Western RPG

The term "Western RPG" can be used in two different ways:

A Role Playing Game developed in the Western world, specifically North America and Europe.

Or a Role Playing Game following a style popularized by Western computer developers, which can be differentiated from Eastern RPGs by having several or more of the following features:


 * Usually made in North America or Europe.
 * Often released on the PC instead of on consoles (though recently they have been on both).
 * The game rules resemble (and are often licensed from) Tabletop RPGs such as Dungeons and Dragons.
 * Often has a Wide Open Sandbox game experience, but can be a Dungeon Crawler, or in recent years, a plot-based game focused on the Character Development of both the customized PC and the NPCs.
 * The main hero is generally customizable, and is more of a "blank slate" than a predetermined character. This bases the games more on actual role-playing.
 * Some non-boss encounters can be resolved (at least, in theory) without combat, through diplomacy or stealth.
 * The art style tends to be more "realistic" and "gritty" than in Eastern RPGs.
 * Usually enemies are fought on screen rather than cutting to a separate "battle screen".
 * Dice rolls are often visible, and stats are directly shown as they interact with the rules.
 * In the past they were often turn-based but now more action-based.
 * The difficulty factor is most often reduced from what would have been done in an Eastern RPG for various reasons including broader audience appeal (this is mostly true with the newer and more commercial games), though still targetted mainly towards a male audience.

Computer RPGs can have a flexible format. Some games are more like "dungeon crawlers" (a more forgiving version of Roguelikes), while some others are more akin to Hack and Slash with experience and levels. During the past decade, a number of Computer RPGs have also begun resembling Wide Open Sandbox games.

Some games created in the West transcend this genre and overlap with Console RPGs in terms of feel (such as Summoner, Sonic Chronicles and Anachronox) and this is reciprocated in Asia with games that utilize elements of dungeon crawlers and Roguelikes, which have become more popular in the East than they are in the West.


 * Adventure Quest
 * The Age of Decadence
 * Aidyn Chronicles
 * Allods series
 * Alpha Protocol
 * Alternate Reality
 * Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
 * Arx Fatalis
 * Avadon
 * Avatar
 * Baldurs Gate
 * Battleheart
 * The Bard's Tale: A Quest for Coin and Cleavage
 * The Bards Tale Trilogy
 * Betrayal at Krondor
 * Betrayal in Antara
 * Borderlands
 * Borderlands 2
 * Champions of Norrath
 * Class of Heroes
 * Darfur Is Dying
 * Darklands
 * Dark Heart of Uukrul
 * The Dark Spire (Made by a Japanese developer and a clone of Wizardry. Note that Wizardry remained popular and influential in Japan for far longer than in the USA.)
 * Darkstone
 * Dark Waters: A Game Mod for Neverwinter Nights 2 created by Adam Miller.
 * Dead State
 * Deliantra
 * Demons Souls (another Japanese example)
 * Dark Souls, the Spiritual Successor
 * Deus Ex
 * 2027
 * The Nameless Mod
 * Deus Ex Invisible War
 * Deus Ex Human Revolution
 * Diablo
 * Divine Divinity
 * Divinity 2
 * Dnd
 * Dragon Age: Origins
 * Dragon Age II
 * Dragon Fable
 * Dragonstomper
 * Drakensang
 * Dream World
 * Dungeon
 * Dungeon Lords
 * Dungeon Siege
 * The Elder Scrolls:
 * The Elder Scrolls Arena
 * The Elder Scrolls II Daggerfall
 * The Elder Scrolls III Morrowind
 * The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion
 * Nehrim (a fanmade total conversion)
 * The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim
 * Interesting NPCs (a fanmade NPC Game Mod)
 * Elvira
 * Epic Duel
 * Etrian Odyssey (another example by a Japanese developer)
 * Evil Islands
 * Excelsior Phase One Lysandia
 * Exile
 * Avernum
 * Eye of the Beholder
 * Fable
 * Fable I
 * Fable II
 * Fable III
 * Fallout
 * Fallout 1
 * Fallout 2
 * Fallout Van Buren (a canceled installment)
 * Fallout 3
 * Fallout: New Vegas
 * Final Vision
 * Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures
 * Freedom Force
 * Freedroid RPG, which is also Open Source and free.
 * A Game of Thrones Genesis
 * Geneforge
 * Gold Box by SSI
 * Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures (a game making tool for Gold Box-style games)
 * Gothic
 * Hellgate London: Owned now by a Korean game distributor, it's still defined by it's Western developers and influences, particularly Diablo.
 * Heroic Armies Marching
 * I of the Dragon
 * Icewind Dale
 * I Miss the Sunrise (freeware; blended with Eastern RPG)
 * Jade Empire
 * Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning
 * Kings Field Japanese example whose Spiritual Successor is Demon's Souls
 * Knights of the Old Republic
 * Legacy of the Ancients
 * Legend of Grimrock
 * Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader
 * Lands of Lore
 * The Longing Ribbon
 * Lord of the Rings The Third Age (Another western take on the JRPG)
 * The Magic Candle
 * Marvel Avengers Alliance
 * Mass Effect
 * Mass Effect 1
 * Mass Effect 2
 * Mass Effect 3
 * Mechquest
 * Might and Magic
 * Minecraft
 * Monster Arena
 * Mordor the Depths of Dejenol
 * Moria
 * Mount and Blade
 * The Last Days of the Third Age of Middle Earth
 * Neverwinter Nights
 * A Dance With Rogues (a popular fanmade module)
 * D 20 Modern Neverwinter Nights (a mod which adds modern and futuristic themed content for the Level Editor)
 * Neverwinter Nights 2
 * Neo Quest (Notable for being a PHP RPG on the Neopets Web site)
 * Neoquest II
 * Nox
 * Penny Arcade Adventures
 * Planescape: Torment


 * Planet Stronghold (An independent 2D game with many Western RPG elements, created by Winter Wolves with Ren'py, released for computers in February 2011.)


 * The Precursors
 * Realms of Arkania
 * Risen
 * Sid Meiers Pirates
 * Siege of Avalon
 * Stonekeep
 * Sudeki ,though it is modeled after Japanese JRPG's
 * Stick RPG
 * Summoner, though it has elements inspired by Eastern RPG and is something of an hybrid of the two.
 * Summoner 2, its action oriented sequel.
 * Superhero League of Hoboken
 * Task Maker
 * Telepath RPG (also a Tactical RPG made in Flash)
 * Servants of God
 * Temple of Elemental Evil
 * Throne of Darkness
 * Titan Quest
 * Two Worlds
 * Ultima
 * Ultima I
 * Ultima II
 * Ultima III
 * Ultima IV
 * Ultima V
 * Ultima VI
 * Ultima VII
 * Ultima VII Part II
 * Ultima Underworld
 * Ultima VIII
 * Ultima IX
 * Unterwegs in Duesterburg
 * Untold Legends
 * Vacant Sky
 * Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines
 * Vampire: The Masquerade Redemption
 * Venetica
 * Wasteland
 * Warp Force
 * The Witcher
 * The Witcher 2 Assassins of Kings
 * The Wizardry series
 * The You Testament