When one wants a lengthy game, it is always a good bet to go for an RPG. Even the most linear journeys provide dozens of hours of gaming goodness, and 2020 was chock full of titles from the genre. The following games on the list are all different kinds of RPGs, from JRPGs to open-world adventures where the sky is the limit.
As the year comes to a close, it is difficult to imagine 2021 topping the amount of grand adventures players had the pleasure of exploring this year. A few of these release are dreams come true most people never thought they would see.
10 Cyberpunk 2077 (18)
Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the most massive RPGs to come out in a while, but it differentiates itself by having a relatively short main campaign. Players can beeline it through the narrative in less than twenty hours. However, letting the city take you on numerous adventures and side quests is strongly advised. Console players may want to wait until the next-gen versions come out. In the meantime, they are best served playing the PS4 and Xbox versions on the new consoles.
9 Demon's Souls (21 Hours)
Whether or not Demon's Souls takes one twenty-one hours to conquer is purely based on one's familiarity with the formula and their patience. The remake of the 2009 classic is brutally challenging and punishes the smallest mistakes. However, it is as hard as it is rewarding, and those who push through will find one of the most gratifying gaming experiences of 2020.
8 Paper Mario: The Origami King (26 Hours)
For many years fans were begging Nintendo for a successor to Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. While it uses a different battle system, Paper Mario: The Origami King on the Nintendo Switch is considered the best the sub series has produced since the GameCube. The hallmarks from Paper Mario, particularly the trademark humor, are present in this title. At just twenty-six hours, it is a cozy length for an RPG.
7 Final Fantasy VII Remake (34 Hours)
Even when it was announced in 2015 it was difficult for fans to believe Final Fantasy VII Remake was a reality until it finally came out in 2020. The remake meticulously recreates Midgar and makes it look more beautiful than imaginable. The combat puts a new spin on the active-time battle system, mixing it in with real time combat and movement. Fans thought they new what was in store, but wild surprises were waiting for them.
6 Wasteland 3 (36 1/2 Hours)
Wasteland likes to space out its sequels, but fortunately fans only had to wait six years for the third entry instead of over twenty. Despite some jank and technical issues, the open-world RPG is a fantastic romp through post-apocalyptic Denver.
The world is as brutal as it is darkly comedic, and players are constantly forced to make difficult decisions regarding moral grey areas. With side quests, those thirty-six hours extend to about sixty.
5 Genshin Impact (41 Hours)
Genshin Impact set the world on fire for a hot minute, alluring players with the free-to-play incentive and the aesthetic which looks like an anime meeting Breath of the Wild. Fortunately, players can play for about twenty-hours before ever feeling the pressure to engage with the microtransactions. It is too early to tell if the title will have legs, but in the meantime the audience is still strong.
4 Nioh 2 (45 Hours)
Nioh takes many cues from souls games, though it carves out its own identity. Believe it or not, many consider Nioh 2 to be more difficult than most FromSoftware games. Where Dark Souls at least feels beatable and smartly designed to help the player gradually improve, Nioh 2 is pure punishment. However, there is an audience for this type of game, and many appreciate the extreme difficulty.
3 Yakuza: Like A Dragon (48 Hours)
For the past few years the Yakuza franchise has been slowly gaining popularity in the west, and the most recent entry, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, is likely to further increase the series' profile. With the genre shift and new protagonist, it is perfect for those looking to get into the franchise. Longtime fans are not left in the dust, however, since it still retains many familiar facets of the earlier games. The side quests and world are equally silly as they are poignant.
2 Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition (50 1/2 Hours)
Xenoblade Chronicles was one of the biggest games on the Nintendo Wii. The developer updated the title and re-released in on the Switch with a nice graphical upgrade and several improvements.
However, some parts of the adventure remind players they are playing an RPG originally made in 2010. None of these setbacks do anything to ruin the game, however, and fans have no problem revisiting this ten year old classic with a new coat of paint.
1 Persona 5 Royal (105 Hours)
With a solid eighty hours or so, no one was expecting the developer to add even more content into Persona 5. This re-release decided the bloated adventure needed even more to do. Fans are not complaining, however, and those who have not played it yet now have an added incentive to jump in. Few games rarely reach one hundred hours even with side quests, so to see the main quest take this long is simply jaw-dropping. Any modern JRPG fan owes it to themselves to experience this modern classic.