The games industry both flourishes and suffers from its inherent cost. Creating a game is an expensive affair and, whilst many titles are able to impress publishers to the point where a seemingly endless amount of cash is thrown out towards advertising, some are not quite so lucky. With our beloved PC gaming now seemingly in a fall from grace at the hands of a more economically viable console market, here are ten fantastic PC RPGs that you may not have heard of.
Summoner
It has aged quite badly, but the game was the mutt's nuts at the time
So it’s not a PC exclusive as such, but we all know that the PS2 version wasn’t really where it was at. Summoner had the usual cliché and clunky dialogue that would put players off but, if you’re willing to break through the stereotypical crust that encompasses Summoner, there’s a well honed RPG to sink your teeth into. With deep combat and a hugely explorable world, Summoner was one of those great PC RPGs that you could literally lose days to without even realising.
Divine Divinity
Great game, shite name
Divine Divinity was one of those games that was doomed for poor recognition. Despite some rather favourable reviews, the game was just far too generic to appeal to a mass audience. Though it was missing the X factor to help it stand out from the crowd, it just did the whole PC RPG thing very well. Whilst it lacked the outstanding narrative polish of the Baldur’s Gate series, Divinity offered a rich, expansive and highly compelling world for players willing to take the plunge. It’s well worth a look if you manage to get board of Shadows of Amn any time soon. Do avoid the sequel though. What ever were they thinking?
Arx Fatalis
You even have to draw signs in the air to cast spells, which is a nice touch
So many great games have all been weathered by the sands of time, and all because they have really stupid names. I don’t care if it has a cool meaning in Latin, it sounds really forgettable to those who don’t get the reference. What Arx Fatalis lacks in the name department, it makes up for with its intensely engaging crafting sections. Few games make you go through each stage of the crafting/cooking process, and it made Arx Fatalis a uniquely involving experience. Ignore the name, and get the game.
