Roleplaying games are having a great year after year lately. 2023 was absolutely stellar, but 2024 is another year that will go into the genre’s history books, not only because of the huge amount of RPGs released but for their quality as well. As such, this year, more than any other, it’s really difficult to just pick five games over all the others, as the vast majority of roleplaying games released this year brought something interesting to the table, whether it was a new take on a classic formula, a faithfully remade classic or a new evolution of an established series.
Previously on Wccftech’s Best Games of 2024: Shooters
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (9.2)
The release of Yakuza: Like a Dragon was a watershed moment for the franchise created by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, doing away with some of the series’ trademark features to join the roleplaying games genre. The features and mechanics introduced in the seventh main entry in the series blossomed in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, as the turn-based combat system and the class systems are better than ever, and they not only manage to make Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu’s adventure all the more compelling and memorable but also the proper passing of the torch from the old protagonist to the new the game was conceived to be. Here’s what Kai Tatsumoto had to say about the game in his review:
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth serves as the real bridge between the Yakuza and Like a Dragon series into one cohesive experience. It’s the perfect sendoff for Kiryu and a passing of the torch to the plucky Ichiban Kasuga. In a lot of ways, Infinite Wealth builds upon the past with callbacks that series fans could appreciate. It’s a Japanese RPG experience that could only best be described as Ryu ga Gotoku Studio’s Metal Gear Solid 4 moment.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (10)
Following Final Fantasy VII Remake, which reimagined a fairly linear portion of the original game, there was some skepticism surrounding the second part of the Remake project, as attempting to replicate the huge scale of the Planet while also making it interesting was no easy feat. The development team, however, proved up to the task, delivering with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth an amazing game featuring huge open-world environments sporting a wealth of activities that spice up the experience and provide a distinct identity to each of the game’s regions, an improved combat system leaning more into the action genre, and an incredible recreation of some of the game’s well-known sequences with some twists that will be leaving fans speculating until the release of the third and final entry in the series. Here’s what Kai Tatsumoto had to say in his review:
If there’s one word to describe Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, it would be ambitious. Tetsuya Nomura, Kazushige Nojima, and the rest of Creative Business Unit I at Square-Enix have turned what is merely the remainder of Final Fantasy VII’s Disc One upon leaving Midgar into a 100-hour-long epic. Moments of distracted exploration throughout the massive wide-open environments are often bookended with more linear story segments that balance comedy and somber moments. Players will feel more intimately engrossed with the story of those chosen by the planet and routinely have their fond memories of playing the original tickled with delight. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is an absolute must-play for fans of the series.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 (8)
Dragon’s Dogma 2 promised to actually realize Hideaki Itsuno’s concept for the original game, an RPG set in a believable living world where player actions, both big and small, would have consequences, and in plenty of ways, it did, only not in the scope that fans expected. As such, the game is”only” an enhanced version of the original featuring great visuals, a beautiful open world filled with optional secrets, an engaging combat system that better realizes the combination of character-action and Monster Hunter series mechanics, and some very interesting systems, including the devastating Dragonsplague mechanics, that is only a few small steps away from being the proper sequel that everyone was expecting it to be. Even so, it’s very much worth being added in our top roleplaying games of 2024 list. Here’s what Alessio Palumbo had to say about the game in his review:
This review may read quite negatively, but it’s only because of the lofty expectations that surrounded Dragon’s Dogma 2. The original game was an amazing foundation to build upon, and yet CAPCOM seemed content with keeping the same strengths without improving much on the weaknesses. Twelve years later, though, the effect cannot be the same. Still, make no mistake: Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a highly enjoyable fantasy action/adventure with RPG elements that will provide you with about 40 hours of pure fun. Its peerless sense of exploration, meaty combat system, and stunning visuals will motivate you throughout the entire playthrough. Just don’t expect to find a fantasy world simulator or, indeed, a narrative worth remembering.
Metaphor: ReFantazio (9)
Metaphor: ReFantazio caught the attention of roleplaying games fans since its announcement as Project Re: Fantasy back in 2016, but the long development team made more than a few fear that the combination of mechanics lifted from the Persona series and a fantasy setting wouldn’t be working as well as most expected.
Thankfully, that was not the case, as Metaphor: ReFantazio is the first proper step forward for the formula introduced in the original Persona 3, rejuvenating it considerably while offering an engaging story and a compelling class system that gives players a lot of customization options. A dragging final part of the game is the only flaw of an experience that will hopefully blossom into a full-fledged franchise. Here’s what Kai Tatsumoto had to say about the game in his review:
Those who harbor an innate distaste for the social systems and time limits of modern Persona titles will find no solace here, but those who are willing to embrace what very well could be the sixth Persona title in all but name alone will experience one of the most stylish Japanese roleplaying games of 2024.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard (9)
No matter different personal opinions, it is undeniable that in the past few years, BioWare ruinously fell from grace, going from releasing some all-time classics like Baldur’s Gate, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and the original Mass Effect trilogy to launching games like the average Mass Effect Andromeda and the failed live service game Anthem. As such, the studio had a lot to prove with Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and prove it they did, going back to their roots, doing away with ill-fated open-world and live service pretensions to present a tighter mission-based experience featuring an excellent combat system and impressive customization depth that should please the vast majority of the modern RPG audience. Here’s what Alessio Palumbo had to say in his review:
With Dragon Age: The Veilguard, BioWare has largely returned to its roots, casting aside the temptations of open world and/or live service games. Instead, Veilguard is a great mission-based RPGs with a memorable story that will leave Dragon Age fans enthralled by the revelations, an awesome combat system that perfectly blends action and tactics, and lots of loot and secrets to uncover through its 80-hour playthrough.
Honorable Mentions
As already mentioned, 2024 has been an incredible year for roleplaying games, and it was extremely hard to pick only five games among the many excellent games released over the past 12 months. As such, all the games below deserve to be mentioned in what has been a monumental year for roleplaying games as a whole.
