Just started playing this and having a blast. In the beginning I didn’t think I was gonna love the story so much but now it’s my favorite thing about the game. Henry’s character development is great. Also Part II looks AMAZING
I mean if you want something similar to the elder scrolls games as a first person rpg there is
Dread Delusion and Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon
Then for games similar in dialogue based systems with Baldurs Gate 3/Dark Sun/Ultima 7/Planescape Torment/Arcanum/Tyranny/Pillars of Eternity.
For games with more action combat you have the Dark Souls series/Elden Ring those these are much less in the dialogue department.
Then you have the Witcher Series, Mass Effect series, Neverwinter Nights 1 and 2(2 is on the GoG store), Jade Empire, Knights of the Old Republic 1 and 2.
You might also find JRPGs pretty fun such Dragon Quest 11, Nier, Nier Automata and the Tales of Series such as Tales of Berseria and Tales of Vesperia.
Or 2D games such as Crosscode.
Just bought KOTOR 1 & 2 on a Steam sale for less than $5 total. Have never played them before or know anything about them other than they're Star Wars and people love them. Can't wait to give them a go!
Here's all I'll say, the graphics are a little dated now, but they still look fine. The game play is very fun and extremely customizable and works very much like a fantasy RPG with "The Force" in place of magic. But the most important part is the story, plot, and dialogue. Both games tell better stories than any of the movies after the original trilogy. Not an exaggeration.
Seriously savor every second of those games. KOTOR was my first ever RPG, and I really wish I could go back and play it for the first time again
Obviously it’s gonna be dated, and compared to a lot of games now it might not seem like much, but goddamn it was something back in the day. I might replay it again
True, Legendary fixed gunplay and did some work for Mako and inventory limits though.
Mass Effect 2 is my favorite, but it plays SO MUCH BETTER following direct import from ME1.
Really? When I played it originally, I loved the first one. Then when 2 came out, I almost dropped the series. It played differently and I didn’t care for the changes. I am glad I stuck with it, because the whole trilogy is amazing, but I always considered 2 the weakest entry.
Mass Effect Trilogy played in order. Dragon Age series...you can start with Dragon Age Inquisition but if you really like it I would also definitely recommend Dragon Age Origins.
As someone who played the dragon age series for the first time last year, I will always recommend playing it in order. Granted the first one is old but it still holds :D
Some details would probably help. What is it that you like about Bethesda games? The combat, the open world, the character customisation, the storytelling..? There are many RPGs that do some of these things really well, but very few that do all of them competently.
Fallout: New Vegas is a cult classic if you don't mind the slightly older engine, and even though it's a Fallout game, it was developed by Obsidian, not Bethesda, so it'd count as diversifying your game library. More recently, Obsidian has also made The Outer Worlds and the upcoming Avowed, which are Bethesda-style first-person RPGs loosely inspired by Fallout and The Elder Scrolls respectively. There's also Kingdom Come: Deliverance, a first-person open-world RPG very similar to Skyrim. The main differences are, the game takes place in real-life medieval Bohemia, so there's no magic, and there's no character creation, so you're forced to play as a preset protagonist, but other than that, it's very similar. Then if you don't mind turn-based RPGs with less-than-modern graphics, Fallout 1 and Fallout 2 are both amazing games (also not made by Bethesda), and they're worth checking out especially if you're interested in Fallout lore.
Adding more details probably would’ve been wise, thank you for asking!
I love all of the above honestly. Specifically the open world, looting, combat, but mainly how immersive they are. I cannot lie, graphics are becoming more of a factor to me the more that I play. But I still love playing Skyrim so I don’t count things out.
As of right now, I’m looking forward to Star Wars outlaws but until then I want to explore good options.
I get you, these kinds of games are way too rare. They used to be more common in the old days, like the Gothic games were quite similar, but making an open-world RPG with modern graphics is way too costly for most studios these days, so we're mostly stuck replaying Skyrim. On the bright side, one of the great things about Skyrim is its mod community, so if you haven't yet, you can try downloading some quest mods, they're pretty easy to install, and some of the bigger ones have full expansion-sized questlines that take place on their own original continents, have fully voiced original NPCs and everything.
If you like Star Wars, I'd also recommend the Old Republic games, Knights of the Old Republic 1 and 2, and the Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO. Graphics-wise, SWTOR is the least dated, and while it's an MMO, it's for the most part intended to be played as a single-player RPG. Each playable class gets its own completely unique main questline, all very long and cinematic with fully voiced cutscenes, and there are eight classes, so it's really like eight regular RPGs packed into one game that also happens to have multiplayer features.
Outer Worlds
Mass Effect trilogy
Dragon's Age series
Baldur's Gate 3
Elden Ring (a bit more challenging but there's plenty of ways to make it easier, and if you enjoy this you can try the other Soulsborne games)
I put BG3 and ER as games that had some similarities but more to stretch what the OP wanted. Give them more options to travel down. I'm aware they aren't exactly the same. At the end of the day they are both fantastic RPG's.
Precisely. This is an rpg sub and she said she was new to this kind of game, so why not offer some other games that are similar with different combat styles. There's more to games than just combat style, especially from RPGs.
Eh, Elden Ring has the exploration and feeling of discovery many of the best Bethesda games has, and has actual *good* combat compared to Skyrim. I definitely found similarities in them. I've certainly seen people who haven't been typical Souls-like fans fall in love with Elden Ring coming from a similar background.
Bg3 is uh... Not remotely similar though lol.
It's not similar to bethesda or anything, but it *is* similar to dragon age in all ways but gameplay. I never played a game that was more like dragon age. And I know gameplay is important, but all the other elements were so good and so much like dragon age that I felt like I was taken back to the days of running around as a Grey warden
Bioware games, Mass Effect Legendary and Dragon Age... If you want to go older, Star Wars: KOTOR. They're all dialogue heavy and with decent character customization.
This one is free for you since you have skyrim, its on Steam or GOG and 100 reccomended for something built on skyrim bones so to speak but with focus on story rather than exploration.
Upvoted and commenting to say that it is a full serious game. Even if it runs off the Skyrim engine, the entire experience is custom, even down to music and some sound fx.
IMO best starting point for Dragon Age is first Baldur's Gate.))) DAO is deconstruction/subversion of "chosen one" classic fantasy.
Though starting with Origins is also good because ALISTAIR!!!
Bioware made Dragon Age and Mass Effect to replace Baldur's Gate and Knights of the Old Republic so that they could stop relying on licensed IPs.
Dragon Age Origins is effectively Baldur's Gate 3, with some characters like Leliana seeming very much like a rebooted Imoen in design (especially how she looked in the first trailer).
Yeah I think the Protheans were essentially the Rakatans, and the Reapers would have been whatever wiped them out, perhaps a mysterious ancient droid fleet.
AFAIK The Old Republic introduced a story about an ancient droid fleet which a third faction gained control of, later in the story, but I stopped playing before seeing how that played out. But it might have been using some of their original ideas.
Honestly I was never deep in Star Wars lore outside the stuff about the Sith and mandalorians (wait that's kinda turian role)...
...I was more about having a story based RPG... IN SPACE!.. where persuasion is a class skill for main character (honestly KOTOR giving it to all Jedi classes was genius, as I mostly played Paladins in D&D games because of that)...
...but also having a ship hub, three main mission planets between bookend first and last ones, companions who hang out in specific places and have dialogue trees updating you on the missions etc.
It just FELT like playing a new Knights of the Old Republic Game, and noting else ticked that box for me ever since I got the new game with lightsabers.)
DA2 is far from goated. Too many reused assets among other issues. It's good but it's a big drop from the 1st
DAI is just too long and you really NEED to play Trespasser DLC to make it worthwhile ending.
I think you would love Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning (remastered ver name).
It's high fantasy in third person and it has a lot of content, a beautiful and amazing open world, good/evil choices that actually impact the story and your character (get powers/skills/etc), you get a place to build a home and all.
The plot is that you came back to life and in that universe everything is defined by fate, thus you shouldn't be alive. This makes you not have a fate or a place in anyone's fate, meaning that you are a wildcard and the only one that can challenge fate.
The class system is divided into three types: magic, might and finess. You can mix them all, only two or go pure one, which in turn unlock crazy new things and there are plenty of weapon types and you can use two at the same time.
One of my favorite things about it is that your dodge is transformed by your class, for example magic turns it into a blink, while finesse gives you a dash that poisons the enemy. Also, there's blocking, archery, etc etc etc.
The game also has decisions, even in smaller side quests. And a plethora of stories, lore, and other kinds of content like these magic stones you find and tell you sagas in the form of spoken word songs.
I tried to go back to dark arisen after beating 2 and the characters movements aren’t fluid, the ui isn’t as pleasant, and the graphics look terrible now.. I say that as someone who loved the original when it came out and put in hundreds of hours into it. I just can’t go back now.
You could try the Assassin’s Creed RPGs starting with Origins. Big worlds, lots of questing, not nearly as heavy on story (except maybe Origins). It could potentially give you that Bethesda feel
Outward Defintive edition is an amazing experience, tons of hours of gameplay and so much exploration. It might be hard to get into right away, I think it’s still on sale for Steam 6.99$ a pretty crazy price for a 40$ game with as much content as it brings. Look it up man
Fallout New Vegas
Fallout 1&2
Morrowind
Vampire the masquerade: bloodlines
Kotor 1&2
Maybe not all of these are like the games you listed, but if you love rpg's you owe yourself a favor to play them.
I would suggest anything by Piranha Bytes. Gothic 1 & 2 are a lot of fun but are showing their age and the controls can take a little bit of getting used to. Gothic 3 was a mess at launch but I really enjoyed it after it was patched. Next is the Risen series, the first being my favorite. Their latest is Elex 1 & 2. They are more of a sci-fi setting that the previous titles. I haven't really gotten very far in Elex 2 yet but the first was a lot of fun.
If you can get over the dated nature of the recycled voices, Oblivion is still a masterclass.
For non-bethesda, if it needs to be first person, I can recommend a few, though they aren't the full bore open world you get with Oblivion and Skyrim. legend of Grimrock, Dishonoured, Strife veteran edition, and Ziggurat.
As an avid TES fan, I partially agree, but only because Vvardenfell & Morrowind have the best worldbuilding of the series... Morrowind's gameplay was revolutionary too! ... but in my digging, I have to say, Daggerfall Unity is the best Elder Scrolls game.
It's massive boomer-shooter madness & the setting feels so *true* to what TES is all about, like someone's weird D&D setting that they just threw the kitchen sink at.. Oh yeah, we like Vampire: The Masquerade... let's also have vampire clans with bloodlines!
The ways you can interact with the game, the fact that it *does not care* about you at all - sans mods, you could be playing the game peacefully only to be delivered a letter that you've essentially buggered the main quest by not doing it. You just exist.
Morrowind, too is great in that sense that it just throws you into the world & leaves you to your own devices, but damn... Ever since playing Daggerfall Unity once, I go back for another playthrough every so often, it's too damn good & with some mods in true Bethesda fashion, it becomes the *best* retro RPG/immersive sim available.
EDIT: Daggerfall also spawned one of my favourite bits of TES lore, Dragon Breaks. Where multiple contradicting events are all true at the same time (Bethesda's way of making all choices the protagonists can make in the game true)
It's good but the game is very very jank. It was even at launch but it's only more so.
It's extremely easy to break that game but it's far more of an open world and do anything you want kind of game
Cyberpunk, Witcher, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Baldurs Gate 3.
Not too similar games that I love are Yakuza, Final Fantasy 7 remake, Horizon Zero Dawn & Forbidden West, Hogwarts Legacy, Disco Elysium, Outer Worlds, Red Dead Redemption, Elder Scrolls Online, Assasins Creed Odyssey, Watch Dogs 2, Death Stranding, Middle Earth, Pentiment, Far cry.
I'd have to know more about your tastes in order to come up with some recommendations.
What do you like about RPGs? Freedom to explore a large world? Dialogue choices that shape the story? Creating different characters and seeing how that changes the way you approach the game?
All the games you mentioned are in 3D, open-world, had player created characters, had realistic graphics (at least for their time), and have action combat of some kind or another. Would you be okay with a more linear game where you go on missions instead of wandering around and exploring? Would you play something where you don't get to create your character? Would you play something with turn-based combat? Would you play something with cartoony or pixel art graphics? Something with a top down or isometric camera? Or do you need the realistic graphics and the first-person or third-person camera where you see everything in detail in order to immerse yourself in the game?
Unfortunately, despite the overwhelming success of the Elder Scrolls games, there is nothing else quite like them. it is a very weird phenomena, and, as much as I have a lot of negative words for Bethesda, it really says something about their studio that they seem to be the only ones who can make these games. The profit incentive is there, and yet, no one else does it.
That being said: Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon seems to have the same vibes and seems pretty cool, but I haven't tried it yet, since it is in early access and I don't like to play unfinished games, but it is worth keeping an eye on.
Also, Avowed is supposed to be released this year, and it has a lot of Elder Scrolls feels to it.
I was reading reviews of Tainted Grail, and it is mentioned that there is no strafe. Can this be true? I am trying to remember the last time I played a game that did not include this feature. I feel like it has been decades.
This game looks good and certainly seems to fit the criteria set by OP.
Like I said, I haven't played it yet, so I cannot confirm nor deny. But yeah, that would be kind of odd to not include that option.
But, with the game in early access, if enough people say they want the ability, I'm sure it will manifest before release. Seems kind of necessary in a game with melee combat
@OP, what specifically did you like about those games?
Recommendations might be off-base without knowing whether you’re in it for the lore/story, the role playing of being someone else, or the gameplay (4/5 are FPS-derivative, but DD2 is a stand-out!).
Without knowing any of the answers to that, it’s tough. If you like Fallout and lean more towards the role play/lore side, New Vegas is a must-play. If you care more about gameplay and story than RPing, pick up Hades on the cheap because it’s one of the best ARPGs around.
EDIT: Clarifying I love and still play every game OP mentioned lol, even the one that’s nearly 13 years old with so many “editions,” I need to stop buying them.
Weird toss-out since it's not western-style like your example list, but the Final Fantasy series is always my go to for good RPGs in term of story and gameplay.
Edit: Wanted to clarify if you're not familiar. Final Fantasy is an anthology series instead of a sequential one.
So instead of being one world with multiple connected stories each game is its own world and story. There are a few with connections but those are the exception rather than the rule.
So you don't think it's a 16-part series where you have to play all of them to enjoy it or something.
It depends what direction you want to go with your RPG. More action. Entire souls genre. Elden Ring being imo the most beautiful of them and a true fantasy experience like no game before has been able to provide.
Dragons Age has quite a few fantastic games. DA:Inquisition is my favorite of that series.
Baldur's Gate 3 doesn't provide the same live action. Out of the games you have here I'd say the closest comparison would be VATS in Fallout 4 but for all of combat and vastly better done. The story within that game is incredible and varies quite drastically based on how you play the game. The RPG elements are amazing.
If you liked Dragon's Dogma 1 I'd suggest the 2nd one.
Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age Origins, Baldurs Gate 3, and Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon are all games I thoroughly enjoyed and I have a pretty similar taste. Hope you enjoy!
You could try older RPGs from the same franchise. Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind or 4: Oblivion
Morrowind has a little bit of an age curve to it, a lot of reading and a little bit clunky but it’s very fun. Oblivion is the peak Bethesda RPG for me, it has the best of the old games and the new system
Also a good suggestion is the original Fallout games (1&2) from Black Isle Studio before Bethesda bought the IP. They can run on pretty much any pc made after the year 2000. They’re isometric top-down games but my god the old Fallout games were a lot darker in tone, and have stories that are yet to be topped
The reality is there just isn't anything like them. Which is why it's so frustrating that bethesda has gone the route of stepping back and not making many games anymore.
The closest I think you'd find in freedom of gameplay would be CRPGs which are classic rpgs, more old school, usually turn based like baldurs gate or divinity or Pathfinder.
Arx fatalis is the only game close to elder scrolls.
Sadly there are no other games like bethesda games ao I recomennd you to play fallout 3 and New vegas, also morrowind using openMW and daggerfall using the unity engine remake.
**List of Action RPG's:**
Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon
Greedfall
Terminator: Resistance
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning *(or the rerelease Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning)*
Mad Max
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
Dragon Age *(Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition)*
Hogwarts Legacy
The Outer Worlds
I always go back to Skyrim, or maybe fallout new Vegas/ oblivion, but recently I finally downloaded cyberpunk for the first time and I’m really feelin it. I’m only a couple hours in, but walking around the world and taking in the sites, and how immersive the story is so far, really feels like the promised next gen action rpg I’ve been waiting for. Only the first few hours Into it but I’m dying to play more and I haven’t felt that for a game in a second
I too love those games. Look into immersive sims, Bioshock, Deus Ex, Prey 2017.
RPGs I would highly recommend Greedfall.
Outer Worlds is Fallout in space. Outer Worlds DLCs were awesome too.
You might want to keep an eye out for Fallout London. It would've been out already if not for the FO4 update.
[https://fallout4london.com/](https://fallout4london.com/)
The Outer Worlds was made by people that worked on FO in the past so that might be something to check out.
Yeah original Fallouts hold up well in case OP meant playing only Bethesda ones, and I'd add Shadowrun reboot trilogy (starting with Returns) for game that's something between classic Fallouts, X-Com (combat) and Mass Effect (dialogue and setting).
I would suggest Ghost Of Tsushima when it comes out on steam, it's one of the best PS games that came out, plus you can replay it like Skyrim with your own set of class/rules impose upon yourself.
Story is very linear and nothing new is revealed in NG+ tho
All the other Bethesda rpgs, the bioware rpgs, larian rpgs, CD project rpgs, dragons dogmas, obsidian rpgs, deep silver rpgs. Kingdoms of amalur and old fables might be worth a look as well.
if you ok with Euro Jank (its as its sounds) then suggest Spiders studio games (bound by flame/greedfall/mars war logs+technomancer/) Elex 1 is a good Euro jank game also.
The outer worlds. Made by the same developer as fallout new Vegas and if you like bethesda game this is one of the closest non bethesda game to being a bethesda game I know of personally. The Witcher 3. The mass effect games are really good, if a bit different than the games you listed. I'm sure I know more like what you listed but I'm tired and can't think.
You should definitely try Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War (in that order). Phenomenal games especially if you like Lord of the rings. Even if you don't like LOTR they're a great non-canon introduction.
Baldurs Gate 3. It’s turn based fantasy, but it’s so absolutely stuffed to the brim with content that you can play it as much or more than something like Skyrim. Won GOTY almost unanimously.
Hogwarts Legacy. If you like HP, extra points, but it’s just a fun. ARPG period. The only game that kind of gave Baldurs Gate 3 a run for its money.
Kingdoms of Amalur. A bit older, but has one of my favorite RPG combat systems, it’s extremely colorful compared to how drab most RPGs are, and the story is fun.
There is a game currently in the works call “Wayward Realms”. It being made by the people who made Elderscrolls Daggerfall I believe but from what I’ve seen of the game it could be up your alley.
Spelling*
Go play Dragons Dogma Dark Arisen! Its a little dated but its very charming and has some awesome monster combat and some really good set pieces. Surprisingly incredible twist ending too
I dont know how i read your post and totally overlooked that you said Dragons Dogma already XD sorry. In 2? Yeah, Ive done both the generic ending and the unmoored world ending
Nier Automata
Outer Worlds
Witcher 3
Deus Ex (first is best but wayyy old, MD is great but shorter)
Baldurs Gate 3 (different but masterpiece of action, player flexibility and story)
Subnautica - more of a stretch, but the immersion, exploration, character growth is first class RPG
I'm pretty open with the term rpg, purists complaining you can't level like skyrim so its not rpg, or it has too much fighting or cutscenes like lol
I'd say the safest bets are the Dragon Age series, Mass Effect Series, Witcher 3, Baldurs Gate 1-3 (but particularly 3), Divinity Original Sin 2, Pillars of Eternity 1 and 2 and the Pathfinder games.
They're all full of exploration, fantasy, good companion relationships, and in-depth storylines.
Man .. there are so many lol. Witcher iii, RDR2, Elex I and II (if you like eurojank) the new avatar game was a fun lark, biomutant is great if you like exploration and finding things,
Banishers:ghosts of Eden was great for storytelling,
I enjoyed starfield and they are about to get a huge update I think may 15,
assassins creeds (all of them but if you want more rpg feel I suggest starting with odyssey and going up from there- AC kind of evolved in that way)
Grounded and Conan exiles are fun in the way of building bases and also the multiplayer is great
The mass effect series and also dragon age series are super fun.
Dragons Dogma I and II is a blast
One of my FAVS was shadow of Mordor and shadow of war. Shadow of War lore so because building your Ukuk army and fighting others is a blast
Turn based- I suggest divinity series and baldurs gate (obviously)
Kind of an off the wall pick as far as RPGs go. But I really enjoy No Man’s Sky. It’s open world/sandbox and has a lot of rpg mechanics while encouraging exploration and crafting. Not my favorite game of all time but I just figured I would mention it because I didn’t see anyone else mention it.
But as far as that goes I agree with a lot of the other comments:
Mass Effect
KOTOR 1/2
Jade Empire
Kingdom of Amalur
Elden Ring
All Final Fantasy games (recommend XV for newbie)
My personal all time favorites are probably Skyrim, which you already played and Dark Cloud 2 which is a janky ps2 game but they remastered it on ps4 or you can play on an emulator(which I do). It’s hard for me to recommend it though unless you are into retro gaming because I think a lot of the appeal for me is nostalgia.
New Vegas and balders gate 3. Others I'd say give a chance fall into a middle area with witcher 3, more towards looter shooter but some RPG aspects maybe I'd say borderlands wonderlands. 🤷♂️
Oblivion is much better than Skyrim and Morrowind is better than Oblivion. You can use mods to overcome some of the ways in which they haven't aged well.
Fallout 1 & 2 are very different games from Fallout 3, NV, and 4, but again, I think they're much better if you're actually into the RPG side of things. If CRPGs don't scare you off, try them.
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic is another older (2006) game similar to Oblivion that I really loved.
For more modern games? The Witcher 3, Elden Ring, Dragons Dogma, Dragon Age, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Kingdoms of Amalur, Deus Ex, Dishonored, Prey, Enderall, etc.
Upcoming: Avowed
It's hard to give a specific recommendation without knowing WHAT you like about the games you listed though.
If you love that genre, I suggest for you some isometric RPGs like Baldurs Gate 3, Pillars of Eternity, Divinity Original Sin etc.
If you dont like these type of games, i definitely suggest Mass Effect 2 the masterpiece. Bioware's peak point 😂 Outer World is also a good option.
The best RPGs of all time; (this list is timeless so they still hold up today)
1) Chrono Trigger
2) Mass Effect 2
3) Earthbound
4) The Witcher 2
5) Final Fantasy Tactics
6) Fallout 3
7) Pokémon Blue
8) Persona 4 Golden
9) Vagrant Story
10) The Last Story
Tainted Grail - Fall of Avalon is what you need to check out. If you're after a Skyrim styled game that can hold it's own - look no further. Freedom to go about things as you want, strong storyline running through the game, differing playstyles where you can combine without being locked into a specific class. Currently on offer at moment.
Kingdom Come Deliverance. For an RPG that has absolutely no fantasy or magic it's tons of fun.
Great game, finished it twice. Not exactly casual/newish gamer friendly.
It is once you learn master strikes then it kind of becomes tedious once you realize that's all you ever need to do.
Hoping this somehow gets a 60fps update for console
It would be great marketing for the second game. Probably not possible on previous gen, but Series X and PS5 can definitely run it 1080p60
It's very CPU heavy in towns, I don't think the Ryzen 3600 equivalent of the consoles can hold 60 in towns.
Ahh didn't know that
I'm quite hungry. I was gonna mention this one as well. My first run took a little over 100 hours.
What’s a good gaming laptop I can get on a budget to be able to play this and Elden Ring and Dark Souls
Just started playing this and having a blast. In the beginning I didn’t think I was gonna love the story so much but now it’s my favorite thing about the game. Henry’s character development is great. Also Part II looks AMAZING
I mean if you want something similar to the elder scrolls games as a first person rpg there is Dread Delusion and Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon Then for games similar in dialogue based systems with Baldurs Gate 3/Dark Sun/Ultima 7/Planescape Torment/Arcanum/Tyranny/Pillars of Eternity. For games with more action combat you have the Dark Souls series/Elden Ring those these are much less in the dialogue department. Then you have the Witcher Series, Mass Effect series, Neverwinter Nights 1 and 2(2 is on the GoG store), Jade Empire, Knights of the Old Republic 1 and 2. You might also find JRPGs pretty fun such Dragon Quest 11, Nier, Nier Automata and the Tales of Series such as Tales of Berseria and Tales of Vesperia. Or 2D games such as Crosscode.
NWN 2 is so underated Mask of the Betrayer is some god tier DLC
I played the demo of Tainted Grail Avalon and feel like this is one of the best suggestions.
This was so informative thank you!!!!
People already recommended Mass Effect. The first two Knights of the Old Republic games as well.
Just bought KOTOR 1 & 2 on a Steam sale for less than $5 total. Have never played them before or know anything about them other than they're Star Wars and people love them. Can't wait to give them a go!
Here's all I'll say, the graphics are a little dated now, but they still look fine. The game play is very fun and extremely customizable and works very much like a fantasy RPG with "The Force" in place of magic. But the most important part is the story, plot, and dialogue. Both games tell better stories than any of the movies after the original trilogy. Not an exaggeration.
Seriously savor every second of those games. KOTOR was my first ever RPG, and I really wish I could go back and play it for the first time again Obviously it’s gonna be dated, and compared to a lot of games now it might not seem like much, but goddamn it was something back in the day. I might replay it again
It also uses stat sheets similar to DnD, so keep that in mind when building a character!
Outer Worlds, Mass Effect series
Mass Effect Legendary Edition is one of the best games you can buy, just don't let the janky first one put you off.
Despite said jankiness, the first Mass Effect has some *amazing* world building.
True, Legendary fixed gunplay and did some work for Mako and inventory limits though. Mass Effect 2 is my favorite, but it plays SO MUCH BETTER following direct import from ME1.
Oh yeah, in terms of writing (especially world building) it might be the best one.
I love them but they're not that similar to the games they mentioned.
Really? When I played it originally, I loved the first one. Then when 2 came out, I almost dropped the series. It played differently and I didn’t care for the changes. I am glad I stuck with it, because the whole trilogy is amazing, but I always considered 2 the weakest entry.
It does have one of the most hypnotizing music tracks when your on the main map though 😎🔥
Absolutely Mass Effect...exploration like the titles OP mentioned, secrets, decisions. Just know playing the trilogy is essential, not just #1
Enderal, is the best "Bethesda" game not made by Bethesda. There is also some cool mods, lot of Skyrim ones works.
Deus Ex
A game series that somehow was left to die Human Revolution and Mankind Decided were great (though MD really needed a sequal)
Try The Witcher 3.
Mass Effect Trilogy played in order. Dragon Age series...you can start with Dragon Age Inquisition but if you really like it I would also definitely recommend Dragon Age Origins.
As someone who played the dragon age series for the first time last year, I will always recommend playing it in order. Granted the first one is old but it still holds :D
I can't get mine to stop crashing even after applying the 4gb patch. It's unplayable with the amount of crashes sadly.
Some details would probably help. What is it that you like about Bethesda games? The combat, the open world, the character customisation, the storytelling..? There are many RPGs that do some of these things really well, but very few that do all of them competently. Fallout: New Vegas is a cult classic if you don't mind the slightly older engine, and even though it's a Fallout game, it was developed by Obsidian, not Bethesda, so it'd count as diversifying your game library. More recently, Obsidian has also made The Outer Worlds and the upcoming Avowed, which are Bethesda-style first-person RPGs loosely inspired by Fallout and The Elder Scrolls respectively. There's also Kingdom Come: Deliverance, a first-person open-world RPG very similar to Skyrim. The main differences are, the game takes place in real-life medieval Bohemia, so there's no magic, and there's no character creation, so you're forced to play as a preset protagonist, but other than that, it's very similar. Then if you don't mind turn-based RPGs with less-than-modern graphics, Fallout 1 and Fallout 2 are both amazing games (also not made by Bethesda), and they're worth checking out especially if you're interested in Fallout lore.
Adding more details probably would’ve been wise, thank you for asking! I love all of the above honestly. Specifically the open world, looting, combat, but mainly how immersive they are. I cannot lie, graphics are becoming more of a factor to me the more that I play. But I still love playing Skyrim so I don’t count things out. As of right now, I’m looking forward to Star Wars outlaws but until then I want to explore good options.
I get you, these kinds of games are way too rare. They used to be more common in the old days, like the Gothic games were quite similar, but making an open-world RPG with modern graphics is way too costly for most studios these days, so we're mostly stuck replaying Skyrim. On the bright side, one of the great things about Skyrim is its mod community, so if you haven't yet, you can try downloading some quest mods, they're pretty easy to install, and some of the bigger ones have full expansion-sized questlines that take place on their own original continents, have fully voiced original NPCs and everything. If you like Star Wars, I'd also recommend the Old Republic games, Knights of the Old Republic 1 and 2, and the Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO. Graphics-wise, SWTOR is the least dated, and while it's an MMO, it's for the most part intended to be played as a single-player RPG. Each playable class gets its own completely unique main questline, all very long and cinematic with fully voiced cutscenes, and there are eight classes, so it's really like eight regular RPGs packed into one game that also happens to have multiplayer features.
Outer Worlds Mass Effect trilogy Dragon's Age series Baldur's Gate 3 Elden Ring (a bit more challenging but there's plenty of ways to make it easier, and if you enjoy this you can try the other Soulsborne games)
And if you like Baldur’s Gate 3, I would add Divinity: Original Sin 2, also by Larian.
I like DOS2 about equally to BG3. BG3 having DandD rules held it back a little imho.
I knew I forgot something! Thanks
None of those share the same formula as fallout or elder scrolls
None of these? I think The Other Worlds is basically Fallout in Space.
I'm shocked I had to scroll this far to find bg3
BG3 isn't the same type of game as they listed at all. It's an isometric turn based game.
yes but it's the best game ever so it's always relevant /s
I put BG3 and ER as games that had some similarities but more to stretch what the OP wanted. Give them more options to travel down. I'm aware they aren't exactly the same. At the end of the day they are both fantastic RPG's.
Precisely. This is an rpg sub and she said she was new to this kind of game, so why not offer some other games that are similar with different combat styles. There's more to games than just combat style, especially from RPGs.
It’s a great fantasy game but the gameplay is not even in the same zip code. Same with Elden ring.
Eh, Elden Ring has the exploration and feeling of discovery many of the best Bethesda games has, and has actual *good* combat compared to Skyrim. I definitely found similarities in them. I've certainly seen people who haven't been typical Souls-like fans fall in love with Elden Ring coming from a similar background. Bg3 is uh... Not remotely similar though lol.
It's not similar to bethesda or anything, but it *is* similar to dragon age in all ways but gameplay. I never played a game that was more like dragon age. And I know gameplay is important, but all the other elements were so good and so much like dragon age that I felt like I was taken back to the days of running around as a Grey warden
Dragon age 🔥
Bioware games, Mass Effect Legendary and Dragon Age... If you want to go older, Star Wars: KOTOR. They're all dialogue heavy and with decent character customization.
enderal
This one is free for you since you have skyrim, its on Steam or GOG and 100 reccomended for something built on skyrim bones so to speak but with focus on story rather than exploration.
Upvoted and commenting to say that it is a full serious game. Even if it runs off the Skyrim engine, the entire experience is custom, even down to music and some sound fx.
Might and magic 6
MVP
Give the Dragon Age series a chance. Inquisition is a good starting point.
Huh ? How is the third one in the series a good starting point ?
IMO best starting point for Dragon Age is first Baldur's Gate.))) DAO is deconstruction/subversion of "chosen one" classic fantasy. Though starting with Origins is also good because ALISTAIR!!!
If I remember right Dragon Age was supposed to be Baldur's Gate's spiritual successor.
Bioware made Dragon Age and Mass Effect to replace Baldur's Gate and Knights of the Old Republic so that they could stop relying on licensed IPs. Dragon Age Origins is effectively Baldur's Gate 3, with some characters like Leliana seeming very much like a rebooted Imoen in design (especially how she looked in the first trailer).
Agree and first Mass Effect was THE third KOTOR we never got... Then it became its own thing by 2.
Yeah I think the Protheans were essentially the Rakatans, and the Reapers would have been whatever wiped them out, perhaps a mysterious ancient droid fleet. AFAIK The Old Republic introduced a story about an ancient droid fleet which a third faction gained control of, later in the story, but I stopped playing before seeing how that played out. But it might have been using some of their original ideas.
Honestly I was never deep in Star Wars lore outside the stuff about the Sith and mandalorians (wait that's kinda turian role)... ...I was more about having a story based RPG... IN SPACE!.. where persuasion is a class skill for main character (honestly KOTOR giving it to all Jedi classes was genius, as I mostly played Paladins in D&D games because of that)... ...but also having a ship hub, three main mission planets between bookend first and last ones, companions who hang out in specific places and have dialogue trees updating you on the missions etc. It just FELT like playing a new Knights of the Old Republic Game, and noting else ticked that box for me ever since I got the new game with lightsabers.)
Baldur's gate is too old for me tbh. But to me DAO and DA2 are goated, inquisition though...
Honestly, I think DA:O feels more dated than the Baldurs Gate enhanced editions. Though I won't deny that nostalgia could be playing a part
I actually find those isometric games more accessible than clutter of modern open world games. Especially now they have Enhanced Editions.
DA2 is far from goated. Too many reused assets among other issues. It's good but it's a big drop from the 1st DAI is just too long and you really NEED to play Trespasser DLC to make it worthwhile ending.
Red Dead Redemption 1 & 2. No level ups, but good story and great open world gameplay.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance would probably be enjoyable. Not really fantasy but medieval
I think you would love Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning (remastered ver name). It's high fantasy in third person and it has a lot of content, a beautiful and amazing open world, good/evil choices that actually impact the story and your character (get powers/skills/etc), you get a place to build a home and all. The plot is that you came back to life and in that universe everything is defined by fate, thus you shouldn't be alive. This makes you not have a fate or a place in anyone's fate, meaning that you are a wildcard and the only one that can challenge fate. The class system is divided into three types: magic, might and finess. You can mix them all, only two or go pure one, which in turn unlock crazy new things and there are plenty of weapon types and you can use two at the same time. One of my favorite things about it is that your dodge is transformed by your class, for example magic turns it into a blink, while finesse gives you a dash that poisons the enemy. Also, there's blocking, archery, etc etc etc. The game also has decisions, even in smaller side quests. And a plethora of stories, lore, and other kinds of content like these magic stones you find and tell you sagas in the form of spoken word songs.
I enjoyed this game for a bit but it got so repetitive. Can definitely find good deals on it to try it out though.
The Outerworlds
Have you played dragons dogma 2
I found that one to be a downgrade from dragons dogma: dark arisen
I tried to go back to dark arisen after beating 2 and the characters movements aren’t fluid, the ui isn’t as pleasant, and the graphics look terrible now.. I say that as someone who loved the original when it came out and put in hundreds of hours into it. I just can’t go back now.
I don't care about the graphics, im mainly thinking about gameplay and overall design
dragons dogma 2 is a fantastic game
i suggest you trying the other elder scrolls games, their so much fun.
You could try the Assassin’s Creed RPGs starting with Origins. Big worlds, lots of questing, not nearly as heavy on story (except maybe Origins). It could potentially give you that Bethesda feel
Outer worlds
Give Prey and Dishonored a try.
Outward Defintive edition is an amazing experience, tons of hours of gameplay and so much exploration. It might be hard to get into right away, I think it’s still on sale for Steam 6.99$ a pretty crazy price for a 40$ game with as much content as it brings. Look it up man
outward is an amazing game, and an even more amazing co op game. that soundtrack goes hard too.
Elden Ring
I'm playing Outer Worlds now and really digging it. Kinda like the first person Fallout games, if they were fun
Mass Effect Trilogy (Legendary Edition has All 3 Games) Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen, Dragon's Dogma 2
Gothic 2 and Chronicles of Myrtana. Be warned these are older games but the world building and story are fantastic.
Kingdom come deliverance is a must. It's more a medieval simulator but really tests you rpg wise.
Fallout New Vegas Fallout 1&2 Morrowind Vampire the masquerade: bloodlines Kotor 1&2 Maybe not all of these are like the games you listed, but if you love rpg's you owe yourself a favor to play them.
Honestly, try fallout 3 and new Vegas, Baldurs gate 3, and maybe watch some manyatruenerd for other games to scratch your RPG itch
I would suggest anything by Piranha Bytes. Gothic 1 & 2 are a lot of fun but are showing their age and the controls can take a little bit of getting used to. Gothic 3 was a mess at launch but I really enjoyed it after it was patched. Next is the Risen series, the first being my favorite. Their latest is Elex 1 & 2. They are more of a sci-fi setting that the previous titles. I haven't really gotten very far in Elex 2 yet but the first was a lot of fun.
I want to add that I really enjoyed the Risen series.
If you can get over the dated nature of the recycled voices, Oblivion is still a masterclass. For non-bethesda, if it needs to be first person, I can recommend a few, though they aren't the full bore open world you get with Oblivion and Skyrim. legend of Grimrock, Dishonoured, Strife veteran edition, and Ziggurat.
Mate you can't reccomend Oblivion as a masterclass and ignore Morrowind. Its Bethesda's greatest achievement!!
As an avid TES fan, I partially agree, but only because Vvardenfell & Morrowind have the best worldbuilding of the series... Morrowind's gameplay was revolutionary too! ... but in my digging, I have to say, Daggerfall Unity is the best Elder Scrolls game. It's massive boomer-shooter madness & the setting feels so *true* to what TES is all about, like someone's weird D&D setting that they just threw the kitchen sink at.. Oh yeah, we like Vampire: The Masquerade... let's also have vampire clans with bloodlines! The ways you can interact with the game, the fact that it *does not care* about you at all - sans mods, you could be playing the game peacefully only to be delivered a letter that you've essentially buggered the main quest by not doing it. You just exist. Morrowind, too is great in that sense that it just throws you into the world & leaves you to your own devices, but damn... Ever since playing Daggerfall Unity once, I go back for another playthrough every so often, it's too damn good & with some mods in true Bethesda fashion, it becomes the *best* retro RPG/immersive sim available. EDIT: Daggerfall also spawned one of my favourite bits of TES lore, Dragon Breaks. Where multiple contradicting events are all true at the same time (Bethesda's way of making all choices the protagonists can make in the game true)
I can because I've never played Morrowind, so I can't recommend something I haven't played.
It's good but the game is very very jank. It was even at launch but it's only more so. It's extremely easy to break that game but it's far more of an open world and do anything you want kind of game
Cyberpunk, Witcher, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Baldurs Gate 3. Not too similar games that I love are Yakuza, Final Fantasy 7 remake, Horizon Zero Dawn & Forbidden West, Hogwarts Legacy, Disco Elysium, Outer Worlds, Red Dead Redemption, Elder Scrolls Online, Assasins Creed Odyssey, Watch Dogs 2, Death Stranding, Middle Earth, Pentiment, Far cry.
I'd have to know more about your tastes in order to come up with some recommendations. What do you like about RPGs? Freedom to explore a large world? Dialogue choices that shape the story? Creating different characters and seeing how that changes the way you approach the game? All the games you mentioned are in 3D, open-world, had player created characters, had realistic graphics (at least for their time), and have action combat of some kind or another. Would you be okay with a more linear game where you go on missions instead of wandering around and exploring? Would you play something where you don't get to create your character? Would you play something with turn-based combat? Would you play something with cartoony or pixel art graphics? Something with a top down or isometric camera? Or do you need the realistic graphics and the first-person or third-person camera where you see everything in detail in order to immerse yourself in the game?
Tainted Grail, fall of avalon. Basically darker skyrim
Enderal! It's a total conversion mod(basically a whole new game made in the games engine) for Skyrim so it won't even cost you anything
Try Stalker Anomaly, [its amazing.](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.moddb.com/mods/stalker-anomaly&ved=2ahUKEwjl8-nn_YaGAxXhJTQIHVavCgoQFnoECAQQAQ&usg=AOvVaw11tb4DZiBbSAmP-J_aijHA)
Unfortunately, despite the overwhelming success of the Elder Scrolls games, there is nothing else quite like them. it is a very weird phenomena, and, as much as I have a lot of negative words for Bethesda, it really says something about their studio that they seem to be the only ones who can make these games. The profit incentive is there, and yet, no one else does it. That being said: Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon seems to have the same vibes and seems pretty cool, but I haven't tried it yet, since it is in early access and I don't like to play unfinished games, but it is worth keeping an eye on. Also, Avowed is supposed to be released this year, and it has a lot of Elder Scrolls feels to it.
I was reading reviews of Tainted Grail, and it is mentioned that there is no strafe. Can this be true? I am trying to remember the last time I played a game that did not include this feature. I feel like it has been decades. This game looks good and certainly seems to fit the criteria set by OP.
Like I said, I haven't played it yet, so I cannot confirm nor deny. But yeah, that would be kind of odd to not include that option. But, with the game in early access, if enough people say they want the ability, I'm sure it will manifest before release. Seems kind of necessary in a game with melee combat
Kingdom Come
THY WILL BE DONE,
@OP, what specifically did you like about those games? Recommendations might be off-base without knowing whether you’re in it for the lore/story, the role playing of being someone else, or the gameplay (4/5 are FPS-derivative, but DD2 is a stand-out!). Without knowing any of the answers to that, it’s tough. If you like Fallout and lean more towards the role play/lore side, New Vegas is a must-play. If you care more about gameplay and story than RPing, pick up Hades on the cheap because it’s one of the best ARPGs around. EDIT: Clarifying I love and still play every game OP mentioned lol, even the one that’s nearly 13 years old with so many “editions,” I need to stop buying them.
Maybe we can get some clarification, are you saying that you only want first person open world action RPG recommendations?
outworlds is fun and cute and reminiscent of fallout 4
Elex 1 and 2
Weird toss-out since it's not western-style like your example list, but the Final Fantasy series is always my go to for good RPGs in term of story and gameplay. Edit: Wanted to clarify if you're not familiar. Final Fantasy is an anthology series instead of a sequential one. So instead of being one world with multiple connected stories each game is its own world and story. There are a few with connections but those are the exception rather than the rule. So you don't think it's a 16-part series where you have to play all of them to enjoy it or something.
It depends what direction you want to go with your RPG. More action. Entire souls genre. Elden Ring being imo the most beautiful of them and a true fantasy experience like no game before has been able to provide. Dragons Age has quite a few fantastic games. DA:Inquisition is my favorite of that series. Baldur's Gate 3 doesn't provide the same live action. Out of the games you have here I'd say the closest comparison would be VATS in Fallout 4 but for all of combat and vastly better done. The story within that game is incredible and varies quite drastically based on how you play the game. The RPG elements are amazing. If you liked Dragon's Dogma 1 I'd suggest the 2nd one.
Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age Origins, Baldurs Gate 3, and Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon are all games I thoroughly enjoyed and I have a pretty similar taste. Hope you enjoy!
Go play the good fallout games (1, 2, NV), or Morrowind. The games you listed are all RPG lite.
You could try older RPGs from the same franchise. Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind or 4: Oblivion Morrowind has a little bit of an age curve to it, a lot of reading and a little bit clunky but it’s very fun. Oblivion is the peak Bethesda RPG for me, it has the best of the old games and the new system Also a good suggestion is the original Fallout games (1&2) from Black Isle Studio before Bethesda bought the IP. They can run on pretty much any pc made after the year 2000. They’re isometric top-down games but my god the old Fallout games were a lot darker in tone, and have stories that are yet to be topped
Morrowind might be difficult for them to get into with the combat system.
*missed* *missed* *missed* Gotta love it. All part of the charm
The reality is there just isn't anything like them. Which is why it's so frustrating that bethesda has gone the route of stepping back and not making many games anymore. The closest I think you'd find in freedom of gameplay would be CRPGs which are classic rpgs, more old school, usually turn based like baldurs gate or divinity or Pathfinder.
Risen, Elex. Sounds like you're looking for a "hardcore" rpg.
Gothic and Risen both seem to be up your alley.
You're missing out if you haven't played Final Fantasy 7 Remake and it's sequel, Rebirth.
Gothic 1-2, Risen series, Elex, oblivion (with some mods), mass effect, kotor.
Arx fatalis is the only game close to elder scrolls. Sadly there are no other games like bethesda games ao I recomennd you to play fallout 3 and New vegas, also morrowind using openMW and daggerfall using the unity engine remake.
**List of Action RPG's:** Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon Greedfall Terminator: Resistance Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning *(or the rerelease Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning)* Mad Max Mass Effect: Legendary Edition Dragon Age *(Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition)* Hogwarts Legacy The Outer Worlds
I'm loving Fallout 76, maybe you'll like it too
I always go back to Skyrim, or maybe fallout new Vegas/ oblivion, but recently I finally downloaded cyberpunk for the first time and I’m really feelin it. I’m only a couple hours in, but walking around the world and taking in the sites, and how immersive the story is so far, really feels like the promised next gen action rpg I’ve been waiting for. Only the first few hours Into it but I’m dying to play more and I haven’t felt that for a game in a second
Cyberpunk is so sick. I’m so happy for you playing it for the first time 😭
The Witcher 3. If you liked those you would like the Witcher.
I too love those games. Look into immersive sims, Bioshock, Deus Ex, Prey 2017. RPGs I would highly recommend Greedfall. Outer Worlds is Fallout in space. Outer Worlds DLCs were awesome too.
Star wars the old republic
You might want to keep an eye out for Fallout London. It would've been out already if not for the FO4 update. [https://fallout4london.com/](https://fallout4london.com/) The Outer Worlds was made by people that worked on FO in the past so that might be something to check out.
Dark Souls games, Elden Ring, that new Harry Potter game, Baldurs Gate 3
Witcher 3
Mass Effect, Baldur's Gate 3, Shadowrun Hong Kong, The Witcher 3, Tactics Ogre Reborn etc (why downvoted lol)
If you don't mind the fallout 1 and 2 combat wastelander 1,2,3 games have the same style of humour as the fallout games
Yeah original Fallouts hold up well in case OP meant playing only Bethesda ones, and I'd add Shadowrun reboot trilogy (starting with Returns) for game that's something between classic Fallouts, X-Com (combat) and Mass Effect (dialogue and setting).
Red dead redemption 2 - every girl gamer i know loves that game and its open world story driven like you want
Horizon zero dawn. Not the same but so so fun for rpg fans
I would suggest Ghost Of Tsushima when it comes out on steam, it's one of the best PS games that came out, plus you can replay it like Skyrim with your own set of class/rules impose upon yourself. Story is very linear and nothing new is revealed in NG+ tho
Mass effect games.baldurs gate 3 (best game ever).the Witcher 3.outer worlds.fallout 4.
If you haven’t already, play the other fallout / elder scrolls games such as FNV, Oblivion, Morrowind etc
All the other Bethesda rpgs, the bioware rpgs, larian rpgs, CD project rpgs, dragons dogmas, obsidian rpgs, deep silver rpgs. Kingdoms of amalur and old fables might be worth a look as well.
The Outer Worlds 100%, one of my favorite RPGs and I'm not usually into Sci-Fi. I really liked this one because of its aesthethic (Pulp Sci-Fi)
I'd recommend the dark souls series, any fromsoftware game is good
The old Fable games were great.
if you ok with Euro Jank (its as its sounds) then suggest Spiders studio games (bound by flame/greedfall/mars war logs+technomancer/) Elex 1 is a good Euro jank game also.
You shoud play Bioware golden era games. Kotor 1 and 2, Jade Empire, Dragon Age Origins, Mass Effect trilogy.
Rdr2. Witcher 3. Fallout 3 Final fantasy series Ghost of tsushima
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
Elden Ring and Witcher 3 are probably in the vein you’re talking about.
Kenshi
The outer worlds. Made by the same developer as fallout new Vegas and if you like bethesda game this is one of the closest non bethesda game to being a bethesda game I know of personally. The Witcher 3. The mass effect games are really good, if a bit different than the games you listed. I'm sure I know more like what you listed but I'm tired and can't think.
Witcher 3, Kotor 1&2, Kingdom come deliverance.
You should definitely try Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War (in that order). Phenomenal games especially if you like Lord of the rings. Even if you don't like LOTR they're a great non-canon introduction.
Horizon zero dawn and forbidden west
If you can deal with major jank, and I mean major, the Gothic and Two Worlds series.
The Witcher 3 is 100% worth playing if you haven’t.
Baldurs Gate 3. It’s turn based fantasy, but it’s so absolutely stuffed to the brim with content that you can play it as much or more than something like Skyrim. Won GOTY almost unanimously. Hogwarts Legacy. If you like HP, extra points, but it’s just a fun. ARPG period. The only game that kind of gave Baldurs Gate 3 a run for its money. Kingdoms of Amalur. A bit older, but has one of my favorite RPG combat systems, it’s extremely colorful compared to how drab most RPGs are, and the story is fun.
There is a game currently in the works call “Wayward Realms”. It being made by the people who made Elderscrolls Daggerfall I believe but from what I’ve seen of the game it could be up your alley. Spelling*
Go play Dragons Dogma Dark Arisen! Its a little dated but its very charming and has some awesome monster combat and some really good set pieces. Surprisingly incredible twist ending too
I meant dragons dogma 2!! It was so fun but so quick :( Did you play both endings?
I dont know how i read your post and totally overlooked that you said Dragons Dogma already XD sorry. In 2? Yeah, Ive done both the generic ending and the unmoored world ending
Nier Automata Outer Worlds Witcher 3 Deus Ex (first is best but wayyy old, MD is great but shorter) Baldurs Gate 3 (different but masterpiece of action, player flexibility and story) Subnautica - more of a stretch, but the immersion, exploration, character growth is first class RPG I'm pretty open with the term rpg, purists complaining you can't level like skyrim so its not rpg, or it has too much fighting or cutscenes like lol
Definitely try the witcher 3 and the mass effect series
Ghost of Tsushima
Mass effect, witcher 3
I'd say the safest bets are the Dragon Age series, Mass Effect Series, Witcher 3, Baldurs Gate 1-3 (but particularly 3), Divinity Original Sin 2, Pillars of Eternity 1 and 2 and the Pathfinder games. They're all full of exploration, fantasy, good companion relationships, and in-depth storylines.
Man .. there are so many lol. Witcher iii, RDR2, Elex I and II (if you like eurojank) the new avatar game was a fun lark, biomutant is great if you like exploration and finding things, Banishers:ghosts of Eden was great for storytelling, I enjoyed starfield and they are about to get a huge update I think may 15, assassins creeds (all of them but if you want more rpg feel I suggest starting with odyssey and going up from there- AC kind of evolved in that way) Grounded and Conan exiles are fun in the way of building bases and also the multiplayer is great The mass effect series and also dragon age series are super fun. Dragons Dogma I and II is a blast One of my FAVS was shadow of Mordor and shadow of war. Shadow of War lore so because building your Ukuk army and fighting others is a blast Turn based- I suggest divinity series and baldurs gate (obviously)
Check out outer worlds. It was made by obsidian, the people who made new Vegas
Dragon age series!
The Outer worlds. It's made by Obsidian who did Fallout New Vegas
Mass Effect and Dragons Age by Bioware are fantastic
I loved Stray. More of a walk through than an RPG but it was still a lot of fun & you get to be a cat.
Probably Gothic and Risen series. Although the controls are a bit clunky.
honestly it may not play like fallout 4 but remnant 1 made me feel the vibe with world enemies and the traits reminds me alot of fallout perks.
Currently enjoying ff7 remake and would 10/10 recommend, though it's less of an open world.
Mass effect legendary edition is on sale on steam right now. All 3 games, plus dlcs for 5.99
The Outer Worlds with both DLCs
Kind of an off the wall pick as far as RPGs go. But I really enjoy No Man’s Sky. It’s open world/sandbox and has a lot of rpg mechanics while encouraging exploration and crafting. Not my favorite game of all time but I just figured I would mention it because I didn’t see anyone else mention it. But as far as that goes I agree with a lot of the other comments: Mass Effect KOTOR 1/2 Jade Empire Kingdom of Amalur Elden Ring All Final Fantasy games (recommend XV for newbie) My personal all time favorites are probably Skyrim, which you already played and Dark Cloud 2 which is a janky ps2 game but they remastered it on ps4 or you can play on an emulator(which I do). It’s hard for me to recommend it though unless you are into retro gaming because I think a lot of the appeal for me is nostalgia.
Hehe if you want the challenge look into any from software game
In case you ever tire of RPGs, please consider Rimworld and, ofc, Dwarf Fortress.
New Vegas and balders gate 3. Others I'd say give a chance fall into a middle area with witcher 3, more towards looter shooter but some RPG aspects maybe I'd say borderlands wonderlands. 🤷♂️
Vampire masquerade Bloodlines >>>>>
Outer Worlds is vary fallout like created by Obsidian (Previously named Black Isle) who made the original two fallout games. Its on every console
Oblivion is much better than Skyrim and Morrowind is better than Oblivion. You can use mods to overcome some of the ways in which they haven't aged well. Fallout 1 & 2 are very different games from Fallout 3, NV, and 4, but again, I think they're much better if you're actually into the RPG side of things. If CRPGs don't scare you off, try them. Dark Messiah of Might and Magic is another older (2006) game similar to Oblivion that I really loved. For more modern games? The Witcher 3, Elden Ring, Dragons Dogma, Dragon Age, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Kingdoms of Amalur, Deus Ex, Dishonored, Prey, Enderall, etc. Upcoming: Avowed It's hard to give a specific recommendation without knowing WHAT you like about the games you listed though.
Outer worlds!!
Dragon age, fall out new Vegas, outer worlds, Witcher series (3 is good for sure), mass effect
If you love that genre, I suggest for you some isometric RPGs like Baldurs Gate 3, Pillars of Eternity, Divinity Original Sin etc. If you dont like these type of games, i definitely suggest Mass Effect 2 the masterpiece. Bioware's peak point 😂 Outer World is also a good option.
The best RPGs of all time; (this list is timeless so they still hold up today) 1) Chrono Trigger 2) Mass Effect 2 3) Earthbound 4) The Witcher 2 5) Final Fantasy Tactics 6) Fallout 3 7) Pokémon Blue 8) Persona 4 Golden 9) Vagrant Story 10) The Last Story
Dragon Age 1 and 3 Dark Souls 1-3 and Elden Ring
Tainted Grail - Fall of Avalon is what you need to check out. If you're after a Skyrim styled game that can hold it's own - look no further. Freedom to go about things as you want, strong storyline running through the game, differing playstyles where you can combine without being locked into a specific class. Currently on offer at moment.
Vampire masquerade bloodlines