16. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

Will this Pillars of Eternity sequel top the previous game?

If one thing is clear, is that role-playing games in the Baldur’s Gate 2 mould have become popular again. Both Divinity: Original Sin and its sequel were smash hits, while 2015’s Pillars of Eternity was well-received by both fans and pundits alike. And RPG fans sure were ecstatic when developer Obsidian Entertainment announced the latter would be getting a sequel in 2018.

And Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire looks like it could be another epic role-playing experience like the original but in a new setting, the mysterious island region of Deadfire. Here you and your companions will be attempting to hunt down a rogue god, while you can also explore the vast archipelago aboard your ship and play pirate captain if you wish.

Another plus is that all in-game conversations will be voiced, so you won’t be stuck reading reams of text here. Factor in a clever combat system (which even lets you put bombs in enemies’ pockets), and there’s no doubt this could end up being one of the year’s most exciting RPGs.

Release date: May 8, 2018. Available on PC (also shipping on PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch later this year).