In a year where everyone had more time on their hands than they expected, good RPGs that one could lose themselves in were a godsend. Fortunately, the year was full of great role playing experiences to check out, ranging from new offerings dipping their toes into the genre to triumphant returns to form by legacy franchises. Of them, these are the best RPG games of 2020.
Best RPGs of 2020
Honorable Mention: Hades
Reviews Editor Zhiqing Wan: While it is primarily a roguelite, Hades does feature some seriously robust RPG elements that will keep you coming back for just “one more run.” And before you know it, it’s 4 in the morning and you’re wondering where all your sleep time has gone.
Yes, you do lose all your progress and most of your items when you die in a run. But you also get to keep items that allow you to strengthen Zagreus for future runs, and that’s where the game really shines. Hades is generous with its permanent unlocks, from weapon aspects to new skill upgrades. And speaking of skills, there are so many skills to slowly level up.
You can help Zagreus restore some HP in between encounters, you can increase his chances of getting better boons, the list goes on.
And then there are the weapon aspects, which change up the way they work pretty drastically. You can upgrade the Shield of Aegis so that it hits more enemies with a single throw, or upgrade the spear so that you can rush towards it once you’ve thrown it across the room.
Outside of that, Hades also features a romance system where you can actively pursue NPCs and become romantically involved with them.
While there isn’t a traditional level up system like in most RPGs, there are still plenty of fun role-playing mechanics that help Hades stand out from the rest of the pack.
