Role-playing games are some of the best video game experiences available to players today. They uniquely use media in a way that other entertainment venues simply cannot match. Few other media, except books, allow people to be so uniquely immersed in a world that is in some ways similar to their own, but in others completely alien. And therein lies the rub of the best role-playing games of recent years, and indeed of all time. They may be some far removed from the world the players know – but there should always be a mirror held up to the familiar.
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One thing that remains the same in most RPGs is their sense of morality. Regardless of whether the game is set in a mystical fantasy realm or a contemporary reflection of our own, the good are often virtuous and the evil are often sinful in similar, archetypal ways. In the case of these RPGs, goodness is the sacrifice, and the right choice doesn't always mean the easy choice.
8 Legend 3
Ruling a kingdom is easy only for tyrants
- was published
- October 26, 2010
Completely unique style of gameplay and alignment that legend It's an incredible look at morality in video games as a series has shown, even if at first it seems simplistic and more for comedic value.
Legend 3 It adds a new dimension to the morality system by placing the player in one of the most important positions in the kingdom of Albion – its leader. Good decisions benefit the people, but they are costly, and when a terrible threat invades the realm, it can lead to disaster in the long run. Evil decisions are no longer just for the sake of evil, but to protect the treasury as long as possible until the final battle begins.
7 suzerain
Life is tough for an incorruptible politician
suzerain
Strategy
RPG
adventure
Independent games
- was published
- December 4, 2020
- publisher(s)
- fellow traveler
- Developer
- Torpor games
Text-based wonder of suzerain It is based on hard choices, not binaries. Choosing between building a high-speed rail line or a multi-lane highway isn't a choice between good and evil, but there are certainly moments when compromising the ethics of this difficult game is easier.
Players can initially accept bribes from a media giant who will then publish favorable articles for them, and rejecting the deal, especially if it goes toward a nationalization scheme in the government, will greatly hinder publicity. which the player receives.
6 Frost punk
How do you stay moral during the apocalypse?
- was published
- April 24, 2018
- Royalties
- Frost punk
Unbelievable Frostpunk 2 He has stormed the fans of Shahrsaz. Or maybe… by a blizzard? However, if the first game in the series focuses on one thing more, it's the dichotomy between staying moral and surviving by any means necessary.
Taking the time to build food stores so that civilians don't have to eat each other, taking the time to provide proper burials instead of mass graves, all of these things are morally acceptable, but much harder to maintain when the cold comes. is In times of desperation, what are players willing to give up if it means survival?
5 Notorious 2
Evil deeds ensure careless powers
this infamous The series is one of people's favorite games in the discussion of moral video games. The system isn't complicated by any means, but it's a great anchor in an incredibly interesting world with several intriguing details that add to the overarching sense of darkness that Cole either aids or combats.
Powers in this game are dictated by morality, and evil powers are often much more widespread and can easily take out multiple enemies at once – albeit at the cost of a few civilians. Being good at this game doesn't necessarily hinder your combat abilities, but it does force the player to be very careful about conserving their energy and collateral damage during battles.
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4 Spider-Man: Web Of Shadows
The symbiote speeds things up in this title
Spider-Man: Web of Shadows
Action-adventure
beat him up
- was published
- October 21, 2008
There are many possibilities Web of Shadows Which Spider-Man games since have failed to capitalize on, the biggest of which is a moral system that makes for a great superhero story. It might not be the best choice for every Spider-Man game, but fans are practically begging for another title or two to explore the side of the web-slinger like this one.
Negative or selfish decisions in this game give players more time with powerful and tough symbiote suits that can make the game much faster. Being nice also means occasionally sacrificing fans or rewards to keep people safe in return, as if the great power Spider-Man wields comes with an inherent obligation to others or something.
3 dishonorable
Keeping the world from chaos is a struggle
The world doesn't just react to Corvo's ethics dishonorable but to the deaths it causes. A constant plague in the environment dishonorable It is a great measure of how a player performs during a game.
Killing people is faster and safer (for Korvo) than incapacitating them, and this is true in all missions, but it also leads to an increase in corpses, which spreads the plague and makes the city an even less pleasant place to live.
2 the vampire
If drinking blood is bad, I don't want to be good
A dark, complex and extremely unique title. the vampire is an amazing vampire game that forces the player to challenge his beliefs. In an incredibly seductive twist to vampire norms, the strength of an innocent's blood is directly related to the vampire's level of cognition.
It forces you to learn about the many humans in the game, to understand them, their likes and dislikes, their dreams, before you instill a deep vampiric thirst in their blood. Not drinking their blood puts players in a much tougher position during combat, as they will be effectively low level.
1 tyranny
This game doesn't make it easy for the good guys
tyranny
- platform(s)
- Linux, Microsoft Windows, macOS
- was published
- November 10, 2016
In most games that offer a lot of moral options, the “evil” path is the one that takes away from the story. Being evil in some games is treated almost like an easter egg, not a way to be taken seriously. tyranny It's a great game where every path is well understood, but it subverts the usual RPGs by going through the evil path or paths that are the default.
Being good at this game means betraying every belief the protagonist has ever known and rebelling as a small rebellion against a massive imperial empire in one of the toughest RPG experiences available to players today. But it's worth it, fighting the evil powers…right?