Summary
- 90s CRPGs set the standard for what non-pen-and-paper RPGs should look like, with games like Baldur's Gate offering vast open worlds and immersive storytelling.
- Dark Sun: Shattered Lands is a forgotten classic that combines post-apocalyptic themes with teamwork and cooperation, providing a thrilling experience for players.
- Games like Ultima 7: The Black Gate and System Shock 2 pushed the boundaries of what games could do, with innovative features like reactive NPCs, dynamic weather systems, and deep player choice.
The 90s were a great time for role-playing, both tabletop and computer-based. The latter, the ones played with a mouse and keyboard, came to be known as "CRPGs" (Computer Role-Playing Games). Despite their waning popularity during the late 2000s, they have seen a resurgence in recent years. While there have been some truly fantastic modern entries, many wizened fans will jump at the chance to remind gamers everywhere that some of the peaks in 90s CRPGs have yet to be surpassed to this day (and in many cases, they aren't wrong).
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For all those gamers out there who just woke up from a 30+ year coma and want to catch up on all the gaming goodness they'd missed, or for those curious about what their grandparents played while the dinosaurs roamed the Earth, these 90s titles are absolutely worth a look.
8 Baldur's Gate (1998)
One Of The Defining Examples Of A Tabletop-To-Computer Adaption
Baldur's Gate
- This Dungeons & Dragons adaptation set the standard for what a good computer D&D campaign should be: vast, open, and player-driven.
- While its sequels tend to be cited as being superior, the original has a lot to offer.
Before the series' return in its third groundbreaking entry, Balder's Gate set the standard for what a non-pen-and-paper role-playing game should look like. Each sequel is generally considered to be an improvement over the last (and that's off the charts in the case of Baldur's Gate 3), but the original from 1998 still has plenty to offer, especially for those looking to get an appreciation for the genre.
A vast open world, a story that has both an epic tale and highly-personal stakes, and a fairly robust combat system make this Dungeons & Dragons adaption a worthy consideration for anyone looking to immerse themselves in the world of 90s CRPGs.
7 Dark Sun: Shattered Lands (1993)
A Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy Classic Ahead Of Its Time
Dark Sun: Shattered Lands
- Did what other games in the genre would do story-wise and mechanically years earlier.
- A gritty, post-apocalyptic fight in a broken fantasy world.
Some older CRPGs can be daunting to get into, especially for gamers who are used to the polished conveniences of modernity. Not so for Dark Sun: Shattered Lands. Post-apocalyptic meets sword and sorcery in this forgotten classic, which pits the player character and their companions against an unforgiving wasteland, the political struggles of its scattered settlements, and the mechanization of an evil sorcerer.
The world of Athas is brutal, but considerable emphasis is placed on teamwork and cooperation, as the only way to survive the onslaught of both nature and a magically-superior enemy is to work together. The combat and dialogue systems both work equally as well, and provide an enthralling experience for heroes and brutes alike.
6 Ultima 7: The Black Gate (1992)
The Pinnacle Culmination Of A Pioneering Series
Ultima 7: The Black Gate
- Included features that went beyond what anyone had expected games to be able to do.
- Weather, carriable objects, a day-night cycle, and reactive NPCs make this game special.
A day-night cycle, a weather system, and the ability to move or pick up just about any object in the game are but a few features that 1992's Ultima 7: The Black Gate can claim to have implemented, along with its deep dialogue branches, imaginative world-building, seamless map transitions, emphasis on player agency, graphics that really do hold up (despite the passage of time) and more.
Villagers will react to gloomy rain or a sunny day. The player is free to follow an intriguing quest, or wander off and do a spot of babysitting, command cannon fire, assassinate the local royals, or become a baker. Decades of ambitious work in the rest of the Ultima series (which began as early as 1981) coalesced into this gem which pushed the idea of the open world beyond what anyone could have imagined.
5 The Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall (1996)
A Hugely Ambitious Fantasy Life Simulator
The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall
- Boasts a game map the size of real-life England and deep social and skill systems.
- Recently "remade" thanks to the Daggerfall Unity project.
Much ado has been made over the second mainline Elder Scrolls adventure, from its enormous, real-life England-sized map to expansive fantasy life simulation features. Fans are absolutely correct in flaunting its incredibly ambitious (for the time or even for today) efforts. However, it is a very different game from the hand-crafted worlds Bethesda is (usually) known for.
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Each Elder Scrolls game evolves into something new with each generation, and it may be hard for a Skyrim fan to adjust. However, with the mindset of a 90s computer gamer, players will find no end of joy in exploring Daggerfall's massive world and navigating its societies, dungeons, and menus. This classic is best enjoyed through Daggerfall: Unity, a brilliant (free!) Fan remake that seeks to patch up and modernize some of its more difficult characteristics.
4 System Shock 2 (1999)
A Masterwork Of Atmosphere & A Champion Of Player Agency
System Shock 2
- Released
- August 11, 1999
- Developer(s)
- Irrational Games, Looking Glass Technologies, NightDive Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, FPS
- Mind-blowingly open when it comes to player choice.
- Deeply atmospheric and terrifying, with excellent level and environmental design.
A technical marvel of its day and a huge influence on gaming in general, not just RPGs, System Shock 2 is an atmospheric, first-person, sci-fi thriller that rewards exploration and curiosity, accommodates a broad number of playstyles, and will still scare the pants off of players more than most modern horrors.
System Shock 2 strikes the perfect balance between environmental and level design. Everything on the ship feels as though it had a purpose before the nightmare began, but levels and enemy placements make the game as challenging and fun as if they were designed to maximize gameplay enjoyment. It's a spectacular balance that few games have managed to strike since.
3 Deus Ex (1999)
Immersive, Prescient, Thrilling, And Cool
Deus Ex
- Released
- June 23, 2000
- Developer(s)
- Ion Storm
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2, PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, FPS, Stealth
- Took a different approach to role playing than its contemporaries and effectively streamlined skills and stats.
- Impressively vast, offering an incredible amount of options for the player considering the size of the game.
This one arguably fits under the category of "action RPG" since it eschews stats for cybernetic upgrades, offers more limited dialogue branching than isometric affairs, and emphasizes action over math to resolve problems. However, its dedication to immersion (in an "if it works in the real world, it might work here" sense) gives it a definitively 90s CRPG spirit.
The streamlined "improve with play" skill system arguably worked in its favor, as the game's massive scope could have otherwise been overwhelming. Deus Ex pulls off a few tricks and gives the player more agency than most games today can accomplish, all with voice acting. Deus Ex is a prescient, dark mirror of the world of today, filled with nuance and stories that can blow the lid off the status quo for those who are looking for it, and a rocket launcher that can literally blow doors down for those who enjoy a more "hands-on" approach.
2 Fallout: A Post-Nuclear Role-Playing Game (1997)
Iconic, Influential, And Special In More Ways Than One
Fallout
- Darkly funny, non-linear, and now iconic in video games.
- A little outdated in certain mechanical senses but still a joy to play.
The Fallout brand is now practically universally known in gaming spaces (and beyond, thanks to the upcoming TV show). Yet there was a point in time in which Fallout was a PC-exclusive RPG. There's little anyone can say to convince gamers who aren't already curious about the first mainline series game to give it a shot except that, besides a few outdated design choices (i.e., no "take all" button for containers), it totally holds up.
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Dark humor, an open-ended approach to quests and storytelling, and an atmosphere thicker than power armor casing make Fallout: A Post-Nuclear Role Playing Game (to give it its full title) one of the most iconic 90s bangers.
1 Planescape: Torment (1999)
A Master Work In World Building, Role Playing, And Characterization
Planescape: Torment
- Puts dialogue and story above combat, but fights are still fun.
- One of the most richly complex examples of world-building to this day.
Set in one of the most interesting backdrops of the shared D&D universe, Planescape: Torment is not only one of the best-written RPGs, but is considered by many wizened CRPG fans to be the best of the best. The player takes on the role of "The Nameless One," an immortal with many previous lives biting at his subconsciousness throughout his journey through what is essentially the nexus of all worlds and afterlives.
Combat in Planescape is functional and nothing special. It transparently plays second fiddle to the excellent plot and characterization, which effortlessly and entertainingly explores themes of identity, existentialism, and morality while offering a compelling mystery that will hook players from the first moment and won't ever let go.