Best RPGs With Unique Fantasy Races

Key Takeaways

Video games feature traditional fantasy races with unique spins to create diverse characters.
Games like Shadowrun and Divinity invent new lineups with unexpected cultural traits for races.
RPGs like Kenshi and Elder Scrolls provide races with distinct lore and backstories to enrich gameplay and lore variety.

As a seasoned gamer with years of fantasy world exploration under my belt, I must say that these three games – Arcanum, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, and Guild Wars 2 – have truly taken the concept of race and culture to new heights in their respective universes.

In a creative rephrasing: Enchanting fairies, ordinary people, ingenious dwarves, militaristic orcs, and cunning halflings are some of the mythical races frequently encountered in video games. These characters have been present since early programmers adapted their latest tabletop role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons, into binary code.

Instead of sticking to the traditional Tolkien-like characters, certain game developers have chosen to innovate by either giving their own unique twist to the formula or, in some instances, starting fresh. This can involve adding distinct elements to each race’s appearance, history, lore, or even designing a new cast from the ground up.

6 Shadowrun Returns

From Inhumane Cyberpunk Dystopia To Meta Human Cyberpunk Dystopia

In an alternate reality following a mysterious occurrence termed as the “Incomprehensible Genetic Phenomenon,” the inhabitants of this timeline began giving birth to offspring with traits similar to elves, dwarves (and subsequently orcs and trolls). This has resulted in the futuristic cyberpunk world of Shadowrun being populated by races that could easily be found in a game like The Lord of the Rings, yet these beings have been shaped and toughened by city life, corporate strife, and advanced technology. Meanwhile, mystical energies continue to resonate subtly in the background.

These races stand out due to their deep connection with (or deliberate disconnect from) the intricacies of contemporary life and its surprising fusion with magic. For instance, an elf might function as a corporate infiltrator or urban sorcerer, while a troll could serve as a professional bodyguard equipped with advanced cybernetic upgrades.

5 Divinity: Original Sin 2

The Classic Lineup With A Few Twists

In the captivating world of Divinity: Original Sin 2, I find myself among the familiar faces of elves, dwarves, and lizards, but their stories are far from ordinary. While humans seem to embody the typical medieval folk, these unique races come with distinct cultural nuances that set them apart. The elves, for instance, have a profound connection with nature, yet they practice an unsettling form of magic-infused cannibalism, consuming the flesh of their kin to absorb their memories and knowledge.

In the world of OS2, lizards construct a refined and intricately stratified society, steeped in custom and governance, markedly distinct from common reptilian or savage representations. On the other hand, dwarves – often pictured as tenacious miners with an inclination towards justice and equality in various games – thrive as sailors on the sea and skilled magic artisans. However, they inhabit a rigid class system, ruled by a powerful empress who hails from the matriarchy.

4 Kenshi

A Moon Of All Walks Of Life (Assuming They Haven’t Lost Their Legs)

Kenshi presents players an exploration into a post-cataclysmic lunar landscape, featuring unique species shaped by their harsh surroundings. This intense role-playing game showcases atypical characters such as the belligerent Shek, arthropod-like Hive, mechanical Skeletons, and the familiar helpless humans. Notably, all these entities share a common trait: they can sustain gruesome injuries leading to limb loss.

The Hive operates as a unified community, consisting of worker and warrior classes, offering a distinctive perspective on insect-like beings in fiction.

3 Arcanum: Of Steamworks And Magick Obscura

Tolkienesque Races Put Through The Paces Of Industry

One reason fantasy worlds may persist in a medieval state without technological advancements or social upheavals (perhaps initiated by tech-savvy dwarves or gnomes) might be due to magic outshining the advantages that steam-driven inventions could offer, and because of the constant turmoil and violence plaguing the land.

Nevertheless, Arcanum offers a setting reminiscent of Tolkien’s world, complete with various races, but instead, it experiences an industrial evolution.

In this world, elves, halflings, and half-orcs might appear familiar on the surface, yet it’s the impact of this steam-powered revolution on each culture that is truly intriguing. This is particularly so because magic and science are fundamentally incompatible here, both within the narrative and the gameplay mechanics. Elves are pushed to society’s margins, while dwarven craftsmanship becomes highly sought after by burgeoning business tycoons eager to increase their manufacturing output. Meanwhile, orcs and ogres find themselves unofficially enslaved by these same industrial leaders.

2 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim

The Fascinating Metaphysical Origins Of Tamriel’s Ten Races

The “Elder Scrolls” series has consistently aimed for broad audience appeal. At first glance, each race presents a standard fantasy stereotype – eloquent elves in High Elves, wild cat-people in the Khajiit or Argonians, and Vikings in the Nords. However, as players delve deeper into their histories, they find that each race harbors its own peculiarities. For instance, in “Skyrim”, the ancient Nord culture bears a closer resemblance to that of Ancient Egyptians than to actual Norse cultures, and their mystical beliefs, such as Shezar and the Old Gods, are much more intriguing than simply being reminiscent of Vikings.

There are questions as to whether the Wood Elves are technically elves. Meanwhile, the cat-like Khajiit could well be a missing member of the Mer family. Argonian lore involving their obscure and fascinating deities, the Hist Trees, is complex and raises many spiritual and existential questions, and the High Elves’ creation myth involving their ancestor gods being tricked into creation and enslavement to limitation may not be so mythic. Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls lore, from Daggerfall to Skyrim, would give even Tolkien a run for his money with its richness, and much of the series’ lore intricacies can be found in the veins of each of Tamriel’s races.

1 Guild Wars 2

Drawing From A Deeper Well Of Fantasy Conventions

Originally, only humans were playable characters in Guild Wars. However, in Guild Wars 2, ArenaNet expanded each race’s uniqueness while maintaining the archetypes. For instance, the Charr, a fearsome race that blends big-cat and demonic bull characteristics, are known for their destructive military culture and deadly machinery. On the other hand, the Sylvari, who resemble dryads but subvert expectations by being the world’s youngest and most innocent race. The humans, with their crumbling empires, now represent an ancient elf race, possessing divine magics and diverse cultures that span far and wide.

As a gamer, I’ve got to say, even the pint-sized Asura make quite an impact with their mind-blowing magical abilities, quirky automatons, and fancy jargon. But don’t let their size fool you; the Norn, who appear to be your typical hunter types, tap into the rarely seen shapeshifting giants theme, boast a unique spirit-based cosmology, and share an intriguing bond with the Kodan, the polar bear race. In the world of Guild Wars 2, they’ve gone above and beyond when it comes to breaking fantasy and MMO norms, and the diverse appearances and cultures of Tyria’s races are a testament to this effort.

2024-11-07 08:05