Ten Most Influential RPGs of Our Time

The ActionTrip staff compiled the following list, taking into account a variety of CRPGs, RPGs and MMOs that made the greatest impact on modern-day PC and console gaming. You may not like some of the choices we made, so please feel free to add any games you think were important. In any event, all these games are classics and were hand-picked after more than a decade of ceaseless gaming, which we were truly all glad to be part of.

10. Fable

Peter Molyneux Fable (Xbox) was one of those games successfully combining good design with a neatly packed gameplay. Although it never really lived up to its hype, the game was a major financial success. Above all, it made an even greater impact when it arrived on the PC market, with more than an adequate adaptation, entitled Fable: The Lost Chapters. Fable didn't exactly revolutionize the modern-day RPG, but it sure as hell offered a fine example of fantasy flavored story-telling. It reminds us that even the simplest formula can provide decent entertainment.

9. Final Fantasy Series

Okay, we're talking about a series that existed for 20 years. Final Fantasy, a brand owned by Square Enix, sold over 70 million units worldwide and is right behind licenses like Mario, Pokémon and The Sims. The franchise quickly spread across various platforms and was molded into several different genres, ranging from portable games, MMOs, classic RPGs, tactical RPGs and even games for mobile phones. The phenomenally popular series also served as inspiration for three animated productions and two full-length CGI flicks (Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within and Final Fantasy VII Advent Children).

8. Baldur's Gate Series

The Baldur's Gate series stands as one of the best creations of renowned development studio, Bioware. Its complexity and sheer depth were a godsend to all fantasy buffs and RPG devotees. What's more, apart from licensing the Forgotten Realms setting, the game was also one of the first CRPGs to effectively use the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition rules. Bioware made the most out of the game's technology (a.k.a. the Infinity Engine), which eventually shaped a variety of role-playing games, including Baldur's Gate I and II, Planescape: Torment, Icewind Dale and Icewind Dale II - all of which are counted amongst the best achievements in PC RPG history.

7. Planescape: Torment

Another game relying heavily on AD&D rules as well as the power of Bioware's Infinity Engine - Black Isle Studios' brilliant accomplishment, Planescape: Torment. The game hit stores in 1999 and quickly became a classic, selling over 400,000 copies. Its different and somewhat darker setting wasn't exactly welcomed by some critics. Nonetheless, thanks to talented game-creators like Chris Avellone (more like story writer extraordinaire), lead designer of Planescape, it still ranks as one of the best CRPGs of our time.

6. Fallout

As another co-project of Black Isle Studios and Interplay, Fallout marks a rather bold step in the world of RPGs. To this day, it is honored throughout the gaming community as a truly unique role-playing experience. With an engaging sci-fi backdrop and straightforward character creation system, it didn't take too long for Fallout to claim its rightful place in the industry. One of its main traits was using the so-called SPECIAL character creation system - as most of you probably know, the "SPECIAL" stands for Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility and Luck, all of which represent attributes that are essential to the whole experience. Fallout 2 was released one year after the original, receiving rave reviews - even though the game's mechanics remained the same.