My favorite RPGs — FAKE RONJAN!!

I think at this point in my life, RPGs are my favorite video game genre. There’s nothing more rewarding than meeting new people, getting to know and understand who they are and what they want, building a party that comes together, and taking out a common enemy and - usually - saving the world.

Experiencing that is usually meaningful and memorable enough to justify the dozens of hours of time investment these games usually require. But the trick is picking the right RPGs to play, since I can only really take on one or two big ones per year.

I finished Persona 5 Royal a couple of weeks ago and haven’t stopped thinking about the experience. It’s had me reflecting on my overall favorite RPG experiences, and I thought I’d share today my favorite RPGs of all time.

The only rules to qualify for this list: the game has to be fairly regularly recognized as an RPG (whether turn-based, action, JRPG, western) and I have to have finished the main story. The latter requirement means sorry, no Final Fantasy will show up here. Nothing against the series, but I’ve never finished a single game in the series and rules are rules.

Alrighty then, on to the list!

#10 - Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch

Poor Oliver. Such a sweet, earnest boy who blames himself for his mother’s death. On a quest to find a way to bring her back, he tames this game’s version of Pokémon, changes the hearts of people in another realm, finds his confidence and purpose, and defeats the big evil. Oliver’s heart drew me in, and the Studio Ghibli audiovisual experience kept me there. Perhaps my favorite music track from the game is Ding Dong Dell, which I found to be wonderfully evocative of medieval adventure. Oh, and my wife thinks I look like Rashaad. (I don’t agree.)

#9 - Child of Light

I wrote this about the game back in 2014 at an old website:

“In today's unfortunate guns-guns-guns, shoot-shoot-shoot, murder-murder-murder video game landscape, it's truly a revelation that should be experienced by everyone. Whether it's exile, severe depression, or unrequited love, the game's somber tone belies the message that no matter how dark it seems, the people around you will be the light.”

Seems as relevant of a theme as ever.

#8 - Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

I just rolled credits on this game’s sort-of sequel, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, yesterday. And yes, that’s a real game, despite how absurd the title makes it sound. It was nice to be back in Hawaii among the insane characters in the Like a Dragon universe, and it brought back warm feelings about Infinite Wealth. As I wrote in my game of the year post where I rated it as my #4 favorite last year:

I’m not sure exactly what grabbed me about this game. Perhaps it was the authentic Hawaii and Japan settings? The engaging turn-based combat and job mechanics? The wacky cast of characters? The twists and turns? Who knows. All I can say is that I played the game through with my son by my side. Then, he started a new game+ playthrough and beat it himself. And then he did it again. This game dominated our winter and spring in 2024, and it easily earns this place on this list. We’re also now Like a Dragon series fan who’ll be playing future releases in the franchise.

A random photo my son took of Ichiban and the crew

#7 - Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Even though the remake actually slotted below Like a Dragon in my 2024 game of the year list, the original props it ahead on this list. It was among the first RPGs I ever finished back in 2004. It was so off-brand for a Mario game that I was convinced it would never see a re-release. Among the wacky chapters that included climbing the ranks in an MMA tournament and solving a mystery on a train, my favorite was when your name, body, and companions are stolen away from you and you have get Mario his life back.

#6 - Mass Effect 2

Up top I wrote that “there’s nothing more rewarding than meeting new people, getting to know and understand who they are and what they want, building a party that comes together, and taking out a common enemy and - usually - saving the world.” I can’t think of a game that more directly embodies that loop than Mass Effect 2, as each party member that joins up with you has two missions - one where you recruit them, and one where you earn their loyalty. The main existential reaper threat was always a bit blah in my head, but I loved this game’s focus on building your team and working with each individual on what their needs are. This may be corny, and perhaps an overreach, but I think I learned a lot about my style of leadership in my career from this game. In lieu of a screenshot, I’ll just drop an epic mix of the in-game and an orchestral version of the music from the final mission:

#5 - EarthBound

For so many years, this classic seemed like it would be lost to time. There were sites like EarthBound Central that catalogued all of the potential legal challenges associated with re-releasing a title with so many overt references and nods that could potentially invite lawsuits. Well, we were lucky as in the Wii U era, Nintendo finally re-released this one for us. I was one of the few who bought this game on its original system, the Super NES, but I was excited to re-buy it for the Wii U, then again the 3DS, and then yet again get it with the Super NES Classic. While portions of the gameplay have not aged particularly well, the sense of adventure, the amazing writing, and the heart are all as good as ever. Here’s hoping that someday we get an official English release of its sequel, Mother 3. A man can dream!

#4 - Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

This was the first DnD-style, western RPG I ever played, and I was blown away. The way it built on existing Star Wars lore, but put you in the driver’s seat. The planet-hopping scope that took you to familiar locations like Tatooine and new ones like Korriban. How it made choice central to so many things you do - who do you side with in a conflict, do you try to talk your way through situations or mow enemies down with your lightsaber, and do you end up saving the universe or becoming the new Sith lord. And there’s of course … that revelation. You know the one. I maintain to this day that this is the best Star Wars experience that exists in any medium, full stop. The sequel is great, too, although the rushed dev cycle and cut content means it falls short of this list, despite going to arguably more interesting thematic places than the original.

Can’t find a screenshot I took of *KotOR 1*, so here’s one from *KotOR 2*

#3 - Super Mario RPG(: Legend of the Seven Stars)

The original game was the first RPG I ever played, and I loved it. I placed it #2 on my all-time Mario games list. The remake lived up to the hype. I placed it #2 on my 2023 game of the year list. There’s not much more to say about this classic that I haven’t said before, so I’ll just drop my favorite moment from both games, when an underappreciated Bowser drops a sick haiku:

#2 - Octopath Traveler II

It hurts me to place this game at #2 on this list, because up until very recently it was a clear, undisputed #1 RPG in my heart and a game in the running for my all-time favorite game of any genre. In my 2023 game of the year post, I wrote: “This game delivered me my favorite gaming memory of 2023: being coached by my nine-year-old son to take the final boss out. It delivered a transcendent audiovisual experience, it challenged me with its mechanics and boss encounters, it moved me through its memorable characters and intertwined story, and it bonded me with my son. I don’t think any other game in history has done that.” I love all of the playable characters so much - Ochette’s playfulness, Castti’s sense of purpose, Temenos’s sassiness, Oswald’s struggle to keep his humanity in face of tragedy, Partitio’s endless enthusiasm and generosity, Agnea’s heart, Throne’s resilience, and Hikari’s honor. I miss being with them. I miss fighting alongside them. We saved the world together. And I’ll never forget it.

#1 - Persona 5 Royal

But we saved the world together, too - me (as Joker) and Ryuji and Morgana and Ann and Yusuke and Makoto and Haru and Futaba and Akechi and Kasumi. This game is beautiful, too. These characters are lovable and memorable, too. And this game bonded me with my son, too. So I left this decision up to him. Which game did he enjoy playing more with me, Octopath Traveler II or Persona 5 Royal? He gave me his answer, so it’s mine too.

I can’t stop thinking about how relevant its underlying themes are - when the adults are leading the world astray, it’s up to the young to believe in something bigger and change hearts and minds. I can’t stop listening to this game’s music - quite literally, I have had the soundtrack on loop for weeks now (and you’ll likely be reading a soundtrack ranking post sometime in the future). And I can’t get over how unbelievably aesthetically confident the visual design is - flying in the face of an industry that shies away from aggressive artistic expression in the biggest budget titles.

This is an all time classic, a game I will be thinking about for years, and my favorite RPG of all time. Thank you, Persona 5 Royal.