RPGs like Divinity Original Sin 2

If you loved the deep tactical combat, rich world-building, and player-driven storytelling of Divinity: Original Sin 2, you're probably on the hunt for more RPGs that offer a similar experience. While games like Baldur's Gate 3 have rightfully earned the spotlight, there’s a treasure trove of underrated RPGs with turn-based combat, party-based progression, and meaningful choices that fly under the radar.

Pathfinder: Wrath Of The Righteous

Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous was developed by Owlcat Games, it's a dark and richly complex isometric party based RPG game that often flies under the radar despite being one of the most in-depth CRPGs available on Steam. It's based upon the popular Pathfinder tabletop system and delivers a strong narrative with complex character customisation set in a world suffering from grievous demonic incursions.

The game is set in the high fantasy world of Golarion, where players will have to lead a crusade to fight back the tide of demons while navigating personal choices that leave lasting impacts on the world and their own transformation. What makes Wrath of the Righteous stand out from other games in the genre is it's unique mythic path system which allows players to ascend into incredible forms, from beings of pure angelic light to dark and mysterious necromancer lords. Each of these unlock unique abilities, story options and companions to accompany your journey.

Much like Divinity Original Sin 2 the game features strategic turn based combat with optional real time modes if you wish to have a faster paced combat experience. There's a strong emphasis on choice based storytelling and party management. This RPG rewards planning, experimentation and replayability.

Pros: Build variety, branching narratives

Cons: Information overload, clunky UI

Disco Elysium

While not set in a high fantasy world like Divinity Original Sin 2, this game absolutely oozes character, depth and strong storytelling. Your player agency is respected and your choices often have various consequences to the story and the characters around you. Fans of dialogue heavy games, detective mysteries and deep psychological storytelling will find themselves right at home in Disco Elysium.

You play as a deeply flawed amnesiac detective tasked with solving a grim murder in the port city of Revachol, the case you're investigating quickly becomes secondary to the existential questions that emerge as you slowly begin to uncover your past, question your beliefs and wrestle to understand the fractured voices bouncing around your head. The game's writing has often been cited as the best in video game history and every conversation is master-crafted with literary depth.

Disco Elysium features a unique skill system with 24 distinct abilities that represent core pillars of your characters psyche such as Empathy or Authority. These skills play a large role in shaping your perspectives and thoughts on the narrative as it unfolds, constantly shifting the dialogues and outcomes of situations you find yourself in. For fans of story driven games, narrative rich CRPGs and philosophical game design, Disco Elysium stands out as one of the best of its kind.

Pros: Unparalleled writing, deep role playing, emotionally and philosophically rich

Cons: Not action oriented, text heavy, complex themes can be heavy

Planescape: Torment

When it comes to discussing the greatest RPGs of all time, Planescape: Torment is a name that consistently rises above the rest, the game was first released back in 1999 by Black Isle Studios. This classic intricately combines an unconventional setting with narrative depth and emotionally resonant characters.

The character you play in the game is the Nameless One, an immortal suffering from severe amnesia doomed to awaken again and again with no recollection of your past lives. Throughout the course of the game you travel through bizarre and metaphysical planes of existence as you unravel layers of your identity, meet with consequences of your former selves and find unique and compelling companions who are just as strange as the multiverse itself.

The writing in Planescape: Torment is colossal with over 800,000 words of dialogue and description. It often touches on heavy themes like redemption, identity, loss, mortality and suffering, all within the Dungeons & Dragons framework that has been adapted to the Planescape setting. The game features traditional RPG elements like stat based character building, alignment systems and party management. Oftentimes your words are just as powerful as any weapon and you're not stopped from using your wits and tongue to defuse volatile situations instead of charging in hacking and slashing.

This classic masterpiece's influence has resonated over the years and the impact is still felt in modern games like Disco Elysium, Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity Original Sin 2. For fans of narrative-driven RPGs this is one game you simply cannot miss.

Pros: Unmatched storytelling depth, unique setting and characters, dialogue-driven gameplay

Cons: Minimal combat focus, dated mechanics/clunky UI, slow start

While Divinity Original Sin 2 has rightfully cemented itself among the greatest RPGs of all time, there's many other games that offer the same depth and immersive storytelling. These gems offer unforgettable adventures, innovative mechanics and rich world building.