2006 - 2009 RPGs Just Hit Different!

[@click4gameplay]

What is your favorite era of RPGs? 🤔 👕Get yourself an awesome T-shirt or a hoodie, in my official merch store: www.bonfire.com/store/click4gameplay/ Become a KZbin member: kzbin.info/door/jekkqakBWqPu44aExSDxxAjoin Become a Patreon: www.patreon.com/user?u=2826612 C4G on Twitter: twitter.com/c_4_g C4G on Instagram: instagram.com/c_4_g_/

[@TheNemkris]

the Fable 1 era

[@burningsheep4473]

Hmm, I'd probably have to go with the Inifinity engine games, as Baldur's Gate 2 was essentially what introduced me to the genre and I have enjoyed later games that were similar to it - like NWN 2 and Drakensang - quite a lot. And of course there are also gems like Icewind Dale and Planescape Torment from that era.

[@gaminglazarus4343]

hi click4gameplay good video and you are on my favorit youtuber list. i have sacred 2, divinty 2- the dragon knight saga, two worlds 1+2, titan quest. in 2024 is come titan quest 2. thq nordic have buy rights from sacred games

[@gaminglazarus4343]

hi click4gameplay . can you make video about two worlds 1 review on youtube

[@maxxpirk]

Not 1 minute in and the games you shoes have my dick ROCK HARD. God I love those games. It really was the best time!!!!

[@radicalcentrist4990]

For me the golden age was that entire decade, but I think the first half was still stronger: Star Wars KOTOR 1 and 2, Gothic 1 and 2, Baldur's Gate 2, Dungeon Siege 1 and 2, Jade Empire, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, Diablo 2, Final Fantasy 10 , World of Warcraft, Morrowind.

[@BlobBlobkins]

+++

[@robinmattheussen2395]

The first half of the decade had some serious classics obviously, but the second half is, to me personally, very clearly part of the Dark Ages of the CRPG. The amount of genuinely good RPGs being released in the back half of the decade was seriously very small.

[@radicalcentrist4990]

@@robinmattheussen2395 I think he probably considers the second half of the decade as the golden age because of that cozy feeling that the RPG's from that time period give due to their brighter and more colorful atmosphere. I don't think they are better RPG's than the first half of the decade, but they do give a cozier feeling.

[@fartloudYT]

yeah honestly the entire decade contained way more unique flavors for the genre. since 2010 till now id say its only a handful of rpgs that really stand out.

[@Andre_vyent]

KOTOR so good....... omg... morrowin , played it so hard on pc and console , fall asleep with joystick in hands

[@cleonanderson1722]

Raise your hand if you remember the golden age of gaming and that golden age happens to overlap with when you were a kid who didn't know a fucking thing about media.

[@Elitekampfsocke]

I must unfortunately disagree with you. I got to know RPGs through my grandmother. No kidding. My grandparents achieved relative prosperity in Austria in the 60s with a mix of luck and hard work. My grandmother did the accounting in the company. At some point, she got a computer and developed a fascination with RPGs. Because of this, as a child, I had contact with the classics. So, Wizardry, Ultima, Might and Magic, and the like. I never really played any of the games; I was simply too young. But they fascinated me. My grandmother then stopped playing video games around the year 2001. Funnily enough, Gothic and Morrowind were to blame because they were not real role-playing games. I say there was never a golden age of RPGs. If my 14-year-old self, who played Gothic 1 up and down, had played Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, a game which I find dreadful, it would have been the best game of all time for me. Many do not understand why I consider Daggerfall to be the best Elder Scrolls title. Once, of course, because it is. But also because it was my first real contact with the series. We millennials should accept it. We are old. Modern games are simply not made for us anymore.

[@yourcommander3412]

Kingdom Come Deliverance had this sort of beautiful "naturalism" / the same way Oblivion had back in the day. I like walking the woods in real life so in games I'm drawn to it as well.

[@neiltay2002]

Kingdom Come has great forests and countryside to just wander around in. The only game I like better for that purpose is Hunter Call of the Wild. It's a hunting game, but the maps are huge and great for just wandering, if that's your thing.

[@FunkyPunk1995]

Kcd has the beat forest of any game ive ever played. With rdr2 being a fairly far back and not close second. Like that game looks amazing, but kcd is the only game to ever make me feel like im actually there hiking. Im actually playing kcd right now. I played it a fairly decent anount a few times but it never clicked. This time it did and im obsessed. Im currently level 9 and still pretty early game but holy hell this game is a masterpiece, if only slightly flawed. Im SO happy the second is coming this year so that after i finish 1, ill have a few months to take a break but dont have to wait 6 years like people who played it at launch.

[@zevegas201]

Yup, KCD is the first game I played and actually felt like I'm in a forest, it's beautiful

[@raskolnikov6443]

I love that game. Truly gave me the old school vibe old games used to give me. It reminds me of an immersive sim. They are using a highly customized (by themselves) version of cry engine (they say it’s not at all comparable to what you get when you develop with the uncustomized engine). I’m glad they are sticking with that engine for the sequel even if it shows its age now and we probably won’t see a huge graphical jump from the 1st game to the sequel. Gives the games a more unique and distinct look and the games are gorgeous.

[@JohnyRicPic]

That's because KCD's creative director Dan Vávra liked Oblivion quite a lot back in the day. He even mentioned the affection recently in a podcast I listened to. :)

[@aleksapetrovic6519]

1997 - 2007 was the golden age of gaming. Techonology was not only developed to enough not to be hinderance, but booming and pushing the limits all the time (jump from Half Life to Half Life 2 or Morrowind to Oblivion) and industry was mature enough to have more money and people with crazy ideas willing to impliment, but not too corporate to hunt the "call of duty audiance". Personally 2008-2013 were bad years or dark ages when corporations we all know and hate were at their peak with their own sequalization, colorless, always some form of military shooter games and anti-PC rethoric and action, but even then there were gems that I adore like Witcher 2, Skyrim, Dawn of War 2 and Mass Effect. Since 2014 games are good, and you have a choice of every genre you want, but the 2005 feel of not knowing what crazy new game will pop out of nowhere and turn industry upside down like Star Wars Jedi Knight, World of Warcraft, FEAR or Crysis is missing and I think we won't see this time ever again.

[@jaredh289]

Agree 100% I feel like back in those days it was more typical that games were legitimately passion projects instead of just about making a billion I’d actually get excited by trailers and new game announcements, follow them on forums. Now it’s just so toxic and boring God do I miss those days, thankfully I can still play it all

[@FunkyPunk1995]

I would say that 2008 or 2009 could/should be added. But yeah the 2010s kinda sucked. I think the 2020s are getting better surprisingly.

[@diamondhamster4320]

The shit games and good games that are constantly being released since the inception of gaming industry, mate. It is all highly subjective. People just have natural tendency to forget bad things.

[@eccer]

This is the post needed, this video is......well. Not correct. 2006 to 2013 is the beginning of mainstreaming the creativity of the 90's and early 2000's

[@ChrisHMusic95]

​@diamondhamster4320 This. There's always been shitty, buggy, unoptimised games since the beginning of the industry. However, I feel like the standard for a well developed game has risen much much higher (not saying there weren't standards before, there definitely were) due to the insane popularity gaming has reached. So it gets talked about and scrutinised much more.

[@DarkDao]

It was a time of brave devs and insane ideas. Now, it's mostly rehashing and polishing. Almost every big project became a polished mediocrity.

[@gucciguy3408]

Yea for the past 7-8 years rarely an RPG catches my eye as generally it is one of the genre's of games that just got worse with time. Mainly,because most of them go for a far to casual approach and just get boring and have a world that doesn't draw you in. Games like Elex and Kingdom come deliverance are some of the only RPG's that I personally highly enjoyed since 2017. Really hate seeing one of my most liked genres go down the toilet since the writers and devs just fail a ton.

[@Pechette-1911]

@@gucciguy3408 Same, I liked Elex 2 too

[@briomhar5229]

@@gucciguy3408 I loved elex / elex 2 so much. so sad to hear piranha bytes is over.

[@Valkbg]

I unironically love Two Worlds. Have not played the second game but it felt great to be in that world.

[@click4gameplay]

I was just talking about how it looks and the game engine, but I don't hate the game at all. It's flawed as hell, but it can be fun. I like the 2nd a lot more though.

[@jaredh289]

@@click4gameplayreally wish we got a third, the second connected a lot of the things together the first didn’t

[@Valkbg]

@@click4gameplay I love the environment in the first one. Especially the forests. I will try the second one at some point.

[@greentray1231]

​@@ValkbgI encourage you to try two worlds 2, it's a great sequel to 1 but I still low key wished they had fhe weapon combination mechanic as they did from 1 to 2. But both are enjoyable!

[@PaStef37]

@@greentray1231 Yes Two Worlds 2 was good, the magic system where you could make your own spells was very fun.

[@heetheet75]

Oblivion is the comfiest RPG ever made.

[@zeikers]

Dragon age origins is my favorite

[@JC-kl3uc]

To me the golden age of RPGs is late 90's early 2000's. Such legendary games like Gothic 1+2, Fallout 1+2, Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines, Planscape Torment, Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Morrowind and many others were released very close to each other. It felt very exciting to see what future might hold for us. Little did I know back then that the future of mainstream gaming will have pretty graphics, but dull and shallow gameplay. Thank god we at least have indie devs!

[@raskolnikov6443]

Not many indies around which are on that level though

[@HuyGaming96]

To me only gothic1+2 and vampire the masquerade bloodlines are legendary

[@aligmal5031]

@@HuyGaming96 if you enjoyed gothic 1 and 2 i highly recommend playing chronicles of myrtana it is a gothic mod which shouldn't even be called a mod it is a fully made game take place before gothic 1 and imo despite being made by fans it is the best gothic game

[@HuyGaming96]

@@aligmal5031 but it has different language than english which I dont understand

[@aligmal5031]

@@HuyGaming96 it has english subtitles gothic games are all originally voiced in polish lang give it a try it was also my first gothic game with polish lang instead of english

[@TheConti95]

That Vista Point from gothic 3 hits every time

[@leonmenssen999]

yes man thanks Kai Rosenkranz for this and many other Masterpieces

[@aedankor2961]

@@leonmenssen999 There might be more to come, since he works very closely on the new Gothic Remake. I am 100% sure there will be many more tracks. cannot wait for it

[@humblehornet621]

​@@aedankor2961 may Innos bless the remake 🙂

[@karoI508]

Wasn't this track basically sampled from someone's song? Anyway, still godly

[@magic3383]

Thank you for putting the title of all of these games in the corner.

[@Mugthraka]

BAck then studios still where about the "old school" feel of an RPG, but they started to flesh out the "cinematic" side of the RPG experience, but not to the detriment of the gameplay and the story telling and player agency. They would also try new stuff, and it worked most of the times, but in the end it made them memorable. I really loved Jade Empire, the other Bioware RPG that unfortunatly never had a sequel.

[@ДмитрийБотух]

Games back then: By gamers, for gamers. AAA games now: By managers, for shareholders.

[@Mugthraka]

@@ДмитрийБотух Sadly yes Its what happened with every Company that as lasted for the past 20+ years. Games Workshop Wizard of the Coast Are 2 good examples, of IP that was made by Gamers and Nerds for Gamers and nerds. Now its all made to satisy the Shareholders, not the fans, and they all have adopted the Hollywood formula of blaming their own Fanbase of their failings, we can thank Ghostbusters 2016 cast for that...

[@FaheemQazi]

Gothic, Titan Quest, Drakensang, Risen and Neverwinter Series

[@youngimmortal4719]

My favorite era is more around Gothic 1-2 & Morrowind, but there are a lot of really solid RPGs from 2006-2009, I cannot deny. I do love Dark Messiah, such an underrated gem. It's funny you bring up Two Worlds, I'm playing Two Worlds 1 right as I listen to this video. Despite the obvious criticisms of the game, it's actually a solid action RPG (for the most part, it definitely has notable flaws).

[@FunkyPunk1995]

I dont think i can pick a favorite era but I definitely love those games. A few games that kinda give me the same feeling but that are modern are Kingdom Come Deliverance, Outward, Elex, and even dragons dogma to an extent. It makes me happy that we still get some REALLY good more hardcore action adventure rpgs.

[@youngimmortal4719]

@@FunkyPunk1995 I've played and enjoyed each of those games. (Haven't gotten Dragon's Dogma 2 yet though.)

[@WarmongerL0M3N]

@@FunkyPunk1995 Enderal is another good one.

[@FunkyPunk1995]

@@youngimmortal4719 i got dd2 on launch day and finished my first playthrough doing about 90-95% of the content after 105 hours. Also, if you saw the controversy about the micro transactions just ignore it. I didn’t even know they were available until like a week after playing because i saw it online. Theres no im game store and there no mention of it in game. They only way youd even know they were there was if you go to your storefronts game page, then go to the dlc section there. I never once felt the need to buy them AND every item they sell you can get for free in the game, even in the first few hours. I felt like theyre only there because some higher up said they had to be. But the game is 100% not balanced for you needing or even wanting to buy them at all. I truly believe the controversy was blown out of proportion by people who didn’t play it and said “mtx = bad” without knowing how they actually rate to and function in the game

[@FunkyPunk1995]

@@WarmongerL0M3N ive played it for a few hours on two separate occasions but never got very far tbh. I may need to go back and give it another go. I didn’t dislike it, it just didn’t hold my attention for whatever reason. Im not sure why myself tbh.

[@2HeadedHero]

The tech limitations and the ways that devs transcended these were definitely key in making certain games memorable, regardless of generation. I'd agree with your point that modern RPGs have a lot more commonalities in their visual styles and handling for sure

[@damace3838]

These were the games made by the CRPG OG guys from the 80s-90s, that did it for the love of RPG's, when they had a bit more money and better hardware/graphics.

[@docdoc6947]

I really liked the way you could customize your spells in Two Worlds 2. Unleashing an army of giant scorpions on a bunch of bandits and going invisible always makes me laugh

[@tobiasL1991]

Wait you've never played Mass Effect 2 and 3? Whaaat??? They are incredibly good! As far as party based RPG's go they've only been superseeded as the greatest with the release of BG3 and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

[@Mindprinter]

I don't know why But when it comes to Videogames, Music and movies. The millennium era is always the golden era

[@Gradashy]

I don't think you're right about being a Golden Era of RPGs, the 2000s are a Golden Era of everything.

[@AlkonKomm]

why do they hit different? because back then they still had writers whose main goal was trying to tell a story. Dragon Age Origins alone probably has more memorable characters than all RPGs of the last couple of years combined. The game worlds also had a more handcrafted feel, unlike the giant, procedurally generated open worlds full of MMO style busy work quests we usually get now.

[@siegfriedgottz698]

dragon age origins has a goated world and set up, that opening cutscene of grey wardens always hypes me up

[@Skumtomten1]

Yea Bioware in it's prime really knew how to make amazing characters. It's my favorite game of all time, sadly it's a game you just want to sit and play for a long period of time to get completely immersed in. I just don't have time to do that anymore.

[@briomhar5229]

All the old school RPGs just have that magic touch and passion behind them which makes playing them even to this day extremely fun. With the exception of a few most modern day RPGs feel like money grabs rather then passion projects. Massive open worlds with the illusion of choice and side activities that mean nothing. the early 2000s was truly the best time to be a gamer imo. there is still some amazing games these days. but far and few between which is sad.

[@raynortownly7098]

An RPG channel and never played Mass Effect. What the actual F? Its the RPG. No other series does the import choices across all installments.

[@iljagaimovic9166]

Well I was a person who didn't liked Oblivion (It was too small in comparison with Morrowind - story of Oblivion also was mediocre) Gothic 3 was released with terrible combat system which was the main reason of it downfall 😢 (You just clicked wepon attack and enemies just jumped under the sword, they never attacked back - so at level one you could have killed cities 😂 Not saying about wolfs)

[@palchristianandersen9086]

It's funny to see the next generation getting old and having nostalgia for some of the rpgs that were bashed by 90s rpg fans for being watered down console trash at the time.

[@InfectedAI_official]

I fully agree with you and I think soon in future we will see AI upscaling of old games which will give nice new breath to older games. Cannot wait for that because in general that era of games was amazing - not just RPGs! Graphics were not that great but stories were masterpieces. Gothic series, Mass Effect, Witcher, Assassins Creed, Warcraft 3, Fable - I was able to spend whole days playing it just because of amazing stories. Now I feels games are about killing time and impress by some actions, combo and effects. But lack of good story does not keep me to finish those games.

[@daniellap.stewart6839]

Witcher 1 was such a vibe man i love the atmosphere of that game

[@JC-kl3uc]

Yeah, the atmosphere of Witcher 1 is still unparalleled, even though I consider W2&3 to be better games. If the remake will be able to recreate even a little glimpse of that with modern graphics that would be cool as hell.

[@daniellap.stewart6839]

@@JC-kl3uc I think this is why i didn't like witcher 3 that much, siri is kinda annoying too tbh but i agree with you

[@nateshepardson1204]

Sacred 2 was incredible, and having Blind Guardian's music was a sick touch!

[@PaStef37]

Totally agree! That intro with the Blind Guardian song! This world is Saaaacreeed!

[@Izthefaithful]

Yeah I think that’s the same Xbox 360 golden era too. Batman, mass effect, elder scrolls, fable and a bunch of others. Man that was good gaming. I wonder what happened. Games aren’t like that anymore

[@benedictjajo]

Dragon Age Origins: Dark and Gritty Dragon Ag 2: Characters cracking a joke in every conversation. Dragon Age Inquisition: Rainbows flying everywhere.

[@raynortownly7098]

Utter nonsense.

[@armelior4610]

The 2nd one was just as dark as the 1st, it takes place in a city where slavery on the industrial scale has permanently scarred the veil and there are blood mages everywhere ! But it had colors other than brown, the only thing he has over Origins IMO. Inquisition is straight high fantasy, I agree.

[@daniellap.stewart6839]

Dragon age 1 deserve a remake ASAP

[@bwellington3001]

Dragon Age 2 was definitely a weird game, but i have enjoyed inquisition quite a lot. The only "flaw" i rememer is that locations and some of the side activities played like they were recycled material from an MMO RPG. But other than that it was pretty good, yes couple of over the top characters, but overall a fine game. I also heard some good things about story DLC, but never got to play it.

[@benedictjajo]

@@armelior4610 sorry, I should have made it clearer. Yes, the locations, feel and story are dark but the characters are comedians, cracking a joke or being sarcastic every 2 mins or so, just like the Avengers movies. I'm not saying comedy is bad in a dark fantasy world, it's just that it's overdone in dragon age 2 which breaks the immersion of a dark fantasy world.

[@babstra55]

I just talked about this today, how old games were more colorful and how everything was modeled and placed in a deliberate manner. where as now everything is so 'realistic' (meaning mundane) and rng-spawned over vast areas. every rock and tree used to feel like it was placed there with a meaning, and it made everything so much more immersive. every nook of the game world felt like someone actually took time to make it by hand. now the fidelity is off the charts but somehow the artistry and design has gone down the drain. everything feels so generic.

[@HernanC226]

dont forget abount mount & blade, the game was awesome

[@cw8]

Should be the Infinity Engine era. 1998 onwards

[@gamingtonight1526]

1994-1999 was the best time for RPGs: Realms of Arkania, Thief, Deus Ex, Darklands, System Shock 2, Baldur's Gate, Fallout - I could go on!

[@raynortownly7098]

I like my graphics with a little bit more graphics in them. Industry needed 5 or so years more.

[@gamingtonight1526]

@@raynortownly7098 Well, you'll miss out on some great cRPGs then - you're loss! :)

[@net-twin-de]

#Question You've never played Neverwinter Nights 2 ?!? OMG, You`ll love NW2 with the add-ons, the story is amazing and your group of comrades will give you so many great memories. Unfortunately the graphics haven't held up quite as well to this day, but NW2 is worth it just for the brilliant stories that are told and the companions and other NPCs in the game that really grow on you. After that, only Dragon Age and Mass Effect left me with similarly great memories.

[@WolfheartFPS]

Great vid. Brought back some memories. Hoping the Gothic remake turns out good.

[@patrickhenry5933]

Seems like every form of entertainment began declining after 2010. The first ten years of the 2000's had some of the best video games and films that still hold up to this day. I really want developers to return to this era of RPGs and video games in general.

[@robinmattheussen2395]

I personally really disagree with this. While the games you highlight are indeed pretty good (though Oblivion is VERY questionable), the reality is that, for me, this a period that is FIRMLY planted in the dark era of RPGs. I had to search EVERYWHERE to find decent RPGs and turn based games in those days. And I think that's why of the good games that came are even more firmly remembered, because they came out in a sea of nothingness. When The Witcher 1 was released the RPG landscape was more or less just a barren wasteland. What else was released in 2007 for example? Mask of the Betrayer was a fantastic game of course, but it was also "just" an expansion pack. Mass Effect also came out that year, but I honestly don't think ME is a very good game, and can be tied directly to the downfall of the genre for the rest of the console generation, by making the term "RPG" a synonym for "cinematic story-based action game". What else? Two Worlds? I know that's a guilty pleasure for some, and that's totally fine, but you can't genuinely argue that it's a very good game I think.

[@Frencho9]

The entire 2000s were a gaming golden age, 6th and 7th gen consoles and PC gaming were lit. Gaming became big enough for bolder budgets and projects. By 2013 with 8th gen consoles gaming became mainstream and corporate. Stiffled all creativity forced microtransactions, cosmetic dlcs, always on online for single player just to make back those huge ridiculous budgets. Innovation slowed down too just due to costs.

[@maxicez7]

I literally started replaying Witcher one like week ago

[@GeraldJSmith]

The problem with Neverwinter Nights 2 is that I couldn't stand the NPC party members. The best of them were just annoying or boring. The rest were straight up terrible people, in addition to being annoying and/or boring.... Personally, my favorite RPGs date a bit earlier: Baldur's Gate 2 and Morrowind. But both of those would be a hard sell, even for me, nowadays. The graphics and gameplay are pretty painful by modern standards.

[@Null-byte]

I think Arx Fatalis (With Arx Libertatis Patch) ist worth a look, it came before Dark Messiah, clunky, but still fun. Both very linear, but very good games.

[@Andre_vyent]

This video almost making me cry, these games these real rpg's is why i love rpgs even action rpgs, special mention too some of my games too my heart, guys if you love those oldies and injoy true story lines, Neverwinter Nights 1 and 2.... baldurs gate editions and part 2 on PS2 + it had co op, Dungeon Siege 1 and 2

[@eccer]

I am glad to see so many comments correcting this video. 2006 to 2009 was NOT an golden era 😅 Graphically and voice acting sure, but not so much more.

[@cyanokhaar]

Skyrim unfortunately changed the RPG landscape for the better and for the worse. 😢

[@mohamedfaroukelewa5905]

kinda reminds me ... RTS games from late 90s till the early 2000s Starcraft 2 is the Anomaly here (2010)

[@Defender3701]

You should do review four spellforce series. It blends RPG and RTS very well aloso it has very nice story and setting

[@SubFlow22]

Yes, all games were better before "The Message".

[@randomhagile9056]

Yuup

[@osaasd8018]

All games were better when the actual devs had control over their ideas and their artistic expressesion and were allowed to create GAMES. Instead of boards of directors/investors/marketers creating lists of random features that are popular with the kids that they can attach a "premium cash shop" to, so they can make the most amount of money with the least investment possible. Trust me, none of the shit "quadruple A" (lol) games would magically become good if you only removed some random background minority characters from them. The leeches need to be removed from the game industry, and the devs need to be able to make GAMES meant for PLAYING, instead of ATTENTION STEALERS meant to trick you into PAYING.

[@FunkyPunk1995]

Whats “the message”

[@Mugthraka]

EVERYTHING, was better before THE MESSAGE

[@MarketingMovies1337]

DEI. SJW stuff. Basically as soon as gaming went mainstream, we saw the gaming community change. You could never have booth babe's anymore

[@KillmanPit]

I'd expand the era to 1998 to 2012 the time when there were already huge budgets, but yet not quite the way to monetize them optimally. So instead they competed on merit.

[@lopezlirio4004]

2015 - Arkham Knight, the Witcher 3, Mad Max and Fallout 4

[@Syrian-guy]

I cant say that dark messiah is an rpg...

[@mikulusaurus]

I stayed up until 3am playing Oblivion last night, no modern game can keep me as invested.

[@mr1357989]

I love all of these games, Dark messiah might and magic still has really yet to be dethroned as the best first person melee combat for n RPG, Darktide is about the only game to have better first person melee combat but that isnt an RPG and the OST of gothic 3 is probably one of the best video game soundtracks ever made So glad you are bringing more visibility of the Gothic series to the video gaming world, the gothic series is my favorite series of all time and for so many years i would tell people that was my favorite game and they had no idea what it even was, glad to see more and more people are realizing how good it is

[@Flickydicky]

96-06 were my favorite era of RPG's! Diablo, Morrowind, Oblivion, Baldurs Gate, Vampire Masquerade Redemption, Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Nights, Diablo 2, and list goes on, some of my fav games!

[@lycanlube7484]

The golden age started in the 90s into the late 2000s not just those 3 years.

[@PaStef37]

Thanks for this video man, this goes straight to the heart... Sacred 2, Witcher 1, Dark Messiah, Titan Quest, Fallout & NV, Risen... Those games are very special to me too. Those I didn't complete back in the day I replayed later. And Risen is one the rare games I played thoroughly twice. I agree with the vibrant colors style, I tend to like that more too, especially nowadays after more than a decade of grimdark titles in the trail of Dark Souls. Witcher 1 had that vibe where you would really get immersed into the everyday life of a witcher, more than the others imo. Sacred 2 I'd like to replay again, but it had a memory leak problem that would make the game freeze on some modern setups, is it still the case? Dark Messiah has a uniquely fun gameplay more 1st person games should draw from. Too short but so good. If Titan Quest had a proper endgame, I would still be playing it. Grimdawn is great but yeah, I prefer TQ setting and color palette... Can't wait for Titan Quest 2! And you finally succeded at putting in my head to retry Gothic 3 ;-) As for the favorite era, I don't really have one, I think there was great stuff at all time. And nowadays with all the games releasing all the time, we're pretty sure to always find something that suits us somehow.

[@bwellington3001]

I love Neverwinter Nights a lot, it's funny but i never actually finished the story - mainly because for a DnD based title it played like a glorified ARPG, there werent really much of a story, characters and interesting side quests.. but instead i spent many hours online on custom lore friendly server. What's still amazing even without remastered edition, after 22 years it's user interface and overall controls are probably THE BEST ever created for a game like that. And the special effects from magic spells were soooo ahead of it's time it's insane. Even though NWN2 used more modern engine, it was never nearly as comfortable to play as the original game, but with NWN2 i actually finished the story and online never got that popular - so the other way around. It was a proper story RPG with party full of characters instead of carrying around a single side kick with few lines of dialogue each chapter..

[@ДмитрийБотух]

The only good official NWN 1 campaign was Hordes of the Underdark. It had a massive amount of amazing player-made modules like Aielund Saga or Bastard of Kosigan.

[@manoftherainshorts9075]

It's a golden era of Action-RPGs. Actual RPGs were nonexistent during that time.

[@marcomongke3116]

I wish my man play Overlord games someday. They are short and simple compared to big RPGs but they had so much potential, fun and captured the nostalgia of the era.

[@Geluchi88]

Excellent work. I definitely agree with you, that age was golden for rpgs. As it was this year between Baldurs Gate 3 and Dragon's Dogma 2. We are so lucky

[@gergokerekes4550]

yeah, gothic 3 was my game when I was young. bought it cheap, ran on my mediogre pc fine. it has been praised all over but 1 thing I found rarely mentioned but it left a major mark on me. I love deserts in video games. They are the perfect spot to showcase your map+level design skills. in G3 it is empty, but not, the things there have reason to be there not just "stuff to fill the space" but also leaves room for you to feel that the desert is a bleak space but not without reason. its people are also not just "man but in desert clothes" they have their own themes and are connected to the main story in a non-direct way.

[@billygilmusic5072]

Although being made before 2006, Arx Fatalis for PC is still my favorite RPG of all time. Such an underrated gem.

[@Korn1holio]

not to mention a true successor to Ultima Underworld series that were never replicated since.

[@Soonjai]

8:45 Saying that Gothic 3 had plenty of technical issues and bugs is really underselling it. I bought the German version on release day back then and I remember having to download a updated Installer for the game because the one they shipped on the disc didn´t work correctly. And then I had a progression breaking bug maybe 30 Minutes into the game. After getting send to the beach and going back to the down the character that´s supposed to give you the quest to find that wizzard guy wasn´t in the town anymore. I couldn´t start the main quest of the game.

[@bwellington3001]

I didnt have internet back in a day, so i didnt even knew i needed System Pack for windows XP to even run it x_x.

Love your chanel. Have you tried ATOM RPG? As an isometric post apocaliptic RPG it is awesome. Like Fallout 2 were back in its time.

[@RLC58]

second and third mass effect games were absolutely amazing, you should definitely try them

[@bloodrunsclear]

I got started with the original Boulder's Gate, and I'm still hugely fond of all things RPG :)

[@chinezut1942]

My favorite years are 99-2002 with games like Revenant,Planescape Torment,Nox,Summoner,Icewind Dale ,Baldur's Gate II,Vampire: The Masquerade ,Diablo 2,Gothic I,Arcanum,Anachronox ,Dungeon Siege,Divine Divinity,Gothic II

[@Mr9TalesFox]

In 2006-2009 video game companies made games. Now video game companies make product.

[@FunkyPunk1995]

The witcher 1 looks beautiful and i love the atmosphere. I always go back ans forth between if i like 1 or 2 more. While i can agree 3 is the best, its my least favorite. I feel like the series didn’t need to go open world. I feel like theres no reason to go open world if you dont have a huge emphasis on exploration. In 3 theres no reason to explore any place you dont have a quest for because all cool and meaningful locations have nothing of value until you get a quest for that location and that sucks.

[@chrisrawr6177]

Indeed i mean for 3 i got 200 hours out if it but never have had the desire to ever play it again meanwhile the first witcher i only have 180 hours in with somewhere around half a dozen playthoughs and yet still will go back and play it again.

[@marbl3d45]

Hard disagree bruh

[@FeoXD]

Yup, golden times. And Dragon Age Origins is goated

[@tomongchangco4345]

Surprisingly, I'm replaying Gothic 3 but this time, with the community patch. Such an amazing RPG.

[@Korn1holio]

I love it too. Strange that it got bashed so much.

[@labdG]

Hi. I have a suggestion for an obscure RPG you can check out. Jade Empire. Don't know if you've heard of it or played it. It is a Bioware game that does not get very much attention. It is an early attempt from Bioware to make a more action focused game with lighter RPG mechanics. I love it and really want a remake or spiritual successor to it because it does many things I love. The combat is focused on styles that are like simple martial arts movesets. You collect styles and can switch between them during combat. The combat can feel very janky but it can get better as you collect more styles and find ones that work better for you. Really nice video BTW. My first RPGs were Two Worlds, then Oblivion, then Gothic 3, and then The Witcher. So this feels quite relatable to me. :D

[@ambruskevi3489]

Are you planning to make a "Chronicles of Myrtana - Archolos" vid? As a serious Gothic-enjoyer I would expect it from you, I've been looking forward to it since it came out.

[@grymmjack]

Dark Messiah of M&M is one of my all time favorites. Such an under-rated gem IMO. Did you try Might & Magic X yet, @C4G ? It's a grid based one like grimlock but it's not bad either. I had fun once I got the hang of it. In your video of Gothic 3 did you get the game from Steam? I can't seem to ever get those working. It took a long time to get Gothic 2 to work I had lots of crap to do to make it happen.

[@viatka1966]

This was such a welcome trip down the memory lane

[@samflood5631]

Are you going to do similar videos such as RPGs during the 90s, RPGs from 2000-2005, RPGs from 2011-2014, RPGs from 2015-2019 and RPGs during the 2020s.

[@suxdonti]

I spent hours finding this video after my KZbin refreshed and I couldn’t save it.

[@grobgron9391]

Kako se vidi u akcentu da si naš

[@TrollDragomir]

1999 - 2003 for me. Vampire - The Masquerade: Bloodlines, Fallout 1 and 2, Arcanum, Planescape: Torment, Baldur's Gate, Morrowind, Gothic 1 and 2, and a few others are my favourites and their masterful athmopheres and elegant gameplay ideas were never quite replicated.

[@arnaldodaniel1804]

From 1997 (Fallout 1) to 2010... with some sporadric titles like Atom RPG, Pillar of Eternity, etc... Literally having a good RPG this days is almost imposible

[@everx7]

I like Shining force EXA and NEO, i think those are quite enjoyable fun action rpgs on PS2. Give it a go, 2005 and 2007 one or the other. YS series especially like from VI and up. Hellgate London. Fable Fable 2. Divinity 2. FATE games, i mean, they are bordering childish but still its essentially prequels to Torchlight. In a way. Lots a of similarities. Well many, i dont know, to me felt quite like that but upgraded, more mature. I mean Torchlight. Theres lot of good RPGs, not all are easily defined. For example Dark Cloud. More then anything its action RPG, but hm u know with building up villages :). Anyway lot of fun i think. Drakan The Ancients' Gates its from 2002 but i like it more then the original from i think 1999. Dont get me wrong first one is i think still great. But that added RPG ness in the sequel, is well a big bonus for me. Also the combat essentially stayed the same. But updated graphics etc. Also 3yrs even if personal choice etc. is i think too damn short. But thats just me. Anyway i gave u tips for a new video about some RPGs hidden gems etc. Those EXA and NEO. Go for it. or YS. Or like Ember. I think that one is a hidden gem. Dont think many know about it. Its not like the best game of the planet, but for some reason i love it.

[@tj-co9go]

For me the Golden Era last till 2011, when Skyrim was released. Hard to say about the beginning but maybe from Morrowind onwards? So about 2001. The games before that are too rudimentary and simple in graphics to appeal to me, although somecan argue that they are more sophisticated than modern games. During this time there was (apart from Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim) also Fallout New Vegas and a few games you mention in the video. WoW and Runescape of course tho I never played them, and LotrO There have been a few interesting games after 2011 though, like KingdomComeDeliverance (I love it) and Witcher3 (meh, okay, but storyline and dialogue is good). But not perhaps so many at once all the time.

[@garchomowner]

Around 1997- 2004 is my favorite between fallout, baldurs gate, planescape torment, gothic 1&2 and ps1 / ps2 era jrpgs, it was such a fond time. After that 2015 upward until today i think we are seeing some of the best RPGs ever made since early 2000s. You just have to look past AAA bullshit. Underrail, age of decadence, disco elysium, pathfinder, etc. There are few diamonds in the AAA space too baldur's gate 3 and kingdom come deliverance.

[@nikolagajic7522]

Oblivion is beter then Skyrim . Dragon age Origins is beter then Dragon age 2 or DA Inqusition . Mass Efect 1 is the best ME as a RPG for me . KOTOR is just ... perfect .. I dont know what is hapening to gaming today . I newer finish Fallout 4 , but i played Fallout 3 and NW for 1000 + hours . Am a gamer all my life , I give two months salary to buy a new pc , and ... i play old 10,15y games now in 1080p if i can get them to work on Windows 10 .

[@ISHESUAPLEYADES]

There was another game on those days, I think it was made in Spain, called Lionheart, which was a really great game too.

[@ДмитрийБотух]

When you decide to play Neverwinter Nights - remember that 1st game was mostly known for its amazing mod tools and great amounts of user-made stories for it. Base game was kinda whatever. Hordes of Underdark was great though. NWN 2 was a completely different beast. Amazing story, memorable companions, everything Obsidian is known and loved for. Terrible overcomplicated mod tools though, so NWN 2 modding scene never really took off. Mass Effect 2 basically retconned and ignored all of ME1 plot hooks and it was a huge disappointment for me. Also straight corridor locations with no exploration allowed. Demon Souls might be the game that created the hype - but it didn't invent soulslike formula. It was very heavily inspired by Severance: Blade of Darkness.

[@RealSkelzore]

It's because they weren't just action rpgs, yet. They were RPGS. Character crafting and roleplaying were the focus. That's starting to come back a bit, thankfully.

[@relhimp]

This years RPGs moved from PC to Consoles. This is worst what could've happen. Except games being made for "modern audience" maybe.

[@burningsheep4473]

I just went back to Titan Quest a few days ago to finish off one or two of my old characters that I abandoned in 2017 after playing it hundreds of hours. Dawn of Magic is also worth mentioning, even though it's basically abandonware. In tone and looks it's somewhat close to games like TQ and Sacred 2 and its large (but full of empty buildings) cities are very much culturally inspired and way too big similar to Sacred 2. It doesn't look as sharp as either of those games and the world itself is more of an ARPG killing sandox, but it still manages to stand apart with its unique magic-combo system. I have almost as much time on it as TQ. ARPGs are just much more easily replayable than huge RPGs.

[@drafer100]

I got a trilogy of 2009 favorites. Risen, Divinity 2 and Fable 2. All on Xbox 360 I know but the ports aren't as bad as you say and now you can play them in better quality on Series X (retrocompatibility for the win)

[@peacefusion]

I don't see why lots of gamers have to pick on loading screens, especially against Bethesda. Compared to popular open worlds with laughable interiors, or having merchants forever outside. At least with Oblivion and Skyrim there's a blend of both. Far more than most games bother. Yeah Gothic had interiors, but it tanked the performance. Witcher 3 had interiors, but only in some areas. Gta5? Lol. Cyberpunk, some interiors with loading screen elevators. Elden Ring? It's mostly outside except for Legacy dungeons. Loading screens have never been an issue when its done well. They bring in way more content to open worlds. In fact, the biggest thing I crave when I play an open world is to be able to enter a building. Not just a selected few. Loading screens provide that while making interiors way more detailed. Huge games with open interiors is only possible in MMO servers where you don't have to host the power needed to run that. People play with Loading screen games ALL the time, but unite against Bethesda for some cherry picking reason.

[@alyssabrown3145]

I love the 2005-2009 era of games! Looking back on them now yeah they are distinctively janky with facial animations but there is just something great about it too.

[@vladdracul5072]

Easy: my favourite era of RPGs (and games in general) is from about the late 1980s to 2024 and onwards. There always have been and always will be good and bad games in any era, depending exclusively on the personal opinions of the gamers enjoying or hating them. By the way, I have played all of the games mentioned in this video and enjoyed every one of them while I was playing them, but that doesn't make me break down in tears when I think of them today. If I want to play any of them again, which frequently happens, I do so.

[@DodoJacket]

Gothic, Risen, Arx Fatalis, Dark Messiah, Elder Scrolls all really hard hitting Aside from Dark Messiah the others hit the open world exploration right. German RPGs at this time were really good. Germans shot out one last good one Kingdom Come Deliverance 2018 more closer to today with improved graphics. Had the same cadence as Gothic and Risen but also introduced historical realism into it.

[@danskeeloNotHacked]

I still go back and play Origins every other year. It was just fantastic

[@personalgao]

Hey I love what you're doing with your channel. Really good content. Revisiting these games It's a different thing today on 2024 and we appreciate the games in a unique way. We should remember these games with their pros and cons. And this is what you are doing with these videos. Thank you. Really Enjoying your channel.

[@nokronis]

I REALLY loved the colors in old games. There are some games I dont like playing just because the colors feel too faded, like ESO and FFXIV. Also, for the record, you can have a dark colored game that still has amazing colors!

[@adrianmartinez-lq5he]

From 95 to 2011 was the golden era of videogames For western rpg was 2005 to 2011 thoes six years where the combination of previous ideas executed whit creativity and not formulaic gameplay