RPG Codex - Top 50 WORST RPGs YOU'VE PLAYED vote thread

[Ulminati]

Knights of the chalice

 

[Wyrmlord]

You know, I really can't think of any RPG I truly or strongly dislike. I managed to draw some minimal enjoyment even out of NWN OC and Morrowind. Even mediocre stuff like Lands of Lore, which is of lower quality than recent Elder Scrolls games, has its own charm.

So in conclusion, I must say this is a fantastic genre, and I tend to like pretty much every RPG ever made. I just can't bring myself to regret any hour I have spent on any RPG I have played. This is one consistently good and consistently entertaining genre; why else would I be posting on a site dedicated to RPGs?

Basically, I agree with mondblut.

 

[visions]

I managed to draw some minimal enjoyment even out of NWN OC

I managed to draw some minimal enjoyment out of it as well but the fact that I shudder at the thought of ever replaying it makes me p. comfortable to nominate it.

Plus the fact that for me personally it's the worst rpg-related thing I've played for more than a few hours. I never really plunged into the likes of Oblivion, Fallout 3, Mass Effects or Dragon Age II to an extent that I could have an informed firsthand opinion of them though.

 

[Trash]

You guys realise you're all pretty much only naming modern rpg's? Theye been around since the 80's you know.

And trust me, some of the older ones are dogs.

 

[visions]

Keywords being YOU'VE PLAYED. I don't think many people who weren't playing rpgs in the 80s have a strong incentive to try a twenty old game now about which they've read that it's supposed to be shit.

 

[Ninja Destroyer]

Golden Raspberry - Ultima IX
Descent To Undermountain
Dungeon Lords
Oblivion
Fallout 3
Arcania
Pool of Radiance : Ruins of Myth Drannor

 

[Trash]

Keywords being YOU'VE PLAYED. I don't think many people who weren't playing rpgs in the 80s have a strong incentive to try a twenty old game now about which they've read that it's supposed to be shit.

Well, if we do want that whole monocle thing to have some actual merit one might expect a bit of interest in the roots of the genre.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

These are actually in order of non-preference:

Ultima 8: Pagan. What the fuck is this shit? Here's a game with NO redeeming features whatsoever. None. The only good thing about this game is that the engine was later used to make the Crusader games.

Ultima 9: Ascension. I'll just quote Spoony: "BETRAYAL!" Also, bugs ahoy. But unlike Ultima 8, it has a few redeeming qualities, such as looking awesome for a game its age, and sporting an awesome soundtrack.

Descent To Undermountain. Such a promising game, such an awesome engine. Such a huge disappointment.

Fallout 3. "Oh hey, I'll pass a stupidly easy Speech check to convince a SUPERCOMPUTER that what it's doing is wrong. Then I'll disarm this nuclear bomb with one hand while I spend 30 minutes sweating over this boobytrapped wooden door on that beat-up shack over there. But first, I'm going to beat my dad unconscious by shooting him in the head."

Gothic 4: Arcania. See my signature.

Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods. It's one of a handful of expansions that I know of that actually makes the game feel worse than it was.

Might & Magic 9. Fortunately for me I never had to play this, but I had to help a friend of mine (and then comfort him) who was trying to play it through. A game so bad it can make a grown man cry. Literally.

Neverwinter Nights OC. It has the feel of something that was slapped together in the wee hours of the morning before being released. Fortunately the expansions are of a better quality.

The Bard's Tale (2004). It's funny, has a few interesting songs, clever bits of dialogue and the voice acting is awesome. Those are its only redeeming qualities. Don't play it, just watch the LP on YouTube instead.

Star Wars: KOTOR. I actually gave up playing this somewhere around the half-way mark. When it isn't boring, it's jumping the shark with backflips.

Captive (PC version only). It's so bugged, it's unplayable. The game doesn't give you enough cash or XP compared to what you'll need to stand up against the monsters thrown at you.


There are other games that I'd love to mention, but it wouldn't be right for me to do so because I haven't played them. Almost every AAA title in the past 10 years that calls itself an RPG, Lionheart, Final Fantasy 8+, overambitious beat'em-ups that try to pass themselves off as RPGs, Lands of Lore 3, Legends of Valour, and many more.

Suggestion to Jaesun: Compile this list as well, and use it to subtract votes from the "Best" list.

 

[DraQ]

Of my 50 worst RPGs that are actual RPGs (so no Diablo games) and that I have personally played for any length of time (so no FO3) 49 first are Oblivion and the last 1 is BG1 (not that bad, but very boring, underwhelming and with clusterfuck combat).

 

[Minttunator]

The usual suspects seem to winning thus far. I'm surprised that DA2 is getting so few votes, but I guess most people were smart enough to draw their conclusions from previews/videos and haven't actually played it.

1. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - 30 votes
2. Fallout 3 - 24 votes
3. Neverwinter Nights - 24 votes
4. Dragon Age II - 11 votes
5. Dragon Age: Origins - 10 votes
6. Lionheart - 10 votes
7. Arcania: Gothic 4 - 9 votes
8. Dungeon Siege - 9 votes
9. Mass Effect - 9 votes
10. Might and Magic IX - 9 votes
11. Neverwinter Nights 2 - 9 votes
12. The Witcher - 9 votes

Here's the entire list up to this point. I did my best to consolidate the votes, add +1 to every game of a series if someone voted for "the entire X series" etc, but there are doubtless still some mistakes.

Spoiler

1. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - 30
2. Fallout 3 - 24
3. Neverwinter Nights - 24
4. Dragon Age II - 11
5. Dragon Age: Origins - 10
6. Lionheart - 10
7. Arcania: Gothic 4 - 9
8. Dungeon Siege - 9
9. Mass Effect - 9
10. Might and Magic IX - 9
11. Neverwinter Nights 2 - 9
12. The Witcher - 9
13. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - 7
14. Ultima IX: Ascension - 7
15. Dungeon Siege III - 6
16. The Witcher 2 - 6
17. Diablo III - 5
18. Dungeon Siege II - 5
19. Fable - 5
20. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - 5
21. Arcanum - 4
22. Baldur's Gate II - 4
23. Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal - 4
24. Descent to Undermountain - 4
25. Deus Ex: Human Revolution - 4
26. Deus Ex: Invisible War - 4
27. Diablo II - 4
28. Icewind Dale 2 - 4
29. Mass Effect 2 - 4
30. Might and Magic VI - 4
31. Risen - 4
32. Temple of Elemental Evil - 4
33. The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall - 4
34. Ultima VIII - 4
35. Alpha Protocol - 3
36. Fallout: New Vegas - 3
37. Final Fantasy VII - 3
38. Final Fantasy VIII - 3
39. Gothic - 3
40. Gothic 2 - 3
41. Gothic 3 - 3
42. Mass Effect 3 - 3
43. Sacred 2 - 3
44. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - 3
45. The Bard's Tale (2004) - 3
46. Two Worlds - 3
47. Ultima VII - 3
48. Wizardry 8 - 3
49. Akalabeth - 2
50. Albion - 2
51. Baldur's Gate - 2
52. Borderlands 2 - 2
53. Dink Smallwood - 2
54. Dungeon Lords - 2
55. Eye of the Beholder 2 - 2
56. Eye of the Beholder 3 - 2
57. Fallout 2 - 2
58. Icewind Dale - 2
59. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning - 2
60. Knights of the Chalice - 2
61. Legend of the Dragoon - 2
62. Might and Magic IV - 2
63. Might and Magic V - 2
64. Might and Magic VII - 2
65. Might and Magic VIII - 2
66. Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide - 2
67. Planescape: Torment - 2
68. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords - 2
69. The Elder Scrolls: Arena - 2
70. Ultima - 2
71. Ultima VI - 2
72. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines - 2
73. Angband - 1
74. Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance - 1
75. Bard's Tale III - 1
76. Betrayal at Krondor - 1
77. Beyond Divinity - 1
78. Bioshock - 1
79. Borderlands - 1
80. Breath of Fire IV - 1
81. Buck Rogers: Matrix Cubed - 1
82. Captive - 1
83. Crusaders of Might and Magic - 1
84. Dark Souls - 1
85. Dark Sun: Shattered Lands - 1
86. Darkfall - 1
87. Darklands - 1
88. Darkstone - 1
89. Deus Ex - 1
90. DiabloRL - 1
91. Disciples of Steel - 1
92. Divinity II: Dragon Knight Saga - 1
93. Double Dungeons - 1
94. Dragon Quest - 1
95. Dragon Quest 2 - 1
96. Dragon Quest 3 - 1
97. Dragon Quest 4 - 1
98. Eternal Ring - 1
99. Eternal Sonata - 1
100. Exile III: Ruined World - 1
101. Exile: Escape from the Pit - 1
102. Eye of the Beholder - 1
103. Faery Tale Adventure - 1
104. Fallout - 1
105. Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel - 1
106. Final Fantasy IV - 1
107. Final Fantasy IX - 1
108. Final Fantasy X - 1
109. Final Fantasy X-2 - 1
110. Final Fantasy XIII - 1
111. Galdregon's Domain - 1
112. Game of Thrones RPG - 1
113. Geneforge V - 1
114. Grandia 2 - 1
115. Inquisitor - 1
116. Jade Empire - 1
117. Konung 1 - 1
118. Lands of Lore 2 - 1
119. Legacy of the Ancients - 1
120. Legends of Valour - 1
121. Lord of the Rings Online - 1
122. MegaTraveller I: The Zhodani Conspiracy - 1
123. Might and Magic - 1
124. Might and Magic II - 1
125. Might and Magic III - 1
126. Mortal Online - 1
127. Mother 3 - 1
128. Mount & Blade: With Fire and Sword - 1
129. Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer - 1
130. Neverwinter Nights 2: Mysteries of Westgate - 1
131. Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir - 1
132. Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark - 1
133. Nightstone - 1
134. Persona 2 - 1
135. Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor - 1
136. Prelude to Darkness - 1
137. Quest 64 - 1
138. Rogue - 1
139. Runes of Magic - 1
140. Sacred - 1
141. Septerra Core - 1
142. Silkroad Online - 1
143. Sonic: RPG - 1
144. SOZ - 1
145. Space 1889 - 1
146. Star Wars: The Old Republic - 1
147. Sudeki - 1
148. Suikoden 2 - 1
149. Suikoden 5 - 1
150. Swords of Xeen - 1
151. TERA Online - 1
152. Teudogar and the Alliance with Rome - 1
153. The Immortal - 1
154. The Mark of the Ninja - 1
155. Throne of Darkness - 1
156. Torchlight - 1
157. Torchlight II - 1
158. Ultima II - 1
159. Ultima III - 1
160. Ultima IV - 1
161. Ultima Underworld - 1
162. Ultima V - 1
163. Vampire: The Masquerade – Redemption - 1
164. Warhammer Online - 1
165. Venetica - 1
166. Whale's Voyage - 1
167. Whale's Voyage II - 1
168. Wild Arms - 1
169. Wizardry - 1
170. Wizardry II - 1
171. Wizardry III - 1
172. Wizardry IV - 1
173. Wizardry V - 1
174. Wizardry VI - 1
175. Xenogears - 1
176. Xenosaga - 1

 

[Stainless Veteran]

Allods 1 (я до сих пор помню эту гнусную фразу: ВЕЛИКИЕ БОГИ, КАК Я УСТАЛА).
Descent To Undermountain (I played it after Dungeon Master and Dungeon Hack, and I remember being really dissapointed);
Diablo 2 (mainly because all devs after its success wanted to make diablo-clones, and not RPGs);
Dragon Age 2 (first one was good for what it is, second was horrible in practically all aspects)
Fallout 3 (I won't even go into details);
Gothic 3 Pre-Fanpatch (on release Gothic 3 was a terribly broken game, and a huge dissapointment on the top of that);
Lionheart: the Legacy of Crusader (interesting idea for a setting - but all else was simply horrible);
Mass Effect 3 (I kinda enjoyed the first two in the series as interactive B-movies, not so much as RPG or shooters, but third was just a huge FU from Bio);
Might and Magic 8;
Might and Magic 9 (both horrible, but ninth was unplayable);
Neverwinter Nights OC (horrible plot, even worse than usual Bioware fare, idiotic quests, tedious combat);
Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor (buggy as hell, and also quite boring);
SW: KotOR 1 (mainly because of infuriating party members and boring, cliched plot);
TES IV: Oblivion (I won't even go into details).
___
And that's it, other games didn't invoke such strong negative reactions from me (for example, I dislike BG series, but objectively they aren't the worst, etc). Also lately I prefer not to play really shitty games - just don't have enough time.

 

[Humanity has risen!]

Dragon Age 2
Fable anything
Might and Magic IX
Ultima IV
Planescape Torment
Neverwinter Nights OC
Beyond Divinity
Allods Online
Sacred
Alpha Protocol

 

[Monstrous Bat]

Warrior Dragon
Dink Smallwood
Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights 2

...uhhh, that's about it. I could think a few more (Daggerfall, Diablo) but I probably don't hate them enough for that.

 

[hakuroshi]

There is no such thing as a bad rpg. It's either has something good in it or not an rpg. Basically what mondblut said, but probably for different reasons.
Most disappointment ever I had from Fallout 2.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Ultima 9
Ultima 6
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X-2
Dungeon Siege
Dragon Age: Origins
Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor
KOTOR
Beyond Divinity
Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights 2
Dragonlance: Heroes of the Lance
Akalabeth
Autoduel
Geneforge 3 (1, 2 and 5 are awesome though)
Geneforge 4 (see above)
Dragons of Flame
The Immortal
Secret of Mana
Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance
Elder Scrolls: Arena
Elder Scrolls: Oblivion (vanilla, I rather like it heavily modded and with the Shivering Isles)
Dungeons and Dragons: Dragonshard
Ravenloft: Strahd's Possession

 

[Gord]

Dungeon Siege (terribly boring)
Neverwinter Nights OC (OC basically being a bad tech demo, expansions were better, though)
Pool of Radiance Ruins of Myth Drannor (clunky and very boring beginning, a bit better later on)
Oblivion (vanilla, the right mods didn't exactly make it a masterpiece but more bearable)

 

[hoverdog]

There is no such thing as a bad rpg. It's either has something good in it or not an rpg. Basically what mondblut said, but probably for different reasons.
Most disappointment ever I had from Fallout 2.

not necessarily. Prelude to Darkness was a full-blown RPG, you can't argue with that. but at the same it was really really bad, due to bugs and crashes that made the game almost unplayable.

 

[mondblut]

There is no such thing as a bad rpg. It's either has something good in it or not an rpg. Basically what mondblut said, but probably for different reasons.
Most disappointment ever I had from Fallout 2.

not necessarily. Prelude to Darkness was a full-blown RPG, you can't argue with that. but at the same it was really really bad, due to bugs and crashes that made the game almost unplayable.

Au contraire. Prelude to Darkness is pretty much the best RPG ever, despite "bugs and crashes that made the game almost unplayable". A broken game can be repaired, a bad game is bad forever.

Moreover, the version I played (1.6 I think? the final paid version before it went freeware) worked fairly well for me. There were a couple of crashes, but nothing of nightmarish stories people keep retelling one another.

 

[Untermensch]

Neverwinter Nights OC
Oblivion
Fallout 3
Dragon age 2
Mass Effect
Mass Effect 2
Fable
Gothic 3
The Witcher
Divine Divinity
Bioshock (if it counts)
Dungeon Siege

 

[godsend1989]

You guys just listed the last 10 years of RPG games, for real why is ME considered an RPG ?

If you play it as an rpg you will be very dissapointed because its not, you may add then Rage, CoD, Battelfield, Dishonored, AP etc.

 

[janjetina]

You guys just listed the last 10 years of RPG games, for real why is ME considered an RPG ?

If you play it as an rpg you will be very dissapointed because its not, you may add then Rage, CoD, Battelfield, Dishonored, AP etc.

You are right, but it (along with Alpha Protocol, The Witcher, etc.) has been marketed as an RPG and has the PC version, which fits the criteria for Jaesun's list and it makes sense that this list obeys the same criteria.

 

[dibens]

Alot of retards among us, I see...

 

[mediocrepoet]

Keywords being YOU'VE PLAYED. I don't think many people who weren't playing rpgs in the 80s have a strong incentive to try a twenty old game now about which they've read that it's supposed to be shit.

Even playing RPGs since the 80s... the games tended to be priced higher then, didn't necessarily come down for sales unless they hit a bargain bin when a store was trying to clear out stock and I suspect most people were like me and saw maybe 1-5 new games a year that you just played the shit out of forever. Games were relatively expensive on both PC and early consoles up until the CD-ROM era, I remember Sega Genesis carts that were $90+ back in the day.

 

[octavius]

Ultima VI - Cumbersome and cluttered inventory system

But UV with its tiny list inventory was a-ok? UVI was a big step up from that mess. It was only cluttered if you let it be.

I guess you are right. I think it was having to use the mouse and clicking on icons, instead of the much faster keyboard to pick up things, that annoyed me.

 

[Malpercio]

Are we gonna do Non-sanctioned RPG Codex version of this too? I could be fun.

Anyway

Oblivion
Skyrim
Gothic 3
Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon Age 2
Mass Effect 2


There are others, like Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, but they just bored me, dunno if should consider them "teh worst"