Any RPGs with medieval Christian chivalry?

[mondblut]

This is very much an intentional choice by the writer.

Obviously. But if the OP is looking for spotless virtuous christianity, he's gonna be massively disappointed. More often than not the game makes you want to punch your local catholic real hard

You're supposed to be actually role-playing as a Christian in the 1400s, and that means that you can't just chop off the head of the first crooked friar you meet even if you think he's dodgy.

It's about what people in that part of Europe believed at that time.

Tell that to hussites, man.

 

[Generic-Giant-Spider]

I guess you could also go with Darkest Dungeon and focus on religious-themed characters like the Crusader, Vestal, Leper and Flagellant to make up the bulk of your parties.

Kind of sad how a Christian-themed good vs. evil game would probably be shit on by mainstream gaming because it's the scapegoat religion for when you wanna be edgy but are too pussy to go too hard. You'll never see a game deal with organized religion and corruption and not have the villain wear a Pope hat or have some title like "cardinal."

 

[Sjukob]

There is a semi-serious joke that Doom is the most Christian video game of all time, as you slay only demons.

 

[Sentinel]

I don't know of any RPGs but Red Dead Redemption 2 and Death Stranding gave me a similar feeling to what you describe due to the journey both main characters go through.

 

[Nutria]

Tell that to hussites, man.

Don't even get me started on the possibilities of Hussites in Darklands. If you look through the game files in a text editor, there is a whole bunch of content that was written specifically about them but had to be cut because the project had gone way over time and budget. They're depicted as kind of crazy and fanatical and they hate you for being German, but if you can get them to calm down, they'll warn you about the Templars. It's done very well, where these guys have a lot of differences with you but at the end of the day they're against Satan too.

 

[Louis_Cypher]

Blobbers, owing to having less focus on plot, and more on dungeon crawling, can be pretty good for that medieval feel.

----

Legend of Grimrock I to Legend of Grimrock II

Legend of Grimrock isn't religious at all. Yet it captures that sense of medieval grail myth and lost dungeons. In both you are a prisoner abandoned or shipwrecked. The games are gorgeous. Faces are carved on rock walls like the 'green man' of European art and folklore. There is a mysterious sorcerer, master of the island you are shipwrecked on. You half expect someone to start asking you riddles. It's lonely and interesting.

----

But if the OP is looking for spotless virtuous christianity, he's gonna be massively disappointed.

It kinda depends what you mean by spotless. Like I definitely don't mean the sort of performative "everyone is happy" image that some people may have of virtue. People who's faces are tired from constant smiling. Inauthenticity to the real pain and adversity of life. However, people seeing darkness for what it is, a sad necessity joined against by people of good conscious who recognize it for an existential threat they can't escape; that's what I love. I happen to think that you would find unexpected support from most living beings, rather than there being a 'Denethor' in authority in every town; thats what partly grates, where in every modern RPG you are fucked around by bandits and bureaucrats in the middle of the world's end, as if profit matters at that point, or anything. I'm also sick of chirpy 'charismatic' joke-quipping companions, more people would be motivated by tragedy and grim necessity.

You earnest stuff more often in JRPGs than CRPGs, but I rather play a Western game due to art.

 

[mondblut]

It kinda depends what you mean by spotless.

I mean that the clergy in Darklands are typically presented as corrupt insufferable cunts. And you have to kiss their asses regardless of it.

 

[Quigs]

It's cheating a bit, but the Pendragon RPG might be up your alley. Different versions of Christianity during Arthurian times. Written by a practicing pagan no less. A very solid knightly game.

Extraordinarily abstractly, Caves of Qud. If you don't feel goodness helping out Joppa, you may be lost.

 

[Louis_Cypher]

It kinda depends what you mean by spotless.

I mean that the clergy in Darklands are typically presented as corrupt insufferable cunts. And you have to kiss their asses regardless of it.

I might not like it then. It's such a tired idea. "Medievals had no principles, were all cunts."

I think 'Arn: The Knight Templar' is the only film I've seen give a positive view. The institutions would have collapsed if nobody believed in them, and acted in earnest. I think this is a product again of 20th century revisionism, and desire to paint everything in a shit light to further certain narratives. Basically charity and goodness, care for disabled parents, idealism, etc, must have existed, because humans have that in them.

 

[mondblut]

I mean that the clergy in Darklands are typically presented as corrupt insufferable cunts. And you have to kiss their asses regardless of it.

I might not like it then. It's such a tired idea. "Medievals had no principles, were all cunts."

Well, Hus and Luther appeared for a reason... And they weren't even the first.

 

[Fluent]

Hey guys. I'd have to also say Inquisitor. It has the Christian elements of good vs. evil, the apocalypse, and plenty of Satan's minions engaging in nefarious activities. It's also a classic CRPG. I love it, have to replay it sometime but don't ignore this one if u enjoy old-school CRPGs. There's plenty of all the major RPG elements to go around here, and despite what u heard, if u love CRPGs u will likely love this game as well. But yes, it deals with Satan and God and all that good stuff in the lore. Very cool.

 

[Nutria]

I mean that the clergy in Darklands are typically presented as corrupt insufferable cunts.

Having spent way too many hundreds of hours playing it, I've got to disagree with that. The clergy range from 100% devout to secretly worshiping Satan. And often you run into people who just kind of don't give a shit and want to make money. Determining who is actually good or evil is a theme that comes up over and over. Clergy, knights, peasants, you can't trust anyone until you know them. The church isn't especially singled out as more corrupt, and you can't even play the game if you don't belong to it.

Hus and Luther appeared for a reason... And they weren't even the first

This is one area where I think Darklands really excels. You get this feeling that the world is corrupt and violent and needs to be fixed, but you experience it the way a person in the 1400s would, not someone with hindsight.

 

[Pink Eye]

I dunno. Not every catholic in Darklands is a satanist or a bandit who extorts the innocent for toll. I vividly remember having different event cards in regards to this. Sometimes the catholic and friends who patrol the highway are really doing god's work of protecting the innocent. Sometimes they're bandits in disguise. It's a gamble though - one in which you can take a hit to virtue, if you're wrong. Just as how it's a gamble to declare if a village is secretly worshiping Satan. However, Those rare moments where you do find evil worshippers. Well. You're in for a fight:

Spoiler

 

[Louis_Cypher]

I don't know of any RPGs but Red Dead Redemption 2 and Death Stranding gave me a similar feeling to what you describe due to the journey both main characters go through.

Interesting, a genuine 'hero's journey' is something I'll accept from any genre. In the Tarot, which is used a lot in the Jung-influenced Persona series of JRPGs, the developing fool goes through several stages of realisation, arriving at the power of faith, the source of new life. Joseph Campbell famously talked about the similar 'hero's journey'. We see it done competently all too rarely, and it is prime material for fantasy; people adapt the wargame aspect like D&D, building a world, but largely miss the psychological aspect of the fantasy genre.

 

[Joggerino]

I honestly don't know any games where you stake out a bridge and challenge anyone who tries to cross it. Kingdom come deliverance has a chivalry element and it's a great game.

 

[Dorateen]

If we are talking about chivalric code:

 

[Parsifarka]

Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption stars an admirable Christian knight, a paragon of virtue who, depending on the player choices, remains steadfast in the faith and cherishing a chaste love even as he suffers the curse of vampirism, hoping for God to redeem him and his beloved.

 

[Louis_Cypher]

Yes, Vampire: The Masquerade - Redeption is amazing actually.

 

[Louis_Cypher]

Unrelated topic, but Japan seems to sometimes capture the sense of certain periods of medieval or early modern European history and art very well. Vagrant Story, which researched European art and architecture springs to mind. Dark Souls of course, where the team studied European cathedrals and castles. Even things set in fictional 19th century, which Western games hardly cover. Trails of Cold Steel, with it's military academy, international tensions, etc, is something like Prussia. Attention to detail and intellectualism. I think looking in, they see it as exotic, where our intellectuals are busy trying to vilify the past, they are free to romanticize. Stuff like Vagrant Story, King's Field, Etrian Odyssey, Wizardry spin-offs, can all be chivalric and affirming. Things like Castlevania too capture an atmosphere we rarely do ourselves.

Owing to their straightforward plot vs an evil corporation driven by lust, pride, and vanity, the Resident Evil games are excellent in terms of heroism. Survival horror in general in fact, as you are often protecting the world from zombies, etc. I've just been doing a 11-game Resident Evil marathon and this has cemented it as one of my favorite gaming series of all time. Also there is a lot of gothic and old nobility-related aspects to them. The mansions explored, the history of families like the Ashfords and Spencers; lots of heraldic aspects.

 

[buffalo bill]

Nor really medieval but..

and definitely not medieval, but there's also Father Tully doing the priest act in Fallout 2

and Doomrl

 

[vazha]

Cursed Crusade is my favouritest janky actiony & rpg-lite mess which has, well, church and crusaders play a major role in the plot. There's also the First Templar, from the same category of games.

Warband has couple of crusade-themed mods, and while the church and clergy are obviously present, they dont have any special powers (just like in real life)

The Corsairs (Sea Dogs) series are pirate-themed slavjank rpgs that I'd heartily recommend to anyone wanting to roam the high seas, commit unspeakable acts of crime and heresy and then donate a hefty sum to the Catholic church to un-tarnish your reputation (again, much like in real life, at least where I come from).

 

[Louis_Cypher]

Is it perhaps strange, that in RPGs, the genre of epic struggles and quests, we can barely come up with recommendations of unambiguously decent natured plots combating the forces of darkness? Absolutely none in the current isometric revival crop? Maybe that is telling, says a lot about where the genre is, maybe society too.

Story RPGs sometimes devolve into busywork simulators wanking around with some minor quest about bandit deliveries, but with no reason to care.

Even in games where you have a full-on Paladin, they usually offer an insubstantial experience of playing honorable characters or decent knights; some have dialogue responses that just amounts to a parody of virtue.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption was a damn good call though.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

Somewhat humorously, PST would fall under this to some degree. The main story is one of redemption, forgiveness, and eternal damnation. (and perhaps atonement.)

Where you draw the line between "must be played this way" and "can be played this way" will decide where a lot of RPGs fall though.

 

[Hace El Oso]

I might not like it then. It's such a tired idea. "Medievals had no principles, were all cunts."

I think 'Arn: The Knight Templar' is the only film I've seen give a positive view. The institutions would have collapsed if nobody believed in them, and acted in earnest. I think this is a product again of 20th century revisionism, and desire to paint everything in a shit light to further certain narratives. Basically charity and goodness, care for disabled parents, idealism, etc, must have existed, because humans have that in them.

The original miniseries version is even better and much longer (not having been cut down to fit into a film) , if you haven't seen it.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Is it perhaps strange, that in RPGs, the genre of epic struggles and quests, we can barely come up with recommendations of unambiguously decent natured plots combating the forces of darkness? Absolutely none in the current isometric revival crop? Maybe that is telling, says a lot about where the genre is, maybe society too.

Story RPGs sometimes devolve into busywork simulators wanking around with some minor quest about bandit deliveries, but with no reason to care.

Even in games where you have a full-on Paladin, they usually offer an insubstantial experience of playing honorable characters or decent knights; some have dialogue responses that just amounts to a parody of virtue.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption was a damn good call though.

It's strange, for all the flak most rpgs get for being generic high fantasy I am yet to see one that does Chivalry, honour and the related themes right, possibly Ultima as an exception. Or maybe the Paladin path of Quest for Glory.