It’s been a busy year in gaming, especially for role-playing titles. Players were able to choose from a promising list of options and experiences that bolds well for the future of the genre.
From outer space colonies to classic lightsaber action, here are the top 5 RPG titles of 2019 that made our list.
5. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
As someone who has been overwhelmingly disappointed by the limited presence Star Wars has had in the market and EA’s usage of the brand, Fallen Order was a welcome breath of fresh air.
It isn’t a conventional Star Wars title like previous gems such as The Force Unleashed as some had anticipated when it was first announced at E3 2018. Instead, it is an innovative mixture between the creative traversal of the Uncharted series and the difficulty of Dark Souls with an emotionally inspiring story that’s reminiscent of the original Star Wars trilogy.
It also delivers a satisfying ending that leaves an open door for Respawn Entertainment to return with a sequel.
4. The Outer Worlds
The Outer Worlds was a pleasant surprise with how enjoyable it turned out to be. Whilst it may not be absolutely innovative, Obsidian Entertainment managed to craft a game that’s reminiscent of their classic RPG hits like Fallout: New Vegas.
It was fun trying to decide what sort of skills to emphasize for my character, what job I would have, and which factions to align with. That’s something that was sorely missed after the release of last year’s controversial Fallout 76 which to some extent did briefly sour me on open world RPG titles.
3. Greedfall
After releasing in August, Greedfall proved to be one of the most underrated debuts of the year. It plays like a BioWare game from the 2000s and if you’re a more nostalgic type of gamer then it’s a must.
From dialogue trees with loads of branching options to romance options to good old fashioned turn-based combat, it is a dream come true and it is a return to the traditional Western RPG format that developers such as Bethesda and BioWare hinged their entire brands on.
If you’re looking to relive some of the best experiences such as those from Mass Effect then Greedfall is certainly worthy of your time.
2. Borderlands 3
Borderlands 3 is a delightful return to form for the beloved looter-shooter RPG franchise developed by Gearbox. It’s an insane experience that lets you play with up to three other characters like in the previous two instalments, whilst also allowing you to choose from unique classes with each having their own strengths and weaknesses.
There’s also an impressively diverse array of side missions that are just as entertaining as the main story as they give players a feel of the world. Every quest you complete in the game feels rewarding because there’s so much loot which is an important part of what defines this franchise’s core and the basis of the looter-shooter sub-genre.
It serves an important reminder that this is perhaps what gamers should be asking for from their looter-shooter experiences, particularly after the underperformance of other titles such as Ubisoft’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint and The Division 2.
1. The Outer Wilds
At first glance, you might mistake The Outer Wilds as a typo for The Outer Worlds but Annapurna Interactive’s latest title is an out of this world (pun fully intended) experience that tops Obsidian’s.
The best way to describe it is as a love letter to humanity’s fascination with space in films that stretches as far back as 2001: A Space Odyssey and as recently as Interstellar.
The game puts players in the position of an astronaut who is on a race against time to explore the galaxy before a supernova destroys it. The aim is to learn why the supernova is happening. They will also be able to interact with a unique alien race called the Nomai who are the architects of the galaxy. They hold access to the various secrets that can be unearthed with every replay. It’s simple and there’s less content than a majority of high profile RPGs, but sometimes less really can be more.
