I was fortunate many years ago to be able to review the first
Geneforge game. Since then, I've played most of the Geneforge sequels. Since then I discovered
Eschalon: Book I. (Whether you would consider the original Divine Divinity an indie title is debatable, but perhaps it could be included, too).
So every now and then I go on a hunt for good indie CRPGs. Sadly, they're few and far between, at least those that have the elements I consider important. First off they have to be in, 3rd-person isometric (3D or not). I think because the graphics are weaker, 1st-person perspective looks much worse, especially when compared to top-tier commercial titles. The objects are larger on the screen, and their flaws are more readily apparent.
Second, they must have plenty of quests, lots of character stats, stuff to pick up and sell, and lots of choices. The "role" part of role-playing game must be in evidence. Action RPGs are all well and good, but those aren't the titles that make me salivate.
Right now, I have two games on my radar:
Eschalon: Book II and
Age of Decadence. Eschalon: Book II is almost certainly a Day 1 purchase for me. I enjoyed Book I a lot, and I trust the devs to put out a solid product. Age of Decadence comes from a studio I don't know, and while it looks fantastic, I'll have to give a demo a try or check reviews first. I'm hoping for a title that rivals Dragon Age in quality, even if the graphics and sound aren't up there with a Bioware title (no one would expect a title like AoD to compete with a studio that has millions of dollars to throw around and over a hundred voice actors).
With those two indie titles, Mass Effect 2 and Bioshock 2 coming out, and then possibly Red Dead Redemption in April (more on that one later), the first quarter of 2010 is going to be packed!