Top 25 Best PC RPGs Ever
94Playing computer RPGs is a life-long hobby of mine that I consider a guilty pleasure. Considering that even the smallest ones take about 30 hours (and some well over 100) to complete, I've probably wasted more than a few 40-hour work weeks on this geeky hobby. Here are some of my personal favorites through the years. To narrow down the list, all of them are single-player games and only for the PC (MS-DOS/Windows) platform. These great games are hard to rank internally, so I've sorted them by year:
1. Bard's Tale (1985)
The first Bard's Tale is probably only remembered by geeks 30+, but those that do remember it do so fondly. It was originally released for the Apple II, but was ported to all other platforms too eventually. With its revolutionary grid-based 3D dungeoneering the game looked amazing at the time. By the way: the 2004 Bard's Tale is neither a sequel or remake of the original series, although it's a pretty amusing parody of classic RPGs.
2. Pool of Radiance (1988)
Pool of Radiance was the first PC RPG to use real Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules. It also introduced computer gamers to the Forgotten Realms setting - the fantasy world created by Ed Greenwood in the 60s that has been polished to perfection ever since in fantasy novels by R.A Salvatore and several other great writers. The game was obviously a rather archaic experience by today's standards, but compared to what was available at the time it took PC gaming to a new level. Pool of Radiance was followed by the equally great Curse of the Azure Bonds and others. There's also a rather uninspiring sequel from this decade (2001) - Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor.
3. Eye of the Beholder (1990)
A Beholder is a classic D&D monster composed of a disgusting heap of flesh and floating eyes, and it's also the antagonist in Eye of the Beholder--a classic that made its debut on the PC, which was still a low-profile gaming platform in 1990. It's a classic dungeon crawl based on 2nd Edition D&D rules. The lords of Waterdeep (a city in the Forgotten Realms) hire you to investigate some strange ongoings beneath the city. Once you enter the sewers to take a look, the walls collapse behind you and the only way forward is down through a vast series of caves. Trivia: Westwood, the developer of Eye of the Beholder I & II, later left SSI, D&D and the Forgotten Realms to create the miserable Lands of Lore series.
4. Ultima VII. The Black Gate (1992)
The Ultima series creator Richard Gariott - aka "Lord British" - has always been a committed and virtuous gentleman, which is why I won't mention the utter failure of the concluding part of the saga (IX: Ascension) but focus on the masterpiece, Ultima VII. It was divided into two parts: The Black Gate and The Serpent Isle, each of them with their own expansion packs. It's an amazingly well-balanced RPG with equal emphasis storytelling, exploration and open-ended gameplay.
5. Betrayal at Krondor (1993)
Unlike most RPGs from the same period, Betrayal at Krondor doesn't rely just on leveling up or
reaching the next dungeon to spur players on. It's divided into chapters much
like a book--as a matter of fact it is based on Raymond E. Feist's Riftwar novels.The 1998 sequel Return to Krondor was also well received and worth a look.
6. Fallout (1997)
Fallout isn't just one of the best RPGs, it's one of the best games ever made in any category. Sure, the graphics in the original are a far cry from Bethesda's multimillion dollar third installment, but the heaps of gore and melting bodies are easy enough to distinguish, and as any true masterpiece it stands the test of time. The game is presented in an isometric perspective, and the combat is fully turn-based (those were the days). Just like the latest version, the first Fallout also centers around a Vault Dweller who has to leave the safety of the Vault (aka fallout shelter) and go into the untamed post-nuclear wasteland of the early 22nd century.
7. Might & Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven (1998)
The Might & Magic series has been around for a long time--the first game appeared in the late 80s for 8-bit platforms (including the NES). Except for some of the later outcroppings, such as Dark Messiah and Crusaders of Might & Magic (what a piece of trash!) all of the games have been turn based and all of them presented in lush 3D. Might and Magic 6: The Mandate of Heaven breaks away from the grid-based confinement of the previous games to offer a completely free-roaming world. It doesn't have much of a plot, but it is also (perhaps for the same reason) about as non-linear as a game gets--you can take your four characters and wander off to the last dungeon right away. Obviously you'll be killed before you get there, but still.
8. Baldur's Gate (1998)
Baldur's Gate is a benchmark for story-driven role-playing games. In my opinion, BG 1 & 2 really only compete with the Fallout games for the top spot of the best RPG series ever made. Baldur's Gate has living, breathing characters with a history and personality of their own, and It draws on the intricate lore of the Forgotten Realms setting to give it even more depth. You get to keep the same characters throughout the whole series, via the Tales of the Sword Coast expansion to Baldur's Gate II and the concluding Throne of Bhaal. It's even possible to export your BG character to Neverwinter Nights and continue on from there. Trivia: Don't confuse the original Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 with the console Dark Alliance spinoffs, which are just unoriginal hack-n-slash action RPGs.
9. Final Fantasy VII (1998)
Although it was originally a PlayStation game and the PC conversion is a half-assed effort at best, Final Fantasy VII is still one of the best RPGs ever created and clearly worth including. It is also one of few Japanese RPGs to reach the PC platform--usually they're all console affairs. Unfortunately Square didn't make an effort to tweak the game to use the much more capable PC hardware. FFVII should have been even better on the PC, but at least it is equally great.
10. Planescape: Torment (1999)
For Planescape: Torment, Black Isle tweaked the Infinity Engine from Baldur's gate and adapted it to the popular Planescape D&D setting. The game tells a story about the Nameless One--an immortal who wakes up in a morgue somewhere in the Planescape city of Sigil. The protagonist is immortal and can't be killed permanently, but whenever he is brought back from the dead he remembers nothing of his former lives, and this is what the story revolves around. Just like Baldur's Gate, it's a highly story-driven RPG, but there's still an liberal amount of fighting using AD&D 2nd edition rules.
11. System Shock 2 (1999)
Lots of games try desperately to be original, but System Shock 2 is undeniably unique. The game borrows its 3D engine from the successful "sneak 'em up" Thief, meaning that it has very effective and spooky light management considering its age. The game is a sci-fi RPG/FPS hybrid that takes place on the abandoned starship Von Braun, which has been struck by some alien infestation (sound familiar?). Recently System Shock 2 got a sequel - at least in spirit - in Bioshock. Both games have a lot in common, especially the atmosphere but also in certain power-ups that can be gained throughout the game, such as hacking and psionic abilities.
12. Icewind Dale (2000)
Following in the footsteps of Baldur's Gate and using the same Infinity Engine, Icewind Dale puts you in the northernmost regions of the Forgotten Realms. Unlike Baldur's Gate and Planescape: Torment, Icewind Dale lets you create an entire party before setting out to kill goblins and orcs. The game is more combat-focused than said games, but it still has an interesting storyline with some obvious references to the Salvatore trilogy with the same name and setting.
13. Deus Ex (2000)
Deus Ex has a lot in common with System Shock 2; it's a futuristic RPG/FPS hybrid that lets you take the game in different directions by augmenting your character's abilities. Although it can be played more or less like a regular first-person shooter, skills like hacking and stealth allows for completely different ways of approaching the game, like any good RPG should. In Deus Ex you play the more "conventional" hero JC Denton who works for a UN anti-terrorist unit in a relatively near and dystopian future. As the game progresses Denton gets mixed up in a more sinister conspiracy involving the Illuminati and some other shadowy organizations.
14. Diablo II (2000)
The first Diablo became an instant trademark of addictive gameplay, and Diablo II merely improved on the winning concept. Although the game mechanics are extremely simple, you just can't put your mouse away until you've leveled up again or reached the next dungeon. There are too many shameless clones to list here, but let's just say that Diablo I and II has "inspired" a great deal of other action RPGs. The single-player mode is highly addictive, but the most rewarding part of Diablo II is playing it online.
15. Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn (2000)
I guess my weak spot for these old BioWare it's fairly obvious by now, but this was sadly the last BG Infinity Engine game [edit: no it wasn't, Icewind Dale 2 was the last one/thanks commenter Relayer71]. Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn picks up after the Tales of the Sword Coast Expansion--your character is imprisoned by a mad (elf) scientist in Athkatla, south of Baldur's Gate, and coincidentally so are some of your old friends. The plot continues to explore your character's divine heritage and takes you across a huge and beautifully hand-drawn world until it's time to face off with your nemesis. The Baldur's Gate saga eventually concludes in the mandatory Throne of Bhaal expansion, where you have to make the final decisions about what to do with your godly heritage.
16. Wizardry 8 (2001)
Apparently I've come this far without mentioning the Wizardry series, and omitting it would be an embarrassment. The first Wizardry game - Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord - came out as early as 1981, and the early parts of the series has inspired many of the classic RPG series like Might & Magic and Eye of the Beholder. Wizardry 8 was the last part of a trilogy including 6 and 7, but it was released much later after a long and tumultuous development process. Combat in Wizardry 8 is turn-based and there are lots of stats and character classes to play around with--the game is a must if you enjoy classic RPGs. Barring a small miracle, this will most likely be the last part of this long-running series.
17. Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura (2001)
Arcanum is a wonderfully unique game set in a not-so traditional fantasy world that happens to be in the middle of the industrial revolution--it's frequently referred to as the "Steampunk RPG". In spite of being extraordinarily buggy at launch (I was unable to finish it on the first try,) the game was praised by nearly all critics for its immersive atmosphere and fallout-style turn-based gameplay. After a few hundred MBs of patches - some unofficial fan patches since the developer went bankrupt - the game is fully playable nowadays and should be tried by anyone who enjoys a great RPG.
18. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (2002)
Arena, the first game in Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls series was innovative but not overly successful. Daggerfall offered a taste of what was to come with a huge game world and free-roaming gameplay, but it also had a fair share of game-breaking bugs. With The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Bethesda all but perfected the concept. They also put the futuristic and powerful grapics cards of 2002 to a stress test with some amazing visuals, including pixel-shaded water. Basically, Morrowind realizes the grand ideas behind the previous games, but with less bugs. Including the expansion packs Tribunal and Bloodmoon, Morrowind is a massive game--only the in-game text is said to comprise six average novels.
19. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003)
In my humble opinion, KotOR is still the best Star Wars game ever (not that the competition is that stiff, but still). On the other hand, one expects nothing less from a BioWare logo on the box. The game's role-playing elements are similar to the 3rd edition D&D rules, meaning that the combat is divided into rounds and may be auto-paused at the end of each round (optional) to assign new actions. As the title implies, the game takes place before the Empire--some 4,000 years before to be precise. Depending on your choices in the game, you will gradually lean either toward the light or the dark side of the Force.
20: Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines (2004)
The Vampire: The Masquerade PC games are often overlooked for some reason, but there's still no better way to role-play as a vampire on your computer than Bloodlines, which is set in the mature Vampire: The Masquerade world from the original pen and paper RPG. Bloodlines is a sequel to Vampire The Masquerade: Redemption from 2000, but uses the much more modern Source engine from Half Life 2. When starting the game you pick your Vampire clan, and this is only the first of many choices. The game's storyline is highly dynamic, and there are several different endings depending on the paths you choose.
21. Gothic 3 (2006)
Gothic 3 was loaded with bugs upon release, but was still relatively well received--maybe because of its high ambitions and good intentions. Now that it's been patched up a number of times it is a much better game. It's a few years old now, but it still looks great. Or rather, now it looks great that there's hardware capable of playing it. The third part of Gothic takes up where Gothic II left off, but now our Nameless Hero has arrived on a new continent only to be greeted by a bunch of ugly orcs closing in for the kill. The rest of the story is open ended--you can side with different factions or none at all, instead roaming the countryside killing and looting whatever comes your way until you get bored. In terms of free exploration, Gothic 3 is similar to Oblivion, albeit on a smaller scale.
22. Neverwinter Nights 2 (2006)
Neverwinter Nights 2 is a great RPG all by itself, but a huge bonus is the included toolset that provide the building blocks to create your own adventures. There are lots of excellent community modules that can potentially add hundreds of hours to the game. The Neverwinter Nights games are spiritual successors to the Baldur's Gate series, but take place on the northern end of the Sword Coast. Like its predecessors, it has a major focus on the story, which is very well written and divided into separate acts. NWN 2 uses D&D 3.5 Edition rules, and all the classes, spells and abilities that comes with it.
23. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006)
Oblivion is an amazing game in many ways, but the most impressive parts is its sheer size (16 square miles) and the fact that you can just ignore the main quest and go out and explore a seemingly infinite number of dungeons. Similar to Morrowind, you don't level up in the conventional way by gaining experience points through completed quests or kills, but by using the skills that you want to improve. To say that Oblivion is a game with depth and a complex game world would be an understatement. If you - for some reason - haven't played the game already now is the time, but make sure you play it on a PC and not the choppy, sub-par 360 version.
24. Mass Effect (2008)
Yet another BioWare game that will go to the books as a classic; Mass Effect takes place in a future where humanity has finally - through the discovery of technology left by an extinct alien race - been able to move out into the galaxy, make contact with alien races, and establish space colonies. You take on the role of Commander Shepherd--an either male or female character that you can customize to your heart's content. The game is somewhat similar to Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, but is built around a proprietary combat system, and of course, takes place in an entirely different setting. The Mass Effect universe has no problem standing on its own legs though--the game world is appealingly complex and the storyline would do well in any comparison with Star Wars.
25. Fallout 3 (2008)
And so Fallout 3 finally saw the light of day. It was pretty farfetched that Bethesda would be making it, and many feared that it would just be an "Oblivion with guns". Thankfully those fears were allayed when the game was released. Fallout 3 stays true to its sexy post-apocalyptic roots but makes the move to a great-looking 3D engine. This time it's set on the east coast, also known as the Capital Wasteland. There are a whole lot of new places to go and people to mutilate.
Update: Bonus Games
Long overdue update: People are still reading and commenting on this page, which is awesome, it's just that it was published more than a year ago, and these things get dated fast. At the very least, a couple more game should be added to the "Best Ever" list:
(if you have any other suggestions, please add them to the comments below. Thanks for reading!)
26. Dragon Age: Origins
With Dragon Age: Origins, the Awakening expansion and lots of considerably-better-than-average downloadable content, Bioware has yet again created a world class PC role-playing experience. While it's a bit sad that they have moved away from the Forgotten Realms setting, Dragon Age offers an immersive atmosphere and rich mythology that can easily stand on its own two feet. The game takes you through a complex world where not everything is black or white; as in any true RPG there are many choices to make, paths to choose, and there are different outcomes to all of them.
27. The Witcher
The Witcher is based on a series of fantasy novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski about the genetically enhanced monster slayer Geralt of Rivia. It's an action RPG that uses a heavily modified version of BioWare's Aurora engine from Neverwinter Nights 2, although this is hardly noticeable (The Witcher looks a lot better). What separates this game from the rest of the genre is that it doesn't shy away from excessively rude language and gratuitous nudity. This aspect alone makes it worth checking out. There's also an "Enhanced Edition" available with improved textures and some new adventures.
28. The Witcher 2 - Assassins of Kings
Sequels sometimes fail to live up to expectations (Dragon Age 2 comes to mind), so it's refreshing to see that some developers continue to raise the bar instead of the other way around. At this writing, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is just about the best-looking game ever made. Other than the visual bliss, it manages to balance an engrossing storyline with free-roaming, traditional western RPG gameplay, which is where loads of games fail. Except for an unnecessarily steep learning curve, this game is great on all counts and one that all RPG fans should play. It's worth mentioning that the story picks up right after the first game, so it helps to have played the original.
29. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Skyrim is an exceptional game and perhaps Bethesda's best yet. In spite of its console interface and the fact that PC users get more or less the same graphics as those playing it on their 5-year-old consoles, it is still up there among best PC games ever made, not just counting RPGs. In other words, this game is an absolute must-have--not only for the RPG enthusiast but for everyone and his uncle. On my wishlist for next year is an illegitimate love child between Skyrim and The Witcher 2.
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Finally someone who agrees with me =) All of my gaming buddies are put off by the oldish graphics and the turn-based play in Fallout 1+2. But there's so much more charm in the old ones. Oh, and great article btw (just read it)!
Awesome article, man. Lot's of good choices.
Thanks brodie!
I played many of those games. It is hilarious to see the graphics and how different they look. I remember playing Betrayal at Krodor and thinking how fantastic those graphics are! Now it looks like my kid painted it. :)
@Caffeene: Absolutely :) but the 2D games haven't aged as much as the 3D games in my opinion. Some of those old hand-drawn games still look awesome.
I'm an RPG nut myself and apart from you putting Oblivion on the list I heartally agree with your choices. To few people apreciate the classics these days. Kudos for that. On the other hand Bioware and Bethesda are the best RPG makers in the biz and they havent been around as long as some others. Though I am surprized you didn't add Fable or Fable 2. Lionshead is broadly underrated.
Wow this is not good - I have owned and loved every one of these games - wow I am such a geek! The original Bards Tale series was my favorite - I remember there was a creature called a 'Fred' I think - on its own or in twos it was OK - but get four together and it was nearly impossible to kill the group - I think I spent about 8 hours on one battle against them - I think they kept respawning other Fred's - the XP I gained was mssive!!!
Thanks for the nostalgia - great hub!
@Gray Wolf: I'm ashamed to admit it, but I've missed out on the Fable games. Guess it's about time to check those out.
@SimeyC: LOL, I know what you mean. There's a scary amount of hours there when you start counting :) Thanks for reading!
I have played most of the games here, the one that I liked best is still Final Fantasy.
No Wasteland?! It had a great non-linear storyline, an excellent skill based leveling system and radioactive rodents. Fallout would be nothing if Wasteland did not come out first.
@gamerjon: I agree, FFVII is definitely a masterpiece. Too bad that the PC conversion didn't improve on the graphics. But hopefully a remake comes along eventually. Maybe for PlayStation 4 or 5 :)
@mrpotavin: Good point. I missed out on that one back in the day.
Great article! I'll be sure to check out a lot of those games.
Thanks for reading, shadow20!
Well written. I also am an old-timer who grew up playing most of these games and ended up being an RPG freak.
I would have added Ultima IV Quest of the Avataar. That was one hell of a game.
Thanks, and yeah, most of the Ultima games up to 8 were really good. Too bad the 9th was a disaster. In retrospect, this hub was a bit too focused on BioWare games...
Well, Ultima IX looked very good for its time. It was everything I imagined while playing Ultima IV. Unfortunately I played only the first few hours. Maybe after that, it got very boring and everyone hates it because of that.
Great list!
Now looks like a good time to jump in on the Ultima bandwagon. Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny is still my favourite game.
I think you're being a little hard on Ultima IX - I've played through it again recently, and despite the hackneyed story, pointless combat, horrible character models, the bugs and the fact that you need a 2005+ PC to run it smoothly ... I still enjoyed it. The sense of exploration is intact, and some of the locations, dungeon puzzles and cookies are great.
Not that I'm suggesting that it has a place on your list - it can't hold a candle to most of these games!
Yes, maybe one of the biggest problems with Ultima IX was the huge expectations. But I also quit after a few hours because of the general bugginess, so I probably shouldn't condemn it based on my experience. Maybe now after about ten years it's been patched enough to be fairly playable and it's time to give it another try :)
I played a lot of them and must say that the "Dungeons and dragons" styled game type are very addictive.
My Favorite titels are the final fantasy games
Good article i am also a fan of old games lol take ryl as a example.ryl is a very old game played on pc and people still play it online these days.
I am an RPG freak but I simply can't stand games that share a UI similar to Baldurs Gate. Call me crazy...maybe I missed the fan boy boat but I couldn't get into Baldurs Gate and I played 80% of Bladurs Gate II.
Excellent. I Im a hardcore fan of RPGs, since I managed to underestand Fallout 2 interface. I still misss th eold isometric style and Im trying to revive it in my game project. But I disagree with Arcanum being one of the best, Troika made an sloppy work there. Vampire 2 was a bit better.
does somebody else thinks that Fallout 3 should have been made by Obsidian or Troika Games?
Great list! Many of these games are near and dear to my heart. I can say that it was the BG series that really got things going for me. I am currently playing through The Witcher and I would say that it definitely deserves a mention though. Outstanding game and really good story so far.
Thanks for reading and commenting, guys. Yeah, BG and all those isometric games, either you love them or you hate them i guess. I have a couple of friends who can't stand them, but personally I'd like to see a 2D isometric revival. Probably not gonna happen ;)
@Routs, thanks! I agree with you on The Witcher, it was a surprisingly good and gritty game. Hoping for a follow-up.
Im playing The witcher too, after reading the books (I strongly recommend them!), but I left it stucked in Wyzima, waiting for some boy that will talk to me at some moment.
Cool that you should mention the books! I was clutching one of them at my local book store couple of days ago, but when I checked it up it was the second one in the series. Now both of them goes on the next geek-shopping list for sure =)
Fallout 3 is set in Washington DC, which is on the East Coast.
Yes, Washington DC is indeed located on the east coast. =) Thanks for the correction. Updated.
How is world of warcraft not on this , I know it an MMO but come on its a blizzard RPG and its most certainly the best.
jfrench: Like it says in the first paragraph it's single-player games only. Otherwise it would certainly be here, but I made it a little easier on myself by narrowing it down :)
Can't believe you mentioned the terrible Gothic 3 e skipped the Gothic 1 and 2, both fantastic (specially the 2nd).
Great list! I am surprised to find others that also liked the Gothic games. With the community patch Gothic 3 was a great game, but I do agree with Anderson that 1 & 2 were amazing!
Anderson, Vadelay,
I can't argue with you on Gothic 1, I actually started out with the 2nd, which was a great game for sure. Have to agree with Vandelay that Gothic 3 was (and is) a great game after all the patches. The sad part is that out of the JoWood games I've played, every single one has been riddled with bugs at launch :|
"this was sadly the last BG Infinity Engine game."
Incorrect - the last would be Icewind Dale 2 released in 2002.
Wow, great list, these games are all time favorites of mine, and I have to agree on the JoWood games there, a prime example is Silent storm 2, great game, but bug ridden to the end.
I know I'm bending the point of the post a little but if your willing to get an emulator (of course you have to own the game or it will be illegal) you can get the best game ever: Chrono trigger. I recently downloaded the rom to this game after my cartridge got soda on it. Has to be the best game ever in music and the fact that its the only game to get time travel right with no inter-dimensional impossibilities.
Relayer71,
"Incorrect - the last would be Icewind Dale 2 released in 2002." Thanks for the correction. Added it to the article.
Thanks Geekazoid! Silent Storm brings back memories. What happened to all those turn-based games?
Shadow Seeker: I won't speculate on the legal issues with downloading ROMs, but I can confirm that Chrono Trigger runs fine on the vSun SNES emulator for Symbian ;)
I Agree with your list 100%. All the games listed are legendary, and I would not hesitate to play any of them again. Specifically FF7, best game of all time. Thank for the listing! Came across one or two games that I have wanted to try out for some time, now I will definatly go out and get them.
Cool article, some great games on that list! I'd love to see some of those older ones redone with modern graphics.
System Shock 2 is one of my favourites of all time. It blended RPG with FPS elements, and it was just so atmospheric. I dreamed about being on a starship for about the next ten years.
Nice! I grew up playing RPGs like Diablo, Neverwinter Nights, Ultima, & Fallout. Although recently I have been into Elder Scrolls, the newer Fallout, Dragon Age, & Fable. Final Fantasy is ok but the others are way better in my opinion.
Thanks for all the comments!
@Andr01d: I agree, I loved all the little details like the minesweeper clone "Swinekeeper" :) Allegedly the Von Braun was initially named "Eva Braun" in the development stages.
Nice article.
I'll take a moment to ask something to everyone here. I've been a fan or RPGs for quite a time but I started played video games around 2000 and missed the boat for those games. There's a lot of 2d games I enjoy but most of those... I can't appreciate them.
I got Icewind Dale 1 & 2, Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 and Planescape Torment from a friend. Installed all of them. Tried them, they seem like games with a lot of depth but I find the "controls" very sloppy and I have a hard time getting in it and really appreciating it.
I'd like advices because those are incredible games, everyone says so, so I'd like to experience them.
Nice list! My favorite game on here is KOTOR.
don't forget about Shining Force!
betherann: Thanks a lot!
Ryan: was Shining Force available for PC? Wasn't that an old Sega game?
great hub..gosh I miss those old PC games, I don't know why but old PC games used to be so fun compared to the games today even if they had poor graphics.
OMG, I grew up with all 3 bards tale games, ultima 4 and wasteland. Loved the Baldurs Gate series, and would like to see that style of engine used in new rpgs.
Great list, thanks for bringing back some good ol memories of staying up till 4am despite school the next day. I'm semi-surprised Dungeon Siege II didn't make the list, it may be a "Diablo Clone" but the gameplay is immaculate. I continue to play it to this day.
Thanks guys! Romam: Yes! I've been saying it for years, I think lots of us "old-time" gamers would gladly buy games based on those old engines.
A lot of hard work has gone into this hub. Well done it was informative,easy to read and understand. A great piece of writing. Thanks for sharing
Wow, really detailed and interesting articles... It sure give me a lot of ideas and gaming tips. thanks for the great article.. I will sure coming back here :)
Yh nice list, but what about red alert?
Thanks a lot, jayjay40, GamerBoy. Thanks for stopping by!
Nice list! I'm a retro gaming fan too, and personally, I would've added Rogue at the very beginning of the list.
what is Gothic 3 doing there?It was a good game despite all the bugs,silly quests and thin storyline but it's still a fail...Gothic 1 was a fantastic game and deserve a spot here...and Gothic 2 was LEGENDARY but underrated because you americans appreciate a game for it's commercial superiority budget and popularity...Gothic 3 is a little piece of shit compared to 2 but you've still put it on your list cuz you actually played it...cuz it had a better commercial campaign and higher budget...The Witcher was also good....
this is the first time i have herd good of gothic 3. You should play 1 and 2 they are really fun better than fable. Mount & Blade is fun too you should try it. also Arx fatalis came out around the same time as morrowind and if you can get used to the magic system you should try that game too.
Oh and nice list I have enjoyed most of those games.
@bobby
"because you americans appreciate a game for it's commercial superiority budget and popularity"
No, it probably has to do with what gazook thought was the best rpgs, not some twisted bias and hateful piece of shit like yourself.
Calm down you guys, it's just a list of games ;) And absolutely, it's just from my point of view, there are heaps of great games out there and I'm greatful for all the tips in the comments here.
Most of my favorites are on your list. But what about Gothic 2? Gothic 3 was a horrible disappointment to me after playing 2. Also, yes, Oblivion had some brilliant technical features but it was a boring/flawed/dumb game. Also what about fallout 2 and KOTOR 2. I thought both of these were superior to the originals. Sorry to sound like hater. Much Love.
wheres fable? how can you have oblivion up there but not fable. lionhead studios is so underated.
Nice list! I have played most of these and have only fond memories of all of them. Just wanted to mention a few good ones from the early days that I played. I know someone mentioned Wasteland. Just a great game. Sentinel Worlds 1, Mines of Titan, and World of Xeen. All great games to me. I also liked the Ultima Underworld games. Thanks for the list and all the good memories it has stirred up.
Excellent choices, i miss dark heart of uukurl or bloodwych, but the list is really good.
Thanks all for the comments and tips. It's probably about time to update this list and make it a top 250 =)
Hi,
Man you got a lot of comments on this one!!:)
It was a very good post and as you can tell people will not always like what you say but you have to stick to what you know is right.:)
I really enjoyed reading this list. I haven't had the pleasure of playing all of them, but i have played much of what you have mentioned. System Shock 2 is probably right up there as one of my favorites of all time, any platform. I am going to have to try the gothics if they will run on my new pc.(doubtful) Oh and to the racist guy, Bobby, you must be a really worldly person to know what an entire country's idea of good entertainment is. I think the beginning of this list is proof to the opposite of what you say, considering none of those are known for their budget or mass popularity. in fact only the elite few old-timer pc gamers would even recognize them. You probably suck at games anyway dude.
You forgot Gothic (1999), the best rpg I have ever played (I have played a lot of 2000+ made RPGs), Gothic 2(2002), one of best sequels ever, and I don't really know why you put Gothic 3 on the list... It is one of the worst sequels I've ever seen. Compared to previous Gothics - otherwise its a good game.
Thanks captainchris, gamefan and Smerkol! It's always fun when the debate gets started, whether it's games, books or anything else of a 'personal taste' nature. :) There's always a few favorites that really sticks with you.. for me one of them is definitely the Baldur's Infinity Engine games. System Shock 2 was also really memorable. FF7 is a classic, but it could have been done better on the PC, IMO.
i like this list but i think fallout 3 beats all the games for i am a graphics whore!
A:/pool
you rock
Just a guy: LOL, it took a while for the A:/pool reference to sink in. It's been a while :)
Every year or so I dust off Fallout 2 and create a new character to demonise the wasteland with :)
Loved the way this game responded to your actions. A real trail blazer.
Great list.
Thanks for writing such a great overview. I think we all have our favorites and you hit most of mine. I do believe that Ultima Underworld and Ultima Underworld The Stygian Abyss were two of the best ever made. Like you note, their graphics were primitive but they were first person and had wide open gameplay. I can still remember the world I spent so many hours in 20 years later.
Thanks,
Bruce
Stellar Job!
Nice list! I have to admit that I won't play a game without decently okay graphics, so some of these games appealed to me more than others. Thanks for the great job!
Great list, nice to see someone else who knows about oldschool rpgs. I used to play those games when I was 7 years old!
Nice overviews of the games!
I am a longtime racing+fighting games guy, and except for heroes of might and magic series, ff viii+x, disciples iii (what a bug-infested title) and some persona, i was lost in this world of rpgs.
Now turning 30, i would like to cross the border and try more roleplay. Since i think people here know a lot more than i do, i'd like to ask what rpg title or series that has most diverse creatures and while so, beautifully drew them too? I always like that kind of game. I'll play it as soon as i got the answer. (heroes iii+v, disciples iii came to mind...)
thanks!
Hey dr.dre and welcome to the RPG universe. If you don't mind older games, one of my personal favorites that I would recommend is the Baldur's Gate series, but it's quite different from Heroes. If you're into turn-based strategy, there's also a recent remake of King's Bounty that is pretty good (the forerunner to Heroes of M&M).
check: baldur's gate.
well thanks a lot, gazook! I really don't mind at all playing older games. In fact, there's this sentimental feeling from playing games we played when we're younger that can't be topped by their later counterpart.
This hub is very useful and informative. Keep up the nice work!
I am 15 years old, and I enjoy older games more than the new ones...am I different from the others?
I first played Fallout 3, then decided playing the 1st one...and gosh what a difference! The 1st one,frankly, has more depth.
All of the games in this list, need to be remade!
Imagine playing Ultima in CryEngine 3...(wouldn't work, but...meh)
Many people this day, are fooled by flashy effects.
But I guess it's the same as people...if they are stars, they are loved...when they age they are forgotten...
Do I sound like a total moron?
Is it strange that I have played everyone of these?
I don't agree with certain placements, and believe that FF should be stricken from the world, but I have played all of them.
Impressive list, i have also played most of these games, including a bards tale. i remember when that game was made, god i'm old.
but i love rpg's. oblivion was good, but morrowind was epic. maybe its the leap in next gen that attracts us or just the simple old text rpg. but its all about the journey... the escape into a world and being something else. thats what attracts me. better than a book to me.;)
I absolutely love Morrowind. I'd still be playing it if my xbox still worked. Oblivion is awesome and probaly my second favorite but in morrowind it feels like you are building up this huge legend about your character
I see no half life.
Couldn't find a choice I disagreed with. Good list, and well done being aware enough to include Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines.
One of the best games I've ever played, and I've played most on your list.
One game I'm surprised you didn't bring up was "The Realm Online"... It was the first online MMORPG game to ever exist... and was very impressive for its time.
@ wow.
Half Life is not an RPG. It's a great game but it doesn't belong on this list.
Ultima Online was only 2 years later than the realm online and was much much much better. Then EQ of course came by and blew it away. Either way the point here was single player RPGs and id like to make a comment for a few
Dragon Age (I know it wasnt out at the time)
Arx Fatalis
Jade Empire (the only good martial arts RPG/adventure game)
Drakensang
2 Worlds
Fable: The Lost Chapters
The Witcher
I grew up playing games like Champions of Krynn, betrayal at krondor, fable, but for me they should stay in the past and be remember how good they were for their time. Theres nothing wrong with liking the new RPGs that are being made. If we get a few more like Dragon Age the world of PC RPGs is gonna be outstanding in the future
Where da hell is Dragon Age Origins????????
Are basically Fallout 1 and 2. These are the official prequels. Im thoroughly enjoying the crappy graphics and excellent gameplay of Wasteland for the firs time right now!
Ya know, it seems to me that the more developers focous on 3d graphics, the less "options" there are to do in games. Another excellent pseudo/action RPG I would list is Blood Omen 1 for PS1. Just compare it to BO2 for ps2. Inferior graphics, yet superior gameplay. Just so much more to do.
Great list! I pretty much agree with every game on it. Small correction though, you can`t import you Baldur`s Gate character onto Neverwinter nights. It was supposed to, but the 3rd edition rules came out, and stopped that bit.
I am hoping that one of you might be willing to help me out. My husband loves RPG's. A couple that I know he has played are WOW, D&D, Diablo (original & II). We want to get a game that we can play together, and he wants me to pick it. I have minimal experience, he has played for 20+ years. Any suggestions?
Dude, what about the Witcher?
@Ablaize: That's some great entertainment for couples that more people should try :) I'm not sure about any newer multiplayer RPGs though (except for MMORPGs), but otherwise Dragon Age is probably a safe bet. Or Mass Effect if you're into Sci-Fi.
Sorry, I meant MMORPG's. (I have a lot to learn!) Thanks for replying.
I would trade FF VII for Fable, not Fable II though, I think Final Fantasy VII is just VI in crappy 3D just look at all the parallels in plot, after the SNES Square lost a lot of it's creativity and charm, which is why we have games like Kingdom Hearts. As for Fable II, it took all the clunkiness from I and made it longer. I think Fable was good as was, besides II is console only, hoping Fable III won't disappoint. If you're going to put a JRPG on the list, Grandia, it's everything that was good about JRPGs.
I've played a lot of these, although not all. This is right on the money. Eye of the Beholder was my cocaine, and Ultima VII my crack.
What a fantastic article Gazook. You have really shined
the light on those outstanding old and new games that were always ahead of their time. I loved many of these rpgs when I was growing up and still do to this day. I still play Diablo II, Baldur's Gate, Oblivion, and Morrowind just to name a few.
Thanks a lot Tony =)
Baldur's Gate is #1 IMO. NWN is better than 2. :)
A great list which really brought back memories ...... like The Bards Tale where you walk into a room with 200 berserkers (I think it was 200).
I've been playing RPG's since the lowly days of 8bit computers & agree that the RPG really came of age on the PC. My absolute favourites were the Baldurs Gate trilogy, I can still remember the excitement when I heard Throne of Baal was being released and you got to find out why your character was so special.
Other RPG's not on the list I enjoyed were Nox & Arx Fatalis.
Ijust finished playing Dragon Age: Origins. You bet correctly that it can be added to the lsit. Amazing game.
I take it you didn't like Dragon Age?
Gab, Oh yes. Just added :)
I never knew fable was released on pc.. And The Witcher definatly deserves a spot on this list. First rpg I've played in a long time that I've truly enjoyed.
" ("this was sadly the last BG Infinity Engine game.")
Incorrect - the last would be Icewind Dale 2 released in 2002. "
Incorrect - Lionheart (2003) was the last one.
was it supposed to be done in order of time of release or the amount you liked it? it seems it could fit both
I agree with everything up to and including number 21 Gothic 3.
Fallout 3, DAO, Oblivion and NWN 2 are definitely not in my top 25 list.
Mass effect is OK I guess.
And wtf man you put Diablo 2 in the list but not Diablo 1? Diablo 1 is a legendary game. At nights I can still hear the butcher saying "Ah fresh meat" :P
I would also add Mount and Blade in the list. More action oriented than RPG oriented but a very special and unique game.
I like it that you 've done it in a chronological order and not in order of preference because it is hard and unfair to compare games of this caliber.
@coste: hmm.. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think that Lionheart used the Infinity engine.
Elder Scrolls FTW
gazook: Just googled, seems that i was wrong, sorry. They say its not true Infinity, just something very simillar.
Mandate of Heaven is such a killer game. You clearly have great taste!
Great hub! I loooooove Betrayal at Krondor, and Wizardry 7 was actually the first RPG I ever played. Just finished it last year :D
I'm going to get Wizardry 8. Can't wait to check it out.
Some other decent RPGs that aren't on the list: Jade Empire, The Witcher, Risen, and here's an old one... Exile (I thought it was good :P).
Will download all of these nao
hunh..you forgot to mention 2 mind blowing rpg games:
1.Revenant 2
2.Evil Island-curse of the lost soul
plz..add them,thanxx!!
Excellent work! Some good memories in that list.
FFVII, Deus Ex and Baldurs Gate probably set my social development back about 3 years.
It also seems that everytime BioWare release something it sets me back another 6 months...Roll on DA2!
Thanks for all the great tips! Revenant 2? didn't even know there was a sequel.. Have to check that out.
@TheLemon: I agree, those folks at BioWare owe me for some low grades, not to mention my workplace for all those calling in sick days ;)
sad to see Freelancer left off this list.
The Witcher is top one in my opinion! This game just need to be played. So many sleepless nights I've enjoyed it. And when it finished I felt such an emptiness in me.Two months after I could not play anything else. May 17, 2011 will be released "The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings". And it is expected to be something verey Big...
The Witcher is top one in my opinion! This game just need to be played. So many sleepless nights I've enjoyed it. And when it finished I felt such an emptiness in me.Two months after I could not play anything else. May 17, 2011 will be released "The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings". And it is expected to be something verey Big...
Great list! Have you ever played Anvil of Dawn? It has got to be one of my all time favorites... I think you would enjoy it as well.
I agree with all the games on this list, with the exception of oblivion. >_> And being a sci-fi fan as well, might I recommend Hellgate London? It's probably not worth it now but, back when it was multiplayer my friends and I had a blast
Thanks for the Vampire the Masquerade & Arcanum shoutouts, two of my all-time favorites (aside from Baldur's Gate). RIP Troika, not a day goes by that I don't miss you... ;)
A lot of good games. What about Darklands?
How can you not have Modern Warfare 2 in this list, hahah such a noob! (J/K for those who are infantile)
Great List. Brings back lots of memories.
Hey, how 'bout XCOM: UFO DEFENSE and TERROR FROM THE DEEP series?
Good list. Ultima underworld is the glaring ommision. imo that set the standard for pretty much all free roaming rpgs that followed.
Are you crazy you didn't Mention The Witcher! by far one of the most impressive rpg's on the PC. Dark and Mature!
There can be no RPGs list without WITCHER
Damn good list from someone who's actually played these games! I will be checking back for updates :) ! I guess gothic 4 can't really be added (lack of depth maybe) but I'm playing it now and am enjoying it. Also you're forgetting Fable: The Lost Chapters and Fable III (Q1 2011), both playable on PC, the correct platform for any good RPG!!! Really digging the old school list of titles. I'm an all round gamer (no specific genre preference), but might try my hand at a few of those that you mentioned.
Man great list, but i agree in the sense that Fable: The Lost Chapters is a must in this list. It is one of the best RPGs ever created.
Two games that i didn't see anyway mention was Alternate Reality: The City and Alternate Reality: The Dungeon. I played these on the C-64 (I believe they were also available for other platforms as well.)
The Dungeon was pretty cool, with the guilds and all. The only issue with the game was that when you accumulated a certain amount of equipment, the Devourer would attack you (and it was tough hombre).
I believe these two games were the first two in a series that was never completed.
Great and useful. There a lot I haven't played on this list. Arcanum looks very appealing. My one grumble is your handling of Daggerfall. Although by modern standards it is a hideous thing to look at, for the next 5 years after it was released it was in a class by itself. And obviously Morrowind is a better, prettier, more epic, and functional game, Daggerfall can beat it on a couple of fronts: customization and size. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and state that Daggerfall has got to be the largest 3D environment in the history of gaming (literaly twice the size of Great Britain). True, vast stretches of this massive world are empty, and it was constructed haphazardly by a repetitive random generator, but the awesome size of the world give you a feeling that no other game can. It is unfair to thing of Daggerfall as an unrealized shadow of Morrowind. Morrowind represented a different approach- instead of taking shortcuts, they woud build their world meticulously and craft everything by hand. Also they would try to carefully balance the game and work out any bugs. Ultimately this is the best direction for the series, but Daggerfall's approach of massive randomness, freedom, a dangerously unbalanced gaming world created a unique and exciting experience of its own that you can't get anywhere else.
Great list. I remember Bard's tale when I was a kid. Grandia 2 was a great game that would be worthy for the list, Oblivion was good for freedom of choice though I got it on console and would like to play it on PC
You should also add Risen and gothic 2
No love for The Witcher?
to tell ya the truth ive never played any of these...until i seen this list...now ive played every 1 and now i see why there rated the top ones.....i love them all...
Anyone know what skyrim's gonna be like?
WHAT ABOUT ALBION FROM BLUE BYTE?????
A lot of good games on here, excellent work. I've played through a lot of these and I still feel as though the Fallout series- excluding 3 capture the role playing experience the best. It saddens me these days that the newer games focus more on visual effects instead of content, creativity, and atmosphere. I believe it boils down to the money making machine that mainstream video gaming has become. Fallout 3 for example, follows more in the footsteps of its modern counterparts- mostly seen in games that sold well like Oblivion- instead of keeping with their lineage like the highly addictive, but not so flashy games like Arcanum and Fallout. I don't see any luck for change in the future. Your thoughts?
played most of these, Dragon Age is the best in my opinion
Thanks for all the new tips and comments! Those mentioning The Witcher are absolutely right, I just hadn't played it yet but it's awesome.
@Citizen0: I agree, although IMO there are a number of games that are both great-looking and original (like the BioWare games and The Witcher for example). But in an ideal world we would see more original and low-budget 2D projects like those from Spiderweb Software http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/
And the best game for me lineage 1 (1998) lineage 2(2004)
Yes that top is nice, but I have not seen one awesome game which is 2x better than Diablo 2. That game is old abandoned Westwood's studios - Nox, true first version relase date was 1998 because my daddy bought it for me at 98's, but Wikipedia shows relase date 2000 It's fake I can tell. Diablo 2 is relased 1999 and everything is completely copied from Westwood Nox.
Nox is still available to play online and every day you can see 2, 3 servers with 6-20 players. The best is to play quest, because 32 players at one server can play, you can not imagine how much better Nox is than Diablo.
What about Dragon Warrior / Dragon Quest? Those games on the NES introduced a lot of people to what were very good RPGs.
What a great list, one I agree with even!
it is false Gothic must be first game here
@ ficus you've got a good point but this a list for pc games so he wouldnt include them.
Dude, you need to go back further than this because you COMPLETELY missed some of the most important early RPGs. Games like Ultima III were instrumental and loads of fun to play. Graphics be damned, Ultima III launched the the rpg genre for many people. Also, am I one of the few who remember Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves on the Atari 800? I would play that game constantly. Ed also makes great points about Daggerfall. You must have only read about them because anyone who actually played Arena and then Daggerfall know how dang good and ground breaking they were regardless of glitches. Morrowind might be prettier but I didn't like it as much as Arena or Daggerfall.
@ChrisS: Thanks for the comment! I'm sure you're absolutely right, only i'm slightly too young to have experienced those early Ultima games.
it's a testament of the quality of your hub that comments are still coming in 1.5 years later. good list! and this is coming from a gamer who started it in the late 80's.
so i think you nailed it, but there might be some glaring omissions:
NWN (2002)
Ultima Underworld 2 (1992)
Anachronox (2001)
Darkness over Daggerford (2006) -- a free module for NWN that is more epic and better than 80% of all rpg's out there.
Anyone like FCOM?... That was more strategy I guess... Kinda felt RPG'ish as everything gained experience..
AMAZING list man. Good stuff here.
Thanks for the list, I have decided to procure nvw2 as a result of ur list. Btw Mass effect 2 needs to be added in!
Great list! One thing I think you're missing in the classic RPG list is Dungeon Master! I'd call it one of the true originals, like Baldur's Gate or Diablo I.
Anyway, that's just my two cents.
You sir are full of awesomeness.
Fantastic list. I think I'll start making my way through the games which I haven't played yet. :) Good additions at the end too!
Great list, I'm definitely going to play Baldur's Gate now. I also went through all the comments which convinced me to get the Witcher and Gothic 2. I'm going to have to call in sick for the upcoming 2 or 3 weeks I'm afraid :P
It's funny when i see people use the term "old time gamers" and such because I becoming a gamer around my 6-7th b-day (2001-2002) I was born passed most of those great games but I play the older classics even dos games are On a heart to heart with me and im 15 gonna be 16 in march ah ultima exodus I LOVE YOU!!!!
Dragon Age for the win!!! so love it!!
Dragon Age II will be released this march, better get your copies. :)
rawr!!
Thanks keep up the geekin and updates
I like dungeon siege II
Great list - I've played and loved most of them, especially the Baldur's, but...
...Planescape was so good it's burned into my mind forever :) Such a fantastic story. And the most interesting and unusual characters.
You sir are awesome if I can quote Cnovak42's comment from 17 moths ago. These games have a place in our history. And if you look at the number of comments of the overall idea gathered from all these people, I'm blown away by this gaming genre. Thanks for "Top 25 Best PC RPGs Ever".
Thanks everyone for all the new comments and tips! Have to go check out Darkness over Daggerford now :)
This list is null and void without at least one Ultima game. Shame on you.
Nice list Gazook - I've played a lot of them.
I fully understand, that it's Gazook's TOP25, however I would like to tempt you to try (already mentioned) oldies:
Albion
Ultima Underworld 2
Then, perhaps, you re-evaluate the list (or extend). :-)
Also, as a lot of others, I do not quite understand listing Gothic 3 as primary and not 1 or 2. Would you please share your opinion on G3 primacy here?
Anyway, good work.
Great list, nice to find a list that includes old school classics and newer games. I really enjoyed the elders scrolls series (Morrowind still kicks ass). Fingers crossed for Skrym.
all good choices, but you need some might and magic in there. mm2 and mm6 are particularly spectacular.
Thanks Gavin and ripred! @jebus, Dan: I think you need to revisit the list ;)
Awesome list, makes me want to go back and replay some of the older ones that I miss!
In my opinion, the Elder Scrolls series is the pinnacle of the genre. Oblivion gets a lot of hate, but the first time stepping out of the sewer and realizing that you can go ANYWHERE in this bright gorgeous world is definitely one of the best moments in any RPG.
Can't wait for Skyrim!
Thanks Amanda. I agree, a fully open game world where you can go anywhere and do anything is the crowning achievement of an RPG. The Might & Magic series was great that way (from VI onwards). IMO the only "problem" with Bethesda's games is that they are TOO balanced to your character's level, so you rarely encounter impossible enemies.
Btw, nice blog! I just enjoyed this post:
for me it's a tie between baldur's gate 2 and final fantasy 7 .. i give the nod to bg2 since ff7 is not an original pc game. unique choice by putting bg1 ahead of 2 on the list.. was this simply because it was more "revolutionary" or because you found it to be a better game? almost every rpg fan agrees bg2 is the better overall game.. just curious.
Great list Gazook.
Deus Ex and Diablo II were mentions that shone nostalgia at me; although nostalgia's probably not the right word considering I get them back out every 6 months.
Arcanum was a neat little universe too, with the whole magic/technology vibe, so credit for putting it up.
And to any that haven't played Fable, get on it!
Great list guy.
I just bought some oldschool games at ebay like icewind dale and arcanum and was looking for more greate RPGs to buy. I think i will buy some of the games you mentioned here as well. Thanks for this list.
Infinity Engine ftw.^^
The only game i am not agreeing with you is gothic 3.. I never played the game after they fixed the bugs but there were not only technical problems in the game. I think Gothic 1 would be the better choise for the list.
cool list gonna get a couple that are mentioned here out of the ones on this list tht i have id say the witcher is the best
Baldurs Gate 2 is easily the best RPG ever.
I still consider Wasteland as the number one of all time. :)
one to put on your list ios going to be Skyrim. gunna be one of the best rpg's in console(probably not pc) history. Been a RPG geek for a few years now and seeing classics, ive missed alot. Favourite RPG's are Morrowind, Oblivion and Mass Effect's atm. been wanting to play the Dragon Age series but not got round to it yet.
Fallout would definitely be my favourite with Arcanum coming in as a close second. The game was fun and thete were quite a few mods for it.Besides the main storyline itself was worth hours of gameplay. Not to mention the combat was quite interesting and the plots were....well you get the drift. Arcanum was just unlucky. Good game though.
Meet again, folks & gazook!
After reading & commenting on this hub several months ago, now I got Baldur's Gate series, Planescape: Torment, and Arcanum: oSaMO on my hand. Well, Baldur's Gate is firm, Arcanum is beauty (aside from freakish, messy, and intimidating interface IMO), but Planescape: Torment, now that's a whole different level of RP-ing altogether! Very engaging, storyline-driven, and unique (Arcanum is unique too after its steampunk ambience). I found I couldn't get my hand off my trackpad and eyes off my display after I installed it. Kudos, Black Isle!
Now, Gazook, do you have something to tell me about those Ultima titles you like? Thanks for pointing me the way!
@rpgssss: please read the introductory paragraph again. The writer of this hub listed the games according to their release years, not because the previous titles is somehow better than the later ones. This because he himself found it harder to list them that way, as these games are the best manifestations of RPG ideals (in different aspects).
Wasteland definitely deserves to be up here. Groundbreaking classic precursor to fallout.
Nice to see you again dr.dre! Sounds like you've been busy :) Yes, Arcanum is a real gem, it's too bad it's also really buggy. Even with all the patches it's easy to get stuck or caught in some endless loop. A remake would really be worthwhile, especially with steampunk themes on the rise these days. I'm a little behind on the Ultima series, only played them from 7 Black Gate up to the horrific number nine. 7 and 8 are nice old DOS games though (and 7 is also available on SNES if I remember correctly). Another commenter also mentioned Ultima Underworld 2 as one of my glaring omissions, so that sounds like something to look into. After Dragon Age 2 perhaps...
you are really one old school gamer gazook! really nice hub!
Great list. Played almost all of them. I actually go back a little farther than you with some titles. The ZORK series. All of the Sierra game series. Many of these early games used a 'typing input' interface. Some old timers may remember the original ADVENTURE game. All words. No graphis at all. M
Thanks dabspalalabs and weeper! ZORK? That one was worth looking up. I'm too young for that one, but it sort of reminds me of the early King's Quest games where you'd type "go west", "look at desk" etc. So that's where they got the idea...
After the release of Final Fantasy VII, the series started to downfall by allot.
so i think you made a big mistake ultima 8 pagan is best them ultima 7 in my opinion is best RPG made ever needs a 3d version
Damn you really know PC RPG i mean i didn't know about Bloodlines or Arcanum or even the epic Torment so i just read your list and start looking for these brain canyds, so i must say they make many rpgs cry after playing these games like DA2 or Fable3 look like junk not only they lose to there originals but they get raped by the ggames on this list.
@Xen: They certainly did, didn't they? To be fair (to Square), number VII was a hard one to top.
@Artemis: Yes, a 3D version of Black Gate or Pagan minus the bugs in the latter (not to mention Ascension) would really be something.
@Yoburi: Thanks! Well DA2 isn't bad but it didn't quite live up to expectations...
And they say Diablo III will be ready for RPGamers this Q3 of 2011.
YOU EARNED MY RESPECT FOR FALLOUT AND FF7! i love FF 7 even nowadays! the storyline is amazing! greetings from Finland
fallout 3 is awesome. i guess it's "cooler" to like less popular games but i actually thought fallout 3 was better than the first 2. also, while not a pure rpg i've actually had the most fun and time spent on borderlands this gen. if diablo is on this list then borderlands definitely deserves a spot as well !
Ultima Underworld 1 + 2, took away a large chucnk of my life way back in the day.
Great games list, I agree with you almost 100%. You got me wanting to get the Witcherm really wanna try that game, especially since dragon age 2 was such a dissapointment, one of the weakest most hodgepodge rpg storylines in recent memory.
Anyone missing Dungeon Master in the list?
How about Ishar? And Realms of Arcania?
Great list, you should keep updating it.
Things I miss on the list:
System Shock 1
Sure, the graphics are outdated nowadays. But at the time it was the creepiest RPG I had ever laid my hands on. Preferably playing it during night time you might suddenly get the feeling someone is standing behind you.
Eye of the Beholder 2 "The legend of Darkmoon"
In my opinion the best title in the series.
You also mention "Assault on Myth Drannor" to be a sequel to Pool of Radiance. But I am quite sure it was the third installment of Eye of the Beholder. But I have to agree Myth Drannor was not worth the space it occupied on the hard drive.
The Witcher part 1
I actually haven't played part two yet, but I can really recommend the Wicher 1. There are many game where your choices affect the story line, but I think the Witcher takes it to another level. Especially because it is not devided into the typical black and white categroies. Actually there is one kind of black and then there is the other kind black.
I have to state that Dragon age: Origins was not as good as I expected. Actually the game play felt quite the same using different origins.
I guess all the advertisement rose expectations too high. In the end is is a rather static game, where you can choose in which order to solve different quests.
I for one prefer the Witcher....
And besides this issue I agree with your awesome list of time steeling software
Some great games, I enjoyed baldurs gate/arcanum a lot back in the days. KOTOR was also a more modern rpg that I liked. The last one I really enjoyed was mass effect I think, sadly dragon age wasn't too good. The witcher has a great story but I just can't get into the gameplay...
KOTOR was tons of fun, Darklands was the most inventive, Fallout 2 had the best atmosphere. But my all time favorite RPG is Paper Mario for N64.
note a mention of Drakensang titles,europeans make ok RPG too,worth checking out.
Yes, Drakensang was a surprisingly good one (you say titles, are there several?)
It got some pretty bad ratings, but I liked Hard to be a god...
two worlds is a fun game, two worlds 2 for ps3 is really bad, still fun. but some features are not there like fighting when on your horse, and the cam is hard to get use too.
Awsome list. The Baldur's Gate series has to be one of the best ever. I spent sooooo many hours playing those games.
the goods which games games ever created and now guys ... this is true jucuri metin metin not the other Vampire The Masquerade games finished nasoale.am: Bloodlines 3 times, Star Wars: Knights of the Old) of Gothic 3 and 4 times 5 times this thousand liked most.
Simply amazing list. Scary how right on you are. Wow
The one thing wrong with this list is that it has NWN2 instead of 1. What the heck? NWN 1 is far FAR better than 2.
Seriously...People, you need to get a REAL life!
Awesome: Keep this list updated, please.
In my opinion (o r for what i have played, at least):
Risen -A good combat system
Gothic 2
The witcher
Gothic 1
Oblivion
Two worlds
people, let's not forget the ASSASSIN'S CREDD series, beautiful game
the list is interesting i recognized most of the titles even though a lot were before my time (started playing in 1998)^^
as for the Gothic series i liked gothic 1 and 2 better game-play wise and the atmosphere . but truth be told Gothic 3 hat the best music.
@saintt:
I really liked assassins creed but i wouldn't say it is an rpg.. But i admit it has certain rpg elements
I am very glad that you pulled out Arcanum. It is a great game but, as you said,it had some bugs so lot of people didn´t get it. I am a fan of futuristic RPG's so Fallout (1,2,3) is high on my list.
I would like if someone would made some Battletech RPG (something like BattleTech: The Crescent Hawk's Inception) but 25 years improved...
Although I must say my exposure to a broad range of RPG titles is extremely limited in comparison to some of you, I'm sure but my passion for them is as great I can assure you. Let's just say public school failed miserably in regards teaching one to command the English language....Thankfully this fine genre of games decided to give back to the community as far as I'm concerned and made a great substitute. Thank you play along storybooks!
Fallout 2 < 3 any day
I haven't played all games on your list, but for me these two stand out as being most creative and original:
Betrayal at Krondor
Planescape: Torment
My favs, easily.
@rowan "Fallout 2 < 3 any day"
Let me fix that for you:
"Fallout 2 > 3 any day"
No need to thank me.
Awesome list, man. Big thanks.
Diablo 2 kicks all them games' butt.. anytime
until d3 comes out
tho i enjoyed reading ALL (yeah i know.. i need a life..) the comments and remembered many of those games.. and sure enjoyed playing most of them and i'll make sure to try some of them when i find the time
but d2 is a class of its own.. of course diablo 1 is awesome too but sort of boring once you tried d2
even FFVII (which at that time was a mindblowing game and i still sigh nostalgically when i think of it) can't hold a candle to d2
heck i spent my young days waiting for d3 but the idiots spend their time milking the kids with WOW for years.. not much time for diablo? waiting for better pcs? wth is wrong with blizzard >=|
another 2 games that i love with all my heart is HOM&M 3&5 (heroes of might and magic)
and i have to point out that arcanum was.. really awesome despite all the bugs killing the fun and i really could shed a tear for the lack of a sequel but oh well..
however.. awesome review, tho i miss some oldschool games.. i am an oldie who grew up playing all sorts of games, mainly RPGs, my productivity at work and my success at school and college sure suffered because of my gaming addiction lol
!!can't think of any of the missing titles right now!! damn drugs and alcohol.. but i am talking mainly about older 2d games.. YOU SHOULD PROBABLY REALLY MAKE A TOP 250!! maybe then i could find em xD
stubbled upon this review when i was looking for the old titles to refresh my memory.. was disappointed to see many old games missing even after reading all of your guys' comments :( meh time for me to shut up and continue browsing ^^
at any rate compliments for such a nice review triggering such a long lasting discussion, might even come back with some titles :D
btw i hope i didn't sound too ignorant or even arrogant but i had to emphasize the superiority of D2 :P
cheers
Hi! Great post, I'm a nostalgic player, and a huge fan of the BG seriesm which remains my favourite together with FF VII. I think it is worth mentioning Drakensang, which even though is full of cliches it is still a very enjoyable rpg!
Cheers
Love the list, I agree with almost all of it!! Two games that have a special place in my RPG'ing past (that didn't make your list) would be: Ultima Underworld, and The Summoning. The latter was a very unsung RPG by SSI that was a single-character isometric view game. Graphics weren't astonishing, and the story wasn't fantastic, but for some reason it was really fun. UU was a phenomenal game as well - best Ultima game IMO.
....I have played 12 of the 28 games on your list.....so many hours....totally worth it!
Great hub, I liked it.
This list is really great!!!
I'm a HUGE BG and Icewind Dale fan, I've played them more then once and I loved them so much!
Lately came to me the idea to start playn' again some RPG... I've heard good stuff abou Morrowing, Oblivion, Gothic 3 and Dragon Age: Origins.
What I really loved about baldur's gate were 3 things:
1-all the characters that might join your group have a strong personality, past stories and side quests
2-you are totally free to follow the main quest or search around for side quest and explore the world
3-you could play it in multiplayer with a friend
Does any of the previously mentioned game have these 3 stuff? :P or what would u suggest to play?
thanks!!!
I forgot to mention Planescape: Torment and Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magik Obscura... :)
Hah, The Bards Tale - thats a true legend. I remember finally finding out how to get into Mangars Tower through ... well that would be a spoiler. Fantastic game. All these years later I can still draw a crude map of Scra Brae from memory. Amazing.
It's really fun to hear everyone's stories about all those old RPG's. Makes you feel less alone in having wasted so many hours on these things :)
@Francesco: Out of the games you mention, the only relatively linear game is DA:O, but it's still good. Wish I could say the same for part 2...
Im a big of rpgs, but i really only know the new ones me being only 17 haha. But i played diablo 1 and 2 not to long ago and loved it. I am definnetly going to try many of these games listed. I am currently downloading Arcan and am going to try it out! Thanks a lot for this list, i will finally have something to talk about with all you old timers :P jk
Arcanum* not arcan
Young
Old
MANDATE OF HEAVEN AND QUEST OF THE AVATAR..BARDS TALE ...FF..BEST GAMES EVER MADE FOR PC...my GOD i go back to the bbs micros and commodore 64..APPLE 2 C platforms..captain goodnight,autoduel,conan,karateka.....ive played witcher 2(awesome game),dragon age 2(kill em hawke)and elder scrolls(massive)...funny thing is even with the corny graphics the plots of the old school games still give me the biggest buzz ...harcore bandicoot for LIFE!!!!
Check out Path of Exile if you haven't already. In Beta. Free. And shaping up to be the spiritual successor to D2.
Great list. I've played even the old ones (Betrayal at Krondor as my favourite).
Gothic II The Night Of The Raven is my favourite and missing here, though :)
I'm looking forward for Skyrim and Risen II ;)
wow, excellent list gazook! Most of these games, I have not played, but do consider myself a general all-round RPG-fan :)
Was just thinking back though, to the days of playing the old DarkSun games... anyone else remember those? (think there were just two...)
hellow
A few missing Is THE DRAGON WARRIOR SERIES FOR THE NES which was epic. I remember subscribing to nintendo power magazine which came with dragon warrior free. This weas my RPG start in about 1994.
MY Favorites list is
Dragon Warrior Series
Final Fantasy 3
Diablo Series
Borderlands was amazing
I think that Dreamfall The Longest journey should be mentioned in this also. It is a sequel to The Longest Journey, but the story line was amazing.
Really nice list.
I used to play the Might & Magic serie a lot. Good "bread and butter" games.
But i lost my heart for ever to Fallout 1&2, the Baldur's Gate trilogy and Planescape: Torment.
Fallout 2 has everything you want: alcohol, drugs, monsters, evil guys, crazy religious fanatics, great atmosphere, nice sound/music!, a fantastic character system, funny NPCs, violence, prostitutes, mean sonofabitches, bitches, a great story, totally freedom, tons of humour, funniest dialogues ever seen in a game, aliens (Wannamingos^^^), cool weapon animations, racists, mutants, foul ghouls, dynamic quests, multiple endings, high replayability and it has a Pip Boy 2000!
Even 13 years after release i'm STILL finding new miniquests or different ways to solve them although i've played the game countless times.
You get it: I'm a totally Fallout 2 fanboy and nerd.
BG 1&2 ... fantastic and outstanding games in every single way. (Hey Sarevok ... give brofist)
I love them!
Planescape: Torment is a small "nerdy" jewel even amongst RPGs. A very deep, atmospheric story, with walls of text!, a fantastic music/sound and a flying skull (Morte)!
One of the most - if not THE most - emotional game ever.
I've played most of your listed games ... and almost all of them are damn fine games. Sadly the "good times" are over. Not a single really good game was released for years now ( don't start with crap like Fallout 3 ...).
Personally i would rate Vampire: The Masquerade Redemption above Vampire: Bloodlines. The story was better and the big jump over the centuries felt much more "epic".
And finally a small hint: All of you who're looking for another good ol'game from the early 90's ... you should give Dark Sun: Shattered Lands a try. Based on (modified) D&D rules and settled in the Dark Sun universe, published/developed by SSI. The deserted and wasted world Athas is ruled by powerful wizard kings ... and you start the game as one of their slaves ...
A much underrated game in my humble view:P
These are some of the best all time. Sooooo.... Many though its hard for me to rate some above others. From Death Knights of Krynn, Dark Queen of Krynn and Champions of Krynn to Baldurs Gate, Oblivion, and the like just makes it hard to rate some of them.
The fact that, out of the series, you picked Gothic 3 leads me to believe that you didn't actually play the first two.
why is there no Last Remnant here?
Deus Ex : Human Revolution
any list without phantasy star online which was one of the first if not the first online mmorpg
Still a great list - the latest additions are great. However, it's strange that you have ONE JRPG on there. I know FF VII was an important game (though I don't think it was as great as most; FF IX, FF IV, FF VI and FF XII were better games, imo) but it doesn't make sense to have it on a list littered with classic PC or Western styled RPGs.
That spot should go to another PC RPG. If not, then you should definitely include Chrono Trigger, Persona 4, Suikoden 2, Final Fantasy XII, Phantasy Star II or IV... of course then it gets a bit harder to include all the really great games.
So why not do a separate list of top 25 JRPGs?
still playing diablo 2 :D.
@Relayer71
final fantasy 7 was for the pc while the games you listed with it are not.
Including hack n slay games, first person shooters,Oblivion with its broken skills and horrendous leveling-system and level-scaling of enemies and items, mentioning Gothic 3 but not even looking at the superior sequels.
What the fuck am I reading?
I think Gothic 3 is a better game than 21. It should be min. on 10.
@BUDA20: Working on that one, looks awesome.
@Relayer71 and @Smith: Yes, JRPGs are mainly console stuff (unfortunately), but a top 25 JRPGs is not a bad idea!
Age of Empires 1,2 and 3
Age of Mythology .. i think those should be added too ! :)
PC RPGs...
Witcher 2 is the last heir of a good bloodline. There´s no need to make a Witcher 3, but to make another well thought RPG based on novels. Imagine Game of Thrones... or The Name of The Wind...
Also I´d say Skyrm will be a fair contender.
Mass Effect is good, but more of a FPS game, mostly in it´s sequels.
KOTOR 2 could have been a great game . I still see so much room for RPGs in Star Wars.
D&D is an overused base for RPG, so meh.
Dragon Age is good, well driven. Screw the sequel.
How about Torchlight and Dungeon Siege 3?
I think you've missed the best RPG game ever created.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption - http://bestpcrpg.net/games/vampire-the-masquerade-
I also think that Redemption is much better then Bloodlines.
Where is Gothic 1&2???
And while we're at it, where's Diablo 3 or Risen?
Red dead redemption is also great!!
Pls update the website!!
no gothic 1 and 2....mutch better than 3...
Excellent List, Friend. I've enjoyed many of the great games in this list. Actually playing through the entire BG saga again with the same character. Currently just imported my char from BG to BG2 and am 10percent through....then its off to Throne of Bhall. Epic Epicness. Decided to let my 360 gather layer upon layer of dust, as many of the games these days lack soul...just my opinion.
Torment is my all time Favorite though....
Thanks again for the great list, and to the community for the great comments..its bean a great read.
Good vibes to you all from Texas :)
-Dave
Thanks Dave! Yes, Epic Epicness is a good description :) I've also been through the whole thing twice with totally different characters and endings. That kind of replayability is hard to find these days.
i think diablo2 should of been higher in the list. yea it is rather short, and streamlined. but everything else is amazing.. even the audio soundtrack is epic.
Great article .. but i just like vanderlay say.
I think Gothic I and II (night of raven) is quite worthy to put into this list .. they more hardcore than Risen, Gothic III even Arcania.
but I can not argue, this is your list :) :)
Anyway thanks, this list will be my benchmark
What no Dungeon Siege
Great list, brings back lots of memories. Bard's tale was one of the first RPGs I played. I noticed alot of people checking out some of the older games that they never played. Here's a few more really good older games you may have missed.
Darklands (Historical RPG set in Midevil Germany)
Phantasie 1-3. (3 was the best imho)
And if you're Really not into graphics at all, Try a version of either Rogue, NetHack, or Angband.
Thanks for this list. I've just been given a pc to use personaly (I've always used a phone or consoles before.) Anyhoo I am quite a retro handed and now I have a few rpgs to find. Think I will start with diablo II. Great stuff. Loved bards tale and I had I on a poor old sinclar spectrum
Haven't played most of the 90's RPGs, but ofc I love Fallout 1-2, BG 1-2, IWD 1-2, etc.
Must say that DA was a huge let down. Was looking forward for that game for ages. I expected something like BG, but instead I got something of lesser quality than NWN 2. And NWN 2 sucked ;p
Either way, I like your list :D
This is a seriously great list! I have a lot of these games, but I haven't had time to play them all. I've probably wasted a few hundred hours on Oblivion and Fallout 3, though. Mods make everything better. :)
quote :"Sezo; Diablo 1 is a legendary game. At nights I can still hear the butcher saying "Ah fresh meat" :P"
Wow what a memory , i struggled with the butcher seweral nights my self. Epic !!
You didn't mention the original Wasteland from the 80s!
Thanks all for all the new insightful comments and tips. There are definitely some that I'd like to try out after my current 200-hour or so Skyrim playthrough :)
What about Realms of arcania? though a bit buggy, i consider it to be one of the best rpg's ever, for it could offer everything one could possibly want, from climbing mountains, bar browls and equipment destruction.
and also, there is a great rpg from russian developers Rage of mages, or Allods, it features unique levelling system and is very addictive, for a game developed in 1999.
Thanks for the best article I've read in a long time. So many of these are so nostalgic for me. I do feel the original Diablo deserved a place though. Even more so than its sequel.
elder scrolls V is the best
@Literaturoved: Haven't played Realms of Arcania, but it looks like it's worth a try. Parts 1 and 2 are available on GOG.com
@Dylan: Thanks for reading! You may be right about Diablo 1. I believe it was the first game I played that used the then brand new DirectX technology. And it had a great deal of atmosphere. That butcher in one of the first levels still gives me the creeps.
Yeah Realms of Arcania (original title: Das Schwarze Auge) is definitively worth a try. Part 1 is a bit chewy though due to the old interface. Part 2 and 3 are great. One of the main developer (Guido Henkel) was involved in the development of Planescape Torment.
Skyrim is an awesome game, no doubt, but it is bug-ridden still.
Is Skyrim bug-ridden? I've played it for about 50 hours with no apparent bugs. My only complaint is the clunky console interface and that it doesn't take advantage of modern PC hardware.
I, for one, am glad you decided to have Oblivion on your list. Despite Skyrim being out, I'm still playing it. Why?
Because moding is overpowered. Getting bugs? There's a mod for that. Don't like the leveling system? There's a mod for that. Don't like the way you look? There's a mod for that. Don't like how the NPCs look? There's a mod for that. Don't like playing the game altogether? Heck, there's complete overhaul mods that fixes this too (morroblivion anyone?).
Often, it's the community that makes the a game great, and the Elder Scrolls community is one of the best. Can't wait to see what people do with Skyrim when its construction set comes out.
I take back what I said about no bugs. The thing started to crash to the desktop randomly, far into the game. Fortunately there was a mod for that :)
Nice list - yet incomplete for my taste; I agree Gothic 1 & 2 are far better that parts 3 and 4 of the series; I'd add Divine Divinity and its more modern sequel, Divinity II: Ego Draconis to the list. Anachronox was another title I liked very much too.. well I could add dozens more if I keep remembering :)
I too have a long list of favourites, it's probably over 50 games, maybe I'll post someday an article with that :)
Skyrim doesn't belong there, it's a shallow "hit dungeons ,standard bandits,monsters, return" quest. It's SOULLESS, everything is the same thing and very uninteresting.
I love RPG's, but sadly, I have a lot of trouble getting into games that use an isometric view. :(
Morrowind is probably my favorite here, tons of replay value, especially with mods, I'm still playing this game. (Oblivion\Skyrim = Meh.. I'd pick Daggerfall, or MW over either of them.)
Kotor is great too, I spent a lot of time with this game.
Kotor2 is better than Kotor, I don't get the hate, so the ending was rushed a bit, the rest of the game is awesome. (And for the uninformed, most of the missing content is on the disk, but not implemented, a mod exist which fixes this, it's called TSLRCM(TSL Restored Content Mod), check it out..)
NWN2 is pretty good, much better than NWN, mainly, because as I said, weird views ruin games for me. (The cam hack for NWN helped, but I still prefer NWN2.)
FF7 is also a good pick, it's become trendy to hate on this game, but whatever. (Also, there is a great mod community hiding out there somewhere, they don't like a lot of attention, but trust me, the PC version can be much better than it is.)
FF8 is much better than 7 in many ways, some ppl don't seem to agree, in fact most don't, but whatever, it's a great PC RPG. (Would love to see 9 on PC.)
Fable TLC is a pretty good game, a bit shallow, but still, I had fun with it.
Bloodlines, excellent pick, and you are correct, many, many ppl missed this little gem. (There is a mod for it too, it adds tons of cut\new content. PlanetVampire (fileplanet sub site) should show you the way..)
Oh, don't forget about Breath of Fire 4, it's a pretty good PC rpg as well.
Sigh, so many good games, but, still not enough, I need some Kotor3 right about now. (Damn you SWTOR...)
--
A few good non-PC picks
Star Ocean 2&3, are some really interesting RPG games, I prefer 3 myself, but 2 is really good.
FF6(J), I loved this game, it really got me into RPG games. I still give it a go occasionally.
Chrono Trigger, is another classic RPG that really got me into the genre.
Chrono Cross, can't believe there are ppl who dislike this game, it's brilliant, and an excellent sequel to CT.
Tales of Symphonia\Abyss\etc, are some really good games too.
Zelda, not quite an RPG, but, the original is what started it all for me. :) FF\CT games took me down the RPG path, but Zelda led me there.
Although there are fine non-PC RPGs for sure ... they simply don't belong to this thread. It's about PC games after all.
@Arantor,
I mentioned various PC games, and a few non-PC games, so what? You're way more off topic than I was, at least I actually mentioned some PC games, all you did was pretend to be a moderator. (Great contribution..)
My retort?
This topic is for the discussion of PC RGP games, NOT for criticizing other peoples post, that simply doesn't belong here, it's about PC games after all..
Yet you criticize me as well:)
But you're right: it doesn't belong to this thread - so does a list of non-pc games^^.
Luv 'ya and merry christmas!
Ps:
I have thoroughly enjoyed most of the titles here, and I'm glad to see you include Mass Effect 1; however, I do not see why Mass Effect 2 was not listed, nor Dragon Age 2. Both of those games are highly enjoyable. I started my RPG experience with NWN 1 and IWD 2, have been playing RPGs ever since. Also, Deus Ex: Human Revolution should be on the list. That game was a very faithful return to the Deus Ex 1 roots, unlike DX:IW.
@Arantor,
Not really, I simply turned you own words against you, in terms of chess, that was a checkmate. (And your cue to be quiet.)
My response was mainly intended to point out the sheer ridiculousness of you going completely off topic to tell me that I was slightly off topic.
In other words, I wasn't really criticizing you for going off topic, I was making a point, and handily defeating you in intellectual combat. (Which you initiated with your irrelevant post.)
Great list indeed. I played 16 game in this list and most of them are in my favorite game list.
Pool of radiance : Very nice D&D (second ed.) game. I played the nes version many times.
Ultima VII and VII part 2 : Serpent Isle : I prefered the second part of this game, so good. A classic. I am pretty sure many ppl would still enjoy this game and it can run on Windows with Exult project.
Fallout 1 & 2 : Very good post-apocalyptic game.
M&M 6 : If I remember correctly, magic was not well balanced in this game. After lvl 30, magic stayed same but monsters increased in strength.
BG 1, 2 & ID : Nice D&D (second ed.) rpg there. Dont forget the expansion Throne of Bhaal !!!
Arcanum : Very similar to fallout. Still very good game.
KOTOR 1 & 2 : Very good RPG. A must for any star wars fans.
Vampire the masqurade bloodlines : This is indeed a little rare gem. A must for vampire fans.
NWN 2 : Real great D&D (third ed.) RPG. Profound story. With The extension Mask of the bettrayer it's even a nicer game !!!
I would add Vampire the masquerade Redemption which was great (with outstanding graphics) for a 2000 video game.
I would also add NWN 1.
I'm a fan of old RPG's and BBS's as well. There is a charm to them you don't see in modern games, much like Indiana Jones has a charm to it which new movies don't. Technical perfection isn't everything (although it can help with a good story behind it). Personally, especially speaking older games, Chrono Trigger is one of the best RPG's I've played. And other than that? Nethack. Amazing for its time, even with ASCII graphics, which is the only version I played. Don't mess with the Keystone Cops man! :)
Wiked list Brosuf! Although I amn ot sure if anyone has mentioned it there is a wiked game out there called Eschalon book 2 (there is a book 1 but book 2 is better). it's a grat gme and one of the only RPG's I have finished more then once. It's available through Steam as well. anyways if you get a chance to play it you wont be dissapointd.
Loved reading through this hub. I have played many of these game titles over the years. Loved playing the Baldurs Gate series of games as well as Elder Scrolls. Skyrim has been an enjoyable game to play recently.
Hey just wanted to say that I loved your post, I found it very nostalgic and I think im going to go give pool of radiance a whirl again, one of my first computer RPGs i ever played lol. Also I have no clue on what you may or may not be looking into but, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is really looking impressive in my eyes, it seems like the answer to all my hopes and wishes for RPG games in the last 5 years. Anyhow I hope it makes your list down the road, it releases Feb 7th :D Cheers
fantastic, talk about Zelda and missed Chrono Trigger
Thanks everyone for the great comments and tips!
@Ancillotti: Yup, those are epic games, but this list is restricted to PC games, or it would probably have had to be a top 250 :)
Fantastic list for the most part I was raised on bards tale and the ultima series btw this a pc list not console list
Note how the release date are rising whilst the game's visual quality also rises, but are at a lower ranking in the list. A perfect example that more and more studios put more effort in graphics than gameplay and storyline.
i love magic candle series ^^
Ah, some lovely old school games here. I've wasted many hours on a lot of those games, but today had a rare opportunity to immerse myself in Diablo 2 again... I must say I enjoyed it very muchly :)
Where are Krono Trigger or Ultima 6???
What happened to all the turn based game genera? Fallout one and two were amazing, and so was The Templeof Elemental Evil. And even if I go off of rpgs into strategy games like Disciples two. I would sure love to see more new RPG games coming out with turn based style. Btw, awesome list, I have played all of them except Bards Tale and FF7. Is FF7 really that great?
Long live Baldur's Gate!!!
...and Deus Ex and System Shock 2
And on that note; DX: Human Revolution is really good.
Valentyn, Go get FF7 now! FF7 and monkey island are the two games i loved when i was a kid.
Thanks, I will put FF7 on my list. And long live Baldurs Gate!
1. Nice list
2. There are 29 (not 25) gamea listed, add 1 more and make it a top 30 list
3. Voted up!
Thanks Olaguma! Hmm, what to add to make it an even 30? :)
How can you mention Gothic 3 and not 1 & 2 ? which where pretty cool and unique at their time both being a lot better then what 3 turned up to be... (Gothic 1 being the best).
There is a graphics upgrade that is fan made on qhimm.com i think is the site. new high poly models and HD support. Makes FF7 that much better as it also improves the AI
The list is right on target until #21. It completely falls apart there.
No Jade Empire?
Ultima 5: Warriors of Destiny is the greatest game ever made. And 2nd...Star Control 2
In what universe is Bugthic 3 better than NwN 2?
Mount and blade series is worth a shout not strictly rpg but still worth a shout.
I think underage children should be banned from internet :-)
from where can ai download the series Mass Effect 1-2
KotOR is by far the best game on the list, and the best game of all time. Morrowind comes second. Then all the rest. RPG are art, everything else is just entertainment.
Great games! Baldur's Gate games are simply the best RPG series ever. I just wished some indie developer would try to recreate the magic of old but beautifully crafted 2D RPGs. And put in a great story rather than using 90% of the space for graphics voice acting (not that voice acting is bad, just limited).
PS. IMHO Gothic 2 are far superior to 3, and maybe there is place for Risen in your list? Not the greatest game, but the vast amount of mods available and the fact it was made by the same people who made Gothic 1,2,3 might score some points for it.
Also Divine Divinity was a good game, and not really a diablo clone.
No Final Fantasy 2 or 3? (4 and 6 in Japan)
No Dungeon Master (DM1&DM2) in the list ?!! :). And what's about Ultima 8 Pagan ?
Great list! I like all of the games on here! Betrayal at Krondor is probably my all time favorite!
annoying list !!!
where is morrowind?
Bioware didnt want to pay any more to Wizards of the Coast and thats why stop to create D&D games.Also Obsidian is a company created by some members of Black Isle after the disband of the company.But as always Obsidian didnt deliver any serious game.NWN 2 was not so good as NWN 1 by far.Also Bioware after she got bought by EA is not the same company of the past.Many games created by Bioware lately are just lame....like Dragon Age 2,Star Wars The Old Republic,Mass Effect 2.Bethesta also did good job only in Fallout 3:Las Vegas and Skyrim is not the game that all expected.To be honest,its a good RPG,but not far at all to be named as legendary.Same goes to The Witcher 2,exept the amazing graphics,the game is short,has bad story and silly combat system
shit yeah i played 90% of these games. another good one was lionheart
Great choices, but you somehow missed the Half Life series.
And say what you will, compared to Oblivion, Skyrim looks like shit on a shingle! Have a look if you don't believe me:
My bad - this is the proper link:
None believe me, but I finished ultima 8 in my 14 years old, and I'm not even UK or american, which mean I'd to play the game half blinded because my english vocab were just basic. The game was hard for me but challenging, especially when the hero has to jump from a platform to another when the avatar need to meet the wind guardian. ;)
Just trying to spread the word on this. Hope I don't offend anyone.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/inxile/wastela
It's worth checking out if you enjoyed the original wasteland.
Totally missing the Drakensang series in this list. Both Drakensang games (Drakensang: The black Eye and Drakensang: river of time) are top RPG games and are in my opinion far better than the Dragon Age series.
Witcher 2 and Skyrim are the 2 best games ever :D
Where is Demons and Dark Souls? O_o
They are just my favorite RPGs (and i played lots of them)
Best "PC" RPGs... i feel dumb :P
Anyway, Dark Souls will have a PC port with new bosses (confirmed), so get ready to add it ;)
@quiett42: Very cool! Looks like it's doing pretty well.
Diablo 2 is on the 14th spot... Dude, seriously... Diablo 2 is the best RPG ever made, there is no competition...
Seriously, Blogo...it says clearly that the titles are sorted by year. Also, Diablo 2 is arguably NOT an rpg. The only thing rp about it is that you level up. You have zero conversation choices, or choices on how to finish missions. The only thing you get to chose is how to deal damage to respawning enemies.
Missed the "sorted by year" part... My bad.
Gothic 3 doesn't belong. It was a failure in so many ways, and Gothic 1 & 2 were superior in anything but graphics. Seeing how many older games make the top of this list, it's pretty much a crime to list Gothic 3 here.
I can't believe you have Arcanum on here......no one I talk to has ever heard of it, but it is one of my all time favorites growing up! Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale too?? Definitely a great list of games and I agree fully!
Yeah, Arcanum FTW! I'd love to see another game set in that world, but with less bugs and balance issues.
oblivion and no morrowind? what a crappy list.
How did you not see morrowind?
the fact that gothic and NN was in there just made me cry out of happiness (best games evah)
Cnovak42 2 years ago
You sir are awesome! I just finished a hub on why Fallout 2 is better than 3. Good too see another fan of old pc games.