RPGs are the best. They might not be as fast-paced as Dota2 betting, Counter-Strike, Fortnite, or any of the multiplayer games, but they bring serenity to your soul. Make no mistake, we do not hate multiplayer. However, there is an idyllic charm in exploring a game and its world at your own pace. It makes a game feel personal and not just a grind fest, where you’re popping headshots and buying skins. Today’s article is more like a celebration of that feeling—a quiet reminder of what got us into gaming by examining underrated story-rich RPGs.
Best Story-Rich RPGs You Must Explore At Least Once
Before we can look at some of the best RPGs of all time, we need to understand what an RPG is. Game developers now market any semi-open-world game with action and decision-making elements as an RPG. However, that is wrong and reductive.
An RPG is where you create the storyline with your choices. A mark of a good RPG is that the player’s choice holds enough power to change the course of a story or even the game world. Therefore, we would be keeping out games like RDR, GTA, or Far Cry.
Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, we can finally dive right in!
Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3 was one of the most anticipated games of 2023. Developed by Larian Studios, the creator behind another genre-defining RPG series called the Divinity series. BG3 was released with some of the best reviews online.
The game was not just a technical marvel, but was also a fine piece of RPG. It brought the essence of Tabletop RPGs to newer fans. The game is broken into several maps. Each of which is unique in its way. Therefore, making the game somewhat linear but also open enough to take on side quests and dungeons.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3 was a sharp departure from what the series had done with the first two mainline games. Set across a huge map spanning the nations of Novigrad, Toussaint (DLC), Vizima, Skellige, and Kaer Morhen, The Witcher 3 does something organic. Geralt’s story feels personal and riveting.
The game outdoes itself in terms of combat and story. The mainline story is pretty straightforward. Geralt starts the journey looking for Yennifer, and soon the story shifts its focus to Ciri, who is outrunning the Wild Hunt.
Once you finish the story, you will be treated with two full-length DLCs named the Heart of Stone and the Blood and Wine. Both of which bring their characteristics to the story.
Mass Effect 2
The first three Mass Effect games were simply perfect. They put you in the shoes of Shepard, the head of a resistance fighting against the Reapers. The story is simple: Reapers are out there to destroy the galaxy, and you’re the only thing that is standing in their way.
What sets it apart are the RPG elements and combat. The combat was an incredible step up from Mass Effect 1. The second iteration was heavier on RPG and the combat element. The combat was quite reminiscent of the Gears franchise. Therefore, making combat fun and engaging.
Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout 4 might be shinier and technically more sound, but something is alluring about this old-school Bethesda jank. New Vegas is an absolute banger, laden with dry humor and amazing action set pieces.
There is something inherently beautiful about the setting of a nuclear wasteland in New Vegas. Sin City offers the perfect backdrop for a nuclear apocalypse. From quirky characters to deranged robots, the wasteland is home to a lot of macabre characters.
Disco Elysium
Disco Elysium is not a game that comes up in conversations. You will not see a fanfare surrounding the game. However, it is one of the best RPG games of all time. This is because the game solely relies on building and piecing together a forgotten world.
You start out the game in a hotel room where you have no memory of your motive, name, or where you are. From there, you slowly piece together these elements and discover that you are a detective tasked with investigating a lynching in the fictional state of Marinaise.
The game does not hold your hand or have an elaborate combat system. Instead, you have a dice system where each major move is based on the dice. Also, the game is not at all player-friendly, and you can even die of a stroke in the first 10 minutes of your game. A true masterpiece.
That’s The Wrap!
We have listed some of the most iconic and genre-defining RPGs that you must check out. We acknowledge that we have missed listing games like Skyrim, Cyberpunk, or The Legend of Zelda. The reason is that we wanted to keep the list underrated.
This is why we have decided not to list popular RPG games that already get a lot of limelight. Therefore, here was our list of some of the underrated yet amazing RPGs that have defined the genre in itself.
