Top 10 CRPGs of all time

Zaleukos said:

if you like coop with your significant other I'd recommend the Icewind Dales...

Click to expand...

Definitely! If you and your wife liked BG1 in coop, you will LOVE the Icewind Dale games in coop. Get them now. You won't regret it!

1. Gothic 1
2. Baldur's Gate 2
3. Torment
4. Neverwinter Night
5. Baldur's Gate 1
6. Fallout 2
7. Icewind Dale
8. Kotor
9. Arcanum
10. Fate

1. Ultima Underworld
2. Daggerfall
3. Gothic
4. Baldur's Gate 2
5. Icewind Dale

1. Gothic 1
2. Gothic 2 + NotR
3. Ultima VII Black Gate + Serpent Isle
4. Ultima V
5. Baldur's Gate 2 + ToB
6. Baldur's Gate + ToSC
7. Morrowind + exp
8. Betrayal at Krondor
9. Dungeon Master + Chaos Strikes Back
10. Angband

I'm quite surprised nobody mentioned Angband (or variants) before... Best roguelike dungeon crawler IMHO, very addictive! I play it more than 10 years now, mostly ZAngbandTK variant (with 32x32 Adam Bolt tiles) which you can download here. Screenshot (1600x1200) of my current game you can see here. If you're interested, read this.

Okay, I've only been playing crpgs since 1980 so if it came out before that I never played it

1. Ultima IV-my personal favorite of the Ultimas. When I lost an eighth of my virtue for not being honest, it just floored me. I sat in my chair stunned for a good 2 minutes.

2. Might and Magic III-Isles of Terra. This was probably my favorite jaunt in the lands of JVC's mind. I love everything Might and Magic but this one was prime.

3. Magic Candle-It's been so long ago, but I remember I had two notebooks full of notes and maps from this game.

4. Pool of Radiance- The first gold box game. This was the first time you had the official D&D rules in a big commercial game. I loved following along in my journal as I played through the game. It really mixed reading and computer-gaming together very well.

5. Morrowind-It was the first time that graphics actually held my attention for any length of time. Morrowind was just absolutely gorgeous and HUGE. I missed some of the changes from Daggerfall, but ended up playing Morrowind longer than any other game ever except for....

6. Oblivion-I'm currently playing the big O again with my 7th character. I generally stick to a certain role in elder scroll games just to keep replay fresh. I admit that this character is just trying to complete every quest in the whole game. For number of hours of enjoyment, Oblivion has no peers, for me.

7. System Shock 2-This game is remarkable in how well it uses sound to scare the living crap out of you. It's also quite fun to be "almost" out of ammo all the time.

8. Daggerfall-I love sandbox games, allright? Daggerfall had the most fun character creation of any crpg to date. It was great fun balancing all the advantages and disadvantages to make a totally unique character.

9. Fallout-It was just a great change of pace game from the standard fantasy fare. Fallout also had my favorite companion of all time, Dogmeat.

10. Exile-Escape from the Pit. Jeff Vogel's first released game. While I'm not a big fan of all the rehashing Jeff does, the first game in each series are always worth your playing time.

Hidden X, you should try jagged alliance 2 with the 1.13 mod it's awesome. Completely revived the game for me. Another month of gaming goodness, hehe. Careful tho, make sure u have the time, cause it flies. Check it out, http://ja2v113.schtuff.com/

Hi thartanian,

I thought 1.13 is still beta isn't it ?

I can never get enough of this game -> Deidranna Lives, Vietnam SOG'69, Back to Business, Urban Chaos are very good mods, too.

good site: http://www.legion.zone.zg.pl/?lng=en

Nah, it's a full fledged mod ready for the taking. Try it out man, seriously. Resurrection I tell u.

Alright, I'm gonna post my top ten favs. Keep in mind though, some of these games are not classified as rpg's but I'm listing them in terms of how much gaming goodness and the number of sleepless nights that I spent. They are listed by how good I thought they were. I'll start from the top and work my way down. First of all, I'd like to thank the following game for making all this happen.

Sword of Vermillion (Genesis)
This was the very first rpg that I ever played. It wasn't really a true rpg, but it was the game that introduced me into the realm of rpg. So with that, I must pay homage.

10. Diablo 2
Endless nights that felt like minutes. Replay factor is what this game is. I also loved the amount of power this game makes possible for your char to have. I had an amazon with pure lightning fury and lightning bolt. I'd walk into a temple room filled with must have been like 40-50 creatues. I shoot one bolt, it hits the first monster, spreads out, lights up the hole room (since it's pitch black), and takes down every creature in the room. With the right skills, this game makes you feel like God, hehe.

9. Wizardy 8
Good solid game. However, it does take a little time to get used to, but once you get into the flow, you simply can't stop. I found myself getting the party a little past the road to arnika and then I would restart the game with a different mix of classes. It was fun mixing and matching. I thought the spells really did a good job of displaying raw power. Especially the sounds lightning and that mind one. However, I haven't beaten it yet, but I am pretty far. I got stuck somewhere and have been needing to finish this gem.

8. U9: Ascension
Hehe, I know you guys don't consider U9 an ultima game, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The full 3d graphics engine really brought the game to life. Not to mention the music. I really think that music added a lot of magic to this game. I really wish game developers would spend a little more time making sure the music does its best to uplift the emotion and feeling that a player would expect in a given situation. I have tried playing U7, but the old school graphics and interface make it hard. I will continue to try, cause I know U7 is one of the cornerstones of rpg. I really do wanna play it through. I just need to put a little effort to get the momentum going.

7. Shadowrun (Snes)
I really liked this game. The part that grabbed me the most about this game is when you can hack into the network at that corporate building. I really liked that. Gave a whole new lawnmower man feel to it. It's sad that the sequel which is coming out very soon is a fps. Damn them!!

6. Arx Fatalis
This game was rowdy. I loved how you need to form symbols with the mouse to cast spells. Really added another dimension to the game. More games should copy this. I liked how you could cook things and stuff. I loved the crypts dungeon. Tons of atmosphere.

5. Divine Divinity
Great solid game. The graphics were pretty, and the quests were kickass.

4. Jagged Alliance 2 with the 1.13 mod
This game is crazy. I've pulled nothing but pure gaming goodness on this baby. The interface of using your laptop was awesome. Having a guy with binoculars spot the enemy while another dood took them out with a DSR-1 shiper rifle was simply awesome. Not to mention having another squad using mortars from afar. Night missions during the rain were also cool. This game takes everything into account, I really like that. My best time was when I was using a Galil AR the best one there. I had it on full auto. I walked through the corridors of the hospital only to find 2 guys at the end of the hall. Fortunately, I had the turn. I emptied the whole 20 rounds and killed both of them. Just kick ass game.

3. Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)
I know this game isn't a true rpg, but damn. This game is good. The dungeon designs are well thought out. It also has the day/night element. Tons of easter eggs in this game. The full 3d gives it the sense of you really being there. The bosses are epic. The game is just a great all around adventure. Strongly recommend it to anyone who still has a N64 and hasn't played it. I'm playing Twilight Princess right how and so far it's pretty good.

2. Final Fantasy 7 (PS)
Character Development guys. This game exemplifies it. You grow so attached. This is actually one of those games where I teared (not cried) after a certain event happened. The story is very good. The music is enchanting and really lifts this game to a higher standard. I loved it when your whole party stays at someone's house, and they all gather around at night for a story. The music changes and puts you in the story listening mood. This is a cozy/epic game. The summons in this game display a degree of power that is astronomical.

1. Ultima Online (PC)
Yes, I know this is a mmorpg. But you really can't comment unless you've played it. I've played all the other mmorpgs out there. They are all flash and no substance. This game has gameplay up the wazoo. Again, the ultima soundtrack adds magic to this game. Man I have played this game actively since 2000. I don't know where to start. The fact that if you die, anything and everything in your backpack can be taken. So when you're in battle, you get an adrenalin rush because if you die, u stand to lose everything!! There's just so much more. I just don't wanna write a whole book, cause I would. But simply put, this game is nonstop gaming goodness. This game also emphasizes what I think the gaming industry needs to know. This single line that hold true. It's about gameplay, not graphics. This game also makes every experience an adventure and that, my friends, is what rpg's are all about.

Not in any particular order, just because I can't really decide on what order they should be in.

Gothic 1
Do I really need to explain?

Gothic 2
Same as Gothic 1

Gothic 3
Same as Gothic 1, even with bugs, still on my top list

Arx Fatalis
Loved having a huge dungeon crawl. Magic system was great, and I loved the storyline.

Dungeon Master 1 (Played on the Apple II GS)
My first RPG. This game was great. Huge dungeon crawl, was a huge maze. I loved the riddles throughout the game.

Final Fantasy 7
By far the best Final Fantasy game imo. I loved the storyline, and the gameplay was great

Elder Scrolls Arena
First Elder Scrolls game. Loved the huge dungeon crawls. First game I played that was open.

Elder Scrolls Daggerfall
More of Elder Scrolls, and was alot of fun

Elder Scrolls Morrowind
And more again, but whole island was hand made.
Knights of the Republic 1
Was just alot of fun, and I'm a SW fan

Knights of the Republic 2
I actually liked this better then the first one.

1 - World of Warcraft

Argue all you want. Take the MMO tag off and you have the best RPG experience ever developed. From art direction to engine design to gameplay to combat, only the PvP system is sub-par and that was clearly a design choice to broaden appeal. A revolution in game design from the one of only two studios I can think of that have never made a bad game (the other is Bioware).

2 - Baldur's Gate 2

Best RPG ever. Why they changed their engine I do not know... despite the fact that it was 4 years old when released, a CRPG does not need pretty graphics to be good... we all know this. 5 games from infinity was not enough, all 5 are good, and even the worst (IWD2) was spectacular. Real-time with pause was never done better. I have high hopes for Dragon Age, perhaps this will be the party-based RPG we are all waiting for.

3 - Ultima 3

Most innovative RPG I've ever played. This game was a revelation, and was the first to bring so many features to computer gaming that I was dying for. Exodus was Garriot's masterpiece, copied so many times by so many games that it's hard to understand how great this game was unless you played it back in 1983.

4 - Jagged Alliance 2

I could cry in frustration when I consider how unfair it is that the Curries were never able to make the financial side of things work. If I had the money, SirTech would never have broken up. Where the hell are these guys now?

5 - Knights of the Old Republic

I wish Bioware had stuck to making Baldur's Gate clones, because I would have bought and played 20 sequals, but the studio still cranks out quality games. Currently the best RPG engine in existance.

6 - Wizard's Crown

A lot of people praise the Gold boxes without giving a nod to the source. SSI games came out with this gem in 1985 and I must have played this for 3 years. Now clearly abandonware, I'd attatch the game to this message, but.... "Your file of 139.7 KB bytes exceeds the forum's limit of 97.7 KB for this filetype. "

7 - Fallout 2

Amazing that four games on this list have ties to each other (BG2, KOTOR, FO2, TOEE), all spawning from work on this game. It's a shame this team didn't stay together to make more titles like this one.

8 - Deus Ex

Was this a first-person shooter or a RPG? I picked this one up after it won PCGamer's Game of the Year to find out what all the fuss was about. Sadly these guys were one-hit wonders and never replicated the magic in this game.

9 - Final Fantasy 2

Another revolution on the console, I recently replayed this on a handheld, and it's great fun even today.

10 - Temple of Elemental Evil

Loses points for three things... 1) an insane adherance to dated AD&D rules. 2) The unplayably buggy state in which it was released. 3) Linear gameplay which restricted replayability.

In no order...

The Bard's Tale I: Tales of the Unknown - I remember playing this game with my grandfather back when I was 3 or 4 years old. This and Phantasie III. Needless to say I've been a CRPG player since. I played originally on a Commodore 64, though I still have the game for the PC. I haven't played since switching to Linux though.

Phantasie III: Wrath of Nikademus - Another game I remember from way back. I much prefer the superior C64 graphics to the cruddy PC one. But, it's still fun and I've played a few times since. My own project RPG has a UI based on this, with some other elements lifted from it.

Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Forgotten Realms: Treasures of the Savage Frontier - The first CRPG I finished. I loved the more tactical combat aspects of the game, and it actually is what got me into wargames like Steel Panthers: World at War. Wargames are my second favorite genre of video game.

Wizardry VIII - The best modern RPG I have ever played, and one of the best period. I loved Wiz 6 and 7 as well; but 8 just blows them out of the water.

Ultima 6 - While Ultima 7 is said to be better, I haven't played it (I do have it though). I just love going through this game. I actually had a game where I stile everything that could be picked up or pushed, and had a 'base' in each town loaded with ill gotten gains. I also killed all the NPCs. I still haven't beaten it because I get sidetracked and just play around for sheer enjoyment.

Ancient Domains of Mystery - My favorite of all the rogue-likes. In my copy on this computer, I have over 100 dead characters listed. I've probably run this game over 1000 times and it never gets old.

Egg's Ultima Online (EUO) - An MMORPG based loosely on U4/5. I haven't played in a long while, since I switched to Linux. But it was incredibly fun and addicting, though I never got much into the community aspect. I just soloed everything.

Might and Magic: World of Xeen - I don't consider the two separate games whole unless they're together. I've had hours upon hours of fun with this; to the point that my last party was two characters. I wanted to solo it, but certain skills require two characters to have them (mountaineering and pathfinding) and as such, a solo game is nearly impossible. I also love M&M 2 and 3, which deserve mention here as well.

Divine Divinity - I had a blast playing this for a brief time, until the disc messed up. Now I can't play it at all. I haven't played in a long time.

The Summoning - And old SSI game, with an isometric POV. Both me and my uncle spent many hours playing this. I got stuck in the teleport maze. I remember it more fondly for my uncle, who died due to complications from his diabetes, than for the game, but it is still a solid game, one that has a few elements I like well enough to use in my own dream game. The game Veil of Darkness uses the same engine, in a gothic/horror setting. It's pretty good, but much harder.

Baldur's Gate - One of the very few games I've bought twice. I wore the original discs out. I like BG2 as well, but I haven't rebought it yet(the discs on my copy are worn out there too).

honorable mention

Devil Whiskey - While not technically the best I can name, I mention this because I was on the original dev team, when it was Bard's Tale IV. I left before it became Bard's Legacy, which was later dropped due to copyright issues for just the name DW. I used to post regularly at the forums, but it wouldn't load last few times I tried to go there, so I quit bothering. I disagree with the devs promising to release the source, and then not doing so (breaking not only their word but a licensing agreement with some OS stuff they used in development). As it was the first game I had a hand (however brief) in, I'll mention it. It taught me what not to do when selling a game, and what to do; so I owe it that much.

Hey welcome to the forums; I used to be active at Devil Whiskey till they asked me for more money to keep my registered account active!! If you like U6, keep your eyes open for the U6 Project and check out their M3 release (details elsewhere)!!

Hi azraelck -

If people with your excellent game-taste are the future game developers -
then there is still hope !

I remember you Corwin, you got me to check out Grimoire's website, back in the day. Of course, for some reason my registration at that forum messed up, and I never could get it working right again. I've seen you at two or three other forums as well that I lurk at.

Shifting Suns wanted more money from me as well. I might've been willing, but lying about going open source doesn't sit well with me at all. I don't have a problem with closed-source, but when you use open-source material, and say you'll release the source, then do it; don't go back on your word.

HiddenX, hope is the carrot dangling in front of the mule. Taste has no bearing on how good I am at anything (actually I suck at programming, though I do enjoy it). I think I have something I'd like to play, and that's it. I won't speak for anyone else. As long as there's plenty of people who like good games, then there'll always be some of them that try to make ones of their own. Thanks for the welcome, y'all.

My current top 10. In no order...

Might&Magic - World of Xeen
Eye of the Beholder II
Ultima Underworld I
Wizardry VII - Crusaders of the Dark Savant
System Shock I
Ultima VII - Complete
Realms of Arkania II - Star Trail
Anvil of Dawn
Fallout II
Jagged Alliance II

Anvil of Dawn - a forgotten gem:

Still have the original box on the shelf. Developed by Dreamforge (Ravenloft 1&2, Chronomaster, Sanitarium...) and published by legendary New World Computing.
Great game, far better than Stonekeep IMHO, which was released approximately at the same time. Remember the great song by the blacksmith near the end of the game.
http://www.abandonia.com/games/304/download/AnvilofDawn.htm

I'd never even heard of it; thanks for the link. If I had something in return, I'd post it.

Anvil of Dawn - a forgotten gem:

Click to expand...

I started this game it seamed like fun... but I stopped playing.. because I got stuck in some labyrinth and could never find an exit