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Your top 10 RPGs EXCEPT top 20 Codex titles

agentorange

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Codex 2012
more difficult than i thought it would be to come up with 10 candidates, especially when excluding console rpgs.

in no particular order:
atom
atom turdograd
risen 1
geneforge 1
diablo 1
temple of elemental evil
brigand: oaxaca
arx fatalis
tome
wasteland 1
 

Deuce Traveler

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Grab the Codex by the pussy Divinity: Original Sin Torment: Tides of Numenera Shadorwun: Hong Kong Pathfinder: Kingmaker Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture
I had to edit mine a few times:

Darklands
Pool of Radiance (SSI)
Exile
Dark Souls 2
FRUA
Final Fantasy Tactics
Sengoku Rance
Quest for Glory IV
Ultima Underworld
Ultima IV

Honorable Mentions: Might and Magic 1, Might and Magic: World of Xeen, Wizardry 6, Sword of Aragon, Kamidori Alchemy Meister, TES Arena, Shadowrun Returns: Dragonfall, ROTK 8 and 10, Persona 5, Demon's Souls, Dragon's Dogma, Geneforge, Blackguards, Anachronix, Angband, Zangband, and all the rest of the Gold Box games.
 

KafkaBot

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In no particular order:

Disco Elysium

Bloodborne

Arx Fatalis

Shadowrun: Dragonfall

Darklands

Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven

Ultima Underworld

Betrayal at Krondor

Nier Automata

Kamidori Alchemy Meister

Honorable mentions:

Sengoku Rance - Amazing game, but I've always found the main character to be insufferably stupid, and NOT in a good way. As a result, the good writing is somewhat marred by the extreme amounts of eye-rolling I'm forced to experience.

Brigand Oaxaca and Kenshi - both of these almost made it in; all they lack is a bit more polish.

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne - this was originally on the list, but it can't be played properly on a PC without emulation (the Steam port is still a royal fucking mess), so I decided to remove it and put Kamidori in its place. Yeah, yeah, I know Bloodborne is a PS4 exclusive, but I categorically refuse to not include that one.

System Shock 2 - as amazing as this game is, its RPG mechanics were NOT what made me fall in love with it.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution - probably as great a successor to the original Deus Ex as we could have possibly gotten in a console-centric world.

Dark Messiah of Might and Magic - This would probably have been on the list if it wasn't for those boring-ass catacombs segments. The combat system is excellent when you're fighting normal-sized bipeds that behave somewhat intelligently (orcs, humans, goblins, you get the gist) and large creatures, but does not provide a good experience against throngs of zombies and spiders.

West of Loathing - everything about this game is unusual. It's a good, well-written comedy RPG with a Western setting, both things you don't see very often (if at all). It's not groundbreaking or anything, but I feel it deserves a mention because there is nothing else like it.
 
Last edited:

Not.AI

Learned
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Arx Fatalis
Nier: Automata
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Risen
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadows of Chernobyl
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat
Divinity 1
Divinity 2
Divinity Original Sin 1
Divinity Original Sin 2
 

Lt Broccoli

Educated
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Feb 8, 2022
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Icewind Dale
Alpha Protocol
Might and Magic 1
Dark Sun: Shattered Lands
Pool Of Radiance
Champions of Krynn
FRUA
Darkest Dungeon
Ravenloft: Strahds Possession
Tyranny
 

Serus

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The order is mostly from best to worst but i wasn't overthinking it:

1. Wizardry 7
2. Darklands
3. Cataclys DDA (RL/open world)
4. Knights of the Chalice 1
5. Battle Brothers (barely a crpg but still better even in its crpg-ness than many proper crpgs)
6. DoomRL (or Jupiter Hell) (RL)
7. TOME4 (RL)
8. King of Dragon Pass (not strictly a crpg though but close and good game and i am short of great crpgs at this point)
9. Betrayal at Krondor (a storyfag crpg but a good one)
10. Icewind Dale 1

Other picks i considered:
Mount & Blade Warband (not strictly a crpg but close - especially some mods )
Ultima V
Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup - DCSS (RL, a version from 5+ years ago),
Quest for Glory (1 and 4, i consider them mostly adventure games not crpgs but they are fabulous)
Might and Magic 7
NEO Scavenger

I might have forgotten some good and important titles. In fact i'm pretty sure i did.
Also i am 99% sure that KotC2 would be on that list if i had played it already.
 

Serus

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I'd put Battle Brothers which I love 10/10, but I don't consider it an RPG
Disco Elysium
:retarded:
What constitutes my "what is an RPG" rules doesn't have to adhere to some bullshit status quo. Brothers in BB are "units" not really "characters", in the long run they are disposable. LARP it all you want, but it's a mercenary company sim, they are there to earn me money or die in the process. I don't roleplay them, I use them. Plus BB gameplay is 90% about tactical combat and 10% management. On the other hand, not counting Disco as RPG on behalf on not having combat is something I couldn't give less of a fuck about. Not having combat in a cop game, if anything, only makes it more reasonable than killing a 1000 shit mobs.

Depends in what scenario. In Lone Wolf or Gladiators they are not disposable. They die, you lose. In addition there are crpgs that no one dismiss as crpgs that have disposable characters too. In most party based crpg, especially in older ones you don't "roleplay" any single character in any meaningful way either. You play as a party. CRPG != p&p RPG.
Also many early crpgs are 90% combat. Or combat and puzzle solving.
If you want to reject BB from crpgs family because the reasons you mentioned you should do the same with a LOT (perhaps even most) of crpg titles made pre ~1995. Sorry, i repeat that often, can't eat a cake and have that cake.
Overall - your arguments are much weaker than you may think.
Still, i think BB is barely a crpg at best. But only because of lack of any overall story that would give the gameplay a goal other than a self made one.
 
Joined
Jan 14, 2018
Messages
50,754
Codex Year of the Donut
Feel like I'm really missing something but I can't think of it. Oh well.
No order because I have a hard time ordering games I like.

  • ATOM RPG+ATOM Trudograd(2018+2021)
  • Albion(1996)
  • Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic(2003)
  • Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday(1990)
  • Divinity II: Developer's Cut(2012)
  • Project Gorgon
  • Starflight(1986/1989, Amiga version has a lot of improvements)
  • Technomancer(2016)
  • Enderal: The Shards of Order(2016/2019)
  • Divinity: Original Sin(2014)
 
Joined
Jan 14, 2018
Messages
50,754
Codex Year of the Donut
I'd put Battle Brothers which I love 10/10, but I don't consider it an RPG
Disco Elysium
:retarded:
What constitutes my "what is an RPG" rules doesn't have to adhere to some bullshit status quo. Brothers in BB are "units" not really "characters", in the long run they are disposable. LARP it all you want, but it's a mercenary company sim, they are there to earn me money or die in the process. I don't roleplay them, I use them. Plus BB gameplay is 90% about tactical combat and 10% management. On the other hand, not counting Disco as RPG on behalf on not having combat is something I couldn't give less of a fuck about. Not having combat in a cop game, if anything, only makes it more reasonable than killing a 1000 shit mobs.

Depends in what scenario. In Lone Wolf or Gladiators they are not disposable. They die, you lose. In addition there are crpgs that no one dismiss as crpgs that have disposable characters too. In most party based crpg, especially in older ones you don't "roleplay" any single character in any meaningful way either. You play as a party. CRPG != p&p RPG.
Also many early crpgs are 90% combat. Or combat and puzzle solving.
If you want to reject BB from crpgs family because the reasons you mentioned you should do the same with a LOT (perhaps even most) of crpg titles made pre ~1995. Sorry, i repeat that often, can't eat a cake and have that cake.
Overall - your arguments are much weaker than you may think.
Still, i think BB is barely a crpg at best. But only because of lack of any overall story that would give the gameplay a goal other than a self made one.
I don't see how rejecting BB is different from rejecting X-COM.
There's a heavy, heavy bias towards "fantasy=rpg"
 

Serus

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I'd put Battle Brothers which I love 10/10, but I don't consider it an RPG
Disco Elysium
:retarded:
What constitutes my "what is an RPG" rules doesn't have to adhere to some bullshit status quo. Brothers in BB are "units" not really "characters", in the long run they are disposable. LARP it all you want, but it's a mercenary company sim, they are there to earn me money or die in the process. I don't roleplay them, I use them. Plus BB gameplay is 90% about tactical combat and 10% management. On the other hand, not counting Disco as RPG on behalf on not having combat is something I couldn't give less of a fuck about. Not having combat in a cop game, if anything, only makes it more reasonable than killing a 1000 shit mobs.

Depends in what scenario. In Lone Wolf or Gladiators they are not disposable. They die, you lose. In addition there are crpgs that no one dismiss as crpgs that have disposable characters too. In most party based crpg, especially in older ones you don't "roleplay" any single character in any meaningful way either. You play as a party. CRPG != p&p RPG.
Also many early crpgs are 90% combat. Or combat and puzzle solving.
If you want to reject BB from crpgs family because the reasons you mentioned you should do the same with a LOT (perhaps even most) of crpg titles made pre ~1995. Sorry, i repeat that often, can't eat a cake and have that cake.
Overall - your arguments are much weaker than you may think.
Still, i think BB is barely a crpg at best. But only because of lack of any overall story that would give the gameplay a goal other than a self made one.
I don't see how rejecting BB is different from rejecting X-COM.
There's a heavy, heavy bias towards "fantasy=rpg"
You want a comparaison of X-COM and BB and why one is a strategy/tactics and other tactical crpg? Their gameplay and design are very different. The thing that they have in common is good tactical combat. Not much more.
1. In X-COM you have a developed strategic game layer + advanced base management with research and "stuff". All this completely missing in Battle Brothers. Missing also in 99% of proper crpgs. When strategy layer does exist in crpgs, it is simple and/or closely tied to your party and its stats. Unlike X-COM. In Jagged Alliance strategic layer is like 1% of the game and still people - stupidly - claim it isn't a crpg.
2. Because in X-COM you don't have a single party travelling through the game world - which is sort of important for crpgs as i heard. Instead you have bases and soldiers that can be appointed to different bases and missions. But you do the travelling party thing in BB.
3. Because there aren't any other elements than tactical combat and strategy in X-COM. In Battle Brothers you still have exploration of the gameworld (again like crpgs do). You still interacts with other people (even if those interactions are simple). But not really simpler than many old crpgs. Hell, in fact much more involved than in most dungeon crawlers or blobbers of old. Those element are not present in X-COM.
4. C&C that aren't limited to strategy decisions. Granted, usually small ones but they exit. Hell, there is even sort of a morality system, you can chose to be a good or a bad boy and the world with react to that. I don't care that much but we have C&C-fags here who think this important for a crpg.

There are tons of elements that are foreign or atypical for crpgs that are present in x-com. Others elements that are typical for crpgs that exist in BB but not X-Com

I could probably go on but this is enough.

However I still agree that Battle Bros might not be considered a full crpg - if at all. Just not for the reasons some people think.
 

Serus

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Mount & Blade Warband (not strictly a crpg but close - especially some mods )
What mods?
Damn, that was so long ago. If i remember correctly in Legacy of Pendor (if that was the title?) the gameplay loop was more crpg-like than normal M&B. Most of it was just travelling on the map with relatively small group. Or this is how i remember it. Also it was a standad fantasy, which in itself doesn't make a game crpg, of curse, but gave it a more crpg-y feel. I enjoyed it for a time but after some time i was returning to more standard mods or vanilla.
But as i said, it was ~10 years ago so my memories are hazy.
 
Self-Ejected

Thac0

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I'm very into cock and ball torture
Decided to make things harder for myself by excluding JRPGs, games which are more tactics than rpg like Battle Brothers, Disco Elysium and games I have not finished yet so that I have to dig up more interesting stuff. 1 game per developer and series.

1. Elex
2. Shadowrun Dragonfall
3. Voidspire Tactics (name is misleading, it is way more rpg than tactics)
4. Legend of Grimrock 2
5. Expeditions:Conquistador
6. Drakensang
7. Torment Tides of Numenera
8. Tyranny
9. Solasta
10. Operencia

Honorable mentions to mainstream stuff like Dragon Age Origins, Fallout 4, Outer Worlds, which I had fun with but it is not interesting enough for a spot on the list. Also to tactical games like Dungeon Rats and Warbanners which are not rpg enough for my taste, and to great games like Legends of Eisenwald and Lords of Xulima which I will probably never finish because they overstay their welcome in the late game.
 
Self-Ejected

Thac0

Time Mage
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I'm very into cock and ball torture
Drakensang
I have no idea how anyone could like this game let alone be their favorite.
I tortured myself with it recently and maybe got halfway through.

It is a racial thing, here in Germany The Dark Eye is the first P&P rulebook everyone tries, so there is a huge amount of affection for the retarded mechanics and cheesy world.
The prequel River of Time is a lot better and should prolly be played independently, but I didn't finish that yet.
 

Sherry

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Shrine of Compassion
Hi.

01. Pillars of Eternity
02. DEADFIRE
03. Icewind Dale
04. Ultima 4 - Quest of the Avatar
05. Ultima 5 - Warriors of Destiny
06. Ultima 6 - The False Prophet
07. Ultima 7 - The Black Gate
08. Magic Candle
09. Skyrim
10. LOOM

Gosh maybe 10 is not considered a RPG but it was a lot of fun and you used music to solve puzzles and continue on with your quest with some great sound chirps, songs, and graphics for its time certainly one of my favorite games I remember playing in my youth maybe you played it too if not you can always go to YouTube and check out what it was like maybe there are a few who also played it and we can talk about it some time okay? Okay!

Thanks,
Sherry
 

Modron

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Dunno this more a stream of stuff as I remembered it list, there is a lot of good stuff not in the top 20 of those lists.
1) Exile 3
2) Mask of the Betrayer
3) Atom RPG
4) Darksun Shattered Lands
5) Prelude to Darkness
6) Hammer and Sickle
7) Geneforge
8) Risen 1
9) Kingdom Come Deliverance
10) The River of Time

Limiting to just ten is hard, lots of stuff got pruned (I should peruse my GOG library could probably dig up a few more worth mentioning).
Trudograd
Knights of the Chalice
Betrayal at Krondor
The rest of the Geneforges and Exiles/Avernums
Wasteland
Expeditions Viking
West of Loathing
King Comrade
Divine Divinity
Twitcha 1 and 2
The Quest
Tale of Wuxia
Ultima 7
Heroine's Quest
Quest for Glory Series
Dex

Mods
Fallout Nevada
Archalos

Honorable JRPG mentions Dragon Quest 3, 6 and 7, FF tactics, Front Mission Series, Yakuza Like a Dragon, Neir Automata, Dragon's Dogma, Tactics Ogre, Lufia 2, River City Ransom, et cetera.


Mount & Blade Warband (not strictly a crpg but close - especially some mods )
What mods?
Viking Conquest injects a lot more RPG flavor into Warband.
 

0sacred

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Codex Year of the Donut
1. Ultima VII
2. Might & Magic VII
3. Dark Sun Shattered Lands
4. Realms of Arkania 2 Startail
5. Icewind Dale
6. Might & Magic World of Xeen
7. Neverwinter Nights 1
8. TES: Arena
9. Icewind Dale II
10. Aethra Chronicles
 

Agesilaus

Antiquity Studio
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Grab the Codex by the pussy Codex USB, 2014 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
The order is mostly from best to worst but i wasn't overthinking it:

1. Wizardry 7
2. Darklands
3. Cataclys DDA (RL/open world)
4. Knights of the Chalice 1
5. Battle Brothers (barely a crpg but still better even in its crpg-ness than many proper crpgs)
6. DoomRL (or Jupiter Hell) (RL)
7. TOME4 (RL)
8. King of Dragon Pass (not strictly a crpg though but close and good game and i am short of great crpgs at this point)
9. Betrayal at Krondor (a storyfag crpg but a good one)
10. Icewind Dale 1

Other picks i considered:
Mount & Blade Warband (not strictly a crpg but close - especially some mods )
Ultima V
Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup - DCSS (RL, a version from 5+ years ago),
Quest for Glory (1 and 4, i consider them mostly adventure games not crpgs but they are fabulous)
Might and Magic 7
NEO Scavenger

I might have forgotten some good and important titles. In fact i'm pretty sure i did.
Also i am 99% sure that KotC2 would be on that list if i had played it already.


Hmmm based on this I went and picked up QfG 4. QfG 1 is undeniably an amazing game that deserves eternal praise. Specifically the command-line version, but I'm willing to give QfG 4 a shot despite its mouse interface and new graphics. Adventure Games entered a steep and almost irreversible decline with the advent of mouse-based interfaces, but if QfG 4 is being paired with HQ/QfG 1 specifically then maybe it is good. I will soon find out.
 

Nifft Batuff

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Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne - this was originally on the list, but it can't be played properly on a PC without emulation (the Steam port is still a royal fucking mess), so I decided to remove it and put Kamidori in its place. Yeah, yeah, I know Bloodborne is a PS4 exclusive, but I categorically refuse to not include that one.
:hmmm:
Mmm, ok, but emulation is the proper and legit way to play, if there are no ports made concomitantly for PC. Remasters/remakes made years later only to sell you thin air should be avoided by default.
 

Serus

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The order is mostly from best to worst but i wasn't overthinking it:

1. Wizardry 7
2. Darklands
3. Cataclys DDA (RL/open world)
4. Knights of the Chalice 1
5. Battle Brothers (barely a crpg but still better even in its crpg-ness than many proper crpgs)
6. DoomRL (or Jupiter Hell) (RL)
7. TOME4 (RL)
8. King of Dragon Pass (not strictly a crpg though but close and good game and i am short of great crpgs at this point)
9. Betrayal at Krondor (a storyfag crpg but a good one)
10. Icewind Dale 1

Other picks i considered:
Mount & Blade Warband (not strictly a crpg but close - especially some mods )
Ultima V
Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup - DCSS (RL, a version from 5+ years ago),
Quest for Glory (1 and 4, i consider them mostly adventure games not crpgs but they are fabulous)
Might and Magic 7
NEO Scavenger

I might have forgotten some good and important titles. In fact i'm pretty sure i did.
Also i am 99% sure that KotC2 would be on that list if i had played it already.


Hmmm based on this I went and picked up QfG 4. QfG 1 is undeniably an amazing game that deserves eternal praise. Specifically the command-line version, but I'm willing to give QfG 4 a shot despite its mouse interface and new graphics. Adventure Games entered a steep and almost irreversible decline with the advent of mouse-based interfaces, but if QfG 4 is being paired with HQ/QfG 1 specifically then maybe it is good. I will soon find out.
The 2nd is considered by some the best one. I never played it, i always have it on a "to play" list but that list has >100 titles so it might never happen.
As to 4. Objectively - it is worse that 1, especially as an adventure game with puzzles. However it a great setting with some quirky humour but also a few genuinely scary and or sad moments in my opinion. Also is very buggy unless there is some new fan-made patch since i played it.
 

KafkaBot

Scholar
Joined
May 4, 2016
Messages
189
Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne - this was originally on the list, but it can't be played properly on a PC without emulation (the Steam port is still a royal fucking mess), so I decided to remove it and put Kamidori in its place. Yeah, yeah, I know Bloodborne is a PS4 exclusive, but I categorically refuse to not include that one.
:hmmm:
Mmm, ok, but emulation is the proper and legit way to play, if there are no ports made concomitantly for PC. Remasters/remakes made years later only to sell you thin air should be avoided by default.

Well, if the remaster was good enough and provided a superior experience to emulation, one could simply pirate it. That's not the case, sadly.
 

Arvennios

Novice
Joined
Jan 17, 2017
Messages
46
1. Mass Effect
2. Dragon Age Origins
3. Pillars of Eternity
4. The Witcher II : Assassins of Kings
5. Risen
6. Alpha Protocol
7. Tyranny
8. Divine Divinity
9. Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition
10. Avernum: Escape From The Pit

I haven't included any Strategy/Tactical RPGs titles or J-RPGs, they're distinctive and large enough to deserve their own separate rankings.
 

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