Best RPGs On Game Pass

Perhaps more than any other genre, role-playing games offer players a chance to fully immerse themselves in both a world and a story. By granting control of both a character and the quest they must embark on, the best Game Pass RPGs allow players to experience the rewarding upward climb of progression.

Most RPGs tend to be hefty time sinks, but that only goes to show how immersive these titles can be. Luckily for those who own Xbox Game Pass, phenomenal RPG games are available at a moment’s notice. Whether someone prefers JRPGs, Western epics, or indie darlings; Microsoft’s subscription service has them covered. What are the best RPGs on Game Pass?

Updated October 5, 2024 by Mark Sammut: JRPG fans can rejoice as two noteworthy games have recently been added to the subscription service. As they are from the same franchise, one entry will be highlighted.

1 Trials Of Mana

A Modern JRPG Classic

Xbox Game Pass subscribers have access to both the Legend of Mana remaster and the Trials of Mana remake. They are fairly faithful recreations of two ’90s JRPGs, although the latter is considerably more substantial due to being a full 3D remake. While Legend of Mana is worth a playthrough despite having more than a few issues, Trials of Mana is undoubtedly superior and the far better option for beginners who are looking to get into Square Enix’s franchise.

Despite a shiny coat of paint, the remake is respectful to its ancestor, to the point of mostly retaining the same story structure, dialogue, and progression. Trials of Mana is a party-based action JRPG that features six playable characters, three of which need to be chosen for a playthrough. Although not the deepest characters in gaming, they all have unique personalities, backgrounds, weapons, and ability trees, so they are different enough to all be worth trying and to justify a second playthrough.

The real-time combat is fantastic and an admirable modernization of the traditional Mana formula. Along with hack and slash action, Trials of Mana emphasizes party control, allowing players to pause and direct their companions. The system works well and improves with each class upgrade, which happens at specific levels.

2 Mass Effect Legendary Edition

An All-Time Great Sci-Fi RPG Trilogy

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate owners have access to the full Mass Effect franchise. If they prefer, they can jump into the original Xbox 360 versions. These hold up reasonably well, particularly the sequels; however, Mass Effect Legendary Edition is the best way to experience Commander Shepard’s story in this day and age. The package contains remastered versions of BioWare’s classic trilogy, and the compilation also includes most of the DLC.

Beyond a facelift, the Legendary Edition revamps the original Mass Effect game quite extensively, bringing it more in line with the content and gameplay of its sequels. These changes make the trilogy a more consistent overall experience. Each entry is fantastic in its own right, and when combined, Mass Effect makes one of the best video game trilogies of all time.

3 Persona 3 Reload

Top-Notch Remake Of Atlus’ Brilliant Turn-based JRPG (With Demon Collection System)

Persona 5‘s shadow looms large over Atlus’ entire franchise, and its fingerprints can be seen in Persona 3 Reload, Atlus’ 2024 remake of 2006’s PS2 JRPG. However, this iteration is still 100% Persona 3, retaining the original’s dark atmosphere, fantastic storytelling, and Tartarus. In a series that has produced almost nothing but stellar games, P3 stands as a genuine contender for its crowning achievement, and Reload shows the classic JRPG all the respect it deserves.

Related

Advertisement

Persona 3 Reload Review

Persona 3 Reload evolves the series formula in a way that sets it apart from the original, establishing a precedent that future entries must follow.

Blending dungeon-crawling with social sim aspects, P3R strikes an outstanding balance that satisfies both genres’ needs in a way that ensures they complement each other. During the day, players get to live the life of a Japanese high school student, which involves attending class and hanging out with friends. These sections are the campaign’s beating heart, granting depth to the characters while also weaving a powerful tale that tackles mostly mature themes.

At night, players lead a party into an intense dungeon crawling with Persona, creatures that can be added to the protagonist’s arsenal. As a monster-collecting game, P3R offers a wide and impressive roster of candidates, and the game expects players to be constantly cycling through new party members by either catching Persona or using the fusion system. While the JRPG’s turn-based combat is fairly traditional for the genre, P3R elevates the action through a fantastic presentation and supporting mechanics that inject an element of strategy into battles.

Bethesda’s Eternal RPG

Skyrim has essentially ruled the open-world RPG roost since its unsubtle and highly-anticipated release in 2011 — that alone should be enough to showcase its necessity for any RPG enthusiast’s repertoire. While it can be safely accused of shedding the deeper mechanical complexities of its predecessors, the cold fact of the matter is that Bethesda did more than a few things right.

Skyrim preserves the franchise’s legacy of beautifully designed open worlds filled with enough content to keep even the most dedicated gamers busy for years while expanding the scope of its audience exponentially. It’s practically gaming’s equivalent to required reading at this point, and it’s not hard to see why.

5 Dragon Age: Origins

BioWare’s Fantasy RPG Masterpiece (Best On PC, But Good On Consoles)

The addition of EA Play to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate brought with it plenty of great RPGs, including some of the best trilogies in gaming. Dragon Age: Origins is the definition of an epic; a grandiose adventure filled with political intrigue, narrative depth, complex combat, and unforgettable characters.

The game is at its best on PC, but the Xbox 360 version is perfectly playable. While somewhat dated by today’s standards, Origins has aged beautifully in the areas that matter the most: world-building, storytelling, and character-build variety. The sequels are also worth checking out, but Dragon Age arguably peaked with its first entry, setting a standard that few fantasy RPGs have come close to replicating.

6 Palworld (Game Preview)

Blends Multiple Genres To Create Something New & Exciting

2024 has produced a couple of major AAA games, but arguably none of them attracted as much attention as Palworld. While still in early access (or Game Preview on Xbox), Pocket Pair’s project is already in fine shape, offering a fairly robust and complete experience that still has plenty of room for expansion. As Baldur’s Gate 3 proved in 2023, a lengthy spell in early access could be the difference between a good and fantastic game, and the latter could easily be used to describe Palworld in its current form.

Before its release, the project was labeled as Pokemon with guns, a descriptor that, while accurate, sells the project’s scope short. Palworld is a survival open-world game with monster-collecting, base building, third-person shooting, RPG mechanics, and co-op. On the surface, it might seem like Pocket Pair is trying to reach too many audiences, but the pieces come together to create a surprisingly cohesive whole. Palworld is addictive, and while there is not much of a story, the basic gameplay loop is more than fun enough to keep players engaged for dozens upon dozens of hours.

7 Crusader Kings 3

Blends Grand Strategy & RPG Elements Really Well

If strategy games can seem inapproachable to newcomers, then grand strategy titles must seem absolutely foreign. Crusader Kings 3 represents the subgenre at its best, and it is arguably Paradox’s crowning achievement, a statement that is not made lightly. While needing no introduction to players fond of these sorts of games, CK3 might seem too dense for people who have yet to dip their toes in the universe of grand strategies; however, although not easy to master, the game is among the most accessible options on the market.

More importantly, CK3 is a proper RPG that follows a family tree as the members’ decisions shape their kingdoms and the rest of the world. Along with fairly standard grand strategy mechanics, Paradox emphasizes each character’s personality, encouraging players to properly role-play as their rulers. Unlike most other entries in this subgenre, CK3 is primarily about the individuals who mold history through their relationships, biases, flaws, and strengths.

8 Tales Of Arise

Great Combat, Fun Characters, & Mature Story For The Franchise

Even if it is not as synonymous with JRPGs as Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest, Bandai Namco’s Tales is one of the genre’s most beloved franchises, and an argument could be made that it is the definitive action property. While fairly consistent in terms of quality, a few entries stand out from the crowd, and Tales of Arise is one of the best games in the series. The 2021 release also serves as a great introduction to the IP, and since the story is not connected to any previous releases, newcomers can jump into this project without hesitation.

Telling a fairly major story that tackles themes of discrimination and oppression, Arise blends strong storytelling with addictive combat, likable characters, and a fair amount of secondary content. While the campaign is quite long, new settings and mechanics are introduced frequently enough to ensure things remain interesting throughout, and all the playable characters are unique and come with learning curves.

9 Lies Of P

Masterful Soulslike RPG

Soulslike games belong to their own genre, but they still fall under the action RPG umbrella. Lies of P is an inspired take on the Soulsborne formula, even if its core mechanics do not stray too far from the beaten path. Cast as Pinocchio, players will find themselves exploring Krat, a Gothic fallen utopia that has become overrun by deadly puppets who come in a wide range of shapes and sizes.

Unlike some other entries in the genre, Lies of P has a fixed protagonist and does not offer too many customization options, at least not in the opening few hours. Players can select from three combat styles, and they unlock new weapons at a steady but not overwhelming pace. Importantly, Lies of P nails its combat and enemy design, offering fast-paced and aggressive action that demands players master all the game’s mechanics, particularly parrying.

10 Diablo 4

Controversial Action RPG That Has Improved Due To Updates

Blizzard’s Diablo 4 is a weird beast. The hack and slash RPG attracted near-universal praise at launch and was regarded as a solid evolution for the franchise. However, the game’s reputation declined quite quickly after that point, with a few subsequent updates being viewed as a step back rather than a leap forward. Nowadays, the RPG exists in a strange space where it feels somewhat like old news, although Diablo 4‘s Loot Reborn patch was a huge move in the right direction.

Polarizing as it might be, Diablo 4 is nevertheless massive. Except for a more expansive open-world and a couple of touches, Blizzard’s action RPG does not reinvent the wheel, instead opting to offer a straightforward combat-loot-combat loop. The story is fine but nothing special, and it largely exists to keep people busy until they reach the endgame. The combat is simplistic as well, but it is satisfying in a shut-off-your-brain type of way. Unsurprisingly, the game floods players with loot, which provides a small dopamine hit every time. For all its divisive elements, at its core, Diablo 4 is a pretty good action RPG that has the potential to be better. If someone is on the fence about trying this sequel, they can now jump on board thanks to Xbox Game Pass.

11 Cassette Beasts

More Than Just A Pokemon Clone

Xbox Game Pass has a couple of monster-collecting games. Those titles can keep someone busy for months on end, but Atlus’ series has some competition. Initially launching on PC before making its way to consoles, Cassette Beasts is a fantastic indie project that takes inspiration from the likes of Pokemon, particularly the older isometric entries, while also crafting a unique voice that sets it apart from its peers. Arriving at a peculiar island called New Wirral, players are quickly greeted by a ranger who tells them about their ability to transform into beasts, which they will need to do to survive the habitat’s wildlife.

Cassette Beasts‘ title gives its monster-taming mechanic away: players “catch” creatures by recording them on a cassette tape. If successful, the protagonist and their human partners will be able to transform into them during battles. Set in a vibrant and diverse open-world, the game offers a creative modernization of this RPG subgenre’s typical formula, and it even manages to incorporate a pretty interesting story. Along with the main campaign, players have quite a few side activities to keep them busy.

12 Darkest Dungeon

Challenging Turn-Based RPG With Fantastic Combat & High Stakes

Darkest Dungeon is a cutthroat game that takes no prisoners. Players inherit a mansion sitting on top of a strange dungeon, so they hire heroes to explore the creepy labyrinth within. Like most RPGs, these characters come in a variety of classes and can be leveled up; unlike most RPGs, death is permanent in Darkest Dungeon. There is nothing quite as infuriating as watching a powerful hero meet their maker, never to be seen again.

Red Hook’s game uses a turn-based combat system that centers around parties of four characters. While exploring the dungeon, players have to monitor the heroes’ stress levels along with a myriad of other mechanics. It is quite a challenge.

13 Sea Of Stars

Throwback To Old-School JRPGs

August and September 2023 produced two of 2023’s biggest RPGs: Baldur’s Gate 3 and Starfield. Most indie projects released around the same time as these games were destined to be overshadowed, and that’s without even mentioning Armored Core 6 and Lies of P. Therefore, the fact that Sea of Stars still managed to make a splash speaks to its quality. Inspired by ’90s JRPGs, Sabotage crafted a gem that pays tribute to its influential ancestors without fully anchoring itself to them.

Set on an island, Sea of Stars follows two heroes tasked with defeating a spreading corruption. On the surface, this premise might sound generic, but it is all about the execution. Not only does the lengthy storyline take a few genuine risks as it progresses, but it is also packed with endearing characters and fun optional content. The turn-based combat system is pretty great too.

14 Stardew Valley

Genre Blender That Is All-Around Brilliant

Launching in 2016, Stardew Valley has blossomed into one of gaming’s most enduring farming sims. The indie game comes packed with so much content and freedom that two people could wind up having completely different experiences. Whether planning out a year’s worth of farming or sparking a romance with one of the NPCs, Stardew Valley is incredibly immersive.

Offering endearing visuals, expansive customization options, and a lot to discover, this game will keep somebody playing for months on end. For those looking for a title that doesn’t prioritize combat but is still quite challenging in places, Stardew Valley is a stellar pick.

15 Octopath Traveler 2

HD-2D Epic With Polarizing Story Structure

Both Octopath Traveler entries are available on Xbox Game Pass, and together they can easily keep someone engaged for more than 100 hours. While the first game is well worth a playthrough, the sequel offers more of the same, just slightly improved in a couple of areas. Their stories, characters, and worlds are not related either, so newcomers can jump into the second game if they would rather skip its predecessor (although, again, Octopath Traveler is very good).

So, what is Octopath Traveler? Well, these projects are essentially throwbacks to classic JRPGs from the 1990s, sort of similar to the Bravely Default games. However, they take a page from Live a Live‘s playbook by focusing on character-specific storylines that are fairly standalone. That said, the playable characters are united through a central quest, and they do come across more like a genuine party than their counterparts in the first Octopath Traveler. The turn-based combat is traditional but well-executed.

16 Wasteland 3

Stylish Isometric RPG With Very Solid Turn-Based Combat & Fun Setting

All three Wasteland games are available on Xbox Game Pass, and each one improves on the last. Wasteland 3 is a challenging strategy turn-based RPG reminiscent of classic Fallout titles, and it comes with a dark sense of humor and a desire to constantly challenge players with difficult decisions.

A deep and flexible combat system should keep the game feeling fresh throughout its considerable length, while Wasteland 3‘s story and world-building are second to none. Co-op is also possible for those who want to travel through Colorado with a friend.

17 Fable 2

Relentlessly Charming RPG With Fantastic World

Released in 2008, Fable 2 returns players to the wonderful world of Albion. All three games in the series have their positives and negatives, but Fable 2 is the most complete and satisfying experience in the trilogy. Players roam an enchanting realm as they set out to carve their own paths and highlight their unique quirks. Albion reacts to the player’s actions, developing to match the choices made throughout the adventure.

Fable 2 takes place in a living, breathing world that empowers users but also doesn’t forget the deeds (or misdeeds) they perform. Although not amazing, the real-time combat system is serviceable and offers enough variety to remain engaging throughout the campaign.

18 Pillars Of Eternity 2: Deadfire – Ultimate Edition

Obsidian’s Pirate-Themed RPG With Great Writing Throughout

Obsidian Entertainment is firmly established as a leading developer in the RPG sphere, and Pillars of Eternity might be the company’s crowning achievement. Both entries in the series rank among the best role-playing games on Xbox Game Pass, but Deadfire gets the nod since it saw the franchise grow out of its Baldur’s Gate roots into something more singular.

A pirate-themed adventure, this isometric RPG gives players a ship and a crew to sail the ocean, allowing them to visit a multitude of islands and take part in naval battles throughout their journey. The story is solid, but Deadfire shines the brightest in its combat, customization, and sense of discovery.

19 Mount And Blade 2: Bannerlord

Large-Scale Warfare With Strategy Elements

Bannerlord is ambitious. TaleWorlds’ project blends action RPG elements with strategy mechanics, crafting an experience that is quite unlike anything else on the market. Players start from nothing as they steadily build their mercenary group, eventually seeking to take over land and spread their influence.

Mount & Blade 2 can be overwhelming, particularly for people who did not play the previous games or are not that familiar with sandbox strategy games. However, it might be able to fill a void that no other title on Game Pass can reach.

20 Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom – Prince’s Edition

Gorgeous Action JRPG With Decent Combat And Story

Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom is not simply a retread of its predecessor. Level-5’s JRPG features reasonably different combat and also completely removes the Pokemon-like monster-taming system; consequently, people who did not like Wrath of the White Witch might still enjoy its sequel, particularly if they appreciate hack and slash action similar to something like the Tales franchise. Even though it struggles to match the whimsy and heart of its more decorated older sibling, Revenant Kingdom still succeeds in telling a gripping story filled with memorable characters. Visually, the game looks gorgeous, and Level-5 did an impressive job of replicating Studio Ghibli’s aesthetic for the cutscenes.

As Revenant Kingdom has very few direct ties to its predecessor, newcomers can jump straight into the sequel without feeling like they are missing out. It is arguably more satisfying to play than Wrath of the White Witch, although both rank among the best JRPGs on Xbox Game Pass.