The past five years have been rather uneven for open-world RPG fans. The rising cost of development and lengthy production times for games of such scope, coupled with constant delays and the shortage of new IPs due to the risks involved, have resulted in players getting around 2–3 notable titles each year. While some over-deliver, other long-awaited titles proved rather divisive and launched to far less impact than expected. The not-so-distant future looks especially promising, though, as many hotly anticipated open-world RPGs are gearing up for launch, including Fable and The Blood of Dawnwalker.
Before we fully focus on today’s list topic, let’s quickly establish our base criteria to eliminate any potential confusion. There’s quite a broad definition among players of what an RPG actually means, so for this list the focus is on open-world games that prioritize growing and customizing your character, but not only that. Deep progression as well as some form of role-playing and player agency is a must. With all that out of the way, here’s our ranking of the greatest open-world RPGs released in the past five years, or since 2022.
Given how often I still get this exact comment, let me highlight once again that Crimson Desert isn’t on the list because it’s not an RPG, but rather an action-adventure game as described by the developer, Pearl Abyss.
5
Tainted Grail: The Fall Of Avalon
An AA Open-World Sleeper Hit Worth Discovering
The sleeper hit no one saw coming, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon ended up more impressive and fun to play for many open-world RPG fans than anything produced in the past few years by genre masters like BioWare, Bethesda, and Obsidian. Sure, it’s an AA game that may lack some of the production value of the bigger titles below and the extensive polish even one year after launch, yet the most important aspect, its true RPG heart and soul, is definitely in place.
Due to its first-person camera perspective and a world built on the freedom to go anywhere, Tainted Grail is often compared to Skyrim, as fans say it’s the closest thing one may find in the genre from this generation. The central narrative is also surprisingly strong and refreshing, with an original world and lore (a reimagining of Arthurian legends) to back it all up. Coupled with tactical combat and rich character-building possibilities, this old-fashioned RPG shouldn’t be overlooked despite some jank, and might very well end up your new personal obsession in the current relatively calm summer gaming season.
4
Dragon’s Dogma 2
Unafraid To Approach Every Aspect In Its Own Way
Dragon’s Dogma 2 could definitely use a stronger opening act, with Capcom itself putting a spoke in its wheel with poor performance and an abundance of microtransactions on top. Not only that, the game largely feels and plays exactly like the original with a fresh coat of paint. That’s not to undermine Dragon’s Dogma 2’s clear strengths, but rather to highlight how over time the game ended up in a much better state thanks to major updates, a reduced price, and paid DLC removed. It’s about to get even better in the next few months, as the massive Dark Arisen expansion promises to breathe new life into the game with plenty of fresh content. To put it simply, the best time to experience DD2 might still be ahead.
That’s especially true given that Dragon’s Dogma 2 is a really special open-world RPG driven by exploration and combat, and can be a sheer delight to play once you accept the rules of its world. From fast travel restrictions to the hidden Dragonsplague mechanic and a surprising endgame twist, the game keeps its secrets close, revealing them to great effect if approached blindly (or not, since I just spoiled some of them). Combat is as strong as it can be in the genre, with each Vocation (class) feeling very different, and DD2’s unique Pawn system working to its benefit by creating unscripted emergent gameplay scenarios you simply won’t experience elsewhere.
Scratch & Peek
Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as
possible.
3
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Passion And Ambition Backed By Enormous Resources
In many respects, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is too much of a good thing. As the second chapter of the FF7 remake trilogy, the game is so big and ambitious, and its world is so packed with things to see and do, that it requires quite a dedication from its players to beat it. Many admit to being burned out by the sequel regardless of its strengths, which can really be a problem given that the third chapter, Revelation, is coming out just three years later and seemingly shows no signs of tempering its scope and ambition.
With all that said, the passion behind the entire project is apparent, and we rarely get this level of dedication from AAA teams, backed by Square Enix’s considerable resources to make sure the modern version of FF7 lives up to the groundbreaking original. Rebirth is easily among the most emotional open-world RPGs of the generation, pulling the right strings at the right moments without feeling too reliant on nostalgia. From visuals and combat to quests and mini-games, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is an admirable effort that can grab you and not let go for over a hundred hours.
2
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
The Definitive And Uncompromising Medieval RPG
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Image via Warhorse Studios -
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If the original was an ambitious but flawed attempt to do more than Warhorse Studios was equipped to back in the day, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is that same studio working at the height of its abilities, a truly uncompromising open-world RPG, that instantly put the developer on the map of modern genre masters. As the studio is now hard at work on both a Lord of the Rings open-world RPG and Deliverance 3 (potentially named Salvation), all of this was made possible due to Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s massive success in every regard, setting a new bar for immersive medieval role-playing games for the most demanding fans of the genre.
KCD 2 is a story-rich, character-driven narrative RPG that shines whether approached for story content or just to leisurely “live” your daily life in the convincing and reactive world of 15th-century Bohemia. One of the most admirable attempts to combine the best of two vastly different RPG styles, Deliverance 2 strikes the perfect balance in its depth without being too alienating, and offers a truly epic, sprawling narrative without losing its authenticity. At the end of the day, KCD 2 is more than deserving to stand among the definitive games of the current generation.
1
Elden Ring
An Open-World Masterpiece For The Ages
Praising this game almost feels boring at this point, as you already know everything about it. Ever since 2022, no other open-world RPG could touch Elden Ring in all its greatness, achieving worldwide acclaim from critics and players alike, and standing as one of the biggest bestsellers of the PS5 generation — which is especially impressive given it’s a new IP. Some might prefer a more traditional character-driven narrative and argue that KCD 2 is the best in the genre this generation, yet even for them, it’s impossible to deny Elden Ring’s global impact.
Elden Ring captures everything that a perfect open-world RPG should be: an enormous map ripe for exploration with no hand-holding, flexible character building to bring your wildest ideas to life, combined with lore and world-building as strong as The Lord of the Rings itself. I absolutely love Elden Ring, but it’s time for the five-year-old king to be overthrown in its own genre. Despite how impossible it might still sound, hopefully the next few years will deliver open-world RPGs at least comparable to Hidetaka Miyazaki’s greatest masterpiece yet, even if it’s the master’s next game.