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Best PC RPGs?

C

Chrono

Banned
I'm trying to make a list of PC RPGs to play but I'm not sure if every single one is worth it here...

The short list (definitely getting):

- Diablo II.
- Baldur's Gate II.
- Neverwinter Nights.
- KOTOR.


Games I'm leaning to ignore...

- Diablo.
- Baldur's Gate.
- Fallout 1/2.


What I'd like to know:


- Are the first games in Diablo/BG series better than their sequels?


I'm just trying to go through the must-plays (way too many games to play and not enough time) and if the sequels improve over the originals (or just as good) then that's enough for me.


- Fallout 2 (and maybe 1). I can only find this at ebay, does it offer anything that I'd be missing if I only play Diablo/BG/new stuff? Also, how long is it?


Thanks in advance for any help. :)
 
I like Fallout....alot. Fallout is sorta strategy based (sorta like FFT) so you get certain points for movement and actions. Once you and your allies move and "do something" its the enemies turn, rinse and repeat. Its very cool though.
 
Planescape torment > all those you named, imho. And dont ignore fallout, its an awesome series, 2nd favorite PC rpg.

While we're here, i would like to pimp Anachronox, splendid adventure/rpg game on PC thats very different from all of the above, its such a kickass game.
 
Chrono said:
- Diablo II.
- Baldur's Gate II.
- Neverwinter Nights.
- KOTOR.
- Diablo.
- Baldur's Gate.
- Fallout 1/2.
Click to expand...

- I didnt care for Fallout 2, but 1 is a classic
- I preferred Diablo to Diablo II (they are both must haves) unless you are looking at multiplayer
- Baldur's Gate II is better than the first (especially when you compare expansion packs) but they are both good. If you really want a long adventure, get the "Baldur's Gat Trilogy" mod which crams both games with both expansions into one super-game that plays start to end, running under the BG2 engine (so you get the higher res for BG1, which is a godsend).
- I consider Arx Fatalis a must play, I LOVED that game.
- If you can stomach the old (OLD) graphics, Might & Magic 6 and 7 are some of the best hack 'n slash games I've played.
- Planescape Torment, of course.
- this list needs more ICEWIND DALE.
 
Planescape Torment and Baldur's Gate II are the greatest RPGs ever made in my opinion. Definitely add Planescape Torment to your list.
 
Cool, thanks for the suggestions. My list is huge now heh. Many games I couldn't find are on ebay sealed or if there are too many results to go through (like for diablo or baldur's gate) amazon came through with plenty of high-rated sellers offering new copies. w00t.

With this, consoles, and handhelds it looks like I won't be jumping into next-gen until at early 2008.
 
You should also check out Troika's games. They didn't get much lovin', but they're still pretty good, and even a little hardcore.

Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura

Temple of Elemental Evil

Vampire: Bloodlines
 


^ click to check trailer

Since the studio disbanded and that its no longer published, you can go get it in other means than official ones if you know what i mean.
 
Fallout 1 and 2 are my favourite RPGs ever; nothing else like them. Planescape Torment is awesome, but more for the story than the gameplay. Baldur's Gate 2 is better than BG1, but they're two halves of the same story, so you should play them both if you're really keen. You should be aware that they do take much, much longer than any of the other games.

KOTOR's a great modern RPG, but not as good as the above classics. Diablo's just not my thing, but insanely popular. Neverwinter Nights... I don't know why you're considering it, it's nowhere near as good as ANY of the others.
 
Planescape: Torment -- I worked at Interplay when this was being made, and even after all the all-nighters, I still love this game and play it from time to time.

Fallout -- I agree that the second one wasn't as good, but the first one, which was the spiritual successor to another favorite of mine, Wasteland, was one of the most fun and polished PC RPGs of its time.
 
I like to think of the Ultima series as PC Gaming's 'Star Wars' and I like to think of the Baldur's Gate series as PC Gaming's 'The Matrix'.

Just like movies, there will be a game(usually followed by many sequels) that comes along and is so stunning that it will redefine what the genre could be.

The only problem is these super-games, just like the movies, don't come along very often. Look how much time passed after Star Wars before the The Matrix was released, and look at how much time passed after Ultima before Baldur's Gate was released. And to a lesser extent, DOOM and Half-life.

We probably won't see another super-game in the PC RPG genre arena for a looong time since they take like a decade to show up. Sure, there will be your great RPGs like your KotRs or your TES games, but they aren't super-games because they don't transcend awesomeness.
 
Fallout 1/2 are completely turn-based (and BGII/Icewind Dale, etc. are too to a certain extent, they're pseudo-real time like KOTOR) so there's a different experience from BGII, etc.
 
Great question :)

I'd like to know what Japanese RPGs are available for the PC. I know of Y's: Oath, FF VII & VIII ports, what else? Any ports of either Dragon Quests? Breath of Fires? Tales?
 
I would probably stay away from NWN. By the time you get through your "list" NWN2 will hopefully be out.


Must haves:

Planescape (stick with it, the first 2 hours were kind of blah)

BG 2 and its expansion

Icewind Dale

Fallout 1 is a nice change of pace, but there are some aspects of its gameplay that are CLUNKY (Especially NPC interaction and AI). It has a few warts, but should be on your playlist.

Diablo 2 and its expansion (Diablo 1 is a little too pedestrian for me).



I would gravitate towards Diablo 2 and BG2 first. Those should take up 3-4 months of your life.


---------------


I have been jonesing for a PC RPG so badly, that I picked up Pool of Radiance: Myth Drannor for 5 bucks. It's actually a decent dungeon crawler once you patch the game and then use a speed mod (the default walking/combat speed is ridiculously slow). Aside from the game crashing once in awhile, it has been an enjoyable experience. Too bad the game got slaughtered by reviewers (rightfully so, I suppose).
 
Teknopathetic said:
Er, why bother? Just buy them for a console.
Click to expand...


Consoles are bulkier and heavier to lug around to work than laptops ;)
 
I second Vampire:Bloodlines

and hell if you haven't played it already, throw Deus Ex onto that list of yours. Man what a perfect game that was.
 
isamu said:
Great question :)

I'd like to know what Japanese RPGs are available for the PC. I know of Y's: Oath, FF VII & VIII ports, what else? Any ports of either Dragon Quests? Breath of Fires? Tales?
Click to expand...

There's Ragnarok Online (although that's Korean).

Falcom also just recently shipped out Xanadu Next, however, you'd really need to know Japanese to play this one.

Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst is out, too.

There's a port of Grandia II, although a poor one. Works on XP, but very buggy.

There's also Ragnarok Battle Offline, a really cool side scrolling RPG-esque game from French Softbread (or whatever the name is)
 
Noobs! :lol

Ultima 7
Ultima Underworld 1 & 2
Wizardry 7
Planescape Torment (Only D&D lincensed game I recommend)
Fallout 1/2
Wasteland
Jagged Alliance 1 & 2
Lands of Lore
 
Teknopathetic said:
The fact that you don't recommend BGII means you're dead to me.

Take Kid out of your avatar!
Click to expand...

Sorry I don't play garbage D&D games or should anyone be subjected to them.
 
Wollan said:
What are the best pc rpgs that aren't over two years old?
Click to expand...
There are none...unless MMOs are your thing...because that's all that PC RPGs have been reduced to

stuff like Sacred and Guild Wars might be your thing, though =\


edit: good to see the Fallout hate...yes...let it SPREAD!!!
 
Ignore Fallout...

Wait... WHAT?!?!

IGNORE

FALLOUT!?!?!

What the good god damn!!!

You play fallout, or you go to hell and die!!
 
Wollan said:
What are the best pc rpgs that aren't over two years old?
Click to expand...

They don't really exist in the US, outside of a small handful of non-MMORPG's.

I hate to keep repeating myself, but Japan has so much more to offer PC gamers.

Nihon Falcom has had 4 major hits since 2003.

Ys: The Ark of Napishtim
The Legend of Heroes VI
Ys: The Oath in Felghana
Xanadu Next

That's just one company, too.
 
Culex said:
Import Ys: The Oath in Felghana.

It's really import friendly and comes in a very impressive package.
Click to expand...

Import friendly? It's in english?

Actually Phlegm the Lands of Lore (that has Patrick Stewart voice over) is VERY good game. One of my favorites... the abortions known as LOL2 and LOL3 are not.
 
If NWN2's anything like NWN1, I'd rather put sticks of mineral salt up my urethra.

Gothic 3/Oblivion, etc. yeah.

Dragon Age in the near future, aka, Bioware's last chance.
 
No such thing as a good PC RPG :p *blatant troll in good fun*

When I wasn't enlightened, I enjoyed Diablo 2 *click* *click *click*.
 
Wakune said:
Why get Ultima 7 when you can get this!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Awesome link, thanks!

I have never gotten around to play ANY of the ultima games, but always wanted to. Question about Ultimas....how would you compare the Ultima games to some of the other overhead topdown RPGs like Alundra, Link to the Past, etc? Is it mainly an action rpg? Or is it in the turn based fashion?
 
Betrayal at Krondor
Wizardry: Crusaders of the Dark Savant
Ultima IV: Quest for the Avatar
Wasteland
Eye of the Beholder II
Planescape: Torment
Ultima Underworld
 
Fallout 1/2 combo pack is like $10, if it wasn't for Fallout I'd never would have given PC RPGs a chance
Diablo 2
NWN(but you must get the version with all the expansions and updates) but it might be worth it to wait for the sequel

I would like to warn you that I did not find Planescape Torment to live up to the rep it has on this board. I might go back to the game at some point, but the start of the game rather bored me and I never stuck with it.

KOTOR was also a letdown but enjoyable for awhile.

The Baldurs Gate stuff is solid.

As for more recent stuff, well, there's not much left anymore thats just straight RPG. Most are grinding MMORPGs. I really like Guild Wars, which is sort of a cross between Diablo and Phantasy Star Online, but with a PVP focus.

Wizardry: Crusaders of the Dark Savant
Click to expand...

Wow somebody else played this. I got it from a Costco years ago for my 486. I had a pretty badass Ninja/Assassin. I don't think it's playable on a modern computer though is it?
 
"Rest well this night, for tomorrow you sail for the Kingdom........OF DAGGAFALLLL!!!!" :D

With the popular of free roaming games, it just makes me tear my hair out nobody wants to make another rpg like this. I could care less about all the advanced AI and super interactivity, I enjoyed slashing and killing things in a huge world that hardly gave half a damn about me much more.

Wow somebody else played this. I got it from a Costco years ago for my 486. I had a pretty badass Ninja/Assassin. I don't think it's playable on a modern computer though is it?
Click to expand...
Dosbox
 
Wiz 7 is a bitch to run and I never had any luck with Dosbox, though it's supposed to be supported. I should try again. I want to replay Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri as well.

To the OP, Wizardry 8 is an awesome dungeon-crawl style RPG that is quite unique and runs great on today's hardware.
 
Mashing said:
Import friendly? It's in english?

Actually Phlegm the Lands of Lore (that has Patrick Stewart voice over) is VERY good game. One of my favorites... the abortions known as LOL2 and LOL3 are not.
Click to expand...

Some of the text is in english, but if you really want to know what people are saying, use a guide.

It's an action-RPG, and there is very little dialogue. There's no reason why one cannot import and enjoy this game.
 
ToxicAdam said:
Planescape (stick with it, the first 2 hours were kind of blah)
Click to expand...

Hmm, I have Planescape (somewhere...) but I guess I never managed to get to the interesting bit. Perhaps I should dig it out from the depths of wherever and load it up and have another go. Does it work on XP and/or does it need any patches or anything?
 
Man, some people are stuck in the past here. :)

Vampire: Bloodlines came out last year.

There looks to be some good stuff coming out in 2006, NWN 2 and The Witcher. You guys should keep your eye on that one.

Then of course there's Oblivion...
 
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