The first half of 2021 was and continues to be a rather poor period of video games coming out, in which to devote oneself mainly to the disposal of the backlog: in this context, it could be a good idea to launch into the discovery of video games capable of engaging you for quite a while 'of time, like RPGs. The PlayStation 4 / Xbox One generation, in fact, was one of the most fortunate ever for this videogame genre, marking the publication of works of the highest quality. Role-playing video games, over the past years, have evolved and differentiated a lot, between very extensive open worlds full of stories to tell, hybrids of excellent workmanship with other genres and titles capable of reviving the most classic RPG model, made famous by immortal masterpieces such as Planescape Torment and Baldur's Gate. In the following guide we therefore propose what we believe are the best RPGs to buy on the market and released in recent years, available both for PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, but also for PS5 and Xbox Series X and S thanks backwards compatibility.
In the next paragraphs you will surely be able to find something compatible with your tastes, your pockets and your reference platform, also considering that several games on the list have a few years on their shoulders and are available at a budget price. , while still being wonderful today. Our list will be updated as we move into the next generation of consoles: if you return in a few months or even in 2022, you may find different titles, since we will gradually insert more video games for PS5 and for the new Xbox. Before starting, we remind you that, among the other guides available, on the Game Division pages you will also find one dedicated to the best JRPGs (complementary to the one you are about to read), one dedicated to the best metroidvania and one dedicated to the best chapters of Final Fantasy .
The best RPGs
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Mass Effect: Legendary Edition The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Fallout 4 Divinity Original Sin 2 Assassin's Creed: Valhalla Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Cyberpunk 2077 The Outer Worlds
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch When it comes to masterpieces belonging to the genre of role-playing video games, we cannot fail to mention The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The third chapter of the saga signed by CD Projekt is a real milestone in fiction and is capable of reconstructing a wonderful dark fantasy world, inspired by the legends of Eastern Europe and the homonymous series of books by the Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski, with protagonist the witcher Geralt. The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt is considered by many to be one of the best RPGs of recent years, able to play the palm of best role-playing video game of the eighth generation with few other contenders: it is, in general, a video game that, if you love the genre, you cannot fail to try at least once. The GOTY edition, by the way, is the most complete, and also includes the Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine expansions.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4 After the underrated Andromeda, which came out during a rather troubled period for BioWare, the North American studio has cleverly decided to bring back the series of Mass Effect at its origins, re-proposing the original Mass Effect trilogy in a remastered version. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition includes several technical improvements and refinements in the gameplay (especially the first chapter, dating back to 2007), which make the package coming out the best possible option to replay the unforgettable saga born from the creators of Baldur's Gate and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, true masters of the modern role-playing video game. If you are a fan of RPGs and have never played Mass Effect (or played them many years ago and want to enjoy them again, but heavily refurbished) this is a great way to fix it!
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, PS VR, PS3, Xbox 360 The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim comes to good right considered one of the fathers of the modern open world role-playing video game: Bethesda's RPG, originally released in 2011 on PS3 and Xbox 360, has been revived on PS4 and One in a Special Edition that has made it more beautiful than ever. Removed the additions, which focus on the addition of all the DLCs and on some small aesthetic finishes, including the change of color palette, Skyrim remains the usual title that we all already know well: a practically boundless "sandbox" RPG, that, if you love immersive worlds and fantasy atmospheres, you can explore for hundreds of hours without ever getting tired or bored. An absolutely essential work.
Fallout 4
Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4 Published in a few years away from its predecessor, Obsidian's beloved New Vegas, Fallout 4 largely re-proposes the winning formula that made the series so popular and allowed it to rightfully be included among the best RPGs released for PC and consoles . The game has a plot that takes place ten years after that of Fallout 3 and represents in some ways a partial continuation, while completely changing characters and scenery. Abandoned the Wasteland of the Capital, now the game takes place in the suburbs of Boston, presenting itself to the player with the usual, enormous amount of missions and things to do, all seasoned with an unmistakable style and retro hues, which fishing with both hands since the 1950s. The Game of The Year edition, which is the one we recommend - given the price now almost identical to the standard one - adds dozens of hours of new content.
Divinity Original Sin 2
Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4 Divinity 2 Original Sin needs no introduction: it is one of the most beautiful tactical and isometric RPGs in circulation, created by talented Larian Studios, the Belgian development house that currently also has Baldur's Gate 3 in the pipeline, already published in early access on Steam. Divinity 2 is a video game for enthusiasts, certainly not for everyone and certainly not the best role-playing game with which, as a beginner, to start exploring the genre. However, if you have already chewed on some RPGs with complex mechanics and are looking for new challenges, it could be the right opportunity to immerse yourself in his world, one of the best built ever in an RPG, and clearly inspired by a true legend of paper role-playing games, such as Dungeons & Dragons.
Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X / S, PS5 After the last two chapters of Assassin's Creed, Ubisoft took a further one year "hiatus" before releasing Assassin's Creed Valhalla, which has a double task to present itself as a cross-generational title and at the same time to close the trilogy begun by Origins and Odyssey. Precisely with respect to the latter, Valhalla eliminates several unsuccessful components that had generated many criticisms, such as the structuring at levels (replaced by a "level of power" determined by skills) and above all the general dispersiveness, which made the game formula too watered down. All this is combined with an engaging and well-told story and a game world reconstructed from Norse myths, with the addition - for the first time in the series - of 60 FPS on next gen consoles. In short, if you were tired of Assassin's Creed, the advice is to give a chance to the adventure of Eivor, which has managed to establish itself as one of the best chapters of the series in recent years.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4 Deus Ex Mankind Divided is the latest exponent of a now historic saga, which began in 2000 on PC, as well as the sequel to the excellent Human Revolution, with respect to which it comes five years later. Square Enix has currently paused the dualogy of Eidos Montreal, which unfortunately will not receive - at least not soon - a third chapter: a real shame, since both titles published so far are of excellent workmanship, among the best RPG shooter of the last years. Mankind Divided is a direct sequel to the predecessor, and can be recovered at very low prices: the publisher, on the other hand, seems to have forgotten the series, but you certainly not, and you have a golden opportunity under your nose to recover one of the best titles of recent years.
Cyberpunk 2077
Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X / S, PS5 (next-gen update in 2021) We know, currently Cyberpunk 2077 still suffers from several problems on consoles, especially the standard ones. Yet it would be a crime for us not to recommend it, especially if you can count on a next-gen PC or console, machines on which a specific update is expected that will arrive during the second half of the year. The video game by CD Projekt, which is inspired by the just mentioned Deus Ex, remains a work with an exceptional writing and a complex and visionary plot, which will transport you into a cyberpunk world with attention to the last detail (not surprisingly the 'main inspiration is that of the role-playing game written by Mike Pondsmith in the 90s) and in a Night City that is rightly among the best settings in history.
The Outer Worlds
Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch Published by the Private Division label, The Outer Worlds was developed by a part of the original 2D Fallout team, under the direction of of two old acquaintances of the gaming industry, Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky. The title, in some ways, is the perfect example of how the original team wanted to develop a 3D Fallout, and the experiment can be said to be overall successful. The Outer Worlds, in fact, is one of the best RPGs of recent years, and it was also released in a historical period in which the emulator of Bethesda was the unfortunate Fallout 76, which allowed the game of the small team of veterans to receive even more more attention and consideration. Not that it didn't deserve such exposure, eh, on the contrary!
