One of the easiest and most important ways developers came up with is to let you join a faction.
Forget war and crime.
The best games are about friendship.
However, faction systems are difficult to implement due to the resources, time, and finesse required.
Here are the games that implement faction systems the best.
This was an expanded version of the guild system in previous titles.
You could join several factions, ranging from loosely organized to rigidly hierarchal.
The main thing was that members of a faction would have a common goal.
On the flip side, misbehaving results in your expulsion.
Fallout: New Vegas' faction system is satisfyingly deep, withfour major factionsand a smattering of minor ones.
Of course, this being a Bethesda game, there’s bound to be some hiccups.
Wearing a faction’s armour makes your reputation with them neutral, even if they liked you beforehand.
6Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord
This strategic action RPG is known for its in-depth faction mechanics.
There areeight kingdoms, which act as major factions.
Further down the hierarchy, there are many smaller clans which act as minor factions.
Kingdoms' loyalties are absolute, while clans' allegiances can change.
Just try not to be heartbroken when an NPC you like betrays you for an opposing faction.
Who will you side with in Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl?
Factions such as the Ward are basically in charge of the entire Zone and benevolent to good stalkers.
Others like the Bandits are lowlife looters who will shoot you on sight.
4Gothic
When Gothic made its debut in the early 2000s, the game was quietly revolutionary.
Few WRPGs before Piranha Bytes' magnum opus had featured such a believable and immersive world.
Even today, the game remains a beloved classic in Europe due to its highly interactive world.
There was a genuine sense of belonging with your chosen faction.
One, developed for seventh-gen consoles and PC, is a technical disaster.
You have to make choices that keep both sides happy in a delicate balancing act.
Of course, eventually you’ll side with the NSA for good.
Simple choices can affect the entire story.
You’re given the option to betray or reaffirm your loyalty to each faction multiple times.
There are many possible endings based on the choices you made.
Way of the Samurai 2 truly is a niche marvel of a game.
