 | Elder Scrolls: Morrowind (Game of the Year)
Buy used from: $17.00 Morrowind, while graphically still in the elementary stages of 3D exploration, has a macabre/arcane quality that isn't present in Oblivion. As an open world RPG with literally hundreds of quests to complete (or not), and many many factions to align yourself with, makes this game (and its excellent additional content) the best entre into the open world genre.
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 | Fallout 3: Game of The Year Edition
Buy new: $56.99 / Used from: $41.99 This GOTY for Fallout 3 puts it all together. Having played all the expansions which allow a deeper experience and deeper level of character development, Fallout 3 excels in so many ways: Level Up Perks, VATS targeted shooting, Multiple ways to complete missions based on character choices, missions based on instance encounters as opposed to just guild guides. Wow!!!!
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 | Mass Effect
Buy new: $19.99 / Used from: $10.71 A largely underrated game, Mass Effect takes the genre to space and gives Bioware another opportunity to show off its unique dialogue choices. Bioware can do no wrong.
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 | Dragon Age: Origins Collector's Edition
Bioware's most recent iteration of it's well-regarded fantasy RPG lineage is astounding. The storytelling, characters you care deeply about, multiple tough decisions, and streamlined character builder are all outstanding. After 75-80 hours of play you will rush to start all over again just to see how differently you can play it. This is Bioware's best fantasy RPG to date.
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 | Chrono Trigger
Buy used from: $50.00 Multiple Characters to choose from, epic historical scope, fantastically varied environments, and just darn good rpg play make this a classic. It's high price on Ebay or Amazon, despite its age, should tell you most of what you need to know.
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 | Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition
Buy new: $26.99 / Used from: $18.99 Perhaps more than 'Morrowind with trees', Oblivion's combat is far superior to its predecessor and still boasts 300-400 hours gameplay, including the superb Dark Brotherhood questline. Beautifully rendered and easily accessible, this game is easily high on the list for best RPG. Bethesda just keeps cranking out one masterpiece at a time.
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 | Planescape: Torment
Buy used from: $24.87 This cult classic is a twist on the genre, but really opened the way for more-open rpg games (as opposed to the very linear japanese version). When a floating eye is your company, you know its going to be great!
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 | Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
Buy used from: $25.00 KOTOR is still the best Star Wars game around (including its xbox360 evolution). allowing you to play dark side or light side, this game is just as if Lucas did Baldur's Gate.
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 | Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn
Buy new: $34.99 / Used from: $7.99 This classic D&D style game contains a massive world, many characters to recruit, and of course the fate of the world. This is the game that really got me into the genre and it's still a solid showing.
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 | Final Fantasy VII by Squaresoft
Buy used from: $49.99 FF7's narrative, fighting system, character development etc achieve the high water mark in the FF series for this grand adventure. No other JRPG comes close. Plus augments rock!
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 | Neverwinter Nights Diamond
Buy new: $12.59 / Used from: $5.79 Neverwinter Nights is another fantastic D&D style RPG. What really sets this game apart from other D&D games is the depth of character creation, the ability to export characters, and tools to create an entirely new game if you like. For hard core gamers, this game is mana from heaven.
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 | Chrono Cross
Buy new: $16.62 / Used from: $11.98 Chrono Cross has so much heart that, in its time, it achieved a sort of perfection of the genre, and at a time when 2D rpgs were fairly common. This one, however, takes the cake.
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 | FALLOUT 2
Buy new: $44.99 / Used from: $6.00 Fallout existed (as you may know) before its 3rd installment. In fact FAllout 3 is largely a fleshed out version of fallout 2, which was raw, violent, open, and even allowed you to befriend Deathclaws!
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 | The Witcher
Buy new: $15.29 / Used from: $9.95 For those of us adults who like to play games designed for adults, The Witcher was a breath of fresh air. Don't forget a great story and solid RPG gaming - here's to wishing for a sequel.
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 | Jade Empire
Buy new: $6.49 / Used from: $2.76 Translating the RPG genre into a totally unique universe (Eastern Martial Arts / Mythology) could perhaps only have been done this well by Bioware. Great story, fighting mechanics that are amazingly true to life (aside from magic of course), this game totally rocks.
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 | Fable II
Buy new: $27.99 / Used from: $17.48 Fable 2 comes a step closer to realizing the purported intent of the series - to create a world that reflects the impact of your character - and the results are pretty astonishing. The high customization of character, dress, alignment, and the ability to do things like impact market prices of goods is amazing. A very solid contribution to the genre.
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 | Ultima Collection
Buy used from: $30.00 Ultima. The game that virtually got us all hooked so many years ago, and all its eventual incarnations, promised and delivered a world unto its own. But its place in this list is not pure sentimentality because it was darn fun to play too!
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Listmania!
