5 Nearly Perfect RPGs With 1 Fatal Flaw

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People usually highlight the strengths of games they enjoy, focusing on aspects like story, world-building, characters, or graphics. This often happens when fans are reluctant to offer criticism of games they love.

Even the most highly-regarded games usually have at least one weakness. Sometimes this flaw is small enough to not matter, overshadowed by everything the game does well. Other times, it’s a significant problem. Often, fans love a game so much they choose to ignore its flaws, insisting it’s perfect when ‘almost perfect’ would be more accurate.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was a huge success, even for players who hadn’t experienced the earlier games in the series. It wraps up the story of Geralt, focusing on his search for his adopted daughter, Ciri, and their fight against a dangerous enemy known as the Wild Hunt. While it continues storylines from previous games, it’s perfectly enjoyable for those new to the world.

CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher 3 was a significant improvement over their earlier games and most other large-scale RPGs available at the time. The game’s story and overall direction were dramatically better, allowing players to become deeply immersed in the complex political landscapes of Velen and Skellige – so much so that they could easily lose track of the main quest.

Despite being a fantastic game, The Witcher 3‘s combat is its weakest point. While it’s an improvement over the previous game and stays true to Geralt’s fighting style as described in the books, it can feel a bit stiff and unnatural, especially compared to more modern combat systems. The rise in popularity of challenging, precise combat – like that found in Soulslike games – has really highlighted this weakness in The Witcher 3*.

Even more than ten years after it came out, Dragon Age: Inquisition remains a peak achievement for BioWare, something they haven’t yet been able to replicate. As the third game in the Dragon Age series, it casts players as the Inquisitor, the only person who can stop a dangerous tear in the Fade from unleashing demons onto the world.

Compared to previous Dragon Age games, Inquisition is truly expansive. However, despite the large-scale threat and open-world environments, the game shines brightest in its personal moments. The characters are incredibly well-written, and players will likely form strong connections with their companions through both the main story and individual character quests.

There’s no question that Dragon Age: Inquisition deserved its Game of the Year awards. However, one major flaw was its reliance on repetitive, MMO-style sidequests. BioWare wasn’t experienced with that type of design at the time, and it was noticeable while playing the game.

Many of the side quests in the game feel repetitive, often just asking players to gather items or defeat a small number of enemies. The game is so large, though, that removing these quests wouldn’t significantly reduce the overall content.

Before the popular games Xenoblade and Xenosaga, there was Xenogears. This role-playing game for the original PlayStation was highly praised when it came out, and it was groundbreaking for tackling complex religious ideas. The game centers around Fei Fong Wong, a young man who embarks on a journey of self-discovery after piloting a massive robot to defend his city from an invasion.

Many classic Japanese role-playing games boasted compelling stories, but Xenogears distinguished itself with its science fiction setting and the inclusion of giant robots. While robot-focused games are more prevalent today, back then, they were unusual in story-rich titles, making Xenogears feel unique and memorable.

The battle system in the game was innovative, blending the well-known Active Time Battle system from Final Fantasy with a special AP system that allowed players to create powerful combos. However, one weakness of Xenogears compared to other games is its ending.

The game’s first part told a remarkable story, but the developers, led by Tetsuya Takahashi, ran out of time to finish everything. Rather than release an unfinished game, they used mostly text on the second disc to explain the rest of the plot. It’s still a great game, but an extra year of development could have made it truly exceptional.

Avowed is one of the many role-playing games Xbox has released recently. Developed by Obsidian, the game takes place in the world of their Pillars of Eternity series, which originally started as a Kickstarter project. Unlike the classic, traditional style of the original Pillars of Eternity, Avowed is a more modern fantasy game, giving Xbox a strong offering in that genre.

The game centers around an Envoy who has just arrived in the Living Lands, a previously unexplored region of the world of Eora. Their mission is to investigate a mysterious illness known as the “Dream Scourge.” During the 2025 Game Awards, Avowed was praised for its engaging exploration and combat. Players are rewarded for thoroughly exploring the world, with discoveries waiting around every corner.

The game’s combat is fantastic, offering a lot of ways to customize your character. You can create a truly unique playstyle, whether you prefer using two wands, a sword and shield, or something else entirely. No two players will likely build their character the same way, which is great!

While Avowed has potential, its characters prevent it from being truly great. The small cast isn’t well-developed – some characters lack even basic backstories or personal quests. They simply aren’t very interesting, making solo exploration more appealing than teaming up with them.

For many fans, the original Mass Effect trilogy represents the high point of sci-fi video games. The first two games are especially beloved, often considered among the best role-playing games of their time. They successfully captured the spirit of Star Trek for a new generation, proving that the concept of humans and aliens uniting to build a galactic community is a compelling and enduring theme, no matter the creator.

Mass Effect 3 is a fantastic continuation of the trilogy, improving on the strengths of the previous two games. Players once again take control of Commander Shepherd and their crew aboard the Normandy, battling the invading Reapers. The story continues, and players must complete quests to gather allies and give the galaxy a fighting chance against this overwhelming threat.

The biggest issue with Mass Effect 3 is its ending, which sparked a lot of debate among fans. While most of the game is well-loved, the ending doesn’t feel like your choices throughout the game actually have an impact. This is especially frustrating because BioWare emphasized that your decisions would matter and have consequences.

Furthermore, decisions made in previous games had lasting consequences. Fans were particularly disappointed with Mass Effect 3 because the three different endings felt too similar to each other.

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2026-02-23 19:12