Whether it was an updated take on a fan-favorite classic or the launch of an adventure nearly a decade in the making, role-playing games made up some of 2020's best games.
From Sci-fi urban dystopias to the wilds of an apocalyptic wasteland, there were plenty to choose from, but this was our pick for the best RPG of 2020:
Winner: Final Fantasy 7 Remake
For starters, Final Fantasy VII Remake has, hands-down, one of the best combat systems I've ever seen in an RPG. But more than being a kick-ass blend of button-mashing character action and a traditional turn-based battle system, it's a perfect representation of how Square approached FFVIIR. By taking a little of the old and blending it with 2020 sensibilities, Square managed to create an RPG that is equally accessible and easy to navigate while being deeply customizable and rewarding.
Upgrading your skills and weapons yields immediate and tangible results in the fun-as-hell battle system which in turn encourages you to dive back into your skill tree and learn new spells and attacks and to try different a different approach. It's a delightfully cyclical system that pays off with an incredible boss rush at the end that will test your mastery of each system and possibly piss you off – but in the best possible way.
For more, check out our full FF7 remake review here!
See Final Fantasy VII Remake on Amazon
Below are our other favorite RPGs of 2020.
Click through the gallery above or scroll down for the full list!
Cyberpunk 2077 (PC Version)
RPGs are all about choice, and the amount of choice in Cyberpunk 2077 makes our dang head spin. The console version, particularly on last-gen, is in rough shape (you can read our PS4/XB1 review here), but Cyberpunk's PC release offers one of the best RPG experiences of the year nonetheless. Its dialogue options are filled with decisions to make, some just for flavor and others that can fundamentally affect how the story around you and its characters can play out. Its levels are open maps full of paths to explore and secrets to find, enhancing the different aspects of your character as you naturally use them.
And speaking of character, the amount of variation in how you approach those levels is staggering in itself – even beyond the classic “go loud or go quiet” decision, do you want to use pistols or shotguns? If melee, then blunt weapons or swords? What hacks will help you best? Not a fan of hack? Get rid of em in favor of more damage why don’t you. The systems here are so expansive they are almost hard to keep track of, and giving each player a distinct flavor of their own V in both gameplay and story.
For more, check out our full Cyberpunk 2077 PC review here!
See Cyberpunk 2077 (PC Version) at GOG
Persona 5 Royal
Persona 5 Royal makes meaningful changes to the already amazing base that is Persona 5, not just in new content added but improvements to some of the original game's weakest aspects.
The definitive way to play P5, Royal makes Morgana's less of an annoying curfew keeper, makes the Mementos portion of the world more interesting to explore, makes some needed tweaks to aspects of combat, and generally smoothes out the experience in a host of little ways, on top of the substantive new addition to the campaign. Persona 5 was already working with some of the best turn-based JRPG combat around, but if you held off on playing, Royal is the best way to experience the style, memorable cast, and still memorable story of the original.
For more, check out our full Persona 5 Royal review here!
Wasteland 3
Blending a mix of old school top-down Fallout exploration with X-Com’s tactical turn-based shootouts, Wasteland 3 has become the perfect successor for patrolling the apocalyptic wastelands of America.
Its roleplaying mechanics allow for an immersive experience where every choice can play out in unexpected consequences, forming new unexpected alliances or dire retaliations when least expected. Even your character’s abilities are able to turn the tables both in conversations and in battle alike. Wasteland 3 is a game where each member of your party can have a story to tell, and your direct actions will have you remembered as a benevolent savior of Colorado, or the bloody hand of frontier justice.
For more, check out our full Wasteland 3 review here!
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Though it’s a solid role-playing game in and of itself, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is also a hilarious spoof of and loving homage to JRPGs as a genre. In a lot of ways, the Yakuza games have always been JRPGs masquerading as action-packed beat-’em-ups, but with this entry RGG Studios fully leaned into it. The combat is turn-based, there’s a party of heroes to manage, and the main protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, is an unabashed fan of the long-running Dragon Quest series.
Like many RPGs, Like a Dragon has a job system and summons, but instead of jobs like Black Mage or Mystic Knight, your party members take on more ordinary roles like Chef, Construction Worker, or Breakdancer. Rather than summon a magical beast or deity mid-battle, Kasuga whips out his phone and uses the “Poundmates” app to order a pounding for his enemies from a muscular friend - or, you know, a severe pinching by a school of crayfish, or an HP-restoring egg fired from the back end of a chicken. An epic boss fight that would be against a gigantic monster anywhere else is against… a regular dude trying to kill you with a backhoe. Like a Dragon is by no means grounded or realistic, but it makes the mundane fantastical in wonderful ways Plus, all silliness aside, it tells a great story packed with memorable characters, serious moments, and a ton of heart. Oh, and it’s a Yakuza game, so of course it has enough minigames to fill several Golden Saucers.
For more, check out our full Yakuza: LaD review here!
See Yakuza: Like a Dragon at Amazon
More Game of the Year Awards
There are plenty of other awards beyond just the best RPG! Check out all our platform, genre, and design award winners - and, of course, our picks for this year’s GotY - below!
IGN’s Game of the Year 2020
Best Games by Platform
Best Games by Genre
Game Development and Craft Awards
Be sure to check out all of our other Game of the Year award winners, as well as our picks for the best movies, TV shows, comics, and anime of 2020!
