Complete List Of All ARPG Games

Off Topic What Else Are You Playing?
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Looking for new Action Role Playing Game games for personal computer has never been easy, and sometimes a bit frustrating for me. Looking at YouTube top lists of “the best ARPG games” which often include MMORPG and RPG games, websites which put The Elder Scrolls V - Skyrim, Divinity 2 - Ego Draconis as “top games similar to Titan Quest, or Grim Dawn, or Diablo”.

I have decided to do some research, using YouTube top lists, websites like official pages, Steam, Wikia, Wikipedia, game alternatives, etc. It took me few hours today to make it, but I finally did it.

This list consists of video games done in Action Role Playing Game style, which is often labeled as Hack ‘N’ Slash, or mislabeled as Dungeon Crawler, etc. The list itself is not the final one, and I would like your contribution to it as well. I always wanted to find an as accurate and complete as possible list of this game genre, so let’s make this happen. Tell me which ARPG games are missing on this list and what makes them one, and which one of the games should be removed from this list, with logical, constructive arguments.

Summed up definition of what makes an ARPG game, based on collective opinion of gamers and critics:
-ARPG - type of game with constant action (battle), less relying on story, dialogue and quests themselves, unlike a RPG game.
-3rd person camera, often with miniature characters, with or without dedicated camera rotation, with or without dedicated zoom.
-They are almost always point and click, but very few have keyboard movement WASD.
-Appearance customization may be limited, allowing change of very few character body parts, some games go with gender locked classes, or playing as already defined protagonist. Some may offer deeper character customization for more immersion, like a RPG game.
-You have prominent health and energy bars, prominent skill slots, skill tree, and experience points bar.
-You are free to choose your own class, freely invest points in skill trees provided by a mastery/class and freely choose to invest points in personal attributes.
-You choose your class, tend to make it viable and effective in combat on your own, and always look for good equipment/loot.
-Unlike in a RPG, where you deal with treats as individuals, opponents in an ARPG are regarded as a mob, not individuals.
-The game has mainly single player content, while multiplayer is an additional option, if it has one.
-The game may or may not require constant internet connection. If it does, and you don’t depend on other players during gameplay, and are able to play single player content, it makes it an ARPG, not a MMORPG.
-The game may be a fusion of an ARPG and other game genres, but the most dominant one is the ARPG element.
-May contain non-traditional features like rolling, jumping, maybe even manual block.

[u]List of Action Role Playing Game games in alphabetical order:[/u]

Bastion
Blade And Sword
Chronicon
Darkspore
Dawn Of Magic
Dawn Of Magic 2
Depths Of Peril
Diablo
Diablo II
Diablo III
Din’s Curse
Dungeon Siege
Dungeon Siege II
Dungeon Siege III
Fate
Fate – Undiscovered Legends
Fate – The Traitor Souls
Fate – The Cursed King
Five – Guardians Of David
FreedroidRPG
Grim Dawn
Guardians Of Ember
Hazen – The Dark Whispers
Hero Siege
Holyspirit
Iesabel
KingsRoad
Legend – Hand Of God
Lineage Eternal
Loki – Heroes Of Mythology
Lost Ark
Mage Knight - Apocalypse
Marvel Heroes
Nox
Path Of Exile
R.A.W. – Realms Of Ancient War
Sacred
Sacred 2 – Fallen Angel
ShadowFlare
Shadows – Heretic Kingdoms
Silverfall
Space Siege
The Incredible Adventures Of Van Helsing
The Incredible Adventures Of Van Helsing II
The Incredible Adventures Of Van Helsing III
The Mighty Quest For Epic Loot
Throne Of Darkness
Titan Quest – Immortal Throne
Torchlight
Torchlight II
Victor Vran
Vikings – Wolves Of Midgard
Warhammer 40,000 Inquisitor - Martyr
Wolcen – Lords Of Mayhem
Zombasite

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[u]UPDATE:[/u]

  1. III. 2017. Removed Beyond Divinity and Divine Divinity from the ARPG games list.
  2. III. 2017. Removed Sacred 3 from the ARPG games list.
  3. III. 2017. Removed Gauntlet from the ARPG games list.
  4. III. 2017. Added ShadowFlare to the ARPG games list.
  5. III. 2017. Removed Erebus - Travia Reborn from the ARPG games list.
  6. III. 2017. Added Warhammer 40,000 Inquisitor - Martyr to the ARPG games list.
  7. III. 2017. Removed Darkstone - Evil Reigns from the ARPG games list.
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[u]List of hybrid Action Role Playing Game games in alphabetical order:[/u]

Deathtrap
Drox Operative
Greed – Black Border
Hellgate - London
Kivi’s Underworld
Magicka
Magicka 2

[u]UPDATE:[/u]
04. III. 2017. Removed Legends Of Aethereus from the hybrid ARPG games list.
11. III. 2017. Removed The Bard’s Tale from the hybrid ARPG games list.
21. III. 2017. Removed Exanima from the hybrid ARPG games list.

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Would you include: Two Worlds 1 and 2? Dungeon Lords?

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Very nice list. I will definitely look into some of these!

You did forget Hellgate: London though! Although technically you can’t play it anymore :frowning:

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Read all my posts, and I’m sure you’ll find Hellgate - London there. Simple CTRL+F will do. :slight_smile:
Thanks for appreciating this list. :slight_smile:

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I used to play Dungeon Lords way back in the days… damn, I feel so old… as if it was more than 10 years ago… which probably is. XD
I can confirm the game is pure Role Playing Game, not an Action Role Playing Game. (I’ve never completed it, because I sucked at attribute points allocation. I didn’t understand the essence of RPG games back then.)

As for Two Worlds, I haven’t played that one, just like many from the lists above. What I can tell from YouTube footage and reviews, it’s similar to The Witcher and The Elder Scrolls, like a mix of the two, thus making it an RPG as well as Dungeon Lords.

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Just readed your opinion about arpg and then see Divine Divinity in it :rolleyes:

I dont know if you ever played that game, but this is purely RPG. There is absolutly nothing which i would call ARPG. Therefore, it was a milestone in storytelling and questsetup.
Beyond Divinity have lesser story, but its also not an ARPG.
The Bards Tale was also a classic RPG…from 1985.

At the other side, how comes that Hellgate:London is listed as hybrid?
That game was a real ARPG, pure Hack & Slay.

Dawn of Magic II is same like part I, with mainly arena-mode.
Sacred 3 is mainly an Arcade-Game.

one of the oldest H&S game:

Barbarian (also knowing as “Death Sword” or “Axe of Rage”) from Epyx

Some other hybrid games:

Prince of Qin
Seal of Evil (also knowing as “World of Qin”)
Deathtrap Dungeon

Missing also at the list:

Dark Souls

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Fair enough. I have never played it, but was looking at Google images and YouTube very superficially. This is not my opinion, but rather what things really are, so no need for rolling eyes. Will remove it from the list.

Checked it out more, true. Will be removed.

I meant The Bard’s Tale from 2004. I didn’t claim The Bard’s Tale 2004 was an ARPG, but a hybrid, mix between RPG and ARPG. Can you confirm that this one from 2004 is not even a hybrid? If so, will be removed. It’s not my fault there are no many YouTube footage of the gameplay. I used various top website lists looking for ARPG, and this is what happens. With this list I’m trying to avoid it, that’s why your contribution is welcome, as stated in my original post.

Because it’s like, let’s say, Grim Dawn played in The Witcher style. Mix of an ARPG and RPG.

Are you willing to elaborate more a bit, because this seems like an ARPG to me.

Elaborate more on this one, please. I’ve seen some comments and reviews from fans of the previous Sacred games, and are very negative about it. I just don’t want “I don’t like that game, because it’s not real Sacred, so it’s not an ARPG.” That’s why you should elaborate it. :slight_smile:


You could have said Mortal Kombat as well.

Aren’t these similar to Acranum and Baldur’s Gate… also similar to Divine Divinity and Beyond Divinity you just suggested I should remove?

Just no.

Totally not missing Dark Souls.
With that logic we are missing Dynasty Warriors, The Elder Scrolls IV - Oblivion, Dragon Age, etc.

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Played Hexen on the PlayStation about 20 years ago. Had plenty of hack and slash but honestly can’t remember if it had any roleplaying elements.

11

If this is what you are talking about, it screams Dungeon Crawler… maybe an RPG.

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I played this too, wasn’t it like Doom or Quake but with medieval weapons?

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Thats exactly what it was. Gauntlet-theme meets Doom/Duke Nukem gameplay. Also, I think I just want to clarify what Wishmaster seems to be looking for specifically are isometric hack and slash/diablo clone games, not quite “ARPG” which is quite a broad term for the genre nowadays.

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Well, i know the orginal from the 80’s, but not that from 2004.
I cant say anything about that, never played.

Hmm, thats sounds a bit strange for me. With that definition, only isometric games would be possible to be an “ARPG”?
Ok, someone could call Hellgate also as shooter, as dungeon-crawler etc.
But if we speak from dungeon-crawler, what is Diablo I+II then?

Think about it

Did i say that Dawn of Magic isnt an ARPG? I sayed only, that part II is exactly the same like part I, just with prefering Arena-Mode. :wink:

Ok, i will try it. I know also very well part I+II. Part III is very different from the older parts, it was mainly conole-based produced like an dungeon-crawler with alot of Arcade-mode.
Things like Loot, Character-classes and their developement, which is an important part of an ARPG, you will find in Sacred 3 not realy.
Mainly you go stage after stage and get after finished a stage points counted per time you cleared it…typically arcade-like.
Reminds me more at the old classic beat’em up-games.
The 2 parts before was more like Diablo-Style, also with alot of Eastereggs/Gimmicks.

Sure, today we speak about ARPG, an genre which was mainly born with Diablo I.
In the 80’s, there wasnt anything in that style, because it wasnt possible with machines like C64 / Amiga 500 / Atari ST etc.
“Action Games” at this period of time we would today call mainly as Beat’em Up or Sidescroller Games, sure.
Barabrian was not very different like Gauntlet (the classic one), just with the option you could someones head off (one of the best moves you could do in the game). A small green goblin comes in the screen and laught about that.
That part i would today call as pre-stage of H&S, but its surely different taste.

Did you play those? There are mainly surely RPG’s, but the story/questpart isnt such high. You are more fighting in that games as questing or reading, have options to craft gears, characterbuilding, loot etc.
Thats why i see this as hybrid.
Not many know those games realy, there wasnt very popular in western countries.
Also not well know was Throne of Darkness (a real D1-Clone in japanese style maded from the Schafer-Brothers, which was mainly involved at Diablo I+II). Ask 10 old Diablo-Gamer and 7-9 dont know that game…always funny.
You have it in your list and thats good.

Dynastry Warriors is more a tactical game, so far we mean the same.
Well, at this point you drop Dark Souls in same bowl with The Elder Scrolls,
i’m definitly sure our defintion what is ARPG and what not goes far away.
Diablo I was called as the birth of that genre, but this that mean that any ARPG should be in isometric viewing or shouldnt have new ideas, also from other genres?
How would you call Diablo III then? ARPG, MMORG?
I dont think so, otherwise we would today play just Pong.

15

Divine Divinity is not an ARPG? What?

And if you actually want to remove something, remove Sacred 3. That is definitely not an ARPG. It’s an arcade slasher, AND it actually says so in the game genre.

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What is at Divine Divinity an ARPG?

Ok, you fight here and there…but makes that an ARPG?
I dont think so, the main part of the game is storytelling, reading, questing, solving puzzles.
Its similar with Baldurs Gate/Planescape Tourment, where you also have fights, but mainly is the story in foreground.
Therefore, fights can be paused,strategic planed and set, typically features of RPG’s.
In Divinity 2 is a lot more action as in Divine/Beyond Divinity, but also this i would not call an ARPG.

17

No.

ARPG is a fairly modern sub-genre of RPG’s. It is a milennial thing, because before 2000 ARPG as a genre didn’t exist. Everything that has RPG with action is called ARPG ranging from Path of Exile/Grim Dawn all the way to Dark Souls and NioH.

ARPG has also their sub-genres. Isometric Hack and Slash RPG is one of them. This is a fairly old genre and is about games such as Diablo, Titan Quest, Grim Dawn and the like.

To make it more confusing ARPG also has the subset Hack and Slash RPG’s. Games that are not Isometric are hold stuff like Yaiba, Devil May Cry, Remember Me etc

Stuff like Baldur’s Gate, Divinity Original Sin are Isometric, but they’re not hack and slash. They’re classified not even as a part of the ARPG category. They fall under another sub-genre of RPG called Classic RPG. Modern releases in this are Pillars of Eternity, Tyranny and the recently released Numenera. The Bard’s Tale would fall in this category as well.

Stuff like Wizardry and the more modern Legend of Grim Rock are what you’d call Dungeon Crawlers.

The Elder Scrolls and modern interpretation of Fall Out games are not ARPG’s either. They fall under the RPG banner. But more the openworld/sandbox RPG subset.

Sacred 3 is more a sidescrolling brawler.

Hexen was an FPS with sword/magic instead of guns. Nothing RPG about Hexen. Just because it has a dark fantasy coating doesn’t make it an RPG.

-edit-
started playing Dragon Age Inquisition recently. Although it isn’t an ARPG it sure as hell plays like one. Unless you go to highest difficulty and use tactical turn based battle. On hard I just run through the game looking over the shoulder of my dwarf while pressing the 1-5 buttons for skills while clicking at opponents :stuck_out_tongue:

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Sacred 3 is essentially an arcade beat 'em up game. There’s really no character development, loot, skill points, gear equipping, or anything like that. You get some “gold” only at the end of each level which you can use to buy power-ups for the next mission. Otherwise there is no customization whatsoever. You just pick a character and mash the attack button.

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The Seiken Densetsu (Sword of Mana) serie, Secret of Evermore or Tales of Phantasia on SNES were already ARPG.
ARPG are RPG with “action” gameplay (pressing a button executes an attack instead of giving an order to attack).

It’s a beat them up.
ARPG and BTU are more and more difficult to differentiate as they add RPG elements to BTU.

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Exactly, that what ARPG means…action role play game.
It doesnt matter if its an modern or classic game, not if its 2D-isometric or modern 3D, also not if 1st or 3rd person or other camera-viewing.
The technical part was just a question of time and possibilities, nothing more.

The basic of those games is simple:

  • you jump into a role and follow straight there small and not very important story
    * a real RPG is basicly the same, but the story here is important to fill that role, also with a lot of questing. And often you can change your way in quests, have more questlines as such mainly 1 in typically ARPGs

  • you smash all in your way in realtime with simple clicking, those flow goes up to the end without any pause. The speed is very essential of an ARPG, otherwise there isnt that feeling.
    * again, in RPGs you do nearly the same, but never in such high flow, also with stops from quests, often you are able to pause a fight for tactics etc, and mostly you fight such against 1 opponent instead of groups like in mostly ARPGs

  • you grow up, you can develope your char with items (mainly as loot), skills, but most in a very simple way (click here and there…boom, finish).

  • again, RPGs do the same, but with much more micromanagement for specializing. That needs more time, in RPGs you have the time for that, in ARPGs not, otherwise you will lost the flow which is the goal to hold the player at an adrenalin-level to walk further.

Many modern games have alot of both parts (also mix other genre parts) in it and its not more very clear to define a correct genre for it.
Thats the way modern possibilities goes with upcoming technic (as example online-games, games where develope at different platforms, strategic games with more questparts etc), boundaries are more and more blurred.
And it isnt only at RPGs, its near at any genre.