Gamasutra completes CRPG history series

by Justin McElroy { Apr 12th 2007 at 10:32AM }

Gamasutra has just posted the third, and (one would assume) final chapter in their massive "History of Computer Role Playing Games" series. (You can read The Early Years and The Golden Age if you need to play catch-up.) There's a lot of fascinating stuff here as they explore the direct and spiritual predecessors of some modern favorites, call out and analyze some of the biggest problems for CRPGs during the 90s, and try to figure out when we'll see the "next big thing" in the genre.

It would be almost impossible to click away from the 20,000-word epic not having learned something, but even if you are a CRPG android, it'll at least be a nostalgic reminder of some of your past favorites. Now, if you'll excuse us, we're going to go dig out our copy of Arcanum.

Tags: arcanum, crpg, gamasutra, rpg

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

RYAN @ Apr 12th 2007 10:56AM

god damnit that was the best 20 minutes i've ever spent on the internet, ever.

Liqwid @ Apr 12th 2007 11:12AM

Does anyone know where I can get Sapien? I've been dying to play the game again.

RYAN @ Apr 12th 2007 11:31AM

wow the lack of comments here really shows my age :(

*goes to replay Bard's Tale for the 30th time*

Ken @ Apr 12th 2007 11:56AM

Wow, that was an amazing read!

aza @ Apr 12th 2007 12:11PM

they talk about the elder scrolls series but deftly avoid mention of Oblivion stating that "I'll discuss the fourth game in a later section of this article."

But he never does...

Very dissapointing.

Still Fallout, Planescape and KOTOR oh my!

Chocolate Starfish @ Apr 12th 2007 12:51PM

I don't have time to read the article: does it mention the Monkey Island series? Kings Quest? Leisure Suit Larry? At a glance it looked more like they're only covering digital versions of the paper and pencil style games. With hp and experience and levels and all that.

RYAN @ Apr 12th 2007 1:00PM

chocolate, they weren't mentioned I don't believe. That's more than likely because those would be lumped in the "point and click" or "adventure" categories, not RPG's.

CNash @ Apr 12th 2007 1:46PM

Confusingly, the articles refer to the genre extensively as "CRPG", when the same acronym applies to both computer and console-based RPGs. Anyone going in thinking that this article will mention Final Fantasy is going to be disappointed.

grable @ Apr 12th 2007 2:29PM

I couldn't find a reference to Albion (although i didn't look that hard) one of my favorite older rpg games.

Anyway, a good read for the uninitiated rpg player.

Jin @ Apr 12th 2007 2:45PM

I got Baldur's Gate II from the bin a year ago... played for 10 min. then gave up as I was still in the middle of Morrowinds... but reading this makes me realize perhaps I should play the whole Baldur series...

I think I agree with the writer.. loved Arcanum (too bad it wasn't a series), Fallouts, Torment and even some oldies. And I guess I know why I didn't like KOTOR II as much as I loved the first one.

Good read.

NoHitHair @ Apr 12th 2007 5:53PM

That picture is really bugging me. I know that game, I've played that game and I remember really loving that game.

Help me out - what is that picture from? I was thinking Lands of Lore but that can't be it. This is going to drive me insane.

http://blog.myspace.com/nohithair