All-Time Highest Rated Games Tagged 'rpg, dev' on The Great Games Experiment All-Time Highest Rated Games Tagged 'rpg, dev' on The Great Games Experiment http://www.greatgamesexperiment.com/css/logo.jpg All-Time Highest Rated Games Tagged 'rpg, dev' on The Great Games Experiment en-us Chrono Trigger The 32-meg Chrono Trigger utilizes time travel, science-fiction, and fantasy adventure to create one of the best role-playing games ever. The game's hero, Crono, is transported into the past and ends up altering the course of history, and with it the future as well.

The integral time travel element of the game enables players to alter the game by changing the past, give players multiple endings and excellent repeat game play value. There are mini-quests, a huge cast of characters, realistic time travel, non-linear game play, and more active and interactive battle scenes than Squaresoft's 1994, highly acclaimed, role-playing game Final Fantasy III.
]]> 06 Dec 2006 11:26:30 System Shock 2 A dark and moody cyberpunk RPG that brings back to life SHODAN one of the best realized arch-nemesis in computer gaming.

This time around it is a ship - not a station that has been taken over.

Story telling elements such as voice mail as 'ghost' residue are used to great effect. You can see similar mechanisms being used in F.E.A.R and others.

Uses a modified Thief engine so there is a significant focus on 'sneak'- although the game can be player through in multiple ways.
]]> 06 Dec 2006 06:56:49 Final Fantasy VI Final Fantasy VI was a landmark title in the series, and set the tone for many later console RPGs, both of the Final Fantasy line and elsewhere. Released originally as Final Fantasy III in the U.S., the game has been re-released under its original title for the Playstation. A GBA re-release is scheduled for early 2007.
]]> 09 Dec 2006 07:46:38 Fallout 2 The sequel to the greatest rpg of all time (I think so anyway) This one packs even more humor and gratuitous violence than ever before.

You play as an ancestor to the vault dweller after he founded a tiny village. You must go on a quest to find a G.E.C.K or Garden of Eden Creation Kit.
]]> 08 Nov 2006 07:52:41 The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Link, after setting sail for new experiences and adventures, finds himself caught in a squall at sea. Helpless in spite of his valiant efforts to last through the storm, he is overwhelmed by vicious waves and lightning...

Some time later, a gentle girl named Marin discovers him washed up on Toronbo Shores.. the beach of Koholint Island. She finds a way to get him home and takes care of him until he finally awakens. Marin and her father, Tarin, explain to him where he is, and after he sets out to reclaim his sword, he encounters a mysterious owl... The owl cryptically warns Link about the perils this island faces should the Wind Fish be disturbed from his slumber, and thus Link decides he must do something to save them.

This owl guides him throughout the rest of his journey, slowly helping him uncover just what exactly is going on. Link learns that, unfortunately, in order to save the islanders he had grown to love, and to set himself free, he must also end a dream, a romance that he might not want to... To save all those people he had come to know and cherish from the Wind Fish's Nightmares, he would also have to end the illusion that caused them to exist in the first place.

It's a heart wrenching choice to confront, one that Link no doubt regrets with every deep ache of his very soul.. but the only alternative was to let the Nightmare take over and destroy everything.. This was the only fate he could offer them...

A tragic, touching tale that is told in the simplest way, Link's Awakening is a dream that I'll always hold dear to my heart...
]]> 08 Feb 2007 11:34:05 System Shock System Shock is one of the classics: a science fiction horror game that set nerves on edge as the player -- a cybernetically-augmented hacker -- tries to rein in a rampant AI on Citadel Station. Constantly taunted and hunted by the AI SHODAN, the player must counter SHODAN's attempts to destroy human life on Earth.

System Shock went on to receive critical acclaim and garnered awards in the adventure genre, despite its mediocre commercial performance. The game's legacy influences game development to this day.

Developer: Looking Glass Studios
Release: 1994

Platform: PC, Macintosh

Producer: Origin Systems
]]> 28 Nov 2006 05:43:10 Shining Force Shining Force was a tactical turns-based roleplaying game released for the Mega Drive. You recruit members for your force and deploy their individual skills in battles that use a chess-like grid.
]]> 07 Dec 2006 11:07:24 Ultima VII - The Black Gate From the Moby Games description:

You are the Avatar, returning to Britannia after 200 years of absence. Strange ritual murders are committed in the land while an organization known as The Fellowship is gathering a huge following. And there is this being known as The Guardian whose mockery follows you on your travels. Your old companions will join you on your quest through Britannia as you slowly discover the secret behind the Fellowship and the Guardian.

Ultima VII features completely revamped graphics and controls. The traditional Ultima top-down view of the world now fills the entire screen, with other informational windows overlaid on top of it only when necessary. Both world interaction and dialogue are fully mouse-controlled. The tactical combat system of previous Ultimas was replaced with a real-time system where only general strategies can be set and party members fight automatically.

The Britannia of Ultima VII is a large virtual world with lots of details: hundreds of NPCs can be talked to, virtually every object in the game is usable in some way and many side quests await the player.
]]> 05 Dec 2006 02:27:09 Fallout Set in a future apocalypse version of the 50's-60's, Fallout is an RPG made by the now out of business Interplay and Black Isle Studios. It's violent, funny, and it can be played 100 times and never lose its appeal.

You play as a member of a high-tech vault made to protect from the bombs. Now you must find a water chip to save your vault.
]]> 01 Nov 2006 10:22:36 Disgaea: Hour of Darkness Disgaea was the first of NIS's strategy games to hit the US. Relying on the grid based system employed by games such as Final Fantasy Tactics and many Altus titles, Disgaea blended strategy with humor to create a game that literally ate hundreds of hours for many gamers. Disgaea featured an exceptionally complex item leveling system and almost endless gameplay outside the main story.
]]> 07 Feb 2007 07:34:25 Phantasy Star IV Phantasy Star IV, which takes place in the year AW 2284; 1,000 years after the events of Phantasy Star II, is the final part of the series canon. It is the story of Chaz Ashley, a young bounty hunter, who along with his friends and allies, is unwittingly catapulted into the role of savior of the Algol solar system. The computer network which has worked to sustain Algol has gone into disarray, leading to a series of catastrophes throughout the system. An investigation of the problem leads Rudy and his allies into a confrontation with the dark wizard Zio, whose aim seems to be nothing less than total annihilation. Defeating Zio proves to only be the beginning, and amidst great tragedy and struggle, Chaz and the others must eventually fight against an evil from time uncounted to restore peace to Algol once and for all.
]]> 29 Jan 2007 02:22:45 Shenmue The story of Shenmue begins in 1986 and centers around Ryo Hazuki, a young man who's father has been murderer. You play as Ryo and now must find the killers and avenge your father's death.

Gameplay in Shenmue is diverse; while most of the game is spent walking around the atmospheric, life-like Japanese locations in a third-person 'chase cam' mode (talking to people, searching for things, solving puzzles, and so forth), it is interspersed with many 'mini-games', including forklift and motorcycle races, bar fights, chases down crowded alleys, full versions of Sega arcade games Space Harrier and Hang-On (both originally programmed by Shenmue creator and director, Yu Suzuki), dart games, and 'free fighting' sequences.
]]> 24 May 2007 01:36:27 Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny Ultima V continues the story of the Avatar begun in Ultima IV. The game begins with Lord British captured on a mission of exploration in a newly discovered Underworld. The Avatar (player) is called back through a portal to Britannia, where tyrant Lord Blackthorn rules with an iron fist and is backed by 3 mysterious "shadow lords".

With a deep plot and rich interactive world, Ultima V substantially raised the bar for RPGs of the day.
]]> 06 Jan 2007 10:26:41 Planescape: Torment Planescape: Torment is a computer role-playing game developed for Microsoft Windows by Black Isle Studios. Released on December 12, 1999, the game takes place in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Planescape campaign setting. Unlike other computer role-playing games, such as Baldur's Gate, Torment places emphasis on conversation and storyline instead of combat.

The game begins in Sigil, where the protagonist, an enigmatic and heavily scarred immortal dubbed The Nameless One by the game's interface, wakes up in a mortuary with no memory of his identity and past experiences. Assuming the role of The Nameless One, players embark on a quest to solve the mysteries surrounding him.

Torment received almost universal critical praise, and has since become a cult classic. The game was added to Gamespy's "Hall of Fame" in August 2004, and to Gamespot's "Greatest Games of All Time" list in October 2005.

(from the Wikipedia page on Planescape: Torment)
]]> 04 Dec 2006 09:51:58 Suikoden II Sequel to the early PlayStation RPG. As a member of the Alliance, a military force only really hinted at in the original, you play the unwitting hero of the game: an orphan who has been raised by a quiet, unassuming battle hero in a seemingly ancient war. Alongside you in the ranks is your best friend Jowy, a boy born of nobility but who has never been able to receive approval in his stubborn father's eyes. As the game begins, you are immediately tossed into a tale of political strife, betrayal and war on a grand scale beyond your scope in the early stages. As the game wears on, the plot will twist, turn and develop in numerous ways that expose the personalities of each of the characters involved. The battle system is turn-based, with the option to equip Runes for special abilities, combine party member attacks to create chain combos or devastating spells, and the option to run the battle in Auto mode.

--Original Source Text: IGN
]]> 24 Dec 2006 11:29:53 Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete Originally released in 1998 for the Sega Saturn console in Japan, it was ported to PlayStation in 1999, and then translated for the North American market in 2000 by the US publisher Working Designs. Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete is a remake of Lunar: Eternal Blue, originally released for the Sega CD platform. This game is part of the Lunar series.

As with the first game, Lunar 2 features an enormous amount of material appealing to game players in a personal level. The story features likable characters engaged in quests that will help them mature as people; in particular, the two main characters develop a powerful romance. The dialogue is also a standout, as even minor characters have large quantities of dialogue, including some very funny jokes. There are also several hand-animated sequences, done in anime style as well as wonderful musical pieces. The game also includes a second, optional adventure that acts as an epilogue.

The story takes place approximately one thousand years after the events of Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete. Once again, Lunar (an inhabited moon that circles a planet called The Blue Star) is endangered, this time by the return of Zophar, the God of Evil responsible for the destruction of life in the Blue Star millennia before. This causes Lucia, a being assigned to the purpose of eventually reviving life on the Blue Star, to awaken before her time. Lucia arrives on Lunar and meets a teenage boy named Hiro, and Ruby, his baby red dragon companion (who, like Nall in the first game, resembles a talking, winged cat) and they set out to find the Goddess Althena so they can prevent Zophar's revival.
]]> 08 Feb 2007 04:23:15 Might and Magic 3: Isles of Terra The third, and highly updated, installment in the classic CRPG once again sees you commanding a party of adventures in a bid to save the world.

From Moby Games:

The third installment of the roleplaying series, with a multi-faceted plot full of twists and turns. Ease of use was central to the gameplay and interface, and the plot included piles of new twists and turns.

Lead a party of adventurers to rendezvous with the legendary wizard Corak. From dark moldy dungeons, through corridors of hewn stone and timber, and onward to the lofty frozen peaks of Terra you will uncover the mysteries that surround the exotic islands in the Great Sea.
]]> 07 Mar 2007 02:27:53 Pirates of Port Royale Pirates of Port Royale is a game that is based in the 17th century Caribbean...the age of exploration...the age of the new world. Law is non-existant, danger is constant, life is uncertain. Live your life in the way of your choosing, whether it be a vicious pirate, a lowly blacksmith, a prestigious lawyer, or a respected commodore or captain. The choices are yours, the possibilities endless, it's your destiny, and you choose it.

Pirates of Port Royale could be described as "The Elder Scrolls: Pirates", having a similar open-ended and free-RPG style to it, but with a historical backdrop with the mainstream appeal of pirates.
]]> 23 Dec 2006 07:46:47 Xenogears Xenogears' gameplay combines the traditional and innovative, utilizing two-dimensional sprite overlays on three-dimensional backgrounds, as well as two different battle systems, one which is martial-arts driven and the other which takes place in turn-based 'Gear' battles.

Crew:

  • Game producer: Hiromichi Tanaka
  • [b]Executive producers: Tetsuo Mizuno, Tomoyuki Takechi, Hironobu Sakaguchi
  • Game director: Tetsuya Takahashi
  • Scenario writers: Tetsuya Takahashi, Soraya Saga
  • Original character designer: Soraya Soga
  • Character designers: Soraya Soga, Kunihiko Tanaka
  • Gear designer: Junya Ishigaki
  • Mecha designer: Yoshinori Ogura
  • Art director, Map texture designer: Yasuyuki Honne
  • Art designer: Takashi Arai
  • Map designers: Takashi Arai, Ryosuke Aiba
  • Battle planner: Hiromichi Tanaka
  • Event planners: Masato Kato, Takashi Tanegashima
  • Main programmer: Kiyoshi Yoshii
  • Battle programmer: Katsuhisa Higuchi
    • * Music composer: Yasunori Mitsuda
    ]]>     08 Feb 2007 03:01:32     Hellgate: London Notice: In production

    London, 2038. The once great city lies in ruins. A massive, sinister gash in the fabric of our reality gnarls and churns, dominating the horizon as it blends into a permanently darkened sky. The unspeakable cataclysm that befell London threatened to engulf the world as the shadow of the demons fell across the face of mankind.

  • Introduction

    • According to legend, when the ravens depart the Tower of London, it will crumble to rubble and disaster will befall England. As man became more dependent on science, ancient lore and rituals were lost to the antiquity of time.

  • Classes

    • Mankind is a race of survivors. A rebellious few survive in the shadows of their former dominance, combining the holy, ancient, and arcane rites with the fringe sciences of the modern era.

  • Demons

    • Emerging from the swirling chaos of the Hellgate, the demons overwhelmed humanity's defenses. The Hellgate writhes and seethes like a living thing, a tornado of eldritch energies through which the minions of the netherworld surge forth.

  • Mods

    • Some equipment can be modified through the introduction of various technological and magical elements, commonly called Mods. These Mods are typically integrated into pre-defined slots or hard points on an item through a simple procedure that can be performed by any adventurer.

    Bill Roper said,
    Success should be based on skills, level, items, and so on. So it's really based on what makes you successful in an RPG. That being said, it certainly isn't going to hurt a guy if he's good at shooters.

    Additional Game Features:

    • First person perspective!

    • Dynamically generated content and levels including tons of weapon and item drops for scavenging.

    • PvP will be included, although it is likely that it will be for Elite members only. PvP modes may include duels and arena matches

    • Has some combat aspects of a shooter, but is first and foremost an action rpg. Players will not need to scavenge for ammo. The only mention of "ammo" refers to a type of modification.

    • Quest driven story, yet with a lot of freedom to adventure and treasure hunt in hopes of finding the best of the randomly generated goodies, as was so popular in the spiritual predecessor Diablo!

    Proposed Subscription Details (thanks Hellgate Guru!) These are just a few of the features discussed, visit the Hellgate Guru links for more info:

    • Free player accounts as well as "elite" optional subscription play options that are currently stated as $9.95 per month for U.S. players.

    • Free players can access all initial content and play with free or elite players, but elite accounts will receive regular content updates.

    • Elite players can access premier 24/7 customer support via phone and email, and will have priority in case of player ques.

    • Free players may create 3 characters, Elite players up to 12. Elite players will have a 40 item "swap stash" versus 20 items for free players.

    • Elite accounts can access additional play modes.

    • Elite players will have enhanced graphical options for characters.


    Ex-Blizzard employees Bill Roper, Erich Schafer, Max Schafer, and Dave Brevik--the men behind Diablo, are the heart of the development of Hellgate: London.

    Developers: Flagship Studios
    Co-publishers: Namco Bandai Games & Electronic Arts

    The game runs on a proprietary engine developed specifically for this game. The only other component that Flagship has licensed is Havok for physics.

    System Requirements: Pending!
    ]]>     16 Dec 2006 10:48:21     Earthbound
    Nintendo Power said,
    A meteorite crashes near the peaceful town of Onett, and a young boy's life is changed forever in Nintendo's role playing game, Earthbound. Earthbound is different, though, than the average sword-wielding RPG. In what other game can you defeat enemies with a frying pan, call a pizza-delivery man, or ask your dad for money? Need to get some cash? Just jog on down to the local ATM and withdraw some money for that great Yo-yo you saw at the drugstore. Similar to other RPG's like Final Fantasy or Dragon Warrior, Earthbound uses a party-based fighting format, and you pick up new members as you explore both your world and others. Earthbound is irreverent, a little silly, and a must have for RPG fans.

    Additional Game Features:

    • Gameplay employs many traditional elements such as buying equipment, recharging energy, interrogating NPC's, but while taking the player away from the traditional dungeons to a more contemporary era, full of wit and humor aimed at modern life and pop icons.

    • Gearing up in modern towns means that you'll more likely find baseball bats, yo-yo's and frying pans than swords! A wide variety of weapons are available in the course of the game.

    • Form parties to explore and battle.

    • Battles aren't random, as most enemies are visible.

    • Persistent onscreen analogue HP and PP meters assign losses gradually in real time, enabling the player added opportunity to heal or complete a battle.

    • Graphically simplistic, but rich in humor and imagination.

    Developer: Ape, Inc. and HAL Laboratory, Inc.
    Publisher: Nintendo
    Producer: Shigesato Itoi
    Written By: Shigesato Itoi
    Game Designer: Akihiko Miura
    Art Director: Kouichi Ooyama
    U.S. Conversion Director: Kouichi Ooyama

    Released in Japan August 27, 1994 for SNES as "Mother 2: Revenge of Gigyas!", and subsequently as a GBA port in June 20, 2003, also only in Japan. EarthBound was introduced to the U.S. on June 1, 1995 as a stand-alone game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. In Japan, however, its title refers to the fact that it's a sequel to the NES/Famicom rpg "Mother".

    It's worth stating that this game has cultivated such fan devotion that there are numerous sites and communities rife with information and trivia regarding Earthbound, so that one can only scratch the surface of available information here!
    ]]>     16 Dec 2006 06:31:05     Rogue Galaxy From the developers of the critically acclaimed Dark Cloud series, Level-5 once again delivers an unparalleled role-playing game experience with the introduction of Rogue Galaxyââ€
    ]]>     09 Feb 2007 12:50:22     The Legend of Zelda Ganon, the King of Evil, breaks free from the Dark World and captures Hyrule's beloved Princess Zelda. Before she is caught, Zelda manages to shatter the Triforce of Wisdom and scatter its eight pieces throughout Hyrule. Link swears to recover the Triforce pieces and rescue Princess Zelda from Ganon's clutches.

    With Zelda, Miyamoto wanted to take the idea of a game "world" even further. In his own words, the intent of the original Zelda game (and every Zelda title since) was to give players a "miniature garden that they can put inside their drawer." His inspiration came from the fields, woods, and caves outside Kyoto that he had explored as a boy, and he has always tried to impart this sense of exploration and limitless wonder to players through his Zelda titles.
    ]]>     25 Nov 2006 08:08:47     Mr. Robot Asimov is a lowly service mechanoid aboard the interstellar colony ship Eidolon. Carrying hundreds of frozen human colonists to a new world. When the Eidolon's computer brain malfunctions, it falls to Asimov to undertake a perilous journey through the bowels of the massive ship to save his robot friends and the precious human cargo. Solve puzzles. Overcome obstacles. Hack hostile networks. Evade crazed robots. Save the mission.
    ]]>     14 Nov 2006 04:37:13     Landstalker Landstalker is an isometric action RPG, not all that different from the Zelda games. You play Nigel, a treasure hunter who has come to a small island to find the legendary treasures of King Nole.
    ]]>     06 Feb 2007 08:58:38     Siege of Avalon : Open Source Siege of Avalon takes place in the fictional land of Eurale. Within Eurale are seven kingdoms: Nisos, Aratoy, Oriam, Fornax, Elythria, Cathea, and Taberland. The seven kingdoms united into an uneasy alliance and built a citadel as a meeting place, which was named Avalon.

    Within the land is a civilization of nomads known as the Sha'ahoul. Their religion values very highly the earth and nature and therefore they are against farming, the building of permanent structures, and similar practices which they feel destroys the earth. After discovering the existence of Eurale, they declared war on the seven kingdoms to eradicate their way of life.

    Many refugees of the destruction caused by the Sha'ahoul took shelter in Avalon. The seven kingdoms sent military support to defend Avalon and the refugees. To the people of Eurale, Avalon is seen as the last hope at stopping the Sha'ahoul. The Sha'ahoul and their leader, Mithras, chose to overtake the citadel by setting up a siege around it.

    The game begins with an entry in the hero's journal. The siege has been going on for several years. His brother, Corvus, serves as part of the military in Avalon. When their father dies, the hero feels that it is his obligation to inform Corvus of the sad news, so he becomes part of the crew of a ship sailing from Elythria to Avalon to deliver supplies. The Sha'ahoul manage to sink all of the ships except the one the hero is on. The ship reaches Avalon, but has lost most of its supplies. It is not possible to make a return voyage to Elythria and so the hero decides to stay at Avalon, inform Corvus of their father's death, and help out Avalon in whatever manner he can. The player gains control at this point and begins by speaking to Corvus and informing him about his father's death.
    ]]>     06 Mar 2007 06:51:38     Secret of Ultimate Legendary Fantasy Unleashed Secret of Ultimate Legendary Fantasy Unleashed is a third person perspective fantasy hack and slash RPG from the creator of Egoboo, called SoulFu for short.

    Currently the game has been released for Windows only, and Mac and Linux versions are in development.
    ]]>     05 May 2007 05:23:01     Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic It is Four Thousand years before the Galactic Empire and hundreds of Jedi Knights have fallen in battle against the ruthless Sith. As the last hope of the Jedi, you must lead a band of freedom fighters in an epic struggle to save the galaxy. Can you master the awesome power of the Force on your quest to save the Republic? Or will you fall to the lure of the dark side?
    Hero or villain, savior or conqueror...you must choose wisely as you alone will determine the destiny of the entire galaxy!
    ]]>     25 Nov 2006 04:18:12     Elder Scrolls IV: Shivering Isles Shivering Isles is an expansion for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. It is available for download on Xbox Live or for the PC.
    ]]>     10 Apr 2007 02:46:54     Secret Of Mana Secert of Mana was a game modeled more after the Legend of Zelda than the typical Square RPG. It was also one of the first action RPGs to allow for multi-player simultaneous play with two or three players.
    ]]>     07 Feb 2007 09:40:21     Wasteland Wasteland was one of the first successful non-fantasy RPG's that Electronic Arts produced. It's design was the basis for Dragon Wars which was later published by the same developers under another publisher.

    Wasteland set the player in a post nuclear United States. Players could recruit NPC characters into their party or create new characters.

    Game overview (taken from Wikipedia):

    The game is set in the middle of the 21st century, following a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. Parts of Earth have been turned into a "wasteland" where survival is the paramount objective. Players control a party of Desert Rangers, a Nevada paramilitary group that survived the nuclear holocaust, and are assigned to investigate a series of disturbances in the desert. The party begins with four characters, and through the course of the game can hold as many as seven characters by recruiting certain citizens of the wasteland to the player's cause. Throughout the game the player explores the remaining enclaves of human civilization, including a post-apocalyptic Las Vegas.
    ]]>     10 May 2007 10:21:13     Unreal World A rogue-like RPG with proper graphics, that puts the player in the shoes of a man in Finland during the iron age. There are several beginning scenarios, ranging from being simply lost in wilderness, to a failed hunting trip where your father was killed by a bear, to fleeing from eastern Njerpez-slavers.

    The game is non-linear, and doesn't have a plot, but relies mostly on player-driven freeform exploration and everyday survival. The player can manufacture virtually all items required for survival: Clothing from fur gained from hunting, food from fishing, hunting or agriculture, and shelter by the means of a temporary spruce twig cover, or an entire timber cabin if the player chooses to build it. If the player wishes, you can even go to villages and start courting the girls, and get married.

    There are four courses in the game, where one is free roaming, and the other three offer advice, and required items for pursuing anything from hunting, to long term survival and exploration and advanced adventuring.

    The game is surprisingly easy to play, once you get used to the controls. The only downfall is the graphics, but considering that it's a roguelike, they are pretty impressive. One of the game's definite merits is the atmosphere, and how enjoyable the daily survival can be. All the features included are difficult to pursue with a single character, so making more after finishing with one is almost a must, if you wish to explore all the gaming options.

    The game is shareware, and the instructions for ordering the full version are available on the author's website:
    http://www.jmp.fi/~smaarane/urw.html

    The trial has a time limit of 10 game days, and some restrictions, but plays almost like the full version.

    One version registeration is 11 USD, but since the game is in constant development, 42 USD gets the registration to all future versions of the game.
    ]]>     25 Mar 2007 11:04:13     Deus Ex The year is 2052 and the world is a dangerous and chaotic place. Terrorists operate openly - killing thousands; drugs, disease and pollution kill even more. The world's economies are close to collapse and the gap between the insanely wealthy and the desperately poor grows ever wider. Worst of all, an ages old conspiracy bent on world domination has decided that the time is right to emerge from the shadows and take control. No one believes they exist. No one but you.
    ]]>     22 Nov 2006 09:26:12     Shining Force 2 Travel across lush 16-bit lands and battle turn based style in one of the finest rpg experiences of the classic gaming era. Join over 30 characters in a quest to save your world from the evil Zeon. Mystical creatures like centuars and elves battle monsters with swords and spells. Character classes can be promoted to become even more powerful. The epic story will keep you coming back as you re-play to find all the hidden characters, best promotions and those elusive mithril weapons!
    ]]>     09 Apr 2007 09:30:26     Terranigma Terranigma is a 1995 action role-playing game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System developed by Quintet and published by Enix. It is the story of the resurrection of the world (as we know it), and its progress from prehistoric times to the near future.

    Terranigma keeps a constant top-down view of the world. Instead of turn based battles, which were common in most RPGs at this time, Terranigma utilizes a combat system that allows the player to perform different attacks based on whether or not the player is running, in a jump, tapping the attack button, or a combination of the three.

    (source en.Wikipedia)
    ]]>     08 Feb 2007 03:07:38     Final Fantasy Tactics Final Fantasy Tactics (often abbreviated as FFT) is a tactical role-playing video game developed by Squaresoft for the Sony PlayStation. It was distributed in Japan by Square, and in North America by Sony Computer Entertainment America. It was not released in Europe.

    Combining thematic elements of the Final Fantasy series with a game engine and battle system unlike anything previously seen in the franchise, Final Fantasy Tactics is Square's answer to Quest's successful Ogre Battle / Tactics Ogre series, with which it shares a number of key conceptual and stylistic elements. This is due, in part, to the presence of former Quest staff members in its development crew, including director Yasumi Matsuno, character designer Akihiko Yoshida, art director Hiroshi Minagawa and composer Hitoshi Sakimoto, all of whom had left Quest to work with Square. In stark contrast to other 32-bit era Final Fantasy titles, Final Fantasy Tactics uses a 3D, isometric, rotatable playing field, with bitmap sprite characters.

    A spinoff was created in 2003, called Final Fantasy Tactics Advance for the Game Boy Advance, and in 2006, a stand-alone title for the Playstation 2 called Final Fantasy XII was released. All three games take place in a world called Ivalice.

    It has been announced that a reworked version of Final Fantasy Tactics with widescreen support, updated graphics, new jobs, and cel-shaded FMV will appear on the PlayStation Portable under the title Final Fantasy Tactics Shishi SensÅ
    ]]>     08 Feb 2007 09:34:10     Ultima IV - Quest of the Avatar From the Moby Games entry:

    The fourth game in the now well-established Ultima series featured an improved game engine, with color graphics and better character interaction (you could now have actual conversations with NPCs). But what really makes Ultima IV shine is its radical departure from any other RPG made before or since in terms of the story and goal.

    Instead of building up your character by any means possible in order to face the Ultimate Evil in a big bang up showdown, in Ultima IV you were trying to become the Avatar, a role model of sorts for the people of the land. This meant upholding the "eight virtues" and basically trying to become a better person. In most RPGs you chose to be a just/nice hero because the people you'd help would usually provide you with some nice equipment for your services, but in Ultima IV you helped people not for a reward or to advance the plot but simply because it was the "right thing to do". The game actually frowns on behavior that was typical of most other RPGs, such as backstabbing fleeing monsters or picking up everything that wasn't nailed down even if it didn't belong to you. The game keeps track of all your actions, so if you went about killing and looting like in most RPGs, you'd never finish the game.

    This VERY different approach to the game's ultimate goal is what makes Ultima IV famous so many years later, and became the sort of design philosophy that made all the following Ultimas so unique in their genre.

    Of course, the game still has plenty of traditional RPG elements such as dungeons to explore and hostile monsters to kill, as well as a typical final "Holy Grail" type quest where you had to find the Codex of Ultimate Wisdom to complete your transformation into Avatarhood.

    In 1996 Computer Gaming World named Ultima IV as #2 on its Best Games of All Time list on the PC.

    The game was released for free to the public. The original MS-DOS version is available on many sites, and a game engine recreation is now available for for Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux.
    ]]>     05 Dec 2006 01:59:25     Baldur's Gate II

    Shadows of Amn


    Welcome to a world of intrigue, adventure and fierce combat.

    Every world has conflict. Good and evil. Friend and foe. Safety and danger. In Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, you'll find yourself between these factions. This epic sequel will immerse you in a world of intrigue, adventure and fierce combat where your ability to discern the difference between these sides - with the assistance of steel and spell - determines your fate.

    In Baldur's Gate I, you defeated your evil half-brother Sarevok and prevented your father Bhaal, the dead Lord of Murder, from returning to the Forgotten Realms. Now, in Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn, the stakes have become much higher. Will you resist the evil within you, and forge a legend of heroic proportions? Or will you embrace your monstrous inner nature, and carve a swath of destruction across the Realms?

    Your story begins anew in the exotic southern kingdom of Amn, amidst the opulence of the sinister capital city of Athkatla. Journey through the fierce, unforgiving wilderness of Amn, and through the treacherous caverns of the Underdark, in your quest for artifacts of awesome power and treasure of inestimable wealth.. even challenge dragons, if you dare. Such is the life of a legend.
    ]]>     26 Nov 2006 06:24:56     Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss You are the Avatar. Once again you return to Britannia. Upon your arrival, you witness the kidnapping of Baron Almric's daughter. Found guilty of the crime, you are thrown into the Great Stygian Abyss with the choice of either finding the girl or rotting in the dungeon. On your journey you have to get along with the many inhabitants of the dungeon, who are survivors of a failed colony, and eventually find out that there's much more to this kidnapping than meets the eye.

    Ultima Underworld was the first RPG that had fluid first-person movement in a 3D environment, revolutionizing the genre. Unlike earlier first-person RPGs like Dungeon Master and Eye of the Beholder, the player can move in every direction and the graphics are updated continually. The dungeon also is not made entirely of corridors and rooms arranged in a rectangular fashion but has a lot of variety: slopes, stairs, bridges and more.

    Underworld's combat system is action-oriented. The player has to draw his weapon and aim at his opponent in real time. The magic system is based on runes that can be found in the Abyss. If combined in the right order, they produce a magical effect. As the Abyss is populated by more than just monsters, there are also various dialogue sequences with NPCs, who one can also barter with.

    (from the Moby Games UW page)
    ]]>     02 Dec 2006 01:23:49     GuildWars: Nightfall You are a character involved in the struggle between two mighty nations, Istan, and Kourna. You are a sunspear in the Istani General Kormir's army. You face increasingly difficult challenges until you finally face off against the gods themselves.

    (Sorry about the URL, made a mistake on the shortcut to my other Guild Wars profile, so I had to make this one different.)
    ]]>     17 Mar 2007 04:55:11     Quest for Glory 2: Trial by Fire Directly following from the events of the first game, the newly-proclaimed Hero of Spielburg travels by flying carpet with his friends Abdulla Doo, Shameen and Shema to the desert city of Shapeir. The city is threatened by magical elementals, while the Emir Arus al-Din of Shapier's sister city Raseir is missing and his city fallen under tyranny.

    After defeating the four elementals that threaten Shapeir, the Hero travels to the city of Raseir. There, he is imprisoned by Khaveen and under hypnosis helps the evil tyrannous wizard Ad Avis to resurrect the evil genie Iblis. In the final fight, the Hero attacks the palace and battles with Ad Avis, who falls to his presumed death begging for assistance from his Dark Master. As thanks for the Hero's success in liberating Raseir and restoring its lost splendor, the Sultan of Shapeir, Harun al-Rashid, rewards the Hero by adopting him as his son.
    - from Wikipedia
    ]]>     22 Apr 2007 07:55:46     Ragnarok TWILIGHT What happens when you take Ragnarok Online, give it a slight facelift and, well, have it take cheapshots at everything under the sun? Well, we're not quite sure but it would probably look something like Ragnarok TWILIGHT, a quirky single-player adventure about truth, justice and the search for the ultimate jellopy.
    ]]>     01 Feb 2007 02:47:19     Fractured Universe Ages ago, the universes were all connected through fantastic portals created, some say, by the gods themselves. These portals were used by royalty, travelers, merchants, peasants... anyone that had need to travel from one world to another could use them.

    Whomever, whatever, however they were created was lost through the ages. Everyone believed that since the portals had existed since the beginning of time then they would last until the end of time. But then things changed.

    Nobody knows exactly what happened. The disappearance of the portals are as much a mystery as their origins. The portals didn't all disappear at once. No, as my great-great grandfather tells it, it took about a year until the last known portal from this world to another was gone. The year was called the Year of Chaos.

    Today, everything changed...
    ]]>     21 Nov 2006 05:57:43     Sword of Jade Sword of Jade is a full-length RPG which took over six years to complete. It's a story of those who choose not to give up on their dreams, and those who do, and the epic struggle for the world that the two groups engage in.
    ]]>     28 Jan 2007 03:11:25     Dungeons of Despair Dungeons of Despair is an isometric RPG game where the player can explore a multitude of levels with many different types of monsters to face and slay, numerous quests that can be undertaken, and has an item generation system that allows for thousands of items with different magical attributes.

    (more information available on the DoD web site)
    ]]>     04 Dec 2006 11:41:53     The Continuum The Continuum combines classic turn-based wargaming, collectibility and RPG character development into one multi-player adventure that will change the way you game. Characters, abilities and equipment combine with in-game artifacts, epic battlefields, and changing scenarios to provide an experience that is at once familiar and all-new.

    Players will have a huge impact on the ultimate design, features, and direction that the game takes as the beta rolls out. Pre-registration for the beta is open at the official website for The Continuum.
    ]]>     17 May 2007 01:28:46     Gothic Gothic is a hybrid real-time 3D action RPG in which the player is forced to survive in a prison world divided into competing factions. As the player is mercilessly thrust into the prison world, he must choose to be one of four character classes and develop in that faction, moving up through the hierarchy and fighting new battles. The main character must evolve and develop, battling ever changing enemy factions and attempting to move up through the callous hierarchy. In the beginning, the character is merely a newcomer - an outsider - and must fulfill menial, insignificant tasks in order to make allies and survive. As time passes and the character accomplishes various tasks, he achieves a higher reputation among the others. As his reputation improves, other members will ask him to perform increasingly important tasks. Eventually, he is an influential, powerful member of the penal colony.
    ]]>     06 Dec 2006 10:24:21     Ultima VII Part II: Serpent Isle After being prevented from taking over Britannia by the Avatar, the Guardian has a new plan. Sending his chief servent, Batlin, to a new world through a portal common to both, the Guardian begins his new plan for domination of the universe.

    As the Avatar, you chase him into this new world to thwart his evil designs.

    Ultima VII Part 2 was the only true "sequel" in the Ultima series to share the same number and engine as a predecessor. It takes place literally days after the events of Ultima VII part I (The Black Gate), sending you to a completely new world.

    Ultima VII is still playable on modern systems through a great open-source engine called "Exult."
    ]]>     08 Dec 2006 10:30:39     Baldur's Gate Baldur's Gate was the first great daptation of the classic tabletop, role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons that reinvigorated the hardcore role-playing genre for the PC.

    It offers six separate races and eight core character classes, from which the player can create a completely original character. The game world is beautifully designed in the best 2d renders of its time, and players are free to explore this wonderful game environment in any way they see fit, all against the backdrop of a thoughtfully conceived and versatile plot written by the genre's finest at Bioware.

    Your adventures begin as a young orphan living with your stepfather within the safe and scholarly confines of Candlekeep on the Sword Coast. It is an idyllic life until you are forced to leave the place in order to ensure the safety of everyone within. Your stepfather is killed on the night of your journey, and it becomes clear that you are intended to be next. You, as the young protagonist, then set out to discover your true identity, which your stepfather kept from you, and your ultimate destiny.

    During the adventures, you recruit a number of personable allies, battle foes, delve into dungeons, trek across wilderness, solve mysteries, and complete a plethora of epic quests that are seamlessly sown into the fabric of the overall plot. The story line unfolds in response to your choices to reveal your character's true identity as well as the nature and motive of your enemies.

    Baldur's Gate is the epitome of the classic role-playing experience. It won several awards in 1998 for being the Role-Playing Game of the Year, and as such, it sets itself as the standard by which all such games will be judged. Games like Planescape: Torment, Neverwinter Nights and Knights of the Old Republic all take inspiration from the masterpiece that is Baldur's Gate.
    ]]>     25 Jan 2007 03:49:28     Pokemon Diamond and Pearl In this 4th generation of the pokemon game series, once again you play as a boy or girl dreaming of becoming a great trainer. You set out into the world of Shinou with the task of catching, training, and possibly breeding strong pokemon. You will need these in order to beat the eight gym leaders in this game, after which you are able to challenge the Elite Four and the current champion to become the new reigning champion.
    But along the way you will get involved in the plot of Team Galaxy, who intends to awaken a legendary pokemon. This legendary pokemon, like in Ruby and Sapphire, depends on the version of the game you own. Namely Dialga for Diamond and Palkia for Pearl.

    Check out the group for Pokemon Fans of the World!
    ]]>     20 Jan 2007 06:10:37