PC RPG recommendations?

[Benfea]

At the moment I'm burned out on MMORPGs. I'm not gonna set foot in another one for a while.

Oblivion is calling me with it's siren song, but there's one problem: I really wanted to like its two predecessors (Daggerfall and Morrowind), I really tried to like them, but in the end I hated the combat system. It's simply too console-ish and arcade-like for my tastes. Like the other Elder Scrolls games, it's big, it's bold, and it defines open-ended gameplay, but the combat mechanics are a deal-breaker for me.

In terms of newer CRPGs, that doesn't leave much else. I'm thinking about Titan Quest, X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse, and Fable: The Lost Chapters, but when I ask around, each game has its detractors.

So here I am fishing for more opinions on yet another message board. Has anyone tried any of these? Are there any other current CRPGs you'd recommend? What do you think?

[rug]

1. Axis & Allies.

www.atari.com/axisandallies

[Benfea]

2. Dood, that's a strategy game...

...and Civ 4 already owns my soul in that department. Sid Meier is god!

[MiniMandaRuth]

3. Fable is f*cking awsome.

Take it from me. I love love love love it. And Lost Chapters is like a directors cut, so it has to be better.

Also, if it's for PC, try Knights of the Old Republic. That's a fun, well made Star Wars game.

[Benfea]

6. I have KotOR and KotOR 2 already. ;)

What's the combat system like? Is it a console-type thing like Oblivion? Or more of a traditional CRPG combat system (e.g. turn-based or pseudo-turn-based)?

[Tyrone Slothrop]

4. I wasn't that big a fan of Oblivion

It was fun for a while, but the leveling system was really bad and the quest/story became really repetitive pretty quickly. (I think I only finished 5 of the 16 gates; they were all essentially identical.) I haven't played the other Elder Scrolls, but the combat was actually pretty fun.

I don't think there are that many great ones out right now; the two Knights of the Old Republic games were fantastic, but those came out some time ago.

Fortunately though, it looks like some good ones are coming out this fall. (Gothic III, The Witcher, Neverwinter Nights 2, new Might and Magic)

[Benfea]

7. You know, I have the platinum NWN sitting on the shelf...

...and I've never played it. I'll get around to it one of these days.

PS: KotOR and KotOR 2 were great, but sadly I hear that for KotOR 3 they will be ditching the pseudo turn-based combat system for some more console-like fully real time nonsense. Meh.

[Deja Q]

15. NWN isn't bad...

I should pick up the Diamond set, which includes the 3rd add-on (Kingmaker).

For the PDA, there's always Undercroft...

[Benfea]

17. I heard that the single player game is so-so...

...and that the real reason to play it are the player-made mods.

[LanternWaste]

25. NWN is my guilty pleasure

NWN is my guilty pleasure on the PC. Let's my pals and I return to the glory days of playing D&D in the high school cafeteria.

Lots (and I mean LOTS) of user add-ons you can get from the official web site.

[TimeChaser]

5. Fable is great

Lately, my gaming time has been divided between, Fable, World of Warcraft, and a little bit of the Katamari games.

[Benfea]

8. World of Warcraft is crack...

...and should be treated as a controlled substance by the law.

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

13. I go back and forth on WoW.

I'll play for a month, then take a 2 month break, then I'll play for 2 months, and take a month off. . . From all of the resubscribing, I've pretty much memorized the CC infomation

[Benfea]

14. I'm on the wagon...

...and I know damned well I'll fall off the wagon sometime after the expansion is released.

[TimeChaser]

16. I'm actually not that bad of an addict

I was pretty bad for the first month or two, but I'm not as bad as some people seem to think. I was just as bad with Kingdom Hearts2 when it first came out... and sometimes I'm really bad about DU

[name not needed]

22. I've stopped playing for the most part,

as pvp now consists of collecting sand, plus I'm just sick of paying 15 dollars a month to kill my social life.

[deucemagnet]

9. Have you played Baldur's Gate?

It really holds up well for an older game. I just got the Tales of the Sword Coast expansion and I'm revisiting the game myself.

[Benfea]

12. Nope. I always meant to.

"Go for the eyes, Boo, go for the eyes!"

Best. Video. Game. Quote. Ever!

One of these days I'll have to pull out my old copy of Fallout 2 and take it for a spin, but low resolutions look like ass on LCD monitors.

[Guy Fawkes]

23. Baldur's Gate II is good...

but its expansion, Throne of Baal, is somewhat lacking.

[ghostsofgiants]

10. It's pretty old, but I enjoyed Fallout when it came out.

[Benfea]

11. I was a member of the Unwashed Villagers ;)

Way back before there was a huge fight and the old Village imploded. Most of the original folks are long gone, and what remains is a sad shadow of its former self.

[Ohio Joe]

18. If you like hack-n-slash collect the loot...

Diablo stile games, I'm enjoying Titan Quest right now

[windlight]

19. NWN 2

Is coming out at the end of Sept sometime... It looks really good and with my new desktop i'm going to be loving it... ...

[Benfea]

20. Heh. I still haven't played the first one...

...the platinum edition is still sitting in my bookshelf and I haven't really touched it. How is the single player game, BTW?

[BreweryYardRat]

21. Hmm...

Not too much in the way of RPGs out right now. If you like shooters, though, Hitman: Blood Money should be pretty good (haven't played it yet-system sucks). And there's some degree of RPG element in the open-ended weapon selection and many, many ways to kill your targets.

[Guy Fawkes]

24. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (I & II)

Both Star Wars: KotOR games are great. Tons of side quests- and some great opportunities for good or evil characters- make playing through KotOR multiple times fun.