Video games are a great way to escape reality. One of the best genres that do this is role-playing games. Being able to be put into the shoes of a different person with their own unique background is an important element of storytelling. Role-playing games do just that, with the added fun of being able to control that character and their actions.
2019 was a solid year for video games, and role-playing games were no exception. There were some games that were potential best-of-the-year candidates, but with every great game that comes out, there are also a few that aren't as well-received.
10 Best: The Outer Worlds (85)
The Outer Worlds is an open-world action RPG from the developers of Fallout: New Vegas that brings elements of the classic game back to life. After landing on the solar system Halcyon, players are tasked with reviving members of their colony ship "Hope" by a mad scientist, Phineas Welles. Gather materials to successfully revive these members while recruiting other NPCs to help fight alien creatures they must deal with. The various stories of the characters and the exploration of Halcyon makes playing the game a worthwhile experience.
9 Worst: Hell Warders (48)
Online RPGs are fun, but they need to perform well. Hell Warders falls short on that. It is a multiplayer game where players must fight against hordes of demons. Players and their friends must work together to find weapons and build defenses against these forces. This four-player co-op game includes auto-matching for those who don't have a group to play with. Unfortunately, critics found the game to have too many technical issues and absurd difficulty spikes to consider it playable for long stretches of time.
8 Best: Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling (86)
One of the greatest RPG series out there is Paper Mario, specifically the first two installments. That was the inspiration for Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling, both with its gameplay and art-style.
The plot revolves around three characters: Vi the bee, Kabbu the beetle, and Leif the moth. These three friends are traveling the world of Bugaria in search of treasure and "eternal life." The game uses classic turn-based fight sequences to deal with enemies. Players can also manage their party's health points, teamwork points (for special attacks), and medal points (for perks).
7 Worst: Decay Of Logos (47)
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild was an incredible success, and many games have come out since then that remind people of the classic Nintendo game. One of these games was Decay Of Logos, an action-adventure RPG that stars a young adventurer whose village was destroyed by the Crimson Knights. As the young adventurer, players travel with a mystical elk around a world and battle foes in order to enact revenge. Although the game was praised for its ideas and story, its mechanics were too buggy for critics' tastes.
6 Best: Dragon Quest Builders 2 (86)
An RPG sandbox with friends sounds like a ton of fun. Dragon Quest Builders 2 is a sequel that adds four-player online co-op, underwater exploration, and gliding to the creative world. This game is much different than the JRPG Dragon Quest as it focuses on finding materials and creating things rather than a turn-based system. The plot involves a group called the Children of Hargon who are attempting to rid the world of all builders and creators. The player, who was captured by them, escapes and washes up on the Isle of Awakening where they begin to grow their building powers.
5 Worst: Paranoia: Happiness Is Mandatory (47)
A very different kind of role-playing game, Paranoia: Happiness is Mandatory is based on a classic tabletop RPG. Players lead a team of troubleshooters who are tasked with finding anyone that defies and betrays Friend Computer. This machine is controlling the Alpha Complex where citizens are living a "joyful" life. Players can customize their skill set to deal with handling the job. The game also uses real-time tactical combat. Critics felt like the game works better as a tabletop, with many fascinating ideas with the game falling short in this adaption.
4 Best: Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers (91)
One of the best RPG games released in 2019 was not quite a game, but an expansion pack. Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers is an addition to the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) set in the Eorzea region of Hydaelyn.
The expansion takes place on the First, one of the alternate dimensions that came from the Source. The player is brought to the light-filled world to bring back the night. Critics praised many elements of the game, from the visuals and music to the story and gameplay.
3 Worst: Eternity: The Last Unicorn (36)
There are plenty of 2019 games that look like they were made in the early 2000s. Some functioned well enough to overcome those concerns, but Eternity: The Last Unicorn didn't. This action RPG is based on Norse Mythology with classic elements of the genre. As Aurehen, players go on a quest to free the last remaining Unicorn in the world. The game features many different locations and plenty of different characters. However, the game came out looking as if it was still in early development and had too many bugs for critics to look past.
2 Best: Disco Elysium (91)
One of the best indie games of 2019 was a detective-based CRPG. Disco Elysium has players enter the game knowing nothing about the detective they are playing since he is struggling with amnesia. The game doesn't have any combat and relies entirely on skill checks and dialogue. The game has 24 skills that players can pick to upgrade throughout the game. The player has full control of the character's feelings and traits, allowing the player to find their own path towards solving the murder mystery that is presented to him.
1 Worst: Crimson Keep (30)
Crimson Keep is a first-person action RPG that puts the player into a labyrinth that is filled with deadly obstacles. Players are a banished citizen of Larkstead that is no longer standing as it was destroyed by a curse. The goal is for players to explore the labyrinth while also dealing with monsters. There is plenty to find, including treasure and the sunken remains of an ancient castle. Despite the fun concept, Crimson Keep frustrated players and critics alike due to the luck-based progression of the game. That, plus general mechanical issues, made this game one of the worst of 2019.