This is my favorite genre of games, RPG. There are some other subgenres like Action role playing games and those will be included in other lists, this one will mainly be turn based orientated list. What is mostly in common in this type of games that you start small and end up being a super powered up savior of the world. You get there by leveling up and deciding what ability to chose, also your choices will change the story of the game. There are some amazingly crafted worlds out there and you can spend many days exploring them. Any game on this list is worth your time. Here we go.
1. Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
Steam punk open world RPG where you can play with any fantasy race imaginable and be any sort of class. For example you can be Half-orc Technomancer inventor, Dwarf gunslinger or a Human with 6 strong followers that could fight instead of you. Every time you finish the game and start a new you will always find something new. Game to get yourself lost into, I completed this game 6 times. Huge detailed world, epic story, itemization and crafting is what makes this game my number 1.
2. Fallout 2
Post apocalyptic RPG with so much depth and exploration in a mad world ruined by nuclear war. Your mission is to find a garden of eden creation chip or G.E.C.K to help you village to survive, that quest will lead you to explore the wasteland and meet it's crazy inhabitants. Gore was over the top, Bloody Mess was my favorite perk to choose from. True classic and massive franchise today.
3. Baldurs Gate 2
This game was the work of art. Every location was interesting and full of character. Every character in the game had it's backstory and were real fun to have them around. Remember Minsk and his Heroic hamster pet Boo? And game had one of the most iconic villains in the form or Irenicus. This one was not fully turn based game, you had to pause the game to give your company orders. Without that you could not get far.
4. Planescape Torment
Turn based RPG with main protagonist Nameless One who found himself with no memory in strange alien world, game of choices and philosophy. Some of this game NPC's were so strange that to this day there are no stranger ones invented, Morte the flying skull is the great example. Visual aspect to the game is still relevant in 2016.
5. Knights of the Old Republic
You got to have one Star Wars game on this list. 10,000 years before the main movies plot was the old republic with jedi and sith battling it out. What was so special about this game is that deep story and SW mystery around your character. Explore planets, gather your companions and beat the sith, or be the sith. I don't want to spoil the story but it could easily be on par with the movies. Kotor 2 was also great.
6. Wasteland 2
This recent few years we had some great kickstarter gaming projects, Wastland 2 was one of those. Original Wasteland inspired Fallout series, and we all know what juggernaut that franchise is today. Tactical role playing game in post apocalyptic environment. You take a role of a Ranger who is on a mission to help the wastelanders in any shape or form. Big world with many choices and consequences.
7. Neverwinter Nights 2
I loved original and all expansions from original games, but the sequel was more modern and had more thought up story. Neverwinter series had something special in it's class creation named multi class, or when your basic class, say Mage can become Palemaster or Druid can become Shapeshifter. The sequel introduced Warlock class that was interesting to play as. Great game, give it a shot.
8. Icewind Dale 2
Good old Icewind series developed by Black Isle had big world to explore in Forgottern Realms setting. Icewind Dale series was always more action orientated. You create a party of 6 and start adventuring in that inhospitable ice region.
9. Divinity: Original Sin
Kickstarter project from Larian studios that has gotten some game of the year awards. But what they did is release old school game at the right time when many publishers didn't care about that type of games. Result was an amazing success. This game had improved graphics and changeable environment, you could cast ice spell and the ground will be slippery, add fire, groud becomes wet, add electicity and who ever stands there gets electrecuted for more dmg. Great story line and big world to explore. Divinity Original Sin was great, can't wait for sequel that is coming out soon.
10. Pillars of Eternity
Obsidian was close to shutting down the company, they had some bad years and had to lay of decent number of people. But things changed as they introduced this game to kickstarter project, they announced it as a spiritual successor of Baldurs Gate, Icewind Dale, Arcanum or similar games. And final product was hyped to the moon. Some were dissappointed but not me, I enjoyed this game fully.
Might and Magic VI ?
Haven't played that one. From that series i only played the latest one, Might and Magic X.
M&M6 was the best in M&M serie.
And what do you think about Ultima?
I will give it a shot one day, probably :)
M&M VI is great but I'm a fan of World of Xeen myself due to all the hours spent on it all those years ago. Maybe it's the nostalgia talking. :)
Loved the list. Played most of them!
Glad you liked it. I'm just now on your old blog listening cover songs.
d^_^b
Is there any for Android?
The best games have to be played on the PC. Anything lesser is not the same. #PCMasterRace
Some of these games can be played on consoles. Android not really.
I'm sure somebody here will start writing about android games too. Keep your eyes opened.
You are really oldschool)
I will take that as a compliment :)
I will kick on this one.