When a game hits, it really hits with some players. That could be their forever game or at least the one they like to frequently come back to. For RPGs, fans have a lot of classics they like to revisit from the 90s, like Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy 7, and Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
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The lore, difficulty spikes, and over-complicated controls make these JRPGs hard to recommend to beginners to the genre.
Those games may be forever etched into the hearts of players, but they do have endings. These other RPGs, while they can be finished, have a more nebulous understanding of what it means to be done. If players wish, they can keep going forever thanks to character choices, big worlds, or daily grinds. Ranked by how long players can truly feel alive, these are the RPGs to bind in the forever collection.
8 Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns
A Daily Routine
Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 78 /100 Critics Rec: 78%
- Released
- September 19, 2019
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords was first released in 2007 for a number of portable consoles, like the DS and PSP. They were the perfect place for the game as it combined match-three puzzles with an RPG.
Players could choose their class, then proceed through the campaign, leveling up as they went along. Puzzle games are great to keep around, and this original version, or the remaster called Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns, is great because the puzzles never end if players don’t want them to, between random encounters, daily challenges, or multiplayer face-offs.
7 Diablo 4
Hell Never Sleeps
Diablo 4
- Released
- June 5, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash
Blizzard is always dedicated to their Diablo releases, and the same has been true for Diablo 4 since it launched in 2023. Blizzard is treating it like a live service game with plenty of updates, mini-expansions, and reasons to come back daily for quests.
Players can tackle any of the classes and shape them how they want, and then replay the game on every difficulty. Once one class is mastered, it’s time to move into the next class. It’s a fun gameplay loop alone or with friends, the latter of which is a big reason why fans love the series.
6 Fallout 76
Building Up
Fallout 76
- Released
- November 14, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Fallout 76 was Bethesda’s big gamble on creating a multiplayer-focused Fallout game, and the launch in 2018 was met with confusion. Thanks to dedication from the fans and developers over the years, Fallout 76 has shaped up to be a great hybrid between an MMO and a live service game.
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Players can group up with friends to explore the post-apocalyptic wastes, or they can go at it alone. It’s as much an action game as it is a simulator experience since players can build their homestead with nigh on infinite possibilities.
5 Destiny 2
Live Long And Prosper
Destiny 2
- Released
- August 28, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For TEEN for Blood, Language, and Violence
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Destiny 2 is the old-school live-service looter shooter that many games have crafted their online presence to be like. Since 2017, the game has changed miraculously by adding gameplay mechanics, new characters, taking away characters, adding locations, and taking them away as well.
It also went free-to-play for a large portion, except for expansions, which required players to dedicate themselves to the cause. It’s a big game with daily rewards and a reason to keep grinding alone or with friends to get the best loot or cosmetic items.
4 Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
Searching For Something Shiny
Pokemon Scarlet and Violet
- Released
- November 18, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence
- Genre(s)
- RPG
The old-school mantra of the original Pokemon games was to “catch ‘em all,” which was easier since there were only 151 Pokemon. Now, there are over a thousand in total, with Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet featuring almost 900 of them across Paldea and the expansion locations.
Collecting normal Pokemon would already be a monstrous task, but then there are also Shiny Pokemon to consider, EVs for breeding, and multiplayer. Thanks to the Switch 2’s upgrade, there has never been a better time to try and become a Pokemon Master with Pokemon Scarlet and Pokemon Violet.
3 Final Fantasy 14
An Unrelenting MMO
Final Fantasy 14
- Released
- August 27, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen - Language, Mild Blood, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Genre(s)
- MMORPG
One true MMO has to be listed, and there’s no better one than Final Fantasy 14 right now. After an initial bad launch in 2010, Square Enix re-released the game in 2013, and everything has been gravy since.
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The latest Final Fantasy 14 expansion, Dawntrail, was released in 2024, and it doesn’t seem like there is any slowing down this MMO train. With the expansions, just playing through the campaign would easily take a month, not to mention creating characters for other classes and taking up side quests. MMOs are designed to be played forever, and this is a great one to dedicate one’s gaming life to.
2 Disgaea 1 Complete
Everything Levels Up
Disgaea 1 Complete
- ESRB
- t
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Strategy, RPG
Disgaea 1 Complete is a remaster of the PS2 original, which added features previously made for other releases. The first game is still the best one, and thanks to the remaster, there’s even more stuff to do.
For example, characters can level up to level 9,999 and then reincarnate themselves back to square one with dedicated stats. That alone can create an infinite tactical gameplay loop, but there are also random dungeons that can be explored within items to level them up as well. If players want one tactical RPG to play for eternity, this is it.
1 Ring Fit Adventure
Keep Your Body Ripped
Ring Fit Adventure
- Released
- October 18, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ due to Fantasy Violence
- Genre(s)
- Sports
Ring Fit Adventure is a great game to keep playing. This hybrid game for the original Switch combined exercise with turn-based RPG gameplay. There is a good, healthy reason to jump into daily quests to mold the body, and everyone knows there’s no skipping leg day.
Once the campaign is completed, the whole thing will start over with a harder mode and keep going until players are willing to throw in the towel. RPG fans should rejoice at how Nintendo gamified exercising in a fun and constructive way.
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