Best RPG Games 2023: Our picks for the most immersive titles out there 

For the absolute best RPG title we’ve played, look no further than FromSoftware’s latest behemoth, Elden Ring.

It features an amazing blend of a compelling narrative and the supremely difficult combat from the dev’s previous effort, a little known series called Dark Souls. We found that combo of a great narrative and difficult combat to make for some rewarding gameplay, too.

Moreover, Elden Ring also features a large open world and a shedload of new game mechanics and content for players to get stuck into and enjoy. These include a proper jump button, as well as excellent crafting mechanics that give you the best chance of winning those all important boss battles.

In terms of exploration, there’s everything from the ancient ruins of an underground city to diamond encrusted mines to explore, with all sorts of hidden dangers and traps to keep you on your toes at all times. We also thought that this is a gorgeous-looking game, especially when playing on the latest generation of consoles with 4K output at 60fps which brings the expansive world of Elden Ring to life.

Reviewer: Alastair Stevenson
Full Review: Elden Ring review

Pokémon Legends: Arceus is the best family-friendly RPG we’ve played and represents a major leap forward for the Pokémon series in a more general sense.

It adds in plenty of new and exciting mechanics that freshen up the classic Pokémon experience, which should be sure to please series newcomers and veterans alike, especially with the fact it offers a new take on an age-old story, too. There are more classic Pokémon titles available which are brilliant in their own right if you want a more traditional experience, such as Pokemon Sword and Shield, for instance.

With Arceus, there are over 25 hours of the main campaign to get through, which is quite lengthy in itself. On top of that, there are dozens of sidequests for you to enjoy, which means you’ll have a project on your hands if you want to complete everything that Arceus has to offer. It might not be the most difficult game in the world, but we found Arceus to provide a charming and fun experience that makes it an ideal Pokémon game for anyone.

Its component of allowing you to explore a new area, capture monsters and complete the main task helps you to get to know the map better, and kept the content engaging and fresh. Even if this isn’t as open world as the likes of Breath of the Wild, Arceus still provides a good amount of opportunities to wander around and explore all corners of the map.

Reviewer: Gemma Ryles
Full Review: Pokémon Legends: Arceus review

Keeping in with the theme of excellent Switch games brings us to a fantastic action JRPG Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

Its story follows six characters who are trapped in a permanently ongoing war, with classic Japanese RPG tropes such as giant mecha combat suits (think Gundam-style) and talkative monsters. As much as there is a high fantasy backdrop to this Xenoblade title and some truly action-packed cutscenes, its story also has an emotional quality that we thought made it relatable as well as especially captivating.

As well as offering an engaging story, we also thought Xenoblade Chronicles 3 featured ambitious gameplay too, with up to seven-character parties for combat, as well as the ability to switch between character classes at any point, which can make things especially interesting.

Combat did become a little repetitive during testing, admittedly, thanks to the lack of a deeper progression system, but the fact remains it still managed to keep us entertained and engaged during our 50-hour playthrough.

Reviewer: Ryan Jones
Full Review: Xenoblade Chronicles 3 review

Horizon Forbidden West is the best RPG for PlayStation owners, while also proving to be one of the best looking RPGs we’ve played.

It’s a truly worthy successor to the hugely successful Horizon Zero Dawn and brings with it loads of machines to hunt down as well as a much better system for upgrades and customisation. In addition, we found the gameplay loop here to be brilliantly satisfying and the general premise to be rather fun indeed.

On PS5, Forbidden West also looks incredible, with a vast open world to explore with biomes galore, ranging from large desert expanses to dense rainforests with vibrant foliage.

Admittedly, it isn’t all perfect as human combat isn’t the most engaging and the platforming can feel frustrating before long, but simply given the sheer enjoyment we got from Forbidden West, it’s an easy recommendation.

Reviewer: Ryan Jones
Full review: Horizon Forbidden West review

Cyberpunk 2077 is an interesting inclusion, as it’s not only one of the best RPGs out there but also one of the best FPS games, too.

It offers an extensive character customisation, with every aspect of V able to be curated to make it unique to your playthrough. These changes aren’t purely cosmetic as how you shape V will also affect Cyberpunk’s story and the experience you get. The story here proved to be some of the best we’ve experienced, with an unmatched sense of pacing and overall execution.

The graphics are some of the best available in an RPG, although there were some bugs and instability. Cyberpunk looked especially good on next-gen consoles, and the pair of Performance and Quality modes help to optimise the experience further.

The combat in Cyberpunk is also some of the most engaging we’ve experienced in an RPG with seemingly endless gunfights to get involved in. There’s also a clever fluid class system on offer, so you can engage with any of the game’s hacking and combat mechanics whenever you’d like, offering total control over your experience. In addition, each weapon has its own unique characteristics, which makes every one of them fun to use, and there are so many to choose from, meaning you have loads of ways of dealing with each enemy.

Reviewer: Jade King
Full review: Cyberpunk 2077 review