The Best PS5 RPGs

Best RPGs at a glance

How these RPGs were selected

The ranking considers:

• Character creation, builds and party development
• Dialogue, factions and consequential decisions
• Combat depth and clarity
• Exploration, quest design and world reactivity
• Single-player and cooperative modes
• Replay value through builds, choices or long-term progression
• Variety across CRPGs, JRPGs and action RPGs
• How directly each game fulfills role-playing intent

God of War Ragnarök includes equipment, skill trees and action-RPG progression, but its protagonist and central narrative are largely authored. It is included as an RPG-adjacent recommendation and ranked below games offering deeper control over character identity or story outcomes.

1. Baldur’s Gate 3

Best overall RPG

Baldur’s Gate 3 builds a party-based adventure around character classes, skills, relationships and decisions.

Dialogue abilities and environmental interactions create several solutions to many situations.

Its turn-based combat rewards positioning, movement, elevation and combinations among party members.

Companions have independent goals and respond to the player’s actions across the campaign.

Quests can change according to alliances, discoveries and unexpected choices, supporting substantially different playthroughs.

Modes cover single-player, LAN co-op and online co-op, with full controller support.

Choose it for role-playing freedom, tactical depth and a campaign where decisions affect much more than the ending.

2. ELDEN RING

Best open-world action RPG

ELDEN RING ties its demanding combat to a vast fantasy world of optional regions, dungeons and bosses.

Attributes, weapons, spells and Ashes of War support many character builds.

The world relies on landmarks and curiosity rather than a dense checklist of objectives.

Difficult encounters require timing, positioning and stamina control, but the open structure allows players to explore elsewhere and return stronger.

Online features support co-op and PvP alongside the solo journey.

Modes cover single-player, online co-op and online PvP, and controllers are fully supported.

Choose it for discovery, mechanical mastery and build variety. Players seeking extensive dialogue choices should choose Baldur’s Gate 3 or Disco Elysium.

3. Cyberpunk 2077

Best science-fiction RPG

Cyberpunk 2077 places the player in Night City as a mercenary pursuing survival and influence.

Attributes, skills, cyberware and gear allow hacking, stealth, firearms and close-combat builds.

Dense urban districts make exploration feel vertical and concentrated.

Major quests and character stories include decisions with consequences, while smaller contracts reveal different parts of the city.

A first-person perspective keeps dialogue, exploration and combat close to the player’s own viewpoint.

Cyberpunk 2077 is single-player with full controller support.

Choose it for flexible science-fiction builds, character-led quests and a dense futuristic setting.

4. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition

Best quest-driven fantasy RPG

The Witcher 3 follows Geralt of Rivia through a war-torn continent filled with political conflict and monsters.

The player does not create Geralt’s identity from nothing, but decisions shape relationships, quest outcomes and wider events.

Contracts encourage investigation and preparation before combat.

Alchemy, equipment and skills allow several approaches within Geralt’s established role.

The Complete Edition includes the main adventure and its major expansions.

The Witcher 3 is single-player.

Choose it for authored storytelling, memorable side quests and decisions where the consequences are not always immediately clear.

5. FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH

Best cinematic party action RPG

FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH follows a party journeying beyond Midgar through expansive regions.

Real-time movement and attacks build resources used for stronger commands, abilities and spells.

Switching between party members reveals different combat roles and keeps encounters tactically varied.

Relationships and optional activities give the wider journey more personal context.

Its story continues an ongoing remake trilogy, so familiarity with the preceding entry improves narrative continuity.

FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH is single-player with full controller support.

Choose it for cinematic storytelling, party-based action and a combat system balancing reflexes with command selection.

6. Persona 5 Royal

Best stylish turn-based JRPG

Persona 5 Royal combines turn-based dungeon combat with daily life and relationship management.

Elemental weaknesses and status effects reward careful party composition and efficient turns.

Persona fusion lets the protagonist build an ever-changing set of abilities.

Outside dungeons, time is spent studying, working and building relationships that support character growth.

The calendar creates tradeoffs because not every activity can be completed immediately.

Persona 5 Royal is single-player with full controller support.

Choose it for strategic battles, strong presentation and a long campaign connecting social decisions to dungeon progression.

7. Disco Elysium - The Final Cut

Best narrative RPG

Disco Elysium removes traditional combat and builds role-playing around dialogue, investigation and internal skills.

The player shapes a detective through attributes and thoughts that influence available information and responses.

Failed checks can create new situations rather than simply ending progress.

Conversations become the primary form of conflict, with personality and ideology affecting how the investigation unfolds.

The city responds to choices through characters, discoveries and changing interpretations of the case.

Disco Elysium is single-player with full controller support.

Choose it for dialogue depth and genuine role-playing without action combat. Players wanting frequent battles should choose another game in this ranking.

8. Diablo IV

Best co-op action RPG

Diablo IV centers on class builds, fast combat and equipment progression across Sanctuary.

Skills and upgrades create several ways to develop each class.

Defeated enemies and completed activities provide loot that can alter damage, defense and ability interactions.

Dungeons and seasonal progression support repeated play beyond the campaign.

Online co-op allows groups to combine classes and builds, while PvP provides an additional competitive option.

Modes cover single-player, online co-op and online PvP, and controllers are fully supported.

Choose it for repeatable action and character optimization. Choose Baldur’s Gate 3 for co-op dialogue and branching campaign decisions.

9. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Best modern turn-based JRPG

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth brings two major protagonists together across Japan and Hawaii.

Turn-based battles use positioning, jobs and party abilities to create tactical opportunities.

Job systems allow characters to change combat roles and develop new skills.

The campaign shifts between serious character stories and deliberately absurd side activities.

Cities contain optional games, relationships and smaller stories beyond the central plot.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is single-player with full controller support.

Choose it for modern settings, approachable party combat and an unusually broad mixture of drama, comedy and side content.

10. God of War Ragnarök

Best RPG-adjacent cinematic action game

God of War Ragnarök continues a mythological story across several Norse realms.

Combat uses several weapons, shields, abilities and companion support.

Equipment and skill progression allow players to strengthen preferred tactics.

Optional exploration provides puzzles, battles and additional character development.

However, the central protagonist and major story direction are more fixed than in a traditional choice-driven RPG.

God of War Ragnarök is single-player with full controller support.

Choose it for cinematic action and progression systems. Choose Baldur’s Gate 3, Cyberpunk 2077 or Disco Elysium when control over role and decisions matters more.

Which RPG should you play first?

Match the recommendation to the experience you want:

• Reactive choices and tactical party combat: Baldur’s Gate 3
• Difficult open-world action: ELDEN RING
• Science-fiction builds and urban quests: Cyberpunk 2077
• Quest-driven dark fantasy: The Witcher 3
• Cinematic party action: FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH
• Turn-based combat and social simulation: Persona 5 Royal
• Dialogue-led detective role-playing: Disco Elysium
• Co-op loot and dungeon progression: Diablo IV
• Modern turn-based JRPG adventure: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
• Cinematic melee with light RPG systems: God of War Ragnarök

Baldur’s Gate 3 is the strongest broad recommendation for deep role-playing. Persona 5 Royal is a clearer turn-based starting point, while ELDEN RING suits players comfortable learning through difficult combat.

Best open-world RPGs

ELDEN RING provides the strongest discovery-driven open world and the deepest action-build variety.

Cyberpunk 2077 offers a dense futuristic city with cyberware, skills and character-focused quests.

The Witcher 3 emphasizes authored stories, contracts and difficult decisions across a large fantasy world.

Diablo IV uses a shared open world as a foundation for action, dungeons and repeatable progression.

Baldur’s Gate 3 and FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH use large connected regions rather than one fully seamless open world.

Best turn-based RPGs

Baldur’s Gate 3 offers the most flexible tactical combat, with movement, elevation and environmental interactions.

Persona 5 Royal emphasizes elemental weaknesses, efficient turns and Persona fusion.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth uses jobs, positioning and party abilities inside modern urban settings.

Disco Elysium does not use traditional turn-based combat, but its dialogue checks and skill system provide deep non-combat role-playing.

FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH is a hybrid action RPG rather than a turn-based game.

Best co-op RPGs

Baldur’s Gate 3 supports a cooperative campaign where players can influence dialogue, party composition and quest outcomes.

Diablo IV is better for fast action, loot progression and repeated dungeon runs.

ELDEN RING offers online co-op and PvP, though its multiplayer is less continuous than a fully shared campaign.

The other games in this ranking are single-player.

Best RPGs for beginners

Persona 5 Royal gradually introduces turn-based combat, social systems and schedule decisions.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth provides readable party roles and approachable turn-based battles, although its story benefits from familiarity with the wider series.

Cyberpunk 2077 supports several play styles, allowing difficulty and build choices to shape the experience.

God of War Ragnarök is accessible for action players but offers less traditional role-playing freedom.

ELDEN RING has the steepest starting challenge, while Baldur’s Gate 3 requires learning a larger set of class and tactical systems.

What makes a strong RPG?

A strong RPG lets character development change how problems are solved.

Build choices should affect combat, dialogue, exploration or party composition rather than merely increase numbers.

Decisions should produce consequences for characters, factions or quests where narrative choice is part of the design.

The world should recognize the player’s role through available abilities, relationships or outcomes.

No single combat style defines the genre. Baldur’s Gate 3 is turn based, ELDEN RING is real time and Disco Elysium largely removes combat, yet each provides meaningful control over role and development.

More RPG guides

Fantasy-focused players can continue with the best fantasy RPGs or medieval RPGs.

Handheld players can explore the best RPGs for handheld PC play. Readers seeking magic-heavy alternatives can see games like Hogwarts Legacy.

Final recommendations

Baldur’s Gate 3 is the best overall RPG for choices, party building and tactical freedom. ELDEN RING leads for open-world action, Cyberpunk 2077 for science fiction and The Witcher 3 for authored fantasy quests.

Choose FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH for cinematic party combat, Persona 5 Royal for stylish turn-based systems or Disco Elysium for dialogue and investigation.

Choose Diablo IV for co-op loot, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth for a modern JRPG or God of War Ragnarök for cinematic action with lighter role-playing systems.

The right RPG depends on what the player wants to shape: a character build, a party, a relationship, a political outcome, a combat style or an entire version of the story.