The 18 Best PS4 RPGs Of All Time

Summary

• The PS4 marked a resurgence of RPGs, with remastered titles and new releases bringing the genre back to the forefront.
• Ys 9: Monstrum Nox and other RPGs showcased the power of the PlayStation 4 and its ability to enhance gaming experiences.
• From classic titles like Kingdom Hearts 3 to newer releases like Yakuza: Like A Dragon, the PS4 has a range of top-notch RPG options.

If you’ve been gaming for a long time, you might recall there being something of a drought in role-playing games during the years when Sony’s PlayStation 3 was in the spotlight. This was especially true of RPGs by Japanese developers, though there were notably fewer RPGs of all sorts. Increasingly, fans turned elsewhere for the genre.

All that changed in a big way with the arrival of the PlayStation 4. RPGs were back, and even some of the more notable late-PS3 titles were given face lifts for those who owned the shiny new fourth-generation hardware. With so many great PS4 RPGs, it isn’t easy counting down to our top 18, but we sure have tried our best.

Given the increasing tendency for developers to re-release their games with spiffier graphics and performance updates on subsequent hardware, we’re including plenty of games that now sport PS5 versions (or at least, are best-played via PlayStation 5). But their PS4 roots remain!

18

Ys 9: Monstrum Nox

Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana is a great game, but developer Falcom taps into the PlayStation 4’s increased power with the more visually spectacular Ys 9: Monstrum Nox – even if most of us have played Ys 8 on PS4, Switch, or PC.

That island-themed adventure starring protagonist Adol has its roots on Vita, and it shows; meanwhile, Monstrum Nox’s city of Balduq is sharper, better-defined, and populated with more than a few fascinating characters.

Adol becomes the titular ‘Monstrum’ this go-around, and really, though his saga may be niche in the grand scheme of gaming as a medium, those of us who have grown with the guy can’t help but wonder if he’ll ever retire after a life of such consistently challenging surprises.

17

Kingdom Hearts 3

The Kingdom Hearts series’ second console-oriented installment debuted all the way back in 2006; thereafter, a slew of handheld and mobile titles emerged. While some fans were just plain pleased to see the sprawling storyline continue, many yearned for the sort of bigger-budget fare that only a console game’s budget can afford.

That wish came true in 2019, when Kingdom Hearts 3 arrived with the promise to put a cap on the primary plot arc that had enveloped the series for so many chapters.

Kingdom Hearts 3 is admittedly an uneven experience, especially for those who would have preferred a bit less Disney dawdling and a bit more content for the story’s original elements, but it does come together well at the end – doubly so if you own the Re Mind expansion released a year later.

16

Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139…

It’s difficult to deny the impact that 2017’s Nier: Automata has had on the Japanese RPG industry. The collaboration between Square Enix and Platinum Games aimed to deliver a sequel to the cult-classic original Nier, and while the impeccably fluent and satisfying action combat surely would have turned heads to some extent, few could have predicted that Automata would go on to become one of Square’s best-selling games in generations.

Naturally, attention thus tilted back toward the first game, and Nier Replicant (pardon us for omitting the numbers) serves as a worthy graphical uptick and general quality-of-life update.

Never mind that it’s far easier to find; Nier Replicant is simply more pleasurable to play, although purists who prefer the original Nier’s gruff father figure – a change made with Western audiences in mind – to the brother-hero that Japan has always sported may lament the shift to a more common archetype.

15

The Outer Worlds

Obsidian Entertainment hit the ground running with Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords, Neverwinter Nights 2, Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity, and more. Rightly viewed as featuring some of the most talented members of the RPG-making industry, with legacies further back than the developer’s 2003 founding, it’s plain to see why the announcement of space-based The Outer Worlds was met with such enthusiasm.

It’s a little smaller than some might like, and a little jankier, too, but The Outer Worlds has plenty of heart, with delightfully cheeky character-writing, and very much its own fresh vibe in the crowded sci-fi scene.

Depending on your PC specs, you might want to avoid Spacer’s Choice Edition, which – ironically – is a current-gen remaster that frequently fumbles in performance and alters enough of the game’s art style to be more of a love-or-hate than an outright successor.

The real successor – The Outer Worlds 2 – is now in development.

If you feel like adding Skyrim to this list is a bit of a cheap trick, we apologize. But Special Edition did PS4 (and Xbox One) some real favors; the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions that launched alongside PC in 2011 were, in a word, ugly. Skyrim’s majestic beauty was often hindered by frame rate nightmares and dated textures. Bethesda Game Studios was, quite simply, putting too much game on those aging warhorse consoles.

Skyrim: Special Edition feels like a breath of fresh air in comparison, and while it’s better and better on PS5/Xbox Series (and will forever be at its best on PC), PS4 owners will find a perfectly playable rendition of the best-selling RPG of all time.

13

Yakuza: Like A Dragon

With all the talk of turn-based RPG series ‘needing’ to transform into action-RPGs to ‘keep up with the times’, it was a real shocker when Yakuza: Like a Dragon, bucked the trend in a big way by taking a series known for its beat-em-up action combat and venturing into the turn-based field. Between the dramatic gameplay shift and brand-new protagonist Ichiban, Like a Dragon is a radical departure.

And yet, it retains every bit of the goofy charm, the endlessly amusing mini-games, and the unmistakably Yakuza vibe that has long made Yakuza a staple name for a certain subset of gamers. That subset has surely increased, too; we remember a decade ago and more, when it seemed virtually nobody in the Western world was familiar with Sega’s ongoing saga.

Yakuza (or rather, ‘Like a Dragon’, as it’s now properly called – it’s a long story) will never be a blockbuster franchise, per se, but it’s definitely risen in popularity.

12

The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel 3

Did you know Japanese developer Nihon Falcom has been crafting a single long-running storyline for 12 video games and counting? As with Like a Dragon, the Trails franchise does garner somewhat more notoriety in the West these days, but it’s hardly the exponential leap necessary for us to feel confident that most of you will say yes.

Trails is split into several sub-series, each following largely their own cast, even as the grand storyline develops between them all. The first entry made specifically for PlayStation 4, Trails of Cold Steel 3, is the third in a quartet of games bearing the Cold Steel subtitle, and for our money, it’s the best of them.

ew characters join familiar faces as a shadow grows over the Erebonian Empire – it’s not that follow-up Cold Steel 4 is bad, but it’s this penultimate chapter that fires on every cylinder.

11

Final Fantasy 15

A lot has been said about what Final Fantasy 15 did wrong. In fact, Final Fantasy 16 is upon us at last, and yet it seems like FF15 arguments have practically already eclipsed much of the FF16 chatter. Does that make Final Fantasy 15 ‘The Last Jedi of RPGs’? We’re not qualified to say, really, but it sure does feel like it.

The thing is, Noctis’ road-trip-turned-tragedy is beloved as much as it’s reviled. It feels unlike anything else in the series, with its open-world road trip and highly-praised ‘brotherhood of bros being bros’ vibe. The story falls apart just about immediately once it finally gets going, as the move from the open world into a more linear affair has the unfortunate effect of feeling rushed.

You also need to consume several other pieces of media to get a full picture of what’s even happening.

But the highs are so high, with the quirky chocobo rides, the cheesy banter, the campouts, the hangout animations, and more. While Final Fantasy 16 is probably the better game, it’s hard to shake the feeling Final Fantasy 15 is more fun.

10

Dragon Age: Inquisition

As of this writing, it has been just shy of nine years since BioWare gave us Dragon Age: Inquisition. The third entry went bigger, bolder, and longer than either of its predecessors, especially the confined (and somewhat maligned) second. These changes toward a semi-open gameplay environment weren’t met with universal praise, but that doesn’t stop Inquisition from being one heck of an RPG overall.

Even better than the base game is its two-years-later coda, Trespasser, which released in 2015. It teased a sequel that has been rebooted twice; let’s just pray to Andraste it doesn’t happen a third time.

While we wait a decade for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, we can take solace (and Solas) in knowing that at least the series has paused on a note as great as Inquisition.

9

Yakuza Zero

Earlier, we mentioned the Like a Dragon series’ appreciable rise in general awareness outside of Japan. If there’s any game to thank for it, surely it’s Yakuza Zero. Admittedly, Yakuza Zero launched on PS3 as well, but its simultaneous PS4 launch has long since made it a fourth-gen Sony hit in the minds of the many.

And what a hit it is! This Kiryu-starring prequel benefits from all the glitz and glam of the late 1980s, which shone as brightly in Japan as anywhere else across the globe. Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s trademark Yakuza funk blends perfectly with the era. There’s lots to love in the nearly two-decade Like a Dragon franchise, but Yakuza Zero might just be the high mark.

8

Monster Hunter: World

Like a Dragon’s gone from niche to less-niche, but with 2018’s PS4-originating Monster Hunter: World, Capcom’s brutal action role-playing series went from niche to massive. It’s a perfect storm; Monster Hunter: World is more accessible than past entries, whilst losing none of the thrills.

It’s a bit more story-centric, and features vast environments that set the stage terrifically for the many memorable showdowns against Nergigante, Fatalis, Frostfang Barioth, and oh so many more.

World’s success gave Monster Hunter: Rise the wings to keep the series soaring, but at the end of the day, the two games take fairly separate approaches to the hunt. We’d love to see another World someday (and we might be getting it with the recently revealed Monster Hunter Wilds) and we salute the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One for bringing this one to life.

7

Persona 3 Reload

With Persona 3 Reload, Atlus has emboldened the original version of a groundbreaking role-playing game that set the stage for its sweeping success with the series in future years. Sure, there are some fair criticisms – the lack of Persona 3 Portable’s female protagonist (and her respective Social Links) foremost among them – but this is a good time nonetheless.

In bringing Tartarus and Iwatodai up to more modern visual standards, and imbuing an already all-timer soundtrack with the vibrancy of newer sound chips, Persona 3 has been refreshed for a brand-new generation. And while it’s probably best-played on newer hardware, the PS4 version is still perfectly solid stuff.

6

The Legend Of Heroes: Trails To Azure

Trails to Azure is another of those instances in which one could rightly quibble whether it truly belongs on our list, but hear us out. It’s true that the game began life on PlayStation Portable way back in 2011 – and the visuals, while quite charming, hardly hide the fact – but Legend of Heroes fans have had to wait a full 12 years before the game was finally released officially in the West.

Serving as the back half of the two-chapter Crossbell arc within the greater Trails framework, Trails to Azure continues the journey of Lloyd, Elie, Tia, Randy, and their growing group of friends – and foes. It’s bigger and more eventful than Trails from Zero, which, while fun, serves as more of a setup for Azure than a full meal in its own right. Many fans hold Trails to Azure up as a candidate for best-in-franchise, and we don’t disagree.

5

Dragon Quest 11 S: Echoes Of An Elusive Age – Definitive Edition

That’s one mouthful of a title, right? But make no mistake, if you’re going to play Dragon Quest 11 (and you should, it’s amazing!), this is the version to choose.

It’s weird that we’ve got to mention the caveat that the graphics will be a bit lesser than the original; long story short, the Switch version with a ton of new features was rebuilt from the ground up for that platform, and that rebuild is what got sent ‘back’ to PS4 three years after the initial 2017 release.

But set that aside, because the tradeoff is an even richer spin on one of the greatest RPGs of the PS4 era. Echoes of an Elusive Age is a classic tale through and through, as Dragon Quest games tend to be.

It’s an epic adventure of good versus evil, complete with a sturdy turn-based battle system, and a modern, enormous, approach to an overworld that would feel right at home back when JRPG world maps were a thing we’d traverse in minutes. Just be sure to set aside a good 100 hours or so; DQ11 is not short.

4

Bloodborne

If there’s one game that feels ‘trapped’ on PlayStation 4, it’s Bloodborne. From Software’s first foray into something other than Dark Souls since, well, Dark Souls is a faster-paced, frenetic, offensively-oriented rendition on the developer’s impeccable combat, turning many of the Dark Souls series’ most familiar mechanics on their heads in the process.

Bloodborne is also one of the most atmospheric video games ever made. The Gothic-Victorian city of Yharnam sucks you in, and the diseased beasts and cosmic beings you’ll hunt will stick in your mind for years. Which is good, because who knows if we’ll ever see a Bloodborne 2 – or even a current-gen port.

3

Final Fantasy 7 Remake

Square Enix has, unsurprisingly, appeared a fair number of times on our list of the best PS4 role-playing games. No choice for top-brass title will be universally agreed-upon, but we’ve got to go with Final Fantasy 7 Remake.

The jury’s out on whether the weird meta-centric Whisper plot points, and the game’s quasi-secret status as a semi-sequel, will pay off in future installments or feel like bizarre misfires. But otherwise, Remake is a faithful adaptation of the first major stretch of Square’s industry-shaking seventh Final Fantasy.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake is at its best when it gives these perennially popular characters fresh banter that feels right at home, leading to a strange, satisfying feeling that the original Final Fantasy 7 is truncated by comparison.

It’s a celebration of a game it’s obvious the developers treasured as much in 2020 as they did in 1997, and the battle system manages to skirt the line between action-RPG with meaningful bits of turn-based, giving us one of Square Enix’s strongest combat packages in ages.

It’s almost as if Final Fantasy 15’s kind-of-good, sort-of-janky fighting was a testbed for Remake’s, and goodness gracious, we are ready to see this system evolve in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

2

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

We’re not using the famous Geralt-in-a-bathtub screenshot for our picture, but the fact that most of you will instantly know what we’re talking about, even if you’ve never played the game, is a good indicator of how hugely popular The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has proven to be.

Wild Hunt is also a stunning indictment against the idea that the third entry in story-centric games can sell the best – it’s a rare thing, indeed, but as of March 2023, The Witcher trilogy has sold over 75 million units, with 50 million belonging to The Witcher 3. Wow.

Why all the fuss? Somewhat floaty combat aside, it’s hard to think of anything The Witcher 3 does less than great. The characters are unforgettable, even if you’ve not played the first two games (or read the books, for that matter); they’re simply all the more so if you have.

The quests are so well written, it’s been commonplace for eight years and counting to compare them favorably to just about every subsequent RPG under the sun. The open-world environments are magnificent, with the city of Novgorod’s dense population and immaculate art style maintaining the highest qualitative bar in gaming settlements.

The PS4 may have been somewhat slim on games until about 2016 or so, but 2015’s The Witcher 3 makes a strong play for the best thing to ever hit the console.

1

Persona 5 Royal

Yet even so, we sing slightly greater praise for Persona 5 Royal, the excellently-enhanced remaster of what is, in our belief, the best role-playing game to ever grace the PS4.

Even if you’re adamantly lukewarm to most JRPGs, you’ll probably still be floored by how well this game oozes style, from its sleek, colorful menus, to its superb anime-esque representation of Tokyo, to its snappy and sublime turn-based combat and jazzy soundtrack.

There’s just so much to adore about Persona 5’s audiovisual experience, even before getting into all the ways it improves upon – arguably perfects – staple elements of the series from Persona 3 onward. The social links, called ‘confidants’ this time around, are largely a batch of real winners, with crisp writing and memorably emotional climaxes.

The slew of side stuff, from Mementos quests and school exams to playing old-school video games in your attic and learning how to brew the perfect cup of coffee, would be enough for us to chart Persona 5 Royal near the top of our list even if the main plot was comparably middling. But the story does, in fact, deliver, with a clever framing arc that’s subsequently subverted and a final showdown you won’t soon forget.