The 50 Best RPGs Of All Time

29 – Persona 4

Developer: Atlus

Initial Release Date: December 9, 2008

Why it’s one of the best RPGs: The Persona games, birthed from the goodness that is the Shin Megami Tensei series, have become one of the most fascinating games that incorporate Japanese themes to succeed in the West. While we’re all still eagerly awaiting Persona 5, Persona 4 represents the pinnacle of the series. You play as a high school student who has just moved into the city and must uncover the secret behind a string of murders, all while summoning Personas to fight. It features an in-game clock that allows you to spend time how you like, as long as you accomplish your goals (i.e. saving people in danger) before time runs out over several days. Weather effects replace the moon phases from previous games.

While Persona 4 may not have innovated much from its predecessors, it certainly represents the very best of the series, polished and put together into one excellent title. The combination of fantastical elements in the TV world and with the Persona juxtaposed against the everyday life of a high school student is a blast to play through. We can’t wait to see what Persona 5 has to offer, too.

Next: 28 - Chrono Cross