NEWS
9. Fable: The Lost Chapters
Fable: The Lost Chapters
Why it’s good for beginners: It’s the
opposite of complicated. You’re a character, with a weapon, and you walk around
hitting/chopping/shooting things with that weapon. When you do good things,
your character looks more and more angelic. When you do bad things, you look
more and demonic. Moral choices in games are nothing new, but it’s cool to see
your choices directly reflected with your character.
How to play it: It’s last-last-gen, so
you’ll need an original Xbox, but there was a remake for the Xbox 360 you could
probably get your hands on. You can also buy it on Steam for PC or Mac.
10. Knights of the Old Republic
Knights of the Old Republic
Why it’s good for beginners: I’m willing to
bet that the intersection of Star Wars fans and people who’d click on a post
called “Best RPGs For People Who Don’t Play RPGs” is pretty large, so let’s
just cut to the chase. You get to be a Jedi, and you get to fight things with
your lightsaber. If that sounds like fun to you, just know that it’s even more
fun than it sounds.
How to play it: There’s a port available
for iPad, iPhone, and Android. (But the controls are a little tough to get used
to.) It’s also available for Mac and PC, as well as the original Xbox, if
you’ve still got one of those lying around.
11. EarthBound
EarthBound
Why it’s good for beginners: This game is a
bit of a legend these days because it was slightly more rare than other Super
Nintendo games, and original cartridges are hard to come by, but don’t let that
intimidate you. It plays a like an RPG, but it’s set in a modern Western world
and has a sense of humor about itself. RPGs usually take themselves way too
seriously. Not Earthbound. Except for maybe the final battle, which is REALLY
bizarre.
How to play it: Original cartridges for the
SNES are going for upwards of $200 on eBay right now, but you can download it
for the Virtual Console on Wii U for $10.
12. Costume Quest
Costume Quest
Why it’s good for beginners: It’s like
playing a Saturday morning cartoon, but one that knows its primary audience is
adults who fondly remember Saturday morning cartoons. It’s got some light RPG
elements without getting too bogged down in complicated mechanics. It just kind
of makes you feel good when you’re playing it.
How to play it: There’s a mobile version
for Android. Otherwise, it’s available for download for Mac, PC, and
PlayStation 3.