Best RPG From Each Console Generation

Role-playing games, or RPGs, have been a cornerstone of video games since the very beginning. They started with developers wanting to recreate the experience of playing Dungeons & Dragons on different platforms, and that led to a huge variety of popular games and styles. There are RPGs for almost every game console ever made! We’ve researched the history of these games to pick the best RPG from each console generation. It wasn’t easy – everyone has different opinions – so we based our choices on how well the games were received by critics when they first came out, how much they impacted the RPG genre, and how popular they were with players.

1st) Akalabeth: World of Doom

1st Gen: Atari Pong | Coleco Telstar | Magnavox Odyssey

As a long-time gaming fan, it’s fascinating to look back at the very beginnings of RPGs! The first home consoles didn’t have any games we’d recognize as role-playing games, so we had to turn to home computers from the 70s and early 80s to find the earliest examples. And honestly, picking the first wasn’t too hard, even with a lot of contenders. While not technically the absolute first RPG ever, Akalabeth: World of Doom, which came out in 1980 for the Apple II and MS-DOS, was the first to really sell well. Even more importantly, it launched the incredible Ultima series! It’s pretty basic compared to modern games, of course, but back then Akalabeth was a huge leap forward for RPGs with graphics, especially considering how difficult it was to create those graphics at the time.

2nd) Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Cloudy Mountain

2nd Gen: Atari 2600 | Channel F | ColecoVision | Intellivision | Magnavox Odyssey 2

By the time the second generation of video game consoles arrived, technology had improved enough to allow role-playing games, or RPGs, to be played on various systems. While there were several options, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Cloudy Mountain, released for the Intellivision in 1982, became the most popular. Initially just called Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, the game later gained the subtitle “Cloudy Mountain” to differentiate it from its follow-up. It was also the first Intellivision game to require more than 4 KB of memory. Though limited by the technology of the early 1980s, the game included many of the features now standard in RPGs. A modern remake has been in development for years, but it hasn’t been released yet.

3rd) Phantasy Star

3rd Gen: Atari 7800 | Nintendo Entertainment System | Sega Master System

The third generation of RPGs saw a big leap in quality and the birth of many new series on different consoles. Games like Dragon Warrior, Final Fantasy, Mother, and The Legend of Zelda appeared, but Phantasy Star, released in 1987 for the Sega Master System, stands out as the best. It was one of the first Japanese RPGs available on that system and pushed the Master System to its limits, fully utilizing the cartridge’s storage capacity. While it didn’t sell as well as Final Fantasy or some other contemporary JRPGs due to its higher price, Phantasy Star is a prime example of excellent early RPG design and remains a standout title in the genre.

4th) Chrono Trigger

4th Gen: TurboGrafx-16 | Genesis | Neo Geo | Super Nintendo Entertainment System

While some calculations suggested Phantasy Star III was the best RPG of its generation, I ultimately chose Chrono Trigger for the Super Nintendo. It’s truly one of the greatest RPGs of the 1990s, and possibly of the entire 20th century. The game follows a team of heroes traveling through time to avert disaster, and its story is incredibly engaging. Chrono Trigger was simply superior to other games of its time in every way, and it remains a beloved classic that’s been re-released on many platforms over the years.

5th) The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

5th Gen: 3DO | Jaguar | PlayStation | Nintendo 64

As gaming consoles became more powerful with better graphics, sound, and memory, role-playing games, or RPGs, grew much larger and more complex, often taking players many hours to finish. The PlayStation and Nintendo 64 had a wealth of fantastic RPGs, and while Final Fantasy VII is a timeless classic, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time stands out as the generation’s best. The game’s enduring popularity is undeniable, and it’s frequently ranked among the greatest video games ever created. It was a very close call with The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, but Ocarina of Time remains one of the best Legend of Zelda titles, especially considering games from the 20th century.

6th) Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic

6th Gen: GameCube | Dreamcast | PlayStation 2 | Xbox

The sixth generation of consoles, like the fifth, had a ton of excellent RPGs, making the competition tough. However, one game stands out as arguably the best Star Wars game ever created: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. It easily takes the top spot for best RPG of the generation. KOTOR didn’t just deliver a great game; it fundamentally changed the Star Wars franchise, showing what was possible in a Star Wars video game. It did this through deep RPG elements, immersing players in a vast galaxy unlike anything seen before. It’s not surprising that fans consistently request a remake of this classic.

7th) Mass Effect 2

7th Gen: PlayStation 3 | Wii | Xbox 360

With each new generation of consoles, exclusive games are becoming less common. Mass Effect 2 is a prime example – it was initially released on Xbox 360 and PC, and then became available on PlayStation 3 a year later. No matter which system you played it on, you likely loved it! Mass Effect 2 continued the story with stunning visuals, improved combat, and memorable characters. The game received numerous awards and is often considered one of the best video games of all time.

8th) Elden Ring

8th Gen: Nintendo Switch | PlayStation 4 | Wii U | Xbox One

With the release of games like Elden Ring on newer consoles (starting with the 8th generation, excluding the Wii U), there’s been some discussion about release strategies. Elden Ring, a 2022 open-world action RPG, is a remarkable game with an epic story, largely due to the talented team who created it. It has sold over 30 million copies and has since been expanded with downloadable content and a spin-off game. As you’d expect, Elden Ring has received numerous awards and is frequently considered one of the best video games ever made.

9th) Baldur’s Gate 3

9th Gen: Nintendo Switch | PlayStation 5 | Xbox Series X|S

Lots of video games are based on Dungeons & Dragons, and many are great, but Baldur’s Gate 3 stands out as truly exceptional. It’s remarkable that Larian Studios developed such a huge and detailed game independently. Baldur’s Gate 3 is a fantastic role-playing game that follows the rules of the 5th Edition and takes place in the beloved Forgotten Realms. The game was a massive critical and commercial success, winning numerous awards, including Game of the Year, and is widely considered one of the best D&D video game RPGs of all time.

10th) Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade

10th Gen: Nintendo Switch 2 | PlayStation 6 | Xbox Project Helix

There’s no firm agreement on when the next generation of gaming began, but many believe it started with the release of the Nintendo Switch 2. And right now, the best role-playing game isn’t a brand new title – it’s a stunning remake that looks and plays incredibly well on the Switch 2: Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade. While Final Fantasy VII Remake wasn’t originally released for the Switch or Switch 2, this version is fantastic. I didn’t get to fully appreciate Final Fantasy VII on PlayStation, so I’m enjoying it now on the Switch 2.

What’s your favorite role-playing game of all time? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-04-07 15:11