I was able to get Fallout 1, Fallout 2 and Fallout Tactics when GOG offered them for free. I'll check out KOTOR 1, others have recommended it as well. Thanks for the recommendation!

Abe's oddysee & exodus should definitely be very high on your priority list. Both are remarkable platformers set in a world that oozes atmosphere. A bit difficult though...

Sacrifice. It has very very little in terms of customization and dialogue choices, and it's not open-world, but it excels in everything else you mentioned.

Jagged Alliance 2

Art style isn't ultra realistic, but it is still functional
Dialogue, and banter (though not that much), but not really big on choices and consequences (but you can always just shoot them in the face).
Create your own merc (or more, if using the 1.13 patch)
There are some high guarded places, and you do find better equipment there. Since enemies don't drop everything when they die, stealing items from them gives you the best loot. Assuming you don't die in the process of course.
If no enemies are present, it's real time, but combat is turn based.
Full of Arulco to explore, game's goal is to kill Deidrianna. How you do that is up to you.
Soundtrack included.

I have Jagged Alliance: Deadly Games but haven't played it much, how does Jagged Alliance 2 compare to it (if you know)?

Jagged Alliance: Deadly Games has missions you choose and play. So it's more a series of battles instead of a campaign. The personality of the mercs remains though, even if they don't try to kill each other any more.
The engine was also changed, so graphically there are huge changes. I do believe JA2 is better than JA:DG, but I haven't played JA:DG that much.

You can do this by clicking "reply", then marking and copying the quote in the posting window before closing (cancelling) it again, and then you reply to the next user you want to quote and paste the other quote into the same window (and so on, if you still want to quote others), until you've got all quotes posted in the same window and can reply to them. Yes, it's very roundabout, but I know of no other way to do it. I'm also not sure whether everyone who was quoted will be notified about your reply or only the last one you clicked on ...

Ah okay, seems simple enough overall, thank you. .

Ultima 7? While quasi-medieval, it goes outside of those boundaries enough (especially in The Serpent Isle) and is old enough to easily avoid 'modern ultra-realistic'. It has the rest covered (although you don't create the character directly in terms of stats, you can develop them as you prefer along the way.

The Ultima Underworld games have much the same going for them but with the added benefit of a more refined skill system where you can pick and choose things at character creation.

Games that evolved from the latter engine - System Shock, Thief, Deus Ex - also fit most of the criteria.


Some of the old create-the-whole-party RPGs - Wizardry 8, for example - may also work for you.

The Cat Lady is the best game I've played this year, and one of the best I've ever played, I can't say enough good things about it. Deadly Premonition: Directors Cut seems interesting enough, did you play it on the PC?

Played, finished and enjoyed every second of it... well, apart from those seconds spend on QTEs, but they're not that hard :)
You should play it.
So says Mr Stewart.

As a show of appreciation for you fine folks taking the time to recommend me some games, have one on me (first come first serve obviously). H4CA-63TF-4RJ9-VAAZ

Merry Wednesday!

The game is Humans Must Answer in case someone's interested.

And thanks for the kindness, but I'm going to let someone else claim it. =)

Whoa! You posted this code 29 minutes ago and it still isn't redeemed?! I'm... speechless.

edit: It's still available. I didn't grab it, I was just curious ;)