The D20 Beat: 2018’s RPGs — my critical hits and made saving throws

When I think about 2018’s role-playing games, I don’t see lots of bombast and flash. Blockbuster studios often stayed away. Square Enix’s main offerings this year weren’t triple-A releases. You didn’t see anything from BioWare, and Bethesda’s Fallout 76 sure doesn’t feel like an RPG to me.

Instead, we got smaller (in graphical flash, motion capture, and other blockbuster bullet list items), tighter games. I’d argue that these were more intimate tales. We got a new Dragon Quest, a new Pillars of Eternity, and a new Bard’s Tale. Pathfinder got its first proper turn-based PC RPG, and Monster Hunter: World gave us that triple-A flash. Pokémon made its Switch debut in a smaller, even cuter package.