RPGs to look forward to

The classic RPG genre – where gamers take on the role of characters in a fictional setting, play out a storyline, and make decisions that affect the outcome of the game.

From a third Final Fantasy XIII to a brand new Dragon Age, these are the RPGs that are I cannot wait to play this year.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

For the first time in the Witcher Franchise, PlayStation owners will be able to experience the great story and immersive world. The Witcher follows the story of Geralt of Rivia, one of the last remaining Witchers.

A Witcher is a human that has been supernaturally enhanced and trained from a young age to give powers and mastery in different forms of combat, such as magic, alchemy, and sword fighting.

Developer CD Projekt have already shown some gameplay and the final conclusion of the Wither story is looking spectacular, with a multi-region open-world that is 300 times bigger than the previous game’s setting, to its fluid combat system.

The Witcher 3 will take over 100 hours to complete everything and promises to be one of the greatest RPG games ever created. The Witcher 3 will release in mid 2014 on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Dragon Age: Inquisition continues the plotlines established in the previous two games. Developed by Bioware using the Frostbite 3 engine (of Battlefield 4 fame) doesn’t only look absolutely stunning, but shows promise for BioWare in the coming years.

Bioware is planning on combining all that we have experienced in Dragon Age Origins and Dragon Age 2 into one game, with larger environments, previously featured races, and huge customization options.

The game is set in the realm of Thedas and said to have five times the map size than previous games. A civil war has broken out between the loyalists of the ruling Empress and another powerful faction; at the same time the Circle of Magi has gone rogue and the Templar Order is waging war on the mages.

Dragon Age: Inquisition will release late in 2014 for PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD reMIX

Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD remix is a collection of Kingdom Hearts games packed into one; it will contain 2 full featured Kingdom Hearts games remastered in HD – Kingdom Hearts 2, and Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep (a port from the PSP version of the game).

The game will also come with the HD cinematics from the Nintendo DS version, Kingdom Hearts Coded.

Now with Kingdom Hearts 3 announced will there be any secret trailers in this version? We all know Square Enix loves dropping bombs in their current games about their next.

Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD reMIX releases exclusively on PS3 in 2014.

Child of Light

Child Of Light takes place in the magical world of Lemuria. Aurora, the protagonist, is a sick girl whose soul is trapped and is then given the task of finding light sources and ultimately defeating the Black Queen.

As cheesy as it sounds, think about the beautiful visuals seen in Rayman’s UbiArt Framework games, platforming gameplay, a turn-based combat system, and a large skill tree. Let’s not forget that Aurora is equipped with an ass-kicking sword and earth-shattering magic.

Child Of Light will also feature co-op play in which one player is Aurora and the other is her glowing blue orb named Ingiculus. During a battle there is a timed gauge that will deplete; while it is in Aurora’s block she can attack, when it reaches the enemies’ block it’s their turn. Ingiculus can blind enemies, slowing the depletion of the gauge, allowing Aurora to attack for longer. Ingiculus can also collect health and mana orbs that appear around the battle and heal Aurora with them.

Co-op is not restricted to battle; as Aurora can only fly so far, Ingiculus can reach tough spots with hidden chests and equipment that boosts the player’s stats.

Child of Light will release on 30 April 2014 for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, and PC.

Dark Souls 2

Last gen consoles still have a few gems coming, including this extremely difficult, one-of-a-kind RPG. Dark Souls 2 is coming in March 2014, so prepare to die over and over again; and prepare to replace some broken keyboards and controllers at the same time.

Sequel to one of the toughest games of this era, Dark Souls 2 follows the story of a cursed character trying to find a cure for their agony. With a huge open world and extremely tough boss fights, hidden secrets, and a unique character customization system unmatched by other games, Dark Souls 2 will take over your life.

It’s releasing on March 14 for PS3, and XBox 360, with a PC release set for May. There’s still time to pre-order: Dark Souls 2: SA pre-order price roundup