This year is going to be rich in terms of providing new and exciting action RPG experiences, some of which are destined to become iconic. However, as usually happens, quite a few role-playing titles are not necessarily worthy of your attention, but they'll be released nonetheless. And it's not hard to lose your way in an over-saturated video game market.
That's why you should take a look at this list of some of the most (and least) exciting RPGs coming up this year. All of the titles below are coming out at some point in 2020.
10 Boring: Maneater
Sometimes, silly games reach the perfect balance between foolery and fascinating gameplay, in which cases the community gets an incredible game. Take, for instance, Goat Simulator. It's deeply stupid but offers unprecedented variety and high levels of entertainment. Maneater, on the other side, looks dull and single-layered.
It feels like its only premise is to attempt to exploit the once-popular animal simulator genre. You play as a giant shark whose only task is to eat humans and destroy everything in its way. The developers promise a progression system and a story campaign, but let's be honest. You ain't gonna need a bigger boat this time.
9 Exciting: Biomutant
One of the few original IPs on the list, Biomutant has been intriguing since its announcement. A completely new setting caught the eyes of the players due to its "vivisected diversity." It is a great take on the post-apocalyptic theme, which has been overused in recent years. On top of that, Biomutant offers lots of possibilities in its role-playing features.
You can deeply personalize your furry alter-ego, and it's not only about changing your exterior. As the name of the game suggests, it allows players to enhance their characters with biological mutations and functional prosthetics. There's also a proper crafting system to build and enhance weapons for the fascinating melee combat system.
8 Boring: Darksiders Genesis
The resurrection of the Darksiders franchise with the release of a third official installment was not something the fans were extremely excited about. Darksiders 3 was developed with some of the original creators on board, which should've helped to maintain its familiar style and atmosphere. Unfortunately, the game failed to live up to the expectations of the fan community.
In that regard, it's easy to be doubtful about the series' spin-off titled Darksiders Genesis. The game has already released on PC (to a moderate reception) and is coming to consoles soon. It doesn't offer the traditional Darksiders gameplay. Instead, it takes the route of Diabloesque clones and rip-offs with very few unique features of its own.
7 Exciting: Final Fantasy 7 Remake
The original Final Fantasy 7 is an exciting iconic RPG on its own, but Square Enix decided to please the fans of the franchise with a full-on remake of the classics. Judging by the media materials available at the moment, it has kept the original atmosphere almost the same. And as much as there are obvious similarities, the remake has tons of distinctive differences.
The clearest change is the updated graphics. Strictly speaking, it was made completely from scratch to match contemporary requirements for visual quality. The combat system was also overhauled as well as the game's style and design. However, Final Fantasy 7 Remake claims to offer an experience very close to playing the original 23-year-old game.
6 Boring: Nioh 2
The best-case scenario when you are looking for a game resembling Dark Souls' gameplay is to go back to playing FromSoftware's hardcore RPG titles. Japanese developers have popularized the formula of putting defenseless players in the very heart of brutal chaos and making them learn by constantly dying. The success of this formula also led to creating an assortment of lookalikes.
Nioh was a generally fine clone of Dark Souls, but it wasn't engaging enough. Many players found its story to be a lot less intriguing, although gameplay-wise it was close to FromSoftware's projects. Perhaps, Nioh 2 will be able to correct these mistakes, but it'd be much more exciting to see Bloodborne 2.
5 Exciting: Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord
If only TaleWorlds Entertainment decided to wait two more years, Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord would have spent 10 years in development. Still, even an 8-year-long wait is too long. Fans of the original game will finally have the opportunity to play the sequel in a couple of months.
Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord is going to enter the Early Access period, which means that the final version of the game is still far away. However, you can't underestimate the excitement in the fan base over this long-awaited game. Feneral audiences should also be excited over this feature-rich RPG.
4 Boring: Minecraft Dungeons
Minecraft has proven multiple times that it is an amazing game. The title reshaped the industry and introduced mechanics that are now a must in modern video games. But why exactly is Minecraft so great? Mostly due to its sheer freedom and infinite possibilities. Those are the features Minecraft Dungeons lacks, which in turn will negatively affect its reception.
The idea behind the game is simple. It offers a proper RPG experience in a familiar world of highly interactive voxels. Funnily, Minecraft-clones like Portal Knights and LEGO Worlds have already explored this concept, but their replayability is limited due to the same lack of features. And that's why Minecraft Dungeons is doomed at birth.
3 Exciting: Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
This year, the iconic franchise is making a welcome reappearance after its initial announcement back in 2019. There's a lot to be excited about, and one of the key reasons is the involvement of some of the developers who worked on the original game. The narrative designer behind the sequel is Brian Mitsoda, a heavy contributor to Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines.
This alone is a good sign, but there are many other famous names associated with the development of Bloodlines 2. Chris Avellone, for instance. Gameplay-wise, the sequel promises to be close to the original game, so you can expect a deep and thoughtful RPG experience.
2 Boring: New World
Amazon Game Studios has yet to prove its potential in creating AAA-games. One of its early projects – an action/MOBA Breakaway – was eventually canceled due to its troubled development. This is one reason to question the quality of the upcoming online RPG New World. That said, there are other concerns.
The game will likely follow the steps of Rust and Conan Exiles in terms of gameplay mechanics like surviving, collecting resources, crafting, and building. Those games tend to be very repetitive and time-consuming, so there's not much to be excited about apart from the mystical setting.
1 Exciting: Cyberpunk 2077
Everyone knows this RPG is the most anticipated in 2020. Cyberpunk 2077 has recently seen a slight delay in its release schedule, but it wasn't surprising given the scale of the project. Moreover, the gaming world has stellar expectations over the CDPR's upcoming RPG, and the developers are feeling the pressure.
If Cyberpunk 2077 proves to be at least as good and deep as The Witcher 3 it will be a masterpiece. If it turns out even better, you can expect hundreds of GotY awards and a game to play for years to come.