Dragon Age: The Veilguard is out right now, and so far the reception for Bioware’s big comeback game has been mixed. On one hand, the game is a “return to form” from mainstream press. On the other, it’s a blight on the legacy made by past Dragon Age and Mass Effect games.

Us? We’re in the middle: we liked the graphics & gameplay (for the first few hours anyway), but didn’t like the middle bits and the majority of the writing. We’re looking at you, Taash/discount Karlaach.

However, if you feel like your wallet is feeling a little heavy (thanks, end-of-month paycheck!) and rather take your chance on another role-playing game, boy do we have a bunch of selections for you! Even if this year is stacked with role-playing games aplenty, there are still cheaper picks hailing from yesteryear and earlier.

Here are the best role-playing game experiences you should check out that aren’t huge disappointments, in no particular order. Our main criterias to be on this list are:

• They have to be set in a fantasy world in a fantasy setting. Sorry, Fallout series and The Outer Worlds; you’re great but you’re classified as sci-fi.
• They have to be more than 10-hours long and have elements of role-playing and/or choice-making that affect the world & narrative in some form. RPGs don’t need multiple endings to feel like role-playing games, but that does help.

#1. Metaphor: ReFantazio (PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series)

The obvious choice for fantasy-themed role-playing game of 2024, this recent title from the makers of Persona 3, Persona 4, and Persona 5 is what happens when you have vision, creativity, and a message you want to express and relay in your D&D campaign. In video game form, of course.

The story starts off from being an assassination to a literal political race against time, you go from city to village doing quests and getting support for your presidential candidacy, and you bond with your party members as you fight off all manners of monsters and abominations called “humans”. You also get different class powers from a guy named More who is stuck in a magic academy with a Vitruvian Man statue behind him. And you come across all this in the first 10 hours of the game, out of the 70-100 you’ll be spending in this lovely and dangerous yet alluring fantasy world of Euchronia.

It’s also one of the only triple-A games this year in which we awarded a perfect score. Whether you’re a fantasy newbie or a JRPG veteran, you will enjoy Metaphor: ReFantazio more than most RPGs that are out this year.

#2. Unicorn Overlord (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch)

Another top fantasy pick, developer Vanillaware decides to go back to swords & sorcery after delving into scifi with its hit visual novel tactics title 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim.

Unicorn Overlord has you setting up armies and playing out battles automatically through action orders and army arrangements. However, it’s not completely by chance as you are given all the tools to sort out attack orders, unit type placements in armies, and even leader abilities you can activate pre-battle on a real-time(ish) field. Think 90s SNES real-time tactical strategy role-playing game Ogre Battle but with better user interface, intuitive controls & options, and timeless art.

Yes, Unicorn Overlord may not be for everyone, especially for strategy game veterans. It does get easier and a little long-winded battle-wise near the end where you get all the best units with the best combinations for parties. But for those who prefer the fantasy role-playing game experience and don’t mind having an overpowered team to play around with and auto-battling every scenario in the second half of the game? Unicorn Overlord should be your jam. No, not the jam used in the bread served to your party in the game’s tavern, but that all looks luscious too thanks to Vanillaware’s trademark art.

#3. Granblue Fantasy: Relink (PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4)

Early this year, we got a group-based action RPG with online play and matchmaking in the form of this Granblue Fantasy spin-off. With amazing setpiece battles, loads of characters to mix and match with and each full of personality and backstories to check out, and a pretty fun-if-grindy endgame post-credits, it’s criminal for a triple-A game as polished and as detailed as Granblue Fantasy: Relink to get overlooked just because of its anime aesthetics.

While not a dark game narrative-wise (it’s a gacha RPG spin-off for goodness’ sake), it makes it up with fun combat and gameplay. If you can’t get enough of Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s action RPG antics, jump in and play Granblue Fantasy: Relink, then grab a friend or two to join online for fun co-op boss-fighting.

#4. Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven (PC, Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One)

Here’s another role-playing game that may get overlooked: the remake of Square Enix longtime RPG director Akitoshi Kawazu’s best SaGa game. Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven might as well be a brand new game for non-followers of the long-running SaGa series, as it’s a fantasy game where you have to fight the titular Seven Heroes corrupted by demon powers using your retinue of party members led by your Emperor character.

The catch? It takes years to deal with them and annex territories to help you out, meaning you’ll be going through leaders and monarchs (and even abdicating current ones in the same generation) to get ahead and gain new powers. After all, your next king/queen will inherit the powers of the previous ruler, meaning you’ll be getting tons of skills and powers to deal with what’s ahead.

With a pretty awesome twist to succession in a fantasy RPG, a revamped combat system that lets you chain power attacks and build resources by exploiting enemy weaknesses, an open-ended approach to tackling different missions in any way you want, and tough fights, there’s a lot to love here. 

#5. Octopath Traveler 2 (PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, PS4)

Speaking of Romancing SaGa, how about a successor that takes the multiple protagonist route and then actually follow it up full circle with a climax most memorable? Octopath Traveler 2 is a fantasy RPG with an eclectic cast of characters to start with, from a warrior samurai prince reclaiming his homeland to a convict mage who is taller than his class assumes him to be.

It also has a turn-based combat system using classes, a system that lets you store power or just expend extra turns at the cost of being defenseless (like in Bravely Default games), and an open world structure where you can tackle missions as you see fit.

#6. Elden Ring & Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree (PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, PS4)

You can’t get any more dark and fantasy-esque than From Software’s best game since Dark Souls. Massive towering bosses to fight, giant castles and mazes to explore in, tons of new weaponry and spells to discover; it’s a veritable open-world oyster for you to dig in. Just watch out for all the baddies and obstacles that will kill you over and over again.

While you’re mostly soloing in this action RPG, you can summon temporary allies in the form of Spirit Ashes. While its story is obtuse, it is there for you to pick apart and obtain on your own. The base game and its really challenging expansion is all you need to experience a dark fantasy title written by Western fantasy scribe George R.R. Martin.

#7. Baldur’s Gate 3 (PC, PS5, Xbox Series)

Larian does what Bioware doesn’t. What the latter started with Baldur’s Gate 1 and Baldur’s Gate 2, Larian capped off with part 3. Baldur’s Gate 3 is so densely packed with story, character interactions, turn-based combat, dungeons, and epic setpieces, that we’re surprised that its ambitions and talent meet all the way on top. Then again, we shouldn’t be since this is the team that pulled off Divinity: Original Sin twice with escalating levels of quality.

Apart from launch bugs (mostly in Act 3), Larian Studios is already the de facto company that expertly handles computer RPGs in the same veins and levels as Bioware back before the dark ages of the company wrought by Mass Effect Andromeda’s development period.

#8. Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous (PC, PS4, Xbox One)

OwlCat Games has a history of making Baldur’s Gate-style isometric CRPGs with various degrees of fandom and success, and the last Pathfinder game they made hits all the right notes in the fantasy and multiple branching story paths department. You basically discover what it means to have mythic god powers, and choose to shape your destiny as you see fit in this long-spanning title with tactical elements, a military management sim, and a lot of choice-making with heavy consequences that affect your ending. Good stuff!

#9. The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt

As you can tell from the earlier entries, the oldies are usually the best picks. And none are as classic as one of the best open-world fantasy games out there: the third Witcher game. Play as monster hunter/detective Geralt of Rivia as he has to find his adopted daughter Ciri and deal with magic beings appearing and hunting her down.

You get to sort out the politics and narrative as you see fit, whether you want the current regime to rule the world or just ignore it altogether. Not only do you get awesome storylines with weighted choices behind them, but you also have a ton of secrets and treasure to collect and amass for yourself in the game’s very huge world. Also, loads of sexy time with many, many characters.

#10. Dragon Age: Origins + Awakening DLC

Last but not least is the cheapest Dragon Age entry yet. The original recipe is on sale at RM109. For less than half of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, you’ll get 100+ hours of character story-making, morally-grey decision making, and sorting out the future of Thedas before Dragon Age 2 “graced” many RPG fans with its action RPG presence.

While not the prettiest game right now(this was out in 2010, mind you), its gritty art style fits with the dark and desolate world of Thedas. All the game’s plot and character development just works and are all memorable once you’re done with the 100+ hours with the game. In fact, I’ll bet that after finishing Dragon Age: Origins and its DLC Awakening, you’ll be more pissed off at how the new Bioware tailored Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Are there any other fantasy RPGs you’d play over Dragon Age: The Veilguard? Let us know here!