Recommend a fun action RPG for PC

[ninja666]

As the title says, I'm looking for one as I have nothing to play atm.

What the game should have:
- FPP or TPP perspective
- fluent controls and combat
- dark atmosphere
- character creation and/or customisation
- open world
- fantasy setting
- interesting locations
- good, interesting and engaging storyline (or at least a non-lame, passable one)
- artstyle closer to realism (no colourful, bulky armors with spikes, Marcus Fenix-like bruisers, and "paddle" swords)

The game doesn't need to have ALL of those at once of course. If it meets most of the criteria, it's fine for me. Just focus on the underlined ones, as those are dealbreakers to me (I can make exceptions if the game's really worth overlooking some of its features).

What the game mustn't have:
-top-down/isometric perspective
-turn-based or "start-stop" combat
-overly complicated stats (by that I mean anything equally complicated to D&D-based games, where every stat is incomprehensible without knowledge of the system's rules)

What I've already played, that meets the criteria more or less (including "traditional" RPGs, that don't meet the criteria, but I thought I'd include them, so you know that I've played them already):
-Gothic 1* & 2*
-Risen*
-Witcher 1 & 2
-Dark Souls 1 & 2*
-TES games (literally all of them, even the most obscure ones like Battlespire or Redguard)
-Kingdoms of Amalur*
-Baldur's Gate*
-Two Worlds 1* & 2*
-Dragon Age: Origins* & DA2*
-Bound by Flame*
-Divine Divinity
-Divinity 2: Ego Draconis*
-Dungeon Siege
-Arcanum
-Icewind Dale (only a little)*
-Fallout 1, 2, 3* & NV
-Legend of Grimrock
-Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines*
-Dark Messiah (if you count it as an RPG)
-Arx Fatalis
-Fable: TLC & Fable III*
-Severance: Blade of Darkness*

*didn't like it

Thanks in advance for the suggestions (either this or making me realize I'm too picky to be pleased).

 

[NuclearKangaroo]

what about mass effect?

 

[shrekfan246]

You've pretty much played or ruled out most of the ones which are sure to be mentioned. For myself, the only thing that immediately comes to mind is Darksiders II, but that has a very cartoony art style despite its dark atmosphere. Or Grim Dawn/Path of Exile/Diablo III, but they're all isometric (and Grim Dawn is still in Early Access).

The list of things you don't like is perhaps a bit more surprising to me; Dark Souls in particular is basically everything you're asking for (admittedly in a poor PC package, but it can be modded and as long as you have a controller plays just fine). It has slow combat, but it's what I would consider to be the best ARPG combat I've seen so far.

I don't really know what else to say. I'm assuming you're primarily a PC gamer given the list, and most of the ARPGs which remain to be mentioned are Japanese (and as such are either constrained to consoles and/or vastly different from the stipulations you've provided). And most PC ARPGs tend to be Diablo/Divine Divinity-style isometric hack&slashers, or are otherwise the ones you've already tried before.

EDIT: I mean, for what it's worth my recommendations would be Darksiders II and the Mass Effect franchise given the information at hand, but they each break some of your underlined rules so I would assume they're out (Darksiders II has a relatively "fantastic" and cartoony aesthetic, Mass Effect is set in a sci-fi universe and uses guns instead of swords and bows). Aside from that, I'd maybe just suggest giving Dark Souls another go, but you'd know how you feel about that better than I.

EDIT II: I've used far too many parentheses in this post. Oh well.

EDIT III - The Revengeaning: Or was it Dark Souls II that you didn't like? I'm sorry, I'm a bit confused by the asterisk system you're employing and now I feel like a dumb-dumb.

EDIT The Fourth - I Should Really Stop Now: I see Dungeon Siege but not Dungeon Siege II. It's isometric, but maybe go for that?

 

[Liquidprid3]

He put an astrix next to Two Worlds 1 & 2, but only an astrix for Dark Souls II, so he likes Dark Souls.

Although a lot of people are iffy on this game, but I'm gonna say Star Wars the Force Unleashed. The combat is fun, and the story is serious and sort of interesting, albeit a bit poorly written and not memorable.
Oh wait, Fantasy setting. Crap. Well, the game does a feel a bit more fantasy like than the other Star Wars games, as their aren't any people that help you. The combat is a bit over the top, but not really silly. It isn't a realistic Star Wars game. But still fun. I'm trying to think of a game that fits all your criteria that you haven't already played, but I'm out of luck.

 

[ScrabbitRabbit]

Maybe give Mount and Blade: Warband a go? The combat is difficult to get the hang of at first but very fun once you do. It's probably the most "realistic" fantasy setting in gaming (to the point where there's no magic) with an aesthetic to match.

It doesn't have much of story, because the game is open-ended to the point where the narrative is pretty much entirely emergent. You can basically decide what your end goal is and different things will happen on the way to it every time.

It also features some humongous battles, with 200 fighters a side that can feel pretty epic. It also has huge multiplayer battles too, if you're into that.

The game isn't perfect; it's not very visually pleasing (though that's because the team was tiny) and, in my opinion, the combat kinda needs a lock-on. Where you swing your weapon depends on where you move your mouse, so it's very easy to lose sight of your enemies before you get the hang of the game. Still, well worth trying and endlessly re playable.

 

[ninja666]

what about mass effect?

I've tried that already, but forgot to mention. Didn't like the gameplay very much, though. It instantly reminded me of Gears of War.

I see Dungeon Siege but not Dungeon Siege II. It's isometric, but maybe go for that?

Apparently, I didn't like Dungeon Siege THAT much to be convinced to play the sequel. It was a nice little hack n' slash that got a little tedious at the very end, but nothing more.

Although a lot of people are iffy on this game, but I'm gonna say Star Wars the Force Unleashed. The combat is fun, and the story is serious and sort of interesting, albeit a bit poorly written and not memorable.
Oh wait, Fantasy setting. Crap. Well, the game does a feel a bit more fantasy like than the other Star Wars games, as their aren't any people that help you. The combat is a bit over the top, but not really silly. It isn't a realistic Star Wars game. But still fun. I'm trying to think of a game that fits all your criteria that you haven't already played, but I'm out of luck.

Might be just a thing for me. I don't mind if it's Sci-fi that much, if the game's fun. The combat looks ok to me. As long as it isn't Devil May Cry/God of War over-the-top, it's passable.

Maybe give Mount and Blade: Warband a go? The combat is difficult to get the hang of at first but very fun once you do. It's probably the most "realistic" fantasy setting in gaming (to the point where there's no magic) with an aesthetic to match.

I thought adding it isn't necessary, as it's not really fantasy. Should've seen that coming. While it has its moments, it's not a game that lasts long. Main issue is the lack of story whatsoever. You can play knight for 3-4 days, then what? You have nothing to do except for more and more battles, which becomes boring really quick. If it had a story, it would have been playable for much longer for me.

 

[Savagezion]

Keeenshiiii?

http://store.steampowered.com/app/233860

It's in Early Access and I haven't played it myself, but man... this is getting hard. Don't get me wrong I like the challenge but I keep jumping onto consoles at this point. Everything breaks a rule. (not that I am upset about it) I plan on getting this game down the road but I have spent everything I can on games this year already. I currently have AOW3 and Tropico 5 staring at me laughing that I spent my budget. Actually $20 over my budget. Kenshi looks pretty cool though. It could end up with the negatives of Mount and Blade though. I haven't seen a whole lot of updates on it in the past 6 months but it is being updated.

 

[ninja666]

Keeenshiiii?

http://store.steampowered.com/app/233860

It's in Early Access and I haven't played it myself, but man... this is getting hard. Don't get me wrong I like the challenge but I keep jumping onto consoles at this point. Everything breaks a rule. (not that I am upset about it) I plan on getting this game down the road but I have spent everything I can on games this year already. I currently have AOW3 and Tropico 5 staring at me laughing that I spent my budget. Actually $20 over my budget. Kenshi looks pretty cool though. It could end up with the negatives of Mount and Blade though. I haven't seen a whole lot of updates on it in the past 6 months but it is being updated.

So, basically it's Mount and Blade set in a fantasy world resembling ancient/medieval Japan? No, thanks. I prefer to have an actual goal in my games along all the "sandboxing".

 

[shrekfan246]

Snip

Then my only remaining recommendations would be Darksiders II or... maybe Diablo III?

Again I'm breaking the "no isometric" rule here, but only because personally Diablo III is the only isometric ARPG which has kept me playing long enough to not only clear the campaign, but clear it multiple times on multiple characters and at multiple difficulties. As far as combat is concerned, I think that it's the best of the best when it comes to isometric hack&slash games, and while its art-style is less realistic than Diablo II or its contemporaries Path of Exile and Grim Dawn, it's a good mixture that keeps it from being garishly cartoony like Torchlight but also ensures that everything sticks out in a clear manner. It's still a pretty dark atmosphere overall, as well, considering how the whole thing is about demons and Heaven and Hell and all of that good stuff. The story is... er... well, I enjoyed it on my first play-through of the game, especially as I didn't have the context of playing Diablo II for a decade leading up to it, but to be honest it's certainly not the greatest story in the world.

I mean, if you've got a PS3 you could maybe check out Demon's Souls, the predecessor to Dark Souls? I can't really think of anything else released since... at least 2004 that you haven't played and would fit your limitations. And even the Darksiders games you probably won't really like, given the list you've provided and what appears to be an aversion to God of War-style combat.

 

[ninja666]

maybe Diablo III?

I'm not really keen on isometric hack n' slash games. I have played some (Sacred, Loki, Legend: Hand of God) and they just feel really dumb to me. All you do in those is click the mouse in a rapid manner to ensure the character attacks the enemy enough times and then move on to kill even more enemies in the exact same way. And with Diablo starting the genre, I doubt it would be any different of an expierience.

I mean, if you've got a PS3 you could maybe check out Demon's Souls, the predecessor to Dark Souls?

That's why this thread exists, mainly. I wish I could play Demon's Souls, but I don't have a PS3 and probably won't have one in a very long time. They're just too expensive for me.

I can't really think of anything else released since... at least 2004 that you haven't played and would fit your limitations.

I don't mind going a little retro (mid-to-late nineties, to be precise), if it's of any help.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

snip.

perhaps jade empire? it's on steam I know for sure, it's been YEARS since i've played it but the arpg mechanics aren't too bad in it (I honestly can't remember if there is stop/start mechanics or not, but it was pretty fun and the story can be pretty dark at some points in the game)


^just a spot I found to give you a glimpse at the gameplay on a lets play. Per usual, it's a bioware game so the story and characters are the strong suits, but it is definitely a fun rpg gem if you haven't played it or seen it before.

 

[Savagezion]

Keeenshiiii?

http://store.steampowered.com/app/233860

It's in Early Access and I haven't played it myself, but man... this is getting hard. Don't get me wrong I like the challenge but I keep jumping onto consoles at this point. Everything breaks a rule. (not that I am upset about it) I plan on getting this game down the road but I have spent everything I can on games this year already. I currently have AOW3 and Tropico 5 staring at me laughing that I spent my budget. Actually $20 over my budget. Kenshi looks pretty cool though. It could end up with the negatives of Mount and Blade though. I haven't seen a whole lot of updates on it in the past 6 months but it is being updated.

So, basically it's Mount and Blade set in a fantasy world resembling ancient/medieval Japan? No, thanks. I prefer to have an actual goal in my games along all the "sandboxing".

Yeah, I ain't mad at 'cha. I had a feeling. The fact that you have listed the fall backs like Risen and and Bound by Flame sets up a nice challenge. I have been thinking about this post since shrekfan's first post. Hell, I didn't even know of Arx Fatalis or Severance. But I don't like admitting defeat when someone says "name a video game under this criteria". I also don't like posting in this thread without a recommendation.

And I don't wanna be the foo' who gets pitied.

I want to tell you to buy a console and get Dragon's Dogma or Kingdom Under Fire. But I can't because that is probably the golden rule. So I sit here refusing to hit post until a conjure some game from memory I probably haven't played yet myself. Like Hand of God: Legend. Let's do that one. (EDIT: Damn already saw your response where you reference it.)

EDIT: Dammit, Jade Empire... what is wrong with me? I imagine you have also played KoTOR

 

[shrekfan246]

And with Diablo starting the genre, I doubt it would be any different of an expierience.

Well, yes, that's partly why I specified that it's the only one I've continued to play, out of a list which even includes Diablo II. To be frank, pretty much every type of game can be simplified to "click enough times that the enemy stops moving then move on to do the same". Diablo III added enough in the way of altering the character abilities (for one, it's the only isometric ARPG I can think of where the characters don't have to resort to normal melee swing auto-attacks 75% of the time) that it remained interesting to me all the way through. It very well may still not be your cup of tea, but that's why I suggested it all the same.

That's why this thread exists, mainly. I wish I could play Demon's Souls, but I don't have a PS3 and probably won't have one in a very long time. They're just too expensive for me.

Fair enough, they're still between $200-300 around here, so I can understand that.

I don't mind going a little retro (mid-to-late nineties, to be precise), if it's of any help.

Well, when you go back that far you've got the problem of most of the games being even more Diablo-esque, or else Gothic-esque. There are some even older dungeon crawlers like Eye of the Beholder you could chance checking out, they're the type of games which inspired Legend of Grimrock, but aside from that I'm still not really sure of anything that would scratch your particular itch.

 

[Michael Tabbut]

snip.

perhaps jade empire? it's on steam I know for sure, it's been YEARS since i've played it but the arpg mechanics aren't too bad in it (I honestly can't remember if there is stop/start mechanics or not, but it was pretty fun and the story can be pretty dark at some points in the game)


^just a spot I found to give you a glimpse at the gameplay on a lets play. Per usual, it's a bioware game so the story and characters are the strong suits, but it is definitely a fun rpg gem if you haven't played it or seen it before.

Getting Jade Empire to play on Steam is a ***** and a half. I've wanted to play it but the Steam version is a pain just to start.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

snip.

perhaps jade empire? it's on steam I know for sure, it's been YEARS since i've played it but the arpg mechanics aren't too bad in it (I honestly can't remember if there is stop/start mechanics or not, but it was pretty fun and the story can be pretty dark at some points in the game)


^just a spot I found to give you a glimpse at the gameplay on a lets play. Per usual, it's a bioware game so the story and characters are the strong suits, but it is definitely a fun rpg gem if you haven't played it or seen it before.

Getting Jade Empire to play on Steam is a ***** and a half. I've wanted to play it but the Steam version is a pain just to start.

not that I'm discounting your experience, but I did get my version working just fine the multiple times I played it on steam. I think the only problem I had was installing some widescreen/HD fixes due to the location of certain steam files, but other than that it worked perfectly.

 

[zf6hellion]

snip.

perhaps jade empire? it's on steam I know for sure, it's been YEARS since i've played it but the arpg mechanics aren't too bad in it (I honestly can't remember if there is stop/start mechanics or not, but it was pretty fun and the story can be pretty dark at some points in the game)


^just a spot I found to give you a glimpse at the gameplay on a lets play. Per usual, it's a bioware game so the story and characters are the strong suits, but it is definitely a fun rpg gem if you haven't played it or seen it before.

Getting Jade Empire to play on Steam is a ***** and a half. I've wanted to play it but the Steam version is a pain just to start.

Really? I had no issues with the Steam version, just clicked and it played from the get-go.

 

[Amaror]

I thought adding it isn't necessary, as it's not really fantasy. Should've seen that coming. While it has its moments, it's not a game that lasts long. Main issue is the lack of story whatsoever. You can play knight for 3-4 days, then what? You have nothing to do except for more and more battles, which becomes boring really quick. If it had a story, it would have been playable for much longer for me.

What?! Not much to do? There's soooo much to do. You can become an independent king, when you conquer a place while being independent. And once you do that you have to conquer the whole world OBVIOUSLY.

 

[Milten]

What didn't you like about Gothic/Risen? Just asking, because they seem to meet most of your criteria (except character creation... and, yeah, the controls feel clunky at first, but imho you get used to them really fast)

Maybe you could still try Gothic 3. It's pretty different from the other Pyranha Bytes games and more similar to TES. The open world is really huge and beautiful and with the newest community patches it's great fun. Though tbh the main story is still almost non-existent

 

[Elvis Starburst]

Well, your points don't really give many options X3 I'll at least put you in the direction of an action hack-n-slash RPG that I love. Look it up on Steam and see if it tickles your fancy.

Ys: The Oath in Felghana. I dunno if it fits your criteria, especially on a few things you requested, but it's still lots of fun. That's all I can really give. Hope it helps a tiiiiiiny bit!

 

[Bad Jim]

What about Deus Ex : Human Revolution? It's on a Steam Sale this weekend.

Edit : Actually you have about an hour and a half to buy it now.