Planescape: Torment
One of the few games where the pen is actually mightier than the sword
Planescape is certainly not underrated critically, reigning as one of the most highly regarded PC RPGs ever created. Commercially however, the game didn’t earn half of what it deserved. Why this is is uncertain, but the intense dialogue, subversion of traditional RPG clichés and non-linear gameplay should have earned Planescape a cavalcade of profit. I guess it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy in a way, with the average gamer generally not all that interested in a beautifully crafted dialogue heavy adventure.
Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines
Now if only we could get a sequel, vampires could be redeemed in popular culture
One of the more individual games on this list, The Masquerade totally made vampires cool before that Twilight crap came and ruined it for everybody. The problem with Vampire was its insane amount of bugs, with the game’s initial release being barely playable. Fan made patches have since made it an incredibly polished and enjoyable RPG experience. It’s a shame that contractual issues between Valve (who provided the source engine) and Activision (the game’s publisher) wound up getting VTMB released on the same day as Half-Life 2. No wonder the game didn’t make much of a splash on its debut.
Arcanum
They just don't make 'em like they used to
One of the most overlooked games ever, the Troika Games classic has a vibrant and engaging style, with the perfectly addictive balance between free-roaming and structured narrative. The simple premise of a crashed zephyr and a deathbed promise leads into an epic story with an intriguing world struggling between the competing forces of magic and technology. The fact that the manual is over a hundred pages long is indicative of how deep this game is. Hell, you could easily spend more time in the character creation screen than you can in most modern games these days. Arcanum is an underrated gem, if ever there was one.
Any other great PC RPGs you think get regularly overlooked? Let us know your favourites in the comments section.
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