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Fans of dark fantasy RPGs have been eagerly awaiting the release of FromSoftware's Elden Ring and Activision Blizzard's Diablo 4. However, with Elden Ring's February 25 release date still weeks away and Diablo 4 still only rumored for 2023, players might be looking for something else to play - or to find their way back to some similar RPGs they still haven't finished. Here is a look at several dark fantasy RPG series that could scratch the itch.

Elden Ring, from Dark Souls developer FromSoftware, has been made in collaboration with George R.R. Martin, who has written the lore for the world for the game's setting. In contrast, Diablo 4 takes place in the established worlds of the Diablo series. While both games will make use of a variety of dark fantasy tropes, they will have vastly different gameplay styles and mechanics, meaning that those who can't wait to play them have a variety of different games that might appeal to them while they wait.

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Dark fantasy is a genre that provides complex worlds, darker, more heavy-handed art design, and morally grey characters. This genre lends itself perfectly to the creation of RPGs as the incorporation of horror elements in a fantasy setting works can elevate the design of quests and combat. These games aren't exactly like dense open-world spaces of Elden Ring or the deep character customization of Diablo 4, but they are all excellent examples of dark fantasy RPGs.

Elden Ring & Diablo Fans Should Explore The Lore-Rich Dragon Age Series

Dragon Age Origins - Mage Casting Spell

Bioware's Dragon Age series is set over three games, each focusing on individual storylines that interlink in the universe's grand design. The first game, Dragon Age: Origins, was released in 2009, winning Game of the Year and several Best Roleplaying awards. Dragon Age 2 followed in 2011, which was well-received by critics but less so by players. The latest installment, Dragon Age: Inquisition, was released in 2014 and also won several Game of the Year awards.

The Dragon Age games are set in Thedas, with each game taking place in a separate country of fantasy world. The series focuses on distinct world events and how the ongoing socio-political intrigue of various world leaders influence the world around them. The world events in question range from undead-like Darkspawn invading the impoverished country of Ferelden, to the rags-to-riches story of the Hawke family. In each game, players must gather a party of companions and set about saving the world in this story-rich setting.

Fans waiting for Elden Ring will find the themes in the Dragon Age series somewhat similar, albeit presented quite differently. FromSoftware and Bandai Namco have teased at Elden Ring's more abstracted themes of racism, politics, and citizenship in terms of the Tarnished and the Elden Lords, something that crops up regularly within the plot points of Dragon Age games. Fans of the Diablo series will note the familiar plot of brave heroes suffering to protect and save the world, while the Fade has some stylistic similarities, being a dream-like world where demons live.

Elden Ring Fans Should Play Through FromSoftware's Previous RPGs

A screenshot of Iron Keep from Dark Souls 2.

The Souls series from FromSoftware is made up of four games, starting with Demon Souls and continuing with the Dark Souls trilogy. Demon Souls takes place in the medieval fantasy kingdom of Boletaria and has the player trying to stop a demon-filled fog from taking over the entire kingdom. The Dark Souls games take place in two different kingdoms of their own world, Lordran and Lothric, and are linked through the central themes of fire, recurring choices, and the cycle of life and death.

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The storytelling of the Souls titles, and similar games like Bloodborne and Sekiro made by FromSoftware, is cleverly done through atmospheric environmental cues, which creates a fantastic ambiguous narrative for players to discover and understand in their own way. There are other games that do this, such as Salt and Sanctuary and Mortal Shell, but FromSoftware's auteur game director for Elden Ring, Hidetaka Miyazaki, arguably does it better than anyone. Players waiting for Elden Ring will find the Souls games to be excellent primers to the upcoming adventure if they haven't already played through them all, as FromSoftware's previous series appear to have heavily influenced the upcoming title. This influence will have both stylistic and gameplay impacts on Elden Ring, which is set to use a feature seen in Dark Souls 2 where players could equip two weapons and attack with both. Diablo fans will find the Souls games' deep lore, gameplay difficulty, and dark foreboding atmosphere equally familiar, despite the more obvious differences.

The Vast World Of Dragon's Dogma Has Similarities To Elden Ring's

Released in 2012 by Capcom Dragon's Dogma, the game opens with the player attempting to fight an ancient dragon attacking their village. The dragon promptly pulls out the player's heart and, rather graphically, eats it. The gameplay starts properly as the player is reborn as the Arisen, and after that, the plot is simple: defeat the ancient dragon who threatens to end the world.

Dragon's Dogma has at times been described in shorthand as an open-world Dark Souls game, which makes it a perfect choice for those wanting to pass the time until Elden Rings release. The fantasy world of Dragon's Dogma, called Gransys, borrows from classic fantasy and Tolkien, creating an interesting mixture of western RPG and JRPG differences. The world of Gransys is gorgeous and massive, and players could easily spend hours simply exploring. Dragon's Dogma introduced an interesting party system where the player uses AI-controlled characters called Pawns to aid them in battle and gather information on enemies.

Baldur's Gate 3 Offers A More Traditional D&D Dark Fantasy

baldurs gate 3 characters

Baldur's Gate 3 by Larian Studios is the third installment of the Dungeons & Dragons based Baldur's Gate series. The story of Baldur's Gate 3 has the player trying to stop a mind flayer invasion of the Forgotten Realms world of Faerûn, all while also trying to remove a parasite implanted in them which could turn the player's character into a mind flayer. The game itself is still in early access, with no firm date set for the full release of Baldur's Gate 3, but that hasn't stopped fans of the Baldur's Gate series from pouring hours into the unfinished version.

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Baldur's Gate 3, like the rest of the Baldur's Gate series, is firmly rooted in D&D both in terms of the setting but also game mechanics. With themes such as morality, inter-party conflict, and otherworldly tyrants, Baldur's Gate 3 allows the players massive amounts of freedom as they play. To a certain extent, players can choose if they want to be good or evil or how their characters solve problems.

Fans of the Diablo series might already be familiar with previous installments of the Baldur's Gate series, which also used an isometric perspective despite slower, more thoughtful gameplay, and could enjoy playing the first two Baldur's Gate games while waiting for Blizzard to release Diablo 4. While Baldur's Gate 3 has moved in the direction of a third-person perspective, Diablo fans will still find the darker atmosphere and lore compelling. Those waiting for Elden Ring will undoubtedly appreciate the depth of the lore throughout the series as well as Baldur's Gate 3 striking visual appearance.

The Witcher Series Is Darkly Beautiful Like Elden Ring & Diablo

Geralt battles a giant Fiend with fire in The Witcher III.

The Witcher series is made up of three games, each following the adventures of Geralt of Rivia, a gruff monster hunter with supernatural powers. Choices made by players impact the world as Geralt battles through monsters and political intrigue. The Witcher games are based on books, novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski.

The Witcher series is one of the best examples of dark fantasy. The series has won praise from critics and fans for handling darker topics and for showing the consequences of player actions, some of which aren't immediately apparent but come into play in later games. The Witcher series has several recurring themes, such as destiny, gender equality, and racial discrimination.

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The atmosphere found in The Witcher games, particularly The Witcher 3, is similar to that of the Diablo games with sometimes harsh imagery and a savvy use of bleakness in some design elements. While the plots and settings are vastly different, the two games both flood their environments with details to immerse players. Those looking forward to Elden Ring will find the open world and medieval fantasy settings of The Witcher games something to really sink their teeth into.

Path Of Exile Is A Must For Hardcore Diablo Fans

Path of Exile Grand Heist Rewards

Released by Grinding Gears Games, Path of Exile is an online dark fantasy RPG where players control the Exile in battling monsters and corrupt templars. Path of Exile was heavily influenced by the Diablo games, in particular Diablo 2, and it shows in everything from gameplay, build options, and even the user interface. Many areas in both Path of Exile and Diablo games are randomly generated, which gives both series massive replayability. Path of Exile drew inspiration from the Diablo series and has many classes for players to choose from as they venture into the unforgiving world of Oriath.

Dark fantasy is a fascinating genre that continues to provide players with story-rich worlds to explore. As Blizzard has delayed Diablo 4, fans of the series are left waiting and looking for something new to play. Hopefully, the games suggested here will help to fill the gap between the release of the highly anticipated Elden Ring and Diablo 4.

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