RPGs Carried By Their Characters

Story and characters are at the core of any RPG, no matter if players have their own squad to manage or travel alone, only meeting other characters throughout the journey. Depending on how fleshed out and intriguing these aspects of the role-playing game are, characters alone can elevate otherwise unremarkable RPGs, providing enough reason for players to stick with a game until the very end.

Below, we’ll take a look at some RPGs that are mostly carried by their characters and their twisted personal stories. These games typically aren’t ranked among the best or the worst the genre has to offer, but their characters are arguably the best part of the entire experience.

Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic 2 – The Sith Lords

Kreia, Darth Nihilus, And Darth Sion

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 – The Sith Lords suffered from an extremely short development time, leading to numerous technical issues and ending up almost identical to its iconic predecessor gameplay-wise. However, Obsidian’s focus on story, characters, and strong writing delivered one of the most nuanced and layered narratives in all of Star Wars to date.

A large part of the game’s charm belongs specifically to the titular Sith Lords: Darth Traya (Kreia) and her apprentices, Darth Nihilus and Darth Sion. Traveling aboard the Ebon Hawk alongside Kreia, learning about her past, personal goals, and perception of the Force, is a definite highlight of KOTOR 2, along with the epic standoffs against other Dark Lords, each of whom has their own agenda.

Dragon Age 2

From Varric And Isabela To Aveline, Merrill, And Fenris

Another example of a potentially great RPG suffering from a very short development time, Dragon Age 2 is among the most divisive in the series to date. While the sequel’s limited scope, uneven combat system, and copy-pasted environments may have their skeptics, this is hardly true for the game’s story and characters.

The personal journey of Hawke through the years in Kirkwall proves a strong foundation for another chapter in the Dragon Age universe, while the supporting cast and companions, like in The Sith Lords, are the heart of the game, staying true to BioWare’s high standards. For some players, Dragon Age 2 has become one of the all-time favorite RPGs, full of human moments and gut-wrenching choices, with companions like Merrill, Isabela, and Fenris ranking among BioWare’s best.

Tyranny

Barik, Verse, Eb, And Sirin Versus Great Kyros’ Generals

Tyranny

9/10

Released

November 10, 2016

• 

Unlike the Pillars of Eternity games that get their continuation in Avowed, Tyranny proved less successful for Obsidian, despite its fully original world and the premise of playing as one of the evil Overlord Kyros’ judges, known as the Fatebinders. The game ended on an intriguing cliffhanger, and while it’s unlikely to ever receive a sequel at this point, that’s not a reason to skip Tyranny entirely.

True to form, Obsidian’s writing and focus on characters shine through, delivering complex questlines with unpredictable outcomes, a great deal of freedom, and player choice when it comes to almost any key character in the story, as well as strong companions and villains alike. Every action in Tyranny yields consequences, allowing players to shape the personalities of their followers, and some of the twists involving Barik or Sirin are hard to forget.

The Witcher 2: Assassins Of Kings

Geralt, Triss, And Vernon Roche Chasing Iorveth And Letho

Back in the day, when CD Projekt Red was yet to be hailed as one of the world’s leading RPG developers, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings made much less of an impact than the third entry, despite plenty of strengths. Drawing from the books and adding a flair of their own, the studio delivered perfect renditions of now-iconic characters like Geralt of Rivia, Dandelion, and Triss Merigold, while also presenting greatly fleshed-out and fully original characters such as the leader of the Blue Stripes, Vernon Roche, elven Scoia’tael leader Iorveth, and mysterious witcher antagonist Letho.

When it comes to characters, The Witcher 2 fully delivers, placing players at the center of crucial story-defining choices like who to trust and who to follow, changing perspectives throughout by briefly allowing them to take the role of other key characters like Prince Stennis or King Henselt, and portraying a morally complex story where everything that happens has long-reaching consequences.

Final Fantasy 15

Noctis, Prompto, Ignis, And Gladiolus

Final Fantasy 15 is often regarded as one of the most troubled games in the legendary franchise, failing to fully deliver on its unique world and premise. Even after years of addressing the game’s issues post-launch, FF15 remains far from the best entries in the series, yet it is not without some redeeming qualities. Unsurprisingly, the central characters and their dynamics throughout the story are one such highlight.

From the very first moments, it’s apparent that Noctis and his friends-slash-bodyguards Prompto, Ignis, and Gladiolus are in for an epic and lengthy journey, full of dramatic twists, heartfelt revelations, and mundane yet relatable moments. The first half of the game, where the group of friends travels around the world, is often described as the best that Final Fantasy 15 has to offer.

Mass Effect: Andromeda

From Cora Harper And Liam Kosta To Jaal And Peebee

Mass Effect: Andromeda was bound to live in the shadow of the original trilogy focused on Commander Shepard, but the game isn’t as irredeemable as many fans still believe. After all the dust settled, Andromeda not only boasts the most fast-paced and dynamic combat in the series and some of the best explorable worlds, but also offers plenty of intriguing characters, some of which can rival the beloved companions of its predecessors.

While the new Tempest crew may lack the perfect character dynamics of the first Mass Effect games, every new companion, be it Liam Kosta, Nakmor Drack, or Vetra Nyx, has a place in the story, as well as several personal quests, all of which are among the game’s most memorable missions. If only Mass Effect: Andromeda had a villain even slightly as fleshed out as Saren or the Illusive Man to make its story more exciting.

Vampyr

Jonathan E. Reid Surrounded By Potential Victims

Vampyr is a unique breed of dialogue-heavy RPG, notable for several reasons, story and characters included. From the morally tormented protagonist Jonathan E. Reid, who becomes a bloodthirsty vampire, to a plethora of other well-established characters that players may kill or spare, all backed by strong writing, Vampyr can become a truly immersive and meaningful experience despite some of the game’s shortcomings.

Ultimately, Vampyr lives or dies by how invested players are in the story and how eager they are to learn more about every character, like Edgar Swansea or Sean Hampton, to make deliberate choices regarding their fate. The game might be demanding to get into, but for players who can appreciate a nuanced and slow-paced, almost detective-like central narrative full of complex themes, Vampyr hardly disappoints.