So as for recommendations on RPG’s with strong story, tactical combat, interesting mechanics and characters or factions:
Wasteland 2 - Wait for the new patch coming out soonish, it will enhance the game in all sorts of ways, but this is a sequel to the granddaddy of post apocalyptic RPG’s, the game that birthed Fallout 1. There’s humor, fun factions to encounter, and a nice tactical turn based combat.
Divinity: Original Sin - The combat is awesome, the story is ok, but the world and it’s interactivity is top notch. It also offer co-op.
Pillars of Eternity: My favorite of the bunch. This is a spiritual successor to Baldur’s gate. Amazingly well written characters, gorgeous 2D backdrops. Challenging combat, great storyline.
Shadow run: Dragon fall - It’s shadowrun. It’s tactical turn based combat - Xcom-like. It’s a great story with great characters. It’s awesome. Hong Kong is coming out soon and it looks like an improvement in every way as well.
Mentioned, but the Witcher 3 is the game Dragon Age Inquisition wishes it was. DA:I was essentially a single player MMO, with a decent main line story, but nothing but filler content outside of it. Witcher 3’s side quests do not involve hunting down 300 herbs and herding a cow back to town. They are complex, multi-tiered extravaganzas that have you making all sorts of grey moral choices, investigating and exploring, and changing narrative paths. Definitely recommend it.
Legend of Grimrock series: Old school first person RPG. Interesting graphics and tons of puzzels and dungeons to explore.
In terms of action RPG’s there’s Diablo 3 and Torchlight 2. Both great.
Is there a good source to catch up on what happened in the first Witcher game if I start from the 2nd one? I was turned off by the gameplay in the 1st game, but the 2nd one seems interesting. Would I be missing much in terms of worldbuilding and plot if I skip the first game?
What I did was watch videos posted to YouTube of the story elements of the first two games. It comes down to hours worth of content, but I had it on my second screen while I did other stuff.
I just want to comment that I think it’s hilarious that you think 75 hours played on a game is worthy of an exclamation point. You’ve obviously never played an MMORPG.
I’m almost done playing Dragon Age: Origins, and was thinking about playing The Witcher 3, but being forced to play as a specific character kind of turns me off. I almost always play female characters in rpgs, and like to make up my own back stories so it seems like not being able to customize the character might ruin the immersion for me. I’m sure I’ll get around to DA: Inquisition eventually but I want to try something else first.
I’m the same way. I like playing MY character, not some predefined one.
That being said, I still enjoyed the witcher a lot. There’s some wiggle room in terms of how you play Geralt, and there’s always consequences to his actions.
If you like customizing your characters, I’d recommend you take a look at the RPG’s I mentioned above. Pillars of Eternity, Divinity: Original Sin, and Shadowrun: Dragonfall are excellent!
I always enjoy making my own characters and thought this would be a barrier for Witcher 3 (I never played 1 or 2). Turns out that it wasn’t, really, and in some ways playing “someone else’s” character gave me the flexibility to be kind of a dick when the situation called for it* without feeling any guilt. When it’s “my” character being a dick, I feel more investment in it.
*Everyone needs you to do something and it seems like most of them have a sob story about why they shouldn’t be expected to pay up for your services. “Thanks for killing that monster in our fields, here’s the gold… that… I was going to use for my son’s medicine…” “Whatever lady, just pay your damn bills”.
Well, not only is it a specific character, he’s got like five novels of background in addition to the two other games. But it’s a great game, and you have latitude in how he goes about conducting his business. I, for example have Geralt never have him negotiate his pay for Witcher work, though its clear in the books that Witchers have a pressing need to assure they’re not taken for granted. On the other hand, I have him looting constantly, which also doesn’t happen in the book.
Witcher 3 is a damned good game. I’ve not quite finished, because I’m kind of saving the big scenes for later. And I’ve started up Inquisition again, because now two major pieces of DLC have come out already. I also paid for those new gear packages, which I feel like a real donkey for, because they’re not such a great value for your gaming dollar. But what the hell?
Thanks for all the suggestions guys - but I think that this thread has mainly confirmed to me that I really want a gaming PC. And I still can’t justify buying one
On the other hand I’m replaying baldurs gate on my tablet and having an absolute blast - so maybe I can roll along nostalgia gaming for a while yet! (Holy crap I forgot just how much I loved that game)
There’s also a more modern game, the Bard’s Tale game from inXile. I liked it a lot as a relatively casual, humorous RPG. It’s available for tablets cheap, but with in-ap purchases. Everytime I consider buying it, I wonder what game content has been withheld from the Android version so that they could sell it to me later.
Try out Dragon’s Dogma. I think it is quite underrated, myself. There are common riff-raff type enemies, like bandits, wolves, and goblins, but then there are gigantic cyclopses, ogres, chimeras, hydras, and of course, dragons that you can actually try to climb on to attack.
The storyline is a bit weak, but I thought the combat system was a ton of fun.
I know others have said it…Witcher 3!!! Go get a PS4 and get Witcher 3. That 70 hours you put into DA: Inquisition is nothing compared to W3. You’ll probably play that game for 100-200 hours easily.
RPG’s are my favorite genre so if you have a Wii U look out for Xenoblade Chronicles. Also if you get a PS4 you’ll be able to play Fallout 4 in November which is another 200+ hours of your life! ; )
Other games I’d recommend on PS4 that are RPG or RPGish
Bloodborne - Amazing
Metal Gear Solid V - Open world stealth/action with RPG elements
Destiny - If you like RPGs mixed with First person shooter
Persona 5 - JRPG which is awesome. Supposed to come this year
Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn - MMORPG that’s really good!
Batman Arkham Knight - Open world Batman game with RPG elements
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor - RPG set in Lord of the Rings universe!
If you can only get a few on PS4 (if you get it…I highly suggest you do) then get Fallout 4, Witcher 3, and Bloodborne.
I own Day One editions of PS4, Xbox One, and I have a Wii U and gaming laptop. : )
