Developer Quest
Release 1998
20

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together was unlike other turn-based tactics games at the time. It stands out with its dark, riveting storyline inspired by real-life events like the Yugoslav Wars and Bosnian Genocide. The focus on more serious themes means players are often forced to make difficult decisions with sometimes devastating moral implications. With a non-linear plot modeled after visual novels and full of branching paths, turning points, and multiple endings, Tactics Ogre became more than a mere strategy RPG.

Did you know?
  • The subtitle "Let Us Cling Together" is a reference to a Queen song called "Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)."
List Continues in descending order below
Developer Sony Online Entertainment
Release 1999
100

It wasn’t the first MMO, but EverQuest was the first to bring the genre to widespread popularity and become a household name. Featuring a gorgeous open world, populated with fantasy creatures and real-life players alike, it gave gamers an expansive chunk of real estate to explore for days, months, and years on end. And once you reached the level cap, you could roll a new kind of character with a different play style to tide yourself over until the next expansion arrived. The MMO genre eventually evolved and branched off in many directions, leaving EverQuest feeling rooted in the past. But that doesn’t take away from the memories EverQuest created, or the impact it had on the industry.

Did you know?
  • Because EverQuest seemed to inspire addictive behavior, it earned the nickname EverCrack.
  • In 2002, the BBC reported that EverQuest was the 77th wealthiest country in the world, based on its virtual currency.
Developer Sir-Tech
Release 2001
99

RPG franchises don’t get much older than Wizardry, a series that kicked off back in 1981. The final game, Wizardry 8, launched 20 years later. It mixes sci-fi trappings with traditional fantasy fare, so you have a smattering of guns and aliens alongside swords and spells. One of the best things about Wizardry 8 is its robust character creation tools. You can choose among 11 different races, ranging from Humans and Elves to Faeries, Mooks, and Hobbits. Layer on a choice of 15 classes, and you end up with a stunning number of combinations to try in your party. Unlike The Elder Scrolls, which offers similar character options, Wizardry 8 lets you customize six party members instead of just one.

Did you know?
  • After struggling to find a traditional publisher, Sir-Tech partnered with gaming retailer Electronics Boutique to publish the game.
  • It was published a whole nine years after its predecessor, Wizardry VII: Crusaders of the Dark Savant, from 1992.
  • Depicted approaching enemies for the first time in the series, instead of random pop-up encounters.
Developer Iron Lore Entertainment
Release 2006
98

Titan Quest is often shrugged off as just another Diablo clone. And while there’s something to that argument, it also ignores the interesting things Titan Quest adds to the formula to create a wholly enjoyable action RPG. Instead of a well-trodden fantasy setting, Titan Quest looks to myths for inspiration. To that end, it has you travel across China, Egypt, and Greece, slaying beasts likes centaurs and gorgons, while collecting ever more powerful gear. The gameplay is highly customizable, thanks to its deep class and mastering systems, which provide plenty of replay value for anyone looking to try different combat styles. And when you finish the game, you can make your very own campaign, thanks to a robust level editor.

Did you know?
  • The idea for Titan Quest arose when game designer Brian Sullivan was working on Age of Empires and thought it would be fun to make a game based in Greek mythology.
  • Its opening cutscene was created by Blur Studio, also responsible for the cinematic trailers for Arkham City, Arkham Origins, and Arkham Knight.
Developer Lionhead Studios
Release 2008
97

It’s safe to say Peter Molyneux’s games often fail to live up to the hype he sparks for them. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case with Fable II, a delightful action RPG that offers players a bit of nearly everything. The game weaves an epic story that spans your character’s life from childhood on. Combat feels like a fluid dance, thanks to the melee, magic, and ranged attacks you can string together with ease. To top it off, the whole thing is rife with humor and charm. So whether you want to amass a real estate empire or simply woo a spouse, you can. And let’s not forget the real star of the show: your lovable canine companion.

Did you know?
  • PETA gave Fable II their Proggy award for being the most animal-friendly game of 2008.
  • Set 500 years after the first Fable.
Developer Runic Games
Release 2012
96

When done right, dungeon crawlers create a sense of momentum as you hack through monsters, pick up the loot they drop, equip any high-level gear, and move on to do it again. This is a gameplay loop Torchlight II completely nails. Story and character tend to fall to the wayside here, but you’re too busy wreaking ultra-violence and collecting shiny new things to care. The four character classes are stocked with skills that are satisfying to use, the environments pulse with color, and playing co-op with friends makes it even more of a chaotic joy to play. The craving for loot is real, and Torchlight II delivers it in the best way.

Did you know?
  • Two of Runic Games’ founding members worked on Diablo and Diablo II.
  • Its cinematic sequences were produced by Don't Starve developer Klei Entertainment.
Developer Obsidian Entertainment
Release 2015
95

Pillars of Eternity excels on any number of fronts, but its dialog and vocal performances are among its strongest suits. That’s a good thing, too, because one adventure through this Baldur’s Gate-like RPG spans dozens of hours. And many of those hours are spent chatting with a variety of compelling characters. Making things even more interesting is that your dialog options depend on your character’s stats. If you’ve pumped points into Might, for instance, you may be able to get vital information by using aggressive posturing. Then again, it could backfire, leaving you worse off than before. Throw in an deep tactical battle system, and you’re looking at a game that satisfies on multiple levels.

Did you know?
  • At the time, it was the highest-funded Kickstarter game ($3.9m), surpassed since by Torment: Tides of Numenera, Bloodstained, and Shenmue 3.
  • A number of the NPCs were named and designed by Kickstarter backers who pledged $1,000 or more.
  • Its soundtrack was inspired by the music of Icewind Dale and Baldur's Gate.
Developer Square
Release 2000
94

If you’re in the mood for a strategy RPG about giant mechs, Front Mission 3 has you covered — twice. That’s because there are basically two games on the disc. Your path is determined early on by a seemingly innocuous decision. Help a friend with a delivery, and you’ll go down the “Emma” path. Stay behind, and you’ll see the “Alisa” side of the game. Which path you choose determines which faction you’re fighting for, so choosing the other path on a second play-through means you’ll have to fight against characters you’ve come to know and appreciate. But what really sets Front Mission 3 apart is its mech-building mechanic. Every enemy mech you take down goes into your inventory, and you can swap parts around to create the patchwork mech of your dreams.

Did you know?
  • It may be the third game in the series, but Front Mission 3 was the first to be released in North America.
  • The game's vastly different branching paths all begins with a simple early game choice: do you help your friend make a delivery, or not?
Developer Interplay Productions
Release 1985
93

You’d better have graph paper on hand before you dive into this dungeon crawler, because it offers no map of the intricate mazes you’ll find inside. To begin, you can customize up to six adventurers, with professions like warrior, rogue, hunter, and magician. True to the title, the bard is probably the most useful, because his songs cast spells that help out your entire party. The game lets you explore towns and dungeons one grid square at a time, with turn-based combat that uses a loose version of Dungeon & Dragons’ die rolls. In the mid-‘80s, gamers were hungry for this kind of adventure. That’s probably why The Bard’s Tale showed up on tons of computer platforms, as well as the NES.

Did you know?
  • The actual title is Tales of the Unknown: Volume I: The Bard’s Tale. Later games in the series dropped everything but the subtitle.
  • Printed on the front of the PlayStation 2 disc is the line, "For A Really Disturbing Image... Flip Disc Over." On the back? Just the reflective mirror of the disc.
Developer Dynamix
Release 1993
92

Set in the world of the Riftwar novels by Raymond E. Feist, Betrayal at Krondor is a first-person RPG that’s surprisingly open-world for a game of its vintage. You control three adventurers as you make your way through nine chapters of a fantasy story, fighting enemies, picking locks, maintaining degradable gear, and solving riddles to open Moredhel wordlock chests. Combat plays out like a turn-based strategy game, with combatants moving around on a grid to deliver strategic strikes. Make sure you bring your reading glasses, because Krondor is dense with text, which should come as no surprise considering its literary origins.

Did you know?
  • The initial release of Betrayal at Krondor came on a stack of seven 3.5-inch floppy discs.
  • Set in the world of Raymond E. Feist's Riftwar books, the game itself was structured like a novel, complete with chapter breaks.
Developer Irrational Games
Release 2002
91

Most RPGs center around adventurers in a fantasy world. Freedom Force, on the other hand, is about superheroes in a modern setting. Perhaps the most interesting thing about this game is the combat. Each of your four heroes has unique moves, but they can also interact with the urban environment. Parked cars can be hoisted and hurled at enemies. Light posts can be pulled out of the ground and swung like baseball bats. And while the combat takes place in real time by default, you can pause at any time to issue instructions to your party. Freedom Force is a stylish game that oozes charm and originality at every turn.

Did you know?
  • The superheroes in Freedom Force were created for the game, but they got their own comic book miniseries in 2005.
  • Freedom Force had a 2005 self-published sequel — Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich.
Developer Larian Studios
Release 2014
90

At a glance, Divinity: Original Sin looks like an old-fashioned CRPG with a fresh coat of paint. And it is, but Larian Studios has modernized more than just the graphics. For instance, the NPCs often react in realistic ways to your actions, ways other games don’t bother including. Most RPGs let you barge into people’s homes and take their things without a word of complaint. Try that in Divinity: Original Sin, and you’re likely to get yelled at or attacked. Every location is brimming with creative ideas and new things to find, making it a real challenge to stop playing. All of this, and it also manages to be funny throughout. That’s quite an achievement.

Did you know?
  • Larian Studios pulled in nearly $1 million in a Kickstarter campaign to get Divinity: Original Sin off the ground.
  • It is Larian's fastest-selling and highest-rated game to date.