When people think of RPG's, they most likely think of the popular fantasy games in the genre such as the phenomenal Dragon Age franchise, or the much-loved Skyrim. While most RPGs do tend to be based in fantasy, there are also role-playing games set on worlds of science and technology that embody all the tropes and elements of RPGs.
Titles such as Mass Effect and Knights of the Old Republic are giants of the genre, bringing players grandiose stories that they can play a part in and help shape in galaxies far, far away. These immersive games literally take players to another world.
8 Cyberpunk 2077
The studio behind The Witcher, one of the greatest fantasy RPGs of all time, CD Projekt Red were also the minds behind the dystopian RPG Cyberpunk 2077. Set in a fictionalized future in the fictional Night City, players assume the role of V, determining their gender, appearance, and backstory before they are thrust into the sci-fi world.
V becomes possessed with the soul of a dead celebrity through an implant, and must survive Johnny's attempts to kill them and take over their body while surviving all the other dangers of Night City, especially the corrupt mega-corporation Arasaka. Cyberpunk 2077 is a visual sci-fantasy feast for the eyes. It draws much inspiration from Bladerunner, with giant holographic advertisements lighting up the night sky, and neon grime on every street.
7 NieR: Automata
Based in the far-flung future in which humans have abandoned Earth to escape from the dangerous life-forms that now roam the planet, NieR: Automata provides a rich and imaginative sci-fi experience. Players initially assume the role of 2B, but during the story they will take on the roles of the two other main androids, 9S and A2. Androids are deployed to Earth to take down dangerous machine life forms so that one day, humans may return. They don't know that humans are already extinct.
Though players have a limited say in the outcome, the tale is so well-written with cores of tragedy, romance, and what it truly means to be human that it can be forgiven for its linear nature. However, NieR: Automata contains multiple hidden endings, mostly found by pure accident, that end the game in an abrupt and often humorous manner.
6 The Outer Worlds
Following the success of Fallout: New Vegas, fans clamored for more from Obsidian, which came in the form of The Outer Worlds. In a similar vein to the Fallout franchise, players can recruit various companions players throughout the course of the game. In this world of fiction and creatures, players even get their own version of VATS called TTD (tactical time dilation), which slows down time and allows the player to select what part of the body they want to shoot.
That's not to say The Outer Worlds is a Fallout copycat. It contains a unique world for the players to explore, with an original storyline. It tells the tale of an alternate history that results in mega-corporations running the globe and trying to expand their influence to other planets, tempting hundreds of people to set off into space with the promise of a new life, and fresh start among the stars.
5 Mass Effect Trilogy
The flagship title of sci-fi RPGs, the original Mass Effect trilogy holds a special place in the hearts of its fans. Players spend three games and hundreds of hours playing through Shepard's story, and have a strong hand in how it develops. They can choose how their story ends, and the events that occur along the way. Mass Effect is known for its rich lore and immersive storytelling that captures the hearts and minds of its audience.
Set in the future, humanity has discovered a special technology that allowed them to achieve FTL travel and explore the galaxy, discovering the other species they share the Milky Way with. The galaxy is invaded by ancient alien machine forms known as Reapers, that come to repeat a cyclical reaping of all advanced species, leaving one race alive to advance until the cycle repeats. Shepard works to unite all the Council Races and face the threat of the Reapers together.
4 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Before Dragon Age, there was Mass Effect. And before Mass Effect, there was Knights of the Old Republic. This RPG takes place in the sprawling and immersive world of the blockbuster Star Wars movie series, bringing bits of the lore, politics, creatures and locations into the games, to the delight of Star Wars fans. But, the game was a treat even for those who weren't massive fans of the franchise. KOTOR proved to be an incredible RPG with a lot of depth.
Taking place 4000 years prior to the rising of the Galactic Empire, the game deals with events such as the war against the Mandalorians, and the Sith launching an offensive attack against the Republic, resulting in the Jedi losing many to death or swearing allegiance to Malak. As with most RPGs, players can choose from a number of classes, spend experience to increase their skills, and romance certain NPCs.
3 Final Fantasy 8
Many Final Fantasy games straddle the line between fantasy and science-fiction, never leaning too hard to one particular side. Magic systems and dystopian worlds go hand-in-hand across the franchise, creating a wholly unique science/fantasy world filled with rich lore and unique story-telling.
Each game has some science fiction elements sprinkled in, with some particularly standout nods to the genre in Final Fantasy 8. The majority of the game involves mercenary academies known as the Gardens, which can be seen hovering above-land in thanks to the technology that allows them to hover. Not only that, a scene during the climax of the game involves two characters Rinao and Squall in astronaut suits, adrift in space.
2 System Shock 2
One of the earliest and greatest sci-fi RPGs, System Shock 2 enjoys a reputation of being innovative and the inspiration behind the Bioshock series. It provides an unforgettable experience tofans hoping to relive its glory in the remake. It bravely mixed science fiction role-playing with survival horror, yet the two combined seamlessly to create a fantastic game.
Players will roam through a near-empty space station overrun by hostile enemies that players can overcome with a variety of human and alien weapons. With many crew members aboard the ship infected with an ailment brought on by illegal cybernetics, the remaining survivor work together to try and eliminate those infected and hopefully escape from the ship alive and intact. Though the game's premise sounds simple, its lore is expanded through logs and noted scattered throughout that give players glimpses of the horrors of the world they are in.
1 Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Deus Ex: Human Revolution may not be the first game released in the series, but it does act as a prequel, set 25 years before the events of the first Deus Ex, in the year 2027. Already the world has been changed by the advancements of technology such as more reliable sources of green energy, cures for some of humanity's most debilitating diseases, and of course cybernetic enhancements.
Players assume the role of Adam Jensen, an ex-SWAT team member whose morals affect his job security, but ultimately land him a position as Security Manager at a company called Sarif Industries. The company is one day attacked by a group of augmented terrorists, resulting in the deaths of many workers, leading to a much larger conspiracy at work. The players will have a major hand in the events of Human Revolution, altering the course of the game and the ending.