The best old RPG games: an overview

Old RPGs always attract lovers of nostalgia for the classics of the genre. Such hits of the past, like Diablo 2 or NOX, for sure lie on the shelves of connoisseurs and do not always dust without work. Meanwhile, new games catch no worse than the old ones.

RPG

To begin with, I would like to note the features of this genre. The abbreviation stands for Role Playing Game, that is, a game in which you have to play a role. Not at all theatrical, of course. It means that the player controls a certain character (or group) that needs to be drawn through the whole plot of the game to achieve a certain goal. To experience all the difficulties will have to together with your own character. Involuntarily, the player begins to empathize with his hero. Hence the intuitive understanding of the features of the genre.

The beginning of the game, as a rule, is represented by the character's editor, where everyone can create an image of his character. In the process, the protagonist accumulates points that are spent on the discovery of skills, skills and achievements.

Traditions are not lost over time: old RPGs serve as a foothold for many new ones. Developers often experiment, combining genres. As a result, very interesting results are obtained. An example of this can serve as the brainchild of companies such as BioWare, Blizzard and Bethesda.

These old RPG games ...

The list of such, perhaps, is worth starting with Diablo. In the late nineties, the game for many evenings attracted the attention of the players, giving the opportunity to wander through the countless abandoned deserts, castles, cellars, catacombs and caves, swarming with demons, ghouls, ghouls and other evil spirits. Several classes of characters to choose from: each has its own characteristics and methods of fighting. To this day, many gamers believe Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction is the pearl of the genre, even despite the release of Diablo 3, characterized by a dizzying storyline, stunning mechanics and unsurpassed graphics.

The undeservedly forgotten first part of Dungeon Siege - no less interesting rpg in the genre of action RPG - is also worth mentioning. At least for the reason that the game deserved the nickname "killer Diablo", because it is not inferior to the aforementioned by schedule, plot and combat mechanics. But this does not mean that the old RPG games are similar to each other. It happens, but it's not a trend.

Old RPGs on the computer also came out not only in the fantasy genre. The usual canon violated Deus Ex, recognized in 2000 as the game of the year. It fell to the liking of lovers of secret corporations, industrial locations and a heavy atmosphere of anti-utopia. Everyone could choose a comfortable style of play: stealthily sneak up and strangle the enemy with a fishing line from wristwatches, arrange a shootout and shred enemies, or crack the security system and slip unnoticed into the shadows. In the process of passing the gamer will have to make complex decisions that will affect the future events and the ending of the game. Thus, especially sophisticated players are interested in passing the game several times. This creation was marked by a new milestone in the development of the genre, and the game still attracts the attention of those wishing to recall the old RPGs on the PC. The list does not end there. There are a lot of them. It should be noted that they are special.

Divinity. Old RPG games on PC

The list continues with the quartet Divinity - a game whose mechanics vary from one part to another.

Developers (Larian Srudios) are an example of a company that is definitely not afraid of experiments. First, there were two parts, practically copying the mechanics of the notorious monster of the game industry Diablo 2. The third game of the series (Divinity 2: Ego Draconis) comes from a third party, and the protagonist is able to turn into a dragon. But the final part, Divinity: Original Sin, released in 2014, is a turn-based strategy.

The plot of the company's creation does not stand out particularly, like many old RPG games on the computer: the same demonic image of a powerful evil that promises to return and arrange a total armageddon for all living things, and several fantasy races inhabiting the game world, and undoubtedly the only hero capable of Stop everything.

NOX

It should be noted separately this project, because sometimes old RPG games on PC are undeservedly forgotten. The game is remembered by many on the red-black cover with the maliciously grinning witch Hecuba, around which, in fact, the plot revolves. No less interesting, in comparison with Diablo 2, the game was pushed aside, not that on the second or third plan, and many were not even noticed. The reason is still the same blockbuster Diablo 2, which, although it came out a little later, but eclipsed its ahead of the glory of NOX.

RPG is characterized by uncomplicated mechanics, the presence of puzzles, the solution of which will have to work, the mass of colorful animation spells. There are three classes to choose from: magician, warrior and sorcerer. The player will explore the dark dungeons and abandoned castles filled with evil spirits in order to fight the wicked witch in the final.

Piranha Bytes and Gothic series

Old RPG games such as "Gothic" are distinguished by a dark atmosphere, unfriendly characters and an abundance of curses. The impression is that the action does not take place in the fantasy world, but in the criminal ghetto, where it is forbidden to appear on the street after the curfew because of the high crime rate.

The plot in this sense has been worked out perfectly: the king needed valuable resources for the war, which can be obtained only on the island of Horinis. To achieve the set goals, it was decided to exile prisoners there, thus condemning them to life imprisonment for hard labor. To convicts could not escape, the area was covered with a magic dome, which only lets in, but does not release. Suddenly something went wrong, and the dome grew, absorbing a considerable territory, and the magicians who created it. As a result, there was an uprising, the prisoners established their orders on the seized land and chose the leader.

The self-proclaimed microstate quickly found a way to bargain with the king on mutually beneficial terms: a valuable resource in exchange for food.

The first two parts of the game are considered the best. It's about them that gamers say, remembering old RPG games. The third part was a disappointment for the fans because of the large number of errors, the curve balance of combat and graphic bugs. Modemakers eventually built a patch that corrected the flaws, and distributed it free of charge via the Internet. But this did not save the game.

и издателем игры (JoWood). The reason for the "step back" was the professional disagreement between the developer ( Piranha Bytes) and the publisher of the game (JoWood). As a result, the publisher signs a contract with SpellBound and releases Arcania - Gothic 4. But the fans of the release hardly noticed because of the lost interest in the Gothic series.

A vivid example of how great the game series begins and how to end up ineptly. Alas, and this emerges in the memory of gamers who remember the cold winter evenings of old RPG games.

Piranha Bytes and Risen

Failing the series, the developers focused on the trilogy Risen. According to gamers, the game is much like Gothic. Because the fans were warmly welcomed by the franchise.

The plot is also typical: the forces of evil threatening the world, secret conspiracies, hidden enemies and opposing factions, between which the player must make a choice.

The game has a lot of quests, the performance of which helps to get unique skills, ornate story development and many NPCs for interaction.

The downside of the first part was only the explicit desire of developers to "clone" characters: many NPCs have the same faces, which differ only in the form of a mustache, beards or hair color.

The second part turned out better: the opportunity to travel to another continent was added. And also new factions. Piranha Bytes сумела спасти свою репутацию. The third one - sustained in the spirit of the first part of Gothic, fixed all the errors in the release of Risen and Risen 2. Thus, the company Piranha Bytes managed to save its reputation.

BioWare Monster

Remembering the best old RPG games, you can not pass by such masterpieces as Baldur's Gate, Mass Effect, Star Wars and, of course, Dragon Age.

Series Baldur's Gate, perhaps, marked the beginning of games in the genre of RPG, which takes into account the attitude of the squad members to the actions, decisions and phrases of the protagonist. The emphasis is not only on zubodrobitelnye sweeps of endless labyrinths, tunnels, caves and other locations from many enemies, but also on interpersonal relations. Finally, the partner disappointed in the main character can leave the detachment, or even attack. If a high level of trust is achieved, a member of the squad gets a bonus to the characteristics.

In 2012, the re-release of Baldur's Gate was released, thanks to which modern gamers can appreciate the classics of the genre, and players with experience - remember the old RPGs.

Trilogy Mass Effect

You can not pass by this stunning space saga, mentioning the best old RPGs. The story begins in the distant future, when humanity was faced with the fact that there are other numerous races in the universe. Not all of them are friendly to each other and even less are ready to cooperate on mutually beneficial terms. Nevertheless, after a certain number of light years, the galactic council, which included people, was also formed.

The invariable protagonist of the series is the famous Captain Shepard, to whom the place of the Spectrum is allocated (although not immediately) with the advice mentioned. This position plays the role of something like the "right hand" of the council. That is, something akin to military intelligence.

The first part tells of the invasion of an unknown ship and a series of murders in cosmic colonies, the investigation of which sends Shepard. In the process of the game, the scale of the threat begins to unfold. Heroes learn about the once existing Proto-civilization, which disappeared without a trace approximately 50,000 years ago. The tips left by the super-race allow Shepard to prevent a catastrophe of a universal scale.

The team's arsenal is represented by various types of weapons, it is possible to modernize it. The intuitive interface of the game allows you to completely immerse yourself in the atmosphere of what is happening.

The second part continues the best traditions of Bioware. The graphics have been significantly refined, a more convenient, understandable and modern interface, as well as a significant number of levels of interaction of the gamer with the game: you need to hide in shelters from bullets, dodge attacks and recharge time.

The plot refers all to the same mysterious Protean. This time, the whole part is devoted to uncovering the riddle of the disappearance of this civilization. But getting an answer to the question puts the heroes of Mass Effect just before the new danger. Rather, before the old, but more ambitious: Reapers, whom Shepard met in the first part, were not stopped by the destruction of one of them. Before the hero gets a difficult choice: you need to destroy the repeater, through which the mentioned intruders must appear. But the explosion will destroy the entire solar system.

Having made a difficult choice, the hero realizes that he only postponed the Last Battle.

The third part is the apogee of the game genius BioWare. It combines the best of the first two. And here the scale of the threat looming over humanity appears in all horror from the first minutes of the game: Reapers are already here!

Indescribable atmosphere, constant tension, ornate dialogues and unpredictable plot development are the key words for characterizing the top old RPGs from BioWare.

The Saga of Dragon Age

These old RPGs begin in 2009. And, in fact, they are not very old. It was the case when gray hair fell to the face of the offspring of the developers.

Among the fans of the series, the first part is considered the pearl of the trilogy. And this has a reasonable explanation: an extensive game world, a lot of different endings, a separate story not only for each race (man, elf and dwarf), but for every class (magician, robber and warrior). In addition, the chosen origin is taken into account: from a rich family or from a poor one.

Colorful animation of spells, famously twisted plot and the presence of romantic lines - that's what drove gamers to the screen for a long time.

Dragon Age 2, sadly, but is a step backward in terms of graphics, and in terms of plot and combat mechanics. Thanks to the released teaser, many fans spat with poison, accepting the upcoming game for the slasher.

Nevertheless, if you touch the plot, the game tells about the events of a particular family of Hawks, who became refugees because of the moraine, which is described in the first part. Events have been going on for several decades and tell us about the tragic fate of the Hawks family. If you abstract from the mistakes of developers, it should be noted that the second part - a real drama, which is an integral link between the first and third.

Dragon Age: Inquisition rumbled like a thunder in broad daylight. This game should be compared with Mass Effect 3: the same image of the hero, which is almost immediately recognized as the savior of all living things, the same mighty enemy who will wipe all life from the face of the earth. And not a single step without romantic lines, ornate dialogues that affect the development of the plot, as well as situations where the protagonist has to make difficult decisions - to go on a deal with his conscience.

Conclusion

The old RPGs are very numerous and diverse. Many should be mentioned, described in more detail. But about such heavyweights of the genre as Bethesda c Their The Elder Scrolls and Follout, so many are known that it would be superfluous to write about them again. Unquestionable flagship of the genre has not ceased to amaze gamers from release to release. What does it cost Morrowind, Oblivion and, of course, Skyrim.

The RPG genre is rapidly evolving, the games are so bright that they immediately eclipse the recent releases. The next franchise outshines the previous ones mentioned. And so this conglomerate of ideas rushes, sweeping everything in its path, stepping on each other's throats and forcing gamers to save money for a more modern "iron" for their computers in order to be able to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of their favorite game on ultrasnability.

These companies are firmly established in the minds of gamers as competitors competing on the treadmill. Once Dragon Age: Origins was praised as the best game on the pages of such publications as "Igromania", until Skyrim came out. But the throne "Skyrim" staggered release of Fallout 3 from the same developer. And then the light saw the Dragon Age: Inquisition and the dragonborn with his "fusrod" had to go into the background.

What is most interesting, the old RPG games are not forgotten. They are taken all the best that gamers liked, and is brought to perfection. Disappeared manner to imitate any game (as was the case with Diablo 2).

The list of games given in this article does not pretend to be complete. Nevertheless, such creations as Drakensang, Wizardry (a series of games that was released from 1981 to 2001. It is considered the most difficult in the genre of RPG), Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption, of course, "The Witcher" should be mentioned. These games either laid the foundation of the genre, or became an integral part of history along with those already mentioned.

As they say, the story is written by the winners, old RPG games go to dusty history shelves, leaving the descendants with the best features of the genre. The world froze in anticipation of such creations as a new part of Dragon Age or Mass Effect: Andromeda, as well as a new part of The Elder Scrolls, which will continue the history of the mainland Tamriel.

Who knows what new items are still hiding in the secret offices of developers and are waiting for their release. Perhaps, the new franchise will bring fame or become a stumbling block for developers (as in the case of Gothic 3).

Lord Inquisitor saved the world, Dovakin defeated the Eater of the Worlds, and the cosmic odyssey of the black praetorian captain Shepard ended in the salvation of mankind. It remains only with caution to wait. After all, sometimes a hero dies in the end.