First timer cRPGs (2024 edition)

[Spike]

Best RPGs ever from Metacritic.

DUUUUUDE!!! FALLOUT 3!

 

[Camel]

DUUUUUDE!!! FALLOUT 3!

Don't forget Oblivion and PoE. The gamedevs get bonuses for Metacritic scores btw.

 

[rojay]

I love Pool of Radiance but I'd only recommend it as a first RPG if it was also the person's first experience with an electronic game, whether console or computer.

I'd start someone with Baldur's Gate or Icewind Dale as a first crpg, I think. Having said that, my son bounced off BG when I first tried to turn him onto it 15 years ago or so. He's never really gotten into RPGs apart from Skyrim and I'm not sure that counts.

 

[mediocrepoet]

I love Pool of Radiance but I'd only recommend it as a first RPG if it was also the person's first experience with an electronic game, whether console or computer.

I'd start someone with Baldur's Gate or Icewind Dale as a first crpg, I think. Having said that, my son bounced off BG when I first tried to turn him onto it 15 years ago or so. He's never really gotten into RPGs apart from Skyrim and I'm not sure that counts.

I think the Infinity Engine games are a hard sell for a newbie in this day and age. Your first moments are of a 1st level 2E character where you basically watch them flail about missing all the time and potentially getting one shot.

For a pure RPG, I'd think turn based games are a far better introduction with no time pressure and likely mechanics that are designed not to have a miss-fest.

 

[rojay]

I love Pool of Radiance but I'd only recommend it as a first RPG if it was also the person's first experience with an electronic game, whether console or computer.

I'd start someone with Baldur's Gate or Icewind Dale as a first crpg, I think. Having said that, my son bounced off BG when I first tried to turn him onto it 15 years ago or so. He's never really gotten into RPGs apart from Skyrim and I'm not sure that counts.

I think the Infinity Engine games are a hard sell for a newbie in this day and age. Your first moments are of a 1st level 2E character where you basically watch them flail about missing all the time and potentially getting one shot.

For a pure RPG, I'd think turn based games are a far better introduction with no time pressure and likely mechanics that are designed not to have a miss-fest.

Yeah, that was sort of my experience 15 years ago, at least with BG. I think it was also because my son was already playing faster-paced games. I'm not sure a turn-based game would have done the trick, but maybe I should have started him on ToEE.

Edit to add: with the mod that adds combat-quests so you can avoid all of the Hommlet "quests."

 

[mediocrepoet]

I think the Infinity Engine games are a hard sell for a newbie in this day and age. Your first moments are of a 1st level 2E character where you basically watch them flail about missing all the time and potentially getting one shot.

For a pure RPG, I'd think turn based games are a far better introduction with no time pressure and likely mechanics that are designed not to have a miss-fest.

Yeah, that was sort of my experience 15 years ago, at least with BG. I think it was also because my son was already playing faster-paced games. I'm not sure a turn-based game would have done the trick, but maybe I should have started him on ToEE.

Quite possibly, it's hard to dial that back. But it may also mean that he's just not into RPGs, at least not at the time. You could try introducing him to ARPGs to see if he finds any interest in those.

I actually had some success running tabletop D&D as a family game. I think it's easier to go from an interest in TTRPGs to CRPGs than just go cold to CRPGs, YMMV.

 

[kangaxx]

System Shock 2 or Deus Ex.

 

[Berengar]

I think the answer is "any one that interests you"

This is the correct answer but if for some reason someone was just so alien to the genre that this wouldn't work for them I'd say... Shadowrun Returns

its very streamlined and simple but I think it would be solid for someone completely new to crpgs and by the end of their playthrough they'd be ready to figure any others out.