When it comes down to it RPGevery fan will want something different from their experience. For example, one player may value story above all else, noting dialogue options, voice acting, and everything in between. Other players will want to engage with the action and deep progression system to expand their skills.
8 of the most original RPGs of all time
These RPGs are unlike anything else, even within the RPG genre, and for that reason alone they deserve a look.
Then there are the players who buy a game and hope it lasts them for months playback value. Anyone who wants to play a game more than once and have a different experience each time should give these RPG gems a chance. They offer worth hundreds of hours of playback within the same deck, thanks to how much their campaigns branch out in wildly different directions.
Baldur's Gate 3
Possibilities around every corner
Gamers will be hard-pressed to find a game with more options than Baldur's Gate 3. What players choose as their class can change how they engage in combat, and what race they choose can also be a big factor, as NPCs and party members will treat them differently, opening up different dialogue and story options.
One of the most obvious examples of branching paths is the creation of the Drow character, as they are often portrayed as an evil race that players can either lean into or subvert. The dialogue system dramatically changes each playthrough just by choosing a different answer at a key moment Baldur's Gate 3 worth playing at least twice, if not more.
Cyberpunk 2077
Futuristic departure
Cyberpunk 2077 is a game that changes from game to game not so much because of story twists, but because of how players approach missions based on their builds. There are also dialogue options in the missions, such as following one character's plan over another or scaring someone, as players can lean into being themselves or being a cyborg for humans.
It's more fun to see how the missions can play out with different builds, like when players weaponize their body to become a killing machine like the Terminator, or when they want to be more of a ninja with secret mods and hacking skills. Approaching missions with different skills can also change how they are presented in the story, proving that CD Projekt Red has considered every detail in this sprawling RPG.
Diablo 4
Different characters, same journey
Diablo 4 the story will be the same no matter what players choose to do in the campaign, which isn't a bad thing since it's one of the best stories in Diablo series. That said, this is another game and series overall that players will love to play again because of the deep class system and how the game can affect the world.
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The gameplay of the Barbarian will be more focused on close combat, while the gameplay of the Sorcerer emphasizes elemental attacks and spells. Not only that, but the branching skill trees of each class can make one player's Warlock game feel different from another's, so there are plenty of ways to make starting fresh every time even if you're playing the same class.
Fallout: New Vegas
Fall into factions
Fallout: New Vegas is a large open world RPG with a Karma system that is fun to watch play out depending on your character choices. Players can roam the wastelands and be a modern-day Jesus figure by helping the poor and needy with virtuous intent, or they can be on their own and be a devil in the desert, or pretty much anything in between.
Based on reputation, NPCs will treat players differently, which also applies depending on which faction they join. Between factions and karma, players can change how big plot moments happen, which is why New Vegas is popular among Fallout fans.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Bounty hunting for goodness or greed
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, it already has a lot of content in one playthrough that players will want 100% of, let alone when they want to go back and make different decisions in the story. The hero Geralt will be stoic no matter what decisions players make, but they can at least make him play either as a brute for money or as someone more logical who tries to apply reason to situations without coming across as too strict.
While Geralt may not change much, the decisions he makes will branch the narrative in wild directions, affecting what endings players get, which characters survive, and more. However, the gameplay will always be the same, so there aren't too many options here either, other than favoring one skill set over another. This is something players should consider before jumping in, but there are ways to accommodate certain preferences such as spells or potions.
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Compilation of the Three Families
It is advertised in the title. Fire Emblem: Three Houses has three different campaigns for players to follow, each distinctly different from the others. The game begins with a prologue where players create their character Byleth and visit a military academy with characters from three noble lands: Claude, Dimitri, and Edelgard.
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During this section of the academy, players decide which house they want to ally with, and then, after some time-skipping, watch that country from their perspective and fight against the other two. In addition to different viewpoints, each alliance results in different party members, all of whom bring different skills and personalities to the campaign. These characters can be leveled up during tactical combat or at home base through dialog interactions, further expanding the differences that can occur between games.
Persona 5 Royal
Building your social status
Persona 5 Royal is one of the longest RPGs ever made, but it's compelling because it's well-paced. Players will attend school during the day, hang out with friends in the afternoon, and then at night they can delve into dungeons as Phantom Thieves. There are variations on these rules, such as holidays and weekends, but overall it's a linear experience where players can make different decisions as they want their days to unfold.
Additionally, they can change how their friendship grows, leading to a cavalcade of possible encounters that won't affect the main story, but can bring new side story moments. Persona 5 Royal it also has a New Game+ mode so players can use their learned skills to be better next time, opening up avenues sooner, from relationship opportunities to different jobs.
Triangle strategy
Salt wars
Triangle strategy is a tactical turn-based RPG that has a wide variety of different options that can be broken down into different missions. Players are part of a neutral territory, House Wolffort, and become embroiled in a war over salt.
As a neutral entity, three nations will come to House Wolffort asking for support, and players can consider how they want to proceed through a scale system, leading to different story paths, allies, and battle maps. It is a similar design as Fire Emblem: Three Housesalbeit with less options and allies but Triangle strategy it has more meaningful results when things come true.
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From cancellation to shutdown, these games are forever in the minds of fans.