If you’re looking for a new game to play, it’s not really all that hard to find one on Steam. The platform’s kind of suffering from a glut right now – scores upon scores of developers are adding their games to Steam’s digital libraries, to the point that it’s actually a little overwhelming. More often than not, some genuinely great games tend to get lost in the flood. I’m here to stop that from happening. Let’s talk games, guys.
Today, I’m going to share a few incredible RPG-style games with you. Who knows? Maybe this’ll turn into a regular series.
[heading]The Bard’s Tale[/heading]
The Bard’s Tale ranks among my favorite games of all time. A top-down action-rpg, the game’s positively brimming with acerbic humor, sarcastic digs at role-playing conventions and parodies of popular fantasy works. The gameplay’s pretty fantastic too, and the titular character can specialize in a number of different combat styles (though his music is still his strongest weapon). Fair warning, though – I hope you don’t mind playing as an asshole protagonist. The bard is kind of a dick.
[heading]Sequence[/heading]
I’ve talked about Sequence before, but it’s worth mentioning again. Basically, it’s what you’d get if you took Dance Dance Revolution, translated the dance moves to a keyboard (or controller) and added a whole host of RPG elements to it. It’s got pretty awesome voice-acting, great characters, decent gameplay, and a fantastic soundtrack, composed primarily by Ronald Jenkies.
[heading]Shadowrun Returns[/heading]
Shadowrun Returns is exactly what Shadowrun fans have been looking for for years – an isometric, top-down RPG that does the original tabletop game justice. And does it ever. The pre-made campaign (Dead Man’s Switch) is pretty awesome to play through, while the campaign editor allows anyone with the desire to create their own story. Basically, it lets you be a game master – and that’s awesome.
[heading]The Wolf Among Us[/heading]
I had to include at least one Telltale Games title on here, and The Wolf Among Us was what made the cut. Featuring characters from the fantastic Fables comic book series (if you haven’t read it, do so now – you won’t regret the decision), The Wolf Among Us is one of the best-written games I’ve ever played; a fantastical blend of fantasy and a film-noir-style detective work. Check it out if adventure games are your thing. I can almost guarantee you’ll enjoy it.
[heading]The Banner Saga[/heading]
Last but certainly not least, we’ve got Stoic’s incredible viking-themed tactical RPG The Banner Saga. Without spoiling too much, The Banner Saga is sort of like The Oregon Trail meets The Walking Dead with a bit of Final Fantasy Tactics thrown in for good measure. Aside from a massive (and unreasonable) difficulty spike at the end, it’s an absolutely top-notch RPG. Just one warning, though – your actions will have consequences, whatever you decide to do. Keep that in mind.