What are the best RPGs on PC? Roleplaying games can have everything from interplanetary exploration, lightsaber duels, and bloodthirsty vampires to irradiated mutants who need to be beaten with golf clubs, lizards who can talk to cats, and a whole lot of dice rolling if that’s your jam. It’s a pretty diverse pool.
The scale and scope of RPGs are like never before, with tech finally catching up to developers’ ambitions, enabling vast, open worlds previously unseen. As a result, some of these adventures are among the best PC games ever made. So, dear traveler, gather your party and head out. We’re about to bear witness to the best RPGs available on PC.
The best RPG games on PC are:
Genshin Impact
If you never played it, you may already at least be familiar with Hoyoverse and their flagship gacha game Genshin Impact. This colorful anime game sets you down in Teyvat, a sprawling open world full of charming characters, varied enemies, and cute but deadly slimes. These slime enemies are just one aspect of Genshin Impact’s elemental mechanic, as each member of your party is skilled in a specific set of elements that are incredibly impactful against some enemies, but might be completely negated by others.
Using Genshin Impact’s gacha mechanics, you can unlock a range of new characters and start building a rounded team that can go toe-to-toe against any enemy and any element. Teyvat keeps expanding, too, with new areas and characters arriving in regular updates, introducing new elements, enemies, storylines, and quests. To get you started, make sure you’ve redeemed the latest Genshin Impact codes to help you unlock characters and level up fast.
Zenless Zone Zero
We’ve already included beloved HoYoverse games Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail on this list, so we can’t ignore their latest gacha game Zenless Zone Zero. The newest HoYoverse game shares some of the same mechanics and characteristics of their previous games, but something about it’s sci-fi story, thrilling combat, and puzzle elements has led many players to switch their attention to the streets of New Eridu and has introduced many more to the lure of the gacha game.
As either Belle or Wise, a pair of siblings, you are tasked with protecting citizens from Hollows, areas of the city that have been tainted by a powerful Ether, and creating monsters from those who are stuck inside for too long. That’s not your only task, though, as you must do this in secret while also trying to salvage valuable materials from Hollows, and work your day job running the local video store. Redeeming the latest Zenless Zone Zero codes can aid you in some of these goals, while a selection of energetic ZZZ characters helps with the rest.
Play Zenless Zone Zero for free.
Final Fantasy 14
Final Fantasy is one of the most well-known and well-loved game franchises of all time, and Final Fantasy 14 provides a new era for fans to join veterans as the first open-world, massively multiplayer version of the RPG game. Like most fantasy MMORPGs, there are a range of classes and races to choose from, with the former taking the shape of Final Fantasy jobs. What makes FF14 unique is that you can switch these on a single character, testing skills until you find which build suits you as you take on challenging dungeons with other players.
Over a decade since its original release, Final Fantasy 14 is as big as ever with regular content expansions including Endwalker and Dawntrail. The latest FF14 expansion adds new jobs and a new playable race, so there’s no better time to jump in – or back in. Even better, the lush world of Final Fantasy 14 is free to play up to level 70, so if you are new, you can try it out with no risk.
Play Final Fantasy 14 for free.
Honkai Star Rail
Honkai Star Rail is effectively Genshin Impact in space, so if you’re tired of the high fantasy world of Teyvat, then HoYoverse’s intergalactic outing might be your best bet. Honkai Star Rail follows the Astral Express crew as they chart their trailblazing voyage across the stars. Your journey to new worlds coincides with meeting new people and inevitably getting into a heap of trouble – whether that’s trying to contain the destructive Stellarons or facing down the armies of the Antimatter Legion. All of this adventure is wrapped in HoYoverse’s signature gacha model, which we dissect in our Honkai Star Rail review.
If you’re looking for character customization in your RPGs, then Honkai Star Rail is the one for you. Every Honkai Star Rail character requires powerful relics and light cones to get them to perform at their best. Once you have them kitted out accordingly, you then have to find the best Honkai Star Rail team comps to create powerful synergies that can tear through the toughest enemies. Of course, you can only pull the majority of them from the latest Honkai Star Rail banners. If you need help getting started, check out our Honkai Star Rail tier list for the ones to watch out for, as well as the latest Honkai Star Rail codes for free currency.
Play Honkai Star Rail for free.
Neverwinter
Let’s get a couple of things out of the way first. Yes, Neverwinter is a free MMO, but it’s also one of the best free RPGs around. If you have a soft spot for the lore and history of D&D’s Forgotten Realms, it’s also a great Dungeons and Dragons game. You can pick one of eight possible classes covering all of the classics, from rogues and rangers to wizards and paladins.
Across the main campaign, dungeons, and raids, you’ll embark on truly memorable adventures, whether finding a disgruntled demon somewhere to rest where they won’t be disturbed or engaging in a 12-part campaign to defeat Baphomet. Almost every key location you’ve heard of in the Forgotten Realms, from Ravenloft to Chult, and all content in Neverwinter, old and new, is free. Just be ready for a grind when it comes to some high-tier items.
Black Myth: Wukong
Game Science’s ambitious ARPG, Black Myth: Wukong, has taken the gaming world by storm this year, breaking records as it hurtled towards launch. Acting as a pseudo-sequel to the classic Chinese novel, Journey to the West, this challenging adventure has you embody the simian ‘Destined One’ as they gather the relics required to resurrect the legendary hero, Sun Wukong.
Taking many of its combat cues from the best soulslike games, Black Myth: Wukong is a challenging-yet-rewarding experience, that will push you to master its myriad abilities and combos. In her 8/10 Black Myth: Wukong review, our very own Nat Smith has this to say: “Black Myth Wukong is the Journey to the West adaptation I’ve always wanted – an ambitious action RPG with stunning visuals, colossal boss designs, and snappy combat. However, sluggish camera tracking, restrictive exploration, and early game difficulty spikes might be a dealbreaker for some.”
Metaphor: ReFantazio
The latest and greatest offering from turn-based RPG maestro Atlus, Metaphor ReFantazio ditches the schoolyards of Persona and plonks you into a stunning post-medieval fantasy world. The king of Euchronia has been murdered, triggering a nationwide election to find the next ruler of the island nation. The crowned prince, presumed dead, has actually been hidden away in an unconscious state due to a curse, and you, his friend of lowborn status, have entered the contest in his stead.
A near-perfect marriage of tactical gameplay, a distinctive art style, and a soundtrack that will have you put your controller down just to marvel, Metaphor ReFantazio is not just one of 2024’s best RPGs, but one of the best RPGs full-stop. As Aaron states in their gleaming Metaphor ReFantazio review, it’s “a must-play for anyone with even a passing interest in JRPGs.” If you take the plunge, check out our Metaphor ReFantazio guide suite that’ll aid you on your journey.
Dungeons of Hinterberg
In the shoes of protagonist Luisa, you venture to Hinterberg, a very unreal town set in the otherwise real-world Austrian Alps, where magic has been discovered and is contained. You travel here to add some magic into your life, but so are many others, from content creators to researchers, there’s a town full of people for you to meet, befriend, and romance as part of your story.
There’s a deeper story to Dungeons of Hinterberg as you start to explore the conflict between the locals and the government, and dungeons arise throughout the magical town in which you must defeat a series of challenging monsters, providing a compelling range of content to the RPG game. All of this together makes for one of our favorite games of the year so far, as you can read in our Dungeons of Hinterberg review.
Hades 2
Hades 2 has entered early access, but more than deserves a position on this list for its expansive environments, double the content of the original game, new weapons to master, and excellent narrative. Our new protagonist, Melinoë, the Princess of the Underworld, is uncovering the events that have transpired since the original game where her brother, Zagreus, was attempting to escape the Underworld via his father, Hades.
Some familiar faces have returned and some new ones have joined the ranks. Recognizable mechanics including the Hades 2 keepsakes system have also come back in Supergiant Games’ first sequel, which we called the closest thing to a perfect game you’ll play this year in our Hades 2 review.
AFK Journey
AFK Journey is a classic fantasy RPG with clicker game mechanics that has players explore the land of Esperia. You take on the role of Merlin, a hero with no recollection of his past endeavors. It’s up to you to hire allies for your cause and guide the six factions toward their destinies.
And we can help a little with your opening few hours in this turn-based RPG. For starters, here are some AFK Journey codes to get you some free stuff. Once you get a feeling for the gameplay, we have a list of the best AFK Journey team comps, and an AFK Journey tier list with all the top characters.
Dragon’s Dogma 2
Dragon’s Dogma 2‘s closeness to the 2012 original makes it a joy to behold, as for many, the nostalgia value plays a huge part in their involvement in Capcom’s fantasy epic. Traipsing across the Dragon’s Dogma 2 map with a band of lairy pawns in tow is grander, more chaotic, and quirky as all hell – and it’s better for it. For every adventure you try to undertake in DD2, the game will try to ruin it, resulting in some truly hilarious scenarios.
As our Dragon’s Dogma 2 review explains, the parallel universe scenario isn’t wasted here. While the first game focused on seeking down the heart ceremoniously plucked from your Arisen’s body, Dragon’s Dogma 2 instead focuses on your role within the world, how you deal with a fake Arisen trying to take your place, and the consequences of those actions.
Last Epoch
After several years in early access, Last Epoch finally emerges from the other side as a mechanically competent game like Diablo. While the leveling system may seem a little intimidating for all except those who’ve waded through Path of Exile’s gargantuan skill tree, it manages to meet a middle ground where it’s more complex than the latest Diablo’s offering but still accessible to many.
And according to our Last Epoch review, the mechanics are its greatest strength. From the Last Epoch crafting system that makes grinding for the perfect affix far less of a chore to the many Last Epoch classes and their masteries that make all possible builds incredibly diverse. Heck, there’s even a Last Epoch loot filter that automatically ensures the stuff you don’t need for your build never shows up. This time-traveling adventure has everything a fan of the genre would want to see, and even if the story and world-building aren’t quite at the same level as the game’s mechanics, sometimes a fun game you don’t need to pay attention to much beyond the stats is a worthy time sink.
Persona 3 Reload
While there are some issues regarding lost content that only people who played older versions will know about, Persona 3 Reload is a fantastic remake of one of the best PlayStation 2 JRPGs. It blends dungeon-crawling against demons with turn-based mechanics neatly with its high-school setting. It helps that this is the most mature-themed Persona game to date, with character motivations that feel human despite the game’s events being more supernatural.
It’s also the most playable version of the JRPG on PC to date. Our Persona 3 Reload review says that it eliminates the guff that bogged down the game’s run time in favor of new mechanics to keep the combat flowing, the time spent wading through the halls of Tartarus to a bare minimum, and new ways to interact with the students at Iwatodai high school to get additional benefits. It’s also on Game Pass for PC if you fancy giving it a go for yourself, and if you do, be sure to look at these Persona 3 Reload class answers if you get stuck.
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth might be the latest in a long series of games that may feel impenetrable to some, but this is the best game in a series that has shifted from action brawler to turn-based RPG. While Yakuza: Like A Dragon was a risky swerve, it became one of the most beloved entries and a great starting point for newcomers. Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth shows that going in this direction is the right choice for every game in the crime game series going forward.
It’s also the first time the series has ventured outside of Japan, with the beautiful Honolulu island home to many attractions, side quests, and gangsters in need of a good punch to the face. According to our Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth review, it’s “a behemoth of a game” with a nearly insurmountable amount of stuff to do. If you’re a fan of the series, you’ll likely find this a bittersweet experience, but for everyone else, this is the best of the series so far and well worth exploring.
Starfield
Will you be a pacifist? How about a rampaging pirate? Maybe you just adore the deep-space trucker lifestyle. Whatever you want to do, you can probably do it in Starfield. Bethesda Game Studios’ latest mammoth RPG puts you squarely in the role of an absolute nobody, who may or may not be important in some way. Clawing out your own little haven in the Settled Systems is what it’s about here – as well as blowing things up with your fancy spaceship.
See our Starfield review if you would like to know more; the scope of this RPG is almost unrivaled and will give you the freedom to be who you want to be. If you’re just setting off on your adventures, take a peek at our Starfield walkthrough, which is an invaluable resource in a chaotic universe. We’ve also got expert guides to the best Starfield mods to mix up your game, the best Starfield traits to pick at the start of your adventure, and the best Starfield ship builds to experiment with.
Baldur’s Gate 3
We used to have Baldur’s Gate 2 on this list, but there is no overlooking the fact that Larian’s most recent DnD game deserves to be here instead – especially given the heaps of praise we have for the game in our Baldur’s Gate 3 review and that it won our 2023 Game of the Year award.
The world is your oyster in Baldur’s Gate 3, as your dialogue choices, companions, and random decisions decide how your own unique story unfolds – and that’s before you consider the difference a failed dice roll can make. There are apparently 17,000 different Baldur’s Gate 3 endings, and almost no two playthroughs are the same, which makes BG3 among the ultimate RPGs.
Diablo 4
Diablo 4 is a return to form for the series, with Sanctuary portrayed as a bleak place where death is around every corner. Our absolutely glowing Diablo 4 review showers Blizzard’s latest entry in the series with praise, saying that it “embodies the essence of what makes Diablo so great, taking the best elements of its predecessors and sewing them together to create an ever-changing, ever-evolving chimera that we can’t wait to play for years to come”.
With the Vessel of Hatred expansion, there are now six playable Diablo 4 classes, each with the potential to make the best builds to annihilate hordes of demons in stylish ways. The Spiritborn is the latest class to join the game, giving you access to a highly versatile class that can handle both close quarters and ranged combat with ease. On the subject of the expansion, be sure to read our Vessel of Hatred review to see how Blizzard has evolved Diablo 4 one year later.
In many ways, Diablo 4 excels in the ways the previous games have, but with a more realistic look and convenient vendors to help you take advantage of its systems. You still gather tons of loot, but in addition to salvaging items for parts, you can now extract aspects from Legendary items and put them onto better ones to get their buffs. With such a massive open world to explore, filled with dungeons and Strongholds to liberate from hell’s monsters, we couldn’t be further away from the original Diablo, one of the most important PC games ever. And yet, Diablo 4 is the best in the series.
Elden Ring
Elden Ring is a great RPG game, but it also ticks tons of other boxes. It’s a top-tier open-world game and a wonderfully vivid fantasy game. It’s got hardcore combat as a key part of the gameplay loop, so it skews more toward the action RPG side of the spectrum if that’s important to you. But don’t just take our word for it; not only can you read our glowing Elden Ring review.
As one of the ‘Tarnished’, you must explore the Lands Between and unravel the mystery of what’s transpired, but you must also take on the realm’s fallen heroes to become the Elden Lord. You’ll need to find and wear the fabled Elden ring to begin a new age. If you’re going to brave the horrors of this land, you’ll want to arm yourself with some Elden Ring beginner tips, as well as guides to all of the Elden Ring bosses, the best Elden Ring weapons and armor, and you might want to read up on Elden Ring Great Runes as well. You know, just in case.
Cyberpunk 2077
To say Cyberpunk had a bit of a rocky launch would be an understatement. CDProjekt Red’s massive Cyberpunk RPG has great potential, as noted in our Cyberpunk 2077 review, but its first year was rough. The good news is that it eventually got good, and the game’s finally ready to take its place in our compendium of top RPGs.
You play as highly customizable protagonist V, a mercenary outlaw tasked with chasing down a one-of-a-kind implant that may hold the key to immortality. You explore the gigantic metropolis Night City, meeting a whole array of quirky characters as you embark on countless main and side quests. Once you’ve sampled the city’s delights to your heart’s content, you can check out some Cyberpunk 2077 mods to further enhance things.
Wasteland 3
Set in a frozen and bleak Colorado, the inhabitants of this apocalypse game fall into two camps: helpful and well-meaning townsfolk or psychopathic monsters out for blood. There’s no real middle ground, and everything has a price. Combat is turn-based, like in previous Wasteland games, and it can be tough to survive out there in the wilderness, but it’s a rewarding experience once you get into good habits.
This means conserving resources where you can, picking unnecessary fights is the fastest way to drain your ammunition, use up medkits grenades, or lose one of your best fighters to a bullet to the head. Doing favors for NPCs puts you in good standing with some factions and provides valuable resources, but you risk rubbing other people up the wrong way, so striking a balance is paramount to finishing the game.
Our Wasteland 3 review says it’s a game that “takes you on a moral journey and corrupts you, making everything you thought was so unfeasible about an apocalypse seem so normal”. With plenty of different companions to recruit, you can outfit your squad with all the best Wasteland 3 builds, but quick thinking can keep your group alive. If impending peril sounds up your street, this RPG is well worth picking up.
Disco Elysium
When you awake in Disco Elysium after an obliterative night of drinking, you’re so hungover you can’t even remember who you are. From thereon out, it’s up to you exactly what type of disheveled, dysfunctional, disturbed detective archetype you want to be in this secret detective game.
Unlike many RPGs, Disco Elysium eschews any conventional combat and entrusts all its interactions to dialogue screens. As the game’s opening makes clear, your rapidly assembled psyche isn’t exactly stable. Disco Elysium lets you play with each strand of thought, expand them, and use them to your advantage as you seek answers about a grim murder case. Check out our Disco Elysium review for a more in-depth analysis of why this game is so good.
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Like the original – which we love, as it happens – Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a love letter to classic pen-and-paper RPGs. It’s a tactical RPG that, unlike many modern RPGs, refuses to give you simple binary choices, sucking you utterly into an enticingly detailed world.
The extensive freedom you will have begins with the character creator, which teaches us to role-play as someone other than ourselves. You can, of course, design your hero, but there are also six unique origin characters to choose from with their backgrounds – from the arrogant lizard, the Red Prince, to the new undead race. Every decision matters, as you’ll have to live with the consequences that give every tricky dilemma an unnerving gravitas. Gameplay is no less punishing: you will need to learn and exploit the contours of the terrain to gain an advantage in combat. If you fail to reach the high ground to deal greater damage, prepare for a spanking.
In our Divinity: Original Sin 2 review, we said: “Divinity: Original Sin 2 stands as a remarkable example of three genres: the classic roleplaying game, the online arena battler, and the tabletop-style adventure enabler.” We haven’t even gotten started on the multiplayer aspect, including the Game Master mode, which really brings the Dungeons & Dragons inspiration to the fore.
Fallout 4
Now that the dust has well and truly settled on Fallout 4, it looks like people are returning to Bethesda’s last apocalyptic outing with brighter eyes than usual. Is it because the TV series has clouded people’s memories of this Fallout sequel? Back in 2015, we did award the game an impressive 8/10 in our Fallout 4 review. As the sole survivor of Vault 111, you’re on the hunt for your child who was stolen from you.
With improved shooting mechanics and the biggest map we’ve ever seen in a Fallout game, there’s plenty to do in this nuclear wasteland. Crafting and building your own settlement plays a large role in Fallout 4, giving you the ability to put together your own customized Power Armor, in addition to your own little settlement filled with prized possessions. If you’re looking to take your adventure to the next level, we also have a list of the best Fallout 4 mods to get you going. And speaking of mods, you ought to check out our glowing Fallout London review, arguably one of the most ambitious mods of all time.
Shadowrun: Hong Kong
Shadowrun: Hong Kong is a welcome throwback to the ‘90s. Based on the classic tabletop role-playing game, it’s a neo-noir cyberpunk mystery with plenty of magic, fantasy elements, and combat reminiscent of strategy games like XCOM. It ticks many boxes and, somehow, manages to deliver on all these features. Set on a future Earth where science and the realm of the arcane struggle to coexist, and beings like elves and trolls walk the streets alongside humans, you find yourself in the shoes of a Shadowrunner – a shady mercenary proficient in espionage.
A free-form character creator lets you make unusual classes, from spirit summoners who can enter a digital realm and fight computer programs to samurai who run around with many remote-controlled robots. Dumping some points into charisma also unlocks affinities for different types of people; corporate security, other Shadowrunners, or street gangs, opening up new dialogue options and avenues in your investigation.
Hong Kong builds on the previous two games, lavishing improvements upon the series like overhauled decking (hacking) and fully realized, likable characters. It’s a more intimate game, too, as you investigate the death of your foster father with a rag-tag group of Shadowrunners and find yourself embroiled in conspiracies, mystical events, and a mystery involving dreams that plague the entire city.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3 takes all the moral ambiguity, challenging subjects like racism and bigotry, and, of course, monster hunting from the previous games and puts them in a massive world with saucy scenes to rival the most salacious of sex games. The result is an extraordinary RPG that sets the standard for open-world adventures, as seen in our The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt review.
Every quest is an opportunity, not just to learn more about the war-ravaged lands and their inhabitants, but also to be drawn into the knotty drama. A simple contract, such as directing series protagonist Geralt to slaughter a monster, can transform into an elaborate series of consequence-laden stories that span several hours, making this one of the best single-player games of all time.
Navigating this dark, complex fantasy world being brought from book to screen is a delight, even with its occasionally oppressive and miserable locals who need your particular brand of problem-solving. Even better, CD Projekt Red produced arguably the best DLC ever made with Hearts of Stone and Blood & Wine (our Witcher 3: Blood & Wine review is here), which has even better quests than those in the base game. The Witcher 3 is meant to be devoured until nothing remains. Since we’ll be waiting a while for The Witcher 4 release date, you can try replaying this third entry with a selection of the very best Witcher 3 mods.
Pillars of Eternity
Pillars of Eternity is an exceptional RPG. It evokes the best parts of old games using the Infinity Engine, like Baldur’s Gate and Planescape: Torment (both found elsewhere on this list), while digging its path with a compelling fantasy yarn and a richly detailed original world. No wonder we found it one of the best games of 2015.
This is Obsidian Entertainment at the top of its game, with the beautiful writing the studio is known for wrapped up in a polished adventure – a combination that the team has struggled to nail in the past. Despite Pillars of Eternity being a massive RPG with many options and boasting plenty of choices and consequences when interacting with the many Pillars of Eternity characters, everything is crafted with so much care, down to the smallest detail. Religion, philosophy, class warfare, and the world of Eora overflow with conflict and crises – every region on the map is filled with problems waiting for nosey adventurers. Even the most seemingly mundane quests can offer insight into the world or the chance to create a reputation, good or bad – as we discovered in our Pillars of Eternity review.
Instead of cashing in on the popularity of its spiritual predecessors, Obsidian builds on those strong foundations to create an experience that doesn’t rely on nostalgia to deliver its hits. It’s a solid step forward for this type of RPG, and the overall experience is even more reminiscent of tabletop RPGs than many of those rooted in D&D. It might have been a more iterative sequel. However, our Pillars of Eternity 2 review finds that it loses no sense of adventure that the original game established.
Fallout: New Vegas
Obsidian took the format of Bethesda’s 3D, first-person Fallout. Then it reinstated the theming that made the original isometric games great, blending it with features resembling some of the best Western games. You feel like you’re fighting through the wastelands instead of being nudged by an invisible director.
Fallout: New Vegas makes you one of the unfortunate survivors of this world. After the first hours, your mission runs out of leads, leaving you to venture where you like: interacting with whomever you want, being good, evil, or anything in between to make New Vegas the most adventurous Fallout game. You can team up with the New California Republic, join the slave-loving Legion, stand up for the sleazy people of New Vegas, or be a self-serving asshole. You can also build your own game by combining the best Fallout: New Vegas mods should you exhaust the main game’s offerings.
The writing, world building, and black comedy are all spot on in New Vegas – Fallout: New Vegas’ Come Fly With Me quest remains one of our favorites. While we are on the subject, what will it take for Bethesda to let Obsidian take another crack at the universe?
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
It’s hard to say which Mass Effect game is the best, but luckily, we don’t have to, thanks to EA’s ‘legendary’ compendium of all three. Our Mass Effect Legendary Edition review shows this is the best way to play the space saga. It has everything you could ever ask for in an RPG: thrilling battles, epic storytelling, and many Mass Effect Legendary Edition romance options across all three games. You can play all three games in order, keeping your relationships with characters across the entire trilogy, or jump into the game you choose.
Mass Effect also perfectly marries the sub-genres of speculative fiction and space games and is BioWare’s greatest achievement in terms of world or, rather, galaxy-building. The exploration and pseudo-science of Star Trek, the cinematic action of Battlestar Galactica, and the fantastical elements of Star Wars are all on show, artfully combined in this tense (and ultimately, suicidal) mission to save the galaxy.
BioWare’s typically excellent dialogue punctuates dramatic set-pieces and workmanlike squad-based combat. Simply wandering around alien locales, sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong – because that’s what humans do in space, apparently – adds to the overall package. With all the Mass Effect Legendary Edition mods now available, it’s the best way to play the trilogy.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim isn’t just one of the best RPGs on PC. It’s an institution that remains relevant and eminently playable long after its 2011 debut – tirelessly tugging players back in by their mage robes. With the help of many Skyrim mods and Skyrim console commands, of course.
The atmosphere is infectious, aided by perhaps the finest musical theme of any videogame. Whether you’re battling gargantuan dragons atop the Throat of the World as its frosted mountain peaks pierce the sky or simply answering the enigmatic chime of the Nirnroot plant by a river’s edge, Skyrim is a game that implores you to unravel every narrative and leave no stone unturned.
The Elder Scrolls V doesn’t just offer you an engrossing fantasy tale or satisfying freedom of choice – it endures because few other games nail how an adventure should feel quite like Skyrim does. If you’ve done everything there is to do in this fantastical land, here are some games like Skyrim that might scratch that magical itch – you’ve certainly got some time to kill before the Elder Scrolls 6 release date.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II
Where its predecessor – made by BioWare and not Obsidian – is a fantastic addition to the Star Wars universe, complete with a twist worthy of comparison to the famous one in The Empire Strikes Back, KOTOR II takes the venerable IP and pulls it in an entirely new direction to make it one of the best Star Wars games on PC. No longer is the focus on the constant battle between the Light and Dark sides of the Force. Republic versus the Empire. Instead, we’re treated to a narrative that explores the nature of the force and what it means to be cut off from it. Its story of misfits and traitors feels like Star Wars through Planescape: Torment.
Shades of grey permeate the entire adventure, as the Exile – KOTOR II’s protagonist – is forced to think about every action and how good deeds can beget evil, being pushed further towards pragmatism. An often depressing and bleak game, it’s as much about personal exploration as it is about gallivanting across the galaxy, getting into lightsaber battles, and using the force – though there is certainly plenty of that, too.
Perhaps the best aspect of KOTOR II is Kreia, the Exile’s secretive mentor. As the impetus for much of the game, she pushes the Exile, berates her, and attempts to teach her important lessons, all while presenting the force in much more interesting ways than any of the films manage. It makes the pupil-mentor relationship between Luke and Yoda, or Ben Kenobi, exceptionally dull in comparison.
Deus Ex
Ah, Deus Ex. More of a stealth FPS/RPG hybrid and one of the best cyberpunk games on PC, it’s still more than deserving of a place on this list – even 18 years on, it’s a joy to play and one of the best PC games ever devised.
We could expend much energy reminiscing about the dramatic narrative that weaves themes of conspiracy, terrorism, and transhumanism together with intriguing characters in a believable dystopian future. Equally, we could go on and on about the breadth of character customization, letting you hone the trench coat-wearing J.C. Denton into a cybernetically enhanced soldier, expert hacker, or ghost who lurks in the shadows. But what we want to discuss is the incredible level of design.
Every map represents a complex sandbox ripe for experimentation, whether you are playing this as one of the best FPS games or as a straight stealth game. Every combat encounter has the potential to play out in remarkably different ways, should you participate in said encounter rather than slinking past it. Secret paths, hidden caches, informants waiting to be bribed, and confidential information opening up new routes litter the levels. If you happen to talk about your experiences with another player, it’s like you are talking about two different games. Newer games in the series haven’t captured what makes the original Deus Ex so special
And there you have it, our list of the best RPGs on PC. For more expert lists, why not explore our list of the best JRPGs, We’ve also got a list of all the best upcoming PC games to keep an eye on, including promising new RPGs like Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines 2 and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.