XBox's quintessential RPG?

[Manhattan Sports Club]

Now I generally like the original Xbox, though not always for the same reasons as everyone else, but there are certainly some good games on it. Most people saw it as an FPS/dudebro console, but in terms of RPGs, which rank as the best? The most frequently touted are:

-Arx Fatalis
-Beyond Good and Evil
-The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind
-Fable
-Jade Empire
-Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 1 & 2
-Sudeki

From what I've played, Sudeki is the worst of the bunch. Fable is decent if taken as just a fairly linear, western action-RPG take on Zelda rather than the massively 'free, open-ended' quest it was falsely advertised as. Beyond Good and Evil certainly beats it in every regard, though. It has the same length and action-RPG feel but is infinitely better in every aspect. Morrowind didn't look like my cup of tea but people were generally very fond of it. I only played a little of SW:KotOR but it had promise and I'm looking to get a copy in hopes that it will fill the void for a solid WRPG on the system that actually lives up to the praise. Never played JE. Can't say anything about Arx Fatalis either but it also cited as an underdog. I won't even mention X-Men Legends. That thing was totally a product of its time, a revamped Baldr's Gate: Dark Alliance and sold because of the hype and license backing it. There are probably others that I haven't mentioned, so let me know what I'm forgotting.

[BlastProcessing402]

Now I generally like the original Xbox, though not always for the same reasons as everyone else, but there are certainly some good games on it. Most people saw it as an FPS/dudebro console, but in terms of RPGs, which rank as the best? The most frequently touted are:

-Arx Fatalis
-Beyond Good and Evil
-The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind
-Fable
-Jade Empire
-Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 1 & 2
-Sudeki

From what I've played, Sudeki is the worst of the bunch. Fable is decent if taken as just a fairly linear, western action-RPG take on Zelda rather than the massively 'free, open-ended' quest it was falsely advertised as. Beyond Good and Evil certainly beats it in every regard, though. It has the same length and action-RPG feel but is infinitely better in every aspect. Morrowind didn't look like my cup of tea but people were generally very fond of it. I only played a little of SW:KotOR but it had promise and I'm looking to get a copy in hopes that it will fill the void for a solid WRPG on the system that actually lives up to the praise. Never played JE. Can't say anything about Arx Fatalis either but it also cited as an underdog. I won't even mention X-Men Legends. That thing was totally a product of its time, a revamped Baldr's Gate: Dark Alliance and sold because of the hype and license backing it. There are probably others that I haven't mentioned, so let me know what I'm forgotting.

I wouldn't really consider BG&E as RPG, nor Fable. There might be RPG elements, but they're more adventureish games than RPGish.

Jade Empire, I tried a demo, didn't care for it at all, despite it being from Bioware, who generally make good RPG's. Or rather used to before EA bought them, but this is from well before that. I can't recall what exactly I didn't like about the demo, as this is like a decade ago.

KOTOR games, defintely the best games I played on the Xbox period, not just the best RPG's. However if you have a decent gaming PC it may be worth your while to look into those ports instead, and install some mods/upgrades. Lots of people bitch about content cut from the 2nd game and supposedly a fan patch on PC helps at least partly make up for it, but honestly I enjoyed the game just fine as it was.

Morrowind, lots of people think it's the best RPG ever, but I am not one of these people. I've tried to get into it a few times but just haven't been able to. I also have some similar issues with it's successors, Oblivion and Skyrim, but not nearly to the same degree. I'm sure it's me, not them. Fallout 3 & NV are practically the same thing in a different setting, and I love those to death. I will say, if you intend to pick this up on Xbox, look for the GOTY edition.

The rest you list I haven't played.

[Cornelius]

I'm a total xbox outsider, never owned one while current, never finished a game on the system, but played some here and there and enjoyed some Halo parties a few times. By no means a hater.

So I'm either the best person or the worst person to comment here, not sure. From my perspective, though, I think you'd have to go with Fable. It isn't a true RPG, maybe, but isn't that kinda apropos for the system? We are looking for quintessential, not necessarily 'best'.

The better games you list (BG&E, KOTOR) were better on PC than on Xbox. Heck, wasn't BG&E better on Gamecube?

[Rickstilwell1]

I would just say Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II. But that's available on PS2 as well so it doesn't really count.

[kupomogli]

You have to g o through such a hassle just to play the game offline, so it's better on other consoles you can find it on, but Phantasy Star Online imo.

[Daria]

I liked Sudeki, but yeah... it was kind of a guilty pleasure.
Morrowind was an amazing experience for the time, but I've tried many times to go back and it's just painful to play now.
I think the KOTOR games aged well, so going to nominate those for the best of the system. Most people prefer the original, but I loved the characters in KOTOR 2.
Never heard anyone call Beyond Good and Evil an RPG before, and wasn't the better version released on Gamecube?
Fable is RPG enough for me! Best of the series, someday I need to go back and play the platinum edition, or the HD rerelease.
Baldur's Gate was a gauntlet/Diablo clone... but for that type of gameplay I LOVED Bard's Tale. Hilarious.

There's also Lord of the Rings: The Third Age which was a straight-up turn-based Final Fantasy clone. Like everyone else, I didn't play it though.

Edit: There's also Metal Dungeon, again haven't played it.

[Steve W]

You have to g o through such a hassle just to play the game offline, so it's better on other consoles you can find it on, but Phantasy Star Online imo.

I own the Xbox version, but have never played it due to Microsoft insisting that players have to have an Xbox Live account even to play single-player games offline. I ended up buying the GameCube version of it and pumping hundreds of hours into it (I had a character over level 120 until my 3rd party memory card became corrupted). I rarely play RPGs, but Phantasy Star Online was my absolute favorite of all time. Too bad they never managed to satisfactorily follow it up.

[PrimordialHelios]

I wouldn't really consider BG&E as RPG, nor Fable. There might be RPG elements, but they're more adventureish games than RPGish.

Jade Empire, I tried a demo, didn't care for it at all, despite it being from Bioware, who generally make good RPG's. Or rather used to before EA bought them, but this is from well before that. I can't recall what exactly I didn't like about the demo, as this is like a decade ago.

KOTOR games, defintely the best games I played on the Xbox period, not just the best RPG's. However if you have a decent gaming PC it may be worth your while to look into those ports instead, and install some mods/upgrades. Lots of people bitch about content cut from the 2nd game and supposedly a fan patch on PC helps at least partly make up for it, but honestly I enjoyed the game just fine as it was.

Morrowind, lots of people think it's the best RPG ever, but I am not one of these people. I've tried to get into it a few times but just haven't been able to. I also have some similar issues with it's successors, Oblivion and Skyrim, but not nearly to the same degree. I'm sure it's me, not them. Fallout 3 & NV are practically the same thing in a different setting, and I love those to death. I will say, if you intend to pick this up on Xbox, look for the GOTY edition.

The rest you list I haven't played.

You really don't need a gaming PC for KOTOR (for the first one at least). I can run it at 60 FPS with everything turned all the way up on low end PC from 2006. It's nice to finally be able to play a game at 60 FPS, lol

[Cookie]

I would have to vote Morrowind, I love how fun it is to just wander around and all that jazz. Skyrim in my opinion abandoned this element. It seems too objective based, maybe that's just me.

I would also suggest getting the "game of the year" edition if you're going to pick up this game. You get both expansions with it.

[PrimordialHelios]

I would have to vote Morrowind, I love how fun it is to just wander around and all that jazz. Skyrim in my opinion abandoned this element. It seems too objective based, maybe that's just me.

I would also suggest getting the "game of the year" edition if you're going to pick up this game. You get both expansions with it.

Yes, Morrowind is, in my opinion, one of the best RPGs EVER. I've had so much fun with that game.

[BlastProcessing402]

You really don't need a gaming PC for KOTOR (for the first one at least). I can run it at 60 FPS with everything turned all the way up on low end PC from 2006. It's nice to finally be able to play a game at 60 FPS, lol

How low end? Do at least have a graphics card (even an old one) instead of onboard intel graphics on a laptop? Even today I'm sure you can buy a PC that won't give a satisfying experience on even a game that old, 'sall I meant. Decent, not high end.