With more people staying home than ever, RPGs have captured the attention of millions of players around the world like never before. Players can dive deep into new worlds and fill the shoes of charismatic and powerful characters. With that said, 2021 has a lot in store for fans of the genre that may have flown under their radar.
There's a lot of potential with these games as the RPG genre has evolved in terms of what fans want for combat, exploration, and general storytelling. These games are certainly worth keeping an eye out for.
Updated October 17, 2021 by Mark Sammut: 2021 is quickly approaching its endpoint, and it has been a pretty good year for RPG fans. Diablo 2: Resurrected, New World, Tales of Arise, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, and Scarlet Nexus have been all relatively well-received, and those are just some of the bigger names to come out of the genre over the last few months. The indie scene has also produced a number of memorable titles, including Eastward, Kitaria Fables, Boyfriend Dungeon, and Unsighted. There are still some massive RPGs set to drop by the end of the year, along with a couple of titles that might have slipped through the cracks for a number of people. These upcoming RPGs should not be ignored.
8 Blue Reflection: Second Light
- Release Date: November 6, 2021
- Platforms: PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC
2017's Blue Reflection didn't set the world alight, but Gust's JRPG offered a welcome alternative to Persona 5. Blending social elements with magical girl themes, the original game had (and still has) gorgeous visuals, along with a competent turn-based battle system that was just a touch on the slow side.
Blue Reflection: Second Light looks set to revamp the combat, with the sequel's pre-marketing material stressing that real-time battles will be faster than the original game's. As it will be coming out during the same month as Shin Megami Tensei 5 and Pokemon Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl, Blue Reflection: Second Light is facing an uphill battle for exposure; however, JRPG fans should not ignore this one.
7 Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic
- Release Date: November 11, 2021
- Platform: Nintendo Switch
Overshadowed by the announcement of the remake, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic's impending Switch debut might have been missed by a number of people. Originally developed by BioWare, the Switch port will cost $14.99, a decent price point for a game with this much content. Although obviously dated by this point, KOTOR's brilliant story and unforgettable characters are timeless, more than making up for the gameplay not quite holding up all that well.
Fans of the original should get a nostalgia kick out of revisiting this classic on the Switch, while newcomers can look forward to one of the greatest RPGs of the 2000s.
6 Vesper: Ether Saga - Episode 1
- Release Date: November 30, 2021
- Platforms: PC
Born out of Kickstarter, Vesper: Ether Saga ambitiously blends elements from RPGs, card games, and strategy titles. Featuring a grid-based battle system, Vesper's charming visuals, diverse combat units, and seemingly enjoyable combat make this indie game one worth tracking to see how it is received at launch.
While consoles are not exactly lacking in games, they do not come close to the avalanche of PC titles released every month. Consequently, plenty of potentially great games are lost in the shuffle, as there is simply not enough time in the day to play even 10% of all PC releases.
5 Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX
- Release Date: December 9, 2021
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC
Monster Rancher didn't see much activity during the 2010s in the West, but Koei Tecmo looks set to rectify this with the release of Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX. As the name suggests, this compilation contains the first two games of the simulation RPG series. Although not billed as a remaster, quality of life improvements have been added to make the games easier to revisit in this day and age. The Monster Generating System has been also changed to center around a music database.
These games were a blast to play when they came out in the 1990s, so it will be interesting to see how well they have aged after all this time.
4 Record Of Lodoss War: Deedlit In Wonder Labyrinth
- Release Date: December 16, 2021
- Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC (Released on March 27, 2021)
After making its PC debut earlier this year, Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth will be making its way to consoles just in time for the Holiday season. Starting out as a fantasy novel series, Record of Lodoss War has been around since the late '80s and has ventured into anime, manga, and video games. For the latter, the series was especially prolific during the '90s, although non-Japanese players had to wait until 2000's Advent of Cardice to get an English port.
Although a bit too short, Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth's PC version garnered a solid reception. The RPG is also a Metroidvania, albeit a rather linear one.
3 Ruined King: A League of Legends Story
- Release Date: To Be Announced 2021
- Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch
Fans of the League of Legends universe and its lore will find a lot to love with Ruined King: A League of Legends Story. The title is a far cry from the normal lunacy of a standard 5-vs-5 PVP slobber knocker through Summoner's Rift. This League of Legends spin-off will be a single-player turn-based experience, promising to showcase much more of the captivating universe's lore.
Ruined King offers visuals from Joe Madureira, the comic mastermind behind the Darksiders series, and will take players through Bilgewater and the Shadow Isles. Familiar League of Legends Champions, Miss Fortune, Illaoi, Braum, Pyke, Ahri, and Yasuo, combine forces to battle through hordes of enemies and Viego himself to stop the mysterious Black Mist. The impending release looks like a blast and should drop later this year.
2 Darkest Dungeon 2
- Release Date: To Be Announced 2021
- Platform: PC
It isn't confirmed when exactly but this year, Darkest Dungeon 2 goes into early access and should be released later on in the year. The original is a cult hit released in 2015 that fans still play to this day. The game is known for being extremely difficult, killing the player's party left and right with no regard for their sanity. Things like stress, famine, and disease were antagonists just as much as the enemies in combat.
Darkest Dungeon also features a unique animation style that is getting an update in the sequel. The original game used drawn character models and animated limbs individually, which was reminiscent of a card game. In the trailer for the sequel, 3D models are used to represent the characters from the original game, be signaling an update in graphics and presentation.
1 4 Minutes To The Apocalypse
- Release Date: To Be Announced
- Platform: PC
In this action RPG, players will have to fight their way through the Arizona-12 submarine and stop the apocalypse. Not much else is known aside from the fact that the game will be released sometime this year.
The gameplay is centered on a first-person perspective, and the player picks up items found on the submarine to combat who or whatever is trying to take over the submarine and use its power to end the world. Hiding and stealth are also key elements, topping off the survival-thriller feel the game gives off.