I have tried a ton of RPGs, and most just don’t click for me. Here are a few:
- Skyrim - enjoyed Morrowind for the side content, Skyrim just felt empty
- Chrono Trigger - enjoyed until about halfway through with the battle with Magus; felt very RNG dependent, or maybe I was under leveled; I bailed after 5 or so attempts that all ended the same way (healer got killed and everyone got picked off)
- Pillars of Eternity - burned out somewhere in Act 2 (20-25 hours); combat system annoyed me, and I dislike picking new abilities
- Banner Saga - story is great, but I hate the combat, so I bailed
Some things about me:
- I don’t care about leveling up/character builds, it feels like a chore; abilities also don’t interest me
- I hate grinding
- using items feels like cheating, so I tend to just use character abilities (I will heal if needed); I’d rather “git gud” than buy and use items
- turn based combat (tactics) is generally boring, but I do like puzzles, so that can make it acceptable
- I don’t like the feeling of being OP, I want to struggle through the end
- I don’t like loot
That said, here are a few that I’ve really enjoyed:
- ARPGs like Ys and Zelda - items are rare or are tools in a puzzle-like system; favorites are Ys 1, Ys Origin, Zelda: A Link to the Past, and Zelda: Skyward Sword (probably because I played Skyward Sword recently); I dislike BotW, and Memories of Celceta has been dragging a bit (I’m near the end, but excited to finish)
- interesting RPGs like Undertale - short and very unique experience
- Souls-like games - challenge involving melee/dodging keeps me going
- Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky - not a fan of the combat, but the story is interesting somewhat at least; I’m about 2/3 through I think (30 hours), but I’ve taken a multi-month break; likewise, Xenoblade Chronicles is interesting so far, but I’m not super excited about it (may bump down to story mode to get through it, the combat sucks imo)
- Nier: Replicant - great story, leveling stayed out of the way, and I never felt like I needed to grind or upgrade gear
I really like the storylines of RPGs, I just don’t like actually playing them. Unfortunately, my preferred ARPG genre is filled with loot nonsense, and I’ve played most of the ones that don’t really on that as a mechanic. Perhaps my favorite RPG-adjacent game not mentioned already is Yakuza 0, I’m not a fan of the combat, but he story is amazing and the side content is fun.
Does anyone feel similarly? Do you have any suggestions for other games to try?
I’d suggest Shadowrun: Dragonfall. Fairly simple mechanics, character building and inventory. Great storytelling and characters in a familiar but fantastic setting.
Do you like cool lore? Detailed item descriptions? What about esoteric oddities that you interact with through text? How do you feel about choose-your-own-adventure books? Torment: Tides of Numenera might be the game for you.
Also highly, highly recommend Disco Elysium, but someone already suggested that. I think you would love it.
I do like lore, and I used to love reading through the books in Morrowind and whatnot.
However, I generally don’t like in-game items, and I hate managing inventory. Numbers going up isn’t interesting to me, nor do I much care how my character looks. I’m much more excited about interesting combat encounters, story progression, and lore, and almost everything else just feels like noise.
choose your own adventure
I get anxious about getting a “bad” ending (mostly I don’t want to have “wasted” all that time), so I usually avoid them. I almost always play games once, so I want to see as much of the content as I can the first time through.
So here are some things I love about RPGs:
- good story and deep lore
- can pick different playstyles (spellcaster, knight, archer, etc)
- interesting side quests
And things I actively dislike:
- inventory management
- not being able to see all content in one playthrough
- skill trees - I’d rather the game decide based on my class
- grinding - esp in JRPGs
My gold standard here is Ys Origin:
- interesting, linear story
- three playable characters with different play styles (and stories)
- deep lore (esp when you play other games in the series)
- no skill tree with new abilities unlocked as you go
- minimal grinding
- great boss fights
I wish it had interesting side content, though other games in the series have that.
I’ll definitely give Disco Elysium a try, and I’ve been recommended the other as well. Thanks for the help!
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars might work. It’s going to be difficult (fear the spear) and you’ll want to use those items, but it is overall easier than Chrono Trigger. And it has a remake coming out soon with some system changes.
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest was intended for your situation, but it’s balanced in all the ways you dislike.
Otherwise, possibly the very easiest remakes of old games like the Final Fantasy 4 Pixel Remaster.
Disco Elysium lacks grinding and battles but is very much a roleplaying game with a compelling story and characters (including those in your head).
Crosscode is an ARPG which will certainly scratch that itch for Zelda like dungeons. Combat is skillful, but easy enough that you don’t have to grind out the best gear and levels, though there is the option to grind a lot if you were to want that. The story is also really nice.
Crystal Project is the best JRPG I’ve played in a gameplay sense but it will require you to level classes and consider abilities. The reason I’d recommend it is because combat isn’t really just bigger numbers, end game combat encounters especially are like puzzles where you need to use the right tools in the right order. Also I’d say half the game is about exploration, the game embraces sequence breaking and going your own way, and has fun though occasionally frustrating voxel platforming. If you want a JRPG that is more story focused then I think Mario RPG is great, and you don’t have many choices to make as there are only like 5 characters / classes, it also has some voxel platforming and comedy.
Disco Elysium is the game that instantly came to mind. Basically all story that is brilliantly written with incredible voice acting. I hope OP checks it out.
shin megami tensei 4 might tick a lot of those boxes
- character building not really a focus, you can get away with putting minimal thought into that
- not really terribly grindy
- i didnt end up using items much when i played it
- there is turn based combat but its got an interesting system for it and battles tend to be pretty quick
- the first part of the game is particularly brutal and while i wouldnt say youre ever op once youre past it its not nearly as bad
- it does have loot tho, scavaging from the various above ground areas is basically the only way to get money
honestly biggest issues id say are that brutal first few hours and the fact that its forever entombed on the 3ds, its got a primo rpg storyline though i dont generally have a high tolerance for jrpg stuff either but i was basically able to immediately click with this one and didnt really have any issues at any point
Maybe the Mass Effect games? The first one is the only one with “loot” and the tactics aren’t very complex for the most part. The story is very good and the world won’t feel empty since the games are more linear. If you find the first game isn’t to your liking, try skipping straight to the second one. They streamline a lot of the mechanics after the first game.
