Summary
Games are synonymous with replayability, especially when those games arecustomizable RPGs. Thanks to the genre’s open-ended quest design, no two playthroughs of these games are the same, keeping the content of RPGs evergreen.
This topic celebrates this style of game, recommending different titles people can play, and then play again. That said, this list has forgone mentioning New Game+, which encompasses things like the Master Quest inZelda, since a list ranking new game+ versions could be an article of its own. (Spoilers forNier: AutomataandUndertalebelow!)
Starting with the most unique pick,Automataflips the script after finishing the game, changing the perspective from protagonist 2B to deuteragonist 9S. Though the plot through route B is mostly the same, playing as 9S changes the gameplay style and his character offers a unique perspective on the events of the story, wholly different from 2B’s.
And after that, there are still three more endings to keep gamers replaying. Ending C blindsides players with new content and new characters, marking the halfway point through the game, until Ending E - the true ending - is reached. However, gamers canstill discover bonus endingsfor F-Z if they choose to.
WhileDragon Agemight be considered typical BioWare RPG fare, what givesOriginsan edge over the sequels is its very own origin system. Not only are players free to choose from a human, elf, or dwarf form, but they can choose one of six backstories that associate with the avatar’s race and class.
Though the origin system has had its imitators, none have done it as successfully or as extensively asOrigins. Each origin is a two-hour-long prequel to the story to come, and the decisions made in these first few hours frequently dovetail back into the main plot, meaning players are at the very least guaranteed six wildly different playthroughs.
Toby Fox draws on the genre conventions of JRPGs to nudge players into finding the Pacifist ending after finishing the Neutral route. From here, most players would be satisfied with the “True Ending” that so many RPGs have, where everything becomes clear.
However, Toby Fox pulls off a double twist. There’s another ending beyond the Pacifist ending, which is a commentary on player agency, branching story choices, and violence in video games. It’s complete with a final boss that’s so iconic it’s eclipsed gaming culture itself. Readers already know him -he doesn’t need to be named!
To this day,New Vegasmight be one of the most open-ended RPGs ever created, rivaled only byBaldur’s Gate 3. Any RPG fan knows why this game is so replayable. Customizable characters, multiple factions, open-ended quest design, and a reactive open world are just some of the tricks that Obsidian’sNew Vegaspulls off.
It’s a game that rewards the player for exploring and engaging with its story. The more knowledge they acquire of the fictional world, the better it becomes. Special mention must go to the ingenious open-endedness of its main questline, which not only allows players to skip the tutorial but alsoskip half the gameif they so choose. This choice makes it so that experienced returning players can skip past the fluff of early-game quests.
Disco Elysiumoffers a more unique approach to replayability by embedding it within the game’s prose. For example, if the player’s avatar has invested points into physique, voices will chime in on the narration, encouraging the player to find a physical solution to a problem, while if the avatar has focused on intellect, more voices will chime in, offering a cerebral solution to the detective’s problem. No two read-throughs are going to be the same.
Its other strength is simple. The writing is so good that players will want to replay it anyway, searching for even a single line of new dialogue. While doing so, they might as well give the amnesiac detective a different set of skills,different types of thoughts, and perhaps even a different name.
TheMass EffectTrilogy is very specifically better on the second playthrough due to the paragon/renegade dichotomy. Instead of making lots of little choices, BioWare allows players to pick from two vastly different choices: paragon or renegade. Due to the way the skill system was set up, players had to commit to this decision too, meaning players were very often 100% paragon or 100% renegade.
Though this type of choice has been met with criticism, there’s no denying that paragon and renegade playthroughs feel distinctly different from one another. And, while replaying the game, players might as well choose to play as the other gender. And maybe evenpick a new romance option.
While it’s true thatCyberpunk 2077has anextensively customizable combat system, an origin system, and a lot of different choices, none of these things are truly unique toCyberpunk. Other RPGs have done this before. What makes it special is its redemption story.
For those who played it during its disastrous 2020 launch and replayed it duringPhantom Liberty’s 2023 release, this was the only game that is, unquestionably, better on the second playthrough. During the three-year time gap, its bugs were fixed, its combat was balanced, and wholly new content was added.Cyberpunk 2077is a testament to the best and worst games have to offer and provokes a grander question about the nature of editing art. Nowadays, people regardNew VegasandCyberpunk 2077as the greatest in their genre, but forget how buggy they were upon release. But, when critiquing the medium, should these events be forgotten?
