10 Best Action RPGs of 2026

Elden Ring ranks first because it pairs real-time combat with more freedom than any other pick here. The Steam page describes open fields and huge dungeons that connect across one continent, so when a boss blocks your path you can ride somewhere else, level up and return. Combat is about balancing attacks against avoiding damage, and you can mix weapons, spells and summons to suit a melee, magic or stealth build. Up to two other players can join as co-op partners, either by shared password or from nearby community members, and there are invasions, duels and three Colosseums for PvP. Its Metascore on Steam is 94, the highest on our list. The catch is the fixed difficulty: there is no easy mode, and the learning curve is steep for players new to this style. At $59.99 on Steam, it is the benchmark for real-time action RPGs.

Monster Hunter Wilds is the best pick here for co-op, and at $39.99 on the US Steam store it is also tied for the cheapest. Capcom built it around a loop of tracking a monster, beating it in real time and forging new weapons and armor from the materials you harvest. The Forbidden Lands change constantly: during the Fallow and Inclemency periods monsters hunt in packs, while the Plenty periods bring abundant wildlife, so your tactics have to change with the weather. Steam lists online co-op with cross-platform multiplayer, and a long set of accessibility options, from adjustable text size and color alternatives to a keyboard-only option. The trade-offs are a hunt-and-craft structure that is more repetitive than an open-world RPG, an SSD requirement with 75 GB of space, and a Steam store with more than 200 DLC items, many of them cosmetic.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the pick for RPG fans who care about story and a party as much as reflexes. Square Enix describes battles that mix action and strategy, with synergy skills and abilities that let party members fight together, so you control one character in real time while managing the others. After leaving Midgar, Cloud and his companions cross a world of several regions, much of it on chocobos. Steam lists adjustable difficulty, which makes it the friendliest real-time game on this list for players who do not want a souls-style challenge. The game is the second part of the remake trilogy, but Square Enix calls it standalone. The PC version supports up to 4K and 120 FPS, VRR and NVIDIA DLSS. The costs are steep hardware: 155 GB of storage and at least an RX 6600 or RTX 2060 class card. It sells for $49.99 on Steam.

Black Myth: Wukong is built around boss fights, and it gives you more tools for them than most action RPGs. Game Science's Steam page says you master staff techniques and can freely combine spells, abilities, transformations, weapons and equipment, some of which counter each other and some of which amplify each other. The story follows the Destined One through settings and enemies from that classic novel, and each major foe has a backstory you uncover along the way. Steam lists it as playable without timed input and recommends a gamepad. It has more Steam user reviews than any other game on this list, over 880,000 when we checked. The drawbacks are no multiplayer, a 130 GB install and a $59.99 price, the same as Elden Ring. For a single-player action RPG with a strong boss roster and a setting few other games use, it is a strong pick.

Diablo IV is the pick for players who want action RPG combat from a top-down view and a long loot chase. Blizzard's Steam page lists five classes, each built through Skill Trees and Paragon Boards, an open world with World Bosses and Helltides, and an endgame that includes The Pit, Uber Bosses and the Forge for crafting weapons. You can play the campaign solo or with friends, with cross-play and cross-progression on all available platforms. Seasons add new mechanics and Battle Pass rewards. On Steam it lists adjustable difficulty, a mouse-only option and playability without timed input, which makes it one of the easiest games here to pick up. The downsides are in-app purchases and a Battle Pass, a 90 GB install, and a camera angle that is less personal than third-person games. It costs $49.99 on Steam.

Dragon's Dogma 2 is the best value here for players who want a party without playing online. Capcom describes it as a single-player, narrative-driven action RPG: you create an Arisen, pick a vocation and fight with swords, bows or magick. You also customize a main Pawn who always travels with you, and you can bring up to two more Pawns created by other players through the network, so the party feels shared even though you play alone. Monsters outside towns can be fought or avoided, and Capcom says your party setup and the terrain should decide which. Quests often start when travelers or merchants ask you for a favor. It costs $39.99 on Steam, tied for the cheapest pick. The trade-offs are no true co-op, a Windows 11 minimum requirement with 16 GB of RAM, and only partial controller support listed on Steam.

Lies of P is the soulslike to pick if FromSoftware's fixed difficulty puts you off. NEOWIZ's Steam page lists adjustable difficulty, which no other soulslike on this list offers. You play a puppet made by Geppetto in Krat, a Belle Epoque city poisoned by madness, and you build a combat style by combining weapon parts, using Legion Arms and unlocking new abilities. At points the game asks you to lie or tell the truth, and those choices shape your path. It is the only pick here with a macOS build on Steam, and its minimum GPU, a GTX 960 4GB, is light for a 2023 release. The prequel expansion, Lies of P: Overture, is sold separately or in the Complete Edition. The base game costs $59.99 on Steam, and it is single-player only.

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is the purest real-time combat test on this list. You play the one-armed wolf in late 1500s Sengoku Japan, and FromSoftware's Steam page says you combine prosthetic tools and ninja abilities with stealth, vertical traversal and head-to-head fights. It won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2019, per the Steam page. The GOTY Edition on Steam adds Reflection and Gauntlet of Strength boss challenge modes, plus Remnants that let other players view and rate recordings of your actions. Hardware needs are low, with 25 GB of storage and a GTX 760 at minimum. It is a weaker fit for RPG fans who like builds, though: you play a fixed character, there is no difficulty setting and no co-op, and Steam does not list it as playable without timed input. It costs $59.99.

Dark Souls III is the classic souls formula in its most refined form, and it still runs on modest PCs. FromSoftware's Steam page promises faster gameplay and more intense combat than earlier entries, set in a world of colossal enemies and environments falling into ruin. Steam lists co-op and multiplayer, Remote Play on phone, tablet and TV, and playability without timed input. Its minimum specs are the lowest on our list, at 25 GB and a GeForce GTX 750 Ti. It also won the gamescom award 2015 for Best RPG, according to the Steam page. It ranks last because value has aged: the base game is still $59.99 on Steam, the Season Pass is extra, and the level design is more linear than Elden Ring's open world. If you have finished Elden Ring and want more of the same combat, it is the next stop.

Nioh 2: The Complete Edition is the hardest game here that still lets you build your own character and bring a friend. Koei Tecmo calls it a masocore action RPG: you create a protagonist and fight hordes of yokai across Sengoku-period Japan. Its signature mechanic is Yokai Shift, which turns you into powerful forms mid-battle, while enemies can open Dark Realms that make a fight harder. The Complete Edition on Steam bundles all three expansions, The Tengu's Disciple, Darkness in the Capital and The First Samurai, for $49.99, and Steam lists online co-op. The PC version supports full mouse and keyboard customization, ultrawide screens and up to 120 FPS. The downsides are a steep difficulty with no easy mode advertised, partial controller support on Steam, and 85 GB of storage at minimum.