The PS5 has received some truly phenomenal RPGs this year. Final Fantasy 16, for example, has gotten a lot of people on board with the series than ever before. The numbers aren’t as stellar as Final Fantasy 7 Remake, but that’s a whole other ballgame. Besides Final Fantasy games, the PS5 has a lot of stellar RPGs on it, and not just from this year.
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The pickings are slim for 2.5D RPGs though. What is a 2.5D game compared to a 2D game? The definition varies between developers and users, but a good example would be a non-PlayStation franchise: Paper Mario. The characters are 2D but the world is 3D. So, with that basic definition in mind, here are some fun PS5 RPGs to check out that are actually on the system and not just backward compatible because of the PS4.
8 Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising
Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising was released as sort of a demo game to set up the main show aka Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. The latter of the two is a homage to Suikoden as a turn-based RPG with sprites in 3D backgrounds. Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is a 2D action game with a slight Metroidvania hook to it. Players travel to a new town as CJ, an adventurer looking to make a name for herself. Explore the ruins, report back to town, and keep going as new story bits keep popping up.
7 Live A Live
Live A Live was one of many Square Enix RPGs that remained trapped on the SNES in Japan. It was released over there in 1994 and would not get a Western port until 2022 with a new HD-2D look. The game features seven playable characters at the start with short stories taking place across many timelines. For example, there is an Old West setting wherein a wandering cowboy known as the Sundown Kid helps a town with a troop of bandits. Once these seven stories are completed, a final chapter will open up to tie everything together.
6 Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit In Wonder Labyrinth
Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth is a tongue-twister of a name in a series that is quite old. Record of Lodoss War started as a series of novels in Japan in 1988. It received various adaptaitons over the years from anime to games.
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There was a long gap between Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth and other adaptations and fans were ready to get back into this niche fantasy franchise. The game is a Metroidvania and specifically, it looks and plays a lot like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night with what look like 3D sprites running on a 2D plain.
5 Souldiers
Souldiers is a lesser-known indie title that is also a Metroidvania but with a Soulslike twist. Players can choose to be a Scout, Archer, or Caster at the beginning of their journey. In RPG terms, this translates to a knight, ranger, and a mage. Each class has advantages over the others such as greater defenses or the ability to shoot from afar. Players can traverse an interconnected map going from forests to deep mines. The game is mostly 2D visually, but the backgrounds have detailed 3D aspects along with some enemies like the bosses.
4 Octopath Traveler 2
Octopath Traveler 2 is the latest game in Square Enix’s HD-2D initiative. The gimmick of this series revolves around eight characters that start in different parts of the world and eventually come together. The eight core stories are separated which creates an odd juxtaposition. Inconsistencies aside, the idea is at least unique for a turn-based RPG. However, the most interesting thing about this game is the aforementioned HD-2D visuals which blended 3D backgrounds and pixelated sprites seamlessly.
3 Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth
Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth is the fourth iteration of a game that started on the PS1 in 2000 for North America. It got upgrades along the way when it went to the PSP and mobile devices, but the most recent port was in 2022 for PlayStation consoles.
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Ports aside, this was always a standout on the PS1 as Square Enix, just Enix at the time, decided to make most of the game 2D. Sprites ran across towns and dungeons plus the turn-based battles were 2D too. While exploring the overworld, things took on a 3D perspective as was traditional with PS1 RPGs like Final Fantasy 7.
2 Tactics Ogre: Reborn
Tactics Ogre: Reborn is another game that received many ports over the years from its SNES origins. This top-down tactical RPG can be thanked for bringing Final Fantasy Tactics to life as a lot of this team went on to aid that RPG’s development. It’s a classic RPG tale of warring kingdoms, political intrigue, and monsters infesting the plains. Players could customize their army with a multitude of classes from knights to mages for the seemingly never-ending cycle of war.
1 Sea Of Stars
Sea of Stars might have released at the wrong time as it was sandwiched in-between Baldur’s Gate 3 and Starfield. While it might get lost in the shuffle, fans of the genre, especially fans of old-school RPGs like Chrono Trigger, will not want to miss out on this experience. The story follows two destined warriors of the moon and sun out to save the world. It’s a cliche setup but the characters they meet along the way make the narrative worth it. Also of note, the music, the pixel artwork, and the turn-based battle system with timed attacks should help make Sea of Stars a classic for years to come.