Best RPGs of All Time: Top 77 on PC and Consoles

Role-playing games (RPGs) are one of the most popular genres in the industry. This list brings together the best RPGs in history — from the classics of the 90s (Fallout, Baldur's Gate 2, Planescape: Torment) to major new releases: the GOTY hit Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Obsidian's Avowed, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, the Chinese hit Black Myth: Wukong, and the sequel The Outer Worlds 2. We divided all role-playing games into eight themed categories: open-world RPGs, isometric CRPGs, story-driven single-player RPGs, Soulslikes, JRPGs, Diablo-likes, genre classics, and indie projects — so you can quickly find exactly the type of RPG you are looking for right now.

The list includes 77 of the best role-playing games on PC and consoles — PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and Switch 2. Each card contains a brief summary and explains exactly what makes the game stand out among other RPG projects. If you are looking for something with the same level of depth after Baldur's Gate 3, this article is for you. If you want to quickly understand which recent hits are worth playing, go straight to the “New RPG Releases of 2025–2026” section at the beginning of the article. The list is updated regularly as major new releases in the genre come out.

RPG (Role-Playing Game) is a video game genre in which the player takes on the role of a character in a virtual world, develops their stats, and makes decisions that affect the story. The main features of a role-playing game are progression systems (experience, levels, skills, perks), dialogue and quest variability, the influence of player choice on the narrative, as well as equipment and inventory that affect the hero's parameters. RPGs can be single-player or multiplayer, turn-based or real-time, isometric or played from a first-person/third-person perspective. The genre includes many subgenres: Action-RPGs (for example, Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3), CRPGs or party-based role-playing games (Baldur's Gate 3, Pillars of Eternity), JRPGs (the Persona and Final Fantasy series), Soulslikes (from Demon's Souls to Elden Ring), and looter RPGs or Diablo-likes (Diablo 4, Path of Exile 2). Modern role-playing games increasingly mix elements from different categories — for example, Mass Effect combines a third-person shooter with a dialogue system and character progression, while Disco Elysium focuses on text and skill checks while almost entirely avoiding combat.

In recent years, the role-playing genre has received several major releases from both industry veterans and unexpected newcomers. If you want to quickly understand what to play right now, this section is for you. Detailed cards for each of the role-playing games listed below can be found in the corresponding themed sections further down.

The main event of 2025. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a turn-based RPG from the French studio Sandfall Interactive, winner of Game of the Year at TGA, BAFTA, Golden Joystick, GDC, and DICE. 8 million copies sold, and a record 9 awards out of 13 nominations at TGA 2025.

Story-driven RPGs. Avowed (February 2025) is a first-person Action-RPG set in the world of Pillars of Eternity. The Outer Worlds 2 (October 2025) is Obsidian's satirical sequel about a corporate dystopia. Dragon Age: The Veilguard (October 2024) is the fourth Dragon Age game, now with a new action combat system.

Soulslike. Black Myth: Wukong (August 2024) is the first Chinese AAA project, with 25 million copies sold and the title of Best Action-RPG of the Year at TGA 2024.

Open world. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (February 2025) is the main medieval RPG of this decade. The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered (April 2025) is an unexpected UE5 remaster release that became a sensation. Gothic 1 Remake (June 2026) is the long-awaited remake of the cult role-playing game.

Looter RPGs. Path of Exile 2 (December 2024, Early Access) is Diablo 4's main competitor and becomes fully free-to-play after version 1.0. Related article: VGTimes' list of the best free PC games.

Open-world role-playing games are the most commercially successful and spectacular RPG subgenre. These are games with vast maps, dozens of quests, freedom of progression, and the ability to wander through locations for days without touching the main story. From The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind to Cyberpunk 2077, from Skyrim to Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, we have collected the best open-world role-playing games on PC and consoles. Each project on this list offers a huge world to explore and its own approach to role-playing. You can find more similar projects in our separate list of the best open-world games on PC and consoles.

An important return of one of the key European RPGs of the early 2000s. The original was valued not for scale for scale's sake, but for its carefully built setting — a prison colony with a harsh faction hierarchy — its believable NPC routines, and a world without excessive hints, where players had to figure out the rules on their own. Alkimia Interactive and THQ Nordic set out to recreate the magic of the original with modern technology: new graphics, reworked systems, improved presentation, while preserving the grim atmosphere of the Valley of Mines, free exploration, and the feeling that the world does not adapt itself to the player. That is exactly why Gothic 1 Remake is worth paying attention to: the project brings back not just one specific game, but also a rare type of RPG where independence, consequences, and hand-crafted world design matter. By the way, if you are interested in reimaginings of classic games, do not miss our list of the best video game remakes and remasters.

In the era of mini-maps, GPS navigation, and compasses that point the exact way to the objective, an old-school adventure like Morrowind feels like a breath of fresh air. The Elder Scrolls 3 does not lead the player by the hand or treat them gently: where to go and what to do is decided solely by the player.

The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion is a massive 2006 role-playing game set in a fantasy open world by Bethesda Game Studios. At the will of the dying Emperor Uriel Septim, voiced by Patrick Stewart, the protagonist sets out to find the illegitimate heir to the throne, while also closing portals from Oblivion — the realm of the Daedra. The game was remembered for giving every NPC a schedule, while its AI learned to walk around, eat, sleep, and make decisions on its own. Cyrodiil's locations include hundreds of caves, castles, and ruins where you can disappear for dozens of hours.

In April 2025, Bethesda released The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered without a prior announcement. The Unreal Engine 5 remaster completely rebuilt the graphics — NPC models, lighting, textures, and effects — added gameplay changes such as a quest journal, sprinting, and a new interface, but preserved all the original logic and bugs beloved by fans. The release became one of the biggest RPG sensations of 2025, repeating Skyrim's success and once again raising the question: when will Bethesda finally release The Elder Scrolls 6? If you somehow missed the original Oblivion, the remaster is the best way to fix that.

After the weak Gothic 3, Piranha Bytes stopped working with publisher JoWood and calmly developed a completely new title, which many players still call the true third Gothic. Risen is a role-playing game set on the island of Faranga, which suffers from earthquakes and a monster invasion. The protagonist is a nameless traveler who, after a shipwreck, ends up on a nameless island and gets drawn into a conflict between the Inquisition and bandits. As in previous Piranha Bytes games, the player has to choose a faction in order to survive and uncover all the secrets of the mysterious world.

Risen is known for its varied quests and objectives, which can be completed in different ways. The playthrough fully depends on the player's creative thinking and character progression. Factions affect not only the development of the story, but also the set of skills and abilities available to the character. In addition to combat and exploration, the player can engage in alchemy, blacksmithing, and other crafts. The game world reacts to the protagonist's actions, creating the illusion of an unscripted adventure.

At release, Risen looked strong for its time, with detailed visuals and a well-designed combat system. Piranha Bytes filled the world with a wide range of monsters and characters. The soundtrack was written by Kai Rosenkranz, the composer of the Gothic games. The recognizable style of the music tied Risen even more strongly to Piranha Bytes' previous trilogy. At launch, critics criticized the project for bugs and general technical roughness, but genre fans were completely delighted. Risen is considered the studio's best game and, according to the gaming community, a great role-playing game.

Mount & Blade is a rather unusual role-playing game. While many modern RPGs mostly combined the genre with action elements, the project by Turkish studio TaleWorlds stood out with its interesting integration of strategic tactics. In 2010, the standalone expansion Warband was released, which not only broadened the game's design framework but also added improved graphics, factions, and a multiplayer mode. The main narrative outline remained unchanged: the player has to go through a difficult path from mercenary to powerful ruler.

In Warband, players can freely move around the open world, recruit an army, take part in battles and sieges, and complete a wide range of quests. Unlike, say, Fable 3, where the player owned a kingdom and made important decisions, Mount & Blade features systems of diplomacy, alliances, and the capture of enemy territory. Role-playing is an equally important part of the project, giving the player limitless freedom in shaping their protagonist.

Mount & Blade: Warband received high scores from the press and glowing reviews on Steam. Players spend hundreds, and sometimes even thousands, of hours in its virtual Middle Ages. Warband cannot be called a pure role-playing game, but unlike the Fallout and Mass Effect series, it can constantly generate tons of unique content.

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is one of the best games in history. Bethesda managed to create an immortal classic that people happily return to even many years later. And it is not just because of its huge modding potential or the endless re-releases that Todd Howard keeps trying to sell for the tenth time. The real reason is the incredible symbiosis of genres: role-playing game, action, open-world survival, and dungeon crawler. Few games combine so many elements this smoothly, where all the components coexist so harmoniously.

In Skyrim, the player takes on the role of the Dovahkiin, or Dragonborn, who has the ability to absorb the souls of flying monsters and use their power to achieve their own goals. The main story objective is to stop the “main” dragon, who, according to prophecy, is supposed to destroy the world. The role-playing system allows players to choose a race and class, both of which play a special role in the story. As in any Bethesda game, the player can join guilds, develop skills, search for special equipment in dungeons, and explore the open world.

Skyrim is one of the highest-rated games in history. It can still impress with its graphics, freedom, and incredible music written by Jeremy Soule. The project also supports mods, allowing a huge community to create and share its own additions, improvements, and expanded functionality. A true milestone in the gaming industry, with no equal.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of the most important role-playing games in history. A true milestone for the industry and a revolutionary breakthrough in game design. Today, it is hard to find a gamer who has never heard of the third Witcher. CD Projekt RED sold its soul to the devil and created a project that was excellent in every respect. As Geralt of Rivia, players set out to find his adopted daughter Ciri, who was hiding from powerful riders known as the Wild Hunt.

The Witcher 3 is packed with varied mechanics that, in turn, keep the game from ever becoming boring. Every quest was manually crafted by the game designers, while the local stories are no worse than the main storyline. Players can freely move between different regions, hunt monsters, talk to characters, and complete assignments. The combat system includes the use of swords, alchemy, and magical Signs. The main narrative is nonlinear. Every decision has a significant impact on the story and the fates of the characters, as we wrote in our anniversary article celebrating 10 years of The Witcher 3.

The Witcher 3 also offered a rich open world and highly detailed environments. Its graphics have not aged in the slightest, and the soundtrack can still be enjoyed separately from the gameplay. The project received the highest praise from the press and became the most important role-playing game of the eighth console generation. After the release of the base game, the developers released expansions that not only added more content, but also became some of the best DLC in the history of the format. In one word — a legend.

What is especially surprising is the May 2026 announcement of the expansion The Witcher 3 — Songs of the Past. Who could have imagined that a single-player game more than 10 years old would receive another major add-on in 2027?

Kingdom Come: Deliverance is an open-world role-playing game developed by the Czech studio Warhorse Studios. The project was led by Daniel Vávra, the well-known writer of the Mafia duology. The main story takes place in early 15th-century Bohemia, during a period of civil wars and political intrigue. The protagonist is the son of a blacksmith who witnesses the destruction of his village and the death of his family. Obsessed with revenge, he sets out to find the killers, but by chance becomes involved in large-scale events that will not only change his life, but also affect the fate of the entire country.

Kingdom Come's gameplay can be described as “realistic Skyrim with historical authenticity.” Players get access to a detailed open world that can be freely explored separately from the main story. The combat system is based on real historical fencing techniques. Every game design element is built in service of realism. In addition to classic conversations with characters and quest chains, the player will ride a horse, learn archery, study grammar, catch fish, craft medicine, and much more. On top of that, you need to monitor the character's condition, including regular food intake, sleep, and hygiene.

The developers recreated the era in virtual space with maximum accuracy, letting players live in medieval Bohemia. Historical authenticity became Kingdom Come's calling card. The project has impressive visuals and a pleasant soundtrack that can be enjoyed separately from the gameplay. Critics highly praised Warhorse Studios' efforts. Deliverance became one of the most important games in the RPG genre, earning broad recognition and the affection of players around the world.

Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord is a role-playing game with strategy and action elements, developed by the Turkish studio TaleWorlds. The main events take place in Calradia, where the player can create their own character and choose their path — warrior, merchant, ruler, or mercenary. The goal of the game is to conquer territory and proclaim yourself ruler of Calradia.

The gameplay combines elements of role-playing and real-time strategy. You can find more genre hybrids like this in our list of the best RTS games. In Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord, players have complete freedom to move through the open world, interact with characters, and complete quest chains. After gaining a certain amount of reputation, you gain access to your own army, which can be used in combat scenes. In addition to battles, Bannerlord features many mechanics, including trade, construction, and settlement management.

Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord has decent graphics and an environment thought out in detail. The combat system simulates the behavior of medieval weapons. The abundance of varied mechanics and environment generation make every playthrough unpredictable and unique. Bannerlord received high scores from the press and positive player reviews.

Cyberpunk 2077 is an ambitious first-person open-world RPG developed by the Polish studio CD Projekt RED. At launch in December 2020, the project became one of the biggest scandals in industry history: the game was released in a catastrophic technical state, especially on previous-generation consoles, and was temporarily removed from the PlayStation Store. However, CDPR did not give up — over the next three years, the studio released dozens of patches, reworked the police system and AI, rebuilt the perk system from scratch, and in September 2023 rolled out the major 2.0 update alongside the story expansion Phantom Liberty. After that, Cyberpunk 2077 effectively became a different game: critics and players began talking about it as one of the best RPGs of recent years.

The action takes place in the metropolis of Night City — a giant neon city of the future divided between corporations, gangs, and cyberpsychos. The Phantom Liberty expansion sends the protagonist to the new district of Dogtown and features Idris Elba as federal agent Solomon Reed, while intersecting with the main story at any point. The combat system is flexible: the protagonist V can become a firearms specialist, a netrunner — a hacker with implants — or a stealthy samurai. Today, Cyberpunk 2077 is an essential RPG for any fan of the genre, especially with the DLC and all the patches that introduced new customization options and quests. Even in 2025, Cyberpunk 2077 received several updates, as well as a Nintendo Switch 2 port demonstrating the power of the new handheld console.

Dragon's Dogma 2 is the sequel to Capcom's unusual role-playing game. The first game was a fairly niche project with revolutionary ideas, but its game design was not fully thought through. The second game was supposed to fix the prequel's mistakes and refine the “multiverse concept” within a single-player playthrough. And the developers succeeded. The sequel not only preserved the best elements of the original, but also gave players new mechanics and an original experience that RPGs had not offered before.

Dragon's Dogma 2 gives players broad opportunities to explore an open world that has become more detailed and alive compared to the original. Non-player characters have their own schedules and to-do lists. Quest-givers do not stand in one place, and interesting tasks are not displayed in the journal. The developers offer players an immersive dive into a fantasy world where the protagonist is not the “center of the universe.” One of the game's key features is the Pawn system — unique companions that can be customized and trained. Allies actively participate in battles, give hints and clues about secrets, and can also be hired by other players. The combat system has become more responsive and vaguely resembles Monster Hunter.

Dragon's Dogma 2 received high scores from the press and positive user reviews on Steam. The game is demanding on hardware and runs very poorly on consoles. Fortunately, we have a list where we collected the most optimized PC games.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is an excellent medieval simulator, with a meticulously detailed world, an engaging story, and a strong combat system. The game feels like a spiritual successor to Oblivion, only without magic and goblins, as we wrote in our Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 review. If role-playing elements are not the main thing for you, check out our list of the “Best Open-World Games on PC and Consoles”.

Classic party-based role-playing games are the heart of the RPG genre. An isometric perspective, a squad of several characters, tactical battles, and multilayered dialogue with varied progression paths. The era of modern CRPGs began with the revival of the formula in 2014 (Divinity: Original Sin), while Baldur's Gate 3 became its peak in 2023. Here are the best party-based RPGs of the past 12 years: from Pillars of Eternity to Pathfinder, from Disco Elysium to Pentiment.

Shadowrun Returns is a role-playing game with a turn-based combat system that laid the foundation for literary storytelling, which would later be perfected by the developers of Disco Elysium. The project was created by Jordan Weisman, who invented the tabletop role-playing game Shadowrun. Returns takes place in a dark future where magic and high technology coexist. As a mercenary, the player has to investigate the murder of an old friend and uncover a major intercorporate conspiracy.

The core gameplay of Shadowrun Returns consists of reading, talking to characters, and fighting. The role-playing system offers broad possibilities for creating classes unusual for the genre: decker, samurai, mage, shaman, and others. The combat system consists of tactical battles and puzzles in cyberspace. Players spent most of their time exploring cyberpunk Seattle and talking to secondary characters.

Shadowrun Returns stood out for its atmosphere and distinctive soundtrack. The game had a tiny budget, but the developers made full use of it. The project received good reviews from critics and positive player feedback. Its commercial success allowed the studio to create sequels that revealed the full potential of the universe.

Before Original Sin, Larian had always been on the verge of closure. The developers even had to go to Kickstarter to raise the budget for the final stage of development of the new Divinity. RPG fans did not abandon the Belgian studio and donated the necessary amount. This noble act inspired the studio's employees, and they made not just another good role-playing project, but a gift for devoted fans of classic RPGs. The final version of Original Sin, with the Enhanced Edition subtitle, gathered a whole pile of glowing reviews and received a score of 94 on Metacritic.

Divinity: Original Sin became a prequel to all of the studio's previous games. Its story is full of intrigue, complex moral dilemmas, and excellent dialogue. The core gameplay focuses on turn-based tactical battles and exploration of a large open world. In Original Sin, players could interact with the environment and combine elemental damage. The project also had an engaging co-op mode that opened up new possibilities for exploring the game world.

Divinity: Original Sin not only saved Larian from closure, but also turned the studio into superstars. Players were delighted by the innovative gameplay, complex tactical battles, and exploration-rich world. One of the most important role-playing games in history, and definitely worth getting acquainted with.

Tyranny is an isometric role-playing game from Obsidian. Since 2006, the developers had been nurturing the idea of a project where the player could take on the role of a villain and wreak chaos in the game world. After the commercial success of Pillars of Eternity, the team had the money to create an RPG unusual for the industry. Tyranny's story takes place in a fantasy world where a powerful tyrant has conquered most of the continent. As a judge, the player must maintain order and carry out the ruler's will.

Tyranny's gameplay is similar to Pillars of Eternity. Its key feature is a moral choice system that allows players to decide people's fates. The game also encourages cruelty and ruthlessness in moral dilemmas and important decisions. Every action and choice affects the development of the story. Unlike many role-playing projects, Tyranny places no restrictions on an evil playthrough.

Tyranny is modest in scale. Its writing and carefully thought-out world compensate for drawbacks such as limited locations, unbalanced battles, and reused assets. The project received high scores from the press and praise from players.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 showed the industry what modern isometric role-playing games should look like. Larian did colossal work on both the story and gameplay. The developers tried to give players as much freedom as possible not only in the nonlinear narrative, but also in exploring locations. The main story of Original Sin 2 unfolded in the world of Rivellon, where players, as the chosen ones, had to stop the tyranny of the Divine Order. The game received a world rich in detail and characters thought out down to the smallest details. Every side quest was handcrafted and did an excellent job of revealing Original Sin 2's lore.

In battles, players had to rely on tactics and use the environment to their advantage. They also had to combine different elemental effects and create powerful spells. The excellent role-playing system allowed players to build unique builds and remake character classes to their liking. Local co-op gave the game additional charm. Players could argue during dialogues, explore the world, and fight hordes of monsters.

Critics unanimously called Divinity: Original Sin 2 a masterpiece and one of the best role-playing games in history. Gamers were completely delighted by Larian's project and spent hundreds of hours completing it. Thanks to high scores from the press and commercial success, the developers received the opportunity to create a continuation of the cult classic Baldur's Gate series.

Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire is the sequel to the classic 2015 role-playing game. This time, the events take place in the Deadfire Archipelago, where players have to explore exotic islands and fight unusual enemies. The main story turned out quite rich, while the high level of variability gives everyone a unique adventure. In addition, the side quests became more carefully developed.

In Deadfire, battles take place in real time. The player can pause the fight at any moment and give orders to party members. A year later, the project received an alternative turn-based system for those who did not like “real-time” combat. The role-playing system gained more options for role-playing. Most dialogues and side quests affect the development of the story and relationships with different factions. Critics and players highly praised Pillars of Eternity 2.

Disco Elysium is a role-playing game developed by the Estonian studio ZA/UM. The project stands out sharply from other RPGs thanks to its deep and multilayered story, internal monologues, dialogue battles, and philosophical reflections on everyday topics. The protagonist is a detective suffering from amnesia and alcohol addiction, who must solve a murder in the fictional city of Revachol. The main story is highly branching and nonlinear, and its course depends entirely on the role-playing system and the player's luck.

Disco Elysium's gameplay consists almost entirely of dialogues and verbal battles. Writer and game designer Robert Kurvitz created a unique role-playing system in which skills affect the perception of the world and the discovery of its secrets through the protagonist's inner voice. The game has no combat or action scenes. The open game world is very small in size, but it is packed to the brim with interesting characters and places to explore. Disco Elysium also has elements of economy, customization, and a perk system that allows players to extract more information from the world on specific topics.

Disco Elysium stands out among other role-playing projects with its unique art style. Aleksander Rostov created a painterly visual design that gives the game a distinctive and memorable aesthetic. The excellent soundtrack by the British band British Sea Power strengthens the atmosphere and emotionally shapes the perception of the game world. Disco Elysium became a true revelation in the RPG genre. It received high scores for its unusual gameplay, excellent writing, and its treatment of topics that are rarely discussed in media. On Metacritic, it has a score of 97, which automatically places it on the pedestal of masterpieces that everyone should experience.

Wasteland 3 is a classic role-playing game with a turn-based combat system. The action takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, where a team of Rangers is trying to bring order to the snowy wastelands of Colorado. The heroes will have to resolve conflicts between local factions and fight monsters.

The world of Wasteland 3 is filled with varied quests, characters, and secrets. The story is nonlinear and branching. Every decision made in relation to a faction immediately affects the rest of the playthrough. The combat system is implemented as turn-based tactics. The ability to develop the Ranger base also became an important part of the game, where the main characters improve their skills and gain access to new opportunities.

Wasteland 3 received a fairly dark and brutal story, diluted with black humor and moral dilemmas. The game has decent graphics for an isometric RPG and excellent character design. The soundtrack was written by the composer of the first Fallout games. As a result, Wasteland 3 received high scores from the press and recognition from players. After its commercial success, the studio was acquired by Microsoft.

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is a classic role-playing game developed by Owlcat Games. The main story takes place in the demon-invaded world of Golarion. The protagonist, gifted with mystical powers, sets out on a crusade against the monsters to save the locals from total destruction. The story turned out highly engaging and nonlinear. Every action and decision affects not only the fate of the characters, but the entire game world as well.

The gameplay is a classic RPG with hybrid battles. Wrath of the Righteous has a very flexible character editor that lets players fine-tune every aspect, ability, and stat. The combat system has two modes — turn-based and real-time with the ability to pause the game. In addition to exploring locations, interacting with characters, and completing quests, the player must manage their own squad and develop mystical powers that unlock access to special abilities.

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous has solid graphics for the genre and pleasant location design. The main story and characters with distinct personalities deserve special praise. The project received high scores from the press and positive player reviews.

Pentiment is a role-playing game with adventure-style storytelling. You can find more titles like this in our list of the best adventure games. Its main feature is an unusual art style inspired by medieval manuscripts and engravings. The story takes place in 16th-century Bavaria, where artist Andreas Maler becomes involved in a series of mysterious murders. The game was developed by Obsidian, so the story turned out rich in historical detail and intrigue.

The core gameplay consists of exploring locations, talking to characters, and making important decisions that affect the development of the story. Players must constantly gather information from different sources to uncover all the secrets behind what is happening. Dialogue options have a serious impact on the narrative and ending. The game also includes elements of puzzles and investigation. Pentiment received positive reviews from critics for its innovative gameplay and art direction. Unfortunately, because of the large number of big-budget games, many players undeservedly missed the project.

Baldur's Gate 3 is the main game to try out of everything listed in this TOP. A classic RPG with a budget of over 100 million dollars, whose very existence is hard to believe. As we noted in our Baldur's Gate 3 review, Larian Studios set a new quality bar for future RPGs and forever changed major publishers' attitude toward isometric role-playing games. The studio went through a difficult path: it nearly closed because of commercial failures, raised money on Kickstarter twice, was constantly rejected by the owners of well-known franchises, but still did not give up and achieved tremendous success.

The main story of Baldur's Gate 3 follows a group of heroes infected with illithid parasites, which give them powerful abilities but can turn them into monsters at any moment. Players have to set out on a dangerous adventure to find a way to get rid of the parasites and save Baldur's Gate from an approaching threat. An important part of the gameplay is exploring a world with a large number of multilayered quests, unique characters, and dungeons filled with rare artifacts and treasures.

The combat system is based on the tabletop fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons. It requires strategic thinking and tactical decisions from the player, as well as the use of the environment and interaction with objects to achieve a confident victory. For fans of such projects, we have a list of the best tactical games.

This is one of the most beautiful games. Its world feels alive and natural. Critics were completely delighted with the project. Players are still experimenting with its mechanics and have no intention of leaving the surroundings of Baldur's Gate.

Story-driven role-playing games focus on drama, charismatic companions, and moral dilemmas. This is the RPG category where role-playing a character matters more than combat, and the ending depends on your decisions. The best story-driven role-playing games on PC and consoles include the Mass Effect series, Dragon Age, Fallout: New Vegas, The Witcher, and among the newer releases of 2024–2025 — Avowed, The Outer Worlds 2, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard. All these story-driven RPGs will provide dozens of hours of immersion and make you return to old saves to try another path and see an alternative ending.

Role-playing games about space are rarer than unicorns in the wild. Fortunately, the few RPGs about the distant future that do exist are very high quality. The first Mass Effect is an exemplary adventure: epic, yet not without moments of groundedness. This is a story not only about saving the world, but also about friendship.

The gameplay of the first The Witcher is hard to call pleasant or modern, but the tangled, engaging story and charming characters make it easy to overlook even the obvious flaws. CD Projekt RED's signature magic can be felt even in the studio's debut game.

Dragon Age: Origins is not just a role-playing game, but a milestone for the genre, developed by BioWare's “classic lineup.” Many fans of the genre consider it the true successor to the Baldur's Gate duology. It is a dark, harsh, and mature RPG in every respect, one that can be replayed endlessly while still finding something new. DAO takes place in the fictional kingdom of Ferelden, which is engulfed by war and an invasion of monsters known as the darkspawn. The player gets the opportunity to become a representative of the ancient order of the Grey Wardens, formed to fight all kinds of threats. Unlike most modern role-playing games, Dragon Age gives you a chance to create your own character, with their own backstory, motivation, overarching plot, and unique role in the universe.

Before Baldur's Gate 3, Dragon Age: Origins was considered the most variable and nonlinear AAA role-playing game in the industry. Players constantly have to make difficult decisions that affect not only the story, but also secondary characters. The project has no open world, but DAO still gives more creative freedom than any other game. Every choice has consequences, which ultimately results in a truly variable playthrough. BioWare spent 10 years creating a detailed universe, rich lore, and an unusual story that easily outdoes even Game of Thrones.

Even now, Dragon Age: Origins holds up thanks to its pleasant visuals and excellent characters, created before studios started shaping every cast around modern agenda-driven trends. Every location has its own unique style and distinctive approach to exploration. The soundtrack was composed by Inon Zur, who, before working with Bethesda, knew how to create masterful compositions. Today, it is rare to encounter such stunning vocal tracks. Dragon Age: Origins received high scores from the press and is considered a genre classic by players around the world.

Mass Effect 2 is a perfect example of the term “exemplary sequel.” It was the last BioWare game created by the old “classic” team. A project that forever changed the approach to developing role-playing adventures. A milestone for the industry and a foundation for later blockbusters. Mass Effect 2 managed, for a time, to overshadow Star Wars and become the main space opera in media. One could list the achievements of BioWare's “main game” for a very long time, but among them there is one that must be mentioned: Mass Effect 2 showed the public that video games are a new milestone in art.

The second Mass Effect continues Shepard's story, as they must assemble a squad of elite fighters to save the galaxy from living ships — the Reapers. At the time, the first game received the title of RPG 2.0, presenting itself as a mix of adventure action and role-playing game. The combat system in the sequel was significantly improved, while the possibilities for role-playing were greatly expanded. The excellent story by writer Drew Karpyshyn was highly variable. Mass Effect 2 received high scores from critics and positive player reviews.

Bethesda revived the Fallout series from the ashes, and Obsidian elevated it. New Vegas is the “true” sequel to the isometric duology, developed by former Black Isle Studios employees. Much of its content is based on material from the canceled Fallout 3: Van Buren. The game takes place in the Mojave Desert, around the city of New Vegas. The protagonist, a courier, survives an attack and the theft of an important platinum chip. Their main task is to get the chip back and find out who put a price on their head. Of course, this revenge story eventually turns into a full-scale war between factions, where the player will play the central role.

Fallout: New Vegas is the third game brought to its proper form, with more role-playing elements than action. Obsidian created a fully nonlinear story where the player has no real restrictions. Everything follows the canon of the classic prequels. The game world is packed with different factions and characters to interact with. New Vegas brought back the karma and reputation systems. Most conflicts can be resolved through dialogue, and key story characters can die at any moment without blocking the main plot.

Fallout: New Vegas is the most beloved entry in the series among fans and an important role-playing game for the entire industry. Critics criticized it for its abundance of bugs, but still gave it high scores. This project is still worth replaying even today, as we discussed in our anniversary article celebrating 15 years of Fallout: New Vegas.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings was an important game for CD Projekt RED, without which the cult classic third game would never have appeared. After the success of the first entry, the developers believed in themselves and their abilities, delivering not just a role-playing project, but a true blockbuster that surpassed the sequel to Dragon Age on every front. Yes, at launch the game was nearly impossible to complete because of bugs, and its system requirements were unsuitable for most gamers of that period. But the story, nonlinearity, presentation, and incredible attention to detail more than compensated for any shortcomings.

In The Witcher 2, Geralt of Rivia has to find the kingslayer and clear his name. A key part of the game was its nonlinear story. The choices players made led to different endings and also opened access to unique locations with their own characters and quests. Compared to the first game, the second Witcher was more linear, but it still had open locations with pre-written side missions and staged scenes. Today, this approach to game design is considered normal, but in 2011 it was a real revolution.

The Witcher 2 received an updated combat system, in which the developers mixed action, tactics, magic, and alchemy. A year after release, CDPR polished the sequel to an ideal state and ported it to Xbox. The second Witcher received glowing reviews from critics and high scores from players. Strong sales helped the studio not only stay afloat, but also create without any major restrictions.

Yes, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is primarily an immersive sim, but not adding it to the TOP would be a real crime. All the main features of a role-playing game are fully present here. Moreover, not every modern RPG has such a well-structured nonlinear story, carefully written side quests, and smart progression. Human Revolution did not just revive the forgotten Deus Ex series from the ashes; it also became one of the best games in history.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is strong not only because of its flexible nonlinearity, but also because of its varied gameplay. Players can complete it in several ways: through stealth, dialogue, hacking, and combat. The protagonist can improve his abilities by upgrading implants. Freedom of choice became an important part of the third game. The player has to make decisions in moral dilemmas, choose dialogue options, and avoid killing for the best ending.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution also stands out for its excellent style and thoughtful design. Its graphics and art direction remain unique to this day. The powerful soundtrack works perfectly for the atmosphere. Critics liked the project a lot, while players were completely delighted after completing it. You can find more titles like this in our list of the best stealth games.

Mass Effect 3 is an action RPG after which millions of players lost faith in BioWare. Most of the employees who worked on the previous entries left the company, and the final chapter of Shepard's adventures was assembled by a new team from fragments and leftover material. The story was radically rewritten in favor of spectacle, while some content was cut for later sale as separate DLC. A real tragedy for devoted fans who were waiting for a grand finale, but in the end received a reason for endless debate.

Despite serious changes to the story and a controversial ending, Mass Effect 3 impressed with a strong combat system, well-written characters, and powerful set-piece scenes. Years later, the negativity faded. Compared to BioWare's later games, the third entry looks like a true masterpiece that is still worth replaying today. The third game marked the end of the greatness of one of the best studios in the industry, one that had pushed the RPG genre forward. Despite a ton of negativity from fans, Mass Effect 3 received high scores from journalists and gained cult status.

Dragon Age: Inquisition is a role-playing game created by BioWare. It was originally planned as a full-fledged MMO, but the idea was abandoned because of excessive development costs. Still, many aspects of the multiplayer project leaked into the single-player game. Most quests were implemented in the spirit of “go there — collect this, find that — bring it back, kill them — report back.” But this approach to game design can be easily forgiven, because the main story campaign and characters turned out excellent.

The game's story is not directly tied to the previous entries. Everything begins with a catastrophe, after which a rift between worlds opens and demons begin to appear. The protagonist, the Inquisitor, must gather a team of like-minded allies and close the rift while also untangling palace intrigues. The gameplay consists of real-time battles and exploration of large locations. Inquisition's key features are its side quests and interaction with companions. The authors of the original duology took part in the game's development, which is why the story turned out very engaging.

Despite numerous technical flaws and a large number of second-rate quests inherited from MMO systems, Dragon Age: Inquisition received very high scores from the press and the Game of the Year title at TGA. A decade later, the game gained recognition from players, but did not achieve cult status.

Fallout 4 is an open-world role-playing game from Bethesda. Many players hoped that Todd Howard's team would return the series to its roots and create a mechanically deep RPG with a high degree of playthrough variability. But in the end, everything turned out the opposite. The developers ignored the success of New Vegas and abandoned features invented by Obsidian. The new Fallout became a kind of “Skyrim reskin” with a reworked role-playing system, simplified dialogues, and absurd mechanics that are hard to imagine in an RPG. But despite serious changes in game design and a new approach to exploring the wasteland, the fourth entry became not just a good game, but one of the best open-world RPGs.

The core gameplay is similar to the third game. First and foremost, Fallout 4 is a first-person shooter where players have to collect junk and use it to build new weapons and armor. The developers focused on developing the open world and did not seriously bother with quests, dialogues, or playthrough variability. The game also added the ability to build settlements and trade routes between them. Fallout 4 has a simplified role-playing system, where the player receives one perk of their choice for each level.

Fallout 4 is very interesting to explore. The open world is filled with memorable places and vivid characters. Compared to previous entries, the fourth game became less serious and oppressive. Its graphics were not revolutionary, but the game did not look bad at launch either. The project received glowing reviews from critics and was liked by the public. Thanks to its flexible modding tools, Fallout 4 became popular among the modding community.

After the success of New Vegas and positive feedback from fans, Bethesda decided not to share its franchise anymore and to make sequels on its own. Perhaps the studio was afraid of direct competition, since Obsidian had more experienced writers and a full staff of employees who created the Fallout series in the 90s. In any case, millions of players were waiting for a continuation of New Vegas, and Obsidian had no real option left but to create a new universe that would be very similar to Fallout, while still existing in its own unique setting.

The events of The Outer Worlds take place in an alternate universe where megacorporations have colonized distant planets. As a colonist, the player wakes from cryosleep and becomes involved in a power struggle between different factions and corporations. The protagonist must get used to this new world and help other colonists coexist with one another.

The gameplay combines elements of a shooter and a role-playing game. Every quest has several possible approaches. The role-playing system allows players to improve skills, recruit companions, upgrade abilities, and assemble builds from equipment. Obsidian created a unique atmosphere of retrofuturism and corporate-culture satire for The Outer Worlds. Unfortunately, the game had a fairly limited budget, so the developers had to significantly reduce the overall length of the story and the amount of content. Despite this nuance, The Outer Worlds received strong reviews from the press and recognition from the New Vegas fan community.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard is the fourth numbered Dragon Age game from BioWare, released on October 31, 2024, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. The sequel to Inquisition was awaited for 10 years — the game was originally announced as Dragon Age: Dreadwolf — and during that time the project was rebooted three times, from a live-service model to the final single-player formula influenced by the success of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. The protagonist is a customizable character named Rook, the leader of a squad of seven companions opposing Solas — the Dread Wolf from Inquisition's ending.

For the first time in the series, the combat system became a full-fledged action system — fast and dynamic, with parries, combo duels, and a system for combining abilities with companions, inspired by God of War 2018. Inquisition's open world was replaced with compact hub locations with fast travel: Minrathous, the Necropolis, and the Rivain Coast. The game received generally positive press reviews (84 on Metacritic) and became BioWare's biggest Steam launch, but commercially disappointed EA — 1.5 million players in a quarter against expectations of over 2.5 million. Active development ended in January 2025, and no DLC is planned. If you like BioWare fantasy with vivid companions and beautiful visual effects, it is worth trying. If you are looking for the depth and branching of Origins, you will be disappointed.

Avowed is a fantasy Action-RPG from Obsidian Entertainment, released on February 18, 2025, for PC and Xbox Series X/S, and on February 17, 2026, for PlayStation 5. The game takes place in the Pillars of Eternity universe — the world of Eora, in the Living Lands region — but unlike its isometric predecessors, it uses a first-person perspective in the spirit of Skyrim or The Outer Worlds. The protagonist is a Godlike envoy of the Aedyr Empire, sent to investigate the mystical Dreamscourge plague, which affects both people and animals.

The combat system is the project's main feature: players can hold any combinations of weapons and magic at the same time — dual pistols, sword and shield, staff and spell, paired wands. Schools of magic combine with one another and with physical attacks: you can freeze an enemy with ice and shatter them with a heavy axe, or entangle them with vines and set them on fire with a fireball. The open world here is divided into large explorable zones rather than one seamless map, while companions develop along personal ability branches and react to your dialogue decisions. Avowed received good scores from critics (83% on OpenCritic), but mixed user reviews — Obsidian was criticized because the world is static and the story has less reactivity than New Vegas. Nevertheless, it is one of the best single-player fantasy RPGs, especially for fans of Pillars of Eternity and Skyrim.

The Outer Worlds 2 is the sequel to Obsidian's satirical space Action-RPG, released on October 29, 2025, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S — and directly into Game Pass. The action takes place in a new star system, Arcadia, decades after the events of the first game. Players control a member of a mysterious organization investigating anomalies in space-time that threaten to collapse the entire colonial system.

The sequel moved significantly forward compared to the original: more planets, more quests, and a deeper role-playing system with a reworked perk tree and character flaws. The combat system received improved gunplay with a variety of energy weapons, skill mods for melee combat, and reworked stealth mechanics. The satire of corporate dystopia has not gone anywhere — advertising, brands, and slogans still permeate all of Arcadia. Obsidian is recognized as a master of AA RPGs, and The Outer Worlds 2 is exactly the game that Fallout: New Vegas fans had been waiting for, having never received a new Fallout from Bethesda.

The Soulslike subgenre appeared in 2009 with the release of Demon's Souls and, over 15 years, grew into a full-fledged direction with millions of copies sold. A hardcore combat system, careful study of enemy patterns, the weight of every mistake, and an unmistakable sense of overcoming — that is what makes these role-playing games special. From FromSoftware classics to the Chinese hit Black Myth: Wukong and new indie releases, here are only the best Action-RPGs for those who love a challenge. If you need even more brutal adventures, check out our list of the hardest games.

Before 2009, FromSoftware had mostly made fairly mediocre games and was known mainly for the Armored Core action series. But with the release of Demon's Souls from “maestro” Hidetaka Miyazaki, the company's reputation sharply improved. Hidetaka crossed a role-playing game with a metroidvania and added incredibly difficult enemies, thereby laying the foundation for the Soulslike subgenre, which years later would become almost one of the most sought-after in the industry. Demon's Souls was a PS3 exclusive that many players missed because of the console's unpopularity and high price.

Demon's Souls is known for its high difficulty and demanding nature. The combat system is as close to action as possible, but still requires a tactical approach. The role-playing system offers several character classes that can be developed without any restrictions. An important part of the gameplay is the soul system: souls serve as both currency and experience points. After death, the character loses all accumulated souls. They can recover them if they return to the place of death safe and sound.

At launch, Demon's Souls looked impressive and had strong overall design. At the same time, the game ran very poorly on PS3, and the frame rate often dropped to 15 FPS. Demon's Souls did not become massively popular at launch, but over time it gained cult status. FromSoftware created impressive bosses and monsters that are still considered benchmark examples. In 2020, a remake of Demon's Souls was released for PlayStation 5, updating the graphics and improving the technical aspects while preserving the spirit of the original.

Just two years after the original DeS, FromSoftware released a spiritual successor to Demon's Souls that could be played not only by PlayStation 3 owners. Dark Souls is a hardcore role-playing game with action elements and a carefully developed universe. The story takes place in the grim land of Lordran, where the player, as the “Chosen Undead,” must gather the souls of powerful beings and kindle the First Flame. The game has no branching dialogues or excessive nonlinearity, but that does not mean it has only one ending. Dark Souls takes every player action into account and builds a logical narrative around it.

All locations here are connected into one large seamless world. Every nook and dark corner contains mysteries and secrets. The gameplay is partly similar to a metroidvania, with a hardcore combat system and role-playing mechanics added on top. Character progression and equipment selection significantly affect overall progress. Side quests have nonlinearity and influence the main story.

Unlike many other RPGs, Dark Souls does not rely on literary prose or deeply written characters. Players have to gather all story information from the surrounding world. This feature gives the game a deep and multilayered narrative. Dark Souls received high scores from the press and enthusiastic player reviews. Years later, it became a role model for many other projects.

Bloodborne is FromSoftware's best game and a major project for PlayStation 4. Yes, it is another Soulslike from Hidetaka Miyazaki, but a very high-quality and carefully crafted one. The game takes place in the gloomy city of Yharnam, where the locals suffer from a mysterious epidemic. The disease turns people into horrific creatures, which special hunters are forced to exterminate.

Bloodborne's combat system differs sharply from Dark Souls. In the latter, you could hide behind a shield while the enemy attacked, but in the new game you have to be aggressive and attack at every convenient opportunity. In Bloodborne, you can easily recover part of lost health through lightning-fast counterattacks. In addition, every weapon has its own transformation, which gives great variety in playstyles. The game world is filled with side quests, mysteries, and secrets.

Bloodborne is known for a stunning art style. The designers embodied a combination of the Victorian era and Lovecraftian gothic in Yharnam. Critics praised the project for its style, combat system, and atmosphere. Many players call Bloodborne the best Sony exclusive in PlayStation history. Years later, the project gained cult status. Millions of fans are still waiting for a remake or a re-release on modern platforms.

Dark Souls 3 is an action RPG developed by FromSoftware. The game takes place in the dark and cruel world of Lothric, where players take on the role of a resurrected hero who must gather the power of the Lords of Cinder and prevent the coming of the Eternal Night.

Dark Souls 3 became the final entry in the series and consisted of the best elements of the studio's games. The locations turned out spectacular and visually pleasing. The combat system gained elements from Bloodborne and also became faster and smoother compared to previous Dark Souls games. Boss fights became even more epic and multi-stage. The game has beautiful graphics and a stunning soundtrack. No wonder it received high scores from the press and became the fan community's favorite entry in the series.

Elden Ring is a massive open-world Soulslike RPG from FromSoftware, created as a collaboration between Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R. R. Martin. The game was released on February 25, 2022, for PC and all current consoles, sold over 28 million copies, and won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2022. The action takes place in the Lands Between — a giant fantasy world whose lore Martin wrote separately several years before release. The player controls a Tarnished, an exile seeking the shards of the Elden Ring in order to become the new lord.

Unlike previous Souls games, Elden Ring offers a huge open world: riding the spectral steed Torrent, you can explore Limgrave, Liurnia, Caelid, Altus, and underground locations. The combat system preserves the series' signature hardcore nature, but gives more freedom — stealth backstabs in an assassin style, build creation through more than 100 weapons and over 20 spells, and summonable Spirit Ash helpers. In June 2024, the large expansion Shadow of the Erdtree was released, which many critics called “the best DLC in history” — it sold 5 million copies in three days. And in May 2025, FromSoftware experimentally released the spin-off Elden Ring Nightreign — a three-player co-op game that was also warmly received. Today, Elden Ring is an essential stop for any fan of role-playing games.

Black Myth: Wukong is a Chinese Action-RPG with Soulslike elements from Game Science, released on August 20, 2024, for PC and PS5, and on August 20, 2025, for Xbox Series X/S. The game became the first AAA project from the Chinese industry, sold over 25 million copies in five months, and entered the Guinness World Records as the fastest-selling video game based on classic literature. The story is inspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West: the player controls the Destined One, an ape-like creature modeled after the legendary Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.

The combat system combines the Souls formula — stamina, parries, counterattacks — with Eastern acrobatics and transformation magic. The hero's main weapon is the Jingubang staff, which can grow in size: it can be spun like a pole, used to smash the ground, turned into a springboard, or extended for long-range strikes. The game's six chapters lead the player through incredibly beautiful mountain temples, overgrown caves, deserts, and villages brought to life by Buddhist and Taoist mythology. Bosses are a separate feast: huge demons, many-armed and many-headed, inspired by Eastern sculptures and folk tales. At The Game Awards 2024, the game won Best Action Game and the Players' Voice award. Built on UE5, with integrated DLSS support, Wukong looks excellent on modern hardware.

No Rest for the Wicked is an unusual Action-RPG with Soulslike elements from Moon Studios, the creators of the excellent platformer Ori and the Blind Forest. The game entered Early Access on April 18, 2024, on PC and continues to actively develop: the developers promise a full 1.0 release with a story campaign and co-op during 2026. The action takes place on the dark island of Sacra, whose population suffers from a mystical disease that turns people into monsters. The protagonist is a Cerim, a member of a secret warrior order sent to restore order and unravel the mystery of the epidemic.

The gameplay combines an isometric camera angle in the style of Diablo with a Souls combat system: attacks, parries, and dodges require precise timing and stamina management. Progression is affected not only by classic stats, but also by equipped gear, which grants additional abilities and passive effects. While exploring the island, players can gather resources, brew potions, forge weapons, and furnish their own home. In addition to the single-player playthrough, Early Access includes a “roguelike mode” with procedurally generated dungeons, four-player co-op, and PvP arenas. The visual style with hand-drawn landscapes is a separate masterpiece: every frame looks like an illustration from an old book. If you are a fan of Diablo and Dark Souls and are not afraid of Early Access, No Rest for the Wicked will fill the time until Path of Exile 2 perfectly.

JRPGs, or Japanese role-playing games, are a separate universe with their own style, aesthetic, and canon of turn-based combat systems. Here you will find bright anime styling, melodramatic stories, long cutscenes, and dozens of hours of character progression. From the Persona and Final Fantasy series to unexpected hits like Sea of Stars and the French Clair Obscur, inspired by Japanese classics — here are the best JRPGs worth playing on PC and consoles.

Persona 5 is a Japanese role-playing game with elements of turn-based battles and an everyday life simulator. It was released in Japan in 2016 and reached Western audiences a year later. The main story takes place in modern Tokyo and follows a group of high school students who become Phantom Thieves to fight corruption and social injustice.

Persona 5's gameplay is divided into two main parts: everyday life and dungeon exploration. In the first, players must attend school, make friends, and take part in various mini-games. Interacting and communicating with characters helps improve social skills and strengthen the protagonist's abilities. The second part of the gameplay focuses on exploring dungeons, where players fight enemies, solve puzzles, and collect loot. The turn-based combat system allows you to plan actions in advance and identify enemy weaknesses.

Persona 5 is one of the most stylish games in the industry. Its unique visual design and stunning soundtrack perfectly complement its distinctive and, in its own way, cozy atmosphere. The project received high scores from critics. Almost every element of Persona 5 received separate praise. Players were delighted with the Japanese role-playing game and happily spent dozens of hours in it.

Nier: Automata is a role-playing game with slasher elements, developed by Platinum Games. The main story takes place in the distant future, where Earth has been conquered by machines, and the remnants of humanity are forced to hide on the Moon. Scientists send androids to Earth so that they can defeat the invaders and give humans a chance to return to their home planet. Nier: Automata received a deeply philosophical story that touches on themes such as the nature of consciousness, free will, and the essence of humanity.

The gameplay consists of dynamic battles, platforming sections, and open-world exploration. The spectacular combat system lets players switch between characters and use different types of weapons. In addition to battles, players have to solve puzzles, take part in mini-games, and complete side quests. The role-playing system allows you to level up heroes, improve weapons, and interact with non-player characters.

Nier: Automata has an unusual visual style and a magnificent soundtrack. The character design deserves special praise. The protagonist 2B was loved by millions of gamers around the world. Critics highly praised the project for its innovation and philosophical story. Nier: Automata gained cult status and won the trust of players around the world.

Kingdom Hearts 3 is a Japanese action RPG that mixes characters from Square Enix games and Disney animated films. The main story revolves around a young man who travels through different worlds in order to stop a villain who wants to cover the universe in darkness.

The gameplay consists of dynamic combat scenes, platforming sections, and exploration of worlds from classic and modern animated films, including The Lion King, Frozen, and Pirates of the Caribbean. The combat system is a simplified slasher with various attacks, magical spells, and summons of Disney animated characters. Each in-game level has unique mini-games that add variety to the gameplay.

Kingdom Hearts 3 is a real gift for fans of classic Disney animated films, with bright characters and a unique fairy-tale atmosphere. The soundtrack includes many arrangements of famous melodies. Favorite heroes such as Goofy and Donald Duck are voiced by actors from the original animated films.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a modern version of the cult classic Japanese role-playing game, which Square Enix split into several parts because it was impossible to fit all the content into one project. The main story takes place in the fictional city of Midgar, where eco-terrorists from the Avalanche group fight against a corporation that is draining the planet's resources. The developers significantly expanded the story by adding new plotlines and deeper character development.

The gameplay combines elements of a Japanese role-playing game and dynamic real-time battles. The combat system consists of switching between characters and using abilities. Instead of standard genre progression and equipment use, the game has the original Materia system, which allows players to customize and improve characters' abilities. The game world is filled with side quests and mini-games that dilute the linear narrative.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake was developed on Unreal Engine 4. Its graphics still impress with their detail and unique design. The soundtrack received new arrangements of classic melodies. Critics and fans were completely delighted after playing Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Four years later, Square Enix released a continuation of the main story, while the final chapter will arrive in the third part.

Shin Megami Tensei 5 is a Japanese role-playing game developed by the creators of the Persona series. Initially, the project was exclusive to Nintendo Switch, but in 2024 it was released on other platforms as an improved edition. The main story takes place in post-apocalyptic Tokyo, where the protagonist becomes involved in a struggle between the forces of light and darkness. The story of the fifth entry turned out dark and philosophical. Every decision made by the player affects the fate of the game world.

Shin Megami Tensei 5's gameplay consists of elements of a classic role-playing game and turn-based tactical strategy. Players can explore an open world where they need to talk to characters and collect demons that can be used as allies in combat. The demon recruitment and fusion system became the key feature of the fifth entry. In the turn-based combat system, it is important to think strategically and find enemy weaknesses.

Shin Megami Tensei 5 is a stylish game with outstanding visuals. The excellent soundtrack adds tension and drama. The fifth entry received high scores from the press and enthusiastic player reviews. After the re-release on all major platforms, the game gained a second wind and became popular around the world.

Tales of Arise is the 17th entry in the role-playing series popular in Asia. The story follows the conflict between two worlds — Dahna and Rena. The protagonists, who come from these worlds, unite into one team to find a way to reconcile the warring worlds. The main story is full of emotional moments, drama, and themes of fighting for freedom and justice.

The gameplay consists of RPG and slasher elements. The player can control a team of several characters, each with unique skills and abilities. The spectacular combat system allows free movement around the arena and the use of combo attacks. Outside battles, players explore scenic locations, talk to characters, and complete story missions.

Stylistically, Tales of Arise resembles a good anime series. The game even has a special technology built in that turns the graphics into something like a hand-drawn animated film. The project was liked by both critics and players.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a Japanese role-playing game set in an open and detailed world. It was released exclusively for Nintendo Switch. The main story was similar to the previous year's Tales of Arise, where two heroes from different factions were forced to unite and put an end to an eternal war. The gameplay consists of classic RPG elements and action, with combo attacks and switching between characters. Exploration of the open world is an important part of the game: players have to talk to NPCs and complete side quests.

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is one of the most beautiful games on Nintendo Switch. The developers did colossal work optimizing the game world while preserving the visual beauty of the local locations. The project received high scores from the press and the title of one of the best Japanese role-playing games of recent years.

Sea of Stars is a role-playing game inspired by classic JRPGs such as Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana. The main story takes place in a magical world, where two children try to stop an evil alchemist and save everyone from approaching darkness. The gameplay consists of classic RPG elements and turn-based battles involving several characters. In combat, players have to use spells wisely and interact with the environment.

Sea of Stars has a bright and memorable visual style. The graphics are done in pixel art, with detailed animations and beautiful landscapes. The game world is filled with puzzles, interesting characters, and secrets. The music was written by the composer of the classic Chrono Trigger entries. Sea of Stars received high scores from the press and enthusiastic player reviews.

Persona 3 Reload is a remake of the cult classic role-playing game from Atlus. The original, released in 2006, became a true hit and was loved by millions of gamers around the world thanks to its unique combination of JRPG elements and social simulation. The developers released an improved version with new graphics, a refined story, and gameplay rebuilt from scratch. The remake preserved the spirit of the original while meeting all modern standards.

The story of Persona 3 Reload once again places players in the role of a high school student who joins a mysterious group called SEES (Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad). Their task is to fight Shadows — sinister creatures that appear during the mysterious Dark Hour. You will have to explore the multilayered dungeons of Tartarus, fight Shadows, and develop relationships with other characters, which directly affects their abilities and the strength of their Personas.

Persona 3 Reload's gameplay combines turn-based battles and social simulation elements, with players spending time both in dungeons and in everyday school life. The remake received a new visual style, improved animations, and a completely re-recorded soundtrack that made the project even more engaging and atmospheric. Persona 3 Reload received high scores from the press and sold very well. After the success of the fifth entry, a new audience paid attention to the third game and warmly embraced it.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is the continuation of the remake of one of the best Japanese role-playing games in history. This project is effectively the second part of the remake series and continues the story begun in Final Fantasy 7 Remake. The sequel not only expanded the game world by offering players new locations, characters, and storylines, but also supplemented the original story. Unlike the previous part, this project turned out more complex and much broader in terms of rich content.

The main story follows Cloud Strife and his friends, who oppose the powerful Shinra corporation and the mysterious Sephiroth. Unlike the previous part, whose events take place within the metropolis of Midgar, Rebirth features an open world made up of three continents: western, eastern, and northern. The continents, in turn, are divided into several large regions that differ from one another in climate, terrain, flora, and fauna. The developers made serious changes to the story, particularly to key events. At the same time, they tried to preserve a balance between respect for the classic and the introduction of new elements.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth received an improved combat system combining elements of turn-based tactics and dynamic action battles. Players can use each character's unique abilities and combine their attacks for maximum effect. The project received graphics that look modern by industry standards and an incredible soundtrack. Unfortunately, Rebirth was released exclusively on PS5, which could not reveal its full visual potential. For the sake of performance, the developers had to lower the resolution and blur the image. Despite the rough edges, the remake received very high scores from the press and was liked by players.

Metaphor: ReFantazio is another role-playing game from Atlus, a studio known for projects such as Persona and Shin Megami Tensei. The developers tried to bring a fresh perspective to the JRPG genre by adding modern aesthetics and unconventional mythology to medieval fantasy. Metaphor: ReFantazio is a large-scale game that is not inferior to the ambitious Persona 5 in terms of length and amount of content.

The story revolves around a silent protagonist who gathers a group of like-minded companions to save the world from an approaching catastrophe. Players will explore a variety of locations — from ancient ruins to magical forests — and face many enemies and puzzles. The characters have memorable abilities, and the heroes themselves are written in great detail, which adds depth to the narrative and variety to the gameplay. Relationships between the heroes also play an important role in ReFantazio. They affect not only the development of the story, but also the outcome of battles.

Metaphor: ReFantazio's gameplay is very similar to the studio's previous Atlus projects. It is a classic Japanese role-playing game with turn-based battles where you need to look for enemy weaknesses. Exploration of a semi-open world is combined with a calendar system and social simulation elements. Outside battles, you can spend hours talking to companions and taking part in various mini-games. ReFantazio received a bright and expressive anime style. The graphics do not strain the eye and work harmoniously with the unique interface.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a game from the French studio Sandfall Interactive, based in Montpellier, and the debut project of a team of 30 developers. The game was released on April 24, 2025, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S — at launch, also in Game Pass — and literally became the phenomenon of the year: 8 million copies sold by April 2026, and a record 9 awards out of 13 nominations at The Game Awards 2025, including Game of the Year. It is the first debut project to win GOTY at all five major ceremonies — TGA, Golden Joystick, BAFTA, GDC, and DICE — repeating the achievement of Baldur's Gate 3.

The action takes place in a dark fantasy world inspired by France's Belle Époque. Every year, a mysterious Paintress draws a number on a giant monolith, and all people of that age instantly disappear — this ritual is called the Gommage. The residents of the city of Lumière send expeditions to the monolith every year to stop her, but most perish. The player takes control of Expedition 33, whose members have only one year left before their own Gommage. The combat system is a hybrid of turn-based JRPGs such as Final Fantasy and Legend of Dragoon, with real-time parrying mechanics, dodges, and QTEs: you do not just passively watch enemy attacks, but can deflect them for counterattacks. Each character — Gustave, Maelle, Kai, Sciel, Lune, and Verso — has a unique combat system, as we discussed in our Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review. An emotional story about the fleeting nature of life, superb music by composer Lorien Testard, and a striking style make Expedition 33 one of the brightest RPGs of the decade.

Looter RPGs, or Hack & Slash RPGs, are the most compulsive subgenre of role-playing games. There is no deep story here, but there is endless loot, an isometric perspective, hordes of monsters, and the assembly of the perfect build. The Diablo series set the canon, Path of Exile improved it, Path of Exile 2 reimagined it, and Torchlight 2 showed that the genre could be made charming and accessible to a broad audience. Here you will find the best Diablo-likes, or Diablo clones, for endless grinding.

Diablo 3 was the most desired game of 2012. Millions of fans lined up in kilometer-long queues to get a boxed disc on release day. A true celebration of the kind that the “old” Blizzard knew how to create. Yes, in those years the cult classic studio did not spend its energy on inclusivity and representation, but devoted all its time to creating unique worlds.

This is a role-playing game with action elements, where loot collection and character progression come first. The available classes were barbarian, witch doctor, monk, demon hunter, and wizard. Players had to explore dungeons, fight crowds of monsters, and assemble powerful builds. In the third game, the developers seriously improved the endgame, which offered not only PvP battles, but also seasonal challenges with strong rewards.

Critics highly praised the third entry, while fans split into two camps. Some were completely delighted with the sequel, while others disliked Diablo 3 for its cartoonish style and simplified gameplay. The game became commercially successful, and the expansions Reaper of Souls and Rise of the Necromancer added new classes, zones, and storylines.

Torchlight 2 was created by former Blizzard North developers, whose main office was shut down during the development of Diablo 3 while its work-in-progress materials were taken over. Since the team had enormous experience creating action RPGs and had effectively shaped many of the genre's core elements, their game was anticipated almost as much as Diablo's third entry.

Players can choose from four heroes: the Engineer, Berserker, Embermage, and Outlander. Each has their own abilities and distinctive style. The core gameplay does not differ much from Diablo: players explore procedurally generated levels, gather resources, and develop their fighters. Torchlight 2's key strengths were flexible build customization and the ability to take a pet on the journey. Its loot system was more advanced than Diablo 3's, and the gameplay itself felt noticeably fresher.

Torchlight 2 received high scores from critics and enthusiastic player reviews. Many genre fans call it the true heir to Diablo 2 and one of the best action RPGs ever made.

Path of Exile is a Diablo 2 clone with deep gameplay, enormous progression options, and multiplayer. The game's universe is a grim and brutal world where the main characters arrive as exiles. Unlike many other action RPGs, Path of Exile was aimed at hardcore fans who disliked Diablo 3 for being too simple and accessible.

The gameplay is built around constant battles, loot collection, and character progression. The key feature of the role-playing system is its branching passive skill tree, which allows players to create flexible subclasses. The ability system is based on gems that can be inserted into equipment. The project made a major step forward for the action RPG genre and noticeably influenced later games.

Thanks to its free-to-play model and constant updates, the game became very popular. It remains relevant today and is actively supported by a multimillion-player audience. Critics praised Path of Exile and called it Diablo's main competitor.

Diablo 4 is the continuation of one of the most important action RPG series in the industry. The main story takes place in the dark and brutal world of Sanctuary, where Lilith, daughter of the demon Mephisto, has returned. She seeks to seize power and bring chaos into the world. Players must stop the daughter of darkness and her followers, while also exterminating the evil that has overrun once-peaceful lands.

The gameplay of the fourth entry combines classic elements of the series: dynamic battles against crowds of enemies, characters with unique abilities and skill sets, collecting and upgrading gear, multilayered progression, and participation in various events. Diablo 4's key feature is its open world, which allows players to freely explore different regions, help other players, take part in large-scale events, fight in PvP arenas, clear strongholds, and much more.

Diablo 4's visual style is inspired by the second game. After the visually divisive third entry, the new game returned to the roots of the series — to a darker aesthetic. The soundtrack was also created under the influence of tracks from the original duology. The project received very high scores from the press and enthusiastic player reviews. Fans were satisfied that Blizzard had heard their requests and made the game in the spirit of the legendary second entry. The 2026 expansion Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred also deserves praise.

Path of Exile 2 is a standalone sequel to the Diablo-like Path of Exile from the New Zealand studio Grinding Gear Games. The game entered Early Access on December 6, 2024, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, while the full 1.0 release is planned for 2026.

Unlike the first Path of Exile and its chaotic “cloud of skills,” the sequel focuses on tactical combat with button-based dodges, parries, and Souls-style boss fights — every location ends with a serious boss with unique mechanics. Twelve starting classes, including the new Druid with transformations into a wolf, bear, and wyvern added in update 0.4 in December 2025, and 240 active skills open up phenomenal room for builds. Another major advantage is ethical monetization in the spirit of the original: cosmetics only. If you like Diablo but are tired of its simplification, Path of Exile 2 should work for you.

Classic role-playing games are the foundation of the entire genre. Without Fallout, Planescape: Torment, and Baldur's Gate 2, there would be no Disco Elysium or Baldur's Gate 3. Without Morrowind, there would be no Skyrim; without Gothic, there would be no Risen or Elex. These RPGs from the 90s and early 2000s still live on in Steam, GOG, and modding communities. If you love role-playing games but have never played the classics, it is time to fix that. It is also worth noting that these projects run on older systems, which makes them some of the best RPGs for low-end PCs.

Outdated graphics — already outdated even at release back in 1998 — did not stop Fallout from gaining cult status. The reason is that the game gets the key parts of a great RPG right: an interesting setting, well-written dialogue, memorable characters, and impressive freedom of action. Fallout also makes excellent use of black humor and references to popular works of mass culture.

The sequel has even more black humor than the first game. And not only that. Fallout 2 is a game of impressive scale, with dozens of hours of engaging content and a huge number of carefully developed quests, locations, and enemies. Still, before playing it, you should go through the original to see how the world has changed.

If the D&D universe seems bland or even somewhat boring to you, you should definitely play Planescape: Torment. The game lets you explore lesser-known but completely unique corners of the Dungeons & Dragons setting: its characters and locations are so strange that you almost certainly have not seen anything like them.

Despite some outdated mechanics, Baldur's Gate 2 feels surprisingly modern as an RPG. Today's role-playing adventures still owe a great deal to BioWare's masterpiece and continue to borrow ideas from a game released 25 years ago.

Deus Ex is a game with no obvious weaknesses. Everything here works: from a story that plays with popular conspiracy theories to gameplay that gives the player plenty of ways to complete the same mission.

We already mentioned this game above when talking about its modern remake. Today, the creators of many open-world projects like to talk about realistic life simulation, but if you play the first Gothic, modern developers' achievements will start to look less impressive. Piranha Bytes created a remarkably believable world back in 2001, while other companies are still trying to catch up.

A spiritual successor to the first Fallout, with similar strengths: a complex story and difficult decisions. Thematically, however, the games are completely different. Arcanum is not an RPG about life after the end of the world, but about the conflict between technology and magic.

An example of an ideal sequel. Gothic 2 used the foundation of the first game and developed it into something bigger. The world became larger and more varied, the combat became less irritating, and the quests became far more complex.

Still the best Star Wars game, with one of the most interesting and epic stories in the franchise. The plot of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and its famous narrative twist make it stand out from the rest. You can even play it on a phone.

The second Knights of the Old Republic did not influence the RPG genre as strongly as the first game, but you will still find plenty of franchise fans who prefer the sequel. Why? Many players believe that KOTOR 2 has better dialogue and a stronger story, since it deals with difficult themes.

Vampire games are not exactly rare, but good ones do not come around often. Bloodlines is not merely good — it is the best of them. Its outstanding atmosphere, mature story themes, and vivid characters are so strong that fans regularly return to the game and continue releasing unofficial patches for it.

Few RPGs have the same charm as the first Fable. It is cozy, funny, and generally extremely welcoming. At the same time, the game sometimes forces you out of your comfort zone and throws moral dilemmas at you. One curious detail: the hero's appearance changes based on the decisions you make.

Over the past 10 years, the indie RPG scene has produced dozens of unique projects that do not fit neatly into any standard category. Undertale, Darkest Dungeon, The Banner Saga, Pentiment, Disco Elysium — each of these role-playing games stepped away from the mainstream and found its own audience. Here are unusual indie RPGs on PC and consoles for those who are tired of yet another fair-haired fantasy hero and want something genuinely fresh. Most of these role-playing projects run on any average hardware, making them an ideal entry point into the genre for players without a powerful gaming PC.

Games based on the animated series South Park had never really stood out among other media-franchise projects. But everything changed when the talented studio Obsidian took on the RPG. The team tried to transfer the spirit of the show into a game as faithfully as possible and worked closely with its creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone. The story of The Stick of Truth revolves around the new kid in town, who joins an epic fantasy adventure organized by the local children. Together with the show's key characters, he must fight for possession of a powerful artifact — the Stick of Truth.

South Park: The Stick of Truth is closest to a Japanese role-playing game, with turn-based battles, side quests, exploration of large locations, and a fairly linear narrative. The project's main highlight is its faithfulness to the source material and sharp humor. The developers had to work hard to adapt the show's style into a video game.

Critics and players really liked the South Park RPG. They unanimously praised it for its engaging gameplay, witty humor, and loyalty to the original.

The Banner Saga is a tactical role-playing game developed by former BioWare employees. The project's key feature is its visual style, which resembles early Disney animated films. The excellent atmosphere of Norse mythology is complemented by a magnificent soundtrack composed by Austin Wintory. Despite a relatively modest budget, the creators managed to build a distinctive RPG with an epic story and high replay value.

The gameplay of The Banner Saga consists of a road-movie-style adventure and turn-based battles. Players have to carefully monitor their caravan's resources, make difficult decisions, and literally survive in combat. The project punishes inattention harshly and makes reckless actions costly. The story is full of moral dilemmas that directly affect not only the course of the narrative, but also the fate of key characters.

Critics liked The Banner Saga. They unanimously called it one of the best indie games in history. Players also appreciated the project from former BioWare developers. Its commercial success allowed the team to release a full trilogy: after completing the first game, players have two more full-fledged RPGs ahead of them — Banner Saga 2 (2016) and Banner Saga 3 (2018), which complete the story of the caravan and the final battle with the Black Serpent. All three games can be purchased together in The Banner Saga Trilogy on Steam.

Darkest Dungeon is a role-playing game funded through Kickstarter donations. The developers came up with an interesting game-design premise built around tactical turn-based battles, roguelike elements, and character progression. Players have to explore grim dungeons and fight monsters. The main story goal is to cleanse the estate of evil forces and uncover the mystery of its origin.

Darkest Dungeon is a very hardcore game. The player must constantly monitor not only the characters' health, but also their mental state. Each hero is unique and has their own abilities. While exploring dungeons, they are constantly exposed to stress, which has a damaging effect on their emotional perception of the adventure. The combat system uses a 2D style. In addition to choosing the right heroes and abilities, the player must also consider each character's position on the battlefield.

Stylistically, Darkest Dungeon resembles the comics of Mike Mignola. The oppressive and gloomy atmosphere strengthens the sense of hopelessness. The music leans into gothic motifs. Critics were impressed by the unusual role-playing game. Players quickly fell in love with Darkest Dungeon and elevated it to cult status.

Undertale is an unusual role-playing game by solo developer Toby Fox. Immediately after release, the project drew attention thanks to its unique approach to RPG mechanics and unconventional storytelling. The story takes place in an underground world inhabited by monsters, where the protagonist accidentally ends up. Their goal is to return to the surface while solving the problems of the local creatures along the way.

The gameplay differs from what we are used to seeing in traditional role-playing projects. Players always have a choice: fight enemies or find a peaceful way to resolve the conflict. Battles take the form of mini-games where the protagonist must dodge attacks and perform certain actions. The number of kills changes the story and ending. The narrative is filled with humor, deeper themes, and touching scenes.

Undertale stands out for its carefully written characters and multilayered story. The visuals use simplified pixel art. Critics were delighted by the experience. The project quickly gained cult-classic status and is recommended to every gamer without exception.

The undisputed leader of the past three years is Baldur's Gate 3 (2023) from Larian: AAA-level production, classic party-based combat built on D&D 5e rules, and phenomenal variability made it the winner of all major awards in 2023. In 2025, its formal successor is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33: the debut project from France's Sandfall Interactive won Game of the Year at TGA 2025 and broke BG3's record for the number of awards — 9 out of 13 nominations. If you are specifically looking for an open-world RPG, then your best choices are Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (2025) or Cyberpunk 2077 after patch 2.0 and the Phantom Liberty expansion.

The closest classic party-based RPGs in spirit are Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, with its huge scale and wild build variety; Divinity: Original Sin 2 from the same Larian; and Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire, with sea voyages and pirate islands. Among newer releases, try Pentiment and Avowed. If you want to move away from isometric RPGs while keeping narrative depth, try The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt or the Mass Effect series.

The main RPG releases of 2025 are Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (April), Avowed (February), Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (February), The Outer Worlds 2 (October), and The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered (April). Among earlier releases that remain relevant, there are Dragon's Dogma 2 (2024), Black Myth: Wukong (2024), and Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2024). In Early Access, the main candidate is Path of Exile 2.

The best entry points into the genre are Dragon Age: Origins, a classic fantasy RPG with understandable mechanics; The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, with an open world, excellent story, and accessible difficulty; Mass Effect 2, a space opera focused on characters; and Persona 5, for fans of JRPGs and anime. Among isometric RPGs, Divinity: Original Sin 2 and Baldur's Gate 3 are both fairly beginner-friendly on lower difficulty settings.

The clear leader is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015) with the Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine expansions. In second place is Cyberpunk 2077 after patch 2.0 and Phantom Liberty. Among the classics, there is The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim (2011), which still has a huge modding community. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 (2025) and Dragon's Dogma 2 (2024) also deserve attention. If you like fantasy classics with a historical angle, take a look at The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered (2025).

Isometric CRPGs are usually not demanding on hardware: Planescape: Torment, Fallout and Fallout 2, Baldur's Gate 2, Pillars of Eternity, Tyranny, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Among 3D projects, Dragon Age: Origins, Mass Effect, The Witcher, and Fallout: New Vegas still run well on almost any modern office laptop. Most classic role-playing games from the corresponding section of the article will also work for owners of weaker hardware.

What is your favorite role-playing game of recent years? Tell us in the comments.

Our list of the 75 best role-playing games covers three decades of the genre — from 1997's Fallout to the 2025 GOTY winner Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. That does not mean it includes everything: several recent RPGs that also deserve attention did not make it into the TOP 75, especially if you have already finished the main list and are looking for something else to play on PC or consoles.

Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon (May 2025) is a Polish “pocket Skyrim” from Awaken Realms, based on the studio's tabletop game of the same name. After two years in Early Access, the game reached version 1.0 and received enthusiastic reviews for its dense atmosphere of dark Arthurian mythology, well-written dialogue, and a combat system with dodges and parries in the spirit of Souls. The budget is AA, but the game was made with care — an ideal “while we wait for the sixth game” candidate for TES fans.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers (July 2025) is a Chinese Action-RPG with Soulslike mechanics, spiritually following in the footsteps of Black Myth: Wukong. It takes place during the Ming dynasty, and the protagonist is a female warrior suffering from a mystical disease called Feathering. The game arrived in Game Pass immediately and became a strong alternative for those who finished Wukong and want another Chinese open-world Soulslike.

Vampire: The Masquerade — Bloodlines 2 (October 2025) is the long-awaited sequel to the cult 2004 Action-RPG. After more than 20 years of waiting, several developer changes, and many delays, the game finally came out. In the end, it received mixed reviews on Steam and a score of 67 on Metacritic: many fans complain about its linearity compared to the original. But if you are interested in the World of Darkness universe and vampire gameplay with six clans to choose from, Bloodlines 2 deserves a chance. Especially on sale.

It is also worth taking a closer look at Crimson Desert from South Korea's Pearl Abyss — a large-scale open-world fantasy Action-RPG that drew an impressive online audience on Steam in 2026 — and the remasters Trails in the Sky and Dragon Quest 1+2 HD-2D for fans of classic JRPGs.

Our list of the best RPGs is regularly updated as major role-playing games are released on PC and consoles — PS5, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch 2. Check back later for fresh 2026 releases: we will continue adding new role-playing projects to the list.