20. Undertale (PS4)

Undertale might not look like much, but it tells one of PS4's most memorable stories. You've fallen into the sealed-off land of monsters, and embark on a quest to get home, but you also hold the key to breaking the barrier between worlds. The story is carried by a brilliant supporting cast of characters that help and hinder you on your journey, and the unique combat turns the RPG formula on its head. Subversive, ingenious, and dripping with personality, Undertale is not to be missed.

19. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PS3)

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is the game that catapulted Bethesda into mainstream popularity. The high fantasy RPG didn't have the uniquely imaginative setting of Morrowind, its predecessor, but it did give players a genre-defining open world to explore, which was absolutely peppered with cities, settlements, and dungeons — an incredible achievement at the time. Objectively speaking, Oblivion hasn't aged especially well — its visuals are far too bloomy, its combat is super-jank, and its voice acting is a meme — but there's simply no denying its wonky charm. Perfect if you're looking for a laugh to go along with your role-playing.

18. Cyberpunk 2077 (PS5)

Following a disastrous PS4 launch, Cyberpunk 2077 might as well have been a brand new game on PS5 over a year later. CD Projekt Red stuck to its guns, delivering a much improved version of the open world RPG on Sony's current-gen console, free of the game-breaking bugs and crashing issues that plagued the initial release. The result is memorable and often engrossing dark future title, peppered with great characters, punchy combat, and some excellent freeform mission design. Better late than never!

17. South Park: The Stick of Truth (PS4)

With all the humour of a typical South Park TV episode, this short but oh-so-sweet turn-based RPG is well worth playing. Explore South Park, completing quests and meeting characters from the show. With a sequel also available, this roughly 10-hour adventure is a fantastic palette cleanser.

16. Yakuza: Like a Dragon (PS5)

Yakuza: Like a Dragon barely feels next-gen as it’s very much rooted by Ryu ga Gotoku Studio’s dated engine and game design principles, but it’s bursting with personality and one of the most varied releases on this list. At its core, it’s a traditional, turn-based (a first for the franchise) role-playing game built around an engaging and relatable party of core characters, but it’s so much more: this small but densely populated open world harbours go-karts, an entire business management minigame, and more wacky side-quests than you can shake a massage wand at. This is one of the most unique and time consuming titles on PS5.

15. Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (PS4)

A real high point in what is a consistently solid action RPG series, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is a certified Falcom classic. This time around, series protagonist Adol finds himself shipwrecked on a mysterious island — but it's not long before he's recruiting fellow survivors and exploring every inch of this forgotten kingdom. Fast, fluid, and addictive combat is the crux of the experience, but there's also some engaging two-pronged storytelling to keep you invested. Life on an abandoned island has never been so fun.

14. Wild Arms (PS1)

Whenever the topic of classic 90s JRPGs comes up, Wild Arms should always be mentioned. A quintessential PS1 title, it's a fairly straightforward adventure in terms of structure — traditional to a fault, at times — but overall, it's a timeless formula. Fusing fantastical story elements with Wild West aesthetics, Wild Arms is quite unique in its overall tone, and although its storytelling is direct, it's well paced and strings you along on a memorable adventure.

13. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (PS5)

With the best turn-based gameplay, the biggest and best cast of characters, and the most gripping story in the series so far, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth is comfortably the greatest Yakuza game to date. Ichican and Kiryu hit up the new destination of Hawaii in search of the former's long-lost mother, but their quest really is just the tip of the iceberg. Improved combat makes fights more engaging than ever, upgraded graphics bring new life to classic locations like Kamurocho, and deep and fascinating characters both new and old mean you won't want to stop playing until the credits roll. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth really is RGG Studio at its peak.

12. Unicorn Overlord (PS5)

"Vanillaware doesn't miss" — a statement that grows more and more meaningful with every game that the talented Japanese studio releases. Unicorn Overlord takes the developer in yet another new direction, channelling the spirit of strategy RPGs like Fire Emblem to create one of the finest examples of the genre that you'll find in modern gaming. Growing a huge army of characters and finding unique ways to squad them up is the crux of the experience, and it only gets increasingly addictive as the adventure continues. Couple that with Vanillaware's amazing, trademark art direction, and you've got a surefire recipe for role-playing success.

11. Hogwarts Legacy (PS5)

Taking place hundreds of years before the events of Harry Potter, Hogwarts Legacy finally lets fans live out their dream of attending the eponymous school. While there's an intriguing story to follow that takes you far beyond the castle itself, this RPG's strengths are all in the smaller things. The school is a joy to explore, as are the surrounding grounds, because of an obsessive attention to detail that really does imbue the open world with magic. Layer on top solid spell-based combat, flying on your broom, and even rearing magical creatures, and the result is a real crowd-pleaser — and definitely the best game in the franchise.