2023 has been a great year for gaming in general, but if there’s one genre that marked the past twelve months, it is the roleplaying game genre. Despite many being sequels to established franchises like Baldur’s Gate, Diablo, and Final Fantasy, they moved both the genre and the series they belong to forward, showing that there are still many interesting stories to tell in their universes.
Picking just five games was as difficult as rolling a natural 20, but ultimately, the choices were made, and the skill check passed. Here are the best roleplaying games released in 2023.
Also in our end-of-year lists: Wccftech’s Best Fighting Games of 2023, Wccftech’s Best Shooter Games of 2023.
Baldur’s Gate 3 (9.5)
The Baldur’s Gate series has been, for a very long time, the cRPG series that allowed players to enjoy a proper digital Dungeons & Dragons campaign. The franchise, however, was left dormant for a long time before Larian Studios, the team behind the excellent Divinity series, announced they were working on a third entry in the series back in 2019.
For such a beloved series, expectations were at an all-time high, and after some time in early access, Baldur’s Gate 3 was finally released on PC and consoles this year. And the long wait was very worth it. Doing away with the real-time with pause combat system but keeping every other feature fans loved about the series and turning them up to eleven, Larian Studios rolled a natural 20, creating a roleplaying masterpiece that even gets better after multiple playthroughs, as the amazing level of freedom the game offers allows for so many permutations that no run ever feels the same.
For a computer roleplaying game to be crowned Game of the Year, Baldur’s Gate 3 really had to be exceptional, and it really is. We are unlikely to see another role-playing game that is truly worthy of this definition in a very, very long time.
Starfield (9.0)
Bethesda’s long-anticipated new sci-fi IP, the first one in over twenty-five years, has finally launched this September, immediately registering massive success. It is the biggest launch ever by the Elder Scrolls and Fallout studio, having reached 13 million players a few days ago.
Whether you seek to explore every nook and cranny of the thousand playable planets, focus on space combat, or simply build the most bad-ass spaceship in the known galaxy, Starfield is likely to have something for you. 2024 looks to be even more exciting, as Bethesda is planning to introduce several improvements like new travel options, city maps, expanded shipbuilding, greater customization of difficulty, the Shattered Space story expansion, and, of course, the official modding tool, which will enable modders to create even more amazing user-generated content.
Final Fantasy XVI (9.0)
For a very long time, the Final Fantasy series has all been about change. Moving past the typical turn-based combat system that defined JRPGs since their origins, the Japanese franchise has tried a little bit of everything, never settling on anything but always attempting to push the envelope forward in new ways.
Following the open-world fifteenth entry in the series, which brought an action combat system in a mainline game for the first time, Naoki Yoshida and his team pushed things into a character-action direction with Final Fantasy XVI, creating a game that can battle it out on the same level with established franchises like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta.
While some may not have liked the action-focused direction of the game, which came at the cost of streamlining the series’ typical roleplaying game features, it is undeniable that the tale of Clive Rosfield is an epic one that has every right to be part of the Final Fantasy series.
Star Ocean The Second Story R (9.0)
After reaching its peak with the second and third entries in the series, tri-Ace’s Star Ocean series entered a period of decline, which only ended with the surprisingly competent sixth entry in the series. And with Star Ocean The Second Story R, it may be back among the best JRPG series of all time.
Widely considered the best entry in the series, Star Ocean The Second Story came back with an amazing remake that adopts the HD-2D visual style introduced in Octopath Traveler and overhauls the game’s combat system, doing away with the clunkiness and some dated elements while adding so many quality of life features that truly elevate the experience.
While the story may be a little on the simple side, its simplicity is part of the charm. As such, Star Ocean The Second Story R is one of the best roleplaying remakes and an amazing RPG in its own right.
Diablo IV (8.5)
Blizzard had to score a win after a series of debacles, such as the harassment/discrimination scandal and the cancellation of the Overwatch 2 PvE mode. Thankfully, the Californian studio delivered with the new installment of Diablo, which is every bit as fun to play as players remembered.
Diablo IV started off strong, earning over $666 million in just a few days. However, the first post-launch season didn’t go very well, underwhelming fans with a few bad changes. Thankfully, Blizzard took the feedback to heart and improved certain aspects of the game with the second season, which was received far more warmly. With the Vessel of Hatred expansion due in late 2024 and a new class on the way, fans have a lot to look forward to.
Honorable Mentions
Picking just five roleplaying games has been extremely difficult in a year as packed as 2023, so here’s another six RPGs that are absolutely worth your time:
