Best Stories In RPGs

Summary

• RPGs renowned for their exceptional storylines deliver some of the most captivating narratives in gaming, standing out as the cream of the crop.
• Each of these games offers a distinctive experience, featuring meticulously crafted worlds, compelling characters, and intricate plots.
• This list offers a selection of timeless RPGs with the best storylines that guarantee an enjoyable experience whenever you choose to play them.

RPG is one of the most beloved genres in gaming, with plenty of subgenres and long-running franchises for you to fall in love with. The most important part of every RPG is arguably its story, with the most memorable experiences in the genre often coming from games that provide fantastic narratives for gamers to dive into, and fall in love with.

Not every RPG is able to provide this, but those that do offer some of the finest stories ever seen in the format. Here are some of the best RPG games with fantastic storylines for you to enjoy.

Updated on March 18, 2025, by Mohamed El Ouardighi: RPGs are cherished for their vast worlds and the freedom they offer, but what really makes them stand out is a compelling, immersive story. That’s why we’ve refreshed this list to include even more titles that excel in both exploration and narrative.

Planescape: Torment

Planescape: Torment was released all the way back in 1999, but it's still recommended to this day for how satisfying of an experience it is in pretty much every aspect. This includes its story. You play as an intimidating amnesiac killer known as the Nameless One who lives in the city of Sigil. That is, until a floating skull named Morte guides you out of there and into various unknown worlds.

Sigil hosts all sorts of species, a few of which will join you on your adventure to find answers to your lost memories. The game's story keeps you intrigued and wanting to push on the whole way through, and the cast of colorful characters adds even more to the narrative.

Horizon Zero Dawn

When Horizon Zero Dawn was released, it presented an intriguing game with an original storyline masterfully narrated through Aloy, who is driven by curiosity about her origins. This quest takes her much further than she initially expected. As you delve deeper into the narrative, more layers unfold, revealing secrets of the Old Ones and the intricate GAIA system within the game.

If you thoroughly enjoyed playing this game, it's only logical to give the sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, a try, as it seamlessly continues the story. It's akin to the second volume of a book, offering a richer experience with additional details and lore to enhance your understanding.

Persona 3

All the Persona games are heavily story-focused, but Persona 3 stands out among the rest. Its story doesn't get bogged down by offensive humor as much as Persona 4's does, and its pacing issues make you want more of it rather than less, as opposed to Persona 5.

You take on the role of a transfer student who soon finds himself awakening to his own Persona. He becomes the leader of a group whose mission is to eliminate Shadows and the enigmatic Dark Hour. Shadows seem to be the cause of the mysterious illness known as Apathy Syndrome. Persona 3 implements its themes of life and death very well, and one advantage it has over the other games is that not everything revolves around the protagonist. You see other characters interacting without him around, bringing interesting relationships and dynamics to fruition.

Elden Ring

Being the Game of the Year for 2022, it's only natural that we include Elden Ring in this list. The game adheres to the formula of previous FromSoftware titles, elevating it to its utmost potential. Like all FromSoftware games, you create your character and are thrust into a world where you must not only battle your way through enemies and demigods but also explore and unravel the story to understand the reasons behind your actions.

It's a FromSoftware game, so you shouldn't expect the story to be handed to you on a clear platter. However, as you delve deep into the lore and comprehend the characters in the Lands Between, along with their connections to the main plot, you'll realize the intelligence and cohesion of the narrative in the game. The various endings the game offers add an extra layer, allowing you to discover the unique ways in which each ending diverges and influences the characters, the world, and, most importantly, your own character.

Kingdom Hearts

The Kingdom Hearts games get a lot of flack for being convoluted and confusing, but in reality, their stories just need some thinking, and they thrive off of symbolism and subtle messages. The first game has you play as Sora, a boy whose island quickly falls to darkness. He becomes a Keyblade wielder, and now, the fates of all the worlds are in his hands.

Almost every game introduces new characters and plot points that connect to each other. It can be overwhelming if you're not used to following such a long-running story, but if you let yourself strap into the ride, there's no other experience like it. It becomes clear that characters who seem to have all the answers don't. Or, they lie about the answers they do have. Also, you're with Sora for so long that you can't help but empathize with whatever he goes through during his adventure.

Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic

Star Wars exists in pretty every form of media. Therefore, there have been many stories told in the franchise. Knights Of The Old Republic still manages to stand out, though. This is because it tells a tale more intriguing than the typical good versus evil story.

You play as an amnesiac who helps in the pursuit of the evil Darth Malak. On the way, this hero slowly recovers their memory while recruiting allies and making moral choices. That last point is the most important, as your decisions and your moral alignment heavily impact who you become and how the tale plays out.

Assassin’s Creed Origins

Once upon a time, every Assassin's Creed game was an action-adventure title with a few RPG elements. Assassin's Creed Origins changed things, though, as it fully committed to the Role-Playing genre. It also provided an incredibly emotional main story.

It stars a Medjay called Bayek Of Siwa, whose main focus is to avenge the death of his son by tracking down every member of the group that killed him. This mission takes him all over Ancient Egypt, where he meets some famous historical figures from that time.

NieR: Automata

A war between humans and machines happens a lot in games, movies, and television. But rarely do you see an entire tale about machines versus machines. However, that is what you get in Nier: Automata, as an invading mechanical force fights human-made androids.

That is just the basic premise, though, of what is a very complex and thought-provoking narrative. In fact, it's made so you can't exactly know what's going on after one playthrough. You're encouraged to run through it multiple times to see and understand everything.

Banishers: Ghosts Of New Eden

The newest game from DONTNOD, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, continues their legacy of providing excellent writing and a compelling story. Red and Antea, two lovers and banishers, are investigating the curse that has befallen New Eden. Tragically, Antea meets her demise and becomes one of the ghosts she once fought against.

But the game delves much deeper than this surface level premise. The best part is the freedom to shape the story as you see fit through the choices system. These choices not only impact the story and its ending but also the dynamic between the two lovers and the characters they encounter. Essentially, you craft your own narrative, and you can even embark on different playthroughs to experiment with different choices and discover alternate endings!

Shin Megami Tensei 4

For many, Shin Megami Tensei 4 was an introduction to the legacy franchise that has told many of the greatest JRPG stories of all time. This game's main narrative is all about a war between angels and demons.

On the surface that sounds like a classic good versus evil tale. But the game uniquely blurs the lines between what's holy and what's sin in a way that makes both sides seem as heinous as they do justified in certain positions. It makes the game's climactic decision legitimately difficult, whereas many games have simple "Hero" or "Villain" routes in their choice-based storytelling.