Over the decades of the gaming industry’s existence, many great projects have been created, marked with all kinds of awards. This ranking features the best story RPGs appreciated by those who love storytelling.
RPGs (role playing games) force us to take the place of fictional characters to explore the worlds created by the developers. Wherein every decision made for a hero has consequences to develop the plot. No matter what technical solutions the developer offers, a compelling story remains a forming factor for a successful product. We have specially collected a rating from ten best RPGs in their storyso that you can enjoy their wonderful storytelling and unusual characters.
Important: we selected in the TOP only those games that still look competitive against the background of modern titles. There are tons of cool old RPGs out there, but many of them don’t even run on newer PCs and are only available for connoisseurs.
VAMPIRE: THE MASQUERADE – BLOODLINES
The vampire theme will never lose its popularity. Vampire: The Masquerade is a Troika Games product released by Activision in 2004. The basis for the creation of this RPG was the board game of the same name. It is the best choice to dive into a world where vampires, werewolves and other fantastic creatures lurk next to people in the midnight darkness.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, given the existing technical flaws, from the very first minutes plunges the player into the bloody world of vampires. Having chosen the gender of the protagonist and the clan to which he will belong, we immediately find ourselves in the thick of things. Only a miracle saves our character from execution. After that, he is pulled into a whirlpool of vampire passions with conspiracies and intrigues… It’s time to go through the first part of the game, because Bloodlines 2 will see the light of day in 2021.
Borderlands 2
Borderlands 2 is an action RPG game where you have no free choice of character’s appearance, but after installing all the DLC there will be six playable heroes at once. The characteristics of the selected fighter grow with the pumping of the skill tree. What will become your Shizostrel or Siren depends on the collected gear and the distribution of earned points. However, they love this game not so much for the variability of customizing their own character.
The plot here is directly related to dozens of different colorful characters, among which, of course, the talkative piece of iron stands out – your faithful companion in all parts of the franchise. With him and other irreconcilable you will fight against Handsome Jack for the freedom of Pandora. Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it?
Fallout: New Vegas
The plot escalates from the first seconds, when the main character of Fallout: New Vegas cast to perish in the Mojave Desert. However, our Courier does not despair. He is determined to fight the gangsters who have stolen the Platinum Chip. This is where the story begins in post-apocalyptic Las Vegas.
It is hard to imagine that a simple delivery man can fight local mafiosi. But who said he was ordinary? Humor, philosophical quotes and lots of plot forks are all worth your attention. Only the main story with all the side quests will give a complete picture of the Wasteland and the New Vegas area where events unfold.
Gothic II
Admittedly by the community, the second part was the best in terms of storyline relative to other releases in the series. Advanced gameplay, expanded world map and constant need to wiggle your brains – this is what the audience fell in love with Gothic. The city of Khorinis, lively and realistic, is a place where you can simply wander the streets, listening to the conversations of the locals, or smoke a hookah made from a tobacco variety of your own.
Despite the linearity of the plot, boredom is contraindicated here. Yes, gourmets of the fantasy genre will not be surprised. Newcomers will be immersed in political intrigue, battles with countless hordes of monsters and, of course, in battles with dragons. Chances are good that for the uninitiated the final plot zigzag will be an extraordinary decision by the authors. It’s time to take up the magic blades to lead the Nameless Hero into the battle for the freedom of Khorinis.
TES III Morrowind
Despite the existence of the most popular Skyrim with its abundance of side quests, the plot of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is more sophisticated. None of the improvements implemented in subsequent parts could interrupt many hours of history from the game of its predecessor.
The main plot here develops around the Tribunal (three godlike creatures who have ruled the minds and souls of the Dunmer for thousands of years) and Dagoth Ur. Our hero can pass battles against the enslavers of the province of Morrowind, as well as go outside the island of Vvardenfell, if the game is supplemented by the corresponding DLC (Tribunal and Bloodmoon).
Attention! In order to avoid any disputes about our objectivity, we strongly recommend that you get to know the lore of the game and the provinces of Tamriel, going through all the parts in sequence.
Baldur`s Gate II
In 2013, Overhaul Games easily competed for the title of Game of the Year by releasing an updated version of Baldur’s Gate, which was already 13 years old at the time. Baal Adventures, real demigod, and his nemesis Sarevok, who is the brother of the protagonist, turned out to be just as exciting as in the first part of the series.
With improved graphics, the storyline, built on the classic Dungeon & Dragons system, was introduced numerous side quests, additional locations and four faithful companions. This made it possible to enjoy what was happening in the game, without noticing the long-term difference between the first part and the novelty in the form of Baldur`s Gate II Enhanced Edition.
Dragon age: origins
From day one, Dragon Age: Origins has been ranked classic RPG… Despite the interest sparked by the audience in the next installment of the series (Inquisition), the original story of Inception has appealed to more players. Chosen race and class predetermine the development of the character within one of the six available storylines. Phenomenal voice acting complements the unique dialogue, listening to which you have to alternate with fierce battles against the Spawn of Darkness. It will take forty or more hours of play to complete just the main story.
Mass effect 2
Mass Effect 2 is the most powerful game in the history of the franchise. The dynamism of the characters and the coherence of the narrative distinguish this release from others in the series. Great voice acting from Carrie-Anne Moss, Martin Sheen and Seth Green complements the thoughtful dialogue and the originality of all storylines.
Captain Shepard is once again trusted to fight an elusive enemy. You have to go into battle with a personally assembled detachment, a member of which can become any of the twelve comrades, of course, provided that you open them all during the game.
Star Wars: Knights of the old Republic
The story in this part of Star Wars is a clear virtue of the game. The release saturated with plot twists and forks allows almost change the situation in a critical way in each episode. The fight is against Darth Malak, the Sith Lord, who aims to conquer the galaxy. The atypical plot makes it one of the best in the Star Wars universe and among RPG games in the genre in general.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher series is a case where the releases are getting better with each installment. The story, written by Andrzej Sapkowski, is ideally adapted for an RPG. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt pleases the player original plot and numerous side quests. The main story alone will take over 50 hours. There will be enough time for romantic adventures, and for arguments with not always good-natured inhabitants of the fictional world, and for battles against monsters, which no one but Geralt of Rivia can defeat.
It’s time to take up the swords of the White Wolf and complete the game before the release of the second season of the Netflix series of the same name. Decide which of the interpretations of the book plot is closer in spirit to you personally!
Of course, our opinion remains subjective, although it is based on existing ratings from different years. Leave your own comments as you tell what is the best RPG for you in terms of the plot. Perhaps this story will inspire us to write another review.
If you are an RPG fan, then you should check out our TOP of the best RPGs in history and the TOP of the best browser-based RPGs. You may find there new titles for yourself that you want to play.