9 Top Down Games that Will Make You Freak Out!
Top-down games tend to be RPGs or turn-based games like Fire Emblem Awakening or Stardew Valley. However, there are hundreds of games you can play from this camera perspective available on the market. So, what are the best Top-Down Games? In the sections below, I've built a little selection of games played from an aerial view.
9 Top Down Games that Will Make You Freak Out!
What Is a Top-Down Game?
A top-down game, also known as an isometric game, is a title with a predominant top-down perspective. It means you experience everything that happens from an aerial perspective, as you’re witnessing the action from a bird’s eye view.
Top-down games address all genres since top-down means a point of view and not gameplay or mechanics. This way, you can find top-down RPGs, top-down roguelikes, top-down action-adventures, top-down puzzle-solving, and more.
All top-down games correspond to third-person games since you do not experience the action from a first-person point of view. This way, you have a better understanding of the ground where the action takes place.
On the other hand, the top-down perspective gives developers the opportunity to enjoy more space to develop and build intricate-level designs. For this reason, most top-down games are RPGs or roguelikes that are perfect for dungeon crawling.
The Best Top-Down Games
The following list contains games of different genres. Some are roguelikes and other shooters, while others are the best top-down RPGs you can find on RoyalCDKeys.
Victor Vran
Release Date: July 24, 2015
Developer: Haemimont Games
Publisher: EuroVideo Medien
Platforms: PC, OS X, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Amazon Luna, Steam, PlayStation Vita
Metascore: 75
The first game on this list is not a so-a-famous action role-playing game but probably one of the best top-down games, which I have been lucky enough to try recently. This is because Victor Vran excellently balances RPG elements with reaction-based moves, creating interesting and funny gameplay. In this sense, Victor Vran's mechanics remind me of games like Hades or even Devil May Cry, where the velocity of movements, interactions with enemies, reflexes, and hack-and-slash dynamics are the core of the gameplay.
One of the aspects that I love about Victor Vran is the possibility of tweaking your build as you want and selecting weapons that fit your game style better. You can grab a hammer, a sword, a rifle, or mortar to start to crush demon skulls in the game’s vast scenarios. While managing the single character through isometric environments, you will find a wide range of loot that will help you to improve your skills.
Victor Vran is wealthy in content, environments, quests, enemies, and much more. Moreover, it boasts great replayability due to endless possibilities to face enemies and reach objectives. Besides, the atmospherics and soundtrack add a lot to the gameplay, creating a similar experience you can find in games like Dark Souls, passing over its level of difficulty.
If you're a fan of demons, vampires, and Van Helsing, Victor Vran is the action RPG you need to try.
Key Features:
Dynamic action in vast scenarios: jump, fall, dodge, and combat enemies from several edges.
A broad character development: pick your weapon, build, items, and powers.
Terminate the original sin from the town and help people survive the hell rise.
Victor Vran Steam CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.
Distrust
Release Date: August 23, 2017
Developer: Cheerdealers
Publisher: Alawar
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, iOS, Nintendo Switch
Metascore: 75
Is there anything more scary or distressing than being in the middle of an Arctic scenario, trying to survive while waiting for rescue? Probably yes, but Distrust takes this hypothetical experience to another level by providing a gameplay that combines resource management with survival sim.
Distrust is not only a survival game but also a roguelike title since the base where you lay is a procedurally generated map. Thus, it offers a unique experience every time you play it.
Like other survival games, Distrust will prompt you to satisfy basic needs like hunger, thirst, sleep, and heat. The problem comes when finding these things is challenging due to the environmental conditions.
Mechanic designs and world-building are so well-achieved that the gameplay is never boring, despite how repetitive the interactions between characters and the environment can become. Still, you will have a lot to explore and discover in the small base and surroundings. Go ahead and live the top-down and freezing adventure of your life.
Key Features:
Great isometric graphics and ambiance that boost the survival narrative.
Fourteen unlockable characters with unique abilities and strengths.
Solo or cooperative gameplay to struggle and face challenges as you prefer.
Distrust Steam CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.
Chrono Trigger
Release Date: March 11, 1995
Developer: Square
Publisher: Square
Platforms: Super NES, PlayStation, Nintendo DS, I-mode, iOS, Android, Windows
Metascore: 92
Speaking about the best top-down RPGs in history, Chrono Trigger would likely be in the top five. Chrono Trigger shares the ranking with other games like Final Fantasy VI, Dragon Quest III, Baldur’s Gate, and Breath of Fire.
Originally released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Chrono Trigger gathered the dream team of the video game industry of those years. We’re talking about Hironobu Sakaguchi – the creator of the Final Fantasy Series; Akira Toriyama – the creator of the Dragon Ball saga; and Yuji Horri –the creator of Dragon Quest. With three geniuses of this caliber, it was impossible not to release some of the best role-playing games of all time.
And that is Chrono Trigger, a top-down RPG providing a perfect blend of classic turn-based mechanics with outstanding character and environment design.
This classic game is everything you can desire in a top-down RPG. Chrono Trigger will take you through an intriguing time-travel story with the purpose of stopping an alien creature called Lavos.
Chrono Trigger is already famous for its credits, so it's hard to believe that many people haven't played it yet. If you’re one of them, you should play it now!
Key Features:
An original game released thirty years ago but remains one of the best RPGs ever.
An iconic player character and a great party with unique abilities.
Some of the best stories of all video games ever.
Chrono Trigger Steam CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.
Seven
Release Date: December 1, 2017
Developers: IMGN.PRO | Fool’s Theory
Publisher: IMGN.PRO
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux
Metascore: 68
A role-playing game set in a cyberpunk world cannot be missing from this list. This is because cyberpunk games integrate interesting environments full of neon lights, augmented humans, cyborgs, and shitty cities. In other words, it’s a perfect environment for a top-down game where you experience the gameplay from a bird’s eye view.
However, Seven: The Days Long Gone mixes this cyberpunk style with science fiction fantasy, which results in a very interesting context to carry out the course of events.
Contrary to the other games in this list, Seven is set on an open-world map, which is very weird in a top-down game since these commonly involve small scenarios with restricted areas. Still, to access new areas in Seven, you must complete quests, discover secrets, and get special items.
Regarding gaming, I would say that Seven is an excellent combination of Fallout, the Witcher, and Commandos. As such, you can kill practically everyone, climb obstacles, parkour, craft stuff, and reach every part of the map, all this while marveling at the great visuals that surround you.
Gamers who love titles like the first Metal Gear and fans of RPGs will enjoy this role adventure. Moreover, they can replay Seven as many times as they want since each time gives a different approach when they return to the game.
Key Features:
A vast open-world map is very wealthy in detail with which you can interact.
The player assumes the control of a mysterious protagonist looking to shake the foundations of the Empire.
The option of choosing your playstyle; you can battle directly or stealthily. It’s up to you.
Seven - Enhanced Edition Steam CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.
Diablo IV
Release Date: June 5, 2023
Developers: Blizzard Team 3 | Blizzard Albany
Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Platforms: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Metascore: 86
The Diablo series is likely one of the most famous franchises played from a top-down perspective and one that built the foundations of the genre. Diablo IV is the last installment of the saga and a game that refreshes and gives a new breath to the franchise. This game picks up fifty years after the events of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls, released in 2013.
Like Seven, Diablo IV is a role-playing game. As such, you will have to choose between five available classes: Barbarian, Necromancer, Druid, Sorcerer, and Rogue, each with unique abilities that provide a different gameplay experience.
Equal to many top-down titles, Diablo IV presents procedurally generated dungeons and particular loot according to the class of your character. This condition massively expands the possibilities of the gameplay and player base, giving you the chance to replay the game with different combinations of these features.
To be honest, Diablo IV is not for all family members since it boasts a dark atmosphere and narrative. But do not get me wrong. As Diablo IV is an online-only experience, you can share your adventure with friends or family members.
The game is on par with the great games of the genre and is a great return to the past of the saga. Defeating hordes of enemies, monsters, and strange creatures to get increasingly powerful weapons is so satisfactory. This condition, sum to the robust system of progression and innovations, makes Diablo IV a top-down game you should play right now. Besides, since this game received generally good reviews, there is nowhere to get lost.
Key Features:
An expanded open world through which you build your path.
Boundless character development by choosing a class and customizing it.
Epic battles and legendary gear to break the world of Sanctuary.
Diablo IV Deluxe Edition Xbox One/Series CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.
Sparklite
Release Date: November 14, 2019
Developer: Red Blue Games
Publishers: Merge Games | Maple Whispering Limited
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, Android, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, GNU/Linux, macOS, macOS Classic
Metascore: 75
If Legend of Zelda were a roguelike, it would be Sparklite. In other words, Sparklite is a brilliant combination of an action-adventure game taking place in an open world and randomly generated scenarios. In this context, the top-down perspective adds a more frenetic action to gameplay, which is great in a game of this nature.
However, a big difference between Sparklite and The Legend: The Link to the Past, for example, is that in Sparklite, you use a big arsenal of guns, gadgets, and gears; thus, you won’t only depend on a sword, and magic, which increases the possibilities of gameplay.
Sparklite provides endless challenges and dangers in any corner of the vast world, tied together by Sparklite, the force of the planet. Continuous exploration and battling to defeat titans and monsters is the core of gameplay. So, if you like wandering through well-designed scenarios in characteristic pixel-art graphics, adventuring through Sparklite is the action you must take right now.
Since Sparkilite is a title with simple gameplay – regardless of the multiple weapons, gadgets, and battle style – I truly recommend it for any type of gamer, especially for newcomers of the action top-down experiences.
Key Features:
Come to the ever-changing world of Geodia, where each adventure is different.
A lovely pixel-art visual style reminiscent of the best action games of the NES.
Several weapons, guns, and gear to play as you wish.
Sparklite Steam CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.
Pillars of Eternity
Release Date: March 26, 2015
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Publisher: Paradox Interactive
Platforms: Linux, OS X, Microsoft Windows
Metascore: 89
Pillars of Eternity, as an excellent RPG, is the spiritual successor to the Baldur's Gate and the Icewind Dale series. As such, Pillars of Eternity is another role-playing video game with interesting mechanics based on getting experience points, improving weapons and gear, and advancing through a magical world where dangers abound.
This game is set in the fantasy world of Eora, where people are born without souls. Consequently, you’ll use your ability to interact with past lives and souls to discover the current course of action in the world.
Similar to classic games like StarCraft or Warcraft, Pillars of Eternity uses 3D models that unfold on pre-rendered backgrounds. It gives a particular aspect to the game and lets the attention be focused on action and dialogues.
Pillars of Eternity provides a satisfactory experience regarding plot and RPG mechanics. The upgrading system and the possibilities of customizing your character are refined and provide a vast context to move around. From there, decisions will build the path to reach your final goal.
Pillars of Eternity brings the best you can expect from a top-down RPG. It is a light of hope in the large history of RPGs where the return to the foundations is crucial to elevate the genre to Olympus.
If you want to live a familiar experience in a magical universe that will marvel at any moment, Pillar of Eternity is the masterpiece that comes from the golden age of RPGs directly to your screen.
Key Features:
The decision you make, and the path you choose define your destiny in the world of Eora.
A deep sense of exploration that boosts your adventure and motivates you to spend hours in this game.
Excellent writing, plot, dialogues, visual design, and everything that makes an RPG a crucial game.
Pillars of Eternity - Hero Edition Steam CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.
Wasteland 3
Release Date: August 28, 2020
Developer: inXile Entertainment
Platforms: Deep Silver
Publisher: macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One
Metascore: 85
Wasteland 3 is a squad-based RPG that features interesting turn-based combat and takes place in a vast post-apocalyptic Colorado, The United States. You’ll have to survive in a harsh environment while facing cold weather and several factions eager to kill you and conquer your resources.
The decision-making of Wasteland 3 is essential for the development of events. These choices have a real impact on the grasp of the world and story.
The world-building of Wasteland 3 pays special attention to detail and realistically reflects the desolation of barren lands and the despair of the main characters. In Wastelands 3, you’re always at the edge of danger and death. This situation prompts you to make the best decisions and administer your resources as well as relationships with inhabitants of badlands.
Westlands 3 is a clear recommendation for RPG fans seeking a challenging journey against harsh conditions and a world teetering on the brink of collapse.
Key Features:
A story of an ending and a new beginning in the middle of the apocalypse.
A turn-based combat requiring meticulous planning of every move.
Multiple perks and abilities to improve your rangers and destroy everything in front of you.
Wasteland 3 Steam CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.
Hero Siege
Release Date: January 29, 2014
Developer: Panic Art Studios Ltd.
Publisher: Panic Art Studios Ltd.
Platforms: Microsoft Windows, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Android, GNU/Linux, macOS
Metascore: N/A
Hero Siege is another hack ‘n' slash game on this top-down game list with roguelike elements. It seems that most top-down games share a similar love for roguelike dungeons crawling and randomly generated maps.
What’s more, almost everything in Hero Siege is customized according to your playstyle and decisions. For instance, all the zones are always fresh, with loot, treasures, and hazards constantly changing. Thus, Hero Siege adapts to your preferences.
Hero Siege is an ode to the classic RPG all of the time, like Chrono Trigger. Still, it adds multiple layers of complexity, such as the twenty classes available, the determining loot and inventory, and a multiplayer mode that allows you to participate in an up to four members group.
Hero Siege is a delightful and retro RPG due to its visual style and graphics that will keep the most demanding seasoned players of the genre happy. Besides, the mixture of dungeon crawling, action, and hunting works impressively well, providing a different experience than most top-down RPGs.
Hero Siege is also a novelistic story you can enjoy together with a friend. This way, you can focus on carnage and enjoy the fast-paced rhythm that characterizes this type of game. In Hero Siege, puzzles and complex RPG elements are not necessary; action and fun are everything!
Key Features:
Twenty classes and hundreds of loot and inventory.
A random-generated world with endless possibilities and always fresh zones.
Unique boss fights you can unleash solo or with friends.
Hero Siege Steam CD Key is available on RoyalCDKeys.
Wrapping Up
In this diverse collection of top-down games, players are treated to a rich spectrum of experiences across various genres. From Victor Vran's exhilarating blend of action RPG elements to Distrust's chilling survival mechanics set in an Arctic landscape, each game presents a unique journey.
If you are eager to try some of the games out, remember that they are available on RoyalCDKeys at unbeatable prices!