Thanks to Felicia Day it's now sort of socially acceptable to geek out over computer games if you're a girl.
Those of you who've never tried playing a RPG before should give it a go. Creating a character and going out questing can be fun, especially if you happen to have a lot of time on your hands and feel like some good old escapism (christmas holidays anyone?).
This game will always have a special place in my heart. Not only was it the first RPG I ever finished, it is also one of the most fun games I've ever played. This is one for the old-schoolers. The graphics might not really stand the test of time (unless you have a REALLY old computer). The story on the other hand and the banter is good enough to make it worthwile giving the game a chance.
Basically you're an orphan, who starts out trapped in a dungeon and then go through the game figuring out why. The non-player characters in the game are amongst the most memorable in RPG history. Score some insta-points with the geeks if you name drop barbarian Minsc who've had one too many knocks on the head and keep talking to his pet hamster throughout the game.
Morrowind and the follow up game Oblivion are HUGE, EPIC RPGs set in a HUGE, EPIC world. You're pretty much free to do whatever you want, kill whomever you want, totally ignore the main quest and pick mushrooms instead. The epic scale of the games almost make them a bit less fun than a more story driven RPG like Baldur's Gate, but both Morrowind and Oblivion are breathtaking and you could spend ages playing them.
Fallout started out as a fun old-school adventure RPG set in a post-apocalyptic America. It was fondly remembered by most gamers and featured on several top lists over the Best Games Ever(!). Then, last year, gaming studio Bethesda released a new epic Oblivion-style version of the game and blew everyone away. The game uses a nifty introduction that creates a character based on your game-play. After that you can roam around a really beautiful and interesting post-apocalyptic landscape. The game is filled with interesting moral choices (to blow up that friendly town or not just to watch a really cool explosion). It also features that cool duck-and-cover 50s vibe that made the first games so enjoyable.
Dreamfall – The Longest Journey is an interesting and different game developed by norwegian studio Funcom. The game is a follow-up to The Longest Journey, which was released way back in 1999. The games belong in the adventure genre (lots of puzzles to solve), but definitely have an RPG vibe to them. Especially Dreamfall relies heavily on its quite fab storyline.
The game could be a sort of conspiracy movie set in a strange future world and then a strange parallel universe. Dreamfall will be instantly addictive to anyone interested in sci-fi or fantasy. It's a shame the ending is a bit crappy. The plan was for Funcom to release the follow up in episodes, almost like a game tv-series of sorts. However they ran out of money and decided to create a mmorpg instead. Hmm.. wonder why?
And while we're on the subject. I'm going to ignore the elephant in the room here and not talk about that one never-ending mmorpg with a HUGE fan-base, because I've never played it and I don't think I will. I don't have the patience to kill lots and lots of imps (or some other random task) to level up. I prefer my games to be like books, not a lifestyle.
Image via Laiane