The Most Ambitious RPGs of the PS4 Generation

I got my first PlayStation with the PS4, which was actually quite late in the game since I’d been a PC gamer throughout high school and college. I’ve gone back to PC now, but I still have good memories of my PS4. As someone who loves RPGs, it was exciting to finally play games that were only available on consoles, and the PS4 had a lot more of those exclusive titles than the PS3.

Similar to the PS3, the PS4 didn’t have a huge number of RPGs made exclusively for the system, but the ones it did have were highly praised by RPG fans. The PS4’s improved technology allowed developers to create more ambitious RPGs, and games that previously would have only appeared on PC, or suffered from poor console ports, found success on the platform.

10. GreedFall

An Ambitious Game From a Small Studio

GreedFall wasn’t revolutionary for the RPG genre, but it’s notable because the development team, Spiders, exceeded expectations. They were a smaller studio, mostly known for porting other games, and hadn’t previously created large-scale projects. Despite this, they successfully delivered a fully-fledged, open-world action RPG – a feat many other developers couldn’t achieve, as several similar games were abandoned during production.

GreedFall had a decent story and characters, but its combat and character customization were genuinely interesting. It used classic RPG mechanics, and the variety in how you could approach fights was a highlight. Considering the developers, Spiders, were working with limited resources and experience, GreedFall was a remarkably ambitious game, especially given that it ran well on the PS4.

9. Kingdom Come: Deliverance

A Historical Epic

Given how successful Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has become, it’s surprising to remember that the original Kingdom Come: Deliverance was a risky project from a new studio, funded by Kickstarter. It’s unusual for a new developer to create such a large and ambitious game so well, and Warhorse Studios clearly had big goals.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance faced a unique challenge – it was set in a realistic historical world, unlike most fantasy role-playing games. The developers at Warhorse were committed to historical accuracy and packed the game with incredible detail, which some players loved and others found overwhelming. Despite being a huge project for a new studio, it ultimately succeeded. The game was expanded with downloadable content and eventually received a sequel.

8. The Outer Worlds

Obsidian Venturing Outside Its Box

Obsidian Entertainment is known for creating story-focused games that make you think and question your own beliefs. They usually prioritize compelling narratives over large-scale action. While they’re known for smaller, more intimate experiences, The Outer Worlds was a new project for them and represented a shift towards a more ambitious design.

The Outer Worlds is a large and lively game that blends Obsidian’s storytelling strengths with a Fallout-like setting, but in space. What really stood out to me was how colorful it was. After playing so many games with muted, gray palettes meant to create a dark atmosphere, The Outer Worlds remained bright and vibrant even during difficult moments. It’s a beautiful and bold game from Obsidian, a refreshing change of pace from their typical style.

7. Fallout 4

New Systems for an Old Formula

By the time Fallout 4 came out, most players knew exactly what to expect from a Bethesda Fallout game. It usually starts with leaving a Vault and entering a ruined world, and then spending hours exploring and completing side quests before even thinking about the main story. That’s just how people play these games!

Fallout IV featured a massive world based on the historic Boston area. While a basic version of the settlement-building feature existed in Skyrim, Fallout IV truly expanded on it, making it a standout element of the game. I personally loved building settlements so much that I often ignored the main story and side quests just to create interesting and unique towns.

6. Dark Souls III

Tweaking What Works

Ending a popular series is always tough, but FromSoftware did it perfectly with Dark Souls III. It builds on everything that made the first two games great, expanding the story and refining the gameplay fans already loved.

FromSoftware had already perfected its core gameplay and combat, and could have easily stopped there. However, Dark Souls III took things a step further with Weapon Arts, giving players more customization options and making each fight more dynamic. It was a risk to change such a well-established system, but it paid off beautifully for Dark Souls III.

5. Divinity: Original Sin 2

Bringing CRPGs to Consoles

Isometric, real-time combat with turn-based elements hasn’t been this popular since Dragon Age: Origins. Now, almost a decade later, Divinity: Original Sin 2 has not only revived the classic CRPG style – even though many thought the genre was fading – but it also successfully brought that complex gameplay to PlayStation 4.

Classic PC role-playing games, or CRPGs, have traditionally thrived on computers. Bringing them to consoles has always been difficult due to the limitations of controllers and console hardware. However, Larian Studios successfully overcame these challenges and made CRPGs available to a wider audience. Their game, Divinity: Original Sin 2, is a rich, story-driven experience with intricate systems that respond to player decisions. Porting this complex game to the PlayStation 4 was a bold move, and Larian pulled it off.

4. Dragon Age: Inquisition

Emphasizing Scale on a New Engine

Dragon Age: Inquisition was a significant change from earlier games in the series. Players reacted negatively to the smaller environments in Dragon Age II, and the popularity of open-world games like Skyrim influenced the developers to create much larger, open areas to explore, spanning two different countries in Inquisition.

So, while I was getting totally lost in the huge world of Dragon Age: Inquisition, BioWare was also building another RPG using EA’s Frostbite engine. That engine was originally made for sports, shooters, and racing games – definitely not RPGs! They basically had to build everything for an RPG from scratch. The result was a game packed with political scheming, that cool war table strategy system, and a really interesting look at how religion, history, and myths are all connected. It really made you think about how legends are made, you know?

3. Bloodborne

Death is Around Every Corner

As a huge fan, I can tell you Bloodborne really learned from Dark Souls. FromSoftware took everything that made Souls tough and just cranked it up to eleven! It’s a game that doesn’t pull any punches and clearly isn’t trying to appeal to everyone – and honestly, that’s part of what makes it so great.

Despite the initial challenge, Bloodborne developed a dedicated fanbase because it excels at what it sets out to do. The game takes place in a beautiful but grim world overrun by monsters, and offers a thrilling experience built around intense, close-quarters combat where death is always a possibility. Its ambitious design and uncompromising difficulty make it truly stand out.

2. Horizon Zero Dawn

A New Face for PlayStation

During the PlayStation 4’s lifespan, most role-playing games were either continuations of existing stories or based on other properties. Horizon Zero Dawn stood out because it was a completely original game, set in a beautiful post-apocalyptic world. What truly made it ambitious, though, wasn’t just its gameplay, combat, or setting, but the game’s main character.

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When discussing the best RPGs on PS4, Aloy is a character who absolutely deserves to be mentioned. Back when the PS4 was popular, games rarely featured female protagonists who had to be played as. Guerrilla Games took a bold step by creating Aloy as a strong, realistic woman, and it really paid off. Like Commander Shepard from Mass Effect, Aloy is a memorable character who helped open the door for more diversity in gaming. She’s become one of the faces of PlayStation, and it was a risk that clearly worked.

1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Game that Changed Everything

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is considered a masterpiece of open-world game design. Its expansive world features diverse environments and a rich story told through the details of the landscape, creating a truly immersive experience for players.

Choice is a key element of role-playing games, and The Witcher 3 excels at it. Every decision you make as the character Geralt has consequences, affecting everything from battles and characters’ lives to the fate of towns and even entire kingdoms. These choices combine to create a story that feels connected and emotionally resonant.

I’ll never forget holding my breath at the end of The Witcher 3, anxiously hoping I’d made the right choices as Ciri’s father figure. The relief when I saw my efforts had resulted in a good outcome was incredible.

2026-05-01 22:41