Role-playing games, or RPGs, have existed in many forms and are one of the most played type of video games today.

In 2016, many people anticipate the upcoming RPGs for the year, hoping for it to be a better year than the last.

RPGs have many characteristics, each one makes RPGs what RPGs are.

The most dynamic part of RPGs are the in depth story lines, extensive character development,and the ability to make a character unique to the player.

While other styles of games still have these things, these are what RPGs are most known for and why most, if not all, gamers play them.

“RPGs are my favorite video game genre, they are very expansive and fun,” Lucas Plumb, sophomore, said.“ They put a lot of time into their stories.”

The top five most anticipated RPG games this year according to IGN from least to most anticipated include, “Torment: Tides of Numenera,” “Darkest Dungeon,” “Final Fantasy XV,” “World of Final Fantasy” and finally “Kingdom Come: Deliverance.”

“I used to be a sole RPG player,” Will Henry, sophomore, said.

Popular RPG titles from last year include “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt,” “Fallout 4,” and the “Xenoblade Chronicles X,” all of which received top ratings from gaming companies such as IGN and Game Informer.

“My most anticipated RPG for this year is ‘Mount and Blade: Warband,’” Henry said.

RPG video games, first created in the mid 1970s, were inspired by the old classic “Dungeon and Dragons,” a pen and paper RPG.

Initially single player games made up virtually all of the RPGs, but after the 1990s, demand for multiplayer games such as “Diablo” and “World of Warcraft” grew.

“My favorite RPG is ‘Earthbound,’ the story is very intricate, but still has good gameplay,” Henry said.

Each one of these games has the own criteria that make them the most anticipated games for this year.

While some gamers prefer MMOs (Massive Multiplayer Online) or MOBAs (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena), all vary in their favorite types of video games, and sometimes the play time can build up.

“I play RPGs about 10 hours a week,” Henry said, “but overall I play around 35-ish hours a week, playing all kinds of video games.”

With all the time gamers invest in their games, some people form opinions about how these teens are using their time playing video games all the time.

One of the most contributing factors to these opinions are the gamer’s parents.

“I play almost too many hours of RPGs to keep track,” Plumb said.

The rise in graphics and processors in consoles and PCs has allowed for further detail into the RPG universe, more stories, more characters, more fun.