We're only halfway through, but 2024 is already shaping up to be the year of the RPG. From brand new action-driven epics like Dragon's Dogma II to remasters of turn-based classics such as Paper Mario or Persona, the genre has dominated. Yet the gaming calendar has also surprised with mind-meltingly complex strategies, brutal brawlers, and innovative indies. Perhaps most interesting though is a wave of expansions to existing titles that are vast and ambitious enough to stake a claim to the year's best games to date. Where do they all rank though? There's only one way to find out…
15. Homeworld 3
If you’d ever wondered what Roy Batty was describing at the end of Blade Runner when he talked of “attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion,” the answer could easily have been a game of Homeworld 3. Watching Huge capital ships go nova while exchanging rail gun fire as waves of fighters weave in and out of giant ion beams is quite the sight to behold and a regular occurrence in a game that comes as close as anything else to letting players re-enact their Battlestar Galactica fantasies as fleets collide against the vastness of space. This (fully) 3D strategy makes full use of all dimensions, allowing you to flank your foe from every conceivable angle as you take the Hiigaran fleet in search of elusive foe The Incarnate, which aims to weaponise hyperspace itself to achieve domination. The story doesn’t quite pack quite the emotional punch of the 1999 original, but this third instalment has visual fidelity that is second to none, with stellar (both figuratively and literally) audio accompaniment in the form of Paul Ruskay’s haunting score.
14. Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown
The long-awaited return of the Prince came (almost) out of nowhere back in January, revamping Ubisoft's storied fantasy series into one of the finest Metroidvania games in years. As young warrior Sargon, players navigate the labyrinthine corridors of the dauntingly vast Mount Qaf, where time itself is broken. The Lost Crown delighted with some of the most sublime platforming mechanics the series had ever seen, along with time-twisting powers that made its combat really sing. Post-release updates adding a Boss Rush mode and speedrunning challenges have only enhanced an already brilliant game.
13. Stellar Blade
Stellar Blade took players by surprise back in April, subverting its cheesy, fan-service-filled visuals by serving up a thrilling action epic that can stake legitimate claim to some of the finest, most exacting combat of the year. In a post-apocalyptic future, players control EVE, a robot soldier aiming to reclaim Earth from the strange "Naytiba" creatures that have overrun the planet. Developer Shift Up makes the end of the world look utterly astounding though, with a mix of finely detailed linear sections and intimidating open areas that beg to be explored. EVE herself is endlessly customisable, too, allowing you to tackle threats in whatever play style you prefer, but always doing so with effortless, balletic style. There are dashes of NeiR: Automata and Bayonetta to be found throughout, but Stellar Blade forges its an identity all its own – one that's slightly campy in places but beautifully realised.
12. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
The original Hellblade was so lauded for its delicate exploration of mental health and psychosis through a dark ages lens that returning to Senua's world five years later was a risky proposition for developer Ninja Theory. Thankfully, the team smashed expectations with this wonderful evolution for the Pictish warrior woman as she strives to rescue her tribesfolk from slavers. A new Icelandic setting allows for some truly breathtaking visuals, while the local folklore of Hidden People blends perfectly with how Senua sees the world. Despite its brevity and linear nature, Hellblade 2 is a haunting, harrowing, but ultimately hopeful journey.
11. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
Despite coming first, the Shin Megami Tensei games have often been overlooked in favour of their flashier, hyper-stylish Persona spinoffs. Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is here to change that, with deliciously dark JRPG that demands your attention. Leaning heavily into Kabbalah, Shintoism, and demonology, SMTV takes players between modern day Tokyo and an apocalyptic world known as Da'at, drawing them into a battle for control of the throne of God itself. It was already a phenomenal example of the genre in its original form back in 2021, thanks to a superbly tactical approach to turn-based combat and some of the best writing in the series' history, but Vengeance takes things further, offering not only the original version but an extensive alternate story dubbed the "Canon of Vengeance". With new characters and considerable changes, it's essentially a whole new game, and with numerous improvements to mechanics – plus a host more demons to battle or recruit to your own side – this is the definitive edition of an RPG titan.
10. Destiny 2: The Final Shape
The sheer scope of The Final Shape is perhaps the most astounding aspect of this massive Destiny 2 expansion. While Bungie's ferociously popular sci-fi shooter has spent seven years expanding its lore and backstory through semi-regular updates, The Final Shape goes further, aiming to tie up the entire saga dating back to the original Destiny. It's bold – any sense of closure to an online game could just as likely provide a jumping off point for players – but with a final battle against The Witness, a big bad that's been teased for years, and answers to decade-old questions, it manages to stick the landing. Throw in an armoury full of new weapons to master, a brand new Prismatic subclass that combines Light and Darkness powers, a fresh enemy subclass called the Dread to mix things up with, and one of the roughest, toughest raids in the series' history, and Destiny 2 goes out on a high note – while, of course, leaving plenty more questions to be explored in whatever, inevitably, comes next.
9. Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door
The Thousand-Year was a nigh-perfect entry in the role-playing Paper Mario series when it first launched back on the GameCube, and remains an absolute gem 20 years on. Even now, it feels fresher than many Mario games, thanks to its introduction of new villains the X-Nauts, ingenious origami-inspired abilities for Mario, and a journey that takes the plumber and pals to fresh locations. The charming papercraft world is the real selling point, turning the whole world into an interactive pop-up book, and playing cleverly with depth and perspective. With improved lighting effects, quality of life improvements to controls, and a smattering of extra bosses, the Nintendo Switch update revitalises a spectacular game for a modern audience, and reminds returning players what a masterpiece this is.
8. Unicorn Overlord
At a glance, Unicorn Overlord looks like a riff on Fire Emblem, from its fantasy anime aesthetic to its swords-and-sorcery-and-fallen-empires setting. But instead of the turn-based gameplay of Nintendo's beloved series, this is a tantalisingly tactical real-time strategy game that rewards meticulous planning of units, character abilities, and equipment to maximise success on the battlefield. It's the tender writing and surprisingly deep explorations of the impact of war (even fantasy magic war!) on soldiers and civilians alike that really elevated the experience. Wrapped in developer Vanillaware's trademark hand-painted visual touch, this proved an unexpectedly satisfying strategy experience.
7. Tekken 8
Bandai Namco's long-running fighting franchise reached its apex with Tekken 8, quite literally kicking off the year with the most exciting and fast-paced entry to date. Tekken's signature combat mechanics, where each button controls one limb, make it as easy as ever to get into, while a brand new Heat system rewards aggressive, pro-active play by allowing you to tear through an opponent's defences. With a cinematic (if admittedly bonkers) single player story mode centred on the globe-spanning father-son war between Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama, an extremely meta Arcade Quest (where you strive to become the best Tekken player by touring virtual arcades), and mini episodes for each of the 32 fighters in the game's packed roster – bolstered further by the post-launch introduction of DLC characters, alongside added game features – Tekken 8 is the most feature-packed entry in the series' history.
6. Persona 3: Reload
The original Persona 3 might be the most important game in the series' history. Although Persona 4 and, especially, Persona 5 cemented the series' popularity in the west, the PS2 version of Persona 3 did all the heavy lifting, defining much of the visual language and narrative approaches those later games would build on. The only problem? Well, it was stuck on the PS2, making this stunning remake long overdue. Pitching you as a member of a secret society investigating Tartarus, a strange dimension that only appears during a hidden time window called the Dark Hour, Reload's blend of action packed dungeon adventuring at night and relationship-building social elements by day remains as engaging as ever – but with expanded scenes building on the original, brand new vocal performances for its expansive cast, and a massively refined combat system more in line with that of Person 5 Royal, it's that much richer. Reload still isn't a truly definitive edition of the game, lacking the option for a female protagonist from Persona 3 Portable, but with the epilogue from Persona 3 FES coming in the form of paid DLC, it's damn close.
5. Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
The Like a Dragon games – formerly Yakuza – have always been strange hybrids of gritty crime sagas and bizarre comedies, but Infinite Wealth is the ultimate expression of that unlikely mashup. Sending protagonist Ichiban Kasuga to Hawaii in search of his long lost mother allows for some wild fish-out-of-water moments, matched at every turn by some truly shocking moments of violence or heart-breaking plot developments. What impresses most though is just how much game is crammed in here, with gloriously weird parodies of Animal Crossing, Crazy Taxi and Pokémon offering diversions chunky enough to almost stand as their own releases, full arcade recreations of classic Sega games, and minigames such as darts and karaoke to while away the hours. Like a Dragon is more than an RPG, it’s a world you can fully immerse in – even if that might mean having to beat up gangsters with a surfboard or pummel a giant shark along the way.
4. Dragon’s Dogma II
Capcom's action RPG series was absent for over a decade, but roared back to life with this stellar sequel. Unfortunately – for players – it hates you. Eschewing the norms of the genre, it makes fast travel around its open world more effort than it's worth, slashes your max health if you're dumb enough to lose a fight, and saddles you with AI party members who can spread a disease that drives them murderously insane. Yet every one of those decisions is what makes it so great – no reliable fast travel forces you to explore its gorgeous world, tough battles makes you appreciate the intricacies of the combat system and the nuances of character classes, and the deranged companions… well, they're still a nightmare, but a fun one. Dragon's Dogma II hates you – but you'll love it.
3. Helldivers 2
Listen up, meat – Super Earth needs YOU to spread managed democracy through the cosmos! There's just the small matter of an endless horde of ravenous insects and nigh-unstoppable mechanoids to deal with first, but if you have to die and die again to deal with them, so be it… Helldivers 2 might be the biggest surprise of 2024 so far, a deliriously fun multiplayer shooter that liberally, err, "channels" both Terminator and Starship Troopers to serve up hectic battles across alien terrain. It's not just the run-and-gun chaos of it all that entertains though, it's the use of stratagems – special moves that can turn the tide with everything from an armoured turret to an orbital strike – that makes for an explosively good time. Best of all, the constant ebb and flow of galactic control as enemy forces rally or invade makes this live service game feel truly alive, with a community of players forced to react in real time to hold the line. Glory to Super Earth!
2. Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree
There comes a moment in Shadow Of The Erdtree — likely sometime between getting your arse handed to you by a rampaging golden hippo and your fiftieth unsuccessful attempt to defeat a furious, thorn-throwing sunflower — where you begin to wonder if, despite having sunk 150-odd hours into Elden Ring, you’re actually improving at all. Such is the nails-hard difficulty of this expansion that it’s part videogame, part hair-tearing, controller-flinging, aneurysm-inducing rage fit. But, despite director Hidetaka Miyazaki’s obvious penchant for schadenfreude, it’s also one of the most incredible experiences to grace your PS5. Building on the sprawling majesty of the base game, this adds another huge open zone to explore (the Shadow Realm), as well as all-new sorceries, weapons and abilities that not only allow you to attack the expansion in all-new ways, but open up the wider game for the same, successfully refreshing the entire experience. With more gameplay here than in most complete games and some of the most stunningly beautiful, intricately designed areas in all of Elden Ring, this is one of the most painstakingly crafted, meticulously realised expansion packs we’ve ever played. Even if it is harder than a diamond sledgehammer.
1. Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
Square Enix's almost incalculably ambitious reimagining of all-time classic Final Fantasy VII finally hit its Empire Strikes Back moment here, continuing the saga of mercenary Cloud Strife and his allies in their effort to defeat the planet-killing Shinra corporation. Expanding on the already impressive Final Fantasy VII Remake, Rebirth added fan-favourite characters Yuffie, Red XIII, and Cait Sith to the playable roster, improved on the already fantastic battle system, and took players out of the familiar confines of Midgar City to explore a vast, beautiful world. That alone may make this a contender for the best game of 2024 so far, but it's in how the story continues to subvert expectations based on the original game that Rebirth really amazes. It paints a grander, richer picture than its progenitor, dealing with themes of destiny and predetermination, and does it all without alienating newcomers. And, like all the best middle trilogy instalments, by the time the credits roll on Rebirth, fans will be left with countless questions – but none more pressing than "when is part three coming?!". A sensational achievement.