10 RPG Franchises With The Most Games
Role-playing games (RPGs) are incredibly popular in the world of video games. These games offer players a unique opportunity to explore fantastical and science-fiction worlds, immersing themselves in deep and captivating stories. RPGs are filled with fascinating characters, thought-provoking messages, and interconnected lore, creating a rich tapestry of stories for players to experience. Whether players choose to embody heroes or villains, they can physically traverse these narratives and become the protagonist.
Today’s featured video is about Elden Ring, a highly anticipated RPG. Game Rant reader Doomedsole shares an AFK rune farm for Elden Ring. This game showcases the innovative nature of RPGs. As the genre has evolved, game studios have had to find new and exciting ways to provide fresh ideas and content for players. Each installment may not reinvent the wheel, but they certainly add new elements and improve upon previous games.
Let’s take a look at some notable RPG series:
1. The Legend Of Heroes: Nihon Falcom’s multi-chapter story spans generations, allowing players to follow different casts of characters as they navigate the events of previous games. With 17 core games and a plethora of interconnected lore, this turn-based JRPG provides a truly immersive experience.
2. Romance Of The Three Kingdoms: This series, which originated in the 80s, allows players to simulate the war and role-play through the story set in 200 AD China. With 14 mainline games, players can strategize and fight their way through various faction disputes and wars.
3. Dragon Quest: With 11 core games and 23 spin-offs, Dragon Quest is a classic JRPG that follows the journey of a hero as they battle evil to save the world. The series is known for its charming visuals and iconic monsters.
4. Atelier: Unlike traditional RPGs, the Atelier series puts players in the shoes of alchemists. With 24 core games, players can engage in brewing, battling, and befriending in a colorful and fun world.
5. Tales Of Arise: This anime-style action RPG has gained popularity since its inception in the mid-90s. With 17 core games and various re-releases, the series captivates fans with its charming characters and flashy combat.
6. Digimon: While Pokemon may be the reigning champion in the monster-catching genre, Digimon shouldn’t be overlooked. With 31 core entries and various gameplay styles, this franchise has a dedicated fan base fueled by nostalgia.
7. Shin Megami Tensei: This difficult-to-comprehend series from Atlus features demon-capturing and fusion mechanics. With 9 core games and numerous spin-offs, Shin Megami Tensei offers a unique and immersive experience.
8. Warhammer: Known for its tabletop war simulator, Warhammer has successfully expanded into the world of video games. With 29 games set in the Warhammer universe and 47 in the 40K sphere, this franchise continues to grow.
9. Pokemon: As the gateway RPG for many gamers, Pokemon has captured the hearts of generations. With 22 core games and 122 games in total, this franchise offers a vast world of pocket monsters to discover and train.
Each of these RPG series brings something unique to the table, providing players with unforgettable experiences. Whether you’re exploring a fantastical realm, engaging in strategic battles, or capturing adorable monsters, RPGs offer endless possibilities for immersive gameplay.
Role-playing gamesRPGs, are one of the most popular genres of video games. It offers players the never-before-seen ability to explore a multitude of fantastical and science-fiction worlds and experience deep and enriching stories in motion. They are chock-full of characters, insightful messages, and vast annals of interconnected lore that when come together, provide an enriching tapestry of stories players can physically traverse by vicariously playing as the protagonist, whether that be heroes or villains.
RPGs are also landmarks for innovation. With the formulaic heroes and villains of the early eras, studios are forced to approach games in new and flavorful ways to provide fresh gaming ideas and content. Necessity is the mother of invention, and that is on clear display with the forthcoming listed entries. They have been around for such a long time that even though they may not have reinvented the wheel for each installment, they’ve at least changed the tires and outfitted new shiny rims to refine and better upon their previous games.
10 The Legend Of Heroes
Nihon Falcom’s multi-chapter story spans generations and encourages players to follow the story of different casts of characters as they deal with the events of the previous game in one huge unfolding story. For the players who like heavily interconnected games with multiple Easter Eggs then this may be perfect to play.
From the Trails Of The Sky, Trails of Cold Steel, and the Trails From Zero this series has many installments, 17 core games to be exact, that all connect in some way as players get involved in the vents unfolding in the same world with time passing between each game. A fascinating turn-based JRPG experience where players can feel the world is truly alive, and the narrative they play through has meaning with every subsequent game release.
9 Romance Of The Three Kingdoms
Taking it way back in time to the 80s predating many gamers and yet still cementing itself as one of the most prevalent video game releases of the era. A game by Koei based on the historical novel of the same name, it invites players to simulate the war and role-play through the story by taking art in large-scale tactical battles that pervaded the warring states of 200 AD China.
Players take on the role of the warlord and things vary between the 14 mainline games the roles fans take roughly stay the same. The franchise is still going strong today after 30-odd years of covering all different faction disputes and wars which players must strategize and fight their way through.
8 Dragon Quest
One of the older series on the list and an entry that can be braggadocios about its library of games. A classic JRPG with traditional animations and art from Manga greats such as Akira Toriyama of similar Dragon Ball fame. This series follows the time-trusted formula of a hero picking up arms and making friends while taking on a perilous journey to rid the world of a big bad evil.
A franchise of 11 core games and 23 spin-offs including the Monster and the recent Treasureseries, there are many recognizable and iconic monsters for players to battle such as Slimes, Great Sabrecats, Drackys, and Golems. This RPG shares many similarities with fellow games in the genre however its quintessential charming visage is what separates it from its competitors and is proven to be a hit with gamers.
7 Atelier
A game that takes a different tack in defining a JRPG instead of taking on the role of a hero to save the world against the forces of darkness, or a ragtag group of ruffians fighting back against an oppressive political system, this franchise tries something different.
Players find themselves in the shoes of alchemists when playing the Atelier games and out of the 24 core games (sequels included) there is a lot of brewing, battling, and befriending to be done. The game still holds on to the cutesy, bright color palette and introduces a surprisingly fun RPG combat system for those wanting to take a dive into the action apothecary world.
6 Tales Of Arise
A series with its origins found back in the mid-90s, this action RPG is an anime-style adventure with 17 core games to its name and has become a staple of the genre. Not all games in the series are created equally, but a few are standouts not just in its own library but in the gaming space too. From one of the latest hit releases of Arise on the PS5 the games have gotten better since the SNES era.
Quite a few of the games have been re-released throughout the years with remasters or ports to newer consoles (which may heavily contribute to the 46 games in total), it also has a host of mobile games too. An addictive series with a cast of charming and deep characters with flashy animated combat and nuance to each game bringing back fans for more.
5 Digimon
Children often pick sides when it comes to entertainment, from the console wars to which side of the animated monster fence fans fall on. Pokemon may reign champion in terms of overall appeal and caliber of games; however, Digimon is not to be scoffed at. The denizens of the digital monster world are numerable as are its games.
Boating such series as Digimon World, Digimon Story, and the Dusk and Dawn installments on the DS, this franchise has a lot of RPGs with varying different styles of gameplay. From an action RPG to an open world to turn-based combat, the library of 31 core entries (and 59 games in total) is a testament to how much the anime delivered back in the day and how strong nostalgia has its hooks in the audience.
4 Shin Megami Tensei
The Atlus JRPG machine is a difficult beast to fully comprehend with versions of the games being region-locked and remasters released in the West under different tiles. The demon-capturing and fusion concept has been a main staple of the series, often leading players down the path of discovering what humanity does in the face of demonic invasion.
In the core games of SMTthere are 9 in total with 16 spin-offs. However, SMT has a lot of sister games that are massive (in their own rights) from the likes of Devil Summoner and the Personagames, each with their own side games; the list totals well over 60 entries in this gaming franchise universe alone.
3 Warhammer
One of the pioneers and leaders in the tabletop war simulator taking multiple factions and throwing them into a chaotic world of warfare, weapons, and fantastical, science-fiction abilities. Even though their original TTRPG model is going strongthe franchise has also branched out (regularly) into video games.
This series is expansive both in lore and the way it tackles its games, with 29 games based in the main Warhammer universe, 47 in the 40K sphere specifically, and a whole host of other games that may not necessarily fall into only the RPG category. Plus, with the rate at which Warhammer games are released and the different versions that are released each time this number is just going to keep growing.
2 Pokemon
The gateway RPG for many a new gamer. The monster-catching and battling game has captured the hearts of many generations since its first iteration in 1996. GameFreak has run with the idea and published 22 core games to date covering nine generations of fantastical pocket monsters to fight with, care for and eventually evolve on the player’s journey through the many islands they find themselves upon.
From an extremely successful trading card game to an explosive mobile app, the Pokemon franchise has 122 games in total, with some being specific to certain regions of the world. Some fans may complain that the formula has grown stale, however, to this day, they are reinventing themselves with such games as Legends: Arceusand Scarlet and Violet(to varying degrees of reception.)
1 Final Fantasy
Released in 1987, Square Enix’s Final Fantasy series started a revolution for the role-playing video game genre and has ingratiated itself in many young gamers’ lives as a turning point for what they would love about gaming. Developed for the NES, this was a highly inspired and influential RPG that kickstarted a generation of gaming, garnering many sequels and inspiring many game creators to come.
Now in the series 36th year, Final Fantasy 16is just around the corner for new consoles, and the fan base has only grown over the years. Apart from the mainline games, the series has a total of 126 games spanning spin-offs, sequels, and mobile games, earning its place as one of the most prolific RPG series of all time.
