RPG of the Decade - Developers' Choice

[Silellak]

I find it interesting WoW was not mentioned at all in this article, particularly since it - or at least the genre it popularized - has had quite bit of influence on single player RPGs in the last few years, for better or worse.

Spoiler

Definitely, definitely "for worse."

 

[Takeda Kenshi]

Wizardry 8 gets screwed again.

Don't worry baby, I still love you.

 

[Azrael the cat]

My opinion is different from yours, i am butthurt and made a new acc for trolling.

cool story Drog

Fixed.

 

[.Sigurd]

Where is western RPGs like Hitman and Tomb Raider on that list?

 

[Azrael the cat]

For an on-topic post, I'm going to nominate Deus Ex. Not because it was the game I replayed the most out of all on this list, though it takes that title (admittedly, BG2 was ahead until I lost one of my disks). Not because it was the game I had most fun playing, though it takes that one as well. And not because it was the game that I 'appreciated' the most, or thought was the most intelligent or creative, or displayed the most developer brilliance: I'm not even sure Deus Ex would take those. And not because it was part of the short burst of games who briefly elevated gaming's scriptwriting, giving many of us hope that gaming could develop into an interactive artistic and narrative medium, as well as a series of fun mechanics. For those few games that carried it, the ability to convey an intelligent interactive narrative and themes, while still combining them with the humour and action needed to make them work in a game,was and still remains mindblowing. But their legacy hasn't been pretty. The intelligent writing has deserted us, but they left a generation of gamers for whom 'crpg' meant 'interactive story' and little else as core requirements of the genre. The interactive story took over from the game mechanics, just as those like myself had hoped, but instead of the artistic pieces we had naively hoped for, we received the 'Michael Bay of Gaming' storywriting as games like Mass Effect turned the western crpg into glorified third person shooters with dialogue and a dating sim.

I'm going to nominate Deus Ex because out of the games that were 'truly great' during the last decade, it represents the only one that could still conceivably produce a spiritual successor. Even if Arcanum was updated with the greatest turn-based combat of all time, together with a great real-time with pause alternative combat system, and stellar up to date graphics and marketing, I don't believe it could sell enough to be reform a stable mainstream genre. Games like Wizardry 8, BG2 and Arcanum - not to mention their more often more complex ancestors - were the products of many small steps of genre development. Gamers coming new to those products today would simply have too much to learn...at least for a generation of gamers who don't expect or want to 'learn a game' before they can play it well. Deus Ex, on the other hand, took baby steps away from a traditional FPS but did it brilliantly. Using very simple crpg mechanics, a highly intuitive skill/crpg system, efficient dialogue, it gave gamers the ability to make choices while still allowing a FPS gamer used to purely linear experiences to play it in a similar fashion and not feel like the game resented him/her for it.

Any gamer that has played FO3 could easily play Deus Ex. The same could probably be said for players with experience of Mass Effect. Both of those games did less with much greater complexity.

It's a negative nomination for largely pessimistic reasons, but it's probably the best hope for a new genre of great games. Because it could still work, without any dumbing down - you could even 'intelligent it up' for gamers now used to managing small squads while combing upgradable shooting and abilities. It's the only game on the list that shows you can make a game simple enough for today's audience, and it can be both a great game and a great seller.

 

[MasPingon]

Published in 2000, Deus Ex was a forecast for the whole decade, the most influential title and an omen of incoming changes. Even excellent games that tried to stick to "the old-ways", like the remarkable Arcanum, simply went extinct. There were, however, titles that learned the lesson - with Vampire: Bloodlines being probably the most brilliant RPG design of decade, which strongly influenced The Witcher as well. Eventually, Mass Effect 2, a direct descendant of the aforementioned titles opened a new decade with a perfected design of the next generation of RPG experience.

Jesus fucking Christ, is he stupid?

 

[Sovard]

I nominate Vic Davis for honorary Codexian.

Anyway, I'm having a good time juxtaposing what the developers have created with what they like and what they're working on now.

It's a great article, thank you.

 

[Trash]

Typed this out for the cancelled part of the article. Might as well put it here.

My crpg of the decade? Quite honestly I must say that crpg-wise this entire decade has been something of a disappointment. There were a number of enjoyable ones released, sure, but nothing really stood out for me. Which puzzles me since I have played and enjoyed rpg's since the late 80's. Have I finally become the bitter old wanker I always aspired to be? Is skyway right and is everything turned to shit? Or have I just played too many rpg's and do they start to become stale and predictable?

Whatever it is, the rpg's of the 2000's just never appealed to me like their predecessors did. Still, if I really have to name a contender I'll go for Anachronox. Sure, it felt unfinished, had a horribly protracted and even dull start and, for christsakes, when you look very closely at it the game looks remarkably similar to a railroaded jrpg. Yet Anachronox lured me in and made me enjoy it more than any other rpg in years. Somehow the freshness of the setting, the sense of humor that permeates the entire game and the fact that for once my party was comprised of grumpy geriatrics, alcoholic superheroes and a shrunken planet make up for all that. This rpg entertained the heck out of me, and that is something which I really value in my games.

 

[Jason]

That part isn't cancelled. We're going to include staff picks with the reader choices article.

 

[Vault Dweller]

"The developers' choices are disappointing though. NWN? Seriously?"

FFS You can post dumb shit, moron.

I missed you too, Volly.

Did you even bother to fuckin' read why they picked what they did? Tool. Someone prefers something i don't.

The reasons are irrelevant. NWN simply isn't a game of the decade material and that's pretty much a fact. Just because you like something doesn't mean it's the awesomest game in the whole world, is it? As you know I like PST a LOT, but it's not a game of the decade.

Anyway, reasons you said? Let's see:

"NWN succeeded by literally putting that experience on the desktop. Combining an extremely powerful (and fairly easy-to-use) mod-building toolkit with multiplayer would have been awesome, but the key ingredient was the Dungeon Master interface. Unlike the host of Massively Multiplayer Whack-A-Mole Games out there, this combination allowed players to really enjoy varying levels of computer-enhanced tabletop RPG sessions. Whether solo with one of zillions of premium and fan-based modules, or with friends doing the same, or with a friend running as a dungeon master generating stuff on-the-fly to supplement whatever planned module was loaded, Neverwinter Nights was as much a platform for playing games as a game unto itself. And except for some of the crappier fan-made modules we experimented with, I really can't regret any of the hundreds and hundreds of hours I spent playing, DMing, and making modules for this game."

Ok, so he liked the platform. He liked making and playing modules. If the question was "what was the best toolset of the decade?", his would have had a point. Otherwise...

Then again, you picked ARC. ARC is a very good game, but best of the decade? No fuckin' way.

Name a better RPG then.

 

[FeelTheRads]

Mass Effect 2.

 

[Kingston]

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

There are so many things about this game that I loved. It was an open sandbox world, where I was free to go where I wanted and act how I wanted, and I had to live with the consequences of my actions. I became a vampire (and got cured later), I joined every guild and reached leadership status in them (and I loved the Dark Brotherhood the most), I did every Daedric shrine quest, and I explored most of the continent. In fact, I ignored the main storyline for most of my playing of this game, and I had more fun with the guild storylines and with trying to get every house in the game. The huge combination of skills, stats, spells and items, and the detailed character customization at the beginning of the game, really made me feel that I could play roleplay anyone I wanted. The game is not without its flaws (the auto-leveling of monsters springs to mind), but overall, this game was everything I wanted in an RPG: open-ended, re-playable, good-looking and downright fun.

"For fuck's sake, Tim."

 

[Humanity has risen!]

I'm going to go with an unusual choice and pick Divine Divinity. I remember loading it and dismissing it as a gothic Diablo clone, but then I progressively got hooked into it and quickly I couldn't let go anymore. Larian simply succeeded in combining the best of Diablo's hack 'n slash mechanics and sandbox-style gameplay and exploration, making the end product an accomplished, mindless slasher as well as a full-fledged, free-roaming RPG. The loot in it was my favorite in any game I've ever played, and the interface was extremely elegant and simple to use. Other games have had deeper combat, and better plots, but as far as pure fun factor and personality are concerned, DivDiv is king.

As soon as you leave the initial village it's a rollercoaster ride, and every new NPC encounter is memorable. Every location has its own story, and the quests are all extremely imaginative and unique. The game doesn't take itself seriously in the slightest, and everywhere you go Larian is poking fun as the typical high fantasy tropes, which makes it a breath of fresh air compared to all the other tolkienesque romps. And it's absolutely packed with content, with more than 120+ hours of extremely solid gaming.

Add to this one of the most atmospheric, varied and original game soundtracks that has ever been made, and you get a game that's like no other. It turned me into a Larian fanboy for life.

 

[Marquess Cornwallis]

The reasons are irrelevant. NWN simply isn't a game of the decade material and that's pretty much a fact. Just because you like something doesn't mean it's the awesomest game in the whole world, is it?

I don't know, VD. Much as I respect your opinions, your expertise on the RPG genre and your irrepressible flair for argument marathons, I don't think you're making a lot of sense here.

For one thing, you praise Arcanum as the best RPG of all time precisely because you like it and are willing to overlook any flaws it may have. There's nothing wrong with that, but how are your reasons any more objective than those Volly or anyone else has for their pick?
I for one found Arcanum an admirably ambitious game that was nevertheless very hard to actually enjoy because of the deadly combination of half-baked combat system, unbalanced character system and the sheer number of random encounters (plus other combat-heavy areas). If you didn't mind those, I'm happy for you, but does that mean the flaws are not there at all, making Arcanum unexceptionable "game of the decade material"?

Ok, so he liked the platform. He liked making and playing modules. If the question was "what was the best toolset of the decade?", his would have had a point. Otherwise...

Two of the developers who mentioned NWN explicitly said they did not vote for the OC but NWN as a platform. Why couldn't they? It is a perfectly legitimate answer from several points of view -- whether they picked it because of the huge influence it had (on the modding scene or otherwise) or because the modules they played provided them with the best role-playing experience. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems as if you were asked to give and comment on your choice for the RPG of the Decade and it was up to you to come up with the actual criteria?

 

[Volourn]

"that's pretty much a fact."

L0L0L0L0L0L0LLIPOP

Hilarious. LMFAO R00fles!


As the guy above me stated, your line of 'just because you like it doesn't mean it is the best' can fit your opinion as well. With that reasoning, I can retort that just because you hate NWN doesn't mean it isn't the best.

btw, It's not my opinion here so you can't just wave your magic wand and say it's 'proof' that i'm crazy since it was two others who prolcaimed NWN the 'best of decade'. It's funny that people tried to claim NWN was a DOA game, BIo's worst, etc.,e tc., yet no other BIO game was picked as 'best of decade'. Then againm, a few devs picked TOEE. HAHAHAHAHAHA!

NWN is the best CRPG because it is the only CRPG that actually allows you to role-play as close to pnp style as you can get (abrring that crappy Vampire game that went nowhere).

LONG LIVE NWN DEATH TO ALL OTHERS!!!

 

[mondblut]

Deus Ex
Vampire: Bloodlines
Mass Effect 2, a direct descendant of the aforementioned titles

Jesus fucking Christ, is he stupid?

Truth hurts?

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Then againm, a few devs picked TOEE

And they're right. If you dig DnD and dig TB combat, ToEE is the answer.

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

abrring

Child: What is 'abrring', Papa?

Father: I don't know, son, but that man is crazy. We best leave him alone.

Child: I'm scared, Papa.

Father: Don't be, son. He's only a threat to himself.

 

[Vault Dweller]

For one thing, you praise Arcanum as the best RPG of all time precisely because you like it and are willing to overlook any flaws it may have.

I liked many games listed in that article: Gothic 2, Bloodlines, Diablo 2, ToEE, Morrowind, Icewind Dale, Deus Ex, Silent Storm, Torment, Spiderweb games, Wizardry 8, and many more, but there is a difference between liking a game and thinking that it's the best ever.

I praise Arcanum because the role-playing aspects are superb and unmatched, and no other game, including Fallout and Torment, has managed to come close. Role-playing in NWN is a joke and even Volourn would agree that the OC is retarded. So, we can pretend that every opinion is awesome and, like, totally valid, or we can agree that NWN OC was shit and couldn't possibly be a game of the decade, no matter how much someone may have enjoyed it.

If you didn't mind those, I'm happy for you, but does that mean the flaws are not there at all, making Arcanum unexceptionable "game of the decade material"?

The role-playing aspects most certainly do, however, I'm not saying that Arcanum is the undisputed king of the decade. If someone thinks that another worthy game was the game of the year (because Arcanum's flaws have ruined the experience, for example), I'm fine with that. My point is that neither NWN nor Oblivion were such games.

Two of the developers who mentioned NWN explicitly said they did not vote for the OC but NWN as a platform. Why couldn't they?

It's like saying that your favorite book is a text editor or a writing submissions site.

It is a perfectly legitimate answer from several points of view -- whether they picked it because of the huge influence it had (on the modding scene or otherwise) or because the modules they played provided them with the best role-playing experience.

Then they should have named the module that impressed them the most as their best RPG of the decade.

When you name a best game, you name best ideas, best design, best concepts, etc. When you name a toolset or a platform as your best "game", you name nothing at all.

 

[Paula Tormeson IV]

Arcanum, good for what it is, was just the old stuff extended over a larger area, like Fallout that received nerve damage and grew unnaturally big. And NWN was a MMORPG that occasionally larped a single-player game. I would not call that innovative either. The last decade was indeed incredibly bland and dull, if your standard is what-could-have-been instead of what came before, although it was a pretty feeble period however you look at it. The only RPG that was something seriously new was Gothic 2: Night of the Raven, and even though it was the only RPG that was something seriously new, most RPG gamers did not notice that it was, since the herald of it, Gothic 2, was superficially the same thing, and, in turn, looked somewhat similar to its prequel, Gothic. The whole development was like a man taking his first step on the dark moon's surface, but you had seen many steps taken before, and it was likely, albeit wrong, that you would see the moon-step as just another step too. What really happened was that we had a genre which focused on travel quests ("find this item", "deliver that note", "talk to Paul on the other side of X"), but did not have interesting travel. Night of the Raven made travel interesting, fun, and CHALLENGING. In this game, you don't seek out monsters for easy xp on your messenger trip to a friendly neighbouring castle — the monsters seek YOU out, and you will want to avoid them if your life means anything to you. That's how I experienced it, anyway.

 

[Merlutz]

You're all idiots, Unity3D is clearly the best RPG of the decade.

 

[Volourn]

"If you dig DnD and dig TB combat, ToEE is the answer."

Nah. I love D&D, and TB but TOEE is lacklustre. It has an awesome combat SYSTEm, but the combat is merely so-so. And,t he role-playing is atrocious.


"When you name a best game, you name best ideas, best design, best concepts, etc. When you name a toolset or a platform as your best "game", you name nothing at all."

The toolset, the MP, and the DM Client are part of the game. Sorry, dude.


"Volourn would agree that the OC is retarded."

You are tha retarted. FFS Don't post on my or others' behalf. FFS

 

[Vault Dweller]

"When you name a best game, you name best ideas, best design, best concepts, etc. When you name a toolset or a platform as your best "game", you name nothing at all."

The toolset, the MP, and the DM Client are part of the game. Sorry, dude.

They come with the game. A game is a stand alone experience. Sorry, dude.

"Volourn would agree that the OC is retarded."

You are tha retarted. FFS Don't post on my or others' behalf. FFS

I stand corrected. Let me fix it for you:

Only Volourn would argue that the OC is not retarded, which proves beyond the reasonable doubt that it actually is retarded.

Better?

 

[Volourn]

"Only Volourn would argue that the OC is not retarded"

Why do you lie?

 

[CrimHead]

I had to live with the consequences of my actions. I became a vampire (and got cured later)

This sentence is epicly fuck up man. How did he possibly manage to contradict himself so perfectly in points constructed THAT CLOSE TOGETHER? Is he deliberately trolling? How does "I contracted vampirism, but yeah, it was no big deal" in any way validate "living with the consequences of my actions"? Possibly the stupidest thing I've seen a developer say in a LONG LONG time.