The 50 Best RPGs Of All Time

11 – Dark Souls III

Developer: From Software

Initial Release Date: April 12, 2016

Why it’s one of the best RPGs: From the niche origins of Dark Souls to the weaker gameplay of Dark Souls II, players have praised the sun countless times for such strangely addictive, yet challenging games. Dark Souls III casts aside the faults of its still-beloved forefathers and goes all out in wrapping up the saga of flame, bringing smooth, engaging combat to beautiful environments. Whatever you do, though, don’t play this game first. Most areas and bosses contain throwbacks to the older games, and you can’t fully appreciate Dark Souls III without a healthy love of I and II under your belt.

The entire Dark Souls series, culminating in Dark Souls III, has mastered the art of being very, very difficult while rarely, if ever, being unfair. You learn from failure after failure, honing your skills so that each victory is oh, so sweet. The smooth combat system is a far cry from the first game’s clunky side-steps and parries, so if you mess up, you better believe it was your own fault. Take your time as you explore Dark Souls III. For one, you’ll die less often, but you’ll also slowly uncover a beautiful and tragic hidden tale about love and death and flame.

Next: 10 - Kingdom Hearts