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Welcome everyone to the first (and hopefully annual) Just RPG game awards! The following are the staff’s choices for the best RPGs of 2002 on both PC and console. A lot of thought went into the creation of this list, because there were so many great games released this year! Each staff member submitted a list of their favorite games, and those receiving the most votes made the top 5. We’ve divided the games into two categories (PC and console) because we didn’t want to overlook any of the year’s greats. Read on, and enjoy!
Just RPG Top 5 PC Games
Neverwinter Nights is clearly the undisputed winner for best PC RPG in 2002. Developed by the talented team at BioWare over a five year period, Neverwinter Nights is a monumental RPG. Utilizing the popular 3rd Edition ruleset of Dungeons and Dragons, a masterful score by famed music composer Jeremy Soule, a 60 hour single player campaign that will amaze you and you have the traits of a true winner. The inclusion of the BioWare Aurora toolset for fans to make their own adventures has proven very successful as well. The success and support of Neverwinter Nights will continue with the eagerly anticipated release of two expansion packs this year as well. Many RPG's are released every year, but not many can honestly claim to aspire to the greatness that this game has. Neverwinter Nights is a masterpiece in every sense of the word due to the dedication of a team of over seventy individuals at BioWare to give us a gaming experience we will never forget. Neverwinter Nights is the pinnacle of greatness and embodies everything that makes an RPG worth playing!
Winner - Neverwinter Nights
Nicholas Bale: “BioWare's first attempt at 3D forgotten realms game. It has a feeling of linearity at some points, but rocks nonetheless.”
Ray Ivey: “Of course it didn't live up the hype. Give it a break, the only game that actually exceeded its hype in 2002 was Metroid Prime. However, Neverwinter Nights is a beautiful, if flawed, game. Many players found the henchman system irritating, but the freedom of the well-implemented 3rd Edition rules easily made up for this problem. Add to that the three other elements of the game: The Aurora Toolset for creating custom adventures, the revolutionary Dungeon Master client, and the multiplayer option, and you've got a truly epic package.”
Eric Arevalo: “Neverwinter Nights is the best RPG I have ever played whether on PC or console. This game takes over your life with masterful music by Jeremy Soule, enchanting story and stunning art by the talented team at BioWare. The enthralling and immersive singleplayer campaign as well as the use of the included Aurora toolset for fans to make their own adventures makes Neverwinter Nights the best RPG released in 2002 or any other year. BioWare is to be complimented for giving me the most memorable RPG experience of my life!”
Second Place - Divine Divinity
Ray Ivey: “My favorite RPG of 2002 had the silliest name. This 3rd person, isometric romp is a textbook example of knowing what to steal from where. The big-hearted developers at Larian Studios took the extreme interactivity of the world of Ultima VII, added the rich story, character development and dialog from any Bioware game, and married with the quick ease and playability of Diablo. The result is a game that's hard not to play with a stupid smile plastered on your face. Homey, low-tech and unassuming, Divine Divinity is the RPG that won my heart this year.”
Eric Arevalo: “Divine Divinity is a definite winner in transporting the player to a world in which story, gameplay, art, and music are successfully combined to produce an unforgettable RPG gaming experience!”
Third Place - Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Patrick Mansfield: “Morrowind is a great, long game that provides a truly unique gaming experience.”
Nicholas Bale: “Hands down one of the greats. It’s the most open-ended one RPG ever created (to my knowledge).”
Fourth Place (tie!) - Arx Fatalis
Eric Arevalo: “You will discover in Arx Fatalis an RPG that will welcome you with its story, intense interaction with the environment and many intriguing puzzles!”
Ray Ivey: “Okay, so they couldn't get Richard Garriott to agree to let it be called Ultima Underground III, but French developer Arkane Studios has essentially created the next underground Ultima game, and it's dandy.
Wonderfully atmospheric and claustrophobic at the same time, the game is a creepy first-person adventure through a civilization forced underground by a failed sun. Perhaps its coolest feature is the magic system, which consists of runes your character draws in the air. It looks great and is lots of fun.”
Icewind Dale II
Ray Ivey: “More of the same, which in the case of Bioware's rich
D&D craftsmanship and their stalwart Infinity Engine, that is a very good thing. This final hurrah to the venerable engine was a solid, studly, powerhouse of a game. The two great things about the Icewind Dale games is that a) you get to create an entire party, and b) you don't have to feel guilty about "powergaming," as it's sort of the point.”
Nicholas Bale: “An excellent sequel with 3rd edition rules this time around. All in all, a great dungeon hack-n-slash.”
Just RPG Top 5 Console Games
After thinking long and hard about the best console RPG of 2002, the staff here at Just RPG finally came up with an answer. Was anyone surprised to see that Kingdom Hearts ended up the winner? Probably not! Two of the entertainment industry’s best, Squaresoft and Disney, have teamed up to bring us a truly memorable gaming experience. The awesome graphics will blow you away, and the excellent Disney soundtrack proved to be among the best of the best. The game featured all-star vocal talents, such as Mandy Moore and James Woods, who helped to take voice acting to the next level. The loveable Disney characters from our childhood mix with some of our favorite Final Fantasy friends to bring us the most memorable cast of characters ever seen in an RPG. Would we expect any less from Squaresoft and Disney? No, probably not, and Kingdom Hearts reigns supreme among 2002’s console RPGs!
Winner - Kingdom Hearts (PS2)
Eric Arevalo: “Disney and RPG veteran Squaresoft show you that two is definitely better than one in this unique RPG.”
Jason Ferguson: “I was scared of this game at first, but it turned out to be one of the most surprising games I’ve ever played. Kingdom Hearts is one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences on the PS2 and an exceptional RPG!”
Patrick Mansfield: “My favorite RPG of the year, and one of the most fun RPGs I’ve ever played!”
Second Place - Suikoden III (PS2)
Jason Ferguson: “One of the best RPGs I’ve played in years. Arguably, the best RPG on the PS2, and it’s unfortunate that it has received so little attention. The story is great, and being able to see it from 3 different perspectives is brilliant. The characters are awesome, and there are 108 of them you can recruit! Easily, my top pick for the year.”
Eric Arevalo: “Suikoden III is an engaging RPG with a storytelling system that is unique.”
Third Place - Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (X-Box)
Patrick Mansfield: “Morrowind is a great, long game that provides a true unique experience.”
Nicholas Bale: “Hands down one of the greats. It’s the most open-ended one RPG ever created (to my knowledge).”
Fourth Place - Wild Arms III (PS2)
Eric Arevalo: “Wild Arms 3 has impressive visuals and gameplay set in a western theme.”
Jason Ferguson: “Wild Arms III brings us back to the wonderful world of Filgaia, with an interesting story, great music and some loveable characters. All this and more combines to make Wild Arms III my pick for 3rd best RPG of the year!”
Fifth Place - Summoner II (PS2)
Eric Arevalo: “An interesting RPG follow-up to the original.”
Jason Ferguson: “Fans of the first Summoner are going to want to check this one out. Although far from perfect, Summoner II has corrected many of the original games problems and the resulting game was one of my favorites for the year.”
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