Basic Fantasy RPG is an Open Source game system, supported by dedicated fans worldwide who have contributed hundreds of pages of rules supplements, adventure modules, and other useful and enjoyable game materials as seen on our downloads page. Free MMOs: RPGs and other online games The best MMORPG games and massive multiplayer games you can play in 2019 without spending a single dime, penny, or cent. Wander through the sci fi fantasy.

What is the best free MMO? Making such a decision is no mean feat. Free-to-play games are increasingly common, meaning the F2P MMO crowd now have a lot more options than they used to. Even if your wallet is gathering cobwebs and your bank account is best friends with the number zero, there is a quality game on the PC to enjoy.

What’s more, from online war zones to behemoth free MMORPGs, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Free games are no longer just the domain of MOBAs and Runescape; there are shooters to rival the likes of Overwatch, space games as shiny as Elite, and Warcraft-grade MMOs that don’t demand a subscription.

Aside from completely free to play games, we have also included some MMOs with lengthy free trials – games where there is plenty to enjoy without spending a penny. So without further ado, let’s take a look at the best online games you can play without breaking the bank.

The best free MMOs are:

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Neverwinter

The name and setting of Neverwinter has a long and storied history online, beginning in 1991 with the first graphical MMORPG, before revolutionising the realm of player-made modules under the stewardship of BioWare with Neverwinter Nights. The rather more modern Neverwinter pulls from both – setting groups of D&D characters loose in the famous city, while allowing players to write their own stories, with recent additions like Ravenloft characters being added to the game regularly. There are some inventive community adventures on offer if you’re willing to dig.

Not that you will have to reach for those if you do not want to – expansions have taken Neverwinter players to some of the most beloved corners of the Forgotten Realms, including the Underdark and Icewind Dale.

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World of Warships

World of Warships switches out the twitch shooter elements of World of Tanks for a slowed-down and much more tactical style of play. Warships are leviathans: they crawl and creep across the map, and each one possesses enough power in a single barrage to wipe out anything else.

The change of pace makes for action that is more calculated and nerve-wracking. It can take a long time for shots to meet their targets, which means that every moment is spent trying to avoid incoming fire or anticipating where your foe will have moved to. World of Warships is also more cinematic than its on-tracks sibling thanks to the sheer scale its warfare is conducted on. Oh, and it has got some lovely sunsets too, if that is what you want from a free-to-play war game.

With regular updates adding everything from Halloween cosmetics to Pan-Asian Destroyers to World of Warships, it’s not an MMO that will get stale any time soon.

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Crossout

As varied as it is satisfying, Crossout is a post-apocalyptic MMO action game from Targem Games that gives you the chance to scavenge and craft the materials to build more fearsome vehicles of battle beyond the imagination of any ten-year-old. What more could you possibly want from a great PC multiplayer game.

In what is essentially a free-to-play Mad Max: The Game, you customise a unique and wide range of vehicles with dozens of bespoke parts and use them to destroy your enemies in high-octane, action-packed skirmishes. You can play in both PvE and PvP modes, even fighting against player-created bosses.

You also have plenty of weapons at your disposal: rocket launchers and machine guns favour the most offensive and in-your-face players, whilst stealth generators and drones give you a greater choice in your approach. All your explosive efforts go toward your choice of five factions, too, earning you new blueprints, missions, parts and, storage space. Shooting and building things has never been so lucrative. It can be a little tricky at first, so make sure you read our Crossout beginner’s guide.

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War Thunder

Planes, tanks, and ships battling it out for ever and ever and ever. That is the ultimate goal of War Thunder. It is a F2P title that specialises in vehicular warfare, with three similar but largely separate games under its title: Ground Forces, Aviation, and Naval Battles.

War Thunder’s frankly ridiculous number of vehicles all manage to stay unique thanks to the game’s realistic damage model, which simulates almost every single aspect of ballistics, from shell type and speed to the thickness and angle of the armour it is hitting. Every single shot is calculated, meaning that real-life tactics like staying hull down or angling your armour to deflect shells are essential skills to master in War Thunder. That realism means it can be a little tricky to get started, so be sure to read our pilot’s manual, AKA the War Thunder beginner’s guide.

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World of Tanks

There are over 400 tanks in World of Tanks, and if you revisit this page in the next hour that number will likely have grown. Essentially, if you are a fan of military hardware, you are a fan of World of Tanks. Unlike War Thunder however, World of Tanks does not ask you to pour hours of research into learning the armour ratings and layout of every vehicle in the game; instead, World of Tanks takes a more arcade approach.

That is not to say there is a lack of sophistication, but rather that the core of the game has always been its fast-paced, arcade action. Like Call of Duty, World of Tanks is easy to learn, but impossible to master. Clashes are won by fine margins and lightning-quick reflexes, while a compelling XP system and tech tree keep players coming back for more. Perhaps it’s not very realistic, but its speed and intensity make it one of the best tank games to play.

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Star Trek Online

Character creation tools in MMOs let you shape everything from your avatar’s jawline and eyelash length to the exact density of their chest hair, but even they have got nothing on the options available in Star Trek Online. Tired of playing as a human? Great, here you can be a Gorn, Rigellian, Romulan, Klingon, or any other of the 30 race variations available.

Questing and progressing in Star Trek Online plays out like episodes from the TV series: one moment you are wandering through space, the next you are having to do deals with, or shoot lasers at, one of the many franchise belligerents. Be it in spaceship battles or on the ground where gameplay takes the form of a third-person shooter, Star Trek Online does a brilliant job of bringing the storylines and tone of the TV shows into an F2P MMO. It even gets updated regularly like a TV show, with expansions like Victory is Life adding the crew from Deep Space Nine to the game.

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Rift

Rifts, as you might expect, are what makes Rift one of the most lively and exciting free MMOs on PC. These titular portals open up unpredictably across the world, spawning in hordes of enemies or gigantic bosses and forcing every player in the area to band together in order to repel the demonic attacks.

Of course Rift is not just a multiplayer adaptation of whack-a-mole. It boasts one of the most flexible class systems in the genre, allowing players to create a variety of builds. From the very specific to the Jack-of-all-trades: every style of play is catered for.

Like all of the best MMOs, Rift also gets plenty of updates so players always have something new to look forward to, like the Crucia’s Claw update.

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Star Conflict

Star Conflict dumps players in the role of an elite space pilot on a quest to track down and fight for alien treasures scattered throughout its expansive sandbox. Essentially, the game’s progression is all about acquiring a bigger and bigger collection of ships, from agile fighters to floating behemoths, before finally handing you control of your own fleet.

PvE quests and raids see you and your friends facing off against squadrons of aliens or space pirates, while PvP is a looming threat wherever you venture. An impressive tech tree and catalogue of ships means there’s always reason to keep playing, as you’re never far off a new weapon type or ship module. Thanks to Star Conflict Oculus Rift support, this is also one of only free MMOs you can play in VR.

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Blade & Soul

Blade & Soul is a Korean fantasy martial arts MMORPG. And, if that’s not enough to pique your interest, frankly, we don’t know what will. Perhaps the game’s intricately designed world – inspired by the visual style of artist Hyung Tae Kim – and four unique races and ten compelling classes will sway you.

Whether you choose to play as the mighty Gon, the versatile Jin, master of the natural world, Yun, the mystical Lyn, or any of the many other roles, doing battle using the fast, high-octane combat system is always a joy. Rapid counters and combo chains are essential, whether you team up with friends to tackle a wide range of dungeons or you want to do your virtual scrapping in PvP. And since it’s free, you can get started right now with help from our Blade & Soul guide, no cash required.

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Guild Wars 2

With a storyline that reacts to the player’s actions, Guild Wars 2’s narrative is unique by MMORPG standards. Instead of traditional quests, players encounter dynamic events that pop up around the game world. Likewise, there are multiple paths to completion for each of these encounters, and intentional or not, your actions in Guild Wars 2 will have consequences.

For example, defending a town from a group of rampaging ogres might cause them to return with deadlier weapons or seek out refuge in a nearby cave – you will have to deal with the fallout of these events, whether that means repelling a stronger attack or hunting down and killing the remaining ogres. The result is a free MMO with the questing diversity of one of the best RPGs of all time: what’s not to love?

MapleStory 2

Just in case you still have any creative juices left after the first game, MapleStory 2 is here with what feels like limitless opportunities. If you choose to return to the land of Maple World in this free MMO sequel, you will have a boundless world to save from evil invaders and customise with friends.

Related: Check out the best free Steam games for more like this

Each of MapleStory 2’s many locations oozes with colourful, voxel-based charm as you tackle the forces of evil with a range of weapons and abilities. What’s more, the character customisation tools are as extensive as those for your own home. This is a free-to-play multiplayer experience that’s not to be missed.

World of Warplanes

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With over four thousand customisation options across five different airborne vessels, World of Warplanes is a free MMO that will keep you at the centre of its eternal conflict set during the Golden Age of military aviation for a good long time.

That said, this WW2 game is no grind: this action-heavy dogfighter excels when you find yourself amid its 12v12 scraps. Wargaming’s sky-based battler is easy on the eye, too: each cloud-covered canvas is as full of beauty as it is death and destruction.

Smite

What makes Smite different? Switching out the favoured top-down view of most MOBAs for a third-person, over the shoulder view that brings players closer to the action. It is a small tweak, but it is one that adds a lot to the flavour and pace. The result is that Smite feels more like an action game, but all the MOBA fundamentals are in place: roles, creeps, towers, lanes, and – of course – the best Smite gods.

Like Dota 2 and League of Legends, Smite’s main mode features two teams of five gods engaging in a gladiatorial-themed bout for dominance of the arena. Unlike those MOBA behemoths, Smite boasts a glut of other game mode variants like Joust, which reduces the number of lanes to just one, and Assault, which randomly allocates a god to every player. So if you are not chasing the esports prize pools, there is enough gameplay variety to keep players coming back for more.

Final Fantasy XIV

Making an MMO out of the beloved Final Fantasy series was never going to be easy. As if to prove that point, Square Enix made a royal mess of Final Fantasy XIV the first time around and had to take another swing at it, eventually turning one of their worst games into one of the best MMOs on PC.

Unlike other MMOs, Final Fantasy XIV doesn’t force players down the route of having to grind endlessly with multiple characters in order to see which combat class they want to play as. Instead you just need to make it to level ten and the ability to switch between the game’s eight combat classes is magically unlocked. It is also one of very few cross-play MMOs, which means you can inhabit the same world as PlayStation users. You lucky thing.

Skyforge

Free MMOs are rarely as pretty on the eye as buy-to-play, triple-A titles. Skyforge is the exception. Wander through the sci fi fantasy-themed planet of Aelion – admiring the beams of sunlight that poke through the foliage or the crisp fidelity of the lightning that is shooting from your character’s hands – and it is easy to forget you are playing a game that cost you exactly nothing.

But Skyforge is more than just a pretty face in an otherwise ungainly genre. Few games do as much to actively encourage experimentation across different classes as Skyforge does, allowing the player to switch between classes in an instant, opening up all of the game’s combat styles for experimentation and mastery.

TERA

If you have played a whole bunch of MMOs you may be tired of the traditional combat systems that so many of them use. Bucking the trend is TERA, which trades in click-to-attack mechanics for fast and fluid third-person action combat. It is so action focused, in fact, that you can even use a controller. Think Devil May Cry as an MMO and you are halfway there.

Read more: Here’s our list of the best action-adventure games on PC

That rapid combat does not mean there is no RPG depth, though. Everything you would expect from a massive MMO is right here, from expansive open worlds to intricate skill trees. The Korean heritage shines, too, with detailed character designs and all sorts of monster varieties to get your blades stuck into.

Eve Online

A space MMO that has been running for years now, the sheer scale of Eve Online is its greatest strength. Eve’s 7,800 star systems combine to make a bountiful sandbox, letting you get on with anything from piracy to mining, or even taking part in space battles so destructive that they consume the lives of 20 million virtual soldiers and last for nearly an entire day.

Better still, developer CCP have also made Eve online, free-to-play, meaning you can check the game out for yourself without having to commit money to it. Earn your way to the top of a player-run corporation by collecting resources and trading frugally, or command your own fleet of ships after proving yourself a loyal and skilled soldier – it is up to you. And since the game is constantly evolving, thanks to things like the new Eve Online Into the Abyss update, there’s untold years of life left in this MMO veteran.

Runescape

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At over 15 years of age, Runescape isn’t far off being able to buy itself a pint at the pub – you don’t get to that age in that industry without being one of the best PC games. By gaming standards it should be abandoned and decrepit, but with a still thriving community, one of the best free-to-play models around and updates so regular it’s nearly impossible to keep track of, Runescape still feels as young and fresh as it did in the early 2000s. Quests, new characters, festive events and entirely new features have come and gone in their hundreds.

Runescape is also one of the friendliest MMOs around, with a community of veterans who are always willing to lend a hand to a noob in need – alternatively, you can use our Runescape beginner’s guide. Even after some graphical upgrades, it’s not the easiest MMO on the eyes, but that does at least mean you can run it on a potato.

ArcheAge

Finally, an MMO for sailing aficionados! No, not the sweater-tied-around-neck, regatta and finger sandwich type of sailing. Instead, ArcheAge’s world is full of rum-drinking, Kraken-fearing pirates who traverse the enormous oceanic map completing sidequests and hoarding loot. Of course this also makes Archeage one of the best pirate games on PC.

Unlike most MMOs, there’s actually stuff to do at sea. And in the air, too – the most recent update introduced dragon mounts, reared by players to become fearsome sky-conquering beasts. If that sounds a little intimidating, you can always try one of ArcheAge’s progression servers – starting with a fresh, launch version of the game and exploring the newer features as they are gradually introduced.

Paladins

A first-person shooter game with cartoon visuals and champions: Paladins might have a lot in common with Blizzard’s Overwatch, but it is worth seeking out for more than the fact that it is free. Developed by Hi-Rez Studios, who made the massively popular MOBA Smite, Paladins is built upon a simple class system that categorises its champions by their main strategy on the battlefield.

Damage, Support, Flank and Front Line are the champion types players can choose from, which makes deciphering their strengths and weaknesses dead easy. Still confused? Just check out our best Paladin’s champions guide. Playing as a Flank champion like Skye will mean you are best suited to attacking key objectives from behind enemy lines, whereas a Front Line champion excels at holding the line and stopping enemies from getting through. Ultimate meters for each hero also mean that the action never results in a stalemate by ensuring every player has an ace up their sleeve that can potentially turn the tide of the match.

Combine these core elements with constant updates that bring additions such as the Paladins battle royale mode, and you have a shooter that will keep you entertained for years.

Fractured Space

Fractured Space is a stellar space combat game that is as tactically deep as it is exciting. The explosive action when you reach the climactic close quarters gamma stage is one of the best in the free-to-play business as you take the helm of vast Fractured Space spaceships in epic battles.

Edge Case Games have not just produced a solid action game, here: Fractured Space is also among the best MOBAs, boasting the tactical complexity of the likes of League of Legends or Dota 2. This game is fun to learn, but tough to master.

A variety of game modes – brought to stunning life in Unreal Engine 4 – scratch every interstellar gaming itch you could have. If you want to play alone or just learn the ropes, give the solo PvE mode a go. Up for something meatier and more complex? Conquest mode, the beating heart of Fractured Space – is where you should go. In Fractured Space, tactical complexity meets thrilling combat in one of the best free games out there.

Dreadnought

Anybody with taste will know that there is nothing better in life than piloting a massive spaceship. Dreadnought, a 5v5 space combat sim from Yager Development, kindly lets you do this – without hours upon hours of training.

In Dreadnought, it will not just be you looking cool in the pilot’s seat: your ship will too. You can customise every last element of your ship so your airborne enemies can gawp at how ‘fly’ you’re looking before they get blown to smithereens. The game has several tactical team-based modes to explore as you look to expand your fleet. If you’re looking for some of the best space games on PC and don’t want to spend a penny then you can’t go wrong with Dreadnought.

Winning Putt

If dragons and magic are not your cup of tea, maybe golf is. Winning Putt is an MMO for people who love putting more than potions, and as unusual as that concept is, Bandai Namco have managed to make a solid F2P game out of it.

Essentially Winning Putt simulates a real-life golf course: you are there to play a game of golf, and so are loads of other people. The benefits? No extortionate club fees and snooty folk. Fortunately, Winning Putt is underpinned by a more than serviceable golf mechanic that is much more complex than simply aiming a trajectory arc so the golf ball goes in the golf hole over and over again.

League of Legends

League of Legends’ player count of almost 67 million means you’ll never struggle to find a game in Riot’s sensationally popular MOBA. Following a similar formula to that of the original Dota, League of Legends is significantly more accessible than its competition, and a constantly expanding and updating meta ensures that even the pros are still learning the game.

Part of that meta is the roster of 137 LoL champions, who get buffed and nerfed on a regular basis. LoL also boasts some of the biggest eSports prize pools out there, if you fancy yourself as a future pro. And if you were into LoL back in the day and have been out of the game for a while, League of Legends’ tournament mode is perfect to get you back onboard.

Path of Exile

An action-RPG cut from the same cloth as the Diablo games, Path of Exile combines grim fantasy, compelling combat, and an extensive selection of gear, abilities and upgrades to keep players grinding away for hours on end. Better still, you won’t just be retreading the same old ground every time you log in either, because every area is randomly generated across all servers – so the dungeon you and your friends are battling through will be different every time you tackle it.

It’s also an MMO that receives a massive content update and competitive shake-up every three months, with the recent Path of Exile: Betrayal expansion adding heaps of new items and mechanics to the game.

Path of Exile also manages to shed some positive light on that most loathed of all monetisation strategies: microtransactions. The games developers are so staunchly against pay-to-win business models that they’ve included only “ethical microtransactions” in their game, by which they mean they add no gameplay advantages to the customer whatsoever.

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Lord of the Rings Online

Wouldn’t it be nice to enter an MMO without having to plunge multiple hours wrapping your head around its lore? Chances are you will already know the basics of Tolkien’s Middle-earth before heading into Lord of the Rings Online – so that is half the battle. If the recent Middle-earth: Shadow of War didn’t scratch that Tolkien itch than perhaps this free MMO will.

The other half is avoiding all the quests, NPCs and PvP encounters so you can get on with what you’re really there to do: explore all the most famous locations from the franchise – locations like Rohan, Moria, and the Shire. In fact, pretty much every setting in the lore has made it into the game in some form. You can even waltz right through the gates of Mordor contrary to the popular meme, although in typical MMO fashion you will have to do a whole lot of farming in order to meet the level requirements of some areas.

Star Wars: The Old Republic

When you are starting out Star Wars: The Old Republic it will not strike you as a unique MMO. You get some story, pick a faction and a class, and do some typically grindy missions for a while. Surprisingly though, that story soon gets better – a lot better – and you quickly find yourself pouring hours into the game just to get to the next cutscene.

While it began life as a subscription-based MMO, SWTOR is now also completely playable for free, although you should expect levelling up to take a little bit longer. If you fancy playing as a slave-turned Sith or an Imperial Agent, though, it is a worthwhile grind. SWTOR isn’t just an MMO with a Star Wars lick of paint, it’s one of the best Star Wars games around.

World of Warcraft

One of the most famous and adored MMOs around, and one that most associate with a hefty subscription fee, World of Warcraft actually has a free-to-play trial now, although you won’t be able to take your character above level 20. While the Starter Edition of WoW limits a few features, there is enough to do before hitting the level cap to make this a worthwhile entry. You may even get to see some of the best World of Warcraft moments before your time runs out.

World of Warcraft earned the record for having the most concurrent subscriptions (12 million) for a reason. Azeroth is enormous and ever-growing thanks to new expansions like Battle for Azeroth, and it will be years before you feel like you’ve seen everything that is hidden away in its various dungeons, cities and regions.

Related: If you’re not fussed on the MMO part, check out the best RPGs on PC instead

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So while PC gaming may have a reputation for being rather expensive, our list proves otherwise: you can have a fantastic time without needing to buy a single game. Many of the free games are even some of the best MMOs available today. So what are you waiting for? It’s time to dive into a new world (or two).

What are the best RPGs on PC? It’s not an easy question to answer, especially given the number of them out there and the hours required to beat them – we’re talking 50+ hours most of the time…

Plus, as a stalwart PC genre that came into existence in the ‘70s, videogame RPGs have changed a lot over the years, with their upgrade trees and rulesets branching out into practically every other genre. Their scale and scope is massive like never before, with tech finally starting to catch up to the ambitions of developers, allowing for huge worlds and entirely new RPG experiences.

The diversity of the RPG nowadays is hard to express. Just in our selection below we’ve got interplanetary exploration, lightsaber duels, bloodthirsty vampires, irradiated mutants who need to be beaten with golf clubs, lizards who can talk to cats, and a whole lot more.

So, dear adventurer, please gather your party before we venture forth. We’re about to bear witness to the best RPGs available on PC.

The best RPGs are:

Divinity: Original Sin 2

Like the original – which we also love, as it happens – Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a love letter to classic pen-and-paper RPGs. It’s a game that, unlike many modern RPGs, refuses to give you simple binary choices, sucking you utterly into an enticingly detailed world.

The extensive freedom you have starts with the character creator – which taught us to roleplay as someone other than ourselves. You can, of course, design your own hero, but there are also six unique origin characters to choose from with their own backgrounds – from the arrogant lizard, The Red Prince, to the new undead race. Every decision matters as you’ll have to live with the consequences that give every tricky dilemma an unnerving gravitas. Gameplay is no less punishing: you will need to learn and exploit the contours of the terrain to gain an advantage in combat. Prepare for a spanking if you do fail to use high ground to deal greater damage.

Read more: Check out the best Divinity: Original Sin 2 builds

We haven’t even got started on the multiplayer aspect, including the Game Master mode, which really brings Divinity: Original Sin 2’s tabletop inspiration to life. In our Divinity: Original Sin 2 review, we said: “Divinity: Original Sin 2 stands as a remarkable example of three genres: the classic roleplaying game, the online arena battler, and the tabletop-style adventure enabler.” Do yourself a favour and get yourself down to Rivellon. But, now that Divinity: Original Sin 2 is complete – following the improvements made by the Definitive Edition – what’s next? By now, we trust Larian with whatever they like.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Witcher 3 takes all the moral ambiguity, challenging subjects like racism and bigotry, and, of course, monster hunting from the previous games and books and puts them in a massive world. It’s also a serious war game, despite its fantasy trappings, and saucy scenes to rival the most salacious of sex games. The result is an extraordinary RPG that sets the standard for open-world adventures.

Every quest is an opportunity to not just learn more about the war-ravaged lands and the gamut of its inhabitants, but to also be drawn into the knotty drama. A simple contract, such as directing series protagonist Geralt to slaughter a monster (there are many such quests, and for the first time it actually feels like we’re getting to see Geralt doing his actual job), can transform into an elaborate series of consequence-laden stories that span several hours, closing and opening doors as it hurtles towards a satisfying conclusion.

Navigating the complex, dark fantasy world is a delight, even when the oppressive misery of it threatens to send you spiralling into depression. Even the most innocuous of decisions can have a huge impact on the world and its denizens, giving every action a great deal of weight. Impressively, CD Projekt Red manages to avoid padding the game out with the usual RPG fillers, like inane collectibles and quests to kill ‘x’ amount of monsters. Every quest has a purpose and a payoff, a whole story to unravel, with even the smallest of them possibly taking several hours until it’s cleared.

Even better, CD Projekt Red produced arguably the best DLC ever made with Hearts of Stone and Blood & Wine, which has an even better quest than the base game. The Witcher 3 really is something to be devoured until nothing remains. While you’re waiting – and you’ll be waiting a while – for The Witcher 4’s release date, try replaying this third entry with a selection of Witcher 3 mods.

Pillars of Eternity

Pillars of Eternity is an exceptional RPG. It evokes the best parts of old games using the Infinity Engine like Baldur’s Gate and Planescape: Torment (both found elsewhere on this list) while digging its own path with a compelling fantasy yarn and a richly detailed original world. No wonder we found it one of the best games of 2015.

This is Obsidian Entertainment at the top of its game, with the beautiful writing the studio is known for wrapped up in a polished adventure – a combination that the team has struggled to nail in the past. Despite being a massive RPG with a daunting number of options and Pillars of Eternity characters boasting plenty of choice and consequence, everything in Pillars of Eternity has been crafted with so much care, down to the smallest detail. Religion, philosophy, class warfare, and the world of Eora overflow with conflict and crises – every region on the map is filled with problems waiting for nosey adventurers, and even the most seemingly mundane quests can offer insight into the world or the chance to create a reputation, good or bad – as we discovered in our Pillars of Eternity review.

Instead of cashing in on the popularity of its spiritual predecessors, Obsidian builds on those strong foundations to create an experience that doesn’t rely on nostalgia to deliver its hits. It’s a solid step forward for this type of RPG, and the overall experience is one that’s even more reminiscent of tabletop RPGs than many of those rooted in D&D. It might have been a more iterative sequel, but our Pillars of Eternity 2 review found that it lost no sense of adventure the original established.

Torment: Tides of Numenera

If you like a spot of brilliantly weird literary goodness and poetry with your roleplaying, Torment: Tides of Numenera is the game for you. You’ll be reading as much as fighting here, but the excellent writing and worldbuilding will keep you hungry for more words. Combat isn’t even mandatory in Torment – instead, you pick your battles, avoiding them in favour of a more cautious or intelligent approach to problem solving. In Torment, words are your real weapons.

Torment certainly had its cards stacked against it despite the backing of 75,000 enthusiastic souls on Kickstarter. It doesn’t have the zany setting of its spiritual predecessor, Planescape: Torment, nor the words of Chris Avellone, but Torment’s stellar setting and nuanced narrative elevate it to the lofty heights of one of the best RPGs on PC, as we found in our Torment: Tides of Numenera review. It remains a shame that Torment’s sales didn’t reflect that.

Like Divinity: Original Sin 2, Torment: Tides of Numenera has it sights set on the future of the RPG, not just the genre’s past. Adopting that classic isometric style of the genre’s progenitors, Torment makes playing a role and all the choices that come with that more powerful than any of its peers.

Fallout: New Vegas

Obsidian took the format of Bethesda’s 3D, first-person Fallout, and then reinstated everything that made the original isometric games so great while blending it with features of the best Western games on PC. You really feel like you’re making your own way through the wastelands instead of being nudged along by an invisible director.

Fallout: New Vegas makes you one of the unfortunate survivors of this world. After the first hours, your mission runs out of leads, leaving you to venture where you like: interacting with whomever you want, being good, evil, or anything in between to make New Vegas the most adventurous Fallout game. You can team up with the NCR, join the slave-loving Legion, stand up for New Vegas itself, or just be a self-serving asshole. Then there are those essential Fallout: New Vegas mods that let you build your own game.

The writing, worldbuilding, and black comedy are all spot on in New Vegas – Fallout: New Vegas’ Come Fly With Me quest remains one of our favourites. And while we are on the subject, what will it take for Bethesda to let Obsidian take another crack at the universe? We asked that all over again when it came to evaluating Bethesda’s lurch towards multiplayer games: find out what we thought in our Fallout 76 review.

Planescape: Torment

This list is in no particular order, but if it was, Planescape: Torment would be near the top. Black Isle Studios, the titans of Dungeons & Dragons CRPGs, turned convention on its head by crafting this Planar adventure. There are no more typical fantasy races, morality is not defined – or is at least mutable – and every character attribute is tied to conversations and out-of-combat actions. It is a game more interested in philosophy and discovery than it is in being a monster-slaying adventure.

“What can change the nature of a man?” is the question at the heart of Planescape: Torment. The Nameless One is an immortal amnesiac, living many lives, doing deeds both terrible and great, changing the lives of those around him, often for the worst. Waking up on a mortuary slab, the mystery of his past propels the Nameless One through the Multiverse – one of the most bizarre settings of any RPG – where he deals with gods, mazes both mechanical and magical, and zealot factions. To give you a taste, one of those is the Dustmen, a faction that believes life is a fleeting precursor to the ultimate existence: death.

The ambition of Planescape: Torment would have been for naught were it not for the superb writing that accompanied it. Chris Avellone and his team penned a tale saturated with nuance and memorable characters that, even many years on, stands the test of time and has yet to be outdone. It’s the only RPG in which you will find yourself searching through the protagonist’s organs to find an important item, or that has you consider letting an NPC kill you so she can experience what it would be like to murder somebody. And all the while you wrestle with philosophical conundrums and questions of identity. If that all sounds a bit grisly and esoteric to you then, fret not, as the Nameless One is also accompanied by a floating, talking skull who is an unrepentant flirt. It’s far from being without humour.

If you missed this gem in 1999, make sure to dive into the remaster. We went behind-the-scenes with Planescape: Torment Enhanced Edition to trouble ourselves with its philosophical conundrums all over again.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines was riddled with bugs at launch, to the point of being nearly unplayable (so much so one community member conducted an endless quest to fix it with Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines mods) but you could still find yourself becoming besotted with this bloodsucker.

You have just become a vampire. Surprise! It’s not all seducing teenage girls and turning into bats, though, because the world of Vampire: The Masquerade – based on the excellent White Wolf tabletop game – is decidedly more mature. Set in modern Los Angeles, it’s rife with undead politics and secret wars amid the glamour of Hollywood and corporate America.

It has large, inventive quests aplenty: a visit to the site of a vampire-run snuff movie set; an investigation into a haunted hotel that features no combat but plenty of scares to make even a vampire whimper; a sneaky infiltration mission in a huge museum. These are also laden with multiple routes that offer many opportunities to exploit your vampiric abilities, like mind control and shapeshifting. The setting of modern America is one unfamiliar to RPGs, and developer Troika takes full advantage of it, with little touches like vampires making deals with blood banks and infiltrating the Hollywood glitterati.

There’s also a cracking story of faction politics and prophecy to get into, wildly varied vampire clans to choose from at the start of the game – from the loopy Malkavians to the hideous, stealthy Nosferatu – and writing that is wry and sardonic. All of that made it possible to grin and bear the bugs at launch, but now that it’s in a more stable state, Vampire: The Masquerade is a unique title that you really ought to pick up. The question now is will we ever get a Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2?

Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn

The Dungeons & Dragons land of the Forgotten Realms is meticulously recreated in Baldur’s Gate II. It’s filled to the brim with gorgeous environments, all of which are just waiting to be explored. And, within them, quests! So many bloody quests. Hundreds of hours of saving villages, delving into mines, fighting mad wizards, slaughtering Gnolls, and even a trip to the Planes – explored in more detail in Planescape: Torment – and a deadly adventure into the Underdark.

Elevating these many quests is exceptional writing and dialogue from the legendary Chris Avellone. Baldur’s Gate juggles wit and satire with solemnity and gravitas, drawing players into even ostensibly simple quests. It’s the party of adventurers that join the hero who get the best lines, of course, and none more so than Minsc, the infamous Ranger who talks to his cosmic space hamster, Boo.

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Baldur’s Gate II also has the distinction of having one of the best antagonists in any game: Jon Irenicus, expertly voiced by top-notch player of villains David Warner. Arrogant, powerful, deformed, and with a hint of tragedy to him, Irenicus has all the hallmarks of a classic villain. Even though he is not present throughout most of the game, his influence seeps into everything, which is as great a testament to his manufacture as any.

Players that missed out the first time can also enjoy it all spruced-up in the Baldur’s Gate II: Enhanced Edition. But, if we look to the future of the series, even though it’s now officially in development, here’s the not-quite making of Baldur’s Gate 3.

Mass Effect 2

Marrying the sub-genres of speculative fiction and space games, Mass Effect 2 is BioWare’s greatest achievement in terms of world or, rather, galaxy building. The exploration and pseudo-science of Star Trek, the cinematic action of Battlestar Galactica, and the fantastical elements of Star Wars (or any pulpy science fiction of the early 20th century) are all on show and artfully combined in this tense suicide mission to save the galaxy – one of the best endings in PC gaming, at least when it comes to the effort it takes to get there.

Humans are the new kids on the block, recently joining the galactic community, and must shake things up to get all the older races to acknowledge a growing threat to their existence. How do they do that? With an ass-kicking soldier, of course. Commander Shepard is a great character because they are your character. It’s impossible to define them, not least because you can choose their gender, but also because, rather than being the glory-hunting hero who became a downtrodden veteran as in our game, you might have them be a cruel, racist bastard or a paragon of virtue who refuses to let anyone die.

The dramatic set-pieces and workmanlike squad-based combat are punctuated by BioWare’s typically excellent dialogue. And simply wandering around alien locales, sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong – because that’s what humans do in space, apparently – adds to the overall package. Suspend your disbelief for the last ten minutes and you will find yourself on one hell of a sci-fi ride. You may also want to spend more disbelief during Mass Effect 3’s ending, and for most of Mass Effect: Andromeda, frankly.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim isn’t just one of the best RPGs on PC, it’s an institution. It’s managed to stay relevant and eminently playable long after its 2011 debut – tirelessly tugging players back in by their mage robes. With the help of many, many Skyrim mods and console commands, of course.

The atmosphere is infectious, aided by perhaps the finest musical theme of any videogame. Whether you’re battling gargantuan dragons atop the Throat of the World as its frosted mountain peaks pierce the sky, or simply answering the enigmatic chime of the Nirnroot plant by a river’s edge, Skyrim is a game that implores you to unravel every narrative and leave no stone unturned.

It’s even designed to help you discover locations you have missed as Bethesda displays an unrelenting desire to share all the delights of this particular corner of Tamriel. It’ll happen countless times: nearing the end of another mammoth session – as if there’s any other kind – you’ll notice a previously unexplored point of interest. Pulled inexorably in, small distractions will drag you into epic dungeon crawls or quests that decide the fates of cities, as the ambient orchestra swells to an intoxicating crescendo.

The Elder Scrolls V doesn’t just offer you an engrossing fantasy tale or satisfying freedom of choice – it endures because few other games nail how an adventure should feel quite like Skyrim does. If you’ve done everything there is to do in this fantastical land, here are some games like Skyrim that might scratch that magical itch – you’ve certainly got some time to kill before The Elder Scrolls 6 release date.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II

Where its predecessor – made by BioWare and not Obsidian – is a fantastic addition to the Star Wars universe complete with a twist worthy of The Empire Strikes Back, KOTOR II takes the venerable IP and pulls it in a completely new direction to make it one of the best Star Wars games on PC. No longer is the focus on the constant battle between the Dark Side and the Light Side, Republic versus Empire. Instead, we’re treated to a narrative that explores the nature of the force and what it means to be cut off from it. Its story of misfits and traitors feels like Star Wars by way of Planescape: Torment.

Shades of grey permeate the entire adventure, as the Exile – KOTOR II’s protagonist – is forced to think about every action and how good deeds can beget evil ones, being pushed ever further towards pragmatism. An often depressing and bleak game, it’s as much about personal exploration as it is about gallivanting across the galaxy, getting into lightsaber battles, and using the force – though there is certainly plenty of that, too.

Perhaps the best aspect of KOTOR II is Kreia, the Exile’s secretive mentor. As the impetus for much of the game, she pushes the Exile, berates him, and attempts to teach him important lessons, all while presenting the force in much more interesting ways than any of the films manage. It makes the pupil-mentor relationship between Luke and Yoda, or Ben Kenobi, exceptionally dull in comparison. That kind of tension is why we’re looking forward to the Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order release date, as it will also feature a master-pupil relationship.

Shadowrun: Hong Kong

Shadowrun: Hong Kong is a welcome throwback to the ‘90s. Based on the classic tabletop roleplaying game, it’s a neo-noir cyberpunk mystery with plenty of magic, fantasy elements, and combat reminiscent of strategy games like XCOM. That sees it tick a lot of boxes and, somehow, it manages to deliver on all these features. Set on a future Earth where science and the realm of the arcane struggle to coexist, and beings like elves and trolls walk the streets alongside humans, you find yourself in the shoes of a shadowrunner, a shady mercenary proficient in espionage.

A freeform character creator lets you make all sorts of unusual classes, from spirit summoners who can enter a digital realm and fight computer programs, to samurai who run around with a bunch of remote-controlled robots. Dumping some points into charisma also unlocks affinities for different types of people, be they corporate security, other shadowrunners, or street gangs, which opens up new dialogue options and avenues in your investigation.

Hong Kong builds on the previous two games, lavishing improvements upon the series like overhauled decking (hacking) and fully realised, likeable characters. It’s a more intimate game too, as you investigate the death of your foster father with a rag tag group of Shadowrunners and find yourself embroiled in conspiracies, mystical events, and a mystery involving dreams that plague the entire city.

Deus Ex

Ah, Deus Ex. More of a stealth FPS/RPG hybrid and one of the best cyberpunk games on PC, it’s still more than deserving of a place on this list – even 18 years on it’s a joy to play and one of the best PC games ever devised.

We could expend a great deal of energy reminiscing about the dramatic narrative that weaves themes of conspiracy, terrorism, and transhumanism together with intriguing characters in a believable dystopian future. Equally, we could go on and on about the breadth of character customisation, letting you hone the trenchcoat-wearing J.C. Denton into a cybernetically enhanced soldier, expert hacker, or a ghost who lurks in the shadows. But what we really want to discuss is the incredible level design.

Every map represents a complex sandbox ripe for experimentation, whether you playing this as one of best FPS games, or as a straight stealth game. Every combat encounter has the potential to play out in remarkably different ways, should you actually participate in said encounter rather than slinking past it. Secret paths, hidden caches, informants waiting to be bribed, and confidential information opening up new routes litter the levels, ensuring that when you discuss your experiences with another player, it’s like you are talking about two different games. They might not be as special as the previous series entries, but our Deus Ex: Mankind Divided review shows that choice in its moment-to-moment gameplay is as strong as ever.

Dark Souls

Dark Souls is the masochist’s RPG. A cruel, relentless battle through a bleak, dying land where the “You Died” screen will become an old friend – albeit a mocking one – it’s a punishing but infinitely rewarding game. Every battle is a puzzle, demanding skill, good timing, and an eye for enemy tells. It’s also exhausting, because death is only ever a missed attack or a misreading of an opponent away. But that makes every victory a hard-fought prize, bringing with it the potential for increased power, and progression to the next area, where even harder challenges await.

The freeform character development and top notch enemy design, both in terms of their grotesque appearance and tricky mechanics, are worthy of high praise, but it’s the sense of accomplishment – found in surviving against some of the hardest boss fights in PC gaming – that makes Dark Souls worth hammering away at, diving face first into constant failure.

An unapologetically old-fashioned philosophy to game design permeates the whole adventure, but it’s one blessed with modern complexity and scale. Different weapons and armour completely change the flow of battle and the feel of a character, with the heft of a sword and the weight of plated armour having a massive, tangible impact on strikes and movement. And secreted away through the vast, semi-open world is a cornucopia of trinkets and magical items, rewarding inquisitive players for their risky exploration of long-forgotten tombs and subterranean cities. If this is getting your Souls nostalgia going, try out these games like Dark Souls, or get your first look at From Software’s next game with our lowdown on the Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice release date.

Diablo III

We didn’t even give any thought to Diablo 3 when first making this list. Blizzard had lost its way, creating a ridiculous economy, and removing the need to actually go looking for the best pieces of loot. Playing Diablo 3 back then just wasn’t satisfying. We couldn’t be further away from the original Diablo, one of the most important PC games of all time.

Then everything changed.

The build up was massive, with systems being overhauled completely in the years since its release. And then the expansion threw in so many novel features that it became hard to remember why Diablo 3 was best avoided, helped by the fact that the troublesome Auction House was shut down. The game gained a new lease of life, and now you would be loopy to not pick it up if you love your ARPG clickfests.

And the excellent new additions keep arriving – as you can see in our Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls review. There is now a whole new way to progress through the game as you can score unique rewards while competing against other players with the best Diablo 3 builds. New areas and adventures have been thrown into the mix, and seasons help keep the game relevant all year round. All these additions came for free, too. Diablo 3 really is a classic zero-to-hero story.

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And there you have it. From the finest classic adventures of yesteryear to the modern titans of roleplay, that’s our list of the very best RPGs that the PC has to offer. It’s certainly not a short list, but how could it be when there are so many gems to play?

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Best of all, most of these games are due sequels in the coming years, so maybe this roundup will include the likes of The Witcher 4 and Cyberpunk 2077 the next time you visit. So what are you waiting for? Grab some potions, sharpen your blade, and make sure you don’t take an arrow to the knee on your way out.