What is an RPG? Wow, what a question. Aside from standing for Rocket-Propelled Grenade Role-Playing Game it can be quite difficult to identify an RPG these days, given how diluted the concept has become alongside the filtering of the genre’s concepts into pretty much every other title out there. Once upon a time any game with levelling could have been called an RPG, so shall we count Call of Duty (answer: no)?
There are basically, all-things-boiled-down, three types of “proper” RPG these days (although what game fits into which is another matter) if you don’t count MMOs – which we’re not going to. Action RPGs, where story and character take a back-seat to just killing things. Japanese RPGs, usually with turn-based combat and fixed characters. Finally Western RPGs, with customisable characters, choices, and more in-depth combat. There are a lot these days though, and every one will appeal to a different type of player. So we thought it’d be a fine time to do the Ultimate Guide to every recent RPG (c’mon, you know to buy Planescape: Torment already whoever you are), in terms of every specific player they would appeal to. That’s a lot, so let’s get started!
Gamer Type: THE EXPLORER
Best Game: THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM
Type of RPG: Western
The Explorer doesn’t value plot, character, or even gripping combat. They simply want to be plopped into a world unlike our own and given free rein over what they see and do. Bethesda specialise in RPGs for this gamer type, and Skyrim is the most special of the lot. About ten square miles of mountainous dragon-infested terrain to seek out, filled with bustling towns, a quest on every corner, secret vampire castles and flowers to pick. For those who value a compass and map more than a fancy swordfighting style, this is the one to go for.
Alternatives: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Fallout 3
Gamer Type: THE HACK-N-SLASH EXPLORER
Best Game: KINGDOMS OF AMALUR: RECKONING
Type of RPG: Western
It’s not all about exploring, you know. Sure it’s fun having a big wide world to spend hours in, but if there’s not loads of things to kill in a variety of amusing ways what’s the point? Amalur provides. The Faelands may not be as expansive or believable as Skyrim or Tamriel, but makes up for it with some of the most entertaining hack-n-slash gameplay ever. Big swords, little swords, magic swords, fiery spinning ring swords, they’re all here. Somewhere between God of War and The Elder Scrolls lies Reckoning, and the Hack-N-Slash-N-Explorer will feel at home here.
Alternatives: Dragon’s Dogma, The Witcher 2
Gamer Type: THE APOCALYPTIC SURVIVOR/EXPLORER
Best Game: FALLOUT 3/NEW VEGAS
Type of RPG: Western
Did I mention Bethesda did the best exploring titles? If you don’t like the sound of trekking around some made up fantasy land and instead prefer a nuke-blasted Washington or Las Vegas, then Fallout is the series for you. All the exploring fun of Skyrim with extra VATS, super mutants and radscorpions. And guns.
Alternatives: Wasteland 2, when it’s out
Gamer Type: THE CHOOSE-YOUR-OWN-ADVENTURER
Best Game: THE WITCHER 2: ASSASSINS OF KINGS
Type of RPG: Western
Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books would give you a variety of choices as you progressed through the story, and you would have to live with the consequences. If you value choice above all else in your RPG, you may not get the best story – but dammit, it’ll be your story. CD Projekt are to this type what Bethesda are to the Explorer, and the main game CYOA fans need in their Summer Stocking is The Witcher 2. Every decision can have dramatic consequences, even down to what side of a war you end up on. Choose wisely.
Alternatives: The Witcher, Deus Ex series
Gamer Type: CYBERPUNK CHOOSE-YOUR-OWN-ADVENTURER
Best Game: DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION
Type of RPG: Western
Of course not all CYOA fans crave pointy ears, magic, medievalism and shrubbery. Some are after guns, sunglasses at night, cold machinery, and baggy coats that make us look bigger than we really are. The Deus Ex series offers the very best in choicey RPGness without any of that sword nonsense (unless they’re laser swords or built-into-the-arm stabbing weapons). Human Revolution furthermore offers more in the way of actual gameplay choices than storyline, although there are plenty of moments that have consequences later on.
Alternatives: System Shock 2, Cyberpunk (when it’s out)
Gamer Type: ESPIONAGE CHOOSE-YOUR-OWN-ADVENTURER
Best Game: ALPHA PROTOCOL
Type of RPG: Western
Then again, maybe sunglasses and perpetual orangey twilight aren’t for you? What you really want is to roleplay James Bond, and decide whether it’s Roger Moore, Daniel Craig or (god help you) George Lazenby. Activision’s FPS titles don’t offer anywhere near enough depth, so where do you go? Answer: Obsidian’s over-ambitious spy thriller Alpha Protocol. Yes, it’s as buggy as a bag of bugs and as unfinished as Unfinished Tales (what an apt title, Tolkien), but it’s also the place to go to play the super-spy of your choice.
Alternatives: Deus Ex series
Gamer Type: THE DIABLO FAN
Best Game: DIABLO III
Type of RPG: Action
Well, who else is going to play Diablo III? Who is it made for most of all? The fans of the previous Diablo games of course. If you’re a Diablo fan, the next Diablo is just what you’re after!
Alternatives: Diablo, Diablo II
Gamer Type: THE OFFLINE DIABLO FAN
Best Game: TORCHLIGHT II
Type of RPG: Action
Heh. Okay, it’s not out just yet, but I have every confidence Torchlight II will be a great Diablo-style game without the always-online-except-whoops-Error 37 shenanigans of Blizzard. If you don’t want to play a single-player game with all the disadvantages of an MMO and ten times the power not to let you in at all, Torchlight II is what you’re after. Or the first game, whatever.
Alternatives: Torchlight, Diablo, Diablo II, Hellgate London
Gamer Type: THE FANTASY EPIC FAN
Best Game: DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS
Type of RPG: Western
If ever two words were meant to go together, it’s “epic” and “fantasy”. Giant conflicts between good and evil with the fate of the world hanging in the balance, Lord of the Rings has a lot to answer for when it comes to expectations. There are some pretty epic games out there (like Gears of War, heh), but none in fantasy land match the scale of Dragon Age: Origins. It puts you right in the centre of a gigantic war, the Blight of Ferelden, and only you can unite the factions to stave off the Darkspawn. What’s not to get excited about?!
Alternatives: Baldur’s Gate, The Witcher 2
Gamer Type: THE SCI-FI EPIC FAN
Best Game: MASS EFFECT TRILOGY
Type of RPG: Western/Action
But of course not everyone likes fantasy, remember? Bioware make the best epics around, even when they’re doing Sonic The Hedgehog, so it’s natural to look to them for a sci-fi epic too. Even by their standards though, Mass Effect is something special, a sci-fi trilogy with the fate of the entire galaxy on the line. Yes it’s more of a Talkie-Shooter than an RPG, and the ending makes little sense, but it’s a hell of a ride.
Alternatives: Knights of the Old Republic I-II, the older Phantasy Stars, Star Ocean
Gamer Type: THE STAR WARS FAN
Best Game: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC
Type of RPG: Western
There is, however, a very specific set within the Sci-Fi Epic fandom that craves just one series: Star Wars. Fortunately Bioware cater for them too, with the ageing but still incredible Knights of the Old Republic. Jedi Vs Sith on a grand scale, with a similarly great (if typically for Obsidian, unfinished) sequel. KOTOR3 finally arrived this year… but was unfortunately an MMO. Oh well.
Alternatives: Well, Mass Effect was clearly influenced by it
Gamer Type: THE GAMER WHO WANTS MORE STORY THAN DIABLO, BUT MORE COMBAT THAN DRAGON AGE
Best Game: DUNGEON SIEGE III
Type of RPG: Action
Yep, RPGs even cater for extreme niches. Yes, Diablo III had a big story, but how many people cared? Dungeon Siege III tries to fill the gap between Western and Action RPGs, hack-and-slash action and an interesting fantasy world, with moderate success admittedly… but hey, it’s fun, engaging, and the story might well get to you. Although hearing “Jeyne Kassynder” yet again might change my mind.
Alternatives: Lord of the Rings: War in the North, Neverwinter Nights
Gamer Type: THE LORD OF THE RINGS HACK-N-SLASHER
Best Game: LORD OF THE RINGS: WAR IN THE NORTH
Type of RPG: Action
Just as some sci-fi fans only require Star Wars and a few FPS fans only need Call of Duty, some fantasy fans are Tolkienites. For them it really doesn’t get any better (unfortunately) than War In The North, a hack-n-slash title featuring the fight to take back Yorkshire Middle-Earth from the forces of Agandaur and Sauron. Low on plot, exploration and humour but high on orc-chopping and talking eagles, the co-op mode at the very least makes it worth trying out. At least until something more ambitious comes along, like Lego Lord of the Rings.
Alternatives: Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, Lord of the Rings Online
Gamer Type: THE GAMER WHO WANTS DIABLO AS AN FPS
Best Game: BORDERLANDS
Type of RPG: Action
Yes, clicking on things a million times from a top down perspective is fine, or even hammering an ‘X’ button from third-person. But what if you want first-person instead? And guns, lots of guns? Well then, that’s Borderlands for you. Don’t expect much more than death death death ooh a shiny new pistol with +3 incineration, but if you’ve got up to three friends and don’t mind ignoring all this “plot” and “engaging believable world” nonsense then there’s no better. At least until the sequel comes out.
Alternatives: Borderlands 2 (when it’s out)
Gamer Type: THE FIRST-PERSON-SHOOTER HACK-N-SLASHER
Best Game: DARK MESSIAH: MIGHT & MAGIC
Type of RPG: Action
You’ve probably noticed the contradiction in this type. “Wait, how can you have shooting with swordplay?” What we’re getting at is someone who wants the linear fun of a game like Half-Life 2 but mixed with a bit of Elder Scrolls, where it’s not just action but maybe a bit of stealth now and again, or some story moments. Linear, yes, but a decent amount of gameplay choice. Sound appealing? Well then, Dark Messiah: Might & Magic is for you.
Alternatives: Arx Fatalis, System Shock 2
Gamer Type: THE PIRATE
Best Game: RISEN 2: DARK WATERS
Type of RPG: Western
No, not that type of pirate, in which case any game on this list would be fine. I mean the actual RPG gamer who dreams of being a swashbucklin’ rogue, sailing the high seas raidin’ and pillagin’. Substitute “sailing the seas” with “getting killed by pigs a lot” and you’ve got the perfect pirate game! If you don’t count that Pirates of the Caribbean game Bethesda did.
Alternatives: that Pirates of the Caribbean game Bethesda did, Sid Meier’s Pirates!
Gamer Type: THE JRPG FAN WHO REALLY DOESN’T MIND TAKING HIS TIME
Best Game: FINAL FANTASY XIII
Type of RPG: Japanese
Is there a better example of the JRPG than the Final Fantasy series? Well, possibly Chrono Trigger. Or Earthbound. None however match the spectacle of a new FF numbered title. Yes, you have to have extreme patience with No. XIII (no, not the genetically-modified cat) as its tutorials stretch to the 20 hour mark, but your patience will pay off big time. Go on, take your time for once.
Alternatives: Most Final Fantasy games that aren’t VII
Gamer Type: THE GLUTTON FOR PUNISHMENT
Best Game: DARK SOULS
Type of RPG: Japanese/Western/Action (yep, I’d classify this under all three)
Dark Souls is hard. Really hard. You won’t believe how vastly, mind-boggingly hard it is. I mean, you may think it’s hard beating the Archdemon, but that’s just peanuts to Dark Souls. Challenging? Yes. Infuriating? Very. Addictive? Utterly. If you don’t mind being dead the majority of your time playing, this is the game for you. It will challenge you like no other.
Alternatives: Demon’s Souls, Legend of Grimrock
Gamer Type: THE MONSTER HUNTER
Best Game: DRAGON’S DOGMA
Type of RPG: Japanese/Western/Action (yep, again)
There’s a more obvious and more popular series for this gamer type, but you know the one thing that particular monster hunting series hasn’t done? Turned up on PC or Xbox 360. So that leaves us with Dragon’s Dogma. Capcom’s latest got a solid 8/10 in our review, with excellent combat and giant beasts of fantasy to hunt down in the most spectacular ways possible. It may be arguably the most overlooked game in this line-up, but if you’re hankering for some massive monsters to hunt and don’t own a handheld or Wii get this now!
Alternatives: that other series we’re not mentioning, Shadow of the Colossus
Gamer Type: THE NOT-TOO-JUDGMENTAL GAME OF THRONES FAN
Best Game: GAME OF THRONES
Type of RPG: Western
Game of Thrones: great books, great TV series, okayish videogame. There’s a compelling story here woven around the events of the first book/season, but you may have to wade through drab graphics and terrible voice-acting to find it. One for GRR Martin fans then… but don’t be too judgemental about it.
Alternatives: If you aretoo judgemental, The Witcher series
Gamer Type: THE OLD-SCHOOLER WHO LOVED EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
Best Game: LEGEND OF GRIMROCK
Type of RPG: Western
Not too many indie titles in this list I admit, but since this particular brand of RPG is so underrepresented these days I’m thankful Legend of Grimrock exists. Manage a group of adventurers you never see, move around a dungeon a tile at a time, and swipe at big snails until they die. No Beholders, but they’re not missed. If you miss this type of game you owe it to yourself to buy Grimrock.
Alternatives: buy an Amiga
Gamer Type: THE CRAFTY ARCHER
Best Game: TWO WORLDS II
Type of RPG: Western
Every one of these RPGs does something better than the others. Two Worlds II is great fun but is only really better than its compatriots in the fields of crafting and archery: hence “The Crafty Archer”. Do you like crafting and love archery? Well you’ll love Two Worlds II, from the makers of Car Hate Cheese Love magazine! (anyone get that Mitchell & Webb joke? No? Oh well…)
Alternatives: Skyrim’s pretty good in both departments too, I guess
Gamer Type: THE MONTY PYTHON FAN
Best Game: FABLE TRILOGY
Type of RPG: Western
Fable is a real hard RPG series to quantify, especially in terms of fans. I narrowed it down to anyone who’s ever laughed at Monty Python. A mad, distinctly British sense of humour turns a basic RPG series into something uniquely compelling. They’re also the polar opposite of Dark Souls - these are RPGs anyone can play and enjoy. Not quite dead, for sure.
Alternatives: Penny Arcade: On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Anachronox
Gamer Type: THE NARRATOR
Best Game: BASTION
Type of RPG: Action
Another unique indie title we just had to include. A hack-n-slash action RPG certainly, but do you ever have the feeling you’re being watched and commented upon? And did you like it? Then congratulations, Bastion is the RPG for you. Its smooth commenter commenting on your every action is amazing, freaky, and drives you onwards in the way a regular action slasher wouldn’t. Oh yeah, baby.
Alternatives: Penny Arcade: On The Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness
Gamer Type: THE JAPANESE ANIME SCI-FIER
Best Game: STAR OCEAN 4: THE LAST HOPE
Type of RPG: Japanese
There’s no reason Western developers (or just Bioware) should have the monopoly on sci-fi RPGs. What about a sci-fi story that plays out like Final Fantasy but with a more interesting battle mode? Well then, welcome to Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope. The story’s a little baffling for newcomers and the planets are a bit boring to traverse, but get into it and you’ll find an intriguing JRPG to discover. And it’s sci-fi, did I mention that?
Alternatives: Phantasy Star series
Gamer Type: THE GAMER WHO CRAVES DISAPPOINTMENT
Best Game: DRAGON AGE II
Type of RPG: Western
Do you desperately love to be disappointed? Do you desire to feel the crashing, burning sensation of an avalanche of hype falling to pieces around your ears? To watch the best RPG developer in the world piss away their franchise and their reputation in one quick sales-grab? Well then, Dragon Age II is the must-have game for you!
Alternatives: Deus Ex: Invisible War
Written by Chris Capel.
