Action Role-Playing Games (Singleplayer)

[billyro]

Note before: I can't change the title of this thread - it is no longer focused on ARPGs specifically!

 

Hi everyone.

Recently I have become quite bored, and I've tried searching the web for a definitive list of good action role-playing games. The problem is, I'm either not interested in the games or I've already played it.

I know there are heaps of threads regarding this issue, but it seems to me that they are relatively disorganised or outdated. I hope to create a definitive list here that can help other gamers with finding games similar to the ones below.

What I'm looking for is a good single-player game, preferably fantasy/medieval, with a solid combat system, good story/non linear story, heaps to do, nice graphics, interesting npcs, realism, etc.

This is my own list of games which I have enjoyed and would like games similar to:

• The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
• Dragon Age: Origins
• Dragon Age II
• Dragon's Dogma
• Fable
• Fable II
• Fable III
• Assassin's Creed II
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
• Assassin's Creed: Revelations
• Assassin's Creed III
• The Witcher
• The Witcher II
• Guild Wars 2
• Fallout 3
• Fallout: New Vegas
• Mass Effect 2
• Mass Effect 3
• Saints Row: The Third
• Far Cry 3

I'm very impatient awaiting Dragon Age III, which I'm sure is going to be excellent (unless Bioware has been bending the facts about their improvements) but until then, I need something to occupy my time.

If I were to construct the perfect game (for me), it would have to be a mix of Elder Scrolls, Dragon Age, and The Witcher games. Elder Scrolls because of the freedom and sandboxing, Dragon Age for the combat (DA2), story (DAO), party members (DAO), and romance (both), and The Witcher for its gritty realism and adult take on the fantasy world.

So far, I haven't come across any games that address these, or some of these. It seems that my current favourite games are the only ones of their type so far.

I've had a look at the following games, but dismissed them without playing:

• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (I've never been a Star Wars fan)
• Baldur's Gate (I really wanted to try it out, but it's simply too old for my taste)
• Neverwinter Nights (didn't really like the look of the gameplay video)
• Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition (I wanted to get it, but the port is apparently crap, and I don't have a controller to use)
• Two Worlds and Two Worlds 2 (My uncle played them and said they both suck, and the gameplay videos did not look good either)
• Any games that are console exclusive... (I prefer PC gaming, and currently do not possess a console)

So yeah, any suggestions for games I can get? :smile:

Edited March 26, 2013 by billyro

[Vagrant0]

Is there any reason why you're wanting it single player, other than the fact that you might need to team up with someone at some point?

 

If the only limitation is that you're wanting to be antisocial and solo most of the time, you could try out Path of Exile, which has a high degree of character customization and you never actually need to interact with anyone other than in town since all fields are instanced.

 

Neverwinter Nights 2 might also be a suggestion, but it's a bit less action oriented than DAO, so might not have very much for your interests.

 

Dark Souls might be an option as well, but it has a little forced online content through LIVE, where people can invade your game and try to kill you, or can help you with bosses. It's funny hard though.

 

 

Beyond that, there isn't really too much out there since many of these games take a very long time to make in order to have that open world setting.

[billyro]

I'm right just sticking with Guild Wars 2 for online games, but I'd just prefer something single-player.

Yeah, I had a look at Neverwinter Nights 2 and watched a gameplay video of it, but it just doesn't look like my type of game. :/

It's a shame that there isn't more games that are like this... It seems to me that the majority of games are tailored to 12 year olds who want to just kill stuff. :(

 

I came across Dynasty Warriors 7 a while ago... it was ported to the PC. At first I was like "yeah!" but then I realised that it was only a Japanese port. You gotta buy the Japanese version and get an English patch/mod to play it (I think).

Edited March 23, 2013 by billyro

[Vagrant0]

 

It's a shame that there isn't more games that are like this... It seems to me that the majority of games are tailored to 12 year olds who want to just kill stuff. :(

In most cases, it's not necessarily 12 year olds, but towards more generic audiences, with notions and ideas that are very simplified in order to appeal to "casual" gamers who don't want a whole lot of explanation before they can just play the game.

 

Main reason being, this is the largest anticipated market and most companies only care about money.

 

Might want to give Darksouls a try, or maybe look at Borderlands(2). Borderlands is more like a FPS with RPG elements, but it's reasonably fun to play.

[hoofhearted4]

I'd say dragons dogma but its console only. What about sacred 2? It doesn't have much of a story nor npcs but its fun as hell. A little out dated but its cheap and fun IMO and a huge game huge world and a few hundred quests. It's an rpg.

[billyro]

 

 

It's a shame that there isn't more games that are like this... It seems to me that the majority of games are tailored to 12 year olds who want to just kill stuff. :(

In most cases, it's not necessarily 12 year olds, but towards more generic audiences, with notions and ideas that are very simplified in order to appeal to "casual" gamers who don't want a whole lot of explanation before they can just play the game.

 

Main reason being, this is the largest anticipated market and most companies only care about money.

 

Might want to give Darksouls a try, or maybe look at Borderlands(2). Borderlands is more like a FPS with RPG elements, but it's reasonably fun to play.

Yeah, but dumbing games down makes us feel dumb.

I had Dark Souls on my wish list in Steam, but I'm going to wait for Dark Souls 2, because apparently the port is horrible. And I don't have a controller.

My brother has Borderlands and he said it was fun for a little while and then got boring, so I'm not too sure about that one.

 

I'd say dragons dogma but its console only. What about sacred 2? It doesn't have much of a story nor npcs but its fun as hell. A little out dated but its cheap and fun IMO and a huge game huge world and a few hundred quests. It's an rpg.

Yeah, whoops, I forgot to put that one in. I've already played Dragon's Dogma for more than 150 hours, such a good game. I'll add it to the list.

[JimboUK]

I noticed Saints Row 3 on the list, have you tried Saints Row 2? it's buggy and ugly but it's a far better game than Saints Row 3 was. What about the Fallout games? FO3 is more action than RPG while New Vegas is more of an RPG, both are very good. Something else worth a look is Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga.

[billyro]

I noticed Saints Row 3 on the list, have you tried Saints Row 2? it's buggy and ugly but it's a far better game than Saints Row 3 was. What about the Fallout games? FO3 is more action than RPG while New Vegas is more of an RPG, both are very good. Something else worth a look is Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga.

Fallout! I completely forgot about those! Yeah, I've played them heaps.

 

Saints Row the Third is pretty good, but it's not really what I'd go out to get in a game. Like, it was fun, but it gets boring really quickly.

 

I'll have a look at that Divinity game... thanks for the suggestion. :)

Edited March 24, 2013 by billyro

[JimboUK]

Be sure to get Dragon Knight Saga and not Ego Draconis, it has a lot of improvements and also includes the expansion. On Steam (maybe elsewhere?) you'll also get the developers cut for free, it's the same game but with the console enabled.

[AkaraKara]

Dungeon Siege?

 

Or the original Neverwinter series, not 2.