Key points
- RPGs like Diablo 4 and Monster Hunter focus on gameplay and loot rather than narrative.
- Some games, like Path of Exile, offer a deeper storyline for players to explore.
- Games like Pokemon Red and Blue prioritize simple gameplay mechanics and player enjoyment.
When people think about role-playing games, they often put narrative as one of the core principles. While a story and tradition must be present in some way, they are not always the main focus. The games below have a world and a narrative that players go through, but that's not what draws players in nor is it what keeps them engaged.
It's also important to note that some of these games have deep lore and stories hidden beneath the surface. What makes these particular games so great is how you can enjoy them purely for the gameplay, but also get so much more by immersing yourself in the environmental storytelling.
7 Diablo 4
It's all about the loot
Diablo's the influence on games is difficult to quantify. Whenever players come across loot, skill trees, and large numbers that pop out of enemies after dealing damage, they can feel the effect of the streak.
Four games in and there's a story and recurring characters, but the gameplay loop of continually searching for better gear is what keeps players hooked. Regular updates in Diablo 4 and the changes throughout the seasons also ensure that players will be around for years to come. The easy to access cooperative gameplay makes Diablo a great option for friends to play together.
6 Final fantasy
A simpler adventure than its sequels
As the series went on, the stories came in Final fantasy games have become more mature and have experimented with different themes with varying degrees of success. Going back to the first Final fantasy it might seem risky, but there is a charm in its simplicity.
Four warriors of light must defeat a great evil on earth. There is some time travel towards the end, but it's ultimately unimportant and doesn't explore relevant themes. More than thirty years after its original release, there's still plenty of value in the debut title that launched an epic franchise.
There are countless versions of the original game available. Pixel Remaster is the easiest to access on modern devices and consoles, but the PSP remake has a gorgeous art style that's worth tracking down
5 Fallout76
The original version didn't even have any NPCs
Fallout76 reduces the series' gameplay to crawling through dungeons and looting the shared world alone or with other players. There's a story and new missions are added in updates, but the real draw is building your character and base.
The community aspect also allows players to help each other in interesting ways. It's not uncommon to receive free items from complete strangers. If the gameplay wasn't worth diving into, it wouldn't have built a community in its early days, when the game world didn't even have NPCs.
4 Demon Souls
The world is extremely interesting, but that's not why players are here
FromSoftware continues to evolve the brand formula it started with Demon Souls. Thanks to the 2020 BluePoint remake that launched alongside the PS5, Demon Souls remains perfectly playable more than a decade after thrilling and dazzling gamers with its strange and obtuse gameplay.
Most people who beat it probably couldn't say exactly what it was, but that's not essential to enjoying the journey across the world. At the same time, it's helpful to know that there's a reason why players are there that adds value to the experience.
For how many people couldn't say what happened Demon Soulsthere are just as many who can go into minute detail describing the plot and lore.
3 Path of exile
Old-fashioned ARPG thrills
For those who think Diablo 3 AND 4 they are too streamlined and take away many choices in progression, Path of exile is here to bring some of the sensibilities of old-school action RPGs into the modern day. Path of exile it has a lot of content and it's all free, supported by cosmetic microtransactions.
There's a story but it's deliberately simple to start with. While some deeper ideas can be detected for those who want to dig deeper, this is never meant to get in the way of the deeper gameplay mechanics.
2 Monster Hunter: World
It doesn't really matter why players hunt monsters
Ask someone why they like it Monster Hunter and it's unlikely anyone will say “the story” and that's okay. Since the beginning of the series, it's always been about that cycle of killing monsters to get better gear and equipment that helps you kill even bigger monsters.
With Monster Hunter: World the series has opened up to a whole new audience while still satisfying hardcore fans. Although it is possible to tackle the game alone, the multiplayer component is there to allow friends to tackle particularly difficult hunts together.
Don't let a lack of focus on the story make it feel like the world isn't fully realized. The monster designs are impressive as are the other creatures that populate the environments.
1 Pokemon Red and Blue
Gotta get them all is the fundamental concept
Game Freak found a gold mine when it was made Pokemon Red and Blue and continues to return huge profits today. The premise of each game is simple and doesn't change dramatically between entries.
Players don't need much more incentive to train their best Pokemon team and face other trainers beyond the inherent fun of doing so. The alluring and varied Pokemon designs also help players form a bond with their creatures, something that is also effective on the original Game Boy with its primitive graphics.
