10 Best real-time combat RPGs if you don't like waiting your turn

One thing the best real-time combat RPGs have in common is a taste for the extravagant. All the games on this list offer something unique, where combat is more exciting and complex than simply bonking enemies over the head. Some are shooters that do something different to expand upon the series' DNA, while others go the extra mile in delivering realistic melee action.

My favorites are those that shine for their broader approaches, enabling you to craft combat and character builds that best reflect your personal strengths as you tailor-made your specifications accordingly. If you want some of the best action-RPGs interspersed with flavors of the best turn-based RPGs (only hold the turns), you've come to the right place. I've scoured the digital shelves to bring you the most iconic real-time combat experiences in RPG history, as well as ascribing each with a specific "vibe" (which you can read more about in our FAQ section) to help you match the game to your current cravings.

We have a lot of ground to cover, so put those dice away and let's get stuck into the best real-time combat RPGs to play right now in 2026!

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The best real time combat RPGs, starting with...

10. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin

It's one of the more obscure Final Fantasy games out there, but Team Ninja brings its A-game to deliver what's considered some of the best real-time RPG combat in a third-person action game yet. Set in a dark fantasy reimagining of the iconic Atlus series, Stranger of Paradise sees hero Jack go to various locations that might be familiar to long-time FF fans to go head-to-head with its biggest, baddest bad guys.

Switching between assigned "jobs" (aka playstyles) lets you chop and change between magic and melee playstyles, with the majority of combat encounters involving wearing down an enemy's "break" bar to perform devastating finishers. Be warned: this game is pretty out there. Our tepid Stranger of Paradise review proves that it's definitely an acquired taste among the best Final Fantasy games, but if you're hankering for something both silly and brooding with excellent real-time combat, you should make your mind up yourself.

9. Mass Effect 3

The final instalment of BioWare's gripping trilogy has the best real-time RPG combat of the bunch. By refining the once-clunky cover shooter to emphasize gunplay, improve companion AI, and let you actually move properly, Mass Effect 3 delivers an epic narrative-led journey where combat encounters feel fun rather than a drag.

Still, the original is pretty clunky now that it's almost 15 years old. You can play it in the remastered bundle, though, and it's one of the reasons our Mass Effect Legendary Edition review rightly points out the series' "unmissable" charm. With just the right amount of old-meets-new-school for the narrative RPG superfans out there who, like me, never got a chance to play the original titles, I'd forgive you for speeding through the first couple of games just to experience how satisfying Mass Effect 3 delivers on the action this shooter series promised us from the start.

8. Assassin's Creed Shadows

Assassin's Creed Shadows perfected the dual protagonist notion that developer Ubisoft Quebec first put forward in Syndicate. Naoe and Yasuke are like yin and yang; one is a stealthy shinobi, flitting through the trees, crawling in the undercroft, a hidden blade in the darkness. Yasuke, meanwhile, is our tanky samurai hero. This balance means that Shadows offers the best real-time combat in an Assassin's Creed RPG by a long shot.

Our Assassin's Creed Shadows review can testify that this is the "best-in-class combat" in AC history. Each protagonist fights uniquely, meaning their tools of the trade also differ. Naoe's arsenal gives you a choice between Tanto blades, flail-like kusarigama, or the trusty katana, while Yasuke has bows, guns, swords, clubs… the list goes on. Experimenting with weapons means you never feel locked out of changing things up, though it's just as easy to find and stick to a playstyle you love.

7. Path of Exile 2

All about isometric experiences? Path of Exile 2 is the RPG for you. Don't be fooled by the top-down elements; this gorgeous fantasy adventure is as immersive as any of the best third-person RPGS. Each of its 12 character classes specializes in any two of special stats, from dexterity to strength and beyond, making it one of the most nuanced of the best real-time combat RPGs on this list.

It's still in Early Access, meaning much of it is liable to change, but developer Grinding Gear Games has already impressed me with its smart improvements on the blueprint set out by the first game and its many updates. Our Path of Exile 2 early access review is right in calling it "a stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure," and if you want to get in on the ground floor to experience the action for yourself, you know what to do.

6. Hades 2

Supergiant's narrative roguelike-meets-RPG has never been more satisfying. Praised in our Hades 2 review for its "impeccable" action, Hades 2 expands the first game's real-time combat to lean into Princess of Hell Melinoe's skills as a young witch. Each of the Nocturnal Arms speaks to a different playstyle, from the missile-launching Black Coat to the twin-dagger Sister Blades, Moonstone Axe, and more.

Each weapon has a set of unique Aspects to unlock, changing its movesets and adding special abilities. Switching up your Arcana deck also helps augment your playstyle to the needs of each weapon, and paired with the wealth of boons you'll be picking up on your quest to kill Time, every little customization tweak comes in handy. This is one godly little RPG you absolutely need in your real-time toolbox, and now that it's launched on console as well as PC, your list of viable excuses has officially run out.

5. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Hyper-realism is the name of the game when it comes to Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. It's by far one of the most impressive and best real-time RPG combat systems out there, with developer Warhorse Studios going out of its way to emphasize historical accuracy when it comes to portraying the real heft of an old-timey sword fight.

The first-person framework makes it all the more immersive, as our Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 review attests to. As Henry of Skalitz, you'll be getting into all sorts of trouble, especially in those first grueling opening hours, but pushing through the tough times makes it all the more worthwhile to see Henry come out on top in battle. It's a vast improvement on the last Kingdom Come: Deliverance, with better graphical fidelity, more narrative and system density, and a far more refined combat system than ever before, so it's well worth your time.

4. Dragon's Dogma 2

If there's more to Dragon's Dogma 2 than climbing huge monsters, plunging a spear into them, and getting backup from your band of trusty Pawns, I don't want to know. Capcom's gorgeous medieval fantasy RPG has some of the most entertaining real-time combat in recent memory, spanning a range of vocations with specific special skills to master on your Arisen's quest to defeat their winged nemesis.

The caveat here is that the story isn't terrible, but it's not all that great either. It's far more comprehensible than Crimson Desert's, though; enough to make adventuring across its two massive open worlds feel purposeful. The focus on environmental reactivity here means that a peaceful cart ride can turn into an ogre attack, or a spot of resource farming leading you into a nest of harpies. If a taste of adventure is what you're after, put it this way: "embrace the chaos" is literally the name of our Dragon's Dogma 2 review.

3. SpellForce: The Order of Dawn

SpellForce is iconic for a very good reason. Taking elements from RTS games and merging them with third-person exploration, SpellForce: The Order of Dawn still stands as one of the most inventive and best real-time combat RPGs more than two decades later since it launched in 2003. Don't worry about hunting down your ancient PC tower, though. Thanks to 2009's SpellForce Platinum collection, now on Steam, you can enjoy the high fantasy adventure on your modern-day hardware.

The Order of Dawn uses a skills-based character-building system rather than having specific classes (much like Divinity: Original Sin 2), meaning you're free to invest points in whichever traits and skills speak to you. It's a fun and flexible way to tailor-make your character to your specific tastes, and few games measure up to its breadth to this day.

2. Elden Ring

If brutal dark fantasy is your vibe, then Elden Ring should be your top priority when it comes to the best real-time combat RPGs to play next. It managed to unseat even the likes of Dark Souls as the de facto best FromSoftware game of all time, riffing off the developer's Soulsborne ARPG format and planting it in a vast open world.

I'll be honest here: Elden Ring is not for everyone. It's one of the most humbling video games I've ever played, with speccing out your build to perfection making the difference between victory and defeat. Still, the way you go about it is up to you. High-DPS rapid attacks? Slow yet powerful Greatswords? Magic? The choice is yours in the Lands Between, and as long as you have sharp reflexes, it's the recipe for an RPG that's "the best of its brethren" according to our Elden Ring review.

1. Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

Just when you think you've seen the dizzying heights of V's abilities, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty doubles down on them. CD Projekt Red's stunning romp through Night City is without a doubt one of the best real-time RPGs of all-time, blending high-stakes narrative choice with frenetic FPS action to deliver a thrilling sandbox you'll want to experience over and over again. So much so, I played it four times back-to-back.

As our Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty review explains, its customizable combat system is a huge part of what makes each replay feel unique. With four different operating systems – from stealthy hacking with a cyberdeck to slowing time with a Sandevistan for some melee moves – and a huge branching skill tree that expands with the DLC, it's pretty impossible to get bored in Night City. The sheer breadth of its real-time combat makes Cyberpunk 2077 one of the most exciting, dynamic RPGs I've ever played.

Best real-time combat RPGs FAQs

For more recommendations, read our lists of the best soulslike games and the best single-player RPGs.