RPGs have been hands-down one of the most popular genres for developers to explore since the inception of video games themselves. The trend shows no sign of slowing down any time soon, with highly-anticipated RPGs like Starfield and Forspoken slated to launch in 2023. Throughout the years, there have been many franchises that have shown great RPG promise, but with such an ever-changing gaming landscape many have been abandoned by developers for various reasons, like leaving to work on other projects or poor sales numbers.
Some beloved RPGs have even been revisited in the form of remakes and ports to give players a new chance to enjoy the game, like Persona 3 and 4 releasing the same day in early 2023. Some RPGs regardless of their cult followings or critical acclaim have simply been abandoned, however, with no indication that they’ll ever be revisited by developers. These deserted RPG franchises, either with multiple entries, or that were clearly set up to have more than one title in the series, are ones players miss the most.
Super Mario RPG Deserves A Revisit
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars may have inspired some future great RPGs from Nintendo like Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, but the original never got the love it deserved. It was the first Mario-led title to feature turn-based combat, drawing major inspiration from developer Square that Nintendo collaborated with on the project. Definitely the most underrated Mario game on SNES, Legend of the Seven Stars had definite potential that warranted future entries in the series, but was unfortunately never revisited, with other RPG series being pursued by the developer instead.
The Golden Sun Series Is Sorely Missed
Two of the three titles in the franchise, Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age were released in back-to-back years for the Game Boy Advance, followed by Golden Sun: Dark Dawn coming to the Nintendo DS almost a decade later. The series presented a unique RPG experience that combined combat, puzzle solving, and in-depth fantasy storytelling that made the games incredibly well-regarded, particularly the first two titles in the franchise. Although an early Super Smash Bros. Ultimate leaked photo showed Golden Sun‘s protagonist Isaac as a character, exciting many fans who missed the franchise, the Psynergy-wielding character has only come to the game as a spirit and not a fully-fledged fighter.
Abandonment Of Bully’s Sequel Is Deeply Disappointing
Rockstar’s Bully has become a cult classic over the years, presenting a style of RPG distinct from any other release from the developer. Although many compare the title to Grand Theft Auto on a school campus, the overall story and goals of the game are vastly different from the typical criminal endeavors of GTA, and there aren’t any deaths in Bully, as might be expected, given the school setting of the game.
Instead, players assume the role of Jimmy, who after being enrolled in boarding school Bullworth Academy sets off on a journey to infiltrate various cliques and bring peace to the school. One of the worst parts of the franchise being abandoned is that there were concrete plans from Rockstar for Bully 2 – that would’ve had a map three times the size of the original Bully; unfortunately, it was reportedly canceled so that focus could be entirely shifted to work on Grand Theft Auto VI.
Sid Meier’s Pirates! Remains Unmatched
This game is quite different, but contains more RPG elements than expected. Sid Meier’s Pirates! is incredibly open-ended, with players being able to make a large amount of choices that impact the game’s ending. For example, players begin the game with their family being taken away from them as debt collateral and can opt to track them down across the world to rescue them. There’s even an optional romance and marriage potential that the protagonist can pursue with a governor’s daughter, but they can also fail based on their performance of various tasks and their skill levels.
Out of all 26 games from Sid Meier, Pirates! stands out as one of the most fun and unique. The gameallows players to select which era they wish to sail into at the beginning of the gamechoose from a myriad of different life pursuits, from acting as a pirate or pirate hunter, to focusing on personal story, or simply completing contracts legally, engaging in both ship combat and duels in-game. Although there have been other open-ended pirate games like Sea of Thieves that have come close in some ways, no game has really scratched the specific itch of Sid Meier’s Pirates! since the remake of the 1987 original was released in 2004.
The Earthbound/Mother Series Will Never Be Revisited
Despite being a fan-favorite RPG for many, players will unfortunately never see another Earthbound/Mother game, as its creator Shigesato Itoi has stated many times to be done with the series. Western fans have only been able to get their hands on the first two entries in the series, with Mother 3 never being localized, and no plans for it to happen in the future, no matter how much players may want more of its unique brand of humor and lighthearted combat. Fans have at least gotten to enjoy playing as Ness in a myriad of Super Smash Bros. titles over the years, including Ultimate, a nice homage to the beloved, abandoned RPG series.
2023 is a big year for game sequels, with new RPG entries like the long-awaited Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel Tears of the Kingdom and the thought-dead Wolf Among Us 2 slated to release. At least in such a varied gaming landscape players have plenty of high-quality RPG options to choose from, even if they aren’t the titles they miss most.
