Best RPG PC Games of the 1990s
In terms of RPG games, the 1990s is when they really took off. The water was well and truly tested by games like Final Fantasy, Ultima and Might and Magic during the 1980s. The beauty of RPG PC games was that they did not need to look fantastic to be interesting and exciting.
The RPG was more about the level of depth that the developers has put into characters and the story line. Players wanted to feel like they were the hero’s and could choose their destiny, rather than just follow the narrow story lines of most other genres at the time. Here are, in my opinion, the top 3 RPG PC games of the 1990s.
1. Diablo
The year is 1996 and unbeknown to gamers around the world, they are about to have their minds blown! Blizzard had had some success with their Warcraft RTS games, but this was to be their first RPG and man did they nail it. The goal of the game, find all the bad dudes and kill them. As you level up you can unlock new ways to kill them, often killing several bad dudes in one go. The mindless mayhem is held up by a terrific back story that keeps you strapped to your seat the whole way through and makes this a best RPG PC game of the 1990s.
2. Baldur’s Gate
RPG PC games originally stemmed from pen and pad style RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons. Baldur’s Gate was the first game to cross this barrier. Taking the rules from DnD version 2, Baldur’s Gate was game in which you led around a group of mages/warriors/priests/etc on a quest to kill the bad dudes (as per usual). Combat was turn based which meant you had to be strategic in your battles and turned out to be super popular with PC gamers.
3. Fallout 2
Taking a futuristic approach to the RPG genre, Interplay answered gamers calls with this sequel to Fallout. Set in a post-nuclear war world, Fallout 2 brought a new level of depth to NPC conversations and reactions. Decisions made early in the game could have serious implications down the track. The turn base combat allowed you to strategically take down your opponents one at a time.
These three games were what inspired the RPG’s we play today. If you haven’t played them, I highly recommend picking a copy up as they are excellent fun.
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