Not every role-playing game needs elves, wizards, and dragons.
High fantasy will always be linked to RPGs. These fantasy games take place in worlds that are similar to Tolkien’s. They usually have magic, dragons, and great evils that are trying to take over. Skyrim, Dragon Age, and The Witcher are three of the most famous examples.
But RPGs don’t have to be high fantasy or even have anything in common with Lord of the Rings. Titles like these can be about science fiction, history, or even the present day. All the game has to do is follow a few rules for RPGs. The games below are some of the best examples of role-playing adventures that aren’t set in a fantasy world.
South Park: The Fractured But Whole
In The Fractured But Whole, the main kids from South Park put on superhero costumes and have an epic live-action roleplay in their town. They are split into two groups, each of which is trying to make a superhero movie franchise similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
But since this is South Park, things quickly get out of hand, and the kids start to find out about a big plot. As Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of South Park, are involved in the production, it feels a lot like a long episode of the show. And the humor that has become a trademark of the series is definitely there. A well-thought-out turn-based battle system is also included.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is not about fantasy, but about history. More specifically, it’s about the time of the Vikings, as two Norwegians travel to England. When they get there, they try to build a town by making deals with other nearby areas. Along the way, you meet many famous people from history.
Parkour is a big part of the game, as it always has been in Assassin’s Creed games, because you can climb almost anything. In fact, you will have to scale a lot of things as you travel. Most of the time, when you meet an enemy, you can either sneak past them or fight them. The second one requires a lot of dodging, blocking, hitting, and using skills.
Cyberpunk 2077
The Witcher 3 is one of the best high fantasy RPGs ever made, and it was made by CD Projekt RED. They also made Cyberpunk 2077, which takes place in a world of the future called Night City. V, who is the main character, is trying to make money and a name for themselves in this place. Things get trickier, though, when they start thinking about another person.
The game is played from the first-person perspective, and you usually kill enemies with guns or close-range weapons. Still, you can avoid many of them by moving quietly. Along with choosing whether to fight or sneak, you have to make a lot of other choices that have a big impact on how the story goes.
The Outer Worlds
In The Outer Worlds, people sent two ships to new planets to start living there. One got there, but the other didn’t. The main character was part of the second group. But years later, a scientist wakes them up from cryosleep and asks them to find the resources to wake up the others. It turns out that’s not as easy as it sounds.
During the game, you go to different places and meet all sorts of new people. Your relationship with these people depends on what you do and how you act when you’re with them. But talking isn’t all there is to the game. There is also a lot of sneaking around and shooting from the first-person perspective.
Yakuza: Like A Dragon
Even though it’s very different from its predecessors, Yakuza: Like A Dragon is one of the best fantasy games in the Yakuza series. Since it’s not an action-adventure game, it’s a turn-based RPG. It also has a new main character, Ichiban Kasuga. He works with a few other people to find out why his old boss betrayed him.
It gives the main story a serious tone. But, like all Yakuza games, the title is very strange. After all, there are silly attacks, weird enemies, and funny conversations. This doesn’t change the fact that the story is sometimes sad, though.
Fallout: New Vegas
Like the other fantasy games in the Fallout series, New Vegas takes place in a world after the end of the world. The main character of this game is a messenger who is left for dead at the beginning of the story. Someone wanted to get them to go outside so they could steal a very important package. The courier, however, survives by some miracle and sets out to get even.
On your journey through the wasteland, you meet all kinds of dangerous people and animals. You can also find a lot of weapons that will keep them away. After all, this is an action RPG where you shoot from the first-person perspective. You usually talk to people when you’re not shooting them. And there are a lot of options in these conversations that can sometimes change the whole wasteland.
Persona 5
The Phantom Thieves, a group of vigilantes, are at the center of Persona 5. They are a group of young people who can go to a magical place where people’s wishes come true. Once inside, they can change the way people feel. So, they go after bad people to make them change.
Each subconscious is called a Palace, and you have to go through it like a dungeon. Along the way, you fight physical manifestations of the person’s mind in turn-based fights. But when you’re not in Palaces, you’re just a normal teenager going about their life. And for these times, 8 Ball Pool game has a few parts that simulate real life.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition
The first three games in the Mass Effect series are in the Mass Effect Legendary Edition. So, technically, there are three games here, but they all tell the same story. The main character in this science fiction story is Commander Shepard, who is leading the fight against The Reapers.
Each of the three titles is different from the others. Still, they all let you shoot from behind cover in the third person with a group of great friends. That doesn’t mean you can only use guns. Since this is an RPG, you also get different abilities based on the class you choose. When you’re not fighting, you’re usually making big decisions that matter.
