18 Best Role Playing Games (RPGs) for PC in 2018

Prefer action-packed adventures over complex strategy simulations? You’re in the right place. Role-playing games deliver the perfect balance of decision-making and real-time combat, letting you hack through monstrous hordes while developing your character’s abilities. These immersive experiences combine progression systems with thrilling gameplay mechanics. If you’re searching for top-tier RPG entertainment, we’ve curated the essential PC titles every gamer should experience.

The Souls franchise has defined challenging gameplay for over a decade, and Dark Souls III continues this legacy with refined combat mechanics. Players master diverse weapon types including precision bows, tactical projectiles, and close-quarters blades. Defensive equipment serves dual purposes—shields not only block damage but enable strategic parrying opportunities. Enemy encounters demand careful observation as foes employ unpredictable attack patterns that evolve mid-battle. Pro tip: Study enemy movements carefully and time your dodges perfectly to avoid devastating counter-attacks.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance emerged as 2018’s surprise hit by prioritizing historical authenticity. Set in medieval Bohemia during the Holy Roman Empire’s reign, the game emphasizes meticulously researched realism throughout its design. Historical experts helped recreate period-accurate armor, clothing styles, and combat techniques using actual castle blueprints. The innovative classless progression system lets players hybridize roles like warrior-bard or thief-mage seamlessly. Your character’s development reflects in-game actions and dialogue choices through branching narrative trees. Common mistake: Underestimating the combat learning curve—practice with training masters before engaging serious threats.

While Baldur’s Gate 2 shows its age visually, its narrative depth and strategic combat systems remain industry benchmarks. This sequel outperformed its predecessor through expanded content and refined mechanics. With over 300 hours of core gameplay across 290 distinct quests, exploration rewards dedicated players immensely. The sprawling environments paired with tactical turn-based battles create an unforgettable fantasy journey. Venture into terrifying realms and confront monstrous beasts that test your party’s limits. Understanding why classic RPGs dominated requires experiencing this masterpiece firsthand. Optimization tip: Balance your party with complementary classes to handle diverse combat scenarios.

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind revolutionized open-world design rather than simply introducing new mechanics. This foundational title established systems that later Elder Scrolls games would build upon. Character advancement uses organic, action-driven progression that feels naturally earned. The game’s standout feature remains its extensive questlines and optional missions that encourage personal storytelling. Forge your unique path through meaningful choices that shape your adventure. Newcomers may feel overwhelmed by the massive world, but discovery-driven exploration provides endless enjoyment. Time estimate: Allow 2-3 hours for initial orientation before the world fully opens up.

The Witcher 3’s vast continents and islands offer seemingly endless exploration—even after 100 hours, you’ll uncover new content. Geralt’s epic conclusion represents CD Projekt Red’s masterpiece, blending narrative excellence with engaging gameplay. You’ll master dual sword combat against human and supernatural foes while traversing diverse regions. Quest hunting and monster slaying provide constant action alongside spellcasting abilities and resource gathering for advanced crafting. The extensive skill tree encourages hundreds of hours of specialization to transform Geralt into an ultimate warrior. This visually stunning RPG delivers satisfying hack-and-slash combat within a richly detailed world. For advanced play: Focus on mutagen combinations to enhance your chosen combat style significantly.

Dragon Age: Origins expertly blends fantasy tropes from beloved series like Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones. Your epic journey introduces memorable companions who aid your world-saving mission. Confront dark forces, defeat legendary dragons, unite allied factions, master arcane spells, and ultimately destroy the arch-demon threatening civilization. Utilize specialized abilities to overcome any opposition throughout your campaign. BioWare fans will appreciate the deep character development and impactful decision-making that defines this exceptional RPG. Common mistake: Neglecting party synergy—ensure your team composition covers healing, tanking, and damage roles.

Mass Effect 2’s surface-level action gameplay conceals deep role-playing foundations that satisfy core RPG enthusiasts. You command a determined spaceship captain traveling between planets to establish stability through any means necessary. The overhauled combat mechanics significantly improve upon the original, providing tighter control during action sequences. The seamless integration of RPG progression with third-person shooting remains unmatched in the genre. Emotional companion storylines create a memorable campaign that balances personal drama with galactic stakes. For optimal experience: Complete all loyalty missions to unlock special abilities and improve survival chances during the finale.

Skyrim elevates Morrowind’s foundation to create the definitive Elder Scrolls experience for many players. This breathtaking open-world challenges you with dragon encounters where victory grants soul-powered abilities. Majestic snowy peaks and enchanted woodlands create an unforgettable exploration backdrop. The expansive map offers limitless adventures for power-seeking characters. Modding support transforms dragons into whimsical creatures or updates environments to contemporary settings, extending replayability indefinitely. Every RPG enthusiast should experience Skyrim’s freedom and depth. Check out our Class Guide for similar character specialization strategies in modern games.

Wasteland 2 delivers classic Fallout vibes without engaging with Fallout 4’s systems. Created by the original Fallout producer, it shares many similarities with the seminal post-apocalyptic series. The desolate landscape awaits your survival strategies in this harsh environment. Equip your Desert Ranger team for wasteland exploration, hostile engagement, and justice delivery. Your decisions fundamentally shape the narrative path—avoid following conventional strategies when creative solutions exist. Missing a door key? Apply brute force, lockpicking expertise, or explosive alternatives based on your preferred approach. This flexibility defines true role-playing freedom. For similar strategic depth, explore our Complete Guide to modern tactical gameplay.

Role-playing games transport players to immersive worlds where every decision shapes your journey. The finest RPGs blend compelling narratives with deep character progression, offering both immediate satisfaction and long-term engagement. Our selection criteria prioritize games that deliver exceptional storytelling, robust customization options, and memorable gameplay mechanics that stand the test of time.

Diablo II revolutionized action RPGs with its groundbreaking loot system and class specialization. This legendary title established the blueprint for dungeon crawling with its procedurally generated levels and relentless demon-slaying action. Confront the Lord of Terror and his brother Baal in an epic conflict spanning heaven and hell. The seven distinct character classes—from holy Paladins to necromantic summoners—each offer unique skill trees and playstyles. Mastering PvP combat requires strategic gear selection and understanding class counters, while cooperative play shines during boss encounters against the Prime Evils.

Titan Quest delivers immediate gratification with its accessible combat and mythological setting. Jump straight into battling legendary creatures from Greek and Egyptian lore, including cyclopes and minotaurs, while collecting increasingly powerful equipment. The dual-class system allows for creative character builds, combining abilities from different mastery trees. New players should focus on survivability stats before damage optimization, and the expansive modding community provides endless content beyond the main campaign.

Torchlight II perfects the formula with vibrant visuals and refined mechanics. This colorful interpretation of the action RPG genre maintains the core loop of combat and loot collection while introducing pet companions and weather effects. The class system offers distinctive specializations, from the rail-building Engineer to the elemental-wielding Embermage. Endgame content includes mapworks for generated dungeons and New Game Plus modes that increase difficulty while preserving progression.

Planescape: Torment redefines RPG storytelling with its philosophical depth and unconventional protagonist. The narrative centers on an immortal amnesiac exploring the multiverse through the city of Sigil and its portal-filled streets. Your accumulated scars and tattoos tell the story of past lives, while dialogue choices significantly alter quest outcomes and character relationships. Unlike combat-focused RPGs, many conflicts can be resolved through conversation and intellect checks. The game rewards players who invest in Wisdom and Intelligence attributes for expanded dialogue options and story revelations.

Pillars of Eternity modernizes classic isometric RPGs with deep worldbuilding and tactical combat. This richly developed fantasy world features intricate lore and morally complex decisions that affect your stronghold and companion relationships. Character customization extends beyond stats to include backgrounds and dispositions that unlock unique dialogue choices. The real-time-with-pause combat system allows strategic positioning and ability coordination, while the soul-bound weapons system provides progression beyond level caps.

Banner Saga combines tactical combat with Oregon Trail-style resource management in a Norse-inspired setting. Your leadership decisions determine your caravan’s survival through harsh environments and limited supplies. The turn-based combat system emphasizes positioning and ability combos between your party members. A common mistake is neglecting renown management—this currency affects both character upgrades and story outcomes. The trilogy’s choices carry between games, creating a personalized narrative arc across all three installments.

Monster Hunter: World emphasizes preparation and mastery through its creature-hunting gameplay. As a hunter tracking massive beasts across diverse ecosystems, you’ll study monster behavior patterns and exploit elemental weaknesses. The crafting system transforms hunt rewards into increasingly powerful gear, with weapon types ranging from nimble dual blades to technical charge blades. Multiplayer hunts require coordination and role specialization, while the guiding lands endgame provides endless monster variants to challenge. Proper preparation with traps, buffs, and appropriate gear often proves more important than raw combat skill.

Fallout 4 delivers unparalleled freedom in a post-nuclear Boston wasteland. The expansive open world encourages exploration and settlement building, with discoverable locations revealing environmental storytelling. The S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system and perk chart allow for highly specialized builds, from stealthy snipers to charismatic leaders. Settlement management provides resource generation and safe havens, while the weapon modification system enables extensive customization. The faction system creates meaningful alliances that lock out certain questlines, encouraging multiple playthroughs.

Divinity: Original Sin elevates turn-based combat with environmental interactions and cooperative storytelling. This critically acclaimed RPG features elemental combinations where water conducts electricity and oil patches can be ignited for area control. The character creation system allows hybrid class builds that combine magic schools and combat styles. Cooperative play introduces dialogue conflicts where players can disagree on quest solutions, with persuasion checks determining the outcome. The game’s honor mode provides permanent consequences for party deaths, requiring careful tactical planning.

Platform Note: Monster Hunter: World released on consoles with PC version following in autumn 2018, offering enhanced graphics and mod support.

Selecting the right RPG depends on your preferred playstyle and engagement priorities. Action-focused players should prioritize Diablo II and Titan Quest for their immediate combat satisfaction and loot progression. Story enthusiasts will find deeper narratives in Planescape: Torment and Pillars of Eternity, where dialogue choices significantly impact world events. Modern RPGs like Fallout 4 and Divinity: Original Sin blend multiple elements, offering both exploration freedom and tactical depth. Consider your available time commitment—narrative-heavy games typically require 40-60 hours for completion, while action RPGs support shorter play sessions with satisfying progression.

For players transitioning between genres, understanding core mechanics prevents early frustration. Isometric RPGs demand tactical thinking and resource management, while action RPGs prioritize reflexes and build optimization. Multiplayer considerations also influence choice—cooperative experiences shine in Divinity: Original Sin and Monster Hunter: World, while single-player narratives dominate Planescape: Torment and Banner Saga. Regardless of selection, each title represents the pinnacle of RPG design in its respective subgenre.

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