RPGs were born on PCs, and I would argue that there are very few console RPGs worthy of placement on a top ten list regarding "influencial" RPGs, including "groundbreaking" console games like FF7.

Wizardry, Ultima & Ultima Underworld, Might & Magic, The Bard's Tale, Magic Candle, Wasteland, Rogue/Moria/Nethack (not technically PC in origin), D&D Gold Box series, Dungeon Master, ... the list goes on and on and on. Almost every RPG ever made, console or not, can trace their roots back to these early games, including the uber-landslide titles like Diablo and the entire FF series.

I applaud the OP's wanting to voice disgust at the article. I don't think I can even pretend any PS1+ era games had any serious influence, other than the obvious zillion-sellers which publishers chose to copycat.

Lunar's story and gameplay weren't what seperated it from other JRPGs at the time, it was the inclusion of anime cutscenes

Dragon Quest I -- it gave us the slime.

Final Fantasy IV -- Though I loved the original, IV changed what I and many others have come to expect from RPGs. Couldn't go back to FFI, or DQI, etc., after FFIV. If VI or VII are superior, IV made it possible.

Shining Force I -- or, really, this might just be a placeholder; I don't know what really influenced the development of SRPGs, but I figure something must have, and that something deserves mention.

Everquest -- WoW before WoW.

ETA: Oh yeah, OP -- make sure when you start your elimination list to make clear to people that this isn't the "Best RPG of all time" list, but the "most influential"... otherwise, whatever their actual influence might merit, VI & VII will beat the shorts off of my FF IV. :)

 Good to see someone give FFIV the respect it deserves, its far more influential than FFVI.

FF 1 for sure..and KH also

where's Legend of Zelda?

I think it was most influential to RPGs

(LoZ was an RPG till someone decided to change it to action/adventure
but it's still an RPG)

Star Wars: KotOR is a must on that list.

i stopped reading at Elder scrolls. this is an abomination anyone who has played a decent rpg will know that this game is of poor quality

FFIV only influenced FFVI. FFVI influenced everything else!


I'm not too familiar with more western ones sadly, but here are some that I nominate:



Dungeons and Dragons.
Dragon Quest 1.
Rogue.
Hack.
Ultima Online.
FF6.
Secret of Mana.
Chrono Trigger.
Everquest.
Pokemon.

 ah yes the anime cutscenes!! i forgot about those, thanks for reminding me.