CRPGS beyond the ones we always hear about

[Maximum Bert]

Recently I have just acquired Avernum the complete saga through the pot of gold lucky draw dip on GOGs St Patricks day promotion. Not really a game I would have otherwise purchased but whatever I will give it a go and hey if I like it then it looks massive. Thing is I can find very little info on the series despite it being one of the longest running CRPG series.

So has anyone ever played these games and secondly I was just wondering if anyone has any other CRPG reccomendations beyond the ones we always hear about i.e Baldurs Gate, Planescape, Fallout, Arcanum, Icewind Dale, Neverwinter and such.

Actually lets expand that to any RPGs that are really good but generally dont get any attention (please no Persona 4 , FF IX, Planescape, Dark Souls, Vampire the Masquerade etc everyone knows about those games) which reminds me I still have to play Anachronox apparently thats pretty good if graphically dated.

Hopefully someone will come up with a gem I have overlooked while not that obscure Shadow Hearts Covenant was/is excellent and while I havent played it yet I am looking forward to Shin Megami Tensei: Lucifers Call (again not that obscure though im afraid).

 

[Qvar]

Gothic 1 and 2, and the spitirual sequel Risen, are some amazing open-world action-RPG by Pirahna Bytes with heavy focus on making it's characters memorable (Risen falls behind a bit here, but makes up for it with shockingly improved combat system).

They are suprisingly unknown by most, but I liked them so much that I bought them all during the last steam sale, even if I don't intend on replaying them anymore (already played the first one 5 times, the 2nd one 2 times, and completed Risen once).

They are about... Maybe... 50-80 hours long, on average, and depending on how stubborn you are about finding the last single piece of crap at the map (there are no achievements at the Gothic ones, just for fun) and monsters to kill (which generally don't respawn).

They all have dragons, orcs, magic... The usual stuff. My favourite part of them (apart from the amazing chars of the Gothic 1&2) is the items. I don't remember feeling so much joy about finding new weapons/armor in any other game. They're just right as rare, unique, and progressively powerful as they needed to be.

 

[rofltehcat]

Gothic 1 and 2, and the spitirual sequel Risen, are some amazing open-world action-RPG by Pirahna Bytes with heavy focus and memorable characters (Risen falls behind a bit here, but makes up for it with shockingly improved combat system).

They are suprisingly unknown by most, but I liked them so much that I bought them all during the last steam sale, even if I don't intend on replaying them anymore (already played the first one 5 times, the 2nd one 2 times, and completed Risen once).

They are about... Maybe... 50-80 hours long, depending on how stubborn you are about finding the last single piece of crap at the map (there are no achievements at the Gothic ones, just for fun) and monsters to kill (which generally don't respawn).

Just don't get Gothic 3 unless you liked the other ones and install the community patches (also advisable for some of the other Gothic titles). With the patches they are pretty enjoyable. And never ever ever get the Gothic 3 "expansion".

Piranha Bytes games are always pretty buggy and imo they simply didn't finish Gothic 3 (too ambitious) and their Publisher then paid some developer from India or somewhere to make the expansion (inexperienced devs + unknown, buggy engine + probably very low budget...).

 

[The Madman]

Spiderweb software have just sorta always been around, doing their thing in the background and sustained by a small cult following that's kept them afloat for years. In recent times with indie games making a resurgence they've become more well known thanks to indie bundle stuff, but they've been making these kinds of rpg for ages now. I think that's part of why they tend to get overlooked so often; simply because they've been doing it so long and so consistently that they're taken for granted as just sorta being there.

Personally I've only played Avadon and Geneforge 2, but for what it's worth if you're looking for a giant 50+ hour epic rpg experience and don't mind some strangely antiquated gameplay mechanics or visuals, you could definitely do worse.

As for my own suggestions, here's one: Arx Fatalis

This was the first game by the guys now best known for Dishonored, and it's great! Light on story or characters, it's one of my favourite dungeon romps ever. The way you can interact with the environments is great and the level design is often spectacular. Magic system is also unique and while it takes some getting used to, it's a ton of fun once you really get into it. If you're the type that's ever played an Elder scrolls game and thought to yourself 'Man, I wish these dungeons were bigger and there was more of a focus on exploring them' then Arx Fatalis is the game for you.

Some other suggestions:

Anacronox - The funniest jrpg ever made in North America.

Divine Divinity - The best combination of Diablo 2 and Fallout 2 ever.

Gothic 2 - It's like an Elder Scrolls game, only smaller and your actions actually matter.

 

[ultrachicken]

I've been obsessed with Shadowrun Returns lately. Definitely not for everyone, though, as it's kind of rough around the edges despite being modern. Also the DLC Dragonfall is substantially better than the main game, which is another issue.

 

[Blitsie]

You absolutely must get Anachronox, especially if you enjoyed the kind of humor found in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. To give you an idea of the utter insanity this game is coated with, later in the game a FREAKING PLANET shrinks itself and joins in on your adventures.

I highly recommend Gothic as well, I'd go and say just play the second one since its the best one, what makes it so great is how incredibly detailed the game world is (its medium sized, but packed to the brim with stuff to find and do) and its amazing sense of progression, you truly feel the difference as your character gets more powerful, the way you handle a sword for instance gets better with quicker, more fluid animations if you focus on sword skills. The game makes Dark Souls look bad in terms of difficulty though, its extremely newcomer unfriendly and will kick your ass ten times over for the first six hours or so (even simple wolves can kill you in a heartbeat) so just keep that in mind.

 

[The Madman]

I've been obsessed with Shadowrun Returns lately. Definitely not for everyone, though, as it's kind of rough around the edges despite being modern. Also the DLC Dragonfall is substantially better than the main game, which is another issue.

I just finished Dragonfall myself the other day and have to agree that it's great. Seriously, one of the most fun rpg campaigns I've played in quite some time with great characters, lots of options, and a nice cyberpunk story full of betrayal and conspiracy. I even like the combat, not the most complex turn based system I've ever played but it had enough strategy to it that I was kept consistently entertained.

So yeah, if you want something newer and like Cyberpunk stuff then Shadowrun Returns is pretty good while the expansion, Dragonfall, is downright great. Definitely worth looking into.

 

[Maximum Bert]

I have seen a Gothic a few times and each time I think yeah I will get that some day and never have maybe its time to change that.

I got Anachronox a while ago on GOG but I had real problems getting it to run the framerate was super jumpy and the audio was completely desynched while of course the graphics are pretty dated (expected this though) basically the framerate and desynched audio killed it for me pretty quickly it was technically playable but it just annoyed the hell out of me with these issues I will try it again though as I keep hearing good things about it.

Has anyone ever tried the Lords of Midnight and Doomdarks revenge? I know they are ancient now (speccy games?) but they look like they could be good I may try them sometime.

Also the Bards Tale game from 2004 is well worth a look if people are looking for a humorous lighthearted RPG. Its not amazing but it is solid and well worth a play through if you are into that sort of thing I have never played any of the original games however.

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

Arcanum is something different to your typical CRPG.

 

[Exhuminator]

The number one most overlooked and missed out on by the masses...

http://www.gog.com/game/inquisitor

Here are some others I think are lesser known but worth your time...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_of_Qin_%28video_game%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revenant_%28video_game%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Avalon

http://www.gog.com/game/heretic_kingdoms_the_inquisition

http://www.gog.com/game/lionheart_legacy_of_the_crusader

http://www.gog.com/game/jade_empire_special_edition

 

[Strain42]

Okay um...I may appear dumb here but...what does the C stand for? I know JRPG, SRPG, WRPG, but I've never heard of CRPG.

Anyway, some good RPG games that don't get a lot of attention? Hmmm...

Jeanne D'arc, E.V.O., Knights of Pen & Paper, Squids (and Squids: Wild West) um...that's all I've got off the top of my head.

 

[shrekfan246]

Okay um...I may appear dumb here but...what does the C stand for? I know JRPG, SRPG, WRPG, but I've never heard of CRPG.

"Computer".

Which is funny, since it's most often used to refer to video game versions of Pen & Paper RPGs.

OT: In keeping with the Anachronox recommendations, Septerra Core is another PC RPG which is heavily influenced by JRPGs and is, while dated, apparently very good. I've still not played it myself even though I have it installed, I should get around to that sometime.

Spellforce 2 is a combination of RPGs with RTS games, not terribly unlike what Warcraft III did with the hero units but even more in-depth, and it works pretty well for the most part. It's a lot less janky than the first one, at least. Though apparently only the expansions included in the Gold Edition package on Steam are actually worth getting along with it, as the newest ones have been done by a different developer and supposedly aren't nearly as technically competent.

And I would be remiss to not also mention the Divinity franchise. Somebody else already brought up Divine Divinity (which is like Diablo II, but with more RPG), but there's also Beyond Divinity (which I have yet to play myself, but is apparently like Divine Divinity but with a small party system), Divinity II (which, along with the expansion in the Developer's Cut re-release is actually pretty good, if obviously low-budget), Divinity: Dragon Commander (which is more RTS and political simulator than RPG, but has amazing dialogues and options, though in typical Larian fashion the actual gameplay mechanics are still relatively ropey), and Divinity: Original Sin (which is still in Steam Early Access apparently; I'm excited for it, but want to wait for the full release before playing it myself). Larian's Divinity franchise tends to be of questionable mechanical stability, but there's so much charm and humor around practically every corner that it becomes pretty easy to ignore if you can get past the initial impressions.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

I'm currently replaying Betrayal in Antara, which was the first RPG I ever owned. It's got kind of a bad rap, but mostly from fans of Betrayal at Krondor[footnote]Another game that probably deserves a mention. Betrayal in Antara is the spiritual successor to Betrayal at Krondor. Spiritual successor and not sequel because Krondor was a licensed game and Sierra lost the license pretty shortly after putting out the first game.[/footnote] who were unhappy with some of the changes made to the game design[footnote]Long story short, the world isn't quite as open as it was in Krondor, so you can't waltz in to a late game dungeon and walk out with late game gear during chapter one anymore. That's about the only complaint I've been able to find, you can't break the game as easily.[/footnote]. Well, that and the graphics, which for a game from 1997, are absolutely awful. But I guess that's what you get when you do a minor upgrade to an engine from 1993 and target Windows 3.1 instead of Windows 95.

It really is a good game, though. Enjoyable gameplay, good story, amazing voice acting (it's 2014 and the average game still has worse acting than this one), it's just a lot of fun. They're also both available on GoG, although Betrayal in Antara is just thrown in as a bonus for buying Betrayal at Krondor, which I guess tells you something about how obscure it is.

 

[aozgolo]

Back before the Infinity Engine games (Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Planescape Torment) the big name among CRPG enthusiasts was the Gold Box Games by SSI, they are incredibly dated and very hard to get into nowadays but worthy among mention simply for being kings of their genre that was very niche back in the day.

Another older series I really enjoyed was Lands of Lore, a classic first person 4-direction action CRPG with some memorable moments.


For newer games that at least try to have some modern features to them theres the Risen and Gothic Series, the Two Worlds series, but I would consider most of them fairly well known, they've all had console ports.

The Divinity series is a bit underrated I feel, with Divine Divinity and Beyond Divinity being kind of a Diablo style hack n' slash with more robust questing. Divinity II has quite a few followers but I've yet to play it. Recently there is even a new game Divinity: Original Sin so I'd say it's a series worth looking into if you want something unique (Divinity Dragon Commander is also in the series but is a RTS spin-off)

A few other names I can drop that I admittedly know little about:

Drakensang is also one I have heard at least is a fairly worthwhile series.

If you're willing to venture into indie territory (which you should be) then you'll find a ton of games, but I think it's worth defining what exactly you would call a "CRPG" in that case, there's Diablo style Hack N' Slash games, there's console style RPG Maker Games, there's Tactical RPGs, Action RPGs, RTS/RPG Hybrids, all of which are technically computer role playing games but to some might not qualify as a true "CRPG"

 

[Ratty]

As for my own suggestions, here's one: Arx Fatalis

This was the first game by the guys now best known for Dishonored, and it's great! Light on story or characters, it's one of my favourite dungeon romps ever. The way you can interact with the environments is great and the level design is often spectacular. Magic system is also unique and while it takes some getting used to, it's a ton of fun once you really get into it. If you're the type that's ever played an Elder scrolls game and thought to yourself 'Man, I wish these dungeons were bigger and there was more of a focus on exploring them' then Arx Fatalis is the game for you.

Seconded. That game is a ton of fun and extremely atmospheric. Play it with headphones and the lights off and it'll suck you right in to a world of fantasy adventure, with all the creepy crawly things you would encounter in a subterranean world. http://www.gog.com/game/arx_fatalis

 

[Qvar]

I highly recommend Gothic as well, I'd go and say just play the second one since its the best one, what makes it so great is how incredibly detailed the game world is (its medium sized, but packed to the brim with stuff to find and do) and its amazing sense of progression, you truly feel the difference as your character gets more powerful, the way you handle a sword for instance gets better with quicker, more fluid animations if you focus on sword skills. The game makes Dark Souls look bad in terms of difficulty though, its extremely newcomer unfriendly and will kick your ass ten times over for the first six hours or so (even simple wolves can kill you in a heartbeat) so just keep that in mind.

I disagree, it was the first game that made the second one's characters lovable. The first one isn't bad at all to the point of saying "just play the other one", and if he doesn't he would be missing that.

Also, I like way better the Gothic 1 big bad...

 

[raeior]

OT: In keeping with the Anachronox recommendations, Septerra Core is another PC RPG which is heavily influenced by JRPGs and is, while dated, apparently very good. I've still not played it myself even though I have it installed, I should get around to that sometime.

Septerra Core is a bit hit and miss for me. The story and characters are quite original and well done but the battles drag on forever in the later stages. You don't have the typical JRPG random battles but bad boys walking around on the map who fight you if they see you but there are so MANY of them that it's close to the "one battle every step" Final Fantasy system. Which is why I still haven't finished it. Maybe someday....
Anachronox on the other hand is a really awesome game. Great humour, super creative characters and story. I'm currently playing through it and having quite some fun with it.

Another quite obscure game is "Albion" from BlueByte. Not sure if it's too old for your taste (It is a DOS game after all) but I really loved it (currently replaying it). It is a mixture between a 2d top-down view on the overworld map and inside taverns and such and 3d first-person graphics inside dungeons or cities. The story is a mixture between Sci-Fi and fantasy with a huge mining ship/facility landing on a planet that should be a desert but is instead full of life and harbours humans and feline humanoids who are quite adept magic users.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albion_%28video_game%29

 

[BloatedGuppy]

I just finished Dragonfall myself the other day and have to agree that it's great. Seriously, one of the most fun rpg campaigns I've played in quite some time with great characters, lots of options, and a nice cyberpunk story full of betrayal and conspiracy. I even like the combat, not the most complex turn based system I've ever played but it had enough strategy to it that I was kept consistently entertained.

So yeah, if you want something newer and like Cyberpunk stuff then Shadowrun Returns is pretty good while the expansion, Dragonfall, is downright great. Definitely worth looking into.

It still suffers with the same old wobbly Shadowrun Returns engine and game play mechanics, but the writing and encounter design is significantly improved. Definitely felt like more of a "Shadowrun" experience.

OP: Most of today's more obscure RPGs have been covered. If you're willing to go back to yesteryear, there are a lot of storied old RPG franchises, but it would mean some extreme retro gaming. Ultima 1-7, Martian Dreams, The Savage Empire, and the two Ultima Underworld games are all worth a look. Wizardry 1-8. All the old Might and Magic games. Bard's Tale 1-3. Wasteland. Phantasie 1-3. The Magic Candle. Legacy of the Ancients. Sentinel Worlds. The Gold Box games. Starflight 1-2. Star Control II.