The best RPGs for Xbox Series X

The original run of Assassin’s Creed games was very very light on RPG mechanics. At best, you had some linear upgrades and maybe a few new moves your assassin could learn. Otherwise, they were primarily open-world action games. Starting with Assassin’s Creed Origins, the series refreshed itself into a much more heavily RPG-focused series. The third game evolving on this new formula is the Norse-inspired Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, which casts you as either a male or female Viking in yet another massive open-world adventure. The series has nearly given up having a narrative through-line between titles, so all you need to concern yourself with is the plot of the historical period, and even that isn’t the main draw. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is kind of the perfect example of quantity over diversity. There’s just so much to do in this game that it’s almost unreal, especially for those of us who have a compulsion to check every box and investigate every new map marker that pops up. Even if that isn’t you, the main plot will still take dozens of hours once you account for doing at least some extra stuff to reach a high enough level. The actual role-playing narrative speaking is very light and mainly consists of making some dialogue choices. Gameplay-wise, you have a giant skill tree, tons of weapons, and all sorts of customization options. If you just want a game you can fall into a groove with and sink dozens, or even hundreds, of hours into, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is exactly what you’re looking for.

Speaking of traditional RPGs, there’s almost no series out there that remains as faithful to the original formula as Dragon Quest. This classic JRPG series dates all the way back to the NES and has remained one of the most popular games in the genre, right up there with the likes of Final Fantasy. However, while nearly every Final Fantasy game reinvents, or at the very least retools, itself between installments, Dragon Quest has instead simply polished what worked into a near-perfect version of what it could be. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age, despite being a nonsensical and unwieldy title, is almost comically simple to understand. You could guess the plot, and a good number of the twists, within the first couple of hours, and the turn-based combat is like putting on your favorite sweater — cozy, warm, and familiar, but not going to turn any heads. OK, so there’s one wrinkle to everything we said about Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age. Yes, the plot is your typical silent protagonist getting wrapped up in a quest to save the world, and you can basically set your watch to all the standard beats and twists that follow, but it does have one line that, after it crosses it, the game becomes far more interesting and different. Plus, it is always a joy to get to know a new cast of party members, most of which in this game are fan favorites for the series. You will spec every character out with a skill tree to unlock buffs, skills, and the usual, plus do the whole armor and weapons thing to prepare for your vanilla turn-based combat. Don’t get me wrong, this is the purest, high-quality vanilla you can get, but if you’re sick of that flavor, well, there’s not much here for you then. If you like it, then this might be your new favorite.

Aside from maybe Disco Elysium, just about every game we’ve put on this list has had an emphasis on combat in some form or another. The Life is Strange series, on the other hand, has taken up the mantel left by the old point-and-click adventure games where story, character, and puzzle-solving were the main appeal. After two solid main entries, plus one spinoff and one stand-alone episode, Life is Strange: True Colors is the latest entry in this anthology series that aims to tackle some pretty deep topics. Each game has had an element of mysticism in some form, ranging from the first game’s time rewind powers to the second’s telekinesis, but this entry dials things back a bit and has your main character, Alex, has enhanced empathy powers that allow you to read the emotions of the other characters via colored auras. Unlike the previous entries that followed a staggered release with months between episodes, Life is Strange: True Colors came out as a full package, but still kept the episodic structure. That format allows for a much more satisfying pace to the experience, but without the agony of waiting for so long between releases. The plot focuses on Alex reuniting with her brother in the fictional town of Haven Springs, only to quickly get wrapped up in a deadly mystery. This is the biggest, most interactive of these games yet. You can talk to, help out, and generally get to know nearly the entire town’s population over the course of the game. Doing so will also impact how your story immaculately concludes, with multiple endings based on your choices, but also how other people see and feel about your character based on how much or little, you interacted with them.

If there was one game that didn’t need an introduction, or probably any more recommendations based on its sales, it’s Elden Ring. Despite being from the studio that made the notoriously difficult souls genre, experienced fans and new players alike have been absolutely captivated by what this game has accomplished. Not only does it appeal to those who yearn for a tough-as-nails combat experience, but also allows less experienced players to find other ways to overcome these obstacles. The variety of ways to play is immense, as is the world you’re free to explore. The moment you think you’ve seen it all, the map expands…and then expands again. With so much extra content, enemies, items, dungeons, bosses, and more to do, this is a game that you can spend 30 or 300 hours in depending on how you play.