I recently started playing for the first time Dragon Age Origins. I'm thoroughly enjoying the game, so much so that I think it might be among my favorite RPGs of the recent releases (last ten years). I thought I would post the question "What is your favorite RPG of the last ten years?". I made the cut off at ten years to avoid all the classic older RPGs being mentioned through rose colored glasses.
Also, on a side note: Which do you prefer open ended or more linear RPGs? I prefer linear RPGs because I think overall they lend themselves to better story telling. However, what's your favorite?
The Witcher. I prefer it over the sequel because I like the combat better.
Neverwinter Nights.
Skyrim.
But I loved the original Dragon Age also and felt the same way you do FF. Also loved the Witcher. Does Diablo III count? I have to be in the mood for that one though...played for half an hour tonight and then had enough.
I like branching linearity, where I can choose among a series of story arcs. Too much openness is bad to me.
Also liked Vampire: The Masquerade...was that released in the last 10 years?
Star Wars:Knights of the Old Republic. IMO the storyline was far superior to any of the last 3 theatrical releases.
Divine Divinity.
I think that barely qualifies for the 10 year mark.. yep 2002.
One of the few others I made to the end, and still wanted to play more, was Knights of the Old Republic, which deserves a 2nd place for me.
Edit: I prefer more open-ended RPGs although not exclusively, obviously, when I mention Kotor as a close second. I think Divine Divinity was pretty open for back then, although you had to finish a main story quest(s) to get to the next world area sometimes. Felt like an excellent balance between it's light & humorous quests, action RPG, and lotsa nice shiny stuff to find.
KOTOR
I haven't played many RPGs so Skyrim for me. But I think I can safely say that I enjoy open ended games more as you can go about it your own way.
Definitely Skyrim.
For all my paper RPG playing as a lad, I don't care much for computer RPG's. I have played a goodly portion of Neverwinter Nights, so I vote for that.
Skyrim and Fallout 3 (hmmm....or Fallout New Vegas?)
Skyrim, Fallout New Vegas, and Diablo 3.
Dragon Age:Origins and the Mass Effect series.
And I agree with you, I prefer linear games for what I find are better story lines.
Fallout New Vegas
Skyrim.
A lot of RPG's I just seem to lose interest in halfway. Dragon Age kept me going but I would vote for Batman Arkham Asylum as my favorite RPG.
Con
Quote from: Hartford688 on August 23, 2012, 01:22:38 AM
Dragon Age:Origins and the Mass Effect series.
And I agree with you, I prefer linear games for what I find are better story lines.
[/quote
Mass Effect is next on my list to try.
Anyone try Two Worlds II. Is it any good?
I'm hard-pressed to name a favorite. I love RPGs as they have the right balance of combat, character development and story. Of all the PC game genres, RPGs have the best chance to tell a real story. KOTOR is pretty amazing. NWN also, and Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale. I really liked NWN 2 as well. You get your own keep in the first one, and the later expansions each had unique improvements to gameplay and story.
Bioware is really on top of the RPG game right now. Mass Effect 2 was one of the best games I've ever played. I was so invested in the characters and the story! I've yet to play ME3 or DA2, as I've heard the Origin horror stories. Think I'll give them a while longer to either clean out the cobwebs or release a version that does not require the service.
I also love the open world RPGs like Fallout and the Elder Scrolls games, but I find the exploring is the best part--usually way more fun than the story.
Chris--
Last one I played was 'The Bard's Tale'.
Quote from: Shelldrake on August 22, 2012, 07:53:16 PM
Star Wars:Knights of the Old Republic. IMO the storyline was far superior to any of the last 3 theatrical releases.
Steam is now (finally) selling part II.
http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/08/23/star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic-ii-steam/
Quote from: bob48 on August 23, 2012, 05:19:57 PM
Last one I played was 'The Bard's Tale'.
Bob, you are a little behind the times.
Quote from: Fighting Farmer on August 23, 2012, 05:35:21 PM
Quote from: bob48 on August 23, 2012, 05:19:57 PM
Last one I played was 'The Bard's Tale'.
Bob, you are a little behind the times.
And rightly proud of it, I've no doubt. :)
Wasn't there a Bard's Tale remake?
Quote from: Fighting Farmer on August 23, 2012, 05:34:26 PM
Quote from: Shelldrake on August 22, 2012, 07:53:16 PM
Star Wars:Knights of the Old Republic. IMO the storyline was far superior to any of the last 3 theatrical releases.
Steam is now (finally) selling part II.
http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/08/23/star-wars-knights-of-the-old-republic-ii-steam/
Myself, and numerous others, have had issues with the character freezing and not being able to move in KOTOR2. IIRC, it was something to do with playing that game on newer computers. Supposedly it would only happen in a certain area in the beginning, from what I read. That was still enough to deter me from getting any further because I gave up reloading all the time to move a bit further. :(
I don't recall the cause for such an oddity, as everything else would still work, so I suspected some Fade-type DRM on the disc check that was getting false positives (the reason the same type of DRM was removing from Silent Hunter 4 shortly after launch). Maybe if you can get a digital copy it'll work just fine.
Quote from: Gusington on August 23, 2012, 08:52:12 PM
Wasn't there a Bard's Tale remake?
Yes. Vivendi released
The Bard's Tale (http://www.mobygames.com/game/windows/bards-tale) in 2005.
Quote from: Fighting Farmer on August 23, 2012, 05:35:21 PM
Quote from: bob48 on August 23, 2012, 05:19:57 PM
Last one I played was 'The Bard's Tale'.
Bob, you are a little behind the times.
I sure am when it comes to this I type of game, not really my scene I will admit. I leave all that type of stuff to the missus, she has a shelf full, although she really only plays WoW and Diablo III now.
I admit to being tempted by Skyrim though, and maybe Rift.
Bob do yourself a favor and pick up Skyrim next time it is on sale.
I think that Skyrim is the one I'd go for, in part because of all the stuff that you guys post about it, so I think I'll take your advice Gus.
Yes, Bards Tale was a re-make, (no, It was not the original text-only game :)) It was quite amusing in places and really did not take itself too seriously.
In terms of playtime I guess Skyrim is about at the top.
However, I don't really consider those true RPGs. They're more like action games with an RPG layer.
My favorite RPG is probably Icewind Dale II. You could roll up the entire party if you chose (I did). Great storyline, great fun...that is probably my favorite RPG.
Darklands.
The Mass Effect series.
Dark Souls and Dragon's Dogma
Quote from: LongBlade on August 24, 2012, 08:18:01 AM
In terms of playtime I guess Skyrim is about at the top.
However, I don't really consider those true RPGs. They're more like action games with an RPG layer.
My favorite RPG is probably Icewind Dale II. You could roll up the entire party if you chose (I did). Great storyline, great fun...that is probably my favorite RPG.
There is something extremely cool about rolling up and playing an entire party. I'm surprised more of those type of RPG's aren't being made.
Chris--
Quote from: MuzzyDev on August 24, 2012, 01:09:35 PM
Quote from: LongBlade on August 24, 2012, 08:18:01 AM
In terms of playtime I guess Skyrim is about at the top.
However, I don't really consider those true RPGs. They're more like action games with an RPG layer.
My favorite RPG is probably Icewind Dale II. You could roll up the entire party if you chose (I did). Great storyline, great fun...that is probably my favorite RPG.
There is something extremely cool about rolling up and playing an entire party. I'm surprised more of those type of RPG's aren't being made.
Chris--
Lots of inside baseball in them. You can really nerf a character if you don't know what you're doing. I suspect it's too much work for most people.
For me, rolling up the entire party gave me more emotional investment in the characters. They weren't disposable NPCs anymore, they were my characters. That made a lot of difference in how I played the game.
Quote from: LongBlade on August 24, 2012, 01:22:15 PM
Quote from: MuzzyDev on August 24, 2012, 01:09:35 PM
Quote from: LongBlade on August 24, 2012, 08:18:01 AM
In terms of playtime I guess Skyrim is about at the top.
However, I don't really consider those true RPGs. They're more like action games with an RPG layer.
My favorite RPG is probably Icewind Dale II. You could roll up the entire party if you chose (I did). Great storyline, great fun...that is probably my favorite RPG.
There is something extremely cool about rolling up and playing an entire party. I'm surprised more of those type of RPG's aren't being made.
Chris--
Lots of inside baseball in them. You can really nerf a character if you don't know what you're doing. I suspect it's too much work for most people.
For me, rolling up the entire party gave me more emotional investment in the characters. They weren't disposable NPCs anymore, they were my characters. That made a lot of difference in how I played the game.
If there was an in game guide/tutorial I think that would help alot but I agree most people wouldn't want to take the time.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines (2004)
Morrowind
Airboy go down into R&P and explain to me the economic impact of transitioning back to a gold standard. Thanks.
Man, you're asking a lot of him. At least let him get all the shots and paperwork done first.
Quote from: LongBlade on August 24, 2012, 08:18:01 AM
In terms of playtime I guess Skyrim is about at the top.
However, I don't really consider those true RPGs. They're more like action games with an RPG layer.
My favorite RPG is probably Icewind Dale II. You could roll up the entire party if you chose (I did). Great storyline, great fun...that is probably my favorite RPG.
I agree with LongBlade about "true" RPGs. Many of them, today, are First-Person Shooters with varying degrees of RPG in it. While still technically RPGs, I'm more nostalgic for the isometric style ones that focus more on tactics & game mechanics than twitch. I wish there were more that weren't FPS. Up to the indies to do it, anymore, as many of the modern ones are sadly action console ports. :(
I think
Temple Of Elemental Evil could've easily topped this list for me, had it been finished by the devs before released, and a bit longer in length. The game mechanics, especially the combat, is excellent and after the Co8 mod-patch is applied, it's fairly bug-free (which helps push it towards how it could've been). Of course, I enjoy gameplay over story so I'm sure some will disagree on this one.
Quote from: Nefaro on August 24, 2012, 08:36:48 PM
Quote from: LongBlade on August 24, 2012, 08:18:01 AM
In terms of playtime I guess Skyrim is about at the top.
However, I don't really consider those true RPGs. They're more like action games with an RPG layer.
My favorite RPG is probably Icewind Dale II. You could roll up the entire party if you chose (I did). Great storyline, great fun...that is probably my favorite RPG.
I agree with LongBlade about "true" RPGs. Many of them, today, are First-Person Shooters with varying degrees of RPG in it. While still technically RPGs, I'm more nostalgic for the isometric style ones that focus more on tactics & game mechanics than twitch. I wish there were more that weren't FPS. Up to the indies to do it, anymore, as many of the modern ones are sadly action console ports. :(
I think Temple Of Elemental Evil could've easily topped this list for me, had it been finished by the devs before released, and a bit longer in length. The game mechanics, especially the combat, is excellent and after the Co8 mod-patch is applied, it's fairly bug-free (which helps push it towards how it could've been). Of course, I enjoy gameplay over story so I'm sure some will disagree on this one.
Agreed.
TEE was nearly great.
I would echo Neverwinter Nights because it's Forgotten Realms, and Skyrim because you can do anything you want. I loved Dragon Age at first, the story was great but it got old to me pretty quickly and I never finished it. The original question was, "What was your favorite RPG in the last 10 years"? Well thanks to GOG.com I've been able to finish games that I started way back when. Does it count if you've played the game in the last 10 years? If so then I have 2 words for you. Planescape Torment. The only game I've played that I began thinking I would hate, and ended wishing it was longer.
Quote from: Grimnirsson on August 24, 2012, 10:49:16 AM
Dark Souls ..
Really? Is that any good?
I read just the first couple paragraphs of the PC Gamer review and they completely bashed it for being a terrible console-to-PC port, which just drives me nuts (and makes me literally ill when I try to play those). I suppose that hasn't bothered you any?
QuoteFirst, I'll give you something Dark Souls never does: a warning. Brought to PC by From Software, this port of the Japanese fight-heavy action-RPG is just that: a port. A straight port.
It plays like someone took an Xbox 360, packaged it up small, and slid it into your PC when you weren't looking. The HUD is huge, the textures muddy, and such luxuries as control over field of view and vsync are nonexistent.
Ask yourself how you pronounce 'PC game'. If your emphasis is on the 'PC', then run. Run far from Dark Souls and don't look back. There is nothing for you here....
http://www.pcgamer.com/review/dark-souls-review/
My favorite RPG of the last 10 years? I probably got more enjoyment from Neverwinter Nights because I was playing online with friends. The persistent world we played in had a good design, which was a critical consideration for online play.
Quote from: Greybriar on August 25, 2012, 02:56:55 AM
My favorite RPG of the last 10 years? I probably got more enjoyment from Neverwinter Nights because I was playing online with friends. The persistent world we played in had a good design, which was a critical consideration for online play.
Same here. Played on a persistent & original NWN server (World of Caenyr, IIRC). I never did get terribly far into the single-player campaign because I always ended up playing it online with a bunch of other people. 8)
Quote from: Nefaro on August 25, 2012, 02:54:50 AM
Quote from: Grimnirsson on August 24, 2012, 10:49:16 AM
Dark Souls ..
Really? Is that any good?
I read just the first couple paragraphs of the PC Gamer review and they completely bashed it for being a terrible console-to-PC port, which just drives me nuts (and makes me literally ill when I try to play those). I suppose that hasn't bothered you any?
It may not be a fantastic port. But it is still the best version of Dark souls. So if it is the gameplay you want, buy. If you only want a great port stay away.
Quote from: Nefaro on August 25, 2012, 02:54:50 AM
Quote from: Grimnirsson on August 24, 2012, 10:49:16 AM
Dark Souls ..
Really? Is that any good?
I read just the first couple paragraphs of the PC Gamer review and they completely bashed it for being a terrible console-to-PC port, which just drives me nuts (and makes me literally ill when I try to play those). I suppose that hasn't bothered you any?
QuoteFirst, I'll give you something Dark Souls never does: a warning. Brought to PC by From Software, this port of the Japanese fight-heavy action-RPG is just that: a port. A straight port.
It plays like someone took an Xbox 360, packaged it up small, and slid it into your PC when you weren't looking. The HUD is huge, the textures muddy, and such luxuries as control over field of view and vsync are nonexistent.
Ask yourself how you pronounce 'PC game'. If your emphasis is on the 'PC', then run. Run far from Dark Souls and don't look back. There is nothing for you here....
http://www.pcgamer.com/review/dark-souls-review/
They gave it an 89. So I'm not sure how that is a bash on the game. That basically just gave a big ol' green light to purchase the game for folks who follow their magazine/website reviews.
I want to hear more about Dark Souls...it sounds too good to fail.
It certainly sounded interesting.. and the end of that article plays it up so it wasn't a complete bash.
But I just cannot play poor console ports with no FOV adjustment options, and the other stuff probably doesn't help improve that situation either. :-[
I have it on PS and its fun, but is a huge pain in the ass to play. I quit in frustration.
^yeah I've read that it is very difficult.
QuoteI read just the first couple paragraphs of the PC Gamer review and they completely bashed it for being a terrible console-to-PC port, which just drives me nuts (and makes me literally ill when I try to play those). I suppose that hasn't bothered you any?
No...because I play it on the 360 :P
This article is fantastic! I really relate to the viewpoints you make. I plan to revisit your article so I can further process this information.
Quote from: Shelldrake on August 22, 2012, 07:53:16 PM
Star Wars:Knights of the Old Republic. IMO the storyline was far superior to any of the last 3 theatrical releases.
+1. No RPG before or after has captured my imagination quite as much, except perhaps for Mass Effect, which comes in at a VERY close second place.
Quote from: Con on August 23, 2012, 08:14:38 AM
...I would vote for Batman Arkham Asylum as my favorite RPG.
Con
How on earth do you conclude that this game is an "RPG?" It's a great game, but an RPG, it ain't.
I think we have been touched by the spam fairy in the guise of Andrew12Simpson.
Quote from: Gusington on August 27, 2012, 12:32:36 PM
I think we have been touched by the spam fairy in the guise of Andrew12Simpson.
Mischief managed. No worries.
I can't think of one that really stands out above the crowd. There were a lot of RPGs that I greatly enjoyed over the past 10 years, but no single one that was clearly better than all the rest.
^Appropriately disapproving.
Or super approving!
Lemme see. RPGs in the last 10 years that I thought were really good:
Gothic III (once the bugs got ironed out)
Skyrim (once someone came up with a key mapping mod)
Fallout 3
Vampire: Bloodlines
Temple of Elemental Evil (once the bugs got ironed out)
Drakensang: The Black Eye
Knights of the Old Republic
The Witcher
Alpha Protocol
Two Worlds II
Risen
Arx Fatalis
Mass Effect (ggod story, RPG parts were kinda light)
Dragon Age: Origins (same as ME, good story, RPG mechanics..bleh)
^You play The Witcher 2?
I just restarted it a few weeks ago. It didn't run very well on my old PC, but it's smooth as silk on the new one. I'm not that far into it though. (I seem to die...a lot).
^I may start it today, I am home sick :)