Summary
Western role-playing games come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and sub-genres. Some are incredible hyper-fantasy adventures that have players learning the power of magic in a vibrant world, while others have playersexploring a dystopian versionof a city that is similar to one that already exists. Be it the month of Halloween or a player just looking for a spooky time; some RPGs have been known to follow a darker theme.
Over the years, there have been plenty of RPGs published that have allowed players to explore a darker story, be it in a dark fantasy title or something else. These are some of the darkest Western RPGs.
Inspired by the tabletop gamePathfinder, this Western RPG is a dark fantasy title that is set in the same universe. Players will need to explore the Stolen Lands, a part of the Pathfinder lore where countless wars have been waged, and many kingdoms have attempted to rise and yet fall. It is now the player’s turn to attempt to create their own Kingdom on this land and watch it either expand or fall depending on their choices and the adventures they decide to go on.
Due to beinga Dark Fantasy title, many of the quests cover dark themes; like any good RPG, players are then free to make their own decisions for their kingdom, some of which can be incredibly evil. Remaining on this dark path can even unlock exclusive evil quests, such as uncovering a cult plot where they are stealing children in the quest Darker than Black.
Continuing the theme of dark fantasy Western RPGs that are set in tabletop universes,Neverwinter Nightsis anotherinteresting RPG adventurethat players are sure to be familiar with if they have playedDungeons and Dragonsbefore. InNeverwinter Nights,players find themselves in the center of a story filled with dark magic, betrayal, and intrigue as they search for a cure that will stop the plague that is killing the people in the city of Neverwinter.
With such an intense story to uncover, it’s of no surprise that players deem this such a dark RPG to play. There are multiple quests in Neverwinter Night that truly show how dark and gritty the world ofNeverwinter Nightsis, though some of the best include freeing demons through reading deadly books, as seen in the Devil’s Deal quest.
Blade of Darknessis another classic dark fantasy title that tells arguably one of the most tragic stories in Western RPGs to date. Not only does it follow the dark theme of attempting to defeat the forces of chaos from destroying the world, but it’s also a hardcore fantasy title that is sure to be a challenge for some players.
WhileBlade of Darknessmay not have much side content, the plot of the game proves quite easily that it’s a dark RPG; forces of darkness being unleashed on the world have created all sorts of evil monsters, and the player is given the task to end it once more. This, combined with the gore that even shines through with these more dated graphics, makesBlade of Darknessan RPG any player looking for a gloomier experience should try, especially due to it being such a genre-defining game.
Anything that mentions gothic has to follow a darker theme when creating an RPG experience. Therefore,Gothic 2is no different as players adventure in a dark fantasy world filled with trolls, goblins, and other ferocious beasts. Due to being set in a dark medieval fantasy world where everyone seems to be suffering from something, it’s no surprise that the main quests follow a dreary theme.
Since previously tearing down the magical barrier, players have freed the prisoners of the Mine Valley, who have now decided to cause mayhem in the forests and the capital of Khorinis. It is up to the player, as the center of the story, to help the militia handle these criminals. Besides this, there are also plenty ofother interesting questsfor the player to uncover where they get to be the hero of the tale or complete questionable things like helping complete experiments.
The originalPillars of Eternitywas praised by fans of the RPG genre for creating an incredibly story-rich experience for them to explore within.Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfirewas no different as it continued to create a brilliant adventure of exploring the seas of the Deadfire region in an RPG that builds off of theDungeons and Dragonssystem.
Every port in this mostly undiscovered area is filled with all sorts of quests and companions for players to recruit; as they discover the darker stories of that area, they will also witness the bonds that form between their companions as the player guides them as the captain of their crew. One of the most memorable side quests contains a summoned new god known as Nemnok the Devourer; players will be introduced to him as his new sacrifice, though this relationship can become something of great power or lead to the vile demon’s death.
The Witcherfranchise has exposed players to darker storytelling in not only the books but also the games that have beencreated by CD Projekt Red, not to forget the TV franchise that some players have also been interested in. It is, therefore, of no surprise to see the likes ofThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntas one of the darkest Western RPGs that players have enjoyed adventuring in.
Besides the dark story that involves the Witchers and their lore, the various places players are expected to adventure across and the monsters that have made their homes there are some of the most interesting in the dark fantasy genre. One quest that sticks in every player’s mind involves the lore of Botchlings; these creatures are created from the burials of unwanted dead babies, and the story that involves them and a Baron is one of the most scarring of all.
It isn’t just medieval fantasy games that are considered RPGs or can be seen as dark titles, asVampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlinesis one of many in theVampiretabletop that players have enjoyed even years after its creation. It’s hard to pick out one dark moment that truly staplesVampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlinesas a dark Western RPG, especially as many of the quests involve uncovering vampire lairs or attempting to steal blood from a hospital.
Players take on the role of a newly transformed vampire who must learn how to keep up the masquerade so that mere mortals are unaware of the bloodsuckers that live among them. Exploring this gritty underworld that takes part in the modern day makes for an incredibly dark RPG with plenty of intriguing quests that also test the player’s limits on hiding their true potential.
RPGs in the Sci-fi genre, likeSystem Shock 2, have also been deemed one of the darkest Western RPGs available to players. When the player awakens from their cryo-tube, they find that the crew of the ship they were sleeping on has been slaughtered, and their infected bodies roam the spacecraft.
Discovering what happened to the crew of this shipthrough audio logsand the occasional ghostly apparition that shows the horror the crew faced makesSystem Shockone of the greatest Western RPGS. The franchise went on to inspire many future RPG and FPS titles that took great pride in using the dark RPG nature ofSystem Shock 2to create an incredibly interesting adventure.
Deus Exwas one of the future franchises that was heavily inspired bySystem Shock. Taking place in a dystopian world filled with futuristic technology and cybernetics that enhance the common person,Deus Exis a chaotic place to explore. While the game has no side missions, the main story ofDeus Exstill makes for a captivating gameplay experience, allowing the player to put an end to the people behind some of the worst things in this horrid world.
What makes this city even darker is the terrorists that openly operate on the streets as they kill thousands. If it couldn’t get any worse, there’s even a plague that is killing many, too. It is up to the player to navigate this tragic city of 2052 to find a solution to some of these issues, but the city will always be the same.
Out of all the Western RPGs available, by far the darkest of them all has to go to the 1999 classicPlanescape: Torment. Even many years later, this game is still considered one of the darkest RPGs by players. The player takes on the role of the Nameless One, a large figure covered in scarsfrom past livesthey don’t remember, though they have come back to haunt them.
In a world set in theDungeons and Dragonsmultiverse, players will encounter strange companions and even stranger quests that will see them cross various planes, from dirty city streets to embarking into Hell. Besides the evil choices players can make that will make for a darker tale, many of the side missions send the player on journeys to kill other NPCs, not to mention how grim some of the locations are that the player can visit - looking at the Buried Village in particular.
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