Game of the Year: Best PS5 RPG of 2025

I haven't played KCD2, but the depth of outcomes and consequences that some of the side missions I've seen have blew me away.

Finally some justice to KCD2. This to me is what a RPG should be. Changing your pictos doesn't make it a actual RPG in my eyes.

Exactly my order of arrangement. KCDII is just so on point with the RPG. You can't just go to a grindstone and tap X to enhance your sword. You gotta sit and grind all edges yourself! You can't just tap X to brew potions, you gotta grind with pestle and mortar, work the bellows and actually cook! 😄 . You are no superhero, you can't take on 3 or more enemies yourself. This is the immersion we're talking about.

@TheArt I love the little details I've seen like getting chastised by guards for not carrying a lit torch at night or getting knocked off your horse by a low branch. I'd gladly trade fancy graphics for those fun, immersive little things in an RPG any day of the week.

I prefer The Witcher 3, that game is already more than 10 years old, OMG.

@RBMango And that's why KCD2 is special, cause it does it with fancy graphics. Yes most of its RPG elements can be found in other RPGs, difference is, it does it with a crazy level of immersion and realistic graphics. If there's ever an award for UI and Menu design, KCD2 takes that too. The way the map changes to different artworks for every town is so cool, the art in the codex pages, the design of items in inventory. Your life bar and that of the enemy you're currently fighting, your stamina, horse stamina etc is simplified and tucked neatly in that same bar below the screen. It just saddens me when hard work isn't appreciated, I'm just glad so far PCGamer has made it its GOTY.

Kcd2 might be the best rpg of all time.

Kingdom come is the type of game big studios detest! The game has so much depth that the aaa devs don’t want to include into games. They would rather spend the budget on new grass tech or how the clothing is so detailed.

The things that actually matter are neglected by the failing big devs and publishers

As an RPG fan, not really my year in the genre. Nothing on this list is something I wanna play.

This is more indicative of reality. E33 is a great rpg (major points for being turn based!), but it’s simply outclassed by KCD2.

I think when it comes to a lot of the RPG elements, KCD 2 seems to have it in the bag. I haven't played it yet but I plan on it after I'm finished with E33.

KCD2 all the way - outstanding game and well worthy of the top award here.

Congratulations to all the games on this list. Sure, they may not ever reach the story excellence of Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, but they sure put in a valiant effort.

@Fritz167 KCD2 is like Witcher 3 and RDR2 combined. Insane immersion with amazing storytelling.

If i had to chose one i would probably go with witcher, but it would be a tough choice.

Kingdom come deliverance 2 and clair obscur expedition 33 are so amazing. Word up son

Wow it seems like this was a very weak year for RPG's outside of Expedition 33.

Yeah without a doubt KC2 wins this. Its easily the best RPG of the entire gen.

@Oram77 I agree KC2 should win this but E33 is JRPG and JRPG's don't typically offer the level of choice and freedom of a western RPG like KC2 or Skyrim.

@AhmadSumadi so you haven't played any of them? Yeah... you've missed out badly.

@Dyomun nah. I’m good. I’ve played some really great games this year. Can’t play every great game. So I try to not get FOMO when I’ve not played the ones everyone’s raving about.

Everyone's always pitting KDC2 versus E33. I'm just happy we have great RPGs to pick between both JRPGs and WRPGs. I personally lean more towards the JRPG side of things myself and so E33 and Trails naturally appeals more to me. That said, if you prefer WRPGs more then KDC2 and OW2 will appeal to you more naturally.

Either way, we are eating good in the RPG genre.

While I much prefer E33 and it’s one of my all time favorite games, KCD2 absolutely should have won RPG of the Year.

I voted other.

This year, I didn't played any of the newest RPG's in the list. Well except Octopath Traveler 0 demo and it was eh.

But, I bought Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth from PS store sale and a second hand copy of Deus EX: Human Revolution which i really enjoyed.

Beside that, i played RPG's from my backlog like Resonance of Fate, Wild Arms, Legend of Dragoon, FF VI, FF VIII HD, and Star Ocean 1st Departure. After all these years, I think these old RPG are still holding up really well even against the newest ones who has shinier bells and whistles.

@species For me, the poor combat mechanics ruin the game.

Giving a Gold award to a game that was disqualified by the Indie Game Awards for using generative AI is certainly a choice. Two awards were withdrawn after the developer admitted AI use despite previously denying it. But sure, Best RPG. 🙄

@Shredz The total lack of nuance in that comment. IGA has rules that it cannot possibly enforce, and it was by Sandfall's admission. For texture placeholders even. Now you have these other devs looking sideways afraid to say they even use google. This is an IGA issue and it doesn't cancel E33. Good luck avoiding "AI".

@tabzer You’re conflating utility with eligibility. Whether the AI was used for “placeholders” is irrelevant if the rules prohibit generative assets. The “lack of nuance” claim sidesteps the real issue: disclosure. They denied AI use, then later admitted it. Comparing generative AI to using Google is a category error, one is a research tool, the other produces assets. If an award body stops enforcing its own standards because enforcement is “hard” the award stops meaning anything.

All the hype about clair obscur expedition 33 I bought it played for about five hours and to me it just got boring… I had a lot more fun with the dragon quest remakes…it just goes back to that old saying ‘to each his own’.

@Shredz I’m not conflating anything. You proposed, sarcastically, that IGA’s “standards” should carry authority even here. What an RPG is, or a good RPG, isn’t determined by eligibility rules beyond whether it functions as an RPG and is enjoyable.

Even if AI was used at some point in development, it doesn’t negate the work itself. The reason I mentioned Google is because AI is already integrated into the systems people use every day. That’s why these rules can’t be enforced at all, not just that they’re “hard” to enforce. You may dislike “AI,” but it’s here.

Taken seriously, IGA’s “standards” would disqualify IGA itself if anyone involved admitted to using AI in any productive capacity. E33 is already GOTY, which makes this feel more like signaling than a meaningful judgment of the work.

I can't believe C33 made me enjoy turn-based combat.