The best D&D based RPG game on PC

[[murray]]

What, iyo is the best of this genre?

I think its probably icewind dale 2, but there are shitloads out there.

(First post in gaming forum) \o/

[Norbington]

Icewind dale 2 sucked

just like Icewind dale 1 with a lightly different interface

now

Baldur's Gate II is the best

[2PieR]

Planescape Torment-

Here ist ein review I wrote of it back when I was a hack:

Planescape Torment


Before I start talking about this game, I’d like you, Mr. Reader, to take a moment to think of a groundbreaking, wonderful storyline for an RPG. Just stop reading for a moment (it’s ok the next bits really boring) and have an idea for a storyline.

Done? Let me guess, there’s this guy right? And he lives in a world under threat from some great evil? And he doesn’t know who his father is? Perhaps his sister disappeared and never came back and he had a mysterious birthmark and his family was killed by a mysterious dragon shaped man? Perhaps you really got ambitious and it turns out his best friend is a talking dog named Ralph? Anyway, my point is, a good storyline is a pretty rare thing in today’s RPGs, they’re always clichéd, always predictable, always unimaginative sentimental garbage? Well, here’s a breath of fresh air:

You are a thousands of year old immortal known as The Nameless One. Death is no obstacle to you and is often a useful tool, you live in a multiverse connected by portals, each portal locked with a key, which could be anything from a tune you hum to a thought you think. You don’t remember who you are, or what you did in previous lives; you only know that you must seek out a man named Pharod, and this only because it’s tattooed on your back. In the words of the Torment team, ‘you have more to fear from ideas and beliefs than from some berk with a sword’. Puts Ralph the Dog into perspective really doesn’t it? Frankly, Torment has the best storyline in a game, ever. And it’s got a whole lot more as well.

The first thing that struck me about this game before the storyline or the graphics or the gameplay, was the sound. Glorious, brilliantly acted and well chosen voice acting as well as brilliant sound effects and some good ambience make this game more absorbing then a sponge and more ambient then an ambulance. The vocal work includes Simpson’s star Dan Castellenata and is sublime. The game is not entirely voice acted though, far from it. In almost all conversation, text is used, and a lot of text too. There’s probably enough text in Planescape to fill several novels, which while it’s a very attractive statistic for me, could be very off putting for a lot of people. In fact, if you don’t like reading, stay well clear of Planescape Torment, because if you want to enjoy it you need to understand the storyline, and that’s a lot of reading. Conversation is the most important part of Torment, it is conversations not battles that will allow you to progress through the game, and you have to be happy with that.

But enough about the storyline right? Let’s actually look at this game objectively. It’s an RPG in the vain of Baldur’s Gate and Fallout, using the distant third person perspective and a variant of the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons rules. There are, as in almost all RPGs, a myriad of statistics to come to terms with, although you can fully enjoy the game without having to understand any complicated formulae. Basically, if you’re strong then hit things and if you’re clever then cast spells; it’s really pretty self-explanatory. If you didn’t like Baldur’s Gate however, it doesn’t mean you won’t like Torment, the graphics are vastly improved, the universe much more creative and less unimaginative and Tolkien-based. Yes, I’d say that this RPG could be a little friendlier to RPG-haters than other Black Isle efforts, not that that says very much. The graphics in Torment are brilliant, obviously they are pre-rendered backgrounds lacking true depth, but they’re still beautiful, as are the distinctive character models, the cut-scenes too are wonderful, though short and largely irrelevant, graphically this game is as good as distant third person gets, which is good but nothing exceptional.

The actual playing of the game is very simple. Click to move, click to talk, click to bring up menus, click to do this, click to do that. In fact the only keyboard buttons you’ll ever find yourself using are the numbers, for quickly navigating the conversation menus which makes the game very easy and relaxing to play. That doesn’t mean this game doesn’t have depth, this game has depth in bundles. It’s one of the deepest games I’ve played in years; every character has not only a history but also a storyline and opinions that make every character add a whole new chapter to the story. The combat though is still very abstract, there’s no skill whatsoever, only strategy and understanding, which makes battles boring and no fun to fight. Which is why it’s lucky that there are so few battles in the game.

Generally I think this game isn’t for people who don’t like RPGs, while better than Baldur’s Gate, it remains strictly for the RPG fan, so if you are one you will absolutely love this game. But if you’re not, then you buy this game at your own risk, it could easily be frustrating, boring or uninteresting for the casual gamer who doesn’t want the story and depth. It’s a fantastic RPG, the best of it’s kind, but it’s not a truly remarkable game. Black Isle’s finest work? Certainly, though it’s style and gameplay could make it a very poor piece for some. And don’t give up on Ralph the talking dog, he’s got a future in gaming I promise you.

Overall Score: 9/10


As a single player game it's simply fantastic.

Online however Neverwinter Nights pips it to the top spot because of the chance to RP with real people in the forgotten realms setting without having to actually see the rather sodden creature they really are.
Baldurs Gate II would've been nice if I didn't have an ATI Graphics Card and an Evesham motherboard. :(

[Hydralisk]

Originally posted by 2PieR
Planescape Torment-


Overall Score: 9/10


As a single player game it's simply fantastic.

Online however Neverwinter Nights pips it to the top spot because of the chance to RP with real people in the forgotten realms setting without having to actually see the rather sodden creature they really are.
Baldurs Gate II would've been nice if I didn't have an ATI Graphics Card and an Evesham motherboard. :(

just keep it like that in future plz?

[2PieR]

Originally posted by Hydralisk


Just keep it like this in future Hydralisk. Honestly.

[Anthropod]

Baldur's Gate I and II is my favurite games, but there are still a few D&D based games I havn't tried.
Anyone tried Lionheart yet?
From the screenshots I've seen it looks a lot like Dark Alliance, which was far from as good as Icewind Dale II and teh Baldur's Gate games as a RPG, but was actually entertaining on a gamecube.

[Wahoo]

my fav rpg's

neverwinter nights
baldurs gate 1
and there was 1 other can't remember name.

[Dødens Knekt]

Originally posted by Hydralisk
just keep it like that in future plz?

lol

best reply ever

and I agree

planescape torment is the best

think you mentioned all the reasons why in your post.

[Mystical Parrot]

Planescape Torment is by far the best D&D rpg based game. Baulders Gate and Icewind Dale are good in their own ways but Planescape Torment has the best storyline and characters and is just better

[[murray]]

BG1 was a piece of poo, it sucked serious monkeys (no offence intended ash).

I havent got NWN, although Ive ehard its good. I think i'll reinstall IWD2 and try and do well in it this time.

[MeeZ_&_MonK]

YOURE ALL MAD, YOUR ALL TOTALLY MAD!!!

(imo RPG's are teh bore, just my opinion like, FPS ALL TEH WAY BABY!)

[GorillaBearBear]

If you don't have anything constyructive to say don't say anything.

I think that Planescape Torment is by far the best - Great graphics (love dem spell effects bay-bee), Fucking awesome storyline, damn cool ending as well.

Icewind Dale 1 + 2 are both great for a bit of Hack'n'slash fun

BG1 is fun, but Very restrictive, but BG2 is amazing. The BG series has some of the elements from Both IWD and Planescape, so it's pretty damn good.

Pool of Radiance I also like as it is a fresh storyline and also I like the turn Based gameplay. I think it's a good fresh approach to the setting.

[SuicideMonkey]

Neverwinter nights is my favourite online D&D game, but Baldurs Gate 2 will always be my favourite single player one.

[Yvash]

NwN gives you the tools and opportunity to make Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale look like hack jobs ;)

But no one's come up with anything like that yet >.>
Then again, I haven't played in over a year... must crank out Neverwinter again.

If only to play with that magnificent toolset again...