RPGs can be impenetrable to some. Those who cannot get into them cannot be blamed. Even on the shorter side, an RPG can run between 30 and 40 hours and they generally take several hours to throw you into the beef of the story. This makes it especially hard to recommend RPGs to people.

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However, if you can look past all the cracks and imperfections, the RPGs below reveal something more than worthwhile. Technical issues stop some of these from shining brightly, while other issues are baked into the design or either too old and lacking modern gameplay conveniences. But, despite their flaws, they're still loveable.

10 Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

Vampire-The-Masquerade-Bloodlines character in dialogue

This RPG was way ahead of its time, presenting a 3D RPG with in-depth character customization options and branching narrative paths way back in 2004. This was already after 2002's Morrowind, but it offers a more malleable world than the Bethesda game.

The developer perhaps bit off more than they could chew since the early days of the release were plagued with technical issues. Its cult classic status eventually led to a sequel being in development.

9 Alpha Protocol

Alpha Protocol game play
Alpha Protocol game play

Obsidian has always been darlings of the western RPG space, but not every one of its games has been universally beloved. Alpha Protocol has all the hallmarks of an Obsidian RPG, though much of the narrative goodness is brought down by wonky gameplay. The core combat is especially frustrating at first.

If you stick with it, the story will suck you in and probably end up becoming one of your favorite RPGs. Obsidian has recently found success with The Outer Worlds and its acquisition by Microsoft.

8 Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall

The Elder Scrolls Daggerfall Town full of People

The first Elder Scrolls game is particularly tough to get into, especially for modern gamers. That's why the second game, Daggerfall, is generally considered the timeless classic. It was the first game in the series to introduce elements distinguishing the Elder Scrolls series from other RPGs.

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The world is also absolutely massive and it would take you years to see everything. Whereas the newer games exchange size for detail, Daggerfall is an endless world to explore and live in.

7 Mass Effect

Mass effect one combat
Mass effect one combat

The first Mass Effect plays and feels a lot different than its sequels. The combat is generally clunkier, the UI is harder to navigate, and the Mako is an infamously unfun part of the adventure.

Still, if you are going to play Mass Effect you have to start with the beginning to make sure your choices matter throughout the trilogy. Fortunately, many of these problems were remedied with the recently released Mass Effect: Legendary Edition.

6 Cyberpunk 2077

Cyberpunk 2077 small man big mouth

This one is arguably the hardest sell. CD Projekt Red is hard at work fixing the myriad of technical issues and progressively making Cyberpunk 2077 more playable. The game even finally made its return to the PlayStation store.

Unfortunately, in its console state, the PS4 version is still missing numerous features. The main story is intriguing enough to go through, though. With the current state of the game, it's recommended to go through the story and ignore most of the side activities, for now.

5 Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Kingdom Come Deliverance battle scene

Kingdom Come: Deliverance distinguishes itself from other similar RPGs because of its historical setting. Its mechanics also go deeper into systems than most modern RPGs. While this is enough to turn people off in the first place, it also has some nasty technical issues.

Still, there is a deep world to get into for RPG aficionados. There may be a small history lesson as a bonus.

4 Fallout: New Vegas

Fallout: New Vegas Gun Combat

Obsidian Entertainment grew from the ashes of Interplay Entertainment, the makers of the original Fallout. It was only appropriate for them to make a 3D first-person Fallout, then.

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People often call New Vegas the best of the modern Fallout games. Unfortunately, it is also filled with bugs and glitches, especially on consoles. It easily has some of the best writing of the Fallout games, though, and it is worth contending with the glitches.

3 Wasteland 3

Wasteland 3 battlefield map

The Wasteland games are always massive and relatively slow by design. Wasteland 3 is the most accessible of the series, but even it takes hours to get going. If you generally play for an hour or so at a time, you'll probably only do a single battle or talk to a few NPCs in a sitting. There are also a lot of load times between areas when traveling.

But, the writing and the way the world changes depending on players' decisions are incredible and more impactful than most RPGs.

2 Final Fantasy 1

One of the protagonists stands outside a castle

The first Final Fantasy game is extremely basic. The story is bare-bones and the combat is simple. It still has a unique charm, however, and is a delight to go through. It's recommended that you play an updated version if you have the chance, particularly the 20th anniversary PSP release.

Just be aware of the abundance of random encounters you will have if you do play it. Any fan of the series owes it to themselves to see the series' origins.

1 Demon's Souls

Demon's Souls Cathedral

Demon's Souls is no doubt a timeless classic, but even its creator, Hidetaka Miyazaki, has admitted to having some doubt when talking about the game he directed. Interestingly enough, the PS5 remake of the PS3 game even retains a lot of the imperfections.

The classic FromSoftware difficulty is retained here and the levels are all ingrained into fans' memories, but there are also some incredible imbalances that can make the game either incredibly easy or unbearably hard for you. All the same, it is still incredibly fun and rewarding.

NEXT: PS1 RPGs With Mechanics That Were Way Ahead Of Their Time