Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura

From the dev team that made Vampire: The Masquerade, and three big influences in the original Fallout games, Arcanum should be a good game, and it absolutely is. It's just very different from both of those. The game is set in a Victorian-era world with both steampunk and traditional fantasy elements. There's a clever mix of elves, orcs, guns, and airships. It's on one of those airships that the story begins. Attacked by half-orcs, it crashes on its maiden voyage, leaving everyone but the player dead, and quest to find a passenger's silver ring. From there it spirals into a rich story as you seek out information and it evolves to your choices. It's punctuated by believable characters and great dialogue. All of it takes place from an isometric perspective, and the contrast of technology and magic is present in the combat system as well as the story. You can spec your character towards one or the other, creating difficult choices and a sense of freedom in play style. The action itself has a similar openness, letting you choose between turn-based, real-time, or a mixture of both.  As a result, Arcanum remains a wholly unique RPG that offers a refreshing feel in both setting and gameplay.