Sequels: Good or Bad for CRPGs?

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(Originally posted by Darien)

A staff member at RPGDot has written an editorial, taking a quick look at some of the sequels we've played and how they measure up to the originals.

The Ultima series does not stand alone in the genre. The Black Isle/ Bioware series of games have achieved an interesting balance. At first glance, you could be mistaken for thinking these games have gone the ‘more of the same’ route, but this is not the case. Each title appeals to a different type of player, or even the same player in different moods. You have the straight role-playing type, Baldur’s Gate, and its sequel, which are the closest thing to Ultima VII since, well, Serpent Isle. The central role is not defined, giving the player a fair bit of freedom, but still within a strong, linear plot, and the NPCs are a varied and interesting lot. There’s combat, mystery, and side quests all of which make for a great RPG. For those a bit more hardcore, there’s Planescape: Torment, a game very heavy on the character side of things, with more emphasis on soul-searching than finding that +3 sword of whatever. Those who prefer RPG lite have Icewind Dale, a charming little hack and slash that players can happily level their way through, a sort of offline Everquest. So, even though these games have a similar appearance, they have each managed to do something different. Original? Well, no, not really, but satisfyingly varied, none the less. In CRPGs, variation is a far more realistic expectation than originality.