What's the best modern Western-style RPG?
- Page 1 of 1
So, for the uninitiated, Western-style role playing games usually go for a more grounded & realistic approach to the artstyle and characters. They also tend to be focused on exploration, elements of choice, a morality system, being open ended, consequences, etc, as opposed to a pure storytelling focus in JRPG's. Gameplay in these games also tend to be action focused in real time rather than turn-based, and places more focus on direct player progression (more based on pure experience growth & active abilities vs passive player growth & random chance typically found in JRPG titles).
So, with that said, which of the recent WRPG do you guys find to be the best?
Some candidates:
1. Dragon Age Saga (Origins-Inquisition) - This is an obvious one, and both Origins & Inquisition are highly acclaimed titles. DA2 was Larry Holmes status, tho.
2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Basically a God-tier game to a lot of people with a HUGE modding community on PC, despite its issues. And, depending on which platform you play on, there are A LOT of issues. I'm actually surprised we haven't seen an HD remaster of this game yet. Player freedom at its finest.
3. Mass Effect 1-3 - Another big WRPG franchise, but this one is more focused on player choice, open-endedness & characters than any other game on this list. Everyone has their favorite character (for me, it's Garrus), favorite love interest (Liara 4 lyfe), and everyone has large discussions of which players that lived or died throughout their playthroughs. BTW, if you kill Wrex, you're an asshole.
Largest problem with the ME series, tho, is that all that player choice... ends up meaning jack fucking shit in the end.
4. Dragon's Dogma - Technically a JRPG, since Capcom made it, but a WRPG through and through. While it hasn't aged too well graphically, it probably has the best gameplay out of any game on this list. I mean... you can scale dragons, breh. Like... you can climb onto dragons mid-fight.
5. Fallout 3 & New Vegas - Imagine Skyrim, but after a nuclear holocaust.
6. The Witcher 1-3 - Self explanatory, honestly. It's basically a BioWare RPG if BioWare had competent writers.
7. Souls/Bloodborne - For real niggas & masochists only.
Personally... I have way more fun with Dragon's Dogma than any other game on this list, but I have a deep soft spot for Mass Effect. That's just me, tho.
I probably left some omissions on this list.
So, with that said, which of the recent WRPG do you guys find to be the best?
Some candidates:
1. Dragon Age Saga (Origins-Inquisition) - This is an obvious one, and both Origins & Inquisition are highly acclaimed titles. DA2 was Larry Holmes status, tho.
2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Basically a God-tier game to a lot of people with a HUGE modding community on PC, despite its issues. And, depending on which platform you play on, there are A LOT of issues. I'm actually surprised we haven't seen an HD remaster of this game yet. Player freedom at its finest.
3. Mass Effect 1-3 - Another big WRPG franchise, but this one is more focused on player choice, open-endedness & characters than any other game on this list. Everyone has their favorite character (for me, it's Garrus), favorite love interest (Liara 4 lyfe), and everyone has large discussions of which players that lived or died throughout their playthroughs. BTW, if you kill Wrex, you're an asshole.
Largest problem with the ME series, tho, is that all that player choice... ends up meaning jack fucking shit in the end.
4. Dragon's Dogma - Technically a JRPG, since Capcom made it, but a WRPG through and through. While it hasn't aged too well graphically, it probably has the best gameplay out of any game on this list. I mean... you can scale dragons, breh. Like... you can climb onto dragons mid-fight.
5. Fallout 3 & New Vegas - Imagine Skyrim, but after a nuclear holocaust.
6. The Witcher 1-3 - Self explanatory, honestly. It's basically a BioWare RPG if BioWare had competent writers.
7. Souls/Bloodborne - For real niggas & masochists only.
Personally... I have way more fun with Dragon's Dogma than any other game on this list, but I have a deep soft spot for Mass Effect. That's just me, tho.
I probably left some omissions on this list.
Mass Effect, easily
Don't even know why, numerous things about each entry are absolute shite, but I loved every minute
Don't even know why, numerous things about each entry are absolute shite, but I loved every minute
Fallout New Vegas, Dark Souls, Fable II and Dragon's Dogma. I wrote something on New Vegas and it's ability to have a meaningful overworld to absorb yourself in along with having a variety of unique characters based on scenarios that tend to have a risk/reward in every piece of dialogue. Where Fallout 3 is pretty black/white about it's morality system the brilliant writing of New Vegas makes the player actually consider who he/she aligns with and how those will affect your visual appearance on the NPC. New Vegas never makes you feel as if you're a good guy.
New Vegas is one of the few games that encapture you into the thrill of Adventure.
Dragon's Dogma shits on every other WRPG combat-wise. Even Dark Souls.
Dark Souls is more of a test of yourself then what a test of the game. i feel DS is an important game in that it teaches people to break traditional habits learned from other RPGs and pushes yourself into learning about enemy placement, how the AI operates, how the world acts as you progress, staying on your toes, make every life count etc.
Fable II has a brilliant overworld that I feel other games have yet to top. Everything about it has this whimsicial and almost Disney/Don Bluth esque atmosphere. The journey from beginning to end is incredibly satisfying and cohesive. Not to mention some amazing music.
New Vegas is one of the few games that encapture you into the thrill of Adventure.
Dragon's Dogma shits on every other WRPG combat-wise. Even Dark Souls.
Dark Souls is more of a test of yourself then what a test of the game. i feel DS is an important game in that it teaches people to break traditional habits learned from other RPGs and pushes yourself into learning about enemy placement, how the AI operates, how the world acts as you progress, staying on your toes, make every life count etc.
Fable II has a brilliant overworld that I feel other games have yet to top. Everything about it has this whimsicial and almost Disney/Don Bluth esque atmosphere. The journey from beginning to end is incredibly satisfying and cohesive. Not to mention some amazing music.
giving kotor love because nobody else will :|
and fable can eat all the dicks after the shitplatter that was fable 3
and fable can eat all the dicks after the shitplatter that was fable 3
By Hitch Go To PostStill don't think of the Souls games as RPGs for some reasonYou're not alone
Morrowind has been my fav for a long time despite some gameplay issues. The atmosphere in that game and the different environments made that game superior even today.
you forgot Baldurs Gate (BG), Ice Wind Dale (IW), BG2, IW2 and their many expansions. Never Winter Nights.
Where BG2 inspired DA:O and Pillars of Eternity.
Currently playing Pillars and it's pretty great.
Where BG2 inspired DA:O and Pillars of Eternity.
Currently playing Pillars and it's pretty great.
By Silky Go To PostJWill did say 'modern' RPGs.
Bruh, I'm saying they're not as good.
By db Go To PostBruh, I'm saying they're not as good.
Is Morrowind better than Skyrim, tho?
Skyrim has some interesting additions but I still have a soft spot for the art direction of Morrowind.
ME2 is probably my favorite.......Fallout3 is a bad game that after a 5-6 hours I turned off and never went back to.
I really, really dislike Bethesda games in general. Skyrim... once I got over the open-world, was dry as fuck.
By DY_nasty Go To PostI really, really dislike Bethesda games in general. Skyrim... once I got over the open-world, was dry as fuck.Same, for some reason they just always seemed ... incorrect, off, or lacking.
I tried to like many of them. Just couldn't though.
While I acknowledged Skyrim's place in gaming in the OP, part of me would like the game a lot more if the gameplay wasn't so jank.
By DY_nasty Go To PostI really, really dislike Bethesda games in general. Skyrim... once I got over the open-world, was dry as fuck.
The best parts of the Elder Scrolls games aren't even in the main storyline. Oblivion was such a piece of shit with all those repetitive gates and stuff. The best part of Oblivion is the Dark Brotherhood stuff. I would have played a longer drawn out version of that over anything else in the game.
dragons dogma easily. the only thing i dont like about the game (which is admittedly a huge flaw) is that the world is kinda boring. like i like the design of it, but theres not much in it that you can do. theres only 3 towns and only one of them is useful, and then the rest of the world is pretty much bare. the combat is too good to pass on though, and the Grigori fight is like the best dragon fight you can have in a game
honorable mention for favorite wrpg is skyrim because i just picked it up during the sale on pc and my god the mods. the world is great imo but it has the opposite problem - the combat is terrible. luckily with mods you can get way more combat options that open up the way you can fight like new spells, throwing knives, and player-created potions that you can make into grenades to toss at your enemies. love the versatility that the mods allow me to have.
honorable mention for favorite wrpg is skyrim because i just picked it up during the sale on pc and my god the mods. the world is great imo but it has the opposite problem - the combat is terrible. luckily with mods you can get way more combat options that open up the way you can fight like new spells, throwing knives, and player-created potions that you can make into grenades to toss at your enemies. love the versatility that the mods allow me to have.
Skyrim is so boring tbh. I'm gonna echo de bo's morrowind's comments as that's really the only thing I can enjoy out of the main Beth.Soft team consistently.
New Vegas is leaps and bounds ahead of ES4/5 / Fallout 3 it's crazy.
New Vegas is leaps and bounds ahead of ES4/5 / Fallout 3 it's crazy.
