Did you play male or female V? A general consensus I hear is that male V makes a better merc while female V acts more like a real person with some compassion

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Right but there is no whale bait that impacts your sense of progression. All you really need is a one time purchase. Maybe $30 max to get all you need to out of storage and trading?

If you’re interested in games that aren’t MMORPGs, Path of Exile fits your criteria for monetization. You can only purchase cosmetics and bank storage upgrades. It’s an online ARPG but it’s mostly single player.