Gotham Knights is an upcoming Batman game developed by WB Games Montréal, the same team behind Batman: Arkham Origins. The upcoming game will differentiate itself from Rocksteady Studios' critically acclaimed Arkham trilogy and Arkham Origins by transitioning from the action-adventure genre to the action RPG one. Gotham Knights will see players take the role of Nightwing, Red Hood, Robin, and Batgirl, who intend to continue Batman's legacy following the Caped Crusader's supposed death.
Unfortunately, players will need to be patient before getting their hands on Gotham Knights, as the game isn't set to release until 2022. Thankfully, the action-RPG genre has risen in prominence over the last couple of decades, so there are numerous excellent games available in the meantime to keep players occupied.
10 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Although the first two Witcher games were well received by fans and critics, there weren't many people who would have guessed that the series' third game would be as significant of a success as it was. Not only did the game have a booming performance sales-wise, but it has also become a cornerstone of the action-RPG genre along with games like Skyrim and Mass Effect 2.
The Witcher 3's main strength is its narrative. The game features a fantastic set of voice actors, who do an excellent job of conveying the well-written story, which players can heavily influence their choices.
9 Dark Souls
Much like The Witcher 3, FromSoftware's Dark Souls didn't have a ton of hype behind it prior to its release, though it has since become recognized as one of the most influential games to release from the last couple of decades.
The first Dark Souls game has one of the strongest first halves in all of gaming, with a mixture of memorable and well-crafted areas being meticulously intertwined with one another to create a compelling quest to obtain the Lordvessel.
8 Middle-Earth: Shadow of War
Middle-Earth: Shadow of War is similar to Gotham Knights in the sense that it takes the action-RPG genre and applies it to one of the world's largest entertainment franchises. Moreover, Shadow of War, much like Shadow of Mordor before it, answered the wishes of Lord of the Rings fans by providing an open-world set in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth.
The games differentiated themselves from other RPGs with the unique "Nemesis" system, a system that Warner Bros. has recently patented.
7 Cyberpunk 2077
There's no denying that Cyberpunk 2077's launch was a disaster, so much so that it's easy to forget just how hyped the game was years before it had even hit stores. However, the game is worth including on this list, as the crime-infested area that the game is set known as Night City, will likely have some similarities to Gotham Knights' setting of Gotham.
Cyberpunk 2077 still has numerous technical issues, though there have been multiple updates since its release with more planned for the future, to hopefully bring the game to the level that players originally expected.
6 Fallout: New Vegas
On the flipside to Cyberpunk 2077 is Fallout: New Vegas, which has a very different setting to what Gotham Knights is set to provide with its post-apocalyptic world. Although the setting may be vastly different, Obsidian Entertainment's New Vegas is certainly worth considering as it's considered by some to be the best example of how the action RPG genre should be done in the gaming industry.
Fallout: New Vegas may not be the best-looking game on this list, though its nails the concept of letting players feel as though they truly are living within the game and affecting the world around them.
5 Bloodborne
Bloodborne is the second FromSoftware game to appear on this list. The game has many similarities to the Dark Souls trilogy, such as the punishing difficulty, memorable boss fights, and lore-centric storytelling. However, the game differentiates itself with its combat that puts more emphasis on aggression and offensive, which will likely be more similar to what Gotham Knights provides.
Bloodborne prevents players from using shields like in Dark Souls and instead offers them a firearm, as well as tantalizing players to take the initiative by granting them health regeneration upon landing successful attacks.
4 Assassin's Creed Valhalla
The Assassin's Creed franchise has enjoyed a continuous rise in prominence since the original game hit stores in November 2007, to the point where it is now a cornerstone of the open-world genre. Moreover, the release of Assassin's Creed Origins saw the series take a change of direction from the action-adventure genre to the action-RPG one, with influences from CD Projekt Red's The Witcher 3 being clear to see.
Although the games aren't as layered or dense as some other RPGs, the recent Assassin's Creed games have found success with a more accessible style of role-playing gameplay that appeals to both casual and hardcore gamers.
3 Marvel's Avengers
Marvel's Avengers is on this list for similar reasons to Cyberpunk 2077. Although the game has had an underwhelming launch, there have been multiple improvements implemented in recent months with further changes planned to bring the product to the level that was initially expected.
Marvel's Avengers is an ideal game to play while waiting for Gotham Knights as it lets the player control their favorite Marvel heroes, while fans who get addicted to the game's reward systems will potentially have enough content to keep them busy until the upcoming DC game hits stores.
2 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Including Skyrim in this list is almost redundant at this point due to how successful the game has been. However, the latest Elder Scrolls game is worth including nonetheless, as it is still the benchmark for what all other action RPGs and open-world games should strive to be.
Sure, the game has its share of technical issues, though the dense game-world that is filled with quests to complete, NPCs to interacts with, and activities to indulge in makes Skyrim one of the most immersive open-world games of all time.
1 Mass Effect 2
The original Mass Effect blew critics away with its incredible interactivity that let players heavily influence both the overarching story and personal relationships between crewmates. The sequel, Mass Effect 2, took this concept a step further by offering players the chance to be a part of one of gaming's most memorable sci-fi adventures, where the personal relationships that players develop would have a far greater impact on the game's overarching story.
Along with the narrative improvements, Mass Effect 2 also greatly improved upon the combat from its predecessor, which was a common complaint about the first Mass Effect game.