BEST RPG
Previous Winner:
2018: Dragon Quest XI
One of the most contested categories here at oprainfall is Best RPG. This year we ended up with a field I wasn’t expecting to see, but these are all amazing titles nonetheless. Let’s see which RPGs of 2019 landed on the awards list this year.
Death End re;Quest
NA Release Date: February 19th, 2019
Platform(s): PlayStation 4, Steam
Review
Death end re;Quest is one of the most unique and interesting RPGs I’d seen in a long time. This very dark game comes from Idea Factory. They are best known for creating the Hyperdimension Neptunia series among many other lighthearted franchises, so it was interesting to see them go another direction. This really paid off for them. Not only did they create a fantastic and gripping tale, but the gameplay here was innovative as well. You switch between interactive visual novel events happening in the real world, and your standard RPG dungeon crawler. They flow seamlessly together. Add some great combat with a Glitch system that allows you to change the rules of the game and do damage with genre based mini games and you have one great RPG.
Trails of Cold Steel 3
NA Release Date: October 22nd, 2019
Platform(s): PS4
Review
Trails of Cold Steel 3 is the latest in Falcom’s epic Trails of Cold Steel saga released in 2019 as well. I’ve yet to dive into this series despite owning all of the previous entries on Steam, but just about everyone I know loves it. The game is still turn based but it puts a focus on speeding up battles and making transitions even better. This is a direct sequel to the first two titles, but the cast is a bit older now since some time has past. Most here on staff simply adore this series and cannot wait until NISA announces the localization of the next title.
Code Vein
NA Release Date: September 26th, 2019
Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One
Review
With its top notch story and character work Code Vein once again finds itself in our nominations. The fast paced combat where you can switch classes on the fly adds a lot of depth to this title as well. You can choose which skill you want to earn and upgrade to fit any play style. The fact paced combat and overall look of the game really made in standout among all the other RPG offerings this year. I am very excited to see what Namco Bandai does with this series going forward.
And this year’s best RPG is….
Death end re;Quest
I feel like we made an excellent choice here. Death end re;Quest is something fresh and the characters and story here were all very memorable. The combat system is something unique that brings something new to the table. The storytelling works great as you switch between real life and the game world. The sequel just launched in Japan, and I hope we hear word on a localization from Idea Factory International very soon.
