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The Best RPGs of All Time   by Peter Simpson

Playing RPGs on ones computer could certainly be seen as a guilty pleasure by some. And why not? Taking into account the fact that even the shortest RPGs take round 30 (and some take well over 100) hours to fully complete many people have probably frittered away more than a couple hours on this ultimate geek hobby. 

Chrono Trigger 

RPGs were a massive source of income for the Super Nintendo, though not too many could match the wonder and charm of Chrono Trigger. From the elective side stories featuring the likes of Robo, Lucca and Frog, to the unprecedented quantity of alternate conclusions, Chrono Trigger was certainly one role playing game that would merit months of playtime, with every storyline becoming slightly different. 

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 

With no less than 4 3D console incarnations of The Legend of Zelda, it is shocking that the original is still thought of as the greatest by so many. Nintendo managed to do a brilliant job of keeping the spirit and grandeur of the series alive whilst creating a fascinating new gameplay engine. The concept of the young-old world was second only to Link to the Past's light-dark dichotomy, and the Ocarina has developed into a staple of the series second scarcely to the Triforce. There is one thing that is lacking, however -- the classic overworld theme, a theme that was not redone until Majora's Mask. 

World of Warcraft

Whether you are a lover or a hater of the game, World of Warcraft has certainly become a cultural event in ways that its predecessors like Dark Age of Camelot and EverQuest could merely dream of being. With WOWs user base freshly exceeding the 11 million player mark, there is no indication that this RPG will be going away anytime soon. Plot wise, WOW picks up 10 years after the battle described in Warcraft III, and opens up the whole world of Azeroth for players to travel round as they wish. Then in 2007, with the release of the Burning Crusade expansion pack, players were able to travel through the Dark Portal directly into the impoverished world of Outland. And with the Wrath of the Lich King, the second expansion pack, set to release in the next week, the terribly harsh land of Northrend will at long last be open too, bringing the total quantity of game content for RPG players to experience to inconceivable proportions. 

Final Fantasy VII 

This game is, was and in all probability will be the most notable RPG in the history of gaming. It proved that role playing games don't need to be tales of lore set in medieval times, nor do they need to read like the bedtime stories of children. Final Fantasy VII featured mature subjects within a modern industrial background and both fit the role playing game genre seamlessly. With an innovative story, a number of stylised characters and an enjoyable and intuitive battle system, the game redefined the RPG and helped bring the genre to the multitudes.

About the Author

Peter Simpson writes guides to computing gadgets and new technology. Peter loves gaming whether on a Windows 7 platform, the Nintendo Wii, or online gaming on an Apple Mac. He also enjoys the shiny new iPad apps too.
Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracle Trailer for Nintendo 3DS (Direct Feed) + Download Link

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 18th, 2009 at 11:45 am and is filed under Games. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.