Action RPG discussion thread

[Vlajdermen]

What are your favourites? What do you normally like to see in them? Got any lesser known ARPGs to recommend?

My favourite so far is VTM Bloodlines, but Elex is also worth a mention. I agree it's not as good as Gothic but it does have more potential. If the eventual Elex 2 scaled its world down and improved its soundtrack, it probably could be better than Gothic. I also wouldn't mind seeing a bit of that cheeky Risen 2 humour. I wouldn't count on it, though. Especially after you-know-who got all these goty awards even though it makes oblivion's world seem varied and interesting by comparison.

I should also mention I really like the Witcher 3 but honestly can't tell why. By that I mean the main game, not the infinitely better expansion Hearts of Stone. Anyone else feel this way?

 

[Jack Dandy]

Only Japs make good action RPGs. Of course, some of them skew more to the action side, but they always have a core mechanic which is enjoyable to play with.

Western ones are mostly a buggy mess. And Diablo-style ones are number games.

 

[Tito Anic]

Fallout:NV, Gothic 3.

 

[Cross]

Only Japs make good action RPGs.

 

[Baardhaas]

Moonstone: A hard days knight, hands down my favorite ARPG. It got magic swords of sharpness, levelscaling and even dragons. A true gem that was years ahead of its time.

edit: forgot to mention, but the end boss is a strong wymyn with a whip an a pair of tits.

 

[V_K]

Who needs ARPGs when we can have RT blobbers!

 

[Black_Willow]

Gothic 2 = best action-RPG ever.

 

[aweigh]

general gaming is over that-a-way

 

[Darth Roxor]

Western ones are mostly a buggy mess.

Location: Israel

 

[kintake]

Western ones are mostly a buggy mess.

Location: Israel

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Dragon's Dogma managed to create a fully-fledged, complex, action-based combat system, while retaining RPG fundamentals such as a multi-character party, character stats remaining important, an inventory which can be accessed during combat, numerous items that can be used during combat, combined tactics increasing combat effectiveness, etc. In contrast to the Souls games, which are single-character and place a much higher bar on the player's physical skill. It's probably the only "Action RPG" that both clearly falls within the realm of RPGs (rather than "action game with RPG elements") and successfully implemented an action-based combat system.

Fallout: New Vegas was mentioned above, but it retains the VATS option for combat, which fully replaces the player's physical skills with the character's skills, therefore allowing the player to avoide the mediocre first-person shooter combat system.

 

[Catacombs]

I've played Diablo 2 and Path of Exile and enjoyed both.

 

[anvi]

I try them all because when they do it well, I love them, but they almost never do it well so I am almost always annoyed and disappointed. They need to provide genuinely exciting and satisfying action, or be tactical and deep, or a brilliant mixture of both, but they just hardly ever get either of those things right, let alone the mixture of both.

Some exceptions though:

Dark Messiah: mostly an action game but did it so well, and whenever anyone mentions "action RPG" this is kind of the bench mark in my mind. Whenever I play something like Skyrim I want to find the people who made it and rub their faces in Dark Messiah until they break down and admit they are terrible. Bloodlines I never really liked but I think it was one of the best action RPGs because at least it has some depth with stealth mechanics and multiple ways to play. Jade Empire I thought was great for one play through, mostly because of how the combat works. Divine Divinity: I really liked this game at the time, not sure how it would stand up today, but I respect them for making an action RPG that least worked within a more typical 'proper' RPG world.

Controversial I know, but to me the pinnacle of this type of gameplay is a good MMO. Again they are hard to find, but I think EverQuest and a few others are how action RPG combat should be done. They are the only games in the world that are real time, yet have a lot of depth with hundreds of spells and abilities. I think MOBAs are good too and to me they are basically just isometric action RPGs. More or less.

As for the typical action RPGs, ie, Diablo clones, I think anyone who plays those games is probably a bit dumb and should be forced to eat some LSD. Even when I was a dumb kid I tried those games and got bored because they were so repetitive and boring and simple and dumb. I get that they are relaxing in a sort of trance like loot vacuuming state, but still, they are just so stupid... I got all turned on by Path of Exile's huge talent tree but what good is it when all you do is run around endlessly pressing 2 buttons and vacuuming up generic loot that increases in stats bit by bit? I think even as a genre, trance gaming could do better. I think Diablo clones should be illegal.

 

[Neanderthal]

Pillars, the IWDs and both the BGs were alright for party controlling arpgs, fairly mediocre but provided a little tactical and strategic depth which many arpgs don't. Severance: Blade of Darkness is of course the daddy, and still waiting to be beaten. Runes pretty tasty. ToEEs good wholesome turn based nourishment. Strangely enough I really like Sacred and DivDiv as well, even thoughI can see massive flaws. Diablo is perfect gloom and horror, that later iterations totally lost.

 

[Falksi]

The Technomancer - massively underrated superbly atmospheric RPG, which definitely has a B-movie budget feel, but also has an absolute ton of quality. Combat is iffy as most classes, but a Rogue is an absolute blast to play as.

Witcher 2 - my fave game. Shitter combat than TW3, but a much tighter, exciting experience in most other ways.

Divinity 2:TDKS - shit hot if very rough around the edges. Very absorbing world which feels quit magical & great humour. My fave ending to any game ever.

Risen 2 - as you mention yourself. Barely serviceable combat but again mint humour and some of the best dialogue I've ever heard in an RPG. Extremely underrated IMO

Summoner 2 - simply amazing RPG, which not only has a MINT balance of action & RPG elements, but which also has a fantastic world & some shit-hot writing & quests. An absolute classic.

Deadly Premontition - Awful combat, some really, really bad elements and a hard game to play at times; but not of that matters because the story & writing are just so, so good. A must for Twin Peaks fans.

Alpha Protocol - Gameplay which can be a pain to live with, but brilliant C&C elements, and definittely worth playing.

Mass Effect 1 - Brilliant game, by far & away the best of the trilogy. The best space-jock experience I've had since Buck Rogers:Countdown to Doomsday

Deus Ex HR - Pushing the term "RPG" big time here, but it is a great game. Still a step down from the original, but a very enjoyable game.

Dragons Dogma - Again, pushing "RPG" big time. It's basically a modern day beat-em up with a few RPG elements, and once I played through it I struggled to do a 2nd playthrough because it's so samey, but defo worth a blast.

 

[Daedalos]

I feel like we need a definition on ARPG's.

Is diablo 2 an ARPG? Yeah I would say so, is vampire bloodlines? No, not imo.

Vampire bloodlines is an RPG, with different combat than say, turn-based, but I wouldn't call it ARPG.

ARPG's for me, are games like diablo, path of exile, touchlight, and so on.

Games that, at its core is about combat and hack n slash, but has light RPG elements to it.

A normal RPG in this manner, has alot more going for it, such as a fleshed out story, writing, C&C, character creation etc.

Diablo 2 is the best ARPG I've ever played. Path of Exile was pretty great, too.

 

[markec]

Nox is one of my favorite action RPGs, its a Diablo clone thats even better then any Diablo game.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Nox is a Diablo clone

ffs STOP THE LIES START THE TRUTHS

Nox has everything handplaced with zero randomisation, automatic character development, class-locked stuff, no stat requirements, different skill/spell sets for all characters and 3 different campaigns, progression with no big city hubs. The only thing it has in common with Diablo is the top down perspective and that you kill monsters.

FUCK YOU

 

[Lord Pickle]

Going with hack n slash, since I don't consider games like Gothic to be ARPG.

Dink Smallwood - Fun little game, with plenty of humor.
Nox - Interesting combat in this one. Every spell is a projectile that needs to be aimed, and can be dodged. I've heard that multiplayer was fun bun never tried myself. SP is still good to kill some time though.
Divine Divinity - This game supposed to be turn based but publisher insisted on RT combat. Really good title, with basically one huge map to explore. Plenty of humor, good rpg elements, interesting quests. Wrongly called as Diablo clone back in a day, which it clearly isn't. Broken in balance depratment though. Really easy to make op character.

Of course none of them are omg uber-imba classic masterpieces, still worth playing though for what they are.

 

[HoboForEternity]

Western isometric arpg like diablo are brain deadly boring.
I mean the system are actually great and you can have many build combination, but in the end the gameplay loop is the same, not to mention horrible color coded loot system rife with RNG shit.

Japs arpg are definitely better, and Japanese generally make better action focused games.

Games lik gothic or new vegas are amazing games, but be honest, it's not because the action part, but the rpg part.

Japs are kinda the reverse. Low on RPG part, but the action part is great. Dragon's dogma is one of that example and the souls series.

Even tales of games with concentrated weaabo cancer had usually enjoyabke battle system.

 

[Baron Dupek]

Clickfest?
Diablo - The Hell, nothing beats that.
Inquisitor is the only decent title slower paced action RPG released after Diablo2, because everyone else started parroting D2.

TPP?
Severance-Blade of Darkness. Fuck the Codemasters for removing it from GOG store, it's not a racing game, no need to remove it due licenses ffs.
And Dagon Dogmat, amazing that Capcom carelessly poop out some game based on that MMO franchise that turns out to be frigin likin good.
No Dork Sulz cause it's overrated as fug.

FPP? Dark Messiah.