Role-playing games are one of the most popular of all game genres. However, some people are put off by the potential grind of killing thousands of enemies or completing potentially hundreds of filler quests just so that their stats are high enough or their gear is good enough to allow them to continue the story.
There are a few options for people who want to enjoy an RPG but not have to spend many frustrating hours completing quests and trying to find hidden locations or good loot in order to resume the story. Many of these games put the focus on the main storyline while limiting how much time players have to waste on optional quests or other similar side objectives. Even though many games mentioned below have quests, they are not mandatory and players can choose how much they interact with them.
It is hard to believe thatFallout 4was released way back in 2015. It is still one of the most lauded role-playing games almost a decade after release. And there is good reason for this, as many people seeFallout 4as the pinnacle of Bethesda world-building.
Players are free to follow the main storyline, but do not have to. They can also ignore all of the side quests in the game. Instead, they can focus on building settlements and clearing out combat POI (short for Points of Interest) for loot. If the game is played this way, skills can still be leveled up,perks can be acquired, and there are no limits on gameplay gated behind stages of the storyline arc. WhileFallout 4may have a large map to explore, players are under no obligation to search every last nook and cranny of it.
Deus Ex: Mankind Dividedwas released in 2016, as the sequel toDeus Ex: Human Revolution. This is an excellent game for players who don’t like having to complete a great many quests, as the main story arc guides the player through the game.
There are no side quests in this game, and the game map is quite small. Instead, each of the missions the player has to complete during the story, each have their own puzzles and challenges that must be overcome. Free-roam is limited, and players are forced into a certain linear progression, but are still able to progress their character exactly how they wish. It’s an RPG that trimed all the side stuff so that players can focus exclusively on the story.
Like A Single Player Version Of Ultima Online
Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
An Industrial Revolution in a World of Magick: Imagine a place of wonder, where magick and technology coexist in an uneasy balance, and an adventurer might just as easily wield a flintlock pistol as a flaming sword. A place where great industrial cities house castle keeps and factories, home to Dwarves, Humans, Orcs and Elves alike. A place of Ancient runes and steamworks, of magick and machines, of sorcery and science. Welcome to the land of Arcanum. Character Design allows you to customize your character any way you choose. Whether you choose magick or technology, the Arcanum world adapts and responds to your character’s development. Classless, point-based attribute system allows for limitless creativity in guiding your character’s development. 8 basic stats, such as Strength and Charisma. More than a dozen derived stats, from Poison Resistance to Character Speed. 16 Primary skills, including Gambling and Healing. 80 Spells with 16 Colleges of Magick. 56 technological degrees within 8 disciplines. Extraordinary Adventure Features. Explore a world as vast as it is mysterious-it would take over 30 real-time hours to traverse the land of Arcanum. Meet more than 300 unique characters and monster types across this huge land. Many means exist to solve the myriad quests, from dueling to discourse to thievery. Take on a band of ogres in real-time, or plan your strategy through turn-based combat - you decide. Accurate day and night cycles affect the gameplay, from combat to thieving skills. Automatic character management lets action-oriented players delve into the quest at hand. Create your own worlds or play the included multiplayer scenario online cooperatively or competively.
Arcanumis an older title, released in 2001. An often overlooked game that was one of the first RPGs to offer sandbox-style gameplay. The game very obviously has its roots in games such asUltima Online, with the player free to level their skills and progress their character freely.
There are quests inArcanum,but they are entirely optional. The player can try to complete them all, ignore them entirely, or some balance of the two. Skills are gained through experience, not quest unlocks or some other form of progression gating.
Fun Gameplay As A Covert Agent
Alpha Protocol
Loyalty carries a price and no one knows this more than agent Michael Thorton. A talented young agent cast out by his government, Thorton is the only one with the information needed to stop an impending international catastrophe. To do so means he must cut himself off from the very people he is sworn to protect. As players determine how to accomplish different objectives, the decisions made and actions taken in each mission will ultimately transform the type of secret agent Michael Thorton will become. Every choice the player makes as Michael Thorton will carry consequences for his future and the fate of the world.
The 2010 game,Alpha Protocol, takes a different approach to RPG mechanics. It has player progression, skills and equipment, but does not have the traditional quest style of gameplay. Instead, the player finds that they are left to work out of a main hub, and select which covert operations they wish to tackle.
Each covert mission has its challenges that need to be overcome. And although these are similar to quests in other games, they are much deeper in content. There is a real feeling of accomplishment after preparing for, and successfully completing, a covert mission. You don’t need to waste time on side quests for better equipment or experience, because that isn’t whatAlpha Protocolis about.
This game is a modern take on an RPG. Released in 2022, it blurs the distinction between genres, combining role-playing aspects alongside strategy and tactics. Quests in this game are not optional, but they are not the traditional type of quest found in other RPGs. Instead, they are strategic goals that must be met, using the game’s strategy and building layer.
For players who prefer gameplay that revolves around building up an army, and then using that army to complete combat scenarios,Mount & Blade II: Bannerlordis a nice change from traditional RPGs.
BioWare combined all threeMass Effectgames, into a single, remastered release in 2021, and gave it the impressive title,Mass Effect Legendary Edition. Initially released with a price tag of over $100, it can now be picked up for less than $20 when on sale, making it a complete bargain.
All threeMass Effectgames in the bundle follow a similar style of gameplay. Heavily reliant on the story arc for player progression, but allowing the player to skill up their character and party members however they wish. For players who are happy to have their gameplay guided linearly, and are not interested in games with many side quests,Mass Effect Legendary Editionis a great option, espeically withits immersive and engaging story.
An older BioWare title, released in 2005,Jade Empireis another game that forgoes open-world sandbox-style gameplay in favor of taking the player on a story-based journey. Because of this,Jade Empireis a good choice for players who don’t want to have to go through the whole exploration and questing gameplay loop endlessly.
Although quite aged graphically,Jade Empireis exquisitely scripted with a strong story based on ancient Chinese history and culture, which has some excellent twists and turns. The main game also incorporates a number of fun mini-games.
Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic, usually shortened to the acronymKOTOR, is a 2003 RPG from BioWare. Game mechanics are based on theStar WarsRoleplaying Game, and this was an excellent choice, and one of the fundamental reasons why this game was such a success.
Make no mistake though, this is a fully scripted, linear RPG. Sandbox gameplay and an open-world map are not something thatKOTORwas intended to even attempt. Instead, it offers a deeply immersive main story, and a selection of companions that players will become emotionally attached to. WhileKOTORdoes have side quests, the stories behind them are engaging enough that they won’t feel like a pointless chore.
Under the premise that more of the same is never a bad thing,Borderlands 3was released in 2019, delivering another helping of crazy, wildly humorous looter shooter action that the previous twoBorderlandsgames did so well. Yes, it has RPG aspects, but the player is free to entirely ignore quests if they wish.
It is the flexibility of gameplay that makesBorderlands 3so much fun to play. The player can follow the loose main storyline, try a few of the side quests, or as most people tend to do, just go full-on Rambo and start clearing every POI they can find. Few other games have managed to combine RPG-style character progression with looter shooter gemplay as well asBorderlands 3does. Not only that, butBorderlands 3is alsoa fantastic co-op game.
