The Top 10 Best RPGs of 2023

As we bid farewell to another incredible year in the gaming realm, it's time to reflect on the standout RPGs that made 2023 truly remarkable. Roleplaying games are always evolving, with developers of new and old building upon a genre that has produced some of the best gaming experiences since the early 70s. Whether you're a fan of classic turn-based combat or seeking the thrill of action-packed adventures, the RPG scene in 2023 had something for everyone. Here is our list for the 10 best RPGs released in 2023:

10. Hogwarts Legacy

Kicking off this list is Hogwarts Legacy, a game that took the gaming world by storm at the beginning of the year. Being the newest addition to the Action RPG genre, Hogwarts Legacy brought back the feeling we all had when we were kids, exploring a world filled with different spells, magical beasts, and mysteries to uncover.

The game features detailed and beautiful environments, with a rendition of Hogwarts that could make even J.K. Rowling envious. The game truly feels like a love letter to fans of Harry Potter, be it from the books, movies, or the earlier games on the PlayStation.

9. Starfield

Starfield is the latest release by the beloved developers over at Bethesda, responsible for their genre-defining titles such as the Fallout and Elder Scrolls series. If this list were centered around being let loose in a sandbox environment, with the freedom to explore and create your own story in a massive world, Starfield would probably be at the top spot. While the game does lack some of that old Bethesda magic, with fewer handcrafted scenarios in favor of procedural generation, there is no doubt that there are hundreds of hours of content available to players who seek it.

Judging by their previous titles, we also expect the modding community to keep the game afloat for decades, with the Creation Engine allowing players to modify the game to their hearts' content.

8. Octopath Traveler 2

Octopath Traveler 2 is what a sequel should always be, taking the elements of the original that defined the experience and building on top of it, while making changes to some of the weaker aspects of the title. The game is without a doubt aimed at players who have been fans of the old-school 2D RPGs of the SNES era, featuring turn-based combat, an engaging story, and a beautiful world to explore.

Fans of retro RPGs should definitely take a look at Octopath Traveler 2, as it is one of the best examples of an old genre being brought back with modern mechanics and a fresh coat of paint.

7. Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader

The latest project by Owlcat Games, renowned for their continued support of the CRPG genre with games like Pathfinder: Kingmaker and Wrath of the Righteous, is set in the beloved Warhammer 40,000 universe. The game is everything you can expect from the genre and more, with a deep and engaging story that will be defined by your choices, rich characters that are sure to make your journey a lot more interesting, and a lot of the RPG systems that defined the genre in the early 2000s. While this is Owlcat's first venture outside of the fantasy universe, with Rogue Trader, they make it clear that the team is versatile enough to be able to craft engaging stories and environments and fun turn-based combat in anything they put their hands on.

6. Sea of Stars

One of the big surprises this year has been another take on the retro-RPG genre, with Sea of Stars releasing to critical acclaim a few months ago. The game takes inspiration from beloved old-school JRPGs such as Chronotrigger and Final Fantasy 4, while putting its own twist on the genre. By combining the pixel-art style with a soundtrack by the legendary Yasunori Mitsuda, Sabotage Studio has managed to create a visual feast, in which every frame could be a consideration for your desktop wallpaper.

Sea of Stars has a cast of lovable characters, which will take you through a journey filled with environmental puzzle-solving, modern turn-based combat, and a big mystery worth solving.

5. Remnant 2

Hailed as 'Dark Souls with guns,' Remnant 2 has quickly become one of the most beloved games released in 2023. The game centered around fast-paced combat, utilizing a Soulslike dodging system coupled with endless build opportunities in the form of different class combinations, weapons, and items. There is so much variety in what type of playstyle you could create for yourself, before going out and testing it on a world filled with amazing enemy variety, event encounters, and visually stunning bosses. All of this combined with the excellent use of procedural generation can create hundreds of hours of amazing gameplay.

Unlike most of the games on this list, Remnant 2 features co-op for up to 4 players; being able to mess around with friends and challenge some of the hardest bosses in the genre is always a bonus.

4. Final Fantasy XVI

Breaking away from the conventional Final Fantasy experience, XVI surprises and delights with its departure from familiar tropes. Despite the absence of a massive party, an MP-based magic system, and open-world map traversal, the game manages to encapsulate the quintessential Final Fantasy essence. The sweeping, epic story, high stakes, character growth, and the sheer beauty of the game captivate players, turning initial skepticism into genuine love.

From the characters to the combat mechanics, every element of Final Fantasy XVI reflects a thoughtful and intentional design. The seamless integration of action RPG combat amidst expertly directed cutscenes results in a gaming experience that is not only visually stunning but emotionally resonant.

3. Lies of P

One of the biggest influences on the gaming world in the past decade has been FromSoftware's game design choices from their titles such as Dark Souls, Elden Ring, and Sekiro. Many developers have fallen short in the attempt to replicate the formula and standard set by FromSoftware, which is what makes Lies of P such a surprise. Neowiz Games have been the first developers which have not only been able to hit all of the marks for what it means to be a good Souls game, but they have created a game that actually rivals the best titles in FromSoftware's catalog.

Lies of P has managed to surpass all expectations, with a combat system that combines all of the best aspects of Sekiro and Bloodborne, an outstanding amount of enemy and encounter variety and a list of bosses that could all be the final encounter in a lesser game. All of this is held on by the glue that is the interesting twist on the world of Pinocchio, with a story that will take you through one of the best ARPGs of 2023.

2. Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty

There have been a few notable redemption stories in the gaming world over the past decade, with the biggest one being the continued support for No Man's Sky, and CD Projekt Red has just added another one to that list. While I don't think games should ever be released in the state that Cyberpunk 2077 did back in 2020, everyone deserves a second chance, and boy did the developers deliver with the Phantom Liberty expansion. 

Cyberpunk 2077 has been entirely updated, with so many new systems and improvements over the bones of what was seen as a waste of potential. A new talent-tree system, cybernetic upgrades, new weapons, an updated police system and so many more new things were added to the base of the game that it finally feels like a finished game and a true RPG experience.

All of this coupled with the new content added from the Phantom Liberty expansion, which includes a brand new zone, new weapons, and a captivating story that can rival some of the biggest hits in the genre. If No Man's Sky deserved a second chance, so does Cyberpunk 2077, and we believe that the new update and expansion have turned this into one of the best games of 2023.

1. Baldur's Gate 3

Baldur's Gate 3 is a stunning achievement in game design, and it's no wonder it won nearly every Game of the Year award in 2023. Larian Studios has successfully continued to iterate and build upon their existing systems from the Divinity: Original Sin series, creating a level of systematic freedom never seen before in an RPG. Every single system in the game is intertwined with one another, creating a creative outlet for players to be able to do anything they want within the world of Faerun. Rarely have I had a crazy idea that the game did not let me do, and most of the time I was even rewarded for it.

Nearly every situation in the game has a variety of different ways you can resolve it, both in dialogue, puzzles, and the amazing turn-based combat system based on the 5th edition of Dungeons & Dragons. No two playthroughs will ever be the same, which is an amazing feat for a game with the length of about 100 hours.

Another mind-boggling aspect of the game is the sheer production value in the form of the AAA in-game cinematics, amazing acting performances, and stunning landscapes - never has a game in the niche CRPG genre had this much of a budget behind it. With a cast of well-written and rich characters and a dice-rolling dialogue system with outcomes that can affect the entire story, every player is truly able to create their own adventure.

That covers our list for the best RPGs of 2023. This was without a doubt one of the best years for gaming in the past decade, and we hope that the momentum doesn't stop going into 2024. With so many amazing RPGs available, picking a few from this list is going to provide you with hundreds if not thousands of hours of content. We hope to see you back with us in 2024, with many new game releases to explore!