If you have just finished Baldur's Gate 3 and are looking for another RPG game to dive straight into without having to pay a lot for, we have 10 of the best you can get for under $30. Whether you are looking for an incredible story coupled with intense combat action or you just want engaging fantasy battles with plenty of monsters, you are sure to fit something to suit your playstyle and budget in the list below.
While some games are older than others without the high graphics and finesse we are used to these days, that's not to say they aren't as good. If you're looking to expand your D&D world or merely explore similar mechanics as seen in BG3, these are some of the best titles throughout the ages to sink even more hours into.
These Baldur's Gate 3 Pop Figures Come In Seven Magical Editions
Get your very own Baldur's Gate 3 custom pop figures and have the best collection of heroes in the Forgotten Realms.10. Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition
Buckle up and face plenty of challenges in the Forgotten Realms, one of the bestselling Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying games you can feast your eyes on. The enhanced version is packed with expansions, including Shadows of Undrentide and Hordes of the Underdark, as well as several premium modules, including the Forgotten Realms offerings of Pirates of the Sword Coast, Infinite Dungeons, and Wyvern Crown of Cormyr. A really worthwhile pickup for only $19.99 on Steam and $24.99 if you prefer to play it in handheld mode on the Nintendo Switch.
If you're looking for 100+ hours of fantasy adventures where you get to explore the primary setting of Baldur's Gate's Forgotten Realms, this is a perfect purchase for you. Just like BG3, players undertake a variety of side quests, some of which form storylines that span the entire game. You'll also make key choices in specific quests that can affect combat encounters, key plot points, and the outcome of the overarching story.
9. Dragon Age II: Ultimate Edition
Another one packed with goodies, the Ultimate Edition of Dragon Age 2 includes the base game and 3 expansions: The Exiled Prince, Legacy and Mark of the Assassin.Adventure into the world of Thedas and assume the role of Hawke, a human mage, rogue, or warrior who arrives in the city of Kirkwall as a lowly refugee.For under $30, Dragon Age 2 will see you engage in magic battles, epic adventures with pirates, and incredible fights against dragons.
As we anxiously await any news about when we can get our hands on Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, dipping back into the darkspawn-plagued land of Ferelden will make the agonizing wait a little more bearable. Of course, there are many Dragon Age titles you can pick up that may (or may not) be better, depending on whether you prefer the basic formula of Origins. DA2 is often stated as the "black sheep" of the franchise, but for under $30, it will see you fighting mages and assassins with a deeply complex combat system for, at least, 50 hours of blood-soaked RPG adventures.
8. Pillars of Eternity
Kicking off in the fantasy world of Eora, Pillars of Eternity by Obsidian Entertainment should be on your list to play if it's not already! Play as a Human, Aumaua, Dwarf, Elf, Godlike, or Orlan and take part in an enchanted world where the choices you make and the paths you choose shape your destiny.
Pillars of Eternity is a spiritual successor to the Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale series, along with Planescape: Torment, so naturally, this stellar game is making the cut for the best games to play if you enjoy BG3. From the golden era of RPGs with an isometric view, Pillars of Eternity is a worthy game that provides hours of fascinating gameplay, deeply fleshed-out characters, and a real-time pause combat system that will keep old-schoolers happy and newcomers more than satisfied.
For some further reading on the game, our lead news editor Jack Coleman explains why Pillars of Eternity is more of a successor to Baldur's Gate than Baldur's Gate 3.
7. Pathfinder: Kingmaker
From the developers Owlcat Games, who brought us Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader, Pathfinder: Kingmaker is a classic RPG experience in which players explore the Stolen Lands, a region that has been contested territory for centuries.Steam is currently offering Pathfinder: Kingmaker with 80% off, making it only $3.99!
Inspired by games like Baldur's Gate, Fallout 1 and 2 and Arcanum, Pathfinder: Kingmaker is the first isometric party-based computer RPG set in the Pathfinder fantasy universe where you build your very own kingdom by becoming a local lord, in which the choices you make affect the outcome of the gameplay as you become entangled in a world of political intrigue and adventure. Pathfinder: Kingmaker is one of the best cRPG experiences you can partake in with charismatic companions, an engaging combat system, a surprising story to unravel, and, best of all? You can currently pick it up for only $3.99.
6. Wasteland 2: Director's Cut
Think you're brave enough to take on the Wasteland's hellish landscape? In this turn-based and party-based role-playing game with tactical combat, you gear up and take on highly customizable characters in a post-apocalyptic world as a squad of Desert Rangers, tracking down mysterious radio broadcasts and hunting killers.
Fans of stat-heavy RPGs will love Wasteland 2's post-apocalyptic environment, especially if Fallout 4 is rated high on your fun meter. If RPGs with interesting NPCs, a great story coupled with plenty of dialogue options, and highly customizable characters are your jam, Wasteland 2 will set you up with hours of engaging gameplay. In the Director's Cut version, plenty of goodies are also included, like better graphics, customizing your squad with even more perks, the ability to fire on enemies and debilitate them with tactical attacks, and over 8,000 lines of new voice-over dialog added to the game's characters and companions.
If you need any more evidence on why you should pick up Wasteland 2, check out our review where we gave it a healthy 7.5/10.
5. Planescape: Torment
Yet another epic game that should have been on your list long before now if you love games like BG3. In truth, you should have played this one even before entering the world of the Forgotten Realms.This 1999 role-playing video game set in Sigil, a dark fantasy city at the heart of the Dungeons & Dragons multiverse, will see you defeat strange and alien creatures coupled with some of the best writing you have seen yet. Don't walk, but run to GOG right now and pick this one up for a steal at $3.99! Steam is also selling it for a decent price for what you experience for $19.99.
Although released 25 years ago, Planescape: Torment remains one of the best Dungeons and Dragons video games ever made. If you're one for prioritizing storytelling and player choice over combat encounters, Torment will more than satisfy and leave you engrossed in its writing even when you're not playing it. Taking on the role of The Nameless One, you journey through the city of Sigil and other planes to recover the memories of previous lives, and to uncover why you were made immortal in the first place.
The Enchanted Edition version includes modern features such as tab highlighting, area zooming, combat log, and quickloot. It's certainly a no-brainer to pick this one up at GOG for a measly $3.99. The game even made it to number 4 on our list of the best isometric RPGs.
4. Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition
This classic 2000 RPG from the Infinity Engine era operates on a similar basis to that of Baldur's Gate in that it incorporates a modified version of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition ruleset.Telling its story through its world, Icewind Dale sees your adventure party become enlisted as a caravan guard in the wake of strange events.
Just like Baldur's Gate 3, Icewind Dale allows you to play as a dwarf, elf, gnome, half-elf, human, or halfling and is suited to anyone looking for an action-packed role-playing game with a lot of depth, spending a lot of time fighting monsters and delving through dungeons. In the Enhanced Edition, players are treated to the classic campaign, improved graphics, two official expansions, new spells, plus quests cut from the original 2000 release. To make things even better, creating your own party is more fun due to all the subclasses added to the Enhanced Edition, so there are limitless customization options for your party.
3. Archaelund
Archaelund is a roleplaying game with deep roots in the classic RPG genre. If you loved the BG3 battle system, the game's fight sequences offers up the same mechanics in tactical turn-based motions from a top-down perspective.Get stuck into this first-person dungeon crawler with your adventuring party and uncover its many secrets.
In Archaelund, take your party of adventurers through a vast open world and explore until your heart is content. Along the way, uncover secrets and jump into conflicts or just pursue your own goals and discover what lies beyond the horizon. The career-based system allows you to create characters as either street ruffians, squires, hunters, or even beggars - eventually leveling you up to an advanced career perk like Knight, Loreseeker, Assassin, or Battlemage.
Currently, the game is in early access, but you can already tell by the hundreds of positive Steam comments that this one could indeed be something special. One of the comments that stood out couldn't give enough praise to Archaelund's overall gameplay: "To me, it feels solid already. Interesting character and party building, occasionally punishing difficulty, pleasant exploration, and rich setting".
2. Torchlight 2
A vibrant, fun, and, steampunky world, Torchlight 2 is the ultimate Hack and Slash game and one of the best ARPGHnS games to sink your time into.With four fun classes to take your pick from, you adventure on a quest to stop a villain who is using Ordrak's power to disturb the balance between the world's six elements.Unlike many games on this list, you have a choice to purchase Torchlight 2 from the PlayStation Store, Steam and the Nintendo eShop. The best deal currently is from the PS Store for only $3.99.
If you're looking for beautifully designed worlds packed with vibrant elements as well as fun and engaging battles, Torchlight 2 really is a delight. Exploring the sweeping overworld and multiple hub towns of Vilderan is such an enjoyable experience, especially when fighting through the in-game weather system that includes rain, snow, and a day and night cycle. Probably one of the most important integrations is how every level is randomized to ensure new layouts, paths, loot, and monsters every time you play. Thankfully, you don't have to wander alone as online and LAN multiplayer is available to really up the stakes with friends.
If you're a PlayStation owner, picking this game up via the PS Store for only $3.99 is probably one of the best and most budget choices you'll make this year. If you're still unsure, you can check out our 8/10 review where we called it a "charming and addictive adventure".
1. Guild Wars Trilogy
One of the best MMOs on the market, Guide Wars shines from its massive and atmospheric world to its addictive and engrossing gameplay.The Trilogy includes Guild Wars Factions and Nightfall into one great and affordable package that still takes center stage years after its initial release.
If you love MMORPGS with a succulent RPG fantasy edge, meaty battles and a good storyline, then Guild Wars Trilogy isn't one to miss. Guild Wars Trilogy combines Guild Wars Factions and Nightfall into one compelling player experience as you take on the vicious Charr on the continent of Tyria where the human kingdoms are under attack. With a range of classes to customize, weapons to acquire and an abundance of spells to master, Guide Wars is best played with like-minded friends who will turn even the most epic adventure into some of the best memories in gaming.
One of the many selling points of Guide Wars is that there are no subscription fees — meaning that when you buy the game and play online, you do so for free! It almost feels like stealing since its only $29 on Steam.
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