Let’s face it. Not every ten out of ten RPG starts at a ten and continues to hold that power over players. Some may start at an eight or even as low as a five. Kingdom Hearts 2 is a great example because the opening section of that game, which can take several hours, is divisive among the fan base, as not a lot of action happens.
10 Western RPGs That Are All Killer, No Filler
These RPGs won’t waste your time with meaningless filler content, even if they take 100 hours to complete.
That’s a Japanese example, but there are plenty of Western-made RPGs that also have this problem. Some games may have a lot of story holding back the gameplay, and others may just have complicated systems that are difficult to learn. Whatever the case may be, these RPGs require a bit of patience.
Fit the 9 games into the grid.
Dragon Age: Inquisition
Get Out Of The Hinterlands
Dragon Age: Inquisition
- Released
- November 18, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Dragon Age: Inquisition is probably the best game in the Dragon Age series, but a lot of players may hit a stopping gap in the first area, called The Hinterlands. It’s not that it’s boring; it’s just that there is a lot to do, and players may be compelled to see it all, which can create a burnout feeling.
The game does get better in the other areas, which offer better side quests and more diverse lands, and this is why it is recommended to get out of The Hinterlands after a couple of hours. Players can always return to it if they want.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
A Slow Start At The Bottom
- Developer(s)
- Warhorse Studios
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Action-Adventure, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has one of the slowest burns in an open-world RPG in recent memory, but it’s also one of the coolest historical games ever made. Players will start at the very bottom of society without much social standing, money, or fighting capabilities.
It’s also one of the most rewarding games if players keep at it, hitting a good peak after about eight to ten hours. That can be a lot to ask from players, in any gaming experience, which is why most tend drop Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.
Dead Island
Arming Yourself Against The Armless
Dead Island starts a bit rough because the weapons players will find on the island, from bars to hotel rooms, will be weak. Zombies also take a lot of hits to take down, and they can come in aggressive packs.
Eventually, after players get a hang of scavenging, work out some skills, and can build some weapons, they will have no problem eliminating zombies on their own. A classic early craftable weapon is a machete that can have electric currents running through it to give zombies a nice zap.
Banishers: Ghosts Of New Eden
Ghostbusting Feelings
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden starts slow and on a bit of a downer because the starting protagonist, Antea, dies. She’s then replaced by her partner, Red, whom she follows now as a ghost.
8 Western RPGs That Feel Like Real Places You Could Actually Live In
The depth of these Western RPG worlds makes them perfect for imagining a life among their NPCs.
Both characters are essentially ghostbusters of the ancient world, going from mission to mission, trying to help ease the burden of NPCs with ghost problems. It can be a lot to handle emotionally from the start, and the combat doesn’t open up for a while, but once players get to know Antea and Red better, they’ll discover a dour but well-written narrative for an action RPG.
Mass Effect: Andromeda
Getting Past The Trilogy
Players should not expect Mass Effect: Andromeda to be the start of the next Mass Effect trilogy. Those three games will never be topped, and if players go in with no expectations, then they can ease themselves in better. It’s like the first Mass Effect, which had a lot of world-building to set up between the universe, characters, and galactic conflict.
Mass Effect: Andromeda has a bit of an advantage being the fourth entry, but since it is removed from the other games, it is a reset. After a few missions, when players get to know their party better, they should hopefully be able to get used to the lack of Commander Shepard.
Forspoken
Getting Past The Frey Of It All
- ESRB
- M For Strong Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Forspoken can be a hard game to swallow because of the protagonist, Frey. She was transported to a fantasy world from New York City and immediately has an attitude with everyone around her, including a magic gauntlet that grants her power. She practically spits in the face of everyone around her.
The catch is that the parkour-like movement in the open-world is a lot of fun, and the spell system is miraculous. After the first major boss fight against Tanta Sila, which gives Frey more magic, she will also start to calm down a bit as a character.
The Ascent
A Top-Down Cyberpunk
- Developer(s)
- Neon Giant
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
At first, The Ascent won’t feel like an RPG at all beyond the character creator and more like just another top-down twin-sticker shooter, as if it were developed by Housemarque. It takes a few hours to get through the initial quest of shooting hordes of enemies and hacking through gates, but eventually the cyberpunk plot will come into place.
Players will get more weapon types available, all of which can be customized, along with varying skill sets to make the type of character they want. It is Diablo with guns, and while the corridors of this dissolute future shooter are cramped, they are at least full of style.
Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora
Immersing Yourself As A Na'vi
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Language, Mild Blood, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
As cool as the planet of Pandora is to see and explore in a video game format, it isn’t as exciting as it appears in the movies. That’s because players will be bogged down by simple quests and a main story that isn’t exactly thrilling at the start of Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.
9 RPGs You Didn’t Realize Had Branching Endings
Always expect the unexpected in RPGs, because you never know how things end, and that includes these games that surprise you with branching endings.
If players keep at it and build up their Na'vi to perform more killer moves and wear cooler sets of gear, then they may ease themselves in a bit more. The game still cannot compare to the wonders of Pandora on film, especially in 3D viewings, but players can at least come close to bliss in this live-service adaptation.
Battle Chasers: Nightwar
A Solid Turn-Based Comic
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Alcohol Reference, Blood and Gore, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Strategy, Top-Down
Battle Chasers: Nightwar continued the events left hanging from the short-run comic of the late 90s and early 2000s, so right away, players may be thrown for a loop. Also, beyond the amazing art style of the world and characters, the battle system may feel too familiar in its turn-based setting.
It’s this world that will eventually hook players in and never let go, dozens of hours into the campaign. For fans of Joe Madureira’s art style, who also worked on the comic and games like Darksiders, Battle Chasers: Nightwar may be worth a shot, as long as they don’t mind grinding a bit to the good stuff.
Alpha Protocol
Surprisingly Deep If You Give It A Chance
Obsidian Entertainment is known for creating some of the best RPG stories of all time, but that doesn’t mean some of their earlier work wasn’t also known for being glitchy. Alpha Protocol is the king of the roost, having launched with numerous technical issues, and may feel the most unfinished.
The spy plot and the toolset players presented aren’t exactly Metal Gear Solid caliber. Like a good spy, players will have to bide their time, sinking low into the shadowy depths before they can rise again as a super spy with cool gadgets, killer moves, and a story that eventually does go somewhere if players steer it in the right direction.
10 Best Linear RPGs For Players Tired Of Open-Worlds
These RPGs are linear but still brimming with content, making them perfect palette cleansers for anyone suffering from open-world fatigue.