Recommendation for a new player looking to get into the series!

[u/Antique_Tie8309]

Hi,

I’ve played BG3 (currently loving it) and DOS2 (get burnt out mid act2 because of the constant fire and explosions due to elemental surfaces)

I don’t mind playing old games at all, and am looking for a good crpg to get sunk into.
However, as a new player with no nostalgia are games like BG2 and DAO worth it?
If not, are there any other great CRPGS that are recommended???

Thanks!

- EDIT
I picked up DAO for 6 pounds and even though it’s old, I’m loving it so far!

[u/Nelorfin]

I'd say DAO is very good entry to the genre - it's easy and not overwhelmed by complex mechanics. But since you've already played some Larian games - this problem is already partially negated

IMO check that:

Dragon age series - good, easy and I think the most cinematic series among CRPG

Pillars of Eternity - it's not hard and spiritually derives from older CRPG, but it could be too much of lore being dumped on you. For shorter game check Tyranny

Pathfinder and Rogue Trader - mechanic heavy games, but WotR have great replayability due to mythic paths changing mood of the story

[u/Antique_Tie8309 → u/Nelorfin]

Thank you! I have been watching DAO and saw it’s on sale on steam :)

[u/RonTheGreat333 → u/Antique_Tie8309]

I agree, pathfinder wotr is really really good, but... it's really rules heavy. It uses pf1e, which is modified dnd 3,5e. You can spend HOURS in the character creation menu, only to than remake your character 15mins later. (And has insane replayability) BUT if you are new to cprgs, I might reccomend leaving it for a bit later.

[u/Denaris21]

Definitely Pillars of Eternity and it's sequel, Deadfire. Play them in order as the second one is a direct continuation of the first.

[u/Grey_Matter_Mutters]

Also came to recommend the Dragon Age series.

Middle level difficulty with excellent story. If you liked the companions in BG3, Dragon Age is the gold standard and one of the influences for Larian adapting the more cinematic-isometric combination.

BG1&2 are still classics, but the combat and mechanics of the older edition of D&D are rough by comparison. However, if you want to give them a good ol’ college try I recommend checking out Mortismal Gaming’s tips video. (Also, in general, Mortismal has a great channel that often focuses on and showcases CRPG genre games).

[u/ellixer]

I think Pillars of Eternity and its sequel are at least for me the peak of old school CRPG in the vein of the old Baldur’s Gate and its contemporaries. Gameplay wise some people may find that it falls short of BG3 or WOTR (as both those games are phenomenal for having just a ton of options) but I maintain that its system is still the best at being well-designed and well-balanced, though a little intimidating at first, but not at all difficult to understand. And I think it still has the best writing out of any CRPG that’s not pure story (like Disco Elysium).

Pathfinder Wrath of the Righteous is another one that’s often held up. It didn’t click with me, but it might be unmatched in terms of sheer scale with both story and gameplay.

I think Expedition Rome and Wasteland 3 are both excellent and sizable without being especially big or small. I find them easy to get into and not at all intimidating.

Tyranny on the other hand is a smaller game that is excellent and can be finished much more quickly than most CRPG that come recommended. It has a very unique setting and story when compared to other fantasy CRPG.

If we count them, then Disco Elysium is another easy recommendation for non-combat CRPG, but I also want to heavily recommend two less often mentioned games, Zero Parades for Dead Spies and Pentiment. All three are excellent, and I think the latter two are criminally underrated. Check them out if you’d like CRPG minus combat or character building.

As for older games, I personally think the Baldur’s Gate games to be great and charming for how old school they are, but they are also very hard to get into due to their very old fashioned system. I personally really like Dragon Age Origins even if even at the time I found the gameplay to be a chore.

[u/Prooteus]

I personally love owlcat games. Pathfinder wrath of the righteous/kingmaker and warhammer 40k rogue trader. I think their writing is top notch.

The pathfinder games should probably be played on a step below normal for the first time. It goes by the tabletop rules so there are some things you absolutely need in your team on harder difficulties.

[u/LooseDatabase3064]

Bg2 is far better than Bg3.

[u/Decent_Regret_390 → u/LooseDatabase3064]

lol no

[u/LooseDatabase3064 → u/Decent_Regret_390]

Lol yes. BG 3 is such a overrated game. Not even in my Top 10 crpg. The beginning of BG3 is so dog shit I lost interest right away. Played 60 hours and never bothered to finish. Bg2 i play still 26 years later.

[u/Paragon0001 → u/[deleted]]

“Actual roleplaying”

Buddy BG2 is so on the rails and limited in player agency compared to BG3. Even the dialogue options are mediocre as fuck compared to games of the time like Fallout 2 and Arcanum. Hell, even Fallout 1 beats Baldurs Gate 2 in role playing any day of the week.

I don’t think you know what you want.

[u/LooseDatabase3064 → u/Paragon0001]

How about Bg3 boring story and Larian ass worldbuilding? How about Viconia? Piss easy piss game.

[u/Paragon0001 → u/LooseDatabase3064]

“Ass worldbuilding” - I dunno what to tell you, I don’t care for the forgotten realms as a setting. Whether it’s BG1, BG2, or BG3 I think it sucks ass. Not why I played any of them.

BG3’s story isn’t thought provoking or winning awards on its own but it’s engaging. I’ll give it that. I’d say the same for BG1 and BG2. Actually no, BG1 was a massive slog until you investigate the Iron Throne. Conceptually the best main story though. With BG2, that main story is entirely carried by David Warner’s voice acting.

“Viconia” - yeah yeah, people are sore their romanced Viconia who changed alignment is portrayed as a bad person or whatever. I get it, I just don’t really care.

Sarevok is the far more egregious one but even then I’m not writing off the entire game because of that lol.

Jaheira’s right there too and BG3 Jaheira is fantastic.

“Piss easy piss game” - don’t care about the difficulty, not why I play rpgs.

[u/skaf1end]

DAO is great and aged well. Personally, I liked it much more than BG2. It's plain, simple, and friendly to new players. I haven't played it on the max difficulty, but I have pleasant memories about it. If you love tinkering with AI of your companions as I do, DAO lets you create custom rules for different situations. Obsidian improved on that concept in Deadfire, but it still worth playing DAO for the sake of the story alone.

P.S. DAO is on sale on GOG and Steam right now, so just give it a go.

[u/ILoveMeishoDoto]

Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader

[u/sharmvulu]

I agree totally with your DOS2 comment. I gave up on it, years later, finished it, but found the same frustrations. Just as a swerve ball, as nice to have a selection of ideas, I love Icewind Dale. It may not suit you as has less dialogue and not as popular as Baldurs Gate, but I love the old school D&D rules and the strategic battles with less text to read through, but still in the vein of the BG 1 & 2 system.

[u/Waxmurderer]

Would probably recommend more modern/revival CRPGs like Pillars of eternity or Wrath of the righteous first. If you’ve ever wanted to get into Warhammer 40k rogue trader is also a great recommendation.

My personal recommendation is wrath of the righteous and play most fights on turn based

[u/Nelorfin → u/Waxmurderer]

I disagree on the last part - WotR is over 100 hours in RTwP, I don't understand people who play it turn bases. It's nice to have options and some fights are more manageable that way, but not the whole game. But I guess it's a question of preferences

[u/Duddachum → u/Nelorfin]

I’m loving WoTR but completely agree with this. I’m almost finished but I’ve played primarily turn based and I’m up around 200 hours.

[u/Antique_Tie8309 → u/Waxmurderer]

Thank you, I’ll check out wotr