Planescape: Torment and Icewind Dale are undeniably great RPGs, but even they aren't immune to the passage of time.
Josh Sawyer is a name that has been familiar to RPG fans for decades. He's worked on Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Nights 2, Alpha Protocol, Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity, and most recently Pentiment. How did he get into game development, how has his design philosophy changed over the years, and why did he decide to do Pentiment a little differently?
Those are some great games. Icewind Dale I & II are underrated.
If Larian made Icewind Dale III, I'd lose my mind.
What a fantastic, thorough interview.
It’s foolish to say that one RPG is "better" than all the rest across systems and generations. This is merely the 25 RPGs we feel are the best and nothing more!
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Dragon Quest 11 isn't even the best Dragon Quest game, it's a good game, but not the best. Dragon Quest 8 is superior to it in almost every way.
OK let's end this, in order
Xenogears
Final Fantasy 8
Final Fantasy 7
Final Fantasy 9
Final Fantasy 6
Chrono Trigger
Legend of Dragoon
Breath of Fire 4
Breath of Fire 3
Dragon Quest 8
Dragon Quest 11
Vagrant Story
Saga Frontier 2
Chrono Cross
Suikoden 2
Suikoden
Threads of Fate
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy XII
Lunar 2
I don't play too many jrpgs, and I'm trying to diversify a bit.
Outside of FF and Dragon Quest, what two games from that list do you most recommend someone trying? Doesn't matter if it's a sequel to another game or not.
You have Threads of Fate on there which means you get my ultimate respect. Underrated and overlooked.
I like your top 6 a lot. I don't have the same orders but all those games would make my top 10 RPG list most likely. Number 1 for me is FFIX. It holds a special place in my heart and imo it's the perfect Final Fantasy game.
In addition I would give special mention to some western RPG's as well: Skyrim and Mass Effect 2 were iconic games. Out of JRPG's I'd like to add Disgaea 2 on that list.
Some of my personal favorites are Planescape: Torment, New Vegas, Morrowind, Kotor 2, Wasteland 3, Witcher 2, Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines, Deus Ex, Disco Elysium and Vampyr.
As far as jrpg, while I'm not as big a fan as I am for Western RPGs, I love Persona 3 - 5, Dragon Quest 8 and 11, Rogue Galaxy, Final Fantast 6,7, and 12; and Lost Odyssey.
Some quality taste in games there squire.
I'd add some Baldurs Gate 2 and Neverwinter Nights from back in the day too.
Should have added BG2. Played through it many times over the years.
Never could get into Neverwinter Nights though. Not sure why.
20 years ago, Interplay Entertainment released Icewind Dale, a game based on a Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the same name.
