Games of the Year

RPGFan Games of the Year 2024: Best Traditional RPG

Metaphor ReFantazio - Best Traditional RPG of 2024

Winner: Metaphor: ReFantazio

Writeup by Aleks Franiczek

With the Shin Megami Tensei games, Atlus continually shows how masterful they are at crafting traditional RPGs. With the Persona spinoffs, they effectively redefined the conventional RPG. What do you get when you combine both these traditions? Metaphor: ReFantazio: one of the most confidently executed RPG bangers we’ve been blessed with in years.

A big part of what made Metaphor such an indisputable hit is how well-rounded it is. You have a simple yet flexible job system with which to build your party. You get to allocate time to hang out with characters without being overwhelmed with options. And there’s a healthy mix of generic dungeon crawls and exciting narrative set pieces to explore and battle through. There are quirks about the games it borrows from that might turn off some players based on their preferences. It turns out that fusing them into something new yet familiar is a winning formula for just about any RPG fan. 


Runner-Up: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Writeup by Jono Logan

Why do epic world-saving quests always seem reserved for teenagers in JRPGs?

That certainly isn’t the case with Like a Dragon. Here, it’s up to the over-40s to save the Tojo Clan, Kamurochō, or Japan from whatever world-ending hijinks the yakuza or government are up to this year. As the direct sequel to Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Infinite Wealth builds on its predecessor with a grander scale, refined systems, and even more lovable middle-aged characters. Featuring enhanced turn-based combat that allows for additional movement, dozens of new minigames (including most of the old ones), and the fresh setting of Honolulu, Infinite Wealth offers countless hours of enjoyment to role-playing fans, making it one of the best traditional JRPGs of 2024!


Readers’ Choice: Best Traditional RPG of 2024

Winner: Metaphor: ReFantazio (44.2% of votes)

Runner-Up: Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake (15.6% of votes)

Aleks Franiczek

Aleks Franiczek

Aleks is a Features writer and apparently likes videogames enough to be pursuing a PhD focused on narrative design and the philosophy of player experience. When not overthinking games he also enjoys playing them, and his favorite genre is “it’s got some issues, but it’s interesting!”