Best RPG of 2018 - PSLS Game of the Year Awards 2018

RPG is beginning to become a nebulous term in gaming, with elements of the genre finding their way into multiple other genres. There are a few games that still embody the origins of the genre, and those are what we’re looking at for our Best RPG award this year. While it be a classic-styled JRPG adventure that takes the crown? Or can a Western series turned RPG manage to eke out a win? Here are the PlayStation LifeStyle nominations for Best RPG in 2018.

Best RPG 2018 Winner

Dragon Quest XI

Read our review.

Nearly every game is implementing RPG elements, but there aren’t a lot of games that can truly claim the genre. What makes an RPG? We felt like Dragon Quest XI perfectly embodied what an RPG is. Our own Lucas White explained why Dragon Quest XI deserved the Best RPG award this year.

“For such a long time, Dragon Quest has been that other JRPG series in the West, the one buried beneath the big budget bravado of Final Fantasy and the dark edges of Shin Megami Tensei. But after years of ports and spinoffs, Square Enix has pulled out all the stops to make the latest core entry a big deal, and it worked. Dragon Quest XI is an incredible game, with systems that combine old school tradition with modern convenience, storytelling that moves between the people on the ground and massive plot twists, and a world full of life thanks to Akira Toriyama’s art colliding with the Unreal Engine. This is not a RPG for those looking for innovation, but it is one for players seeking out a grand adventure, driven by characters with heart, and uh, tons of casino gambling.”

Reader’s Choice Winner

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

The Assassin’s Creed series has come a long way since the first game, and the latest game really leans into its RPG elements, enough that we felt it qualified as a full-blown RPG this year. In what was a pretty tight reader’s vote, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey ended up as your top pick for the best RPG this year.

Don’t miss our full lineup of nominees for the PlayStation LifeStyle Game of the Year awards. We’ll be revealing more winners all throughout the week, leading up to the Game of the Year on Friday December 21.