Summary
- Western RPGs like Kingdom Come: Deliverance provide satisfying challenges and immersive progression loops.
- Games like Gothic and Divinity: Original Sin 2 offer tough combat and require strategic progression.
- Titles like The Age of Decadence and Fear & Hunger provide intense difficulty, making every decision crucial.
Western RPGs are always in demand. The success of games like Baldur's Gate 3 has made it clear that fans are willing to throw their wallet at epic games that take them on wild adventures with a satisfying progression loop.
As appealing as it may be to make these role-playing games appealing to everyone, there's a certain level of challenge fans will always love. This is why some people love to check out Western RPGs that take them seriously and encourage them to explore the game's many systems.
8 Kingdom Come: Deliverance
The Combat Is Ridiculously Hard Early On
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
- Released
- February 13, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Kingdom Come: Deliverance felt like a breath of fresh air, sticking to a realistic medieval setting where players are a blacksmith's son with little to no fighting talent. They must rise from nothing to become a soldier powerful enough to take on multiple bandits without dying.
Unlike the sequel, combat is finicky when players need to deal with more than one foe. This can make for a tough time, especially since the game limits saves and can force players into life-or-death situations with frustrating end results if they fail to survive against an ambush when all they wanted to do was fast travel from one location to another.
7 Gothic
The Nameless Hero Can Be Taken Out By The Weakest Enemies Early On
Gothic
- Released
- November 23, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Gothic makes it clear that the Nameless Hero is a pathetic wretch when he's dumped into the game's massive prison. He can only take on weak foes one by one, with anyone other than a lowly Scavenger taking them out in a flash.
This makes it important for players to reach a camp and use the services of experts to become stronger. It's an immersive way to gain levels and ensures that players will enjoy a satisfying progression loop as they're finally able to take on tougher foes to gain more experience.
6 Divinity: Original Sin 2
Managing Physical And Magical Armour Is Way Harder Than Fans Would Expect
Divinity: Original Sin 2
- Released
- September 14, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
Larian Studios has never stopped growing, with their work on the lauded Divinity: Original Sin marking the start of something special. The sequel featured more balanced combat and tougher progression, making every fight a tense affair for players who must come to grips with how the combat system works.
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Original Sin 2's focus on Physical and Magical Armor means that players must deplete these numbers before finally being able to pepper enemies with status effects. The same applies to the party, and there's nothing more frustrating than being a few levels behind on expensive equipment and struggling to come out victorious against regular foes.
5 The Age Of Decadence
A Hardcore, Old-School CRPG That Takes No Prisoners
Age of Decadence
- Released
- October 14, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- Indie Games, Tactical, RPG
- Platform(s)
- Microsoft Windows
Those looking for an old-school CRPG will find The Age of Decadence to be right up their alley. The game tries to let players develop a character they want who isn't restricted by their class, but poor skill point allocation is punished later on.
Players must be wary in the game's turn-based combat system and use appropriate strategies to come out victorious. Early-game combat can be frustrating until things finally click and players find themselves enjoying the role-playing qualities of this great title.
4 Pathfinder: Wrath Of The Righteous
Expects Players To Have Prior Knowledge Of Tabletop RPGs
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
- Released
- September 2, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Owlcat Games
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
There's no shame in playing the Pathfinder games on lower difficulties. Both Wrath of the Righteous and its predecessor assume that players have an understanding of how tabletop RPGs work.
Without this knowledge, players must learn on the fly, which can lead to frustrating combat scenarios where the party is obliterated, and they have no idea why this is the case. The learning curve of this game is steep but well worth enduring for players who want to enjoy a rewarding Western RPG that challenges them every step of the way.
3 Darkest Dungeon
The Turn-Based Combat Is Ridiculously Hard
Darkest Dungeon
- Released
- January 19, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
The oppressive difficulty of Darkest Dungeon is baked into everything from its mechanics to its story. Players will always fight against the odds, risking the chance of their heroes being traumatized with every foray into a dungeon as they face one nightmarish foe after another.
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Slow and steady wins the race, which is why players can be frustrated early on when they try to reach the end of a dungeon, only to be handily defeated by the array of powerful enemies standing in their way. Knowing when to stop dungeon crawling is just as important as the strategies players implement in this hard-as-nails turn-based RPG.
2 UnderRail
A Single Mistake Can Be Deadly In This Hard RPG
UnderRail
- Released
- December 18, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
UnderRail is the perfect game for fans of the original Fallout games. It embodies the spirit of these CRPGs, all the way down to the bleak setting and the oppressive difficulty.
Players who stray from the beaten path in UnderRail will realize why the game encourages them to stick to their lane. Every combat encounter is extremely challenging early on, but players who understand how this title works can manipulate its systems to great effect. Players should keep in mind that this will take some time, and it's natural to struggle when they begin their journey in UnderRail.
1 Fear & Hunger
The Game Is Tailored Around Numerous Difficult Situations That Players Must Overcome
Fear & Hunger
- Released
- December 11, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Fear & Hunger is a game that will beat players down with its intense difficulty. Every run is a learning experience as players make valuable progress, only for an errant encounter to spell the end of their journey.
This leads to a refreshing sense of tension in each run as players struggle to make it to the end of a horrifying adventure with elements of cosmic horror. The difficulty of Fear & Hunger makes it one of the hardest turn-based RPGs players can get their hands on, but the experience is more than worthwhile.
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