I also have to support the suggestion of Deus Ex. It's one of those games that manages to have an enormous amount of depth without resorting to an absurdly complex interface and the freedom you have to complete your missions is incredible.

Also, Anachronox. If you don't mind a JRPG-style battle system (very similar to the one in Final Fantasy VII), it's one of the most engaging and genuinely funny games ever made. It features a really good story, a brilliant cast of bizarre characters and takes place in an amazingly detailed universe. Although, it also needs to be mentioned that the game ends on an unfortunate cliffhanger. The overall story up to that point is pretty much wrapped up, but it was supposed to lead into two expansions, which were never made because Anachronox flopped pretty badly.

Should you feel adventurous enough to dive into some of the real oldies on here (in other words, if you can get past really old graphics), you might consider taking a look at the Ultima series, which essentially created the genre. You should have at least three titles of the series in your account right now (Ultima IV, as well as the spin-offs Savage Empire and Martian Dreams). Despite its age, Ultima IV features a great premise and is one of the first real "open world" games, but also absolutely requires you to read the supplementary material, such as the "History of Britannia" book and the world map, in order to familiarise yourself with the game's backstory and setting. Overall, though, Ultima VII is considered to be the best in the series. For further reference, there's The Spoony One's excellent retrospective of the series.

Some other, non-rpg suggestions (personal favourites): Dungeon Keeper, Thief series, Beneath a Steel Sky, MDK, Shogo - Mobile Armor Division, Beyond Good and Evil, Blood, Tyrian 2000, Legacy of Kain series

Even in the PC version it's pretty obvious that the game was always optimized for easier accessibility, including controller support, so it would work well on XBOX. I found the combat in particular to work better with a gamepad. ( Although inventory navigation was awkward without mouse input, so neither was really ideal. Let's hope they improve upon that with the new Witcher game. )

But anyhow, like I mentioned in an earlier post, The Witcher 2 does a good job introducing you to the game world as well as the gameplay mechanics. ( The concept of "Witchers" in particular is well explained. There is actually an animated sequence, created specifically for that purpose. )

And I was in fact feeling quite lost for an hour or two, in both games, but that's mostly because the series features such an elaborate Fantasy world, with many different factions and characters, so it takes some time before you understand everything.

I guess, in the end all I'm saying is: If OP intends to play the whole series, he might as well start with the first one. But if he's likely to play only one game for now, he'd be better off to play the second, since it does overall provide a better, higher quality experience. ( It's arguably more accessible, too -- I always found combat, as well as character development pretty awkward in the first one. )

Deus Ex, Gothic 3, Thief 1-3, Divine Divinity, Anachronox, Septerra Core and Icewind Dale. These are fairly easy games to understand and play.

First of all, welcome to GOG, you're sure to have a great time, here!

Now, for some recommendations, some based on your OP, others... well, not so much, but titles I still think are worth taking a look at:

- Nox (neat action-RPG with some innovative mechanics, for its time, that I think you would like a lot -- definitely not complex, no "THAC0", no min-maxing, no "real-time-strategic-pause-turn-based-complexity-party-manager" crap, just good old action fun);

- The Infinity Engine Stuff (not as simple as you asked for, but every single one of them is a video game classic in their own right, and well worth a try);

- Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (seriously, play this baby, and, if you like it, be sure to give the other games in the series a try -- even if Blood Omen 2 is a bit on the weak side);

- Sacrifice (Licurg);

- Deadly Premonition (Novotnus);

- Realms of the Haunting (recommended to me by mondo84, and even though I haven't finished it yet -- it's quite a meaty game --, I can't recommend it enough, myself);

- Pathologic (yeah... not really an RPG, not really a stealth game, but the mind sexual intercourse this game will engage in with your brain, by the end of the "story" is well worth the price of admission);

- MDK (one of the most over-the-top, outrageous, action-packed, fun games ever made. No need to trust me, just watch some gameplay videos for yourself. The sequel is good, but doesn't top the original, in my humble opinion);

- Sanitarium (you probably aren't a big fan of point and click adventures, but, if you are willing to give this one a try, I'm betting you won't be disappointed. It's downright awesome);

- System Shock 2 (to be honest, I'm playing it and enjoying it quite a lot, but I still wouldn't say it's one of the best games ever made. Still, we're on GOG, and now that the Fallouts were removed, we have at least to try this one);

There are lots of other games I could -- and would -- suggest, but this thread has some awesome recommendations already, so you should be covered, when it comes to an introduction to all the great games sold on GOG you should be getting first.

Happy gaming! :)

I would suggest you take a look at Sacred - http://www.gog.com/game/sacred_gold - as it is a largely open world game with a nice (if rather short) main story quest, but it does reward you for your time spent exploring. It is set in a medieval style world and has 6 different class / races you can play as.

The D&D games are also really good RPG's, but if you can wait I would suggest waiting for the Christmas sale where they always go on sale as a bundle for approximately $22, and it is a real steal.

Little bit of OT (trolling?) here but I can't help myself. Seeing this thread topic whenever I log on is driving me nuts because every time, all I can think of is the scene from "This is Spinal Tap" when Nigel is complaining about the catering and says, "Well, I really don't know where to start..."

I'd change if I knew how.

I wasn't complaining, don't worry. :D I can't speak for the rest of the forum but pretty much everything I post is meant to be silly or pointless or both. And you can't offend me so if I get on your nerves don't hesitate to let me know.

My favorites are the Baldur's Gate Series, but I grew up on the D&D rules, and I am told they can be a bit complicated for the uninitiated.

System Shock 2 is a great game that has your FPS style with elements of an RPG. It is more of a scifi/horror game and not set in a fantasy world like Oblivion, but it's another game I would recommend. And no worries about playing it before the first game. The original is not in the GOG catalog, but not important to the story of the 2nd.

Since you took the time to reach some of us via PM, I'm posting this as a follow up, it may be useful for some other forum user as well:

Whoever told you the Ultima series is easier than the Infinity Engine games is seriously deranged, or they were downright trolling you. The Ultima games are, indeed, amazing, but they are also far from being accessible, especially to newcomers. Also, do bear in mind that while the Infinity Engine D&D games still look gorgeous, despite their age, the best Ultima games are rather painful to look at (not that it should matter much, but it does to some people, so, I'd better warn you). If you're interested in an Ultima game, then I'd recommend these:

- Ultima VII
- Ultima Underworld 1+2 (I like the first one more than the second, but they're both amazing and come in a single package)

Like I said to you in a PM, maybe Nox isn't what you're looking for, exactly, because it's a bit streamlined and most certainly not open-ended, so I'd say to stick to the Infinity Engine games. Icewind Dale and Icewind Dale 2 may be a bit on the hard side, as they require a lot of strategic combat and a decent knowledge of the AD&D rule set the games are following. Planescape: Torment would be a decent recommendation (it's superb!), but the high focus on story, moral choices and philosophy may be a tad heavy for someone who's just picking these games up for the first time. Baldur's Gate is a bit messy, you told me you enjoy open-ended experiences with a whole lot of side-quests, and though Baldur's Gate offers that, it's pretty flawed at organizing it all, and you may be turned off entirely. So, this leaves us with Baldur's Gate 2. That's the one I think you should be getting. Widely regarded as the "best CRPG ever made", "the CRPG by which all other CRPGs are measured", Baldur's Gate 2 is huge, is fun, is (somewhat) easy to get into, even without a huge deal of knowledge of the complicated D&D rules, keeps quests and logs organized, has a multitude of stuff for you to do, it's engaging and very well written, if that matters to you at all, and it will keep you busy for months. You could always buy both Baldur's Gate games and mod them into a single experience, but since you said you're a bit tight, financially, right now, my obvious suggestion would be Baldur's Gate 2.

Christmas? You do realize it's the 2nd of March.

For Ultima games these may be of interest:Ultima IV - VI and Ultima VII - IX, Best Ultima Game?

If you loved Oblivion, you owe it to yourself to buy Ultima VII which, while isometric and not first person like Oblivion, is the true origin of realistic open-world RPGs. Everyone in the world has a schedule, and each person seems real. It doesn't make you feel like everyone waits around for you in their shops 24 hours a day. When you leave town, life goes on. Everyone does what they do with or without you. Forget 24 hours shopping. You can only buy things when shops are open. You can actually sit in a restaurant and watch people order food, yell at the servers, and talk about their daytime activities. There is even a music group that plays at 8:00 at night in the main tavern in Central Britain.
Ultima VII is a world you really should visit.

My contribution to suggestions is about getting games, not the games to get. ;)

It is best for you to do a little research of any game you might be interested in, by first reading a few reviews, just to get an idea of what to expect. Good reviews talk about specifics of a game but even bad reviews reveal issues that might not bother you as much as the reviewer, for example Bad voice acting.

Next I would suggest that you search for Gameplay, Let’s Play and Review videos (plenty on You-tube) of any games you might want to purchase), as this is probably the best way to see if a game will fit your play-style, and current mood. After just a few minutes of watching, you’ll know if a game is one you don’t want, or must have.

Also, and most important, visit the game’s sub-forum here on GoG before you buy so you can see if the game will require additional editing, or workarounds for your gaming system (Win XP, 7, 8 and 32/64 bit and duel/quad core issues). There might be community patch and mods as well that improve performance and add content. Be cautious when adding mods, if you are not familiar with editing game files, always follow directions and don’t hesitate to ask questions if you are unsure of what to do.

It is usually a good idea to play through a game at least once before installing any modifications, or at least play test the game a bit. And always backup files (make a copy to a temporary place) before editing or modifying your games.
One more thing to consider is to be open to all types of games, other genres you might not be interested in now. Over time our interests do change, and Sales have a way of inviting people’s curiosity to get the better of them...