A big problem with many RPGs is their often slow introductions. They all have to use their opening hours to familiarize players with a new world, teach them the battle system, and explain party management.
While many fans of the genre either enjoy these or can simply tolerate it, RPG naysayers point the slow openings out as a reason for their disdain for the style. Before writing off RPGs for good, they should take a chance on any of the ten games below. These waste no time and throw the player into the action immediately, often balancing tutorials with a fast-paced narrative.
10 Fallout 3
Fallout 3's intro is interesting, but also brief. Players go through the character's life from birth to young adulthood in the vault, but it never dwells on one period for too long. Once you escape the vault in search of your father, the whole world is your to explore. Depending on the type of player, one will go through the story quickly or complete various optional side quests.
9 Mass Effect 2
With the classic trilogy now out on modern consoles, it is a good time to bring up this classic. The first mass effect has an admittedly slow intro as it introduces the epic world where the whole trilogy is set. Mass Effect 2, however, has an extremely bombastic opening and does a great job at quickly establishing Commander Shepard's goal for the rest of the game. People often consider Mass Effect 2 the best of the trilogy.
8 XCOM: Enemy Unknown
Perhaps the hardest game of the list, XCOM: Enemy Unknown puts the player through brutal turn-based strategy battles where one wrong move can mean complete devastation. After an optional tutorial mission, players are knee deep in the main game.
From the very start the game forces players to constantly be on their toes, ensuring there is never a dull moment. The sequel, XCOM 2, is similarly punishing and includes a beefier campaign.
7 Kingdom Hearts
The first Kingdom Hearts is a relatively brief RPG, especially when compared to other games on the list. This and the simplicity of its combat are two of its biggest strengths. On a first playthrough anyone could beat it in between 15 and 20 hours. The intro is similarly short. Once you leave Destiny Islands the journey starts and does not let up until the credits roll. The same cannot be said about Kingdom Hearts 2, whose opening is a lot slower.
6 Final Fantasy Tactics
Like its spiritual brethren Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together, Final Fantasy Tactics wastes little time in throwing players into the game world. It is also pretty tough and lets the player figure out most about the systems on their own. There are tutorials to read through, but the game does not force it on anyone who does not wish to read it. On a first playthrough the game can be rather punishing, though it is rewarding once one figures out the best strategies and character builds.
5 Bloodborne
This entry can include just about all the souls-likes from legendary developer FromSoftware. Bloodborne is not a kind game, giving almost no cushion for players to fall back on upon failure, but it definitely does not drag anyone through slow introductions. The narrative is mostly told through the environment, to the point where one could beat it without fully realizing what is going on. Virtually every game from the developer since Demon's Souls has been highly venerated.
4 South Park: The Stick Of Truth
It is always notable when a game based on a movie or television series actually turns out great. South Park: The Stick of Truth is a turn-based RPG developed by Obsidian Entertainment based off the legendary series.
It is fairly short considering the genre, but this works in its favor. None of the segments overstay their welcome and it is a rollercoaster ride through homages to the series' greatest moments and jokes.
3 Diablo 3
The Diablo games offer potentially endless amounts of gameplay as players constantly search for better loot and upgrade new characters. Blizzard knows players are more interested in the gameplay loop than the narrative, so little time is used for a long introduction. Upon starting a new game, it does not take long at all to be deep within the meat of what Diablo is all about. Here's hoping Diablo 4 follows a similar path.
2 Skyrim
The fifth mainline Elder Scrolls game has a particularly memorable and bombastic intro. After creating the protagonist they are moments away from being executed before a dragon attacks the village, giving the player a chance to escape. Only a few minutes later players are free to either pursue the main storyline or run about the world and create their own adventures. This short intro makes it easy to start new games with different character builds.
1 Final Fantasy 7
This entry accounts for both the original PS1 game and the recent remake. Final Fantasy 7 starts players off blowing up a mako reactor. Things slow up a bit afterwards, but in the original game the pace runs along smoothly from the opening up until Cloud and the party leave Midgar. Anybody who has played the remake but not the original should at least give it a shot.