Updated September 2026
This is the ranking of the best Third-Person Action RPGs, sorted by NextGameLike Score: a 0-100 metric blending Steam reviews, IGDB ratings (community and critic), Metacritic, OpenCritic and the NextGameLike community votes into a single number. Unlike opinion-based editorial lists, this order is computed from real data and applies a Bayesian shrinkage adjustment so games with few reviews can't inflate the top of the chart. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Red Dead Redemption 2 and God of War lead the chart — the highest-rated titles in the genre according to our data. The top-25 average NextGameLike Score is 89/100, out of 187 games catalogued. The ranking updates continuously as new reviews and votes come in.
Top 3
Top of “The 20 Best Third-Person ARPGs (2026)”: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (93.8/100). Close behind: Red Dead Redemption 2 and God of War.
Ranked by NextGameLike Score · 187 games catalogued
Players and critics agree on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which is rarer than it sounds in Third-Person Action RPGs. That is why it tops the ranking.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the few Third-Person Action RPGs where players and critics say the same thing. It is the most reviewed of the 20: 876,420 Steam reviews. Enough for the podium: number 2.
No argument here: God of War wins over players and critics alike. It holds the best critic score on the whole list, 94/100. Enough for the podium: number 3.
No argument here: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim wins over players and critics alike. Number 4, inside the top 10.
No argument here: Hi-Fi RUSH wins over players and critics alike. It is the newest on the list (2023), and has already earned its place. Number 5, inside the top 10.
Devil May Cry 5 is one of the few Third-Person Action RPGs where players and critics say the same thing. That gets it into the top 10, at number 6.
Mass Effect is carried by its players more than by its reviews. Number 7, inside the top 10.
No argument here: South Park™: The Stick of Truth™ wins over players and critics alike. No other entry of the 20 has a higher share of positive reviews: 98%. That gets it into the top 10, at number 8.
Players and critics agree on Ghost of Tsushima DIRECTOR'S CUT, which is rarer than it sounds in Third-Person Action RPGs. Number 9, inside the top 10.
God of War Ragnarök is carried by its players more than by its reviews. That gets it into the top 10, at number 10.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is one of the few Third-Person Action RPGs where players and critics say the same thing. It is the oldest game in the ranking (2003) and still here. It lands at 11 of 20.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is here because of its players — they are who it won over. It sits at 12 of 20.
God of War III earns its place on presence rather than on a score. It sits at 13 of 20.
No argument here: Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales wins over players and critics alike. It sits at 14 of 20.
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is here because of its players — they are who it won over. It lands at 15 of 20.
Marvel's Spider-Man is more loved by critics than by the average player. It sits at 16 of 20.
Players and critics agree on METAL GEAR RISING: REVENGEANCE, which is rarer than it sounds in Third-Person Action RPGs. It lands at 17 of 20.
God of War II has little in the way of ratings and a great deal of standing. It lands at 18 of 20.
No argument here: Ghost of Tsushima wins over players and critics alike. It lands at 19 of 20.
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is here because of its players — they are who it won over. It sits at 20 of 20.