5 Best RPGs of 2023 (So Far)

Year after year, AAA studios strive to dominate the gaming scene with great RPGs. And, while the first half of the year has seen a strong showing of RPGs, the genre has been dominated by sequels thus far. That's why, as we look onto the second half of the year, it will be new RPGs like Starfield, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 that will attempt to dethrone these great sequels. So, in honor of that inevitable clash, let's take a look at the best RPGs of 2023 so far, which will inevitably be the titles that the year's latter half of RPGs will be competing with.

5. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Although it launched with poor performance, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor still has a fair argument for one of the best RPGs of 2023 – so far that is. The keywords there are “so far”, as this title will undoubtedly fall further down the list as competition heats up in the second half of the year. Regardless of that, the continued story of Cal Kestis from Padawan to a formidable Jedi in Jedi: Survivor was still an engaging narrative. Sure, it wasn't everything everyone expected, but that doesn't make it a bad game.

Not to mention that it's highly unlikely that the KOTOR remake will ever see the light of day. So we'll take what we can get in terms of Star Wars games. Nevertheless, producing a worthy or better sequel, on the other hand, is one of the most difficult things to do in video games, as it is in movies. Especially since gamers tend to be harsh critics of sequels. So agree or disagree, but as we currently see it, Jedi: Survivor takes the last spot on this list of the best RPGs. Sure we could have given it to one of 2023's notable remakes, but they've already had their moment in the spotlight. So might as well make room for someone new.

4. Hogwarts Legacy

Speaking of new games, Hogwarts Legacy easily lived up to its hype and delivered us one of the best new RPGs of 2023. In a brand new narrative set at the school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Hogwarts's Legacy lets us live out our wildest fantasy of becoming the most skilled Wizard or Witch in the Wizardry world. What's more, they let us choose our house, and whether we wanted to become a good or bad Wizard or Witch, which is influenced by subsequent story decisions. As a result, Hogwarts Legacy is brimming with fantastic RPG elements.

Even better, the game's open world was full of mystery and adventure. There are always new side quests, creatures, and enemies to stumble across. Furthermore, there were extreme amounts of customization, which stemmed from our characters and their spells to The Room of Requirement. Hogwarts Legacy truly encompassed and crossed off every expectation that gamers had for it. So there's no debate to be had that it's one of the best RPGs of the year so far. The only question that awaits is whether the new RPGs releasing in the second half of the year will be able to surpass its excellence or not.

3. Final Fantasy XVI

The consensus from fans so far is that Final Fantasy XVI is the best game in the series yet. And a large part of that discussion is sparked by the sequel's world-building. From start to end, the game captivates players with its story, characters, and what feels like a boundless world. Final Fantasy XVI effectively encompasses what every RPG aims for: to awe players with its atmosphere and their role in it. Evidently, Final Fantasy XVI achieved that with flying colors and it is easily in contention for one of the best RPGs not just so far, but most likely of 2023.

2. Diablo IV

It's been a long and eager wait from fans for Blizzard to release Diablo IV. It's been over a decade since Diablo III was released, and as a result, the tension for the sequel couldn't have been higher. Safe to say, this was a make-or-break title for the series and Blizzard knew they had to deliver. Fortunately, the studio accomplished what it set out to do. As far as ARPGs go, it's the undisputed game of the year in that category. At the same time, it's one of the best RPGs of 2023 so far.

Diablo IV is truly the series at its best. Dark, thrilling, and full of blood-thirsty enemies, it's the pinnacle dungeon crawler at the moment. And it'll most likely be a while before another game comes along to knock it out of that seat.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

To no one's surprise, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel, Tears of the Kingdom takes the number one spot for the best RPGs of 2023, so far. Although it's in competition with many other great RPG sequels, many of which are on this list, Tears of the Kingdom ranks higher than them for one main reason: it follows a predecessor that was named Game of the Year. So, to deliver a sequel that fans consider a worthy or better successor is almost like setting themselves up for failure. Nonetheless, Nintendo accomplished it.

Now, the studio will attempt to do what only one other game has done before: have an original title and a sequel both win Game of the Year. Can you guess which game that is? It's Naughty Dogs The Last of Us series. So, do you think Tears of the Kingdom has what it takes to get the job done? Because we sure do.

So, what's your take? Do you agree with our top five? Are there other titles you consider one of the best RPGs of 2023 so far? Let us know in the comments below or over on our socials here!