For any genre of game, its difficult to distill a list down to just a few and declare them as the “greatest” ever made. This is especially so with RPGs, as the definition of what constitutes and RPG runs across a wide spectrum. Do we judge them based on their story, their popularity, do graphics and technology matter? For the purposes of this list, we’ve made it very simple. These are the games that come to our minds first, regardless if there are other great ones out there, these are the ones that had the biggest impact on us personally. Here are our choices for the top 10 favorite rpg’s of all time.
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1. Planescape: TormentAn easy choice for number 1, Planescape: Torment is head and shoulders above its peers in the genre. Developed by Black Isle in the late 90′s for PC, this relatively obscure RPG was overlooked at the time of its release. It has since gone on to become a cult classic, and has been hailed by critics in the years that followed its release as an instant classic. The game holds up surprisingly well even today, with its engrossing tale of the Nameless one and his search for his own identity. |
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2. FalloutDeveloped by Interplay in 1997, this classic PC RPG places you in the shoes of the Vault Dweller on a mission to repair their defective water filtration system. This game was a milestone in RPG development, allowing you to do virtually anything. A change from traditional Japanese RPG’s, Fallout featured a large open world that allowed the player to do virtually anything. You were free to control the fate of your character, play them as good or evil, and your choices often had drastic consequences. |
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3. Final Fantasy 7Arguably the most popular Final Fantasy of the series, Final Fantasy VII introduced an entirely new set of gamers to RPG’s. After troubles with Nintendo in the 90′s, Squaresoft partnered up with Sony to deliver this masterpiece on the Playstion. This game changed the RPG scene completely with its incredible production values, as well as its diverse cast of memorable heroes and villains. The game proved so popular that a full CG motion picture sequel was released. |
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4. Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of AmnBioware sure does know how to make a great RPG, don’t they? Long before they were making themselves a household name with games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age, they were busy crafting one of the most memorable RPG franchises of all time. The original Baldur’s Gate was an incredible achievement in game development, and the sequel Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn actually surpassed its predecessor. Featuring a dizzying array of customization possibilities, quests, mini-storylines, this game should be on anybody’s list. |
 picture by : Theoddnote |
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5. Mass EffectEasily one of the best RPG’s to have been released in the last 10 years and probably the best sci-fi RPG to have ever been released. The company behind Mass Effect is of course Bioware, who have the development of RPG’s down to a fine art at this point. Mass Effect blends in-depth storytelling and fast paced action in this incredible RPG for the XBox 360. |
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6. Mass Effect 2Picking up where the original Mass Effect left off, the sequal continues the epic story of the Prothean disappearance and the mysterious Reapers. Mass Effect 1 and 2 (and most likely 3) are some of the only games that your girlfriend will actually encourage you to play so that she can watch. |
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7. Knights of the Old RepublicIn a strange way, you wouldn’t think the Star Wars universe would be a good candidate for an RPG. Admittedly, I let this one sit on the shelf for quite some time before finally giving in and playing it. The moment you step into the game you can recognize the care and polish that Bioware put into crafting KOTOR. It’s just unfortunate that the sequel was handed off to Obsidian Entertainment, otherwise we might have another contender on this list. |
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8. Final Fantasy 6Up until a few years ago, it was (my) personal favorite as contender for greatest RPG ever made. No game before it had attempted to the same scope, the same epic breadth as Final Fantasy 6. Featuring a complex story, a truly massive world for its time, and an unprecedented number of playable characters, each with their own personality, story and history, this game would be ridiculously ambitious even today. |
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9. Chrono TriggerAnother classic from the golden age of 16-bit games, Chrono Trigger featured a few very interesting twists. Along with an in-depth story and a fantastic cast of characters, Chrono Trigger also incorporated a very unique battle system. Depending on who was in your party, you could combine attacks between members, giving you some very fun permutations to explore. There was also the concept of time-travel, game altering choices, and nearly a dozen different endings.
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10. Baldur’s Gate IThis game laid the groundwork for what would later become one of the greatest RPG games ever made for the PC, Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn. Although the first game was great in its own right, it was simply overshadowed by the immense success of its sequel. |
Special mention: The Ultima series of games are relatively obscure by most standards, but house some of the best RPG games ever made. Although there were more well known Ultima games (most notably Ultima Online), Ultima 7 really did represent the pinnacle of the series. Aside from its superb storyline and deep mythos, Ultima 7: The Black Gate was a major achievement in the amount of freedom afforded to the player. This was a game you could do virtually anything.
Other reading: Top 10 PS2 RPGs
