What RPG has good combat, story and worldbuilding at the same time??

[DemoGraph]

More often than not RPG has one of these made well and the others made worse. Are there any well done and well balanced games?

I distinguish between plot and worldbuilding in the following way.
Plot is events and characters directly connected to the main conflict (and maybe large secondary quest lines if we're talking about an "open world" RPG).
Worldbuilding is everything else, from background story to writing style, level architecture and a fitting OST - everything that helps you get in the character.

Examples to get us started (IMO YMMV):

• BG1: great worldbuilding, good plot, meh combat.

• Fallout 2: good world, ok plot, meh combat.

• Arcanum: world-plot varied, meh combat.

• Morrowind: great worldbuilding, good plot, meh combat.

• VTMB: great worldbuilding, good-to-great plot, meh combat.

• Anachronox: meh worldbuilding, good plot, good combat.

Personally I feel like FF7 comes close to be the best all-rounder, though it's not my favorite RPG.

► Show Spoiler

Yes, I'm copycatting this thread from dex. Because it was quickly occupied by ******* and this is SRS BSNS.

[Humbaba]

Wrathfinder

[asf]

bumbaba likes lesbo orcs

[Val the Moofia Boss]

The first two Trails of Cold Steel games on on nightmare difficulty. The first two games are challenging throughout and have very enjoyable combat and character building. The story was very engaging and coherent, and I found Erebonia quite novel. Unfortunately, CS3 discards the narrative direction that CS2 ended on, and here the series begins to suffer from plot collapse for a multitude of reasons. From CS3 onwards the difficulty is only frontloaded and lets up as the game goes on, even if you play Reverie on the even higher abyss difficulty.

Valkyria Chronicles 1 & 4. You can't walk around cities in between missions so the setting is not as well developed. The fourth game has a gripping story once it begins snowing a few hours in, and has more interesting scenarios than the first game.

The Banner Saga 1: the setting is not super well explored as again you can't walk around in between fights, but does paint a novel enough world. The characters are not super likeable like in a JRPG but the story is solid, and has a memorable ending. The combat was sufficiently challenging and beating the final boss before the nerf patch was satisfying. The sequels are good, but the refugee caravan half of the second game feels like a rehash of the first game's plot, and the combat becomes easier as you become overpowered compared to the enemies you face.

Personally I feel like FF7 comes close to be the best all-rounder, though it's not my favorite RPG.

The mainline PS1 Final Fantasies are too easy/unengaging, and there is no real character building there. FF10 and FF13 have much more engaging combat.

[KnightoftheWind]

I think Souls-likes tend to fit this criteria for the most part, but in the case of From Software themselves I would only count Demon's Souls and the original Dark Souls. After that they really got autistic with bosses.

[DemoGraph]

The mainline PS1 Final Fantasies are too easy/unengaging, and there is no real character building there. FF10 and FF13 have much more engaging combat.

FF7 was good enough for teenage me. And, let me quote myself from dex:

Plot has given a bunch of widely recognized characters. Up to Tifa in Italian parliament.

And probably every gamer knows that Aeris dies.

[asf]

i am sure some weeb game isnt the answer

try betrayal at krondor

[Tangerine]

FF13 have much more engaging combat.

I wouldn't say a game that plays itself for you is engaging.

[rusty_shackleford]

You said 'good', not 'great', so…
The lesser regarded RPGs that are still considered some of the best despite not really appealing to any single group, and people can't quite seem to figure out why it regularly ranks so high across the RPG fanbase.

If I were pressed to name one, I'd go with Baldur's Gate 2.
FNV likely fits too, enough improvement upon FO3's combat to squeeze in here.

Close:

• Dragon Age Origins, lacking in the worldbuilding.
• Witcher, the combat isn't good.
• Arx Fatalis is really on the cusp here, but the story is nothing great.
• ELEX, Piranha Bytes in general. They could never quite nail the combat.
• Mass Effect. It's just OK, if you decide to grade on a curve because it's sci-fi then I'd say it fits.

Being consistently good at everything is a greatness unto itself.

[Manny V]

'both' generally means just 2 things, not 3, btw

[Rawtshedr]

Shadow Hearts I think does relatively good job of having good worldbuilding, mysterious plot and pretty engaging combat. Its sequel got way better reception but I never played it so I can't say anything. Its series was developed by former veterans of Square so the gameplay loop is similar but the stories and the atmosphere was darker. I think that is quite the most creative JRPG I've seen thematically and mechanically.

[CornCake]

I'm surprised nobody has said Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen. The story isn't breakout incredible or anything, but it's enjoyable, and the world building with DA is good. The combat is obviously the standout, as nothing else in the genre compares.

[rusty_shackleford]

I'm surprised nobody has said Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen. The story isn't breakout incredible or anything, but it's enjoyable, and the world building with DA is good. The combat is obviously the standout, as nothing else in the genre compares.

I'd struggle to give the story a

[DemoGraph]

'both' generally means just 2 things, not 3, btw

Yeah it fell victim of my editing.
Reported for being grammar nazi.

[Element]

Age of Decadence, despite its flaws, has good combat, good worldbuilding and an alright story

[Tweed]

i am sure some weeb game isnt the answer

try betrayal at krondor

Was actually going to say this.

[KOS-MOS]

Xenogears of course

Even if the second disc was rushed (thanks, Square — always making the best decisions, right?), I don't think any RPG has ever had such a good mix of all three: solid worldbuilding, excellent plot, and excellent gameplay.

It could've been Xenosaga too, if the gameplay weren't so tedious and inconsistent between episodes.

Mass Effect as well — but same issue as Xenosaga when it comes to gameplay.

[KOS-MOS]

I'm surprised nobody has said Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen. The story isn't breakout incredible or anything, but it's enjoyable, and the world building with DA is good. The combat is obviously the standout, as nothing else in the genre compares.

I don't even recall if there was any plot in this game

[Capuchin]

• Gothic 1 - 2: A simple but impressive scenario that has had a great influence on the RPG genre. Great OST. Great worlbuilding. The depth of the characters is a bit superficial. Clunky combat. Still one of the best RPG series of all time.

• Dragon Age Origins: Characters, script, OST, worlbuilding... Very successful in everything. It's hard to find any downsides. Might be my all-rounder.

• Mass Effect 1-2-3: Perhaps the only series that continues without losing its quality from the first game to the last game. A masterpiece with its characters and world. I may have a few minor criticisms about the third game, but in general, it is very difficult to find a negative aspect.

[asf]

jesus

[Demonic Fate]

Shadowrun: Dragonfall hits all three. It's leftist as hell of course, but that doesn't mean it's poorly written, just ideologically hostile. Combat isn't as good as XCOM but it is well above average.

Mask of the Betrayer too. I think the worldbuilding is indisputably top-notch and shows how many creative opportunities the Forgotten Realms offer if you just get out of the **** Sword Coast. The story is amazing, epic and tragic in the best way, although you could argue that your companions suffer a bit because they're also epic and tragic so they feel distinctly inhuman (most/all of them are). Combat is a bit more subjective, but it's the only game that lets you bask in the insanity of Level 30 D&D 3.5 while still being solid and functional; if you were a RPG nerd at the time, you probably got at least a half-chub at the idea of casting Vampiric Feast or trouncing around as an Eldritch Knight in heavy plate with full spellcasting from Automatic Still Spell.