Computer Roleplaying Games

[Guest Judas14]

OK I've played Diablo 1, The Sims, and Fallout 2, but can someone suggest some other RPG computer games out there that I might enjoy?

[Guest Flyin' Squirrel]

Baldur's Gate 2 is pretty much the best there is. Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura is solid, too, but nowhere near as long (Baldur's Gate pushes 200 hours with subquests, plus there's an expansion available, Arcanum more like 50-60). While not technically an RPG, Fallout:Tactics has a solid character development system, a great combat system, and it's set (surprisingly enough) in the Fallout universe, so you really can't go wrong there. Basically, it's the game Commandos SHOULD have been. Plus, since it didn't do great numbers, it's now $20 Cdn. at Electronics Boutique.

[Guest areacode212]

I haven't played Fallout 2 yet (I have it, though), but I will say that the original Fallout is one of the best and most immersive games I've ever played. It had a terrific story, a fun & gory combat system, a really downbeat atmosphere and good voice acting. I love that game.

 

Planescape: Torment was another good one (also by Black Isle, IIRC), that seemed to be overlooked. You can get it for relatively cheap now ($14.99), so it's worth buying. I'd like to try Baldur's Gate and BG 2 sometime.

 

What about Icewind Dale? Was this any good?

[Guest Mad Dog]

Icewind Dale is pretty good.  It focuses a bit more on hack n slash than the other Black Isle games.

 

Diablo II is a really good RPG as well.

[Guest Army Eye]

Well, Diablo and The Sims aren't really RPGs, so hopefully you aren't disappointed when you play real ones

 

I think Planescape: Torment is the best PC RPG.. Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 are real nice too (these three games use the same engine, Bioware's Infinity, so if you like/hate one of them, you'll probably like/hate them all)

 

Wizardry 8 is another very good RPG worth checking out

[Guest Bruin]

Diablo II is NOT an RPG. It's a hack and slash game. Besides, if you just now decided to go and start playing it, you'd get insanely frustrated at the amount of jackasses there are on battle.net again. Plus you'd be screwed over by the fact that you wouldn't have any items to work with off the bat.

 

One of my favorite RPGs for my comp is Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption it's got good graphics (Unreal engine) a great story to it, and is just plain fun to play IMO

[Guest Annoyed Grunt]

Fallout II is my absolute favourite RPG, but you really need to complete the first one first to fully appreciate the sequel.

[Guest BADBATZ]

Good...Computer...RPG's? Those exist?

 

Actually, as far as recent ones, I'd have to say Fallout 1, 2, and Tactics and Arcanum are definitely up there as far as that stuff goes. If you'd rather try MMORPG's, check out Ragnarok Online, it's free while it's in beta, but it's a heavy download. Not to mention the patches. Worth it though. Best place to get updated is at ro.pak0.com.

 

Oh yeah, one more point of contention. Hack and Slash isn't a genre, it's a combat engine. So, yes Diablo II is too an RPG, just by way of what goes on outside of combat. It's got too many elements (in single player mode) to assume it's anything else. Saying Diablo II isn't an RPG by way of its' combat engine is just as foolish as me saying anything with an FPS engine is just an FPS with more complex controls, even though Anachronox has sorta proven otherwise.

[Guest areacode212]

Speaking of which, what did you think of Anachronox? I remember seeing it at CompUSA for a really low price (around $10) a while ago, and I kinda regret not picking it up.

 

Whether or not Diablo I & II are "RPGs" is a long-running debate. I consider them hack-and-slash RPGs, since their main appeal comes from their hack & slash/collecting stuff/"just one more level" aspects rather than the more story-oriented, "role-playing" immersion of RPGs like Fallout.

[Guest The Man in Blak]

Anachronox was /all-right/ for a major japanese-flavored RPG, but it really doesn't hold up against the other heavy hitters on the PC.

 

357th verse, same as the first - Baldur's Gate 1 & 2, Fallout, and Planescape: Torment.

 

As far as the others, Arcanum's has an interesting universe and character creation system, but it's reeeeeeeeally slow in comparison to the Black Isle games, and that's saying something.  

 

Icewind Dale might not be a bad idea for you to look into, as it's a very combat-heavy RPG.

 

Another recommendation I'd give, though I haven't played it, is Wizardry 8, which is supposed to be a huge heapful of old-school roleplaying godliness.

[Guest The Masked Yodeler]

Anachronox 0wnz j00.  It's got a great sense of humor, and is just tons 'o fun.

 

Fallout 1 and 2 are two of the best games ever.  Play them.

 

If you wanna go old school, play Ultima 7.  It's like 10 years old, but it's still my favorite game.  No RPG has touched it for sheer scope and immersiveness.  It's not just a game, it's a whole world.

[Guest gthureson]

Fallout: Interface is looking clunky and the graphics are dated, but the game still has it where it counts.   Post-apocalyptic retro-future role-playing in the Wastelands of California.   Very good game.

 

Fallout 2:  Interface is better, graphics are the same, alot more to explore and do, and without the time limits of Fallout.  The atmosphere is a bit lighter as there is more humour in it.  Make sure you download the patch, because a couple of game killer bugs made it through.   Both Fallout and Fallout 2 have great replay value.   And, you can actually 'role-play' with them. Take certain stats and skills, and you can talk your way through ALOT of encounters.  Or you can succeed through sheer thuggery.  Your choice.

 

Fallout Tactics:  Fun game, but not really an RPG.  Its a squad based tactical game.   I very much enjoyed it, but it has little replay value.  Once you have done all the missions, there isn't much else to do.   Good fun though.

 

Baldur's Gate:  Graphics are looking quite dated, mainly because you can only play in 600 by 480, but its still fun.   There is a certain appeal to starting off a 1st level and scraping for every last XP you can get just so you can have a few more hit points.   Great plot, great game.  

 

Baldur's Gate II:  I love this game.   Huge replay value, as does BG.   Better interface than BG though, you can play in 800 by 600, hugely improving the graphics, they add kits and dual wielding.   The Throne of Bhaal expansion is fairly linear though.   It ups the XP cap though, and adds some spells and Watcher's Keep is fun.   You'll want to play ToB at least once, but you can replay BGII a dozen times and still have fun.

 

Planescape Torment:  This is a very good RPG.  The combat in it is usually a bit on the easy side, but there is alot to do, and multiple ways to finish the game.   Ingenious plot, wild spell effects, and alot of fun.   You'll likely only play it once though.  Maybe twice.   But I really enjoyed it.

 

Icewind Dale:  A linear hack and slash dungeon crawl.   Has some replay value, just to try out different classes, but its what we old-timers like to call power-gaming.

 

Arcanum:  Decent game.  Doesn't bring anything new to the table, and you'll definately want the patch.  Didn't really live up to the hype, but it has its fan.  Its a steampunk game.  You want a magic vs. science game, this is the one for you.

 

Pool of Radiance II:  Avoid this bug-ridden game.  The graphics aren't bad, but there are so many game-killing bugs in it that still haven't been patched, added onto the installation and uninstallation problems that its best to just be avoided.

 

Vampire: Ambitious, but falls short.  It looks pretty though.   I played it for a few hours, and the uninstalled it and have never had the urge to put it back on again.   Not really that much role-playing to it that I saw.   More 'cutscene-fight-cutscene-fight-dialogue option that doesn't make much difference-cutscene-fight'

 

If you want role-playing: Torment, BG and BGII

 

You want killing stuff and leveling up: Icewind Dale, Fallout: Tactics

[Guest The Masked Yodeler]

Vampire was fun, and I did finish it, but it was by no means a great game.  It was extremely average, outside of the graphics.  It's been a while since I've played it, but I remember that many gameplay aspects just didn't "work".  The combat was pretty dumb, most of the time, but I really enjoyed beating the final boss.  I had all four characters in different corners of the room, and all were wielding rocket launchers, the boss would attack one, and then attack another, but I kept up the healing and squashed him dead.  Other than that, the game is full of little problems that add up to it just not being a good game.

 

I remember playing it and constantly noticing little flaws in the design that didn't work.  It was kind of like Return to Castle Wolfenstein, all the tools were there for it to be a great game, but it missed tons of the little things that would make it more than Just Another Shooter/RPG.

 

Oh, and another fantastic RPG to play is Deus Ex.  It has a shooter engine, but it's an RPG, and one of the best games I've ever played.

[Guest The Man in Blak]

Oh, and another fantastic RPG to play is Deus Ex.  It has a shooter engine, but it's an RPG, and one of the best games I've ever played.

Tack on System Shock 2 as well - not only is it one of the best computer game bargains out there right now, but it's pretty much one of the most brilliant games developed for the PC.  Deus Ex was essentially the same game with a trade-out of Gibson-esque sci-fi stuff for the suspense/horror of System Shock.

 

Either way, both get huge recommendations from me.

[Guest The Masked Yodeler]

SS2 is great as well, but Deus Ex is just that much better.  It has a more intelligent story, and the RPG system is much better.

[Guest areacode212]

Yep, System Shock 2 is another one I've heard great things about, which is why I picked it up for like $12 recently. It's still sitting in my CD wallet, unplayed (I have a lot of other games to finish first).

 

Do I need to have played SS1 to understand what's going on?

[Guest The Masked Yodeler]

No.  I never played SS1 either, and not many other people did.  SS2 has the same villain as SS1, but that's about it.

[Guest The_Dark_Reaper]

I agree with most of these guys System Shock 2 and Deux Ex are great games but if you want a true rpg then you have to play any of the forgotten realms games (Baldur's Gate 1&2, Icewind Dale)

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Two games I play.

 

Diablo II Expansion set. I have 2 PCs and the girlfriend and I play 2gether so we don't have to worry about Battlenet nimrods...

 

Baldur's Gate. I recently got this game 2 weeks ago and it's like crack. Having just spent the last 6 hours playing it before coming online I can safely say I'm BG's bitch. I shudder to think how long I'll be playing BGII.

 

To compare the 2 aforementioned games, Diablo II is more fast paced and quick thinking while BG is more strategy-based. Both are addicting.