There are plenty of worlds in Western-made RPGs that are expansive and fun to explore. For example, Fallout 4 has an impressive world with plenty of derelict buildings to check out from the past, but it is the post-apocalypse, meaning that it’s also pretty scary. While not expansive, it would be cool to live in a world of superheroes like Marvel’s Avengers, too, but not everyone is guaranteed a superpower.
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While there are bonuses to both of those games, there are many better examples out there with games that have better pre-established worlds that are beautiful. They may not cater to everyone, but it is easy to think about settling down in these Western-made RPGs.
Hogwarts Legacy
Become A Witch Or Wizard
Hogwarts Legacy
- Released
- February 10, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
Hogwarts Legacy technically takes place in the real world, although it’s a period piece set before the events of the Harry Potter books, which occurred in the 90s. Hogwarts is a school that exists in a parallel dimension, accessible only to those magically gifted, located near London.
At Hogwarts, specifically in the game, players can be sorted into one of four houses and then attend classes to learn everything from magic spells to alchemy. Players can then take what they learned and apply it to the real world as they explore the grounds around Hogwarts. Since 1997, every Harry Potter fan has dreamed about going to a magical school like Hogwarts, which still involves schoolwork, but when magic is involved, it’s much more appealing to live in a side reality to Earth like this.
Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic
THE Sci-Fi Franchise
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
- Released
- July 15, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Violence
- Genre(s)
- RPG
A universe as big as Harry Potter, if not bigger, has to be Star Wars, which has existed since the 70s. The growing number of Star Wars video games, like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, let players live out their sci-fi fantasies. This one specifically is about an amnesiac silent protagonist who gets taken in by the Jedi and made an honorary member as they are gifted in the Force.
Being a Jedi is the ultimate goal for Star Wars fans, along with getting a spaceship and cruising around the galaxy looking for adventure and action. While there is danger from Sith and underground factions, this is the height of the Republic, when there was more order. It’s probably the most livable era of Star Wars and definitely the one with the most Jedi.
Mass Effect
The Star Trek Equivalent
Mass Effect
- Released
- November 20, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
BioWare developed Mass Effect as a sort of special successor to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, which was also an attempt to start their own magical universe. It’s more akin to Star Trek than Star Wars, as a galactic council of planets and races all come together in a place called The Citadel to hold order. While there are conflicts on various planets, there is also peace in the galaxy, and a wanting to learn and study each culture.
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That’s unfortunately not what the first Mass Effect is about, or the first trilogy. Instead, players inhabit the role of Commander Shepard, who is desperately to stop an evil alien race from wiping out the existence of everything, which is essentially the plot of the whole trilogy. The stakes could not be higher, but that said, as a normal citizen within the galaxy, players could probably live pretty comfortably in the Mass Effect universe. The Citadel specifically has everything a player could need, from housing to fake skies.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Don’t Take An Arrow To The Knee
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Released
- November 11, 2011
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda Game Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is one of the most important open-world RPGs of all time, which brought forth the imagination and hunger for exploring in everyone. Skyrim, which is the name of the land, is cold, dark, and full of danger. Anyone who lives in colder regions of the planet, from Minnesota in the United States to the entire country of Russia, would fit right at home in this fantasy land.
They can make a humble life as a blacksmith, or they could become a soldier for a king. They probably wouldn’t be a Dovahkiin, which is what players are in the game. With their bloodline, Dovahkiin are able to communicate with dragons and gain their powers. While the spot of Dovahkiin may be off the table, the ability to learn magic isn’t, if players are so inclined to study it in this reality.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Depressing, But Vibrant
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Released
- May 19, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is another high fantasy open-world game, and everything is seemingly a bit harsher and more dramatic than The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Creatures inspired by folklore creep inside this beautiful world, from trolls to tree-like entities that like to kidnap children. In the game, players are Geralt, a Witcher, a type of mercenary who has undergone powerful mutations and testing to become an equal to monsters.
They are feared but necessary to keep the peace, and it’s a decent living even if they have to make tough decisions. Just because it’s a hard life for Geralt doesn’t mean it would be for anyone else, but players would not have to be a Witcher in real life. Even a world with monsters needs workers like tailors for clothes or a cook to eat, and there are certainly more peaceful areas than others to inhabit in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
Cyberpunk 2077
Back To The Future
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
Cyberpunk 2077 was developed by CD Projekt Red, just like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, but this is a sci-fi game taking place in the year 2077. Players can choose to start outside in the wasteland, or they can begin as a lower or higher tier member of society within the bustling streets of Night City. People come here for opportunity, as it’s the peak of civilization with plenty of jobs in corporations that seemingly run the world, if players know how to kiss the proverbial ring.
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With money comes power and a nice way to live out their days. Those who wish to reject society can become underground rats to steal from the rich and give to themselves. Also, buying cybernetics for their body is a big part of the game. Anyone who has ever dreamt of getting cool things like cybernetic arms that can turn into blades can feel right at home in Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City.
South Park: The Stick Of Truth
EarthBound With Swears
South Park: The Stick of Truth
- Released
- March 4, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch
South Park: The Stick of Truth takes place within a heightened reality where anything is possible. Fans who have been watching South Park episodes since 1997 know the various kids and adults in South Park, Colorado, deal with the ordinary and extraordinary seemingly every week, from alien invaders to volcano explosions to political debates. South Park: The Stick of Truth is a turn-based RPG wherein players get to make their own South Park kid to go on an imaginary adventure around town with the other kids like Cartman, Kyle, Stan, Kenny, Butters, and so on.
Even though payers get to cast spells, and they face adults who can do the same, it’s unclear if things are real or not. While the ability to wield magic may not come today, it could tomorrow, depending on what life brings to South Park next. Like Hogwarts Legacy, it’s a more interesting version of reality to live in, as the possibilities are endless for kids and adults.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
A Time Machine To The Medieval Era
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Released
- February 4, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- 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 is a history lesson, taking place in the 1400s. It’s a stark comparison to high fantasy worlds like The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, as there is no magic to be found in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 other than alchemic concoctions. It’s just a simple medieval era that is hard for everyone, from soldiers to barmaids.
That said, the goal of the game is go from rags to riches, if players choose, but they can just as easily stay in the shadows and be a thief. Either way, the society in this world is thriving even though there are no TVs, video game consoles, or cellphones. Things were simpler back then, and people had to fend for themselves. It may not be an easy world to go into nowadays for those who find comfort in technology, but it is highly inhabitable and beautiful to boot, since nature was still in its prime.
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