What are the best RPGs on PS4? Well, the PS4 is home to a vast library role-playing games. From MMOs and open world epics to niche Japanese RPGs (or JRPGs) and traditional adventures stuffed with text, there's something for just about everyone. It's an expansive genre in which East meets West, and we see numerous takes on a similar formula.
As alluded, the PS4 has been blessed with a colossal RPG catalogue. Some of the greatest RPGs of our time have graced the console, with the likes of The Witcher 3 and Persona 5 setting new standards for the genre.
You can quite easily lose hundreds upon hundreds of hours to a quality RPG, but most fans will no doubt tell you that the investment is worthwhile. Stories, characters, world building — these elements are often pushed to the front of an RPG, and when explored correctly, they can create some of the most engrossing adventures in all of gaming.
All of the RPGs that you'll find in this article have been ranked and rated by Push Square users. You can influence the list yourself by rating your favourite RPGs, either by clicking on the star icon next to each title, or visiting individual game pages.
You can also use the below search box to find the games that you want to rate:
Please note, however, that games need a minimum of 30 individual ratings to be included in this guide.
Below is a list of the best RPGs on PS4. Again, there's a huge amount of variety here, from traditional JRPGs to open world WRPGs, which makes carving out a top 50 rather difficult. Still, this is what we've got based on ratings from the Push Square community.
50. Assassin's Creed Origins (PS4)
A stunning recreation of ancient Egypt is the backdrop for Assassin's Creed Origins — a game that redefined Ubisoft's series. Going full open world and throwing a bunch of RPG systems into the mix, Origins breathed new life into Assassin's Creed after Unity and Syndicate struggled to leave a lasting impression. Origins follows the surprisingly emotional story of Bayek, a determined mystic and warrior, who, with the help of his estranged wife Aya, establishes the Hidden Ones — the precursor organisation that would one day become the Assassin Brotherhood.
49. Final Fantasy V Pixel Remaster (PS4)
Final Fantasy V is arguably one of the series' most underrated mainline titles. This could be because the fantastic Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy VII succeeded it, but V still tells a decent (if predictable) story, and a very in-depth job system makes it a lot of fun to play. Its only real problem lies in its cast of characters, who are all fairly unmemorable — but if you're not too bothered about caring for Bartz and the gang, there's a lot of enjoyment to be found in the rock solid gameplay.
48. South Park: The Fractured But Whole (PS4)
What do you get if you cross Ubisoft, superheroes, and a bunch of foul-mouthed friends made of felt? The answer is South Park: The Fractured But Whole, of course. This sequel to the also brilliant South Park: The Stick of Truth swaps out fantasy for modern vigilante justice, as your custom character joins forces with Cartman's crew to fight evil. Featuring strategic turn-based combat, the titular town to explore, and all the absurd humour you'd expect, this is a highly entertaining game for fans and newcomers.
47. Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen (PS4)
One of the very best action RPGs of modern times, Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is better than ever on PS4, where its last-gen framerate issues are put to the sword. Subtle storytelling combines with a dark fantasy world to create an enthralling experience, and the combat is still miles ahead of almost everything else in the genre. A game deserving of far more praise than many are prepared to give.
46. Nioh (PS4)
Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja's first attempt at creating a Soulslike actually worked out really well. Nioh is a more fast paced action RPG, set in a twisted feudal Japan, now overrun with all manner of monsters and demons. It's tough as nails, but an abundance of loot combined with satisfying combat makes for a moreish adventure. The story's surprisingly interesting as well, as main character William Adams comes face to face with various historical warlords.
45. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel (PS4)
Falcom's long-running The Legend of Heroes series started a whole new story arc with Trails of Cold Steel. The first game in a four-part saga, it follows the trials and tribulations of Rean Schwarzer, who attends a prestigious military academy. In classic high school anime fashion, Rean gets to meet all kinds of people, as the game establishes both the Erebonian Empire as a setting, and his classmates as key characters. An engrossing RPG at its best, topped off with a great turn-based combat system.
44. Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age (PS4)
Final Fantasy XII was and still is a divisive game, but despite its PS2 origins, we would argue that it's aged extremely well. XII opts for a more serious story involving political puppeteering and a hefty dose of wartime drama, but it's the sense of adventure that makes the game so endearing. Excellently crafted environments are a joy to explore, and a brilliantly worked job system lets you tweak your party however you like. However, its Gambit system isn't for everyone, as it essentially lets you program your characters so that you don't have to lift a finger during combat. This allows for some impressive technical depth, but, you know, a lot of Final Fantasy fans like pushing buttons every now and then.
43. Yakuza: Like a Dragon (PS4)
A completely different approach in terms of gameplay, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a turn based RPG that takes heavy inspiration from the likes of Dragon Quest. For the first time in SEGA's main series, Kazuma Kiryu is stripped of his duties as a protagonist, replaced by the supremely endearing Ichiban Kasuga and his party of crazy characters. While the adventure still has story ties to previous entries, Like a Dragon is something of a rebirth — and it's fantastic fun.
42. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Special Edition (PS4)
Bethesda's eternal open world RPG got a much needed update on PS4 thanks to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Special Edition. The original PS3 version was a technical mess, but the sprawling adventure is, as you'd hope, much improved one generation later. Featuring enhanced visuals (and a steady framerate!), it's still so easy to get lost in the snowy setting of Skyrim. It might be riddled with decade-old jank, but its gameplay systems are still super addictive, constantly rewarding you for exploring what is a lovingly crafted fantasy world.
41. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life (PS4)
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life concludes the story of long-standing protagonist Kazuma Kiryu. Now nearing 50, a tired-looking Kiryu is once again forced to take action when his loved ones are placed in danger. When it released in 2016, Yakuza 6 was easily the best looking game in the series, thanks to the all-new Dragon Engine. However, unlike Yakuza 4 and Yakuza 5, Yakuza 6 does not feature multiple protagonists. Instead, it focuses solely on Kiryu, in what is an intensely personal conclusion.
Comments 180
Valkyria Chronicles is amazing if you haven't played it yet give it a try guys.
Also, if you are on the verge give FFXV a try, it's the most engaging and bold JRPG I played this generation... and I wasn't really expecting to like it. The guys are NOT the emo/dark fest they seem to be from the images.
Have to play NIER!
That top 5, so good. Hard to argue with that.
Still no love for South Park stick of Truth or Fractured Butthole
I'm sure Octopath Traveler will get a PS4 release at the very least. UE4, easy conversion.
@Knuckles-Fajita Will it make the top 30, though?
Can't say I agree with the list, especially with Nino Kuni being so low, while Dragon's Crown is at 16.
Other than that, it's fine. Some pretty great R.P.G.s to choose from.
@get2sammyb Hmmm. Hard to say. Yet to see any complaints beyond "Grinding" but I mean....its an RPG! So in that respect yes I suppose so.
But look forward to it in a year whenever the exclusivity runs out.
Just started Ni No Kuni 2 and so far it’s fantastic! I’d say it deserves to be a lot higher up based on what I’ve played, but I am playing a patched version of the game with difficulty levels.
Yeah...
Witcher lll is still no.1 on my gaming list. Happy to see the same here. However, I think Ghost Of Tsushima is on the same level. Perhaps even more better... we'll see soon enough.
@Feena Nier Automata is brilliant. I’ll make you a deal - if you play Nier, I’ll play FFXV. 😉 And Valkyria Chronicles is great, agree there.
Actually there are several on the list here that I still need to play.
Also Ys VIII Lacrimosa of Dana needs to be in your top ten one of the best JRPG's in recent times.
No space for the original dark souls remastered? I'm pretty early in my first play through but it seems high quality. I'm enjoying more than ds3 (which is still pretty great).
@Th3solution Deal
I feel like I'm in the minority with my feelings about the witcher 3.
Spent a truly ridiculous amount of hours roaming Dragon Age Inquisition! Some excellent suggestions here, obvious well known titles such as TW3 (which definitely earns its number one spot) plus some more overlooked titles busily adds Odin Sphere, Zodiac Age and more to wishlist
Why is Persona 5 once again not at the top spot? Blasphemy.
Dragon's Dogma really stuck out to me here. I also need to play Tales of Bersaria with its villain's story too. It looks great. Dang, my backlog though. I really need to make a good plan for how to handle that sometime.
Good list. There's plenty of games here that I really ought to play if I ever have the time.
I have played almost all of them and I do agree with most of the games, but in my opinion The Darkest Dungeon should have been there.
Not Octopath Traveller...
My top 3 :
1 - The Witcher 3
2 - Bloodborne
3 - NieR Automata
Hmm. I've played two of the top five.
Persona 5 is a lot of fun, if profoundly repetitive, overly tutorialized, and with a borderline broken combat system. Time is revealing its flaws, although it's still easily one of the most stylish games ever made.
I couldn't get into Bloodborne. Barely any explicit narrative. You just run around empty, samey-looking streets and the occasional Lovecraftian otherworld killing abominations. It has a good combat system, but the game almost feels half-finished.
No interest in Diablo. I'm sure I'll get to Horizon eventually. And, as has become tradition for me, I have to point out that I've still yet to purchase The Witcher 3.
Honestly, at this point I'm tempted to call Valkyria Chronicles the best game I've played on this list.
Next up for me on this list is Nier: Automata, as I really like what I've seen of it and heard about it.
Don't agree with the order but it's a nice comprehensive list.
My Top 10, in somewhat order:
1. Yakuza 6
2. Ni no Kuni 2
3. Lost Sphear
4. Persona 5
5. Dragon Quest Builders
6. Dragon Quest Heroes 2
7. the Swords of Ditto
8. The Witch and the Hundred Knight 2
9. Little Witch Academia: Chamber of Time
10. Earthlock
I think I am seriously playing Dragon's Crown wrong!! I bought it for my Vita because it was getting great reviews and people seemed to be enjoying it. But I just don't enjoy it!!
What am I missing??!!
RPGs that I missed that I hope eventually get released/remastered on PS4:
Final Fantasy 8
Final Fantasy 13 trilogy
Mass Effect trilogy
Yakuza, if they all get US releases, I'll buy the whole series then
@Ralizah How is the combat borderline broken? It’s hard for a 115 hour to not reveal its flaws while your playing it.
Also, you go onto a forest after the town area, so the environment changes.
Agree ni no kuni 2 pales in comparison to the original on ps3.hoping for a remaster! Second one is a quest fest lol
@Jaz007 Once you have a semi-decent spread of skills, you will inevitably all-out attack literally every random encounter in the game from that point on. Battles only last a couple of seconds with respect to actual decision-making, and there's virtually no threat to the player from them, even on hard mode. I probably saw that same animation a thousand times over the course of my playthrough.
Bloodborne had a few different types of environments, but they all felt the same to me. Probably because of the unchanging drabness of them.
If this list is in order, someone must really love Dragon's Crown to put it ahead of Skyrim. It's a good game, pretty repetitive though, but the 2-D visuals are pretty to look at. But a better RPG than Skyrim??
Nioh is a far far better game than HZD and most of the games in this list
The best eh? 30 of them? Didn't work too hard to narrow down the selection did you. Oh, but there are 30 Amazon links posted. Hope it satisfies the paymasters. Seems to have been a lot of "The best..." articles in the past week, helpfully accompanied by Amazon links. Are you having to meet a quota? Feels like it.
@JohnnyBastos Wow, websites have to make money, who'd have thunk it?!
No, the Amazon links obviously help the site out but we certainly don't rely on them.
It's no secret that guides like this do a lot of traffic, but we like to think they're helpful. We include 30 RPGs in this because all 30 of them are good, if not great games. By cutting it down to a top 20 or 30, we feel like we're not giving people the full picture.
Regardless of what some people might think, we're always working to help inform the community through top quality content. We've never put the money first and we never will.
Hell, if we were really in it for the money, we wouldn't be part of this industry to begin with.
@MDHegs Nothing. I didn't enjoy it either and kept wondering what everyone saw in it.
It's just not for everyone.
IMO lists of the best [insert genre] should include only games native to the system. FF12 (others?) should not be on this list anymore than Burnout Paradise should be on a list of the best PS4 racing games.
@Ralizah I felt like that was the point given that you were Phantom Theives and we’re supposed to ambush them with stealth. There’s a bonus you can get for defeating enemies in the first ambush round from one of the confidants too. Some of the later enemies are harder to that do since they have more HP and some lack a weakness.
Really enjoyable article, staggering amount of great games.
I was surprised to see Diablo 3 so high up the list, it's a terrific game but one that has dropped off most people's radar. Couple of games I might have included would be the Southpark titles, Prey and Deus Ex.
Games really do continue to get better and better, we are so lucky!
@ShogunRok Fair dos. I didn't realise the listicles were so popular. I visit multiple times daily specifically because of the quality of journalism. I don't begrudge the site making money by adverts or click-throughs or whatever. It just seemed like there was a glut of these 'guides' in the past two weeks, and not all of them show the same level of effort. The ones on PSPlus credit, external harddrives, or racing wheels, for example, were just a list of amazon links. No opinion, no assessment criteria, no comparison, just a description of what the thing is. Top quality content? Not in my book. The headphones one was great, that's what I'd call quality content.
Just holding you guys to the high standard you set elsewhere on the site. Not being blind to economic realities.
Updated with new entries!
@ShogunRok I'd put FFX top 10, but X-2 is one of the worst games I've ever played. If it released today it would be $15 DLC and it would still suck. I still can't believe it's even a game, a dress-up mini game at best. The beginning of the end of FF. XII was a fun game to play, but it wasn't a good FF game. The Bouncer is the beginning of the end for Squaresoft, when "graphics above all else" became the company mantra. Well at least on Sony consoles, everybody keeps raving about Octopath but I can't bring myself to play it, too old school and brown.
Great list but I disagree on 2 points:
1) Nioh deserves 10 positions more at least
2) how the Yakuza games made into the list? If so there should be also the last God of War, and in the top 5
Personally, I'll never understand the love for The Witcher 3.
Really don't agree with that list especially the top five, the overrated persona five should be in top ten,not top five and Tales of Berseria raking so low is criminal
I would put Divinity Original Sin 2 in the top 5 personally. It is fantastic.
Really enjoyable read. I would have put "the Surge" and "Infamous" in my top 30 RPGs and I definately wouldnt have dragons crown anywhere near this list.
I always think its fun to see other peoples favourites and opinions and all that... Now stop forgetting about Infamous!!
You should do a top 30 playstation exclusives. I think that would be a fun article.
God of War and Detroit should probably also be on the list by now, they have certainly sold enough copies.
@bpomber Same here, I don't get it. It doesn't do anything new as far as RPGs go, it's more or less the same game as Witcher 2. Not that every great game has to be innovative of-course, a game can be a10/10 game simply by doing typical stuff really well.
It's not that I think Witcher 3 is bad game, I would certainly rate it 6/10 or maybe 7/10. I just think it's rather boring and generic in comparison to games like Horizon Zero Dawn, Yakuza 6, Ni no Kuni 2, Nier, and well …. most of the other games on the above list.
Just a quick note to say that you're all utterly insane.
The Witcher 3 is the best game I have ever played. The quests, characters and game atmosphere put a lot of other RPGs to shame, in my opinion.
@beemo 7 times?! Blimey, you're a bigger fanboy than me! I like it.
@beemo It is definetly light on what I would call "RPG" but with the Yakuza series on here I figured it fit their criteria.
Updated with a new entry.
Tales of Beseria so low please. 🤫
For me it's Dark Souls, BloodBorne, Monster Hunter and Witcher.
Torn between Witcher and Monster Hunter for my favourite, they're both so amazing and each offers a different type of experience.
I'd say Monster Hunter for gameplay, Witcher for story and characters.
All good choices. The only one I noticed not in the list unless I missed it is Pillars of Eternity. Great game. Its only downfall is the long load times.
@bindiana +1 from me for Lacrimosa of Dana
Horizon isn't number 1, therefore your list is invalid.
I don't like RPGs, yet I love Horizon. Therefore it is clearly the best.
I have spoken. My word is law. Your opinions are irrelevant. Deal with it. 😎
(That is how the internet works these days, right?)
I know people are going to dislike my opinion, but after sinking so much time in AC: Odyssey (I still haven't finished it yet), I think I like it more than I did/do The Witcher 3. I'm not saying it's the better game, of course - just that I enjoy it more. I'm simply in awe of this game. It's incredible, and the level of depth in some of the side-quests are quite remarkable.
UPDATED!
Persona 5 should be at the top. The Witcher feels more like an action adventure game with some RPG elements. Persona 5 & Dragon Quest 11 are more faithful to the RPG genre, but popularity wins.
@OmegaYato Nah, it's factually the best RPG. Probably the best game ever made, too. Can't argue with the facts.
Kingdom Hearts III, Valkyria Chronicles 4 and Tales of Vesperia worse than the travesty that was Final Fantasy XV.
No.
@ShogunRok Highly disagree.
Does Roach ever tell Geralt when to go to bed? No. Therefore The Witcher 3 is miles better than Persona 5.
@ShogunRok Factually the best? Not with that clunky gameplay. Don’t give me that crap, like you and other toxic fanbases don’t try to argue with facts everyday.
@OmegaYato I am the facts.
Two games in the top 5 just made a beautiful crossover baby and it's amazing.
@ShogunRok Yeah, well, I'm the Alternative Facts.
Facts are simple and facts are straight
Facts are lazy and facts are late
Facts all come with points of view
Facts don't do what I want them to
@Ichiyama I'm stiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiill waiting
fact
/fakt/
noun
a thing that is known or proved to be true.
"it is a fact that The Witcher 3 is the best game of all time"
synonyms: reality, actuality, certainty, factuality, certitude;
@Cutmastavictory im right there with you. I just wanted to punch Geralt right in the face lol. Big sprawling rpgs like that i want my own character. And the combat for me was very meh
@ShogunRok *opinions
Know the difference.
@Nyne11Tyme the combat was not fun at all, for me fighting is more important than story in an action game & the combat was a mess. I also hated the leveling system because exp was poor & how ugly most of the armors were
@OmegaYato There is no difference when your opinions align with undeniable fact. Don't know what's so hard to understand.
Fact, Witcher 3 is overrated.
I've been really enjoying Persona 5 lately, so it great to see it so high on this list. Horizon Zero Dawn and Monster Hunter World are both excellent and well deserving of their high spots. Nier Automata should have been higher up the list, that's still one of my favourite PS4 games.
There's still a lot of games on this list that I would like to play but haven't yet. I'm not sure how Witcher 3 can be as good as people say it is, but if it is then I am in for a treat whenever I finally play it.
@ShogunRok Where is it a fact that the Witcher 3 is the greatest game ever? You could’ve just let me comment & leave it there, not everyone will agree with lists. It’s probably the greatest game of 2015, but the greatest game ever? There’s only one game I know of that’s regarded as the greatest by critics & gamers.
Bloodborne. All. Day.
Dragon Quest XI, because it’s turn-based perfection.
@Vorlon I think there’s like, two or 3 that I haven’t got! And I want two of them already! Dragon crown pro and divinity 2. Maybe Odins sphere too...... a massive fan! 😊
@Vorlon here here! Final fantasy 7 remake not going to be turn based? 😥😭😡!
@Feena and zodiac age! So four I want to buy leaving the elders scrolls and final fantasy online games........
Persona 5 should be #1 that's all folks
UPDATED once again!
I've just started playing The Witcher 3 again and it amazes me how nothing has come close since it came out, the story and quests are still on another level and the combat is much better than people like to say it is
Yakuza 6 is above 0. Wat.
I just bought Dragon Quest XI yesterday
While I haven’t played it yet, I’m always surprised that Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition never makes the list, considering it got a better review score than most of the games on the list.
Excuse me, where did you put Kingdom Hearts 3? That’s not in the top ten or five.
Every time you repost this I swear it gets worse. Yakuza 0 is easily the best in the series. And the fact that Fallout 4 is higher than Nier is also painful.
I never did play The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on the PS3, and was thinking about picking up the remaster for the PS4 when it released back in 2017. However, I changed my mind after reading Push Square’s review (7/10). Then, reading the review for the PSVR version, I put that one down on my to-buy-list, but seeing as the remaster is in the top 20 here, I’m second guessing my decision.
So, for someone who’s never played Skyrim before, which version would you recommend? The remaster or the PSVR version?
Persona 4 should be #1, even on PS4's best racing games.
@Sinton I don't know about the PSVR version, but don't let the 7/10 put you off of the remaster. Remasters tend to have lower scores since reviewers think about the prospect of buying a game twice at full price for only minor improvements. Since you didn't play the original and will likely get it much cheaper than launch price, these problems don't apply to you. If you're interested in Skyrim, give it a try on whatever platform you most enjoy.
Interesting seeing the split in opinion between Witcher and Persona. Your preference really depends on what you value most in an RPG as the two are opposites in so many ways. I suspect Persona will better stand the test of time, since open-world fatigue makes it harder and harder to invest in games whose content far outlasts their gameplay and progression. Also:
Makoto > Ann >>>>>>>>>>> Yennifer >>> that one red-haired mage
Fight me.
@turntSNACO I really liked Makoto and thought she was the best thing about P5 but the girl isn't a patch on Yennefer, in my opinion. Triss is cool with a heart of gold and Ann is nothing but a cheerleader.
@ApostateMage Maybe I didn't get far enough in to appreciate Yen (I dropped off shortly after she effed up that garden).
As for Ann - do you know who else saw her as "nothing but a cheerleader"? Kamoshida. You sound exactly like Kamoshida right now. Wow. Here's hoping this is the wakeup call you need to turn your life around before you too become a pervy volleyball coach.
jkjk, thanks for fighting me as requested
@turntSNACO - Honestly, rough as it sounds, Persona is also kinda subject to the usual JRPG fatigue, especially around the final act. I imagine both are going to stand the test of time incredibly well though, but then again, I'm one of those fools who finds both Witcher 3 and Persona 5 incredibly enjoyable
Also, I don't have the constitution to participate in waifu wars lol: for me tho, Akechi is the best thing since sliced pancakes
@1nn3rSPACE Yeah, that's fair. I think it's less an issue to me because AAA turn-based JRPGs are becoming a rarer breed, or at least a less culturally impactful one in the west. Also, I prefer the steady JRPG progression of Persona. You're always getting access to new personas with stronger abilities. Plus a lot of confidants unlock game-changing abilities that let you save time and feel more powerful in battle.
In Witcher, it's pretty easy to get to a point where you gain effectively 0 experience from side quests and realize you're probably not going to find better equipment until you level up enough to get the next Griffin set or whatever. I always get to the same point in Skyrim, where my character has their ideal weapons and armor and it suddenly feels pointless to keep playing since I'm not going to get appreciably stronger.
I think the importance of this factor to an individual player is one of the biggest factors in deciding which game you'll enjoy more. That and your ability to get invested a visual novel about kids in high school.
This would've been the other way around about 10 years ago but -
Western RPGs > JRPGs.
I just jumped back in to FFXIV after almost one year of a break. I totally forgot what an amazing game that is, which has great story lines (Heavensward being one of the best story lines I have played) and one of the best soundtracks (it holds the Guiness record for “longest end credits in an MMO game and most original pieces of music in a videogame“)
@tatsumi Agreed. I had a good 3 years with FFXIV which I still think is the best MMO out there. Heavensward was brilliant, it's definitely the best Final Fantasy story out of the games that I've played.
@ApostateMage Western RPG's are typically hyper violent games with mediocre combat and a story shoehorned in, not exactly much quality there. @ShogunRok Also the vast majority of the games on this list aren't even RPG's they're action or adventure games FACEPALM.
@TowaHerschel7 I don't even know where to begin with this comment.
Updated again!
@ShogunRok you seem to have missed Yakuza 0, is 6 really that much better? If so I've got to pick it up soon.
Can't really disagree with the top 2 though and it just depends upon what flavour of RPG you're after
Witcher 3 still number one. Read it and weep, weeeeeebs.
I love trollin'.
@carlos82 Yakuza 0 was on the list previously but I've replaced it with Judgment as I think it's the third best Yakuza-style game. The bottom line is that we need to keep the list varied. Having four Yakuza games on it seems like overkill, even though I love them!
@ShogunRok you might want to count how many Final Fantasy games are on the list then 😜
@carlos82 One of them's an MMO so it doesn't count!
Nier Automata is my number one. It's just so different. Its a mix of genres all in one game, and the ending hits you hard. (The true ending, not the first ending )
I could never get into the Witcher 3. Yes it looks good, but I find the story drags on and the combat ain't as fluid as other games. I prefer Horizon Zero Dawn personally.
The Witcher 3 is a load of rubbish though, let’s be honest
@Frigate Divinity OS 1 is good, though
Update: Added Trails of Cold Steel III and The Outer Worlds!
As of October 22, 2019, The Outer Worlds has yet to release onto PS4 for gamers to judge and enjoy. Why is it on your best rpg list at this time? Seems suspect.
I may not be an expert, but I know I enjoyed Red Dead Redemption 2 more than Fallout 4. The game was not perfect, but if Fallout 4 is making the list, then RDR2 deserves to make it also.
@JoseyBlueEyes Because we've already played it and it's our list...?
@DesertLiving520 If RDR2 was an RPG it'd be on this list. Not sure it quite fits the genre, more of an open world action game.
@ShogunRok You need to update it again you keep forgetting to add the South park games
Quite a list. Interesting mix of older and newer releases. I wonder if you take nostalgia out of the equation (difficult to do, I know) whether Witcher 3 would live up to its continuous reign atop the list. I need to get back and try it again, but I can’t seem to make myself be interested.
@Ralizah What do you think? You’ve got the benefit of recent experience. (interesting to read your comments from last year at #21 by the way, since I know since then you’ve knocked out HZD, Nier, VC4, and now W3)
Nioh should be WAAAAY HIGHER on that list.... Imho
@Th3solution Well, I'm only 30 hours or so into TW3, so it's hard to say either way. I am impressed with the game, though, and can see why it's so loved. I don't think it'll top my own personal list, but unlike something like, say, Bloodborne, I can actually see the appeal. The writing, music, and the interconnectivity between side and main quests are all very well done. I also really dig the bordering-on-horror dark fantasy vibe of the world in general.
BTW, since then I've also gotten almost halfway through Dragon Quest XI. The Switch version, but aside from some QoL and music changes, it's mostly the same experience.
What I will say is that it's a travesty that Ys VIII isn't on here. There's no real substitute for its mix of Zelda-esque progression, interlocking gameplay systems that make literally everything feel rewarding, and lightning fast ARPG combat. Even worse when you consider some of the games that DID make the cut. Looking at you, Fallout 4!
@Ralizah Fair enough. Yeah, I forgot that you’ve recently played DQ XI too. Good to hear that an RPG aficionado’s take on the list.
Personally I loved Bloodborne but I don’t think of it as an RPG. I guess technically it is, but the Soulsborne games are more action oriented in tone, as opposed to story, narrative choices, equipment management, and time filtering through menus and whatnot.
@Ralizah I mentioned ages ago in this list that Ys VIII should be included in my opinion one of the best JRPG's on PS4.
@ShogunRok Never really thought of it like that but the more I do, the more I agree with you. Good point!
A fun list. I can't say I agree with its structure or some of its entries, but a fun list nonetheless. Honestly, I never liked the Witcher series and consequently never finished Witcher 3 (though I have no doubt its a fine RPG). And Persona 5, although highly stylized and cutesy, was also very repetitive and long-winded. Enjoyable, but the day in day out routine was tiresome. I never finished it either to this day, lol.
I'd have to say my favorite jrpgs are Trails of Cold Steel and the Yakuza series. Both have very good stories and great character development and neither take themselves super seriously.
I also like the Dishonored series since you can go through it without killing a soul or being seen. People often forget that series is actually a lite rp experience.
But yeah, some really good games on this list, no doubt.
@Shepherd_Tallon It completely depends on taste. The game is great for about 15 hours, gets a bit of a chore for 5-8 hours, and then that chore culminates in massive payoffs for 5-10 hours.
Not sure I’m liking the whole ‘Nioh copied Dark Souls’ angle. Yes, Amrita is basically just souls/blood echoes but it’s essentially just a Ninja Gaiden successor and stands strong on its own two feet. There are plenty differences from mission based structure to living weapons for it to bear a passing resemblance to the Souls games. It’s no The Surge or even Blasphemous in the rip-off game.
I'd say it's time to add Kingdome Come Deliverance to this list. Its Goty edition is full of content and really engaging.
@Knuckles-Fajita You still waiting?
Added Nioh 2!
I swear, judging by most games on rankings like this one, i wouldn't be surprised if i start to see Call Of Duty, Fifa or even Rockstar games...no offense ofc.
Maybe i'm just bit too nostalgic for old Baldurs Gate and Morrowind RPG days...
Dude I loved the Witcher 3 but come on. Persona 5 is miles better.
No Final Fantasy VII Remake?
FF X/X-2 HD and FF XII TZA are the Best PS2 Remaster RPG games on PS4.
@Akurusu Hmm.
Or
Dammit!
They're two completely different games though. Different styles, world's, characters. It seems crazy to compare the two.
But...
I'm deep into Persona 5 and am absolutely loving it but I only finished The Witcher 3 last summer so I can remember feeling the same whilst playing that.
They're both great, very much NOT overrated, and it's a blast spending time in either world.
As for the rest of this list....meh, opinions are subjective but it seems for some RPG means grind and for others adventure. I'd always go for the latter.
Nice to see HZD still so high. It's a wonderful game and one, along with the DLC, I plan on playing again.
Respect for Dragon Quest 11, the best rpg I have played in years.
It's great to see Odin Sphere here. I recently completed it and its still a great game.
@EchoRange worth getting then? I'm a massive fan of old school JRPGs, mostly Final Fantasy 6 - 10, is it similar to those?
@ShogunRok Kingdom Come Deliverance mate, it needs to be in the top 20 its really incredible. By far one of the best RPG's I've ever played. Even if the frame rate gets a but low at times on PS4.
@oldschool1987 you'll love it, genuinely.
Shocking list half the games aren't rpg's yous need to look up the definition of role playing game!
Very great list overall. Disappointed that you have to share the premise of Trail of Cold Steel III. I am playing the 1st one and very interested what will become of the main character. But you just tell what heppens in part III. You didn't mention any plot premise for the other games here. Not sure why you did specifically for Trail of Cold Steel III
No Ni No Kuni 2?
The only good thing about The Witcher is it’s story. The gameplay is trashy as hell & standards must be low if that’s what people consider to be the greatest.
crazy. There are an enormous amount of games on here that aren't at all RPGs, but still a solid list of good games.
As a long time rpg fan, darkest dungeon deserves to be in that list, prob quite high up too.
Possibly rainbow skies+moon, and battle chasers too, but maybe they are a bit more niche.
Someone made a mistake with 1 & 2...
No love for Ni No Kuni. Sad day.
Also, I am so happy to see Nier: Automata on this list, but I thought it was going to be much higher on this list.
I haven't played it but from the amount of love FF7R gets, how can it be so low?
@Boldfoxrd Coming here to say the same thing. Obvs been penalised for not 'being the whole game'. I think it works amazing as a standalone game and deserves higher. But so does Yakuza: Like a Dragon.
My main genre I play is RPG/JRPG and this list is....lacking
Horizon has no business being on an RPG list, and certainly so high. May as well add God Of War because “levels”. AAA raided the RPG pantry for padding and “numbers go up” progression, but those elements do not an RPG make, just like a jump button doesn’t make Dragon Quest XI a platformer.
@Boldfoxrd (FF7R) It’s not a very good RPG and shouldn’t even be that high on a genre list. It does a lot of things very well - some people think the battle system is the best ever. Fact is it’s a decent game with FF7 characters and locations in it - it’s always going to have an adoring fan base regardless of its many, many, many flaws.
Mostly agree with a lot on this list. Personally though seeing stuff like AC Odyssey and Fallout 4 above FFX/X-2 is literally like a dagger through the chest to me! Also Cold Steel 4 deserves a spot somewhere on the list along with Valkyria Chronicles 4. (Although VC4 is kind of more just action/strategy then RPG but hey if Horizon is on here why not?)
Oh and P5R is actually #1 not Witcher 3!
Dragons Dogma ahead of Skyrim? Good lord...
@rjejr Saying it is one of the worst games you've played is such an over exaggeration. How much of this did you even play? I am going to say not much at all.
To each their own. But to me, Persona 5 was a game that peaked in the first 20 hours then proceeded to become, with a few exceptions, a repetitive slog. The same combat music and banter the entire game! Good grief. 'Looking cool Joker!'
@ZaleraExdeath Did you just reply to a post I made nearly 3 years ago in 2018? 🤷
Anyway I had to look to find out what game you were talking about but it wasn't hard to guess, fortunately I haven't played a worse 1 than that in the 3 years since. And I played all of it, b/c it was FF. I do remember that.
Yes, I did play III and V back on the PS1, they were fine.
Well, since you obviously know my life better than I do what was the worst game I've ever played if it wasn't FFX-2? I look forward to reading your reply in another 3 years. If I play a worse game in the meantime I'll let you know.
@rjejr I replied as the story is back up on the front page today and your profile is still active. Do I think you disliked the game? definitely, but there are lots of good games I don't personally like myself. Doesn't mean they're bad games because I don't like them and doesn't mean they're the worst.
Good list overall and a good generation for the RPG gender my only disappointment was Mass Effect Andromeda
I wanted to get into Witcher 3. The stories and visuals are A+ but when it plays as bad as it does, it’s hard for me to come back to. My wife wants me to go back to Witcher 3 understandably, I’d rather watch someone else play it too. But it’s such a chore to play with its abominable combat + gameplay. At some point I’ll do her a solid and go back to it... I’m dragging my feet though.
Especially when I can fire up Nier Automata instead. Which has some of the best combat + gameplay I’ve experienced.
@ZaleraExdeath Ok, well front page does explain the the reply.🤷
On topic - I went back and re-read my comment from 3 years ago, and it says, in part - "but X-2 is one of the worst games I've ever played."
So, I didn't even say it's the worst game I've ever played, though I'm pretty sure it still is, I only said it's "one of the worst", and that statement I can easily stand behind. One of the worst games "I've ever played". Not the worst ever made, that I've ever played. I always think long and hard before playing any game, time is short, Google is easy.
Anyway, that's all I'm going to say about a 3 yr old post for a 20 year old game. If you want to defend it further this person hated it way more than I did.
https://www.giantbomb.com/final-fantasy-x-2/3030-8985/forums/this-game-is-a-crime-against-humanity-1489884/
Here's an entire thread.
http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/172348-I-feel-that-FFX-2-is-bad-and-ruined-FFX
Don't get me wrong, I know FFX-2 gets it's share of love, but it's not like I bad mouthed The Pitcher 3 or FF7, it's FFX-2, the spinoff nobody asked for.
Witcher combat is so janky though?!
I’d could never get into it. Felt like I was fighting against the controls the whole time rather than the in-game enemies. Id take Persona or DQ over it in a heartbeat. It doesnt matter how great the world building is, if its not fun to interact with it. Gwent was cool though. Ill give Witcher that.
No Kingdom come? That game was the ***** business!
Persona 5 royal is brilliant, it's been better than final fantasy 7 remake for me.
No love for YS8/9 or Tokyo Xanadu
Best single player jrpg experience on ps4:
1. Persona 5
2. Dragon quest 11
3. Tales of Arise
PS4 has a huge catalogue of rpg titles and I think the list misses these titles:
Ys 8, Ni no kuni 1, Torchlight 2, Tales of Vesperia and Berseria, Path of exile, Pillars of eternity, Dark souls 2, Disco elysium, and Kingdom hearts 3. I'd like to add Dark clouds 2 🙂
This metacritic link might help as well:
https://www.metacritic.com/browse/games/genre/metascore/role-playing/ps4?view=detailed
@ShogunRok Thanks, but how many Yakuza titles in one list? Why Ys8, Ni no kuni 1, Pillars of eternity, Path of exile, Torchlight 2, and Disco elysium not there, but that repetitive Dragon's crown pro is included?
FF15 should be higher up there, but still a solid list. Now I'd just need to tripple my life span to actually play lots of them.
I noticed a lot of these are PS3 games, and I've gotta say nothing I've played on the ps4 so far has been as good of an experience as Skyrim and Mass Effect. Although HZD was fantastic I'd consider it more action adventure with rpg elements, and Dragons Crown was almost entirely a beat em up.
Just about every RPG on here is better than the Witcher 3.
Dragon Quest XI nearly destroyed my love for the RPG scene; YS VIII and Trails of Cold Steel basically ''rescued'' me. Two fantastic franchises. Can't wait for the next Trails game next year!
Great list of games.
Valkyria chonicles 4 deserves a spot on this list. There's no other rpg like it.
Ghost of tsushima is incredible , so imma just add it here myself
How have I never heard about Odin Sphere??
For me it would be Yakuza 5
Kind of stretching the list by putting both Persona 5's and Dragon Quest XI's on there, lol..
DQ11 nearly destroyed my love for JRPG's in general, but then Trails of Cold Steel brought me back - if it wasn't for Cold Steel, I never would've discoverd gems like Persona 5 (Royal) or Digimon Story..
I have 42/50 of the current list on physical haha, I buy too many games.
Battle Brothers should have made top 50..100% .
If anyone disagrees, it’s because they haven’t tried it. If they have, they know it’s a top 50 RPG.
Prove me wrong
I just can't believe none of your RGP lists have Atom RPG on them. What a travesty of a "best RPG's" list this is. Leaving that game out should be literally illegal lol.
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