Hello, I am searching for some Adventure/RPG hybrid or Adventure games that would appeal to fans of RPGs like Arcanum, Fallout, Knights of the Old Republic, Deus Ex.  The games can be from any time, but late 80s to now is best.  Looking for games that are more then just combat, have good quests, missions and variety, like dialogue quests or investigation/mystery, puzzles etc. 

I would also like at least inventory and equipment upgrades, if not skills and experience-nice but not a requirement. Graphic Text adventures would work, if they have some stats, equipment, and combat.  A prime example of this hybrid which works great I think is Super Hero League of Hoboken.

The main hybrids I have found so far, but haven't played yet are:

Sid Meier's Pirates/Pirates of the Caribbean

Quest for Glory

Super Hero League of Hoboken (playing)

Defender of Boston

Anachronox

Shadowrun (SNES)

Games that may fit the bill that I played and liked are:

Commandos

Cthulhu Dark corners of the earth

Beyond good and evil

Galleon

Bonez Adventures, Tomb of Fulaos

What about these games, they have that adventure/RPG mix? :

The Fifth Disciple?

Rise of the Triad?

Dreamchipper?

Snatcher?

Light Crusader?

Treasures and Traps?

Expedition Amazon?

Comic Book Hero?

Welcome to the forum!

Quest for Glory would be the most obvious starting point, as the series really is a true adventure/CRPG hybrid series. 

Another hybrid is Largo Winch: Empire under Threat. It is apparently based on a comic book (which I have not read), and while not a game that I would recommend that you go out of your way to find, if you do find it for a decent price, it might be worth a look. It is not a great or memorable game, but it is fun.

And a more recent hybrid is Dark Scavenger, combining a rather rudimentary point & click system combined with a JRPG-like combat system (but there are no random encounters what so ever, nor is there any form of respawn). 

And then there is the rather interesting Realms of the Haunting, which combines adventure game & shooter mechanics. 

But there are plenty of CRPGs out there that allows for different approaches. The amazing Planescape: Torment for an example (made by some of the same people who made Fallout & Arcanum) hardly ever forces you into combat, instead most of the game is based around dialogue and what choices you make in them. Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines (again by the same people) also allows for multiple solutions to a lot of the game's problems (though much like Dark Corners of the Earth it is unfinished, and the endgame is not all that good)

And some other games worth checking out that might fall a bit too far outside what you are looking for, but which might still be of interest:
Betrayal at Krondor

Penumbra (series)

Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy (as you live in the US, the later name will probably be more familiar to you)

Blade Runner (the Westwood release)

Ultima 7 & Underworld 1 & 2 (2 more than 1)

Lands of Lore: The Throne of Chaos

As for the games at the end of your post, I have not played most of them. Rise of the Triads is a shooter though

Hi Deckard!

If you liked Call of Chtulu DCOTE and Fallout, you most certainly might enjoy S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl and it's sequels as well as Fallout 3 and Fallout New Vegas , and for a shooter with a similar atmosphere to COCDCOTE, try F.E.A.R.

Oh, and have you played The Half-life games yet?

Also, Outcast, Max Payne, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell series, The Godfather, Painkiller. If you haven't played the original Deus Ex yet, you could try it's sequels, because the original is a bit hard to get going on modern computers.  The latest one is Deus Ex Human Revolution.  (Also available for consoles like PS3 and XBox 360 ) oops, sorry you already have that.. doh, me

For games with a Western feel, try Desperadoes (quite a similar "look" and control setup to Arcanum), also, GUN, and Call of Juarez. 

If you like action with a strong story, then I highly recommend Rise of the Argonauts. (No guns, though, it's set in  Ancient Greece)

If you liked Beyond Good and Evil and Galleon, and also like platformers, then try the Tombraider series (Lara Croft) (Action-adventure, not RPG though, like Beyond Good and Evil)

Oh, and you sound as if you would enjoy the Prince of Persia series too, but once again no guns, & it's more action adventure than RPG.

If you played Arcanum, then i assume your platform is PC?

Then I HIGHLY recommend The Witcher. (If you don't mind using a sword) (No guns) It has a similar atmosphere to COCDCOTE, though it's cooler, and much more of an RPG, but has a lot of adventure elements.

Have you tried The Elder Scrolls games yet?  (Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim ?) (No guns though)

The Gothic games? Gothic 1-3, and Risen 1  (I've just started Risen 2, so can't comment too much on it) Risen 2 has guns, the others not.  I think you'll like Risen 2, because it has a pirate theme, which you seem to like.

Oh, if you liked KOTOR,  you might like Mass Effect and it's sequels too.

And, by the same makers of Knight of The Old Republic and Mass Effect, (Bioware) you could try  Dragon Age for a High Fantasy game (so obviously only if you like fantasy - though it's quite gritty for its genre) with excellent RPG elements and pretty cool companion characters and a lot of roleplaying choices.

For a pure mystery adventure game with no guns or shooting, and just a bit of action here and there, but pretty cool on the atmosphere, try Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened.

I must add that for us to give you better advice, it would be easier if we knew what your platform(s) is/are.  Are you playing on PC?  If so, do you know your specs?  ..or a console(s)? Playstation, Xbox, what?

Hey Fnord, thansk for the info.

Largo Winch: Empire under Threat looks pretty cool.  Reminds me of an Alpha Protocol vibe, probably with no stats or experience/levelling.

I also have the Blade Runner adventure game, haven't played it yet.  I wonder if it is a slow game, or does it move along and keep you compelled?  I liked the movie, but it was slow in may places and I kind of skip through some parts these days.

Penumbra, does it have a Call of Cthulhu Dark corners of the earth feel?  Thats a cool game.

Farenheit/Indigo Prophecy, what is dofferent abut this game then a satndard adventure game?

I startedplaying Broken Sword, I like the games, but I am looking for more choices consequences, multiple solutions to quests, and dialogue to.

Originally Posted By Deckard (20 SEP 2012 6:13pm)

Hey Fnord, thansk for the info.

Largo Winch: Empire under Threat looks pretty cool.  Reminds me of an Alpha Protocol vibe, probably with no stats or experience/levelling.

 

I also have the Blade Runner adventure game, haven't played it yet.  I wonder if it is a slow game, or does it move along and keep you compelled?  I liked the movie, but it was slow in may places and I kind of skip through some parts these days.

 

Penumbra, does it have a Call of Cthulhu Dark corners of the earth feel?  Thats a cool game.

 

Farenheit/Indigo Prophecy, what is dofferent abut this game then a satndard adventure game?

 

I startedplaying Broken Sword, I like the games, but I am looking for more choices consequences, multiple solutions to quests, and dialogue to.

 

Largo Winch is actually more similar to a JRPG than it is to Alpha Protocol. The combat reminds me a lot of games along the line of Final Fantasy, though when you are not in combat the game plays like a standard adventure game. It is by the way a rather short & easy game in general, but fun enough to be a worth a playthrough.

Blade Runner does not have the best puzzles out there, but the atmosphere is top notch, and that is what makes the game worth playing. It does move along at a good pace through most of the game. 

Penumbra is somewhat similar to the first half of Dark Corners of the Earth (the good half).

Fahrenheit/Indigo Prophecy does not play like a standard adventure game, and your actions do matter. While I suspect that the end will be roughly the same no matter what, what you do through the game will at least impact how the story progresses. 

There is not a whole lot of puzzle solving in this game, and sadly the action sequences are basically quick time events, but until late game, the story is quite interesting. This is one of those games that a lot of people love, and a lot of people hate, so I can't wholeheartedly recommend it, though I found it to be an interesting take on the genre. 

Oi, how rude! I went to a lot of trouble with that post of mine.. he could at least have said that none of them are his cup of tea...

Hey Traveller, I was not online last week hardly at all, and did not have time to reply.  So, I am replying now

Fallout New Vegas and Stalker I know about, I am searching for more adventure/RPG hybrids that have mamy more optins and gameplay elements then grinding combat.  And even though Fallout New Vegas has other quest types, I was watching a friend play while we chatted, and for like two hours it was nothing but corridor/dungeon style combat.  Thas why I liked Fallout 1 and 2, there were plenty of quests that could be done in vaious ways besides combat.

I have Outcast somewhere, haven't played it yet.  I don't know if it has any RPG elements, and I rfemember a video of it showing nothing but combat.  I will have to reearch it again.

I playe SPlinter Cell, it's a cool stealth game.  I do like Thief better though.

Played all the Dues Ex games,all cool.

Desperados, Gun, and Call of Juarez all have theri interesting things apparently. If any of them play like Bully or Grand theft auto they would be options.  Bully especially played like a sim/adventure game.

Rise of the Argonauts looked to much like a grinding combat game, like God fo War with a good story, not many interesting quest tyes or multiple solutions.

I played several of the Tomb Raider Games, as well as Indiana Jones and thw Infernal Machine and Last Emporer.  I liked Tomb Raider Angel of Darkness the best because of the Adventure and interesting quests and multiple approaches to them style, also some RPG elements worked pretty good, others weren't that great.  But it's my favorite Tom Raider game.  The iNdy Jones games would have been even cooler with more approaches to quets and dialogue quests.

I played a couple of the pience of Persia series, way to much platforming and combat I thought, there was nothing else to do almost.

The Witcher I know about, will check it out again sometime.

I played Morrowind and Oblivion, again they are Action RPGs. Skyrim sometime soon.  I know about them.

I have Gothic 2, and was going to check out Risen 1 & 2 when I can get to them.  RIsen 2's pirate theme seems more interesting then the standard overused generic medieval RPG setting to.

I liked Mass Effect 1, 2 looks to stripped down and FPS-like from what I heard.

I will have to check out the  Sherlock Holmes game, that might be a good one.

For platforms, I have a gaming laptop, a desktop PC, an Xbox360, Xbox, PS2.

Thanks for all the info!

Outcast is far more than just combat, it actually has a very well designed world, and there is a fare bit of dialogue and problem solving involved. It is still, at its heart, an action game, but it is one where the term "action-adventure" really fits. 

Originally Posted By Deckard (22 SEP 2012 10:21am)

Hey Traveller, I was not online last week hardly at all, and did not have time to reply.  So, I am replying now

 

 

Oops, I apologise, Deckard!  My biggest fault is that i tend too be too impetuous and impatient.  Sorry about that!

Regarding the games i suggested- i suggested those because it looked as if you might prefer shooters/action from some of your choices that you mentioned, but,  ok, well, now that we have narrowed things down more as to what you like and don't like:

I personally don't like Fallout New Vegas half as much as i liked Fallout 3.  Fallout 3 has in many respects a non-linear approach, especially in regard to if you would like to play your character as good or evil, so if you like being given choices in a game, i wouldn't discount FO3 if i were you.

If you didn't like Morrowind or Oblivion, skip Skyrim. Skyrim, is somewhere inbetween Morrowind and Oblivion, and the combat is actiony.  (A certain faction choice is quite deep though, but it was even more so with Morrowind, so if you disliked Morrowind, chances are not great that you'll like Skyrim) { EDIT:  I'm in a hurry but on my way out i had a quick look at your other thread re JRPG's and saw that you did indeed like Mwind, so scratch what i said there.  Will have to read your other thread properly tomorrow, have run out of time for now.  Cheers, and enjoy!}

I mentioned Rise of the Argonauts because the dialogue and 'feel' of the game was for me something which would appeal to a person who likes story-driven AG's, but yes, it is pretty linear story-wise and if you don't like combat you should avoid it, agreed. 

From what you said in your posts, i cannot recommend Witcher 1 (but not Witcher 2, which is more actiony) highly enough to you.    [   Unless you totally dislike combat] . Yes, there is combat, but if you approach it intelligently and make full use of technique, different styles, potions, magic, and other buffs like blade oils etc, there is a lot of strategy involved which makes it more interesting.  Then, there are quite deep choices story-wise, and a lot of chapter 2 plays like an adventure game in many respects.

However, if you totally dislike combat, then obviously it's not the game for you.

Avoid Mass effect 2, it is exactly what you said.

I would recommend Risen 1 and Gothic 3 for quite deep-ish choices re factions, but, like Gothic 2 combat is pretty intense once you engage with the enemy, though not quite as hard as in Gothic 2.

I agree with Fnord that you might certainly enjoy Fharenheit for the choices aspect, though you might not enjoy the spammy action sequences.

Unfortunately there are not all that many adventure games that are non-linear.  Memento Mori did have multiple outcomes, but it's still not as open-ended as a game like Skyrim or Gothic 3 or Arcanum. 

Will try to think of more

And re the westerns i mentioned, nah, i simply mentioned them because it looked like you were looking for non-squad-based shooters perhaps.  But nevermind them if you're looking for deep non-linearity.

..and yes, please do try out that Sherlock Holmes game and tell us what you think? (Though not non-linear, neither was COCDCOTE)

I just remembered one game that is quite heavy on the choices/consequences bit, and that is Shadow of Destiny (or Shadow of Memories, depending on where you live). The game has a relatively good story, but the puzzle solving is rather simplistic and there are no CRPG-like elements in it. It is just an adventure game with easy puzzles & multiple outcomes.