Looking for an RPG

[Eclectic Dreck]

The days are getting shorter, and, like every year, I feel it is high time to curl up with a new RPG. The trouble is, there simply don't seem to be any new or interesting ones coming out of late and thus I turn to you, the rabble of the Escapist, for answers.

To help you all in this task, I can give a few guidelines. First, it needs to be a PC game. Sure, I have an Xbox but that has been entirely relegated to Netflix box and I feel little need to dust off the controllers at this point. Second, I'm fairly confident any suggestion given would suffice provided it is not extremely old (unless it is on GoG). Further, I can give a list of games that I've played extensively in no particular order (and thus there is no reason to suggest them):

Infinity Engine Games (Baldur's Gate Saga, Icewind Dale, and Planescape Torment)
Elder Scrolls (All of them)
Knights of the Old Republic (just the first)
Neverwinter Nights (Both of them)
Dark Souls
Mass Effect
Fallout (All of them including the terrible Xbox game)
Diablo
Shadowrun
Arcanum
Gothic (Through the third one)
Dragon Age: Origins (I don't hate the second, it just wasn't what I wanted out of the franchise)
Deus Ex Franchise (I've tried liking invisible war but I just can't).

Now, I'm generally fairly flexible when it comes to this sort of game. I'm more concerned with agency over mechanical systems and story when it comes to this sort of game. While I'm not actively opposed to JRPGs, on the whole I tend to not enjoy them much and thus it would need to be an exceptional game for me to consider diving in.

So, Escapist, with that in mind, what RPG should I play? New or old, blockbuster of indie gem, let's hear those suggestions.

 

[shrekfan246]

Why not the second Knights of the Old Republic?

It's a bit of a pain to get running on modern PCs, sure, and it can be fairly disappointing if you don't also spend the time to install up the Sith Lords Restored Content mod, and the opening five hours or so are painfully slow-paced... I'm not talking it up as much as I think I should be, but I'm just being realistic here. I wouldn't blame people who are put off by the beginning of the game, because it can be really dull, and it doesn't pick up even as quickly as the first KotOR did.

Fairly typical of Obsidian games, it's a bit of a technical nightmare, but it plays every bit as well as the first game did and, in my opinion, has vastly better characters/plot and approaches to the Jedi/Sith/Force morality things of the Star Wars universe, actually providing events that aren't just "Save the innocent child who was cowering in fear/Murder them and eat their life force for your dark energy".

Also it lets you turn all of your party members into Jedi/Sith too if you can sway them enough to your way of thinking.

 

[Paprik]

I've played and enjoyed all of the titles you mentioned and I can imagine you would enjoy Witcher 2 and Dragon Age: Origins. In case you want to go in the Diablo direction, I recommend Path of Exile (bonus: it's free).

 

[WenisPagon]

Have you ever played the Spiderweb Software games? Avernum 2 and 3 in particular are pretty great.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

Why not the second Knights of the Old Republic?

It's a bit of a pain to get running on modern PCs, sure, and it can be fairly disappointing if you don't also spend the time to install up the Sith Lords Restored Content mod, and the opening five hours or so are painfully slow-paced... I'm not talking it up as much as I think I should be, but I'm just being realistic here. I wouldn't blame people who are put off by the beginning of the game, because it can be really dull, and it doesn't pick up even as quickly as the first KotOR did.

Fairly typical of Obsidian games, it's a bit of a technical nightmare, but it plays every bit as well as the first game did and, in my opinion, has vastly better characters/plot and approaches to the Jedi/Sith/Force morality things of the Star Wars universe, actually providing events that aren't just "Save the innocent child who was cowering in fear/Murder them and eat their life force for your dark energy".

Also it lets you turn all of your party members into Jedi/Sith too if you can sway them enough to your way of thinking.

aye this for sure OP, can't agree with it more.

OT: did you play the witcher games? with the witcher 3 coming out (next year i think?) it'd be a great time to play them (although the first one...it might have the driest portion of a game i have ever played, which is the beginning chunk of course.)

otherwise:

Alpha protocol, while a bit glitchy for some people (i never had a problem) and there isn't much point in using any other weapon besides the pistol, it is a very good game that shows off truly what choice is all about in rpg's/games in general, it is ridiculous how many different things happen every time i play that game. Still, it is a diamond in the rough, not a game for everyone.

but hey, boss battle against a russian stuck in the 80's who is loaded on coke? sounds fucking awesome to me.


Deus ex (any of them?)- I played the first one, didn't really get into it as much as lots of people did, but it did have it's moments, however i fucking loved Human revolution (the newest iteration in the series), it had an interesting gameplay mechanic, where you run around in first person, but you can stick to cover when you choose to and it switches to a 3rd person style view, which sounds a little weird out loud but it works quite well i think after playing through it a few times. Don't want to do the game injustice on the plot so i would suggest youtubing some trailers and such.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

Why not the second Knights of the Old Republic?

I'm generally a fan of Obsidian games and I'm not opposed to giving this a try. I've got a steam install from a bit ago that I couldn't get running but, to be fair, I didn't actually put much effort into the task.

I've played and enjoyed all of the titles you mentioned and I can imagine you would enjoy Witcher 2 and Dragon Age: Origins. In case you want to go in the Diablo direction, I recommend Path of Exile (bonus: it's free).

Both Witcher and Dragon Age are games that slipped my mind when making the list. I've played both and enjoyed them both greatly. I've seen stuff about path of Exile (that is, banner ads) but never any real information on the subject from someone who's played it.

Have you ever played the Spiderweb Software games? Avernum 2 and 3 in particular are pretty great.

These games interest me though based on cursory research, it's not clear if I need to actually play the games in sequence to understand what's going on or not. The only place I can find the early games is GoG and it includes all Six entries in the series. Do I need to start with the first one or should I just jump into number two?

 

[The Madman]

I notice Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines isn't on that list. Go play it, it's great. Hell I'd even go so far as to call it one of the best examples of the rpg genre that exists today and one everyone should give a try. Game definitely has its flaws but even so I do think it's a must play for anyone 18+, as this is one of those games that actually warrants an M rating.

The original Divine Divinity is a fun little rpg. Sort of a weird mix between Diablo, Fallout, and Baldur's Gate with a quirky sense of humour and some nice 2D visuals. In typical Eastern European style terrible voice acting, but aside from that and some awkward difficulty spikes Divine Divinity is a thoroughly enjoyable rpg.

Anachronox is another weird one. I'd been hearing about it for ages but only got around to playing Anachronox for the first time myself last year and had a great time with it. Sort of like a cyberpunk comedy noir with jrpg style mechanics and some pretty snazzy visuals for its time. Heck despite the game being over 10 years old now it still has a couple neat visual tricks. Good voice acting, great comedy story, decent visuals, and... alright gameplay. I'll admit that bit definitely didn't wow me, I've never been very keen on jrpg style combat and this didn't change my mind. Even so definitely worth checking out.

Arx Fatalis might be worth looking into if you enjoy games like Dishonored or Dark Messiah of Might & Magic. First person action heavy rpg with an emphasis on exploration and environmental puzzles. It was Arkane Studios first game and a spiritual successor to the old Ultima Underworld series and as far as first efforts go it's a damned good game. Brilliant level design and a nifty magic system alone make it worth checking out, even if the story is pretty meh and its showing its age in some other ways.

Also if you own Neverwinter Nights 1 and 2 and have never looked into either games mod community you're really missing out as that's definitely the series biggest strength and there are some fantastic fan-made campaign out there for both NWN1 and 2.

These games interest me though based on cursory research, it's not clear if I need to actually play the games in sequence to understand what's going on or not. The only place I can find the early games is GoG and it includes all Six entries in the series. Do I need to start with the first one or should I just jump into number two?

Avadon: The Black Fortress is a perfect starting point for them. It's standalone, so you're not missing anything by not having played any other Spiderweb games and it plays fairly well. According to STEAM I put 41 hours into that game and to my shame I never did beat it, it's the sort of mammoth rpg the likes of which you rarely see anymore, so if it's a solid timesink rpg experience you're looking for this is definitely a strong contender.

 

[DoPo]

Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines
It's made by the same people behind Arcanum and in some ways, there are similarities. But just a bit, not too much, Bloodlines is in an urban fantasy setting where...you guessed it - vampires are real. It's quite nice, a lot of strong and memorable characters and quite good voice acting - give it a go if you haven't. Make sure to get the latest Unofficial Patch [http://www.patches-scrolls.de/vampire_bloodlines.php], though - it's a bit...broken. If you do like Obsidian games, then it's similar - the team used to be part of Black Isle, so Troika and Obsidian are similar in ways, too.

EDIT:

I notice Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines isn't on that list.

Damn ninjas.

 

[Launcelot111]

I agree with Vampire: Bloodlines, Witcher 2, and Anachronox if you haven't given them a go yet.

Beyond that, um...the Risen series is very imperfect, but it's a fresh setting for an RPG (pirates!) and it has some neat ideas. Also, Betrayal at Krondor is old as hell but still prime for a good story and some adventuring. I've heard good things about Alpha Protocol, though I've yet to play it.

There's always Titan Quest or Torchlight if you want to leave the story and go straight action RPG, or Dungeons of Dredmor for a fun roguelike, but I get the sense you like your story.

 

[Oroboros]

Have you ever played the Spiderweb Software games? Avernum 2 and 3 in particular are pretty great.

I'd also recommend the Geneforge Series. I love that series, a rather unique setting with a some rather difficult moral choices to deal with (as any inspection of the various Shaper vs Rebel arguments on the official forums will show). I highly recommend it.

The Avadon game is another Spiderweb game that is more recent, and is probably more accessible.

 

[Xdeser2]

How about Kingdoms of Amaulr: Reckoning?

Its a pretty solid open world action RPG with absolutely stand-out combat. The game world is HUGE, the story is long, and theres a metric shit ton of sidequests. Most of the sidequests are at least somewhat interesting (Though, unfortunately, there are a few fetch quests and kill "X" # of things quests) and the combat is amazingly fun, think God of War/Devil May Cry meets Fable.

Also, (Even though you stated PC only) since you mentioned that you have a 360, if you're feeling open minded about it I'd give Dragon's Dogma a go. From the 10 hours I've played thus far its pretty good Japanese take on the Action WRPG.

 

[Zakarath]

If you're looking to play another old school isometric one, Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura is pretty good.
I'd also suggest BioWare's Jade Empire. Easily one of my favorite games from their past 10 years.
Divinity 2: The Dragon Knight Saga is rather good too. Perhaps not as polished as some games, but those games don't let you shapeshift into a dragon and fly around.

 

[kingthrall]

Im literately testing out a new rpg myself its called Path of Exile, a new Zealand based company. The game looks amazing and from all the reviews its gotten so far it seems to be coming out of beta soon as well. It its free with paid content that just adds better skins and other stuff, none of that stat boosting nonsense. Check out the skill tree too. It looks insane.

Check it out here, maybe we can be partners in crime? Pm me mate if you want but its something you should look into since it is free after all.

https://www.pathofexile.com/

 

[King of Asgaard]

How about Jade Empire?
It's Mass Effect, but with martial arts and magic. I've gotten about an hour in and I'm liking it, but my brother binged on it and finished it in a week, and loved it.
Plus, it's on GOG and on sale right now, so it's well worth it.

*notices Deus Ex on the list*
Give System Shock 2 a shot; it's amazing.
Again, it's on GOG.
There's no need to have played the original; you can wiki the story, or just watch the recap SS2 has and you'll be fine.

 

[captainballsack]

Torchlight 2? It's the real Diablo 3.

How about Jade Empire?
It's Mass Effect, but with martial arts and magic. I've gotten about an hour in and I'm liking it, but my brother binged on it and finished it in a week, and loved it.
Plus, it's on GOG and on sale right now, so it's well worth it.

*notices Deus Ex on the list*
Give System Shock 2 a shot; it's amazing.
Again, it's on GOG.
There's no need to have played the original; you can wiki the story, or just watch the recap SS2 has and you'll be fine.

I second the Jade Empire suggestion. In my opinion, it is the best thing Bioware has ever made.