RPGs are great, aren't they? The freedom to design your character's personality the way you choose and to spend countless hours completing side quests for all the helpless NPCs. (We're never getting over the frying pan quest from The Witcher 3).
It's for this exact reason then that RPGs hold fantastic replay value. For instance, maybe you want to do the first playthrough as a pacifist because you feel bad for all the poor souls you may inadvertently hurt. However, that doesn't matter the second time around since you technically didn't murder the random NPC that was minding their own business. After all, the first playthrough is canon, right? So, if you want to go on many adventures through the same world, these RPGs offer the greatest replay value.
8 Skyrim
Skyrim has at least 15,739 different versions out there to buy, and even though that's 15,738 too many, you can't ignore that Skyrim is a pretty great game. Do you want to explore some Dwemer ruins and loot the place? Skyrim has you covered. Or maybe you want to sneak behind a giant only to get launched 10 meters into the air? Skyrim also has that. The point is, there's so much to do within the game, essentially endless possibilities with no restrictions on how to play.
Skyrim is the kind of game where replaying the main story will never become tiresome, just like how pushing NPCs off a cliff with Unrelenting Force is never not amusing.
7 Fallout: New Vegas
Doc Mitchell saves the Courier (the playable character of Fallout: New Vegas) after they're shot in the head and left for dead. It seems the Courier is one to know all about revenge being a dish best served cold as they travel New Vegas on the hunt for the person responsible for their shooting. But it's not only the main storyline that holds Fallout: New Vegas in such high esteem.
The faction system is what makes New Vegas truly remarkable, as you're free to join whichever one you wish, though some have arguably questionable ideals. The extra content you cannot complete on your initial playthrough makes for a compelling reason to make your way back to that 'new game' button.
6 Dark Souls
There's so much room for potential replays with all the different builds and self-set goals to make in Dark Souls. Like, how every time you replay the game on new game plus every aspect becomes more difficult. For the truly dedicated, you can play through the new game mode seven times. Dark Souls is already a challenging game to beat with a significant focus on learning enemy attack patterns, but to complete it on the absolute hardest difficulty level? You are due a very enthusiastic pat on the back, my friend.
The level design, world-building, and richness of the lore, not to mention the inspiration Dark Souls brought to gaming for the foreseeable future, make it one of the most replayable games of all time.
5 Dragon Age: Origins
High fantasy worlds like Lord Of The Rings and Game Of Thrones are appealing in all mediums, with these worlds presenting rich mythology and moral questions. You have to make the hard choices where all options harbor potentially harmful outcomes. It's just a matter of which outcome is worse.
In Dragon Age: Origins, you can play the game as either a human, elf, or dwarf with a choice between different classes. The combat mechanics are a little dated but give the game a strangely nostalgic feel. The characters of Dragon Age are incredibly entertaining to listen to, especially when it's one of Morrigan and Alistair's notorious arguments.
4 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
It's no surprise to anyone that The Witcher 3 made this list because, well, it's one of the best stories in gaming. All the characters are rich with depth, even including the completely missable NPCs who there's no guarantee you'll encounter.
CD Projekt Red executes the found family of Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer tremendously well, and it's the type of game that will leave you thinking about it long after those credits have rolled. Even with a main story as long as the one of The Witcher 3, it's a game that you'll want to jump straight back into with the glorious world waiting for you just over the horizon.
3 Final Fantasy 7 (The Original)
The Final Fantasy franchise is one of the longest-running IPs in gaming, so there are quite a few entries that could've made this list. However, there's only one Final Fantasy 7. Taking control of mercenary Cloud Strife as you join forces with other electrifying individuals to save the world from your nemesis Sepiroth, Final Fantasy 7 presents a timeless fantasy adventure.
The turn-based combat still holds up exceptionally well today, with some pretty intense battles. In addition, the game makes you stop to think about your next move instead of the often mechanic of rushing in to attack whatever enemy is ahead of you.
2 Jade Empire
Bioware has made massive strides in bringing RPG gaming to the forefront of the discussion, but Jade Empire is one of its most underrated games. Mixing in different aspects of Chinese history and mythology and combining these things into the exceptionally well-made combat system, more people should be playing this hidden gem of a game.
In a similar style to other Bioware games, branching paths come from quests, some of which you'll need to replay to see the flip side of the coin. It's an all-around solid contender for RPGs ahead of their time and a distinctive experience since not many games occur in Ancient China.
1 Nier Automata
Nier Automata is a unique game because of how it requires multiple playthroughs to see the whole story. There are three game routes, and it does get a little confusing because of how Nier Automata separates these routes, but for the full story, it's essential to play through multiple times.
Subsequent playthroughs, however, don't feel like a chore to get through. The different routes significantly improve the game, and so while you could technically only play route a, you wouldn't be living through the entire story of these tragic characters.