Fantastic open-world RPGs are in short supply, so the pickings are extra slim for dark fantasy masterpieces. Blending magic or the supernatural with grim settings defined by death, sacrifice, and sprinkles of horror, dark fantasy stories often challenge the traditional hero's journey, allowing morally ambiguous protagonists who may not always have the right motivations.

Weird as it might sound, it's oddly fun to exist in a world where everything has gone to hell in a mostly unrealistic way, even if many of the best dark fantasy open-world RPGs explore themes that parallel real life. They let us hunt grotesque monsters, make potentially catastrophic choices, and perhaps even save (or doom) everyone. While we only sporadically receive true dark fantasy epics, the games we do get tend to be rather incredible, and these are the best of the best.

It would be wrong to dive intodark fantasy without mentioning Diablo, theseries most associated with the genre and style. Diablo 4 is the only one that qualifies as open-world, and it's the franchise's most divisive release by quite a margin (Diablo Immortal isn't really divisive, just disliked). After Diablo 3 turned the vibrancy dial to 11 and brought color to Sanctuary, its 2023 successor returned to the pure gothic dark-fantasy roots that defined the original games, and it certainly looks the part.

If players are getting a little tired of Diablo 4, then trying Titan Quest 2 may just be the solution!

Diablo 4 puts you in the middle of two equally abusive figures, just in different ways.

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