I have tried a ton of RPGs, and most just don’t click for me. Here are a few:

  • Skyrim - enjoyed Morrowind for the side content, Skyrim just felt empty
  • Chrono Trigger - enjoyed until about halfway through with the battle with Magus; felt very RNG dependent, or maybe I was under leveled; I bailed after 5 or so attempts that all ended the same way (healer got killed and everyone got picked off)
  • Pillars of Eternity - burned out somewhere in Act 2 (20-25 hours); combat system annoyed me, and I dislike picking new abilities
  • Banner Saga - story is great, but I hate the combat, so I bailed

Some things about me:

  • I don’t care about leveling up/character builds, it feels like a chore; abilities also don’t interest me
  • I hate grinding
  • using items feels like cheating, so I tend to just use character abilities (I will heal if needed); I’d rather “git gud” than buy and use items
  • turn based combat (tactics) is generally boring, but I do like puzzles, so that can make it acceptable
  • I don’t like the feeling of being OP, I want to struggle through the end
  • I don’t like loot

That said, here are a few that I’ve really enjoyed:

  • ARPGs like Ys and Zelda - items are rare or are tools in a puzzle-like system; favorites are Ys 1, Ys Origin, Zelda: A Link to the Past, and Zelda: Skyward Sword (probably because I played Skyward Sword recently); I dislike BotW, and Memories of Celceta has been dragging a bit (I’m near the end, but excited to finish)
  • interesting RPGs like Undertale - short and very unique experience
  • Souls-like games - challenge involving melee/dodging keeps me going
  • Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky - not a fan of the combat, but the story is interesting somewhat at least; I’m about 2/3 through I think (30 hours), but I’ve taken a multi-month break; likewise, Xenoblade Chronicles is interesting so far, but I’m not super excited about it (may bump down to story mode to get through it, the combat sucks imo)
  • Nier: Replicant - great story, leveling stayed out of the way, and I never felt like I needed to grind or upgrade gear

I really like the storylines of RPGs, I just don’t like actually playing them. Unfortunately, my preferred ARPG genre is filled with loot nonsense, and I’ve played most of the ones that don’t really on that as a mechanic. Perhaps my favorite RPG-adjacent game not mentioned already is Yakuza 0, I’m not a fan of the combat, but he story is amazing and the side content is fun.

Does anyone feel similarly? Do you have any suggestions for other games to try?

  • Floey@lemm.ee
    9·
    1 year ago

    Disco Elysium lacks grinding and battles but is very much a roleplaying game with a compelling story and characters (including those in your head).

    Crosscode is an ARPG which will certainly scratch that itch for Zelda like dungeons. Combat is skillful, but easy enough that you don’t have to grind out the best gear and levels, though there is the option to grind a lot if you were to want that. The story is also really nice.

    Crystal Project is the best JRPG I’ve played in a gameplay sense but it will require you to level classes and consider abilities. The reason I’d recommend it is because combat isn’t really just bigger numbers, end game combat encounters especially are like puzzles where you need to use the right tools in the right order. Also I’d say half the game is about exploration, the game embraces sequence breaking and going your own way, and has fun though occasionally frustrating voxel platforming. If you want a JRPG that is more story focused then I think Mario RPG is great, and you don’t have many choices to make as there are only like 5 characters / classes, it also has some voxel platforming and comedy.

    • burgundymyr@sh.itjust.works
      4·
      1 year ago

      Disco Elysium is the game that instantly came to mind. Basically all story that is brilliantly written with incredible voice acting. I hope OP checks it out.

      • lud@lemm.eeEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        I should play that someday. I played very little (I didn’t even leave the second location) until I forgot about it.

  • RobertoOberto@sh.itjust.works
    91·
    1 year ago

    If you’re into FPS games, here are a few suggestions that have RPG elements:

    • Deus Ex
    • Borderlands
    • Bioshock
    • FarCry (#3 and after have progression elements, not so much for earlier entries)
    • kurcatovium@lemm.eeEnglish
      7·
      1 year ago

      Borderlands is loot heavy (looter shooter) so it’s probably not the right game, but Bioshock on the other hand… highly recommended.

      I’d also add Dishonored and VtM: Bloodlines.

      • RobertoOberto@sh.itjust.works
        31·
        1 year ago

        I’ve heard BL described as a “looter shooter”, but found that I can mostly ignore the loot aspect. Like OP, I’m not a fan of grinding for special drops, managing a shitload of inventory items, or memorizing loot stats. I just play through the games, occasionally checking drops for something better than what I have, and moving right along. It never felt like a burden to me because I didn’t care about having the “best” gear.

    • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.worksOP
      3·
      1 year ago

      I couldn’t stand Borderlands, the first game felt like a loot fest and I bailed really early. There was pretty much no plot, just a bunch of fetch quests to get loot to upgrade stuff. I liked the humor at the start, but the core loop just didn’t click at all.

      I do like BioShock though, but I’m not very interested in the powers and whatnot.

      I’ll try Deus Ex, I hear it’s fantastic.

      • RobertoOberto@sh.itjust.works
        2·
        1 year ago

        If you don’t mind old shitty graphics and mechanics, start with the original Deus Ex. I played it when it first came out and it blew my little stupid mind. I still replay it once every couple of years. It really taught me what an art video games can be, which was totally new to me after growing up on Wolfenstein and Doom.

  • Macaroni_ninja@lemmy.world
    6·
    1 year ago

    Dragons Dogma - great action RPG, leveling up is automatic, you buy abilities and just assign them to your action slots. You can change vocations(classes) anytime without much penalty and it’s one of the few games where magic feels brutal and mages are super deadly, but all classes are fun to play.

    The combat is something between Dark Souls and Devil May Cry and you can interact with all monsters: climb on large enemies, grab smaller foes, grab flying mobs, etc

    The story is probably the weakest side, as it’s not very clear what is going on for a while, but once you piece stuff together it’s truly amazing, especially when you reach the endgame and beyond.

    You can pick it up for a few euros/dollars as it’s often on sale.

  • Shihali@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    4·
    1 year ago

    Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars might work. It’s going to be difficult (fear the spear) and you’ll want to use those items, but it is overall easier than Chrono Trigger. And it has a remake coming out soon with some system changes.

    Final Fantasy Mystic Quest was intended for your situation, but it’s balanced in all the ways you dislike.

    Otherwise, possibly the very easiest remakes of old games like the Final Fantasy 4 Pixel Remaster.

  • conrad82@lemmy.world
    3·
    1 year ago

    Have you looked into the Batman Arkham series? They have great stories, and feel kinda Zelda in that you get new tools as you progress. There are puzzles which I don’t always love, but maybe you do.

    There is combat, but you can play on easy. And you upgrade your skills, but it is not very crucial to the experience.

    And also maybe portal? Not very rpg, but environment changes as you progress.

    • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.worksOP
      1·
      1 year ago

      Yeah, I’ve played Arkham Asylum and started Arkham City (forget why I stopped), so I can confirm, it’s a great series.

      And I loved Portal. I have also played some similar games, like Magrunner (good puzzles, crappy story) and Relicta (good puzzles, try-hard story).

      • conrad82@lemmy.world
        2·
        1 year ago

        Nice!

        In my opinion, the arkham games got progressively better (except origins) - my favorite is Arkham Knight.

  • mister_newbie@sh.itjust.works
    52·
    1 year ago

    Try Sea of Stars, it scratches that Chrono Trigger classic RPG itch, while nearly completely eliminating the grinding. I got every achievement in it, and at no time did it feel like a slog.

    • Wanna get every item? There’s a feature that facilitates that, which lets you know what areas still need to be swept, near the endgame.

    • Feel like you’re not leveling fast enough? There’s an easily purchased in-game item to double XP (toggleable)

    • Only got time for short sessions? Save points are everywhere

    And yet, the game isn’t too easy, either.

    • QuiteQuickQum@lemmy.world
      1·
      1 year ago

      Beat it, finally, this week. Still have two achievements, but got the true ending+ and the… conversation with someone… had me choked up. I’m proud to have supported the studio.

      • mister_newbie@sh.itjust.works
        1·
        1 year ago

        Lemme guess on the two cheevos:

        “Bounce the 'rang 25 times”
        and
        “Equip a certain relic and do some boss fights”

        For the first, just find an enemy you fight CLOSE to and just button mash.

        For the second, it’s not hard, just do it on NG+ and start EARLY.

        Also, did you do the Kickstarter? If so, what’s your statue code, I’ll check you out – would share mine but don’t want to dox myself based on what i provided.

        • QuiteQuickQum@lemmy.world
          1·
          1 year ago

          Ding Ding! haha I’m sitting at 24/25 bounces. I’ll get around to those last two eventually. Apparently the Autumn Hills boss is great for the Moonerang.

          Not sure of my code, but just knowing a fellow fan fast scrolled past my name is enough for me. Cheers!

  • Ashtear@lemm.ee
    3·
    1 year ago

    For Chrono Trigger, that fight with Magus is a two-phase fight, and you’re not underleveled unless you can’t get through the second phase. Since you’re pinning it on RNG, it sounds like you didn’t make it to the second phase. The first phase is on the tactical (or puzzly) side and it’ll punish mistakes, which catches some players off guard. A change in party could possibly help too, depending on who you’re using. If Lucca’s in the party and you’re not using items, that fight’s probably going to give you a bad time.

    Anyway, my top recommendation based on these criteria is Terranigma. It’s an ARPG with a very basic equipment system and you can go through the game only using HP restore items. The difficulty curve is fairly tight, with just a notorious level requirement later in the game. Try not to be put off by the script; it’s messy in places due to a very small Western release, but the underlying story is great. You could also try its predecessor, Illusion of Gaia, which has fewer RPG mechanics (it’s more like a Zelda game).

    Other than that, I’d recommend trying to finish Trails in the Sky. Sky FC doesn’t show its hand until late. That–still ongoing–series is doing something with its story that isn’t being done elsewhere in RPGs, and it’s very rewarding if you can successfully connect with it. You’ll also probably enjoy the combat more later in the series.

    If on your Ys journey you haven’t made it to Oath in Felghana or Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, those are very popular in the fandom, and Ys VIII was a little bit of a breakout hit for the series for newcomers. Celceta isn’t very good.

  • Croquette@sh.itjust.works
    2·
    1 year ago

    If you like soulslike, I recommend The Surge and The Surge 2. Don’t need much grinding, the environments are nice and the combat is sharp.

  • CancerMancer@sh.itjust.works
    2·
    1 year ago

    A few games that I think you might like based on your post:
    Cult of the Lamb
    Dark Messiah Might and Magic
    Drake Hollow
    L.A. Noire?
    The Looker
    Pony Island (you like puzzles right?)
    Red Faction Guerilla
    The Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human

    Also metroidvanias as a genre are probably a good fit for you.

    • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.worksOP
      1·
      1 year ago

      Yeah, I’ve liked a few of the Metroidvanias I’ve tried, though I’m not a big fan of backtracking.

      I haven’t played anything from your list, so thanks! I’ll try a few out (I recently picked up Pony Island, so that’s on the short list).

  • pomodoro_longbreak@sh.itjust.works
    1·
    1 year ago

    Do you like cool lore? Detailed item descriptions? What about esoteric oddities that you interact with through text? How do you feel about choose-your-own-adventure books? Torment: Tides of Numenera might be the game for you.

    Also highly, highly recommend Disco Elysium, but someone already suggested that. I think you would love it.

    • sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.worksOP
      2·
      1 year ago

      I do like lore, and I used to love reading through the books in Morrowind and whatnot.

      However, I generally don’t like in-game items, and I hate managing inventory. Numbers going up isn’t interesting to me, nor do I much care how my character looks. I’m much more excited about interesting combat encounters, story progression, and lore, and almost everything else just feels like noise.

      choose your own adventure

      I get anxious about getting a “bad” ending (mostly I don’t want to have “wasted” all that time), so I usually avoid them. I almost always play games once, so I want to see as much of the content as I can the first time through.

      So here are some things I love about RPGs:

      • good story and deep lore
      • can pick different playstyles (spellcaster, knight, archer, etc)
      • interesting side quests

      And things I actively dislike:

      • inventory management
      • not being able to see all content in one playthrough
      • skill trees - I’d rather the game decide based on my class
      • grinding - esp in JRPGs

      My gold standard here is Ys Origin:

      • interesting, linear story
      • three playable characters with different play styles (and stories)
      • deep lore (esp when you play other games in the series)
      • no skill tree with new abilities unlocked as you go
      • minimal grinding
      • great boss fights

      I wish it had interesting side content, though other games in the series have that.

      I’ll definitely give Disco Elysium a try, and I’ve been recommended the other as well. Thanks for the help!