Best Switch RPG

Best 3DS RPG

Best PS4 RPG

Second Place

Third Place

I'll bet you never saw this coming. Persona 5 is a game RPGamers have been eagerly awaiting for nearly a decade. After innumerable delays, many people wondered whether it could possibly live up to the overwhelming hype. Atlus isn't one to let down the fans, not only meeting the hype but often surpassing it.

With an undeniably stylish visual design, another of Shoji Meguro's signature jazzy scores, and a great cast of characters in an intriguing story, Persona 5 delivered up all the key features that fans loved about the past two titles. Top that off with unexpectedly terrific level design, the reintroduction of shadow negotiation, and a slew of other quality-of-life improvements, and it's no surprise that Persona 5 is RPGamer's PS4 RPG of the Year.

I could gush about Horizon Zero Dawn to anyone and everyone given what a blast I had with it. Being a PS4 exclusive limits its audience, but that matters little as it is seriously just a wonderful experience. Not only is the world intriguing to explore, but seeing it filled with advanced technology blended with primitive methods of survival is just such a great concept. Aloy's journey is both dynamic and emotional, and uncovering the mystery surrounding her world and growing alongside her puts Horizon easily into place as the second-best PlayStation 4 title of 2017.

I've said it before and I will say it again: I'm still shocked this game exists. That in the year 2017 there would be a sequel to the under-appreciated action RPG, NieR, whose public perception was lost in a sea of bigger titles. It's not the most in-depth RPG in the world nor is it the tightest action game in the world. Graphically, it is neither the most prominent title of the year and clear budget restraints reveal the seams in a somewhat bland world. In spite of all of this, NieR: Automata is a special game in more ways than one, and the areas where it excels it does so with gusto. No game like this has as an ambitious a story told in a more interesting way. The music of the game is a delight for the ears on all fronts. There are also interesting ways in which the game plays with player expectation, creating a unique interactive experience. NieR: Automata exceeds not in the way it is similar to Yoko Taro's previous works, but in how it's different.

by Adriaan den Ouden, Sam Wachter, Zack Webster