The Codex’s Best Computer RPGs (pre-Diablo)

[Reject_666_6]

4 points for Betrayal at Krondor
Absolutely ahead of its time and the only truly great RPG to come out before Fallout. Easily in the top 10 of all time to this day.

2 points for Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss
You can start fucking up the Abyss right away. Easiest game to pick up and play on the whole list, you don't even need to know any Ultima lore. It's also the most influential game here by far.

2 points for Dark Sun: Shattered Lands
Very nice tactical combat, adventure game elements and overall unique* atmosphere. Graphics and sounds are cozy as hell too.
*nigga I played like 12 games off this list, it's unique to me.

1 point for Wizardry 7
Peak dungeon crawling, assuming you aren't a psychopath masochist banging their head on Wiz4.

1 point for Wizardry 6
Also peak dungeon crawling. Das rite.

(0 points for Quest for Glory 1)
(Great storyfag adventure with stats (get fucked laptop guy), but Krondor did it better.)

(0 points for Princess Maker 2)
(You crunch stats to get C&C - the RPG in its natural habitat. We wouldn't have A Legionary's Life without this.)

(0 points for Daggerfall)
(Never played it, but I have read some insane shit about this game.)

Pruned it to 5 games.

 

[Lord of Riva]

Realms of Arkania: Star Trail - 10 points

What would be your reasons for this excellent score, I see other members also rated this game. I have never played this game before but I checked now and on Steam the entire Realms of Arkania bundle is 60% off

The DSA triology (Das Schwarze Auge) are middling at best in my opinion, solid but not that great.

The whole PnP and the associated games are just nostalgia for me. I mean since you are here on the Codex, they may be worth a buy for you though.

 

[The_Mask]

5 points for Betrayal at Krondor

Not using the rest of my points because I'm young and I didn't play any of the rest of the games.

 

[NJClaw]

Darklands (4 points)
Dark Sun: Shattered Lands (3 points)
Dark Sun: Wake of the Ravager (3 points)

 

[Wierd Beard]

4 points each:

Dungeon Master & Moonstone

1 point each:

Drakkhen & Black Crypt

 

[Fowyr]

What would be your reasons for this excellent score, I see other members also rated this game. I have never played this game before but I checked now and on Steam the entire Realms of Arkania bundle is 60% off

It has everything. Great adventure, low-level combat, stupid deaths, because you forgot a pair of socks and shitton of the excellent German autism, in a good sense.

 

[Humbaba]

What, no Serpent Isle???

 

[Atlantico]

The members were Decado, mondblut, ERYFKRAD, Fowyr, Zed Duke of Banville, JarlFrank, Dorateen, octavius, and zwanzig_zwoelf.

Well these members must be senile or something. Dungeon Master is FTL Games, not Psygnosis (good grief!)

This poll is literally unvotable.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

The members were Decado, mondblut, ERYFKRAD, Fowyr, Zed Duke of Banville, JarlFrank, Dorateen, octavius, and zwanzig_zwoelf.

Well these members must be senile or something. Dungeon Master is FTL Games, not Psygnosis (good grief!)

This poll is literally unvotable.

Developed by FTL Games, published by Psygnosis on the PC (in Europe, at least).

 

[octavius]

Darklands (4 points)
Dark Sun: Shattered Lands (3 points)
Dark Sun: Wake of the Ravager (3 points)

No Dark Queen of Krynn?

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

I don't see many votes for sci-fi games :-/

I did my job giving a point to Starflight 2

Not enough people have played it tho

I just liked the Sega Genesis version better than 1+2. Wish i still had my starmap poster.

 

[Atlantico]

Developed by FTL Games, published by Psygnosis on the PC (in Europe, at least).

Perhaps distributed in the UK, but regional distributers are not relevant here.

If you're going to include regional distributers in this list, then you have to make a lot of changes. Psygnosis did not publish Dungeon Master.

It may have distributed it, in the UK and Ireland, but that's another matter entirely.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

"Back in my day all games looked like this and we loved it! Damn kids these days!"

Ultima 2 felt pretty arcady. Damn the grind for gold and certain items.

SPAWN MOTHERFUCKERS SPAWN!

The boat bridge tricks.
Airplane in every zone.
Flying into the sun... oh wait!
SPANKING MINAX! She loved to play hard to get.

Spoiler

How I see her (even if this is RE8)

 

[HanoverF]

5 Darklands

2 Dark Sun: Shattered Lands

2 Quest for Glory 2

1 Ravenloft: Strahd's Possession

 

[BruceVC]

4 points for Betrayal at Krondor
Absolutely ahead of its time and the only truly great RPG to come out before Fallout. Easily in the top 10 of all time to this day.

2 points for Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss
You can start fucking up the Abyss right away. Easiest game to pick up and play on the whole list, you don't even need to know any Ultima lore. It's also the most influential game here by far.

2 points for Dark Sun: Shattered Lands
Very nice tactical combat, adventure game elements and overall unique* atmosphere. Graphics and sounds are cozy as hell too.
*nigga I played like 12 games off this list, it's unique to me.

1 point for Wizardry 7
Peak dungeon crawling, assuming you aren't a psychopath masochist banging their head on Wiz4.

1 point for Wizardry 6
Also peak dungeon crawling. Das rite.

(0 points for Quest for Glory 1)
(Great storyfag adventure with stats (get fucked laptop guy), but Krondor did it better.)

(0 points for Princess Maker 2)
(You crunch stats to get C&C - the RPG in its natural habitat. We wouldn't have A Legionary's Life without this.)

(0 points for Daggerfall)
(Never played it, but I have read some insane shit about this game.)

Pruned it to 5 games.

Thanks for the brief description, its really interesting but funny at the same time and its well written ...its like I can understand exactly why you enjoyed it but I never played any of your games except QFG 1 and all the QFG after that with QFG4 being my favorite

 

[Trojan_generic]

What, no (Net)Hack?

Anyway,
3 points for Ultima 7

2 points for Bard's Tale

2 points for Ultima Underworld

2 points for Wasteland

1 point for Starflight


Edit: thanks for pointing out the errors of my ways, updated for max. 5 games.

 

[mondblut]

If you're going to include regional distributers in this list, then you have to make a lot of changes. Psygnosis did not publish Dungeon Master.

It may have distributed it, in the UK and Ireland, but that's another matter entirely.

We shamelessly stole CRPGautist's list, then purged it of useless crap, but didn't bother to doublecheck extra data. Bite us

 

[BruceVC]

What would be your reasons for this excellent score, I see other members also rated this game. I have never played this game before but I checked now and on Steam the entire Realms of Arkania bundle is 60% off

It has everything. Great adventure, low-level combat, stupid deaths, because you forgot a pair of socks and shitton of the excellent German autism, in a good sense.

Sounds good and has traits that I like in most RPG. I am sure you and I chatted before where I asked on another CRPG thread about what Gold Box AD&D are the best and you said something similar to" I mustnt ask questions because you can tell me now what games I must play so I just need to buy Pool of Radiance or Ravenloft and the next post I make should be about advice on my party "

It was funny but I respected your confidence in the games and I agreed with you

 

[Parabalus]

5 POINTS :

Wizardry 7: Crusaders of the Dark Savant
Betrayal at Krondor

 

[IDtenT]

5 points: Ultima Underworld
3 points: Ultima 7
2 points: Star Control II

 

[Atlantico]

We shamelessly stole CRPGautist's list

Just goes to show that autists aren't really experts, they're just autists.

 

[Abu Antar]

Uff, this is a tough one. However you twist and turn, some great games will miss out.

Two points: each:
Albion
Betrayal At Krondor
Dark Sun: Wake of the Ravager
Realms of Arkania: Star Trail
Ultima 7: The Black Gate

The thing is that I could make at least one more list not including any of these games.

 

[Decado]

Interesting to see that people dig QFG2 more than QFG1. I would rate them almost the same, great in different ways, but the mapping system of QFG2 was an unneeded headache. On the flip side, you could find x-ray specs and look at princess Zayishah get naked, the height of EGA naughtiness.

 

[Berengar]

4 points - Ultima 7
3 points - Eye of the Beholder
2 points - Ultima 4
1 point - Menzoberranzan

 

[BruceVC]

5 POINTS :

Wizardry 7: Crusaders of the Dark Savant
Betrayal at Krondor

What would be the reasons Wizardry 7 is your best game?