Diving into a good RPG for a gamer is much like committing oneself to a good book. The idea is for players to lose themselves in these deep worlds of fantasy, science fiction, and even the modern-day. Perhaps more than any other genre, theRPGfeatures deep and meaningful worlds with characters that can become personal to the player.
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The beauty of a good RPG is its ability to draw the player in and allow them to discover a world or a universe for themselves that has its history and lore. The lore in a game can be accessed through in-game history books, codexes, diaries, conversations with NPCs, and more. Here are some of the bestWestern RPGs with in-depth lore.
Updated Jul 30, 2025 by Michael Llewellyn:The RPG, whether Westen or Japanese, can immerse players in their worlds like no other. In addition to having vast narratives that can last hundreds of hours, they allow the player to explore and discover more about the world at their own pace. Several RPGs use world-building established from tabletop games, books, movies, and more.
The video games can expand the universes and allow players to explore their favorite worlds, like Star Wars and Harry Potter. This list is updated to include more games with extensive lore and world-building that RPG fans will love.
14The Diablo Series
TheDiabloseries has a long history and a big fanbase thanks to its immersive universe and lore that fans love to delve into. It is a large part of why theDiabloseries is the most popular dungeon-crawling RPG series to date.
The series began in 1997 and continues with itsexpansive storytellingintoDiablo 4.There are books with important events that help connect all four games and their expansions. In addition to the cinematic cutscenes and the action onscreen, fans can discover tons of lore and information as they fight through the demon hordes.
13Hogwarts Legacy
TheHarry Potterfranchise spans books, films, and video games. This forms theWizarding World,a universe that rivalsStar WarsandTheLord of the Ringsin scope and success. This is what makesHogwarts Legacyso appealing to fans because it has an imaginative world that is already established.
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As a prequel, fans can explore Hogwarts in the late 1890s, learn more about its history, and even meet the ancestors of several well-known characters from theHarry Potterbooks and movies. For fans,Hogwarts Legacyis a dream come true as they can immerse themselves infamiliar locationsand settings from theHarry Potterbooks and films.
12The ELEX Series
Developed by Piranha Bytes, the same studio behind theGothicandRisenseries, theELEXgames are open-world RPGs that merge elements of science fiction and medieval settings. While the games can be janky compared to triple-A titles likeThe Witcher 3,the world-building and lore are outstanding.
There are history books, notes, and journals to find and read about the history ofELEX. It is believable and adds depth to an immersive world for players to explore and lose themselves in. There is much to uncover about the world and its history, like the cataclysmic comet and how people lived before it hit.
11The Pathfinder Series
Pathfinderis a tabletop RPG similar to theDungeons & Dragonsseries. As a result, the lore and scope of its world are the perfect backdrops for two epic RPGs based on the franchise.Pathfinder: KingmakerandPathfinder: Wrath of the Righteousplay similarly to classicCRPGs likeIcewind Daleand theBaldur’s Gateserieswith their isometric viewpoint and beautifully drawn backgrounds.
Both games can last the player at least 80 to 100 hours with branching choices and replay value. Moreover, there is a ton of lore and history to discover for fans to familiarize themselves with the world. ThePathfindergames convey the feeling of playing an epic campaign in a tabletop RPG without bewildering the players with information. The world is waiting to be discovered and offers one of the most immersive and replayable experiences in the RPG genre.
10The Deus Ex Series
TheDeus Exseries are action RPGs that first launched back in 2000. On a visual level, it was heavily inspired by theBlade Runnermovie. However, its narrative is driven by a similar kind of conspiracy and intrigue that tapped into the popularity of theX-FilesTV show. It is a series that fans of the cyberpunk genre should look into, and it certainlydeserves to make a comeback.
Four mainline games were released on consoles and PC, and two spin-off titles that launched on handheld devices. As a result, there is a lot of lore to tap into throughout the series. The games are littered with historical references and information to read and expand the backstory and events, bringing the world ofDeus Exto life.
9Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Released in 2018,Kingdom Come: Deliveranceis an open-world action RPG developed by Warhorse Studios. Its story takes place in 1403 Bohemia using historical settings. As a result, there is no magic, dragons, elves, or orcs, and the game makes every effort to be realistic as possible.
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Despite its real-world setting,Kingdom Come: Deliveranceuses a world-building technique similar toThe Elder Scrollsseries. It fleshes out its world with various lore books and stories that build upon the real-life history of Bohemia and the Holy Roman Empire.
8Divinity: Original Sin 2
A top-down tabletop-style RPG inspired by CRPG classics like theBaldur’s Gateseries,Divinity: Original Sin 2offers its players the same freedom and flexibility. The decisions and actions of the protagonist help mold the world around them as they make their way through the story.
All this would feel shallow if theDivinityseries did not already have such significant lore and a detailed, lived-in world to back it up. In addition to theOriginal Singames, they were preceded byDivine Divinity. Beyond Divinity,andDivinity 2.The series has a lot of lore for players to dive into, and there are a lot of in-game books and items for players to read up on.
7The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
Whether one is playingMorrowind,Oblivion,orSkyrim,The Elder Scrollsseries has always been about letting the player get lost in its worlds and creating a story of their own. The campaigns in these games have never been that complex, but the side content often has better-developed characters and narratives.
However, whereThe Elder Scrollsgames cannot be faulted is their ability to draw the player into their worlds with immense world-building and lore. There is never a shortage of history books andreferences to past titlesto read up on and characters to interact with. Fans of RPGs with vast worlds should dive into any ofThe Elder Scrollsgames, butSkyrimis the most accessible.
6The Dragon Age Series
When BioWare stopped developing theBaldur’s Gateseries for the PC, they set out to create a universe of their own. That universe was built around theDragon Ageseries. The three mainline titles,Dragon Age: Origins,Dragon Age 2,andDragon Age: Inquisition,take inspiration from dark fantasy likeA Song of Ice and FireoverThe Lord of the Rings.
As a result, there is a layered history centered around politics, religion, war, and tragedy. BioWare wanted to create a believable world to draw players in. Even the designs on the in-game currency have a story to tell. Even though the RPG is showing its age, fans should start withDragon Age: Origins.Itis a solid mix of old-school mechanics with newer modern perspectives and exploration.
5The Pillars Of Eternity Series
Released in 2015 and 2018, respectively,Pillars of EternityandPillars of Eternity 2: Deadfireare modern RPGs inspired by theBaldur’s Gateseries. The games were developed by Obsidian Entertainment, better known for their work onThe Outer Worlds, Fallout: New Vegas,andKnights of the Old Republic 2.ThePillarsgames use the classic isometric viewpoint with gorgeous pre-rendered backdrops and superb writing that fans of the CRPG will enjoy.
It is beautifully written and attainable through countless in-game books that can be discovered to back up its history, explaining the empires, races, and more. Its world-building is further achieved with the in-game narration and some of the best writing in the genre. The world of Eora is set to expand further asObsidian work onAvowed, an open-world RPG set in the same universe.
