Incline Most underrated RPGs on the Codex

[PorkyThePaladin]

We have a lot of shit here being advertised as gold, the Shitmakers and D:OS's of the world, but what are some legitimately great RPGs that most Codexers either don't know about or underestimate?

Vulture (2D graphical wrapper for Nethack) - without looking up online hints, you can play this game for thousands of hours over decades, as you accumulate a vast base of knowledge to allow you to get further into its massive dungeon. 50 floor main dungeon with multiple multi-floor side dungeons, something like 13 classes, thousands of items and equipment, tons of spells, massive world interactivity. The thinking man's Diablo.

Ultima Underworld - yes, some people here recognize the greatness, but the average Codex dolt has no clue about this game. Likely the most intelligent gameplay in a game ever, with one brilliant and organic puzzle after another.

Divine Divinity - Yeah, the combat is kinda shit, but unlike Larian's more recent efforts, this was a serious RPG with an interesting world and cool gameplay, and none of the stupidity of D:OS's.

Zelda: Breath of the Wild - I realize this is considered more of an action-adventure game than a pure RPG, but let's face it, it has all the elements of a typical aRPG, and it's basically a Skyrim with every element made vastly better and more interesting. And no, you don't need a Switch, use an emulator.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[octavius]

Every half decent game behind PST on the Top 70 list.

 

[Lilliput McHammersmith]

Could be wrong here, but I definitely don't see people talk about Isles of Terra enough, anywhere. It's truly a gem. It is definitely from a well-known series, but most things on the internet talk about how M&M 1-5 are too difficult to get into for a modern gamer, which just is not true. I actually think that M&M3 is more accessible than M&M6 which is where people usually say to start.

 

[Jenkem]

Skyrim

 

[Butter]

Titan Outpost came out last year. Some people noticed it and realized it's pretty awesome. Most people ignored it and played visual novels instead.

I'm playing Geneforge right now and it's fucking cool. Unique world-building, great mechanics, plenty of atmosphere.

 

[Avarize]

I see Enderal mentioned every now and then but Nehrim doesn't get much love. They are glimpses into what the the Bethesda model could produce if someone competent made the games.

 

[Ol' Willy]

gorasul - so many in here want to be a dragon yet this amazing title is still in the dark

Game by the team that made The Fall: Last Days of Gaia, hmm.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Generic-Giant-Spider]

Not enough people are prepared to spread their cheeks for Shadowrun on Genesis.

This disturbs me.

 

[RuySan]

Albion.

How many codexers recognize this avatar?

 

[Reality]

I gotta Second Ultima Underworld , I like it more than BG2 even

I almost want to say that Ultima Underworld 2 is as at least better than System Shock 2, even if it is a considerable step down from the first one.

Wizardry 1, M&M 2, Dungeon Master, Dark Heart of Uurkul, Chaos Strikes Back, and maybe Wasteland 1 should always be higher in any context -
They aren't just good because of "their influence" they are still fun today, and text delay 0 is Zen

Fallout Tactics - Pretend there is no lore and play it entirely in Real Time Mode, and it gets along at a decent clip - Still only a "medium" Game, but it's not really so bad that people should ignore it entirely, although I guess if You've played X:COM Apocalypse or Myth, then that Fully Real Time Niche is obsolete by more fun games

Rougelikes - I'm really not the biggest fan of TOME or ADOM naturally... but under the onslaught of Non-RPG Rogue games by indie developers they suddenly become a lot more appealing to me, and there is plenty of fun to be had and the subgenre does make traversal into an important part of gameplay instead of just something that's in out of tradition to waste your time like it is in certain 2000s CRPGs... That said I gotta plug DoomRL - It'll always be my favorite and boiling the genre down to just a coffee break has always seemed to play to it's advantages and I liked being forced to be more aggresive than the admitedly "rewarded for going slow " thing that happens in some of the others. ---

 

[Lilliput McHammersmith]

Albion.

How many codexers recognize this avatar?

That one is coming up on my list. I did instantly recognize your avatar as one of the *things* from Albion, but I haven't played it yet, so I don't know what it is called.

 

[Morpheus Kitami]

Alpha Protocol, post-9/11 international spy fun. Meet interesting people, bed beautiful women, experience janky combat.

Could be wrong here, but I definitely don't see people talk about Isles of Terra enough, anywhere. It's truly a gem. It is definitely from a well-known series, but most things on the internet talk about how M&M 1-5 are too difficult to get into for a modern gamer, which just is not true. I actually think that M&M3 is more accessible than M&M6 which is where people usually say to start.

Do they? I don't really hear people say anything of the sort about World of Xeen, at least. People definitely forget about Isles though. I'd agree, although I'm biased, since 3 was my first in the series.

 

[Lilliput McHammersmith]

Alpha Protocol, post-9/11 international spy fun. Meet interesting people, bed beautiful women, experience janky combat.

Could be wrong here, but I definitely don't see people talk about Isles of Terra enough, anywhere. It's truly a gem. It is definitely from a well-known series, but most things on the internet talk about how M&M 1-5 are too difficult to get into for a modern gamer, which just is not true. I actually think that M&M3 is more accessible than M&M6 which is where people usually say to start.

Do they? I don't really hear people say anything of the sort about World of Xeen, at least. People definitely forget about Isles though. I'd agree, although I'm biased, since 3 was my first in the series.

Yes and it is really too bad, because Isles is such a blast. I am excited to play Xeen one day, but yeah here on the Codex people do talk up Xeen, which is great, but in other places, they say that all M&M games 1-5 are too outdated, which is an abomination. I admit to having a bias for DOS games, because as an 11-year-old, I got all into Bio Menace and Duke Nukem 1 & 2 (mind, these were ancient even then, because this would be in 2006 or so), so I have a certain nostalgia for 256-color VGA and SoundBlaster.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

On the Codex's Top 101 CRPG list, nearly every CRPG released before 1998 is underrated, partly due to the voting system used (which is not a rating system but a vote for favorites) and partly because a large portion of Codexers can't be bothered to play earlier games. In particular, Dungeon Master and other real-time blobbers are underappreciated.

 

[jackofshadows]

D:OS1/2 doesn't seem underrated here from newfags POV, let me tell you. What is not though... eh, it's more about "what is an RPG" because top Codex is actually great and covers most "solid" non-popamole RPGs so it is really hard to add some relevant to the top of it (except for Disco to recent version, ho-ho-ho).

 

[overly excitable young man]

Well known but still underrated because of how great it is: Knights of the Chalice

 

[normie]

Daibanchou

 

[Lilliput McHammersmith]

On the Codex's Top 101 CRPG list, nearly every CRPG released before 1998 is underrated, partly due to the voting system used (which is not a rating system but a vote for favorites) and partly because a large portion of Codexers can't be bothered to play earlier games. In particular, Dungeon Master and other real-time blobbers are underappreciated.

The only real-time blobbers that I have tried that I liked are Eye of the Beholder and Dungeon Hack. Now, granted, I didn’t much care for blobbers before, but so far, I like TB much more.

 

[barghwata]

Geneforge obviously, it's definitley flawed gem but a gem nevertheless, despite all of its issues it has some moments of brilliance that are comparable to that of the classics, and has excellent exploration to top it off.

The Expeditions games (Vikings and Conquistador) are also criminally underrated, good combat, great writing and historical settings, reactivity and C&C, and a great sense of exploration and adventure, i still can't understand why they're not talked about more.

Enderal Forgotten stories, also underrated, most likely because it's a skyrim mod, but once you give it a chance you'll be impressed with what a group of modders managed to do, it completely blows bethesda games out of the water in terms of writing, atmosphere, exploration etc... it's like looking through a window to a parallel universe where bethesda hadn't sold their souls and contiuned improving upon morrowind, but even then i doubt they would've made a game as good as enderal.

Alpha Protocol fun writing, janky yet servicable combat but most importantly, excellent reactivity and C&C, very few RPGs surpass AP in that regard.

 

[Morpheus Kitami]

Remembered another one, Shadowcaster, FPS Dungeon Master-clone, where you transform into various weird creatures. Has a really dark story, oddly, only told by its strategy guide.

Yes and it is really too bad, because Isles is such a blast. I am excited to play Xeen one day, but yeah here on the Codex people do talk up Xeen, which is great, but in other places, they say that all M&M games 1-5 are too outdated, which is an abomination. I admit to having a bias for DOS games, because as an 11-year-old, I got all into Bio Menace and Duke Nukem 1 & 2 (mind, these were ancient even then, because this would be in 2006 or so), so I have a certain nostalgia for 256-color VGA and SoundBlaster.

I can understand the first two, since those look like ass and can be a little bit confusing to start up. Problems solved by I think the Mac and weeb computers, but hardly a suggestion to anyone who think 3-5 are outdated.
Hey, that's my gaming journey, except it was a shareware CD and Shadowcaster.

On the Codex's Top 101 CRPG list, nearly every CRPG released before 1998 is underrated, partly due to the voting system used (which is not a rating system but a vote for favorites) and partly because a large portion of Codexers can't be bothered to play earlier games. In particular, Dungeon Master and other real-time blobbers are underappreciated.

I should get through some of these..still haven't touched Wasteland or Arcanum...wait a minute...Oblivion? UNDERTALE?

 

[Lady_Error]

Wizards & Warriors - better than Wizardry 8 in many ways, by the guy who created Wizardry 6 and 7. Pretty unique blend of TB/RT combat that I wish modern RT RPG's would use.

 

[octavius]

Wizards & Warriors - better than Wizardry 8 in many ways, by the guy who created Wizardry 6 and 7. Pretty unique blend of TB/RT combat that I wish modern RT RPG's would use.

Worst combat ever. No control whatsoever.
Apart from that it looked promising.

 

[Lady_Error]

Wizards & Warriors - better than Wizardry 8 in many ways, by the guy who created Wizardry 6 and 7. Pretty unique blend of TB/RT combat that I wish modern RT RPG's would use.

Worst combat ever. No control whatsoever.
Apart from that it looked promising.

What? "No control whatsoever"? Are you sure you played in turn-based mode? Because it works great.