Open-world RPGs used to be relegated to the PC gaming space, but they started making their way to consoles with Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind’s original Xbox port, and became commonplace during the PS3 and Xbox 360 era. With this shift, the genre found a larger audience and influenced other games.
Now the genre is as strong as ever, with numerous titles on the horizon that gamers cannot wait to play. Some of the titles listed below have definitive release dates, while others still have question marks hanging over their heads. Given these games’ typical bloated runtimes, fans of the genre will certainly have plenty to play in the years to come.
10 Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
2004’s Vampire - The Masquerade is a cult classic. Development issues and problems with the engine caused it to release chock full of glitches and game-breaking bugs, but many mechanics were way ahead of their time. With the upcoming sequel, set to come out in 2020 on current and next-gen consoles, the developer is hoping to achieve a similar sense of a dynamic world, only infinitely more beautiful and in-depth.
9 Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
Assuming no delays come its way, Assassin’s Creed fans should be receiving yet another expansive title in their beloved franchise before the end of 2020.
This time taking place during the Viking Age, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla seeks to expand upon many innovations the last two titles introduced while also promising to deliver an authentic Viking experience. Vikings were not known for stealth, so it will be interesting to see how the game handles traditional assassinations.
8 Biomutant
Biomutant first revealed itself in 2017, though little information has been been let out since. Players control an anthropomorphic raccoon in a completely original open world. The combat seems to be faster than other games on the list, but players still make a variety of choices in the story which effect the world.
7 Breath Of The Wild 2
While the Legend of Zelda series does not have the same stat progression and character customization as the other games on this list, it still tasks players with collecting resources to improve their chances of survival out in the expansive world.
It differentiates itself from typical open-world fare by eschewing checklists and making the act of exploring and traversing the landscape joyful. Side quests are sparse and waypoints are even less frequent. Nintendo has released little information about the sequel, but all signs point to it retaining a similar atmosphere.
6 Starfield
Bethesda has tarnished its reputation with the highly-controversial multiplayer title, Fallout 76. Their next effort, Starfield, has a lot to prove if the company wants to restore good faith among fans. The studio is noted for their fantasy worlds and take on the Fallout series, so them venturing into space could be just the thing they need to revitalize interest.
5 Dying Light 2
Techland truly impressed with 2014’s Dying Light, and fans have been eager for a sequel for years. Chris Avellone, noted for his work on the Fallout franchise, is the head writer, making for a promising narrative, a serious improvement over the premiere title’s forgettable plot. Player choice is set to have a massive impact on the story and future missions, with numerous branching paths. This would be compelling enough on its own, but the return of cooperative play makes the upcoming title doubly interesting.
4 Yakuza: Like A Dragon
The seventh Yakuza game is already out in Japan, but has yet to make its way over to the West. The new starring character and a radical gameplay change to a turn-based RPG makes Yakuza: Like a Dragon a great entry point for newcomers.
As great as previous games are, the giant storyline spanning multiple games seems almost impenetrable to those who have not already dived into the franchise.
3 Wasteland 3
The amount of customization options in Wasteland is staggering , and the world is similarly expansive. Wasteland 2 marked one of the longest sequel gaps in the medium’s history, but thankfully fans won’t have to wait so long for the third entry. The original game is notoriously difficult, and the sequel did not make it much easier. Time will tell if the third entry is still relentlessly hard.
2 Elder Scrolls VI
After Starfield, Bethesda’s next project is going to be The Elder Scrolls VI, a follow-up to the legendary Skyrim. For two years, all fans have had is a tiny teaser from an E3 press conference, so the possibilities are endless for what updates will be made to the classic Elder Scrolls formula. Here’s hoping they release it with a little more polish than previous titles. Bethesda Softworks is an iconic studio, but they are similarly infamous for releasing games full of bugs.
1 Cyberpunk 2077
CD Projekt Red’s upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 looks absolutely stunning and is set to be a landmark gaming achievement if it lives up to its promises. The depth of customization and ways the world changes based on the characters’ choices is an RPG fan’s dream. Initially announced in 2012, those excited for the release will finally play it in September 2020, assuming the game isn’t hit by any more delays.
