CRPGs, or role-playing games in the style of old that are crunchy, text-rich, and choice-based, have once again become fashionable. It might seem as if you have changed worlds if you were a fan of the illegal late-night playing of Baldur’s Gate or Planescape: Torment. Your childhood faves that you could play every hour of the day are now topping the charts, winning awards, and getting the same kind of mainstream recognition as shooters or gigantic open-world games. What changed? Let’s find out how these two very different games – Baldur’s Gate 3 and Pentiment – have brought the CRPG revival back.
Baldur’s Gate 3: Larian’s Love Letter to D&D (and to Us)
Fans were over the moon but also quite doubtful when Larian Studios took over the Baldur’s Gate brand. The question of how you could top a series that is considered one of the best in the RPG genre was on everyone’s mind. However, the third installment of the Baldur’s Gate series didn’t just meet those expectations; it exceeded them by a large margin. Having great success with the Divinity: Original Sin series, Larian was already very skilled in tactical combat, causing chaos in the environment, and giving players a great deal of freedom. But now, they have essentially become the ultimate Dungeon Master.
The payoff? A virtual D&D campaign that responds to every crazy, brilliant, or ridiculous choice you make. From perception tests to sleight of hand rolls, everything works with actual dice rolls, and the friends you recruit along the way have rich enough backstories that you’ll care about what happens to them. Whether you’re building a tower out of crates to rescue someone or inadvertently causing a civil war in co-op, the game rewards creativity at every turn.
And let’s talk about the presentation—Baldur’s Gate 3 brings serious AAA polish to a genre that’s often been fine with walls of text and static portraits. We’re talking 170+ hours of fully voiced dialogue, motion-captured cutscenes, and character performances that rival those in big-budget films. The result is a game that feels epic and personal all at once, where your choices truly matter, and the fallout can be shocking, hilarious, or heart-wrenching.
It’s not without its flaws, however. The last act falters somewhat, with some muddled questing logic and performance drops in the crowded city of Baldur’s Gate. Still, Larian’s reputation for working on things post-launch, releasing enormous patches and free Definitive Editions that make good games great all-time.
Pentiment: The Art of Small-Scale Storytelling
If Baldur’s Gate 3 is the high-octane, big-budget headliner, then Pentiment is the subtle indie gem that slips in and follows you long after the credits start rolling. Developed by Obsidian and helmed by Josh Sawyer, Pentiment takes place in the Holy Roman Empire—not necessarily your average RPG backdrop. And rather than swords and spells, it goes all-in on dialogue, investigation, and simmering tension.
You control Andreas Maler, an artist embroiled in murder mysteries and religious unrest in a small Alpine town. The game abandons standard RPG systems in favor of a more story-oriented system in which your character’s history—your education, your travels, your beliefs—influences the way that the story develops.
Pentiment draws from everywhere, from Disco Elysium to The Name of the Rose, and it pays off. It’s seriously rooted in history, concerned with the lives of commoners and the paradigm-breaking moves of a world that transitioned from manuscripts to printing presses. The aesthetic, medieval-manuscript-inspired style isn’t just a look—it’s crucial, drawing you into the period in a way that no level of realistic graphics could.
It also becomes unexpectedly philosophical. Andreas’ inner monologue is provided by historical and mythological characters who pipe in with advice, argument, and commentary as you make choices that determine the destinies of families and whole communities. Some of your decisions have time limits, and you won’t see everything in one playthrough. Although not every branch feels as significant as you’d wish, there’s still an actual feeling that your choices are important.
Yes, it’s a quieter, more measured game with some narrative stumbling blocks. But what Pentiment does best—its commitment to intimacy, historical specificity, and multi-layered storytelling—is a welcome respite from a genre that more often than not prioritizes size over subtlety.
Nostalgia vs. Now: What the Community’s Saying
Of course, any discussion about CRPGs must take into account the rabid (and sometimes argumentative) RPG fanbase. Just take a look at the RPG Codex’s list of the top 70 PC RPGs. It’s a mix of heavy-hitting classics like Baldur’s Gate 2, Fallout, and Wizardry 7, with newer hits like Baldur’s Gate 3 popping up, though not always as high as you’d think. As one commenter pointed out, “nostalgia plays heavily in this list,” and another confessed to only the new Pathfinder games coaxing them away from replaying the classic Infinity Engine games.
It’s a reminder that to many fans, the “best” RPG isn’t necessarily about excellent mechanics—it’s about nostalgia. Yet even the most hardline old-school fans are beginning to see how games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Pentiment are paying respect to the past while also pushing the genre forward.
Why It Matters: A New Golden Age for CRPGs
So why now? Why are CRPGs suddenly in the spotlight? Perhaps it’s because technology has finally reached a point where these games have always aimed to be. Or perhaps it’s because the developers who are creating them now are the same gamers who spent their late nights playing Fallout 2 at 2 AM and wishing they could create their epic tale someday.
Whatever the reason, it’s a great time to be a fan of games that embrace story, choice, and a bit of chaos. Whether you’re rolling dice in Faerûn or chasing clues in 16th-century Bavaria, one thing’s clear: CRPGs are back—and they’re weirder, smarter, and better than ever.