RPGs are some of the most widely loved video game genres. These games are quite impactful, allowing players to immerse themselves in a fantasy world and plot unique storylines.
The best RPG games are games that never rush players to move to the next quest. It’s more about character building, world design and knowledge that can keep them busy for days.
Plus, RPG games come in all shapes and sizes; there are JRPGs, ARPGs, Tactical RPGs, 90s 3D platform RPGs and many more. It is one of the most diverse genres.
It is a difficult task to compile a list of great RPGs of all time. However, here’s a mix-and-match compilation of some of the best RPGs made in the past two decades. These games are still relevant today and can be chosen to keep September busy.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the opinion of the author.
Ten captivating RPGs to pick up again this fall
1) Pokemon Emerald (2004)
- Available on: Game Boy Advance, Android
For many gamers, the Game Boy Advance’s Pokemon games were their first foray into role-playing in an immersive open world. While Pokemon Red & Blue and Pokemon Sapphire & Ruby are all legendary games in their own right, Pokemon Emerald is the integrated and more enhanced version of Pokemon Sapphire & Ruby.
Pokemon Emerald introduces the third generation of pocket monsters from the popular Pokemon manga series. The title is set in the tropical islands of Japan. Users are tasked with exploring the Hoenn region, capturing the strongest team of Pokemon and collecting all eight gym badges by beating all gym masters.
The storyline follows a similar progression to previous Pokemon titles of finally defeating the Elite Four, coupled with a tantalizing parallel side story about Legendary Pokemon.
Like Pokemon Ruby & Sapphire, Pokemon Emerald also has LAN connectivity zones under the Poke Centers and Poke Marts scattered around the map in towns and cities.
2) World of Warcraft (2004)
- Available on: Microsoft Windows, macOS
Growing up in the late 90s and early 20s meant it was a pleasure to come across World of Warcraft. It is an MMORPG featuring the fantasy continent of Azeroth which is inhabited by numerous races in addition to humans such as the Elves, Orcs, Centaurs, the Undead and hundreds of others.
World of Warcraft allows players to create their own unique avatar and explore the ever-expanding open world of Azeroth in third-person view, full of lore, magic, dungeons and labyrinths to unravel. Immersing yourself in the World of Warcraft is truly a magical experience worth sacrificing countless sleepless nights.
Since its launch, the World of Warcraft franchise has continued to expand its universe with various expansions. Even two decades since its launch, the franchise has become hugely popular with millions of active users, making it one of the most successful MMORPGs ever.
3) Diablo 2: Resurrected (2021)
- Available on: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X|S
Blizzard Entertainment, the creators of World of Warcraft, have done a fantastic job in their hack-and-slash third-person RPG, Diablo 2. Released in 2000, the game dominated the genre for the entire decade.
It was a pleasant surprise for gamers not to follow a linear story progression and simply hack and chop through the open world the way they wanted.
Diablo 2: Resurrected is the remastered version of the timeless classic, made with advanced game engines. The title also includes the Lord of Destruction expansion of the old classic.
4) Fallout: New Vegas (2010)
- Available on: Playstation 3, Windows, Xbox 360
Fallout: New Vegas is arguably the best game in the Fallout series. It is a first-person shooter RPG that offers one of the most detailed open world maps.
Only a few first-person shooter RPGs managed to pull off a brilliant storyline coupled with an impeccable open world and action-packed gameplay. Fallout: New Vegas belongs to the higher echelons of such games.
Set in an apocalyptic world suffering from a post-nuclear disaster, every side quest and minor character players encounter in the open world of Fallout: New Vegas receives tremendous attention and detail.
Most importantly, Fallout: New Vegas leaves several paths open for users as to how they want to navigate and complete their quests. It is a game that every RPG fan should try at least once.
5) Mass Effect 2 (2010)
- Available on: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
Mass Effect 2, a sequel to the original Mass Effect game, is a traditional third-person RPG with a strong emphasis on cinematic cutscenes and character dialogue. In this third-person shooter, gamers take on the role of Commander Shepherd who traverses a vast galaxy.
In the 22nd century, interstellar travel is possible. The human race is part of an intergalactic conglomerate called the Citadel Council, which includes other alien races such as Asari and Turians.
There are other equally tantalizing independent breeds, such as the Reptile Krogan. In Mass Effect 2, users will face the hostile race of AI networks.
The gameplay includes futuristic space shooter battles where players can lead a gang of up to two. Most of the missions are combat missions with interactions with some very well written NPC characters.
6) The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim (2011)
- Available on: Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 5, Xbox X|S, PlayStation 3
Elder Scrolls is one of the oldest RPG series out there. The franchise has a huge cult following and has spawned brilliant RPG titles, including The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind, one of the first RPGs with a massive open world.
However, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is arguably the best iteration of the franchise yet in terms of the sheer size of the open world and creativity in terms of the knowledge it manages to provide.
The visual brilliance of the open world is a feast for the eyes for the time, and the game environment never seems to age.
It’s hard to argue about the impact of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim over the past decade. It single-handedly inspired a number of similar open world titles to hit the market in the 2010s.
7) Borderland 2 (2012)
- Available on: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, macOS, PlayStation Vita, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android, Nintendo Switch
It’s impressive how Borderlands 2 manages to offer so much under one package. Not only did the game spawn a subgenre, shooter looters, but exploring the artistically created world of Pandora and slaying its beautiful beasts is an unforgettable experience in itself.
Ultimately, Borderlands 2 is a first-person shooter RPG in which players take on the role of one of four playable Vault Hunters against Handsome Jack and his evil Hyperion Corporation, who have complete control over Pandora.
Each Vault Hunter has unique skills, abilities, and weaknesses, and once gamers complete the game with a Vault Hunter, they can choose to replay the storyline with a different one.
Borderlands 2 has a captivating plot that doesn’t diminish as players travel through the open world. In September, give this underrated first-person shooter a try.
8) The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)
- Available on: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Microsoft Windows
As the third installment of The Witcher series, developer CD Projekt Red has done a fantastic job in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt by creating a spectacularly large open world that spans an entire continent with unique geographic regions.
The main story of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt plays from a third-person perspective and revolves around the life of Geralt, who embarks on a journey with his longtime partner Yennefer in search of Ciri.
The medieval open world features hundreds of side missions and monster hunting missions, enough for users to put the main story missions aside for a few days and roam the continent for fun.
9) The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017)
- Available on: Nintendo Switch
The pleasantly rolling, lush green landscape in a dreamy open world of Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a sight to behold. The game has inspired many others to follow suit and offers an exciting open world with complete freedom to explore.
From the start, players can explore a variety of locations, from grassy meadows to dense dark forests and high mountains. Every object they encounter, from apples to books to rocks, is a resource that can be used in the game.
Above all, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild stands out from its contemporaries when it comes to the highly interactive and responsive open-world environment that the RPG title manages to offer gamers.
10) Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (2018)
- Available on: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Google Stadia, Microsoft Windows, Amazon Luna
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is a genre-defining game that completely saturates the open-world action-adventure RPG genre. Developers Ubisoft have done a spectacular job of recreating the setting and atmosphere of the Peloponnesian War – a historically accurate recreation of the battle for supremacy over the Greek peninsula that took place mainly between Athens and Sparta in the classical era.
It is a role-playing action adventure where users can take on the role of mercenary warrior Alexios. In the beginning, they are forced to choose between Sparta and Athens. When finished, they are free to embark on a never-ending journey across the beautifully created Greek countryside.
The scale of the open world in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is unbelievably large, and every little decision made in the storyline can leave gamers behind in the endgame.
Numerous side missions and equally dangerous main missions can be approached in different ways. The decisions made in some quests ultimately have the potential to turn the tide of the ensuing battle for supremacy between countless Greek city-states.
Available soon!
0 Comments