The early 2000s were a period of greatness for gaming. Innovations were being dished out by fresh and budding development studios and there was always new and exciting hardware to toy with. This brings us to 2002, which is20 years ago. Those were dark times when everyone’s cavemen ancestors were forced to deal with 100kbps internet and actual, physical game disks.
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Jokes aside, there was no shortage of trendsetter video games in 2002. Each genre, most notably RTS, FPS, andRPG, had its crowning over-achievers which would, later on, propel gigantic franchises later down the years. Among these awesome RPGs are these iconic and groundbreaking titles that would set the foundationfor future games.
8Divine Divinity
Divine Divinityis one of Larian Studios' earliest projects. These developers are famous for one of the best RPGs ever,Divinity: Original Sin 2which was released back in 2017. Right now, they are also working onBaldur’s Gate 3.Back then, the main trend for RPGs was isometric and 2.5D views.
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But despite that, Larian Studios managed to make this game an action-packed RPG similar to gameslikeDiablo 2. The story is rather simple; it’s about the never-ending war between heroes and the minions of Chaos. Players assume the role of the Chosen One as they ascend into godhood to oppose Chaos.
7Suikoden 3
It’s the third entry in thelong-running JRPG series, butSuikoden 3still managed to pack in some astonishing new surprises and gameplay changes. The game overhauled its predecessors' gameplay mechanics, adding several modes of battle and anambitious combat system.
Players were also given three characters to control, and there’s no shortage of innovations here, most of which are well-received. This new system of letting players handle the heroes also gave birth to a new storytelling style that involved the characters' different points of view.
6Freedom Force
This one’s a relic that surprisingly still has an active player base today, which is significant for new players wanting ablast from the pastwith a complete multiplayer experience.Freedom Forceis the template that most superhero MOBAs and action games would later follow.
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Players control a team of superheroes against an evil alien race that plans to enslave Earth. It was certainly ahead of its time back then. It allowed players to live out their comic book superhero dream team and even show off their creations online.
5Dungeon Siege
While other RPGs in 2002 were still struggling with the 2.5D visuals,Dungeon Siegetook the leap and rendered its game in afully-3D environment, putting it ahead of its contemporaries. At its core,Dungeon Siegeis an action roleplaying game where players control a party of adventurers.
It was the classicDungeons and Dragonssetup but with a better emphasis on combat. Players start off as lowly peasants until they get strung along in an adventure to save the world. But they don’t have to do it alone as the game allows players to form an eight-man party, which back then, was practically an in-game army.
4Kingdom Hearts
The most ambitious and perhaps the most convoluted crossover event in gaming and media had its not-so-humble beginnings back in 2002— the firstKingdom Hearts. It was mostly a good excuse to bring the characters from Square Enix to the House of Mouse, the Disney mainstays.
Back in 2002, this wasthechildhood dream. Seeing Mickey and Goofy fight alongsideFinal Fantasycharacters regardless of the plot and the reasons was something to behold. Even now, this kind of crossover video game still holds up well.
3The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past & Four Swords
It’s the third-everLegend of Zeldavideo game but it’s actually a prequel to the first two games. For many fans, this was one of the most important cultural cornerstones of theZeldauniverse. Because it introduced series staples like the Master Sword and other iconicLegend of Zeldatrademarks. Meanwhile, theFour Swordstwin pack gives players multiplayer modes.
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In this game, as always, Link is out on a journey to save Hyrule by defeating the demon king, Ganon. More importantly, the game introduces tons of new mechanics. This double-pack re-release was made for the Game Boy Advance and became a vast improvement over its original 1991 version.
2The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind
Speaking of innovation,The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowindis right up there in the annals of RPG history. It was, and always will be, the mostalien environment in an RPGthus far. The island nation of Morrowind was one of the most peculiar and novel kingdoms with an equally unique set of inhabitants.
In this iteration ofThe Elder Scrolls, players are dumped into a prophecy once again that they must fulfill to exact vengeance on the gods that betrayed them back in their previous life. The gameplay is one of the most raw and hardcore experiences in anElder Scrollstitle and players can kill anyone, including the main NPCs. Arguably, this presumed oversight gave the game a certain level of freedom that most RPGs are afraid to grant these days.
1Neverwinter Nights
After their success inBaldur’s Gate, BioWare just had to up their RPG development portfolio, and the city of Neverwinter in theDungeons and Dragonsmythos provided the perfect playground. It involves a story so well-written and planned, that it became part of the officialDungeons and Dragonslore concerning the city of Neverwinter.
Moreover, it was also one of the first few RPGs in the early 2000s that adopted the fully 3D graphics. This would later give BioWare the credentials and renown to develop their own sure hits such asMass EffectandDragon Age Origins.
