The role-playing genre is one of the largest and most popular genres in gaming. These epic titles take players on epic adventures that tell great stories and allow players to interact with the world in realistic ways. It’s an ambitious genre that sees fewer titles, but theRPGsplayers do receive are filled with passion.
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Most RPGs, anyway. The innovation or passion that makes classics such asStar Wars: Knights of the Old RepublicorBaldur’s Gateis pretty immense and is rare in the industry, especially in modern times. Keeping this in mind, here are some of the greatest RPGs ever made that changed the entire genre and helped usher in a new era of RPG gaming.
Updated July 09, 2025, by Ritwik Mitra:In modern times, elements of the RPG genre have seeped into several titles in the industry. After all, these simple-to-integrate mechanics add a wealth of depth to the gameplay and make each and every action in the game feel all the more important. Together, the games that helped to pioneer these mechanics are among the most influential RPG games ever made and have helped to change the genre forever.
10Divinity: Original Sin 2
There was a period of time during which CRPGs had stopped becoming mainstream, which was a real shame. This style of title allows for highly immersive gameplay and engaging combat, which combined for a beautiful experience.
Games likeDivinity: Original Sin 2dispelled the notion of this sub-genre becoming archaic and is considered by many to be one of the greatest roleplaying games ever made. It’s a massive upgrade over its predecessor and makes for a near-perfect experience.
9Dragon Age: Origins
The release ofDragon Age: Originswas absolutely monumental. It established BioWare’s name within the mainstream and gave them the confidence to release more modern western RPGs.
Theamazing companionsand story ofDragon Age: Originswere easily two of its biggest highlights. The combat is the only thing that will take some getting used to, given how dated it feels in the current gaming climate.
8Deus Ex
Deus Exis more than just an RPG. It’s one of the greatest immersive sim titles ever made and continues to be a shining example of great level design and decision-making.
Even with all the other modern titles in this genre, there’s something magical about the original release that no immersive sim since has been able to replicate. The graphics might be dated, but that’s pretty much the only drawback of an otherwise flawless experience.
7Mass Effect
Another BioWare series, the originalMass Effecttrilogy offers up an excellent experience that starts off on a high note and introduces players to Commander Shepard and his exploits to save the universe from extinction.
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Even after the bad taste left in the mouth of fans after the disaster that wasMass Effect: Andromeda, fans still love this series to death. One need only check out the massive popularity of theLegendary Editionto realize just how beloved this series really is.
6Final Fantasy 7
It was only a matter of time before a JRPG would become part of the conversation, and there’s no better contender thanFinal Fantasy 7. The game is responsible for ushering in the golden age of JRPGs on the PlayStation and keeping this genre relevant on western shores to this day.
The fact thattheRemakehas sold gangbustersshows just how much people care about this game. It’s possible thatFinal Fantasyas a series wouldn’t have reached the heights of popularity that it did had it not been for the rampant success of this game.
5Diablo 2
Many might consider dungeon-crawlers to not be true RPGs, but no one can deny the impact thatBlizzard’sDiablofranchise had on the genre at large. While the first game introduced players to an RPG genre more geared towards combat,Diablo 2is the magnum opus of the ARPG genre that every game in its genre has tried to unashamedly replicate.
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The game’s itemization, skill design, and social systems were game-changing for not justthe ARPG genrebut how itemization works in video games period.
4Dark Souls
Dark SoulsisFrom Software’sspiritual successor to thePlayStation 3exclusiveDemon’s Souls. The game’s interconnected world andpunishing difficultymake it one of the most revered games amongst RPG fans that have beat it.
Even with the game’s faults, its enthralling world and myriad of game systems work so well together that it’s spawned a sub-genre titled “Souls-like” that focuses on skill-based gameplay and punishing difficulty with less emphasis on quests and RPG stats.
3Chrono Trigger
CallingChrono Triggera genre-defining game would be an understatement.Chrono Triggeris one of thebest RPGs ever made. The game was a massive deviation from the common fantasy RPGs at the time with its strange time-traveling plot that had a great influence on gameplay as well. Combat also deviated from the random-encounter design that most games used at the time, a breath of fresh air that has helped it age more gracefully than mostSNESRPGs.
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The game even included a New Game Plus mode for fans that just couldn’t get enough. Nearly every game in the genre has taken inspiration fromChrono Trigger’smechanics or narrative in some fashion. It’s an experience that no game has been able to successfully replicate since.
2The Witcher 3
CD Projekt Redis no stranger to the RPG genre. The first twoWitchergames gave the studio enough experience with making RPGs to go all-out on their final installment inThe Witchertrilogy. Unquestionably,The Witcher 3is one of thebest open-world RPGsto release in recent memory.
Clunky systems from the last two games were streamlined here without sacrificing any of the depth previous games had. The locations Geralt explores throughout this 200-hour epic are all masterfully crafted to provide an equal sense of awe and dread.The Witcher 3makes brilliant use of its setting and universe with a well-paced main story that stands alongside some of the most captivating side quests in any RPG. Ever since this game was released, RPGs have tried to replicate this game’s success. It’s likely a large reason whyUbisoft’sAssassin’s Creedfranchise has shifted towards open-world design.
1World Of Warcraft
What is there to say aboutWorld of Warcraftthat hasn’t already been analyzed? This game might not have created the MMORPG genre, but itsgreat implementationof quests andWarcraftlore spawned hundreds of failed imitators.
WoWhas created its own subgenre of “Themepark MMORPGs” that focus on telling epic stories and establishing setpieces than creating a major sandbox as withEverquestorStar Wars Galaxies. Even after its launch back in 2004,World of Warcraftis still one of the largest MMOs on the market.
