
This sequel makes the classic combat really shine and its gorgeous visuals, rewarding new jobs, and nifty card game are the icing on the cake.
#BRAVELY DEFAULT 2 EXPLORATION SERIES#
The series does a superb job of emulating what made many classic JRPGs special while offering its own spin on turn-based battles with its Brave / Default commands that allow you to save up turns and unleash them all in one go. Speaking of sequels to 3DS games, Bravely Default II continues the formula that was set by the original in a faithful way albeit with some fresh ideas of its own. Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin Review Award image → Good thing Leia's wearing a helmet Bravely Default II Traditional JRPG of the Year

With beautiful anime visuals and a top-notch sense of humour, you'll absolutely delight in watching the story unfold as you collect and raise monsties and take on your next big challenge. Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin Modern JRPG of the YearĪs a sequel to a 3DS game from a few years back, Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin isn't quite what mainline Monster Hunter players would expect as it throws the action RPG formula out of the window in favour of a turn-based battle system with plenty of rewarding mechanics that place a heavy emphasis on strategy and planning ahead.

The Riftbreaker Review Award image → No time to accept an award must make base stronger. Overall, The Riftbreaker makes colonizing a hostile alien world a blast. Of course, its satisfying twin-stick shooting and exploration mechanics are superb as well. The fact that its difficulty is cranked up to 11 as alien forces can wipe out your entire base in mere minutes if you're not careful makes it an incredibly intense real-time SRPG that was hard for me to put down. The Riftbreaker is a genre-blender that incorporates many genres and mechanics into one action-packed formula that'll have you frantically strategizing on the fly. Oh, and the combat is excellent! Phoenix Point: Behemoth Edition Review Award image → You don't often see this much verticality in SRPGs The Riftbreaker Real-time SRPG of the Year Guiding your team across the globe in the hopes of minimizing the effects of a mutant strain that turns humans into monsters will constantly compel you to make the right decisions for the betterment of mankind. With a premise that immediately ties into current events such as global warming and a pandemic, it can be quite an uncomfortable game to play yet that notion actually makes it even more engaging. Phoenix Point: Behemoth Edition is an SRPG that I ended up absolutely loving as it grew on me. Review Award image → It shouldn't be a miracle that this action RPG great won an award Phoenix Point: Behemoth Edition Turn-based SRPG of the Year I loved it back in 2010 and in 2021, it's still one of my favourites.

Throw in a mesmerizing soundtrack, quirky characters with splashes of humour, and a pitch-perfect somber atmosphere and you're left with a stand-out formula. Its deeply immersive setting, dire story, and jaw-dropping twists make it an astounding narrative-driven journey and on top of that, its gameplay is super-fun, too, with action-packed combat and enjoyable side content.
#BRAVELY DEFAULT 2 EXPLORATION UPGRADE#
Action RPG of the YearĪs a mere upgrade of an 11 year old game, it's incredible how NieR has held up over the years. This year, we're awarding the overall best RPG of the year for the very first time and hope to continue doing so every year from now on. Maciejewski for GOTY Awards on Decem🏆Ģ021 was bursting at the seams with incredible RPGs from every facet of the genre so here are the very best in 11 distinct categories.
