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What is your favorite CRPG of all time?

Pick your favorite CRPGs

  • Total voters
    171
Mozzarella

Mozzarella

Member
I'm curious to see what are NeoGaf members favorite CRPGs of all time

What is a CRPG?
CRPG is a computer role-playing game, its a genre that trace back its roots to Ultima and Wizardry and various other Dungeons & Dragons adaptations
They are called that because during the 80s and 90s they used to be PC exclusive games due to their design in menu, navigation and focus on RPG mechanics taken from tabletop roleplaying games.
Today a CRPG can be available at a console so the name stopped making sense literally, but it still lives on as a sub-genre duo it various common features and mechanics inside it such as topdown isometric camera perspective, PC menus and interface, RtwP or Turn-based tactical systems, tons of RPG elements and character customization via stats, classes and feats, a lot of dialogue and text, specific ruleset foundation that the game builds on.
There are three primary sub-genres of cRPGs. Turn-based (Fallout), real time with pause (Baldur's Gate) and BLOB, which can be either real time (Might & Magic) or turn-based (Wizardry). BLOB, or Blobber RPG, is a first-person cRPG in which you control an entire party through the lens of a single POV.

Why is X game not on the poll?
This poll does not include: Action RPGs, JRPGs, WRPGs and Dungeon Crawlers.
So you won't see Diablo, Souls, Dragon Quest, Elder Scrolls or The Witcher here.

Why is X CRPG not on the poll?
The poll can contain 25 choices, so if your favorite game was left out be sure to tell me in the comments, I simply prioritize including Hall of Fame and Legacy and popular choices over very niche ones.


Vote with up to 5 Games!

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T4keD0wN

T4keD0wN

Member
I consider BG3 to be the best one overall, as far as favorites go: for new + turn-based one its Wrath of the Righteous and Neverwinter Nights 1 as both the real-time and old one.
 
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stn

stn

Member
DA: Origins and KOTOR, both are 10/10. I'm doing a very slow run through BG3, so that will probably make my list in the end given how its been going.
 
BossLackey

BossLackey

Gold Member
KOTOR for now, but BG3 will certainly eclipse it once I've finished.

I've only played like 5.
 
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foamdino

foamdino

Member
Bg3 is the best crpg ever made, and in the running for the best game ever made.

I wanted to mention Warhammer 40k Rogue Trader as a step up from Owlcat's prior games, I really enjoyed it.

Oh and Disco Elysium is genius but I don't consider it to be a crpg, more a fever dream.
 
XXL

XXL

Gold Member
stn said:
DA: Origins and KOTOR, both are 10/10. I'm doing a very slow run through BG3, so that will probably make my list in the end given how its been going.
Click to expand...
BG3 just get even better (imo) over multiple playthroughs. The versatility in the builds and choices are honestly unreal. I have over 600HRs in BG3 and it's still blowing my fucking mind constantly. Its the GOTG easily.
 
The_hunter

The_hunter

Member
foamdino said:
Bg3 is the best crpg ever made, and in the running for the best game ever made.

I wanted to mention Warhammer 40k Rogue Trader as a step up from Owlcat's prior games, I really enjoyed it.

Oh and Disco Elysium is genius but I don't consider it to be a crpg, more a fever dream.
Click to expand...
I'm interested in playing Rogue Trader, was waiting for a few patches before I jumped in.
 
Lux R7

Lux R7

Member
mine has to be NWN, the persistent world in which i used to roleplay for years is gonna stay in my heart forever.
I also happen to like the game very much and i still play it.
 
simpatico

simpatico

Member
As someone who played a lot of the classics in their release era, you're not going to like this, but Dragon Age Origins. That lore had so much potential. Inquisition was for me what Veilguard seems to be for a lot of gaffers, so I accepted its death years ago. Better this way honestly.

I have not played BG3, but the reason I prefer DAO to BG2 or NWN 2 is the mainly D&D rules system can kiss my ass. You can find parts of BG2 and NWN2 with better storytelling than DAO, but man I just really liked the aesthetic and the moment to moment gameplay was a lot less rage inducing. You could get a decent challenge without having to min max and be glued to a guide. This was still the age of having to use some imagination when playing CRPGs to flesh out the visuals, so maybe it was just how I saw it.
 
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The_hunter

The_hunter

Member
simpatico said:
As someone who played a lot of the classics in their release era, you're not going to like this, but Dragon Age Origins. That lore had so much potential. Inquisition was for me what Dawnguard seems to be for a lot of gaffers, so I accepted its death years ago. Better this way honestly.

I have not played BG3, but the reason I prefer DAO to BG2 or NWN 2 is the mainly D&D rules system can kiss my ass. You can find parts of BG2 and NWN2 with better storytelling than DAO, but man I just really liked the aesthetic and the moment to moment gameplay was a lot less rage inducing. You could get a decent challenge without having to min max and be glued to a guide. This was still the age of having to use some imagination when playing CRPGs to flesh out the visuals, so maybe it was just how I saw it.
Click to expand...
BG3 and DnD 5e is a fairly accessible ruleset, you don't get stuck in the weeds too often. But if you absolutely dislike that pen and paper stuff, you might not like the game.
 
marcincz

marcincz

Member
I haven't played too many crpgs, but my fav. is Disco Elysium. Really great title.
#2 Kotor and #3 PT.
Never played BG...maybe soon.
 
CashPrizes

CashPrizes

Member
Baldur's Gate 2 is best.
3 definitely has some stuff going for it (fully voice acted, better graphics) but II is better. I definitely prefer the overall story and sidequets of II, and the "real time + pause to strategize" combat is much better then turn based.
 
Skifi28

Skifi28

Member
Before Baldur's Gate 3, My favourites were probably KOTOR 2 and DA origins. It's technically not a crpg, but Dungeon Siege (the first) will always have a special place in my heart.


Edit: Neverwinter Nights was also a big part of my childhood.
 
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simpatico

simpatico

Member
The_hunter said:
BG3 and DnD 5e is a fairly accessible ruleset, you don't get stuck in the weeds too often. But if you absolutely dislike that pen and paper stuff, you might not like the game.
Click to expand...
I plan on giving it a try eventually. Possibly this winter depending what the gaming plate looks like on holiday break.
 
Isa

Isa

Member
The_hunter said:
BG3 and DnD 5e is a fairly accessible ruleset, you don't get stuck in the weeds too often. But if you absolutely dislike that pen and paper stuff, you might not like the game.
Click to expand...
My rare hot take ...I loathe WoTC and 5E, D&D One etc. Thankfully there are plenty of options out there, whether one wants the OGs or OSR the scene is pretty kickin'. In addition to different game systems thank god.

On topic,
Might & Magic 5-8
Fallout 1&2
Ultimas
Wasteland 3

Lately some Japanese Crpgs I can't list because of arbitrary rules lol. PC88/98/MSX have some interesting stuff.
 
ReBurn

ReBurn

Gold Member
Of the games listed it's KOTOR for me. I had it at release on Xbox and then I bought a copy for PC that I played at work during on-call rotations.

I usually can't get into CRPG's, though. As good as I know BG3 is I also know that I would get bored playing it because overall the genre isn't for me.
 
L

Labadal

Member
I see there are five votes, but I stuck to Arcanum as my favorite crpg of all time, and I don't see that ever changing.

While the combat would be difficult to get into for new players, everything else is just great, imo.

The world, the soundtrack, the exploration. I like the writing, and character creation. It's a game that just "clicks" with me.

Just the main theme sets the mood.


I have played the game in several different ways. Pacifist run, as mage, as a non-killer but I had like seven followers killing everything for me, as a tech based character with several robots doing the fighting. I have played as a dumb-dumb low intelligence character, and the game acknowledges that.
 
G

grooverdude

Neo Member
Planescape Torment is just such a fascinating game because of the world in which it takes place. It really lets your imagination take you for a ride, and the alien architecture and characters just make for such a compelling experience. Crossroads of the multiverse, and everyone who happens to wind up there. I replay it once in a while with the difficulty turned all the way down to breeze through the combat. Nothing else I've played really hit in the same way.
 
C

ClanOfNone

Member
There were five Infinity Engine games, and those are the top 5 games for me, BG2 coming in first.
It’s a mixture of nostalgia and the fact that the games were based on 2nd ed AD&D, which is the version I played in high school.
BG3 was good, and I enjoyed my time with it, but I prefer Owlcat’s Pathfinder games because they are much closer to my beloved Infinity Engine titles.

It has a a goddamn travesty that we didn’t get a Dark Sun Infinity Engine game, the ones we got from SSI were shit.

Honorable mentions to the Troika titles, Arcanum in particular.
 
C

Cattlyst

Member
I only heard the term CRPG recently and I’ve been gaming for 35 years on both PC and console. Learn something new every day 😂
 
Denton

Denton

Member
I enjoyed BG3 and it is impressive achievement in some respects, but it did not overtake Fallout/Fallout 2 or Bloodlines, as far as I am concerned.
These games have much stronger vibe and atmosphere, more interesting world and characters.

To my Eternal Shame I never got into Arcanum despite several attempts. For some reason its visual and combat didn't click. I would jump after some modernized yet faithful remake though (think D2 Resurrected).

R6Rider said:
Since when is VTM Bloodlines considered a CRPG?
Click to expand...

It is a computer only RPG. Not same CRPG type like BG for example...but then again, I played BG3 in third person with gamepad too, so..
 
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Buggy Loop

Buggy Loop

Member
I selected many? Since title is CRPGs.

Hard to pick one to begin with, there’s so much variety in fantasy and sometimes they are just like music or a book, specific to a time in your life that you associate to a feeling.

If I had to pick the most impactful one, it would be Planescape Torment. I love that world and the ballsy move to have these pretty anti-hero characters.
 
C

ClanOfNone

Member
Denton said:
I enjoyed BG3 and it is impressive achievement in some respects, but it did not overtake Fallout/Fallout 2 or Bloodlines, as far as I am concerned.
These games have much stronger vibe and atmosphere, more interesting world and characters.

To my Eternal Shame I never got into Arcanum despite several attempts. For some reason its visual and combat didn't click. I would jump after some modernized yet faithful remake though (think D2 Resurrected).



It is a computer only RPG. Not same CRPG type like BG for example...but then again, I played BG3 in third person with gamepad too, so..
Click to expand...

Arcanum was a hard pill to swallow on release, getting into it nowadays would be even tougher.
It has the sloppiest implementation of rtwp combat that the genre has ever seen, and more bugs than you can shake a stick at, like all Troika titles.

But man, what a game. Warlockracy has a great video on YouTube about it. He’s got great videos on a lot of the crpg greats on this list.
 
Sensates

Sensates

Member
I love BG3 but the ones that really cement my love for CRPG was Fallout 2, VtM and most importantly Planescape: Torment.
 
Lucifers Beard

Lucifers Beard

Member
I still haven't finished BG3, I got really overwhelmed at the start of Act 3 due to so much going on at once that I dropped it. Act 1 and 2 though are so damn good.

Although I haven't played it since release, I think my favourite is DAO. The story was awesome and I just had such a great time playing it from start to finish. The DLC was also excellent.
 
Sentenza

Sentenza

Gold Member
It's probably Baldur's Gate 2.

There are several games that handled some of its aspects better (i.e. Torment has better writing, BG3 and TOEE have a better combat system, etc) , but I do think is the one that comes off as the greatest one as a full package and where ALL of its parts are at very least solid.
Some of it even outstanding (i.e. the sense of scale and sheer amount of UNIQUE content).

I honestly think that if we could get a competent remake made with modern production value it would STILL climb on top of most charts as everyone's favorite more than 20 years later.

P.S. As a honorable mention Ultima VII has been for 30 years one of my absolute favorites and in many ways it's still the gold standard... BUT the visuals and UI aged to a degree that makes even 2001 BG2 look fanciful and modern in comparison and I have to admit that the (almost non-existent) automated combat system was absolute trash tier even for its time.
 
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Lord Panda

Lord Panda

The Sea is Always Right
It's no secret that I absolutely adore Ultima VII (Parts 1 and 2), and some aspects of these games are still unmatched. Swen from Larian often cites U7 as the inspiration behind D:OS 1 and 2 and BG3.

Second game that I absolutely love is Baldur's Gate 2. As Sentenza Sentenza states far better than me, it's just the full package and simply unbelievable when it first came out. The story, the music, the scale, the artwork and atmosphere etc are just chef's kiss.

Last but not least: Fallout freaking 2.

All these classics still hold up to this day.
 
Rickyiez

Rickyiez

Member
Where's Pillar of Eternity 2. I really love the world building of it.

I wanted to say Wraith of the Righteous ahead of Poe 2 but it fell abit short towards the final Arc
 
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