RPG games are a rare commodity for the Wii U, with many bemoaning the lack of reputable games in the genre.
That being said, there are some gems out there, and we’ve whittled them down to the top 5. Here are the 5 best Wii U RPGs.
Unepic Wii U Gameplay
Unepic was initially released in 2011 for Windows before being ported to the Wii U in 2014. It has received favorable reviews ever since, and for good reason too.
The game starts off following protagonist Daniel in a regular Dungeons & Dragons with his friends. In the middle of the game, Daniel is transported to a dark, fantastical castle from which the game takes place.
Unepic combines elements of RPG with platforming and Metroidvania-style gaming. It’s a combination that works very well, too. The game allows you to level up, gain skill points, create potions, find equipment, and all the other usual role-playing game aspects.
With a great artstyle, voice acting, and likeable characters, Unepic is easily one of the best RPGs for the Wii U, and one that you should certainly try if it flew under your radar.
Paper Mario Color Splash Gameplay
The first thing to say about Paper Mario: Color Splash is that it is a truly beautiful game with a level of charm and vibrancy that makes it hard not to like.
The game has clever and amusing writing, an engaging battle system, and a vast diversity in levels that leaves the player with so many things to do. As usual, Bowser is out causing mayhem, and this time he has kidnapped Princess Peach and removed color from the Prism Island. It’s up to Mario to rectify the issue.
Paper Mario: Color Splash isn’t without its detractors, with many citing the grinding and monotony of the game as a source of great frustration. Yet, I think the positives make it easy to overlook this, and for me this goes down as one of the best Wii U RPGs out there.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions FE Gameplay
Developed by Atlus and released in 2015, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is hands-down one of the best RPG games for the Wii U. Fans of classic jRPGs will particularly love this.
Combining elements of both Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem, the game tries to do a lot and, although it has been judged to be unbalanced by some, this experimental collaboration works well for me.
It’s colorful, endearing, engaging, and all the other superlatives that you’d expect from an Atlus jRPG. Perhaps its greatest asset, though, is the complex combat system that is evidently influenced by previous games from the developer.
Lots of people slept on it when it was first released, but if you’re looking for the best Wii U RPGs, you simply must try Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE.
Child of Light Wii U Gameplay
Child of Light is one of those games that unifies gamers and fans of all genres in their appreciation of its style and beauty.
Following the story of a young girl named Aurora, players travel through Lemuria and tackle mysterious creatures in a quest to recover the sun, the moon, and the stars from the Queen of the Night.
One of the best aspects of Child of Light is the vast exploration that is allowed. It gives a sense of freedom that one might have considered unattainable for a purely 2D world.
Aurora is joined in her travels by a number of different companions that include the jester Rubella, young sorcerer Finn and a firefly named Igniculus.
In terms of gameplay, the battle system is Final Fantasy-esque and allows players to control 2 different characters at the same time. Levelling up is an important feature of the game, and by gaining experience you are able to gain new abilities and improve different stats of the character.
Overall, Child of Light is a beautiful game that easily stands out as one of the best Wii U RPGs.
Xenoblade Chronicles X Wii U
If you’re searching for the best Wii U RPGs, look no further than Xenoblade Chronicles X. Not only is this a special jRPG, but it is also one of the best games across all genres on the platform.
For starters, the game is huge, and is roughly ten times larger than Skyrim. What’s more, though, is that all of the game is explorable. With multiple modes of transport (in the form of Skell mechs) and different terrains, nothing is out of reach in Xenoblades Chronicles X, especially when your Skell is upgraded with flight.
The game is really something that has to be experienced in order to be believed, and the scale of exploration is unlike anything seen in an open world RPG. The lack of loading screens and smooth transitions add to the immersiveness of the game, too, and you can get completely lost travelling from one end of the map to another.
Add to this a great music score, beautiful graphics, solid character customization, and enjoyable combat, and Xenoblades Chronicles X becomes a truly phenomenal RPG game and one that all Wii U aficionados should try.
What do you think is the best RPG game for the Wii U? Did you see it on our list? Let us know in the comment section below!
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For a deeper look at why Xenoblades Chronicles X is so great, check out the great YouTube video below by Luxin.