Science fiction and role-playing games have always made a perfect pairing – both rooted in exploring the unknown, whether that’s moral ambiguity or uncharted star systems. But whenan RPGis set in space, there’s something else it gains. The promise of endless galaxies becomes more than just a backdrop – it becomes a sandbox for player choices, allegiances, philosophies and in many cases, consequences that ripple through the cosmos.
10 Best RPG Shooters That Perfectly Blend The Genres
Lock and load. It’s time to choose the top RPG shooters that combine the best of both genres.
These aren’t just games where stats are tracked and dialogue options matter. These are RPGs that take full advantage of the vastness of space, using it to build complex stories, deep world-building and freedom that feels as infinite as the stars themselves.
6Anachronox
The Universe Might Be Broken, but the Jokes Still Land
Anachronox
Released in 2001 after a famously rocky development, Anachronox is an overlooked gem that blends the structure of classic Japanese RPGs with a distinct Western tone of irony, melancholy and outright absurdity. Created by Ion Storm and directed by Tom Hall, the game follows Sylvester “Sly Boots” Bucelli, a down-on-his-luck private investigator operating out of a floating city built on a derelict alien artifact. It doesn’t take long before he’s swept into a universe-threatening crisis alongside a party that includes a cranky old scientist, a tiny planet that talks and a robotic secretary with attitude.
Gameplay-wise, Anachronox is inspired by Final Fantasy 7, featuringturn-based combat, linear progression and cinematic cutscenes rendered using the Quake II engine. But where it truly separates itself is in its writing. Despite the dated visuals, the story oscillates between genuinely touching moments and deadpan comedy – a feat few games pull off even today.
Its version of space isn’t sleek or militarized but instead weird, unpredictable and filled with characters who feel like they’ve lived through a dozen better stories before this one. The scale of exploration isn’t massive in a No Man’s Sky sense, but every location, from the cyber-noir alleys of Anachronox to the alien worlds stitched together by ancient technology, has purpose, personality and secrets to dig into. Few space RPGs feel this authored – and even fewer reward players for poking at every corner of the universe.
5Eve Online
A Galaxy That Doesn’t Sleep, Unless the Server Crashes
There is no single narrative in Eve Online – instead, players write history themselves, one political maneuver or corporate betrayal at a time. Set in a region of space called New Eden, Eve features over 7,000 star systems, most of which are explorable and open to player interaction. It’s an MMORPG in structure, but unlike traditional RPGs, it hands over the storytelling to players and their corporations – the game’s version of factions or guilds.
Everything from interstellar warfare to financial market crashes has occurred within this world, driven entirely by player decision-making. Battles involving thousands of ships can last for hours and cost real-world value in the tens of thousands of dollars, thanks to the game’s economy being almost entirely player-run. There’s nosingle-playerquestline, no “main character” – just a universe that constantly shifts, shaped by diplomacy, sabotage and greed.
4Starfield
Bethesda’s First New Universe in Decades – and It’s in Space
Built on the back of Bethesda’s open-world RPG formula, Starfield represents the studio’s first original IP in over 25 years. The game places players in the boots of a miner who stumbles upon an alien artifact and soon finds themselves joining a group called Constellation – explorers trying to uncover the secrets behind similar anomalies scattered across the Settled Systems.
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There are over 1,000 planets to visit, though only a portion of them feature handcrafted environments. Still, each system offers new opportunities, whether it’s joining space pirates, becoming a double agent in a corporate espionage storyline, or even building and managing custom ships.
The RPG depth shines through in its perk system, faction quests and the sheer variety of narrative routes available. While the main story has its slow moments, side content often carries the same kind of gravitas that made games like Fallout: New Vegas and Skyrim enduring. It’s Bethesda’s DNA – just stretched across the stars.
3The Outer Worlds
Capitalism Has Colonized the Cosmos – And It’s Hilarious
The Outer Worlds
Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds doesn’t just take place in space – it uses it as a satirical mirror for real-world corporate dystopia. Players awaken from cryosleep on a derelict colony ship, only to be dropped into a galaxy where mega-corporations control everything from toothpaste brands to planetary governments.
The game’s strength lies in its tight, punchy writing and reactive world design. Every decision – from whether to overthrow a corrupt board to what to do with an unstable power reactor – affects how NPCs treat the player and how the story unfolds. Faction relationships and companion loyalty are especially central, making party composition feel meaningful rather than decorative.
While its scope is smaller than most open-world RPGs, its depth and replayability are anything but. And thanks to Obsidian’s track record (Fallout: New Vegas), it nails the feeling of role-playing – not just as a hero or villain, but something far messier in between.
2Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Before the Skywalkers – There Was Revan
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Set 4,000 years before the events of the Star Wars films, Knights of the Old Republic reimagined what an RPG in the Star Wars universe could be. Rather than tying itself to the cinematic saga, it introduced an entirely new cast of characters, many of whom have since become legends in the broader Star Wars lore – especially Darth Revan.
Players control a seemingly average Republic soldier who, over the course of the game, discovers a dark secret about their own past. Choices throughout the game shape whether they fall to the Dark Side or stay with the Light, with the alignment system affecting dialogue, appearance and even combat abilities.
Each planet – from Tatooine to Korriban – offers branching quests and rich lore, with companion characters like HK-47 and Bastila Shan offering both emotional and comic relief. Developed by BioWare before Mass Effect, KOTOR laid the groundwork for narrative-driven space RPGs.
1Mass Effect 2
If You Missed the Normandy, You Missed the Golden Age
Mass Effect 2
Everything came together in Mass Effect 2. After the solid but clunky foundation of the first game, BioWare delivered a sequel that streamlined combat, deepened character arcs and introduced one of the best ensemble casts in gaming.
Set in a galaxy on the brink of an invasion by a mysterious alien race called the Collectors, the game focuses on Commander Shepard assembling a crew for what’s essentially a suicide mission. But unlike most games, every crew member’s loyalty directly affects who lives and who dies – and if players fail to gain their trust, the final mission can go horribly wrong.
Between planetside missions, exploration happens aboard the Normandy, which players use to scan planets, mine resources and travel between star systems. While its RPG mechanics are more action-oriented than stats-heavy, the depth of choice, character development and world-building make it the gold standard for RPGs set in space.
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