Posted July 22, 2017
Yeah, size matters sometimes. Whether you're looking to get the most bang for your buck, or for something you'll actually finish this time – it's good to know what you're getting into before choosing your next game. With the week's RPG sale now at full-mast, we approached the editors at RPGsite.net for their take on the highlights, and just how much time you'll need to experience what these games have to offer.
And this is it!
RPG Site's favorites, by playtime
Our friends over at GOG are having a nice sale this weekend on some pretty cool PC-based RPGs. Now, we know. 2017 has been good, and you've likely got frightful backlogs. Maybe you don't have the time to play all of these - RPGs are enormous games, and some of you are no doubt busy reaching the 100-hour mark in Persona 5 and Breath of the Wild - or maybe you're still at it in Skyrim thanks to last year's Special Edition.
But still - who doesn't like expanding their backlog some? GOG's latest sale is the ideal way to do that, and it's one tailor-made for our RPG-loving audience, especially those into Western RPGs already. For the JRPG fans, these cheap offers might be the perfect time to give some of the most traditional WRPGs a try.
We've taken out the time to pick out some of the best deals from this sale here - and we've also included an average play-time for each game so that you can know exactly what you're getting into before you take the plunge. Fire up the backlog...
Divinity: Original Sin (60% off)
Playtime: ~60 Hours
The longest title of our highlights is also one of our favorites of the bunch. Well, actually it is probably just our favorite, period. Divinity: Original Sin was our 2014 game of the year. Featuring an incredibly engaging turn based combat system, a stellar soundtrack by the late Kirill Pokrovsky, and a huge world-saving quest, we definitely suggest that anyone with the time and interest give Original Sin a spin.
Deep systems for crafting, exploration, combat, and party-building, the game is feature rich in every way. At the same time, the game differs from some of its contemporaries by injecting a bit of whimsy into the game in a way that only Larian can - early in the game you will teleport into someone's bathroom, and you'll converse with a dog to try to solve the mystery of his owner's murder. The game is even better with a friend: you can play it completely in on-line cooperative mode. We are especially excited for the sequel releasing in full later this year!
Pillars of Eternity (60% off)
Playtime: ~40 Hours</a></a>
We've talked a lot about Pillars of Eternity . We think it's pretty good, great even! There's some new zeitgeist around Obsidian's kickstarter darling again as the game is set for a console release next month with Deadfire releasing at some point early next year. With their penchant for strong writing and one-of-a-kind characterization, Pillars of Eternity is definitely a title for someone looking to get lost inside a mammoth rpg world unlike most others.
It is one of the longer games on this list, but we still suggest it for those that are looking for a little more narrative depth but with the mechanical complexity of a deep and fully featured RPG experience. Featuring up to six party members and made even more expansive by the White March add-on content, this is probably the most traditional experience here, though at a level of quality where we'd suggest checking it out any day.
Torment: Tides of Numenera (30% off)
Playtime: ~30 Hours
Potentially buried in early 2017's onslaught of game releases, we want to make sure people who have overlooked Torment: Tides of Numenera give it a try. The game launched with some significant issues: encounters weren't as fun to play as in some other titles in the genre and performance limitations hampered enjoyment for many. However, as of patch 1.10 a lot of adjustments have been made to shorten combat encounters and improve UI bugs.
Story and writing are the focus of this title, with long gameplay sections void of any sort of combat or engagements: you can even play the game as a complete pacifist. Tides of Numenera is a game that allows you to die however often you want, hold the memories of other people inside your head, and even change someone's past by altering their memory - it gets pretty weird. It's a lot of reading, but if it's also probably the most unique title of the bunch.
Tyranny (60% off)
Playtime: ~20 Hours
Tyranny is the shortest game on this list and likely the most experimental. For those wanting to try something off of the beaten path, it's probably the title we'd suggest for you. Tyranny is a game completely about choice and consequence. Sure, that phrase is thrown around a lot across several rpgs, but Tyranny exemplifies the ideals in the strongest ways.
While a single playthrough of the title is far shorter than a game like Pillars or Original Sin, the amount of variation in the way the narrative can unfold is remarkable, which encourages multiple playthroughs to see how decisions made early in the game can change your allies, your enemies, and even your party members. However, even a single playthrough can highlight the sort of fallout that every decision can result in. Bastard's Wound releases soon as well, so we're personally excited to revisit the Tiers at some point later this year.
And this is it!
RPG Site's favorites, by playtime
Our friends over at GOG are having a nice sale this weekend on some pretty cool PC-based RPGs. Now, we know. 2017 has been good, and you've likely got frightful backlogs. Maybe you don't have the time to play all of these - RPGs are enormous games, and some of you are no doubt busy reaching the 100-hour mark in Persona 5 and Breath of the Wild - or maybe you're still at it in Skyrim thanks to last year's Special Edition.
But still - who doesn't like expanding their backlog some? GOG's latest sale is the ideal way to do that, and it's one tailor-made for our RPG-loving audience, especially those into Western RPGs already. For the JRPG fans, these cheap offers might be the perfect time to give some of the most traditional WRPGs a try.
We've taken out the time to pick out some of the best deals from this sale here - and we've also included an average play-time for each game so that you can know exactly what you're getting into before you take the plunge. Fire up the backlog...
Divinity: Original Sin (60% off)
Playtime: ~60 Hours
The longest title of our highlights is also one of our favorites of the bunch. Well, actually it is probably just our favorite, period. Divinity: Original Sin was our 2014 game of the year. Featuring an incredibly engaging turn based combat system, a stellar soundtrack by the late Kirill Pokrovsky, and a huge world-saving quest, we definitely suggest that anyone with the time and interest give Original Sin a spin.
Deep systems for crafting, exploration, combat, and party-building, the game is feature rich in every way. At the same time, the game differs from some of its contemporaries by injecting a bit of whimsy into the game in a way that only Larian can - early in the game you will teleport into someone's bathroom, and you'll converse with a dog to try to solve the mystery of his owner's murder. The game is even better with a friend: you can play it completely in on-line cooperative mode. We are especially excited for the sequel releasing in full later this year!
Pillars of Eternity (60% off)
Playtime: ~40 Hours</a></a>
We've talked a lot about Pillars of Eternity . We think it's pretty good, great even! There's some new zeitgeist around Obsidian's kickstarter darling again as the game is set for a console release next month with Deadfire releasing at some point early next year. With their penchant for strong writing and one-of-a-kind characterization, Pillars of Eternity is definitely a title for someone looking to get lost inside a mammoth rpg world unlike most others.
It is one of the longer games on this list, but we still suggest it for those that are looking for a little more narrative depth but with the mechanical complexity of a deep and fully featured RPG experience. Featuring up to six party members and made even more expansive by the White March add-on content, this is probably the most traditional experience here, though at a level of quality where we'd suggest checking it out any day.
Torment: Tides of Numenera (30% off)
Playtime: ~30 Hours
Potentially buried in early 2017's onslaught of game releases, we want to make sure people who have overlooked Torment: Tides of Numenera give it a try. The game launched with some significant issues: encounters weren't as fun to play as in some other titles in the genre and performance limitations hampered enjoyment for many. However, as of patch 1.10 a lot of adjustments have been made to shorten combat encounters and improve UI bugs.
Story and writing are the focus of this title, with long gameplay sections void of any sort of combat or engagements: you can even play the game as a complete pacifist. Tides of Numenera is a game that allows you to die however often you want, hold the memories of other people inside your head, and even change someone's past by altering their memory - it gets pretty weird. It's a lot of reading, but if it's also probably the most unique title of the bunch.
Tyranny (60% off)
Playtime: ~20 Hours
Tyranny is the shortest game on this list and likely the most experimental. For those wanting to try something off of the beaten path, it's probably the title we'd suggest for you. Tyranny is a game completely about choice and consequence. Sure, that phrase is thrown around a lot across several rpgs, but Tyranny exemplifies the ideals in the strongest ways.
While a single playthrough of the title is far shorter than a game like Pillars or Original Sin, the amount of variation in the way the narrative can unfold is remarkable, which encourages multiple playthroughs to see how decisions made early in the game can change your allies, your enemies, and even your party members. However, even a single playthrough can highlight the sort of fallout that every decision can result in. Bastard's Wound releases soon as well, so we're personally excited to revisit the Tiers at some point later this year.
Post edited July 24, 2017 by Konrad
