rpg suggestion needed

Long time ago I was a hard core rpg player in that i loved to play just about every single player rpg out there. But the past 3 years i have been completely out of the loop. I just ordered a new gaming PC and it should be here in the next couple of days. If you need the specs let me know. So I am looking to you rpg addicts for suggestion of game to play.

just to give you an indication of how long it has been , the most recent games i have played is Witcher , Mass effect ( first game - to me this was much more action than rpg) and drakensong the dark eye. On my current pc I can't even play NWN2 or oblivion without it crashing after 5 minutes ( but for now looking for something much newer to play)

My favorite rpgs in the past have been Might and magic rpg series, Ultima series, NWN 1, morrowind, fallout 1/2 and all the infinity engine games to name a few. From what i have read it seems todays rpgs have more action than rpg in it ,a trend I do not like. I know turn based is dead and even real time with pause does not seem to be too common any more.

I have a couple of games here that are some what recent - Divinty 2 - ego draconis ( i did love the first game) and Dragon age origins with all the add ons.

I do not mind buying a game. What i am looking for is one with very good to excellent graphics - ( hey have to take a little advanteage of my nvidea 570 card,lol), good plot, easy to get into and relatively short. I used to love the 100 plus hour games along with spending hours and hours on character creation but not sure i want to do something like that to begin with. I think it may be best to ease my way back into rpgs. I also don't have as much time to game as I used to - maybe 10 -15 hours a week.

would risen or gothic 4 be a good choice, I am totally open to suggestions.

I really would appreciate any ideas you may have. thank you

by the way , i think you have a great rpg site here.

zanthia

The Witcher 2 is of moderate length, 30-40 hours. Superb RPG really.

Fallout New Vegas is wonderful as well, but is much longer. It can easily be played casually however, so you won't feel compelled to finish it ASAP.

NWN2 + expansions would be a good investment. Many people consider its Mask of the Betrayer expansion to be the closest thing to a Planescape: Torment sequel. But, again, not overly short.

The Drakensang sequel + expansion is out as well, though I have no personal experience with it.

If you truly wish a short game above all else, you could possibly try Bioshock (1) - good Setting FPS with RPG elements, but overly short :O

You might try Risen, but avoid Gothic 4 Arcania.

I would say get the witcher 2 play divinity 2 and origins and that should last you untill skyrim. Happy gaming.

Welcome to RPGWatch!

The Witcher 2 is of course the hottest topic at the moment. The reviews say it's great, except for the ending.

Party RPGs are nearly dead outside the indie niche.
If you enjoyed Drakensang, Drakensang: The River of Time is a safe bet. It's the same game with a dozen serious improvements. Just about everything is better than in the first game. Length: ca. 25 hours.

If you've only got Divinity 2 vanilla I suggest you give it away and wait for a sale on D2: Dragon Knight Saga. The included add-on is excellent. Length: Main game ca. 50-70 hours (maybe less with the easier DKS balancing), add-on ca. 20 hours (can be played independendly).

The free Nehrim total conversion for Oblivion is certainly worth a try.

Of course you should try Dragon Age, but not necessarily Dragon Age 2.

Arcania: Gothic 4 is a newbie RPG, or more an action-adventure with RPG elements if you want. Beautiful, technically good game. If you want Gothic you should ignore Arcania. As a 15 hour snack for a few bucks it's probably okay.

Risen by Piranha Bytes is a mix between their Gothic and Gothic 2 plus a harmless interface. Length ca. 25-35 hours. This is the easiest "Gothic" style game to get into - meaning it's only half as unforgiving as the older games. PB are still the best at building (semi-)open worlds.
(Risen is not officially connected to Gothic. It had to be renamed.)

Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas are games everybody likes. I would start with NV because it's more complex.

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No RPG hs excellent graphics at the moment. Skyrim will change this, but it's still 6 months away.
All mentioned games look pretty good on full HD resolution though. In some cases this may require some .ini tweaking (Risen) or mods (all games based on Oblivion's tech: Oblivion, Nehrim, Fallout, FO:NV).
Divinity 2: DKS looks quite pleasing. Same for DraSa: RoT. Arcania and The Witcher 2 are newer and use newer technology. The other games squeeze a lot out of their 5 years old engines. None of them is ugly, mainly because graphics are stagnating due to the long console cycle .


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edit:

The most beautiful game out there is still the first Crysis from 2007. Even if you don't play shooters it might be an idea to buy it for a few bucks to see what your PC can handle.

Gorath said:

Welcome to RPGWatch!

The Witcher 2 is of course the hottest topic at the moment. The reviews say it's great, except for the ending.

Party RPGs are nearly dead outside the indie niche.
If you enjoyed Drakensang, Drakensang: The River of Time is a safe bet. It's the same game with a dozen serious improvements. Just about everything is better than in the first game. Length: ca. 25 hours.

If you've only got Divinity 2 vanilla I suggest you give it away and wait for a sale on D2: Dragon Knight Saga. The included add-on is excellent. Length: Main game ca. 50-70 hours (maybe less with the easier DKS balancing), add-on ca. 20 hours (can be played independendly).

The free Nehrim total conversion for Oblivion is certainly worth a try.

Of course you should try Dragon Age, but not necessarily Dragon Age 2.

Arcania: Gothic 4 is a newbie RPG, or more an action-adventure with RPG elements if you want. Beautiful, technically good game. If you want Gothic you should ignore Arcania. As a 15 hour snack for a few bucks it's probably okay.

Risen by Piranha Bytes is a mix between their Gothic and Gothic 2 plus a harmless interface. Length ca. 25-35 hours. This is the easiest "Gothic" style game to get into - meaning it's only half as unforgiving as the older games. PB are still the best at building (semi-)open worlds.
(Risen is not officially connected to Gothic. It had to be renamed.)

Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas are games everybody likes. I would start with NV because it's more complex.

————————————————

No RPG hs excellent graphics at the moment. Skyrim will change this, but it's still 6 months away.
All mentioned games look pretty good on full HD resolution though. In some cases this may require some .ini tweaking (Risen) or mods (all games based on Oblivion's tech: Oblivion, Nehrim, Fallout, FO:NV).
Divinity 2: DKS looks quite pleasing. Same for DraSa: RoT. Arcania and The Witcher 2 are newer and use newer technology. The other games squeeze a lot out of their 5 years old engines. None of them is ugly, mainly because graphics are stagnating due to the long console cycle .


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edit:

The most beautiful game out there is still the first Crysis from 2007. Even if you don't play shooters it might be an idea to buy it for a few bucks to see what your PC can handle.

Click to expand...

not everyone liked fo3 or nv and I think the witcher 2 has excellent graphics.

Gorath said:

The most beautiful game out there is still the first Crysis from 2007. Even if you don't play shooters it might be an idea to buy it for a few bucks to see what your PC can handle.

Click to expand...

Honestly, I'm not sure about that. I think The Witcher 2 matches or even exceeds the visuals in Crysis.

Thanks for all your input and for the welcome you have definitely given me some things to think about.

I saw no mention of two worlds 2 or fable 3 - those not out yet?

divinity 2 :dragon knight saga and drakensong river of time - the only places i have seen them is for download and I do prefer boxed versions. gogamer seems to be down for quite a while so can't check them. Other than amazon what is some good stores to check out for games as locally the pc game selection is the pits - I am in the US.

I am not really into shooters but i have played some including the first crysis. Have also played bioshock 1 which I liked much more than crysis. is bioshock 2 any good?

from what you guys say it seems maybe drakensong:ROT, risen or witcher 2 may be my best bet. I don't know anything about mods so if I do go with risen will need some help on that. I didn't even know they were available for that game - just fallout and oblivion.

I have not played oblivion - so not sure how well playing Nehrim would work out.

whatever game I do play I should be able to max out all graphic options.

Zanthia

zanthia said:

Thanks for all your input and for the welcome you have definitely given me some things to think about.

I saw no mention of two worlds 2 or fable 3 - those not out yet?

Click to expand...

Two Worlds 2 is out. Not very popular in the core RPGer crowd. Objectively probably a decent game though, if you can stand so much simple action.

Fable 3 is coming these days. Watch out for deals. RPG-lite, but it seems it has other very interesting qualities.

divinity 2 :dragon knight saga and drakensong river of time - the only places i have seen them is for download and I do prefer boxed versions. gogamer seems to be down for quite a while so can't check them. Other than amazon what is some good stores to check out for games as locally the pc game selection is the pits - I am in the US.

Click to expand...

Euro RPGs on PC no longer get released in the US. Even Risen and Arcania had problems securing enough shelf space, despite experienced publishers behind them.
So it's either DL or import. DraSa:RoT had retail releases in Benelux and I think also in the UK. Use the search function and check eBay. The game should be dirt cheap. Even so cheap that shipping will be more expensive.

An alternative for D2: DKS would be to get the add-on Flames of Vengence alone and then use the free upgrade patches to morph the whole thing to DKS. I don't think it's worth the hassle though.
The XBox 360 version (of DKS!) is supposed to be pretty good. Maybe that's an option.
Larian's managing director posted a couple interesting messages in their forum. They even had trouble getting the console version out in NA. Publishers demanded proof through EU sales before signing anything.

The trend over the last couple of years is clear:
The majority of the interesting RPGs is developed in Europe. In NA there's only the big budget AAA branch left. Obsidian, Beth, Bio. The Euro games have lower budgets and more edges, which isn't necessarily bad.
Retail only orders AAA stuff. Nowadays it's the exception, not the rule, if you can find a Euro-RPG on NA shelves in reasonable quantity.

I am not really into shooters but i have played some including the first crysis. Have also played bioshock 1 which I liked much more than crysis. is bioshock 2 any good?

Click to expand...

Haven't played it. Reviews said it's very good but more streamlined.

from what you guys say it seems maybe drakensong:ROT, risen or witcher 2 may be my best bet. I don't know anything about mods so if I do go with risen will need some help on that. I didn't even know they were available for that game - just fallout and oblivion.

Click to expand...

It's Drakensang, pronounced Draakhensung. Not that this changes the meaning much.

There are no mods for Risen. Just a couple of texture packs, which usually a simple overwrite job.
Risen can be tweaked immensely with its .ini file. The reason is that Gothic 3 was too hardware hungry and PB decided to play it safe this time. So Risen looks and runs decent on every 3 year old PC with a 100$ (then) graphics card. Of course you can crank everything up to max and it will look fine, but it probably won't be a challenge for your new PC. The .ini tweaks convince Risen to go beyond the conservative available settings in the options menu.
Unfortunately every PC is different, so such tweaking is a personal thing. Of course it's optional. All mentioned game look good maxed out.

I have not played oblivion - so not sure how well playing Nehrim would work out.

Click to expand...

I think Nehrim is a total conversion. Oblivion is only the technology they used for it. So they're not connected.


edit:
Keep an eye on the pricewatch thread.
Maybe the Drakensang complete bundle for 20$ is still on. It's DL only, but the new game plus the DLC (and the old game) for 20 bucks is a fair deal.

I realize you are looking for some good graphics RPG games to try out your new system. I looked at the games you listed and the the reply's you have received, You mentioned you don't like the current dumbing down of storyline, I take it you don't want a game to hold your hand as well. You sound like you do want a game that has a learning curve with quests that are deeply enriched in depth and related to the plotline.

If you havn't played Gothic 1 & Gothic 2 with the Night of the Raven expansion, you may have been missing the best RPG experiences you might possibly ever have. The Graphics hold there own considering the age of these games but what makes these games so immersive and unforgettable would take pages to describe.

I recommend you give that CPU a good test drive and when you get that off your chest, get G1 & G2 NOTR, enjoy your visit, and be sure to say hi to all our friends while your there.

madigan - I have played g1 and g2. I have G3 unplayed but the disc seems to be missing at the moment - its not in the box.

what I don't like is the heavy action influence in rpgs. I miss games like BG2 and M&M being made. using gothic as an example - at some points in those 2 games the combat was too tough for me ( and changing my combat tactics doesn't help ) so I had to resort to using cheat codes to get past those spots. I hate using cheats codes in rpgs but if thats the only way i can get past it, I will. Even though gothic has more action base combat that I prefer ( your combat ability is based more on your own personal skills rather than the character skills) the storyline and characters made up for it.

For my first rpg game - a game that holds your hand is okay if there is a good plot.

Arcania is said to look good - but on the other hand I also often read that it is rather an hack & slash - oriented "RPG light".

Gorath more or less nailed it. Beyond what he's already mentioned, I have to point out Mass Effect 2. It can be tweaked to look quite good, and it generally has good writing and an overall solid story. Shooter-ish gameplay (more so than the first one), but you don't really have to be good at shooters to play it.

PC just arrived - yippee!!!! hopefully hubby will set it up real soon.

if ME2 is more of a shooter than the first one , not sure I want to play it.

I just ordered Risen - should be here next week.

What can you tell me about alpha protocol ? it is 10 bucks at amazon

think I am going to install the games I do have and fool around with them until risen arrives.

Alpha Protocol has caused kind of a "dividing line" between the communities : Some love it, others hate it.

The love/hate-relationship seems to come from the point of view you take on the game : Do you rather look at it as a shooter or as an RPG ?

My impression was that shooter games didn't like AP much, but RPG players loved it ... At least that's my subjective impression.

If you liked G1 & G2, you might want to try G3 with the Enhanched Edition patch (download for free). (You'll Still have to find the DVD...) ;-)

Parc

zanthia said:

madigan - I have played g1 and g2. I have G3 unplayed but the disc seems to be missing at the moment - its not in the box.

what I don't like is the heavy action influence in rpgs. I miss games like BG2 and M&M being made. using gothic as an example - at some points in those 2 games the combat was too tough for me ( and changing my combat tactics doesn't help ) so I had to resort to using cheat codes to get past those spots. I hate using cheats codes in rpgs but if thats the only way i can get past it, I will. Even though gothic has more action base combat that I prefer ( your combat ability is based more on your own personal skills rather than the character skills) the storyline and characters made up for it.

For my first rpg game - a game that holds your hand is okay if there is a good plot.

Click to expand...

Zanth, I'm playing Witcher 2 right now and so far it's quite impressive, it may be a little bit too much action for you but the story has been quite interesting so far. I'm about 16 hrs into the game and its nicely done and much better than the first Witcher so far IMO.

I'm Guessing you have played Planescape Torment? If you havn't it's the most story driven RPG of all the Infinity games (BG, Icewind) by far and the best IMO.

Ah, the new pc. Nothing like a new pc. You survive for years w/ some sub-standard rig that was good when you bought it, but you find yourself more and more turning everything down. It's like riding a moped on the freeway, it's possible but it just sucks. Then the day comes when you cant turn down anything more - all games run like hell.

Then you get a nuclear rig from Hell and everything is sunny again, especially if you build it yourself with absolute power, absolutely. Or something.

I'd crank up the graphics on Fallout 3, if you liked the prior games it's a lot different but it's a sight to behold as a game, definitely a good one to see the capabilities of a new card. Risen is cool too, you should have fun w/ that

Risen arrived a couple of days ago and I am enjoying it so far. definitely see the gothic similarities. Up to level 5. Can't kill those big swamp worms in the bandit camp but I know I am still pretty weak. Have all graphics maxxed out on it. Someone mentioned ini tweaks. not sure how to do that. the one thing I don't like is that you can't edit the quick save/load keys. don't know why. I don' t like when they are next to each other.

madigan — yes I have played Planescape torment - one of the best rpgs ever.

xSamhainx - I do plan on getting fallout - game of the year edition. I was one of those people when it was first announced was very disappointed to hear that they changes the interface so much from f1/f2. i enjoyed the turn based combat of those games.

Many people consider its Mask of the Betrayer expansion to be the closest thing to a Planescape: Torment sequel.

AS IF!

More like closest thing to a computer game sedative. :þ