Assassin’s Creed officially enters the genre with its deeper upgrade mechanics.  This has made for an interesting year of RPG’s.  However, there can only be one.  The remaining nominees are as follows:

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (PC, PS4, XO)

Monster Hunter World (PC, PS4, XO)

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom (PC, PS4)

Octopath Traveler (Switch)

Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales (PC, PS4)

The 2018 Best RPG Award Goes to

Octopath Traveler

Square Enix/Acquire/Nintendo

“The first thing players will notice is Octopath’s unique scenery and characters. 16-bit sprites roam around a 3D world, lit by modern lighting effects. The sun glints off the sea as the water rolls in the wind, the forests are shrouded in darkness, beams of light break through cave walls, and the snowy northern plains are obscured by frigid winds. This surreal mix of styles makes Octopath feel less like a retro-style game and more like an interactive pop-up book. Aside from the scenery, the pixel art is beautiful as well. Boss enemies in particular are heavily stylized and imposing, making simple story encounters seem much more impactful and dangerous. The music also adds to the fantastical style. The complex soundtrack is filled with titles that evoke emotion from every scene, further bringing you into the fictional world.” -Brian DK