With the PlayStation 5 now out, fans have plenty to look forward to this year and beyond when it comes to RPGs. The most notable games on the horizon are FromSoftware's highly-anticipated Elden Ring, Guerrilla Games' Horizon Forbidden West, Square Enix's Final Fantasy XVI, and their inevitable second part to Final Fantasy VII Remake.
However, even with all the enticing titles yet to come, there are plenty of great RPGs for PlayStation fans to play that hold up in 2022. Several of these games span different subgenres, from action RPGs to JRPGs to CRPGs.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition
CD Projekt Red's third adaptation of author Andrej Sapkowski's dense dark-fantasy world has cemented itself as one of the best modern fantasy RPGs since its 2015 release. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is still celebrated for its vibrant open world, deeply immersive story, engaging side quests, and dozens of hours' worth of engaging content -- including the Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine DLC.
The game follows monster hunter Geralt of Rivia as he makes his way through The Continent trying to find his surrogate daughter, all the while wading through a narrative full of emotion and the exploration of moral ambiguities. The game is available for PS4 and backward compatible with PS5, though, owners of the current version will get the upcoming PS5-proper remastered version this year for free as an upgrade.
Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intergrade
The original Final Fantasy VII on the PS1 was commonly regarded as one of the best games of all time, let alone RPGs. Fans have been desperate for Square Enix to remake the game on modern technology since the PS2. Thankfully, 2020 was finally the year for Final Fantasy VII Remake, garnering a great critical and commercial reception.
The game's praises mostly went to the refined combat system from XV, as well as its engaging story and deeper character focus. Though some are nervous about the Kingdom Hearts-like creative liberties taken to the narrative, this was a strong first impression. It's a great mainline Final Fantasy for beginners and is available on PS4, PS5, and PC -- with the latter two as the Intergrade version for next-gen.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
EA might have finally started their redemption arc with Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. This collection remasters the original acclaimed trilogy in one package and is among the best video game remasters to play right now. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition comes with all the pivotal story DLC, upgrades their graphics to 4K, boosts the framerate to 60 FPS, and makes some welcome quality-of-life improvements.
These changes are most noticeable with the first game, as it's shown the most age since 2007. Mass Effect has been acclaimed for its intricate and vast sci-fi world, storytelling, and a cast full of compelling characters with narrative player choice.
Persona 5 Royal
While the Persona series is a spinoff of the wider Shin Megami Tensei franchise, Persona 5 exploded the sub-series popularity on a global scale. Whereas SMT focuses on grander, more philosophical concepts, Persona scales things down to a more intimate and personal level.
The original version of P5 was praised for its sprawling street-level story, life-simulation elements, its inventive take on JRPG turn-based combat, and a wide cast of lovable characters. Persona 5 Royal only added to that, making it an even more essential modern-day JRPG with its added story content.
Divinity: Original Sin II - Definitive Edition
The classic CRPG genre is the purest translation of the tabletop-RPG genre into video games, and smaller developers in the current gaming scene are bringing it back to prominence. Larian Studios' sequel Divinity: Original Sin II made itself one of the best modern CRPGs to play, with a slew of accolades for helping bring the subgenre back to form.
The game is immensely detailed, giving players the freedom to craft their character, playstyle, and alignment within its expansive high-fantasy world. Its combat system is satisfyingly strategic, with party composition being highly customizable. The Definitive Edition finally brought the game to consoles and was mostly a seamless transition.
Bloodborne
Circles within the FromSoftware fan base consider the PS4 exclusive Bloodborne to be the developer's best work. Director Hidetaka Miyazaki Miyazaki and co. shifted away from the medieval-themed worlds of the beloved Demon's Souls and Dark Souls trilogy and into a Victorian England-themed dark-fantasy universe instead.
Like the aforementioned games, Bloodborne retains the subtle yet deep storytelling approach and worldbuilding, with a riveting Lovecraftian/Eldritch horror-inspired mystery at its core. In terms of gameplay, it changes from the slow and methodical combat of Dark Souls to rewarding players for fast-paced but calculated aggression. Fans are still hoping for a PS5 remaster, or at least a performance patch.
Demon's Souls (PS5 Remake)
As far as PS5 exclusives go, the Demon's Souls remake proved to be a fantastic launch title for the new console. It was a long time coming, as the Souls-like progenitor was a beloved niche PS3 title from 2009. Sony's first-party developer Bluepoint Studios did a masterful job in modernizing the PS3 classic, adapting Demon's Souls using the PS5's powerful hardware to visually stunning results.
Its lore and worldbuilding are intact, with the remake feeling excellent to play in terms of movement and combat. Similarly, Bluepoint made some tasteful quality-of-life changes to streamline the experience a bit more without changing the spirit of the gameplay.
Horizon Zero Dawn - Complete Edition
Before its release in 2017, developer Guerrilla Games was primarily known for its first-person shooter franchise Killzone. However, Horizon Zero Dawn ended up becoming a PlayStation tentpole and proof that Guerrilla is more than capable of handling an open-world action RPG. It's one of the most creative settings and stories, combining a dystopian sci-fi world that carries elements of prehistory.
Players follow Aloy through a disheveled future where nature has evolved to be more artificial, with robotic animals now dominating the wilderness. Along with an intriguing mystery and iconic new protagonist, it's one of the best-looking PS4 games as well. Getting the Complete Edition now is a great deal to get The Frozen Wilds DLC, too. Players are also surely eager for next month's sequel, Horizon Forbidden West.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Special Edition
Though its re-releases have become a tired gaming trope over the years, Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is still a great game to play in 2022. Admittedly, part of the reason for that is thanks to the active modding community keeping the game fresh. Back in 2011, Skyrim was acclaimed as one of the best modern RPGs.
It adds a new main story to add more depth to this high-fantasy universe, with side questlines that were even more exciting. From a gameplay perspective, its fluid character build system was praised for its possibilities in how players could mold characters into their own. Special Edition is available now for PS4, with a free PS5 upgrade and the newly-released Anniversary Edition also as options.
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of An Elusive Age - Definitive Edition
Though not on the global scale of IPs like Final Fantasy, the Dragon Quest franchise is titanic in Japan. And once Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age was released, it experienced a deserved round of critical acclaim and a global spotlight.
The game's high praises went to its large-scale story, characters, and modernized approach to turn-based combat while still keeping true to its JRPG roots. It's also the biggest visual upgrade for the Dragon Quest franchise, with its signature Akira Toriyama art style ensuring it ages well. The Definitive Edition of the game brought it to PS4, along with some QOL enhancements.