In just a few days, Cyberpunk 2077 is set to release on multiple platforms after years of hype. Coming from CD Projekt Red, whose previous major project The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt arguably changed video games and RPGs forever, Cyberpunk 2077 is expected to make just as huge an impact. Coinciding with the launches of the PlayStation’s and Xbox’s next-generation consoles, Cyberpunk 2077 is bound to shape the state of video games and RPGs to come in the near future.
But while we welcome change when it comes to RPGs (just look at the positive reception to the remakes for Final Fantasy VII and Demon’s Souls), those of us who are old enough to remember classic, top-down RPGs still yearn for that old, digital Dungeons & Dragons-like experience. In fact, CRPGs (as they’re called) have remained popular for so long that in recent years there’s been a resurgence of new games in the genre. Most recently there was Baldur’s Gate III, but there have been many noteworthy CRPG releases in just the past decade.
That brings us to Epic Games’ upcoming line-up of free games. If you’re not yet ready to shell out your hard-earned cash on the potentially groundbreaking Cyberpunk 2077, or if Baldur’s Gate III still has too steep a price tag for you, then worry not, because Epic Games is coming through this holiday season with not one, but two free CRPGs. They’ll be available for free download through the Epic Games Launcher from December 11 to 18.
Pillars of Eternity – Definitive Edition
Pillars of Eternity is an RPG that’s modeled after the CRPGs of yore, but it’s made by Obsidian Entertainment, who you might know for having made Knights of the Old Republic II, and Neverwinter Nights 2. It was published by Paradox Interactive, who are known for their work with the Crusader Kings series. Briefly put, Pillars of Eternity was a brand new IP at the time of its release in 2015, but it was created by veteran developers in its genre.
Pillars of Eternity offers everything we love about CRPGs and more, with its deep customization options, improvements to classic CRPG gameplay, and the sense of freedom you’d associate with having a band of explorers able to make their own choices throughout the course of the entire game. It’s a no-brainer that fans of the genre will love Pillars of Eternity, but it’s also a great introductory game for those new to CRPGs. Through the Epic Games Launcher, you can get the game’s Definitive Edition, which comes with all of its DLCs for free.
Tyranny – Gold Edition
If the Definitive Edition of Pillars of Eternity was all that Epic Games would give out for free in the coming week, it would have been enough to keep players busy for hundreds of hours, but they’re doubling down on us with yet another CRPG. Tyranny is a CRPG that’s also developed and published by Obsidian Entertainment and Paradox Interactive. By now, it’s basically a seal of quality when you see these two companies working together on one title.
While Tyranny and PoE might look similar on the surface, the key difference of Tyranny is that it features a much more choice-oriented gameplay system. While PoE follows the classic structure of having characters with their own classes, skills, and storylines, Tyranny lets you build your characters up simply from the choices you make. Skills, environments, and even NPCs are affected by every choice you make in the game. It goes so far as to make your character class-less, meaning their abilities and stats are primarily dictated by the player’s decisions.
Released a year after PoE, Tyranny feels like the former’s more experimental older brother, even though it runs on the same game engine. While PoE lets you revisit the classic CRPG genre, Tyranny turns the genre over on its head to create a fresh experience. With the Gold Edition, you’ll be getting the game with all of its DLCs for free.
With a total monetary value of over ₱2,000, if you decide to purchase these two games elsewhere, you really ought to download the Epic Games Launcher for these games if you haven’t already. Epic Games’ free offerings are often great games, but the drops are rarely as good as this one. Remember, you’ve only got until the 18th of December!
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