Updated 23 May, 2012, 6:39 pm IST

Top 15 Role-Playing Games of All Time

23 Jul, 2009, 12:00 pm IST | by Nikhil Singh

A list of the best RPGs ever made...

Playing a great role-playing game (RPG) is like living an alternate life for a short (or sometimes long) while. Here's a list of some of the greatest experiences the genre has to offer:

Diablo

The defining 'hack-n-slash' RPG for a whole generation of gamers, there are few studios who've managed to reach anywhere close to spawning a franchise as popular as Blizzard's Diablo series. While Diablo II: Lord of Destruction was fantastic, the reason I've picked the first game over it for this list, is that the art-style and storyline made the game feel a lot more grim, gritty and demented. And of course, for most of us it was the first time we'd played an action-RPG with so much depth where itemization and skill-customization was concerned!

Fallout 2

In a post-apocalyptic world torn by nuclear war, Fallout 2 told one of the most brilliantly woven stories ever written. The gameplay was turn-based and highly action oriented, and the way the desolate wastelands brimmed with small settlements of people from different walks of life, was absolutely legendary. To be able to explore the game's deep and randomized world sprawling with super-mutants, ghouls, bandits and religiously misguided tribes, was the most satisfying RPG experience to date.

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

When you think 'The Elder Scrolls', the first game that comes to mind is Oblivion, right? Way back in 2002, Morrowind was released and it was one of the deepest RPGs around - deeper than Oblivion. The game gave you the freedom to explore one of the most vast game worlds you could ever hope for, which had a lot more going on than its next iteration. If you wished to chill out, you could even head to the nearest Inn to sit by a fireplace and pick up a book in-game, and actually read it (the game had some of the most awesome short-stories)!

Chrono Trigger

A highly un-conventional RPG with a time-travelling theme, Chrono Trigger was the best RPG to come out of the early console generations. The story wasn't the most serious of the lot, but that didn't make the game any less memorable, which is something owed to the game's unconventional and memorable roster of characters. If you missed out on this classic, you can always pick up the enhanced version that was released for the Nintendo DS last year.

Final Fantasy VII

FF VII is considered by many as one of the most overrated Final Fantasy games, but coming from someone who's not played too much of the series, the game was beyond brilliant. In fact, you could credit FF VII for bringing the role-playing genre to the masses, with really easy-yet-deep gameplay and a storyline that broke away from the standard fantasy universe, and went for a far more real-world (relatively), dark setting.

The Witcher

Based on Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski's series of short-stories, the Witcher followed the story of Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster slayer in a world littered with mythical beasts. This medieval fantasy was one of the best action-RPGs to come out in recent times, with a deep combat system that required you to time your attacks well, as well as use alchemy to brew potions to give you an extra edge against tougher enemies. The adult-themed RPG told a great story, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a fantastic modern action-RPG.

World of Warcraft

Most people see World of Warcraft as a mindless grind, where people play endlessly to level up and gather powerful gear to show-off to each other. It could be played that way, but for those who choose to follow the lore-rich storyline of the Warcraft universe, World of Warcraft has thousands of epic tales woven together, making for a highly enriched role-playing experience in a persistent world. In fact, if you wish to take it to the next step, you could even play on the game's many role-playing servers, where people never get out of character!