Best games
Best RPG games of 1997
The 8 best RPG games released in 1997, ranked from 3,348 critic and player ratings.
The best RPG game of 1997 is Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, with a critic score of 92/100 — updated September 2026.
How this ranking is built
- Games are ranked on the aggregated critic score out of 100 imported from IGDB and Metacritic, never on Tier's own grades.
- A game only enters the ranking with at least 30 external ratings, so a single enthusiastic review never outranks a proven classic.
- Each game is ranked in one genre only, the one that defines it best, so the same title never tops two different genre charts.
- Community grades from F to S are shown next to every game, and only stated as a fact above 5 Tier ratings.
- Release window covered: 1997.
- 8 games are listed on this page, carrying 3,348 ratings between them.
- Rankings are recomputed hourly; this one was last rebuilt on 28 September 2026.
Top 8
01
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Having been awoken from his eternal slumber by the reappearance of Castlevania, Alucard must once again face the evil minions of darkness. Use your vampiric powers, along with weapons, potions, and other magical relics to change the tide of battle. A mixture of platform and role-playing action with many hidden areas and secrets. Can you discover them all?
92
/100
02
Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game
The Vault Dweller is tasked with exploring post-nuclear California in order to retrieve a water chip to replace the broken chip of Vault 13, their home, which they are the first person to ever leave. The player will engage in Western RPG character building and turn-based tactical combat while getting to know settlements and factions of people, mutants and ghouls through branching dialogue trees.
86
/100
03
S
Final Fantasy VII
The Western release of Final Fantasy VII (released as Final Fantasy VII International in Japan) included additional elements and alterations, such as streamlining of the menu and Materia system, reducing the health of enemies, new visual cues to help with navigation across the world map, and additional cutscenes relating to Cloud's past.
85
/100
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Having been awoken from his eternal slumber by the reappearance of Castlevania, Alucard must once again face the evil minions of darkness. Use your vampiric powers, along with weapons, potions, and other magical relics to change the tide of battle. A mixture of platform and role-playing action with many hidden areas and secrets. Can you discover them all?
92
/100
02
Fallout: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game
The Vault Dweller is tasked with exploring post-nuclear California in order to retrieve a water chip to replace the broken chip of Vault 13, their home, which they are the first person to ever leave. The player will engage in Western RPG character building and turn-based tactical combat while getting to know settlements and factions of people, mutants and ghouls through branching dialogue trees.
86
/100
03
S
Final Fantasy VII
The Western release of Final Fantasy VII (released as Final Fantasy VII International in Japan) included additional elements and alterations, such as streamlining of the menu and Materia system, reducing the health of enemies, new visual cues to help with navigation across the world map, and additional cutscenes relating to Cloud's past.
85
/100
04
Grandia
Grandia is a role-playing video game developed by Game Arts and published by Entertainment Software Publishing for the Sega Saturn console as the first game in their Grandia series. Initially released in Japan in 1997, the game was later ported to the PlayStation in 1999, with an English version of the game appearing on the platform in North America in the following September by Sony Computer Entertainment America, and later in Europe in March 2000 by Ubisoft. The game was produced by much of the same staff who worked on the company's previous role-playing endeavor, the Lunar series, including producer Yoichi Miyagi and music composer Noriyuki Iwadare. Since its release, Grandia has become notable for its combat mechanics, which have been carried over to future games within the franchise, and has spawned two spin-off titles – Grandia: Digital Museum and Grandia: Parallel Trippers – both released exclusively in Japan. In celebration of the announcement of renewing development on Grandia Online, which acts as a prequel to Grandia, the game was re-released on Sony's PlayStation Network platform in Japan as a downloadable title in April 2009 and in North America on February 25, 2010. It was re-released in Europe on November 10, 2010.
89
/100
05
Final Fantasy Tactics
Lead epic battles in a new FINAL FANTASY world. Betrayal and darker dealings await in Squaresoft's game of war. Fight hundreds of battles across dangerous 3D terrain as an ancient blood feud awakens a deadlier foe.
83
/100
06
Hexen II
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse lurk in the shadows before you. They are Death, Pestilence, Famine, and War. They are the root of all that is evil. They are the least of your worries. The last know Serpent Rider, Eidolon, lives. As the Necromancer, the Assassin, the Crusader, or the Paladin, you must defeat the dark generals and their Hell-spawned legions before you can face the Archfiend and attempt to end his ravenous onslaught. Go in peace and you will surely die. Experience the Quake Engine's true, polygon-based modeling for the most realistic, detailed environments ever seen in 3D gaming. Possess distinct spells, powers and 32 new weapons. With experience, gain levels, more hit points and certain abilities that apply to your specific character class, such as increased speed, firepower, and jump distance. Bludgeon your way through four demon-infested worlds - Medieval, Egyptian, Mesoamerican and Roman. Smash stained glass windows, collapse structural beams, and pulverize trees. Come face-to-face with Knight Archers, Fire Imps, Were-Jaguars, Skull Wizards and more. Go in with friends, or go against foes in a bloody Deathmatch. Up to 16 players can go at it via LAN and over the Internet.
69
/100
07
Breath of Fire III (1997)
A MYSTERIOUS POWER...AN UNLIKELY HERO...A CLASSIC ADVENTURE... The lone survivor of a legendary dragon clan, a rebellious youth embarks on a great journey. One of discovery... and danger. The classic role-playing game now returns to continue the epic tales of Ryu and the dragon people. An inner power of uncertain origin matures Ryu into a warrior who ponders his purpose as he embarks on a mystical journey. What lies ahead is shrouded in mystery... yet strangely familiar. DRAGON GENE SPLICING LEGENDARY ROLEPLAYING AN EPIC 3-D ENVIRONMENT LEARN OR STEAL ADVANCE SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES POWERFUL MAGIC NOW YOU POSSESS THE POWER TO CONTROL RYU'S DESTINY.
60
/100
08
Mega Man Legends (1997)
THE BLUE BOMBER BLASTS INTO A WHOLE NEW DIMENSION Mega Man blasts his way into the third dimension in an amazing new adventure. Mega Man Legends combines the best of classic Mega Man action with enormous bosses, a riveting storyline and all the depth of the hottest RPG. Explore vast 3-D worlds in your quest to find the treasure of all treasures, the Mother Lode. You'll love the new 3-D graphics, deadly weapons and non-stop action... unless of course, you're a boss. * Awesome Weapons! * Diabolical Bosses! * Legendary Gameplay! * Non-Stop 3-D Action!
59
/100
Grandia
Grandia is a role-playing video game developed by Game Arts and published by Entertainment Software Publishing for the Sega Saturn console as the first game in their Grandia series. Initially released in Japan in 1997, the game was later ported to the PlayStation in 1999, with an English version of the game appearing on the platform in North America in the following September by Sony Computer Entertainment America, and later in Europe in March 2000 by Ubisoft. The game was produced by much of the same staff who worked on the company's previous role-playing endeavor, the Lunar series, including producer Yoichi Miyagi and music composer Noriyuki Iwadare. Since its release, Grandia has become notable for its combat mechanics, which have been carried over to future games within the franchise, and has spawned two spin-off titles – Grandia: Digital Museum and Grandia: Parallel Trippers – both released exclusively in Japan. In celebration of the announcement of renewing development on Grandia Online, which acts as a prequel to Grandia, the game was re-released on Sony's PlayStation Network platform in Japan as a downloadable title in April 2009 and in North America on February 25, 2010. It was re-released in Europe on November 10, 2010.
89
/100
05
Final Fantasy Tactics
Lead epic battles in a new FINAL FANTASY world. Betrayal and darker dealings await in Squaresoft's game of war. Fight hundreds of battles across dangerous 3D terrain as an ancient blood feud awakens a deadlier foe.
83
/100
06
Hexen II
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse lurk in the shadows before you. They are Death, Pestilence, Famine, and War. They are the root of all that is evil. They are the least of your worries. The last know Serpent Rider, Eidolon, lives. As the Necromancer, the Assassin, the Crusader, or the Paladin, you must defeat the dark generals and their Hell-spawned legions before you can face the Archfiend and attempt to end his ravenous onslaught. Go in peace and you will surely die. Experience the Quake Engine's true, polygon-based modeling for the most realistic, detailed environments ever seen in 3D gaming. Possess distinct spells, powers and 32 new weapons. With experience, gain levels, more hit points and certain abilities that apply to your specific character class, such as increased speed, firepower, and jump distance. Bludgeon your way through four demon-infested worlds - Medieval, Egyptian, Mesoamerican and Roman. Smash stained glass windows, collapse structural beams, and pulverize trees. Come face-to-face with Knight Archers, Fire Imps, Were-Jaguars, Skull Wizards and more. Go in with friends, or go against foes in a bloody Deathmatch. Up to 16 players can go at it via LAN and over the Internet.
69
/100
07
Breath of Fire III (1997)
A MYSTERIOUS POWER...AN UNLIKELY HERO...A CLASSIC ADVENTURE... The lone survivor of a legendary dragon clan, a rebellious youth embarks on a great journey. One of discovery... and danger. The classic role-playing game now returns to continue the epic tales of Ryu and the dragon people. An inner power of uncertain origin matures Ryu into a warrior who ponders his purpose as he embarks on a mystical journey. What lies ahead is shrouded in mystery... yet strangely familiar. DRAGON GENE SPLICING LEGENDARY ROLEPLAYING AN EPIC 3-D ENVIRONMENT LEARN OR STEAL ADVANCE SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES POWERFUL MAGIC NOW YOU POSSESS THE POWER TO CONTROL RYU'S DESTINY.
60
/100
08
Mega Man Legends (1997)
THE BLUE BOMBER BLASTS INTO A WHOLE NEW DIMENSION Mega Man blasts his way into the third dimension in an amazing new adventure. Mega Man Legends combines the best of classic Mega Man action with enormous bosses, a riveting storyline and all the depth of the hottest RPG. Explore vast 3-D worlds in your quest to find the treasure of all treasures, the Mother Lode. You'll love the new 3-D graphics, deadly weapons and non-stop action... unless of course, you're a boss. * Awesome Weapons! * Diabolical Bosses! * Legendary Gameplay! * Non-Stop 3-D Action!
59
/100
Frequently asked questions
What is the best RPG game of 1997?
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night currently tops the ranking with a score of 92/100 across 815 ratings. Ranking updated September 2026.
How is this ranking built?
Games are ranked on their aggregated critic score out of 100, with a minimum vote threshold so a single glowing review never outranks a proven classic; the Tier community's own F-to-S grades are shown alongside each game.