Summary
One of the reasons that RPGs are appealing is that they give players the ability to shape their character through looks, skills, and actions. While this might involve things like choosing and pursuing a certain career path - for example, thief or warrior -, lifestyle also plays a part. RPG players are sometimes able to enact their own morals through their character, including dietary preferences such as veganism or vegetarianism.
While acquiring, cooking, and eating food is a component of many role-playing games, hunting animals and eating meat is not always necessary. Whether it’s aspiring chefs or traveling adventurers hankering for their next meal, these are thebest RPGs for players looking to complete a vegan or vegetarian playthrough.
There are varying personal degrees of veganism and vegetarianism strictness. While they don’t make the player eat them, some of the games on this list may require the player to kill animals in self-defense to craft/upgrade items or to progress.
Kenshiis a sandbox RPG, although it is also considered to bea notoriously challenging survival game. Players are free to follow whatever path they choose, be it that of a humble farmer or an avid adventurer, though the harsh environments can make pursuing a lasting career a difficult feat.
Being a vegetarian inKenshionly adds to the challenge, but that’s not to say it’s impossible to do. Vegetables can be purchased from merchants, found in towns, or farmed alongside crops such as cacti, rice, and wheat. While not the most exciting dishes, rice bowls and cooked vegetables still offer ample nutrition. It may be unforgiving, but going veggie can be a fun run for intenseKenshiplayers.
Of course,slaying monsters makes up a significant portion ofThe Witcher 3’s content, but if players are desperate to avoid killing living creatures altogether, it is possible to entirely avoid most encounters and contracts outside the main story. There are multiple quests where the player can actually save animals or is given the option to spare what Geralt calls “sentient creatures.”
Some potions require monster-sourced ingredients, though there are only a few occasions where it’s necessary to make them. In terms of consumables, there are plenty of foods to be looted that are meat-free, including milk, dried fruit and nuts, and bread.
Many of theFalloutgames have consumables, but none have players relying on food over stimpaks for sustenance as much asFallout 4, especially during the early game. Food has a number of effects, providing stat buffs, health restoration, and radiation resistance.
While vegetarian options don’t always offer the same benefits as the meat-based foods, they still offer useful perks; the vegetable soup and Radscorpion egg omelette are relatively solid for healing. For an extra challenge, players might want to try out the survival mode, where hunger and thirst are factors that need to be taken into account.
Crafting inDivinity: Original Sin 2definitely takes some trial and error, but determining certain recipes can be very useful. Depending on playstyle, food can play an important part in players' success, offering a range of different bonuses, from intelligence and strength to healing. Fortunately, many of these items are, by default, vegan and vegetarian.
Asa turn-based RPG, the gains from foods last for a certain number of turns, rather than on a timed basis. There are also plenty of useful potions that can be made using only mushrooms and herbmixes. For extra oomph, the “Five-Star Diner” talent doubles the effects of consumables, making them a lot more worth acquiring or crafting.
For allthe post-apocalyptic/sci-fi elementsinHorizon Forbidden West,there is still plenty of familiar flora and fauna present across the map, from boars and bass to nuts and root vegetables. With plenty of variety and tribe-specific dishes, it’s not difficult to adhere to the vegan lifestyle in this title.
Different meals boost different skills like stealth or health regeneration for a limited time, which can be increased by leveling the food duration skill. Unfortunately, things like inventory upgrades and health potions require animal products. Killing machines is inevitable, but the ethics of doing so are called into question considering that they are machines programmed by AI.
While cooking and eating doesn’t play as big a role inFinal Fantasy 15as some other RPGs, the moments where the player stops in a haven for some well-earned rest are some of the most immersive. During these pit-stops, Ignis can cook for the group, with each meal providing different temporary buffs that last longer as the skill is leveled.
There are plenty of meals for both vegans and vegetarians, ranging from Flame-Roasted Toast to Beanball Croquettes, recipes that Ignis can learn by interacting with ingredients in the world via observing NPCs, reading about cooking, and practicing.Final Fantasy 15is also known for having some ofthe most delicious-looking foods in video games, making the meat-free options all the more appetizing.
As one of the most in-depth RPGs to come out of the 2020s, food unsurprisingly plays an important part inKingdom Come: Deliverance 2, contributing to Henry’s well-being as well as restoring health and stamina. If undernourished (hungry), his max stamina will be reduced, eventually causing him to lose health. Likewise, overeating reduces stamina.
Meats generally provide more nourishment, but it’s not impossible to survive off of a vegetarian diet; bread, cheese, and honey are among the most filling alternatives. Going through the whole game without killing or eating animals will also grant players the “Lent” achievement, giving them a bit more incentive to put up with Henry feeling quite hungry. Players do, however, still need to feed Mutt meat.
Vegetarian or not, the foodstuffs in Henry’s inventory can spoil and cause food poisoning when under 50% fresh. As such, players should be sure to check the status of an item before deciding to eat it.
When thinking of early 2000s ARPGs,Morrowindis likely one of the first that pops into a gamer’s head. True, it overshadowed a lot of other titles in the genre of the time, but it would be unfair to let it completely wipe out credit for the underrated gem that isArx Fatalis. Set in the underground city of Arx, the game follows the protagonist on a mission to defeat the God Of Destruction.
Despite being sunless, the citizens don’t seem to have any trouble growing food, and there is still plenty to chow down on throughout. Cheese, apple pie, bread, and carrots are just some of the foods that can be used to stave off hunger and replenish health.Arx Fatalisalso hasan immersive cooking mechanicwhere players can bake things from scratch by combining individual ingredients by hand.
Many gamers will be aware of the good old “eating 50 cabbages mid-battle"Skyrimshenanigans, but food isn’t necessarily a useful inventory item once players have looted health potions and leveled their restoration. That said, cooking is a relaxing element of the game that improves role-playing potential.
There are several veggie and vegan meals that are possible to make in cooking pots, at home, or on a player’s travels. While encountering hostile animals in the wilderness is inevitable, it’s often an option to run, sneak past, or use illusion spells to quell any need for killing them. Likewise, a lot of good armor can be bought or found second hand.
Fable 2is now over a decade old, although it remains a fan favorite for plenty of reasons, including its fantasy yet distinctly British vibes, at-times silly mechanics, and compelling story. One of the most notable features is its emphasis on food. While many RPGs employ food and cooking systems, there are few that really encourage players to consider what they are consuming.
Fable 2rewards players for eating tofu, fruit, and veg as opposed to meat, granting them purity points. This is a system that even garnered the positive attention of PETA. Generally, there is no need to commit any act of violence towards animals in the game,though there are certain (optional) achievements revolving around kicking chickens. Avid animal lovers will also be glad to hear that they willhave a dog companionaccompanying them on their adventures.
