I just got a sudden, unexpected urge to buy and play Freelancer.
I just realized that the guys from Black Isle effectively did with the hardcore RPGing crowd what John Romero tried to do to everyone else with Daikatana.
The way they integrated mexican day of the dead stuff with the whole noir 1930s aesthetics was what impressed me most. It was also one of the first games where I really felt attached to the characters.
It's still the best adventure game I've ever played.
The only problem it had was the interface.