3 Greatest RPGs Turning 20 In 2026

Published Aug 10, 2026, 8:54 AM EDT Austin King is the Senior Editor of Gaming at ScreenRant and has been with the site since 2020 with a focus on RPGs and tabletop games. He previously managed content for Geek to Geek Media, and has served as a writer for sites like Nintendad, Geek Fitness, and more. In addition to his work at ScreenRant, he also hosts the Dragon Quest FM podcast and is the author of several books, including co-writing Nimbus (a #1 bestseller in 2013). His latest is the nonfiction The Dragon Quest Book, available now. He's written about pop culture, video games, and genre studies over the course of his career. You can find him on BlueSky, X, and at Dragonquestaustin.com 2006 was a massive year for RPGs. A number of longtime series like Shin Megami Tensei, Final Fantasy, and The Elder Scrolls all had major releases that year. From PS2 and Xbox 360 to Windows and beyond, these role-playing games spanned multiple platforms and would go on to become beloved entries in their respective series. It's hard to believe a lot of those incredible RPGs are turning 20 this year, but here we are. It's 2026, and that means games like The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion and Kingdom Hearts 2 are turning the bit 2-0. While 2006 was an excellent year for RPGs in general, there are three that really stand out as the best of the best. 3 Kingdom Hearts 2 Releasing in March 2026 in North America, Kingdom Hearts 2 proved that the series was here to stay. It featured a more complex plot, introduced a ton of new characters, and featured some of the most memorable Disney worlds the franchise has ever seen. KH2 also made nice improvements to combat and exploration, and a lot of people still consider it to be the best Kingdom Hearts game of all time. No matter how you feel about it, there's no denying Kingdom Hearts 2 was one of the biggest RPG releases of 2006. Thanks to remasters and ports, it's also widely available on pretty much every platform out there, so if you've never played KH2, be sure to check this one out. It's one of those rare sequels that's arguably better than its predecessor, and it deserves your time. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion also released in March 2006, although the PS3 version didn't come out until a year later. The Elder Scrolls already had a loyal following, but Oblivion was on a whole new level. While Skyrim, its sequel, may have sold better (it helps when you have approximately 40,000 ports) and gotten a lot more attention, a lot of fans still agree Oblivion is the best of the bunch. There's even the excellent Oblivion Remastered to play now. Oblivion utilized the power of the Xbox 360 to offer up the most realistic graphics most people had seen in 2006. The RPG also had tons of exploration, dozens—perhaps hundreds—of hours of gameplay, and some memorable DLC too. 20 years later, it's still one of the best RPGs ever, and I'm right up there with people who consider it to be the pinnacle of the franchise thus far. 1 Final Fantasy 12 Weirdly enough, Final Fantasy 12 also released in March 2006, although the North American version didn't drop until October of that same year. The game was a bit divisive at the time, mostly because of the Gambits system. Taking place in the storied world of Ivalice, which was already adored by anyone who played FF Tactics, the twelfth entry in the mainline Final Fantasy series offered up a sprawling war epic full of the kind of political intrigue that'd make HBO's Game of Thrones series a hit several years later. Since launch, Final Fantasy 12 has developed a reputation for being one of the best entries in the series, even if the Gambits system remains divisive. A remaster known as The Zodiac Age released in 2017, offering up a job system that streamlined gameplay, but it's the original game, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, that stands out as one of the best RPGs from 2006. Kingdom Hearts 2 Systems Released March 28, 2006 ESRB E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Mild Blood, Use of Alcohol, Violence Developer(s) Square Enix Publisher(s) Square Enix Engine Unreal Engine 4 Franchise Kingdom Hearts Genre(s) Action RPG, Hack and Slash The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Systems Released March 20, 2006 ESRB M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence Developer(s) Bethesda Publisher(s) Bethesda Engine havok, speedtree, gamebryo Franchise The Elder Scrolls Final Fantasy 12 Systems Released October 31, 2006 ESRB T For Teen due to Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes Developer(s) Square Enix Publisher(s) Square Enix Engine Zodiac Engine 2.0 Franchise Final Fantasy