I am hanging on to modern World of Warcraft sometimes by a fingernail in the hope that they make good on their vague but still stated “intent” to eventually let you run dungeons with your own characters as NPC party members. I’m not confident it will happen soon, but it would mean so much to me if they did that.

In the meantime, I’m not getting any younger, and if there are games that can scratch this itch to create a super team of my many OCs, I’m open to recommendations.

I counted out BG3 in the title because it’s the most mainstream example that comes closest with potential mods or cheats, and to acknowledge that, yes, I know about BG3. I’d like to ask if there are lesser known titles that let me do this.

I doubt there’s a lot out there, and I’m sure people will mention a title or two that are disqualified from my enjoyment for genre or other criteria that I’m not going to make a huge list of here… but it was definitely worth asking!

Have a nice day!

Platform: PC
Experience: 50+ year old RPGamer
Examples of favorite games/systems relevant to request: World Of Warcraft, Dragon Age, Xenoblade, Baldur’s gate 3. Various Final Fantasies, Diablos, Fire Emblems and Suikodens.

I just finished The Outer Worlds 2, and I think it was an overall enjoyable experience. The beginning of the game is definitely the strongest with reaching Cloister/Praetor being about when it starts to teeter off for me.

The entire first half of the game where you're chasing de Vries and finding out why she betrayed you and such was great, the quest designs and town design were good, there were a lot of ways to utilize your skillset in the world and quest design. The writing was also good and intriguing. I enjoyed the companions it had to offer, from Niles to Tristan to Inez, my personal favorite was Aza.

I only wish that the companions had more interactivity amongst one another, something I liked about the first game was how when on the Unreliable you could find the companions bantering with each other, The Outer Worlds 2 does this, as well, but far more sparsely than the first game. I also wish that the companions had a bit more tension amongst each other, too, especially in regard to a companion like Tristan who's a Protectorate Arbiter. The most that the game provides in "tension" is Niles or Inez making a comment on Tristan or Aza.

The themes of the game feel muddied. Where the first game was blatantly anti-capitalist and anti-corporatism, the second game feels less so. It still has such ideologies, but it isn't exactly the focus, and the focus isn't really easy to tell what it is. The main antagonistic faction is the Protectorate, which act as a "perfect society" as an authoritative society where questioning is cause for lobotomization. Though the game doesn't do too much to really dive into this thinking and faction and what you can get through Tristan simply isn't enough to really dig into. (I also simply dislike the fact you can ally both Auntie's Choice and the Order, I really wish it was an X or Y thing.)

The game's big bad, the Consul Thoreau, has a rather stupid plan that it just feels not fully thought out. The first game had the player really engage with the problems that plagued Halcyon, whereas the problems that plague Arcadia aren't fully engaged with which I think is the main core issue. Halcyon was full of corporations, it was ruled by them, Arcadia is amidst a war between Auntie's Choice, the Order, and the Protectorate, and I feel, personally, the game could have benefitted in exploring its themes by giving us more of the Protectorate to explore and see, something about their society. How they live and such, the closest we get is Westport in the first zone of the game, but even then, they're branded as traitors.

The gameplay itself is very fun, I enjoyed the gunplay, the movement, and the world design. The exploration was fun and I appreciated how a few times the game actually has you return to an old zone, something that the first game didn't really do.

However, I do have some issues with the gameplay and design of gadgets and companions. The companions in the game are both an improvement over the first game and a step back, I appreciate that they have their own custom weapon and armor, I like that they have actual unique perks focused on them, I like that they interject in dialogue. But there's a few things I don't like that they don't do, that the first game did.

The companions lack the ability to determine their tactics; you can't tell them to follow close or far or if they use ranged or melee or mixed. The inability to heal companions in combat is also annoying, I can somewhat understand why, but the fact that not even a perk exists under Medical or Leadership is disappointing. The game instead has two dedicated companion healers, mainly Valerie but there's also Inez. I also miss that in the first game, the companions would give a bonus to your skills, it's something I again understand why it isn't there, the game emphasizes far more on replaying it and focusing on specific skills than the first game did, but something like giving a companion a trait or something that, while following, can be used as an alternative method (because the game offers a lot of such alternative methods) would have been welcomed.

Regarding skills, I personally like and dislike how they're handled. The game streamlines the skills into twelve skills, in comparison to the first game's eighteen skills. The skills in The Outer Worlds 2 have a lot more influence in their effects, where in the first game even at 150, it'd only give a 1.5% increase in plasma damage, for example.

I wish the game had more dedicated skills, though, mostly for guns, but I liked how lying and persuasion had their own skills, I liked the unique way that skills behaved in the first game as you level up a group and then specialize, I liked that each skill had their own masteries at increments of 20, similar to that of Oblivion's in increments of 25.

The gadgets were probably the least used thing in the game, and that could simply be on me since I chose the Dumb trait and locked Science!. I don't care for how TTD is in the game to begin with, and it really seems like its only purpose to exist is a one time use for fast moving fans midway in the game. The N-Ray Scanner was neat, but another thing I largely didn't use outside of stealth since I can see through walls with it, the location it was obtained at to see invisible enemies was cool and I wish the gimmick was used more, but what's really disappointing about it is that it opens up using the scanner to see wire connections in walls, but this is only used at most three times in the entire game.

The Auntie's Acidic Dematerializer is another gadget that I hardly used, as its entire purpose is to make bodies disappear and it's only used for one quest, but the enemies spotting bodies is largely meaningless, as all it does is make them investigate it briefly and return back to normal. Were the enemies to become permanently aware/cautious, then it might have some greater use, but as it is all of the gadgets feel largely extremely situational as a one off for when you get them or entirely tacked on.

Traits are another thing I find I both like and dislike, as the game got rid of attributes from the first game and replaced them with traits. The positive traits all work in a way that an attribute does from the first, like Brawny being for Strength or Nimble for Dexterity, but there's only three negative traits alongside nine traits. This would mean that on a replay, you'd likely experience the same negative traits more than you would positive ones.

The negative traits are also largely inconsequential in their debuff, the Dumb trait is, ironically, the best trait in the entire game as due to how stingy skill points are (90 in total), being locked out of five skills isn't a detriment at all for a good build. The other two negative traits, Sickly and Abrasive, are largely meaningless, as well. Abrasive just results in being unable to go past a Neutral in reputation, but all reputation really does is give a discount. Sickly is the most impactful trait but its -15% base health and toxicity resistance can be negated with perks and investing in the Medical skill. In the first game, a below average attribute meant something, such as a below average Strength meaning no movement in TTD, a below average Perception meant no weakspots, etc. You would actually have downsides that impact builds and how you play the game.

Overall, I enjoyed the game and I spent the past two/three weeks playing it almost nonstop, but I think it falls short in a few aspects that ultimately harm it. I'll replay it again in the future, I have my own build I made ahead of time for it, and I'll also pick it back up when the DLC comes out in the near future. It simply could have been shorter (I think its length is part of its issue with the theming/writing as a whole) and a few of the mechanics could have been improved on and emphasized on. It's a great RPG with pretty decent writing on average, the part where it really gets dragged down is simply the ending which feels very rushed.

Rpgs have been a category of game I've avoided. However thanks to Baldurs Gate 3, I find myself invested in the genre. It was easy to sink into this one with having a prior love for DnD. What captivated me was the story, and how much agency you have. I also really do enjoy turn based combat in the game. That said what games should I look to next? On my immediate radar I have Divinity original sin 1 and 2, Pathfinder wrath of the righteous, Warhammer 40k rogue trader, and dragon age origins, as well as plenty of new playthroughs of bg3. What games am I missing and what should I play next??

Looking for upcoming story-rich RPGs with meaningful romance options

I'm a huge fan of the Mass Effect trilogy, The Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077, SWTOR and The Blood of Dawnwalker. I also enjoyed BG3, although I've recently realised it's not my type of game due to the sheer amount of looting (loot goblin my friends say).

To use Steam terms, I'm looking for story-rich RPGs with meaningful romance options. I'm talking about well-written romance arcs, memorable characters, actual relationship development and choices that can influence the story, not romance that amounts to a few dialogue options and a kiss before the game moves on (like Fable).

I'm particularly interested in upcoming games and already know about:

• Exodus — Really excited for this one.
• The Expanse: Osiris Reborn — Very interested; I've already pre-ordered it.
• The next Dawnwalker game — Curious to see where they take the series.
• Cyberpunk 2 — Excited, but a little nervous given how the first game launched and some of the other things I've heard since.
• The Witcher 4 — Both excited and nervous about this one, although less so than Cyberpunk 2.
• Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic — I've barely heard anything about it, so I'm not even sure whether it'll fit what I'm looking for.

I'm not just interested in AAA games, either. Indie and AA games are absolutely welcome, provided they meet the criteria.

I generally prefer third-person games, particularly action RPGs, but I'm not completely opposed to first-person games. Cyberpunk 2077 is proof that a first-person RPG can win me over if the story and characters are good enough.

One important distinction: I'm not looking for games where romance is a minor, bare-bones feature. Skyrim, Fallout and Dragon's Dogma come to mind. No offence to fans of those games; I know people enjoy them, but IMO, their romance systems, characters and stories don't come close to the depth and writing I'm looking for in games like the ones I mentioned above.

So, what upcoming RPGs should I have on my radar? I'm interested in anything announced or in development that fits this description, including lesser-known indie projects.

I'd especially appreciate recommendations where romance is a confirmed feature, rather than something people are merely hoping the developers will include. I'm also happy to hear about games where the romance details haven't been revealed yet, provided there's a good reason to keep an eye on them. I know this is a bit of an odd post but tried using google, steam and AI to find and frankly either tells me what I already know or the results are just meh so looking to gaming community for help!

Back on the day I played and loved Dragon Age Origins (mainly for the story, but I loved the combat/ exploration too.) I honestly can't remember the next one I played until BG3 and that game blew me away. The story, characters, world, combat.. everything was just so amazing and engaging. The story is the main thing for me, I want to be immersed in a world that's interesting.

I'd like to play the older games but the voice acting is big for me. My mind drifts if the characters isn't talking/interacting. So my question is, would Solasta 2 be a good fit for me? I worry about creating your own party members and them not being fleshed out like BG3 characters, or if the game is more combat focused than story focused. Thoughts??

Hey all.

I was wondering what are some ambitious RPG you'd recommend to someone whose kinda new to the genre.

I've absolutely adored games Azure Dreams, the Xenosaga trilogy, Chrono Trigger, Dot hack and Dot Hack Gu, Pocket Jockey games but what are some others you'd recommend.

Even if they don't stick the landing or come with an Astrix

I have been reading "Dungeon Crawler Carl" and It's been a while since I played rpgs. I would like to play some games but I don't know where to start, I already played Fallout New Vegas, some Disco Elysium, Baldur's Gate 3.

I would like to try a Dragon Quest game or a Octopath Traveler game. Or something that is similar to the books. But, I know is going to be contradictory, I don't want to spend hundreds of hours on a single game (At max around 60/70 Hours).

But I'm open to new suggestions, so what do you recommend?

When I was younger I devoured everything. Codex entries, in-game books, random NPC chatter, item descriptions, that one letter on a corpse in a cave nobody would ever find. I'd stop questing for half an hour just to read a fictional history of some minor noble house. It felt like the world was real and I wanted to know all of it.

Now I'm older and... I just don't. I follow the main story and the important quests, and that's about it. The weird part is I still open the books. Out of habit, I guess. I click on them, scroll straight through to the end without actually reading, close them, and move on. Like some part of me still wants to care but the rest of me has already checked out.

It's honestly a little sad. I don't think the games got worse, I think I changed. Less time, less patience, more "just get to the point."

Does nyone else feel this? Did you ever get that curiosity back?

By that I mean: Which RPG franchises do you want to see a new title in, mainline or spinoff whatever, where the gameplay goes back to its roots, while at the same time letting you harness the power of past protagonists from core entries during combat? Screenshots here are from Fire Emblem Engage and Final Fantasy Resonance respectively.

What are some good rpgs (or just good games) available on Xbox Series X? I liked rdr2, the Arkham trilogy, and ac2, and I'm also currently working on Skyrim. I'd like to avoid games with a ton of nudity, as that's not really my thing. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

People always say there are hundreds of amazing RPGs out there, but every time I look for recommendations, it’s the exact same 10 games being repeated over and over again (Witcher 3, Baldur's Gate 3, Skyrim, Persona, etc.).

Where is the rest of them? If there are actually hundreds of great RPGs, please give me some hidden gems or lesser-known titles that aren't the usual top 10 list. I'm tired of seeing the same loop everywhere.

I played a lot of text-based, browser-based multiplayer role-playing games in the early 2000s and I miss the nostalgia of it. I played Legend of the Green Dragon, but the 12 hour day refresh rate is a bit too slow for me. I'm looking for recommendations for this specific game style preferably with a faster day refresh time, or more turns per day. An active community would be great as well. My online searching has come up dry.

Typical gameplay I like is you create a character, choose a race, and battle monsters in the forest to earn experience, gold, and gems. Every "New Day" cycle you receive a limited number of actions or turns per day. It all is done in your browser through menus. You can also chat with other players, and earn titles. If you die, you can wait for a new day, or some other special way to escape death.

I don't like forum based games, or ones with a ton of reading.

There used to be so many different styles and themes but it seems they all have disappeared from the internet.

Hi everyone!

I just finished playing KCD 2 yesterday. Could you recommend any games similar to it, in terms of setting or style? Previously, I’ve played KCD 1, RDR 2, RDR, the entire Metro series, Cyberpunk, and GTA 5.

I’m considering The Witcher 3 - is it worth it? Also, do you think I might get burnt out after playing such massive titles? Just how big is The Witcher 3?

I’m left with a sense of emptiness after finishing KCD 2 but it’s a pleasant kind of emptiness. I’m wondering what I should play next to fill that void.

Thanks for your suggestions!

I believe the term HD2D isnt entirely accurate for what i'm after so I used 2.5D instead, but i'm sure using both gives a semblance of what im thinking.

I'm mainly looking for RPGs with the same or a similar sense of feeling to similar 2.5Ds i've played before, namely Octopath 2 (I'm definitely getting 0 at one point) and Sea of stars (Literally my favourite single player game)

I've heard the new final fantasy that goes back to the series' roots is meant to be good so I expect to maybe see that mentioned a couple times but i'm a bit iffy on choosing that one as FF has kind of been really hit or miss for me lately; though I suppose thats only been with the modern titles, and not one stylised like the older ones.

Would appreciate any help fixing my game drought tho! Really wanting something i can sink my teeth into for a good while lmao

I own a steam deck, ps5 and switch 2

For context I come from more platformer games. I’ve always seen games as gameplay before the story, but JRPGs completely flip this on its head, the gameplay feels lesser to the story. In a platformer if you’re really good you can take riskier jumps or shortcuts and do cool stuff. Or you can do it the usual way, both are using the game's mechanics.

If you’re really good at a JRPG you can skip the gameplay. I don’t see a point in using one spell over another if one spell is better. And because JRPGs gameplay is about strategy, it behooves you to use the best abilities you have, or else you’re handicapping yourself.

In Mario 3, you could just fly over every level with a tail, but platforming is more fun because it's engaging with the gameplay instead of skipping over it. In a JRPG, you could use really strong moves and magic combos and skip a lot of the fighting, or you could use weaker moves, but for what benefit?

It's why for me it feels like story first, gameplay maybe second. The stories are often great, the more you engage with its systems the less game you play. I don’t get why my reward for playing well be to not engage with the game as much?

I seriously do want to enjoy RPGs, I don’t understand how these games are designed. This is my main problem thats hurting every JRPG I've played.

You can either give a 1-10 rating for these points, or list them from the most important for you to the least important:

• World exploration and atmosphere (that is, the navigation of the game world, its environmental storytelling, visual/sound identity, and overall immersion and verisimilitude);
• Narrative depth and lore (that is, the structural complexity of the main plot, side storylines, and background worldbuilding);
• Mechanical character customization (that is, the statistical freedom to build and develop character attributes, skills, classes, and synergies granularly);
• Strategic and tactical combat (that is, the balance between real-time dexterity and timing, turn-based positioning, action economies, long-term resource management, build planning);
• Dungeon crawling and survival loop (that is, the focused exploration of hostile enclosed spaces centered on resource friction, enemy encounters, loot acquisition, and microeconomy);
• Companion autonomy and dynamics (that is, the presence of party members with distinct personalities, reactive relationship progression, and independent ethical agendas that can even actively oppose the player);
• Reactive choices and consequences (that is, major structural decision points where player actions permanently alter world states, narrative branches, and faction alignments);
• Systemic and emergent flexibility (that is, multi-path quest design, skill-check resolution, and unpredictable interactions between physics, AI, and game rules);

the game is an upcoming action-RPG open world with little as hand holding,you can explore the game as u like,devs working on the game quietly for years,they showed it in February on the state of Play, the game seems to have musou style elements where u fight 100 to 1000 enemies in the game,since the Devs trademark their game recently,there is a big chance we will see more of the game on goty awards 2026 or maybe in next state of play,also trademarks for the game,it means the game must be in deep development and my guess it will release in 2027.

I've been thinking about what makes older RPG worlds memorable. For me, it's the feeling that there's always somewhere dangerous to explore, something to discover, and a reason to return to an area later.

Is it the world design, enemy placement, loot, NPCs, respawning enemies, or something else? What games have done this particularly well? For me my childhood games like tibia or oldschool runescape always had this feeling which I feel like especially with newer mmos it seems to diminish.