Along with the next-gen consoles coming later this year comes the inclusion of the brand new games in our favorite genres. One of the most exciting genres I am looking at for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One is the RPG. More specifically The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and Lords of the Fallen. All three have managed to capture my attention and firmly hold it in their addicting grasp.

The RPG formula has stayed true to itself for so many years, level up, loot, gain new skills, and slay creatures in dark, dank environments. This new generation will hopefully retain some of what we love of the genre, but improve upon it as well, creating a whole new breed of role-playing game for fans to fall in love with all over again.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

I recently began playing The Witcher 2 all over again, partially to prepare myself for the upcoming third entry and partially because I just love the game. Well more than partially, I am addicted to the story of Geralt of Rivia. So when I saw the reveal of Wild Hunt and learned of all the new features coming I was ecstatic.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has been boasted to contain “a living open world larger than any other in modern RPG history.” This is a feature I can get behind. And with a big world comes more to do within it. 100 hours of gameplay for the main story and open-world quests sounds about right. I may not have 100 hours to spare but you can be sure I will attempt it.

I am a sucker for immersion in my RPG’s and The Witcher 3 looks to have it in spades. The various NPC characters will behave realistically as will the flora and fauna in the game. In-game events will also change how the world turns out around you.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is on my pre-order list as soon as it becomes available.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Originally titled Dragon Age 3, developer BioWare decided against this as they wanted to tell a whole new story unrelated to the previous two games. Anyone who has had the opportunity to fight their way through DA 1 or DA 2 will understand the excitement surrounding Inquisition. Multiple choices in gameplay, artfully written dialogue, and loveable characters create an interesting world that is a joy to be in.

Dragon Age: Inquisition will expand upon everything we loved previously. BioWare has fused elements of the previous games and combined them to create the ultimate experience to date. This time the player will have access to a more tactical combat feature and even more customization than before, which, face it, every gamer loves.

This time around the Inquisition will play a large part in the story, which once again is set in Thedas. While the majority of the game is still a mystery the one feature being discussed at BioWare that I am most excited for is a more open world. The developer took feedback from the second game and want to give the player more freedom.

Lords of the Fallen

OXM believes Lords of the Fallen to be a mix of Dark Souls and Borderlands, and I am inclined to agree with them. While I have not seen as much as the folks over at OXM, I have learned what I could about the game. And instead of keeping alive, Executive Producer Tomasz Gop, known for his work on The Witcher 2, encourages the player to die. “Death is how you learn in the game,” he said, “you are not punished for it.”

The difficult, tactical combat promised in Lords of the Fallen has me intrigued. I have not had the chance to get around to Dark Souls yet, but I love the concept of meticulously planning every move before pushing on. To know I will not be punished for making the wrong move is even better.

Lords of the Fallen will retain some old-school RPG features however, classes will be used. The player can switch between a Cleric, Rogue, or Warrior depending on their armor type. Each class will have special moves which require action points to utilize. All of this is familiar and yet not boringly so. Put all this together with a character that is both yours and has a fully fleshed out background to explore and you have a game that captures interest.

Lords of the Fallen is one to watch.

Next-gen looks to be bringing with it a whole lot of epic titles. Improved stories, characters, and gameplay will do nothing but push the genre forward. And I, for one, cannot wait to experience firsthand everything these role-playing games have to offer.