The best RPG you can play on every PlayStation

Starting with the original PlayStation, Sony consoles have become a haven for JRPG enthusiasts. Unlike Nintendo, RPGs on PlayStation consoles tend to be geared towards an older audience, feature more complex stories, have significantly longer plots, and lean more heavily on aesthetics that appeal to Japanese audiences.

Many, if not most, of the best RPGs of all time launched on a PlayStation system, making it easy for RPG fans to choose which console to play on each generation. Sony consoles consistently produce a good mix of multiplatform and console-exclusive masterpieces.

7 PlayStation – Final Fantasy 7

The original PlayStation was a titan of role-playing games. Arguably, no console had a more powerful RPG library than the PSOne. The role-playing game that permanently made the genre mainstream in the West was Final Fantasy 7.

FF7 is known for having one of the biggest twists in gaming, but beyond that twist, it has a thematically strong narrative. It explores identity in a mature and profound way, allowing players to experience the life of Cloud, a character who was an infantry soldier with primitive defense mechanisms that make him believe he was a great warrior. In contrast, his opposite, Sephiroth, is a scientifically enhanced being who has deluded himself into thinking he is a god.

6 PlayStation 2 – Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne

• Release date: February 20, 2003

Few games capture the feeling of impending doom like Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne does. Nocturne prefers to tell its stories by letting you read between the lines of its dark narrative. The story is minimalist, favoring atmosphere and tone: you'll discover clues about lore rather than having an elaborate plot and characterization.

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne can be punishing for people not used to more difficult titles in the genre. It's one of the few traditional RPGs where you feel like you have to strategize even for random battles. Nocturne's battle system is simple on the surface, but interacting with demons and merging to create stronger monsters generates great depth.

5 Portable PlayStation – Portable Persona 3

Of all the Persona games, and perhaps even of all the titles under the Shin Megami Tensei umbrella, Persona 3 Portable has the most cathartic story. It features a slow-burn plot that explores how understanding death can lead to a greater appreciation for life. While there are jarring images, such as fighting by shooting yourself with a weapon, these serve as nuanced expressions of remorse and the seriousness of life's choices.

P3P emphasizes connecting with NPCs and learning their stories, similar to a dating simulator. You grow stronger as you learn more about the characters in your life, some of whom have heartbreaking stories, like a happy-go-lucky track star dealing with a career change.

4 PlayStation 3 – Dark Souls

The PS3 was an important console for FromSoftware's mainstream breakthrough. On this system, they launched Demon's Souls, which became the predecessor of not only the Dark Souls series, but also inspired a generation of difficult action role-playing games, nicknamed “Soulslike”.

Dark Souls improved upon Demon's Souls by expanding the size of the map while still packing more action into almost every corner. While many video games suffer from excessive scripting, which leads to feeling like you're playing alone, Dark Souls maintains the feeling that “anything can happen”, which can lead to frustrating deaths but keeps the game unpredictable and vibrant.

3 PlayStation Vita – Persona 4 Golden

Persona 4 Golden stands out from other entries in the series by capturing moments of life better than any other game. It has fun, Scooby-Doo-like vibes as the characters investigate a series of murders caused by magical means. However, it is not monotonous; there are crucial moments where the story and tone shifts towards dark and heavy themes.

P4G rebalances the combat from the original PS2 version and adds more content, making it the definitive version of Persona 4. It's the perfect game for those looking for an RPG experience that focuses heavily on character development.

2 PlayStation 4 – Bloodborne

FromSoftware scaled back the role-playing elements in Bloodborne and focused on creating an action RPG focused on ruthless aggression. While the Dark Souls series is more methodical and slower-paced, often requiring you to judge when to dodge and counterattack, Bloodborne emphasizes fast-paced offensive. It's quite difficult at first, but it starts to feel very satisfying as you become more skilled and tear apart enemies easily.

Bloodborne is the best written game FromSoftware has produced. There isn't much material in the way of deleted scenes, but when you explore and read in detail the many lore elements, an ambitious story about the insignificance of humanity and the folly of ambition is depicted. While Bloodborne's story takes a lot of research and effort to absorb, it still puts together one of the most narratively sound Lovecraftian stories in gaming.

1 PlayStation 5 – Baldur's Gate 3

There are few role-playing games that can match the immersive depth of Baldur's Gate 3. The essence of Dungeons & Dragons is perfectly captured in the game, offering countless choices for each character over the course of a 100-hour experience. It makes you feel like you're actually playing your characters.

Despite its extremely complex web of choices, BG3 effectively describes every possible scenario. The voice acting is incredible and the characters progress and change significantly throughout the journey. It's not plagued by meaningless choices or filler; it's full of action, consequences and drama.