The PlayStation 4 arrived in 2013 and became the home of one of the strongest generations for role-playing games, from sprawling Western open worlds to Japanese classics and demanding action RPGs. Because so many of these games also run on PS5, the PS4 library is cheap to explore and full of long, rewarding adventures. Each entry below notes one honest drawback, because no RPG suits every player.
1. Persona 5 Royal#
Atlus released Persona 5 Royal in Japan in October 2019, with the Western release following in March 2020. You play a student by day and a masked phantom thief by night, balancing school life, friendships and dungeon crawls through the minds of corrupt adults. The turn-based combat is stylish, and the soundtrack and menu design are unmatched. Royal adds a new semester, a new character and extra areas. The opening hours are slow and the game runs past a hundred hours, so players who want quick action should look elsewhere.
2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt#
CD Projekt Red launched The Witcher 3 in May 2015, and it set the standard for open-world storytelling. As monster hunter Geralt of Rivia you search for your adopted daughter Ciri across war-torn lands, and even small side quests have moral weight and memorable writing. The Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine expansions are nearly games in their own right. On PS4 the combat and inventory can feel clumsy, and the original release had long loading times, but the world and characters more than compensate.
3. Elden Ring#
FromSoftware released Elden Ring in February 2022 on PS4 and PS5, with worldbuilding contributed by author George R. R. Martin. It takes the studio's demanding combat into a huge open world, the Lands Between, where you choose where to go and which bosses to tackle. Builds range from heavy melee to sorcery, and the freedom to explore is what sets it apart. The PS4 version runs at lower resolution and frame rate than on PS5. It is also unforgiving and deliberately cryptic, so newcomers may need patience or a guide.
4. NieR: Automata#
Directed by Yoko Taro and developed by PlatinumGames with Square Enix, NieR: Automata reached PS4 in early 2017. You control android soldiers 2B, 9S and A2 in a war against machines, and fast Platinum-style combat blends with RPG levelling and a story that changes meaning across several playthroughs. Its music and themes of identity linger long after the credits. The side quests can feel repetitive, the RPG systems are lighter than in other entries here, and the real story only emerges if you commit to multiple endings.
5. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age#
Square Enix's Dragon Quest XI S is the Definitive Edition of the 2017 original, arriving on PS4 in December 2020 with extra story episodes, a 16-bit style mode and an orchestral soundtrack. Akira Toriyama's art gives the world a warm, storybook feel, and the turn-based combat is approachable but full of small tactical choices. Its charm is in a classic hero's journey told with confidence and humour. The plot is familiar and the pace traditional, so anyone wanting innovation should look elsewhere.
6. Final Fantasy VII Remake#
Square Enix released Final Fantasy VII Remake in April 2020, reimagining the 1997 classic with modern graphics and a hybrid combat system that mixes real-time action with ATB commands. This first part covers only the city of Midgar, which allows far deeper characters, including Cloud, Tifa, Barret and Aerith. The music and set pieces are superb. Some sections feel padded with corridors and filler quests, and the story does not end, so you must accept that it is one chapter of a larger whole.
7. Divinity: Original Sin II – Definitive Edition#
Larian Studios released the console Definitive Edition of Divinity: Original Sin II on PS4 in August 2018, reworked with a controller-friendly interface. This turn-based RPG gives you huge freedom: every quest can be solved in several ways, the elemental surface system rewards creative tactics, and up to four players can play cooperatively. Its origin characters have real personalities and personal stories. The menus and inventory are still dense for a controller, and the combat is tough, so newcomers to tactical RPGs should prepare for a learning curve.
8. Disco Elysium – The Final Cut#
ZA/UM's Disco Elysium: The Final Cut came to PS4 in March 2021 and adds full voice acting to a game that was already celebrated for its writing. You play an amnesiac detective investigating a murder, and your own skills, such as Logic and Empathy, speak up as voices in your head. There is no combat at all; dialogue checks and choices drive everything. The result is one of the most original RPGs made. It is also extremely text-heavy, so players who want action should skip it.
9. Bloodborne#
FromSoftware's Bloodborne was a PS4 exclusive released in March 2015, set in the gothic, nightmarish city of Yharnam. It swaps shields for speed, and the rally system encourages aggressive play, while its Lovecraftian atmosphere and brilliant boss design have earned it a devoted following. Level design loops back on itself in clever ways. It runs at a capped 30 frames per second and originally had long loading times, and its difficulty is steep, so it is best suited to players who enjoy learning through failure.
10. Yakuza: Like a Dragon#
RGG Studio and Sega changed course with Yakuza: Like a Dragon, which launched in Japan in January 2020 and in the West that November. Ex-yakuza Ichiban Kasuga imagines fights as a classic turn-based RPG, with a job system that turns everyone into hairdressers, idols and more. The story is moving, the side activities in Yokohama are funny and plentiful, and the party is full of likeable misfits. Some mid-game difficulty spikes can force grinding, and the tone swings wildly between drama and absurdity.
11. Persona 3 Reload#
Atlus released Persona 3 Reload in February 2024 as a full remake of the 2006 original, and it is available on PS4 as well as newer systems. A hidden hour called the Dark Hour lets you climb the tower of Tartarus with your Persona-wielding classmates, while building social bonds by day. The darker story, strong music and refined combat make it a worthy companion to Persona 5. Tartarus remains repetitive, the pace is slow, and the game asks for well over fifty hours of commitment.
12. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Special Edition#
Bethesda released the Special Edition of Skyrim on PS4 in October 2016 with remastered visuals and support for mods. You arrive in the snowy province of Skyrim as the Dragonborn, free to join guilds, slay dragons or simply wander. The sense of freedom and discovery is still hard to match, and the modding support extends its life enormously. The combat feels dated, the bugs are famous, and the character interaction is shallow compared with more modern RPGs.
13. Octopath Traveler II#
Square Enix and Acquire released Octopath Traveler II in February 2023, including on PS4. Its HD-2D style blends pixel sprites with depth of field and lighting, and the eight travelers each have their own story and path actions, such as stealing or challenging townspeople. The Break and Boost combat system is deep and satisfying, and the soundtrack is excellent. The stories are largely separate and only connect late, so the pacing can feel fragmented for players who want one epic narrative.
14. Dark Souls III#
FromSoftware released Dark Souls III in spring 2016 as the last major chapter of the series. Combat is faster than in earlier games, the bosses are spectacular, and the world of Lothric is full of haunting locations and secrets. Weapon arts add variety, and the online summoning system offers help when a boss is too tough. It is more linear than Elden Ring and leans on familiar ideas from earlier games, so it is best for those who want that classic, challenging, closely designed experience.
15. Tales of Arise#
Bandai Namco released Tales of Arise in September 2021, and it was a significant modernisation of the long-running series. Alphen and Shionne fight against the oppressive rulers of the planet Rena, with real-time combat that lets you chain party attacks. The anime-inspired visuals on Unreal Engine 4 look striking, and the characters grow on you through lively skits. Dungeons and side content can feel repetitive, and the story takes a while to gather momentum.
16. Fallout 4#
Bethesda released Fallout 4 in November 2015, sending you out of a vault into a ruined Boston called the Commonwealth. You build settlements, craft and modify weapons and armour, and choose between factions in a post-nuclear world. The freedom to tinker and explore is the main draw, and the retro-futuristic atmosphere is distinctive. The dialogue system is simpler than in earlier Fallout games, and the game shipped with its share of bugs, so players who want deep branching choices may be disappointed.