Featuring immersive story-driven gameplay, thought-provoking character development and focusing heavily on pure exploration, RPGs (Role-Playing Games) have been a beloved game category for as long as anyone can remember. In addition to placing oneself in the shoes of the game’s character, players have clear choices that directly affect the story-lines, stat points and character builds that ultimately influence in-game combat, and character progression.
Here are some of the top ten RPG games:
10. Starbound (PC / XBO)
If you’ve ever played Terraria and loved it, you’ll find something familiar in the form of Starbound. Unlike Terraria however, Starbound has a clear story associated with its gameplay, with rich lore and a progression of your journey. Following the destruction of your home, you are thrown into the vast galaxy with nothing but your own personal damaged starship – the rest is up to you. Revenge? Colonization? The galaxy is your oyster.
- Choose and customize your species, and view the world through their eyes
- The universe in Starbound is procedurally generated, meaning you’ll get a new experience each time you play through the game
- Features three different game modes that suit different playstyles
- Capture alien creatures that can fight alongside you, meet tenants and form a ship crew, and craft thousands of different objects on your journey through the stars
9. BioShock Infinite (PC / PS3 / XB360)
Dive into the steampunk world of BioShock with a mission to clear your name. Though set in 1912, this game feels as if it’s from an alternate future, with floating sky cities, fantastic weapons and the ability to grab items through the tears in time and space.
- The city of Columbia is much more explorable than the original BioShock’s underwater city of Rapture. With an excellent story to breathe life into the atmosphere and music that is sure to wring a few tears out of even the toughest, this game will draw you in
- The worst part of this game is when it ends
8. NieR:Automata (PC / PS4 / XBO)
Humanity has been pushed off of Earth by strange mechanical foes. NieR:Automata is the tale of three android soldiers sent to destroy these invaders: 2B, 9S and A2. If these names sound familiar to you, you’ve probably heard some great things about this game already.
- Whether you’re fighting waves of enemies or engaging in a boss fight, this game will keep you on your toes with its action-packed combat
- Though bleak and dystopian, the world of NieR:Automata still manages to be beautiful
- Gather different weapons, accumulate levels and learn new skills all while discovering the mysteries of the now desolate Earth
7. The Outer Worlds (PC / PS4 / XBO / Nintendo Switch)
You become lost in space while on a ship headed for the farthest reaches of the known galaxy. When you wake up decades later, you’ll find yourself out of time, and right in the line of fire of a dangerous conspiracy surrounding the Halcyon colony.
- Your gameplay, choices and approach all matter hugely in Outer Worlds. You can kill off important NPCs, avoid missions entirely and completely change the outcome of this world’s events. It’s up to you!
- Meet unique characters across your adventures that join your crew, each with their own abilities and motivations
- Explore the colony of Halcyon at your leisure – gather supplies, repair your ship and discover what’s really going on here at the edge of the galaxy
6. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (PC / PS4 / XBO)
Fondly called the Dark Souls of Star Wars, Jedi: Fallen Order introduces beautifully fluid combat alongside heroic, enchanting stories of friendship, family, loss and morality. You’ll feel as if you’re part of the Star Wars saga yourself. Follow Cal Kestis, a Jedi survivor of Order 66 as he comes to terms with the new world he’s become a part of, and embarks on a journey to repair the broken Jedi Order and rediscover himself along the way.
- With a loveable cast, it’s easy to immerse yourself in Fallen Order. Each with different motivations and different pasts, your companions will offer you valuable insight into the new world you are traversing
- Travel through many different settings on beautifully designed planets. Climb up the side of a walking AT-AT, swing from vines, and lay flat on the back of a giant flying alien creature – the awe and wonder found in Fallen Order is paramount
- Customize your ship, the beloved BD-1, your iconically “Cal” poncho and your own lightsaber as you travel from planet to planet unlocking the secrets of the Force
- With truly compelling villains and interactive combat that perfectly marries melee and Force abilities, you’ll be replaying this game over and over until you become a professional Jedi
5. Fallout: New Vegas (PC / PS3 / XB360)
Set in the aftermath of a nuclear fallout (hey, that’s in the title!), the post-apocalyptic wastelands of New Vegas are yours to discover.
- This open world game lets you make your own choices and build your own set of rules
- With a compelling story entrenched amidst a deadly power struggle, fantastic characters and creatures, a haunting setting and truly fitting music, it’s easy to feel as if you’ve taken a step into the world of New Vegas yourself
- Whether you want real-time combat or simply desire the ability to queue up moves as you battle your way through the desert, there’s a playstyle here for everyone
4. Warframe (PC / PS4 / PS5 / XBO / Nintendo Switch)
Set far into the future, the world of Warframe is full of greed and corruption, as well as the occasional horror of genetic manipulation gone wrong. Get swept up into the lore-heavy world of Warframe and become well, a space ninja.
- Parkour your way around the world amidst interesting environments and alongside fantastic sci-fi creatures
- Play by yourself or with a squad of friends. Assemble a crew, gather powerful weapons and modify them to your liking, and seek out new adventures on the open planets within this amazing game
- Decent customization with over 30 different Warframes, all with their own special abilities. This game really lets you choose how you play
3. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II (PC / XBOX / iOS / Android)
This game is far away from its release date, but it remains to this day a beloved classic. Arguably one of the best Star Wars stories, KotOR 2 is an amazingly immersive game that draws you into your role and connects you completely with the struggles of the Jedi Exile. Set during the Old Republic era after the events of the first KotOR, you begin your journey as an adrift ex-Jedi who has lost their connection to the Force.
- Your decisions matter immensely. Your light-side and dark-side tendencies also directly affect your companions, and will skew their own behaviors alongside your’s and change how they interact with the world
- Discover different puzzles, moral situations and hold the fate of the galaxy in the palm of your hand
- As you relearn the Force and study under Kreia, you will truly feel as if you have earned the right to use the new powers you gather. Unlike many other Star Wars games, your acquisition of a lightsaber isn’t instantaneous, and really makes you put in the work to wield one of the most powerful weapons in the galaxy
- KotOR 2 has perhaps the best villains ever seen in the Star Wars universe. Fully fleshed out and with their own motivations and desires, you will be shocked at how this game changes your entire outlook on the Force and the Jedi Order as a whole. It tells a story not often told by any other Star Wars game, and for that, it’s a must-play
2. Mass Effect 2 (PC / XB360)
Chances are if you’ve ever played any game, you’ve at least heard of the Mass Effect series. A huge resounding success, even many years down the line, Mass Effect continues to capture the hearts of players everywhere. Perhaps the best of these games is Mass Effect 2, which is heralded as a must-play in the community. Taking place two years after the events of Mass Effect, you will occupy the shoes of Commander Shepherd once more to save humankind from a devastating force that is eating up colonies left and right.
- Your interactions with other NPCs and companion characters matters greatly, and affect how conversations pan out, and even what path it results in
- The direction you choose to go with the story is entirely up to you. Assemble a crew of the finest fighters in the galaxy to help you save all of mankind, or die trying. Your crew matters!
- Plunge head-first into the lore of the Mass Effect world as you travel to different areas and interact with aliens and humans alike. With upgraded cinematic conversations, deep character development and life-like interactions, you will feel as if you really are Commander Shepherd
1. Horizon Zero Dawn (PC / PS4)
Step into Aloy’s shoes in Horizon Zero Dawn, and discover a world unlike anything you’ve ever expected for Earth. With the land overrun with violent machinery and outcast from her tribe, Aloy’s journey puts her to the test, urging her onwards to uncover the truth about her beginnings and the reality of her ultimate destiny.
- The combat in Horizon Zero Dawn is always brought up whenever this fantastic game is talked about. Incredibly satisfying and fluid, the bow between your hands will feel as if it is your lifeline
- The open world aspect of this game is heralded as some of the best – feel free to walk off into the wilderness and discover hidden secrets or fight terrifying machines
- With a beautiful setting and an engaging story to boot, Horizon Zero Dawn will draw you in like no other and leave you wanting more long after its ended
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