This might be the first RPG I played that felt like a true role-playing game--as in, you really took on the role of a character and could make decisions about who you were in this world. (Certainly, other games had done this before, but I didn't get around to many of them until later.) I have not played it since release, so it may show its age these days, but I remember really getting sucked into the game when it came out. It was hard to put down the controller with so much to see and do... and the fact that you could get lucky with romance was all too appealing to a teenaged boy. The sequels certainly improved on the formula, but this felt like a solid, fresh start.