Role-playing games usually allow players to freely explore open-worlds filled with countless side quests to get lost in before finally completing the main story of the game. It also allows players to experience the world for themselves and really immerse themselves in the gameplay as well as getting to know the characters.
However, some players prefer to challenge themselves to be the quickest to complete a title and that's where speedrunning comes into play. Surprisingly, even RPGs such as Skyrim or Dark Souls have seen themselves under the speedrunner scope as players compete against one another to finish an RPG in the quickest time. These RPGs are some of the best that players have been able to speedrun.
10 Undertale
Although Undertale isn't one of the longest games on the list, many players have found exploits to make their runs go even quicker and therefore challenge other players to see who can complete the game the quickest.
Using techniques such as Cutscene Skips and the Punch Card Exploit has allowed players to complete Undertale in times as quick as 52 minutes on a Neutral run with times varying depending on what ending players have aimed for. As the speedrunners challenged themselves further, guides were created to help those that also wish to attempt the Undertale speedrunning gauntlet.
9 NieR Replicant Ver.1.22474487139
Even the role-playing games that many players may consider to be quite the challenge have found themselves exploited and put to its limits by speedrunners that hope that they can not only challenge their speed for also their skill.
NieR Replicant is another game that has a variety of speedrunning categories. From completing the game on normal that has been done as quickly as just over three hours to trying the easier feat of completing it on New Game Plus which only took one speedrunner just over an hour to complete. This combined with the countless guides created by other players makes NieR Replicant an easy to approach game to speedrun.
8 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
As mentioned many RPGs become longer experiences due to the countless side quests players can get lost in while attempting to follow the main story of the game. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of those titles with a brilliantly in-depth story that pulls players away from the main quest to explore the Continent.
However, some players have avoided being distracted and have instead found themselves focusing on the main quest to the point of completing it as fast as possible. The quickest time as of the old patch in The Witcher 3 was an hour and 45 minutes though this could all change with the recent updates to the title.
7 South Park: The Stick Of Truth
Each class in South Park: The Stick of Truth has its own category in speedrunning, especially due to them all using different abilities to deal with their opponents. According to Speedrun.com the fastest class to complete the game as is Mage taking an hour and 19 minutes, though this is only a couple of seconds difference from classes such as Thief.
Guides for speedrunning South Park: The Stick of Truth has been incredibly helpful for players that are also attempting to hit top times when completing the RPG. Many of these guides have gone as far as to label the most efficient way of dealing with each battle which has led players to top times.
6 Fallout: New Vegas
Similar to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Fallout: New Vegas is a role-playing game that entertains its players through the various side quests players can get involved in outside the main story they are eventually expected to complete in the end. However, many players have challenged themselves to only complete the main story as quickly as possible.
In this speedrunning challenge the categories have been split into the different factions players are able to side with and after comparing all the factions the quickest time was achieved when siding with Yes Man that only took eight minutes. This insane time was achieved through the countless guides available that feature both glitches and techniques to speed across areas of the map.
5 The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time
It isn't just recent RPGs that players have been attempting to speedrun as even older titles like those from The Legend of Zelda have been chosen. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a popular title that is not only by none speedrunners but also those that enjoy testing themselves on quickly completing games.
Surprisingly, the main story of Ocarina of Time can be completed as quickly as just under four minutes by speedrunners completing it at any percentage. However, those attempting to get everything in the game will take as short as just under four hours.
4 Pokemon Red And Blue
An even older role-playing game that players still speedrun is Pokemon Red and Blue. Just like many other speedruns, players that have completed their own speedrun of the title have provided other players with guides on how they can also complete the game in a flawless time.
Categories for Pokemon Red and Blue involve the usual glitchless and glitched runs at any percentage as well as players challenging themselves to catching all Pokemon as quickly as possible. The quickest time for the game can be seen as eleven minutes at any percentage with no save corruption.
3 Mass Effect
Mass Effect is the beginning of a brilliant RPG series that many players have enjoyed over the years. Those that have already completed it once have wondered how quickly they could complete the main story of the title without getting involved in any of the other missions or assignments.
The beginning title is by far one of the most approached Mass Effect games that players have attempted to speedrun with the quickest time achieved by players being completed in an hour and 22 minutes. Unlike other games, there are few guides for players to use on this game and therefore watching other players runs may be the guidance they need.
2 The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim
As one of the most loved role-playing games that has seen itself be published onto a variety of platforms over the years, it is of no surprise that Skyrim has found a suitable position in the speedrunning community. Countless players have attempted to beat one another with completing the main story of the game the quickest.
Through the combination of exploits that allow players to jump the walls of Helgen and launch themselves across the map, players have been able to complete Skyrim in the breakneck speed of just under 23 minutes.
1 Dark Souls 3
Overall, one of the most loved RPGs to speedrun from the speedrunning community is the challenging titles of Dark Souls. Out of all of them, many players gravitate towards Dark Souls 3 as the game to speed run requiring players to not only know how to beat the bosses they face but also learn the techniques to avoid them also.
With this in mind players have been able to complete Dark Souls 3 in just 33 minutes with those that have challenged themselves to defeat all bosses completing the game in a record-breaking time of an hour and 10 minutes.