10 Modern RPGs That Already Feel Like Timeless Classics

You never know when the next RPG masterpiece is going to launch. Sometimes we can go years without a single game that climbs the steep slopes that make up the route to that lofty status. Other times, like in the last few years, we get several of these games in quick succession.

No matter how many good games are released in a year, a game that is destined to be a timeless classic is always apparent. From the public conversation to the reviews to lots of awards season success, sometimes you can just tell. That’s the case with these next RPGs. They may be relatively new games, but it’s impossible to deny that their legacy will not be short-lived. These games are going to be talked about for a long time and revered for even longer.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

2025’s Game Of The Year Refuses To Leave The Gaming Conversation

This inclusion should be no surprise. From the moment that reviews began praising Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, it felt like this was more than just a solid mid-Spring release. Then the wider gaming community got their hands on it, and the game hasn’t left the industry conversation since.

With a record-setting award show run and praise for everything from its gameplay to its story to its soundtrack, it’s hard to imagine that Clair Obscur won’t be regarded as one of the best games of the current console generation when it’s all said and done. Wherever developer Sandfall Interactive goes next, the devs can hang their hats on creating one of the finest RPGs of the modern era.

Baldur’s Gate 3

Set The Bar For All Future RPGs

Narrative choices in RPGs have been a staple for decades, but a common criticism of these mechanics is how often it feels like a key choice doesn’t do much to change the direction of a narrative. That is not the case with Baldur’s Gate 3. It’s hard to over-emphasize just how extensive the narrative options in this game are, and they can all change the course of the story in ways small and large.

This is, by far, the biggest contribution Baldur’s Gate 3 made to the RPG formula. There is no other game on the market where the narrative can change this dramatically based on your choices. It doesn’t hurt that the turn-based combat is so unbelievably varied and reactive, or that every single character is voiced to perfection by a cast of fantastic voice actors. Baldur’s Gate 3 is the kind of game that other RPGs will be trying to emulate for years to come, and that alone has solidified its modern classic status.

Disco Elysium

Narrowed The Scope Of What Makes A Masterful RPG

When we think of RPGs, most gamers think of things like character creation, build-crafting, and combat — either turn-based or action-focused. What if an RPG rejected most of those conventions and made a game built entirely around manipulating conversations and exploring the environment, with no combat to speak of and a preset character to play as? That’s exactly what Disco Elysium does, and as it turns out, it works pretty damn well.

While there is no combat in Disco Elysium beyond a couple of choice-based interactions, you do still need to create a character build. The difference is that, instead of choosing their stats to complement skills and gear, you’re crafting Harry du Bois’s mind. The protagonist is an amnesiac and is therefore a blank slate, opening the door for you to determine everything from his vices and bad habits to his political beliefs, which in turn influence conversations, which then influence the narrative. It’s a fascinating design choice that has already been iterated on in more recent releases, like the well-reviewed 2026 release Esoteric Ebb, and that trend is unlikely to slow down.

Cyberpunk 2077

Inadvertently Became The Primary Advocate For Persistent Development

The roller coaster of Cyberpunk 2077 is part of what has elevated it to modern classic status. Its launch was a well-documented disaster. It was broken, buggy, lacking much of the content its trailers had promised, and wouldn’t even run on last-gen consoles despite being sold for them at full price. It was one of the worst launches in gaming history, but credit to CD Projekt Red, they didn’t abandon their creation, and they changed the industry as a result.

Most people who didn’t try Cyberpunk 2077 at launch and picked it up more recently — particularly after the release of the Phantom Liberty DLC — have had nothing but good things to say about it, and many have called it one of their favorite RPGs of all time. That’s thanks to CDPR’s continued support for the game, including revamping the skill system, introducing new gameplay features, improving the AI, and, of course, releasing a spectacular DLC to complement the vastly improved base game. Not only did this rescue Cyberpunk 2077’s reputation, but it proved that a bad launch isn’t a death sentence, and we can expect many other developers to follow rocky releases with a similar blueprint.

Elden Ring

Firmly Established Soulslikes In The Mainstream

FromSoftware’s Soulslike games have been praised by critics and players alike for well over a decade now, and even won a GOTY award prior to Elden Ring’s release. That said, none of those previous games took over the gaming world in the way that Elden Ring ​​​​​​did. This wasn’t just a major release; it was a phenomenon. The world suddenly saw what a large FromSoft fanbase had been saying for years: these games are special, not just difficult.

The exploration side of Elden Ring’s campaign is second to none. The world feels simultaneously ruined and teeming with things to discover. You could go long stretches without finding anything, then you’ll round a bend and stumble upon a massive dungeon or a hidden boss. Few games make scouring every corner of the map so rewarding, and when that is paired with FromSoft’s fantastic combat sensibilities, brilliant enemy design, and fascinating lore, you have a recipe for one of the greatest RPGs ever made.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

The Perfect Blend Of Historical Realism And Engaging Gameplay

The first Kingdom Come: Deliverance was a huge hit with a niche fanbase, but its intense focus on realism turned off a lot of more casual gamers. The sequel, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, doesn’t shy away from that realism in the slightest, which was a brave decision for developer Warhorse Studios to make. Instead, it streamlines and deepens the rest of the mechanics and strengthens the narrative aspect, and suddenly, you’ve got one of the best RPGs of 2025.

What makes KCD2 so special is how immersive its realism-focused mechanics are. Henry, the protagonist, needs to bathe, or the locals will avoid him, including shopkeepers. Drinking too much will turn Henry into an alcoholic. Getting caught stealing will get him literally branded as a thief. This is a game that proves that immersion doesn’t have to come from massive worlds or a lack of guidance. Forcing you to live by the game’s rules and to struggle just like how people struggled in 15th-century Bohemia makes it feel like you are part of the world, not because of the effect you have on it, but because of the effect it has on you.

Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth

A Testament To The Value Of Persistent Quality

There’s a lot to be said for a game that, while being the ninth mainline entry in a series, also manages to be the best in the series. The Yakuza/Like a Dragon games have been around since the PS2 days, with the first game releasing back in 2005, and they have maintained not just their popularity but also their quality in the two decades since. That goes for the nine mainline releases and the many, many spin-off games. Amongst all of those, the best entry (so far) is Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

There are several reasons for this. One, this game diversifies the franchise’s typical Tokyo and Osaka settings by sending Ichiban Kasuga to Hawaii for the majority of the campaign. Second, the turn-based combat introduced in Yakuza 7: Like a Dragon, itself a major departure for a series founded upon its beat-’em-up combat system, is elevated to new and ridiculous heights. Third, that absurdity extends to every single side quest and activity you can find, yet somehow, the main story is incredibly heartfelt. It’s a stunning balancing act that only this series can pull off, and Infinite Wealth does so to perfection.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

The Poster Child For How To Make Massive Open Worlds Rewarding

A giant open world isn’t always a good thing. Massive runtimes, endless checklists, and repetitive side activities are exactly the things that cause players to burn out on a game. Just ask Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. It’s the kind of thing that can turn people off before they even start a game, and that’s what makes Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s success so impressive.

This is an 80-hour RPG on average, but trying to complete everything it has to offer will easily extend that runtime past the 100-hour mark. The thing is, all of that side content is wonderfully engaging. There are nearly 30 different mini-games to play in this open world, not to mention the absurdly addicting Queen’s Blood card game. Then, of course, there’s the narrative itself, a stunning expansion (and evolution) of one of the greatest video game stories ever told. There are some iconic gaming moments that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was tasked with recreating, and to not only pull it off but to, in many ways, improve upon them is a stunning achievement.

Unicorn Overlord

Rewarding Tactics, Gripping Storytelling, And Gorgeous Visuals

Vanillaware is a strange case. This developer has been around for a long time and has produced a consistent library of high-quality JRPGs. Yet, this team doesn’t have the pedigree of other studios in the space. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim certainly helped push that trend in the opposite direction, but their coming-out party was undeniably Unicorn Overlord, a sprawling tactical JRPG that showcases everything that makes Vanillaware unique.

While individual battles take place on the genre’s expected grid-based arenas and rely on positioning and unit choice, there is also a broader element where multiple battles take place across a massive battlefield. This latter element is almost reminiscent of something like the Total War games, and it complements the idea that you’re leading an army, not just a small troupe of heroes. The narrative and the stunning artwork bring the whole experience together, setting an example for the genre and showing that Vanillaware is capable of tackling big ideas, deep gameplay systems, and stellar visual design without breaking a sweat.

Captures And Improves Upon Everything That Persona Does Right

Atlus is primarily known for developing the Persona series, so when it was announced that the studio was stepping away from their urban fantasy franchise and instead developing a more traditional fantasy JRPG, it was a bit of a shock. It turns out that the setting and genre aren’t a hindrance for this studio; Metaphor: ReFantazio is just as good as any Persona game you can get your hands on today, and in some ways, it’s even better.

Much of that series’ DNA is present in Metaphor, but it evolves through things like a live-action combat element that streamlines late-game grinding and can give you an advantage before starting the turn-based combat portion. The introduction of Archetypes takes the formula of character-assigned Personas and allows for a welcome degree of customization. Instead of revolving around a school year and the friendships formed therein, Metaphor centers on an election for the throne, for which the protagonist, Will, is in the running. All of it is new, but draped in pleasantly familiar elements, resulting in a final product that is ultimately the best of both worlds: the new and the iconic.