Looking for a new PC RPG to play

[Aulleas123]

Okay, so I've been playing some of my old RPGs over the past few weeks and I've gotten fairly bored of a lot of them. I'm looking for something new to play.

So here's what I've come up with as a few criteria:
- Fairly robust character creation. I want to create someone new in this world, I'm not super interested in playing as the game writers' characters.
- Setting can be variable. I'm open to fantasy, sci-fi, or even historical. I'm not very interested in crime drama or modern world without science fiction or fantasy elements.
- Graphics variable, but I want to be able to actually play it. I'm not so concerned with advancement of games (one game that I've played has been Fallout 4, which has been great but I need a break) but with older games. For example, I'd love to try out Planescape Torment, however it seems to be somewhat unplayable at this stage (if they came out with an Enhanced Edition similar to the Baldur's Gate games, I'd be happy!). Some games however look great with older graphics so if you have a suggestion, please let me know!
- I'd prefer Western RPGs, however if there is a game that fits the three earlier points (especially the first point which is paramount) then I'm open to giving it a try!
- Must be available on PC

Now here are some games that I've played recently:
Loved and play again from time to time: Fallout series, Elder Scrolls series, Baldur's Gate series, KOTOR series, The Old Republic, DC Universe Online, Mass Effect series, Neverwinter Nights 1, Dragon Age Origins, Mount and Warband series, Shadowrun Returns series, The Secret World, Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines

Games I played, liked, but rarely revisit: Dragon Age 2, Fable series, Freedom Force series, Champions Online, Diablo series

Games that I couldn't get into: Pillars of Eternity, Age of Decadence, Neverwinter Nights 2 and expansions, Dragon Age Inquisition, Wasteland 2, Titan Quest, Torchlight series, Divinity: Original Sin, WOW

So there are some games that I have heard of that I'd be willing to try out, such as Dragons Dogma and maybe the Souls series (not so sure about the latter) but I'd love to hear any recommendations from you guys!

 

[BloatedGuppy]

You've played and/or ruled out almost everything!

So we'll look at the two towards the bottom there. Dragon's Dogma looks like pants, I'd steer clear. I'd take a long hard look at the original Dark Souls, were I you. It's really an excellent game. Don't believe the wankers who tell you it's all things to all people, it's not. But it's a very unique game and should be experienced by anyone who considers themselves a connoisseur of western RPGs.

 

[Aulleas123]

You've played and/or ruled out almost everything!

Now you understand why I'm having such a hard time!

I'll take a look at Dark Souls, but I'm not super thrilled about other players coming into my game just to kill me or screw up my progress.

 

[Rack]

Jade Empire, Alpha Protocol and Guild Wars 2 jump out most, alongside Borderlands 2 and Path of Exile. I suppose you could also check out Dungeon Siege, Kingdoms of Amalur, Kings Bounty and Nehrim all games I've heard at least moderately good things about. The requirement to create your own characters is a bit of a killer though and it might be worth branching out past that when you don't have much else to play. Plus you somehow couldn't get into a few great games there so maybe your tastes have changed more than you realise.

Dark Souls is great but it's more of an action adventure with character customization than an rpg. EDIT: Players coming in to kill you is reasonably easy to avoid one way or another, at least in DS1.

Largely though you've experienced most of the best stuff that fits those requirements so I'd have eyes on branching out somehow.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

I'll take a look at Dark Souls, but I'm not super thrilled about other players coming into my game just to kill me or screw up my progress.

That's pretty easily avoided, just stay Hollow.

 

[Tohuvabohu]

I'll take a look at Dark Souls, but I'm not super thrilled about other players coming into my game just to kill me or screw up my progress.

You can play offline, which cuts this problem out entirely.

You won't be able to engage in any PvP or cooperative elements, as well as being unable to see the messages left by other players. But I know a lot of people who prefer to play the game offline. It's still totally doable this way. The online elements are optional for sure.

 

[MeatMachine]

I have a few recommendations:

-Undertale [http://store.steampowered.com/app/391540/] (which I'm shocked it hasn't been brought up yet)
-LISA: The Painful RPG [http://store.steampowered.com/app/335670/] (somehow both hilariously dark and darkly tragic)
-Cthulhu Saves the World [http://store.steampowered.com/app/107310/] (genuinely fun, even if it seems cheaply made)
-Crypt of the NecroDancer [http://store.steampowered.com/app/247080/] (More of a randomly-generated roguelike dungeon crawler mixed with a rhythm game, but still has RPG elements)
-Penny Arcade's On the Rainslick Precipice of Darkness [http://store.steampowered.com/app/237570/] (not well received by many, and for good reasons, but I enjoyed 3 and 4)

All of these are western, pixelated games that don't revolve around character creation, but DO in the very least have customizable upgrades or classes of some kind. Except Undertale, which is still a great rpg game without the inclusion of those systems. "RPG" as a genre is very flexible, so maybe my idea of an rpg that fits your criteria is still not what you are looking for.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

Jade Empire, Alpha Protocol and Guild Wars 2 jump out most, alongside Borderlands 2 and Path of Exile. I suppose you could also check out Dungeon Siege, Kingdoms of Amalur, Kings Bounty and Nehrim all games I've heard at least moderately good things about. The requirement to create your own characters is a bit of a killer though and it might be worth branching out past that when you don't have much else to play. Plus you somehow couldn't get into a few great games there so maybe your tastes have changed more than you realise.

Dark Souls is great but it's more of an action adventure with character customization than an rpg. EDIT: Players coming in to kill you is reasonably easy to avoid one way or another, at least in DS1.

Largely though you've experienced most of the best stuff that fits those requirements so I'd have eyes on branching out somehow.

agree with this short of guild wars 2, I haven't played that so I really cant recommend it. also agree with the other tid bits

possible to add to this list:

Mars: war logs

http://store.steampowered.com/app/232750/

it's a bit of a cyberpunk type rpg, it's from a AA developer that is a rough version of bioware type games, so maybe you'll like it? you don't get a character creator exactly, it's more like commander shepard (minus messing with the face) from mass effect where your choices reflect things.

 

[aegix drakan_v1legacy]

I think the only one that MIGHT still be on your list to play might be Bound By Blood, but I haven't actually played it yet, so I can't vouch for how good it might be.

 

[Schadrach]

You've played and/or ruled out almost everything!

So we'll look at the two towards the bottom there. Dragon's Dogma looks like pants, I'd steer clear. I'd take a long hard look at the original Dark Souls, were I you. It's really an excellent game. Don't believe the wankers who tell you it's all things to all people, it's not. But it's a very unique game and should be experienced by anyone who considers themselves a connoisseur of western RPGs.

Dragon's Dogma might look ugly, but it was a fantastic PS3 title and it's allegedly a very good port.

Torment: Tides of Numenera just hit early access. It's a KS project built on the Numenera pen and paper system by Monte Cook. They put it in EA for the beta period. Though Numenera's character creation isn't terribly involved in the pen and paper version -- you make three major choices, spend a few discretionary points, decide on the aesthetics and you're done.

-Undertale [http://store.steampowered.com/app/391540/] (which I'm shocked it hasn't been brought up yet)

Said he didn't want to play someone else's character, which precludes Undertale, as fantastic as it is. Probably why it wasn't suggested already. Given it's all anyone talks about these days, and with good reason.

-Penny Arcade's On the Rainslick Precipice of Darkness [http://store.steampowered.com/app/237570/] (not well received by many, and for good reasons, but I enjoyed 3 and 4)

Not least of which is the whole Greenhouse debacle. Also, lying about doing a steam release on the first game (presumably to push Greenhouse sales, to the point that they claimed there were no plans to do a Steam release literally two days before the Steam release... =/).

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Torment: Tides of Numenera just hit early access. It's a KS project built on the Numenera pen and paper system by Monte Cook. They put it in EA for the beta period. Though Numenera's character creation isn't terribly involved in the pen and paper version -- you make three major choices, spend a few discretionary points, decide on the aesthetics and you're done.

Given his evident dislike for PoE, Wasteland 2 and Divinity:OS, combined with his statements about a game like Planescape simply being too old to play, I wouldn't have thought yet another retro isometric title would be the solution to his itch. He seems to like Bioware-style story based games, so Alpha Protocol might've been a fit, but he doesn't like modern settings.

It's a tough nut to crack.

 

[Fappy]

I'll take a look at Dark Souls, but I'm not super thrilled about other players coming into my game just to kill me or screw up my progress.

That's pretty easily avoided, just stay Hollow.

I was like the OP when I first started the game. In fact, I think most people probably are. The prospect of other players coming in and making a hard game even harder does sound awful when you say it out loud. After really digging into it, however, I actually find that aspect of the game exhilarating. I'm probably going to end up playing through Darksouls 3 in human/ember/whatever form as often as possible on my first playthrough. It adds a lot of tension knowing that at any point your progress can get threatened by an unknown phantom.

 

[spartandude]

It would help to know why you could get into some games but not others. For example you liked Neverwinter Nights and Baldurs Gate but not Neverwinter nights 2 or Pillars of Eternity?

But onto suggestions.

Jade Empire
Ultima 7 (maybe)
The Witcher games
Legend of Grimrock
Alpha Protocol
Deus Ex

And if you're willing to go down a more shooter route, Borderlands (mostly because I love it and will force everyone else to!)

 

[G00N3R7883]

You could try Drakensang. Its a fantasy themed RPG based on a German pen and paper system. The combat system and skill trees take a while to get used to but the story was really good.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/12640/

 

[baddude1337]

If you were willing to give it another go, the user created campaigns for Neverwinter Nights 2 are pretty solid. Especially Baldur's Gate Reloaded and the Icewind Dale remake, among many others.

It's quite fun to the play classics with the 3.5 edition ruleset.

 

[Windcaler]

Lately Ive been playing Blade and soul which IMO holds up pretty well as a single player experience even though its an MMORPG set in a Asian martial arts themed world. That said, there are a few points in the story where it feels more about established characters then you and youre actions

Besides that, have you looked into Shadowrun returns, Shadowrun Dragonfall, and Shadowrun Hong Kong? All three have pretty good primary campaigns with pretty good mod support that allows you to play other peoples adventures. Shadowrun has earned a place on my favorite games of the year for 3 years running because the writing and character advancement is so good.

Others I recommend, and were already mentioned, include Dark souls, Jade Empire, and Alpha protocol

 

[Pirate Of PC Master race]

It would help to know why you could get into some games but not others. For example you liked Neverwinter Nights and Baldurs Gate but not Neverwinter nights 2 or Pillars of Eternity?

I think OP likes it story heavy fantasy - not just for the D&D gameplay.

I share his sentiment of not liking PoE and NWN2(this one in particular...), I play it for Mask of the Betrayer.

Would recommend Mask of the Betrayer, assuming that you can get through terrible NWN2 main campaign.

 

[MeatMachine]

-Penny Arcade's On the Rainslick Precipice of Darkness [http://store.steampowered.com/app/237570/] (not well received by many, and for good reasons, but I enjoyed 3 and 4)

Not least of which is the whole Greenhouse debacle. Also, lying about doing a steam release on the first game (presumably to push Greenhouse sales, to the point that they claimed there were no plans to do a Steam release literally two days before the Steam release... =/).

I was totally unfamiliar with that, but after a 10 minute google search, I can see now why there's so much animosity for the first two, and why the planned trilogy ended up becoming two pairs of completely different games.

 

[FPLOON]

Uh... Rollers of the Realm? Granted, it's a pinball RPG, but I digress...

Other than that, I think Rogue Legacy still counts as an RPG and Corruption of Champions is a text-heavy RPG, yet it's also heavy on the "erotica" if you know what I mean... (If not and you decide to play CoC, then you will know what I mean... )

 

[Ironman126]

Alpha Protocol
Deus Ex

And if you're willing to go down a more shooter route, Borderlands (mostly because I love it and will force everyone else to!)

I second all three of these!

Alpha Protocol is basically James Bond: The Video Game, but not like the actual Bond games, which are shit. My only complaint is that your character is voiced and sounds like a twat no matter what options you pick.

Deus Ex is great. Just avoid Invisible War. The original or Human Revolution is where it's at. The original has not aged well, but it's about 1000% more RPG-like than Human Revolution, but don't let that put you off Human Revolution, cuz it's pretty good.

Borderlands 1 had good, if sparse, writing and acceptable gameplay. Borderlands 2 had better gameplay, but the writing was not so good. I can't say anything about the Presequel as I haven't played it.