RPGs are probably your thing if you’re one of those gamers that find great value in the amount of time a game offers. For the same price as a four-hour shootbang spectacular, you may get 50–100 hours of top-notch exploring, so it’s difficult to feel like you’ve been conned out of your money.
That being said, an RPG isn’t inherently better just because it requires more time than other relationships, and it can be challenging to know where to start. In light of this, we’ve compiled a list of some of our best Xbox One games, partly because it allows us to discuss the system’s backward compatibility feature. Join us as we rank the top Xbox One role-playing games. Remember that these RPGs are all compatible with the Xbox Series X | S.
Top 30 Xbox One RPGs You Should Play
In this article you can find out below the best Xbox One RPGs Games list below.
1. The Dark Souls Series
Developer: From Software
Publisher: Bandai Namco
It’s common to use Dark Souls as a benchmark for in-game difficulty or as a pointless and superfluous comparison (“it’s like the Dark Souls of blah blah”). Regardless, the game’s influence on the role-playing genre cannot be denied. Take a look at titles that attempted to emulate the Dark Souls formula, with varying degrees of success, such as The Surge, Lords of the Fallen, and even Darksiders 3.
All three of the Xbox One games—Dark Souls: Remastered, Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin, and Dark Souls 3—should keep you entertained for a very long time—even if it’s just because the bosses never stop beating your ass. Additionally, using backwards compatibility, you can play the Xbox 360 version of DS1 and watch the frame rate drop as soon as you get to Blighttown, if you really feel like tormenting yourself.
2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Developer: CD Projekt Red
Publisher: CD Projekt Red & Bandai Namco
What more needs to be said about The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which is perhaps one of the best video games ever created, that hasn’t already been said? For the sake of this piece, perhaps one or two more paragraphs. The majority of readers of our list of the top Xbox One role-playing games have undoubtedly already played The Witcher 3, but just in case, here’s a rundown for the five or six of you who haven’t.
In The Witcher 3, you take on the role of a silver-haired sex pest who travels the land shambling about, stopping only now and again to battle creatures and, in even fewer cases, participate in the main story. Though you shouldn’t be shocked if you give up on your days of exploration to become the best Gwent player in the land, Geralt’s path is immensely captivating.
3. Divinity: Original Sin 2
Developer: Larian Studios
Publisher: Larian Studios & Bandai Namco
Divinity: Original Sin 2, the closest thing a video game can provide to a Dungeons & Dragons campaign, gives you a great deal of flexibility in how you complete its many tasks. It’s an extremely replayable experience because each playthrough can differ greatly from the next depending on the character you choose to play as and the decisions you make.
Because you don’t have to have everyone gathered in one location, the epic adventure from Larian Studios is immensely better than a D&D campaign. It can also be played by up to four players. Numerous tabletop gaming groups have failed due to organisational problems, however such problems are mitigated when you can play Divinity from the comfort of your home with only a few clicks of a mouse.
4. Lost Odyssey
Developer: Mistwalker & Feelplus
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
I informed you that this list would be employing backward compatibility, and why not? For those who enjoy old school, turn-based combat. Lost Odyssey is a compelling JRPG that was only available for the Xbox 360. When Lost Odyssey was first released more than ten years ago, it was an RPG experience that took place across four discs and was created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the man behind the Final Fantasy series. It’s difficult to argue that it wasn’t somewhat ahead of its time given that it’s now the size of a typical modern game.
Lost Odyssey had enough depth and subtlety to set itself apart from other role-playing games, including a strategic battle system that let you control how your party arranged itself in combat, the ability to use frontline characters to defend the rear, quick time events that could increase your attacks, and different ways for characters to learn abilities depending on whether they were mortal or not.
5. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Hey, it’s that one that was ported to everything under the sun. We’re still waiting on Todd Howard to make the much-needed declaration that Skyrim will eventually run on scientific calculators, upending maths schools everywhere. Still, there’s a solid reason Bethesda keeps pushing for a “re-release” of Skyrim: it’s that wonderful.
When playing Skyrim, there’s always something new to uncover thanks to the game’s hundreds of hours of quests, DLC material, dungeons, and discoveries. Heck, even completing the main storyline is new, but who cares when there are guilds to join and treasures to find? Still, keep in mind that both Morrowind and Oblivion are backwards compatible if you’re one of those gamers who finds Skyrim a little too simplified.
6. Fallout 3/4/New Vegas
Developer: Bethesda Game Studios, Obsidian
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
This article is essentially a “delete as appropriate” since each of these three action RPGs has distinct qualities and intricacies that make them valuable in their own right. Fallout 4 is most likely the greatest spot for you to start if you’ve never played a Fallout game before because it makes more accommodations for inexperienced players.
But fans of the franchise will want to relive both Fallout 3 and New Vegas via the Xbox One’s backwards compatibility feature. New Vegas is often regarded as the series’ best game, and I would agree, even though Fallout 3 was a fantastic first attempt at first-person shooter gameplay. It features the greatest people, plot, and scenery.
7. Final Fantasy XV
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
At this point, Final Fantasy is a goddamn institution unto itself—possibly the epitome of RPG greatness. You can control Noctis and his friends as they set out on the greatest road trip ever in Final Fantasy XV, which is a great place to start even if you’re not the biggest RPG fan. Almost everyone has played at least one version of the series at some point in their lives. Plus, if they can get over their infatuation with spontaneous fishing excursions, they might possibly save the world.
Naturally, there are other Final Fantasy games available on the Xbox One besides Final Fantasy XV. You can play Final Fantasy XIII series games through backward compatibility, and you can also play Final Fantasy VII HD, Final Fantasy VIII Remastered, Final Fantasy IX HD, Final Fantasy X/X-2 Remastered, and Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age games right now. You ought to have enough there to last for more than 500 hours.
8. Diablo 3: Eternal Collection
Developer: Blizzard
Publisher: Blizzard
There aren’t many top-down action role-playing games as iconic as Diablo, and Diablo 3 may be the greatest. It may be the only version available to console players, at the absolute least, but that doesn’t mean you’ve been dealt a bad hand. Not even close. Indeed, Diablo 3: Eternal Collection is jam-packed with entertaining replayable content.
Diablo 3 has the potential to keep your interest for a very long time because it offers a variety of character classes, such as Barbarian, Wizard, and Monk, as well as the Necromancer if you purchase the DLC or Eternal Collection. It also has up to 17 difficulty settings that guarantee there is always tougher prey to hunt and up to four player cooperative play.
9. South Park: The Fractured But Whole
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
Here’s a bit more unconventional role-playing game for you: South Park: The Fractured But Whole is Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s attempt at parodying the superhero franchise industry. Since it’s a South Park game, it’s about as explicit as it gets. Underlying TFBW is an excellent role-playing system, even though the plot and narrative would garner most of the attention.
Compared to other games on this list of the top Xbox One RPGs, battles in South Park: The Fractured But Whole have a greater strategic component because of its grid-based warfare system. Your strategy will determine the outcome of the battle, not only the weapons or spells you utilise. If that doesn’t work, though, just fart on everything and you’ll be good to go.
10. Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Developer: Warhorse Studios
Publisher: Deep Silver
This one’s for the die-hards, since Kingdom Come: Deliverance is meant for people who love the Middle Ages but detest being assaulted by dragons or other large creatures. The goal of Kingdom Come: Deliverance is to provide the player with a historically accurate environment to explore. As authentic as it gets, that is, before the game starts to bug. Since then, at least, it has been patched.
In this revenge thriller set against the political intrigue of 15th-century Bohemia, you take control of Henry as he tracks out the person who killed his father and finds a family heirloom that has been taken. However, as this is an RPG, you will undoubtedly spend a significant amount of time getting into arguments with priests and forgetting about the primary mission.
11. Dragon Age: Inquisition
Developer: Bioware
Publisher: EA
The third installment of the well-liked Dragon Age series, Dragon Age: Inquisition, takes players from the non-fantasy open world RPG to the “very much fantasy” open world RPG. Inquisition boasts one of the richest gaming worlds and lores, full of amazing vistas to behold, beasts to slay, and—perhaps most importantly—people to shag. “Romance options” is a necessary component of Bioware, am I right?
Since it is your responsibility as the Inquisitor to seal The Breach, which is letting armies of demons loose on Thedas, it goes without saying that you will become sidetracked and abandon Thedas to its fate. Even if you decide to forego the second Dragon Age game, you still have hundreds of hours of adventure ahead of you thanks to backward compatibility.
12. Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition
Developer: Namco Tales Studio
Publisher: Bandai Namco
As evidenced by the excellent Resident Evil 2 remake, everything old is fresh again, and Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition shows that even JRPGs from more than ten years ago can compete with more recent releases. When it comes to what Tales of Vesperia has to offer, you had best have a hundred hours to spare if you plan on finishing this enormous game.
This is unquestionably one for any RPG fan’s list, with a happy story that touches on themes of self-confidence and finding your place in the world, along with easy-to-understand gameplay that has a tonne of buried depth. There will always be something new to find in the Definitive Edition thanks to the content included, even if you’ve played the original game.
13. Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
When opting to release Monster Hunter World in the West, Capcom took a significant gamble. Aside from its premiere, the series was never available on home consoles outside of Japan; nonetheless, its 3DS distribution helped it establish a strong following in this country. The Monster Hunter fan base has grown dramatically after one incredibly successful console launch, and it’s easy to understand why.
While maintaining the series’ signature depth and hunt difficulty, Monster Hunter World simplified the fundamental gameplay and made it more approachable and welcoming for new players. While series veterans could point to World and say, “See, we told you Monster Hunter was worth it,” novices to the series saw it as the ideal starting place for the game. With the addition of new areas, monsters, and skills, the Iceborne DLC has further enhanced the overall package, making Monster Hunter the most comprehensive game ever created.
14. Destiny 2
Developer: Bungie
Publisher: Bungie
Opinions on Bungie’s looter shooter are frequently divided; some people swear by Destiny, its gameplay style, and the idea that it’s among the best-designed shooters of the present generation. While some criticise it for being dull or lacking in important content, others rush to purchase the newest DLC as it becomes available. You are aware of who you are.
Given Bungie’s current approach of vaulting older content, Destiny 2’s bundle may not be nearly as daunting, but there are still tonnes of missions, strikes, raids, and treasure to be discovered. You’ll have a great time playing Destiny 2 if you can get your friends to join your fireteam.
15. Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
Developer: Bioware
Publisher: EA
Even if Mass Effect is merely a conversation starter, the sci-fi trilogy that couldn’t quite wrap things up added another game to the series just to be safe. Mass Effect has made a lasting impression on the videogame industry. All kidding aside, though, Mass Effect felt like one of the first instances in real life where moral decisions affected the plot, and it felt fantastic.
It wasn’t only choices and plot, though. Mass Effect’s gameplay mechanics were developed throughout the course of the series, and the third game in the series offers the strongest combination of RPG levelling and close cover shooting. Naturally, you can discover this for yourself because Mass Effect: Andromeda and the entire series are playable on Xbox One thanks to backward compatibility. Nevertheless, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition brings together Mass Effects 1-3 in a convenient bundle for those seeking an enhanced version.
16. Kingdom Hearts
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Although it was strange to see Kingdom Hearts 3 debut on the Xbox One without any indication that the earlier titles would be joining the big green brand, you can now play the complete series because Kingdom Hearts – HD 1.5 &+2.5 Remix and Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue are now available on Xbox.
The entire series delivers a distinct but captivating fusion of Square Enix’s love of sombre anime characters with Disney’s vibrant intellectual properties. It’s a bit of a journey, but because you may now play through every Xbox experience, it would be impolite to skip it.
17. Code Vein
Developer: Bandai Namco
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Though we may have mentioned the “it’s like Dark Souls” analogy at the beginning of this piece, play Code Vein and tell me it’s not a “anime Dark Souls” game. While Code Vein’s gameplay and emphasis on exploration are very similar to that of FromSoftware’s groundbreaking work, Code Vein has enough original ideas to merit a spot on this list.
A more forgiving experience is provided by the AI partner’s persistent presence (which may be substituted for a real partner via online cooperative play), and Soulslike beginners can easily become acquainted with the genre thanks to the Blood Code system and simpler levelling up. And to top it all off, Code Vein is worth playing just for the character creation.
18. Black Desert
Developer: Pearl Abyss
Publisher: Pearl Abyss
Even though role-playing games are time wasters, massively multiplayer online role-playing games might seem like a time-hole. A simple playthrough can quickly become hours and hours of grinding quests for experience points. Black Desert is undoubtedly the greatest Xbox One game, even though console MMOs are never quite as successful.
Black Desert excels in the area where most console MMORPGs fall short—its control method feels natural on the gamepad, even with another comprehensive character builder. Black Desert on Xbox One is growing increasingly alluring as free updates with additional classes, locales, and end-game content trickle out.
19. Nier: Automata: Become As Gods Edition
Developer: Platinum Games
Publisher: Square Enix
Nier: Automata is unquestionably an accomplishment, not just being one of the greatest role-playing games ever created but also possibly one of the best of the current generation. While in RPGs the plot sometimes takes a backseat, in Nier: Automata it is central, with each quest and event contributing to the larger tale, world, and characters of Nier.
You take control of 2B, an android trapped in an unending battle with a race of mechanical lifeforms—I won’t give too much away for those who haven’t played it yet—but maybe not all is as it seems. The gameplay, which Platinum Games is renowned for producing a stunning action RPG blend, is what makes the story and writing so excellent.
20. Yakuza 0
Developer: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio
Publisher: SEGA
The brilliant series by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio was long thought to be limited to the PlayStation4, but it has since made its way to the PC and, after much anticipation, is now playable on the Xbox One as the prequel Yakuza 0.
You take on the roles of both the obnoxious Goro Majima and the recurring series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu, and your task is to make your way through the yakuza’s world during the height of 1980s Japan. Yakuza 0 is an excellent game with plenty of content and amazing combat; it’s even more worth playing because it’s accessible on Xbox Game Pass. Even though Yakuza 0 is the finest in the series, Xbox users can also access the other Yakuza games, such as Like A Dragon.
21. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
Developer: CyberConnect2
Publisher: Bandai Namco
One of the most well-known and instantly recognisable anime/manga franchises in the world is Dragon Ball, so it makes sense that there would be a number of games to go along with it. However, none are quite as deep as Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, one of the greatest Xbox One RPGs available.
Kakarot’s action-RPG format may seem instantly familiar to those who have played other games like Xenoverse, but it’s still a fun reproduction of the main plot arcs and beats from the series. While new viewers may view this as a “Best Of” cliff notes version, series fans may enjoy having their fave moments replayed.
22. The Outer Worlds
Developer: Obsidian
Publisher: Private Division, Take-Two
Obsidian’s solitary first-person role-playing game, The Outer Worlds, is for people who loved Fallout: New Vegas and begged for more. Set in the distant star system of Halcyon, the game puts you in the shoes of a colonist who wakes up from cryosleep to discover a capitalist corporation oppressing everyone under its authority and making life terrible for everyone else.
The main selling feature of The Outer Worlds is how much freedom you have to approach tasks in your own way, be it via talks, threats, or force. You have the freedom to tackle issues in any way you see fit, even if it involves shooting everyone in the face. Nobody stated being a good person is a must.
23. Slay The Spire
Developer: MegaCrit
Publisher: Humble Bundle
There aren’t many better deckbuilding indie games than Slay The Spire, a card-based role-playing game in which your objective is to, well, Slay The Spire. Sounds easy enough, doesn’t it? False. Get ready to repeatedly have your head crushed.
Deckbuilding and roguelike components are combined in Slay the Spire to create a single player experience that is genuinely different each time you play. You’ll be playing this one for a very long time because it has a randomly generated Spire that can offer safe or perilous paths, as well as hundreds of cards to create your deck with.
24. The Division 2 – Warlords of New York
Developer: Massive Entertainment
Publisher: Ubisoft
Even while The Division wasn’t the best-received looter shooter, it did get better after more DLC releases. Following the success of the original game, Division 2 quickly gained momentum, releasing a plethora of new content within the first year of its release.
Warlords of New York, the most recent addition, transports players back to the streets of Washington, D.C. and brings them to the first game’s location of New York in an attempt to apprehend a renegade agent. The Division 2: Warlords of New York offers a tonne of PvE and PvP features along with hours and hours of amazing third-person cover shooting action.
25. Disco Elysium
Developer: ZA/UM
Publisher: ZA/UM
Disco Elysium, the newest game on this list, has long been playable on the PC and PlayStation, but it took a while for the subversive role-playing game to make its way to the Xbox as The Final Cut. This version of the game comes with a tonne of new content and enhancements to the console experience.
Working as an amnesiac detective in a post-war metropolis, you look into a murder that has connections to an ongoing conflict. During the journey, your persona accumulates a Thought Cabinet that symbolises the various facets of your shattered psyche, influencing your reactions and interactions with other characters and the outside world. It’s one of the meatiest RPGs, but it’s also one of the most creative.
26. The Forgotten City
Developer: Modern Storyteller
Publisher: Dear Villagers
The Forgotten City, which started out as an ambitious Skyrim mod, has gone a long way and is now widely regarded as one of the best games of 2021. You take control of a time traveller in this secret, small-town Roman setting, and your task is to figure out why people keep dying.
You will employ a variety of strategies to unravel the mystery surrounding this metropolis thanks to your ability to manipulate time to create a time loop. Combat is present, but it won’t get you very far. Instead, you’ll need to utilise cunning, social skills, and a little bit of deception to find the answers. This makes for a truly unique experience and one of the greatest Xbox One RPGs.
27. Hades
Developer: Supergiant Games
Publisher: Supergiant Games
Now, given that Hades is a roguelike by nature, some may be surprised to see it on our list, but because of its emphasis on ongoing improvements that promote progression between plays, Hades is without a doubt the most RPG of all roguelikes. Although there is some chance involved in each run, the extra improvements are quite beneficial.
In the video game Hades, players assume control of Zagreus, the son of the titular Greek god of the dead, who must make his way through a variety of rooms and areas in order to escape the Underworld. Hades is among the greatest Xbox One RPGs available because of its repetition, which allows players to improve their skills and weaponry after each run to make the following one easier.
28. Cyberpunk 2077
Developer: CD Projekt Red
Publisher: CD Projekt Red
While Cyberpunk 2077 was undoubtedly a bit of a mess when it first launched, it has since been upgraded and polished, making the game enjoyable. Though it may not be the all-out, globe-spanning open-world role-playing game that was anticipated before to release, there are still many things to enjoy about it.
You take on the role of the created character V and explore Night City, a vast metropolis, fulfilling quests and building relationships with various criminal groups and other factions that live in this dystopia. It also stars Keanu Reeves. Say no more.
29. Yes, Your Grace
Developer: Brave At Night
Publisher: No More Robots
RPGs don’t always have to be heroic, globe-spanning experiences with strong female protagonists. There are times when the role-playing is much more quiet, but it’s still really entertaining. Yes, Your Grace closes that second gap by providing a fundamentally simple yet engrossing gaming loop.
You are in charge of a king who is having an open court to hear from his citizens, but you must balance the demands of your kingdom with your relationships to your family and the other lords who live in the area because you have limited resources and a major fight approaching. It won’t be simple to keep everyone satisfied, I assure you.
30. Elden Ring
Developer: FromSoftware
Publisher: Bandai Namco
By now, it should go without saying that FromSoftware has produced some of the best role-playing games ever. While the games may be extremely difficult, there’s no better feeling than triumphing over numerous insurmountable obstacles. For this reason, Elden Ring is among the best role-playing games available for the Xbox One.
In Elden Ring, you take control of a self-made explorer who has to go across the Lands Between and defeat the many demi-gods who are ravaging the area. Elden Ring is an RPG that embodies everything that FromSoftware has been aiming towards for the previous fifteen years, making it an absolute must-play.
