Top 10 RPGs of the last decade

Nice idea. Well, actually I already did my "list" back in the other thread separated by "modern" and "old" (Link).
But 10 years is limiting it even more…can't put Jagged Alliance 2 into that list anymore.

1. Divinity: Original Sin 2
2. Mass Effect 2

These are basically the only 2 games which would receive clear 90+ ratings from me in a 100 Point System.
So I add another list (which in total exceeds the 10 games) with some kind of runner ups. But these games wouldn't get more than high 70s or low 80s in my book (alphabetical order):

Avernum: Escape from the Pit (you can also add Avadon 1-3 and Avernum 2, but I'd name Avernum 1 as the best)
Divinity: Original Sin 1
Dragon Age: Origins (Excluding the Ostagar DLC and the Expansion which was horrible)
Drakensang: River of Time (Excluding the Expansion as well)
Expeditions: Conquistador
Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout 4
Halfway
Legends of Eisenwald
Might and Magic X
Pillars of Eternity
Shadowrun: Dragonfall
Underrail
Wasteland 2

Maybe to make it a little more interesting, here are some games I intentionally did not put into even that list:

Originally Posted by daveyd
4. Dead State: Reanimated

What?
I can understand the appeal of most games. But this game…man, even in the "reanimated" Version it's one of the most unpolished games with the most horrible, and least meaningful connected game mechanics I have seen yet.

Knights of the Chalice would be real close to the top for me. Top 3 for sure. One of the few games I have played thru and won 3x.

Originally Posted by purpleblob
Let's see…

1. Stardew Valley
2. Mass Effect 2
3. Expeditions: Viking
4. Dragon Age: Origins
5. Skyrim - modded

Surprised not many Watchers have The Witcher 3 in the top 10. I really enjoyed watching it but not really playing it. Have to give it another go. I'd say, The Witcher 3, Mount&Blade, Mass Effect1, Divinity: Original Sin and Diablo 3 for the rest of my top 10.

Damn, I forgot about M&B, that pushes one of my choices out of the top 10. Someone earlier mentioned Kings Bounty which would also make my cut if I considered it an RPG but I don't.

I'd forgotten about Knights of the chalice…

Mass Effect is a difficult one. In retrospect I think it should be on my list because I really enjoyed my first playthrough, particularly the second one despite dumbed down rpg mechanics. On the other hand, I tried to replay the series recently and found I wasn't enjoying it second time round. Hmph. Not sure where that leaves it.

I realize I haven't finished very many rpgs in the last 10 years, but I have to mention The Witcher 3 as number one. I've actually managed to set time aside this year and finished it (still haven't finished Blood and Wine, to be honest).

As as second, I've recently started ELEX, and it's amazing how PB that game is. Very reminiscent of the exploration in Gothic. So, if I have to, I guess I'll put that as number two.

Originally Posted by danutz_plusplus
I realize I haven't finished very many rpgs in the last 10 years,

I think it's just extremely hard to keep track. I am keeping a list and I am always surprised when scanning through it for occasions like this thread. Half of the games I played wouldn't come to my mind (granted, these are probably also possibly not the best ones)

I have no doubt I've forgotten a few great CRPGs. As I age, games seem to come and go without as much of an impression as in the past.

But, really, these lists are just musings - and not to be taken too seriously.

I take a list from members of RPGWatch more serious then other sites. At least here I know the members are intelligent and have actually played many crpg's.

Now I have it in writing that I'm intelligent!

I smell a raise coming.

I also omitted Knights of the Chalice….off to berate myself.

KotC was wonderful. Not top 10 for me, but a fun combat game. I'm glad to see it represented.

Originally Posted by Hastar
I take a list from members of RPGWatch more serious then other sites. At least here I know the members are intelligent and have actually played many crpg's.

Same. (For whatever reason ) I find the opinions of a thread like this, here, influence me more than the click bait lists that come up on major gaming sites.

Amending my list thusly: toss out Divinity, throw in Knights of the Chalice one, and call it winner winner chicken dinner!!!

Well, leaving off sorta-RPGs like Saints Row 3 and the Batman games…

Witcher 3
Skyrim
Dragon Age 1
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 3
Fallout 3 / New Vegas
Mass Effect 1
Divinity:OS 2
Dragon Age 3
Witcher 1

P.S. Oblivion's Shivering Islands is 2007, which is a relief. I don't think I could have picked between that and Witcher 1.

Isn't fallout 3 and fallout new vegas two different games ?

Originally Posted by Zloth
Well, leaving off sorta-RPGs like Saints Row 3 and the Batman games…

Witcher 3
Skyrim
Dragon Age 1
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 3
Fallout 3 / New Vegas
Mass Effect 1
Divinity:OS 2
Dragon Age 3
Witcher 1

P.S. Oblivion's Shivering Islands is 2007, which is a relief. I don't think I could have picked between that and Witcher 1.

I can't remember if New Vegas was a stand alone expansion or not - but there's so much in common that I can't really remember which had what once you get beyond Mr. House and other give-aways.

Excellent polling so far, lots of really useful and informative information.

The detail which has caught my eye immediately is the case of Dragon Age: Origins.

Of 16 people who have provided some form of preferences, a whopping 13 people have cited Dragon Age: Origins as one of their top games from the last 10 years. No other game is as commonly remembered nor commonly mentioned. Not even Skyrim comes even vaguely close.

However, this game also rarely appears at the top of anyone's list. In fact, out of a top 10 voting list request, DA:O has managed to find someone to give them every single spot, from 1-10 and only a couple of duplicates. Currently, only one person has it as their no.1 game, @porcozaur, one in second place, @Carnifex, and one in third, @Zloth, and on it goes, right down to 10.

So, while DA:O wins by quantity, if you averaged out the 'scores' it would only get 5th place. Which I think tells us an awful lot about a lot of things RPG. Such as:

Just how bad the sequels were in terms of meeting audience expectations.
Just how bad the the whole genre is at meeting mainstream RPG expectations.
How Bioware's 'trademark' idea of what an RPG is, most closely matches that of most people's idea as well.
That Bioware was actually, at one point in time, the least 'offensive' RPG maker.
That the people on this site do indeed share a certain taste, even with many biases.

On that last point, it then becomes interesting to look at who didn't think DA:O belongs on their list. Who are the site's most 'extreme' tastes? Well, it turns out there's only 2 'extremes' and one person who just doesn't play many RPGs:
@crpgnut - who has a pathological dislike of party-based games.
@TomRon - who has a pathological dislike of anything resembling AAA action RPGs.
@danutz_plusplus who has a pathological dislike of playing RPGs.

Dragon Age: Origins is also one of the oldest games in the timeline requested, and, while it probably wouldn't make that many lists if everyone had the time/money to play all of the released RPGs in the last 10 years, it has managed keep afloat in all variety of wider competition.

Oh Bioware. Oh EA. Why were/are you so… dumb?

Originally Posted by Zloth
I can't remember if New Vegas was a stand alone expansion or not - but there's so much in common that I can't really remember which had what once you get beyond Mr. House and other give-aways.

Yeah, it was a stand alone. And the games were actually quite different. Not in terms of game mechanics. But in terms of story and gameplay.

New Vegas:
-Had Romans, New Vegas and Robots
-More decisions in quests
-Much more Bugs
-Much less grind (which in Fallout 3 happened a lot, especially in the canal system)

Originally Posted by lackblogger
The detail which has caught my eye immediately is the case of Dragon Age: Origins.

Snip

Just saying, while DA:O is in my top 10 RPGs of the last decade, it def won't make it to top 10 RPGs of all time…

Originally Posted by purpleblob
Just saying, while DA:O is in my top 10 RPGs of the last decade, it def won't make it to top 10 RPGs of all time…

Yeah, I conclude with something similar, and that thought does run through the post, between the lines. It's like DA:O is also a benchmark between the 'old' and the 'new', catching the old-guard with something vaguely recognisable, while also catching the new-folk with something vaguely AAA and actiony. The old adage of pleasing everyone, but also possibly not pleasing anyone.

A fascinating game, worthy of loads of walls of text if one really put one's mind to it.