The 10 best RPGs EVER

[HICHEM]

10- Secret of Mana

Oh, Secret of Mana: how we love thee. Never had we blown so hard on a worn out SNES cartridge, just to get you working again. With a banner real-time battle system, jaw dropping graphics, and a stellar soundtrack, for some of us, it is one of the greatest games ever.

Even though the menu system was overly frustrating at first, and the story was very Japanese for some, it was unique with fun co-op and super smart AI for its time. And finally being granted access to Flammie the dragon? Seeing him fly above a ground rendered in 3D? Being able to ride him? Forget about it. The game was released 20 years ago, and yet it still manages to make us feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

9- Kingdom Come Deliverance

Kingdom Come: Deliverance has a great premise: a “dungeons without dragons” historical representation of 15th century Bohemia built in the beautiful CryEngine and packed with deep RPG systems. In practice though, it starts to creak under the weight of its own ambition.

The first-person physics-based combat is exciting, innovative, and maddening in equal measure; a theme that permeates almost every part of Kingdom Come. There are so many good ideas here, and although the AI and environments can be janky in the extreme – probably owing to the fact that CryEngine was built for FPS games – it presents a potential for medieval roleplay that’s second-to-none.

If you’re into real ale, Kingdom Come: Deliverance will totally be your jam.

8- Pillars of Eternity

If you’re just gagging for an unapologetically old school CRPG, but running at a resolution that doesn’t make your modern monitor produce small sounds of disgust and distress, Pillars of Eternity is for you.

Obsidian asked the Internet: would you like it if we ignored all that 3D action nonsense and just used a modern engine to make a retro-style RPG in the style of Icewind Dale and Baldur’s Gate? The Internet said, yes please and here is a (then record-breaking) $4 million to do it with. The result is exactly what you’d expect, and probably delight in. Although Obsidian didn’t have a Dungeons & Dragons license, this freed it up to create its own rules, races, perks and feats, plus a unique re-interpretation of fantasy setting tropes.

7- The Legend of Dragoon

Sure the battles could be a bit repetitive and the combo system was unforgiving at times, but despite all this, The Legend of Dragoon was damn good game. Why else have there been numerous requests from fans for Sony to release another entry? It was beautiful, the storyline was tight, you could transform into a more powerful form in battle, and multiple use items were peppered across the game for the player to find in order to increase stats. And how many of you actually collected all the stardust, thus acquiring the Vanishing Stone so you could face superboss Magician Faust? Champions, each and every one.

6- Ultima (series)

Where do you even start? With Ultima Online, the first really successful graphical MMORPG? With nine core games and a dozen spin-offs? With the huge breadth of talent at the late Origin Systems? Or maybe with the suspected madness of Richard “Lord British” Garriott, who loved the worlds he helped create so much he can’t stop doing author-inserts and appears as a major, recurring NPC? Ultima is pure western fantasy, if not at its finest then certainly at some of its peaks.

5- Fable

In more innocent times Fable felt fresh and funny. An RPG set within a crooked take on the eccentric British, Peter Molyneux’s first attempt at Fable came without all the pretentious bullshit. The difficult choices were always binary so you only ever turn out purely evil or saintly good, but on the way you get to marry, drink and fart like a trooper. If nothing else it’s just bloody good fun. The original Fable is probably the best one on balance, since the third is stuffed with a few poor ideas that likely made it through Microsoft’s filters thanks to Molyneux’s climb up the executive ranks – but that does make it the most textured and interesting.

4-The Bard’s Tale
Not to be confused with the 2004 parody action-adventure title, the 1985 version of The Bards Tale (included with purchases of the newer game) is still discussed in reverent and hushed tones in dark corners of internet saloons. For its time, it was a more than capable competitor to the Ultima juggernaut gracing the majority of desktops. The dungeon crawler had some of the hardest enemies for its time, was vast in scope, and was graphically stunning for the Commodore crowd. A best of RPGs list wouldn’t be complete without it. Two sequels followed, and a fourth series entry is expected thanks to InXile’s ongoing attempts to single-handedly resurrect classic role playing.

3- System Shock 2

Ken Levine may have perfected his gameplay mechanics years after its release, but this survival horror, cyberpunk RPG laid the groundwork for all BioShock games to come.

System Shock 2 thrust players into a starship to stop a genetic outbreak. Like its predecessor, it mixed FPS elements with the ability to build up your skills and traits in a formula we came to know as the immersive sim. While it wasn’t deemed a commercial success, it has been credited as the inspiration behind several shooters and other genres with its innovative progression system. Add in the fact this was NOT a game you wanted to play on your own in the dark, it deserves to be on any “best of” list.

2- Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
For some of us Level-5 can do no wrong, and Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch proved our opinion of the developer was valid with this breathtakingly lovely DS and PS3 release. Combined with studio Ghibli’s traditional animation style and cutscenes, the player cannot help but be drawn into Oliver’s world as he and the fairy Drippy try to thwart the evil wizard Shadar. It’s a touching story, as Oliver is convinced he can bring his mother Allie back to life and help broken-hearted people affected by Shadar along the way. When he finally confronts the White Witch, we are met with a touchingly bittersweet ending to a fabulous effort by the developers. We expect to add the upcoming sequel to this entry, to be honest.

1- Anachronox
Ion Storm’s forgotten game, Anachronox is the neglected middle child to bratty Daikatana and smug Deus Ex. Tom Hall’s name is still spoken of in reverent tones whenever fans of this beautiful project gather, and with good reason: Anachronox fronts a beautiful world, a gently good-humoured tone and bitingly good writing. Consigned to cult classic status, it deserved so much more.