We all love games with a good story, but one thing that makes the game even better is how good the replay value is. It is always disappointing when the game has no replay value and you are forced to only reminisce about how the experience was, instead of being able to enjoy it again.
Some titles would include turn-based JRPGs that normally have an outstanding story and world-building, but very slow pacing, which makes a replay nearly impossible.
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Therefore, games with first-class storytelling and insane replay value deserve a shout-out, and here, I will list all the best story-driven games that I have played throughout the years.
10 God Of War: Ragnarök
Death Can Have Me, When It Earns Me
God of War Ragnarok
- Released
- November 9, 2022
- ESRB
- M For Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Santa Monica Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Cross-Platform Play
- ps4, ps5
- Cross Save
- Cross-Save in God of War Ragnarok will be available to players who are planning to upload their PS4 save data on their PS5
- Franchise
- God of War
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- PC Release Date
- September 19, 2024
- PS5 Release Date
- November 9, 2022
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- How Long To Beat
- 26 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- no
- Metascore
- 94
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Experiencing Kratos' journey through Fimbulwinter and seeing his character evolve from a former God of War to a dad who wants peace for his son will always be one of the best character arcs in gaming history.
Aside from Ragnarok, every God of War game offers an incredible story and insane replay value, mostly due to its addictive combat system. I would argue that the old God of War games set in Greece are even more replayable than these latest ones. But we are going with Ragnarok as it is the latest and most accessible entry in the franchise yet.
While God of War: Ragnarok's story does have some pacing issues, that didn't stop it from being the comfort game for some God of War fans. If you are looking for an emotional experience with real character arcs and motivations, then Ragnarok is the best game to go for.
9 Batman: Arkham City
Uncover What Protocol 10 Is
Batman: Arkham City
- Released
- October 18, 2011
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Alcohol Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Tobacco, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Rocksteady Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Warner Bros. Games
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 3
- Franchise
- Batman
- Platform(s)
- PS3, PC, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii U, Nintendo Switch
- How Long To Beat
- 14 Hours
- Metascore
- 96
- PS Plus Availability
- Premium
When Batman: Arkham City came out, it exceeded all expectations and became an instant classic as Rocksteady improved upon their formula from Batman: Arkham Asylum and ended up developing the best superhero game ever made.
It is the one game that makes you feel like Batman as you glide your way across Arkham City and go against an arsenal of Batman villains one by one while trying to uncover what Protocol 10 is.
Aside from offering a masterclass of storytelling, Arkham City also introduced one of the best combat systems of its time, making the replay value skyrocket due to just how everything falls together perfectly.
With near-perfect story pacing, a fantastic cast of villains, and the best combat system in the superhero genre, I always find myself leaning toward a replay of Arkham City every once in a while.
Even a decade after its release, the topic of Batman Arkham Vs Spider-Man games is still argued by fans today. But none have been able to dethrone Batman: Arkham City as the greatest superhero game of all time.
8 Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Wake Me When You Need Me
- Released
- November 11, 2014
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Violence, Blood and Gore, Language
- Developer(s)
- 343 Industries
- Publisher(s)
- Xbox Game Studios
- Engine
- Saber3D Engine for the single player portion of Halo: CE Anniversary and Halo 2 Anniversary; Unreal Engine 4 for UI and player customization; Halo Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
- Franchise
- Halo
- Split Screen Orientation
- Vertical Or Horizontal
- Platform(s)
- Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
- How Long To Beat
- 60 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 115 GB (November 2023)
- Metascore
- 85
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- PC, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Imagine it is 2007, and you just booted up Halo 3 on your Xbox 360 with your friends on a Friday night. While the Master Chief Collection doesn't offer that same experience, it comes pretty close.
Besides Halo 4, the Master Chief collection consists of all the iconic Halo games that made the franchise what it is today.
From Halo 1 to Halo 3, you experience the incredible journey of Master Chief and his fight against the Covenant and the Flood, with Halo Reach and ODST being somewhat filler games that are equally phenomenal in terms of quality.
With online coop available for every game in the Master Chief collection, it is currently one of the most replayable games that you can enjoy with your friends right now.
7 Baldur's Gate 3
Endless Possibilities
- Released
- August 3, 2023
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Larian Studios
- Engine
- Divinity 4.0
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- Full
- Cross Save
- Full cross-platform progression.
- Franchise
- Baldur's Gate
- Number of Players
- 1-4 players
- Split Screen Orientation
- Vertical Only
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- PC Release Date
- August 3, 2023
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- December 7, 2023
- PS5 Release Date
- September 6, 2023
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, macOS
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 73 hours
- X|S Optimized
- yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 140.38 GB
- Metascore
- 96
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- Wiki
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-2 Players
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
What is considered the greatest CRPG of our time also offers top-tier replayability, as Baldur's Gate 3 is one of the most diverse and open-ended RPGs in the industry today.
The number of builds and permutation of abilities offered in this game makes Baldur's Gate 3 a near-endless experience. The level of detail in this game will have you jumping back into it with a new build and the intention of a different approach quite immediately after you finish your first playthrough.
Whether you want to try romancing different characters, try out different builds, or take a different gameplay approach to get a different ending, Baldur's Gate 3 will keep you hooked for a long time.
6 Hades
Don't Forget To Pet Cerberus
- Released
- December 6, 2018
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Supergiant Games
- Publisher(s)
- Supergiant Games
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Franchise
- Hades
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, macOS, Nintendo Switch
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
It feels like cheating to put a roguelike title in this list because their entire premise revolves around replayability. But I believe at least one roguelike game deserves to be here, and what better choice is there than Hades?
Zagreus' journey to get out of hell will have you dying again and again, to the point where you might consider giving up. But once the gameplay clicks for you, and you start properly utilizing the abilities that each run offers, you will have a hard time stopping.
Funnily enough, you need to complete the run ten times before you can reach its true ending. Talk about replay value.
5 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
A Rare Exception For Turn-Based Titles
- Released
- April 24, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Sandfall Interactive
- Publisher(s)
- Kepler Interactive
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Cross-Platform Play
- No
- Cross Save
- No
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Playable
- PC Release Date
- April 24, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- April 24, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- April 24, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 42.33 GB
- Wiki
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Turn-based combat is associated with JRPGs, and turn-based JRPGs in general often suffer from the curse of being too long and not having much replay value, like the Persona games.
Despite not being a JRPG, Clair Obscur is a rare exception for turn-based titles, where the overall pacing matches very well with the story. Its combat is also a cut above the typical turn-based combat, with a lot of real-time combat influence, allowing it not to get stale quickly.
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The story is also built in a way where there is a lot of subtle foreshadowing that you don't pick up at first, but come to understand in subsequent playthroughs, making it worth some replays for its story alone. It further gives you a newfound appreciation for the narrative structure and the world they built.
4 Dishonored
Honor For All
- Released
- October 9, 2012
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Arkane Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 3
- Franchise
- Dishonored
- How Long To Beat
- 12 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- No
- File Size Xbox Series
- 34 GB (November 2023)
- PS Plus Availability
- Premium
Even though Dishonored is a straightforward story-driven game, I have lost count of the number of times I have replayed it due to the sheer scale of freedom and level design it offers.
You could replay this game 10 times and still find something new in each level, whether it be a hidden room, a hidden passage, or a new method to perform the execution. Dishonored is one of those rare titles that rewards exploration and sucks you into its world in such a way that you just can't stop playing it.
The depth and detail of each level make it a one-of-a-kind experience. The level design and player abilities are further amplified in Dishonored 2, making this franchise an absolute must-play for story-driven game fans.
3 Devil May Cry 5
Featuring Dante From The Devil May Cry Series
- Released
- March 8, 2019
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Engine
- RE Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Devil May Cry
- Platform(s)
- PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action
- How Long To Beat
- 11 Hours
- Metascore
- 89
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The Devil May Cry franchise is among the most beloved series by gamers today, and DMC5 is no exception. It improves on nearly all aspects of the franchise and offers an addictive gameplay loop.
In fact, its combat is the sole reason why this game is so replayable, as performing fun combos and getting those SSS ranks is incredibly fun and addictive.
I personally have ended this game at least four times, and while this may be a hot take, I believe that Devil May Cry 5 is the best Devil May Cry game, and players only prefer DMC3 more due to nostalgia. But my opinion will most definitely change if Devil May Cry 3 gets a remake (please make it happen, Capcom).
2 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
"Death Of A Shadow... You Taught Me Well"
- Released
- March 22, 2019
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- Wiki
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
It's not really possible to understand the story of a typical FromSoftware game without watching YouTube videos. Sekiro is an exception, whose story is rather straightforward and easy to understand, at least compared to Dark Souls.
Alongside an understandable story, Sekiro has the best and most addictive combat system ever designed by From Software. It may feel difficult at first, but once it clicks for you, you won't be able to stop playing Sekiro anytime soon.
Aside from a perfect combat system, Sekiro has four different endings, a few secret bosses, and with a new game+ mode, it highly encourages multiple playthroughs. I have played Sekiro at least 5 times, and still find myself thinking of playing it again.
From challenging bosses to diverse locales and unique enemy designs, Sekiro is a full package and a very easy pick for the top 3 of this list, as it is also one of the best games made by From Software.
1 Resident Evil 4: Remake
A Perfect Combination Of Story, Gameplay, And Replayability
- Released
- March 24, 2023
- ESRB
- M for Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Engine
- RE Engine
- Franchise
- Resident Evil
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Survival Horror
- How Long To Beat
- 16 Hours
- Metascore
- 93
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The Resident Evil franchise has always been a focal point in gaming, as it is Capcom's most iconic IP. Resident Evil 4 was widely considered the best Resident Evil game of all time, and with its remake released in 2023, it not only captured the allure of the original but improved upon it in many ways.
Resident Evil 4 gameplay is timeless, and its story is a straight-up classic, with Leon being a charismatic agent randomly dropping one-liners in the original, and being a depressed and hardened agent in the remake. While most people didn't appreciate the shift of personality, it didn't stop the remake from being just as good.
With the story, gameplay, and the general vibe of Resident Evil 4, it is the type of game that never gets old. I find myself leaning towards a replay at least once a year. And it has been like this even before the remake came out. You really don't want to know the unhealthy number of times I have replayed Resident Evil 4.
Whether you decide to play the remake or the original or any Resident Evil game, you are bound to have a great time, and I am certain that you will be replaying it at least once.
