Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Most anticipated RPGs of 2021

Rock, Paper, Shotgun is looking forward to these RPGs:

• Gamedec
• BioMutant
• Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord
• Elden Ring
• Yakuza 6: The Song Of Life
• Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
• The Witcher III: Wild Hunt (Next-Gen Edition)
• NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139…
• Disco Elysium: The Final Cut

and these indie games:

• Oddworld: Soulstorm
• Wytchwood
• Eastward
• Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion
• She Dreams Elsewhere
• SkateBird
• A Space For The Unbound
• Backbone
• Weird West

Thanks Redglyph!



More information.

Oof. So 2021 not a good year for RPGs, then.

May not come out in 2021
Action game
Already out
[only game on the list worthy of such a spot]
Been out forever
Been out forever
Been out forever
Been out forever
Already out [though I am going to replay with the extra content]

That mentions 5 remastered games that everyone who cares played a hundred times already plus a couple games that were already released, and nothing of Pathfinder, Baldur's Gate 3, Black Geyser or Colony Ship, amongst other gems that are coming out this year. And for a moment I thought "they didn't mention BG3 because it's not guaranteed to release this year" but they still mentioned games that are not guaranteed to release this year anyway.

That site is a true joke if I ever saw one.

Remasters and remakes should never be apart of such lists. Also how can one be anticipating early access games when they have already had a release of sorts. New content sure but its still more of the same mostly.

Originally Posted by Silver
Remasters and remakes should never be apart of such lists. Also how can one be anticipating early access games when they have already had a release of sorts. New content sure but its still more of the same mostly.

Early Access games are not for everyone, the sensible thing to do is waiting for the actual release (and even after). So it should still be anticipated, even by those who play the EA and are eager to see the whole content, there's usually a big difference. But the idea of Early Access should not exist.

The most anticipated of RPGWatch also counted BG3, Pathfinder: WotR, Solasta, Encased, all of which are EA.

As for the remakes, it's tricky, I see 3 of them (maybe I'm missing other ones?): Mass Effect, System Shock and TW3. System Shock is a remake of a 1994 game, I'd say it earned the right to be anticipated this time, the new version is completely revamped and many players haven't known the original game. Mass Effect… yeah. I, for one, will probably take it because I haven't had played the 2nd and 3rd episodes, and I'm pretty much anticipating it, maybe I'm among a minority there. TW3, I agree it makes little sense, it's a port. Although people unfortunate enough to have a console may only discover it for the first time.

EDIT: ah, missed Disco Elysium, that shouldn't be there either, or seen as a DLC with voice and added content but that's a stretch. It had a lot of success though (perhaps overdone).

The most anticipated of RPGWatch also counted System Shock.

I missed Gamedec earlier in the news, happy to discover that one!

I'm ok with early accesses being in the most anticipated list but then there is the issue of whether any of them will release within this year.

Similarly, I'm ok with remaster that are more than just graphical uplift being included in the list (although it also depends on how much of "new" contents are being added)

However, I don't think the whole list should consist of just EAs and remasters for the reasons I've stated above. But I guess with EAs becoming more common, the whole of anticipated list may well be all EA games in future.

I like to discover new games from most anticipated lists. Early Access games are usually in development for quite some time and end up in multiple lists over the space of years. I guess I find it a little lazy and reductionist to always hear the same games mentioned. Perhaps most anticipated now means best early access games as purpleblob has suggested.

In an earlier era most anticipated games meant games you heard very little about until release. Eh, times change I guess.

Originally Posted by Silver
I like to discover new games from most anticipated lists.

Yeah I agree - its been a while since I found something new from the most anticipated list with so many early accesses and remasters now days. It's a shame but that's where the industry is heading I guess.

Originally Posted by Nereida
That mentions 5 remastered games that everyone who cares played a hundred times already plus a couple games that were already released, and nothing of Pathfinder, Baldur's Gate 3, Black Geyser or Colony Ship, amongst other gems that are coming out this year. And for a moment I thought "they didn't mention BG3 because it's not guaranteed to release this year" but they still mentioned games that are not guaranteed to release this year anyway.

That site is a true joke if I ever saw one.

I was thinking this year looked rather disappointing, but then I realized that they had inexplicably missed those four games. I am only particularly interested in one of them, but they'd all make for a better list than a bunch of re-releases and an action game.

I'm in the camp that says early access games haven't actually released, though I'm biased as I never play them until after 1.0 hits.

I used to love RPS to bits…

I don't buy early access games. Too many are abandoned, so I wait for the full release. You can argue if they belong on those official most wanted list, but some of theme are on my personal list. The Waylanders for example.
That said, I agree about the remakes or remasters, except if it's a game from the last century. But that's just where I draw the line.

But, yes, there aren't enough classic RPGs on this list. If we add early access games approaching their final version, which this list does, then my games would be:

-Encased (leaving early access this year according to the developers)
-The Waylanders (hopefully also leving early access)
-Within the Cosmos
-Exodus Rising
-Black Geyser
-Broken Roads
-Chained Echoes
-Dark Envoy
-Edge of Eternity (finally?)
-She Dreams Elsewhere

I'm afraid that some of these might be released as early access this year and have their full release in 2022 or even 2023, though the developers haven't communicated that yet.

There's a ton of anticipated RPGs for 2021 but they somehow missed most of them. Swing and miss there Shotgun.

Originally Posted by Silver
In an earlier era most anticipated games meant games you heard very little about until release. Eh, times change I guess.

Huh? How do you anticipate a game you haven't even heard of yet? I think the most anticipated stuff should be the RPGs people are most eager to buy. If that's a remake/remaster then so be it.

Early Access makes a mess of the concept, though. Those things are half buying the game and half pre-order. You've got games like Factorio which are in a very playable state for months before getting out of EA but you've also got Larian out there just releasing the first fifth (?) of the game to EA, which is really more of an extended demo.

Originally Posted by Zloth
Huh? How do you anticipate a game you haven't even heard of yet? I think the most anticipated stuff should be the RPGs people are most eager to buy. If that's a remake/remaster then so be it.

Early Access makes a mess of the concept, though. Those things are half buying the game and half pre-order. You've got games like Factorio which are in a very playable state for months before getting out of EA but you've also got Larian out there just releasing the first fifth (?) of the game to EA, which is really more of an extended demo.

I didn't say no-one had heard of them. I got impressions for upcoming games from gaming magazines pre-internet. You got a little writeup or maybe a preview with some fuzzy scanned pictures and that was it for months.

Oh, that IS times changing. Magazines hearing about an RPG before the Watch clues me in on it? Unthinkable!

I swear everyone talks past the point and then pretends its not there when convenient. Oh well.

Originally Posted by JFarrell71
Oof. So 2021 not a good year for RPGs, then.

May not come out in 2021
Action game
Already out
(…)

You refer to M&B as already out? It's just in early access. While it's very playable already, there are still many missing features. To me, it's fair to have it on this list (unlike, mass effect…)

Originally Posted by Nereida
That mentions 5 remastered games that everyone who cares played a hundred times already plus a couple games that were already released, and nothing of Pathfinder, Baldur's Gate 3, Black Geyser or Colony Ship, amongst other gems that are coming out this year. And for a moment I thought "they didn't mention BG3 because it's not guaranteed to release this year" but they still mentioned games that are not guaranteed to release this year anyway.

That site is a true joke if I ever saw one.

Colony Ship won't be out until 2022 per Steam.

I agree with Silver and Purpleblob (and I'm sure that others meant that too) that the expected games should have a major part of new titles, I'm just saying EAs have a strange place in this, and remakes should be considered case by case.

I'm always puzzled why there are so many remakes. I understand nostalgic fans who try to revive a past experience, even if I think they should use the energy to produce an evolution (Black Mesa is a good example) or something entirely new, rather than a copy. There are Beamdog's EE of iconic games that I can't even characterize, I'd say it's good but just apart.

But more recent games remade by the same companies like Metro or Mass Effect, it's different, it's just trying to rake in more money at a reduced risk.

I don't know how they vote at RPS, and honestly I wasn't even looking at the remakes, I just found interesting to see the other titles. I suppose it was another bad idea.

The comment section on RPS is pretty similar to the one here. They've even dared starting the what-defines-an RPG-discussion…

Personally I'm looking forward to the update of Disco Elysium and to see how Biomutant turns out. I haven't read much about Gamedec, but I guess I should.