The present

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Nintendo Switch, 2017)

This game was the big christmas hit for the Nintendo Switch in 2017. And what a hit it was - we rewarded the game a whopping 90%. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was the latest installation of the famous Xeno series.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is an action oriented RPG with lots of things to do, an intense storyline, a huge and fun to play DLC and so much more.

What makes this game really ageless is its great soundtrack, the spoken dialogue and the absolutely impressive anime style visuals. Some characters really look hand drawn and the cutscenes are just as nicely done as the rest of the game.

After the credits rolled, I thought to myself that I might never again play such a great RPG. And I still think that this game is amongst the ranks of the bst RPGs available.

Dragon's Dogma (Nintendo Switch, 2019)

This game by Capcom was originally released in 2014, but eventually re-released on the Nintendo Switch in 2019 as a deluxe package with all DLCs included.

This game, not unlike Dark Souls is a western style RPG by a japanese developer. It has a pretty realistic visual style and is just as mission oriented as other western RPGs. Yet it has some interesting aspects to the story. We liked it a lot.

The game has an interesting aspect where players can exchange party members, and party members that also fight in the world of another player gain experience and equipment there. It's an interesting feat but honestly, this is not an ageless feature - once the servers are shut down, there is no possibility anymore to utilize this feature.

Aside of that, the game has good visuals, a good soundtrack, action oriented gameplay, lots of things to discover and many possible playthroughs to experience. It's a game that's as playeble in 2019 as it was in 2014, and I doubt this will change in 2030.

Dark Souls 3 (Various consoles, 2015)

You died. No, seriously. You died. That's what you read the most when you're going to play Dark Souls 3. For the recommendations, I picked this installation because it is especially nice to look at and it really plays well.

The graphics are atmospheric, the soundtrack is incredible (you'd never guess it was the work of Motoi Sakuraba, at least in parts!) and gameplay is flawless. It's a hard game that's never unfair on the other hand if you realize how it has to be played and what strategies are the best ones.

This recommendation is somehow strange. Dark Souls will never appeal to a extremely broad audience but is rather a game for the pro gamers that do not feel frustrated easily and who like serious challenges. So I think the game itself will not age too much (it really looks great), but people who will try it in upcoming years will always be irritated.

Nevertheless, this Action RPG offers a lot. Gloomy scenery, hope, death and devastation spice up the atmosphere, the gameplay is smooth and great to control and if you can get into it, you'll find a really nice and friendly community that likes to help you. Or yell "GIT GUD" at you.

The only risk this game will face in the future is if the online services will be there for a long time. It's more fun to play it with a friend!

Fallout IV (Various consoles, 2015)

If I think about old rpg-o-mania, I think I'd never considered a "western" RPG like Fallout. But as the years passed by, I expanded the range of games I'm trying out, and after I made some good experiences with Dragon Age Inquisition, I thought I'd try out Fallout 4.

And to be honest, I don't know what part of this game could age badly. I personally like the story and how you can pursue it, the voice acting is superb - even your hero or heroine speaks all the dialogue, the graphics are incredible and the atmosphere is unique.

The game also offers a lot of variety for you. You can play it in first or third person view, the difficulty can be adjusted at any time and the VATS system allows for strategic combat even in the most stressful of times.

I chose this game over Skyrim (which I also liked), but I think Skyrim looks dated in the perspective that your hero only talks in written text instead of actual speech. I really recommend you that you try to feel your character and don't only succumb to the side stories but instead really try to think what your character would do. This really gives this game some atmosphere and great moments.

And I really like lockpicking in this game.

I am Setsuna (Various consoles, 2015)

A team was created just to make a RPG that's somehow like the old ones. This game, I am Setsuna is heavily inspired by Chrono Trigger. It also seems to a bit retro on the graphics side, since the visuals are very simple and don't really stress any of the consoles it was published on.

Yet, the graphics are nice enough to not look overly age. The sound quality is brilliant. The whole games's score consists of piano music, with subtle beat only added in some battle tracks. Gameplaywise, it's very classic and only adds some pieces of new elements to the Chrono Trigger gameplay.

I am Setsuna has an incredibly sad and melancholic feel to it. And it all plays in winter scenery, you won't see much grass or diversity here. For some people, this was a drawback, but this all-winter-game (which I played during a summer) is really special. And the developers managed to look so many scenes differently. It's fascinating.

This game is special and some people claim that it is a bit hard to get into, but it's really a funny and intense experience.