games i would describe as epic
not like in the ironic way or the Epic Games Store way but like the Iliad and the Odyssey. writeups are in the notes for each game
sometimes i'll put a series of games here if it makes thematic sense to play them in order for it to be truly "epic"
apologies if i don't include something that seems obvious, i'm only putting games i've completed here
sometimes i'll put a series of games here if it makes thematic sense to play them in order for it to be truly "epic"
apologies if i don't include something that seems obvious, i'm only putting games i've completed here
13 Games
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I don't really have a big writeup for this one. It's just a massive, massive world that you can explore for triple digit hours without treading new ground. Very mysterious (and somewhat polarizing, though that's outside the scope of this list) storytelling adds a sense of wonder to spice up the setting.
Admittedly, I'm not huge on this game. It's very flawed, but I can't really say it's bad due to just how impressive it is. It's seriously difficult to even recount my own playthrough of this game just because of how long it was and how many locations I visited along the way, and I still managed to miss several optional areas.
Admittedly, I'm not huge on this game. It's very flawed, but I can't really say it's bad due to just how impressive it is. It's seriously difficult to even recount my own playthrough of this game just because of how long it was and how many locations I visited along the way, and I still managed to miss several optional areas.
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Not epic in its own right, but if you play this and then Fallout 2 it makes for a truly "epic" tale. A bit too short and skeletal to be epic on its own. Lays the foundation for the story in the next game in a very unique way.
Extra Note: I didn't put the other Fallout titles in this list (except NV) for two reasons: One, none of them are epic on their own. Two, they're far too separate from each other narratively and geographically to "add up" to feeling like an Epic.
Not epic in its own right, but if you play this and then Fallout 2 it makes for a truly "epic" tale. A bit too short and skeletal to be epic on its own. Lays the foundation for the story in the next game in a very unique way.
Extra Note: I didn't put the other Fallout titles in this list (except NV) for two reasons: One, none of them are epic on their own. Two, they're far too separate from each other narratively and geographically to "add up" to feeling like an Epic.
Epic whether or not you play the first game beforehand. It took me about 50 hours to beat this game, and I can confidently say that it has about as much content as a good modern sandbox RPG. Impressive considering this game came out in the 90's, and all of the content is better spread out and more interesting than the other entries in the series. It makes you feel like you're truly taking a vast journey across a post-nuclear wasteland, and you are just one little pebble that changes its destiny forever.
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Caveat: This is assuming all DLC is included. I wouldn't call the vanilla game alone "Epic." You could also say this is a somewhat fitting successor to Fallout 1 and 2, though it's not as closely tied together as those games.
I almost decided to leave this one off the list. The vanilla game, as well-written as it is, is a bit... Limited? I mean, yeah, it's good, but it's also compact. I found myself spending the majority of my time in and around Vegas itself, which constitutes a pretty large share of the map. The devs even had to resort to guiding players along a more circular path rather than a straight line with the whole deathclaw thing. If you just focus on the main story, you can probably beat it in around 20-30 hours on your first playthrough.
What really makes this one feel epic is the DLC. If you play a bit of Vanilla (let's say, to level 15 or 20 ish) and then do the DLC in an order that makes sense (just make sure Lonesome Road is last) then New Vegas goes from a compact, great little story to being a pretty varied and sprawling experience. The amount of insane shit this lowly courier sees on his journey is legendary, and it all ties into the main narrative.
I almost decided to leave this one off the list. The vanilla game, as well-written as it is, is a bit... Limited? I mean, yeah, it's good, but it's also compact. I found myself spending the majority of my time in and around Vegas itself, which constitutes a pretty large share of the map. The devs even had to resort to guiding players along a more circular path rather than a straight line with the whole deathclaw thing. If you just focus on the main story, you can probably beat it in around 20-30 hours on your first playthrough.
What really makes this one feel epic is the DLC. If you play a bit of Vanilla (let's say, to level 15 or 20 ish) and then do the DLC in an order that makes sense (just make sure Lonesome Road is last) then New Vegas goes from a compact, great little story to being a pretty varied and sprawling experience. The amount of insane shit this lowly courier sees on his journey is legendary, and it all ties into the main narrative.
Honestly, I think the moment I realized this game feels like an Epic is when I went to Hyrule Castle early. The music mixed with the "oh crap .." factor of being in a large place that didn't want me there, and the fact that the game actually allows you to fight Ganon if you make it to him all adds up to a very epic experience.
Note: Okay, I admit it, this is the only one I've completed. I have played 1 and 3, but I got maybe a quarter of the way through them before I stopped. Take what I say with a grain of salt before I end up inevitably playing them.
So this game is definitely epic on its own. The size and scope of the galaxy, along with the wonderful worldbuilding makes you feel like a true spacefarer. What I love about Mass Effect is that despite Shepard being heaped with praise by most of the characters, you don't really feel like the setting revolves around you. There are so many factions, civilizations, and quarrels that are beyond Shepard that you really get the feeling of a living and breathing world. Just conversing with your crewmates adds so much depth to the world. The codex even gives life to the more "random" aliens that rarely if ever take a front seat in the story, but it still FEELS like they have their own trials and tribulations.
So this game is definitely epic on its own. The size and scope of the galaxy, along with the wonderful worldbuilding makes you feel like a true spacefarer. What I love about Mass Effect is that despite Shepard being heaped with praise by most of the characters, you don't really feel like the setting revolves around you. There are so many factions, civilizations, and quarrels that are beyond Shepard that you really get the feeling of a living and breathing world. Just conversing with your crewmates adds so much depth to the world. The codex even gives life to the more "random" aliens that rarely if ever take a front seat in the story, but it still FEELS like they have their own trials and tribulations.
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A bombastic prequel and victory lap for Bungie's legendary run. I'm putting this at the beginning because it does happen first chronologically, and the ending does naturally tie in to the beginning of Combat Evolved. A tragic tale of humanity's stopgap resistance to a threat too advanced for them to handle. Possibly the best individual story that Bungie wrote, with the most characterization and heart in every scene and dialogue.
A bombastic prequel and victory lap for Bungie's legendary run. I'm putting this at the beginning because it does happen first chronologically, and the ending does naturally tie in to the beginning of Combat Evolved. A tragic tale of humanity's stopgap resistance to a threat too advanced for them to handle. Possibly the best individual story that Bungie wrote, with the most characterization and heart in every scene and dialogue.
While I'm not 100% certain that any single Halo game is truly epic on its own, I believe Combat Evolved is by far the closest of the ones I've played. This is due to the (relatively) open levels compared to the rest of the series. As soon as Chief crash lands on the Halo Ring and you step out of that escape pod, you realize that even though you're 7 feet tall with power armor, you're still just one guy in a very large and mysterious universe.
While not that epic on its own, it does have its moments. The "Give the covenant back their bomb" scene is a good example, and the story is simply incomplete without this one.
The final volume in this three part Epic. It's difficult to communicate the sheer amount of hype Halo had when this game released. People were lunatics over it, and it's pretty much THE reason the xbox survived. They simply had to read that last part of one of the grandest and most viscerally intoxicating sci-fi stories to ever grace the medium.
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Dwarf Fortress. A monument to human creativity and innovation. Created by one man over the course of two decades, and spawning some of the most successful indie success stories just by virtue of pure inspiration in Minecraft and Rimworld. Really nothing like it.
The reason I say Dwarf Fortress is an Epic is because every story you begin has the potential to become one. If you create an adventurer, you can go on long journeys throughout a single world and never run out of new experiences. And that's with the most barebones game mode.
As for fortress mode, that's arguably even more sprawling despite being limited to your embark location. I've had war chiefs soak the earth in elf blood after charging into a horde of them with his own band of elite warriors, I've had his successor do the exact same thing a decade later, and I've had castles that took years of constant labor to build... All in the same fort.
And that's not even scratching what others have done with this game, especially in "succession" games where people will spend a year or so in a fort before handing it over to someone else to play. I could probably go on for hours, it's basically an Epic generator.
The reason I say Dwarf Fortress is an Epic is because every story you begin has the potential to become one. If you create an adventurer, you can go on long journeys throughout a single world and never run out of new experiences. And that's with the most barebones game mode.
As for fortress mode, that's arguably even more sprawling despite being limited to your embark location. I've had war chiefs soak the earth in elf blood after charging into a horde of them with his own band of elite warriors, I've had his successor do the exact same thing a decade later, and I've had castles that took years of constant labor to build... All in the same fort.
And that's not even scratching what others have done with this game, especially in "succession" games where people will spend a year or so in a fort before handing it over to someone else to play. I could probably go on for hours, it's basically an Epic generator.
Warhammer 40k seems like a prime setting for creating Epics. So, why is it that the only attempt at it (outside of the actual books i suppose) is from a random indie dev on 4chan?
In Chapter Master, you create and control a chapter of space marines and are assigned a "sector" of Empire-controlled space to look after. Your primary task is to prevent orks, tyranids, chaos, and other heretics from spiraling the sector out of control. All while being constantly watched by the Inquisition for holding a chaos artifact, negotiating with xenos, or just picking your nose at the wrong time. If you really want, you can name and outfit all of your marines and customize your chapter to your heart's content.
Admittedly, most games (especially if you aren't used to the game) will be cut short. It's also a pretty buggy game, so that ends up being half of my campaign enders. However, the rare long and successful campaign is glorious with many stories to tell.
In Chapter Master, you create and control a chapter of space marines and are assigned a "sector" of Empire-controlled space to look after. Your primary task is to prevent orks, tyranids, chaos, and other heretics from spiraling the sector out of control. All while being constantly watched by the Inquisition for holding a chaos artifact, negotiating with xenos, or just picking your nose at the wrong time. If you really want, you can name and outfit all of your marines and customize your chapter to your heart's content.
Admittedly, most games (especially if you aren't used to the game) will be cut short. It's also a pretty buggy game, so that ends up being half of my campaign enders. However, the rare long and successful campaign is glorious with many stories to tell.