Dhruin
SasqWatch
The Bethblog is linking to a piece at Gamerhelp entitled Pinnacle Games - 18 Games That Define Their Genre...and the definitive RPG is...
Honourable mentions go to PS:T and Oblivion. As an aside, The Adventure choice goes to Quest for Glory 1.
More information.
Strangely, they go on to suggest "hardcore" fans might lament their choice of Fallout over Oblivion.Fallout
Most RPG titles have you duking it out as a knight or a mage in a fantasy setting rife with clichéd monsters like dragons and orcs and trolls, oh my! But not so Interplays Fallout, a breakthrough RPG title that was set in a memorable setting: post-nuclear holocaust Earth. The narrative drive of the story was nothing new--a 'chosen one' ventures forth to save the world--but the presentation was something else: dark, gritty and visceral, the stark landscape of the atomically cleansed landscape was as inhospitable as it was compelling. Add in the unique S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stat system, the interesting, varied mission types and compelling narrative plot and you've got one of the finest PC-RPG experiences ever created.
Honourable mentions go to PS:T and Oblivion. As an aside, The Adventure choice goes to Quest for Glory 1.
More information.