Summary
Dungeons and Dragonshas made forays into other mediums since its inception, including movies, cartoons, and of course, video games. There have been many adaptations, including the beloved lore, worlds, and characters for fans to interact with, bringing the joy and fun of tabletopD&Dinto the world of gaming.
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However, those who boot up these games expecting a nice and friendly fantasy experience might be in for a shock with some of these titles, as they offer challenges to rival the like ofDark Souls. Players will need to gather their party before venturing forth to overcome the awaiting challenges.
8Neverwinter
D&Dgotthe MMORPG treatment withNeverwinter. Here, adventurers across the globe could team up with their own custom character to battle the forces of evil that fans of the TTRPG will recognize from adventure modules such asCurse of Strahd,Tyranny of Dragons, andStorm Kings Thunder. This would give fans a taste of the TTRPG goodness without the headache of scheduling an actual campaign with their friends.
Players should beware of these campaigns, however, as they could be deceptively difficult. Missions would need hours of grinding to ensure they are of an appropriate level to take it on or recruit allies to help them escape these dreaded dungeons alive. The bosses themselves also hold great power, as expected of BBEGs, so players will need to cooperate and strategize in order to escape alive.
7Eye of the Beholder
Most fans might not know thatD&Dvideo gamesdate all the way back to the early 90s, with titles such asEye of the Beholder. Originally created for the MS-DOS system, it was later ported to SNES and Sega consoles to bring the classic fantasy adventure to home game consoles. In this title, players will control a part of adventurers in one of the Forgotten Realms most famous cities, Waterdeep, to confront the legendary Xanathar in his lair in the city’s underbelly.
As the years have worn on,Eye of the Beholderwears its age in its every facet, and gamers who are used to newer, more polished games might struggle with the controls. But even those who are used to retro titles still might find challenges in the labyrinthian sewer, especially when they reach the final boss.
6Baldur’s Gate 3
The third game in theBaldur’s Gateseries, this game sees one or more players escaping the clutches of Mindflayers from the Nine Hells with a parasite behind their eye that will soon mutate them unless they find a way to have it removed. This will charge them with traveling across the world and teaming up with other people that were aboard the ship as they search for a cure.
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As with mostD&DRPGs, a lot of these encounters, be they combat or social, will rely on dice rolls, with character modifiers tipping the odds in the character’s favor. But, evenwith the best luck, players will find themselves in tough encounters against enemies in the game who have strength and skill that can outmatch the player. It’s not uncommon for players to fail outright or drag themself through the fight with only one party member remaining, bloodied and out of resources as they barely survived.
5Icewind Dale
Set in the snow and ice-locked titular region in the Forgotten Realms,Icewind Daleis one of the earlierDungeons and Dragonsgames, taking place decades before RA Salvatore’s Drizzt novels. Players could customize up to six characters to make a well-rounded party to take into the tundra and fight the legendary monsters that lurk there. With several expansions introduced in the enhanced edition, players will find hours ofD&Dfun to be had here.
As part of their fun and exploration, players will be challenged when it comes to the combat on offer here. In true TTRPG fashion, players will find little success in wars of attrition and mustplay smart and strategizein order to fight. With up to six party members at their disposal, players must take their abilities and strengths into account when formulating their plan of attack, or they risk falling to the monsters' machinations.
4Pillars of Eternity
The spiritual successor to similar titles such asIcewind DaleandBaldur’s Gate,Pillars of Eternityis another isometric RPG with plenty of TTRPG goodness in the form of character creation, including their race and class. Though it is a single-player experience, players aren’t forced to face the challenges alone, as they can create a band of adventurers to charge into the lush and fantastical world ofPoE.
Despite this, players will still find themselves challenged by the combat of this game, as it is not designed for thoughtless button pressing or for players to breeze through encounters. Instead, players might find themselves hurled into a bloody meat grinder if they are ill-equipped or leveled for the area of a boss fight. Players should definitely take care to never underestimate anything they come across in the world ofPoE, or their ego will be their undoing.
3Baldur’s Gate
This story-rich and epic isometricRPG was the one that started theBaldur’s Gatecraze, bringing two addition titles in the series for fans of the TTRPG to experienceD&Dgoodness in the form of a video game. Though it was not the firstDungeons and Dragonsvideo game, it went on to be the most popular and beloved, earning an enhanced edition for gamers to experience a new take on the classic game.
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Along with providing exploration, lore, a rich plot, and intricate characters,Baldur’s Gatealso provides challenging combat to players, making it one of the hardestDungeons and Dragonsgames. Throughout the game, players encounter challenging monsters that have the strength and abilities to crush the player’s character, so players have to be smart and leveled up enough to face the challenges that come their way.
2Temple of Elemental Evil
With the legacy of a tabletop module of the same name,Temple of Elemental Evilwas set up for success and was often lauded as theD&Dgame that remains the most faithful to the TTRPG. It follows the same module as the one it shares the name with, in which players visit a town that lives in fear of the nearby destroyed temple dedicated to an evil deity that is now showing signs of activity once more.
Unfortunately - or fortunately, depending on the player’s tastes -Temple of Elemental Evilcan bepunishingly difficult. Even the lower-level combat encounters will offer a mighty challenge to players, with many monsters having the strength to insta-kill characters, and the game will only get more difficult as players progress. But this is also true of actualD&Dgames, so players can’t deny that it is faithful to recreating the TTRPG experience, as the earlier character levels are always the deadliest.
1Baldur’s Gate 2
The second game in theBaldur’s Gatetrilogy, this game brought more of the isometricD&D-themed RPG fans can’t get enough of. It takes place in Faerun, themost popular setting forD&D, set not long after the Times of Trouble when the Tablets of Fate were stolen, and many Gods became mortals to try and seek out these powerful artifacts. Players will adventure far and wide over the continent, even traversing into the Underdark and Astral Plane in a campaign of epic proportions.
But no fantasy game would be complete without combat, whichBaldur’s Gate 2provides plenty of. Even seasoned gamers will find the combat here tricky, as the game is not shy about thrusting powerful monsters in front of the players' parties and unleashing merry hell upon them. Ill-prepared or unseasoned players will quickly fall, and even those who have experience will find it a challenge to survive the tougher-designed encounters here. It is definitely not an experience for the faint of heart.
