People always respond with mixed reactions to rank-ordered list even if they are published inside the great journalist edifice as opposed to one made by a humble fan. However, being an RPG lover, I am compelled to make at least one blog contain such an artifact
The topic? The best damn RPG ever made hitherto.
I've limited myself to a top five to avoid a conflict of rank-ordering. The greater the list, the harder it gets to be inclusive, and fair, to be honest. I have based my subjective list on a few key factors such as meta-critic, sales, replayability, originality, music, story, characters etc.
I have also limited myself to more or less "pure" RPG experiences to avoid a huge mess regarding quasi-RPGs that are known as hybrid games (e.g. Bioshock, Zelda). Obviously, I haven't played every RPG in existence so I admit these limits beforehand. Please don't respond with "omfg, how could you have missed ultima, final fantasy, etc" If it's that good and it's not on here, chances are I never played it.
With that said, hereto are the top five RPGs ever made in ascending order of greatness.
1. Baldur's Gate II
2. Planescape Torment
3. Fallout 2
4. Star Wars KOTOR
5. Jade Empire
Why BG2? It's lifetime metacritic is a whooping 95, features everything essential in a fantasy universe, great character customization, a compelling story, and rudamentary but emotionally engrossing romance subplots to boot. Add a huge and open-ended world spanning 5 dics and you have an eternal classic with near-infinite replayability. It's a game I've bought twice and completed and played at least 5 times now. I've done everything and I've seen everything which took a long, long time. It's one of those games that are permanently imprinted on my conscious grid. One which will live forever as a quintessential Western RPG, and whose legacy includes the spiritual successor Dragon Age. This eclectic choice shouldn't be debatable, plenty of critics and people who have played it have felt the same as I have. It really is that good and it deserves to be immortalized by this honorary encomium.
The second place shouldn't be questionable either, Planescape Torment is an immortal cult classic which is remembered by the few and proud who played it as really deep and philosophic game. It may have sold below expectations but that has only helped rarefy its standing as one of the best RPGs ever released by a studio whose pedigree is extraordinary. The Black Isle guys really knew what they were doing, they were responsible for BG2 as well (a co-op effort with Bioware). I recently sold this sucker for 50 bucks on Amazon, not bad for a game that old.
The rest are obviously debatable because my experience is really limited to Xbox and the PC. I've never played a FF game but I hear some of them were legendary. So how did I do given my restricted but honest list? Does it suit your palate?
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But seriously, those are your choices, not mine, therefor nothing I could say for/against your list matters. Because at the end of the day, those list are all about personal opinions and experiences.
Plus I haven't had the chance to even play those game, so I won't bother commenting on them.
But please, never again make "meta-critic" scores or number of sales matter in such a type of list. As I said, which game you like best IS YOUR OPINION. It's not a matter of fact. It's how YOU feel about said game that matters, not what the general consensus of gamers think about it, or what statistics says.
Other then that, nice writeup.
Hope you don't mind my 2 o' clock drunken ranting...
I agree with you 100%. Baldur's Gate 2 was one of the greatest games I've ever played. There was just so much variety, and so much to do. I still have it installed on my computer (though with my custom party). I haven't played PlaneScape, mainly because finding a copy is impossible but otherwise I really need to agree with you for your choices.
Final Fantasy 6
Xenogears
I see none of these, therefore the list is wrong.
No opinion, just fact.
I mean, there was a smidge of humor, like that guy with the hamster, but the rest of it I found to be po-faced and overly serious.
Planescape, however, I found had the perfect balance of comedy to serious ratio. And had a bloody good story. I though the story in BG1 was, well, shitty and weak.
But, yea, if you ever get the chance, play Final Fantasy. Play FF3 on the DS, or get 7 on the PC.