Mass Effect 2 -
I love sci-fi and this is pretty much the peak of that genre for me. The gunplay was simple but the powers and power combos felt great. This is the best cast of characters that you could ask for in an RPG. The main plotline took a backseat to the individual characters but I am absolutely fine with that when you're talking about characters like Garrus, Tali, Mordin, Legion, Thane, etc. The payoff at the end was incredible too. Having the ending change depending on how much you prepared and how well you know your crew was just awesome. Choosing the right party members for the right roles because you got to know them over the course of the game... so good. And the music... fuuuuuck, the music!
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion -
I spent an entire summer playing this game and it was amazing. I enjoyed Skyrim as well but I'll always love Oblivion more. The guilds felt like actual guilds. The towns felt like actual towns. The music and the atmosphere are some of the best in gaming. It was so easy to get lost in the world of Oblivion. Yeah, the game has some big flaws. The leveling system is completely unintuitive, the level scaling is way too aggressive, and there are far too many oblivion gates... but I don't care. Oblivion is still incredible and I wish that we could get a remaster of this game instead of Skyrim for the hundredth time.
Persona 5: Royal -
I used to hate turn-based games growing up. I don't know why, I guess I thought they were boring. Persona 4 opened my eyes to turn-based games a few months before Persona 5 came out. I really enjoyed Persona 4 but Persona 5 improved upon everything that I loved about 4 while also fixing most of the things that I didn't like. Persona 5 is the most stylish game ever made. The presentation cannot be praised enough. The UI, the music, the animations... but more importantly, I love these characters and I love living in this world. That's all I really need from my RPGs. Royal only improved upon the fantastic original.
The Witcher 3 -
The Witcher 3 is a fantastic game. The story and the characters are excellent. The world is a joy to explore. And contrary to popular opinion, I guess, I enjoyed the combat quite a lot. The animations and the general flow of the combat can take a minute to get used to but once you do, it feels great. I love that you can study the monster that you are hunting and doing so will allow you to prepare the proper equipment, potions, signs, etc. It feels great taking down a beast when you made it easier on yourself by actually trying to understand your prey's weaknesses. The game started out pretty rough but things like movement, inventory management, etc. have all been improved upon immensely over time.
Dragon Age: Inquisition -
Probably not a popular pick but I love Inquisition. I adore Origins and I enjoyed 2 despite the obvious shortcomings but Inquisition is my favorite. I love the cast and I was emotionally invested in the story on so many levels. For my first playthrough, I was playing as a female elven Inquisitor and I romanced Solas. It was such an emotional rollercoaster. Trespasser hit me in a way that few games ever do. It's up there with games like Journey and Life Is Strange, which had me thinking about them for weeks and months after I had already finished them. The combat system may not have had as much depth as Origins but I still enjoyed the hell out of it. Upgrading your hub, crafting new gear, and exploring those beautiful environments was a joy for me. Yeah, some of the environments were way bigger than they needed to be but I loved the game so much that I didn't mind exploring them with those awesome characters at my side.