Stephen Tang

One of the highlights of any RPG is its leveling and skills system, especially if a title lets the player create their own, custom character. Different games take different approaches to this, with the more traditional titles taking inspiration from the TTRPGs of old by using classes. Others attempt more modern approaches, using skill point allocation or even usage improvement systems to allow people to play exactly what they want.

Despite the series insisting that the Great War was a global, thermonuclear event, the franchise has only visited several locations in the United States, even in its outing as an Amazon Prime Video series. It isn't as though other locations don't exist in a similar vein to the post-apocalyptic ruins of America, since there are characters from other countries, like Zao from With the mod in the news, it brings attention to other international locations which the post-nuclear survival series could take place in.

Soulsborne titles seem allergic to overt story telling, famously hiding thebackstories of the world and characters through item descriptions. Even with the legendary author, George R. R. Martin, writing the mythos of the world, many elements in remain just as mysterious as before the game was released. In general, the community has managed to piece together what events have happened and why, such as the battles of the Shattering, but it seems some characters will stay unexplained, though the upcoming DLC,, is one last chance at new insights.

is the best-selling title FromSoftware has ever developed, taking the soulsborne games into uncharted territory with its open world. Thanks to this, it is the most approachable of the titles, while managing to keep the famously crushing difficulty that soulslike games are known for. With a project as large as ,there are going to be some growing pains that prevent the game from being perfect. Sometimes, that can be too many reused assets, while other times it can be the balancing of certain enemies.

In a post-release patch, Larian Studios added Honour Mode to . Honour Mode makes enemies and bosses harder, while introducing harsher rules that work against the player, similar to Tactician Mode. The big difference in what makes Honour Mode such a difficult endeavor is that it only gives players a single save. If a party is wiped out, that's it, the campaign is officially over and a player will have to start again from the Nautiloid Ship in a new save.

has used 'fifth edition ever since it debuted back in 2015. With its simple, easy to understand mechanics, well-known reputation, and relatively fast gameplay for a tabletop game, it made it the perfect system for the streaming show, so much so that other shows, like have followed in the same vein. Still, with the constant controversy that Wizards of the Coast seems to find itself in, could look at leaving the system behind.

The success ofis what led to the ground-breaking development of. With a bigger budget and more time, Larian Studios took a big step forward in many ways with its latest title, using motion capture to improve animation and cinematic storytelling to make the game more immersive. Despite the vast improvements over its prior title, there are some things that the older game does better, and that is for a few reasons.

It is no secret that 's immense success has led to another boom in ' popularity. It uses the same basic rules, after all, being based on the tabletop RPG's fifth edition, known for being the simplest edition to date. Despite this, 5e was built for the tabletop, so Larian Studios chose to make changes to the rules in order for it to properly function as a CRPG title.

took the gaming industry by storm back in February 2024, quickly gaining a dedicated fanbase and community around the live-service title. Although it still boasts an impressive player base, a couple of months later, the numbers have begun to dwindle from the initial highs that it once enjoyed. This is to be expected with any title since the gaming industry moves on quickly, and games cannot be expected to hold onto unsustainable numbers, but there is something can do to stem the bleeding.

is one of gaming's recent triumphs, having won Game of the Year back in 2022. It presents players with a vast, densely packed world filled to the brim with harsh obstacles and dangerous enemies. Like any Soulsborne game, it is notoriously difficult, and it can be quite an arduous task to see everything that Fromsoftware has put into the Lands Between. It's all worth seeing, too, given that the legendary author, George R. R. Martin, had a hand in the game's world-building.

has aided in the recent resurgence of being its biggest live game stream. For some, the show is the reason they got into 's fifth edition, and it is the gold standard as to what 5e can be, yet Matt Mercer and the cast seem intent on distancing themselves from Wizards of the Coast. As of March 2024, 's very own fantasy tabletop RPG, has entered beta testing.

is Supergiant Games' first ever sequel, but that doesn't mean it is going to keep things the same. Zagreus, the lovable and sarcastic protagonist of the first ,has been replaced by his little sister, Melinoë, and the game no longer revolves around escaping Hades over and over again. Instead, it is about breaking into the Underworld, killing the Chronos, Titan of Time, so that Hades can be reclaimed from its usurper, and a recent technical test provided plenty of insight into the new protagonist.

is known for its many classes and spell casters. The warlock is unique in that its spell slots can regenerate with a short rest, but it comes with having far fewer spell slots compared to most other classes. All warlock spells are cast at their highest available spell slot as well, an additional difference to other classes, which plays on the idea of borrowed power via a pact.

is one of the best-selling games of all time, having sold over 300 million copies since its release in 2009. Because of its immense popularity, it has a couple of different versions on many different platforms, allowing it to reach millions. Having been released on all these platforms, one would expect it to be cross-platform, especially since the game has such low system requirements.

is known for its incredible supporting cast, so much so that many of the members of this cast have been nominated and won awards. The stands out are, of course, the companions, from the eccentric Astarion to the lovable Karlach, who have been universally praised. These party members were a big step up from Larian Studios' last title, thanks to more interactions and cinematic cutscenes, but that does not mean that all companions have been well executed.

Despite being released on Steam on April Fools' Day, the enemies of are no joke. Its monster roster is impressive for an indie horror title, with each feeling unique in its mechanics and design. Because of this, the many monsters of vary in both levels of danger and horror, with some being oddly cute and endearing while others stand proudly as nightmare fuel, able to keep even the bravest awake at night.

is an indie gem that has endured since 2016 thanks to a devoted fanbase and its dedicated solo developer. Its latest update, version 1.6, introduces a myriad of new features, notably the addition of new pets. As of patch 1.6, now features twelve adoptable pets, with new variations for the pre-existing cats and dogs as well as an entirely new pet: the turtle. Because of the new patch, a player can now buy every Pet License available, provided they have the cash to do so.

's much anticipated DLC, titled, has made its players wait for its release. 2022's Game of the Year was released two years ago, and in the time since, FromSoftware remained relatively quiet about its expansion until recently. Since the drop of the latest trailer for the DLC, it has many fans counting down the days until they are able to once again delve into the Lands Between, but is this something that the community will regret?

The wait for seems to be an unending one, given that came out eleven years (or two console generations) ago. Still, the wait may finally be over sometime in 2025, when the much-anticipated title is set to release, with Rockstar promising a game bigger than any it has ever done before. Until then, has enjoyed continued updates, keeping players tied over until 2025, yet that too is expected to receive a sequel.

is a huge game with a level of attention to detail that makes it the envy of many other RPGs. Still, this attention to detail does not mean that the game is faultless. Due to the sheer size of Larian Studio's masterpiece, glitches and bugs are inevitable, and the Belguim-based developer has continued to work on patch fixes ever since its latest CRPG hit stores in 2023. Some players have found that not all of these glitches are necessary ones that hamper the gaming experience. Sometimes, it's the opposite.

There seems to be secrets around every corner in Capcom's . It has a world packed so full of detail that there are many interactions that players will easily miss, which is a testament to the scale of the game. Still, missing out on content is never fun, and has a great deal of content to offer for those looking to search deeper past its surface and main quest.

In a gaming scene filled with hand-holding and guiding the player through every step of their journey, Capcom's does the opposite, asking the player to discover the game's many mechanics. Like other good open-world RPGs, there are many little details that make the world feel real and lived in, and these can be easily missed. Not only that, but Capcom's approach to combat has made it layered, giving the Arisen several approaches to their encounters.

Like other fantasy open-world RPGs, allows the player to have an abode of their own. Although there are multiple choices in Capcom's newest title for a player's home, spread across multiple locations, this home in the Common Quarter of Venworth, Vermund's capital, is technically free, at least for a period of time. Despite not costing in-game gold, it will cost time to do, being involved in a side quest associated with an NPC.

is filled to the brim with nefarious creatures and feral monsters that want the Tarnished dead, yet there are a few NPCs that one could consider an ally. Rogier is one such character, a Glintstone Sorcerer, who is first met on the way to Godrick the Grafted in Stormveil Castle. Should a player choose to interact with Rogier, they will learn that he is on a quest of his own, and the sorcerer will ask the Tarnished to retrieve The Black Knifeprint for him.

has been a smash hit since its release in February and Arrowhead Game Studios has done all it can to keep its bug- and bot-killing title thriving. This involves a myriad of tweaks, changes, and added content, making the live-service game feel like it's actually getting some decent service. Although there are a number of fixes that just involve removing highly specific bugs, there are many that change the player's experience drastically.

Like any good open-world RPG, features many collectible items for a player to add to their pack. Some are crafting materials, some are used to enhance equipment, while others are used to heal or recover stamina. There are items, however, that serve very little use outside of being sold to make a tidy profit. New equipment costs a lot of gold, after all, and an Arisen will need that gold to stake their claim to the throne.

Recently, Larian Studios announced that its 2023 GOTY winner, , will do a crossover with Poncle's. It is an odd and unexpected crossover, given that the two titles are vastly different, with being a CRPG while Poncle's indie darling is a roguelike shoot 'em up, although it does show that Larian is open to collaborating with different games. may not have been everyone's first choice, but it could be the start of many.

After escaping the excavation site of The Hole, the Arisen will meet Ulrika in the village of Melve. is home to many villages, yet Melve is unique in being the place where everything starts. Here is where the Arisen loses their heart to the Dragon after sacrificing themselves for Ulrika, and where The Warden nurses the player character's wounds. It is also where one receives this information through a flashback, informing them of how their status of becoming the Arisen came to be.

offers players the ability to defeat their enemies in a myriad of ways. Some can simply be talked into defeating themselves, while others can end up too close to a cliff, ready to be shoved into the depths of an insta-killing chasm. Whether it be through spell, sword or gravity, Larian Studio's game of the year winner proves that it is as creative as their players when it comes to its combat encounters.

has captivated the gaming community and its charming, if overzealous, attitude toward democracy has helped it become one of the biggest games of 2024. With its addictive gameplay, hilarious propaganda, and ability to not take itself too seriously, droves of players have joined the ranks of the. Developer Arrowhead Game Studios has continued to work on its prized title since release, promising more content to come.

It should be no surprise that, with all its details, houses many secrets. Larian Studios has filled their award-winning game with hundreds of pieces of armor, some requiring the felling of powerful bosses or monumental sums of gold to acquire. Much like many of these items are magical by nature and are well-sought after during a playthrough, but very few can be forged using a seemingly useless item.

Like many open world RPGs, is home to many collectibles, some more useful than others, which an Arisen and their company of Pawns can pick up as they adventure. These range from foods, to help recover health, to ingredients for crafting, like Noonbloom or Moonglow. Although most items have self-explanatory uses, the Golden Trove Beetle, despite its reasonable abundance throughout 's map, has a very specific utility and is definitely one to look out for.

The FPS genre is one of gaming's biggest and oldest. As a result, there have been many FPS titles throughout the decades, from the id Software giants, which started the genre back in the 90s, to the modern-day behemoths such as and Like with any genre in gaming, there are those that stand out above the others. In a market as saturated as the FPS genre, they have to or be lost to time as just another shooter with little to offer.

and its sequel have earned cult-like status in the community. It features many new and powerful additions to the Pokédex in its Unova region, additions which have made Gen 5 a generation many gamers still revisit. Like the other generations, numerous are capable of ludicrous feats of strength that require deeper digging into the game's lore to unveil.