The RPG is a genre that often begs for a second game, as the worlds created within the original games are often incredibly vast with tons of lore ready for a sequel to explore further.
While it's tough to get greenlit for a sequel, if there is any ounce of potential in an RPG, you will usually see a second one being made. Today, we're celebrating the best RPG sequels that were even better than the original.
A good sequel expands on the ideas of the first game, without losing focus on what the series is supposed to be. Sometimes, sequels go off the rails and lose the plot, literally and figuratively, so we won't discuss those misfires today. For the most part, we're talking direct sequels here.
10 The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
Diving Further Into Geralt's World
The Witcher 2
- Released
- May 17, 2011
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Publisher(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Engine
- RED Engine
- Franchise
- The Witcher
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- Metascore
- 88
While the third game gets the most praise, The Witcher 2 is still a fantastic entry that improved upon the first game in many ways.
The Witcher was an ambitious game when it came out, introducing a new world, new characters, and a new vibe to the RPG genre.
While it was a good game, the combat was unwieldy, to say the least, and the voice acting, animations, and overall feel were decidedly low quality.
Still, there was something there. It was so dark, and gritty and different from what the gaming world was used to at that point. With a solid 4 years in between titles, The Witcher 2 was finally released to instant acclaim.
The various systems at play were still on the hardcore side, but the combat was fast and far less random than the original and Geralt was now a fantastically realized character who would soon become the iconic face of all RPGs.
What made the sequel so good was the aspect of choice and how it could change the entire path you took throughout the game, as well as the unique ability to choose to not even fight the final boss if you didn't feel it was your Geralt's prerogative.
9 Divinity: Original Sin 2
Larian Flexes Its Muscles For The First Time
- Released
- September 14, 2017
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Larian Studios
- Engine
- Divinity Engine 3.0
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Divinity
- Split Screen Orientation
- Vertical
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 60 Hours
- Metascore
- 93
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Divinity: Original Sin 2 is one of the best RPGs of all time, and it managed to improve upon the impressive (if somewhat off-putting) first game in the series. The issue with the first game was the tone.
The second game, however, throws that to the wayside, giving you a mature and intricate story filled with tons of threads to follow, side quests that play into the main plot.
The incredible writing and quest design go a long way in powering their eventual behemoth, Baldur's Gate 3.
The characters are also memorable, and the inter-party banter makes up for some of the best in the RPG genre.
It's a lengthy game, but not one ounce of it is wasted with any kind of filler or useless activity.
It's a masterwork of a game that set the standard in the genre even though the series itself was not that well known.
8 Dragon's Dogma 2
Resurrecting A Cult Classic
- Released
- March 22, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Language, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher(s)
- Capcom
- Engine
- RE Engine
- Franchise
- Dragon's Dogma
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 30 Hours
- Metascore
- 88
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Dragon's Dogma 2 carried heavy expectations when it came out in 2024. While it didn't satisfy everyone expecting a true sequel to the original, it certainly improved upon the first game in many ways.
The combat was smoother, the graphics incredibly improved and the overall feel of an emergent world was more apparent than ever.
The Pawn system also got a big overhaul, with Pawns now playing much more intriguingly to the overall story.
The side quests were also more intricate, heaving multiple parts to them and exploring some interesting lore in the process.
You can stumble upon hidden Super Bosses, find quests you wouldn't have found otherwise, and even find hidden vocations to unlock.
It takes everything the original did well and doubles it while keeping the spirit of the game and keeping the story going in the same way.
It might not warrant a third game, but Dragon's Dogma 2 is at least a good sendoff for the series.
7 Horizon: Forbidden West
Unlocking the Potential
- Released
- February 18, 2022
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Guerrilla Games
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Engine
- Decima
- Cross-Platform Play
- ps5, ps4
- Cross Save
- Your save games will be transferable from PS4 consoles to PS5 consoles.
- Franchise
- Horizon
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unsupported
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- How Long To Beat
- 29 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- no
- Metascore
- 88
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Horizon is a fascinating series with nothing but hits. The first game was a revelation in both combat and visuals, but where it lacked a bit was in the main plot. The sequel took everything to the next level.
The graphics got even better, the combat far more varied and the main plot was now something gripping and keeping you on the edge of your seat far more than the first game did.
The side quests are also much improved, going from a copy of The Witcher 3 to something much more interesting, involving strong writing, creative objectives, and overall, more relevant quests to the story at hand.
The game itself was overshadowed when it was released due to Elden Ring, but if you've got some space in your backlog, give this one a chance sometime.
6 Remnant 2
An Underrated Masterpiece
- Released
- July 25, 2023
- ESRB
- M for Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Gunfire Games
- Publisher(s)
- Gearbox Publishing
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Number of Players
- 1-3
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unsupported
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Soulslike, Third-Person Shooter
- How Long To Beat
- 20 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 65 GB (January 2024)
- Metascore
- 85
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Remnant 2 would've won the Game Of The Year Award any year besides the one it came out in. It was that good.
The original game was solid but had noticeable clunkiness and its various systems didn't sync nearly as well as they did in the sequel.
The boss fights were also underwhelming and while the co-op was fun, it wasn't nearly as rewarding.
Remnant 2 has some of the best bosses of all time, with standouts like The Nightweaver burning their way into players' minds forever and, although it takes on the appearance of a souls-like, this game is something all of its own.
The first game built the foundation but Remnant 2 built a skyscraper on top of it.
If you don't mind a little gunplay in your RPGs, you'll find a ton to like here.
5 Red Dead Redemption 2
The Wild West in the Palm of Your Hands
- Released
- October 26, 2018
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Publisher(s)
- Rockstar Games
- Engine
- RAGE
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- N/A
- Cross Save
- N/A
- Franchise
- Red Dead Redemption
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
- How Long To Beat
- 50 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- yes
- Metascore
- 97
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the modern gaming masterpieces, and it managed to improve upon an already incredible original game.
While you might not think of the series as an RPG, Red Dead Redemption 2 is.
You choose to be good or bad, build your character how you want them to look (skinny or fat, bearded, hair changes, etc.), and even can influence how the story goes and tons of side quests to engage with.
The second game took all the ideas from the first game and turned them into cinematic gold, with an expansive world full of emergent gameplay, incredible storytelling, and one of the best main characters in gaming history.
It's hard to improve upon a 9/10 with the first game, and then Red Dead Redemption 2 managed to pull a 10/10, making the impossible seem possible and, in the process, setting the standard for gaming for a long time to come.
4 Wasteland 3
A Unique Apocalypse
- Released
- August 28, 2020
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- inXile entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Deep Silver
- Engine
- Unity
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Franchise
- Wasteland
- Platform(s)
- PC
- How Long To Beat
- 38 Hours
- Metascore
- 85
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
The original Wasteland came out in 1988, so we're skirting the rules a little bit.
Wasteland 3 is a direct sequel to Wasteland 2, which is, at the very least, a modern game.
What Wasteland 3 did so differently than 2 was the script. It is so dense and packed with detail that the world-building that was already good in the series became incredible.
The story itself is engaging enough, but the side stories that pop up all over the place, the choices on who to side with, the ability to customize your party constantly throughout the game, and the overall atmosphere make this one of the very best RPGs out there.
It's definitely on the AA side of things, but that doesn't take away from the majesty of what it does.
The combat is also fantastic, giving you a system much like XCOM to play with, where your positioning, planning, and luck play into everything that goes down.
It's one of the best RPGs of its kind and managed to improve upon an already great first game.
3 Lords of The Fallen
Resurrecting the Dead
- Released
- October 28, 2014
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Deck13 Interactive, CI Games
- Publisher(s)
- CI Games
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Lords of the Fallen started as an answer to Dark Souls, and while it had some cool ideas, it overwhelmingly paled in comparison to that RPG giant.
Lords of the Fallen is perhaps the closest thing to Dark Souls 4 we will ever get.
The combat is fantastic, offering a chance to mix melee builds, ranged builds and magic builds while being effective at all three styles.
That's the flexibility you don't often find in RPGs, but here, it's viable and encouraged.
The bosses here are among some of the best in any game, requiring fierce reflexes and well-thought-out strategy before attempting to overtake some of the game's harder foes.
It's got fantastic co-op, something the original cannot boast, and is one of the better-looking games out there, especially when it comes to the scenery.
2 Mass Effect 2
The Mission of a Lifetime
- Released
- January 26, 2010
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- BioWare
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 3
- Franchise
- Mass Effect
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Third-Person Shooter
- How Long To Beat
- 25 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- No
- File Size Xbox Series
- 13 GB (December 2023)
Mass Effect was an incredible game that kickstarted one of the greatest franchises in fiction history, but it wasn't till its sequel that things took off.
The second game in the series, Mass Effect 2 has you back in the boots of Shepard on his mission to stop the Reapers, and this time a mysterious force known as the Collectors are kidnapping people from anywhere they can find.
The best part of the sequel is how personal it all feels, from the verbal sparring between Harbinger and Shepard to how good the conversations are between your crew members.
It also doesn't hurt that the combat is far better than in the first and the voice acting followed suit.
It also doesn't hurt that the sequel didn't have to finish the story, so as an in-between game, it was perfect and didn't run into the issues with capping off such a complex and in-depth story that the third game did.
1 Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Completing The Journey
- Released
- February 4, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity
- Developer(s)
- Warhorse Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Deep Silver
- Engine
- CryEngine
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Playable
- PC Release Date
- February 4, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- February 4, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- February 4, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Action-Adventure, Open-World
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Usually, when a game ends on a cliffhanger and doesn't come out with another game for 7 years, we consider the likelihood of the follow-up being good to be low at best.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 manages to improve on everything the original game did massively.
The sequel manages to stay true to its hardcore vision while implementing helpful tools that won't cause the player to throw away the controller in frustration anymore.
The combat now makes you feel capable from the start, which is important as the original had you feeling positively broken when trying to fight anything for the first few hours of the game.
The story is also far grander, but understandably so, and finally gives a fitting conclusion to the amazing journey that Henry undertakes.
Side quests are also a huge highlight this time around, giving you multiple options on how to approach quests and several different ways each quest might play out.
It's going to be tough to top Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 for game of the year.