The Best Android Action RPGs of 2020
The masses have a soft spot for action RPGs. It’s a lovely combination of adrenaline-pumping, real-time gameplay, mixed with stats, big pauldrons, and various amounts of fantasy. What’s not to love about action ARPGs? You’ve got Skyrim, the Diablo series, and even The Witcher 3, but we’ll look specifically at the best action RPGs you can pick up for your Android device right now. And they’re some heavy-hitters.
10. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
You can’t discuss ARPGs, or RPGs for that matter, without introducing Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic into the conversation. After 17 years, KOTOR is still regarded as one of the best ARPGs to date. Part of its success and greatness is obviously due to being a part of the Star Wars universe. However, the lore, characters, writing, and opportunity to roleplay as a Jedi or Sith is mind blowing. And if you so choose, you can simply stick to blasters. The choice is yours! Fly your own ship, the Ebon Hawk, learn new Force abilities, and even build your own lightsaber. If you’re a Star Wars fan, this needs to be in your gaming library.
9. Ravensword: Shadowlands
Few great ARPGs on the Android marketplace venture into open world territory, and Ravensword: Shadowlands just barrels straight into it. You’re less concerned about saving the world, and more concerned about how you’re still alive. You were engaged battle and somehow a strange force wiped out both sides, and yet, you survived. How? Why? What was that strange primal force? It’s rather refreshing to experience a down-to-earth story, away from prophecies and chosen ones. Given its gameplay and style, Ravensword: Shadowlands is about as close as you can get to an Oblivion-styled ARPG.
8. Battleheart Legacy
Battleheart Legacy drops the doom and gloom for a more cutesy art style, which is also present in the dialogue. The game doesn’t take itself too seriously as you’ll find quite a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor, like finding a witch in the forest that plays dumb. As you progress through the story, there will be plenty of opportunities to make a choice, dictating how the story will unfold. Will you flatter, bribe, or engage in a bit of the old ultra-violence? What you choose can alter the course of history. With its elegant gameplay and inviting the graphics, Battleheart Legacy could be a kid’s first ARPG, yet it’s deep enough that an adult can enjoy its skill system and real time combat.
7. Titan Quest
Titan Quest isn’t ashamed of its Diablo-inspired roots, nor should it be. You wouldn’t be wrong to call it a clone, but Titan Quest does what many won’t: innovate. Plenty of developers think a copy/paste job will rake in the dough, but that just isn’t the case here. Titan Quest pulls away from a Gothic horror setting and dives right into mythology. You’ll do battle with creatures from Greek, Egyptian, and even Persian mythology.
Furthermore, the developers broke away from a traditional leveling system by leaving specialized classes on the cutting room floor. It was replaced with “theme skill masteries,” of which two can be mixed and managed. This mixing of masteries creates some wicked combinations, like Defense and Spirit to create a tank with life stealing abilities. And now the joy of Titan Quest is on your Android device.
6. Eternium
A common trait among ARPGs is the activation of spells by tapping the desired ability on the screen—not so with Eternium. To cast a spell, you “draw” a sign on your screen. It brings such a unique flavor to ARPGs few consider, and that alone makes it worth trying out. Why fight touch screen controls when you can marry the two? Of course, there’s plenty of monsters to slay, gear to find, gold to collect, and a world that needs saving (naturally).
5. Exiled Kingdoms
Exiled Kingdoms has you exploring strange lands reshaped by a recent cataclysm. Creatures and beasts that survived are on the prowl, and it’s up to you to prevent said horrors from wiping out the rest of the world. To do that you’ll have to cobble together gear, weapons, and even hire mercenaries to assist you on your travels.
Exiled Kingdoms isn’t going to impress you with its graphics, but don’t let that fool you. Remember: Diablo II was released 20 years ago and there are plenty of fans who hold it far above the objectively better looking Diablo III. It’s the substance that counts, which Exiled Kingdoms, with its mix of story-oriented and Diablo-style gameplay, offers up in spades.
4. Secret of Mana
At the time Secret of Mana was originally released, way back in 1993, it was common for RPGs to be turn-based. Many of the greatest titles in the ‘90s were turn-based. In that regard, Secret of Mana was a bit of an outlier. It wasn’t turn-based at all—it was real-time, along with their innovative Ring Command menu system. When fighting monsters, a meter will fill up, indicating your character is ready to attack. What this did was force you to consider every attack, wait for the right time, and make sure it was well-placed. Couple that with Hiroki Kikuta’s superb soundtrack and vibrant sprites, and what you get is Secret of Mana.
3. AnimA RPG
For those that prefer a more hardcore experience in their ARPGs, you’ll love AnimA ARPG. Like the days of old, this game won’t hold your hand. You are very much on your own when it comes to completing quests, crawling through dungeons, and cutting down bosses. Any attempt to brute force will end in failure. Use your head, adopt a different strategy, perhaps craft a new weapon, but more importantly: learn patience. AnimA blends the beautiful into its dark, Gothic, and depressing art style, one that is clearly inspired by big D.
2. Hundred Soul: The Last Savior
Breaking away from the top-down view so common among ARPGs is Hundred Soul: The Last Savior. You’ll first notice how gorgeous Hundred Soul is. Having a powerful Android device is necessary, and if you do, you’re in for a treat. Combat is fluid, hard-hitting, fast, and very flashy, with all kinds of effects appearing at the end of weapons and abilities. Part of the fun is trying out new abilities, which are learned by equipping different weapons, while the other half is stringing together combos. And you’ll need those abilities and combos to fulfill your role as humanity’s last hope.
1. Iesabel
Iesabel stands out among the rest for having a story that isn’t streamlined. It isn’t anything spectacular, but the game does a wonderful job of actually giving your exploration a purpose. It’s a question few stop and wonder about. Then there’s the cast of characters that compounds the story, a memorable one at that, further moving the story along as you crack skulls, raid dungeons, and collect gold. The best part: offers cross platform and up to 8 player multiplayer. It also doesn’t hurt that Iesabel is free of microtransactions, too.
If you enjoyed the list, you really should check out our lists of the Best Android RPGs and the Best Android JRPGs Ever Made.
