Best Fantasy RPGs With a Focus on Lore and History

A lot of RPGs are infamous for the immense depth and breadth of lore they contain. The genre is known for containing much denser games than other categories, and much of that is due to the complex and intricate storylines they weave. Fantasy RPGs, in particular, have a lot of lore to build since they’re set in fantastical worlds with their own set of rules, societies, and magical systems unlike anything in the real world.

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For fans who are interested in worldbuilding and history, there are plenty of RPGs that offer a lot to learn. The best of these weave their world-building lore into the stories of the characters in unique and surprising ways, rewarding fans who go out of their way to study history. Here are ten of the best RPGs that reward historically-minded fans.

10

Darkest Dungeon

A Legacy of Sin

Darkest Dungeon players have an uphill battle ahead of them if they wish to reclaim their ancestral estate from the wretched creatures infesting it. Every corner of the estate brings its own horrors and threats, and as fans struggle to hold the line against these eldritch monstrosities, they’ll slowly come to learn more about the origins of the madness haunting the titular Darkest Dungeon.

The backstory of Darkest Dungeon revolves around the player’s nameless ancestor, a cruel and hedonistic man whose increasingly deranged experiments in the arcane created the monsters the player must now struggle against. As players get deeper into the heart of the estate, more of the Ancestor’s wretched history is unveiled, often in truly horrifying fashion.

The Dragonborn Comes

The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim is arguably one of the most prominent fantasy RPGs ever released. It casts players as the legendary Dragonborn, a mythical figure who can absorb the souls of fallen dragons and channel them into incredible strength. Learning the history of the player’s role in the return of the dragons is a central part of the story; as war between the Empire and the Stormcloaks brews, the realm’s ancient history returns to wreak terrifying vengeance.

The Elder Scrolls franchise is thick with a frankly overwhelming amount of lore, which can be discovered in countless in-game books to be found throughout the world. Trying to understand all the lore in the franchise is an overwhelming ordeal, but one that will help fans appreciate each ruin and cave all the more.

8

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

A History Lesson

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OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

Released

July 26, 2019

The Fire Emblem games always have a lot of lore behind them. The battles players engage in are always highlighted by divine struggles and mystical artifacts. Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a particularly memorable example of this; the game’s school setting makes it much more natural for the story’s rich history to be delivered to the player.

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As the name suggests, the plot of Three Houses revolves around three major factions vying for power, while mystical and godly forces boil just under the surface. Players must nurture and teach the students at the Officer’s Academy at Garreg Mach, learning about the history and power dynamics of the world as they do. A five-year time skip then escalates the conflict, and players must restore peace to the region while at the same time righting ancient wrongs.

7

Dragon Age: Origins

Fighting For Ferelden

BioWare is known for its intricate storylines and deep lore, and Dragon Age is no exception. This landmark fantasy series began in 2009 with Dragon Age: Origins, which set the scene for the epic battles that have followed.

Origins establishes the setting of the kingdom of Ferelden, as well as the sinister invasion threatening it in the form of the monstrous Darkspawn. As players struggle to end this grim incursion, they will also learn of the political struggles impacting the realm, most notoriously the struggle between the mages and the Chantry, which suppresses them due to their magical ability.

What It Means To Rule

Atlus’ landmark fantasy RPG is a major departure from the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series the developer is most known for, at least in terms of setting. Metaphor ReFantazio takes place in an original fantasy world rich with lore and strife, where the recent assassination of a powerful monarch has thrown the realm into chaos.

Players must struggle to bring the king’s assassin to justice even as they vie for the throne in a long, intense journey that will expose them to every aspect of Metaphor‘s society. A harshly stratified society leads to intense prejudice based on physical traits, and monstrous creatures of uncertain origin threaten to tear the realm apart.

5

Pillars of Eternity

Curses & Chaos

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Pillars of Eternity

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OpenCritic Rating

Mighty

Released

March 26, 2015

Obsidian Entertainment is famous for raising the bar when it comes to storytelling in video games. Pillars of Eternity, the first in a series of fantasy RPGs from the developer, takes place in an original world known as Eora, which is afflicted with a sinister curse.

People in Eora are sometimes born without souls, resulting in comatose hollowborn who are driving the realm into despair and fear. When the player character is afflicted by a sinister machine built by cultists, they must race to discover the origins of this terrifying curse and end it, to save not only the realm but their own life.

4

Final Fantasy 7

Saving The Planet

The Final Fantasy franchise is one of the biggest names in fantasy RPGs, and Final Fantasy 7 is almost unquestionably the jewel in the crown of that massive series. The influence and legacy of Final Fantasy 7 are still felt to this day, particularly in the form of the modern remake series gradually being released by Square Enix.

Final Fantasy 7‘s distinct blend of high fantasy and industrial technology remains memorable to this day, creating a rich and detailed world for players to explore. The history of this remarkable setting, and of the sinister corporation draining the world’s energy, impacts Cloud Strife’s journey deeply, and the environmentalist themes of the game resonate with fans to this day.

3

Elden Ring

Living In The Lands Between

Like other FromSoftware games, Elden Ring‘s lore can be difficult for casual players to access, but it runs deep nonetheless. With the help of George R. R. Martin himself, FromSoft created a rich and elaborate fantasy realm, with lore and history evident in each brick of its cities and ruins.

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Players’ quest to restore the shattered Elden Ring will bring them on a comprehensive tour of the fallen realm, showcasing the consequences of the Shattering and the factions that have built up in its absence. Each character in the game has history, and fans who hope to earn the title of Elden Lord will do well to scrutinize item descriptions and complete sidequests to fully immerse themselves in the game’s rich history.

2

The Witcher 3

Building on the Best

It’s not too common to see games based on books, but the Witcher franchise is an undeniable success in that department. This ongoing series is based on the novels of the same name by Andrzej Sapkowski, which depict a world rich with witchcraft and monsters, inspired by folk tales and legends from across Europe.

The Witcher 3 adapts this source material beautifully, bringing Geralt’s world to life and giving fans a chance to experience the sprawling fantasy series firsthand. The game’s storyline is full of politics, history, and power, giving players a chance to experience the franchise’s rich lore for themselves.

1

Baldur’s Gate 3

A Legendary Campaign

The legendary Baldur’s Gate 3 has inherited a rich legacy of lore from the rest of the Baldur’s Gate series and from Dungeons & Dragons itself. This sprawling game plunges fans into a vast and elaborate world rich with lore. Players will come face to face with some of D&D‘s most iconic franchises and characters in their quest.

The grand history of the Forgotten Realms, which stretches back several decades in the real world, helps bring Baldur’s Gate 3 to life. Each of the beloved followers and treacherous antagonists has their own part in this setting’s rich lore, and fans are encouraged to read more or even play D&D if they want to know more about this incredible realm.

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