2023 is set to be an exciting year for role-playing games in general, with the likes of Starfield, Final Fantasy XVI, Diablo IV, and more on the horizon, but the comparative niche isometric-style RPGs comprise an impressive catalog in their own right. This kind of perspective allows players a more top-down and strategic view of the player characters and the world around them.
Even so, this POV has been well executed by meshing it with different kinds of RPGs. From the rogue-like action RPG Hadesto modern throwbacks like Divinity: Original Sin II, isometric RPGs have an excellent depth to them.
10 Neverwinter Nights
.jpg)
The massive Dungeons & Dragons franchise has paved the way for countless video game adaptations, and Neverwinter Nights commonly ranks among the all-time best for veteran fans. Developed by BioWare during the team's golden age, this game featured incredible attention to detail for the early 2000s era of RPGs, offering an immersive world, story campaign, as well as single- and multiplayer modes.
Set in a high fantasy universe where the protagonist is tasked with acquiring a cure to a sweeping plague, players could enjoy a game with satisfying customizable mechanics and modes - namely the Aurora dungeon master toolset.
9 Diablo II
Partly credited with paving the way for the success of the action-RPG subgenre, Diablo II was a revolutionary game for its time. The game launched for PC in 2000 and expanded the gameplay foundations that made its predecessor such a success in the '90s.
Diablo II featured a high-octane hack-and-slash combat system combined with an engaging loot system. Punctuated by an enticing dark-fantasy setting, the game boasted an incredible level of replay value for fans at the time - and one that many will hope to see improved in Diablo IV.
8 Planescape: Torment
The aforementioned Dungeons & Dragons tabletop franchise has given fans an embarrassment of riches across all mediums it's featured in. And even with all of the now-classic games it spawned, Planescape: Torment maintains its pedigree in the fantasy sphere -- as well as being one of the most subversive ones.
The game follows the protagonist known as the Nameless One; an amnesiac who loses his memories every time he's killed. It's an enticingly strange concept, and it was critically acclaimed for how it executed storytelling as a primary gameplay mechanic as opposed to the usual tactical combat of its contemporaries.
7 Baldur's Gate II: Shadows Of Amn
Baldur's Gate is undoubtedly one of the most revered names in the CRPG subgenre. The series proved to be one of the most influential for the genre going forward and another jewel of BioWare's backlog of classic games. Divinity developer Larian Studios is helming the upcoming Baldur's Gate III, but Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn is still a worthwhile throwback for die-hard fans of isometric CRPGs.
The game was lauded upon release for similar reasons that modern RPGs like The Witcher 3are so praised today, in that Shadows of Amn featured a rich fantasy world that made exploration immensely satisfying and a slew of side quests that matched the mainline story - or surpassed it - in quality.
6 Final Fantasy Tactics: The War Of The Lions
The original version of Tactics received such acclaim that it's been regarded by longtime fans as one of the greatest Final Fantasy games, spinoff or otherwise. Even so, the PlayStation Portable remake - The War of the Lions - was seen as a superb facelift of the PS1 original. And while even The War of the Lions is getting up in age, it remains in the highest tier of strategy RPGs.
As with subgenre counterparts, the game is played from a top-down view to allow players a bird's-eye perspective of the battlefield below and plan attacks. Just as well, Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions was celebrated for its gripping high-fantasy story alongside the grueling combat.
5 Hades
Though it might be pushing the boundaries of what defines an RPG, Supergiant Games' Hades should have enough of the mechanics to justify it. The game was fully released in 2020 to widespread critical acclaim, with many fans regarding it as the developer's crowning achievement -- so far. Hades has players take on the role of Zagreus as he rebels against his father and tries to escape from the Underworld.
Its combat is thoroughly addicting, combining weapon variety and acquired skills to make each run unique. What's more, it's a rare example of the rogue-like that makes its storytelling equally as compelling as its action. As such, it's an easily recommendable rogue-like RPG for genre newcomers and has inspired great confidence for the forthcoming Hades II.
4 Pillars Of Eternity
Proudly wearing its inspirations in its sleeve without feeling like a cheap copy, Pillars of Eternity is a modern CRPG in the vein of Larian's Divinity games that callback to the old-school days. Obsidian Entertainment was behind the game, which has developed a solid amount of goodwill with gamers for their work on RPGs like Knight of the Old Republic II and Fallout: New Vegas.
However, this high-fantasy epic takes a page from the likes of Baldur's Gate, taking place in a dense world ripe with content ranging from main quest lines to side quests. And like other isometric CRPGs, Pillars of Eternity earns its stars by having a gameplay loop that encourages players to get creative about how they overcome the odds in combat.
3 Dragon Age: Origins
Many fans are eagerly and cautiously awaiting to see if the upcoming Dragon Age: Dreadwolf will see a triumphant return to form for BioWare. Because many longtime fans of the developer's venerated titles, Dragon Age: Origins remains the highlight of this fantasy RPG series. The series has changed noticeably with the times, as Origins is the only game with a true isometric perspective.
And while many players greatly appreciated this creative choice, it's one of many. The combat system is both easy to approach while demonstrating an incredible level of depth, alongside a consistently engaging high/dark-fantasy hybrid story buoyed by some masterful character writing.
2 Disco Elysium
Developer ZA/UM released another one of the best modern CRPGs available in the form of Disco Elysium. Similar to Planescape: Torment, Disco Elysium succeeds in being a subversive isometric RPG, but arguably more so by forgoing combat altogether and having gameplay exclusively done through exploration and dialogue interactions.
Players follow an amnesiac detective in a fictional city tasked with solving a murder - as well as his own past. It's cleverly executed, proving to be every bit as engaging as RPGs with conventional (or unconventional) combat systems. The level of player freedom on offer also invites multiple playthroughs.
1 Divinity: Original Sin II
Recent years have seen the CRPG subgenre get a welcome new share of the spotlight, and part of that resurgence is thanks to Larian Studios' success with the Divinity: Original Sin series. The sequel was released to critical acclaim, building off the strengths of its progenitor and taking tasteful inspiration from genre titans that preceded it.
It's a true love letter to the classic days of the subgenre, as Divinity: Original Sin II was as lauded for its gameplay depth as much as its narrative. Anchored by a stunning high-fantasy universe, players are incentivized and rewarded for exploration, experimenting with party composition, and dialogue choices that have a meaningful impact on main and side quests alike.
Source:gamerant.com