PS Plus has tons of great RPGs fans of the genre can enjoy. These are the best ones on the Extra or Premium tiers.
Rising out of PS Now’s ashes, Sony’s new PlayStation Plus has finally rolled out in North America. Split into three tiers, the service’s Extra and Premium subscriptions grant users access to hundreds of games covering a wide spectrum of genres. Yearning for a fright? PS Plus has plenty of horror delights. Want to play with a friend? Local co-op options are not lacking.
Unsurprisingly, role-playing games are not an exception, and that includes Western and Japanese projects. As the service’s library is so vast, here is a rundown of the best RPGs on PS Plus Premium and Extra.
Scarlet Nexus was a pleasant surprise as the JRPG genre does not frequently produce new IPs with relatively big budgets, particularly ones that garner a positive reception. Bandai’s game takes place in an alternate reality where empowered humans are tasked with fighting off threats known as the Others. Players can pick from two protagonists, both of whom have different combat styles and storylines. While there is a fair amount of overlap, two playthroughs are required to experience the full story.
The action JRPG plays out like a hack and slash game akin to something like the Tales series, although players cannot swap between their party members. The combat system is fast-paced, flashy, and surprisingly deep, even if it takes a while to unveil all of its mechanics. Narratively, Scarlet Nexus is also a success, and the game leaves enough room for a potential sequel. While it might not have the name recognition of Final Fantasy or Elder Scrolls, Scarlet Nexus is one of the best PS Plus Extra RPGs.
While Final Fantasy is better known in North America, Dragon Quest is undoubtedly the king of RPGs in Japan. After a long stretch away from Western home consoles, the franchise made its international comeback with Dragon Quest 11, a glorious throwback to early JRPGs that proves the formula is not broken.
RELATED: Best PS5 Games On PlayStation Plus Premium & Extra
Dragon Quest 11 S adds a handful of quality-of-life improvements to the base game, along with a few neat additions such as a 16-bit mode. Offering a lengthy campaign, beautiful visuals, endearing characters, and straightforward but enjoyable turn-based combat, this Square Enix project might be the best JRPG on PS Plus Extra.
The August 2022 PS Plus Extra line-up contained its share of goodies, but RPGs were not the month’s focus. Nevertheless, Sony’s service did not completely ignore fans of the genre, specifically those fond of JRPGs. A remake of 1995’s Trials of Mana, Xeen’s 2020 game is quite faithful to the original both in terms of gameplay and story progression. An argument could be made that this iteration is just a 3D rendition of Trials of Mana; consequently, as the 1995 title is hailed as a classic, the modern version is also pretty great.
Players get to pick three characters from six protagonists, all of which come with unique backstories and development. Trials of Mana utilizes a real-time combat system that starts shallow but blossoms nicely as the campaign progresses. Actually, that is something that extends to the entire game, as the campaign picks up considerable steam during its second half.
The cult classic Mount and Blade series is a franchise that combines elements from grand strategy war games, fantasy RPGs, and city management simulators to create a game completely its own. Gameplay is divided into two sections: one where players control their character on a world map to go from location to location, and one when confronted in combat that sees players command their personal army against their foe in third-person massive-scale warfare.
Mount and Blade: Warband is not the first game in the series, nor is it the most recent (which would be the early access Bannerlord). However, it’s arguably the most popular in the series, despite its very dated graphics. It’s worth trying if you want to play something that combines the strategic senses required of the Total War series with the directional combat of Chivalry: Medieval Warfare.
Bloodborne is a dark fantasy RPG inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, Bram Stoker, and other classical horror authors of the early 20th century. It is developed by FromSoftware, the same studio behind the Dark Souls franchise and recently-released Elden Ring.
RELATED: Creepiest Towns In Horror Games
Bloodborne was released as a PlayStation exclusive, though, and is included with PS Plus Premium and Extra. It’s one of the most challenging RPGs ever made, and its uniquely disturbing visuals paired with incredibly fine-tuned gameplay make it a classic every PlayStation owner should try at some point.
A cult PS1 classic, The Legend of Dragoon debuted late in the console’s lifespan, limiting its reach and potential. Nowadays, this JRPG is rather difficult to find, especially since the project was never ported to any other systems. Consequently, its addition to PS Plus Premium is a big deal since it marks the first time in a long while that this fan-favorite is widely accessible.
The Legend of Dragoon is similar to other 3D JRPGs released during the late-’90s such as Square’s Final Fantasy entries. The game features turn-based combat, random enemy encounters, and a lengthy storyline. Although not far removed from its contemporaries, Legend of Dragoon introduced a range of unique ideas, including input prompts during battle.
PS Plus’ March 2023 lineup has quite a few exciting games, including the Day One release of Tchia. Immortals Fenyx Rising, Street Fighter 5, Ghostwire: Tokyo, Rage 2, and Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot are all fairly big deals, even if most of those titles have been out for a couple of years. In terms of JRPGs, the month brought two Square Enix projects to PS Plus Extra. Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is a great spin-off that started out on the PSP; however, Neo: The World Ends with You is the headline act for the genre.
The long-awaited sequel to 2007’s The World Ends with You retains its predecessor’s brilliant storytelling, presentation, and music. Cast as Rindo, players find themselves dragged into another Reapers’ Game, which means they will be fighting for their literal lives. This process involves exploring every nook and cranny of Shibuya, which serves as the story’s main hub. Along the way, Rindo will pick up pins that serve as skills, which level up when they are used. Neo has a robust story with well-written characters and even a couple of effective twists.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is not for the faint of heart. Warhorse’s RPG teleports players to a medieval kingdom that destroys the ill-prepared and the vulnerable, and surviving in Bohemia requires dedication, practice, and a willingness to overcome failure.
RELATED: The Best Games For Fans Of Medieval History
Kingdom Come: Deliverance prioritizes realism, and this extends to the progression system. Rather than selecting a class and focusing on that, the protagonist naturally grows depending on the skills they develop.
Pathfinder: Kingmaker is a massive game that, once upon a time, would have remained confined to PC. However, like JRPGs are nowadays more commonly found on computers, studios are also more willing to port isometric RPGs to consoles. Packed with all the DLC, the Definitive Edition is intimidating right from the gate, giving players the pick out of 16 classes. With more than a dozen regions to explore, Pathfinder: Kingmaker is a commitment that will consume someone’s life for potentially months.
Along with combat, which comes in two forms, this RPG also incorporates a kingdom-managing system that permits players to lord over regions and, eventually, the entire map.
PS Plus Extra’s December 2022 line-up treated Yakuza fans well by adding Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and Judgment. These three lengthy single-player games can readily keep someone busy for a couple of months.
