Western RPG that is 10/10, no notes

Video games are a global industry that spans all corners of the globe. When it comes to RPGs, there's a lot of variety, from JRPG epics to Eurojank misfires, but whatever your taste, it's pretty hard to deny how exceptional the West can be when it comes to making a great RPG experience.

It's never easy to hit every nail on the head, but when you do, you'll soon realize you're playing something really special. We've had several iconic franchises and so many wonderful adventures over the years, but only a few have managed to reach the same heights as these 10/10 masterpieces.

Baldur's Gate 3

The new RPG standard

Details:

• Cinematic gameplay and storytelling

• Crazy level of detail and freedom

Baldur's Gate 3 blew away all expectations it had and brought arguably the most comprehensive CRPG experience to date. Starting out in a fantastical world with just a few companions, you're immediately roped in to explore, converse, and battle in almost any way you can imagine, with virtually no limits at all.

The game captured the hearts of millions who would never have touched an RPG of this scale before, and I think a big reason for that is the lovable cast and the warmth of the world around them. Your party begins to feel like family, and each NPC has a library's worth of backstory to reveal, often meaning that even after beating the game, you'll almost certainly want another go.

Bethesda Glory Days

Details:

• So many opportunities to explore and branch off the main road

• Infinite replay value

Skyrim may be known for re-releases and a handful of timeless memes, but jokes aside, it's hard to quantify just how impressive the game is. Bethesda really knows what makes a good open world, and here you are thrown into a gigantic landscape filled to the brim with quests and hidden treasures that can take 100s of hours to fully absorb.

Also, despite being over a decade old, it's still relevant today thanks to the insane amount of content and die-hard modding community that has kept the game going ever since it launched. After taking a long hiatus and coming back to Tamriel, I'm always amazed at the expansive nature of each component, and I find it hard to go five minutes without praising yet another part of the game.

Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic

What a Star Wars RPG should be

Details:

• Incredible narrative arcs and twists

• World-class storytelling

Recumbent may be the last time we get to experience a perfect one Star Wars RPG. Set thousands of years before the movies, it tells an original story filled with memorable companions, meaningful player choices, and one of the most iconic stories in gaming history.

Looking at the mechanics, your opinions and ideas are placed at the center, with the morality system and branching nature of the dialogue factoring into every decision from start to finish. I didn't get to play it at launch, but now that I've taken a trip to the past, I'd honestly consider the game a top three for me, even for non-Star Wars fans.

Mass Effect 2

Sci-Fi RPG greatness

Details:

• Each teammate feels crucial to the story

• A generation finale

If there was a sci-fi RPG I had to play until the end of time, there's no better choice than this. Mass Effect 2. BioWare perfected its formula with your character development in the middle of the action, and the wider cast becomes an integral component of each beat, with individual arcs that develop along with your choices.

The legendary final mission ties everything together brilliantly, tying every decision into a single outcome, adding so much weight to all those earlier dialogue options. There isn't a single low point you can pick out over the entire game, and while I can understand why others might put other entries in the franchise before it, I'd always have the second game at the top.

Disco Elysium

Mind over matter

Details:

• Problems can only be solved through dialogue and role play

• First-rate writing across the board

Disco Elysium completely reimagined what an RPG could be. Instead of emphasizing combat, it focuses almost entirely on conversation, exploration, and internal character development, and over time, various aspects of your personality become larger pieces to solve the larger puzzle.

Its writing is widely considered to be among the best produced for a video game, and despite being lower on the action side, I still felt a constant sense of urgency driven by the importance of every last conversation. A remarkable achievement that proves that combat isn't necessary to create a compelling RPG, and a landmark that I think developers will look back on fondly for years to come.

Pillar of Eternity

Modernize classic CRPGs

Details:

• Exceptional world building

• Deep tactical combat

Pillar of Eternity helped revive the classic isometric RPG formula for a modern audience. Obsidian once again demonstrated its top tier design skills by creating the richly detailed world of Eora, filling it with everything from complex politics to a fascinating story that we only get to see as we travel across the lands.

The big standout comes from the real-time-with-pause combat, which gives you tremendous tactical depth, encouraging thoughtful party composition and strategic planning throughout the adventure. Combine that with excellent quest design and the classic Obsidian choice-first philosophy, and you have one of the finest traditional Western RPGs ever made.

Never winter nights

It just keeps growing

Details:

• Tailors the D&D experience perfectly

• Player-generated content that drives replay value

Never winter nights was already an excellent adaptation of Dungeons & Dragonsbut its greatest strength came from what players could create themselves. BioWare's Aurora Toolset enabled the community to design entirely new campaigns, effectively turning the game into a platform for endless role-playing adventures that is still built upon today.

The extraordinary longevity is an important reason Never winter nights is still so highly regarded, and one reason I've managed to get so many friends to play a two-decade-old game. Even if you exclude the community, the official campaigns are still fun and true to the original D&D mechanics for those looking for a more traditional RPG mission.