That Somewhere Else
It’s only a silly, small thing, but I spent longer than expected looking at my game shelves last night, picking the games I wanted to bring in to work and stack on the shelf next to me. It’s been revealed publicly now, and so I think I’m safe in saying, that the game we’re building is an RPG. It’s not quite as simple as that though, and I may talk more about that later (if I’m allowed - NDA’s being what they are). The selection of games to bring in became suprising poignant for me because their reason for being there is to inspire me, or remind me of what it is I’m trying to do. So when I turn my head slightly to the left during my many daily musings, I’m treated to the box art of games that have enriched my gameplaying life in a significant way. And they still make me smile.
Having played RPGs since the genre emerged on PC’s during the 1980’s, you’d think there would be many. But what I found out last night as I variously pulled boxes down, and then replaced them after some thought, was that there are surprisingly few. It’s not that there haven’t been lots of great games. It’s that there have been relatively few I now realize that were seminal in some way, and succeeded in taking me to that somewhere else when I played them. There are even fewer of which I own copies. So while I expected to have to load up a box full, I ended up carrying in just five. Here they are in order of their appearance on my screen over the years:
X-Wing - I know this isn’t an RPG, but it remains one of the most enjoyable, immersive plays of my gaming career.
Wizardry 7: The Dark Savant - There isn’t room to explain what an elegant, deep, delightful, absorbing, challenging, and ultimately satisfying RPG this was and is. If I had to choose one game only, this could be it.
Diablo - The first, not the second. Not one game in my memory has achieved the same synchronicity of style, gameplay, and replayability. This game was a watershed.
Planescape: Torment - The only game in the list I haven’t actually finished because it became a bit dull. But the first half achieved a depth of originality and atmosphere unmatched in the genre. It is a study in how less can be more.
EverQuest (up to The Scars of Velious) - Sony may have eventually destroyed Brad McQuaid’s epic high fantasy vision, but up to the second expansion it represents the pinnacle of CRPGing as I know it. It is still the best overall experience I’ve had by a fair margin, and the way the MMO genre is going I’m seriously wondering if it will ever be matched. My hopes are currently pinned on Vanguard: Saga of Heroes.
Games that would be there for general inspiration if I had copies: Pirate’s Cove (Scott Adams TRS-80 text adventure), BioForge, Robin Hood (Sierra adventure), Doom 1 and 2, Duke Nukem 3D, and Quake (Quake for the lesson of visceral motion and feel, Duke for fun, the Dooms for atmosphere).
posted by monty · at 11:46 am · filed under Uncategorized
That’s a pretty good collection.
I feel the same way about Diablo. The sequel was an excellent game in its own right, but lacked that same entrancing quantity that the first game had. The first Diablo oozes style.
X-Wing was a fantastic game. I loved TIE Fighter also, but would be hesitant to put them on the same level. I tryed to get into later incarnations (including, but not limited to X-Wng vs. TIE Fighter), but they never got me hooked.
One game I would include, if I were to construct such a list (a task that I would find challenging) is Dune. That’s the 1991 Adventure game by Cryo, not the RTS games on the same license (Although I did enjoy Dune II and Emperor: Battle for Dune). This is one game that I have never gotten tired of. Every couple of years I’ll pick it up again and play it from start to finish and remain captivated all the way through. I have always felt that Dune was a masterpiece. Maybe its nostalgia, but despite its pixelated graphics and simpistic gameplay, I can still play it today and enjoy it as much as I did all those years ago. That’s rare.