The PS5 has a lot of RPGs, but these are the only ones that are 2.5D.
This year, the PS5 has gotten some really great RPGs. There are more fans of the Final Fantasy series now than ever before thanks to Final Fantasy 16. It doesn’t have as many sales as Final Fantasy 7 Remake, but that’s a different story. The PS5 has a lot of great RPGs besides Final Fantasy games, and not just new ones this year.
There aren’t many 2.5D RPGs to choose from, though. How is a 2.5D game different from a 2D game? Different creators and users have different ideas about what it means, but Paper Mario is a good example of a series that isn’t made for PlayStation. The world is 3D, but the characters are only 2D. Now that you know what an RPG is, here are some fun PS5 games that you can play that are made for the system and not just work with PS4 games.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising
When Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising came out, it was kind of like a trailer for the main show, which is called Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. The second one looks like Suikoden because it is a turn-based RPG with sprites in 3D backgrounds.When you play Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising, you’ll feel like you’re in a Metroidvania. As CJ, an explorer who wants to make a name for herself, players go to a new town. Check out the ruins, tell the town what you found, and keep going because new story bits keep showing up.
Live A Live
Along with other Square Enix RPGs, Live A Live stayed on the SNES in Japan. It came out there in 1994, but it wouldn’t come out in the West until 2022, with a new HD-2D look. At the beginning of the game, you can play as one of seven characters, and short stories take place in a lot of different times. One story takes place in the Old West and is about a traveling cowboy named the Sundown Kid who helps a town deal with a group of thieves. There will be a closing part that ties all of these stories together when they are all done.
Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit In Wonder Labyrinth
A name that is hard to say is Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth. It is part of an old series.In Japan in 1988, Record of Lodoss War began as a set of books. Over the years, it has been turned into cartoons, games, and other things.
Fans were eager to return to the niche fantasy series after a long break between Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth and other versions. The game is a Metroidvania, and it looks and plays a lot like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. The sprites that move on a 2D plain look like they are in 3D.
Souldiers
One less well-known independent game is Souldiers, which is also a Metroidvania but has a Souls-like twist. At the start of the game, players can pick to be a Scout, an Archer, or a Caster. This is the same as a knight, a ranger, and a mage in RPG words. Each class is better than the others in some way, like having better protection or being able to shoot from far away. The map is linked, so players can move from woods to deep mines. Visually, the game is mostly in 2D, but the surroundings and some threats, like the bosses, are in 3D.
Octopath Traveler 2
The newest game in Square Enix’s HD-2D line is Octopath Traveler 2. This show is based on eight characters who start out in different parts of the world and end up working together. The eight main stories are spread out, which makes for an interesting contrast. Even though it doesn’t make sense, the idea is at least different for a turn-based RPG. The most interesting thing about this game, though, is the HD-2D graphics that smoothly mixed 3D backgrounds with tiny sprites.
Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth
The fourth version of Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth is out now. The first version came out in 2000 for the PS1 in North America. It got better when it came out for the PSP and mobile phones, but the most current port was for PlayStation platforms in 2022.
Even with the ports, this game was always great on the PS1 because Square Enix (which was still just Enix at the time) made most of it 2D. Sprites moved around in towns and tunnels, and the fights, which took place in turns, were also in 2D. As usual for PS1 RPGs like Final Fantasy 7, things looked like they were in 3D while you were exploring the overworld.
Tactics Ogre: Reborn
Another game that has been ported many times over the years from its SNES roots is Tactics Ogre: Reborn. Final Fantasy Tactics came to life because of this top-down tactics RPG; many of the people who worked on it later helped make that RPG better. It’s a typical RPG story about countries at war, political scheming, and monsters roaming the fields. For what seemed like an endless circle of war, players could make their armies unique by adding different classes, like knights and magic.
Sea Of Stars
Since Sea of Stars came out between Baldur’s Gate 3 and Starfield, it might have come out at the wrong time. This experience might get lost in the mix, but RPG fans, especially those who like old-school games like Spacebar Clicker, will not want to miss it. The story is about two moon and sun fighters who are sent to save the world. Some plot points are overused, but the characters they meet along the way make the story interesting. What’s more, Sea of Stars has great music, cute pixel art, and a fight system where you take turns attacking at set times. These features will help it become a classic game for many years to come.
