Get ready to see the world from a whole new angle as we check out the best isometric RPGS of all 2022!
Yes, I have been working on that opening line for a while now.
For those of you that don’t know, an isometric view is seen from a top-down perspective, usually at a slight angle to the field of play.
It’s the kind of view that became popular with many games through the golden age of gaming and of course the early Zelda titles.
It’s also a favourite of the RPG genre, with a lot of games, indie and major developer made, using it as heroic adventurers and warriors take to war-torn worlds and delve into dark dungeons in search of treasure and glory.
I’ve made a list of 10 of the best isometric RPGs that I’ve ever played for you below. Check them out and let us know which ones are your favourites over on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Table of Contents
10. Underrail (2015)
9. Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura (2001)
8. Wasteland 3 (2022)
7. Divinity: Original Sin II (2017)
6. Planescape: Torment (1999)
5. Fallout 2 (1998)
4. Baldur’s Gate III (2020)
3. Disco Elysium (2019)
2. Diablo II: Lord Of Destruction (2001)
1. Hades (2018)
10. Underrail (2015)
VIEW ON STEAM
Underrail kickstarts our best isometric RPGs of all time, a combat-heavy title that plays and feels a lot like the first two Fallout titles.
One of which you might well be seeing further down this list.
We’re heading to a post-apocalyptic version of the Earth. People can’t dwell safely on the the surface anymore, which means that players must move underground in a series of colonies.
Talk about having a tough deal!
Players make their character, pick up skill points, and move towards upping specific traits and increasing their standing within their class.
Real time playing, turn-based fighting – what more is there to know?
Get lost in a world of NPC-led quests, finding loot, and spending money to upgrade your characters. It’s RPG-goodness at its best!
9. Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura (2001)
VIEW ON EBAY
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura is a Tolkien fan’s dream. While it’s not part of Middle Earth or affiliated with Tolkien at all, the general vibe is very Lord of the Rings-esque, with orcs, dwarves, and magic a-plenty.
In a world where humans and dwarves opt for using technology and Elves stick to magic, you’re never far from an argument. The world itself feels like a mixture of Victorian Britain with North American cultural nuances, with a few Molotov cocktails added in.
Players make a character, pick a discipline, adapt social skills and then work to level them up through various scenarios.
Arcanum is an open-ended title; you can explore as much as you want or just follow the linear path of the main game. There are so many side-quests that you could spend hours just ticking off every little mission and never get bored.
As with many RPGs, chatting with NPCs plays a big part of the gameplay. Keep your charisma rating to make sure that you get more people following you on your adventures and into battle.
Annoy them, and you’re on your own!
8. Wasteland 3 (2022)
VIEW ON EBAY
Wasteland 3 takes the 8th place in our list of the best isometric RPGs, a game where Desert Rangers try to rebuild a level of society in a waitron and ravaged world.
The setting – Arizona. It’s not how you might recognise it, completely destroyed by nuclear bombs. And the only man that can give you aid is the ruler of another state who wants you to get rid of his angry kids.
Build a base in the mountains, recruit and train members for your army to help you thrive, survive, and fight your way through frozen wastelands
You’re working to make a positive impact in Colorado in order to get help in your beloved Arizona. But, when you’re working with gangs, cult leaders, and corrupt individuals left, right, and centre, trusting people can be pretty difficult.
The story is so deep that you’ll be pulled in immediately. We’re talking intense turn-based battles with teams of up to 6 characters and some decisions that will really play with your morals.
Oh yeah, this one game will leave you awake at night wishing you’d made a different decision on a regular basis!
With weapons galore and a brutal battle truck available to use, there’s no end to the amount of fun you’re about to have!
7. Divinity: Original Sin II (2017)
VIEW ON EBAY
Divinity: Original Sin II is one of the newer games on this list and looks unbelievable on the PS4.
If you’ve played the Divinity franchise games before, then you already know the kind of thing that you’re in for.
And to be honest, this game is one of the greatest RPGs I’ve ever played, isometric or otherwise.
Pick your character’s race from a Dward, Elf, Human, Lizard, or Undead Warrior. Everyone in the game has a different reaction to you depending on who you are, a little like in the trading stations in No Man’s Sky.
Players can literally go anywhere and interact with everything. Speak to ghosts and animals and kill anyone you see… though that might get you a bit of a scary reputation which might go against your favour.
The tactical combat is unreal in this game, and players will really need to rely on specific individual skills from their team mates if they’ve got a hope of surviving. It’s all about planning, and making one wrong move could lead to you finding yourself in a world of trouble.
6. Planescape: Torment (1999)
VIEW ON EBAY
If Zombie workers, mysterious tattoos, and tonnes of dead bodies are your bag, then Planescape: Torment should be right up your street.
Your mission, rather simply, is to to figure out your name and why you can’t die in peace. It’s all rather dark and moody, with the player going into a world of hate and misery.
Maybe not one to play when you’re feeling a little blue, then…
As well as upping levels through combat through the various RPG methods, there are non-violent stats to boost such as Wisdom, Intelligence, and Charisma that have an affect on your character.
And when you’re coming up against floating skulls and characters that run spiritual brothels, then I guess you’ll need all the charisma you can get.
And instead of armour, players can use their mysterious tattoos for defence. I’m covered in tattoos, but I don’t think they’ve made me tougher yet!
5. Fallout 2 (1998)
VIEW ON EBAY
Fallout 2 takes the 5th spot in this list of the best isometric RPGs, a classic game that came out (get ready for it) back in 1998!
Damn, now I feel so old!
Even though this game is the second in the series, the events occur eight years before the very first game. Apart from that, the gameplay and graphics are pretty much the same.
Granted everything is a lot more polished and the gameplay is faster, plus there are more choices when it comes to making moral choices while playing.
More dialogue means more choices to make while playing. Add new weapons, new enemies, and a car into the mix, and you’ve suddenly got endless reasons to grab this game.
Not only can you level up your own character, but also the companions that join you in the game too. We’re talking ultimate control compared to the first title.
And the quests… they’re out of this world. They’re a little more intricate than the first game, and the reputation, karma-based system really spices things up a lot.
4. Baldur’s Gate III (2020)
VIEW ON EBAY
How many of you have tackled Baldur’s Gate 3?
It’s time to head back into the world of Dungeons and Dragons in order to resist evil and harness the magical abilities of the brain parasite in your brain.
Or you could always just give into the parasite and become the most evil being in the land.
Very bizarre, and also very Stranger Things-esque…
If you’re used to D&D, then you’ll feel really familiar with all the races and classes in this game. All the same thrills and spills of the game are featured in B.G III, giving players the option to either play solo or play with up to four-players.
Compared to Fallout 2, this game looks incredibly fresh and new. That’s mainly down to the new Divinity 4.0 engine providing gamers with a beautiful world where exploration and freedom come as second nature.
The great thing is that the world around you reacts to your choices and how you interact with it, meaning that the game feels a little different with every play through.
Never before has the phrase ‘play your way’ made more sense. And in the ‘Forgotten Realms’, literally anything goes.
3. Disco Elysium (2019)
VIEW ON EBAY
Disco Elysium takes the bronze medal in our best Isometric RPGs of all time, giving players the chance to play as a detective searching through an entire city.
Play as a good guy or a crooked cop, taking bribes or playing by the rules as and when you please.
Seriously, the amount of choice in this game is wild. You can treat people how you like; maliciously, patiently, kind, diabolically.
You can even sing karaoke, which we all know is the devil’s work.
Making characters is a doddle in this game too. With 80 items to pick from and use different skills to choose from to help you on your quest, including some wild substances that mess with your mind, you can really go to town.
And with something called the Detective’s Thought Cabinet with over 60 thoughts in it mixed with some of the cleverest dialogue in a game since Skyrim dropped, there’s plenty for you to sink your teeth into.
Kill, have sex, and dance the night away. This is one detective that is living life on the wild side.
2. Diablo II: Lord Of Destruction (2001)
VIEW ON EBAY
Diablo II: Lord Of Destruction takes the silver medal in this list of the best isometric RPGS. It takes place after Mephisto and Diablo have been defeated and serves as an expansion to Diablo II.
We’re talking more powerful everything, which is a surefire way of making sure that an expansion is 100% worth buying.
So what’s new in this add-on?
Well, a female assassin and a druid can be picked by players to spice things up, and companions can be levelled up along with your chosen character.
There’s a whole bunch of new weapons and charms for players to use too, and runes provide a whole bunch of bonuses along with the jewels that you collect along the way.
Like the first Diablo game, players gain experience by destroying monsters. There is tonnes of scope for upgrading your chosen character after purchasing skill points, increasing your skill levels and boosting magical abilities as you go.
Combine items and create the ultimate fighter as you travel through towns and complete quests. The Diablo games are some of the best isometric RPGs around, and Lord of Destruction has to be my favourite of the bunch!
1. Hades (2018)
VIEW ON EBAY
The results are in, and the winner of the best isometric RPG game of all time goes to Hades!
In the world of dungeon crawler games, Hades takes all. A game where you go to town on the god of death and slash your way from the underworld… what more could a person want!
Players control a chap called Zagreus, who happens to be the son of Hades. He wants to get to Olympus to be with his fellow Olympians, all of whom want to help him flee to safety.
While the rooms in this game have predetermined layouts, all the enemies are randomly generated. Get gifts from the Olympians helping Zagreus and even harness lightning from the mighty Zeus himself.
If you die in this game, you end up back in front of your dad and have to relinquish all of your gifts given to you in the previous run-through.
Graphics wise, it’s incredibly crisp and clean, looking very much like Dead Cells in its colour palette, which can only be a good thing. It’s one of the best Nintendo Switch games and a real tricksy cookie to crack, definitely one for the expert gamers out there!