10 Greatest RPGs Of All Time
The most inventive and immersive titles of the genre that truly deserve a place on your shelf.
There are few things better than sinking your teeth into an RPG.
The genre offers a level of escapism that your standard FPS or platformer simply can't compete with, and with most RPGs nowadays boasting enough content to keep you busy for well over 100 hours on a single playthrough, there's an awful lot of role-playing out there to be had.
In fact, RPGs have reached such a height of popularity that most games now feature at least some element of role-playing. No mechanic has permeated quite as far as the skill tree - a simple feat of affording players the choice of different abilities to affect their style of play - although titles have adopted all manner of RPG tropes with the intention of increasing players' immersion.
We all love customising our character's aesthetic in whatever style tickles our fancy, and there's something about being given multiple approaches to gameplay that just begs us to embark upon another playthrough.
Whatever it is you look for in a good RPG, the genre does feature some undeniably great titles, so let's have a look at 10 of the best.
10. Baldur's Gate II: Shadows Of Amn
Initally released in 2000, Baldur's Gate II is one of only a handful of RPGs that still boasts a respectable playerbase to this day.
Baldur's Gate II pioneered many of the tropes we've since come to expect from an RPG, including party-based combat and a deep, rich lore which players are actively encouraged to explore.
Drawing heavy inspiration from tabletop RPGs, Baldur's Gate II perfectly captures everything that has made the fantasy genre so beloved. With gameplay that still feels fresh and challenging to this day, and plenty of choices regarding character creation, classes and morality - and all of that is evident before you've even finished the game's tutorial.
Baldur's Gate II isn't just an outstanding example of everything an RPG should be on paper, but it's filled to the brim with NPCs and side quests, and a full run-through of the game is estimated to take anywhere between 200 to 300 hours. How's that for value?
Baldur's Gate II was rereleased in 2013 as Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition, using an updated version of the game's Infinity Engine.