Must-have games for any roleplay fan
There's no doubt that role-playing games (RPGs) are some of the best video games around, but with so much choice, which ones should you be playing? We’ve rounded up the 26 best RPG games.
9: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
It was more than just the advent of 3D technology that took Mario, Link and Samus out of the 2D realm. All three starred in titles that were the very definition of 2D perfection during the SNES era. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past was far more epic than the two previous 8-bit iterations, in both size and story.
No longer limited in speaking to shopkeepers, old men, and hungry monsters, A Link to the Past featured an amazing cast of characters and an engaging story to complement the refined fighting and exploration style of the first.
It's a testament to the game's perfection that Nintendo has by and large kept 2D Zelda titles away from consoles since A Link to the Past perfected it. Unless you count Four Swords, but really, who does that?
8: Xenogears
With giant robots, kung fu fighting and a religiously charged plot backed by some impressive 3D sequences, Xenogears quickly went from sleeper hit RPG to an international bestseller on the PlayStation.
Even if you didn't fully comprehend the complex story's several philosophical references, being able to shift from your 2D sprite to a fully 3D Gear was exciting in its own right. So deep was the customisation and maintenance required for your Gear, and so rewarding were the results of adding parts and upgrades, the combat of Xenogears was almost another game within a game.
7: The Ultima Series
The brainchild of Richard 'Lord British' Garriott back before computer graphics had more then two colours to work with, the Ultima series defined party based PC RPGs in their early formative years.
As each subsequent title came out, the series constantly reinvented itself to make use of the latest gaming technology available. The series tells an over arching story: Ultima 1-3 establish the enchanted world of Britannia, and introduced the tenants of heroic Virtue. Ultima 4-6 thrust players into the role of The Avatar, a human from Earth that becomes the embodiment of those eight Virtues. Ultima 7-9 tell of the fall of the Avatar, as a mysterious entity calling itself The Guardian comes to Britannia to defame everything the Avatar represents.
The final game in the series, Ultima X, was canceled part way in to development, so ironically enough, there is no ultimate Ultima to tell the final chapter of the series.
NEXT PAGE: Diablo II: Lord of Destruction and Fallout 3
- The must-have games for any role play fan
- Skies of Arcadia and Planetscape Torment
- Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness and Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn
- Pokemon Diamond and Pearl
- Final Fantasy XII and Earthbound
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Xenogears
- Diablo II: Lord of Destruction and Fallout 3
- Our top three role playing games
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Comments
Josh said: Grandia AND Xenogears You sir are my hero
sadnack said: lol Zelda is not a rpg its a platform game OMG you dont call games rpg just because they have a good story
jo said: The Legend Of Zelda ISNT a Role playing game
Jack said: You are an idiot
Fallen_Pariah said: I love RPGs but IMO Id rather play through every new CoD game than play any Zelda game The game to me just seems like a snoozefestAnd honestly Oblivion deserved to be way higher up considering it rates more than the top ten in majority of gaming magsYes this article was made in 2008 but that still does not excuse the fact that Oblivion is not within the top 5 which is where it should be
Mike Chambers said: Where the fuck is Ultima 6
Absolute Hero said: Are you mentally retarded How can a game be overrated A game is as good as the amount of people that rate it so no it isnt overrated its brilliant hence the millions of fans There is a difference between favourite and best
Zbecrocs said: You are joking right This list makes me sick Japanese author by any chance
Pro said: your RPG choice sucks pretty bad dude u cant call this ever cos most of these stuff are crap
Snathaid said: Im gonna say that Ni No Kuni PS3 is up there with any of the games on this list
Cumface said: shame this review is almost 5yrs old when you do a new one ni no kuni comes top easy
C4138u said: You just googled for RPGs and randomized them and put them down didnt you
Claus said: This article is pointless Absurd Stupid The list was nice until The Legend of Zelda I mean IT is a RPG FUCK Please People in these websites dont even know anything about videogames And Final Fantasy VII on top I mean really VII is not even the best in the FF series You journalist should read a little more about RPG well in fact you should PLAY THEM
Matt Egan said: Came out in 2011 The author would have done well to anticipate it when we published this piece in 2008
dEll said: SKYRIM WHERE IS IT
Phil Scott said: Err FFVI not here you know little about this subjectPlease resign
Arslan Waheed said: I am going to try Warhammer game online httpagamesarenablogspotco
ROJAK said: why no legend of dragoon
Str8blazn said: I think a few thousand of my brain cells just died from reading your pointless comment
Str8blazn said: I dont even know what you just said Learn how to type before trying to post a comment maybe