Hey all,
I'm going to have a bit more time for PC gaming this summer, but I need some recommendations. I've got a hankering for a high-quality rpg and/or a good strategy rpg for the PC (or Wii, I guess). Anyone got any good suggestions of what might suit me? For reference, I have played and enjoyed:
Mass Effect series and Dragon Age series (loved both)
X-Com: Enemy Unknown (had a great time with it)
Ogre Battle (enjoyed a lot, but found the overall unit management a little too micro-intensive)
Baldur's Gate II and Throne of Baal
Fable
Telltale's Walking Dead series (not a real rpg, I know, but still very compelling)
I'd really like a good story to sink my teeth into, especially if there's a good cast of characters (and good voice acting's nice, too - I've gotten spoiled by it). Graphics aren't a major priority. I prefer "Western" style rpgs but if the story's good enough I'm flexible.
So please, o wise paizo boards, help me out!
Bioware made Baldur's Gate, Dragon Age, and Mass Effect, so you might consider checking out their other RPGs: Jade Empire, Star Wars:Kotor, and Neverwinter Nights 1.
Neverwinter Nights actually had a rather lackluster main campaign compared to Bioware's other games, but there are numerous high quality add-ons that make it worthwhile.
You might also want to check out the Borderlands series by 2K, which is sort of a cross between an RPG and a first person shooter. The Deus Ex series is also a high quality cross between an RPG and a FPS.
You might also consider the Suikoden series. It is a Japanese style RPG with strategy elements.
I quite enjoyed these games.
- Planescape: Torment (turn-based RPG)
- Geneforge Saga (turn-based RPG, x5 titles)
- any of the Elder Scrolls series after Arena
- Fallout series (if you can stand '40s and '50s culture and don't mind deserts too much)
- Arcanum Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura (turn-based, RPG)
- Witcher 1 & 2 (I've played some of both, but I've never cared for the melee-based character; on the other hand, the story's interesting)
- Inquisition (turn-based RPG)
- Temple of Elemental Evil (turn-based, party-based RPG)
- Shadowrun Returns (turn-based RPG and it looks awesome, June 2013)
- Chaos Chronicles (turn-based RPG, similar to 3.5 mechanics, first half of 2013)
- War for the Overworld (Dungeon Keeper inspired, August 2013)
Thanks for the recommendations, guys. I may pick up something in the Elder Scrolls line - I understand they're very sandboxy, though. Does the main plot hold up pretty well?
Daggerfall's got the best nostalgia, Morrowind's got the best plot, Oblivion's got the best daedra, and Skyrim's got the best engine.
For me, the Elder Scrolls' real charm comes through during the exploration and books (culture & history exploration).
Elder Scrolls are cool but VERY sandboxy. I've played Morrowind, Oblivion, and Skyrim, and Skyrim is the only one I stuck with to get through the whole main plotline. I'd say it holds up pretty well, as do many of the larger "sidequests," but there is a lot of railroading in places. It's hard to say whether you'd like them or not, people tend to love or hate them. (Although myself, I'm actually in a middle zone of "really enjoy, but far from my favorite.") Morrowind I hated; it's the one everyone else loves madly but I just found it to be an endless field of brown that I got continually lost and/or killed in. For a lot of them it really is just a matter of preference; if you have a friend who owns them what I'd suggest is playing on their machine and seeing if you like it, then get your own copy if you do.
I'd agree with a large number of the prior suggestions (though would note I don't think you can legally get Suikoden on the PC, they're PS1 and 2 games for the most part). For the Fallout Series, I have played 1, 2, 3, and New Vegas, and the last is absolutely hands down my favorite and I would recommend it over the others if you only had to choose one, in terms of balance between non-frustrating gameplay, good story, good choices, good dialogue, and interesting characters. Your mileage, of course, may vary. If you really prefer turn-based/tactical then 1 and 2 might be more up your alley (I enjoyed them thoroughly and 2 was my first Fallout game, but found the particular combat mechanics a little clunky, personally. Others adore it, however).
Of the only things not mentioned so far...
Alpha Protocol: For PC and PATCHED (for the love of god, make sure it's patched; Steam version is probably most reliable if you have it or would be willing to install it). It is an espionage themed action-RPG and fast paced, but really decent storywise, and great for replay value. It is real time but you do have to think tactically and plan out your moves and who you take out first and how carefully, especially if you play a stealth game (and if you like playing stealthy, it is a great RPG to play, it very much rewards that style of play). Even patched it has a few bugs, unfortunately (the publishers took the copy they were given for beta testing and basically published it without actually going through QA). One quirk to it is there are time limits on dialogues--you have to pick a response in a certain period of time--but the important thing to note is that it's easy to determine the "mode" of conversation you're following, and there are no wrong answers; every response produces a valid and interesting outcome, even if a different one. Even if you piss someone off, that can be used to your advantage.
Dungeon Siege Series: MUCH more monty-haul dungeon crawl, but satisfyingly so and scratches many combat itches if that's your thing.
If there's any ONE game I'd say any PC RPG lover MUST play at some point, it would be Planescape: Torment.
Jade Empire, as mentioned above, is very cool. The Steam version is tricky and you have to do some work to make it function on a more modern machine, however,
If you like Baldurs gate 1 and 2 go get icewind dale 1-2 they are pretty much equally awesome. you cna grab them on gog.com
For the ELDER SCROLLS series, you really have to go with SKYRIM. The earlier games are pretty much unplayable for various different reasons and without the nostalgia factor helping, you probably won't get much out of them (maybe OBLIVION would be okay, but it has a really surreal levelling mechanic which doesn't make any sense, but with mods is great fun). I'd actually second the rec for FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS, which has a similar open world style but with a vastly superior main plot and characters.
For RPGs, the ICEWIND DALE series is a good recommendation if you've enjoyed the BG series, though it is very combat-heavy (not much roleplaying and only a little bit of puzzle-solving, but gorgeous environments and music). PLANESCAPE: TORMENT is a must-play, though you need mods to get it working to maximum satisfaction these days.
If you like THE WALKING DEAD, then the default adventure recommendation is THE SECRET OF MONKEY ISLAND 1 and 2, which have just been re-released in special editions via Steam for PC and on X-Box as well. Some of the same people worked on them.
KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC 1 and 2 are excellent, for different reasons (KotOR 2 also needs some modding to overcome its half-finished original ending). ANACHRONOX is also a brilliant RPG, but requires some work. DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION is also a great, more modern RPG. If you want an RPG in a more modern setting, ALPHA PROTOCOL is also supposed to be good, but it's a Marmite game (you'll either absolutely love it or hate it with a burning passion).
For strategy, are you more of a turn-based or real-time person? For hardcore turn-based strategy, Paradox make some of the best games around, particularly CRUSADER KINGS II. For a much more combat-focused series, the TOTAL WAR games are good. For real-time, COMPANY OF HEROES is worth a look (and its very long-awaited sequel is imminent). STARCRAFT and its sequels are also enjoyable, though I prefer CoH, GROUND CONTROL (and its sequel) and, in particular, the excellent and underrated HOSTILE WATERS (which actually mixes real-time and turn-based strategy by having a pause-and-order mode).
Oh, also, did anyone mention Neverwinter Nights 2? Its single player campaigns generally blow the first NWN's out of the water (yes, even though the main one has its issues, comparing OC to OC, NWN2 comes out way ahead), and the expansion module Mask of the Betrayer is an EXCELLENT RPG and story, frequently favorably compared to Planescape: Torment in terms of quality.
While multiplayer afficionados rightly prefer NWN1, 2 is, in my opinion based on my lengthy experience with both games, the way to go with single player.
(Also, personally I vastly prefer the NWN2 toolset, but I'm apparently in the minority in that opinion).
I'd say get both Fallout 3 AND New Vegas.
They both are quite different games. FO3 embraces the sillier aspects of 50's sci-fi tropes and other culture in a bit of a morbid mix of those elements and downright dark themes. Developed by Bethesda themselves after picking up the IP.
New Vegas, on the other hand, is a bit more rooted in the serious. It tries to explore the more political/societal consequences of a post apocalyptic wasteland, rather than the more obvious "Spciety's dun gone to s###, lots of factions with their own goals" nature of FO3. Uses the same engine, but developed by most of the crowd from the original two Fallout games.
They are BOTH great games, and the gameplay is much the same between them. I prefer the atmosphere of FO3 above New Vegas. There's something about it that's hard to explain, the almost constant dissonance and contrast between silliness and grimness worked together.
New Vegas is more...conventional I guess? It has some of that, but it's not the main focus it seems. But in no way is it bad, or anything less than very good.
I'd say get all the Fallouts, I just said if you were gonna get one I'd suggest FNV.
Odd, Rynjin, I've heard fans say the opposite about FO3 vs FNV... often from those who prefer FO3, that FO3 is very serious and FNV is too frivolous and overdoes the 50s references. I guess it must be a your mileage may vary thing.
I actually don't think either are true, I think they equally balanced well Fallout's weird and dark humor with exploring the serious aspects of being in a post-nuclear world. FNV has Wild Wasteland perk to tailor it if you want a little more silly though.
(The "not serious enough" criticism is also levelled toward Fallout 2 from certain fans, while others preferred its humor to FO1.)
FO3 is very serious, but also very ridiculous and silly at the same time.
I think the best example of this is
He's also a hilarious parody of the Red Scare propaganda and everything that came with it.
not a real rpg, I know, but still very compelling)
I'd really like a good story to sink my teeth into, especially if there's a good cast of characters (and good voice acting's nice, too - I've gotten spoiled by it).
Assassin's Creed
I'll give another recommendation for Fallout NV but with a caveat. I absolutely love the game but if you decide to play it, and I cannot stress this enough, get a bug fix mod. I personally use MMUE and comparing patched vs vanilla it's a world of difference on my PC.
Other than that (and FO3) the Dragon Age series, especially the first. As well as Jade Empire, and Mass Effect are all good games.
Assassin's Creed
Not to nitpick, but the Assassin's Creed series, while very good (bar an unfortunate 5-10 minute chunk at the end of Assassin's Creed 3), is a 3rd Person Action series, not an RPG series.
Quest for Glory was an amazing series. Definitely agree on that. 3, 4, and 5 were all very good. 4 and 5 got rid of the "you're too awake to fall asleep" nonsense that I disliked for so long.
King's Quest, while great games, are puzzle games more than anything.