Best RPGs of All Time — 10 Role-Playing Games You Can't Miss
The definitive list of role-playing games that shaped the genre.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an open-world action role-playing game developed by CD Projekt Red. Set in a dark fantasy world, the game follows Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter searching for his adopted daughter, Ciri, while navigating political conflicts and supernatural threats. Gameplay features exploration, combat, character progression, and branching narratives shaped by player choices. Widely acclaimed for its writing, world-building, and depth, it is considered one of the most influential RPGs of its generation.
Baldur's Gate III
An ancient evil has returned to Baldur's Gate, intent on devouring it from the inside out. The fate of Faerun lies in your hands. Alone, you may resist. But together, you can overcome.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Returning after his mother's murder to the semi-fictional city of Los Santos (based on Los Angeles), Carl Johnson, a former gang banger, must take back the streets for his family and friends by gaining respect and once again gaining control over the streets. However, a story filled with crime, lies and corruption will lead him to trudge the entire state of San Andreas (based on California and Nevada) to rebuild his life.
Final Fantasy VII
The Western release of Final Fantasy VII (released as Final Fantasy VII International in Japan) included additional elements and alterations, such as streamlining of the menu and Materia system, reducing the health of enemies, new visual cues to help with navigation across the world map, and additional cutscenes relating to Cloud's past.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Skyrim reimagines and revolutionizes the open-world fantasy epic, bringing to life a complete virtual world open for you to explore any way you choose. Play any type of character you can imagine, and do whatever you want; the legendary freedom of choice, storytelling, and adventure of The Elder Scrolls is realized like never before.
Rocket League
Rocket League is a high-powered hybrid of arcade-style soccer and vehicular mayhem with easy-to-understand controls and fluid, physics-driven competition. Rocket League includes casual and competitive Online Matches, a fully-featured offline Season Mode, special “Mutators” that let you change the rules entirely, hockey and basketball-inspired Extra Modes, and more than 500 trillion possible cosmetic customization combinations.
The Last of Us Part II
The Last of Us Part II is an action-adventure game set five years after the events of The Last of Us. The player traverses post-apocalyptic environments such as buildings and forests to advance the story. They can use firearms, improvised weapons, and stealth to defend against hostile humans and cannibalistic creatures infected by a mutated strain of the Cordyceps fungus. The game intermittently switches control between Ellie and Abby, and also briefly Joel in the opening sequence. The nimble nature of the player character introduces platforming elements, allowing the player to jump and climb to traverse environments and gain advantages during combat.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the first 3D open-world game in the Zelda series. Link can travel anywhere and be equipped with weapons and armor found throughout the world to grant him various bonuses. Unlike many games in the series, Breath of the Wild does not impose a specific order in which quests or dungeons must be completed. While the game still has environmental obstacles such as weather effects, inhospitable lands, or powerful enemies, many of them can be overcome using the right method. A lot of critics ranked Breath of the Wild as one of the best video games of all time.
Grand Theft Auto V
Grand Theft Auto V is a vast open world game set in Los Santos, a sprawling sun-soaked metropolis struggling to stay afloat in an era of economic uncertainty and cheap reality TV. The game blends storytelling and gameplay in new ways as players repeatedly jump in and out of the lives of the game’s three lead characters, playing all sides of the game’s interwoven story.
Elden Ring
Elden Ring is an action RPG developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, released in February 2022. Directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, with world-building contributions from novelist George R. R. Martin, the game features an expansive open world called the Lands Between. Players assume the role of a customisable character known as the Tarnished, who must explore this world, battle formidable enemies, and seek to restore the Elden Ring to become the Elden Lord. The game builds on the challenging gameplay mechanics familiar from the Dark Souls series but introduces a more open-ended structure with vast exploration, dynamic weather, and a day-night cycle. It offers deep lore, complex characters, and an interconnected world filled with secrets, dungeons, and powerful bosses.