Incline RPG Codex's Best RPGs - 2024 - VOTING IS CLOSED

[luj1]

The Divinity Original Sin games fell from 32nd to 84th.

lool

 

[AdolfSatan]

Hidden Gems.xlsx

This is where things get interesting. The cutoff we use for Top RPGs is going to affect which games show up in the published Hidden Gems list.

For example, we might use the top 70 from Top RPGs, and this would be the top 25 Hidden Gems:

Spoiler

Brigand: Oaxaca
Caves of Lore
Divine Divinity
Dungeon Rats
Albion
Prelude to Darkness
Avernum: Escape from the Pit
Titan Outpost
NEO Scavenger
Blackguards
Colony Ship
Tales of Maj'Eyal
The Dark Heart of Uukrul
Troubleshooter: Abandoned Children
Divinity II
Expeditions: Viking
Fallout Tactics
Expeditions: Conquistador
Space Wreck
Anachronox
Eschalon: Book I
Might and Magic X: Legacy
Risen
Space Rangers 2
Tyranny

Or we might use the top 50 (52 really) Top RPGs, and this would be the top 18 Hidden Gems:

Spoiler

Arx Fatalis
Alpha Protocol
ATOM RPG
Brigand: Oaxaca
Caves of Lore
Wizards & Warriors
Divine Divinity
Dungeon Rats
Albion
Prelude to Darkness
Avernum: Escape from the Pit
Titan Outpost
NEO Scavenger
Blackguards
Colony Ship
Tales of Maj'Eyal
The Dark Heart of Uukrul
Troubleshooter: Abandoned Children

Or we might use the top 60 (62 really) Top RPGs, and this would be the top 15 Hidden Gems:

Spoiler

Brigand: Oaxaca
Caves of Lore
Wizards & Warriors
Divine Divinity
Dungeon Rats
Albion
Prelude to Darkness
Avernum: Escape from the Pit
Titan Outpost
NEO Scavenger
Blackguards
Colony Ship
Tales of Maj'Eyal
The Dark Heart of Uukrul
Troubleshooter: Abandoned Children

I don't think this decision should be entirely mine. I'm interested in different takes.

So, now that Brigan Oaxaca is at the head of the codex’s hidden gems, what are you going to do with your millions Brian Lancaster ? Will you retire from writing gay novels?

 

[Swen]

The Divinity Original Sin games fell from 32nd to 84th.

lool

It's clear that BG3 absolutely minde broke the codex.

 

[Konjad]

Hidden Gems.xlsx

This is where things get interesting. The cutoff we use for Top RPGs is going to affect which games show up in the published Hidden Gems list.

For example, we might use the top 70 from Top RPGs, and this would be the top 25 Hidden Gems:

Spoiler

Brigand: Oaxaca
Caves of Lore
Divine Divinity
Dungeon Rats
Albion
Prelude to Darkness
Avernum: Escape from the Pit
Titan Outpost
NEO Scavenger
Blackguards
Colony Ship
Tales of Maj'Eyal
The Dark Heart of Uukrul
Troubleshooter: Abandoned Children
Divinity II
Expeditions: Viking
Fallout Tactics
Expeditions: Conquistador
Space Wreck
Anachronox
Eschalon: Book I
Might and Magic X: Legacy
Risen
Space Rangers 2
Tyranny

Or we might use the top 50 (52 really) Top RPGs, and this would be the top 18 Hidden Gems:

Spoiler

Arx Fatalis
Alpha Protocol
ATOM RPG
Brigand: Oaxaca
Caves of Lore
Wizards & Warriors
Divine Divinity
Dungeon Rats
Albion
Prelude to Darkness
Avernum: Escape from the Pit
Titan Outpost
NEO Scavenger
Blackguards
Colony Ship
Tales of Maj'Eyal
The Dark Heart of Uukrul
Troubleshooter: Abandoned Children

Or we might use the top 60 (62 really) Top RPGs, and this would be the top 15 Hidden Gems:

Spoiler

Brigand: Oaxaca
Caves of Lore
Wizards & Warriors
Divine Divinity
Dungeon Rats
Albion
Prelude to Darkness
Avernum: Escape from the Pit
Titan Outpost
NEO Scavenger
Blackguards
Colony Ship
Tales of Maj'Eyal
The Dark Heart of Uukrul
Troubleshooter: Abandoned Children

I don't think this decision should be entirely mine. I'm interested in different takes.

So, now that Brigan Oaxaca is at the head of the codex’s hidden gems, what are you going to do with your millions Brian Lancaster ? Will you retire from writing gay novels?

Brian "This is a misunderstanding, I am totally not a gay novel writer" Lancaster - one of the best modern RPG devs and gay novel writers.

 

[Konjad]

The Divinity Original Sin games fell from 32nd to 84th.

lool

It's clear that BG3 absolutely minde broke the codex.

tbh I think Cyseal was a masterpiece (dialogues could be better but eh), it's the best thing Larian ever created and one of the best locations in RPGs in general. Of course BG3 is very good overall, but the thought-through that went to Cyseal's design was exceptional. Too bad the game fell apart afterwards into a mediocrity.

 

[Konjad]

Butter when can we expect the news post with mini-review content? I'd imagine the most effort needs to go to hidden gem list. Need any help? From new titles in the top 70 I've completed Disco, Archolos, BG3, and from hidden gems Brigand, Prelude to Darkness, Dungeon Rats and Colony Ship.

 

[Butter]

Butter when can we expect the news post with mini-review content? I'd imagine the most effort needs to go to hidden gem list. Need any help? From new titles in the top 70 I've completed Disco, Archolos, BG3, and from hidden gems Brigand, Prelude to Darkness, Dungeon Rats and Colony Ship.

We will need reviews for some of these games. I've never written a news post so I don't know what all goes into that. Somebody will have to hold my hand.

 

[BosanskiSeljak]

Butter when can we expect the news post with mini-review content? I'd imagine the most effort needs to go to hidden gem list. Need any help? From new titles in the top 70 I've completed Disco, Archolos, BG3, and from hidden gems Brigand, Prelude to Darkness, Dungeon Rats and Colony Ship.

We will need reviews for some of these games. I've never written a news post so I don't know what all goes into that. Somebody will have to hold my hand.

"Some of these games"

You won't have mini reviews for all?

 

[NaturallyCarnivorousSheep]

The Divinity Original Sin games fell from 32nd to 84th.

lool

It's clear that BG3 absolutely minde broke the codex.

tbh I think Cyseal was a masterpiece (dialogues could be better but eh), it's the best thing Larian ever created and one of the best locations in RPGs in general. Of course BG3 is very good overall, but the thought-through that went to Cyseal's design was exceptional. Too bad the game fell apart afterwards into a mediocrity.

Cyseal was bad, walk around and do nothing for 3 hours only to then get to the combat.
It's the same situation as with deadfire the game is good but it throws you so early into a fucking city that it makes a lot of people drop it.

 

[Butter]

Butter when can we expect the news post with mini-review content? I'd imagine the most effort needs to go to hidden gem list. Need any help? From new titles in the top 70 I've completed Disco, Archolos, BG3, and from hidden gems Brigand, Prelude to Darkness, Dungeon Rats and Colony Ship.

We will need reviews for some of these games. I've never written a news post so I don't know what all goes into that. Somebody will have to hold my hand.

"Some of these games"

You won't have mini reviews for all?

I think it's fine to reuse ones from past years. AFAIK this is the list of games that don't have mini-reviews already written for them:

Disco Elysium
The Chronicles of Myrtana: Archolos
Knights of the Chalice 2
Baldur's Gate III
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
Elden Ring
Brigand: Oaxaca
Caves of Lore
Dungeon Rats
Prelude to Darkness
Avernum: Escape from the Pit
Titan Outpost
Blackguards
Colony Ship
Troubleshooter: Abandoned Children

 

[BosanskiSeljak]

Can help with Disco Elysium/Caves of Lore/Colony Ship if any of those don't have enthusiastic takers.

 

[Konjad]

Butter when can we expect the news post with mini-review content? I'd imagine the most effort needs to go to hidden gem list. Need any help? From new titles in the top 70 I've completed Disco, Archolos, BG3, and from hidden gems Brigand, Prelude to Darkness, Dungeon Rats and Colony Ship.

We will need reviews for some of these games. I've never written a news post so I don't know what all goes into that. Somebody will have to hold my hand.

"Some of these games"

You won't have mini reviews for all?

I think it's fine to reuse ones from past years. AFAIK this is the list of games that don't have mini-reviews already written for them:

Disco Elysium
The Chronicles of Myrtana: Archolos
Knights of the Chalice 2
Baldur's Gate III
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
Elden Ring
Brigand: Oaxaca
Caves of Lore
Dungeon Rats
Prelude to Darkness
Avernum: Escape from the Pit
Titan Outpost
Blackguards
Colony Ship
Troubleshooter: Abandoned Children

I'll be happy to write something for Archolos, PtD, BG 3, Brigand, and if there are too few interested also for Disco, Dungeon Rats and Colony Ship.

Are there any rules? Whom do I send it to?

 

[Butter]

Are there any rules?

Try to keep each review to about 250-350 words.

 

[Konjad]

Are there any rules?

Try to keep each review to about 250-350 words.

Okay, sent you for BG3, PtD and Brigand already.

 

[Late Bloomer]

From new titles in the top 70

 

[CryptRat]

Per usual, don't hesitate to ignore it if better ones come:

Blackguards

Following the journey of a party of sympathetic criminals with simple motivations through a consistently dark yet not ridiculous world, Blackguards invites the player to navigate through a campaign full of side quests and events with different, nuanced and organic possible incomes. While exploration of the towns and between the different zones is limited to its simplest form of clicking on different points of interest, the party customisation and combat parts of the game are quite advanced. Using the system of The Dark Eye, each character is highly customisable with a pool of points which can be freely allocated to base attributes, weapon proficiencies, active and passive skills and spells. The different types of weapons come with dedicated properties and skills while more mana can be spent to get a more powerful effect from a spell. The party never gets flooded with money and spending what it gets offers interesting choices as well. Finally the player gets to face a series of low-key, meaningful and in-context turn-based encounters on hex grids where trading blows is prevalent and big areas of effects almost nonexistent. Without a doubt the best part of the game, they greatly vary in enemies, environmental hazards, length, difficulty and objectives, leading to a great experience for anyone who enjoys role playing games primarly focused on combat.

 

[Late Bloomer]

Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is an open-world, role-playing game set in the world of Tamriel, specifically in the province of Skyrim, a vast and dynamic open world. Become thane of nine holds, visit bustling cities, delve into ancient dwemer ruins, expolore imperial forts, plunder caves, and take part in a enourmous amount of quests. Become a master of crafting arms and armour, learn how to enchant your equipment, brew potions, explore a richly detailed open world with day and night cycles, environmental storytelling, while a memorable sountrack from Jeremy Soule plays. Join numerous factions, each with detailed questlines, such as the Companions. the Dark Brotherhood, the Thieves Guild and the College of Winterhold. As the last Dragonborn, you embark on a journey to defeat the return of the dragons, lead by Alduin the World Eater, and save the world from destruction. The game’s unique blend of exploration, combat, and character customization has made it a timeless classic that is recognized by every true rpg fan, as one of the best games ever made.

 

[CryptRat]

Dungeon Rats

Taking place in the world of Age of Decadence, this time Dungeon Rats allows the player to lead a full party through a series of carefully crafted, small scale and turn-based encounters. The player first creates a character, choosing whether he prefers to get a few additionnal points to allocate or if he will rather be able to recruit up to 3 extra characters depending on his charisma stat. Paced by dialogs, stat checks and alternative paths, the game consists first and foremost in fights. Devoid of superpower abilities, Dungeon Rats instead opts for action points and a robust stat system reminiscent of Pen & Paper RPGs. Different modes can be used for each weapon and each type of weapon comes with a specific ability, for example axes will make important row damages while swords may make the enemy bleed, hammers break his armor and spears help keeping a safe distance from him. Finally each encounter is a threat and each blow you might deal or avoid matters, as you won't heal at will and fewer enemies will only mean you'll want to lose all the less hit points. Resources in the game are finite and you will probably need to use most of what you can find to complete the game. Dungeon Rats features a crafting system which will allow you to spend some points outside of direct combat skills to be able to spend ore to create new weapons and repair your armors and various materials to create healing materials, add poison to your weapons and create powerful bombs which might be a good way to kill an enemy before he uses his own bomb, and pick it intact in the process. Not a long game, Dungeon Rats offers a consistently exciting and challenging experience for players who enjoy demanding combat and resource management.

 

[Beans00]

Colony Ship RPG: A Post-Earth Role-Playing Game" was highly anticipated by fans of isometric RPGs due to its promising premise and the pedigree of its developers, Iron Tower Studio, known for their work on "The Age of Decadence." However, upon release, it fell short of many players' expectations, leaving a sense of disappointment in its wake.
One of the main criticisms of Colony Ship RPG was its lackluster execution of its intriguing setting. While the concept of a colony ship lost in space, filled with political intrigue and factional conflict, held great potential, the game struggled to fully immerse players in this world. The narrative failed to deliver on the complexity and depth that was expected, with many quests feeling repetitive or underdeveloped.
Additionally, the game faced criticism for its dated graphics and clunky user interface. While some players may have been willing to overlook these shortcomings in favor of engaging gameplay and storytelling, the overall experience was hindered by technical issues and a lack of polish.
Combat, a crucial aspect of any RPG, also fell short of expectations. Many players found the combat system to be unbalanced and lacking in strategic depth, leading to repetitive encounters and frustration.
Despite these criticisms, Colony Ship RPG did have its strengths. The game offered a variety of character build options, allowing players to customize their characters to suit their preferred playstyle. Furthermore, the game's branching narrative paths provided some replay value, as players could explore different choices and consequences in subsequent playthroughs.

In conclusion, while Colony Ship RPG had the potential to be a standout title in the isometric RPG genre, it ultimately failed to live up to expectations. Its lackluster execution, technical issues, and underwhelming gameplay left many players disappointed. However, it still holds some merit for fans of the genre who may appreciate its attempts at branching narrative and character customization.

Colony Ship

 

[Konjad]

Sent for Archolos too via PM.

I don't want to provide spoilers in the thread!

 

[Beans00]

Butter, Here is a real review of skyrim.

Skyrim, the fifth installment in the Elder Scrolls series, undoubtedly holds a special place in the hearts of many gamers. With its vast open world, rich lore, and endless quests, it has captivated players for years. However, for those who have journeyed through the realms of Morrowind and Daggerfall, Skyrim might come across as a shallow and disappointing experience.

One of the most striking differences between Skyrim and its predecessors is the simplification of gameplay mechanics. Morrowind and Daggerfall offered a level of depth and complexity that allowed players to truly immerse themselves in the world. From intricate spellcrafting systems to complex dialogue interactions, these games provided a sense of agency and freedom that Skyrim often lacks.
In Skyrim, many of these mechanics have been streamlined or outright removed in favor of a more accessible experience. While this may have broadened the game's appeal to a wider audience, it has also resulted in a loss of depth and immersion. The magic system, for example, feels significantly watered down compared to Morrowind's spellcrafting, limiting the creativity and variety of playstyles available to players.
Furthermore, Skyrim's world, while visually stunning, can feel strangely lifeless and static compared to the dynamic environments of Morrowind and Daggerfall. NPCs follow rigid schedules but lack the depth of personality and interaction found in previous games. Quests often boil down to simple fetch quests or generic dungeon crawls, lacking the narrative complexity and moral ambiguity that characterized quests in Morrowind.
Another area where Skyrim falls short is in its treatment of lore and world-building. While the game certainly has its moments of brilliance, particularly in its exploration of the civil war and the Dragonborn prophecy, it often feels like a shallow interpretation of the rich tapestry of Elder Scrolls lore. Morrowind and Daggerfall delved deep into the intricacies of Tamriel's history and culture, offering a level of depth and detail that Skyrim struggles to match.

In conclusion, while Skyrim undoubtedly has its merits and remains an enjoyable game for many players, it ultimately pales in comparison to the depth and complexity of Morrowind and Daggerfall. For those who value immersion, freedom, and rich storytelling, the older entries in the Elder Scrolls series may offer a more fulfilling experience.

 

[Goldschmidt]

Official or not official, here is my list. I dont do hidden gems because that is subjective as fuck.

1) Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn
2) Diablo 2
3) Dragon Age: Origins
4) Icewind Dale
5) Legend of Grimrock
6) Might and Magic 6: The Mandate of Heaven
7) Path of Exile
8) Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire
9) The Witcher
10) Tyranny

 

[Konjad]

Official or not official, here is my list. I dont do hidden gems because that is subjective as fuck.

1) Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn
2) Diablo 2
3) Dragon Age: Origins
4) Icewind Dale
5) Legend of Grimrock
6) Might and Magic 6: The Mandate of Heaven
7) Path of Exile
8) Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire
9) The Witcher
10) Tyranny

Not only slow, not only retarded, but also without a taste.

 

[Butter]

Colony Ship RPG: A Post-Earth Role-Playing Game" was highly anticipated by fans of isometric RPGs due to its promising premise and the pedigree of its developers, Iron Tower Studio, known for their work on "The Age of Decadence." However, upon release, it fell short of many players' expectations, leaving a sense of disappointment in its wake.
One of the main criticisms of Colony Ship RPG was its lackluster execution of its intriguing setting. While the concept of a colony ship lost in space, filled with political intrigue and factional conflict, held great potential, the game struggled to fully immerse players in this world. The narrative failed to deliver on the complexity and depth that was expected, with many quests feeling repetitive or underdeveloped.
Additionally, the game faced criticism for its dated graphics and clunky user interface. While some players may have been willing to overlook these shortcomings in favor of engaging gameplay and storytelling, the overall experience was hindered by technical issues and a lack of polish.
Combat, a crucial aspect of any RPG, also fell short of expectations. Many players found the combat system to be unbalanced and lacking in strategic depth, leading to repetitive encounters and frustration.
Despite these criticisms, Colony Ship RPG did have its strengths. The game offered a variety of character build options, allowing players to customize their characters to suit their preferred playstyle. Furthermore, the game's branching narrative paths provided some replay value, as players could explore different choices and consequences in subsequent playthroughs.

In conclusion, while Colony Ship RPG had the potential to be a standout title in the isometric RPG genre, it ultimately failed to live up to expectations. Its lackluster execution, technical issues, and underwhelming gameplay left many players disappointed. However, it still holds some merit for fans of the genre who may appreciate its attempts at branching narrative and character customization.

Colony Ship

Kinda looking for reviews that make the game sound good.

 

[Tacgnol]

Colony Ship RPG: A Post-Earth Role-Playing Game" was highly anticipated by fans of isometric RPGs due to its promising premise and the pedigree of its developers, Iron Tower Studio, known for their work on "The Age of Decadence." However, upon release, it fell short of many players' expectations, leaving a sense of disappointment in its wake.
One of the main criticisms of Colony Ship RPG was its lackluster execution of its intriguing setting. While the concept of a colony ship lost in space, filled with political intrigue and factional conflict, held great potential, the game struggled to fully immerse players in this world. The narrative failed to deliver on the complexity and depth that was expected, with many quests feeling repetitive or underdeveloped.
Additionally, the game faced criticism for its dated graphics and clunky user interface. While some players may have been willing to overlook these shortcomings in favor of engaging gameplay and storytelling, the overall experience was hindered by technical issues and a lack of polish.
Combat, a crucial aspect of any RPG, also fell short of expectations. Many players found the combat system to be unbalanced and lacking in strategic depth, leading to repetitive encounters and frustration.
Despite these criticisms, Colony Ship RPG did have its strengths. The game offered a variety of character build options, allowing players to customize their characters to suit their preferred playstyle. Furthermore, the game's branching narrative paths provided some replay value, as players could explore different choices and consequences in subsequent playthroughs.

In conclusion, while Colony Ship RPG had the potential to be a standout title in the isometric RPG genre, it ultimately failed to live up to expectations. Its lackluster execution, technical issues, and underwhelming gameplay left many players disappointed. However, it still holds some merit for fans of the genre who may appreciate its attempts at branching narrative and character customization.

Colony Ship

Kinda looking for reviews that make the game sound good.

Where is Prime Junta when you need him?