10 Best RPGs From 1990 - 1999
The golden age of RPGs.
The ‘90s was the golden age of RPGs, with so many classic series created and more importantly, perfected across the decade. Diablo, Baldur’s Gate and Fallout - all were masterpieces released to the public during this time.
Looking back, you may be amazed at how invested people got into these worlds. Oh sure, graphics aren’t as shiny and a lot of the games came with little explanation, but the characters and stories are what people remember.
The 90s were also the end of the wild west era for video games. This was a time when small companies could release titles and you wouldn’t know what you were getting until you bought it.
This landscape was a minefield. While you could go by the recommendation of friends or possibly a magazine, a lot of people still didn’t have the internet and you were often just grasping in the dark.
This climate of the unknown would lead to two outcomes. On the one hand, it led to a multitude of poor games. On the other hand it caused certain studios to try brave new ideas, creating games that would become cult classics.
10. Betrayal at Krondor
Betrayal at Krondor was developed by Dynamix and released on to MS-DOS in 1993. This party-based RPG sees you traverse the land of Midkemia, a world that was created by Raymond E. Feist for his Riftwar novels.
This game is mostly played in the first-person perspective, with it switching to third person in combat. The player can also choose a top-down view if they wish. Each character’s journey will usually be set in just one or two regions of the world, however the player is free to explore the large and interesting world at their leisure.
The usual RPG systems are here, levelling, shops, and inns, however what really makes this game stand out is the combat. As previously mentioned, the combat is played in the third-person perspective, along with this the game uses a grid similar to a tactical game. There are a few different attacks that can be used, these will determine whether you play it safe or risk overexerting yourself. Traps and magic can also be used in combat.
Other RPGs may be more famous, but few had such an interesting combat system.