If a key reason why we play video games is to escape reality, then the RPGs are the quintessential genre. Will you be evil, benevolent, or coldly apathetic to the characters around you? Will you achieve your goals through manipulation, cunning, or violence? Are you a patient sniper, or a hammer-wielding madman? The fact these are your decisions to make is a powerful feeling, and makes everything so damn addictive. Whether RPGs take us to medieval fantasy continents or dystopian future societies, they let us explore their deep, complex worlds as much or as little as we like. They present us with tons of lore that encourages us to go deeper and deeper into their rabbit-holes. These facets make RPGs the best time sinks in all of gaming, as they cause your personality to fuse with your avatar. Eventually, the two of you become virtually inseparable, and before you know it, you're wondering whether the world in which you're living is any more real than the snowy peaks of Skyrim. RPGs are deliciously addictive, but allowing yourself to be seduced by them is part of the fun. If you're prepared to give thousands of hours of your life, then check out these top games in the genre that'll grace the industry in 2016.
Gamer, Researcher of strange things.
I'm a writer-editor hybrid whose writings on video games, technology and movies can be found across the internet. I've even ventured into the realm of current affairs on occasion but, unable to face reality, have retreated into expatiating on things on screens instead.
