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Action RPGs are often an easy way to get into the RPG genre. There’s not much reliance on outside knowledge, most systems are game specific and there’s enough tutorial sections to turn newbies into capable adventurers.
So if you’re looking to start your journey into some beginner-friendly action RPGs, you’re in the right place!
Action RPGs, as the name suggests, are focused on active real time combat (with occasional pause/slowdown). Most combat mechanics are explained at the beginning of the game, with easy enemies to practice as necessary ,meaning that developers often account for the players to be novices without much previous experience and slowly ramp up difficulty and challenge as players advance through the story.
It’s one of the advantages over more complex and highly stat-based CRPGs, which often required manuals to explain a lot of in-game concepts and basics. That and using a quicksave before any interaction with the world.
The games below achieved a lot of success with millions of players all over the world. From the design, quests, worldbuilding and of course accessibility. Here’s our top picks for new players to dive into!
A fantastic trilogy with a great story, stellar voice acting for every character (especially the protagonists and companions), a well crafted character customization, impressive worldbuilding and ease of access. It has some flaws but there’s no denying that Mass Effect is one of the best action RPG trilogy available.
As Commander Shepard, the player is tasked with saving the universe from a race of sentient machines known as the Reapers. Which is a lot harder, considering there’s no actual “proof” of the existence of this galaxy genocidal empire.
That’s of course just the “main quest” line and there’s a LOT of side content and various missions that are both tied to saving the galaxy or simply an interesting self contained quest.
A lot of exciting places to explore, enemies to shoot, characters to talk to and fun to be had! There’s a very handy difficulty slider to accommodate both newbies and veterans alike, perfect for anyone who has never played an RPG before.
As opposed to the Fallout 1 and Fallout 2 CRPGs, Fallout: New Vegas is an action RPG based on the same engine and Fallout 3 that allows either first or third person perspective.
After the completion of the intro, the player can begin his journey as the “Courier” and the process of character creation. There’s a choice of either manual creation or a questionnaire dialogue with Doc Mitchell’s to help new players decide on their preferred gameplay playstyle.
Once the process is complete, the starting town of Goodsprings serves as an amazing introduction for the players.
There’s an introduction to the choice of siding with opposing factions, basic controls and combat, dialogue with skill checks, lockpicking/hacking minigames, item/equipment usage, bartering system, virtually anything that will be expanded further can be found in this one single location.
It’s done very organically and can be completely ignored if the player wishes to simply move on somewhere else. On top of everything, the player gets one more chance to change his attributes and skills before heading out onto the open world of New Vegas.
It’s possibly the best place to start a journey into the Fallout universe for newcomers. For those who want more out of it, there’s a very active modding scene with plenty of changes and improvements.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is possibly one of the most recognised action RPGs in the world. It has a dedicated fanbase, with new mods being constantly produced by said fans.
The game itself is a lot easier to get into than the previous installments in the series, making it very accessible to new players, it doesn’t require any prior knowledge about the series in general and can be played as a “standalone”.
The initial tutorial sequence guides the player through the basic mechanics while they escape their near-execution after being saved by a well timed dragon attack.
The tutorial can feel a bit forced but it does a decent job in explaining basic concepts and after its completion the player is more than ready to start their journey into the open world of Skyrim.
Even the vanilla(unmodded) version of Skyrim offers a LOT of content to explore, from ancient tombs to bustling cities in a massive open world map. It’s probably best to follow the main story until dragonborn powers are acquired before completely ignoring it.
With an active modding community and modding tutorials available online (for modders and players), there's an incredible amount of content to satisfy both beginners and veterans alike. It’s hard not to recommend it for anyone, especially with the sheer volume of things to do.
Start Your Action-Packed RPG Adventure Today!
For anyone looking for some exciting adrenaline packed adventures in an amazing setting, action RPGs are a perfect choice. Most games in the genre are easily accessible for newcomers and don’t require much in terms of prior knowledge or any preparation before getting started.
That is not to say they don’t have well written stories or are only mindless brawling/shooting, far from it! Each game has its own unique story, characters and world to discover, giving players hours of fun and enjoyment.
So if you’re looking for some good time for your first action RPGs, definitely give the above titles a spin, they’re definitely worth it.
Action RPGs are often designed with new players in mind, with plenty of explanation and time to teach them the basic control and combat mechanics. With Soulslike subgenre being an exception, as it’s designed for the players to learn through experience with only basic information.
It’s best to choose a setting you’re most comfortable with. Whether it’s sci-fi, high fantasy or more grounded experience, it’s best to pick one that’s most interesting to you personally.
All the titles are available on both PC and most popular consoles.
While Mass Effect does benefit from playing previous titles to keep up with the story, it’s still possible to jump into any of the titles. Skyrim and Fallout: New Vegas can be treated as standalone games.
It depends, unmodded Skyrim can take 40+ hours, or 200+ for completionists. While the Mass Effect trilogy can vary between 50-80 hours and 100+ for completionists. Again it varies greatly.
