PC Gaming/RPGs

[Silverfyre]

So, I'm a recovering WoW addict who recently went back to the game and found it to be rather lacking, even with the new expansion.  I have been playing some great stand-alone RPGs lately, namely the "Mass Effect" series, and find myself wanting more.  Thus, I ask you, oh PC gaming fans, what are some of the better RPGs and/or MMOs that you all are playing out there?

[Villain]

Well to name two off the top of my head I'd say Dragon Age Origins and Fall out 2. Dragon Age I find brilliant because they taught me two things; in this game it is nearly impossible to be completely good and dwarves are twats. As for Fall Out whats not to love about an apocalyptic world full of wild robots and mutated animals. I also love that no matter where you go, everywhere has a story, even though I've completed the game I'm still wandering around just finding villages and hearing their stories.

[Seto]

The elder scrolls series is great, I'd suggest the third and fourth ones all of them have different stories but have slight/minor mentions of the other games. Deus Ex is also a good one kind of old though. Hmm The Gothic series (Never played them myself but I've seen good things about them) Then you have the Fallout series 3 and new Vegas are published and made by the same company that does the elder scrolls. If you like Star wars I would also suggest KOTOR one and two (Knights of the old republic) Also made by Bioware the people who did Mass effect. Then there is the Divine series (Kinda boring in my opinion) And Sacred one and two (They are amazing) And finally Diablo one and two (My favorite) They were made by Blizzard like WoW (That's all I can think of lol not to big on MMO's but Guild wars was fun)

[Brandon]

The three RPG franchises games Ill swear by are Dragon age, Mass effect, and fallout. Theyre all excellent games and you should be able to find them all on the PC pretty easily. If you dont mind getting some older RPGs then I would say Neverwinter nights 2 (its predecessor is supposed to be better but I never played it) and Knights of the old republic are also excellent games. If you dont mind a significant graphical downgrade I could also recommend a great many games on that were made for the NES, SNES, and playstation and which you can find emulators for

[Kotep]

Hmm...well, here are a few suggestions for you:

Jade Empire was also made by Bioware, and it was their first original RPG and their first action-RPG.  It's older than Mass Effect and was made for the Xbox, but was ported to the PC.  It's set in a fantasy version of China, and the setting is nice and interesting.  (I was actually a little disappointed that Bioware dropped it for the more traditional fantasy setting in Dragon Age.)

Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga is made by a much smaller studio, so it doesn't have the same sort of polished sheen, but it's a really well-written and creative RPG, so if you're fond of more traditional RPGs (the game is essentially Diablo's combat and BG2's roleplaying in a 3D action-RPG) you'll probably like it.  There's a ton of stuff to explore too, but it doesn't hold your hand quite as much as other games.  (If you want a little more description, here's a link to a good review of it.)

The Elder Scrolls is a great series, and Morrowind and Oblivion are both great games in their own right.  Morrowind has a more interesting world, while Oblivion's mechanics are much smoother.  Both of them offer insane modding potential, and if you get Oblivion, be sure to also get Shivering Isles, the game's expansion--it adds a small world of its own, which is far more creative than Oblivion on its own.

[Geeklet]

I know a few great older ones. How far back are you willing to go?

[Kieran±Malive]

There's a game called Ultima Online, they have several different expansions now but if you search through Google, you'll find that there are some free servers for the game instead of having to jump on a paid subscription.  It's medieval/fantasy based.

I'm currently in search for new RPGs as well, though mostly browser based and ones where I don't need to download.  I just recently found Runescape and have yet to try it out.

[Hemingway]

It depends on what you want. If you're looking for deep character creation and all that, well, you've already got a lot of great advice. Basically, anything BioWare touches, rocks.

I don't want to just echo what others have said, though, so adding a few to the mix ...

The Witcher: It's kind of hard to describe the Witcher, but there's a demo available, so you can try it. It's a more action-oriented RPG with a great story and amazing atmosphere, and some neat mechanics. The sequel is coming, too.

Dark Messiah: It's more of an action game with RPG elements ( first person shooter with swords, magic and leveling ), and not everyone's cup of tea, but it's one of my personal favorites. It's a few years old, so you should be able to get it cheap.

Torchlight: If you liked Diablo, you're pretty much sure to like Torchlight. It's very light on story, but if you're looking for a dungeon crawler and tons of loot, well, this is probably the ideal choice. In part because you can probably get it for virtually nothing, as it wasn't really a mainstream game. Before becoming incredibly popular.

[Jude]

One thing to keep in mind about Bioware vs. Bethesda, they both make good games, but they tend to have a very difficult focus.  Bioware's stuff excels at delivering an excellent main story, but the level of exploration is usually pretty weak (particularly in Mass Effect 1 & 2).  The opposite is true for Bethesda games post Morrowind (which had it all -- Morrowind was the best of the best), they have amazing exploration elements but generally weak main stories.  Oblivion's main story was terrible.

In that way, Bethesda games feel like (and are often described as) MMORPGs without the multiplayer-online part.  Bioware just makes damn good focused RPG experiences.

If you have a tolerance for bugs, I suggest checking out Obsidian games.  They've worked with both Bethesda and Bioware in the past, and have picked up a lot of tricks from both.  Fallout New Vegas, KOTOR II, Planetscape:  Torment, etc; they make damn good stuff with a lotta bugs.  But it's usually not that bad; it's the kind of stuff that newer gamers decry while people who've been gaming for a long time barely notice.

Also, have you played Deux Ex?

[Silverfyre]

Well, thanks for the great suggestions!  I am a sucker for older titles, so please list 'em if you got suggestions.

I did like "Deus Ex".  I might go back and replay it as it has been a few years.  And I'm definitely going to check out "Jade Empire".  That sounds interesting.

[DarklingAlice]

If you have a tolerance for bugs, I suggest checking out Obsidian games.  They've worked with both Bethesda and Bioware in the past, and have picked up a lot of tricks from both.  Fallout New Vegas, KOTOR II, Planetscape:  Torment, etc; they make damn good stuff with a lotta bugs.  But it's usually not that bad; it's the kind of stuff that newer gamers decry while people who've been gaming for a long time barely notice.

Can't agree with Jude more here.

If you like RPGs and have not played Planescape: Torment, you are severely missing out. It is a shame that the game has some of the flaws that it does, and it is a tragedy they didn't have the resources/time to fully realize their vision. All that taken into consideration: still one of the best games of all time.

[Geeklet]

Yeah, Planescape is a must. Let's not forget some other classics though, such as Baldur's Gate 1 & 2, Fallout 1 & 2, Icewind Dale.

Neverwinter Nights: if you skip the main game story, and just go with the story in the 2 expansions, that is a good single player experience.

Neverwinter Nights 2: one of Obsidians. Its buggy, but I like it.

Arcanum: Good blend of magic an steampunk elements. Made by the now defunct Troika, which had a lot of team members from Black Isle

VtM: Bloodlines: Again, made by Troika, using the old World of Darkness setting, bit buggy but still a good game, IMO.

[Inkidu]

If you have a tolerance for bugs, I suggest checking out Obsidian games.  They've worked with both Bethesda and Bioware in the past, and have picked up a lot of tricks from both.  Fallout New Vegas, KOTOR II, Planetscape:  Torment, etc; they make damn good stuff with a lotta bugs.  But it's usually not that bad; it's the kind of stuff that newer gamers decry while people who've been gaming for a long time barely notice.

I do recommend Obsidian games. I do tend to have a higher tolerance for bugs as well, but I am upset when I see them. It's kind of like paying people to paint your kitchen. Sure they do a fantastic job, but is it worth them destroying your living room?

Obsidian is by far the black sheep of the current major and semi-major developers. You've got to take it with a grain of salt. They tend not only to not have bugs, but leave product unfinished as well. (KotOR II).

If you're leaning to Bioware though, Jade Empire is a worthy pick, if only for the world they create.

[AtlasEros]

Since you say you are finding these comp rpgs lacking, which is the way I feel about them, you might want to consider table top rpgs.

[Silverfyre]

Since you say you are finding these comp rpgs lacking, which is the way I feel about them, you might want to consider table top rpgs.

I already play quite a few weekly table top games, thanks.  I am just looking to diversify my computer gaming experience. 

[mystictiger]

You might consider some of the 'old skool' gold box RPGs by SSI - Pools of Radiance, Krynn and so on. They're ... somewhat retro now. Moving a little further forward, the Quest for Glory games are tongue-in-cheek fantasy fun.

Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Alpha Protocol are some of my favourite games of recent days.