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We have been truly spoiled when it comes to the best RPGs of 2024, which follows on from a fantastic showing last year as this new golden era for role-playing games shows no sign of letting up. There's a few similarities, with many sticking to a traditional fantasy setting, and the majority part of an existing franchise (though with some, the wait for these sequels has been long). Yet, whether follow-up or remake, these are also games not content with treading familiar ground without also bringing things forward for a modern audience, even if it might upset purists.
RPGs from Japan take the lion's share in this top 5, with a growing emphasis on action-oriented adventures. There's nonetheless still room for turn-based commands, proving to be among some of the most hardcore encounters in this genre. But what ties these games together more than their absorbing worlds, epic battles, or countless side quests, are the bonds shared with its rich roster of characters. We've fallen in love with these party members and these epic adventurers, meaning many entries here also appear on our mega best games of 2024 list as well. The RPGs here aren't just incredibly deep single-player timesinks, but journeys where you'll always treasure the company.
5. Persona 3 Reload
Developer: P-Studio
Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X
The darkest entry in this Japanese high school RPG has long been a fan favorite that's been overdue a remake for a new generation. Yes, you might say it's simply giving the students of Gekkoukan High the Persona 5 treatment, but if you're making quality of life changes based on what's already the peak of modern JRPGs, then it simply makes one of the best stories in the franchise more of a pleasure to play today. Faithful to its original story, aesthetics, and bopping J-pop soundtrack, while still including new content that feels complimentary rather than bloating, it's an excellent refurbishment of a stone-cold classic that's almost enough to forgive the decision not to include a female protagonist option that existed in Persona 3 Portable (which is at least also available on modern platforms).
Learn more in our Persona 3 Reload feature where we called it "a masterpiece"
4. Dragon's Dogma 2
Developer: Capcom
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X
Dragon's Dogma 2 doesn't give a fig for the frictionless design of modern games, yet it's also what makes playing this long-awaited follow-up to the original cult classic so unforgettable. Without the freedom to just fast travel around its open world as you fancy, proper preparation and consideration is necessary before setting out on its perilous roads, with treacherous terrain and enemies ready to dash your best laid plans, while your actions, or inaction, has real consequences you can't get out of by simply juggling save files. Through it all, you journey with your trusty AI-controlled pawn, as well as having the ability to recruit additional player-created pawns, who are often bizarre and charming in equal measure. Though it doesn't feature standard multiplayer, this social-adjacaent element ends up making it just as exhilarating to take down a griffin together as if you were in a co-op game of Monster Hunter.
Learn more in our Dragon's Dogma 2 review where we said "embrace the chaos and there's nothing quite like it"
3. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Developer: Square Enix
Platform: PS5
2020's Final Fantasy 7 Remake was a stunning and faithful reimagining of the first act of one of the most beloved PS1 RPGs of all time. But having amply fleshed out the first five hours of the story into a 30-40 hour game, surely the same couldn't be done once Cloud and friends leave Midgar for sequel Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth? Except Square Enix did, and how, sparing no expense in providing the ultimate Final Fantasy 7 fan service in open world form, crammed with an abundance of quests, challenges, and bespoke minigames that would even make the Like A Dragon series blush. Even if it might sometimes be excessive to the detriment of the pacing and story, it keeps you guessing just what Aerith's ultimate fate will be, and there's no denying the loving care that has gone into giving every party member their due.
Learn more in our Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth review, where we said that "meaningful improvements make the step outside Midgar worth taking"
2. Metaphor: ReFantazio
Developer: Studio Zero
Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X
Don't call it fantasy Persona. Metaphor: ReFantazio may take elements from the high school RPG series, from its calendar structure to growing bonds with a wide cast of characters, but it pulls just as much from Atlus' 35-year history, just as its fantasy takes influences not from D&D tropes but everything from European Renaissance art to 60s fashion to Neon Genesis Evangelion. In short, it's a fantasy quite unlike anything else, not to mention a timely one as its politically charged tale of royal succession is framed through an election. You'd think we'd be sick of those by now, yet thanks to its excellent characters, including the greatest videogame villain since Sephiroth, and turn-based battles as complex and hardcore as Shin Megami Tensei, it's never less than gripping.
Learn more in our Metaphor: ReFantazio review, where we called it "a triumphant evolution of Atlus' best"
1. Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Developer: BioWare
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X
Ten years since Dragon Age: Inquisition, it's been a tumultuous time for BioWare following missteps with Mass Effect Andromeda and Anthem. Yet despite delays and high-profile exits, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is nothing short of a triumphant turnaround for the celebrated RPG developer. With a fantastic cast of memorable and complex characters, it's not just about picking who you want to romance but being there to help them through their own problems, which is going to prove important to save the world from threats even greater than the Dreadwolf. It may not be without its divisive changes, from a focus to full-on action-based combat to a more linear approach to level design, but when it comes back to what matters most, its characters and the choices you make, this is still very much Dragon Age to its core, and a comeback story for the ages.
Learn more in our Dragon Age: The Veilguard review, where we called it "a true return to RPG form for BioWare"
Want more adventures? Then take a look at our best RPG games list and get ready to quest anew!
