Best RPG of all time (I think not.). What are your thoughts?

[JimNightshade]

So I've heard several times and in several places that people consider this the best RPG ever. I like the game, the combat is good, however I find the story to be bland and something I'm not really interested in. A great RPG should compel the player to push forward in intrigue.

[raubrey]

It's one of my favorites, probably in the Top 10 for replayability. I don't have a best.
Never understood the Baldur's Gate best fanclub...timing and generations I suppose,
so different strokes. I like it fine. The best never mattered to me -- as far as opinion/critics --but replayability does, and I find it a scarce luxury.

[Bunny Girl Senpai]

It's not the best. It's the goat.

[puppet74]

Its good but by far from the best for me. A great rpg should have the depth to reply over and over with different partys setups ect. I find this game doesnt really offer alot of depth when it comes to character creation and party setup, even more so on the harder settings, where you get ♥♥♥♥ on if you dont go full physical or magic ect. I spent like 5 min max on character creation in dos2, i spent hours on other rpgs like poe, bg2, nwn 1 and 2. There alot more flexability to combat in my opinion.
As for the story, its good but it just kinda wains towards the end and like others have said it doesnt really leave you happy about its ending. The writing as well isnt quite as good in my opinion compared to recent rpgs like Pillars, but each to there own i guess.

This game is good though, alot of choice with the enviroment and lots of silly fun diolog and moments that are unexspected. A solid game but its quality is to all over the place to be one of the best rpgs ever made tbh.

[fauxpas]

Its good, maybe even great, but not "the best" in opinion, as that is a tossup between Mass Effect 1 ; Baldur's Gate Saga (original, not bd's crap) ; and Dragon Age Origins (much like The Matrix, in my world they never made a sequel).

[raubrey]

Originally posted by fauxpas:

Its good, maybe even great, but not "the best" in opinion, as that is a tossup between Mass Effect 1 ; Baldur's Gate Saga (original, not bd's crap) ; and Dragon Age Origins (much like The Matrix, in my world they never made a sequel).

That's pretty good about DAO world.

My rotating list is DAO, ME 1-2, NWN 1-2 (w expansions/mods), +/- Skyrim w/mods and Fallout Vegas.
Second to that is most the D&D-based/like crpgs, Ultima series, Divinity games and a few others.
In my world, I'm femshep in all the games. ;P

[Hobocop]

This is one of my favorites cRPGs of all time personally.

The older classics are still good games in their own right, but I think people tend to gloss over how flawed they are in several aspects.

Like Neverwinter Nights 1 not really hitting it's stride until both of it's expansion packs came out and there was scads of custom content to choose from, because the vanilla campaign is really not that good.

Every time I replay NWN1, I skip straight to XP1 since it's intended to be played with 1st level characters, smoothly transitions into XP2 and is just more well put together in every single way.

Also, Deekin.

[Revolucas]

But this game is that good. RPG just isn't about story, it's about the ability to make meaningful decisions in all aspects of gameplay, including story.

Neverwinter Nights I consider good but I never really liked the story, what I liked was the user modules and persistent worlds; I still have it installed and it's fun to play some of the worlds still around.

I agree with Raubrey, Baldur's Gate was okay but it's definitely not the best cRPG or even the top 10 honestly. People just liked it because it was the best AD&D interpretation ever put into a game at the time. I didn't really like Pillars of Eternity, it tries too hard to be like D&D without actually being D&D. Tyranny was much better then PoE in terms of gameplay and story.

Now just thinking about PC RPGs only, the best ones that come to my mind are Knights of the Old Republic 1 & 2, Mass Effect 1, Fallout 2, Neverwinter Nights, Divinity Original Sins 1 & 2. I don't go back and think about Baldur's Gate, Torment or Elder Scrolls. I like Witcher 3 also but not sure that's fair to include since it's more of an action game.
Now if I were to include all genres of RPGs, like JRPG, the only ones that would stick in the top 10 would be Fallout 2 and Kotor.

[fauxpas]

Fable 2 ... And no, I don't care if you (generic) don't consider it a "true rpg".

[raubrey]

Originally posted by Alundaio:

But this game is that good. RPG just isn't about story, it's about the ability to make meaningful decisions in all aspects of gameplay, including story.

Neverwinter Nights I consider good but I never really liked the story, what I liked was the user modules and persistent worlds; I still have it installed and it's fun to play some of the worlds still around.

I agree with Raubrey, Baldur's Gate was okay but it's definitely not the best cRPG or even the top 10 honestly. People just liked it because it was the best AD&D interpretation ever put into a game at the time. I didn't really like Pillars of Eternity, it tries too hard to be like D&D without actually being D&D. Tyranny was much better then PoE in terms of gameplay and story.

Now just thinking about PC RPGs only, the best ones that come to my mind are Knights of the Old Republic 1 & 2, Mass Effect 1, Fallout 2, Neverwinter Nights, Divinity Original Sins 1 & 2. I don't go back and think about Baldur's Gate, Torment or Elder Scrolls. I like Witcher 3 also but not sure that's fair to include since it's more of an action game.
Now if I were to include all genres of RPGs, like JRPG, the only ones that would stick in the top 10 would be Fallout 2 and Kotor.

I would be hard-pressed to choose between Kotor 1-2 (which I forgot to list) and ME 1-2.

But I agree that there is a complexity to what makes an RPG good. Take Kingdoms of Amaleur -- rarely do I see it on 'Best of' lists yet it is techniquely far above many RPGs in gameplay (very few bugs), lore, voice acting and so on. While I have played it more than once, it doesn't hold a memorable spot to me as a great RPG, even if it is rather good.

Dragon Age Inquisition is another than I enjoy playing at least 2X a year but it is missing something ...some might call it souless, even.

Witcher 3 is pretty amazing, too. Any issue I have with it is probably stylistic preference. Which reminds me, I forgot to include Gothic 2 ...another great one. I'd be in real trouble if I had to choose one to beat all.

[raubrey]

Originally posted by fauxpas:

Fable 2 ... And no, I don't care if you (generic) don't consider it a "true rpg".

Definately, a contender -- it is most certainly a true RPG.

[fauxpas]

Kingdoms of Amaleur is the one where you can suck the "fate" out of baddies because you were brought back to life and thus your destiny was severed?

[raubrey]

Originally posted by fauxpas:

Kingdoms of Amaleur is the one where you can suck the "fate" out of baddies because you were brought back to life and thus your destiny was severed?

That's the one.

[fauxpas]

Ah, I agree it was a good game, but what I think held it back is that it was trying too hard to feel like a mmo. (I also didn't care for the fact the first time you set foot in a zone, you level locked the baddies instead of allowing each zone to scale (within a set level range) to your character as you grew.)


Still, makes me want to set up my 360 again to play it again.

[GassyTaco]

Originally posted by Sephiroth:

So I've heard several times and in several places that people consider this the best RPG ever. I like the game, the combat is good, however I find the story to be bland and something I'm not really interested in. A great RPG should compel the player to push forward in intrigue.

A great RPG should let you roleplay and live a theatrical play that changes acording to your choices that have consequences short term or long run, not nessesary needs to be a great story.

This game from what i played so far, captures that feel of a good RPG, the story is lacking a bit, however, the journy to get there and the lack of a moral system that so many RPGs have and boost about is what makes this truly great when it comes down to chosing (example me playing as a chaotic neutral Bard in my party with friends and that makes interesting conflicts in the party).

Originally posted by fauxpas:

Ah, I agree it was a good game, but what I think held it back is that it was trying too hard to feel like a mmo. (I also didn't care for the fact the first time you set foot in a zone, you level locked the baddies instead of allowing each zone to scale (within a set level range) to your character as you grew.)


Still, makes me want to set up my 360 again to play it again.

What, enemies dont scale and level dont lock, if you go into a zone underleveled, you are going to get your butt handed to you and that is part of early RPGs.

[raubrey]

Originally posted by fauxpas:

Ah, I agree it was a good game, but what I think held it back is that it was trying too hard to feel like a mmo. (I also didn't care for the fact the first time you set foot in a zone, you level locked the baddies instead of allowing each zone to scale (within a set level range) to your character as you grew.)


Still, makes me want to set up my 360 again to play it again.

I think that's a good assessment as any as to why it doesn't quite make the cut. I also get the notion to play it whenever I get to talking about it. It should get an award for the best drunk in an RPG...Agarth. I don't know what became of the talent behind the game but it was a real shame the game went bust from apparent mismanagement of funding it.

What, enemies dont scale and level dont lock, if you go into a zone underleveled, you are going to get your butt handed to you and that is part of early RPGs.

I think the problem was that most players became over-leveled rather quickly...not underleveled, though the starts could be a bit of a challenge. I remember the rock trolls being ultra difficult to nearly one-shotting them...in a short time-span. The respawn rate was too fast, too, which gave the game more of a hack-n-slash feel at times.