In 2023, as expected, games were released that had high expectations from the gaming audience. Large-scale Hogwarts Legacy, Atomic Heart, which in some way borrowed the romance of the BioShock series, Alan Wake 2 from Remedy Entertainment, which firmly found its feet and finally delved into the search for special artistic solutions in the narrative. But most notable, of course, is the phenomenal success of Baldur’s Gate 3, which opened the way to isometric RPGs for a mass audience. Let’s look at other interesting games in this field.
Divinity: Original Sin
Well, where would we be without the previous brainchild of Larian Studios. The Divinity series includes many specific projects, but the “signature” style of the developers began to be discerned precisely with Original Sin. Both the unusual genre, which at one time did not experience such an impressive rise as it does now, and the cooperative component of the game, which made it possible to introduce many interesting solutions into the narrative and gameplay, had an impact.
If we talk about the first Original Sin, then it is worth noting several points. Firstly, there is a phenomenal combat system, which became iconic for subsequent Larian games, where the detailed interaction of elements adds significant variety to the strategic possibilities of the title. In addition, unlike junior projects, action points here are not fixed by a clear value, but change depending on the character’s parameters, which gives builds additional flexibility. Whether you want to be an impenetrable tank, giving up on action points for the sake of stats and demolishing opponents with one powerful pet, or a lightning-fast warrior sweeping across the entire field with massive damage and disappearing from sight – this game will allow you to realize all your combat fantasies.
Secondly, you shouldn’t rely too much on the plot here. Yes, it exists, and it’s even fabulously interesting in its own way, but it’s clearly not the place for virtuosic dramaturgy. There are few companions here, they are not particularly diverse and are much better developed in the second part, where real variability and a conflict line appears with the participation of each party member. This intertwining of the destinies of many different heroes gives the story scale and depth, allowing you to get out of conflict situations that arise along the way in a unique way thanks to the presence of the right companion in the squad.
Plus, Original Sin doesn’t lack the other RPG attributes we all love. A bunch of different loot, games with local physics, difficult moral dilemmas and other hobbies for seekers of a personal and unique experience are included, and then as you wish.
Solasta: Crown of the Magister
The classic D&D adventure in the spirit of Baldur’s Gate lets us down only in its overall impression. There is a feeling that here it seems to have all the attributes of that cool, varied RPG, but here something sags, then there the details are made a little worse, and in general the overall impression is declining, which does not allow many beginners to get into this game , given its increased stuffiness. But as soon as you go further and delve into the role-playing component, you notice that the dice here really do not spare: the number of effects that can affect them in a negative direction is impressive, and, most importantly, sometimes this has a very critical effect on the situation.
And not in a role-playing sense, don’t think so. Moreover, Solasta is not the most “early-game” game of all, since there are only one or two really significant forks here. Yes, the created characters still have unique personalities reflected in the dialogue, but the plot elements of the story still look too classic and formulaic to claim the laurels of non-linear RPGs. The dice rolls here do not affect plot decisions, as in Baldur’s Gate 3, but directly in battle, since the combat here is, dare I say it, hardcore.
If in Baldur’s Gate or Divinity, in case a dangerous enemy approaches you, there are many backup cards and plans to save the main character, then all that remains is to pray for the die. Even on medium difficulties, several ogres can easily take down the entire pack, being equal to your squad in level. The only thing that will help you survive is perfect tactics, and while in other RPGs this is an addition to circumstances, here tactics come first, and then everything else.
And to some extent, this sense of constant danger is what makes Crown of the Magister wonderful. Searching for the last remnants of food with a squad along the road, while at the same time falling into the trap of robbers and not knowing how to fight back, is the real basis of the local gaming situation, and such a challenge greatly excites the pride of the gamer.
Tyranny
The final game in the selection could easily be Pillars of Eternity or Pathfinder, since the three games we’re looking at are similar in their core mechanics, overall structure, and even a casual gamer would have a hard time telling them apart. Therefore, talking about each individual game is the same as explaining the differences in diabloids, which, of course, exist, but do not in any way affect the overall goal of chilling out opponents. At the same time, it is Tyranny that stands out among others with its history and plot concept, so let’s talk a little more about it.
The plot tells us about a world where the latter has already won in the struggle between good and evil, and all that remains is to finish off the small unfortunate rebel militia in one of the regions. But the troops of the lord of evil Kairos have serious problems with this, and, being annoyed by this coincidence of circumstances, Kairos sends our main character to war – the Arbiter of Fates, who is capable of simultaneously combining the functions of judge and executioner in his army. The two factions on the battlefield, acting under the flag of Kairos, are also at odds with each other in the process of fighting the rebels. Therefore, to give additional tone to his army, Kairos hands over to the Executor the “Edict” – a powerful spell capable of destroying the entire population of the besieged area, including Kairos’s troops, if they do not achieve their goals by a certain date.
But what to do if one faction is sectarians driven by bloodlust, and the other is endlessly loyal soldiers ready to die? Here everything cannot be resolved so easily, and you will have to delve much deeper into their contradictions to find a possible solution. Or will the rebels be right, defending their ideals of peace, which may be sympathetic to the main character? Or maybe, well, this Kairos, and it’s time to take the reins of power into your own hands, deploying troops against him? In this regard, the role-playing component of Tyranny is thought out at the highest level and the number of available options is really large, although they are all marked “plus or minus evil”.
Naturally, our party members will include members of different factions, who do not miss the opportunity, when the opportunity arises, to transfer ideological contradictions to a personal level. And taking into account the fact that some of them are also related by blood, our camp is completely turning into a political talk show on a TV channel. But the world of the game is full of third-party personalities who do not pursue the goals of any of the parties, but adhere to their own interests. For example, our “boss,” Chief Judge Tunon, values the letter of the law most of all and is not at all averse to joining the uprising against Kairos if the player can prove to him the validity of his point of view. And the willful secret killer Bleden Mark, who destroys the opponents of the lord of evil, is also a card that cannot be ignored in the overall mosaic.
Marvelous role-playing world
It’s sad to admit, but all of the games mentioned lacked something to repeat the tremendous success of Baldur’s Gate. Therefore, there will most likely not be an exact copy of such a game, where companions are all random, and narrative branches lead you to many different endings, and a unique combat that allows you to implement a variety of builds. But in other aspects, these titles can impress even more due to their uniqueness and old-school hardcore. Experiencing yet another fantasy adventure in the style of clearing dungeons and fighting yet another dragon can only be interesting if the experience is different each time. And role-playing games give us the opportunity to make it that way.
