Daily Grind: The Best RPGs Of 2016

8) Fire Emblem Fates

Fire Emblem: Awakening is a tough act to follow. That 2013 masterpiece single-handedly reversed the series’ fortunes, offering a lovable cast of characters, epic story and heavy revisions to the franchise’s strategy-RPG gameplay. Fire Emblem Fates‘ trio of games — Birthright, Conquest and Revelation — can’t help but feel like a lateral step by comparison.

And yet… when you’ve got a base as solid as Awakening‘s, that’s more than enough to push the proceedings over the top into “excellent” territory. What Fates does differently is offer three unique takes on the same world: Birthright and Conquest offer Fire Emblem newcomers and experts a robust campaign, respectively, while Revelation provides a more satisfying conclusion to the tragic tale spun in the other two entries.