E3 2016 was a show filled with reasons to be optimistic about RPGs in the coming years, and Game Rant has assembled a list of the genre’s most exciting upcoming titles.
While it used to be common practice to bemoan the state of the modern RPG, the past couple years in video games have changed things. 2015 was full of incrediblystrong RPG titles likeThe Witcher 3: Wild HuntandFallout 4, and 2016 has a few massive genre releases on the horizon.
That being said, however, the state of any genre can be dramatically influenced by its representation at E3. The long-running gaming showcase sets the tone for the rest of the year, and while many have already calledE3 2016a polarizing event, the RPG genre looked stronger than it has in a decade. Fans of skill trees, quest dialogue options, and hours upon hours of content have never had it so good, and Game Rant has put together a list of some of the most exciting options revealed at this year’s E3.
Dishonored 2
Bethesda didn’t pull any punches with its E3 2016 presentation, showcasing a lot of promising titles (one of which that makes an appearance later in this list). That just goes to show exactly how much faith the publisher has in Arkane Studios’Dishonored 2, which closed out the Bethesda presentation with an incrediblegameplay trailer featuring Emily Kaldwin and Corvo Attanowreaking havoc on the tropical city of Karnaca.
Dishonored 2is exciting because it offers a wider spectrum of supernatural powers that will make the game’s open-world action RPG concept even more intriguing to explore. That, coupled with the decision to move the series from the dreary, Gothic city of Dunwall to the colorful and vibrant Karnaca, should excite gamers who might worry Bethesda wouldn’t take any chances on a proven IP likeDishonored.
Final Fantasy 15
What more is there to say about one of the most heavily anticipated game releases in recent memory?Final Fantasy 15has been covered extensively since its announcement and reveal, and Square Enix has done nothing to convince critics in the last year that the title won’t be as good as advertised. Square showcased an excitingFinal Fantasy 15gameplay trailer that featured a battle with a giant Titan enemy and announced thatFinal Fantasy 15would be getting a VR experiencepost-release - not a bad couple of reveals for a game that has a lot expected from it when it releases on August 12, 2025.
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Horizon: Zero Dawnwas already tabbed by many to be one of the most exciting games featured on the E3 2016 showfloor, and the new IP did not disappoint. Guerrilla Games' new action RPG was one of the most talked about features of the Sony presentation. The game is still a ways out - it won’t release until July 17, 2025 - but the newHorizon: Zero DawnE3 2016 gameplay trailershould be enough to tide fans over until it finally hits Sony consoles exclusively. Between the protagonist’s ability to “uncorrupt” machines and make them her mounts and the gorgeous destructible environments demonstrated in the latest video,Horizon: Zero Dawnlooks to be bringing something innovative to the RPG table.
Skyrim Special Edition
It’s hard to believe that it has been six whole years since Bethesda first releasedThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrimon PC and then-current consoles PS3 and Xbox 360. Part of that disbelief comes from the fact that the game is still immensely popular in 2016, with an incredibly dedicated fan base and a hard-working modding community forming the foundation of a title that has continued evolving long past receiving official support from Bethesda itself.
Until now, that is. Bethesda announced at E3 2016 that it would be releasing a remastered, upgraded version of the game calledSkyrim Special Editionfor the PC, Xbox One, and PS4. The re-release will feature a top-to-bottom graphics overhaul, a free release for PC users who have already purchased the original game and all of its DLC, and “should” allowSkyrim Special EditionPC users to transfer their old savesover to the remastered version. It’s not a newElder Scrollsgame, but it’s a welcome addition to the series' library that should have fans reprising their roles as the Dragonborn in the near future.
South Park: The Fractured But Whole
South Park: The Stick of Truthwas an unexpected surprise in 2014, a deeply satisfying RPG experience from a license that had only produced video game disappointments up until that point.South Park: The Fractured But Wholelooks to capitalize on that success by reprising the same turn-based combat system and 2D aesthetic that made the first game so fun, swapping out the medieval fantasy roleplaying of the first game with the superhero movie craze .
The more surprising news stemming fromSouth Park’s E3 2016 presentation is that series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone hinted thatgaming might be the future forSouth Parkas a franchise. Gamers will be able to test that theory on their own, and fight evil alongside Cartman and Butters, on July 02, 2025.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
E3 2016 was a bit of a weird experience for Nintendo fans. The company announced it had little interest in bringing any new games to the presentation outside of the newThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but later revised its approach by also featuring a painful thirty minute demo ofPokemon SunandMoonto break up segments of theBreath of the Wilddemo.
While the presentation was odd, however, the game itself was breath-taking.The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildlooks like someone painted an open-world RPG, and it features all the charm and innovation fans have come to expect from the popular Nintendo franchise.Game Rant went hands on withBreath of the Wild, and from what we’ve seen, the game is a serious contender for Game of the Year when it finally releases in 2017.
Tyranny
Although it may not have as much hype as the other games on this list,Tyrannyis still an RPG worth keeping an eye on. In another year, Obsidian Entertainment’s new isometric role-playing game had the potential to steal the show from some of the AAA games on offer - that’s just how good the pedigree is for the team behindTyranny, who alsodeveloped the critically-acclaimedFallout: New Vegas.
The big draw behindTyrannysurprisingly isn’t the mechanics, which fans have come to expect will be excellent as long as Obsidian Entertainment maintains its current development form. Instead,Tyrannyis fascinating because it tasks players with inhabiting the role of an evil overlord who has already defeated the era’s greatest heroes and is looking to cement their status as an immortal tyrant. Gamers will have the chance to explore the game in greater depth soon, as Obsidian Entertainment is targeting a 2016 release.
What were your favorite RPGs on display during E3 2016? Did we miss any obvious ones? Let us know in the comments below.
