RPG Site has chosen their best games for 2022:

RPG Site Best of 2022 Awards - our picks for the best of the year

by RPG Site Staff on 02 January, 2023
2022 was quite a momentous year for RPGs, and video games in general. Starting early in January and February with Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Elden Ring, respectively, this year was hot out of the gate and never really let up. Square Enix alone published over a dozen games in 2022, and surprise RPG releases like Soul Hackers 2, Valkryie Elysium, and even Astlibra Revision meant that much of the RPG Site staff constantly had to shift and juggle different games throughout the course of the year to try to experience as many new titles as possible.

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Best Remaster or Re-release - Tactics Ogre Reborn
Best Writing - Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Best Art - Elden Ring
Best Music - Triangle Strategy
Best Design and Immersion - Astlibra Revision
Best Ongoing Support - Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
Best Non-RPG - AI: The Somnium Files - Nirvana Initative

Best of 2022: The Near Misses, aka the Runner-Up Five
Expeditions: Rome
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero
Pokemon Legends: Arceus
Triangle Strategy
Live A Live

Top Five RPGs of 2022
Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker
Astlibra Revision
Pentiment
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 
Elden Ring

Readers Choice - Your Top Ten RPGs of 2022
10. Star Ocean The Divine Force - 1.8% (Square Enix - PS5/PS4, XS/XB1, PC)

9. Pokemon Scarlet / Pokemon Violet -  2.0% (Nintendo - Switch)

8. Pokemon Legends: Arceus -  2.7% (Nintendo - Switch)

7. Tactics Ogre: Reborn - 3.1% (Square Enix - PS5/PS4, Switch, PC)

6. Triangle Strategy - 3.5% (Nintendo / Square Enix - Switch, PC)

5. The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero - 3.7% (NIS America - PS4, Switch, PC)

4. Live A Live - 6.7% (Nintendo - Switch)

3. Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker - 7.8% (Square Enix - PS5/PS4, PC)

2. Elden Ring - 17.1% (Bandai Namco - PS5/PS4, XS/XB1, PC)

1. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 - 38.2% (Nintendo - Switch)

Your Readers' Choice Most Anticipated 2023 RPGs

10.  Sea of Stars - 2.1% (Sabotage Studio)

9t.  Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key - 2.2% (Koei Tecmo)

9t.  Like a Dragon: Ishin! - 2.2% (Sega)

8.  Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake - 3.3% (Square Enix)

7t. Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes - 3.5% (505 Games)

7t.  Baldur's Gate 3 - 3.5% (Larian Studios)

6.  The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie - 4.9% (NIS America)

5.  Octopath Traveler II - 5.1% (Square Enix)

4.  Fire Emblem Engage - 7.2% (Nintendo)

3.  Final Fantasy VII Rebirth - 8.3% (Square Enix)

2.  The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - 13.2% (Nintendo)

1.  Final Fantasy XVI - 22.5% (Square Enix)

RPG Site has listed the RPG release dates of 2020:

The RPGs of 2020: Every RPG and their release dates

If you are looking for last year's RPG list, click here.

2019 had some big RPG releases in big franchises like Kingdom Hearts III and Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Here we list the upcoming RPGs we expect to see in 2020. Many have not been dated yet, but this listing will often be updated up to and through 2020.

Now - we know - defining what exactly is an 'RPG' is can be a little tricky. While some of the games below may not best be labeled as an 'RPG', we wanted to include games that have evident role-playing elements. We allow for a little bit of wiggle room.

Let us also note: our list only includes games with confirmed English versions set to release in 2020 and will be updated regularly throughout the year. Games that do not have confirmed English localizations or have not yet been announced with 2020 release plans will not be included.

Find the list below. Feel free to let us know in the comments if you see any omissions or mistakes!

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Bryan Vitale - Editor at RPG Site - made his personal top 10 game list for 2017:

Bryan Vitale's Top Ten Games of 2017

It goes without saying that 2017 was something of a momentous year for video games. Personally, the sheer number and quality of great video games released in the last twelve months managed to help reignite my love for the medium after finding myself playing less and less in the last few years as I’ve gotten older with more responsibilities outside of the gaming sphere. It’s my first full year contributing to RPG Site, and I’ve been so lucky to work with so many talented and passionate people and even got a chance to help cover my first E3 event. I don’t know what the future holds for my time here, but I figured that this year I might as well cap off the occasion by reflecting on some of the amazing titles that came out in 2017.

Most of the titles in my list fall at last partially underneath the wide and nebulous umbrella that comprises the often-contested RPG label. Before going straight into the list proper, I know that there were several additional titles that I am near certain would fall onto this list if I simply had the capability of playing everything. Persona 5 is a title that I can tell oozes with style and personality that I hope I can find time to play through its lengthy run-time in 2018. Horizon Zero Dawn is a gorgeous game that I can’t wait to help christen a 4K HDR display one day. NieR: Automata seems to incorporate everything special about the video game medium into the very core of its experience and it’s at the very top of the list for titles to get into early next year. Outside of RPGs, Super Mario Odyssey seems to be the non-linear style Mario title I’ve been waiting for since Sunshine and is another title I hope to find my way to soon.

[...]

10. Tales of Berseria
9. Torment: Tides of Numenera
8. Mass Effect Andromeda
7. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
6. Xenoblade Chronicles 2
5. Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire
4. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
3. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd
2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
1. Divinity: Original Sin II

[...]

RPG Site's Reader's Choice:

10.The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky 3rd - 2.2% (Nihon Falcom / XSEED - PS4, PC, Vita)
9.Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia - 2.3% (Nintendo - 3DS)
8.Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood - 2.7% (Square Enix / PS4, PC)
7.Horizon: Zero Dawn - 3.8% (Guerilla Games / Sony - PS4)
6.Yakuza 0 - 3.8% (Sega - PS4)
5.The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - 4.4% (Nintendo - Switch)
4.Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - 5% (Monolith Soft - Switch)
3.Divinity: Original Sin 2 - 5.4% (Larian Studios - PC)
2.NieR: Automata - 16.3% (Square Enix - PS4, PC)
1.Persona 5 - 36.9% (Atlus - PS4, PS3)

RPG Site announced their 2016 winners:

Part1:

Best Writing/Script/Localization: Tyranny

Runners-Up: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II, Project X Zone 2

Best Soundtrack/Score: Final Fantasy XV

Runners-Up: Dark Souls III, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE

Best Art/Visual Design: The Witcher 3: Blood & Wine

Runners-Up: Final Fantasy XV, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE

Biggest Surprise: Dragon Quest Builders exceeds expectations

Runners-Up: Romancing SaGa 2 finally getting localized, Wild Arms and Arc the Lad are back!

Best Tangential/Non-RPG: Hitman

Runners-Up: The Last Guardian, XCOM 2

One to Watch for 2017: Nintendo Switch

Runners-Up: Mass Effect: Andromeda, Nier Automata

Part 2:

Best RPG from an Independent Studio: Stardew Valley

Runners-Up: Darkest Dungeon, Steamworld Heist

Best Small Screen: Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse

Runners-Up: Pokemon Sun & Moon, Fire Emblem Fates (Conquest)

Best Big Screen: The Witcher 3: Blood & Wine

Runners-Up: Odin Sphere Leifthrasir, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II

Staff RPG of the Year: Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse

2nd Place: Stardew Valley, 

3rd Place: The Witcher 3: Blood & Wine

Reader's RPG of the Year: Final Fantasy XV

2nd Place: Trails of Cold Steel II,

3rd Place: Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse