When there aren’t any role-playing games in 2019 to tide you over, look to these 5 upcoming RPGs in 2020 for your fix of character customization, consequence, and world-building.
The only role-playing game I’ve played in 2019 so far was Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey and that came out in 2018. Every BioWare fan, myself included, foolishly hoped that Anthem would take us out of that drought. Spoiler alert folks, the game ‘is not working very well’ according to Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson.
Luckily, this year’s GDC and E3 2019 respective events teased us with more than enough RPGs to keep us busy for the entirety of 2020. 4 out of 5 titles on this list are slated for release in the first half of the next year which is pretty wild. We might never leave our homes until the end of June!
Cyberpunk 2077
Keanu Reeves, need I say more? If you’re not into the Keanu hype, there’s still a lot of reasons to get behind Cyberpunk 2077 if you haven’t bought into it already. First, CD Projekt, the developer behind the critically and commercially acclaimed Witcher series, is developing the game. I am personally not crazy about the Witcher games but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate how their games, especially the last one, redefined open-world RPG titles.
We also recently found out that the game won’t have a morality system which is refreshing since a lot of RPGs tend to rely on binary models such as paragon vs. renegade in the first 2 Mass Effect titles.
Lastly, we all know RPG fans play the genre for the romance options. You’ll be jazzed to know that Cyberpunk 2077 will have diverse romance options beyond heterosexual. You can already choose between playing as someone who identifies as a man or woman so it’s pretty great that you have the freedom to define your sexual orientation as well.
Cyberpunk 2077 is slated for release on April 16, 2020.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
The first Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines game was a hot mess with a lot of game breaking bugs and cut content but it brewed a sizable cult clan following nonetheless. Admittedly, I’ve been part of that clan since the early 2000s and getting a sequel seemed like a pipe dream for more than a decade.
While we don’t know much about the game so far, there’s a lot to unpack from the trailers and alpha gameplay footage we’ve seen so far. The good news is that several key gameplay mechanics will be returning from Masquerade (duh), clans with a wide variety of abilities, and the ability to toggle between first and third person to name a few. It’s also worth noting that Hardsuit Labs and Paradox, a new developer and publisher respectively, will be developing the game since Troika is now out of business. Fortunately, Brian Mitsoda, the lead writer of Bloodlines, is back to helm the title.
If you’re into vampire lore, weird plotlines, and customization, then I advise you to put this game in your radar. In the meantime, the first game is available on Steam and perpetually on sale.
V:TMB 2 is slated for release on March 2020.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
If you’re a Final Fantasy VII fan looking for reasons why the remake will be faithful to the original, then this is the wrong perspective for you. Final Fantasy VIII was my introduction to the RPG genre and it has a special place in my heart no matter what haters say. With that said, I’ve never played FFVII until a few months ago. All the hype surrounding the remake persuaded me to buy the port on the Nintendo Switch and I’m loving it but that’s an article for another day.
I’m pretty much sold on the remake since Tim Gettys from Kinda Funny just won’t shut up about how the upcoming title is both faithful yet modern to the original. After watching the latest E3 gameplay trailer myself, Tim Gettys was right especially since I was surprised at how nostalgic I felt hearing the re-arranged soundtrack and seeing key scenes. It felt like it was going to be a new yet familiar experience.
Final Fantasy VII remake is slated for release on March 3, 2020.
Marvel’s Avengers
Never mind that these character models look like they’re from a Shrek movie. Never mind that critics, fans, and even the developers aren’t even sure what type of game this is going to be. People are still hyped about this title because you’ll have the opportunity to play as one of the Avengers and customize them… it seems. No word yet on any choice and consequence coming to play but I doubt it considering the developers’ emphasis on co-op.
According to this Esquire article, “The Marvel’s Avengers narrative will be released over the span of years, with new content being dropped in an ongoing fashion.” Does this sound like a games-as-a-service title? I might be wrong including this as an RPG since Crystal Dynamics isn’t too clear about the delineation between single-player and online cp-op. We’ll find out soon enough but I’m betting that this game will be delayed for a few months.
Marvel’s Avengers is slated for release on May 15, 2020.
Unannounced Assassin’s Creed: Ragnarok
I know this is wishful thinking but the next entry in the Assassins’s Creed series was actually teased in the Division 2. It also makes sense that the next game would be released in 2020 since Ubisoft is skipping 2019 to focus on Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey which is a really fantastic game. The rumored setting alone is promising considering we had a taste of it from the recent God of War entry.
It’s strange saying that Assassin’s Creed is an RPG series because it wasn’t for the longest time. Origins was the first entry to ramp up the RPG elements with customization, choices, and consequence. Odyssey amped it up even more specifically with romance options. While some fans weren’t too happy with the shift in direction, this caters to fans like myself who crave RPG experiences.
The next Assassin’s Creed entry is expected sometime in 2020.
