By design, role-playing games should be full of decisions that the players have to make in order to advance the plot and develop their characters. Some of the top-shelf role-playing experiences will also include choices that affect the world at large, both in terms of how the NPCs perceive the main character, as well as the systems and politics of the game's setting.
Most of the time, the impact of a player's in-game decisions is dependent on the quality of writing and the main story at large. Sometimes, however, the choices fail to seem meaningful enough because of more serious flaws entrenched deep within the game's systems.
10 Meaningless: The Dilemma At The End Of Fallout 3
The third Fallout game was the first one of the new, reimagined Fallouts developed and published by Bethesda. Prior to its release, many fans were worried about the outcome of this ambitious project, but the final product was a great game that brought back the franchise to the limelight of the gaming industry.
One of the more controversial aspects of Fallout 3 was its ending. While there was a dramatic decision involved that would potentially have a profound effect on the game's open world, the base game didn't allow players to explore it after the final cutscene. This was fixed with the Broken Steel DLC, but no gamer should have to wait for an expansion to witness the impact of their choices.
9 Meaningful: Megaton In Fallout 3
Speaking of Fallout 3, not all choices made by the player in the game are ultimately meaningless. Not too long after the start of the game, players may come across the city of Megaton. This "vibrant" community is centered around one thing -- the atomic bomb located smack in the middle of the city.
As they make their name known in and around the town, the players will eventually have to decide whether to detonate the a-bomb and doom everyone in Megaton to certain death, or disarm it, relieving the city of the looming threat. The aftermath of this decision will follow the player throughout Fallout 3, and whether they want to be known as a notorious mass-murderer or the savior of Megaton is entirely up to them.
8 Meaningless: Choosing The Character's Gender In Assassin's Creed Odyssey
In most RPG and adventure games, choosing the gender of a character should not affect the overall playthrough. However, in Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, it really should. The main plot follows the story of two siblings, Kassandra and Alexios, who at one point end up clashing with each other. Having been condemned to death by their own father as children, they miraculously survived being thrown off a cliff and grew up separated.
Choosing to play as either Alexios or Kassandra in Odyssey is nothing more than a cosmetic choice. The origin stories of the main character are the same, regardless of what sibling players choose to play as. Ubisoft missed a great opportunity to create two separate backstories and flesh out these characters a little more, which would also give gamers a reason to return to Odyssey after they're done with the first playthrough.
7 Meaningful: Kill Or Spare The Sick Villagers In Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Although some of the writing in AC: Odyssey is not up to the standard, this cannot be said about the "Blood Fever" side quest. In this mission, players are sent to a nearby village by Phoibe. Once they get there, they find out that the entire settlement has been burned to the ground because of a highly infectious disease that threatened to spread to the rest of Kephallonia.
There is one family left alive in the village, soon to be put to the sword by priests responsible for the massacre. The player can either choose to let the priests get on with their job, or fight them and let the family live. The choice seems easy, but it isn't as black-and-white as it may seem. Letting the family live will result in spreading the disease across the entire island, whereas allowing the priests to kill them nips the outbreak in the bud.
6 Meaningless: Fallout 4's Romances
In recent years, more and more RPG developers have included romance options in their games. It was a highly rewarding mechanic in the Mass Effect series, where developing relationships with various characters actually had an impact on how others perceive Commander Shepherd.
It came as no surprise then, that Fallout 4 came with a variety of romantic relationships to pursue. However, they were incredibly shallow and disappointing -- there are no consequences for engaging with particular characters. Worse yet, players are allowed to chase after every romanceable character in the game simultaneously, without any consequences!
5 Meaningful: Witcher 3's Romances
It goes without saying that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of the best games, if not the best game of the last decade. The primary reason behind that was the fact that the decisions made in the game truly mattered, affecting the future quest outcomes, Geralt's relationships, and potential endings of the story.
The choice between pursuing a serious relationship with Triss Merigold or Yennefer has an impact on the final outcome of the game's plot, as well as the main character's relationship with not only the sorceresses in question, but also a variety of other characters in the game.
4 Meaningless: V's Lifepath In Cyberpunk 2077
Prior to the release of Cyberpunk 2077, one of the most hyped aspects of the game was the possibility to choose a background and "lifepath" for V. It was supposed to determine who he was before the events of Cyberpunk, and also alter the prologue of the game. It turned out to be a completely meaningless and forgettable decision, though.
Aside from the first 45-60 minutes of the game and some bonus dialogue options, that choice didn't matter at all. The main story would arrive at the same points within the same timeframes, and there were no additional side-quests, equipment, or options that would reflect this initial choice.
3 Meaningful: Relationship Between V and Johnny In Cyberpunk 2077
For those who have played Cyberpunk 2077, it is quite obvious that the relationship between V and Johnny Silverhand is quite complicated, to say the least. In a true CDPR fashion, it is totally up to the player to choose whether or not to be antagonistic or friendly towards Johnny all throughout the game.
What the game doesn't reveal, however, is the fact that the quality of V's relationship with Johnny matters when it comes to unlocking quite a few side missions that can have an impact on the game's ending. Finally, if Johnny and V truly become best friends throughout the game, that also comes with the unlocking of a secret ending to Cyberpunk 2077.
2 Meaningless: Mass Effect 3's Ending
This is probably the most controversial ending to a beloved gaming franchise in recent history. The finale of the Mass Effect series was a highly anticipated one. After all, it was considered to be one of the best RPG games of its generation.
Although Mass Effect 3 as a whole was a great game, and the ending did somewhat depend on the choices players made throughout their playthrough, the final choice came down to picking one of the three colors symbolizing the fate of the game's world. There was no feasible way to experience the consequences, at least not until the Extended Cut DLC came in and fixed a lot of the conclusion's shortcomings.
1 Meaningful: Preparing For Mass Effect 2's Final Mission
There are a lot of meaningful and emotional moments in RPG games -- after all, in most of them, players get attached to their characters and party members. However, no game has ever come close to the significance of the choices the players have to make throughout the conclusion to Mass Effect 2.
Embarking on a suicide mission, Shepard has to choose the characters that would accompany them -- it is expected that not all of them will make it out alive. Particularly bad playthroughs could result in Shepard dying on the mission, which would mean that those choosing to import their save onto ME3 would play as someone else entirely.