It is no secret that the PlayStation is home to some of the world’s best RPG franchises. The game library is only going to get even better as we go through the PS5's life cycle. With plenty of unannounced titles in the bag, the PS5’s best days are yet to come, but there is currently no dearth of immersive RPGs on the platform.
A role-playing game or RPG is the type of game in which you are tasked with making decisions for your character. Choices with dialogue, major story-altering decisions, and progression by honing a certain skill set make for an RPG experience. Read on to learn about the best RPGs the PS5 has to offer.
The best RPGs on the PS5 you need to play
1) Persona 5 Royal
Every Persona game has a different story, so you’ll be fine heading into Persona 5 Royal without any prior experience with the series. With that out of the way, Persona 5 is a JRPG that tells the story of the Phantom Thieves battling evil surrounding Tokyo, with the Joker leading the charge.
Personal 5 Royal is more or less the same game as Persona 5, albeit with a few new characters, confidants, refined turn-based gameplay, a new grappling hook mechanic, and a new story arc. The story is refreshing and builds up nicely.
The gameplay is turn-based, with your squad battling through new enemies while exploring dungeons. People who haven’t played a mainline JRPG but have a little experience with the gameplay loop of the turn-based Pokémon games should feel right at home.
2) Horizon Forbidden West
Forbidden West continues to explore Aloy’s story, an outcast curious enough to know the truth about the minacious world she’s living in. The open world is simply gorgeous to explore. You’ll find yourself gawking at the stunning vistas and fine details the developers, Guerrilla, have put in.
As you gain more experience points and level up, you can complete skill trees to help Aloy learn new combat techniques. Also, over the course of the main storyline, you will find better weapons from NPCs and by finishing certain side missions.
Horizon Forbidden West feels balanced and incorporates elements of RPG games into an adventure that’s not only thrilling but unique from a storyline point of view. Seeing your build come alive as you get better at battling certain machines is a highly rewarding experience.
3) Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
When Sony first announced that a remake for Final Fantasy VII was in the works, the gaming community went into a frenzy because an all-time classic was being revived for the new generation of consoles. Final Fantasy VII Remake first launched on the PS4, but Square Enix later ported the game to the PS5 featuring better graphical fidelity, higher frame rate, and additional content.
The combat is fast-paced and encourages you to execute more worthwhile combos. Coupled with breathtaking visuals on the PS5, the Intergrade version is the definitive version to play.
Intergrade shifts its focus to Yuffie, a ninja and a thief, who uses a shuriken to annihilate enemies. The developers did a superb job handling her character in the Intermission DLC, a part of the Intergrade version of the game. Overall, FFVII was, and still is, the flagbearer for modern RPG games.
4) Demon’s Souls
"You died" is a term that fans of the Souls genre are well accustomed to, and it is rightly so, thanks to the higher than average difficulty that the Souls games bring to the table. Many are still in the dark about the origins of the genre, but it was Demon's Souls in 2009 that more or less established the genre.
Long-time fans rejoiced as Sony announced Demon's Souls remake for the PS5. Bluepoint Game's hard work has resulted in a flawless 60 FPS performance mode that looks better than any other souls game hitherto.
Be prepared to fight some of the toughest bosses you'll ever come across in a video game. Gamers fond of a challenge should definitely give this deeply rewarding game a go.
5) Cyberpunk 2077
CD Projekt Red tarnished the reputation they built from their work on The Witcher 3 by releasing an unfinished game in the form of Cyberpunk 2077. First announced in May 2012, Cyberpunk 2077 was one of the most anticipated titles ever.
Marred by game-breaking bugs, Cyberpunk failed to live up to its hype. In fact, Sony even pulled it out of the PlayStation store. However, CD Projekt Red took it upon themselves to fix the game. Gradually, they pushed out frequent updates that improved the game a lot. In 2022, they launched the next-gen patch for the PS5 and Xbox Series consoles that fixed the entirety of bugs.
In its current state, the game is incredibly fun to play with an enthralling storyline. Night City is, simply put, beautiful to explore. The AI of NPCs might still not be the best, but the overall futuristic vibe, excellent gun animation, and superb voice-acting make this RPG a must-play on the PS5. We recommend playing in the performance mode over the 30 FPS Ray Tracing mode for a smoother, less taxing experience.