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Patient Gamers @sh.itjust.works sugar_in_your_tea @sh.itjust.works

RPGs for people who don't like RPGs

I have tried a ton of RPGs, and most just don't click for me. Here are a few:

  • Skyrim - enjoyed Morrowind for the side content, Skyrim just felt empty
  • Chrono Trigger - enjoyed until about halfway through with the battle with Magus; felt very RNG dependent, or maybe I was under leveled; I bailed after 5 or so attempts that all ended the same way (healer got killed and everyone got picked off)
  • Pillars of Eternity - burned out somewhere in Act 2 (20-25 hours); combat system annoyed me, and I dislike picking new abilities
  • Banner Saga - story is great, but I hate the combat, so I bailed

Some things about me:

  • I don't care about leveling up/character builds, it feels like a chore; abilities also don't interest me
  • I hate grinding
  • using items feels like cheating, so I tend to just use character abilities (I will heal if needed); I'd rather "git gud" than buy and use items
  • turn based combat (tactics) is generally boring, but I do like puzzles, so that can make it acceptable
  • I don't like the feeling of being OP, I want to struggle through the end
  • I don't like loot

That said, here are a few that I've really enjoyed:

  • ARPGs like Ys and Zelda - items are rare or are tools in a puzzle-like system; favorites are Ys 1, Ys Origin, Zelda: A Link to the Past, and Zelda: Skyward Sword (probably because I played Skyward Sword recently); I dislike BotW, and Memories of Celceta has been dragging a bit (I'm near the end, but excited to finish)
  • interesting RPGs like Undertale - short and very unique experience
  • Souls-like games - challenge involving melee/dodging keeps me going
  • Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky - not a fan of the combat, but the story is interesting somewhat at least; I'm about 2/3 through I think (30 hours), but I've taken a multi-month break; likewise, Xenoblade Chronicles is interesting so far, but I'm not super excited about it (may bump down to story mode to get through it, the combat sucks imo)
  • Nier: Replicant - great story, leveling stayed out of the way, and I never felt like I needed to grind or upgrade gear

I really like the storylines of RPGs, I just don't like actually playing them. Unfortunately, my preferred ARPG genre is filled with loot nonsense, and I've played most of the ones that don't really on that as a mechanic. Perhaps my favorite RPG-adjacent game not mentioned already is Yakuza 0, I'm not a fan of the combat, but he story is amazing and the side content is fun.

Does anyone feel similarly? Do you have any suggestions for other games to try?

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  • Do you like cool lore? Detailed item descriptions? What about esoteric oddities that you interact with through text? How do you feel about choose-your-own-adventure books? Torment: Tides of Numenera might be the game for you.

    Also highly, highly recommend Disco Elysium, but someone already suggested that. I think you would love it.

    • I do like lore, and I used to love reading through the books in Morrowind and whatnot.

      However, I generally don't like in-game items, and I hate managing inventory. Numbers going up isn't interesting to me, nor do I much care how my character looks. I'm much more excited about interesting combat encounters, story progression, and lore, and almost everything else just feels like noise.

      choose your own adventure

      I get anxious about getting a "bad" ending (mostly I don't want to have "wasted" all that time), so I usually avoid them. I almost always play games once, so I want to see as much of the content as I can the first time through.

      So here are some things I love about RPGs:

      • good story and deep lore
      • can pick different playstyles (spellcaster, knight, archer, etc)
      • interesting side quests

      And things I actively dislike:

      • inventory management
      • not being able to see all content in one playthrough
      • skill trees - I'd rather the game decide based on my class
      • grinding - esp in JRPGs

      My gold standard here is Ys Origin:

      • interesting, linear story
      • three playable characters with different play styles (and stories)
      • deep lore (esp when you play other games in the series)
      • no skill tree with new abilities unlocked as you go
      • minimal grinding
      • great boss fights

      I wish it had interesting side content, though other games in the series have that.

      I'll definitely give Disco Elysium a try, and I've been recommended the other as well. Thanks for the help!

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