Standing the Test of Time: Top Seven Best RPGs for PC

It's really easy to lose yourself in the graphics of Dragon Age and the awesome cinematics of Mass Effect 2. But looking back, RPGs were not always the Triple A titles with Hollywood budgets they are today. Back in the day, developers had to work with tighter constraints and had to therefore place a stronger emphasis on telling a story through the medium of text. Be that as it may, the games they made remain among some of the finest RPGs I've ever played.

In this list, we take a look at a number of RPGs that have endured the test of time.

Fallout

"War. War never changes." Spoken by Ron Perlman, these unforgettable words define Fallout's cynical outlook on the nature of war and its disastrous effects on humankind. Fallout takes place in a retro-futuristic North America inspired by the pulp science fiction of the 1950s and the Red Scare, and puts you in the shoes of the Vault Dweller (referred to in later games as the Lone Wanderer), an individual cast out of Vault 13 to seek a water chip to replace the failing unit.

Released during a time when RPGs were declared all but dead, Fallout singlehandedly revitalized the genre with its clever dialogue, intricate storyline and explicitly violent turn-based combat. The game had a dark sense of humor that the series became well known for.

Deus Ex

In this cyberpunk-themed RPG, you take on the role of cybernetically enhanced UNATCO agent J.C. Denton. Tasked with foiling a terrorist plot to start a new American civil war in the midst of a deadly plague, Denton discovers that the truth is hidden beneath layer upon layer of conspiracy and endeavors to uncover the hidden agenda of the organization he works for.

Deus Ex is a hybrid of the first person shooter, the RPG, and the stealth gameplay of Thief. It's a truly immersive title that remains unsurpassed even by its successor, Invisible War.

Baldur's Gate

Few games manage to capture the feeling of Lord of the Rings or The Wheel of Time as much as Baldur's Gate does. Fleeing from your sanctuary of Candlekeep, you play the role of a hunted youth, in search of the men who killed your stepfather Gorion. Along the way, you encounter allies who share similar goals and enemies sent by the killer, in attempts to thwart you from your goal. As you journey to the city of Baldur's Gate, you encounter a vast conspiracy to take over the iron trade along the Sword Coast and destabilize the entire region, leading the major nations to war with each other.

Baldur's Gate was the first game to really succeed in implementing the Dungeons & Dragons setting of Forgotten Realms in the form of a video game. By implementing D&D's D20 ruleset into a unique "pause-and-play" combat system, Bioware managed to marry the tactics of pen and paper games with the rush of real time combat.

Baldur's Gate 2

Continuing where the first game left off, you find yourself trapped in a dungeon by a resident evil genius who goes by the name of Irenicus, or The Shattered One in his native Elven. He attempts to harness the powers you've accrued as the son of Bhaal for his own nefarious purposes and kidnaps your childhood companion Imoen to use as a lure. Like the previous game, you must gather a party of allies before venturing forth and scour various dungeons for arms and armor to aid you in your quest.

The Baldur's Gate series comes to a close with the Throne of Bhaal expansion pack that wraps up the adventure rather nicely, and you even get to include your stepfather's murderer into your party. How's that for a twist?

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