The Best RPG Video Games Of All Time

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The Best RPG Video Games Of All Time

Some RPGs leave such a massive impression that they're virtually timeless — today, we're going over the best RPGs of all time. (RPGs) are one of the few genres that are able to be called timeless regardless of when they were made. A good quality RPG, whether it is from the West or Japan, is often just as playable today as it was when it was first released; take , , or computer games built with the Infinity Engine like Baldur's Gate as an example. The flexibility of RPG systems has found itself in online shooters, fighting games, and even action-adventure titles. Even long-running franchises such as Assassin's Creed have moved into the open-world RPG genre and breathing new life into the series as a result. The last few years have seen an emergence in throwback titles paying tribute to the classics of the past. Games such as Octopath Traveller on the Nintendo Switch and Torment: Tides of Numenera and Pillars of Eternity are designed with classics in mind and are well received by fans and critics. However, as passionate as RPG fans are about the games they love, they can be equally as passionate in berating the games in their favorite genre that failed to live up to expectations. Updated on August 14, 2021 by Gabrielle Huston: Generations of gamers have adored RPG games as a way to escape from day-to-day life. These days, we just hope that tradition will continue despite the industry trends of favoring large open-worlds even when unnecessary, prioritizing games with multiplayer content. As we ponder the future of RPGs, why not look back on our favorite examples from the past 30 years? THEGAMER VIDEO OF THE DAY

Dark Souls - As Satisfying As It Is Punishing

Genre: Action RPG Released: 22 September 2011 Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows The Soulsborne series is a term used for From Software's genre-defining Souls series that fans have come to know well, with , the trilogy, and the PlayStation 4 exclusive . The action role-playing games have become a subgenre of their own inspiring similar games such as Lords of the Fallen, The Surge, and Nioh - all of which are good games bringing their own unique spin on the genre. However, it is From Software's series that will forever remain the benchmark at which other similar titles are to be measured.

The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim - A Norse-Inspired Hero s Journey

Genre: JRPG Released: 11 November 2011 Platforms: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows It's very easy to sink around 200 hours into , and although the main story has its shortcomings the world is littered with lore and the side quests help make Skyrim one of the most immersive games ever made. Unfortunately, the game receives a lot of criticism, mostly because it has been ported to just about every system imaginable - from the Nintendo Switch to the PlayStation VR. In addition, some of the flak has come from the combat system and fairly unimaginative main story, but the game shines because of its fantastic open world.

Final Fantasy VII - A Series Topper

Genre: JRPG Released: 31 January 1997 Platforms: PlayStation, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Portable, Android, iOS, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch For many fans of the franchise, will forever be the greatest game in the series, and even the greatest RPG ever made. It's hard to choose, in a series filled with other timeless classics like Final Fantasy VI or Final Fantasy IX, which numbered Final Fantasy is the best. However, it's hard to disagree with the fact that, for many people, Final Fantasy VII was the benchmark for many RPGs for years to come and introduced a new generation of fans to the Japanese RPG (JRPG) genre. Additionally, FFVII opened the floodgates for titles like Suikoden and the Tales series that wouldn't have seen the light of day in the West twenty years ago.

The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt - An Inspiration For RPGs To Come

Genre: Action RPG Released: 18 May 2015 Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows Developed by CD Projekt Red, The Witcher series featured a world that felt complex, dark, and real enough to do the Andrzej Sapkowski novels justice. Yet, it was with the third game the series' dark fantasy truly reached its potential and the developer's towering ambition. It's an open-world role-playing game where the choices have real consequences. Even the game's side quests and hunts can force you to face difficult decisions that will impact the game's story later on. As one of the best games of a generation, The Witcher 3 is one of those games that deserves to be played by everyone. So great is its influence that even Assassin's Creed: Origins and its next title Odyssey are more Witcher 3-like than any other title this generation.

Mass Effect 2 - A Space Opera Worthy Of The Name

Genre: Action RPG Released: 26 January 2010 Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows The original game on the Xbox 360 was evolution of the role-playing systems seen in Star Wars: The Knights of the Old Republic. Even though they were no longer developing any more RPGs in the Star Wars universe, the excellent writers continued in their own space opera series: Mass Effect. In the same vein as The Empire Strikes Back, its much-anticipated sequel, Mass Effect 2, continued the tradition that the second in a trilogy be considered its best. Mass Effect 2 isn't just a great game with good writing, it's a fantastic sci-fi story wrapped in a great RPG.

Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic - One Of The Few Good Star Wars Games

Genre: RPG Released: 15 July 2003 Platforms: Xbox, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, iOS, Android BioWare's was released in 2003 on the PC and the original Xbox. Fifteen years later, it remains one of the greatest Star Wars games ever released. Titles such as Star Wars: A Force Unleashed, the Star Wars: Battlefront series, and even The Old Republic MMO don't quite live up to this game's legacy. Much of what made in BioWare's other sci-fi epic the Mass Effect series great can be found in Knights of the Old Republic. Character interactions, player choice, and its growth system are not that dissimilar to Mass Effect. However, KotOR has the benefit of taking place in the Star Wars universe and brings all the magic that can be expected from one of the biggest franchises in the world.

Undertale - A Heart-Wrenching Adventure Into Nonsense

Genre: RPG Released: 15 September 2015 Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Android is an indie game that entered the mainstream gaming market due to its subversion of the RPG genre and its quirky, dry sense of humor. It loves to do the unexpected and asks you to think outside the box in order to resolve things the way you want to. Some players don't get past the introduction of the game due to a character's heart-breaking death but if you can soldier through it, you're bound to fall in love with this game. It has an adoring fanbase even today, more than 5 years after its initial release, and has subsequently been ported to new consoles for your convenience.

Chrono Trigger - Lives Up To The Hype

Genre: JRPG Released: 11 March 1995 Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation, Wii, Nintendo DS, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, iOS, Android, Microsoft Windows, i-mode is a timeless classic JRPG that was first released on the SNES in 1995. This 16-bit title is still regarded as one of the best games in its genre, even 23 years later. It has been ported to several systems over the years, including the original PlayStation – complete with brand new anime cutscenes – and the Nintendo DS. Developed by the Square-Enix dream Team of Akira Toriyama, Nobuo Uematsu, Yuji Horii, Kazuhiko, and Hironobu Sakaguchi, it's a game that should be played by every RPG fan. With its non-existent load times, the Nintendo DS version is regarded as the best version and is backward compatible with the 3DS.

Stardew Valley - Everyone s Favorite Farming Simulator

Genre: Simulation RPG Released: 26 February 2016 Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, macOS, Android, Linux, Microsoft Windows It's hard to talk about beloved RPGs without mentioning a lowkey option that only earns more and more fans each day: . More than a million copies were sold in the first two months! This adorable game might have softer themes than others on this list but it's just as much of an RPG as any of them. In Stardew Valley, players take the role of a young person, moving to live on their deceased Grandfather's farm in the country. You spend time getting to know the locals, raising crops and animals, fishing, and exploring the natural magic (literally) that's all around you. Now, virtual chores may not sound like much fun on paper, but players all over the world will tell you that it is an incredible experience once you get started.

Baldur s Gate II Shadows Of Amn - What Kept BioWare Busy Before Dragon Age And Mass Effect

Genre: RPG Released: 21 September 2000 Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Classic Mac OS There are many games that fans claim to stand the test of time and still feel as fresh and as great as they did when they were first released. II more than lives up to its reputation as one of the greatest games ever made. BG II's writing is as good today as it ever was! In addition, the character interactions and random party conversations never fail to entertain and the story is good from start to finish. The game's world is full of things to do, people to converse with, and sights to see. Recently, we've seen a re-emergence of the old-school isometric RPG, with the likes of Divinity and the Pillars of Eternity series.

Dragon Age Inquisition - High Fantasy With A Twist

Genre: Action RPG Released: 18 November 2014 Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows The most recent installment in the franchise, pushed BioWare's series farther than it had ever gone before. Dragon Age games are known for their character building, their engaging NPCs, and their divisive plots. Not to mention plenty of epic battles, too! Dragon Age: Inquisition delivered all of that and more, winning awards for "Game of the Year" from a number of sources. One of the fans' favorite things about Dragon Age is the way that decisions made in each game can be seen having active consequences on the world around you, even into the next installment. As the games only become larger in scope, it's hard to imagine how they can keep up that trend! With theoretically releasing sometime in 2022 (as of this writing), we'll just have to wait and see.

Divinity Original Sin 2 - The Little Kickstarter That Could

Genre: RPG Released: 14 September 2017 Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows, macOS, iPad Next to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, was the highest-rated game in 2017. It was certainly the highest-rated pure RPG released that year and is already considered one of the greatest RPG's ever created, which is quite the accomplishment for a game funded by Kickstarter. Improving on every aspect of its well-received predecessor, Original Sin 2's player-driven scope is without limits and the game world is huge - it offers so much choice that is one of the few modern games that truly lives up to the meaning of role-playing.

Persona 4 Golden - Defies Expectations And Perfects A Great Game

Genre: JRPG Released: 14 June 2012 Platforms: PlayStation Vita, Microsoft Windows When it comes to the Shin Megami Tensei spin-off series, Persona, the award for best installment comes down to three quality games that have followed each other in succession: , , and . All should be played by fans of the genre, but it is Persona 4: Golden, a rerelease for Personal 4 for the , that rates the highest. Unlike your average fantasy or sci-fi, RPG Persona 4 has you balancing relationships, school, and dungeon crawling in a Japanese town - all of which works perfectly in unison. The game's main storyline is a mystery that's engaging as it is intriguing.

NieR Automata - The Real Treasure Is The Friends We Killed Along The Way

Genre: Action RPG Released: 23 February 2017 Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows is, quite simply, proof that video games are a true form of art. That's not just because of the beautiful landscapes or character models or soundtrack (though they don't hurt). It's because of the layered and entirely unclear message that the game gives to its player or viewer that is unique to each person's experience. Is there an intended message? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Finishing this game will send you into a YouTube theory video black hole unlike any you've experienced before. This is all not to mention the fascinating approach to gameplay that NieR: Automata explores. It refuses to be pinned down to a playstyle; several sections are puzzles, others are boss fights, and still others are bullet hells. Then you must remember that there are 26 possible endings to the game, one for each letter of the alphabet. Some of the endings are tied into the main story, while others are for you to discover by doing things like pulling out your own Operating System or killing an important character.