Made by some of the names behind fallout 1 + 2, need I say more? It has it's problems, but the story, setting and gameplay are fantastic. The main quest tree gives you a distant goal to focus on while side quests and party members entertain along the way. Set in a relatively unique steam-meets-magic punk setting that really pushed my buttons (I'm more sci-fi than fantasy). Combat is a little clunky and full of random misses early game, but it gets better and a little more varied as you go along. Not just clouded in nostalgia either, I installed it a couple of months ago and I'm slowly making my way through the campaign again. While it is a bit raw in comparison to modern rpgs, it still holds it's own against newer, younger models.
It's an excellent game, very immersive and challenging (with the appropriate settings). Development cycle is long, but they're concentrating on getting the systems and mechanics right. Updated regularly, usually releasing a new build every month or two. Ticks a lot of boxes for me: - top down - zmobies - rpg - permadeath - crafting
