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The 26 Best RPGs

• By GamePro Staff
• November 05, 2008 17:09 PM PST
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#7: The Ultima Series

The brainchild of Richard "Lord British" Garriott back before computer graphics had more then two colors to work with, the Ultima series defined party based PC RPGs in their early formative years. As each subsequent title came out, the series constantly reinvented itself to make use of the latest gaming technology available. The series tells an over arching story: Ultima 1-3 establish the enchanted world of Britannia, and introduced the tenants of heroic Virtue. Ultima 4-6 thrust players into the role of The Avatar, a human from Earth that becomes the embodiment of those eight Virtues. Ultima 7-9 tell of the fall of the Avatar, as a mysterious entity calling itself The Guardian comes to Britannia to defame everything the Avatar represents. The final game in the series, Ultima X, was canceled part way in to development, so ironically enough, there is no ultimate Ultima to tell the final chapter of the series.

#6: Diablo II: Lord of Destruction

Though not a full-blown RPG, Diablo II's hack-and-slash adventure makes our list. Why? Because it's an insanely fun game that weaves in RPG elements. Diablo II pits players against the Lord of Terror, the monstrous demon Diablo, in a quest that hops across the lands of Sanctuary. The gory action and loot collecting is the real draw to Diablo II, and has influenced countless games since its release. Diablo II also set new standards in online cooperative play, enabling up to eight players to battle the hordes of Hell together. It's the most action-oriented RPG title on this list, but Diablo II is a monstrous innovator with lasting appeal.

#5: Fallout 3

The Fallout franchise has always been known for its incredibly in-depth gameplay, fantastical character customization, and, of course, its trademark sense of humor. All of these aspects have been amped up to eleven for Fallout 3, an amazing adventure through the Capitol Wastelands of post-apocalyptic Washington by the team that brought you the Elder Scroll series. Fallout 3 is one of the few games I've played that really let me feel like I could go anywhere and do anything, and it would always have in impact on the world around me - from the way people reacted as I passed by to setting off a deactivated nuclear bomb in the middle of a city. Fallout 3's unique V.A.T.S. system is another astonishing step for the series, incorporating Action Points in combat, so the game never feels like a generic first person shooter. Deeper, bigger, and better than ever, Fallout 3 may be recent but has already carved out its niche in RPG history.

#4: Chrono Trigger

Role playing games were a vast source of wealth for the Super Nintendo, but not many could match the charm and wonder of Chrono Trigger. From the optional side stories starring the likes of Frog, Lucca, and Robo, to the unprecedented amount of alternate endings, Chrono Trigger was one RPG that would warrant months of playtime, with each story becoming a little different. Crafted by Square's "Dream Team" -- including Final Fantasy veterans Hironobu Sakaguchi, Kazuhiko Aoki, Nobuo Uematsu; famed writer Masato Kato, leading composer Yasunori Mitsuda, plus Dragon Quest designers Yuuji Horii and Akira Toriyama -- Chrono Trigger was destined to make a timeless impact on the gaming world. Time travel was never more fun, and with a new release on the Nintendo DS, the adventure is still as new as ever.

#3: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

With four 3D console iterations of The Legend of Zelda, it's surprising that the first is still considered the best by many. Nintendo did a masterful job of keeping the grandeur and spirit of the series alive while creating a great new gameplay engine. The young-old world concept was second only to the light-dark dichotomy in Link to the Past, and the Ocarina has become a series staple second only to the Triforce. The one thing that's missing? The classic overworld theme, which wasn't redone until Majora's Mask.

#2: World of Warcraft

Love it or hate it, World of Warcraft has become a cultural phenomenon in ways that its MMO predecessors like EverQuest and Dark Age of Camelot could only dream of being. And with its user base recently passing the 11 million mark, there is no sign of Blizzard's money printing juggernaut going away in the foreseeable future. Story wise, World of Warcraft picks up ten years after the conflict depicted in Warcraft III, and opens the entire world of Azeroth up for players to explore as they see fit. Then in 2007, The Burning Crusade expansion pack sent players through the Dark Portal into the broken world of Outland. With the second expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, set to release within the next week, the harsh continent of Northrend will be open as well, bringing the total amount of game content for players to experience up to mind boggling proportions.

#1: Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy VII was, is, and probably always will be the most important RPG of all time. It proved that RPGs don't have to be medieval-set tales of lore, nor do they have to read like children's bedtime stories. FFVII featured mature themes in a modern industrial setting and both fit the RPG genre like a glove. With plenty of stylized characters, an innovative story, and an intuitive and enjoyable battle system, Final Fantasy VII redefined the RPG and brought the genre to the masses.

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