Trilogies are a popular format across various mediums, and gaming definitely has its own established front-runners, especially within the role-playing genre. From Mass Effect and Dark Souls to Fable and Baldur’s Gate, some RPG trilogies are acclaimed masterpieces with few weak links. Once we narrow the category down to open-world RPG trilogies, however, the options become much more limited.
Few RPG series have exactly three games that form a relatively cohesive story, while many franchises only gradually evolved into true open-world RPGs after starting as something more linear or, at best, open-zone. For the ranking below, we’ll include the latter as well, prioritizing trilogies mostly associated with the open-world genre even if not every individual game offers a true open world.
کلیک لەسەر ئەو یارییە بکە کە ڕیزبەندی OpenCritic ی بەرزترە.
Risen is a notable open-world RPG trilogy from Piranha Bytes, the creators of Gothic. Unlike the studio’s debut series, however, Risen takes much bigger swings in terms of setting and tone. The original Risen stayed relatively close to Gothic in how its world felt, while Risen 2: Dark Waters took a bold turn toward pirate adventures across the seas. The third game expanded the world and mythology significantly, throwing an almost excessive number of supernatural elements, Titans, gods, and ancient magic into the mix. Even the protagonist changes, with the first two games following the same unnamed hero before Risen 3: Titan Lords introduces another.
With all that, Risen never feels quite as cohesive as Gothic, but for some players, its shifting identity is part of the appeal. You never really know what to expect from the next entry. As a whole, though, this inconsistency holds the trilogy back, resulting in yet another somewhat inferior variation on Gothic within the studio’s portfolio. Perhaps, if Piranha Bytes hadn’t closed down, a potential Elex trilogy would have eventually replaced Risen on this list.
Easily one of the biggest open-world series around, Assassin’s Creed contains several informal trilogies tied to a single historical or modern-day protagonist. However, the franchise only began fully embracing RPG elements with Assassin’s Creed Origins, positioned as another major milestone in its evolution. Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla then formed an open-world RPG trilogy that, despite wildly different settings and historical periods, is connected through the modern-day story of Layla Hassan.
To this day, the Assassin’s Creed RPG trilogy remains extremely divisive among players and long-time fans, with all three games constantly surrounded by arguments that “it’s not Assassin’s Creed anymore.” That criticism aside, it’s undeniable that the formula proved perfect for the series’ massive mainstream appeal. Between visiting beautifully realized historical settings, experimenting with combat builds, and influencing the outcomes of certain quests, Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla each offer plenty of possibilities and largely fulfill their open-world RPG promise. Each game leans more toward blockbuster open-world action than a deeply reactive RPG built around layered storytelling and long-lasting consequences. Nevertheless, this trilogy has firmly established its place in the modern gaming landscape.
Like Assassin’s Creed, Dragon Quest is home to at least two recognizable trilogies, while also being a pure RPG series from the start. The Zenithian trilogy, consisting of Dragon Quest 4, 5, and 6, is connected by the legendary castle of Zenithia and several overarching themes, although its overarching narrative ties are relatively loose. The Erdrick trilogy, on the other hand, is an official collection of the first three games.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://gamerant.com/best-open-world-rpg-game-trilogies-ever-all-time-ranked/
