Summary
The fantasy genre has always sat at the top of popularity when it comes to most forms of media. TV shows, books, and movies have always had famous fantasy worlds. It is no different in video games, as fantasy is one of the most played genres available.
With video games, most fantasy games also come out as an RPG. Due to the interactiveness of video games, the control scheme has no set basis, and this can be seen especially in RPGs. Some are better suited for controller gameplay, while others focus on point-and-click. Such games are some of the best in the industry, whether it’s titles from decades ago or recent entries.
Not all games mentioned here are purely point-and-click in the traditional sense and might make use of hotkeys or edge-panning. Some have also been adapted for controller gameplay.
RPGs usually either contain a world painstakingly created by developers or use random generation.Torchlight 2is the latter, featuring randomly generated dungeons for players to explore with point-and-click being the main control system. There are some keyboard controls, such as using items or opening menus, but players must progress via pointing and clicking.
Being a dungeon crawler, players will be able to fight various enemies to obtain loot and experience. There are four classes for experience to be put towards, with three skill trees present in each of the classes. A multiplayer mode also exists, which allows for six players to team up.
While Larian Studios became a household name in 2023 withBaldur’s Gate 3, they had been making extensive RPGs long before.Divinity: Original Sinwas released in 2014, with an Enhanced Edition published in 2015.
Often ranked highly universally, the firstDivinity: Original Singame focused on systems found in most RPGs, as well as features that Larian has become known for. Gameplay is executed via turn-based combat, with players gaining various abilities through character progression. Some keyboard controls exists, such as the ability to turn the camera, but is mainly a point-and-click game.
Obsidian Entertainment has always been a pillar when creating RPGs. Some of the most popular RPGs have been developed by them, andPillars of Eternityis no different.Pillars of Eternityis especially important in 2024, asplayers should try it out beforeAvowedreleases.
AsPillars of Eternityaims to be a spiritual successor toIcewind Daleand the earlierBaldur’s Gategames, it is set in an isometric point-of-view with some keybinds, but with point-and-click controls being the main way to journey through the game. Various stats, races, and classes are available, all of which have unique abilities, and different skills to utilize. Players will progress with a party, in which quests can be encountered to influence faction reputation.
TheFalloutseries might not have been the first to popularize the post-apocalyptic genre in video games, that honor goes toWasteland, but it is the franchise to earn the most recognition. The first entry is quite different from theFalloutcurrently produced byBethesda, as it was an isometric game focused heavily on RPG elements instead of leaning more towards action like its future successors. There are some keybinds, but the game is a mainly point-and-click adventure.
Despite some calls for a remake,Falloutstill possesses many impressive common RPG elements. Players will have a selection of skills to choose from. Combat will grant experience to level up in which various special abilities can be decided. Players will also engage in quests, where dialogue can play a large part, either helping or hindering the player.
WhileBaldur’s Gate 3might have garnered the most popularity out of the series, the originalBaldur’s Gateproved itself when it was released in 1998. It was published during BioWare’s golden age, making it unsurprising to see it so highly rated.
Much like other RPGs in the 1990s,Baldur’s Gatefeatures an isometric perspective in which players control their created character through the events of the game, with the main control scheme being point-and-click, but with some hotkeys and keybinds. Different races and classes can be chosen, which will impact the gameplay. Quests can be undertaken with a party,some of whom might still be alive duringBaldur’s Gate 3.
Most of the time, RPGs are usually set in a fantasy world similar to medieval times. There are outliers, such asFalloutandWasteland, butDisco Elysiumis also an example, set in a contemporary locale, just not on Earth.
However, unlike most RPGs,Disco Elysiumhas no combat. Instead, gameplay is executed via dialogue mainly through the mouse, but the game does have some keybinds. In place of combat is a highly praised narrative, often ranked as one of the best in recent history. Skill trees and abilities still exist, but are used for the dialogue the player will engage in.
Divinity: Original Sin 2was the game that led toBaldur’s Gate 3after impressing Wizards of the Coast, and it’s not hard to see why. As is Larian’s style, the gametakes place from a top-down perspectivefor the player to control their character, with some keyboard controls, such as turning the camera, despite it being a point-and-click system.
Players can choose between various races and classes for their character, in addition to the various party members in the game. Combat is turn-based, in which different skills exist to alter the course of a battle. Dialogue also plays a large role, with positive or negative consequences as a result of certain options chosen.
3Diablo
Metascore: 94
Blizzard might not be as popular as they once were, but in the 1990s and 2000s, it was almost impossible to escape their games. The firstDiablowas released during Blizzard’s golden age, and became one of their most beloved games, andinfluential for action RPGs.
Players will journey across the game as one of the three classes, defeating enemies and leveling up, all the while obtaining loot. Each of the classes specializes in their own area, such as the Sorcerer utilizing magic, whereas the Warrior prefers to fight in close quarters, mainly done via the mouse, but with some keyboard commands.
Baldur’s Gate 2was released during the halcyon years of BioWare and, much like their other games released then, was a beloved success. As a sequel to the first,Baldur’s Gate,the second game takes place after the events of the original,still within the world ofDungeon and Dragons, and still being a point-and-click adventure with some hotkeys.
Players will customize their character from a selection of races and classes, in which they will fight in a party. Combat will grant experience that can be used to level up. The completion of quests will also give experience, as well as influence the reputation of the player. NPCs will be interacted with via dialogue, which can impact the progression of the game.
RPGs have always been one of the most popular genres, especially in gaming, andBaldur’s Gate 3proves this once again with how massive the game became.Argued asthebest CRPG, it makes sense that Larian won Game of the Year for it.
Baldur’s Gate 3isn’t directly related to the previous games via its narrative but still has gameplay features prominent in its predecessors, with Larian sprinkling in some differences in controls, such as newer keybindings while still being point-and-click.
