The best upcoming RPGs on PS5 depend on what you want from the adventure. The Witcher IV is a watchlist pick for a Ciri-led open-world story; Code Vein II points toward character builds and partner combat; The Blood of Dawnwalker sets up a darker fantasy premise. Fable and Beast of Reincarnation offer different possibilities in tone and companion play. These are announced projects, not finished feature lists, so a trailer alone can’t tell you how satisfying their quests or combat will be. Compare the games by story agency, progression, combat style and exploration, then verify release status on the PlayStation Store before you buy.
The projects below have been announced for PS5. This is a design-focused watchlist, not a dated release calendar: launch plans and game details can change. The “what to check” column highlights the difference between a promising premise and a feature that has been demonstrated in depth.
| Game | What has been revealed | Potential fit | What to check in later gameplay |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Witcher IV | A single-player, open-world RPG with Ciri as its lead character. | You want an authored fantasy protagonist and a world to explore. | How quests, character progression and player decisions work in practice. |
| Fable | A new entry in the fantasy series, set in Albion. | You enjoy the series’ comic fantasy identity and want to see its new direction. | How this game handles moral choices, humour and the consequences of decisions. |
| The Blood of Dawnwalker | A dark-fantasy RPG built around Coen’s human and vampire sides. | You’re drawn to a more somber setting and a story shaped by competing identities. | Whether the day-and-night premise changes quests and choices, not just the atmosphere. |
| Code Vein II | An action RPG featuring character creation, partner combat and a time-crossing story. | You like build experimentation and fighting alongside an ally. | How partner behaviour, combat options and progression hold up beyond the reveal. |
| Beast of Reincarnation | An action RPG following Emma and her canine companion, Koo, in post-apocalyptic Japan. | You’re interested in a hero-and-companion adventure with action-led combat. | How Koo contributes to exploration, battles and character development. |
These descriptions help narrow a watchlist, but they don’t establish which game has the deepest choices or the most rewarding combat. For that, look for extended gameplay showing a complete quest, fight or progression system. A cinematic scene can introduce a world; it can’t demonstrate how much control you’ll have within it.
Many RPGs offer dialogue options, but the useful question is what those options change. Look for decisions that affect a quest’s outcome, a companion’s response, access to another part of a story or the state of the world. A different line of dialogue can add character, but it isn’t the same as a meaningful branch in the adventure.
The Witcher IV has a defined lead in Ciri rather than presenting itself as a blank-slate hero creator. That doesn’t rule out meaningful role-playing: decisions can still shape quests, relationships and the way you develop a character. It does matter if your priority is inventing a hero from scratch, though. The Blood of Dawnwalker’s human-and-vampire premise also raises interesting questions about choice, but the premise alone can’t show how far those choices reach.
“Companion” can mean several things: a party member with personal storylines, an ally who supports you in battle, or a character who accompanies you through parts of the plot. Decide which kind matters most. If you enjoy managing a party, watch for distinct abilities, dialogue and interactions between characters. If you mainly want a partner in combat, pay attention to how much control you have over their actions and whether their skills complement your own.
Code Vein II’s revealed partner combat makes the relationship between player and ally worth following. Beast of Reincarnation puts Koo, a dog, alongside Emma, making the companion a central part of its premise. Neither setup by itself confirms the depth of the characters or their progression. Look for gameplay that shows how the partner works outside a brief showcase encounter.
A long skill tree or a list of classes can look substantial without producing very different play styles. Better signs include skills that support distinct approaches, equipment that changes how a build works and meaningful trade-offs between offence, defence and utility. Also look for practical details such as whether you can respec, how quickly new abilities become available and whether different weapons or skills work well together.
Character creation and character progression are related, but they aren’t interchangeable. A game may let you customise appearance while keeping combat choices narrow; another may have a fixed protagonist but offer several ways to build and play them. Code Vein II has been presented with character creation, while The Witcher IV has a named lead. If either distinction is important to you, wait for gameplay or a detailed feature explanation rather than inferring the whole system from the genre label.
PS5 RPGs can build their battles around real-time action, turn-based decisions or a blend of both. Action combat rewards timing, movement and reading enemy attacks. Turn-based systems give you more room to weigh positioning, abilities and resource use before committing. Neither format is automatically deeper; what matters is whether the game gives you interesting decisions during a fight.
When watching footage, look beyond a short sequence of flashy attacks. A full encounter can show whether enemies force you to adapt, whether different abilities work together and how much control you have over allies. If you prefer strategic party battles, an action-focused trailer may not answer your main question. If you want responsive action, check that combat involves more than repeating the same strongest move.
An open world is a format, not a guarantee of satisfying exploration. Look for reasons to leave the main path: distinctive locations, side quests with their own purpose, environmental clues or discoveries that affect how you approach an objective. Consider the opposite, too. If you prefer a tightly paced story, a sprawling map can feel like an obligation when travel and optional tasks interrupt the main thread.
The Witcher IV is explicitly an open-world RPG, and Fable is set in Albion, but the size of a map doesn’t tell you how much of it will be compelling to explore. Seek out footage that shows movement through the world and the transition between exploration, conversations and combat. That gives a better sense of the game’s rhythm than a map reveal alone.
Before choosing a game, separate confirmed information from features that are still being discussed or haven’t been shown. Use the PlayStation Store product page and the publisher’s latest news for release status, editions and platform details. As launch approaches, check the final listing for practical information such as storage needs, language options, accessibility features and available performance settings. Don’t assume those details from an early trailer or from another game in the same series.
Also consider your own time and preferences. A long campaign may be appealing if you want a world to settle into; a more focused structure may suit you better if you have limited gaming time. Reviews based on the released PS5 version can help answer questions about pacing and performance that previews or early footage can’t settle.
Preordering can make sense if you already know the series or style suits you and the available gameplay has answered your main questions. It’s a weaker bet when the feature that attracts you—branching quests, a deep companion system or flexible builds—has only appeared in promotional language. In that case, waiting for reviews of the released game gives you a better basis for judging the finished experience.
Before paying, compare what each edition actually includes and read the cancellation or refund terms that apply to your purchase. Extra digital items or a premium edition don’t demonstrate that the RPG itself will match your expectations. If you’re undecided, keep a shortlist and revisit it when the publisher shares substantial gameplay or the final PS5 listing is available.
There isn’t enough final gameplay to name a universal winner. The Witcher IV and The Blood of Dawnwalker both have story-focused fantasy premises, but wait for extended footage and reviews to judge how their quests and decisions work.
It has been announced as a single-player, open-world RPG, with Ciri as its lead character. That confirms the broad format, not the depth of its exploration, character progression or quest choices.
No. RPGs can use turn-based battles, real-time action or systems that combine elements of both. Check gameplay from a full encounter to see whether the combat suits you.
Look for gameplay showing a decision and its consequences, such as a changed quest outcome or a companion reacting to what happened. A trailer that presents dramatic dialogue without showing what follows is not enough to judge how much agency the game offers.
Check the game’s PlayStation Store product page and the publisher’s latest announcement. If no firm date is listed, treat any inferred timing as uncertain rather than relying on a trailer or an older listing.
For a Ciri-led fantasy story, keep The Witcher IV on your list; for partner combat or a darker human-and-vampire premise, follow Code Vein II and The Blood of Dawnwalker. The right choice depends on which systems matter to you, so compare demonstrated gameplay with your must-haves and confirm the PS5 release status before committing.
