The Best Heroic Fantasy Games, Ranked

Key insights

• Heroic fantasies focus on worthy individual goals, in contrast to grand world-saving adventures in high fantasy.
• Nariko's sacrifice and personal mission in Heavenly Sword illustrate the intimacy of heroic fantasy stories.
• Games like God of War and Tyranny explore heroes with moral dilemmas in the context of personal endeavors.

Most gamers are aware of high fantasy and know that the genre emphasizes high stakes and epic adventures as a single hero or group of adventurers combine their efforts to save the world. However, there is another fantasy subgenre that fans may not be aware of that operates in the same setting.

Heroic fantasy games feature protagonists with a positive moral outlook who seek to achieve their own worthy goals without expanding the scope of the series to the point where the fate of the entire world depends on their success. Sometimes saving one's family or a group of people is enough to classify something as a heroic fantasy story, which makes these stories more personal and relatable than the whole save-the-world story found in high fantasy. Genre predominates.

8 Heavenly Sword

Nariko's attempt to save her clan forces her to risk her life for this good cause

One of the most underrated hack-and-slash titles on the PS3, with beautiful graphics and entertaining combat Heavenly Sword left players disappointed after the main story's short runtime. The fact that Nariko's adventures are still fresh in the minds of players who have had the opportunity to enjoy this game shows the potential for a remaster that allows a whole new group of fans to enjoy this title for themselves.

The protagonist decides to use a life-threatening sword to save her clan from a tyrant, played by Andy Serkis. She is willing to give her life for this cause, making her a brave hero who comes back from the brink of death and uses her new superpowers to destroy King Bohan's forces.

7 Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

Talion vows to avenge the death of his wife and family by facing Sauron

After losing his wife and family to the evil forces of Sauron, Talion is brought back from the brink of death and allies with Celebrimbor to wage war against the forces of the Dark Lord Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. His motivations are simple: the ranger wants to avenge his family and take on the Dark Lord himself in battle.

It's a deeply personal story that makes the most of the Nemesis system to reward players for dominating as many Orc leaders as possible. While the hobbits work hard to save all of Middle-earth from Sauron's lust for power, Talion's motivations are deeper and easier to understand in comparison.

6 Yes, Your Grace

The government of a small kingdom turns the outsider King Eryk into a compelling protagonist

• Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
• Release date: March 6, 2020
• Developer: Brave in the night

One of the most unique kingdom management RPGs for players to try: Yes, Your Grace is a worthwhile indie title that requires players to manage a struggling kingdom and help it prevail against the many hostile forces that stand in their way.

While the protagonist, King Eryk, may make some evil decisions, it's hard not to empathize with his struggles as he tries to keep his family and kingdom happy while managing the kingdom's wealth and army. The game's fantasy elements feel right at home and the title's exploration of familiar bonds makes it a great example of what heroic fantasy titles are all about.

5 The Witcher

An amnesiac sorcerer must stop the Order of the Flaming Rose and its leader

Before learning of Ciri's existence and helping her save the world by eliminating the threat of the White Frost, Geralt suffered from amnesia and had lost his memory after suffering near-fatal injuries in the Rivia Pogrom. The first Witcher In the game, the White Wolf attempts to rediscover existing relationships while uncovering a vast conspiracy centered around the Order of the Flaming Rose.

After numerous investigations and adventures, Geralt finally takes on the leader of this order himself, Jacques de Aldersberg. It's an excellent conclusion to the story, and becomes even more personal for the monster slayer when it's revealed that this leader was once Geralt's ward, who accidentally traveled back in time and used his teachings to become a powerful leader, too drunk on his power was.

4 tyranny

While players can be evil if they wish, the Fatebinder can always attempt to maintain better morale with their actions

Heroic fantasy involves protagonists who usually act on the side of good, and this is why tyranny can be a hard sell for this genre. The game loves exploring evil in all shapes and forms, with the Fatebinder potentially becoming a vile individual if players wish.

On the other hand, tyranny could be the best example of what the hero fantasy is all about, as the Fatebinder decides to overcome the oppressive evil that surrounds him and tries to maintain a semblance of good in a world in disarray. Standing up to Kyros is no easy task, and the Fatebinder's archon powers awaken just in time to help them and their allies overcome Kyros' fearsome might.

3 Hades

Zagreus' goal is simple: he just wants to get to the surface and meet his mother

Despite Hades Zagreus' motives for finding his mother will be immediately clear to fans, as they allow players to control and interact with a variety of gods and divine beings. He goes through multiple layers of the overworld and dies over and over again just to find out more about his origins, making him a slightly likeable character.

To achieve this goal, Zagreus can use a plethora of powerful weapons to take on the denizens of the underworld and win against numerous bosses before ultimately battling his father. Hades. It helps that Supergiant Games is a master at combining gameplay and narrative, leveraging the title's roguelite structure to make Zagreus' story as compelling as possible.

2 Prince Of Persia: The Sands of Time

The prince must make amends for his mistakes and stop the vizier from achieving his vile goals

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is one of the greatest action-adventure games of all time. The combination of excellent character writing and great platforming enhances the reputation of this title. The prince may initially seem cocky and unlikeable, but his character matures as he sets out on an adventure with Farah to make amends for his mistakes.

The Prince's quest to restore his kingdom ensures that the scope of this title is not exaggerated, allowing players to empathize with his human struggles as he lost his father and his people to the sands of time. By the end of this magical track, fans will be amazed at how mature the prince is, and his final words make Farah realize he was telling the truth all along.

1 God of war

The reboot focuses on a personal story of Kratos and his son as they attempt to fulfill Faye's final wish

The original God of war The trilogy is about the highest possible stakes as Kratos takes on all of Olympus in revenge for his repeated insults, although the first game embodies some aspects of heroic fantasy as the source of his hatred lies within that Ares tricks the Ghost of Sparta into killing his wife and daughter.

Now it is God of war reboot presents players with a simple goal that will help this mature version of Kratos slowly win the hearts of fans. Kratos and his son must travel to Jotunheim to scatter Faye's ashes, a goal that seems simple enough, except in this adventure the duo face numerous tough enemies and some meddling gods.