While many MMO fans are currently crying into their pillows (metaphorically), friends of the RPG genre are delightfully looking back at one of the best role-playing years of all time – at least that’s what MeinMMO editor Karsten Scholz thinks.
At the beginning of 2025, I had quite a bit of hope that a good role-playing year awaited us. Since I really enjoyed the first Kingdom Come: Deliverance, I was very much looking forward to the sequel. The same went for Monster Hunter Worlds and the upcoming Wilds sequel.
It was also certain that at least one new role-playing game from the Obsidian creatives (the studio behind Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity, and The Outer Worlds) was on its way, as they never publish total failures. And my list of upcoming MMORPGs was long.
However, I had no idea how good the role-playing vintage of 2025 would actually turn out to be in the end. Thanks to positive surprise hits that came out of nowhere, and despite the ultimately very frustrating year for MMORPG fans. From my perspective, there are good arguments to suggest that one of the best RPG years of all time is already behind us.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is, for many RPG fans, the best game of the year – here is a trailer:
Game of the Year – which RPG should it be?
This year I had the opportunity to play and complete a lot of games again. And it speaks volumes that in my heart, ultimately, 3 very different role-playing games competed until the last minute for the title “My Personal Game of the Year.”
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was – I had already hinted at it – my anticipated favorite. The developers at Warhorse Studios delivered a great sequel, which, although not perfect, is immensely charming and entertaining in its own quirky way.
Accordingly, I was quite enthusiastic in my review in March. I spent nearly 100 enjoyable hours with Heinrich and company this year. And there’s an additional plus point, because I also really liked the story DLC about the forge. Over Christmas, I will definitely catch up on the trip to the monastery that the new story DLC offers. It brings back pleasant memories of the first Kingdom Come.
I had already suspected that I might also like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 based on the first trailers. However, I did not anticipate how incredibly good the French interpretation of a Japanese role-playing game in the style of Final Fantasy has ultimately become.
I simply love the turn-based combat with its real-time elements and a certain degree of Soulslike difficulty. Plus, the gorgeous visuals, the catchy soundtrack, the exciting setting, the nostalgic overworld, and the heart-wrenching story. This qualifies as “Game of the Year” material and one of the best role-playing games of the past decade.
Then, in November, Where Winds Meet was also released, which actually does everything to be disliked by Western players: mobile port. Free2Play model with countless battle passes, shop, and gacha system. A flood of currencies and resources plus an extremely convoluted, nested interface. A poor, quite likely AI-assisted localization.
However, behind this seemingly generic Free2Play game from Asia lies one of the most remarkable and exciting role-playing games of recent years.
Firstly, because it is actually too good and extensive in many gameplay aspects to be free. Secondly, because it has almost audaciously grand ambitions and wants to appeal to single-player, co-op enthusiasts and MMO fans alike, and in doing so offers a fresh perspective on the struggling MMORPG genre.
And thirdly, it impresses in detail with many unusual ideas, such as allowing you to bring your own dances as emotes into the game. All of this combined has led to the fact that I have already played through the launch version of Where Winds Meet twice – such a thing happens really only rarely.
I can only remember one other game year in which 3 role-playing games competed for the title “My Personal Game of the Year”: 2017. At that time, I was equally captivated by Divinity: Original Sin 2, Nier: Automata, and Persona 5. In the end, the sequel to Original Sin won the race. A few years later, I was therefore also very pleased that many strengths of the game made it into a certain Baldur’s Gate 3.
The Great Role-Playing Games from the Second Tier
However, the role-playing year 2025 is not only marked by a strong peak for me. The RPGs from the second tier, although not grand, but still very enjoyable, have also made a good impression in recent months.
Similar to Monster Hunter Worlds, I played the new Monster Hunter Wilds (in the review) at launch with great joy. The way small and large monsters behave within the ecosystem and during hunts continues to fascinate me, even if everything was certainly not perfect in Capcom’s blockbuster.
I was also pleased with two solid role-playing games from Obsidian: Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2. Experiencing the universe of the two “Pillars of Eternity” parts (which I also like very much) from the first-person perspective works better than I was fearing after the first trailers. Additionally, it is surprisingly fun to explore the world by running, jumping, and climbing.
I personally enjoy the humor of the “The Outer Worlds” series, the different ways to tackle the challenges of the RPG, the colorful crowd of companions, and the motivating character progression. Part 2 indeed delivered what I was expecting from the predecessor.
My personal highlights also include WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers, which as a Soulslike, in my opinion, even surpasses other gems like Lies of P or Lords of the Fallen. I especially enjoyed the world design. But I was also captivated by the battles, bosses, and presentation for many hours.
Furthermore, I unexpectedly had fun with the early access version of Titan Quest II, which gives off a wonderfully old-school vibe while also feeling like a sensible continuation of the action-RPG classic Titan Quest. Here, I am already looking forward to upcoming content updates.
The Forgotten Gems
Surely some of you may have a role-playing game that has not been mentioned still on the tip of your tongue. For instance, I only briefly played the remake of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. I lack the courage for The First Berzerker: Khazan, it’s supposed to be incredibly difficult.
The Nightreign spinoff to Elden Ring is also not for me; I prefer to wait for a proper “Souls” game from FromSoftware. And the various new MMORPGs of the year, I found outrageously bad to at best okay, but more on that here: Several new MMORPGs were released in 2025 – the ranking of shame reveals which game disappointed the most.
Since I am writing this article before the Game Awards, I will refrain from speculating about how many role-playing games might win awards by the end of the year. Likewise, there is no glimpse into the role-playing games of 2026.
Pretty sure you are now better informed about it than past Karsten. But I want to know from you how you rate the role-playing year 2025 and what your highlights were! What I can already give you is a preview of the most important online role-playing games in the coming months: MMORPGs 2026 – The 8 most promising online role-playing games that are set to be released next year
