Ten Most Influential RPGs of Our Time
By Stephany on Friday, June 15th, 2007 at 6:07 PM PST In Gamer Life, Games
Over at Actionrip they have sat down together and hashed out their opinion on the Ten Most Influential RPGs of Our Time. Granted, I will give them kudos for admitting that there are more games that should make the list and have given readers free-reign to add suggestions, but I have to say that personally I think that their list is seriously mundane and lacking. I will rehash the list for you, but I have also given my opinion. If you would like to call me a crackpot and disagree, by all means do so. I love a challenging open dialogue with readers of this site, and I will not blast your personal feelings on this matter in any way. Here goes.
10. Fable
9. Final Fantasy Series
8. Baldur’s Gate Series
7. Planescape: Torment
6. Fallout
5. Ultima Series
4. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
3. Diablo
2. The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind
1. World of Warcraft
First of all, I understand that the site caters to mostly PC games and therefore the list will reflect this fact. So with that being said, I will not knock them for not listing enough console games. However, WoW being first on the list baffles me because not only has it not existed long enough to be so influential, it is also an MMORPG. If they wanted to use WoW in a list, they should made one of MMORPGS instead. Maybe they did not want the fanboys breathing down their shirts, or provide more work for the site’s IT guys sitting at their desks filtering out all the flaming that would have ensued on the message boards. I honestly do not know the reason behind this, but I have to say that it does not belong on this particular list in my opinion. Yes, it is a monster and deserves massive amounts of respect. Blizzard is the King right now and you cannot deny that fact – but it does not belong here.
Secondly, why is the hallowed Final Fantasy series listed as a paltry #9 on the list? This has to be a joke. FF ushered in the phenomenon that IS rpg and all other rpgs feast at the alter of the Final Fantasy gods. FF is what all rpgs aspire to be, dream of being, and imitate. I am not necessarily a huge fan of the series, honestly I have only played four or five titles, but I know where to give credit where credit is due. Ranking a series of such prestige so low is just beyond my comprehension.
Absent from the list is Everquest. Why? They put KOTOR on the list – great game to be sure, but influential? Hardly, and failed to even nod in Everquest’s general direction, especially since they included and MMO on the list, so why not Everquest too? Very idiotic to say the least, especially when they included Fable. Yes, I know, Fable introduced the conscience aspect to games – choose evil or good blah, blah, blah. But was it THAT influential. Hell no, and I personally loved the game. That being said, Morrowind should be number one. I may be a bit biased on that front but it is STILL influencing non-linear gameplay and will long into the future. The Elder Scrolls franchise is a force to be reckoned with and in my personal opinion the greatest rpg of all time. Baulders Gate, Fallout, and Diablo I have no issues with because what is there to have an issue with – they are FANTASTIC games.
The writer of this piece should have used a different title, or just not written it in the first place. I do not think he did his homework, and if he were to re-do the piece he should title it: “Games I Think Are Awesomeâ€. The most he did was enrage a lot of gamers out there, me included, and force me to take him less seriously. There is a lot of fodder in the gaming world out there, but there is also an enormous amount of unforgettable titles that should have made this list – and to call a title influential, it seriously should have influenced a new generation of game developers. Not many titles on this list have accomplished that – in my opinion.
How did Fable make it on the list, but not Deus Ex?
Deus Ex was the first successful merger of shooter and RPG, and still the best.
When I saw their list I couldn’t help but die a little inside. Your suggestions for change made it even worse. There isn’t a single MMO that belongs…nay…deserves to be on this list. They are all the same repetitive hack, slash, and grind your way to [insert level].
Don’t get me started on Final Fantasy. A paltry 9? It shouldn’t be on the list. There is nothing revolutionary there, nothing even remotely “influential” and certainly not what every RPG strives to be. The game that started it all was Dungeons & Dragons. Every RPG and MMO is based off of the original styling of D&D from damage dealing to story telling.
I am sorry if my comments sound harsh but they are how I feel, and that is why a top 10 poll for influential RPGs is a crock anyways. Everyone feels different about every game. There will never be a definitive Top 10 of anything.
The only thing in this world written in stone is that, to men, Jessica Alba is the hottest thing breathing.
Starcraft is an rts… and you think it belongs in a list of influential rpg games?
To quote you on this article “The writer of this piece should have used a different title, or just not written it in the first place.” I just couldn’t have put it better myself, take your own advice and read up the difference between rpg and rts for future articles.
Personaly I think Planescape Torment was a masterpiece of storytelling coupled in a decent D&D combat system in an intresting world. As much as I love it I wouldn’t call it influential because nobody paid much attention to it sadly.
System Shock should definately be there.
Fable shouldn’t be on the list. I consider the original Fable a complete failure..it had tremendous potential but failed to perform outstanding in any possible category.
for wow, you have to consider what makes it influential. for example world of warcraft has 8 million subscribers. SUBSCRIBERS!!! this doesnt even take into account the people who buy game cards. the number of subscribers is larger than the population of several countries including ireland and switzerland. if that doesnt make it influential then i dont know what does
Final Fantasy should be number 1. Final Fantasy 7 gave RPGs a massive boost. and its still alot better then some RPGs to this day.
I believe Final Fantasy should be higher on the list. The original Final Fantasy influenced the majority of RPGs that came out during it’s time. Final Fantasy is continuing to influence how we play RPGs. Not only is gameplay important in RPGs, but a deep and developed storyline as well. And anytime a Final Fantasy game comes out, you can rest assure it’s going to be another hit.
Where is Dragon Quest???
The game series that began the concept of RPG’s on a console!
Oh, and Final Fantasy (VII) should be much higher, since basically every RPG since VII has jacked some element from it.
Fable shouldn’t be on the list.
World of Warcraft shouldn’t be on the list – but Ultima Online should.
The problem with this list is that it arbitrarily assigns games their place based on the entire series. You can’t really go with Final Fantasy, for example, because it took about 15 years before Western audiences could even see the third game!
The original Zork, Dungeon Master, M&M series profoundly affected the direction of early computer rpg gaming.
Did anyone ever play the original Wizardry on PC? I’m not saying that belongs here, but this article reminded me of that game for some reason.
Frostpaw: Thank you for pointing out my fauzx pas, but please understand the drain that happens to the mind after looking over a gazillion games and articles a day. It is now omitted from the piece, and please note that I appreciate you waking me out of my daze.
Also, just because the public did not give Planescape the attention it rightly deserved, does not mean that developers did not.
Drew: We are talking out video games, not the original D&D. Yes, we are all well aware of rpgs following in D&D’s exalted footsteps. If we want to really get technical, the majority of video games owe SOMETHING to D&D. Just like D&D owes it’s soul to Tolkien. If not for him, there would not have been a D&D, so maybe we should change the title to 10 RPGS Most Influenced By Tolkien? Not trying to be a jerk, but I just wanted to point that out.
Everyone Else – Love it or hate it, FF was one of the biggest influences on rpg video games out there – personally I am not a fan of the games, but you do not have to like something in order to understand it’s importance. Some people hate taking a bath, but they understand that if they do not take one at least every other day, they will become social outcasts and live alone in the wilderness with only their own stench as their companion.
I agree. Final Fantasy, ninth?
Some of those games I never heard of…and War Crack#1. Unbelievable!
I’d like to strike WoW from the record… For one, it’s an MMO, not a proper RPG. Second, its influence on the industry in the way of MMOs is nothing compared to EQ & UO, not to mention any MUD/text-based MMOs that most people have never heard of. Third, what DID they put in WoW that was in any way innovative, creative, or unique? Flame me if Im right.
Next, I’d like to take the whole 1st prize, 2nd prize crap out completely and leave it just as a list of honourable mentions. FF (the entire series) is a major innovator in the RPG world, and always has been. But who’s to deny Zelda 8-bit pixel-vs-pixel combat of its share of the fame?
*agree* with Diablo (series), Elder Scrolls (series), BG & UO. Also give thief a mention or i’ll thwack you with my blackjack :p
And last, but not least… It wasnt a bad thing FF wasnt available in the west right away, we didnt even have the technology to run the darn thing when it went into development!