All the Bioware infinity engine games are brilliant.
Baldur's gate 1 was my first PC RPG. Was excellent in it's own right, but was really great because of what it established, and left open for the second installment.
Baldur’s gate 2:SoA is my all-time favorite game. I must have wasted hours playing this in 2000-2001. Huge world - really, REALLY good voice acting and characters. It's excellent to have npc's that aren't generic like in Morrowind, for example. The gameplay was great, it was just pure fun to experience the different classes, and quests, as well as finishing a really challenging battle, which was immensely satisfying in it's own right. I think the last time I played this game I went from BG1 with a character right up to finishing Throne of Bhaal, finishing every quest I could find. Took me about a month of playing for 5+ hours a day(I really didn't have much to do in those days
.) The expansion, throne of Bhall, was also great and lengthy enough to be considered so, for an expansion. All in all, I LOVE this game.
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Planescape:Torment was awesome in a sense that it was very much an individual amongst its counterparts. The setting allowed for a lot of weird and wonderful things to explore and experience. The story in this game was half of it's appeal, there was a lot less fighting and a lot more dialogue, which may or may not appeal to those of different temperament, but I personally loved it. Characters had their own dramatic back-stories, and the game focused on this storybook element in length. And while you did have less freedom with the protagonist (referred to as "the nameless one"), it still sucked you in on a personal level, really feeling for these characters. The game seems shorter than BG1 & 2, but it still is a worthwhile experience. Definitely one of the best stories in a game, ever. Check it out if you get the chance.
The Icewind Dale series is good fun also, if not as good as BG1&2.
I agree that NWN had it's problems. It was enjoyable and had some good aspects, but there still needs alot of work to be done for what they truley wanted to achieve with that game.
I still havent played KOTOR(I know, I know), I should probably be able to buy it for less now anyway, so I'll see before X-mas pops around.
Morrowind is alright. I really didn't see the long lasting appeal though. I disliked the characters and dialogue system in the game, I didn't feel sucked in enough to play it. I also thought the enviroments didn't differ enough from each other (like NWN also). But that's the issue about restricting tilesets.
As for Final Fantasy, well I'm not too big on the Eastern turn-based styles. Too slow and repetitive for my tastes. Strangley enough, I've only completed Final Fantasy 1 (yes, the NES original). I can play them, but It's choosing a toyota over a Ferrari (to some lesser extent)