Poll: Who Do You Think is Best RPGs Between Bioware, Square Enix, and Bethesda?

[Kungfu_Teddybear]

Your forced to fight for Martin just like your forced to figure out who shot you in Fallout New Vegas (which is really stupid) instead of minding your own business and traveling on to other lands, or your forced to become a Grey Warden or be killed by Duncan, and then after that your FORCED to stop the Darkspawn or they'll just spread like a plague on the world. Your excuse is stupid. You cant just defy the storyline. You'd never reach the ending.

You would be right if it weren't for the fact that fighting with Martin is how the whole second half Oblivion happpend, and trying to find Benny was the first half of the New vegas story. Not to mention that yeah sure you want to find Benny, but what you do to him and is up to you, you don't have to kill him. Benny sets the stage for New Vegas' story which then turns into decisions.

For example: Should I go on this creepy looking cave or not.. *you choose to walk away* may not be the choice your looking for but it's choice nonetheless.

That is a horrible example to use, in that case almost every single game ever is a RPG. In Crash Bandicoot I can choose to go into the bonus area or not, doesn't make it a RPG.

Dude it was a joke, don't take it too seriously now.

 

[Pierce Graham]

I just can't bring myself to choose between Bethesda and Bioware. I love The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Mass Effect and KotoR, and i think both are the masters of RPGs.

 

[spartan231490]

...Skyrim....

I'll love Skyrim.

skyrim

but Skyrim takes the gold this year

Skyrim isn't out yet, it could be utter shit for all we know. You're basing your judgement on assumption and hype.

In my mind Bioware wins. For me personally, good characters, immersion and story are the most important things in a RPG. Bioware delivers all of those things satisfyingly.

Bethesda has done impressive things but I can't get immersed in their games for they are too unpolished and go to the "uncanny valley" territory. Also their stories aren't very good.

Square... well, JRPGs just aren't my thing.

We aren't basing our judgment on assumption and hype. We are basing it on the fact that oblivion was awesome, morrowind was awesome, the fallout series was awesome, and especially the fact that every single thing we have heard about skyrim, including the gameplay trailer. It's a pretty good bet that with those credentials, the games gonna be awesome.

As for not being immersed in bathesda games, I'm sorry. They're a great experience. Just one question: why are characters so important to you in an RPG? I ask because I generally prefer RPGs like oblivion where there is only one main character, where you make all the decisions. this ends up in there usually being very few characterized characters. Just trying to see why you dislike that style of game(seemingly).

 

[spartan231490]

Pretty simple which one of these companies do you think makes the best RPGs in your opinion?

Bathesda. way bathesda. not even a contest bathesda. Morrowind, oblivion, skyrim. Hell, bioware is barely even making RPGs anymore tbh. Dragon Age 2 is almost not an RPG, it's a straight action game, and Mass Effect 2 is worse by leagues. good games, but not good RPGs.

I will counter your point with Kotor, and also the fact that oblivion is just as action oriented as dragon age 2 (but to be fair I don't like either of them) and also skyrim seems to be going the same direction as oblivion. Not to say the game sucks (I have high hopes and I'm going to end up getting it like I did oblivion and morrowind) but I wouldn't call it an rpg. But that's just my opinion on it. Also sorry if there are any typos or other mistakes, I'm typing this with my phone at work

OT: my vote goes with bioware, but not by much, both square and beth are damn close since they make good games but I just love kotor waaaaaay too much

Edit: How the hell did I forget about neverwinter nights?

Kotor doesn't counter 4 great games on it's own. and oblivion is not just as action oriented as dragon age 2. What I meant is that dragon age 2 has removed a bunch of it's RPG elements, making it just an action game. Oblivion has far more character customization and other RPG elements than Dragan age 2. Oblivion was a real RPG, and skryim is going to be just as much an RPG. what do you mean when you say that oblivion isn't a real RPG? this confuses me.

 

[ChupathingyX]

Dude it was a joke, don't take it too seriously now.

I do take it serious, Bethesda receive way too much praise for their "RPGs" that it's really worrying me where the whole RPG industry is going. People love Bethesda gmes so Bethesda keep making thier "RPGs" an we potential for greatness is lost.

Then the line between RPG and action/adventure is blurred and people start calling Bethesda games "true RPGs" and declare Bethesda the greatest, sometimes using a game that hasn't even ben freakin' released yet as an example.

 

[Baconmaninspace]

I vote Square simply because of what they've done in the past. If you consider more recent efforts though, I'd have to go with Bethesda.

 

[NickKuroshi0]

It really depeds on what RPG you wat to play:
A western RPG has to be Bioware since Bethesda makes it too black and white
JRPG would of course be Square Enix

However I cat really choose between Bioware or Square Enix since I have been playing both of the compaies games since I was little and have been a fan ever since.

 

[Kungfu_Teddybear]

Dude it was a joke, don't take it too seriously now.

I do take it serious, Bethesda receive way too much praise for their "RPGs" that it's really worrying me where the whole RPG industry is going. People love Bethesda gmes so Bethesda keep making thier "RPGs" an we potential for greatness is lost.

Then the line between RPG and action/adventure is blurred and people start calling Bethesda games "true RPGs" and declare Bethesda the greatest, sometimes using a game that hasn't even ben freakin' released yet as an example.

Bethesda receive the praise they deserve and have earned from making great games that offer hours of fun and exploration, chances to find new and exciting things in a truly unique world. It's from that, that Bethesda receive their well earned praise. I have never seen anyone refer to a Bethesda game as a "true RPG".

If you're truly getting this worked up over an issue so small then I think you need to step back, take a break from the internet, go outside and do something relaxing to calm down a bit.

 

[AlternatePFG]

Dude it was a joke, don't take it too seriously now.

I do take it serious, Bethesda receive way too much praise for their "RPGs" that it's really worrying me where the whole RPG industry is going. People love Bethesda gmes so Bethesda keep making thier "RPGs" an we potential for greatness is lost.

Then the line between RPG and action/adventure is blurred and people start calling Bethesda games "true RPGs" and declare Bethesda the greatest, sometimes using a game that hasn't even ben freakin' released yet as an example.

I dunno, if you want to go after a developer that's blurring the lines between action games and RPG's I'd say it would be BioWare. I mean, at least Bethesda attempt to have a decent amount of choice as far as character building goes for example.

 

[HT_Black]

So it's a choice between decent writing and lackluster gameplay, decent gameplay and awful writing, or cutscenes.

Ya sure I can't pick Obsidian instead? I mean, if they actually worked, their games would be amazing.

 

[Zacharious-khan]

Square, Since both Bethesda has been making the same game over and over with except sometimes there's a nukes and sometimes there's dragons, and Bioware who's games consist of Meh, Meh, Meh Meh^2, Kotor which was good, and Baldurs gate which was pretty good. SquareEnix has been making sweet ass RPG's for 36 years. FF series, Dragon quest, Kingdom hearts, StarOcean, SquareEnix has years on the others and it shows.

 

[Wuggy]

...Skyrim....

I'll love Skyrim.

skyrim

but Skyrim takes the gold this year

Skyrim isn't out yet, it could be utter shit for all we know. You're basing your judgement on assumption and hype.

In my mind Bioware wins. For me personally, good characters, immersion and story are the most important things in a RPG. Bioware delivers all of those things satisfyingly.

Bethesda has done impressive things but I can't get immersed in their games for they are too unpolished and go to the "uncanny valley" territory. Also their stories aren't very good.

Square... well, JRPGs just aren't my thing.

We aren't basing our judgment on assumption and hype. We are basing it on the fact that oblivion was awesome, morrowind was awesome, the fallout series was awesome, and especially the fact that every single thing we have heard about skyrim, including the gameplay trailer. It's a pretty good bet that with those credentials, the games gonna be awesome.

As for not being immersed in bathesda games, I'm sorry. They're a great experience. Just one question: why are characters so important to you in an RPG? I ask because I generally prefer RPGs like oblivion where there is only one main character, where you make all the decisions. this ends up in there usually being very few characterized characters. Just trying to see why you dislike that style of game(seemingly).

I still don't see that as a valid reason to list out a not-yet-released game as a point towards a developer. The thing is that you have no way of actually knowing how the game is going to be. Sure you can make a fair estimate on various factors like previous track record and information given on the product, but it then again may or may not be accurate. I'm pretty sure Mass Effect 3 will be awesome but that didn't affect my decision here in any shape or form. (And just so you know, I'm pretty excited about Skyrim myself too but that's beside the point.)

The reason I feel characters to be important in an RPG is that, that makes the overall experience more interesting for me. I just happen to prioritize character development and interaction higher because that's what I prefer. So, this is all subjective on my part: it's about what I personally enjoy the most.

I don't actually dislike the Morrowind/Oblivion/FO3 style of RPG. I actually played the latter two a lot, and I did in fact have fun with them. I just didn't get immersed and fascinated the same way I did with Dragon Age or Mass Effect. Again, it's about my personal priorities and I can totally see why someone would prefer the "Bethesda shtick" over the "Bioware shtick".

 

[Zacharious-khan]

We aren't basing our judgment on assumption and hype. We are basing it on the fact that oblivion was awesome, morrowind was awesome, the fallout series was awesome, and especially the fact that every single thing we have heard about skyrim, including the gameplay trailer. It's a pretty good bet that with those credentials, the games gonna be awesome.

It looks like most people are basing their vote on the future potential of skyrim. Note all the posts with "how amazing skyrim will be". as for future potential based on past success, while i disagree about the elder scroll series being anygood to begin with just because a previous game was bad doenst mean the next game will be good, see RE2 - RE4 and similarly just because a past game was good doesnt mean a new game wont be shit, see RE4 - RE5

Also to the Escapist and Internet Explorer " I will never ever use IE9 for anything more than downloading firefox, please go back to the old captchas. Thank you"

 

[GrandmaFunk]

Square Enix make JRPG's. They don't allow you you to role-play. They don't count.

I don't think you know what "role play" means.

or rather, you've tacked on a very narrow definition based on what you like to get out of rpg games.

 

[ChupathingyX]

Bethesda receive the praise they deserve and have earned from making great games that offer hours of fun and exploration, chances to find new and exciting things in a truly unique world. It's from that, that Bethesda receive their well earned praise. I have never seen anyone refer to a Bethesda game as a "true RPG".

Look at the post above mine;

real RPG

I dunno, if you want to go after a developer that's blurring the lines between action games and RPG's I'd say it would be BioWare. I mean, at least Bethesda attempt to have a decent amount of choice as far as character building goes for example.

Well I haven't played any recent Bioware games so I can't really properly comment on that. However, I see much more people calling Bethesda games "true" or "real" RPGs much more often then I see people call games like Mass Effect and DO 2 true RPGs. In fact I see more people calling Bioware games not RPGs, however, the fact that barely anyone seems to say the same for Bethesda games is what confuses me.

 

[Madkipz]

Why the competition. Fallout 3 is so significantly different from Dragon age and dragon age is so significantly different from any Jrpg made by square enix that i cannot vote with 100% confidence.

if i had to pick i would say my favourite game atm is persona 4 (published by Square enix but made by Atlus) but i really do hate turn based and grinding games so i end up picking Bethestra.

After dragon age 2 Bioware gets no cake. No cake at all. FOREVEEEEEEEEEEEEEER

 

[Kungfu_Teddybear]

Bethesda receive the praise they deserve and have earned from making great games that offer hours of fun and exploration, chances to find new and exciting things in a truly unique world. It's from that, that Bethesda receive their well earned praise. I have never seen anyone refer to a Bethesda game as a "true RPG".

Look at the post above mine;

real RPG

I dunno, if you want to go after a developer that's blurring the lines between action games and RPG's I'd say it would be BioWare. I mean, at least Bethesda attempt to have a decent amount of choice as far as character building goes for example.

Well I haven't played any recent Bioware games so I can't really properly comment on that. However, I see much more people calling Bethesda games "true" or "real" RPGs much more often then I see people call games like Mass Effect and DO 2 true RPGs. In fact I see more people calling Bioware games not RPGs, however, the fact that barely anyone seems to say the same for Bethesda games is what confuses me.

To be honest, I couldn't really care. If a game has all the core gameplay elements and creativity of an RPG then it's an RPG, whether it's what you consider a "true RPG" or not.

 

[ninja51]

Bioware is coasting off of their past successes. With their new management they have been making honestly pretty crap games when compared even with Dragon Age: Origins. Less focus on story, more predictable steriotypical characters, less decisions, more simplicity, and worse gameplay.

Bioware is not good at making a good action game, they used to be fantastic at making a great RPG game, because they've taken a big new shift towards making action games with RPG elements, their status has deminished quite a bit. Bethesda on the other hand has consistantly made fantastic open world RPGs.

They arnt as good with characters as Bioware, but the core RPG gameplay is far superior when stacked up against Biowares newer products.

 

[MoD1212]

Only Square being the only JRPG company on that list seems a little unfair in my book, but regardless my vote is with Square, they make classics and I personally enjoyed playing XII and since i haven't played XII yet and don't play mmo's so they still haven't fucked up anything in my eyes yet.

but yea i feel the majority of escapist don't like JRPG's so its a lopsided poll imo.

btw if the only square games you played at VII and older i highly suggest give IV, VI, and chrono tigger a spin if you can cause those are the best games that square has made

 

[TornadoFive]

Square Enix make JRPG's. They don't allow you you to role-play. They don't count.

I don't think you know what "role play" means.

or rather, you've tacked on a very narrow definition based on what you like to get out of rpg games.

All right, fair enough, I was a little heavy-handed with my explanation. Allow me to elaborate.

To me, an RPG is a game where you have some input into your character. Some games have more than others, some games focus on certain aspects of your character. But Square Enix don't really allow you to do this. You play as the character the game gives you, going where the game tells you to, making the choices the game tells you to. There's no interaction from the player, apart from the combat and movement.

Yahyzee tackled this topic in one of hisExtra Punctuation's. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/extra-punctuation/7038-Extra-Punctuation-Role-Playing-Games] It doesn't go very indepth, but it shows the main idea I'm trying to get across. In almost every game, you play a role. That doesn't make every game a role-playing game.

That's the point I was trying to get across. The games that SE don't really allow me to role-play. So they don't feel like RPG's.