Throughout 2024, I felt like there was a modern, amazing RPG waiting for us at any moment. The year started with a bang with the release of Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth right before Persona 3 Reload showed us why the original is a timeless story. And we only had to wait until February to return to Final Fantasy VII, when Rebirth expanded the horizons of the beloved classic.
These may have been the headliners earlier in the year, but Unicorn Overlord won our hearts with its captivating art style and tactical depth before Dragon’s Dogma 2 proved why the cult classic deserved a sequel. It was enough to keep us hooked until massive hits like Metaphor: ReFantazio and Dragon Age: The Veilguard landed later in the year, showing how two iconic RPG teams could forge a modern path in their own way.
For the RPG geeks at IGN, this was an embarrassment of riches, especially considering the games in question weren’t the only RPGs that stuck in our minds all year. However, we can only highlight a few of them, so here is our list of the best RPG games of 2024.
Honorary distinctions
Two RPG games from this year received honorable mentions, which we’d like to highlight before we get to the runner-up and winner.
You can recognize a Vanillaware game from a mile away thanks to its painterly art style and expressive anime-inspired character designs. This is what gives Unicorn Overlord such a distinct fantasy aesthetic, but it’s its unique blend of real-time strategy and tactical gameplay that makes it stand out among a sea of great RPGs. Creating squads of different classes and strategically placing them filled the Ogre battle-sized void in our lives, and exploring the world to build cities that join your cause brought all of its mechanics together. Its political drama story has some intriguing twists and turns, but it’s the teammates we’ve created along the way that have left a lasting impression on Unicorn Overlord.
Even though it was partly a trip to Hawaii for the crew from RGG Studio’s 2020 debut RPG Yakuza: Like A Dragon, the sequel to Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth was quite ponderous. It’s an examination of family, legacy, and what you do with the time you have left. Series hero Kazuma Kiryu teamed up with his successor in Kasuga Ichiban, leading to a pretty passing of the torch. I came for the detailed and polished recreation of Waikiki, but it was the bittersweet and inspiring moments in Infinite Wealth that reminded us why there’s nothing better than the Yakuza series.
Runner-up: Dragon Dogma 2
Many would consider the original 2012 Dragon’s Dogma a cult classic due to the way it throws you into a gritty fantasy world with little guidance. And the sequel to Dragon’s Dogma 2 hasn’t forgotten about it. Capcom didn’t silky out the edges, streamline the systems, or make its gloomy world more inviting, which is why 2024 was able to stand out despite being one of the best years in the genre.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is all about organic, emergent moments. Sure, there’s a main quest to complete, but NPCs will pester you about side quests and you never know what you’ll encounter along the way. Its mechanics may seem inelegant, but after a while you realize how pliant and deep it is from a gameplay standpoint, especially when you understand how reactive the game’s physics are. The pawn system adds another layer, allowing you to customize your AI-controlled party members or borrow members from others online to create the silliest group of heroes. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is not a pure game and relies on unique friction that is demanding to find in games these days. When you think about how much work you put in to survive in this expansive and harsh world, the resulting world-changing events and their messages are nothing low of inspiring.
Runner-up: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
After playing Remake in 2020, I felt like there were endless possibilities for what the rest of Final Fantasy VII would look like for the next generation. Stepping out into the grasslands for the first time in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, when Aerith takes in the scenic view and shows excitement about a world worth fighting for, captures that exact feeling. The musical themes playing on our nostalgia and recreating the original world were undoubtedly impressive, while also evoking a sense of longing – it felt like Final Fantasy VII had grown up with us.
We have some doubts about how Rebirth ends and begins the third part of this reworked trilogy, but it doesn’t necessarily define the entire game. Within the reinvention of existing history, there are moments that elevate beloved characters to the level of entirely modern heroes that inspire us in modern ways. The open regions are a pretty extension of the original world and are full of things to do that are often more than just keeping you busy – and don’t ask us how many hours we’ve spent playing the modern Queen’s Blood card game. In many ways, Rebirth connected us to a world we thought we knew on a deeper level – it created one of the best RPGs of the year, and we’re incredibly curious to see what comes next.
Runner-up: Dragon Age: Guardian of the Veil
It’s been 10 years since Dragon Age: Inquisition and the way fans of the series have been thirsty because everything about Dragon Age back then was amazing. With a turbulent development cycle, it’s something of a miracle that The Veilguard even exists, and it turned out to be a worthy successor and one of the best RPGs of the year. Through the prism of Rook, our modern, customizable hero, we can learn about Solas’s story, which left us far from the Inquisition and its DLC. However, The Veilguard was still able to chart a modern direction that stayed true to the core concepts of a series so steeped in its own history. Its warmer tone may not be what you remember from previous Dragon Age games, but you’re rolling with a group full of brilliant personalities that create a sense of purpose reminiscent of BioWare games of senior.
The combat will be familiar to anyone who has played a up-to-date action game, without sacrificing the depth you’d expect from an action RPG. Each class plays great and maintains a unique playstyle while still being manageable – which is critical considering you only control Rook throughout the game. While your teammates still play an critical role in the fight, it’s their presence and where you stand with them that make the journey worth it. Either way, you’ll come to some great conclusions that show the Veil Guard confidently forging its own path.
Winner: Metaphor: ReFantazio
With the last three Persona games under my belt, I entered Metaphor: ReFantazio with high expectations, and even then, developer Atlus found a way to exceed them. Calling it a “Fantasy Persona” isn’t necessarily wrong (and a pretty good indication of what you’re getting into), but it would also understate the nuances that make Metaphor the best RPG of the year.
Using the context of a daily calendar system, Metaphor uses familiar mechanics to guide you through its fantastical political drama. Deciding how to spend your confined time makes these choices intriguing, whether you spend time with followers to raise bond levels, explore dungeons for side quests, or improve yourself by increasing your virtue stats – it’s the little moments like these that connect you to the world at ground level. This is an element of social simulation that naturally engages you in the game and gives its most critical moments more importance. So when you see a character overcome trauma or push themselves to do what’s right, you feel like it’s coming from a real source.
First of all, Metaphor is a play of the moment. He is not afraid of topics such as racism, inequality, religious extremism and abuse of power, and through a moving story he shows understanding of the material he works with. Every character, every bond and follower, and every major story beat come together to form a thoughtful representation of our real world, showing us the ugliest parts of humanity, but also what it takes to create a better future. From beginning to end, Metaphor is very candid in conveying its message, and yet what it says about the power of fiction may be the most inspiring part of it all. It doesn’t get any better than Metaphor: ReFantazio and represents the best of gaming, especially in 2024.
