This one hardly needs an explanation; even those unfamiliar with JRPGs, even those who didn't own a PS1 have heard of this game. In detail. That alone attests to its far-reaching influence. Great characters, a nearly flawless buildup giving motive to each party member to keep them going on their grueling adventure, and a legendary fight between one of gaming's most iconic villains and most iconic heroes.

Adding in the incredible depth and customizability in combat due to the Materia system and the legendary music of Nobuo Uetmatu, this is a game for the ages.

Easily the best RPG ever to grace video gaming; Complex, varied characters with detailed backgrounds and histories past standard RPG archeypes. Hundreds of hours of optional content in the forms of side quests and item hunting, without the "grind" of later RPGs. Intense and difficult combat based on AD&D settings, with powerful options for nearly every class. One of the few RPGs that has ever done rogues well; their ability to detect and disarm traps (of which there are dozens in each dungeon), pick pockets, and steal from merchants made them invaluable to a balanced party in a way that other RPGs just fail to capture. The story was great, carrying on from Baldur's Gate 1 without missing a beat. And, of course, because it's a PC game, the modding community has increased its quality by adding more content, items, classes, and even seamlessly merging BG1 and BG2 into one long, truly epic gaming experience that nothing else comes close to touching.