SYSTEM WARS VOTES- The Greatest Western RPG of All Time Is...

Western role playing games have never been as popular as they are now. Thanks to the popularity of Bioware’s Mass Effect, and crucially, Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, western RPGs are all the rage these days. The genre continues to grow more popular by the day, taking the age old sensibilities of cRPGs, and making them more widely accessible than ever before.

I asked you which western role playing game was the greatest of all time, and I got so many answers. Over 80 votes were counted, nominating a total of 50 games- but in spite of this staggering variety, there were ten games that rose above the rest, ten games that managed to stand out, in System Wars' collective opinion, as the ten best outings this genre has ever had.

We're going to get around to seeing what the Top 10 WRPGs of all time are, as voted by you, but first, let's go through some fun statistics:

• MOST VOTED WRPG DEVELOPER: BioWare, with 10 games nominated; Bethesda came in second with 5 games each.
• MOST VOTED WRPG SERIES: Fallout, with 5 games nominated; Mass Effect, Dragon Age, The Witcher, The Elder Scrolls and Ultima were joint second, with 3 games each in the ballot.

Alright, with that out of the way, let’s start listing the winners:

10. SYSTEM SHOCK 2- 205 POINTS (IRRATIONAL GAMES | PC, Mac, Linux)

Ken Levine’s original masterpiece is a landmark of atmosphere, storytelling, and a fusion of narrative with gameplay. Oh, and it also gave us Shodan.

9. DEUS EX- 270 POINTS (ION STORM | PC, Mac, PlayStation 2)

The original Deus Ex may not have aged as well as some of the other games on this list, but its impact has hardly diminished. With mods, Deus Ex still remains a compelling proposition.

8. DEUS EX: HUMAN REVOLUTION- 275 POINTS (EIDOS MONTREAL | PC, Mac, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U)

The Deus Ex series made a much awaited comeback, 8 years after the release of Deus Ex: Invisible War, and what a comeback it was. Deus Ex: Human Revolution perfectly translated everything that made the first Deus Ex title so good to the contemporary gaming landscape perfectly, boasting of strengths such as engaging stealth gameplay, a great story based on a strong choice and consequence system and a visual pallet that added a whole lot to the game’s atmosphere and storytelling flair.

7. FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS- 295 POINTS (OBSIDIAN ENTERTAINMENT | PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)

Obsidian’s take on the Fallout mythos brought the series back to the studio that had birthed it in the first place. Fallout: New Vegas was Fallout 3, but better, featuring higher quality quests and smarter writing. Combine that with the series’ innate charm and sense of style, as well as the moribund atmosphere it weaves, and Fallout: New Vegas is quite possibly the best outing the series has had yet.

6. BALDUR'S GATE II: SHADOWS OF AMN- 425 POINTS (BIOWARE | PC, Mac, Linux)

Considered by many to be BioWare’s magnum opus, Baldur’s Gate 2 was a revelation. It took the original Baldur’s Gate, and went bigger and better in every way. BioWare’s take on the Dungeons and Dragons mythos inspired an entire generation of RPGs- and multiple, highly regarded future RPGs would go on to take their cues, and pick up from where Baldur’s Gate left off.

5. THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM- 480 POINTS (BETHESDA | PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim saw Bethesda’s long running franchise explode onto the mainstream with panache. The newest entry in the franchise presented players with a gorgeous open world, an impossible amount of things to do, and a sandbox that presented so many possibilities for emergent gameplay. Players were thrown into a world, and allowed to forge their own stories, and go off the beaten path in the process. Skyrim used this allure of a medieval open world to wrap up quite possibly the best instance of mechanical depth married with accessibility- and that, above all, along with mods, and the community that sprang up around them, is the reason for the game’s enduring success.

4. STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC- 580 POINTS (BIOWARE | PC, Mac, Xbox, iOS, Android)

BioWare took one good look at what they had achieved with Baldur’s Gate and Baldur’s Gate II, and then they decided to translate all of that into a galaxy far, far away. Knights of the Old Republic took players farther back in time in the Star Wars timeline than any game had taken them yet, and wove a compelling, morally ambiguous narrative that kept players on the tenterhooks, while also putting them in charge of how the story unfolded. Combine all of this with the addictive Dungeons and Dragons style combat that BioWare was so well known for at the time, and you have one hell of a classic game on your hands.

3. PLANESCAPE: TORMENT- 800 POINTS (BLACK ISLE STUDIOS | PC, Mac, Linux)

There has probably never been a western RPG as widely beloved and acclaimed as Planescape: Torment. Black Isle’s classic role playing game follows the odyssey of The Nameless One, and delivers one of the most powerful and quintessential experiences of the genre of all time. Planescape: Torment picked up from where BioWare’s Baldur’s Gate had left off, and drew players in with what has often been considered the best example of writing and storytelling in a video game. Planescape: Torment holds up to this day, and for many players looking to get into the genre and experience its heyday, remains the best recommendation.

2. MASS EFFECT 2- 880 POINTS (BIOWARE | PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)

BioWare’s most acclaimed and most popular game of all time, Mass Effect 2 was an answer to a question that many had asked, but few had been able to answer properly- just how could the roleplaying game continue to remain relevant in a society with increasingly shorter attention spans? How could game storytelling continue to evolve, and leverage the strengths of the medium uniquely? BioWare answered those questions with aplomb, and delivered one of the best games ever made in the process. The best entry in the Mass Effect saga saw Commander Shepard’s resurrection, and his attempt to recruit a force that would be able to stem the growing Reaper threat- now taking the form of the Collectors, headed by Harbinger. Every single choice, no matter how trivial, came together in the game’s breathtaking finale, the Suicide Mission, to deliver the most powerful conclusion in a game yet. Mass Effect 2 was a monumental achievement, and one of this medium’s best showings yet.

AND THE GREATEST WRPG OF ALL TIME, AS VOTED BY SYSTEM WARS, IS...

1. THE WITCHER III: WILD HUNT- 1065 POINTS (CD PROJEKT RED | PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4)

CD Projekt RED finally realized their vision for Geralt’s story with The Witcher 3, which may well be the greatest modern translation of the classic cRPG yet. The Witcher III: Wild Hunt plunges players into a dark world, torn by war, where every action has a consequence, and there is no good or evil- only shades of grey in between. Featuring incredible writing, and some of the best examples of quests we have in video games yet, The Witcher 3 is a landmark for not just the story it tells, but also for how it tells it. The game’s harsh open world, which adds to its strengths, and fleshes out its narrative prowess in a way that open world games have rarely been able to do so far, gorgeous graphics, its incredibly flawed characters that we still couldn’t help but love, and its sheer depth all come together to craft one of the most powerfully affecting games yet.

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That's all, folks! These are the Top 10 WRPGs of all time, as voted by System Wars- thanks for participating in the poll!

Tune in tomorrow for the face-off between the best voted WPRG and the best voted JRPG- The Witcher 3 and Chrono Trigger respectively- to determine System Wars' all-time greatest Role Playing Game in an all new thread (CONTEST IS UP- VOTE HERE).

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Special thanks to @charizard1605 for help with the write-ups and more
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RESERVED

Thw Witcher 3 won? Ell oh friggin' ell.

I mean, don't get me wrong, I really like The Witcher 3, but there is some major honeymoon period shit going on in here if it managed to beat out heavyweights like Knights of the Old Republic and Planescape.

Spot on.

The Witcher 3 is one of my all-time favourites, but even I, with all my bias, know that there's no way it's the greatest WRPG of all time.

KoToR is still the best.

The #1 pick (lol) notwithstanding, this is a far better list than the one we got for JRPGs, that list was trash, it had two Souls games, four Final Fantasy games- that's over half the slots taken. This list has two Deus Ex games, which is whatever, but it hits all the other classics, and generally presents a far more varied lineup.

What are you reserving?

The witcher 3 is good and all, but I would be lying if I said I'm starting to feel some fatigue from it being mentioned all the time

Is it Awards already? Sorry thought of it as another Nomination thread lol

Yeah, this is the winners list of the WRPG contest.

Glad The Witcher 3 won :)

What the f*ck is wrong with you people?

I'm very sad that Mass Effect 2 didn't win this ;__;

Cool list ! Thanks for the effort.

Well, let's be honest ...TW3 being number one has got sth to do with it being new... it's my second fav game of all time (ME2 first) but .... best WPRG of all time? dunno.

F**k seems like my vote wasnt counted because i only voted for Mass Effect.. now that is one BS reasoning i completely forgot to check that thread again to check your reply but gotta say that is one bs reasoning since ME is about the only western RPG i've played

What's the list?

It's not BS reasoning, the rules were outlined very clearly, and you've participated in enough of these contests to know that one nomination posts are not counted -_-

Here it is.

But when it comes to WRPG's i can literally count one and that is Mass Effect.. got no other game to name -_-

anyways congrats to witcher 3 not like it hasnt won enough awards already lol

Did anybody else vote for Neverwinter Nights or am I alone again :3

Very solid top5. Although I'd put Baldur's Gate 2 there over Skyrim.

I'm still playing The Witcher 3 and although I don't think any game will ever surpass Mass Effect 2 for me, it's impossible no to be impressed by what CD Projekt Red accomplished with their game. Mass Effect: Andromeda will have to deliver a lot.

You were the only one who voted for it, once again. Lol

Your vote wasn't counted because you only listed one game. I even replied to you to tell you that I wouldn't be able to count your vote unless you nominated three games.

Thanks!

Yeah, I agree with you about The Witcher 3 (also, our top 2 is very similar :P). I have a very strong feeling if a similar contest was conducted like a year or two years from now, Witcher 3 would not figure as strongly as it has done right now. Not saying it isn't a great game, it's hard not to be impressed with what CDPR have accomplished, but I'm pretty sure that the honeymoon period is at work here.

The Witcher 3 is a masterpiece and everyone knows I'm huge fan of the series (made a hype thread for Witcher 3), but I think a lot of newbies voted here, who never played most of other games on the list. And I highly doubt that most who voted for Witcher 3 even played first game in the franchise.

Even if you take those elements out of the equation, I think merely the fact that TW3 is new and exciting has a lot to do with why the game's #1 here. Honeymoon period.

Yeah, I agree.

Yeah :D

That's it.

Well, you're right.

That applies to me too :D

Good list. There isn't really a game on this list I can't say is bad. All of the Mass Effect games were good. Elders Scorlls 5 was a good game but I have a sneaking suspicion that ES4 should have been the ES game on the list. Bauldur Gate 2 is an undisputed great game. Yeah I really have no complaints about this list. And even though Witcher 3 just came out was a darn near flawless game.

You should play Witcher 1. It's fantastic game.

So,since TW3 only won because its new and ME2 is a shooter so its automatically disqualified,I guess Planescape won.
All is as it should be.

Now there´s some serious mental gymnastics for ya :p

Good list. Witcher 2, 3 and Mass Effect 2 are among my top 5 all time favourite rpg's. And yes I played every single game from that list except for planetscape torment. Just because a game is old, it isn't automatically better. For instance I replayed kotor recently and while I loved the game 12 years ago when I played it for the first time, I couldn't finish it this time due to all the flaws the game has. If people say the "honeymoon phase" is responsible for witcher winning the voting, they shouldn't forget to mention the nostalgia factor regarding many older games.

As opposed to your favourite game, the RPG System Shock 2 >.<

The Witcher 3 is the best WRPG of all time? really people? ... really....

more like you've forgotten what you've played in the past.

Mass Effect 2 the second-best WRPG of all time, over Planescape: Torment, Baldur's Gate II, Fallout: New Vegas, KotOR, Deus Ex and System Shock 2?

Goddamn people, did you start gaming last generation?

Have you played SS2?

No honorable mentions? I'm interested to see how other games scored with votes

Hahahaha. Mass effect 2 is number 2? Seeing the results makes it very easy to understand why gaming is such a pile of garbage nowadays.

You never played SS2 have you? ;_;

Also,SS2 isn´t even my favourite game,wich is also on this list.

Edit: And don´t just give credit to Irrational for SS2 you dumb ho,it was co-developed with the far superior dev,Looking Glass Studios. >.>

@foxhound_fox: just looking to grind arach's gears :p

Disagree, the production values make it in the top 3 games ever created, definitely the top RPG at the moment. KOTOR and Planescape were awsome, but with Witcher 3 out there I couldn't force myself to play those old games with their mechanics. Witcher 3's overall package is unrivaled. Good story, good gameplay (people bitch about combat and movement but there is a lot of variation to the settings without mods), good graphics, good music, good dialogue, good characters.

Planescape was a great story, but everything else considered is not as fun of an experience for me anymore. I tried both planescape and BG 2 recently, they aged poorly because the gameplay is so cumbersome.

Remakes of Planescape and Baldurs Gate in a fully 3d 3rd person game would be amazing. World design in those games were similar to Witcher 3, everything had something interesting, there was no real wasted space. I would like to see more mysteries like in Planescape, that made it a very memorable game. The way everything was confusing made it so interesting.

Planescape is indeed lackluster in everything else. In many ways it's more like a book than a game. Baldur's Gate 2 however, I played it for the first time recently and I was impressed how much I liked the gameplay. It's tactical but very fast paced.

If this competition had taken place a year or two from now and TW3 had still managed to top it, its placement on the list would have been a lot more credible then. People haven't had enough time to digest it and its qualities in context of what's come before in the genre yet.

I absolutely love TW3, it's definitely one of my favourite games of all time, but I don't think it's appropriate to call it the outright greatest WRPG of all time.

Well, seeing as the games are placed on the list on the basis of the points they accumulated over the voting process, it was tough to write down honourable mentions, since there was nothing concrete to measure games by outside the top 10. If you want to know about any games in particular, you can ask about them and I'd be happy to tell you how many points they garnered.

Lmao I was about to commend SW on not having shitty taste for once then I got to the number one game. Lmfao, the honeymoon period is strong yo.

@khoofia_pika: just proves I have superior taste to everyone XD

Well deserved.

That's one way to look at it :p

I bet I wouldn't have seen you complain if shit like Fallout 4 had topped this :p

On the contrary.

And he would have been the only one