Yes, you read the title correctly. If you’ve played any RPG, you’ve likely found yourself on the receiving end of an inventory management UI. After all, how else are you going to find and organize your vast array of weapons, potions, ingredients, or other relevant quest items? It’s an essential component of any video game that requires you to store items along your journey. And anyone who has played games that use an inventory management system, you’ll know that some systems are better (or infinitely worse) than others. So yes, we’re going to rank four of the best inventory management systems in games, and yes, it matters.
4. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Studios)
Skyrim is one of the peak open world RPG games of the last 15 years, perhaps all time. What makes it even more impressive is the way mods to the game have allowed it to not only remain playable nearly 15 years after release, but exciting, since so many mods add additional content to enjoy. But even in its bare bones state, Skyrim still has a simplistic but robust management system for all the items you find yourself lugging around on your quest for greatness. The UI’s left hand side is broken down by category to make it easy to filter for the type of item you want, while the following row lists each item and the quantity in your possession. It does the job, but the list format can make it a bit time consuming to find what you need, and there are no icons to decipher the type of item it is. Regardless, it’s a simple system and it does its job, which is really all you can ask for.
3. Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Games)
Who knew cowboy life could be so organized? For being such a massive open world RPG, Red Dead 2’s inventory management system is relatively tame. Broken down into a handful of categories within Arthur’s satchel or his horse’s saddle, you can sort between crafting items, food, healing items, clothing, and weapons relatively quickly. The one drawback is that the category icons are a bit small and it can be difficult to remember what items fall under which category, but it simplifies a system that could otherwise get overwhelming very quickly.
2. Horizon Forbidden West (Guerilla Games)
Following the success of Horizon Zero Dawn in 2017, Guerilla fine tuned their inventory system to feel even more user friendly than the initial game. Broken down into 5 simple categories defined by obvious icons, you can highlight items and get a full breakdown on what they are, where to find them, and what they’re used for. It’s easy to find what you need in a pinch, but can get a little overwhelming with the sheer amount of consumables and materials you can acquire from all the machines around you. Regardless, it serves well for what it is, even if it can get a little unwieldy in the later game.
1. Baldur’s Gate 3 (Larian Studios)
This choice may be controversial, but hear me out. If you know how to use the UI in Baldur’s Gate 3, this system is second to none. Especially if you’re playing on PC. Everything is searchable thanks to a handy search bar at the top of the UI, there’s a built in filtering system, and if you’re really particular about how you manage your stuff, you can even self manage using various backpacks, pouches, and even books. It’s very easy to become overwhelmed by the items in your inventory if you don’t keep things tidy, but it’s also very easy to correct by using the built-in filtering systems. It’s forgiving, and for an ADHD-addled mind like mine, that’s a godsend.
