Western RPGs today are more often than not known for complex fighting systems and skill trees, where players are encouraged to make complex builds just to deal with the game's more complicated boss fights. If not the fights, some western RPGs made the mark for being extremely narratively-heavy, where choices have a lot of impact on what else happens throughout the game. As such, some fans look for a healthy mix of both: games that offer satisfyingly complex combat, but also a compelling narrative that captivates the attention of players. However, some hardcore fans want to take things a step further: what about RPGs that actually value choice?
10 Best Anthology RPGs
Perspective changes everything, and these RPGs that contain short and lengthy stories across different characters know that best.
Surprisingly enough, there are some Western RPGs that make the mark when it comes to offering a lot of "outs" to situations. Instead of pushing players to fights or one choice, pushing to very few consequences, there are some RPGs that give players a lot of freedom to tackle problems however they see fit. In these RPGs, a choice can lead to a string of consequences even players can't anticipate - some affecting the main story, while some changing the way they play the game as a whole.
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Where Going Off-Script Is A Feature, Not A Bug
Set roughly a thousand years after Divinity: Original Sin, Larian’s Divinity: Original Sin 2 positions players as Sourcerers chosen by the Seven themselves as protectors of Rivellon against the Voidwoken. In Larian Studios fashion, most of Divinity: Original Sin 2 gameplay could be played by tinkering with dialogue as well as gameplay designed to exploit the environment around them.
Thanks to the Teleport skill and the ability to grab items within a character’s Strength stat, players can make ridiculous setups that might trigger or even stop encounters from happening. Some absurdity in dialogue could lead to unique scenarios, while entire scripts could be delayed with the right setups.
Fallout 2
SPECIAL Actually Matters In A Build
Despite Fallout 2 being an old-school title, it remains among the favorites of Bethesda fans for its sheer depth. Set in 2241, when the Chosen One is tasked to retrieve the equivalent of a terraforming device for their hometown, players can actually achieve this objective in different ways. This isn’t just a mere case of “different endings,” too, as Fallout 2 can, in fact, drastically change based on the character’s build.
Unlike other Fallout titles, Charisma and Intelligence actually have an impact beyond dialogue choices. For instance, low Intelligence actually results in extremely dumb characters that others don’t take as seriously. Meanwhile, high-Charisma characters actually enjoy perks such as extra information and better prices. These situations can dramatically change encounters, as “would-be fights” could probably be resolved with the right dialogue.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Roleplaying Goes Beyond Set Choices
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Larian Studios
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, macOS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Set centuries after the events of Baldur’s Gate 2, the story of Baldur’s Gate 3 brings players back to Faerun - this time to stop a Mindflayer invasion. However, the game’s events will slowly show that saving the world can happen in many ways. Why, giving the world to Mindflayers might be saving civilization from being selfish when the Illithids are connected to a singular Hive Mind. It’s this precise latter logic, and the possibility of pursuing this route, that makes Baldur’s Gate 3 quite a compelling RPG to sink one’s teeth into.
8 Western RPGs You Can't Play Anymore (And It's So Unfair)
Explore the rise and fall of these once-promising western RPGs. Whether it's for the best or not, none of these games can be played today.
Beyond creating characters in the RPG’s commendable adaptation of D&D 5e rules, it’s Larian Studios applying their signature interactive “flair” that makes each playthrough so memorable. Despite the BG3 story being told over the course of a “general narrative,” players have an absurd number of ways to resolve their troubles. Such situations include pickpocketing NPCs out of items they asked for during conversations, rolling ridiculously high for a stat that might avoid a full-blown encounter, and unique dialogue options sending players down rabbit holes surrounding a character’s backstory.
Disco Elysium
Framing Failure As A Narrative Device
Players looking for a unique take on the RPG experience can definitely sink their teeth into Disco Elysium. This narrative-heavy RPG features an open world, starring an amnesiac detective who only remembers having to solve a murder. As players help the detective piece together his memories, he has to deal with situations in unexpected ways.
Unlike other RPGs, Disco Elysium doesn’t have a combat system. Instead, conversations tackle a lot of roles or checks involving thinking, deduction, analysis, and insights. With this in mind, Disco Elysium actually turns “successes” and “failures” into vehicles to drive the story forward in unique ways. Although the game doesn’t forbid save scumming, it’s unideal due to how failures can equally branch out to deep narrative arcs in the same way successes could. Due to the sheer complexity of the story, Disco Elysium has more than 10 premature “game over” screens, three main endings, and even more variations based on Harry’s sobriety, relationship with Kim, and political standing.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Missions Always Have Different Approaches
- Developer(s)
- Eidos Montreal
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- FPS
- Platform(s)
- PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii U, PC
Set essentially as a prequel to Deus Ex, Deus Ex: Human Revolution sends players to an alternate 2027 where artificial organs have caused an uproar across society. They play as Adam Jensen, a former security officer transformed into a cyborg after a horrific accident, plunging him into a conspiracy that may upend society. Thanks to his Augmentations, Adam has incredible strength, speed, and intelligence - qualities he needs to get through the game’s toughest challenges.
10 Open-World RPGs With Maps That Are Masterpieces Of Game Design
Immerse yourself in the richly detailed maps of these open-world RPGs, with visually distinct regions that make the world feel alive.
Save for combat-oriented boss fights, most missions in Deus Ex: Human Revolution can be resolved using combat, stealth, and hacking. This is reflected in the game’s rather expansive skill tree, where players can build their “ideal” Adam Jensen - whether he’s more of a killer cyborg, a hacker extraordinaire, a cyborg secret agent, or a little bit of both. His approaches to missions can lead him to four major endings, each of which has different varieties depending on the specific choices he made in the game.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Realism Paves The Way To Different Paths
- Developer(s)
- Warhorse Studios
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Action-Adventure, Open-World
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
As though Kingdom Come Deliverance isn’t large enough, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 doubles the scope of the world, as well as the ways players deal with the many troubles that lie in it. Players still take the role of Henry of Skalitz, now a man-at-arms and leading a resistance against the usurper King Sigismund of Luxembourg. Despite being a man-at-arms, the game isn’t any less harsh to Henry. People now react more vividly to his actions, and both dialogue and combat are potential options to solve scenarios - at least, depending on how Henry deals with the people he interacts with.
Thanks to its research-backed Needs-Based AI, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 (and even its predecessor) features surprisingly “grounded” interactions with NPCs. The game tried its best to make reactions from NPCs as authentic as possible, making it plausible to slip past guard rotations as long as players don’t make noise, charming, lying, or intimidating their way into resolving quests, or resorting to good ol’ fashioned swordfighting.
Age Of Decadence
Choices Lead To Unexpected Results
Players who want an RPG that doesn’t dabble too much in fantastical elements can enjoy The Age of Decadence for its Roman-inspired, post-apocalyptic setting. Players build a character with no class, but instead choose from backgrounds and professions that shape not just their playstyles but also the way the world interacts with them. The game is said to be a love letter to older RPGs that emphasize consequences, giving quests multiple routes to complete, completely based on how players maneuver their character around the world.
At first glance, Age of Decadence becomes quite the unforgiving RPG as both its combat and dialogue can lead to unfavorable situations rather quickly. However, the game also rewards players for exploring the world with unique builds. For instance, there’s no “one way” to talk out of a situation, and dialogue may be different based on the character’s background. This means players may discover new paths and locations in the world exclusive to their playthrough, and their builds may make it disadvantageous for them to fight or lie their way past problems.
35 RPGs With The Most Romance Options
One of the standout features of an RPG is the option to do anything you want, even fall in love. These titles feature a wide array of romance options.