When people think of fantasy games, they often imagine RPGs The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt or, yes, Final Fantasy; Fantasy games cover a lot more than just RPGs though, as they can be great settings in platform games like Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacyor action-adventure games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
The best action fantasy games of all time
Fantasy games are fairly common, as are action games, but to see the two combined so effectively in these games is something special.
All these examples are masterpieces, but they are well known. How about some fantasy games that come close to greatness, but because they weren't perfect, a lot of fans didn't get to them? Astalon: Tears of the Earth, The last story, Battle Chasers: Nightwarand more are waiting to be revisited, so let's go over why.
Rearrange the cases in the correct US release order.
Start
Rearrange the cases in the correct US release order.
Light (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
Astalon: Tears Of The Earth
Three heroes, one fate
Astalon: Tears of the Earth is a 2D Metroidvania where players can switch between three different heroes at campfires, which act as checkpoints in the castle. Arias is a normal warrior with a sword and shield, Kyuli has a bow and Algus is a wizard. There are advantages and disadvantages to each character, such as having stronger defenses with Arias over Algus' glass cannon archetype. It plays well, the music is great, and the 8-bit aesthetic is a fun throwback to the NES era, and it's still there.
Battle Chasers: Nightwar
A 90s series returns
Battle Chasers: Nightwar is a turn-based RPG based on a series from the late 90s and early 2000s that left on a cliffhanger. Whether players read the series or not, it's a simple enough fantasy plot to follow, involving warriors, magic, and monsters. There may not be much narrative, but the art design is impeccable with its large, bulky characters and tightly drawn lines. The combat design is simple, yet enjoyable, and the inclusion of a world map was new at the time of its release, serving as a throwback to old RPGs that can be played in a few different ways.
Bloodstained: Curse Of The Moon
Old-School Castlevania Reborn
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is another homage to the 8-bit era, but this one plays like the more linear NES Castlevania games. Specifically, it is modeled after Castlevania 3: Dracula's Cursewhich allows players to switch between multiple characters. IN Bloodstained: Curse of the Moonplayers can switch between a katana wielder, two different styles of mage, and a whiplasher. Unlike the NES Castlevania game, this tribute actually plays well, as do its successors, on almost any platform players choose.
In the shadow of its bigger sibling, Ritual of the night, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon was somewhat treated as a nice little bonus. THE ROOT is amazing and deserves all the praise in the world, but Curse of the Moon is much more than just an accessory to the main course. It's a fully finished game and a great tribute to the genre's roots.
Boktai: The sun is in your hand
Go outside, step on grass
Boktai: The sun is in your hand was a top-down vampire-hunting action game released for the GBA with a strange gimmick: the cartridge had a solar panel attached. By charging up in sunlight, players could effectively kill their enemies better.
10 fantasy games from the last 10 years that can be called masterpieces, ranked
These fantasy games have shaped the last decade of their genre and have rightfully earned the status of masterpieces.
The big bosses in each area were vampires, requiring players to literally drag them out of their castles, into their coffins, and expose them to sunlight to finish the job. It was a process, but it was still cool news for the GBA that is still great to play, provided players still had their GBA running.
Champions of Norrath: Realms Of EverQuest
Diablo for PS2
Champions of Norrath: Realms of EverQuest was one of many Diablo-style top-down action RPG from the 21st century. This was a PS2 exclusive, along with its sequel, which spawned from EverQuest MMO It's still a PS2 exclusive, unfortunately, which is one reason it's more forgotten than most. Regardless of its legacy, players can still have a blast hacking and slashing all sorts of monsters and undead creatures with the various classes. They can collect loot, level up and either play alone or with friends in couch co-op.
Although not particularly novel by the genre's modern standards, Champions of Norrath was a polished and addictive dungeon crawler tailor-made for consoles. It had no reach Diablobut it deserves more than to be remembered as a minor classic.
Children Of Light
A wonderful 2D RPG
Children of Light is an unsung hero from the 2010s from Ubisoft, which used the same UbiArt Framework engine as Rayman's origin. As a princess trapped in a fallen kingdom, players can run or slide around to gather allies and bring light back to everyone. The turn-based combat was inspired by Greatas players could see the turn order and even cancel attacks with a well-timed counter. The visuals, deep combat strategy, and dreamlike nature of the world helped it stand out, even if not everyone played Children of Lightbut it's not too late now, as it can be played on a variety of systems.
Dust: An Elysian Tale
Devil May Furries
Dust: An Elysian Tale is a hand-drawn Metroidvania that can rival the visuals of something more modern like Hollow Knight: Silk Song. While the art is bright and colorful, the game's story is incredibly dark, with themes of genocide. Visuals and story aside, the best thing about the game is the action, which is as complex and combo-heavy as anything like Devil May Cry. It's also a great game for anyone who's into furry culture, or anyone who wants to play through a tangled fantasy story that will challenge their morals, wherever players can find it digitally.
Kid Icarus: Rebellion
Fly High Pit
Kid Icarus: Rebellion was released for the 3DS, and will remain there until Nintendo decides to port it elsewhere. This was a grand return for the series at the time, featuring two playstyles.
8 fantasy games in 2 hours that everyone should play at least once
If you don't have more than two hours to invest, these fantasy experiences will reignite your love for video games.
The flight controls are where some players fell, as the 3DS setup didn't make things comfortable, but on the ground the action was undeniably fun. It was a whimsical story with lighthearted vibes, like that Kingdom Heartsso while it's corny and flawed at times, it's easily one of the best 3DS games.
The Last Guardian
In the shadow of the Colossus
The Last Guardian was the spiritual follow-up to Shadow of the Colossusso it literally had big shoes to fill. Although it didn't surpass that game or even Ico, The Last Guardian carved a foundation in the action-adventure pantheon in its own way. As a boy, players could run, jump and interact with the environment to solve puzzles.
Along for the ride was the beast, Trico, who followed commands, and while the AI wasn't perfect, players were still able to form a meaningful bond with Trico. Since it was a PS4 game, players can still access it on PS5. Compared to Japan Studio's other games, The Last Guardian is a bit more frustrating and not quite as flawless; but its ambition and heart are very easy to see. The gameplay also improves over time, especially when Trico starts obeying commands a bit more.
The last story
Final Fantasy Wii and one of the best JRPGs on the console
The last story was a Wii exclusive that was almost never released outside of Japan. It's an action RPG, although it's more of an action-adventure game than anything else. Players can explore a hub city between missions, but the overall structure is more linear. Battles in dungeons are also real-time, and battles can get quite chaotic as players are in command of a large party. This party dynamic is what helps The last story is different from other RPGs or action games from the early 2010s, and like many Wii games it no longer exists, and it is quite rare to find a hard copy of it.
The 8 Greatest Mascot RPG Masterpieces of All Time, Ranked
From platform heroes to cartoon icons, these RPGs changed everything for these famous video game mascots.
