Summary
- Party-based RPGs excel when companions have clashing worldviews, adding depth and immersion.
- Games like GreedFall, Wasteland 3, and Pathfinder offer rich party dynamics through tension and unpredictability.
- Companions in RPGs like Divinity: Original Sin 2 and Dragon Age: Origins bring baggage and tension, reacting strongly to player choices.
Party-based RPGs shine brightest when their companions are more than just combat support. Having a group of people with clashing worldviews, difficult pasts, and unpredictable chemistry adds a level of immersion and enjoyment that can only be obtained with imperfection and unexpected events.
Many games feature party systems where the tension and camaraderie feel authentic, giving every ally a voice. That voice is one that often disagrees with the others, and sometimes questions the player’s leadership outright. But through this messiness, players get to experience some of the richest character dynamics in the entire genre.
The Most Punishing RPGs That Reward Careful Planning, Ranked
RPGs like Fear & Hunger, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, and Darkest Dungeon demand meticulous planning due to harsh penalties for mistakes.
8 GreedFall
Ideologies In Conflict Around The Campfire
GreedFall
- Released
- September 10, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Spiders
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
GreedFall assembles a group of companions from factions with deeply opposing worldviews. The party includes natives resisting colonial forces, missionaries defending a cause, and mercenaries chasing gold, all accompanying the player on diplomatic missions where harmony is rare. Their interactions evolve with the player’s choices, and each companion’s loyalty hinges on how well those political and personal lines are balanced. The party dynamic is constantly strained, turning even minor quests into opportunities for debate and dissent.
7 Wasteland 3
Rangers And Renegades Crammed Into A Single Party
Wasteland 3
- Released
- August 28, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- inXile entertainment
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Strategy
- Platform(s)
- PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Wasteland 3 leans into chaos with a customizable party that includes NPC recruits, robotic animals, and deeply flawed companions. These characters bring clashing ethics and unstable loyalty to the table, often reacting aggressively to moral decisions.
Each party member is engaging, with fully voiced lines, and can leave or turn hostile if pushed too far. Their unpredictable reactions and abrasive personalities help the player feel like they’re leading a group of survivors held together by necessity more than trust.
6 Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
An Unholy Alliance In A Holy War
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
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
In Pathfinder, the player commands a crusade against demonic forces, but the companions are anything but pure. From heretical clerics to sarcastic demons and traumatized idealists, the party includes some of the most unpredictable characters in the genre, leading to plenty of unexpected and sometimes funny moments.
The Best RPGs That Make You Feel Truly Heroic
Plenty of RPGs provide players with a wealth of choice and freedom, but these quests are positioned to make the player feel like a real hero.
Their personal arcs often conflict with the campaign’s goals, and their loyalty depends on how the player handles certain paths and moral decisions. The result is a volatile yet memorable mix of clashing personalities navigating divine stakes in the most ragtag way possible.
5 Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen
Custom Companions With Quirky AI
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
- Released
- April 23, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- Platform(s)
- Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Unlike most RPGs, Dragon’s Dogma uses a Pawn system where players create a main companion who travels with them, who evolves over time and becomes more than just a simple NPC. Additional pawns, borrowed from other players, come with their own behavior quirks, knowledge, and unpredictable traits, adding a level of depth and variety to the party.
This party doesn’t feature traditional dialogue arcs, but it builds a sense of personality through emergent behavior and travel banter. The misfit energy comes not from scripted tension, but from how oddly effective and strange the band of Pawns becomes throughout the journey.
4 Octopath Traveler 2
Eight Strangers Forced Into An Unlikely Friendship
Octopath Traveler 2
- Released
- February 24, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
Octopath Traveler 2 begins with eight separate protagonists, each with their own personal quest, origin story, and motivations. What sets the party dynamic apart is how different these characters are, from a noble knight and an eager young hunter, to a vengeful scholar and a morally gray thief. The result is a group that feels more coincidental than coordinated.
Although the party members do not always interact heavily in narrative cutscenes, their thematic contrast and mechanical interdependence create a compelling sense of a makeshift team. Each member carries the weight of their past, and players guide them through intersecting journeys that slowly build emotional resonance.
3 Divinity: Original Sin 2
A Traveling Circus Of Egos And Secrets
Divinity: Original Sin 2
- Released
- September 14, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
In Divinity: Original Sin 2, every companion has their own backstory, goals, and even playable origin arcs. Some are fugitives, others are literal undead. All come with secrets that shape how they view the world and each other, which heavily plays into their roles in the gameplay and the story.
The Best RPGs To Cure Your RPG Burnout
Even big RPG fans can have times where starting a new quest feels exhausting. These games should help you get back in the swing of things.
They argue constantly, sometimes refuse to work together, and have competing motivations. This makes the party dynamic feel unstable and rich with tension. They react strongly to player choices and even contemplate betrayal, creating an interesting feeling of connection to an otherwise fairly separate group of characters.
2 Dragon Age: Origins
Bonds Forged In Battle And Blood
Dragon Age: Origins
- Released
- November 3, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
Dragon Age: Origins thrives on assembling a group of warriors from wildly different backgrounds. A noble knight, a city elf, a golem, and a forest witch are just the beginning, each having baggage and pretty much never getting along with the rest of the group.
The party’s alignment clashes are central to the experience, with major decisions prompting sharp commentary and shifts in approval. Some companions may leave or turn against the player, making every interaction feel consequential in a fractured world at war. This can lead to numerous narrative shifts, both prompted and completely unexpected.
1 Baldur's Gate 3
Chaotic Allies Bound By Chance
Baldur's Gate 3
- Released
- August 3, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, macOS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Baldur’s Gate 3 nails the feeling of a tabletop party that could fall apart at any moment. The companions, many with traumatic pasts, curses, or supernatural afflictions, don’t shy away from confronting each other or the player at key moments, sharing plenty of their problems and praise in camp and in the open areas.
What begins as a group united by survival slowly evolves into something deeper or splinters completely, depending on player choices. From betrayal to romance, every interaction carries weight, making this one of the most reactive and character-rich parties in a modern RPG.
8 RPGs With Better Graphics Than Gameplay
RPGs often rely on both visuals and gameplay to hook players, but sometimes it’s the visuals doing the heavy lifting.