Starfield is a game that can eat up hundreds of hours of your time. But eventually, you’ll finish the game and move on to something else. Although there aren’t a ton of games like it out there, there are certainly a ton of RPGs that can give you a similar experience. And in some cases, I’d wager, an even better experience. Here are the Top 10 best games to play after you finish Starfield.
Top 10 Best Games to Play After You Finish Starfield
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Deus Ex is a long-running series that hasn’t seen a proper entry in over seven years. That doesn’t mean Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is worth looking over. It’s an absolute must-play. A narrative-driven RPG where your choices matter, how the story plays out heavily depends on how you decide to take on each mission.
The city the game takes place in is dark and depressing. It’s a terrifying image of what the near future world could look like. Imagine Starfield’s Neon, but the lights went out, and martial law was in place. That’s the kind of vibe that weaves through Deus: Ex Mankind Divided. The combat is ferocious, with a mix of first and third-person that I wish Starfield had. Implementing Cyberware makes your arsenal incredibly deadly and fun to play around with. I can’t recommend this one enough.
The Technomancer
Staying in the category of space games, The Technomancer is a weird and original take on the sci-fi genre. You play as a Technomancer who can control electricity, and the game feels like a bizarre combo of The Witcher 3 and Mass Effect. It doesn’t have outstanding production values, but it has a unique charm to it. The voice acting is a bit stilted, but the gameplay is just a damn good time.
You have three different weapon styles to choose from, and each has its own ability tree, giving you numerous options when it comes to combat. That combat is third-person action, and it relies on timing and resource management to navigate successfully. You’ll recruit companions along the way, discover side quests, and have meaningful decisions that decide who lives or dies. It’s the precursor to Greedfall and was the game that proved Spiders needed a shot at a big-budget RPG. It also made our best games to play after beating Cyberpunk 2077 list.
Skyrim
If you’re somehow just discovering Bethesda Softworks games, then I highly advise you to check out their finest work. Skyrim is a game that instills a sense of wonder, unlike any game I’ve ever played. With its amazing art design, incredible soundtrack, and intricately crafted map, it’s one of the most complete RPGs of all time here.
Your quest as the Dragonborn is to stop the evil dragon Alduin from destroying the world, but that’s only a small slice of the pie. Just like Starfield, there are countless side quests to discover. As someone who’s put over 600 hours into the game, I’ve never actually beaten it. That’s how enormous it is — and that’s how good it is. The combat allows you a ton of freedom, too. Whether it be magic, melee, archery, or assassin-style gameplay, it’s all there at your disposal from the start.
Mass Effect Andromeda
Put the pitchforks down for a second. I know this wasn’t an incredibly successful launch. And I know the game became somewhat of a meme for a good period of time. Since then, however, Mass Effect Andromeda has been fixed up. Indeed, it’s one of the better space exploration games out there.
The tale takes place far in the future, where you’re tasked as the Pathfinder and must find a place to make a new home for civilization. You’ll explore enormous planets, face off against dangerous aliens, and enjoy some of the best graphics and combat around. Combat is the highlight, and the usage of powers here is an incredibly fun and flexible mix. While you lack the ability to control your party’s power usage, like in previous games, your abilities are far greater. It’s not the best in the series by any means, but it does have the best exploration, graphics, and combat.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
If you’ve avoided playing The Witcher 3 for this long, you’re in luck. Since the next-gen update, it’s literally the most gorgeous-looking game in existence. If looks aren’t your thing, how about the best side quests ever written? How about a compelling main character? How about the best voice acting ever to grace a video game?
It’s hard to sum up The Witcher 3. The experience is gargantuan — perhaps more than any game on this list. But the best word for it is magical. The world is far from the whimsy you might experience in other fantasy games. It’s dark, realistic, and, at times, depressing. You aren’t the chosen one or anything of the sort. You’re just a man trying to make ends meet and find his ward. It’s an enthralling adventure, and the combat is unique, requiring precise timing and planning to down some of the more horrific beasts you’ll encounter. In the past 10 years, there has been no game worth playing more than The Witcher 3.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition
You used to have to buy these games separately. Now? Mass Effect Legendary Edition gives you all three Mass Effect games for one. That’s over 160 hours of the best sci-fi trilogy ever made in video games, film, or otherwise.
You play as Commander Shepard on a mission to discover the threat of an ancient race called the Reapers. What goes down in this story is both memorable, fascinating, and terrifying. Your decisions from one game to another carry over, as does your main character. That cohesiveness gives Mass Effect Legendary Edition a feeling that few games have achieved before it. If you like sci-fi, amazing lore, cool aliens, and impactful third-person combat, you can do no wrong here.
Cyberpunk 2077
Now in its final form, Cyberpunk 2077 is the game it was always meant to be. Imagine if Neon was 10x the size and 10x as deep as it is in Starfield. You’ll have a good idea of what to expect in Night City after the 2.0 update and Phantom Liberty expansion. The content is staggering, with tons of side quests that factor back into the main story, making everything feel cohesive and connected in a few that few other games seem to manage.
The combat is fast and brutal, all in first person. You have a suite of melee weapons, guns, and Cyberware powers available for you to engage with. Cyberpunk 2077 has a great story, amazing voice acting, and at least 150 hours of content to explore.
Final Fantasy 16
If you’re open to a different flavor of open-world experience, you may want to try Final Fantasy 16. As a triumphant return for the franchise, Final Fantasy 16 creates a highly cinematic experience. There’s a heavy focus on its dark and twisting story, and the world is a fascinating one. It’s Final Fantasy’s most serious story to date, yet it still manages to hold onto that FF magic that has drawn millions for over 30 years.
The combat is that of an action RPG and possibly more Devil May Cry than The Witcher 3. The highlight is the incredible boss battles. These are some jaw-dropping experiences that raise the bar for the series going forward. There are tons of side quests, many of which tie back into the story, and a hefty amount of side content to discover aside from that. If you need a great, big world to explore with all that plus engaging characters, Final Fantasy 16 would be perfect following Starfield.
No Man’s Sky
No Man’s Sky had one of the rockiest launches of all time. Since then, it’s been an incredible success. Hello Games has provided constant updates and VR compatibility, making No Man’s Sky a near-complete space sim. If you like traveling the stars in Starfield, you’ll love it even more here. NMS says no to loading screens. Instead, you can manually fly from planet to planet (don’t worry: you can warp if you want to), seamlessly transitioning from space to terra firma.
I heavily recommend playing it in VR if you have access to it. Flying around space and approaching new planets is among the most breathtaking experiences I’ve ever had. It nails the scale in an impressive way and offers almost a meditative experience with the headset on. There are tons of interesting aliens to discover, pets to own, enemies to fight, and interesting stories to follow. It’s all online, too, so you can play through all of the content with a friend.
Baldur’s Gate 3
Our number one spot on this list of games to play after finishing Starfield goes to the game that will likely win the 2023 Game of the Year award over Starfield. Baldur’s Gate 3 is brilliant in every aspect. From its main quest to the absurd freedom in its combat and overall gameplay, it’s an RPG fan’s dream. The amount of content to play through will take you well over 100 hours, and every second has been intricately crafted to be worth your time.
Every side quest manages to play back into the main story in a meaningful way. The amount of permutations the main quest can take depending on your choices is truly wild to experience and makes the game very replayable. Combat is turn-based, but it’s the pinnacle of what a turn-based game can and should be. Your imagination is the only thing that decides what you can’t do when it comes to combat — or when it comes to getting through a puzzle. From its beautiful graphics to its incredible soundtrack and voice acting, this is every bit of what a modern RPG should be.
Those are the Top 10 games to play after you finish Starfield. Give these games a try, and you’ll find enough RPG content to last you for years. For more on Starfield, check out our guides section.
Published: Oct 4, 2023 05:11 pm