Summary
- First-person RPG combat has evolved from spell-slinging to looter-shooter mechanics, each offering immersive gameplay.
- Games like BioShock and Cyberpunk 2077 prove that a first-person perspective can enhance RPG thrills and intensity.
- Innovations in first-person zombie combat, intricate sword-fighting mechanics, and medieval warfare settings redefine RPG experiences.
Now that Avowed has been released, the gaming world's focus is back on the big-budget first-person RPG and how it has evolved and changed in its decades-long lifespan. Though it can be janky, it's hard to deny how immersive it can be when done right, even resulting in some of the most satisfying combat systems that RPGs have to offer.
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Whether it's slinging spells from one hand and blasting enemies with a machine gun in the other or a gritty realistic swordplay simulator, first-person RPGs have evolved a lot since their inception and have inspired loads of combat systems similar to the likes of Avowed.
9 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
The Way Of The Dovahkiin
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
- Released
- October 28, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
In the world of first-person RPGs, it's hard to overstate the immense impact of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, not only as the popular peak of the genre, but also as an early attempt to try and fix some of the problems with first-person RPG combat of being too floaty or easy. Skyrim tackled this challenge with novel quick select bars for consoles and a simplified mana system.
While Skyrim only succeeds somewhat in fixing these problems, the influence it has over every RPG after its release can't be understated, including Avowed. Despite the shaky combat system, its sheer long-standing popularity demonstrates that the first-person perspective may just be enough to plaster over the problems.
8 BioShock
Plasmid Power
BioShock
- Released
- August 21, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Though its RPG elements are light, BioShock's lineage is clearly seen in the System Shock games that embraced the snappy first-person gameplay of DOOM and deftly mixed it with the RPG and the burgeoning immersive sim genre. What resulted was critically acclaimed and laid the foundations for BioShock, one of the best games ever made.
Sent down to the underwater city of Rapture, players must survive the horrors of those citizens who remain in the decaying city with a variety of plasmids in one hand (essentially magical abilities), as well as the biggest guns possible in the other. It's a really tactile and punchy gameplay experience that holds up surprisingly well to this day.
7 Borderlands 3
Pandora's Box
Borderlands 3
- Released
- September 13, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
Though the Borderlands franchise has become a touch divisive, particularly since this third entry, it's hard to deny that few other RPG games have nailed the looter-shooter first-person formula quite as well as Borderlands, with genuinely satisfying combat mixed with RPG elements.
With an arsenal full of weird and wonderful guns, Borderlands 3 places players into high-octane combat zones where a prudent mix of grenades, guns, character-specific abilities, and stat combos are key to success. When the game's at its best, all elements mix into a satisfying feedback loop that has rarely been surpassed in its field (though, admittedly, despite having clunkier combat, some of the other Borderlands games are better).
6 Dead Island 2
Sun-Soaked Slashing
Dead Island 2
- Released
- April 21, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
In the world of survival RPGs, first-person combat has become one of the most popular ways of making the humble zombie appear scary again, particularly if the player only has a humble pipe or stick to try and beat them away with. The original Dead Island pioneered it, Dying Light mixed it with parkour, and Dead Island 2 came back after a lot of gestation to deliver the platonic ideal of this combat system.
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Carefully managing stamina bars, weapon durability, upgrades, abilities, and effectiveness against different combat situations, Dead Island 2 is a great example of how to hone a simple idea into a great first-person RPG experience, making the experience of first-person combat as tactile as possible.
5 Cyberpunk 2077
Night City Nadir
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
When Cyberpunk 2077 was first confirmed to be first-person, there was no shortage of concern and controversy about whether that would work. Though Cyberpunk 2077 launched in a rough state, its modern iteration is strong, and the choice of a first-person perspective has finally been vindicated.
Taking a ground-level view of Night City, players can use guns, swords, and their cyberware (often a mix of all three) to cut through Night City's fearsome gangs in a satisfying mix of old-school RPG damage-dealing and first-person intensity. At its best, Cyberpunk 2077 proves that players don't need a top-down tabletop perspective to experience the tactile thrills of the original TTRPG.
4 Dying Light 2
Kung-Fu Counters Zombies
Dying Light 2 Stay Human
- Released
- February 4, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
Dead Island undoubtedly popularized the first-person zombie combat that many others would adopt in time, but Techland innovated that gameplay further into the world of parkour with Dying Light, which somehow pulled off the hybrid of zombie survival action with Mirror's Edge- style parkour.
Dying Light 2 expanded on the core concepts further, introducing massive skyscrapers, parachutes, and ever-wilder traversal abilities, all while iterating upon solid zombie combat infused with greater agility. Dying Light 2 shows how speed isn't necessarily detrimental to coherency in first-person RPG combat.
3 Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
The Skaltiz Swordsman
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Released
- February 4, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Action-Adventure, Open-World
The first Kingdom Come: Deliverance raised eyebrows for a host of reasons, particularly due to its strict adherence to realism. However, its strange but unique combat style designed to imitate actual swordfighting proved controversial, but ultimately influential.
When players square up against an enemy, the direction of their cursor or joystick places their weapon in six different stances from which they can defend or attack, chaining different stances into combos while managing a stamina meter and the enemy's fighting style. It's tricky to get to grips with, but there's a real sense of mastery that arises. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 iterates on this idea even further, deepening the combat where it works, eliminating some of the unnecessary jank, and implementing a whole host of new and fearsome longswords.
2 Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord
Ultimate Medieval Combat Fantasy
Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord
- Released
- October 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Strategy
Some games are so determined to fill their particular niche that they don't even try to compete with their peers. So it goes with Mount and Blade 2: Bannerlord, where players take control of the head of a new mercenary group ready and willing to sell their martial services to the various kingdoms of the world.
Though the game can be played in third-person, the first-person perspective gives gaming's most realistic view of what medieval warfare actually looked like, warts and all. Though a little clumsy, the game is unparalleled in its particular niche, and will no doubt be influential in RPGs to come.
1 Dark Messiah Of Might And Magic
First-Person RPG Combat Perfected
Dark Messiah Of Might And Magic
- Released
- October 24, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Partial Nudity
Though Dark Messiah of Might and Magic may have dropped off the radar in mainstream gaming circles, OG PC gamers know the rancour this game caused when it first released, preceding the boom of first-person RPGs by some time, and in many ways remaining unsurpassed.
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In the dark fantasy world of the game, players take on the role of Sareth, a wizard apprentice. They make their way through the city of Stonehelm to cut through hordes of baddies with incredibly punchy melee combat, satisfying spell-slinging, and a kick so powerful that it remains one of the best combat mechanics ever introduced into video games.
Avowed
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 80 /100 Critics Rec: 82%
- Released
- February 18, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Obsidian Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Xbox Game Studios
