Throughout 2024, it felt as if a new amazin RPG was right around the corner at every moment. The year kicked off with a bang when Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth launched just 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 a beloved classic.
Those may have been the headliners early in the year, but Unicorn Overlord worked its way into 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 more than enough to hold us over until the big hitters like Metaphor: ReFantazio and Dragon Age: The Veilguard landed toward the end of the year, showing how two iconic RPG development teams can forge a new path in their own ways.
It was an embarrassment of riches for the RPG sickos here at IGN, especially considering the aforementioned games weren’t the only RPGs that stuck with us throughout the year. We can only highlight a handful of them, however, so here’s our list of the best RPGs of 2024.
Honorable Mentions
Two RPGs from this year received an Honorable Mention, which we’d like to highlight before getting into our runner-up and winner.
You can spot a Vanillaware game from a mile away thanks to its painterly art style and expressive anime-inspired character designs. It’s what gives Unicorn Overlord such a distinct fantasy aesthetic, but it’s the unique mix of real-time strategy and tactical gameplay that makes it stand out among a sea of great RPGs. Creating squads composed of different classes and deploying them strategically filled that Ogre Battle-sized void in our lives, and exploring the overworld to build up towns that join your cause brought all its mechanics together. Its story of political drama has intriguing twists and turns, but it’s the squad members we made along the way that left a lasting impression in Unicorn Overlord.
Despite it partly being a Hawaiian getaway for the crew from RGG Studio’s RPG debut Yakuza: Like A Dragon in 2020, the follow-up Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth was rather heavy. It’s an examination of family, legacy, and what you do with the time you have left. Series-long protagonist Kazuma Kiryu teaming up with his successor in Kasuga Ichiban made for a beautiful passing of the torch. I came for the detailed and nuanced recreation of Waikiki, but it’s the bittersweet and inspiring moments in Infinite Wealth that reminded us why there’s just nothing like the Yakuza franchise.
Runner-Up: Dragon’s Dogma 2
Many would consider the original Dragon’s Dogma from 2012 a cult classic for the ways it thrusts you into a harsh fantasy world with very little to guide you. And the sequel in Dragon’s Dogma 2 did not forget that. Capcom didn’t sand off the edges, streamline systems, or make its dark world any more inviting, and that’s why it was able to stand out in 2024 despite being one of the biggest years for the genre.
Dragon’s Dogma 2 is all about its organic emergent moments. There is a main quest to follow, of course, but NPCs will tap you for sidequests and you never know what you run into along the way. Its mechanics may seem inelegant, but after giving it time, you realize how flexible and deep it is from a gameplay perspective, especially once you grasp how reactive the in-game physics are. The Pawn system adds another layer, letting you customize your own AI-controlled party members, or borrow members from others online to make the goofiest band of heroes. Dragon’s Dogma 2 is not a clean experience and it thrives off of a unique friction that’s tough to find in games these days. When you reflect on how much work you put into surviving in its massive and harsh world, the consequential world-altering events and its message are nothing short of awe-inspiring.
Runner-Up: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
After playing Remake in 2020, it felt as if there were endless possibilities for what the rest of Final Fantasy VII would look like for a new 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 the exact feeling. The musical motifs played on our nostalgia and the recreation of its original world was undoubtedly impressive while evoking a sense of wistfulness – it felt like Final Fantasy VII grew up with us.
We have our qualms with how Rebirth ends and sets up part three in this remade trilogy, but that doesn’t necessarily define the entire game. Tucked within its reinvention of the existing story are moments that elevate beloved characters to feel like brand new heroes who’ve inspired us in new ways. Its open regions are a beautiful expansion of the original’s overworld, and they’re filled with things to do that are often more than just busy work – and don’t ask us about how many hours we sunk into the new card game Queen’s Blood. In many respects, Rebirth connected us to a world we thought we knew on a deeper level – it made for one of the year’s best RPGs and it has us incredibly eager for what’s next.
Runner-Up: Dragon Age: The Veilguard
It’s been 10 years since Dragon Age: Inquisition, and the way in which series fans were thirsty for anything related to Dragon Age in that time was wild to see. With a tumultuous development cycle, it’s kind of a miracle that The Veilguard exists at all, but it turned out to be a worthy successor and one of the best RPGs of the year. Through the lens of Rook, our new customizable protagonist, we get to pick up on the story of Solas that left us hanging from Inquisition and its DLC. Yet, The Veilguard was still able to establish a new direction that stayed true to the core concepts of a series so steeped in its own lore. Its warmer tone may not be what you remember from previous Dragon Age games, but you roll with a party full of bright personalities who create a sense of purpose reminiscent of the BioWare games of yore.
Combat will be familiar for anyone who has played a modern action game without sacrificing the kind of depth you’d expect from an action-RPG. Every class feels great to play and retains a unique playstyle while being viable – which is important considering you only control Rook throughout the game. While your party members still play an important role in combat, it’s their presence and where you stand with them that makes the journey worth seeing through. Either way, you’ll be treated to some great conclusions that show how The Veilguard carves its own path with confidence.
Winner: Metaphor: ReFantazio
With a pedigree of the last three Persona games, I came into Metaphor: ReFantazio with high expectations, and even then, developer Atlus found a way to exceed them. To call it fantasy Persona isn’t necessarily inaccurate (and is a pretty good indication of what you’re getting into), but that would also undersell the nuances that make Metaphor the best RPG of the year.
Using the context of a daily calendar system, Metaphor wields familiar mechanics to usher you through its fantasy political drama. Deciding how to spend your limited time makes those choices intriguing, whether it’s spending time with followers to level up bonds, explore dungeons for sidequests, or better yourself by increasing virtue stats – it’s the small moments like these that connect you to its world on the ground level. That’s the social sim element that leaves you naturally invested, and it gives its big moments more weight. So, when you see a character overcome their trauma or push themselves to do what’s right, it feels like it comes from a genuine place.
More than anything, Metaphor is the game of the moment. It doesn’t shy away from themes such as racism, inequality, religious extremism, and abuse of power and demonstrates an understanding of the material it’s working with through a powerful story. Every character, every bond and follower, and every major story beat feeds into a thoughtful representation of our real world, showing us the ugliest parts of humanity but also what it takes to create a brighter future. Metaphor is very upfront about its message from beginning to end, and yet, what it says about the power of fiction might be the most inspiring part of it all. There’s just nothing like Metaphor: ReFantazio, and it represents the best of what games can offer, especially in 2024.
