, you have to make choices that will have a huge impact on the game turns out, both immediately and in the long run. Tyranny is sure to leave as lasting impact on the RPG genre, leaving you with questions that might be difficult to answer.

9. Pokemon Sun and Moon

• Release Date: 18th November, 2016
• Platform: Nintendo 3DS

Pokemon Sun and Moon take the best things about the Pokemon games and use them to craft a world that you can’t have enough of. Even 20 years after the first game, Sun and Moon continue to honour the legacy, improving the mechanics and gameplay in a number of ways. Set on an Hawaiian-styled island region known as Alola, Pokemon have adapted to the tropical climate. Gyms aren’t the only central focus and Exeggutor is now a Dragon type. It’s a perfect example of how a game can be continually improved upon even atfer two decades, so much that players will still love to spend hours playing it a day. Alola is by far the most inspired region, and the changes it introduces are the most welcome.

10. Final Fantasy XV

• Release Date: 29th November, 2016
• Platform: PlayStation 4 and Xbox One

You are Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum, the heir to the prestigious Caelum dynasty, and your first job in the game is to push your car on the highway because it broke down. That’s Final Fantasy XV for you. It’s quirky and fun, features an epic combat system and a party that feels less than a bunch of random people on the same quest and more like a close knit group of friends. Even though you can’t drive around in your awesome looking car, you can still ride giant chicken creatures and fight humongous bosses. Did you know that there’s one boss fight that takes 72 real-time hours? Good luck sitting through that!

Let us know your favourite RPGs of this year in the comments section!

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