RPGs on Console or PC? Which one is better?

[pierce carradine]

Say what you think about them!!! What is your preference, and why?
Maybe you could also mention your favorites rpgs to support your opinion...

I like PC rpgs, but i do L O V E the turn based, japanese styled ones. LOl!!!!:*)

 

[Marcus]

Nowadays, PC rpg's are growing more and more rare but the ones that come out are gold. On the consoles, it seems like a new one comes out every 3 days and you have to pick through a lot of crap to find the good gem.

I grew up on consoles but my first love will always be PC rpg's. Here's my "Generic PC RPG List"

Arcanum: Troika's last game and probably the only steampunk RPG. Huge world, fantastic writing, and the ability to invent your own equipment like guard robots? Yes please.

Planescape Torment: I've yet to play an RPG that beats this game in terms of narrative and writing. Sometimes there's too much dialog but it's never a hassle reading through it.

Anachronox: Underrated RPG of the century. It's a shame we'll never see the sequel because it ended on one of the most monumental cliffhangers in RPG history.

Fallout: I shouldn't have to mention the game that combined dark humor with a refreshing look at a generic setting.

Knights of the Old Republic: Proof that with creative freedom, you can make a good licensed game.

Baldur's Gate 2: Instead of making you search for the story, the story searches for you. The love arc with Jaheira remains one of the most touching moments I've ever seen in a game.

 

[Anonymous]

Consoles are definitely better for RPG's.

Strategy/Shoot Em Ups for PC 100%.

 

[sixtyandaquarter]

I don't really prefer either, though the first RPGs I played were actually console ports of PC games. But at that time, at least here in the states, an RPG was a rocket propelled grenade... so...

Wizardry. Game made me want to - though I never did - learn about DnD, I've still yet to play DnD though. It's a near storyless dungeon crawler, but still a hell of a game for back in the day - and in my opinion is one of the best in it's genre. I remember playing that on NES.

But really, I haven't found much of a difference, except that PC rpg's tend to me more customizable. User created characters that fit into a back story - Baldurs Gate. That's not a bad thing, mind you. Console RPGs tend to instead of letting you create your own role, put you into someone's predefined character. Sure your still making decisions here and there, but they are (usually and generically) much more interactive story books with a few "chose your own adventure" type qualities. What will you do? Will you fight this person now in his tower, or will you search for the lost washroom key in the desert before you ultimately fight the bad guy in his tower? Though that's not a bad thing either.

Suikoden II, one of my favorite games of all time, in truth was this 2nd method. Sure, you could change a few outcomes, and yeah there was a lot to do, but ultimately the only thing that mattered was defeating the bad guy in each game's series. What you changed and did - even in 3 where your choices were much more important - were still not heavily impacting the major story line.

Too me, they're dead even. But like Marcus said, you get rare gems out of PC's that are hard to find, but the same can be said for consoles. The only difference is the amount of crap to push threw before you finds those gems.

 

[Cruelty]

I don't even really like rpgs. =l with every game developer there is using the same formulas, i lost interest in them almost completely.

 

[arcthemonkey]

Arcanum: Troika's last game and probably the only steampunk RPG. Huge world, fantastic writing, and the ability to invent your own equipment like guard robots? Yes please.

I'm pretty sure Vampire: The Masquerade was the last game they made.

It's worth noting that the engine (made from Source, of course) for Vampire was originally put together for Arcanum 2.

I, for one, tend to prefer console RPGs, but I've enjoyed a handful of PC ones as well. I'm a big fan of Arcanum, Fallout 1 and 2, FATE, Titan Quest, etc, but my favorites are almost all on consoles. Knights of the Republic 1 and 2 were, of course, fantastic games, and they were better by far on PC.

 

[Yum]

Actually, it was Vampires: Bloodlines...

That had to be the best RPG I had played on the PC (Well, probably the only one I had played), it was pretty open ended (lots of ways to do stuff), and you got to pick your class of vampire - how cool is that? Plus, great fashion/ great music/ great style made vampires looks HAWT.

P.S. well, I probably like it most for the fashion and locales -_-;

 

[Marcus]

I'm pretty sure Vampire: The Masquerade was the last game they made.

Hehe, I meant to say first game. It's also kind of interesting to point out that Troika is a russian word meaning "In Threes" or "Threesome" and they released three games before going bankrupt...

Should have picked a better name like Octogram or something :D

 

[Ratty524]

That question shouldn't really be limited to just RPGs.

Any console game pretty much does better, since the hardware is made for playing video games. With the PC, you have to support other software, so you are kind of limited.

 

[Marcus]

That question shouldn't really be limited to just RPGs.

Any console game pretty much does better, since the hardware is made for playing video games. With the PC, you have to support other software, so you are kind of limited.

But at the same time, the genre busting games are released on PC first since the technology is better. Obviously, console games are more popular because they're easier to obtain and are cheaper, but most popular console games were derived from their PC equivalent. Now that console technology is becoming better, PC games are easier to port but they still can't catch up. Playing games like F.E.A.R. or Oblivion are still ultimately better on the PC than console although todays technology is making the differences smaller.

 

[sixtyandaquarter]

Half the games I've played ported from PC to console sucked. Half of everything was removed or watered down or replaced with something so half assenine (that's right, not even fully assanine, they even got being assanine wrong!) that it made me put the controller down, walk to the console - take a deep breath, and then smack it for being so stupid as to allow itself to play something so damn half assanine.

 

[Marcus]

Half the games I've played ported from PC to console sucked. Half of everything was removed or watered down or replaced with something so half assenine (that's right, not even fully assanine, they even got being assanine wrong!) that it made me put the controller down, walk to the console - take a deep breath, and then smack it for being so stupid as to allow itself to play something so damn half assanine.

Which is why most people will say "If you can, get the PC version." The "orange box" contanis Half-Life 2... a 3 year old game but I'm pretty sure there are still a decent amount of people who will get their first taste of the game on the 360.

I admit, I played Deus Ex for the first time on the PS2... although I honestly think the PS2 version was better than the PC one as they fixed a lot of annoying bugs and problems at the sacrifice of a few extra loading screens in larger areas.

 

[sixtyandaquarter]

Soon, watch, you'll have the PC games being watered down and having "extras" thrown in on the consoles because that's where the money's at. Not where the best possibility is at.

And the sad thing is a PC game can be so much more than any console game right now, and I'm saying so, and I hate playing PC games 85% of the time. But yeah, PC's still number one in my book - even if I dislike 'em in general, just because you have more there than a console, yeah even with these new generations.

And also - just to be a ball buster, which was better? Deus Ex on the PC...? Or was the PC one better? heh.

 

[Marcus]

Well, that's a common criticism now. Because PC games are now made simultaneously with console releases, people are complaining that the developers are holding back. Some people attribute Oblivion's simplicity (half the weapons and stuff of Morrowind), Deus Ex 2's "streamlining", and even Bioshock of being "watered down" because they were also developed for consoles. In my opinion, I don't think it's true. There's a limit all games reach for their current technology; developers can make a game that would blow every computer out of the water but it's not profitable to make a game that only a 5,000 dollar plus rig could play.

And I meant the PS2 version. It was technically a remake but it fixed a lot of annoying things about the PC version like ugly graphics and a clunky inventory.

 

[sixtyandaquarter]

One thing though consoles have WAY over PC - for now - is the simple fact that you buy the game, you play it.

I still have a copy of Black and White 2 I can't play because I don't have the proper videocard (or something, I don't remember now). A gift, no receipt, it's mine and I can't get rid of it without hassling for a price because it was opened already.

Personally, let's say I had bought it but lost or threw away the receipt I'd be pissed. I'm annoyed as it is, but I'd be pissed. I just spent tens of dollars on a game, and now I have to spend how-ever-much on an upgrade or new equipment, just to play it. Just so that my original tens of dollars went to good cost, I have to buy more.

At least, for the moment, there's -almost- none of that on the consoles and hand helds out there at the mome.