Best RPG From Every Console Generation

With the evolution that vidteo game consoles and their hardware have undergone from the 3rd generation and beyond, there have been countless RPGs that made an impact on the respective generation.

Some served as the foundation for a long-running franchise, while others felt way ahead of their time in how they presented their ideas and intricate details. Suffice to say, the entire genre has seen great lengths and breadth in both its Western and Japanese heritage.

But you know as well as I do how it'd be hard to name and give props to all of them in one place, which is why with today's list, I've taken the liberty to discuss a selection of the best RPGs from each console generation and what made them so special. So strap in and grab a warm one as we take a look at these renowned titles.

7 Final Fantasy

3rd Generation

To officially set the footing here, we have to start with the original Final Fantasy that debuted on the NES. And before you claim that I skipped a gen or anything, RPGs or even the genre's term were still in the experimental stages prior to FF's creation, or trying to find a footing with their loose elements.

The game felt revolutionary for its time because it not only set the blueprint for other JRPGs to follow, but even the core ideas themselves, like the class system and the narrative's Garland time paradox, felt like milestone achievements in gaming.

And for the NES/Famicom, it genuinely felt like the most technically ambitious game, featuring a whole world map, proper spell animations, and a save system that respected player time. If even that isn't convincing enough, just the fact that it was a long-term influence for other titles warrants its rich legacy.

6 Chrono Trigger

4th Generation

Continuing off the blueprint that was established with the original FF, next up comes Chrono Trigger, a coveted title from the most legendary dream team imaginable—Hironobu Sakaguchi, Akira Toriyama, and Yuji Horii. With their visionary knowledge of game and art design, the cherry on top of all of this was Yasunori Mitsuda's masterful OST composition.

And this ensemble collaboration gave birth to another incredibly influential RPG. A game that had a remixed ATB combat system that jazzed up encounters with Dual and Triple Techs for your party members, along with a historical time-travel narrative that could have you facing the final threat in various unexpected instances. It was a recipe for success right then and there.

Couple that with characters that each had meaningful backstories of their own and with side quests that further fleshed out the world-building backdrop, and you'll be kicking yourself as I did for not playing Chrono Trigger sooner.

5 Final Fantasy VII

5th Generation

Since I've already mentioned a title from the series, this one might feel like a double entry of sorts. Still, considering the profound legacy it had with fans, Final Fantasy VII dominated the 5th-gen console era, specifically the PlayStation 1, and it's hard to argue against it.

The game had the most widespread cultural impact, and with over 10+ million sales, it honestly became what you can dub as the system-selling title for the PS1 at the time.

And you honestly need no introduction from me about how the storytelling felt the most captivating of all, as Aerith made everyone soak their pillows in tears and solidified just how utterly repulsive Sephiroth really is in the catalogue of gaming villains.

It also had a large yet guided world design, and the Materia system was another small yet trademark element that made it have a unique identity amongst the prior FF titles.

6th Generation

By the 6th generation, RPGs had become a household name everywhere in the gaming world, whether it was witnessing Darth Revan's iconic twist in KOTOR or Tidus and Yuna's uncontextually hilarious laughing scene in FFX, they were technical marvels to behold.

But among all of them, I chose to highlight The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind from Bethesda, specifically because it was one of their golden-age RPG titles and offered an unparalleled sense of immersion compared to most titles on the market.

From being able to join conflicting Factions, a varied spell creation system, and a consequential narrative, this level of player agency or freedom was unheard of on consoles at the time, and is still rare today, even with bigger juggernauts from the same company existing.

3 Mass Effect 2

7th Generation

You just know we can't leave BioWare out of this discussion, and for good reason, because Mass Effect 2 is an iconic RPG title for both the PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles. That iconic status stems from a few factors, to the point that it's even the overall favorite among newer fans of the Legendary Collection.

Although the first game had a great setup with the cat-and-mouse chase against Saren, the second game is where it truly goes all out, and I mean that literally in the sense of how you're racing against an invisible clock to put together a merry band of do-gooders and misfits aboard the Normandy.

The party-driven storytelling has several implications that impact the final suicide mission, arguably one of the greatest sequences in gaming. It’s one of the only RPG finales where victory feels personal if you manage to maximize your time with everyone and make the right choices in their relationship paths.

2 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

8th Generation

Despite being released near the midpoint of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One’s lifecycle, The Witcher 3 was one of the few games that pushed their hardware to its absolute limits, thanks to its massive open world and the staggering amount of content. Even a decade after the original release, the game continues to receive an immense amount of adoration from fans and newcomers alike, especially with its next-gen edition.

The game was a technical powerhouse with artistry on display thanks to the REDengine, and it is still considered one of the most beautiful RPGs, even a decade after its release. From the grand scale of the base game to smaller but equally compelling DLCs that dropped an eloquent curtain call to Geralt's journey, choosing it as an RPG that defined the 8th generation of video game consoles is a no-brainer.

The game easily hooks you in with its wide variety of monsters, along with its side quests that slowly open to be so much more than simple fetch quests. It all contributes to The Witcher 3 representing CD Projekt Red at its absolute best, and with that all being said, excuse me as I go start my 5th playthrough of the game.

1 Baldur's Gate 3

9th Generation

With Larian fresh off unveiling their brand-new entry to the Divinity series at The Game Awards '25, it only seemed fitting to feature Baldur's Gate 3, an RPG that many consider not only their magnum opus but also a crowning achievement for the genre as a whole.

The game was notable for sweeping GOTY accolades across five major shows, and it is all well-deserved meteoric praise. A deeply mechanical turn-based combat inspired by DND 5e with Larian's own house rules sprinkled on top. All topped off by one of the most unforgettable and complex companions in gaming, each with their own story arcs and relationships to pursue.

BG3's three main acts are spread across in a way that'll have you actively gunning to experience everything it has to offer. There are hundreds of hours of content; branching questlines, consequential endings, and so many ways to approach a singular instance or moment that no two playthroughs feel the same. In terms of ambition, quality, and scope, you could easily call it a generation-defining RPG.