The 50 Best RPGs Of All Time

24 – Baldur’s Gate

Developer: BioWare

Initial Release Date: December 21, 1998

Why it’s one of the best RPGs: Baldur’s Gate was released back in 1998. It’s so age-defying in its excellence that we’re still getting updates on the remake. We just can’t seem to stop playing and loving the original Baldur’s Gate. It’s the game that brought back the computer RPG genre after several years of it being relegated to consoles. You control your customized protagonist over seven chapters, within which you can freely explore the world, grow stronger, recruit allies, and tackle over a hundred different sidequests. The game includes its own time system, where shopkeepers operate on schedules and your party grows weary after journeying for too long, and must rest.

Baldur’s Gate may be heavy on the dialogue, but it has quite a story to tell. The Sword Coast of the land of Faerun is going through some tough times. After your mentor, Gorion, is attacked and killed by a group of bandits, you and your friend Imoen must uncover the nature of the attack and, in the process, help both the Sword Coast and the world overcome the difficulties troubling them. The story’s detail and BioWare’s willingness to continue adding to it nearly two decades down the road remain a testament to the game’s greatness. Baldur’s Gate remains one of the most influential and timeless RPGs to date.

Next: 23 - Pokemon Red and Blue