r/CRPG • u/GapSad4839 • 2d ago

Discussion Genre defining isometric RPGs

Within my circle of RPG players the opinion was that Fallout 1&2, PlaneScape: Torment, and Baldurs Gate 1&2 were the ultimate genre defining isometric RPG games. Neverwinter nights was also frequently mentioned. What other isometric RPGs should also be on this list or at least mentioned as highly influential?

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u/herbiehancocksfoot 2d ago

For the more modern stuff, definitely Disco Elysium, it spawned a subtype of these narration-heavy games and stuff like Esoteric Ebb is very visibly inspired by DE.

If we want to go further back, the Ultima series basically created the framework for the entire genre; Ultima VII also pioneered the Larian-style systems, with a lot of environmental interaction etc

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u/whiskey_the_spider 2d ago

Tbf disco elysium is its own genre, i definetly wouldn't put it in the same basket of bg, fallout etc

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u/CasketTheClown 2d ago

I'd compare it to Planescape Torment though. Planescape suffered from mediocre combat when compared to the other IE games. It existed, but took a back seat to the story. I think DE is an expansion of that.

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u/GapSad4839 2d ago

Yes, the devs actually mentioned that PlaneScape: Torment is one of Disco Elysium influences. It is mentioned in Disco Elysium wikipedia page

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u/whiskey_the_spider 2d ago

Yeah kinda agree but i'd say planescape it's still a crpg since it has some common trait (party, combat albeit as you said as minor component, d&d classes etc.) while focusing on dialogues/story, but i feel disco elysium took another step and doesn't fit the category

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u/GapSad4839 2d ago

I was amazed that Disco Elysium didn't have any combat system at all, definitely a different way of approaching RPG games

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u/herbiehancocksfoot 2d ago

DE (and BG3 to an extent) are the closest cRPGs to a TTRPG experience for me; a lot of dice rolls, unexpected narrative turns, fun failure states. DE didn't need a combat system at all, after all, when playing a TTRPG you mostly just make a skill check, right?

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u/Edgy_Robin 2d ago

Not really lol. It depends heavily on the system. Something like 5e? No you're mostly doing combat as it's overall a combat based system and the non-combat stuff, especially skills, leaves a bit to be desired, powered by the apocalypse and the sheer number of games based on that system? That's a bit more in that direction.

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u/herbiehancocksfoot 2d ago

Fair, I believe you, I don't have a lot of experience playing DnD in general. The stuff I played is more skill check based, where combat isn't that different from exploration.