Not all RPGs are set in worlds of fantasy with magic and dragons. These are the greatest RPGs set in science fiction universes.
When people think of RPG’s, they most likely think of the popular fantasy games in the genre such as the phenomenal Dragon Age franchise, or the much-loved Skyrim. While most RPGs do tend to be based in fantasy, there are also role-playing games set on worlds of science and technology that embody all the tropes and elements of RPGs.
Titles such as Mass Effect and Knights of the Old Republic are giants of the genre, bringing players grandiose stories that they can play a part in and help shape in galaxies far, far away. These immersive games literally take players to another world.
The studio behind The Witcher, one of the greatest fantasy RPGs of all time, CD Projekt Red were also the minds behind the dystopian RPG Cyberpunk 2077. Set in a fictionalized future in the fictional Night City, players assume the role of V, determining their gender, appearance, and backstory before they are thrust into the sci-fi world.
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V becomes possessed with the soul of a dead celebrity through an implant, and must survive Johnny’s attempts to kill them and take over their body while surviving all the other dangers of Night City, especially the corrupt mega-corporation Arasaka. Cyberpunk 2077 is a visual sci-fantasy feast for the eyes. It draws much inspiration from Bladerunner, with giant holographic advertisements lighting up the night sky, and neon grime on every street.
Based in the far-flung future in which humans have abandoned Earth to escape from the dangerous life-forms that now roam the planet, NieR: Automata provides a rich and imaginative sci-fi experience. Players initially assume the role of 2B, but during the story they will take on the roles of the two other main androids, 9S and A2. Androids are deployed to Earth to take down dangerous machine life forms so that one day, humans may return. They don’t know that humans are already extinct.
Though players have a limited say in the outcome, the tale is so well-written with cores of tragedy, romance, and what it truly means to be human that it can be forgiven for its linear nature. However, NieR: Automata contains multiple hidden endings, mostly found by pure accident, that end the game in an abrupt and often humorous manner.
Following the success of Fallout: New Vegas, fans clamored for more from Obsidian, which came in the form of The Outer Worlds. In a similar vein to the Fallout franchise, players can recruit various companions players throughout the course of the game.
