RPG Recommendations

If you like Skyrim you might like Dragon Age. Similar feel but not as lonely as Skyrim since you have team members snarking at each other the entire time. It's also got a lot of nods to popular fantasy series like Wheel of Time and A Song of Ice and Fire, the latter being one of the main influences in it being a Dark Fantasy. It has a unique take on mages that's really fascinating and gives a good reason for why mages are feared but don't run everything like you'd think they would in other settings. In this setting mages are prone to possession from malevolent spirits from the real of dreams and magic if their willpower isn't quite strong enough. Now the spirits are like vampires in that they have to be invited in but they can be very convincing. But once a spirit or as they're called in this case demons enters a mage bad things can happen. Like the demon gets overwhelmed by the sensations of the "real" world and goes batshit insane and starts using the mage's magic to just destroy everything in sight. Or because they have a bad case of blue and orange morality start doing taboo things like raising undead armies. So mages are kept locked away in towers where they learn to control their magic and kept a close eye on in case one starts getting a little possessed.

It also turns the classic elf, dwarf, and other races tropes a bit sideways. There's elves and they were immortal once upon a time but now they've somehow lost that and are either stuffed into ghettos in human cities or in tribes spread about the world kind of like the Romani people. Dwarves do live underground but they have rigid caste systems that are near impossible to move up in. Nobles, smiths, merchants, and the casteless that are basically nonentities. But because of the major bad stuff going on in the world called Darkspawn and their tainted people, dwarves have issues with fertility and so tend to be polyamorous. Humans are your usual jack of all stats but different countries have different influences like France, Byzantines, and the old Scottish and Irish. It's fun and the world is very intriguing.

If you like sci-fi stuff there's also Mass Effect, also made by Bioware. Honestly one of the best sci-fi universes out there in gaming when it comes to making the setting really feel alive. Aliens are actually alien (can't eat the same food, some have secondary and tertiary organs, their thought processes are different, they misuse human idioms), humans aren't the guys on top and are the obnoxious upstarts that just joined the galactic community, and it does try to stay relatively within the realm of reality. The biggest change is how they achieve faster than light travel with the titular Mass Effect from a new element that can change the mass of an object depending on what kind of electrical current is put through it. So you have guns that run on mass effect technology to accelerate the bullets and there's basically giant slingshot type things around the galaxy called Mass Relays where the ship has their mass appear to be zero so the whole mass and speed of light causing relativistic effects is skirted around. It's fun, you can be a boy scout (or girl scout!) that rescues puppies and kittens, a total asshole that throws people out windows for the lulz, or somewhere in between.

Both series though have the same issues of the first games in the series being a bit on the weaker side due to having to do a lot of world building and exposition and experimenting with what they want to series to be in general. Dragon Age II also suffered from only having about a year of development time and at times it shows but I think it's still a solid entry. Hawke is a genuinely fun character to play. They're also both western RPGs so if you're not a big fan of JRPG tropes then these might be more up your ally.

See, I really wish I could refresh my memory on what your backlog is. Your tastes in other genres will say a lot about which RPGs you would enjoy.


Time is a limiting factor and interested in an oldschool game? I suggest you try Parasite Eve. It's only about 8 hours long, and the gameplay has aged really, really well for being literally 20 years old. I also occasionally plug it because it's one of my favorite games of all time. Perfect? ...No. But you fight a reanimated T-Rex in the Museum of Natural History in NYC. Let me be 8 years old on this one.

Interested in a more modern spin? Try Dark Souls. The Souls games are the best dungeon grinds you will ever play. They're thought out to be atmospheric, difficult and fair at the same time, and the control scheme will be easy to learn if you know action adventure games. Demon's Souls is really clunky to play, but any game with the gonads to attack you with aborted fetuses in 2009 is...at least worth being aware of.


I suppose the elephant in the room is Final Fantasy. I'll be honest as a regular buyer of Final Fantasy; it's not a great series. The one good thing about Final Fantasy is it's a brand you don't have to worry about resting on their laurels; they aggressively experiment with things like materia, junctions, espers, job points, and paradigms. And because they're so aggressive about innovating, they get things wrong in practically every game. My personal favorite is VIII, but that's mostly because it fed my teenage fantasy of learning interesting things at school, like how to kill things.

* I second Dragon Age. The original one is more of a classic western RPG, the newest one blends in some action hacking.
* I also second Mass Effect, if you don't mind shooter combat elements. Story and characters are great.
* Jade Empire
* Knights of the Old Republic (classic Star Wars goodness)
* Knights of the Old Republic 2 (less polished but a more nuanced story)

* Elder Scrolls: Morrowind easily has the best story in the entire franchise.
* Elder Scrolls: Oblivion was very solid, esp. with overhaul mods. Shivering Isles DLC is a must.
* Baldur's Gate (+2)
* Diablo
* Neverwinter Nights
* There's a new free-to-play Neverwinter, but I haven't checked it out



I will think of more later, but gotta run right now.

Any of the Witcher games, but especially 3 (Wild Hunt), are worth playing RPG-wise. Great story and gameplay all around.

^ Yes, this. How did I forget? Witcher 3 is an outstanding RPG. Witcher 2 was really good too. It has a much smaller feel to it, but it's a good prequel for Witcher 3. The first game was pretty clunky and was obviously a freshman effort from a new developer. But it regularly goes on sale for like $2, so hey. You might have to read a little backstory on the series to really get the importance of what's happening in the games, but hey, good excuse to read up on lore.


The very first Deus Ex game is amazing, but it's also a shooter-RPG hybrid, so I don't know if that's what you're looking for.

Fallout 1 and Fallout 2 aren't shooters. They're classic point and click turn-based RPGs, so you might find those interesting if you don't mind older games. They have a pretty cool atmosphere that the Bethesda-era games haven't really recaptured outside of New Vegas. Fallout Tactics, too, although it's less RPG and more.... well.... tactics.

A lot of interesting suggestions, let me try and respond them all.

Dragon Age/Baldur's Gate

It's my understanding there is some kind of connection between these two franchises? Regardless, both do have my interest. I am actually somewhat familiar with Baldur's Gate, as one of my best friends used to play it in high school quite a bit. I never actually got around to playing it myself, but I was quite content watching him play, and I always thought it to be rather interesting. It's definitely one I plan on giving a try eventually. I have no such familiarity with Dragon Age, though from what I've read about it, it does seem to be a game I would be interested in. Not sure if I'll wait and get it for PC whenever I get around to my way overdue update, or if I'll pick it up for the 360 beforehand.

Mass Effect

So I have actually had a chance to try out Mass Effect 2 not too long ago, as a friend of mine brought it over to play. Granted I didn't really play for very long, or really do much of anything, but I just really did not care for the game's combat gameplay. I don't have an issue with blending the gameplay styles of RPGs and shooters necessarily, I just felt that the character moved far too sluggishly to do the shooting mechanics any justice. Maybe I didn't give it enough time to set in for me, and it's something I should look into giving another shot at. I really did want to like the game though, since I am a sucker for the Sci-fi genre and space operas.

Parasite Eve

I've heard the name before, but that's it. I would rather not select based on time, since if the game is good enough I will keep playing, but a decent RPG in under 10 hours? Now you have me a bit interested. Plus that boss fight sounds pretty awesome. I'll do some looking into when I get the chance.

Dark Souls

This series has actually been on my To Do list for awhile now, though I've always kind of categorized it more with the Hack & Slash action genre, probably due to it's notorious difficulty. I'm a glutton for punishment when it comes to games, since I LOVE playing brutal classics like Castlevania, Ghosts & Goblins, Ninja Gaiden, & Battletoads, so Dark Souls is naturally very appealing to me.

Final Fantasy

Despite my previous statements about the series, I do very much want to play it, at least the older ones anyways. I already own VII & I-II Dawn of Souls, though I haven't really had the chance to sit down and play through them, but I was looking into closing the gap. I was also looking into trying out some of Squares SNES classics like Chrono Trigger, since that seems to be their golden era.

Jade Empire/KOTOR

Since I've picked up collecting for the original Xbox in the past year, these three are always popping up in collecting guides and recommendations. I've already picked up Jade Empire, though like the above FF games, haven't gotten around to playing it yet, and KOTOR is on my shopping list as well.

Elder Scrolls Morrowind/Oblivion

So I actually used to own Oblivion, since I picked it up in a deal along with Skyrim some years ago. I tried playing it first, but I only ever got to the intro city after the opening mission before I got lost and gave up. To be completely honest, I don't really think I gave it a fair shot, and was more or less looking for an excuse to start with the new game, at the time. And while I did very much enjoy Skyrim, I never actually finished it... or honestly even got very far in the story for that matter. The problem I had with Skyrim is the exact same problem I have with GTA, the game is too open ended and lacks necessary structure to keep me interested, since I honestly have more fun dicking around, than I do going on actual quests. It didn't help that I made my character out to be an amoral mercenary who cares more about gold and looting dungeons than he did saving the world. I actually ended up completing an entire quest before I even received it from the NPC that way once. I would really like to try and get back into Skyrim and actually try making some progress, but I'm not sure how successful I would really be at it.  XD

Diablo

I actually forgot to mention that I have actually been playing Diablo 2 with my girlfriend over the past year. I love the game so far, but we only play it from time to time, since it's installed on her PC at her house, and we usually hang out at mine. I need to bite the bullet and download my own copy of the game already, that way I can finish my own playthrough, and we can get a group playthough started with her dad, the Diablo master.

Neverwinter Nights

Never heard of it, will have to give it a proper look up later. A quick search shows it's based off of D&D which could make for something rather interesting.

Witcher

This was another one I had recently looked into. Can't say I really know all that much about it, other than it's known for gratuitous sex scenes apparently, but it looked pretty fun from a gameplay standpoint, so I may have to give it a try.

Deus Ex

Another game I keep hearing about but know next to nothing about. I know there was one for Wii U that was supposed to be really good, and that the latest one had some sort of botched preorder PR stunt. Can't say I've ever done much in the cyberpunk genre, but there's almost a first for everything!

Fallout

I have had zero interest in the recent Fallout games. I'm sure they are good games, they just don't tickle my fancy at all. I had heard the first 2 were mostly unrelated to the new ones, but I didn't know they were turn based RPGs, so I may have to look into them a bit and see if they are something I would like to try out.


Thanks for all the suggestions guys!  

The only connection between Dragon Age and Baldur's Gate is that Bioware made those games - there are really only little cheeky references to it since they developed them (Mass Effect, in fact, has Baldur references as well). DA is basically Bioware deciding to make their own IP. I add my vote to that series, as it's probably one of my favorite series from the past decade and it's pretty fun and engrossing whether you want to get deep into the combat and control every little minutiae of every fight, or just go in and breeze through and enjoy the story. So long as you know the first game feels pretty dated even by 2009 standards, and there's some -cough- mishandling of the series here and there, I love it. Though I guess you should keep in mind I'm super biased, as I like it enough to devour all the side novels and comics released and even went out to buy the two World Guides because I just wanted to know about the world.

If you didn't like the combat of Mass Effect 2, I've got some bad news, since that's basically what most of the series is. The first is very different and feels a lot closer in analogue to Dragon Age, but they both diverted down their paths as they went on. I'd say try the first one, and if you enjoy the story enough to keep going and don't ever get used to the combat, just breeze through on story mode, because it's a good story to plow through. Forewarning, don't pay too much attention to people either praising or damning the end of the trilogy and come to your own conclusions, you'll be happier that way. As far as you decisions having an impact (this applies to DA as well), take it as a nice bonus, but don't get too excited about it.

If you like Skyrim, I'll always beat the drum of going back and playing Morrowind, or playing the Oblivion mod that let's you play a graphically improved version of it. It's still the best, I think, since combat has never been great in the series, and it hadn't been simplified quite as much as they did in Skyrim. There's a lot of neat stuff in there, and while it definitely feels older, there's a lot of systems in place that are honestly a bit more advanced and deeper then the two games that come after it. Also, the Assassin's Guild is better then the Dark Brotherhood. Screw those Hot Topic shopping bastards for replacing them in later games. Still, if you've already got a foot in Skyrim, you can't go wrong going on, my only real issue with it (and Oblivion) were that the breadth of landscapes isn't nearly as wide as in the third game, but whatever.

I'll go ahead and take the stand for Final Fantasy, despite it having seen better days. It and Dragon Quest fall into the category that something like Seinfeld falls into - looking at them now, they seem really quaint and stereotypical and boring, but that's mostly because they started and/or popularized those conventions that everyone points out as unoriginal. And to be perfectly honest, the SNES era games are still among the best representations of those systems and plot twists throughout the genre, later games either doing it without the earnestness or straight face, or complicating it too much and muddling it. They are all also very much games of their time, and while a lot of them like VI can be played pretty easily now if you give it that pass, most of them can't. Like, III is a hardcore old RPG, even in its more modern DS/iOS/Steam incarnation, because it hasn't been modernized in terms of just user accessibility. Oh, it plays fine and awesome, but saving the game is an exercise in frustration, especially if you die in the end game run. If you want to start, I'd play IV, as that'll give you a good idea of the series, despite all the changes it goes throughout the games.

I'll throw another JRPG in here, though it's really only worth it if you're already familiar with the genre. Tales is a pretty good series, but it really only has one trick - it plays like a typical JRPG with all the conventions and tropes, except maybe played with or done a little better or with a little less cynicism then your average FF or DQ, and plays like you'd expect....until you get to the almost exact half way point of the story, at which point the table gets flipped over and things gets crazy, and most impressively, everything still makes sense in context. Best way to put it is it's a deconstruction of a typical JRPG trope or cliche, followed up by a reconstruction of the exact same trope/cliche, addressing and sometimes fixing the prob;ems associated with it along the way.

Witcher is really good, but honestly, I always found the combat to be infuriating until the third game, I just could not get into the first two games at all, even on the easiest mode since everything felt so clumsy and delicate. I resigned myself to "just" reading the books instead, though the third game is definitely the most playable. Still, if you can deal with it like a lot of people can, I'd say they're worth it, but even if you start with Wild Hunt, like I did, it's pretty great. It's not a short game even if you bee line it, and if you play like me, wanting to do every thing you can, you're in for the long haul, and that's not including the two DLC add-ons. Wild Hunt has one of the best game stories of all 2015 in it in one particular side quest, so much so it's actually, I think, better then the main game's story. The sex scenes are super gratuitous, but honestly, they get way too over hyped, the game's strength is its writing and its total commitment to the world and atmosphere in the way everything is designed and presented.

The first two Fallouts are great, Fallout 2 is still, I think, the best game of the series, but they're definitely older games, though I'm pretty sure the version you'll find on GOG or Steam will work fine on modern systems. They don't hold your hand at all, but they're super rewarding if you get into them. Just remember, the RNG is not your friend. Ever.

Re: Mass Effect
-- Speed of gameplay is often class-dependent. Vanguard class is lightning fast, zipping all over the map and slamming into enemies at warp speed. Infiltrators are slower and more methodical, picking off enemies in a systematic way. The speed in general also increased in Mass Effect 3. The first one is the slowest and a little clunky, but it also has the best story.

If it's any comfort, Adrienne didn't like ME1 when she first played it back in the day, then she tried it again when she moved in with me and now she's completely obsessed with the series.


Re: Deus Ex 1
-- Mankind Divided is the upcoming one, Human Revolution was the first "modern" one. Dues Ex 1 was release in 1999, which was a pretty banner year for PC gaming. It's got older graphics but the gameplay and story is better than the newer titles. It was also in that "just incorporating voice acting for the first time" wave. So it's got some hilariously deadpan/monotone lines from the main character.


Re: Fallout 1 and 2
-- They are very much straight-up old school RPGs. All the combat is done through an action menu, and exploration is solely point-and-click. The gameplay is nothing like the modern ones.

Re: Baldur's Gate / Neverwinter
-- Baldur's Gate is related to Dragon Age because they're both Bioware titles. Baldur's Gate was probably the first big thing they did. Baldur's Gate (1+2) and Neverwinter are technically in the same franchise. They're all D&D based games. You can see a lot of BG influence in Dragon Age: Origins.

Re: KOTOR
-- YOU ARE MISSING A WONDERFUL THING PLAY THEM NOW, THEY ARE GREAT. I wish the lightsaber combat was more like The Witcher (all actions are done through a combat menu instead), but the story is fantastic. Most people like the first one better. The first one's main character is great. I like the story themes in the second one better, even if the overall presentation is a little clunky in comparison. It was one of those games that got rushed out of the gate. But the main character in KOTOR 2 committed mass wartime genocide before the game even starts, hoshit. ShE BLEW UP A PLANET





Skyrim's story was kinda meh, so I don't blame you for wandering around. Which is probably the better part of any ES game, anyway. If you want a well-developed story, definitely check out Morrowind (if you can get passed the early level stat grinding -- it's more of an old school game). The main character is the reincarnation of an old elven hero, who was supposedly murdered by his advisers.... and once you were out of the way, they seized control of the land and now rule as immortal god-emperors.




OH! And CHRONO TRIGGER!

For your favorite SNES emulator. It's an amazing JRPG.

A few further details:

Parasite Eve is actually a fan fiction sequel of a medical horror novel by the same name, and was made on a shoestring budget. The budget shows, too. Items clog up your inventory, weapon modifications is cool, but you have to destroy a gun to move one of it's attributes (...why?!) and it's paltry 7-10 hour length is already slightly padded with Aya's ridiculously slow run. And being 20 years old, the graphics are pretty bad.

That said, it's a hard science fiction story about evolution which actually tries to do some justice to the science...framed with the six days of creation. I don't think the creators realized how good an idea that was, because they treat it like an afterthought. It's also nice that a story about an NYPD rookie detective actually involves some whodunit clues sprinkled in, even if they are easy to miss. Gameplay is also a solid mix of RPG and traditional action, meaning you don't have to bring great RPG stat-setting skills to the table if you're good at dodging telegraphed attacks.

Oh, the composer of the OST was also Yoko Shimomura, who did the music for Kingdom Hearts and Xenoblade Chronicles. 

Eternal Sonata, Any disgaea game, Ys: Origin or Oath in Felghana, Xcom games, Valkyria Chronicles, Spell Force 1 + expansions, Spellforce 2 + expansions. All I got for now.

Do you have a 3DS? If so, I thought Bravely Default did Final Fantasy better than Final Fantasy does Final Fantasy. Bravely Second is out now too! (Just got it for my birthday, going to start on it soon yaaaaay!)

I've heard good things about Bravely Default, it is definitely something ai have been considering since it came out.

Also, I picked up the original Dragon Warrior for NES the other day for a few bucks. I know you guys said it was a bit on the simple side, but I don't mind simple. Plus, it was cheap and I could always use more NES games.

If you're liking Dragon Quest/Warrior, the 3DS version of DQVII is coming out in a few months, and that one's a pretty good one as well. Thing about DQ compared to Final Fantasy is that while Square-Enix actually does quite a bit of refinement and changes between games in that series - more then most people realize if we're being honest - Dragon Quest has actually been pretty happy to rest on their laurels, for the most part. That's not a bad thing if you're okay with that, and clearly, they have been until IX. Now that I think about it, the DS ports/remakes of IV, V, and VI are also really good if you find yourself really liking Dragon Warrior, so that's worth looking into. I personally liked IX a lot as well, but that's where they began the idea of the game having on-line/local co-op, since you play a nameless Create-A-Character and while you can play it solo using a created party (which I did), it's really meant for multiplayer, especially in the endgame.