Recommendations?

[Galant]

So I'm thinking of picking up a game what with me not having played anything in a good long while.

I'm aiming for an RPG/Adventure game although I'd go for FPS if it's great.

I've put together the following short list although I'm open to suggestions. Mostly these are known for being great games and I've not played them so they're obvious choices but there may be lesser known ones that are just as good or better, so suggestions welcome!

Skyrim

Assassin's Creed - Director's Cut (Haven't played any of the series, and although I hear the second one is often rated highest I love a good storyline and don't mind starting at the beginning)

Dragon Age: Origins (Again, not played any of them, so I don't mind starting at the beginning).

I love a good story/atmosphere. I don't mind strategy either.
Some of my favourite games have been Monkey Island, Pirates, Turrican II, Deus Ex, Gothic I & II, Morrowind, Halo, Dragon Force (Sega Saturn), Panzer Dragoon II. SWKOTOR was decent but I prefer the free combat where you actually have to aim etc. rather than the combat by numbers approach of most MMO's and the Bioware Star Wars series. The Prince of Persia games were decent too, love the Arabian Nights theme and the atmospheric world.

As I said, I'm open to suggestions.

So any comments on the above list/recommendations/suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[mjallan123]

If you haven't played Skyrim then I would say definitely play that. Great game!

If you're into futuristic/space rpgs then the mass effect series is also really good! Especially the second one.

[outwar6010]

Erm where to start(Im literally looking through my steam list)

General Rpgs: assassins creed 1-revelations are excellent. The saboteur.

Fantasy games worth playing are: Castlevania lords of shadow 1+2. Dragon age origins and inquisition(about 7 hours in feels quite good). Skyrim(oblivion is better story wise but is very dated at this point with no controler support), witcher series

Futuristic rpgs worth playing: The Bioshock series are great games. Deus ex Human Revolution is awesome. Also Fallout 3 and new vegas. The mass effect games were pretty good but the ending annoyed many people.

[kalniel]

RPG is a good place to be at the moment:

As well as Skyrim, which is a complete bargain for the content, there is:

Divinity: Original Sin - more like a modern version of Ultima VII which is just the best RPG that ever was. Quite tactical but brilliant.

Pillars of Eternity - a modern version of the Baldurs Gate games, so a lot of text and lore/story. Also brilliant.

These latter two are a bit newer so aren't at the knock-down price Skyrim is.

Dragon Age: Origins is the best of the Dragon Age games, and like Skyrim, should be available at knock down price. It's not quite as good as the other games I mention IMHO - a bit more actiony, but the lore and story are also very good. The main problem is the sequels are disappointing.

The Mass Effect series is also worth a look - the story/setting is good for a sci-fi game, and the shooter mechanics are forgiving enough that even non-FPS fans can find it enjoyable. The first game has the most lore/RPG, the second game is all about the characters (and has some very good characterisation) and the third game gives an overall epic adventure.

Going back a bit, NWN 1+2 are pretty good. On offer at GOG at the moment I think too so you can get the full series + expansions for £8.28.

Coming soon are some others as well - Torment: Tides of Numenera is another old school style RPG, built in the same engine as Pillars of Eternity and is going to be very text/story heavy.

[scaryjim]

The new Humble Origin Bundle is probably where you want to be - pay over the average and you'll get Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2, as well as Mass Effect 2 and Dead Space 2 (which I get the feeling is RPGish?).

If you haven't played NWN1, DO - it's fantastic. I wasn't so keen on NWN2 when I tried it, but then I didn't get very far in before my wife hit the "installing the expansion introduces a game-breaking bug" and we both essentially rage quit. The NWN's are both D&D-based hit-by-numbers games though, so perhaps not so much your thing.

If you don't mind MMOs, the Neverwinter free-to-play is actually pretty fun. Given the price it might be worth giving it a go to see

[shaithis]

Dead Space 2 is an action-adventure game that pretty much on rails. I found it extremely good (although not quite as atmospheric as the first one) but it doesn't have much of an RPG element.

Most of the other titles in the current HB are pure RPGs though.

Neverwinter I got bored of very fast, I wouldn't call it a great example of F2P (although I do find the model as-a-whole craptastic, so my opinion there is quite slanted!).....after 20 hours or so I was thinking "Might as well re-sub to WoW for a proper experience if I want to play a fantasy MMO"

[kalniel]

Very remiss of me not to mention the Witcher series, which often appears at absolutely bargain prices too. It's a bit darker than most western RPGs, but the setting tends to be a bit love/hate. The first game is build in a very modified NWN engine, the second moves to a much more specialised in house effort and becomes a third person perspective game outright (there was an option for the first) with more actiony combat. The third game is out in May, and looks like an epic system killer.

[abaxas]

NWN 1 is the only real buy you'll ever need.

Ultra steep learning curve but once you are in, decades of adventuring awaits.

[kalniel]

NWN 1 is the only real buy you'll ever need.

Ultra steep learning curve but once you are in, decades of adventuring awaits.

! NWN has barely any learning curve It's main criticism is precisely that they took the D&D system and reduced it down to an actiony single character system. It's a masterclass in how to simplify things, especially the building tools.

[scaryjim]

! NWN has barely any learning curve It's main criticism is precisely that they took the D&D system and reduced it down to an actiony single character system. ...

If you don't know D&D at all you can very easily make a character that sucks ass like no other. I have a friend who decided that the best choice for a first level character was to dual wield longswords. They did not have a fun first experience of the game

OTOH if you go in with any sense at all of how a pen-and-paper RPG tends to work, or you're sensible enough to check your key stats every time you change you equipment, there's not very much to do with it.

It remains one of my favourites largely because it's very easy to play, and I tend to game in bed with a laptop on my chest nowadays. There are few games as well suited to that as NWN....

[MrJim]

The graphics are a bit dated by modern standards, but Fallout 3 & Fallout New Vegas are amazing games. Watch out though, you could lose hundreds of hours to them!

If you like more old-school rpg games, then Divinity: Original Sin is highly recommended!

[kalniel]

It remains one of my favourites largely because it's very easy to play, and I tend to game in bed with a laptop on my chest nowadays. There are few games as well suited to that as NWN....

BG
BG2
IWD
IWD2
PS:T
PoE
The other PoE
TLJ
D:OS
..

But I think I know what you mean - it's not a highly demanding game either on computers or control inputs. And it also has a nice multiplayer experience (that's still going.. well beyond when it should have died away).

[opel80uk]

The Witcher 1 & 2 might be worth a look? GOG have the first for 9Eu (I'm in Ireland) and the second for 4Eu. Well worth it for that price. And I'm in the middle of Pillars of Eternity and I must say I'm really enjoying it. I would also hit the Fallout games, especially New Vegas. I shudder when I think about how much I played those games.

[Galant]

First off, cheers for all the recommendations so far! Got a lot to go look over!

If I might re-direct it back? ..... Knowing I'm only going to buy one right now, and since I haven't played any of these, in your opinions, if you had to choose one of the above titles to to be the ONLY game you played for the next year, which would it be, and why?

[outwar6010]

I would probably favourite all of the above on steam etc as they are games you will want to play and will definitely be very cheap in the upcoming steam summer sale. As for what right now; its up to you really google some and see what you feel like.

[DanceswithUnix]

Personally I would play whatever turns up cheap on Steam, which is what I usually do. Have quite a few that I haven't started yet lined up for when I want a change.

For now, I am still playing Elite: Dangerous.