Final Fantasy VI

From historically important games to those with great stories to those that are just brilliantly unique, these are the RPG games that you cannot afford not to play.

Initially released as Final Fantasy III in the U.S., this SNES Squaresoft classic tells the story of General Celes Chere and her band of Returner allies as they fight an evil empire and, eventually, face a world-shattering apocalypse started by a mentally unbalanced clown.

This game was one of the first to put such a heavy focus on character development. Every playable character get a compelling backstory. And each gets an own optional, story-driven dungeon to complete in the World of Ruin.

(Image credit: Square)

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Dragon Quest VIII

No list of must-play RPGs would be complete without an entry from the incredibly popular (especially in Japan!) Dragon’s Quest series. To us, Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King stands out as a favorite thanks to its incredibly expansive 3D world.

We also love the game for its simplistic, lighthearted approach to story telling — Dragon Quest VIII has but four playable characters. And, of course, we’ll always be in love with the unique art style of Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball Z) that’s used throughout the Dragon Quest series.

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Chrono Trigger

Square’s Chrono Trigger will forever stand as the gold standard of 16-bit role-playing games. It’s an epic RPG built around the infinite possibilities of time travel with a great art style, plenty of plot-filled side quests, and multiple endings (including one where dinosaurs rule the world).

What makes the game so compelling is its approach to time travel. Your actions in the past permanently affect the world’s timeline, creating unique puzzles and even-more-unique plot twists. Great though swords may be, nothing in the game makes you feel more powerful than being able to travel through time and change an NPC’s life for the better.

(Image credit: Square)

Shining Force 2

Shining Force 2 is both one of the best RPGs of the Sega Genesis era, and one of the best tactical role-playing games of all time. In the game, you play Bowie, a leader who must assemble an army and save the world in a traditional “demons and dragons” RPG storyline.

The story is interesting, but the bulk of the game’s fun comes through battles. Correct positioning of your units is crucial; rushing into battle will do little more than get you killed. There are plenty of secrets to be uncovered, too, including hidden towns and a secret battle you can only access after beating the game.

(Image credit: Sega)

Xenogears

Between giant Gundam-style mech battles, a protagonist with split-personality disorder, a religion- and philosophy-inspired storyline, anime cutscenes, and an expansive sci-fi world, it’s easy to see why 1998 PlayStation classic Xenogears was such a hit when it first came out.

The game holds up well today, in part because of its so-complicated-you’ll-want-to-play-it-more-than-once-to-fully-understand-the-damn-thing plot.

(Image credit: Square Electronic Arts)

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

First of all, Skyrim is big. Huge, even, with hundreds of hours of gameplay and epic side quests. And you’re going to want to take your time exploring: As Kevin VanOrd wrote in his review of the game, “A side quest that starts as a momentary distraction may turn into a full-fledged tale that could form the entirety of a less ambitious game.”

The open world of Skyrim, meanwhile, is intricately detailed and interactive. You could kill that NPC … or marry her. You can battle a group of cannibals, or join them in devouring humans to restore your health and stamina.

You live in an beautiful (if troubled) world, Dragonborn. Do with it what you will.

(Image credit: Bethesda)

Final Fantasy IV

Known as Final Fantasy II upon its initial U.S. release, this Squaresoft title was the first must-have role-playing game for the Super Nintendo console. For many of us, it was our first introduction to chocobos, summons, and the archaic adjective “spoony.”

Aside from having story-driven gameplay (much deeper than the original Final Fantasy), Final Fantasy IV is notable for ushering in the age of “Active Time Battles,” where your speed in choosing actions and spells affects the order in which they’re cast in battle.

(Image credit: Square)

Fallout 2

Don’t get us wrong: We love Fallout 4, one of our chosen top games of 2015. But when it comes to the absolute best Fallout game — especially with a mind to classic RPG elements — we need to give props to its post-apocalyptic, turn-based predecessor Fallout 2 first.

Fallout 2 is an open-world game, so of course, exploration and character customization is a huge part of the fun. As we here at Gamespot said in our 1998 review of the game: “It’s pretty hard not to have fondness for a game that gives you experience points for activities as diverse as playing chess against a mutated scorpion, suffocating a mob boss, fixing a two-headed cow’s leg, and slicing a Tom Cruise doppelgänger in half with your trusty laser rifle.”

(Image credit: Interplay/Bethesda)

Final Fantasy Tactics

Admittedly, when Final Fantasy Tactics first came out for the PlayStation, the game wasn’t perfect. The strategic battle system was spectacularly fun, the graphics were stellar, and it had an amazing score. But its complicated story was a made a bit too hard-to-understand poor translation, and the garbled tutorial system was a disaster.

Many years and many re-releases later, Tactics is finally what it should have been. The medieval world of Ivalice is still filled with intrigue and strife; and countries are still war with each other, watched over by a thoroughly evil religious order. The newer War of the Lions translation, meanwhile, adds an almost Shakespearian elegance that fits the setting so well — it’s the kind of writing the game should have had all along.

(Image credit: Sony Computer Entertainment)

Earthbound

Earthbound is different from most RPGs. Very different.

For starters, this beloved Nintendo classic isn’t set in a medieval fantasy world — it’s set right here on Earth. And you don’t play a heroic knight who needs to save a princess. Instead, you take control of the baseball-bat-wielding teenager Ness, who soon meets a bee-like (and dung-beetle-like, sorry, guy) time traveler with distressing news of an alien threat.

The people you meet are weird, the enemies are weirder, and you recover your health by eating pizza. The game only takes itself as seriously as it needs to, which results in one epic, unforgettable experience.

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Ultima 7

Richard Garriott is a true pioneer in the RPG gaming industry, and PC classic Ultima 7 is his self-described crowning achievement.

The game is stunningly free-form and interactive for its era. Rather than follow a linear script, Ultima 7 embraces an open-world feel where you can simply wander and complete side quests. You choose dialogue from trees, making you feel like an active participant in conversations.

Townspeople can be just as easily aided as robbed and killed, though choosing the latter route will have noticeable in-game consequences. Or you can just, you know, chill out, milk cows, and bake bread. It’s your world to enjoy; live how you want to.

(Image credit: Origin Systems)

Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete

If you were one of the privileged few who owned the Sega CD console, then chances are, you also owned Lunar: The Silver Star (1992). It was the second-best selling Sega CD game of all time worldwide, and No. 1 in Japan. The game was so popular, in fact, that it was re-released multiple times — first for the Sega Saturn (1996), and later for the PlayStation as Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete (1999).

The original game was groundbreaking. The new CD medium allowed for the extensive use of anime cutscenes and voice acting. It brought the game’s compelling characters to life and really made you care about them — even the well-coiffed, egotistical, bumbling mage Nash. Even more enjoyable is the game’s quirky sense of humor — the U.S. localization by Working Designs was legitimately funny, using pop culture references to great effect.

Want to give it a try? Good news: The game has been ported over to iOS; you can play it today for just $7.

(Image credit: Working Designs)

Pokemon Red and Blue

This is it: The game that started a multi-billion-dollar video game empire.

As any Pokemon fan will tell you, the real fun of Pokemon Red and Pokemon Blue isn’t the story as much as it is the mission to “catch them all.” Nintendo made the brilliant decision, marketing-wise, to release the original Pokemon game as two separate Gameboy titles. Though the two share the same story, the only way to acquire all 150 original Pokemon was by purchasing both or trading with a friend, opening up a whole new IRL social aspect to gaming.

Arguably, no RPG enjoys the same level of replay value that the Pokemon series has enjoyed over the years. Because gameplay is determined by which of the cute, cuddly, and occasionally ferocious pocket monsters you train with, no two playthroughs are exactly alike. That most definitely keeps us coming back for more.

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Final Fantasy VII

When you clicked on a gallery of “RPGs you must play before you die,” you just knew that we’d be talking about Final Fantasy VII. Far be it for us to disappoint.

The 1997 epic, originally released for the original Sony PlayStation, has an epic story line that reveals itself perfectly. You start out the game as mercenary Cloud Strife, assisting a radical environmental group in its efforts to blow up a reactor; through side quests, exploration, and normal gameplay, you come to understand the tragic circumstances that have shaped Cloud’s life.

Final Fantasy VII is currently available on the PC and smartphone. An episodic remake of Final Fantasy VII is also in the works for the PlayStation 4.

(Image credit: Sony Computer Entertainment)

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Who would have thought that video gaming’s biggest action star could make such a smooth and enjoyable transition to the role-playing genre?

In a departure from the traditional Mushroom Kingdom storyline, Bowser actually joins with Mario (reluctantly, of course; he’s still Bowser) to defeat the game’s antagonist, a metallic blacksmith named Smithy. Mario still gets to face off against traditional foes like Shy Guys, but he does so in a menu-based format, reminiscent of Final Fantasy games of the era. Mario also gets to explore a 3D version of the Mushroom Kingdom, another first (albeit in a three-quarters view).

The game is incredibly lighthearted and humorous for an RPG. In what other game can you fight a boss battle against a cake, meet and beat a troupe of off-brand Power Rangers, and rescue Princess Peach … as Bowser?

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Phantasy Star IV

The Phantasy Star series is Sega’s crowning RPG jewel. Because it was released in the U.S. before Square’s Final Fantasy, the game gave many Sega Master System gamers their first-ever taste of the role-playing genre. It wouldn’t be until 1995, however, until Sega would perfect the series with the release of Phantasy Star IV for the Genesis.

Phantasy Star IV has comic-book style visuals — a smart way to work around the graphics limitations of 16-bit gaming. The story is engaging and, at times, heartbreaking. Most importantly for the series’ fans, though, was how well the game tied together and paid homage to the events of the previous three games.

(Image credit: Sega)

World of Warcraft

World of Warcraft is more than 11 years old now, and counting. And yet, the pay-to-play MMORPG remains incredibly popular, outlasting virtually every other competing online game. (Its next expansion pack, Legion, is due “on or before September 12, 2016.”)

Simply put, World of Warcraft is more of a hobby than a game. It features a little something for everybody — you can participate in player-versus-player gameplay, cooperative player-versus-computer play, solo player-versus-computer play, and solo play where you simply explore and grow rich off the gorgeous world around you. The setting is absolutely immersive, with world-building on a scale that few other games (if any) will ever be able to match. And the music … oh man, the music.

(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003)

If you instinctively avoid RPGs with non-traditional settings, you’re doing yourself a huge disservice. Yes, Knights of the Old Republic is a Star Wars game, but it just happens to be (arguably) the best Star Wars game of all time — and one of the best RPGs ever.

In Knights of the Old Republic, it’s up to you to decide what path your character takes. You can embrace the light side of the Force and fight with honor, or use the dark side to crush your enemies for personal gain. Because you’re taking such an active, participatory role in the game’s storyline, KotOR plays slightly differently every time, adding tons of replay value.

The game gets the Star Wars setting right, too. Lightsaber battles are the norm. You can’t cruise around with Han Solo, but you can explore the desert world of Tatooine and Chewbacca’s home planet, Kashyyyk. Droid designs and ship schematics are spot on. And as we noted in our 2003 review, “Alien characters even speak in convincing alien languages.”

In short: If you like Star Wars and like RPGs, you need to play this game.

(Image credit: LucasArts)

Diablo

As you might expect from the devilish subject matter, Blizzard Entertainment’s Diablo is an incredibly dark, atmospheric game. That’s a huge part of its draw, to be sure. It also features cooperative online multiplayer, another major draw.

But what makes Diablo truly special is its level design. Each of the game’s 16 dungeon levels are randomized, ensuring you never play the same game twice. Item drops are randomized, too. And as we here at GameSpot noted back during our initial review of Diablo, “although a set number of monsters is included, only a few will be seen during each full game. This means that players going back for their second or third shot at the game will very likely fight opponents they haven’t seen before. Talk about replay value.”

(Image credit: Diablo)

Fire Emblem: Awakening

Fire Emblem is one of the best strategy-based RPG series in existence — one, sadly, that too few people in the U.S. have played. But it’s not our fault. It took more than a decade for Nintendo to port the series stateside. And the company only did so after characters Marth and Roy had debuted in Super Smash Bros. Melee on the Gamecube. Sigh.

Fire Emblem: Awakening, the 2013 best-seller for the Nintendo 3DS handheld, is a great way to get introduced to the franchise. The paper-rock-scissors-style, grid-based combat is one of the best in the tactical genre. Awakening has a plethora of characters for you to recruit and use in battle, each with deep development that actually makes you care about them and their fate. Which makes it all the more emotional when they’re killed — traditionally, death in a Fire Emblem game is permanent. (You can, though, turn this permadeath feature off.)

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Mass Effect 2

Named by Gamespot as the best RPG of 2010, Mass Effect 2 is the best-selling second installment in the Mass Effect trilogy. It’s the story of Commander Shepard battling against the Reaper horde and the extinction-level event their coming heralds.

There’s a lot about this game to love. But what we love most about Mass Effect 2 — and really, the whole RPG/shooter hybrid series in general — is how the decisions you make while playing the game affect its story. Best of all, saves from the original Mass Effect can be loaded on Mass Effect 2, so your actions in the first game will have an influence on the second game as well.

(Image credit: EA)

Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

An enormous 3D world to explore? Check.

Thousands of characters who react to you based on your persona? Check.

A rich game world full of intrigue that can be expanded by reading supplementary books in-game? Check.

More objectives and quests than any human being can reasonably be expected to complete in a single playthrough? That’s a definite check.

(Image credit: Bethesda)

Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn

We’ll give credit where credit is due: None of the games on this list would exist if not for Dungeons & Dragons. And when it comes to D&D-based video games, none are a more “authentic treatment” of the property than the well-written Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn.

This dark, mature game provides hundreds of hours of gameplay, especially if you’re an obsessive completionist. We estimate another 40 hours of content is unlocked by the Throne of Bhaal expansion, which is included as part of the 2013 “Enhanced Edition” re-release. These aren’t easy, breezy hours of gaming, either — battles in Baldur’s Gate II are tough. Mercilessly tough. You need more than strong characters — you’ll need a lot of strategy and planning to keep from becoming a dragon’s midday snack.

(Image credit: Black Isle/Interplay)

Secret of Mana

Secret of Mana was a surprise hit to many upon its initial release — the SNES sequel to Final Fantasy Adventure was never expected to be a best-seller. But it quickly became one of the most cherished action RPGs of all time.

Sure, the real-time battles (a mix of Final Fantasy and Zelda elements) were a lot a fun. But what made Secret of Mana truly exceptional was its multiplayer mode. You can control whichever member of your three-person party you’d like, and friends can control one of the two remaining characters.

(Image credit: Square)

Disgaea Triple Play Collection

We promise that the Disgaea RPG series is quite unlike any other you’ve played … which is the main reason why you need to play it. The games focus on anti-heroes and subverting the RPG genre, with plenty of humor (much of it highly odd). There’s a parliament of evildoers who can pass legislation affecting the game. And did we mention that characters can be power-leveled into God-like beings with ludicrously high stats?

It’s hard to pick a single game out of the series to play, but thankfully, you don’t have to. Check out The Disgaea Triple Play Collection, sample them all, and choose your own “must play” from the bunch.

Just watch out for the exploding penguins.

(Image credit: Altus)