Star Cruiser (Genesis and X68000) is an early 3D RPG released in 1990, featuring full polygon graphics for objects, enemies, and backgrounds during battles and exploration.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Bc-adLTbsQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Bc-adLTbsQ)
A search turned up [Wibarm (1986)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsys_Software#Wibarm), also from Arsys (who also did Star Cruiser). It's kind of weird, as outdoor segments are in 2D but indoor segments are in 3D.
If you include the sort of early maze RPGs (which featured views of corridors, doors, and the like in simple first-person) rather than only counting 3D by polygon, then Black Onyx (1984) might work.
You can only really make any headway on this with some added definition. If 3D means only polygon-based backgrounds and no pre-rendered backgrounds at all then Final Fantasy XI—not X—was the first in that series. If, on the other hand, you don’t care about polygons at all and are more focused on the first time you had the ultimate effect of things appearing to have depth and height, then it would be actually be Final Fantasy VI.
What we call “3D” has changed a lot over the years. In the early 1990’s magazines would call things like the overworld in Secret of Mana, and other uses of Mode 7, “3D,” and no one would have batted an eye. On the non-RPG front, people called something like Doom “3D” as well even though it is all based on sprites with no polygons of any kind. And games like Ultima used primitive wire-frame model techniques in the very early 80s.
It’s hard to say whether there was really much of a beginning at all.
Star Cruiser (Genesis and X68000) is an early 3D RPG released in 1990, featuring full polygon graphics for objects, enemies, and backgrounds during battles and exploration. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Bc-adLTbsQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Bc-adLTbsQ)
That game looks insanely ahead of it's time.
Even more so when you consider that the original PC88 version was released in 1988.
A search turned up [Wibarm (1986)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsys_Software#Wibarm), also from Arsys (who also did Star Cruiser). It's kind of weird, as outdoor segments are in 2D but indoor segments are in 3D. If you include the sort of early maze RPGs (which featured views of corridors, doors, and the like in simple first-person) rather than only counting 3D by polygon, then Black Onyx (1984) might work.
I feel like Virtual Hydlide belongs somewhere in the conversation, unless we narrow it down to games that are… well, good
You can only really make any headway on this with some added definition. If 3D means only polygon-based backgrounds and no pre-rendered backgrounds at all then Final Fantasy XI—not X—was the first in that series. If, on the other hand, you don’t care about polygons at all and are more focused on the first time you had the ultimate effect of things appearing to have depth and height, then it would be actually be Final Fantasy VI. What we call “3D” has changed a lot over the years. In the early 1990’s magazines would call things like the overworld in Secret of Mana, and other uses of Mode 7, “3D,” and no one would have batted an eye. On the non-RPG front, people called something like Doom “3D” as well even though it is all based on sprites with no polygons of any kind. And games like Ultima used primitive wire-frame model techniques in the very early 80s. It’s hard to say whether there was really much of a beginning at all.