Top 10 CRPGs of all time

Inquisitor is a good game, but not anywhere near my top 20.

I believe Inquisitor was the first "old-school" PC RPG that I have played since becoming a PC gamer. I loved it. In fact, I only got to the second chapter before my old laptop started overheating, and I still rank it as one of the best games ever based on that first chapter alone.

The writing in that game was great, but the mystery solving was phenomenal. You didn't know who to trust and everyone seemed to have their own story as to what was going on. It was really fleshed out in that regard, much more than most other games I've played up until that time.

It's a game that supposedly was 10 years in the making, and IMO, it shows.

The atmosphere is also top notch. You really felt like you were in this demonic realm with uncertainty around every corner.

I have to go back and finish it soon, for sure.
 
So inspired by Fluent's list including console games I'm going to do one.

Final Fantasy Tactics - PS By far my favorite game ever. I've lost count of how many times I've beaten it start to finish. Great story and awesome class system. There's an absurd amount of ways to build characters.

Baldur's Gate 2 - PC I've played it start to finish more than any other PC RPG. Loved the story and all the companions were very well written. Also a very large game stuffed full of interesting content.

Dragon Force - Sega Saturn A game almost no one has played since it was a Sega Saturn exclusive. Basically there's a war brewing in the world with 8 different countries. They each specialize in different troops. I think there's 10 different troop types that each have different strengths and weaknesses. As your generals gain levels they get new special moves and more troops. I found the story to be well done and the first half plays out a bit differently for each of the kingdoms. One of only 2 games on the Saturn that has prevented it from ending up buried in a box. I would love to see the second one translated as it allowed for mixing 2 types of troops in an army.

Suikoden - PS One of the best RPG series I've ever played. With the exception of 4 (wasn't a fan of the whole boat theme) I loved every entry in the series. As Fluent mentioned there was nothing like collecting the 108 stars of destiny and watching your castle evolve as the game progressed.

Gothic 2 - PC I hate action combat which just goes to show how much I really loved this game. For me it was the perfect blend of open world and story driven RPGs.

Lunar Silver Star Story - PS Made by the same company that did Dragon Force, the animated cut scenes were simply beautiful and ahead of their time. The story was also really enjoyable.

Betrayal at Krondor - PC The game that sold me on an author for life. As with all games on this list I loved the story. The skill upgrade system was different and I fondly remember spending tons of time in front of the computer with my dad and brother trying to figure out the various riddles needed to get into chests.

Fallout New Vegas - PC After rushing out and grabbing FO3 I was very hesitant about pulling the trigger on the franchise again. The worry was for nothing as Obsidian proved yet again why I'm such a fan of their work and tend to avoid Bethesda like the plague. The story was easily the strong point of the game but I also felt pulled into the world unlike in FO 3. Within the first 30 minutes of the game witnessing a random caravan being jacked in the desert really peaked my interest. Seeing the Legion's handy work in that town they overran allowed the game to grab a hold of me for good.

Dragon Age Origins - PC For a long time this was the closest any game had come to the BG series for me. While the combat wound up being a tad annoying late game it was the first RPG in a long time that I really enjoyed.

Legend of Legaia - PS This game had a really original concept. There are creatures in the world capable of melding with humans to grant them magical power. Out of nowhere a strange mist began to creep over the land turning the creatures into monsters who now hunt humans. A handful of creatures are immune to the mist and the player happens to get one. You learned magic by absorbing the power of the corrupted creatures and the combo combat system was something I had never played before. Also the first game I ever played that gave you a grade after finishing (first time through a measly C). Too bad the second one failed to inspire anything near the enjoyment I got from the original.

Honorable Mentions Limiting this to 5 was rather difficult

The Witcher - PC Another rare modern RPG that really grabbed my attention. The combat overhaul after this game really reduced my interest in the series. I'll take the original over 2 any day of the week.

Growlanser 2 - PS 2 Another great tactical RPG. Multiple endings as well as a branching story and the rare random battle free system was great. The goals required to complete battles were also fairly varied.

Vandal Hearts - PS Another turn-based tactical RPG (my favorite subgenre). Lacked the wide class variety of FFT (or Tactics Ogre) but was still a great addition to the genre. Had my fingers crossed when they made a new one for XBox Live but couldn't even make it through the demo.

SaGa Frontier 2 - PS An impulse buy during the golden age of Squaresoft where it seemed the worst they could do was make slightly above average RPGs. The first game I remember playing where the story sprawled across multiple generations and was told from two different viewpoints. The artwork was beautiful and the combat contained both group fighting and duels.

Pool of Radiance - PC This is a pure nostalgia addition. It was the first RPG I really got into and I loved those weird colored pixel troops so much more than the first person type combat of other games. Wouldn't hold a candle to any other game on this list from a story or even mechanic standpoint anymore though.

Divinity Original Sin seems destined for this list too whenever I get around to finishing it.
 
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I'm not gonna make any list now.
D:OS made in my top10, and there are 4-5 upcoming RPGs in the next half a year that could also shake things up.

Why can't we just make top 10, 5 or 3 list of a (certain) decade?
 
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I don't think that sorting by decade makes too much sense. Games age extremely differently. And in every decade you still got games which other people would consider not modern enough (e.g. Spiderweb Games or Knights of the Chalice game)

Personally I have fun with games from all decades as long as they have VGA graphics and no horrible sound quality while I strongly prefer games with a resolution of 800x600 and higher.

And for those younger folks who don't know what it looked like before VGA, check out this page for comparisons between EGA and CGA. ^^
http://justinjackson.ca/retina-is-not-a-big-deal/
 
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The only other game that might make it out this year that I see having a good chance of breaking into my list is PoE. I'm hoping W2 will be a great game but the combat system didn't seem all that deep from the limited time I put into it. Maybe Telepath Tactics will but I have no clue when that's coming out.

And I just realized I left Disgaea off that list :mad:
 
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Final Fantasy Tactics - PS 2

Just a nitpick, but.. FF Tactics is a PS1 game. ;)


Dragon Force - Sega Saturn

I've still got a copy of Dragon Force along with a handful of other Saturn games, but I never got around to playing it much. I should give it another try sometime. I also have a sealed copy of Panzer Dragoon Saga which is probably worth some loot if I ever decided to sell it.
 
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Vandal Hearts - PS Another turn-based tactical RPG (my favorite subgenre). Lacked the wide class variety of FFT (or Tactics Ogre) but was still a great addition to the genre. Had my fingers crossed when they made a new one for XBox Live but couldn't even make it through the demo.

I loved this game as well. PS1 had quite a few good RPGs that I spent quite a bit of time with as a kid.
 
Just a nitpick, but.. FF Tactics is a PS1 game. ;)

I've still got a copy of Dragon Force along with a handful of other Saturn games, but I never got around to playing it much. I should give it another try sometime.

Oops!

If those kinds of games are you're thing I definitely recommend going through Dragon Force at least once. Once you beat it Reinhardt and Goldark become playable and it's pretty interesting seeing the other side as Goldark.
 
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Never heard of it but ATLUS tends to do some good games. I'll have to see if I can track it down someday.

Edit: Ouch, that game's not cheap.

Wow, no it's not, haha. A lot of PS1 RPGs go for big bucks nowadays.

It's funny. When I was a kid, I sold my entire collection of PS1 games (including pretty much every RPG that was ever released for the system) for pennies to a local video game store. All because I wanted to afford some new $50 game. That's what you call being young and dumb :).

You can probably emulate Brigandine. I don't want to get too involved due to copyright issues, but there probably exists an .ISO file of it somewhere on the web. Just make sure you own the game already if you plan on going that route ;) ;) ;)
 
In no particular order:

Wizardry 6
Wizardry 7
Pool of Radiance
Magic candle
Ultima 6
Ultima 7
Temple of elemental evil
buck rogers: countdown to doomsday
fallout 2
Darklands

I mainly liked Magic Candle because it's the only game that really felt like a truly real world. Except maybe Darklands I guess, but for Darklands it was more of a deep sort of exploration experience than a "you are there" experience.

There's some good ones after those still but while the story got better in 90s and early 2000s the gameplay mostly got much worse so none of them make my all time favorite list except temple of elemental evil.

I could add in more gold box stuff but those two are probably the best ones, though the krynn series and pools of darkness were both great. Ultima's martian dreams and savage frontier deserve honorable mention. So does torment, arcanum, first fallout, both vampire: the masquerade games and the earlier wizardries. Infinity engine games are OK but overrated both on the gameplay and the story, they realy don't belong on ANY top ten lists. I still get a kick out of the old bard's tales but the mapping and traps is just too annoying for me, just too extreme. In Wizardry series the mapping and traps are challenging but not the main part of the game, and solving puzzles is needed to progress, so overall it's just a much better series.

I played the earlier ultimas and completed most but while they were good games to be honest I can barely remember them now. I do remember spaceships and crap, though :lol:

I don't think I'd count Jagged Alliance as RPGs, but if I did they would be high up the list. I enjoyed M&M series but after 2 they are all pretty much fluff with no challenge or big reason to care and only mediocre story.
 
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Lunar Silver Star Story was great, I completely forgot about it. I remember it came in a great looking case with beautiful artwork. I couldn't wait to crack that baby open and play it. There was a mystique about that game after I read about it in a gaming magazine.

It was a very cool game, for sure.
Loved that whole series minus the stupid flying cat's voice actor.
 
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My Top 10 (Not in any particular order):
Final Fantasy 4 (SNES) - One of the first games I played when I finally bought a SNES and definitely one of the best ones on the console at that time. Always holds a permanent spot on my top 10 due it's involving story and characters. I loved that it showed "meanwhile" in between chapters showing what the evil people were doing on their side. I have always wanted to make a spinoff of this playing the evil side. The first time you're betrayed and the first time you shed your dark suit. Those are the kinds of things in a game that burn into your mind.
Planescape: Torment & Icewind Dale (PC) - Combined these two because they're equally good for different reasons. I like all the infinity games but Planescape: Torment gave a unique story/atmosphere and Icewind Dale was more open than the BG/BG2 games.
Mines of Titan/Mars Saga (PC/C64) - One of the first graphical sci-fi rpgs I played and definitely sticks in my mind to this day. It was short if you knew where to go but, it allowed for some decent exploration. I liked that it had an option for automated or tactical combat and the 'leveling' system I haven't seen again since even though it was pretty decent.
Wizardry V: Heart of the Maelstrom (SNES) - The hours I spent just making characters in this game is beyond ridiculous. I remember going back to it countless times trying to make the ultimate party. Had no real story to speak of unless you read the material but the dungeons were nicely laid out and had that eery feeling missing from dungeon games nowadays.
Lunar: The Silver Star (Sega CD) - My first and only Sega CD game (I think playing this too much killed it). Such an epic game in terms of length and story. This would be the top game for me if it weren't for the stupid flying cat voice overs that I mentioned in my previous post. It was also the first console rpg I 'cheated' on to level up (Find a loop spot where you press against a wall on the world map and your guy runs back and forth, then hold down that direction, and hold the attack button..take a nap). Ah memories.
Circuit's Edge (PC) - While not the best game in the world, it was unique for it's time with sci-fi and chip implanting for skills. Extremely short game though if you've played it before it has almost zero re-playability. I just remember the atmosphere, story, hunting around for clues, and getting mugged.
Shadowrun (Genesis) - This is not even close to the same game as the SNES release. I still go back and play it now and then to do Matrix runs for fun. Definitely the best representation of the matrix idea to date..at least as far as RPGs go. Decent sci-fi implanting and upgrades. Decent Karma skill system. Alright storyline to keep you going. A little basic but it really doesn't hurt it. Null sweat, chummers.
Dragon's Age: Origins and DA2 (PC) - I'm one of the rare people that really enjoyed both but, lean a bit more to the 2 side. If you put them together, you end up with a decent gaming experience. Good combat and handling in 2 and good story and exploration in Origins. I can't really split these up because they wouldn't be in the top 10 if they weren't together.
Mass Effect Trilogy (PC) - The first time I actually enjoyed myself in a "fps" game. Like DA, I don't consider each one it's own game but just chapters in one game. Decent and compelling story. Alright characters and nice atmosphere.
Suikoden (PS1) - Really enjoyed the castle building aspect even if it was automated. I really like games that are like that..even to the point where I'll deal with crappy story/characters/gameplay just to see the place grow. Like Secret of the Stars (SNES) which would be here if Suikoden wasn't. It was a really crappy RPG but had great city building, an interesting combination magic system, and a secondary party you could switch to in order to solve puzzles or fight.

Honorable Mention:
Lufia & Lufia 2 (SNES) - Really loved the repeatable 1-99 dungeon in the one, the story in the other, and the monster feeding system. Cookie cutter game other than that. But, memorable and fun. It was also the first time I'd experienced a prequel rather than a sequel in a video game.

I know they're not all CRPGs but other people were sprinkling in some others too =P
 
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I missed the early PC age completely. As well as Sega/SNES. The only ones I'm looking to play are the SNES RPGs ( in particular chrono trigger)

We had an Amiga back then. I see no games from there era :(
 
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I never had a console and probably never will have, also because I dislike the style in art and game design of the old console games.

From what I can see on wikipedia chrono trigger was released in 95. That was already past the Age of Amiga. 96 you already got 3D games like Duke Nukem 3D on the PC.
Personally I switched from a C64 right to a PC but was too young and my english wasn't good enought to enjoy any C64 RPGs. But in the Early 90s you got tons of good PC games and from what I know lots of them were available on Amiga as well. For example Eye of the Beholder, Wizardry, Realms of Arkania, Ishar and so on.
 
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I missed the early PC age completely. As well as Sega/SNES. The only ones I'm looking to play are the SNES RPGs ( in particular chrono trigger)

We had an Amiga back then. I see no games from there era :(

I'm an older gamer so I was around for it all (since the 80's). Because of the repetitive nature of combat in consoles, very few would fit in my top 25 but none in my top 10. But a few of the games still do stand the test of time.

1) Chrono Trigger (duh)

2) Phantasy Star 2 (Sega genesis) - I can't believe I wussed up and actually teared up during some of the story - plus great music (the game is now an app in the Istore)

3) Shining in the Darkness - another sega game that was leagues better than what NES was offering at the time.

By the time the classic stuff was coming to consoles (Final Fantasy etc) I was all in for PC gaming and I also liked the keyboard better than a controller.
 
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2) Phantasy Star 2 (Sega genesis) - I can't believe I wussed up and actually teared up during some of the story - plus great music (the game is now an app in the Istore)

Yeah, the Phantasy Star series was great for its time. I thought Phantasy Star 1 on the Sega Master System was the best though. That game was truly epic for an 8-bit console title.

They re-released it on the PS2 in Japan, and I recently discovered that there's a fan-made translation patch that can be used to play it in English. Phantasy Star II was also remade for the PS2, but I don't know if it's been translated.
 
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I missed the early PC age completely. As well as Sega/SNES. The only ones I'm looking to play are the SNES RPGs ( in particular chrono trigger)

We had an Amiga back then. I see no games from there era :(
I listed a couple from back then. There's also the Bard's Tale and Dungeon Master series but I personally think they were remastered better than the amiga originals. I also appreciated the Eye of the Beholder series.

Honestly it's just that there's so many damn games but only 10 slots and it only takes one memorable moment to stick in your brain forever.
 
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Honestly it's just that there's so many damn games but only 10 slots and it only takes one memorable moment to stick in your brain forever.

Ain't that the truth.

One of the PC games commonly reviled around here and abroad is Gothic 4 er um Arcania. An okay game but not a Gothic game. However there was one moment.

It involved entry to the back gate of a castle complex. On the way to the gate are two goblins apparently holding hands, sitting on a cliff's edge watching the sun set. (Arcania has some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets in gaming). The goblins weren't bothering anyone, they were just admiring the view. But big hero me would not abide any bad guys that wandered into my view. I took a slight detour from the road and killed the couple dead. Good and Dead. Didn't give it much thought at the time. But as I wandered further and further into the castle courtyard it weighed more and more heavy on my mind. Finally, I could not abide by that brutal choice. I wimped out, reloaded and re-entered the back castle gate without giving the couple a guilty glance.

That game came out almost 4 years ago and I still can't get that incident out of my mind.
 
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