The best RPGs where being good is hard

Role playing games are some of the best video game experiences available to gamers today. They use the medium uniquely for entertainment in a way that other venues simply can't match. Few other mediums, except perhaps books, immerse people in a world so unique that in some ways it resembles their own, but in others it is completely foreign. And here's a roundup of the best RPGs of recent years and indeed of all time. They can be some incredibly far departures from the world the players know – but there always needs to be a mirror that's familiar.

One thing that can remain the same in most RPGs is their sense of morality. Whether the game is set in a mystical fantasy realm or a contemporary reflection of our own, good is often virtuous and evil is often sinful in the same, ancient way. Where these RPGs are concerned, goodness is sacrifice, and making the right choice doesn't always mean making it easy.

8 Fable 3

It's easy for dictators to rule

Completely unique style of gameplay and alignment fable As the series demonstrates, it's an incredible look at morality in video games, even if it initially comes across as rather simplistic and more for comic value.

Fable 3 Adds a new dimension to the morality system by placing the player in one of the most important positions in Albion's kingdom – its leader. Good decisions benefit people, but are costly, and can lead to long-term disaster when a terrible threat invades the region. The villains have an easier time when the final battle begins to make decisions not just for evil, but to protect the treasure for as long as possible.

7 Suzerain

Life is tough for an incorrigible politician

Miracles based on text Suzerain is based on hard choices, not binaries. Choosing between building high-speed railways or multi-lane highways is not a choice between good and bad, but there are certain moments where compromising ethics makes this difficult game easier.

Players can quickly take bribes from media moguls who will publish articles favorable to them, and refusing this deal, especially if the government is headed for a nationalization plan, will greatly hamper any publicity the player receives.

6 Frostpunk

How do you stay moral during the Apocalypse?

Unbelievable Frostpunk 2 City Builder is taking fans by storm. Or maybe… blizzard? However, if there's one thing the first game in the series focuses on more deeply, it's the binary between staying moral and surviving by any means necessary.

Taking the time to set up food stores so citizens don't eat each other, taking the time for proper burials instead of mass graves, all of these things are morally high, but very hard to sustain when it gets cold. In times of desperation, what would players give up if it meant survival?

5 Notorious 2

Evil acts warrant reckless powers

The infamous The series is one of people's go-to games when discussing video games with ethics. The system isn't complicated by any means, but it's a fantastic anchor in an incredibly interesting world with lots of fascinating details that add to the overall pervasive sense of darkness that Cole either contributes to or fights against.

The forces in this game are guided by morality, and the forces of evil are often very broad and easy to take out multiple enemies at once – even if it costs a few civilians along the way. Being good at this game doesn't necessarily hinder your fighting ability, but it does force the player to be very aware of their energy conservation and collateral damage during battles.

4 Spider-Man: Web of Shadows

The symbiote speeds up on this title

has many features Web of Shadows That the Spider-Man games have failed to capitalize on, the biggest one is the morality system that makes for a great superhero story. It might not be the perfect fit for every Spider-Man game, but the fanbase is practically begging for one or two more titles to explore aspects of the web-slinger like this game.

Negative or self-serving decisions in this game give players more time with an efficient and hard-hitting symbiote suit, which can make the game much faster. Being good sometimes also means giving up buffs or bonuses for people to look to for protection, as if the great power that Spider-Man wields comes with some inherent liability, to others.

3 insulted

Keeping the world from chaos is a struggle

The world is not just reactive to Corvo's ethics insulted, But also for the death he causes. Plague continued in the setting insulted A wonderful metric for how a player is performing over the course of a game.

Killing people is faster and safer (for Corvo) than incapacitating them, and that's true in every mission, but it also leads to more dead bodies, which spreads the plague, and makes the city a less pleasant place to live.

2 the vampire

If drinking blood is bad, I don't want to be good

A dark, complex, and incredibly unique title, the vampire is an amazing vampire game that forces the player to challenge their own beliefs. In an incredibly perverse twist by vampire standards, the power of an innocent's blood is directly related to how well the vampire knows them.

It forces you to learn about the many people in the game, understand them, their likes and dislikes, their dreams before quenching the vampire thirst deep in their blood. Not drinking their blood will leave players in a very difficult position when it comes to combat, as they will effectively be underleveled.

1 tyranny

This game doesn't make it easy for the good guys

In most games that offer multiple moral choices, the 'bad' path is the path that diverges from the story. Being evil is treated almost like an easter egg in some games, not a path to be taken seriously. tyranny A great game where every path is well understood, but it deconstructs typical RPGs with a bad path, or paths, by default.

Being good at this game means betraying every belief the hero has ever known, and rebelling as a small rebellion against a vast, imperial empire, making it one of the toughest RPG experiences available to players today. But it's worth it, to fight against the forces of evil… right?