Role-playing gamesare a blast to play through, letting players interact with a wealth of complex systems to make a playthrough as rewarding as possible. TheseRPGscan be in the form of tactical combat, fleshed-out worlds, or complex personality systems that change the way the player and other characters operate in the game world.
A worthwhile personality system can be hard to integrate into a video game since adding meaningful consequences for this system is easier said than done. Thankfully, players can pick outsome great RPGsthat do a great job of giving meaningful personalities to players, allies, enemies, or any other relevant character.
Perks inThe Outer Worldsare powerful and can change one’s experience for the better. If players want to make the most of more perk points, then they mustswallow their egoand accept certain flaws.
These negative personality traits place a permanent debuff on the player’s character but reward them with a perk point for their troubles. It’s a great way to let players customize their build and become powerful at a reasonable cost.
Persona 3marked a major turning point for this JRPG series, integrating simulation elements to make the spinoff series more unique than ever before. Players loved stepping into the shoes of a high school student, living out a day-to-day life where they could interact with Social Links and develop the protagonist’s personality based on his actions in the game world.
This made for amusing situations where players scarfed down burgers or engaged in some passionate karaoke to improve their social skills. Eventually, as their personality develops, players can unlock more content in the form of new Social Links or other valuable secrets.
The hardcore gameplay ofDarkest Dungeoncoupled with its oppressive atmosphere can wear players down after a point. Even their party members start suffering emotional scars to go along with their physical ones.
Some party members will learn to weather the story and become more resilient, while others may develop negative personality traits to cope with the futility of their adventures. This makes the band of adventurers feel unique and compels players to save their best party members for as long as possible before a tough encounter eventually leads to a major loss.
WhenPillars of Eternitycame out, fans loved the grand adventure it took them on. It was an ode to classic RPGs and featured way more depth than players assumed, with their actions establishing the Watcher’s personality and governing how other characters reacted to them.
Players who are fair and just in their decisions may convince other NPCs without any further skill checks, while a Watcher who’s cruel can easily intimidate other characters in certain situations. It’s a novel way to develop the hero’s personality and adds toPillars of Eternity’s fun role-playing opportunities.
Thebeauty ofDivinity: Original Sin’s dual protagonistscan be seen in the fun banter that can be unlocked from time to time if the heroes disagree on a decision. This usually occurs between players with conflicting personalities that are set during character creation.
Of course, players can choose to manually control these decisions and either make the heroes agree at every given opportunity or get into frivolous arguments for their amusement. It’s a fun personality system that may be ignored, but players will enjoy seeing how scenarios unfold when the heroes act as per their inclinations instead of being puppeteered by the player every step of the way.
Shadow of Mordorboasts some of the most visceral combat in an open-world game with RPG elements,complimented further by Tolkien’s world. The Nemesis System adds to the game’s action and ensures that players will be invested in taking down certain orcs after getting a read on their procedurally generated personalities.
These enemies can boast unique traits that either make them stronger in battle or more of a pain to defeat. Players should approach every encounter against a captain tactically, especially if they boast a strong personality with little to no weaknesses that can be exploited.
Given that the main character has amnesia when players startDisco Elysium, it’s easy to see why players can form their personality in no time after getting to explore Revachol. During their adventures, the detective’s actions will allow certain thoughts to develop, which can change his personality.
From political inclinations to the way they approach any given situation, players have a ton of leeway to mold Harry in whatever manner they see fit before he eventually regains his memories. It’s a fascinating approach to governing a character’s personality and makes it clear why players lovedDisco Elysium.
Crusader Kings 3is one of the deepest grand strategy games players can get their hands on, with the game’s RPG trappings ensuring that people will have a great time role-playing as the ruler of their choice. A mature character develops several personality traits that govern their actions.
If players don’t go against their chosen ruler’s nature, then they can enjoy a relatively stress-free rule as long as they take care of anything else that needs addressing. However, if players must perform certain actions that go against the beliefs of the ruler, then they can accumulate stress and eventually have a mental breakdown if players aren’t paying attention.
