The 10 best story-driven RPGs as decided by a lifelong fan who lives for great storytelling

I'm here to bring you the very best story-driven RPGs available to play today.

The RPG genre is known for its deep character customization and satisfying progression systems that often let you tailor your playstyle in and out of combat. But they're also home to some of the best game stories of all-time, with narrative choices that let you not only shape your journey, but also give you the freedom to role-play your way. It's the latter part of the experience that I'm here to shine a light on and celebrate.

Story-driven RPGs really are my bread and butter. From being presented with choices that affect the narrative's outcome, to encountering unexpected twists and turns, any one of these RPGs will undoubtedly get you emotionally invested one way or another. While there's plenty of opportunity to get swept up in exploration in many of the games listed below, the story at the heart of these RPGs is what will keep you hooked, and will no doubt drive you to return time and again.

I'm always on the lookout for fresh additions, and happily, we're set to see some upcoming RPGs come our way this year – such as the new Fable – that will bring us more role-playing goodness with a narrative focus. So, my ranking may change in the future. But for now, here are the best story-driven RPGs you can play today.

The best story-driven RPGs

10. Dragon Age 2

I'd wholeheartedly recommend any one of the Dragon Age games in BioWare's fantasy series if you're after an engrossing story-driven RPG experience. But I couldn't resist including Dragon Age 2 here for its tighter story and memorable plotline. It may not have the same kind of sprawling narrative threads found in the likes of Dragon Age: Inquisition, or match the level of high stakes in Dragon Age: The Veilguard, but by concentrating the experience in the city of Kirkwall across three separate acts, Dragon Age 2 occupies its own unique story-driven space in the series.

Following protagonist Hawke, who flees to Kirkwall thanks to the blight that unfolded in Dragon Age: Origins, you get swept up in the rising tensions between the mages and templars in the city. And with Hawke's own personal family ties framing the narrative, it's all too easy to get emotionally invested.

9. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Clair Obscur Expedition 33 is a story-driven RPG that feels so original and keeps you guessing throughout. As explained in our Clair Obscur Expedition 33 review, the adventure explores a unique concept in its Belle Epoque France-inspired world, and Sandfall Interactive will pull the rug out from under you more than once. With a central mystery constantly propelling you forward, you won't find it hard to get invested as you try to take down the figure responsible for determining at what age everyone dies: the Paintress.

Resolved to put a stop to her once and for all, you set out on a dangerous mission to prevent her from painting 33 and sealing the fate of so many. But there are lots of questions you're trying to answer along the way. Who is this figure? How did this come to be the state of the world and the way of things? With other characters entering the picture who only add to the mystery, there's plenty of lore to unearth, too, as you venture from place to place in a bid to complete your ultimate goal.

8. Persona 5 Royal

Persona 5 Royal is a stylish, story-driven experience that has so much depth to it. Exploring a variety of themes through the lens of its teenage protagonist and their cohort of fellow students, Persona 5 spins a tale of corruption and the fight for justice against the backdrop of a high school and the streets of Tokyo.

After you get expelled from your previous school for being falsely accused of assault, your new life begins in the city, where you get to know and team up with fellow students who've faced their own hardships. Awakening to your persona, which allows you to hunt down the distorted desires of others and steal their corrupted hearts, there's a curious mystery that will keep pulling you through the narrative. As we explore in our Persona 5 review, the life simulation elements and bonding system only help to enrich the story, with every character grappling with their fears, aspirations, and hopes.

7. Final Fantasy 10

The Final Fantasy series is home to some truly memorable stories that deal with everything from environmental threats to great ancient evils. Drawing us into fantastical worlds, it's hard to choose just one game, but the story of Final Fantasy 10 is expertly paced, with so many unexpected twists that will keep catching you off guard. But it's the many surprises packed into protagonist Tidus' journey that make it such a memorable experience.

Home to an unforgettable cast of characters, including one of the best Final Fantasy characters of all-time in summoner Yuna, Final Fantasy 10 follows the story of outsider Tidus as he sets out to put a stop to a monster known as Sin. But, as the story progresses, you'll soon discover there's so much more going on, and when you reach the finale, you'll be more than emotionally invested.

6. Cyberpunk 2077

Do you want to live a quiet life as a nobody, or will you go out in a blaze of glory and make your name the stuff of legend in Night City? This is the question at the heart of Cyberpunk 2077's story, and it proves to be a very compelling one. As you seek to reach the major leagues and make a name for yourself as merc V, everything takes a drastic turn, and before long, you'll find yourself on a mission to save your own life from the threat of a digital construct lodged in your brain that threatens to wipe away your very sense of self.

In a world where people are more machine than man, and everyone's try to get the same slice of eurodollar pie in Night City, your identity and reputation are such a big part of Cyberpunk 2077, and it marries perfectly with the role-play experience of playing as V, since you get to decide how your story and legend ends.

5. The Witcher 3

CD Projekt Red puts you into the role of Geralt of Rivia in a sprawling adventure that leaves a lasting impression thanks to its indelible story and characters. At its heart, The Witcher 3 actually explores a story of connection and chosen family as you set off in search of your ward Ciri, but it's also unafraid to explore difficult moral choices that deal in shades of grey. With some incredible side quests that spin memorable tales outside of the core narrative, it really is a story-driven RPG through and through.

Topped off with some excellent expansions that only bring more story-driven goodness and polish off the adventure, there's plenty of characters to meet that you can connect with, or faces that will test your beliefs of what's truly right or wrong. The Witcher 3 offers up the kind of worldbuilding and plot that you won't regret getting swept up in.

4. Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3 is as much about the story it lets you explore as it is about the way it lets you shape it. As a true story-driven experience, you can take on the role of your own custom character and pick from a host of classes and races plucked from the world of D&D. Without much preamble, you awaken on a Mind Flayer colony ship with an unwelcome parasite hitching a ride in your head. To avoid losing yourself and gaining some tentacles, you set out to try and find a way to remove the parasite.

But of course, best laid plans rarely work out, and before you know it, you're drawn into a sprawling adventure across the Sword Coast to face a much bigger threat. With a group of companions also trying to avoid the same Mind Flayer fate, and so much freedom to shape your own journey, the ability to also play as one of the set origins offers up the chance to experience the memorable storyline from different role-playing perspectives.

3. Mass Effect Legendary Edition

The Mass Effect trilogy delivers the kind of story-driven RPG experience that will stay with you long after you've seen the credits roll on each entry. Following the story of Commander Shepard across three engaging games, each one masterfully builds up the growing, galaxy-wide threat of the mysterious, ominous Reapers.

From the Commander's beginnings in the first Mass Effect, which sets up their military profile and introduces you to BioWare's stellar Mass Effect relay-laden sci-fi universe, to the unforgettable suicide mission of Mass Effect 2, Mass Effect 3 then rounds out the entire story with one of the best expansions of all-time in the Citadel DLC. With companions that will steal your heart, excellent writing, and a plot that'll keep you coming back, Mass Effect is hard to forget. And more to the point, you simply won't want to forget it. In the words of Shepard, "I should go" and play it again.

2. Undertale

"Despite everything, it's still you", is one of those game quotes I think about often, and that speaks to the quality of the writing in Undertale. Toby Fox's story-driven RPG sees you take on the role of a human who finds themselves in a world full of monsters. But are they really monsters? That question is at the heart of what makes Undertale so memorable.

See, you don't have to fight or kill anything; it's up to you to decide if you do as you set out to find your way out of the underground setting. Along the way, you'll encounter lots of strange creatures and characters, and ultimately make choices that will determine how the story ends. With so much hidden depth buried beneath its pixelated surface, it's the kind of story-driven experience that will stay with you, and honestly, if you've yet to try it, you're better off experiencing it without knowing too much going into it.

1. Disco Elysium

Disco Elysium explores a hardboiled detective story that deals with some profound, existential themes from the perspective of flawed gumshoe, Harry Du Bois. Suffering from a bout of amnesia, you begin by solving the case of where your clothes are and what happened the night before. But before long, you're drawn into a much bigger investigation. With a city to explore and plenty of people to meet, how you choose to navigate the story and handle any given scenario is left up to you and the detective skills you invest in.

While the freedom of choice is a role-playing dream, the story-driven experience is ultimately what shines through, with Harry grappling with his alcoholic, self-destructive ways, and growing loss of self. Whether you try to improve your lot and become the hero of the city, or you give in to your desires and stray off the straight and narrow path, is left up to you, and the story is all the richer for the way you can shape it as you try to get to the bottom of an overarching mystery.

Best story-driven RPGs FAQs

For more recommendations, head on over to our pick of the best single-player RPGs.