In the wake of Baldur’s Gate 3, 2024 will be a banner year for RPGs

New year, new worlds

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Baldur’s Gate 3’ssuccess and influence have managed to shape the expectations of role-playing game fans as we move into 2024. After our collective love affair with Larian Studios’ immersive, deep, and rewarding fantasy role-playing game (RPG), you might find yourself wondering what, if anything, could possibly hold a candle to such agenre-defining work.

Larian Studios’ CEO and founder Swen Vincke offered an answer to this question back in July of last year: “Somebody else will come up with something new and cool. Standards change so rapidly that there are no standards.” (via NME)

Vincke’s remarks hint at the breadth offered by the RPG genre.Award ceremoniesand best-of lists can, at times, encourage us to see the games industry as a race, where a podium finish is the be-all and end-all. In reality, games are better seen as a library. No new hotness can ever take away from whatBaldur’s Gate 3has achieved, but, in the same way,Baldur’s Gate 3’s success doesn’t detract from the achievements of other RPGs. It’s not a zero-sum game.

Fortunately, it looks as though 2024 will have plenty of titles that will enrich those libraries of ours. Obsidian Entertainment’s intriguing fantasy projectAvowed,the cinematic joy ofFinal Fantasy7 Rebirth,and the bizarre yet compellingMetaphor: ReFantazioare all set to infuse 2024 with some of that “new and cool” energy that Vincke was talking about last year. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at theseupcoming games.

Avowed

Coming toXbox Series X|S and PC sometime this year,Avowedis a first-person RPG from Obsidian Entertainment. An ambitious fantasy epic set in thePillars of Eternityuniverse,Avowedpromises a sprawling open world reminiscent ofThe Elder Scrollsseries. However, there’s more toAvowedthan meets the eye.

Obsidian has an impressive track record when it comes to the genre, responsible as it is for cult classic sci-fi RPGsFallout: New VegasandThe Outer Worlds, as well as the aforementionedPillars of Eternityseries of fantasy RPGs.

WhileFallout: New Vegasdirectly followed in the tradition of open-world Bethesda Softworks RPGs as a successor of sorts toFallout 3,thePillars of Eternitygames were developed in the tradition of theBaldur’s Gateseries, with an isometric perspective, branching storyline, and strong supporting characters.

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Obsidian is in a unique position with Avowed

The studio also brought us historical puzzle adventure gamePentimentin 2022, which stood as an example of how muchcreative freedom Obsidian has been affordedsince being acquired byMicrosoft. It says a lot when, in an age of AAA blockbusters, your studio is trusted by a massive publisher to craft a point-and-click adventure about the church’s role in late-modern Bavaria.

Obsidian is in a unique position withAvowed. Not only does the studio have a rich tradition of narrative design upon which to build, but it also has access to substantial resources courtesy of Microsoft. WithAvowed, Obsidian can potentially create something new and refreshing that combines the player agency found inPillarswith the immersion offered by the likes ofNew Vegas.

Metaphor: ReFantazio

In development by newly-formed Atlus subsidiary Studio Zero,Metaphor: ReFantaziois far more than just word salad. The high-drama fantasy RPG is being directed by Katsura Hashino, who also directedPersona 3, 4and5.ThePersonaseries is renowned for its skillful blend ofreal-world drama and dark fantasy elements, usually having you play as a mild-mannered teenager by day who fights supernatural forces by night.

This duality is key to the success of thePersonagames, butMetaphorintends to push the boat out even further by taking place in a new and unexplored fantasy world. However, the strong thematic basis behind thePersonaseries has not been forgotten.

From the announcement trailer alone, it’s clear that Studio Zero wants to draw parallels between the fantastical world ofMetaphorand our own reality in a way that seems bolder than what we’re used to inPersona. By doubling down on the symbolic and philosophical elements for which Atlus games are known (particularly theShin Megami Tenseiseries), the studio is playing to its strengths while simultaneously stepping out of its comfort zone by using a pseudo-medieval setting as a vehicle to tell its story. It’s a brave move and may takeMetaphorto some interesting new places.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthis the high-budget, high-drama follow-up toFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeand will stand as the second part of the remake series’ planned trilogy. Published in 1997, the originalFinal Fantasy 7received similar acclaim toBaldur’s Gate 3, with critics and fans discussing both games in comparable terms.

Here at TechRadar Gaming, we praisedBaldur’s Gate 3’s cinematic graphics anddeep, motion-capture-enhanced performances. Back in 1997, critics praised the “cinematic wonder” ofFinal Fantasy 7,too, in awe of “graphics [that] are light years beyond anything ever seen on the PlayStation.” (via IGN)

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth wears its innovations on its sleeve

It’s in this context thatFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthstrives not just to be a remake, but a reinvention. As with 2020’sRemake, the game looks to depart from the original in so many ways, opting for an action-oriented combat system and even making fundamental changes to the plot. In myhands-on with a preview build of the game, I was struck by the confidence with whichRebirthwears its innovations on its sleeve. It luxuriates in its photorealistic modern graphics and real-time combat, never apologizing for its departures from the 1997 original.

In this way,Rebirthshows that even stone-cold classics likeFinal Fantasy 7aren’t beyond being iterated and improved upon. This is exactly what Vincke was talking about in saying “there are no standards.” RPGs are always in motion, growing, evolving, and transforming as new ideas are brought forward to iterate on what’s come before. The RPGs of 2024 aren’t held back by previous triumphs, instead, they’re free to stand on the shoulders of giants.

In the meantime, our lists of thebest RPGsandbest single-player gameshave plenty to offer if you’re looking for new adventures.

An editor and freelance journalist, Cat Bussell has been writing about video games for more than four years and, frankly, she’s developed a taste for it. As seen on TechRadar, Technopedia, The Gamer, Wargamer, and SUPERJUMP, Cat’s reviews, features, and guides are lovingly curated for your reading pleasure.

A Cambridge graduate, recovering bartender, and Cloud Strife enjoyer, Cat’s foremost mission is to bring you the best coverage she can, whether that’s through helpful guides, even-handed reviews, or thought-provoking features. She’s interviewed indie darlings, triple-A greats, and legendary voice actors, all to help you get closer to the action. When she’s not writing, Cat can be found sticking her neck into a fresh RPG or running yet another Dungeons & Dragons game.

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