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NeoGAF's Essential RPGs: 2017-2018 edition - Vote open until Oct 13th - Win Free RPGs
- Thread starter kswiston
- Start date
MMOs are pretty ephemeral and eventually solidify into a community that isn't all that receptive to newcomers as they get old. I haven't played WoW in years. Perhaps that is still OK. But can you imagine recommending Everquest to someone who has never tried an MMO in 2017? I tried to play it in 2010 or so after Steam had a dirt cheap complete pack, and I was lost. And that's with a few months of experience with the game back in 2002 or so.
Robert at Zeboyd Games
Banned
As far as I can tell, I'm the only one who voted for Path of Exile so far. Several votes for Diablo 2/3 though and I can only imagine that many of those people would greatly enjoy Path of Exile if they just tried it (and if you've already tried it but it wasn't recent, give it another shot since they've made so many improvements since it first came out). And it's a free-to-play game (and the only gameplay stuff you can buy is stash tab stuff & character slots) so it's easy to try out.
I haven't played rpg's as much in recent years, but I used to play them a lot. My list is mostly going to be older games probably. Let's get started.
1. (HIGHLIGHT) Final Fantasy VI - I sometimes hear people that don't like rpg's say things like, "I don't play Final Fantasy type games". When a series is used by people who don't know the genre to describe that entire genre, you know it's essential.
6 is my favorite mainline FF. I love that it has an ensemble cast with no real "main" character. Despite such a large cast (14 playable characters), somehow all of the playable characters besides the two optional hidden ones end up with plenty of development that makes the player get attached to them. Hell, that could be said of some of the NPC's even (General Leo is awesome). The game's villain is also really well done, a character you love to hate, and even has an iconic laugh sound effect. I also love the game's story for taking a turn i'd never seen before, rarely since, and never done again in quite the same manner, to my knowledge.
Mechanics wise, i also really liked that each character has a battle skill unique to them. To me, fully customizable characters lose some of their personality. FF6 also has a fun gameplay feature that i've sadly never seen repeated; several dungeons have you take multiple parties and switch back and forth between them in order to progress.
And let us not forget the intensely emotive score that really contributes to how atmospheric FF6 is. Nobuo Uematsu is a genius.
FF6 is also very replayable, as not only does the Esper system provide some character customization, but the large cast means you can play through much of the game with a completely different party than you did on a previous playthrough. On top of that, there are hidden secrets and ways to play you might not even discover on your own. For example, I had no idea Wind God Gau was a thing until i read about it on a forum, years after I had played through the game multiple times already. I would recommend your first playthrough without reading about these things of course.
2. (UNDERRATED) SaGa Frontier - Another rpg from the golden era of Squaresoft that has sadly been overlooked by many, this has multiple "main" characters to choose from when you start the game, each with their own unique scenario to play through. They do cross each others' paths though, and sometimes join each others' parties. The cast of characters is wide and interesting, there's a young man who can turn into a superhero, a robot, a beast boy, and a mage, among others. There are also more playable characters aside from the main cast, some of whom are pretty cool. There's this one drunken ronin who is a total badass, when you play the robot's scenario you will see what i mean. There are a total of 40 PCs, though 2 aren't normally recruitable.
The gameplay is deep as the mechanics are complex, but you don't have to understand them all to complete the game. There are tons of physical skills to learn, which are gained when using basic attacks or skills from the same school in a mechanic called Sparking. Some skills also change into more powerful versions with different names when used under the right conditions. Many of the physical skills can also become Combo attacks when party members use them in the right order. There are also magical spells to learn from varied schools, though there aren't as many spells as there are physical skills.
SaGa Frontier is also very replayable, as unless you spend a lot of time on unnecessary grinding you won't Spark all abilities or see all Combos in a single playthrough.
3. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne - There isn't much I can say about this that hasn't already been said. This has the best turn-based battle system of all time, and it is just as harsh and unforgiving as the story of the game. Speaking of the story, it's a dark, refreshing taste of originality that throws binary morality out the window and explores deeper philosophical themes. The only thing keeping this from being my personal GOAT is I don't really care for the SMT aesthetic, and the cyberpunk metal soundtrack, while enjoyable, doesn't hold a candle to the masterpieces in other games, such as any of Uetmatsu's work. But I can't stress enough how good the gameplay is here. You don't understand how good turn-based jrpg style combat can be until you play a MegaTen game with the Press Turn system.
4. Shadowrun: Dragonfall - I really dig the Shadowrun universe. It's a dark, gritty cyberpunk era, yet swords and sorcery have also returned to the world along with nonhuman races. The storytelling is top notch and the cast of characters is great. It also features morally ambiguous choices (noticing a trend in my tastes yet?), that actually have significant effect on the story.
5. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - This game improved on everything its predecessor did, though it was sadly rushed in development and shipped with a lot of cut content. I'm happy to hear that there are mods to restore that content available now. As others have said, the writing here is top notch, the crew characters actually respond dynamically to your choices, and Kreia is a phenomenal character.
6. Suikoden III - I absolutely love this game. The large cast of characters, the multiple scenarios, the base building, the unique and fun battle system that involves pairing up your party members (sometimes combining them into a single mounted unit!), this was just a joy to play.
7. Ys: The Oath in Felghana - Ys games are straightforward balls-to-the-wall action rpgs with kickass metal soundtracks. If you like intense, hectic gameplay accompanied by shredding guitar riffs, you will love them. If that doesn't sound appealing to you, then these games aren't for you.
8. Final Fantasy Tactics - I tried to only have 1 entry per series. I made an exception for FFTactics because it's so different from the mainline entries. The tactical gameplay involving positioning and terrain is great, and the job system allows for tons of customization fun. The soundtrack is marvelous. But the story filled with political intrigue, corruption, and tragedy, met with courageous, unflinching determination, is where this game truly shines. The psp version, War of the Lions, has the vastly improved translation.
9. Tales of Vesperia - Tales games take the traditional jrpg formula of linear story with sidequests and mini-games, but mix in real-time combat (with a pause menu for selecting spells/items) that is an absolute blast. You can also control any character in your party, some of whom have very different play styles, and have the rest controlled by customizable AI. I've loved every Tales game I played for the gameplay alone, but Vesperia has a special place in my heart for finally giving me the protagonist i've always wanted. Yuri Lowell is good man with a strong sense of justice. He recognizes that law systems usually fail against people in power, and does not hesitate to bring such people to vigilante justice instead when necessary.
10. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - Fire Emblem games' simple yet strategic gameplay will hook you and have you sink dozens, maybe hundreds, of hours into them. I spent almost every available moment of leisure time i had on this one over the course of a summer, with its first-in-the-series bonus exp system.
Honorable Mentions
11. Valkyria Chronicles - Strategic gameplay reminiscent of Fire Emblem with 3D movement and FPS/TPS shooting. And grenades and tanks! The story and characters are also touching.
12. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - The game that spawned an entire sub-genre known as Metroidvanias. I would call this a platformer rpg, but I admit Metroidvania has a nicer ring to it. This has a wonderful soundtrack that mixes gothic orchestral tones with metal riffs, great action platformer gameplay, a level system with experience and stat gains, magic spells (performed by entering commands similar to those used for 2D Fighting game special moves), and loads of equipment including random enemy drops. The many different weapons (and shields, which are also equipped in one of the hand slots) provide different playstyles, and you won't see them all in one playthrough unless you spend many hours farming enemies for their rare drops. Some of them even have special moves, performed with 2D fighter commands like spells, such as teleporting horizontally and attacking in the other direction (good for attacking enemies from behind). One of my favorite weapons that I haven't seen many talk about is the Chakram, which throws out a ring projectile that returns. Each Chakram is actually a pair though, so you can throw a second projectile while the first is in the air. If you equip a Chakram in both hands, you have 4 projectiles to throw that you can pretty much spam non-stop. Very strong without being gamebreaking like the Crissaegrim.
13. Borderlands 2 - The Borderlands series is like the movie The Road Warrior turned into a tps action rpg, but with futuristic sci fi tech added along with a healthy dose of humor. Borderlands 2 is another case where it improved on everything its predecessor did.
14. Kingdom Hearts I haven't been a big Disney fan since elementary school, but this cross over blew my mind with how good it was. I love the combat in this series. 2 actually improves the combat even further, but I chose 1 as the series' rep due to the godawful intro segment in 2. Birth by Sleep on the psp is also great, haven't played any of the other games yet.
15. Disgaea - Disgaea takes the strategic gameplay of FFT and goes even deeper with it. Then it adds in tons of content to experience it with thanks to the never-ending Item World. Prepare to lose months of your life if you go deep with this game. Disgaea differs from FFT in that it's much less serious and filled with wacky humor.
16. Chrono Trigger - I think enough has been said about this game, but I couldn't exclude it from a list of essential rpg's.
17. Secret of Mana - this was the first Squaresoft game i ever played and the game that got me into rpg's. The title screen intro and music immediately shows how beautiful and charming this game is. I am very excited for the remake!
18. Breath of Fire 3 - The Breath of Fire games i've played are kind of basic jrpg's, but they have their own style and the series deserves to be on an essentials list i think. It was a toss up between 2 and 3 for which one I chose here. I should note that i've yet to play Dragon Quarter, as somewhat negative reviews and an abundance of games to play at the time turned me away from it, but after reading some of the praise for it in this thread I definitely want to play it now.
19. Skies of Arcadia - Skies of Arcadia is bursting with charm and the gameplay is fun. It's been years since I played so I unfortunately can't remember much more than that.
20. Wild ARMs - The anime intro with the Cowboy Western type music sets the stage for this fun game with it's unique Western theme. Great puzzles!
I wanted to include Lufia II on my list but ran out of room
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT – 3 points} Final Fantasy VI
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} SaGa Frontier
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
Shadowrun: Dragonfall
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II
Suikoden III
Ys: The Oath in Felghana
Final Fantasy Tactics
Tales of Vesperia
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Valkyria Chronicles
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Borderlands 2
Kingdom Hearts
Disgaea
Chrono Trigger
Secret of Mana
Breath of Fire 3
Skies of Arcadia
Wild ARMs
--VOTE INFO END--
1. (HIGHLIGHT) Final Fantasy VI - I sometimes hear people that don't like rpg's say things like, "I don't play Final Fantasy type games". When a series is used by people who don't know the genre to describe that entire genre, you know it's essential.
6 is my favorite mainline FF. I love that it has an ensemble cast with no real "main" character. Despite such a large cast (14 playable characters), somehow all of the playable characters besides the two optional hidden ones end up with plenty of development that makes the player get attached to them. Hell, that could be said of some of the NPC's even (General Leo is awesome). The game's villain is also really well done, a character you love to hate, and even has an iconic laugh sound effect. I also love the game's story for taking a turn i'd never seen before, rarely since, and never done again in quite the same manner, to my knowledge.
Mechanics wise, i also really liked that each character has a battle skill unique to them. To me, fully customizable characters lose some of their personality. FF6 also has a fun gameplay feature that i've sadly never seen repeated; several dungeons have you take multiple parties and switch back and forth between them in order to progress.
And let us not forget the intensely emotive score that really contributes to how atmospheric FF6 is. Nobuo Uematsu is a genius.
FF6 is also very replayable, as not only does the Esper system provide some character customization, but the large cast means you can play through much of the game with a completely different party than you did on a previous playthrough. On top of that, there are hidden secrets and ways to play you might not even discover on your own. For example, I had no idea Wind God Gau was a thing until i read about it on a forum, years after I had played through the game multiple times already. I would recommend your first playthrough without reading about these things of course.
2. (UNDERRATED) SaGa Frontier - Another rpg from the golden era of Squaresoft that has sadly been overlooked by many, this has multiple "main" characters to choose from when you start the game, each with their own unique scenario to play through. They do cross each others' paths though, and sometimes join each others' parties. The cast of characters is wide and interesting, there's a young man who can turn into a superhero, a robot, a beast boy, and a mage, among others. There are also more playable characters aside from the main cast, some of whom are pretty cool. There's this one drunken ronin who is a total badass, when you play the robot's scenario you will see what i mean. There are a total of 40 PCs, though 2 aren't normally recruitable.
The gameplay is deep as the mechanics are complex, but you don't have to understand them all to complete the game. There are tons of physical skills to learn, which are gained when using basic attacks or skills from the same school in a mechanic called Sparking. Some skills also change into more powerful versions with different names when used under the right conditions. Many of the physical skills can also become Combo attacks when party members use them in the right order. There are also magical spells to learn from varied schools, though there aren't as many spells as there are physical skills.
SaGa Frontier is also very replayable, as unless you spend a lot of time on unnecessary grinding you won't Spark all abilities or see all Combos in a single playthrough.
3. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne - There isn't much I can say about this that hasn't already been said. This has the best turn-based battle system of all time, and it is just as harsh and unforgiving as the story of the game. Speaking of the story, it's a dark, refreshing taste of originality that throws binary morality out the window and explores deeper philosophical themes. The only thing keeping this from being my personal GOAT is I don't really care for the SMT aesthetic, and the cyberpunk metal soundtrack, while enjoyable, doesn't hold a candle to the masterpieces in other games, such as any of Uetmatsu's work. But I can't stress enough how good the gameplay is here. You don't understand how good turn-based jrpg style combat can be until you play a MegaTen game with the Press Turn system.
4. Shadowrun: Dragonfall - I really dig the Shadowrun universe. It's a dark, gritty cyberpunk era, yet swords and sorcery have also returned to the world along with nonhuman races. The storytelling is top notch and the cast of characters is great. It also features morally ambiguous choices (noticing a trend in my tastes yet?), that actually have significant effect on the story.
5. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - This game improved on everything its predecessor did, though it was sadly rushed in development and shipped with a lot of cut content. I'm happy to hear that there are mods to restore that content available now. As others have said, the writing here is top notch, the crew characters actually respond dynamically to your choices, and Kreia is a phenomenal character.
6. Suikoden III - I absolutely love this game. The large cast of characters, the multiple scenarios, the base building, the unique and fun battle system that involves pairing up your party members (sometimes combining them into a single mounted unit!), this was just a joy to play.
7. Ys: The Oath in Felghana - Ys games are straightforward balls-to-the-wall action rpgs with kickass metal soundtracks. If you like intense, hectic gameplay accompanied by shredding guitar riffs, you will love them. If that doesn't sound appealing to you, then these games aren't for you.
8. Final Fantasy Tactics - I tried to only have 1 entry per series. I made an exception for FFTactics because it's so different from the mainline entries. The tactical gameplay involving positioning and terrain is great, and the job system allows for tons of customization fun. The soundtrack is marvelous. But the story filled with political intrigue, corruption, and tragedy, met with courageous, unflinching determination, is where this game truly shines. The psp version, War of the Lions, has the vastly improved translation.
9. Tales of Vesperia - Tales games take the traditional jrpg formula of linear story with sidequests and mini-games, but mix in real-time combat (with a pause menu for selecting spells/items) that is an absolute blast. You can also control any character in your party, some of whom have very different play styles, and have the rest controlled by customizable AI. I've loved every Tales game I played for the gameplay alone, but Vesperia has a special place in my heart for finally giving me the protagonist i've always wanted. Yuri Lowell is good man with a strong sense of justice. He recognizes that law systems usually fail against people in power, and does not hesitate to bring such people to vigilante justice instead when necessary.
10. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - Fire Emblem games' simple yet strategic gameplay will hook you and have you sink dozens, maybe hundreds, of hours into them. I spent almost every available moment of leisure time i had on this one over the course of a summer, with its first-in-the-series bonus exp system.
Honorable Mentions
11. Valkyria Chronicles - Strategic gameplay reminiscent of Fire Emblem with 3D movement and FPS/TPS shooting. And grenades and tanks! The story and characters are also touching.
12. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - The game that spawned an entire sub-genre known as Metroidvanias. I would call this a platformer rpg, but I admit Metroidvania has a nicer ring to it. This has a wonderful soundtrack that mixes gothic orchestral tones with metal riffs, great action platformer gameplay, a level system with experience and stat gains, magic spells (performed by entering commands similar to those used for 2D Fighting game special moves), and loads of equipment including random enemy drops. The many different weapons (and shields, which are also equipped in one of the hand slots) provide different playstyles, and you won't see them all in one playthrough unless you spend many hours farming enemies for their rare drops. Some of them even have special moves, performed with 2D fighter commands like spells, such as teleporting horizontally and attacking in the other direction (good for attacking enemies from behind). One of my favorite weapons that I haven't seen many talk about is the Chakram, which throws out a ring projectile that returns. Each Chakram is actually a pair though, so you can throw a second projectile while the first is in the air. If you equip a Chakram in both hands, you have 4 projectiles to throw that you can pretty much spam non-stop. Very strong without being gamebreaking like the Crissaegrim.
13. Borderlands 2 - The Borderlands series is like the movie The Road Warrior turned into a tps action rpg, but with futuristic sci fi tech added along with a healthy dose of humor. Borderlands 2 is another case where it improved on everything its predecessor did.
14. Kingdom Hearts I haven't been a big Disney fan since elementary school, but this cross over blew my mind with how good it was. I love the combat in this series. 2 actually improves the combat even further, but I chose 1 as the series' rep due to the godawful intro segment in 2. Birth by Sleep on the psp is also great, haven't played any of the other games yet.
15. Disgaea - Disgaea takes the strategic gameplay of FFT and goes even deeper with it. Then it adds in tons of content to experience it with thanks to the never-ending Item World. Prepare to lose months of your life if you go deep with this game. Disgaea differs from FFT in that it's much less serious and filled with wacky humor.
16. Chrono Trigger - I think enough has been said about this game, but I couldn't exclude it from a list of essential rpg's.
17. Secret of Mana - this was the first Squaresoft game i ever played and the game that got me into rpg's. The title screen intro and music immediately shows how beautiful and charming this game is. I am very excited for the remake!
18. Breath of Fire 3 - The Breath of Fire games i've played are kind of basic jrpg's, but they have their own style and the series deserves to be on an essentials list i think. It was a toss up between 2 and 3 for which one I chose here. I should note that i've yet to play Dragon Quarter, as somewhat negative reviews and an abundance of games to play at the time turned me away from it, but after reading some of the praise for it in this thread I definitely want to play it now.
19. Skies of Arcadia - Skies of Arcadia is bursting with charm and the gameplay is fun. It's been years since I played so I unfortunately can't remember much more than that.
20. Wild ARMs - The anime intro with the Cowboy Western type music sets the stage for this fun game with it's unique Western theme. Great puzzles!
I wanted to include Lufia II on my list but ran out of room
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT – 3 points} Final Fantasy VI
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} SaGa Frontier
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
Shadowrun: Dragonfall
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II
Suikoden III
Ys: The Oath in Felghana
Final Fantasy Tactics
Tales of Vesperia
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Valkyria Chronicles
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Borderlands 2
Kingdom Hearts
Disgaea
Chrono Trigger
Secret of Mana
Breath of Fire 3
Skies of Arcadia
Wild ARMs
--VOTE INFO END--
Metroidvania
People called Romanes they go the house?
Not sure on a highlight, or a potential underrated gem, so I'll leave a highlight open, and try to see if any qualify for underrated - will probably update the list with more detail later as well.
1. Kotor II - it's already been said many times before, but both this and New Vegas are amazing examples of Obsidian taking the existing property/systems, throwing out a lot of what arguably didn't work, and use whatever was left to merge with a new story/plot that arguably outshines, if not matches par-for-par, in giving depth to your narrative choices. The lack of a 'twist' in the same way as KOTOR's probably hurt it, but this one will always have a place in my heart for blowing my mind about the intricacies and nuance of the force when I first played it.
2. Witcher 3 - some of this may be due to playing the Witcher 1 and 2 (both recommended, altho Witcher 1 hasn't aged as gracefully) but Geralt's story culmination works super well as an open-world action RPG that shines on the strength of its smaller, more personal side quest stories - compared to an Ubisoft game, each story ties back to Geralt and his struggle as a Witcher while simultaneously letting you craft his romantic choices, morality, and helping him to find his daughter. The action may be a biiiit unwieldy, but that's about the only negative I can think of.
3. Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines: Even with the combat in the Sewers as a big negative, this game is still close to, if not unparalleled in offering choice as both a narrative and gameplay systems while simultaneously being full of 90s punk/goth style - you're allowed to have so much interaction as a 'new vampire', which gives you the perfect excuse to ask questions and shape your character. Do yourself a favor tho, and install the unofficial patch.
4. Fallout New Vegas - if you actually want to roleplay as a character inside the universe Obsidian created, this is most definitely for you, especially with a plentiful mod scene. Plenty of viable builds, plenty of dialogue options and factions to side with (or destroy), plenty to explore (that makes sense in the world and isn't just an empty 'carnival ride' approach....superb.
5. Paper Mario: TTYD - this is a master class of building on, expanding, and polishing the systems of a prequel and cranking it up to 11. The humor is on point, the RPG systems are (relatively) as deep as you wanna go, and the cast is spectacular. I still regret what the series ended up turning into with Super, Sticker Star, and Color Splash.
6. Final Fantasy Tactics - this was THE strategy game that convinced me SRPGs can be great - the story's a wee bit out there unless you're ready for it, and Wiegraf can admittedly be a run-killer, but the level of customization you have on your characters and how they interact with the map/grid system blends really, really well with the Final Fantasy backdrop.
7. Persona 4 - this one baaaaarely edges out either P3 or P5 (both are also great!), but for me, the strength and vibe of the 'hometown mystery gang' crew edges out P5's zaniness and gameplay improvements. From a social sim aspect, P5 may have more to do, but P4 feels like it does it with a lot more heart.
8. FFIX: For a lot of people, their 'first' Final Fantasy is going to be their highest rank on this sort of list, and this is no exception - the battles may be slow as molasses (bad battle systems seem to be a theme of sorts), but the characters are loveable, the world is super interesting, and the backdrop of a medieval-esque world just fit for me as a 'fantasy' series. But now, with the PS4 and/or PC having speed up capability for those slow-as-heck battles....
9. Chrono Trigger - This is THE time-traveling, fantasy RPG I didn't know I needed in my life until it the re-release hit the DS. The party is great, the setting is varied, your actions in time have consequences, and a plethora of associated secrets have fans still haunted by the drop in quality to Chrono Cross.
10. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - as my Username implies, this game aped the Metroid formula so well it became a genre - precise controls, plenty of loot and hidden secrets to find (including some ending-affecting ones), NG+ content, alternative character select....Alucard's still got it.
Honorable Mentions
1. Nier: Automata - this would be an Essential were it not for how divisive the repetitive combat and/or out-there story are for some people - that being said, Yoko Taro absolutely smashed it out of the park, and if you like action RPGs and/or the Nier series, you really, REALLY owe it to yourself to pick this up and get all the way through.
2. Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness (or Disgaea Series in general) - The Disgaea series continues to improve (and lose) various aspects as it tries to keep you hooked, and as long as you're willing to put into the grind, this game will keep you invested faaaaaaar longer than you would otherwise think. I think I liked the return to Laharal and co. more than the slight improvements in D5.
3. Fire Emblem 7 (GBA) - This game got me into Fire Emblem, and for that it will always hold a special place in my heart. Newer entries may have improved the formula more (especially Awakening with it's last ditch hurrah that saved the series at the cost of potentially over-emphasizing waifus/husbandos), but this one will always be special to me.
4. Tales of Vesperia - the Tales series is always a mixed bag to me - I love the action combat and (usually) the characters, but the story tends to fizzle out during the last big 'free time' before the final dungeons sets. Vesperia managed to avoid this with a combination of great character work, and an overall sense of style that other Tales games seemed to lack for me.
5. Mass Effect - I'm one of those weird ME1 'purists', but while ME2 definitely advanced the companion side stories and combat arenas, I'll always have a bigger soft spot for trawling around in the Mako, picking through my massive list of upgrade trees, exploring uncharted worlds, and seeing how I could shape my Shepard for games to come.
6. Dark Souls - The sense of exploration is unmatched in probably any other action RPG I've ever played, and the world makes so much sense after you start exploring, unlocking shortcuts, figuring out the story from the items and batshit characters - some of this sense of wonder may be lost to time with sequels and the internet meme/sensation the series became, but this game has still got it if you pick it up for the first time today, even if it didn't grab me as deeply as it did to others.
7. Pokemon Series - hard to pick a specific entry (it's a tossup between Emerald, X/Y, and Sun/Moon for me), but if you're a fan, you either already have multiple games in the series, or wait a few generations in between. Its history on the 'collect 'em all' franchises is utterly undeniable, tho. Still a shame about feature cuts between various entries, however.
8. Golden Sun: The Lost Age - this game does such a superb job of re-contextualizing its predecessor and following on the promise of a 'continued' world through a sequel on the same platform - plus, eventually getting the original party from the 1st game to follow after you is amazing.
9. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow - this game probably comes the closest of all the 2d castlevania games in recreating Symphony of the night, and it's got a lot of the 'same' benefits - tight controls, great sound, a decent plot (for Castlevania, at least), and the best variant of the 2d series' soul-collect system for grinding out favorites and overpowered combinations.
10. KOTOR - this game may not hit the deeper aspects of the force that KOTOR 2 does, but even with admitting to some rose-tinted glasses, the narrative design is still some of the best out there in putting the player as a character in the greater/expanded Star Wars universe.
Almost made the list:
- Alpha Protocol
- FFVI (One day I'll make myself finish this game)
- FFVII
- FFX
- Diablo 2
- WoW: WOTLK Era
- Deus Ex - I loooove Deus Ex, but I came into it way late, and it didn't draw me in as much as some of the other honorable mentions.
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt
Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines
Fallout New Vegas
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Final Fantasy Tactics
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
Final Fantasyy IX
Chrono Trigger
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Nier: Automata
Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness
Fire Emblem 7
Tales of Vesperia
Mass Effect
Dark Souls
Pokemon Emerald
Golden Sun: The Lost Age
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
--VOTE INFO END--
1. Kotor II - it's already been said many times before, but both this and New Vegas are amazing examples of Obsidian taking the existing property/systems, throwing out a lot of what arguably didn't work, and use whatever was left to merge with a new story/plot that arguably outshines, if not matches par-for-par, in giving depth to your narrative choices. The lack of a 'twist' in the same way as KOTOR's probably hurt it, but this one will always have a place in my heart for blowing my mind about the intricacies and nuance of the force when I first played it.
2. Witcher 3 - some of this may be due to playing the Witcher 1 and 2 (both recommended, altho Witcher 1 hasn't aged as gracefully) but Geralt's story culmination works super well as an open-world action RPG that shines on the strength of its smaller, more personal side quest stories - compared to an Ubisoft game, each story ties back to Geralt and his struggle as a Witcher while simultaneously letting you craft his romantic choices, morality, and helping him to find his daughter. The action may be a biiiit unwieldy, but that's about the only negative I can think of.
3. Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines: Even with the combat in the Sewers as a big negative, this game is still close to, if not unparalleled in offering choice as both a narrative and gameplay systems while simultaneously being full of 90s punk/goth style - you're allowed to have so much interaction as a 'new vampire', which gives you the perfect excuse to ask questions and shape your character. Do yourself a favor tho, and install the unofficial patch.
4. Fallout New Vegas - if you actually want to roleplay as a character inside the universe Obsidian created, this is most definitely for you, especially with a plentiful mod scene. Plenty of viable builds, plenty of dialogue options and factions to side with (or destroy), plenty to explore (that makes sense in the world and isn't just an empty 'carnival ride' approach....superb.
5. Paper Mario: TTYD - this is a master class of building on, expanding, and polishing the systems of a prequel and cranking it up to 11. The humor is on point, the RPG systems are (relatively) as deep as you wanna go, and the cast is spectacular. I still regret what the series ended up turning into with Super, Sticker Star, and Color Splash.
6. Final Fantasy Tactics - this was THE strategy game that convinced me SRPGs can be great - the story's a wee bit out there unless you're ready for it, and Wiegraf can admittedly be a run-killer, but the level of customization you have on your characters and how they interact with the map/grid system blends really, really well with the Final Fantasy backdrop.
7. Persona 4 - this one baaaaarely edges out either P3 or P5 (both are also great!), but for me, the strength and vibe of the 'hometown mystery gang' crew edges out P5's zaniness and gameplay improvements. From a social sim aspect, P5 may have more to do, but P4 feels like it does it with a lot more heart.
8. FFIX: For a lot of people, their 'first' Final Fantasy is going to be their highest rank on this sort of list, and this is no exception - the battles may be slow as molasses (bad battle systems seem to be a theme of sorts), but the characters are loveable, the world is super interesting, and the backdrop of a medieval-esque world just fit for me as a 'fantasy' series. But now, with the PS4 and/or PC having speed up capability for those slow-as-heck battles....
9. Chrono Trigger - This is THE time-traveling, fantasy RPG I didn't know I needed in my life until it the re-release hit the DS. The party is great, the setting is varied, your actions in time have consequences, and a plethora of associated secrets have fans still haunted by the drop in quality to Chrono Cross.
10. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - as my Username implies, this game aped the Metroid formula so well it became a genre - precise controls, plenty of loot and hidden secrets to find (including some ending-affecting ones), NG+ content, alternative character select....Alucard's still got it.
Honorable Mentions
1. Nier: Automata - this would be an Essential were it not for how divisive the repetitive combat and/or out-there story are for some people - that being said, Yoko Taro absolutely smashed it out of the park, and if you like action RPGs and/or the Nier series, you really, REALLY owe it to yourself to pick this up and get all the way through.
2. Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness (or Disgaea Series in general) - The Disgaea series continues to improve (and lose) various aspects as it tries to keep you hooked, and as long as you're willing to put into the grind, this game will keep you invested faaaaaaar longer than you would otherwise think. I think I liked the return to Laharal and co. more than the slight improvements in D5.
3. Fire Emblem 7 (GBA) - This game got me into Fire Emblem, and for that it will always hold a special place in my heart. Newer entries may have improved the formula more (especially Awakening with it's last ditch hurrah that saved the series at the cost of potentially over-emphasizing waifus/husbandos), but this one will always be special to me.
4. Tales of Vesperia - the Tales series is always a mixed bag to me - I love the action combat and (usually) the characters, but the story tends to fizzle out during the last big 'free time' before the final dungeons sets. Vesperia managed to avoid this with a combination of great character work, and an overall sense of style that other Tales games seemed to lack for me.
5. Mass Effect - I'm one of those weird ME1 'purists', but while ME2 definitely advanced the companion side stories and combat arenas, I'll always have a bigger soft spot for trawling around in the Mako, picking through my massive list of upgrade trees, exploring uncharted worlds, and seeing how I could shape my Shepard for games to come.
6. Dark Souls - The sense of exploration is unmatched in probably any other action RPG I've ever played, and the world makes so much sense after you start exploring, unlocking shortcuts, figuring out the story from the items and batshit characters - some of this sense of wonder may be lost to time with sequels and the internet meme/sensation the series became, but this game has still got it if you pick it up for the first time today, even if it didn't grab me as deeply as it did to others.
7. Pokemon Series - hard to pick a specific entry (it's a tossup between Emerald, X/Y, and Sun/Moon for me), but if you're a fan, you either already have multiple games in the series, or wait a few generations in between. Its history on the 'collect 'em all' franchises is utterly undeniable, tho. Still a shame about feature cuts between various entries, however.
8. Golden Sun: The Lost Age - this game does such a superb job of re-contextualizing its predecessor and following on the promise of a 'continued' world through a sequel on the same platform - plus, eventually getting the original party from the 1st game to follow after you is amazing.
9. Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow - this game probably comes the closest of all the 2d castlevania games in recreating Symphony of the night, and it's got a lot of the 'same' benefits - tight controls, great sound, a decent plot (for Castlevania, at least), and the best variant of the 2d series' soul-collect system for grinding out favorites and overpowered combinations.
10. KOTOR - this game may not hit the deeper aspects of the force that KOTOR 2 does, but even with admitting to some rose-tinted glasses, the narrative design is still some of the best out there in putting the player as a character in the greater/expanded Star Wars universe.
Almost made the list:
- Alpha Protocol
- FFVI (One day I'll make myself finish this game)
- FFVII
- FFX
- Diablo 2
- WoW: WOTLK Era
- Deus Ex - I loooove Deus Ex, but I came into it way late, and it didn't draw me in as much as some of the other honorable mentions.
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt
Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines
Fallout New Vegas
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Final Fantasy Tactics
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
Final Fantasyy IX
Chrono Trigger
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Nier: Automata
Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness
Fire Emblem 7
Tales of Vesperia
Mass Effect
Dark Souls
Pokemon Emerald
Golden Sun: The Lost Age
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
--VOTE INFO END--
HIGHLIGHT – Mother 3 (GBA)
Amazing story, masterful spritework, perfect music, catchy rhythm gameplay. How did this one never make it over officially?
UNDERRATED – Terranigma (SNES)
This game is trying to do amazing things, the scope of the story, the graphics, the music. The gameplay is just ok in my opinion, but the whole package makes this a must play from the 16-bit era. Better than the SoM series.
Dark Souls (PC)
Amazing gameplay, replayability, multiplayer. Takes time to get used to it, don't give up quickly! It's such a rewarding experience to finish the game.
Trails in the Sky SC (PC)
The whole trilogy is one amazing story, but SC might just be the best part. It starts slowly, but once the gears get moving the game just doesn't stop amazing you.
Ys Origin (PC)
This game feels so damn good to play. The boss fights are just so rewarding. Kickass music. Replayability. What more do you want!?
Deus Ex (PC)
This game is bonkers. It might look and feel somewhat dated at the beginning, but put up with it a little and the picture starts to clear. There are always several ways to reach your goal and it's a shame there aren't more games like this.
Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga (GBA)
Amazing spritework, music, good gameplay, funny. Such a polished game. It's still Mario, so the story will probably not amaze you or anything like that.
Chrono Trigger (SNES)
The quintessential 16-bit JRPG. Does everything right. Replayability, with different endings, side-quests, missable stuff. Why haven't you played this one yet? whatswrongwithyou.gif
Final Fantasy VI (SNES)
Another of the classics that never leave the top 5 SNES JRPG list. This one has such a big scope for the 16-bit era. Really high production values. Expect amazing music and a long story.
Lufia II (SNES)
Another underrated game! It's actually the prequel to the first game, but honestly it's so much better in every way to the prequel, which you should only play the if you are looking deep into the SNES JRPG library. Lufia II, on the other hand, is an essential title. Expect tough puzzles!
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Ragnarok Online (PC)
Trails in the Sky the 3rd (PC)
Grandia II (PC)
Earthbound (SNES)
Half Minute Hero: The Second Coming (PC)
Xanadu Next (PC)
Ys IV the Dawn of Ys (TG-16 CD)
Fire Emblem (GBA)
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT – 3 points} Mother 3
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} Terranigma
Dark Souls
Trails in the Sky SC
Ys Origin
Deus Ex
Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy VI
Lufia II
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Ragnarok Online
Trails in the Sky the 3rd
Grandia II
Earthbound
Half Minute Hero: The Second Coming
Xanadu Next
Ys IV the Dawn of Ys
Tales of Phantasia
Fire Emblem
Xenoblade Chronicles
--VOTE INFO END--
Amazing story, masterful spritework, perfect music, catchy rhythm gameplay. How did this one never make it over officially?
UNDERRATED – Terranigma (SNES)
This game is trying to do amazing things, the scope of the story, the graphics, the music. The gameplay is just ok in my opinion, but the whole package makes this a must play from the 16-bit era. Better than the SoM series.
Dark Souls (PC)
Amazing gameplay, replayability, multiplayer. Takes time to get used to it, don't give up quickly! It's such a rewarding experience to finish the game.
Trails in the Sky SC (PC)
The whole trilogy is one amazing story, but SC might just be the best part. It starts slowly, but once the gears get moving the game just doesn't stop amazing you.
Ys Origin (PC)
This game feels so damn good to play. The boss fights are just so rewarding. Kickass music. Replayability. What more do you want!?
Deus Ex (PC)
This game is bonkers. It might look and feel somewhat dated at the beginning, but put up with it a little and the picture starts to clear. There are always several ways to reach your goal and it's a shame there aren't more games like this.
Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga (GBA)
Amazing spritework, music, good gameplay, funny. Such a polished game. It's still Mario, so the story will probably not amaze you or anything like that.
Chrono Trigger (SNES)
The quintessential 16-bit JRPG. Does everything right. Replayability, with different endings, side-quests, missable stuff. Why haven't you played this one yet? whatswrongwithyou.gif
Final Fantasy VI (SNES)
Another of the classics that never leave the top 5 SNES JRPG list. This one has such a big scope for the 16-bit era. Really high production values. Expect amazing music and a long story.
Lufia II (SNES)
Another underrated game! It's actually the prequel to the first game, but honestly it's so much better in every way to the prequel, which you should only play the if you are looking deep into the SNES JRPG library. Lufia II, on the other hand, is an essential title. Expect tough puzzles!
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Ragnarok Online (PC)
Trails in the Sky the 3rd (PC)
Grandia II (PC)
Earthbound (SNES)
Half Minute Hero: The Second Coming (PC)
Xanadu Next (PC)
Ys IV the Dawn of Ys (TG-16 CD)
Tales of Phantasia (SNES)
Fire Emblem (GBA)
Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT – 3 points} Mother 3
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} Terranigma
Dark Souls
Trails in the Sky SC
Ys Origin
Deus Ex
Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy VI
Lufia II
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Ragnarok Online
Trails in the Sky the 3rd
Grandia II
Earthbound
Half Minute Hero: The Second Coming
Xanadu Next
Ys IV the Dawn of Ys
Tales of Phantasia
Fire Emblem
Xenoblade Chronicles
--VOTE INFO END--
Another issue is that any MMO I'd consider actually essential has either faded away, or morphed into something entirely different.
In my opinion the average modern MMO offers very little that co-op in Divinity: Original Sin doesn't offer (even more so for the second D:OS which I'm playing through at the moment). Other than stuff like persistent world economy systems.
Anything that these MMOs do offer above and beyond what Divinity does, is simply not worth the absurd amount of time necessary to invest.
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Suikoden II
Suikoden II is probably the closest thing to a video game version of A Song of Ice and Fire. It has a grand war story, a huge cast of memorable characters, and plenty of politics and backstabbing. And yet the core of the story is the relationship between two lifelong friends. It's an epic narrative that manages to feel touching and personal all the same. You quickly become invested in the characters and their plight as you watch them grow over the course of the adventure.
Along with the great storytelling, there's also an incredibly well done battle system. It's designed in a way that allows you to blaze through mundane random encounters while slowing down to allow you to be more strategic for the tougher boss fights. If you own a PS3 or a Vita, I can't recommend Suikoden II enough. I consider it one of the triumphs of the medium.
Parasite Eve
90s era Squaresoft was a magical time for roleplaying fans. The studio put out so many groundbreaking and genre defining RPGs in just one decade. Parasite Eve was one of those games. What I love most about Parasite Eve is just how different it was compared to everything else. It was an 8 hour long JRPG with a real time battle system set in contemporary New York City. There was nothing else like it before or since. I mean, the game opens with our lead character going on a shitty date to the Opera. How often does that happen? Even the sequels decided to rip off other popular genres rather than trying to continue what worked in the first game.
Parasite Eve's length sounds rather short for the genre. Only about 8-10 hours to complete the game. But it's short by design. The entire game takes place over the course of about a week, so the game makes you feel the urgency. The pacing is wonderfully done. Aya Brea is our heroine and she deserves mention along with Samus, Lara Croft, Jill Valentine, and Ellie as one of gaming's best female characters. She's capable and intelligent. And she dresses sensibly for the occasion! Parasite Eve never garners the attention of other acclaimed RPGs released in the era, and I think that's a shame. It's one of the best titles Square has ever put out.
Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven
Might & Magic VI is the first PC RPG I ever played. Loading up the game, entering New Sorpigal and hearing that wonderful soundtrack fills me with nostalgia. Though it can be a difficult game to recommend nowadays. It's an absolutely massive game, with easily a hundred hours of playtime before you'll finish. As much as I love it, and I do love it, it hasn't aged all that gracefully. M&M VI throws you in the middle of a massive world without much direction and barely a story. You have true freedom right from the start, but that means you can easily go somewhere you're not supposed to yet and get slaughtered. The combat can be very clunky by modern standards and it's not exactly much of a looker. But despite all that (and in some ways because of it), Mandate of Heaven is still one of the best RPGs ever made. Like I said before, the game is huge. Utterly massive. You've got tons of cities, dungeons, enemies, and secrets to uncover. The world design might be the best of any RPG. The core gameplay loop of going to a town, acquiring quests, and then exploring the land to complete them is incredibly satisfying. If you're willing to give it a shot, Might & Magic VI is one of the most immersive and rewarding role playing experiences you can play.
Bloodborne
I know not everyone considers Bloodborne an RPG, and that's fair, but I've always classified the Soulsborne series as part of the action RPG genre. Bloodborne makes some wild changes from the Souls series in both its gameplay and storytelling. In previous Souls games when you get hit by an enemy, your first reaction is probably to put your shield up, or roll away to go heal. They were incredibly difficult games, so as a result you were forced to be more cautious. That's not the case with Bloodborne. When you get hit by an enemy, you're not supposed to run away, you're supposed to charge right back at them and get your health back. The game doesn't just emphasize aggressive play, it outright encourages it with its mechanics. In fact, you're often punished for playing too defensively. You are a blood-thirsty hunter, play like one.
Bloodborne excels in its narrative as well. In the other Souls games, you're often exploring the remnants of an already ruined civilization. In Bloodborne, you have to watch the tragic fate of Yharnam and its citizens unfold before you. Both types of settings are great, but Bloodborne manages to bring something truly unique to the series.
Fallout 2
The Black Isle era of role playing games hit its creative peak with Fallout 2. Chris Avellone and Feargus Urquhart created what many consider to be the finest RPG ever made. Fallout 2 offers so many different ways to tackle such a wide variety of quests throughout the game that it's almost mind boggling. Fallout 2 is a perfect sequel. It fixed anything that didn't work in Fallout 1, and improves everything else that did work. I think what I love most about this game is just how good it is at shifting tone. It can be light hearted and goofy and dark and dramatic whenever it wants. It's pretty amazing and testament to how good the writing was. I don't know if Avellone set out to make the best RPG ever made, but that's what he might have accomplished here.
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
Bioware's Knights of the Old Republic was a celebration of Star Wars, it something familiar and kept it familiar. Don't get me wrong, it's a great RPG and absolutely worth playing, but it doesn't really push any boundaries. Obsidian's Knights of the Old Republic II on the other hand, does just that. Chris Avvelone saw an opportunity to do something wholly unique in the Star Wars series and start asking questions about the Force, the Jedi, and the Sith. It feels like a more philosophical take on the series. KOTOR II acts like a deconstruction of the beloved mythos. I also love the cast of characters in this game, and just how much they can grow and change over the course of the story due to your decisions. I believe Obsidian had less than year to develop the entire game, and while it came out in shambles, fans have managed to glue the pieces back together and turn it into the masterpiece it was always intended to be.
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse
I have to admit, I was never overly fond of Atlus' Shin Megami Tensei IV. It wasn't a bad game but it felt like a clear step down from Nocturne in nearly every way. Apocalypse, I believe, gets this series back on track. Billed as a 'what if' side story to SMTIV, Apocalypse takes the narrative in an entirely different direction. It's an incredibly dark and intelligent RPG. You've got Gods, demons, angels, and humans all fighting for power in the middle of war-torn Tokyo. The new cast of characters are far more appealing than the people you were stuck with in SMT IV. Due to the strength of the characters, and the quality of the writing, the emotional beats of the story land with an impact. Along with some really well done improvements to the mechanics, Apocalypse is a great introduction to the series despite spoiling a lot of SMT IV's story. You're technically supposed to play Apocalypse after SMT IV, but I wouldn't begrudge if you just skipped the original entirely and played this masterpiece instead. Is it the best SMT game? I'm not sure, it's hard to beat Nocturne, but this is the one I'd really like to recommend to people.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
I've never been more happy to be wrong about game than I was with Human Revolution. I thought it was going to be awful! But Eidos Montreal surpassed all my expectations and then some. Human Revolution emphasizes player freedom in both its gameplay and narrative. You have multiple paths and options in levels, and plenty of decisions to make throughout the story. The Blade Runner cyberpunk aesthetic is here and it looks great even with the yellow filter. And man, the atmosphere is so good. I loved walking through Detroit and Hengsha and exploring every nook and cranny. Human Revolution's sequel, Mankind Divided, was also great at this. It seems like Square Enix has ended the Deus Ex series for now, and that's a shame. These games never got the attention they deserved for the phenomenal RPGs they are.
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT – 3 points} Parasite Eve
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} Might & Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven
Suikoden II
Bloodborne
Fallout 2
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
--VOTE INFO END--
PensivePen
Member
This thread has told me that I really need to play more of the Ys games. I own a few of them from super cheap steam and PSN sales, but I've only played through Ys 1 from the Chronicles collection on PSP.
I also have the first Trails in the Sky on GOG that I'm eager to play, but people always talking about how extremely long these games are makes me wanna wait until there's a dry spell of new stuff before jumping in.
I also have the first Trails in the Sky on GOG that I'm eager to play, but people always talking about how extremely long these games are makes me wanna wait until there's a dry spell of new stuff before jumping in.
Rad Shadow
Banned
Eila said:
Awww. Don't say that. I LOVE the first Lufia game. I understand it's flaws, but I played that one first so it's going to always have a special place in my heart.
The first game isn't THAT long. 40-50 hours, not counting whatever time you spend on side content. Pretty typical for the genre.
My mistake was playing the second one first. It's impossible to go back to the first one after that. Still, I feel there's over a dozen of better SNES JRPG out there.
Though to be fair, the first and second game are really two parts of one whole. And the second game is longer.
But if you actually play the first you will be perfectly happy to play the second over pretty much anything else.
Rad Shadow
Banned
Ah. I guess. The SNES has amazing RPGs. My list heavily showcases my love for the golden era.
Lufia was definitely one of my earlier RPG experiences. It's pretty hard for it's time. The characters are rather bland, but man...as a kid I really connected with them because if the young phase followed by them growing up. I dunno.
It's such a charming game. I found the sprites very well done for it's time.
Spudnik Sweetheart
Member
Thank you for creating another version of this thread! I have been using the past versions for years now as a sort of checklist to gradually work through. I'm hoping as the years go by to see more and more changes to my list as I manage to get through even more games.
Main List
Final Fantasy X - Whilst a lot of factors play a part in my love of Final Fantasy X, I always feel the games greatest strength is its ability to present a lived in world. Yunas pilgrimage may take centre stage, but shes far from alone. This is a proactive world, where the crusaders, the exiled, the priestesses and the sports team players are all pushing forward in their own ways towards a better world, struggling against the games antagonist, Sin. Your plights and goals are reflected in the NPCs entwined around you, making their frequent appearances throughout your quest all the more poignant. The soundtrack further elevates the cast and locations, as each is rewarded with a memorable and fitting tune. Embarking on a quest to save the world in FFX is made so worthwhile thanks to the amount of humanity witnessed throughout. All this said and no mention of the combat, which in and of itself is enjoyable thanks to the ability to instantly switch characters in and out to best match an enemys weakness. Alongside this is the sphere grid and aeons which serve to improve the variety of ways you can tackle each scenario and further your journey through the beautiful world of Spira.
Soul Sacrifice Delta - In a world now obsessed with the Dark Souls lite its odd to see this game not pop up in discussions more. Perhaps its to do with its Vita exclusivity but it seems a shame so many have passed by Soul Sacrifice Delta, a game with some of the most dark and beautiful lore available. The player character, enslaved by a powerful magician, enters a book (with one of the most satisfying voices in gaming I might add) in order to obtain powers to defeat said magician and escape. These little stories, given to both the monsters and magic wielders inside the book are wonderful little tales which serve to chill and a lot of the time, depress. Gameplay wise Soul Sacrifice Delta can be seen as a monster-hunter lite clone, but it does enough to impress and add skill to its combat. Whilst perhaps not an RPG in many of the traditional senses (this very much belongs in the realm of action RPG), please consider trying this game out if you can!
Persona 4 - I went to write things for Persona 4 here but quickly got lost in singing its OST. Im now annoyed at my own inability to create a Your Affection or Signs of Love pun here. Soundtrack aside though, Persona 4 provides one of the most heartwarming experiences Ive ever been able to have in gaming. In large this is in thanks to its lovable cast which are given ample time to develop thanks to the games daily scheduling mechanic. Thank you Kanji, Naoko, Rise and co. for cheering me on throughout an amazing game!
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne - In contrast to Persona 4, Nocturne is a game that does not want to make you feel welcome. The battles are often hard, with the press turn system working against you just as often as for you. The monsters are uncaring, with demons constantly arriving to mock/backstab you. The world intimidating, as you, a lone boy, traverse an empty world hoping that turning the next corner will provide you with a familiar or caring face. Despite these all being reasons to put a controller down for some, Nocturnes commitment to this eerily uncomfortable nature is what makes it such a satisfying land to power through.
Mass Effect 2 - Bringing together a crew to save the world has rarely felt this good. Mass Effect 2 works on a wonderful gameplay loop. The first part consists of questing time - venturing out into the unknown and using the fun biotic and squadmate abilities to emerge victorious in battle, or talking your way through tricky space politics. The second part consists of down time - sitting in your space cabins, chatting to your crew about the quests, challenging their beliefs and occasionally remembering to feed your fish. I cant speak for everyone, but for me, this works. Its nice that after a day of almost getting blown to pieces and making new space enemies you can retreat to your ship: your home. Before of course beginning the cycle again the next day.
Valkyria Chronicles - This games constant recommendations baffled me until I finally got the opportunity to sit down and play it. Looking at the box art and trailers made me assume the game would be rather tropey, and whilst Valkyria Chronicles definitely is in many ways, it does a lot to become so much more. The game handles some heavy themes with surprising tact, and its cast, which I initially thought would quickly become grating and unbearable, remained enjoyable. Despite these things, Valkyria Chronicles greatest strength is definitely its battles, which blends satisfying tactics with fun to watch action.
Dragon Age: Origins - One major way to keep a memorable to me is to give it an intriguing cast. This is Origins greatest strength to me, as characters like Morrigan, Zevran and Alistair, in large thanks due to their great voice actors, are given the opportunity to present their own thoughts and flair in a pretty convincing manner. For me, its not the overarching story you stay for in Origins, its the witty little quips and the ideological banter of the cast made along the way.
Pokemon: Gold/Silver - Choosing a single point of entry for one of gamings most iconic series is hard, but Id argue Pokemon Gold/Silver and its remakes do a lot to warrant the spot. The second generation of Pokemon did a lot to refine the combat issues of the first game and improve quite a lot of the sprite work for the games. The sheer amount of content put into this game was immensely satisfying as well, and have kept both a young and old me engrossed for hours on end.
Fire Emblem: Awakening - Fire Emblem: Awakening is to SRPGs what jogging bottoms are to a business man or woman constantly trapped in suits. Awakening is a welcome release - an easier, simpler and sillier counterpart. Its plot isnt particularly deep and its combat is lacking in a number of ways when compared to its predecessors, but these removals allow for a mostly happy, chirpy game with a matching cast and OST to shine through. There's an accessibility here which makes the game feel truly welcoming. You can give me terrain perks, varied objectives and a deep political plot, but really, somedays, I just want to watch my goofy little squad doddle around on their non-existent little feet.
Nier Automata - The Drakengard and Nier games have always been cases of fantastic ideas marred by flawed execution for me. Nier Automata finally breaks the trend, and with the help of Platinum Games, Yoko Taro is finally able to show off his weird and wonderful mind. The story is fascinating, bringing out Taros penchant for the bizarre and giving equal footing for the comical and deeply moving. The combat is fast and fluid, with its RPG elements blended beautifully into the story and state of the characters. And the OST is - of course - stellar.
Honourable Mentions
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga - Final Fantasy meets Shin Megami Tensei. The story and cast for this game are well worth the hours the two games cover.
Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Wonderful writing and engaging gameplay. Your loadout options in this cyberpunk jam always feel good. I'm hopeful for more great things from this series in the future.
Persona 3: Portable - FeMC made me enjoy this game a lot more than I had previously. It's not the bundle of optimism 4 is, but it doesn't need to be. 3 has its colourful cast attached to a jazzy OST and does a lot to keep the player going.
Elder Scrolls: Morrowind - Morrowind combines Nocturne's unwelcoming nature with Final Fantasy X's thriving world. Combat aside, this game is outstanding and I'm gonna stop here because the more I write the more I want to move it into the top 10.
Prey - Recency bias may play a part in this one and Nier Automata's positions, but I do feel Prey is worthwhile mentioning. The sheer number of ways the game gives you to approach a task makes its 'Play Your Way' mentality more than just a marketing slogan. You can really feel the System Shock influences here.
Vagrant Story - This game has one of my favourite combat systems in gaming, alongside one of the most memorable openings. Consider giving the game an hour or so of your time. It will quickly swallow another 20 or so.
Pokemon Sun/Moon - Had Silver/Gold not made it in this game would have. As far as rejuvenating a series goes, Sun does a lot right. The locations were good, the new Pokemon great and the new gym system excellent.
Final Fantasy VI - It was this or FFX and unfortunately I'm a real sucker for FFX. Suplexing a train is definitely one of the best experiences in gaming though. And Kefka's laugh of course one of the best sound effects.
Kingdom Hearts 2 - Great gameplay. Even greater OST. Still not sure how Final Fantasy and Disney manage to mesh so well together, but still.
Dark Souls - Punishing but always rewarding. Dark Souls weaves futility into a beautifully twisted tale.
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Final Fantasy X
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Soul Sacrifice Delta
Persona 4
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
Valkyria Chronicles
Dragon Age: Origins
Mass Effect 2
Nier Automata
Fire Emblem: Awakening
Pokemon: Gold/Silver
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga
Shadowrun: Dragonfall
Persona 3: Portable
Elder Scrolls: Morrowind
Prey
Vagrant Story
Pokemon Sun
Final Fantasy VI
Kingdom Hearts 2
Dark Souls
--VOTE INFO END--
Main List
Final Fantasy X - Whilst a lot of factors play a part in my love of Final Fantasy X, I always feel the games greatest strength is its ability to present a lived in world. Yunas pilgrimage may take centre stage, but shes far from alone. This is a proactive world, where the crusaders, the exiled, the priestesses and the sports team players are all pushing forward in their own ways towards a better world, struggling against the games antagonist, Sin. Your plights and goals are reflected in the NPCs entwined around you, making their frequent appearances throughout your quest all the more poignant. The soundtrack further elevates the cast and locations, as each is rewarded with a memorable and fitting tune. Embarking on a quest to save the world in FFX is made so worthwhile thanks to the amount of humanity witnessed throughout. All this said and no mention of the combat, which in and of itself is enjoyable thanks to the ability to instantly switch characters in and out to best match an enemys weakness. Alongside this is the sphere grid and aeons which serve to improve the variety of ways you can tackle each scenario and further your journey through the beautiful world of Spira.
Soul Sacrifice Delta - In a world now obsessed with the Dark Souls lite its odd to see this game not pop up in discussions more. Perhaps its to do with its Vita exclusivity but it seems a shame so many have passed by Soul Sacrifice Delta, a game with some of the most dark and beautiful lore available. The player character, enslaved by a powerful magician, enters a book (with one of the most satisfying voices in gaming I might add) in order to obtain powers to defeat said magician and escape. These little stories, given to both the monsters and magic wielders inside the book are wonderful little tales which serve to chill and a lot of the time, depress. Gameplay wise Soul Sacrifice Delta can be seen as a monster-hunter lite clone, but it does enough to impress and add skill to its combat. Whilst perhaps not an RPG in many of the traditional senses (this very much belongs in the realm of action RPG), please consider trying this game out if you can!
Persona 4 - I went to write things for Persona 4 here but quickly got lost in singing its OST. Im now annoyed at my own inability to create a Your Affection or Signs of Love pun here. Soundtrack aside though, Persona 4 provides one of the most heartwarming experiences Ive ever been able to have in gaming. In large this is in thanks to its lovable cast which are given ample time to develop thanks to the games daily scheduling mechanic. Thank you Kanji, Naoko, Rise and co. for cheering me on throughout an amazing game!
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne - In contrast to Persona 4, Nocturne is a game that does not want to make you feel welcome. The battles are often hard, with the press turn system working against you just as often as for you. The monsters are uncaring, with demons constantly arriving to mock/backstab you. The world intimidating, as you, a lone boy, traverse an empty world hoping that turning the next corner will provide you with a familiar or caring face. Despite these all being reasons to put a controller down for some, Nocturnes commitment to this eerily uncomfortable nature is what makes it such a satisfying land to power through.
Mass Effect 2 - Bringing together a crew to save the world has rarely felt this good. Mass Effect 2 works on a wonderful gameplay loop. The first part consists of questing time - venturing out into the unknown and using the fun biotic and squadmate abilities to emerge victorious in battle, or talking your way through tricky space politics. The second part consists of down time - sitting in your space cabins, chatting to your crew about the quests, challenging their beliefs and occasionally remembering to feed your fish. I cant speak for everyone, but for me, this works. Its nice that after a day of almost getting blown to pieces and making new space enemies you can retreat to your ship: your home. Before of course beginning the cycle again the next day.
Valkyria Chronicles - This games constant recommendations baffled me until I finally got the opportunity to sit down and play it. Looking at the box art and trailers made me assume the game would be rather tropey, and whilst Valkyria Chronicles definitely is in many ways, it does a lot to become so much more. The game handles some heavy themes with surprising tact, and its cast, which I initially thought would quickly become grating and unbearable, remained enjoyable. Despite these things, Valkyria Chronicles greatest strength is definitely its battles, which blends satisfying tactics with fun to watch action.
Dragon Age: Origins - One major way to keep a memorable to me is to give it an intriguing cast. This is Origins greatest strength to me, as characters like Morrigan, Zevran and Alistair, in large thanks due to their great voice actors, are given the opportunity to present their own thoughts and flair in a pretty convincing manner. For me, its not the overarching story you stay for in Origins, its the witty little quips and the ideological banter of the cast made along the way.
Pokemon: Gold/Silver - Choosing a single point of entry for one of gamings most iconic series is hard, but Id argue Pokemon Gold/Silver and its remakes do a lot to warrant the spot. The second generation of Pokemon did a lot to refine the combat issues of the first game and improve quite a lot of the sprite work for the games. The sheer amount of content put into this game was immensely satisfying as well, and have kept both a young and old me engrossed for hours on end.
Fire Emblem: Awakening - Fire Emblem: Awakening is to SRPGs what jogging bottoms are to a business man or woman constantly trapped in suits. Awakening is a welcome release - an easier, simpler and sillier counterpart. Its plot isnt particularly deep and its combat is lacking in a number of ways when compared to its predecessors, but these removals allow for a mostly happy, chirpy game with a matching cast and OST to shine through. There's an accessibility here which makes the game feel truly welcoming. You can give me terrain perks, varied objectives and a deep political plot, but really, somedays, I just want to watch my goofy little squad doddle around on their non-existent little feet.
Nier Automata - The Drakengard and Nier games have always been cases of fantastic ideas marred by flawed execution for me. Nier Automata finally breaks the trend, and with the help of Platinum Games, Yoko Taro is finally able to show off his weird and wonderful mind. The story is fascinating, bringing out Taros penchant for the bizarre and giving equal footing for the comical and deeply moving. The combat is fast and fluid, with its RPG elements blended beautifully into the story and state of the characters. And the OST is - of course - stellar.
Honourable Mentions
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga - Final Fantasy meets Shin Megami Tensei. The story and cast for this game are well worth the hours the two games cover.
Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Wonderful writing and engaging gameplay. Your loadout options in this cyberpunk jam always feel good. I'm hopeful for more great things from this series in the future.
Persona 3: Portable - FeMC made me enjoy this game a lot more than I had previously. It's not the bundle of optimism 4 is, but it doesn't need to be. 3 has its colourful cast attached to a jazzy OST and does a lot to keep the player going.
Elder Scrolls: Morrowind - Morrowind combines Nocturne's unwelcoming nature with Final Fantasy X's thriving world. Combat aside, this game is outstanding and I'm gonna stop here because the more I write the more I want to move it into the top 10.
Prey - Recency bias may play a part in this one and Nier Automata's positions, but I do feel Prey is worthwhile mentioning. The sheer number of ways the game gives you to approach a task makes its 'Play Your Way' mentality more than just a marketing slogan. You can really feel the System Shock influences here.
Vagrant Story - This game has one of my favourite combat systems in gaming, alongside one of the most memorable openings. Consider giving the game an hour or so of your time. It will quickly swallow another 20 or so.
Pokemon Sun/Moon - Had Silver/Gold not made it in this game would have. As far as rejuvenating a series goes, Sun does a lot right. The locations were good, the new Pokemon great and the new gym system excellent.
Final Fantasy VI - It was this or FFX and unfortunately I'm a real sucker for FFX. Suplexing a train is definitely one of the best experiences in gaming though. And Kefka's laugh of course one of the best sound effects.
Kingdom Hearts 2 - Great gameplay. Even greater OST. Still not sure how Final Fantasy and Disney manage to mesh so well together, but still.
Dark Souls - Punishing but always rewarding. Dark Souls weaves futility into a beautifully twisted tale.
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Final Fantasy X
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Soul Sacrifice Delta
Persona 4
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
Valkyria Chronicles
Dragon Age: Origins
Mass Effect 2
Nier Automata
Fire Emblem: Awakening
Pokemon: Gold/Silver
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga
Shadowrun: Dragonfall
Persona 3: Portable
Elder Scrolls: Morrowind
Prey
Vagrant Story
Pokemon Sun
Final Fantasy VI
Kingdom Hearts 2
Dark Souls
--VOTE INFO END--
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne {HIGHLIGHT}
Few times have I been so completely engrossed in a game as I was when I played Nocturne for the first time. It was one of those playthroughs where everything just clicked: the somber, lonely, ethereal, almost dreamlike atmosphere perfectly complements the minimalistic storytelling; the soundtrack is one of Meguro's finest work, and the battle system offers just enough options to be satisfying and challenging. It all culminates in one of my favorite journeys in the medium. There is something about Nocturne that just makes you feel like a complete badass as you build a name for yourself in this post-apocalyptic world and make gods, angels and demons bend before your will. It misses many of the QOL improvements later megaten titles got, but it compensates for this by offering one of the most cohesive and well designed experiences the franchise has to offer.
Dark Souls
This is another one of those games that just pushed all the right buttons for me. A dark fantasy, Berserk-like setting infested with dangerous creatures everywhere? Check. A challenging, satisfying yet not overlycomplicated combat system to complement said setting? Check. One of the most well designed worlds in gaming which rewards exploration and curiosity? Check. Great soundtrack? Check. Sunbro? Onionbro? Check and check. Dark Souls 1 just has it all, and might have been my highlight pick if not for some stinkers such as Lost Izalith and Crystal Cave. There really isn't much to say that hasn't been said before, as every single aspect of this game has been dissected to hell and back.
Persona 5
My expectations for P5 were absurdly high. Megaten's first foray into HD development and the "sequel" to one of my most beloved games of all time, no pressure! While the game does stumble from time to time, I'm incredibly happy that, for the most part, it delivered on those unreasonable expectations. 50% high school simulator, 50% dungeon crawler, 100% suave Phantom Thief simulator, Persona 5 just feels good to play, look at and listen to. It's perhaps Atlus most impressive and ambitious product since their PS2 days, and the more I distance myself from it, the more I realize just how much this game got right and how it left an impression on me. Perhaps my favorite aspect of it is how the Phantom Thief motif isn't just a superficial gimmick like P4's investigation team sometimes felt like, but an integral part of the game's themes, visuals and gameplay systems. Everything feeds off of each other extremely well to create this gameplay-story loop that just feels right. It's addictive, stylish as hell, and it has the most involved (and arguably most ambitious) narrative of the modern Persona games. It can be a little slow paced at times, it often takes your agency for no good reason, and it stumbles in its messages when it can't seem to let go of some of its more juvenile tendencies, but it's also an incredibly well-crafted experience. It's also extremely refreshing to finally have an HD turn-based JRPG with high production values, and it sets the benchmark pretty high for any future endeavors.
Chrono Trigger
For over a decade, Chrono Trigger was my undisputed favorite game of all time. A main quest with great pacing, fun and varied setpieces, a charming cast of characters, a simple but fun and brisk battle system, a fantastic OST, good writting and an engaging story that doesn't go on for longer than it should. CT is one of those games that does most things right, is polished to a sheen and is a prime example of what JRPGs can be at their prime.
Persona 4
There was a time when I pretty much stopped playing videogames and focused on my other hobbies. I don't remember why or what made me pick up Persona 4, but I did. It got high scores, I read some good things about it here and there (this was around 2009 or so, when the game was not as internet-popular as it is now) and for some reason it just picked my curiosity, and I'm glad it did. I was so invested in the story, characters and setting of this game that I'd just play it for 10, 12 hours straight. Having recently revisited it I can say this statement is just as true today as it was almost 10 years ago. The experience has lost a bit of its sheen as the story doesn't hold the same sense of intrigue once you know its twists and turns ahead of time, the gameplay isn't quite as fun or fast-paced as its shinier sequel, and dungeon crawling is just as monotonous as ever. Still, it's very charming, lighthearted, touching, has one of the most memorable and endearing ensemble casts in a JRPG, an amazing soundtrack and is just overall one of the most feel-good games of all time.
Demon's Souls
As someone who played Dark Souls first, I didn't expect Demon's to hold up as well as it did. In some areas I'd even say it's superior to its sequel. It has one of the best atmospheres I've ever seen in a videogame, some of the best locations of the entire Soulsborne series (I'd still argue Tower of Latria is the single best area in the franchise) and doesn't have the same lows that DkS's second half has. While the bosses in general kind of pale in comparison to what its younger siblings have to offer, at least one of them ranks among the most emotional fights in the series. The soundtrack is also pretty unique compared to the more grandiose orchestras of later entries, being a lot more subdued and mysterious. Also, while I still don't quite understand how the whole world tendency stuff works myself, I appreciate how Demon's has all these little ideas and touches sprinkled throughout that still makes it considerably unique amongst its peers, not as bogged down by "tradition" as its sequels sometimes were. In some ways, DeS is the Souls series at its best.
Final Fantasy VI
Like Chrono Trigger, FF VI is also a remarkable example of what JRPGs can be at their best much for the same reasons, so I won't bother repeating them. As far as storytelling is concerned this is probably the most ambitious of the two, sporting some of the most iconic scenes in the genre. The soundtrack is one of Uematsu's strongest works, with some of my favorite pieces in the series such as Terra's theme, Coin Song, Cele's theme and Aria de Mezzo. As much as I enjoyed XV, I truly miss the times when FF games were as cohesive and ambitious as this one.
Dragon Quest V
The most often ignored member of my SNES holy triad (in the west, that is). If CT is the cooler, faster, more polished little brother; FF VI the edgier, moodier, more ambitious middle brother; then DQ V is the charming, cozier, more traditional older brother. It's gaming's best example of a coming-of-age story that I can think of and it truly feels like a personal odyssey. Like most other DQ entries, DQ V isnt going to appeal to a very large overseas crowd anytime soon: it sports a fairly simplistic approach to turn-based combat, its storytelling is more concerned with world building, vignettes and a slower, more methodical pacing when compared to the cinematic, cutscene-heavy, bombastic FF games, and it's a decidedly more old-school experience both in presentation and gameplay. For those that do enjoy those kinds of experiences, however, I believe DQ 5 is one of the finest examples of why this franchise is so beloved in Japan.
Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War {UNDERRATED}
I debated whether this spot should go to this or Conquest, but ultimately decided for Genealogy. While Conquest has arguably the best gameplay in the series, sometimes the whole package is just more important. Most of all, I just love what Genealogy stands for: a sprawling epic that spans generations, an ambitious story with lots of political intrigue, and a tremendous scope when you take into consideration the limitations of the hardware it was made for (and it's somewhat impressive even by today's standard). Genealogy is one of those games who overcome their shortcomings through sheer ambition. While I love modern FE, there's something special about Kaga's games, specially Jugdral. Their tone and vision feel almost closer to Matsuno's work on FFT and TO than newer Fire Emblems. Some people complain about the maps being too big, but I appreciate how unique they are when compared to the rest of the series, and the game just wouldn't be the same without them. Now that there's a perfectly good translation patch around, I urge everyone who is even remotely interested in this title to give it a try.
Dragon Quest III
It was very difficult to choose the last spot on this list as there are so many games that could qualify, but ultimately I settled for this one as I feel it is the quintessential JRPG. DQ III feels like a game way ahead of its time, at least speaking from a console-centric view, and as soon as I stepped outside the initial island and was introduced to the scope of the world ahead of me, I instantly got why this game is still so beloved in Japan even to this day. DQ III is gamings dictionary entry for Adventure. I dont mean the point and click genre, but the concept of "Adventure" itself. DQ III captures the essence of a hero's journey so well that Id argue no other JRPG has done it better ever since. Sure, there have been better games since then with grander, more ambitious worlds to explore, and more intricate narratives, and so forth, but what makes DQ III so good, I'd argue, is because it hits just that right spot between simplicity and expansiveness. The world is big enough to offer a real sense of journey, but not overwhelmingly so as to waste your time with too much empty land; cities have their own cultures and just enough backstory and quirky characters to make you interested in what's going on, making the world feel lived in and believable, but never overwhelming with so many things at once that you feel intimidated to explore or to distract you from your adventure; it offers just enough freedom, both in exploration and party composition, to make your discoveries feel meaningful and allow the player a sense of agency while still being approachable and nudging you in the right direction; and, on top of all that, offers a conclusion grand enough to feel like one of the most important games of the franchise, as it ties the 8-bit "trilogy" so well. DQ III is just a masterclass in design, and one of the most impressive NES titles I've ever played, and for that and its importance for the genre as a whole I felt it needed a spot here.
****
Looking at it now, my list is pretty much identical to the last one I made, bar a few replacements and additions. I admiteddly haven't played many new games since then, though. Still some glaring ommissions too like the Suikoden and Xeno franchises.
Also, as usual, there's a severe lack of WRPG in my repertoire, which is something I'm always like "I need to fix this", but never actually get around to doing it. That's mostly because I'm interested first and foremost on trying the more beloved CRPGs, both new and old, and those are usually PC exclusive, which is a bit of a problem for me. I have a somewhat decent PC right now but it's shared with my brother, so I don't actually have much time to use it. Still, I'll make a conscious effort to invest in that genre. I should probably start with Divinity on PS4 and then go from there. That or the Planescape remaster.
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War
Persona 5
Persona 4
Dark Souls
Demon's Souls
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy VI
Dragon Quest V
Dragon Quest III
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter
BloodBorne
EarthBound
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy IX
Fire Emblem: Conquest
Mother 3
Persona 3 FES
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse
Undertale
--VOTE INFO END--
Few times have I been so completely engrossed in a game as I was when I played Nocturne for the first time. It was one of those playthroughs where everything just clicked: the somber, lonely, ethereal, almost dreamlike atmosphere perfectly complements the minimalistic storytelling; the soundtrack is one of Meguro's finest work, and the battle system offers just enough options to be satisfying and challenging. It all culminates in one of my favorite journeys in the medium. There is something about Nocturne that just makes you feel like a complete badass as you build a name for yourself in this post-apocalyptic world and make gods, angels and demons bend before your will. It misses many of the QOL improvements later megaten titles got, but it compensates for this by offering one of the most cohesive and well designed experiences the franchise has to offer.
Dark Souls
This is another one of those games that just pushed all the right buttons for me. A dark fantasy, Berserk-like setting infested with dangerous creatures everywhere? Check. A challenging, satisfying yet not overlycomplicated combat system to complement said setting? Check. One of the most well designed worlds in gaming which rewards exploration and curiosity? Check. Great soundtrack? Check. Sunbro? Onionbro? Check and check. Dark Souls 1 just has it all, and might have been my highlight pick if not for some stinkers such as Lost Izalith and Crystal Cave. There really isn't much to say that hasn't been said before, as every single aspect of this game has been dissected to hell and back.
Persona 5
My expectations for P5 were absurdly high. Megaten's first foray into HD development and the "sequel" to one of my most beloved games of all time, no pressure! While the game does stumble from time to time, I'm incredibly happy that, for the most part, it delivered on those unreasonable expectations. 50% high school simulator, 50% dungeon crawler, 100% suave Phantom Thief simulator, Persona 5 just feels good to play, look at and listen to. It's perhaps Atlus most impressive and ambitious product since their PS2 days, and the more I distance myself from it, the more I realize just how much this game got right and how it left an impression on me. Perhaps my favorite aspect of it is how the Phantom Thief motif isn't just a superficial gimmick like P4's investigation team sometimes felt like, but an integral part of the game's themes, visuals and gameplay systems. Everything feeds off of each other extremely well to create this gameplay-story loop that just feels right. It's addictive, stylish as hell, and it has the most involved (and arguably most ambitious) narrative of the modern Persona games. It can be a little slow paced at times, it often takes your agency for no good reason, and it stumbles in its messages when it can't seem to let go of some of its more juvenile tendencies, but it's also an incredibly well-crafted experience. It's also extremely refreshing to finally have an HD turn-based JRPG with high production values, and it sets the benchmark pretty high for any future endeavors.
Chrono Trigger
For over a decade, Chrono Trigger was my undisputed favorite game of all time. A main quest with great pacing, fun and varied setpieces, a charming cast of characters, a simple but fun and brisk battle system, a fantastic OST, good writting and an engaging story that doesn't go on for longer than it should. CT is one of those games that does most things right, is polished to a sheen and is a prime example of what JRPGs can be at their prime.
Persona 4
There was a time when I pretty much stopped playing videogames and focused on my other hobbies. I don't remember why or what made me pick up Persona 4, but I did. It got high scores, I read some good things about it here and there (this was around 2009 or so, when the game was not as internet-popular as it is now) and for some reason it just picked my curiosity, and I'm glad it did. I was so invested in the story, characters and setting of this game that I'd just play it for 10, 12 hours straight. Having recently revisited it I can say this statement is just as true today as it was almost 10 years ago. The experience has lost a bit of its sheen as the story doesn't hold the same sense of intrigue once you know its twists and turns ahead of time, the gameplay isn't quite as fun or fast-paced as its shinier sequel, and dungeon crawling is just as monotonous as ever. Still, it's very charming, lighthearted, touching, has one of the most memorable and endearing ensemble casts in a JRPG, an amazing soundtrack and is just overall one of the most feel-good games of all time.
Demon's Souls
As someone who played Dark Souls first, I didn't expect Demon's to hold up as well as it did. In some areas I'd even say it's superior to its sequel. It has one of the best atmospheres I've ever seen in a videogame, some of the best locations of the entire Soulsborne series (I'd still argue Tower of Latria is the single best area in the franchise) and doesn't have the same lows that DkS's second half has. While the bosses in general kind of pale in comparison to what its younger siblings have to offer, at least one of them ranks among the most emotional fights in the series. The soundtrack is also pretty unique compared to the more grandiose orchestras of later entries, being a lot more subdued and mysterious. Also, while I still don't quite understand how the whole world tendency stuff works myself, I appreciate how Demon's has all these little ideas and touches sprinkled throughout that still makes it considerably unique amongst its peers, not as bogged down by "tradition" as its sequels sometimes were. In some ways, DeS is the Souls series at its best.
Final Fantasy VI
Like Chrono Trigger, FF VI is also a remarkable example of what JRPGs can be at their best much for the same reasons, so I won't bother repeating them. As far as storytelling is concerned this is probably the most ambitious of the two, sporting some of the most iconic scenes in the genre. The soundtrack is one of Uematsu's strongest works, with some of my favorite pieces in the series such as Terra's theme, Coin Song, Cele's theme and Aria de Mezzo. As much as I enjoyed XV, I truly miss the times when FF games were as cohesive and ambitious as this one.
Dragon Quest V
The most often ignored member of my SNES holy triad (in the west, that is). If CT is the cooler, faster, more polished little brother; FF VI the edgier, moodier, more ambitious middle brother; then DQ V is the charming, cozier, more traditional older brother. It's gaming's best example of a coming-of-age story that I can think of and it truly feels like a personal odyssey. Like most other DQ entries, DQ V isnt going to appeal to a very large overseas crowd anytime soon: it sports a fairly simplistic approach to turn-based combat, its storytelling is more concerned with world building, vignettes and a slower, more methodical pacing when compared to the cinematic, cutscene-heavy, bombastic FF games, and it's a decidedly more old-school experience both in presentation and gameplay. For those that do enjoy those kinds of experiences, however, I believe DQ 5 is one of the finest examples of why this franchise is so beloved in Japan.
Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War {UNDERRATED}
I debated whether this spot should go to this or Conquest, but ultimately decided for Genealogy. While Conquest has arguably the best gameplay in the series, sometimes the whole package is just more important. Most of all, I just love what Genealogy stands for: a sprawling epic that spans generations, an ambitious story with lots of political intrigue, and a tremendous scope when you take into consideration the limitations of the hardware it was made for (and it's somewhat impressive even by today's standard). Genealogy is one of those games who overcome their shortcomings through sheer ambition. While I love modern FE, there's something special about Kaga's games, specially Jugdral. Their tone and vision feel almost closer to Matsuno's work on FFT and TO than newer Fire Emblems. Some people complain about the maps being too big, but I appreciate how unique they are when compared to the rest of the series, and the game just wouldn't be the same without them. Now that there's a perfectly good translation patch around, I urge everyone who is even remotely interested in this title to give it a try.
Dragon Quest III
It was very difficult to choose the last spot on this list as there are so many games that could qualify, but ultimately I settled for this one as I feel it is the quintessential JRPG. DQ III feels like a game way ahead of its time, at least speaking from a console-centric view, and as soon as I stepped outside the initial island and was introduced to the scope of the world ahead of me, I instantly got why this game is still so beloved in Japan even to this day. DQ III is gamings dictionary entry for Adventure. I dont mean the point and click genre, but the concept of "Adventure" itself. DQ III captures the essence of a hero's journey so well that Id argue no other JRPG has done it better ever since. Sure, there have been better games since then with grander, more ambitious worlds to explore, and more intricate narratives, and so forth, but what makes DQ III so good, I'd argue, is because it hits just that right spot between simplicity and expansiveness. The world is big enough to offer a real sense of journey, but not overwhelmingly so as to waste your time with too much empty land; cities have their own cultures and just enough backstory and quirky characters to make you interested in what's going on, making the world feel lived in and believable, but never overwhelming with so many things at once that you feel intimidated to explore or to distract you from your adventure; it offers just enough freedom, both in exploration and party composition, to make your discoveries feel meaningful and allow the player a sense of agency while still being approachable and nudging you in the right direction; and, on top of all that, offers a conclusion grand enough to feel like one of the most important games of the franchise, as it ties the 8-bit "trilogy" so well. DQ III is just a masterclass in design, and one of the most impressive NES titles I've ever played, and for that and its importance for the genre as a whole I felt it needed a spot here.
****
Looking at it now, my list is pretty much identical to the last one I made, bar a few replacements and additions. I admiteddly haven't played many new games since then, though. Still some glaring ommissions too like the Suikoden and Xeno franchises.
Also, as usual, there's a severe lack of WRPG in my repertoire, which is something I'm always like "I need to fix this", but never actually get around to doing it. That's mostly because I'm interested first and foremost on trying the more beloved CRPGs, both new and old, and those are usually PC exclusive, which is a bit of a problem for me. I have a somewhat decent PC right now but it's shared with my brother, so I don't actually have much time to use it. Still, I'll make a conscious effort to invest in that genre. I should probably start with Divinity on PS4 and then go from there. That or the Planescape remaster.
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War
Persona 5
Persona 4
Dark Souls
Demon's Souls
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy VI
Dragon Quest V
Dragon Quest III
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter
BloodBorne
EarthBound
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy IX
Fire Emblem: Conquest
Mother 3
Persona 3 FES
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse
Undertale
--VOTE INFO END--
Battlechili
Banned
I'm so happy to read this.
I REALLY want the game (or games if you include other LTB titles) to get more attention as they really deserve it. Just know going into it that you shouldn't have high expectations for its gameplay. Its gameplay is super simple and easy.
Ouija Luigi
Member
1. Mass Effect
This game pretty much single-handedly renewed my love for RPG's. Even though the combat mechanics and mako controls can be cumbersome at times, the world and setting more than made up for it. I've never felt so excited to discover a new world as I did with Mass Effect. Space Opera at it's best.
2. Mass Effect 3 (Underrated)
I know, I know, boring to have two games from the same series right after the other in a list, but I honestly feel like Mass Effect 3 is underrated even among the fans. Some say that 2 is the best Mass Effect, but while I agree that mechanically it is the best one, story wise 3 gets my vote. To me Mass Effect 2 always felt like a really long side quest, while 3 continued pretty much where the first one left off and brought the trilogy to conclusion. Now that conclusion is a discussion in and of itself, but I felt it was an OK ending.
3. Final Fantasy VII
The game that got me into JRPG's. Before this I hadn't even played any Final Fantasy games before. To me, the story, the characters and especially the godlike sound track from Nobuo Uematsu, have left a deep impression. This game will probably always remain as my favorite JRPG title.
4. Planescape: Torment
My all time favorite cRPG game. To me cRPG's like Baldur's Gate and the ilk never had that much pull, until I played this one. The emphasis on story and interaction, other than combat, is what got me hooked. And what a story it tells! It'll keep you on the edge of your seat right up until the ending credits.
5. Fallout 2
Fallout 2 was the first game in the series that I ever played. The turn based battle mechanics and brilliant writing were the biggest selling points. And of course the fact that you could do whatever you wanted! Pickpocket a dude and stick a bomb in his pocket? Go right ahead you beautiful bastard!
6. Illusion of Gaia / Time
Illusion of Time, as it was known in Europe. Was probably the first action RPG I ever played and therefore has a place in my heart. Sure, the dialog is stilted (but endearing), but the combat mechanics are solid and fun and the story itself is not that shabby either! Definitely a nice little gem from the 16 bit era.
7. Fallout: New Vegas
Yes, another series double dip. This game deserves it's place on this list however, since it has that same feel to it that Fallout 2 has. For me, Bethesda's writing has always seemed out of place in a Fallout game, they just can't capture that which made the original games great, but Obsidian sure as hell did. The Nevada desert feels more alive than Washington DC or Boston.
8. Bloodborne
I came for the werewolves but stayed for the cosmic horrors. This games setting is one of the best I've ever seen in any game. I'm not going to go into detail but to me, the setting appeals way more than that of Dark Souls. Also, the mechanics are top notch, the move from a slower, single enemy approach combat style of the other Souls games into a more fast paced, group killing one works in its favor.
9. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
This is my favorite Deus Ex game. No, really. I liked the areas more than in any of the predecessors. They were smaller and more confined, but felt much more detailed and lively. Carrying on with the mechanics set by its predecessors, you have multiple ways to handle any given situation and I felt like that was executed excellently.
10. Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines
A great FPS - RPG set in the Vampire the Masquearde universe, probably the best one to date. The mechanics themselves were simply OK, but once again, the writing is what makes the game so great. It also has very different paths depending on what Vampire sect you choose. Ever fancied trying your chops as one of those stunning, glamorous Vampires? Ventrue's your choice. Or do you want to be a sewer dwelling hideous monster, who's very sight makes people scream and run away in fear? Nosferatu's got you covered.
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Mass Effect
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Mass Effect 3
Final Fantasy VII
Planescape: Torment
Fallout 2
Illusion of Gaia / Time
Fallout: New Vegas
Bloodborne
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Mass Effect 2
Fallout 3
Xenoblade Chronicles
Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Final Fantasy IX
--VOTE INFO END--
I think I remember you. Back then there was a "your top ten games" thread or something like that and you wrote a ton about this game. I still have this game on my "will check out some time" list. DS just keeps on giving.
SuperShadow271
Member
I hope I do this right, but it seems fun to participate in anyway.
1) Xenoblade Chronicles [Wii/n3DS] (LIST HIGHLIGHT)
I'm not sure what I can say about this game that hasn't been said, but here's an attempt. It is beyond a doubt my favorite game of all time. It did something I didn't know was possible with me: It beat nostalgia. Sonic Adventure 2 was my favorite game before XBC and I was sure it would be for the rest of time. I heard this game was amazing and one of the best games on Wii. So I shelled out 140 for a copy on Wii and 40 on n3DS and 20 more to keep a copy on n3DS sealed. So it had to compete with all those things. Not only did it blow me away, it did so on a level I didn't know was possible. I don't want to spoil much in terms of story, but it's out of this world. And the gameplay, the characters, the voice acting, the scope of it all, especially knowing it was a Wii game, blew me away. Do yourself a favor and play this game.
2) Custom Robo Arena [DS] (UNDERRATED ON GAF)
I must have 100%ed this game about 5 times (a record for me) and beaten it a couple other times. I had never played any Custom Robo game before, so I had no expectations going into this. A friend had told me about it saying that it was a 3D robot fighting game that let you customize your robot and pose them in dioramas (which I found immensely entertaining) so I picked it up. It was as advertised and so much more. For some reason, the story really gripped me, the graphics looked good to me (especially for DS). Unlocking all the robos was fun (even the stupid chicken robo) and the gameplay was fast and intense. Despite absolutely loving the game, I never picked up the GameCube version. I should probably do that at some point. Nevertheless, I adored this game. It doesn't get talked about a lot at all and even when it does, it's usually meh at best, but I think it's criminally underrated here (and everywhere really).
3) Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood [DS]
I almost wanted to put this game as the underrated one on GAF. This game gets trashed left and right. The reason I didn't actually put it as the underrated one is because I can see a couple of the points. The music could've been better, the fact that it's a BioWare Sonic game is really odd, and the combat was pretty much ripped out of Mario and Luigi/Paper Mario/Mario RPG. Why is it on this list then? Well several reasons really. The biggest one is that it made the Sonic universe interesting and fleshed out. It's BioWare, so the writing was actually good and the characters were distinct. Something the Sonic universe needs in my opinion. Also, the Mario and Luigi combat system isn't a bad one, so I have no qualms with using it. But everything was such a unique take on characters I loved that I can't help but love it. Plus I love the dialogue trees. Snarky Sonic was amazing. Even if you don't like Sonic that much, it's still worth a look. You might just find something special. (P.S. BioWare give us another one or at least end the cliffhanger)
4) Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition [PC]
The meme about someone reinstalling this game when someone mentions it is funny to me, because this game is so good it deserves it. I admit that now its looks and key bindings are rather dated, the game has tons of trouble on newer hardware, and it's difficulty curve at the beginning are rather bothersome, but this game is something special. I generally consider myself pretty bad at stealth in games. Deus Ex wasn't easier by any means, but it taught me a lot about how to do it and really accommodated my usual panther-though-mostly-rambo playstyle. The story is excellent and the though put into the game is incredible. It's really ahead of its time in terms of design. I never would have guessed a game from 2000 would be so ubiquitous in its influence on games as a whole. I forced a friend to play the game this year and he ended up loving it despite the trouble he had with the difficulty at the beginning. He pulled off things I didn't think were possible with the game. Just goes to show that that game had all sorts of surprises. I highly recommend a playthrough.
5) Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door [GameCube]
I got this game completely randomly. My aunt visited me from the other side of the country and she heard I liked games, so she bought me a copy of Paper Mario on GameCube. I had never heard of the Paper Mario series before. (I went from Sega Genesis to GameCube when I was young, so I missed out on quite a bit) So I didn't know what I was in for. I recognized Mario and thought it would be a usual Mario platformer (which I'm never opposed to), but what I got was a funny, unique, and charming RPG. The mechanics were unlike anything I was used to, so it took some time for me to understand, but I became pretty good at it (I used to farm the Rawk Hawk battle because I was good enough at it). It's a shame that Paper Mario has turned out to be the way it is now, but I always enjoyed my time with it. But The Thousand-Year Door is definitely my favorite
HONORABLE MENTION
Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls [PS4]
I played through this one with a friend on his PS4 Pro and I can't say that I was particularly enthralled with the story. The gameplay was amazing though and I had a blast playing with a friend in the room. The loot system was great, it worked very well on PS4 Pro and the graphics were beautiful. If I had a PS4, I would gladly buy it again to play through it myself and see if there's anything we missed
Let me know if there's anything I need to improve!
Edit: For some reason I didn't see that we had to include this format, so let me do it now.
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT – 3 points} Xenoblade Chronicles
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} Custom Robo Arena
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls
--VOTE INFO END--
1) Xenoblade Chronicles [Wii/n3DS] (LIST HIGHLIGHT)
I'm not sure what I can say about this game that hasn't been said, but here's an attempt. It is beyond a doubt my favorite game of all time. It did something I didn't know was possible with me: It beat nostalgia. Sonic Adventure 2 was my favorite game before XBC and I was sure it would be for the rest of time. I heard this game was amazing and one of the best games on Wii. So I shelled out 140 for a copy on Wii and 40 on n3DS and 20 more to keep a copy on n3DS sealed. So it had to compete with all those things. Not only did it blow me away, it did so on a level I didn't know was possible. I don't want to spoil much in terms of story, but it's out of this world. And the gameplay, the characters, the voice acting, the scope of it all, especially knowing it was a Wii game, blew me away. Do yourself a favor and play this game.
2) Custom Robo Arena [DS] (UNDERRATED ON GAF)
I must have 100%ed this game about 5 times (a record for me) and beaten it a couple other times. I had never played any Custom Robo game before, so I had no expectations going into this. A friend had told me about it saying that it was a 3D robot fighting game that let you customize your robot and pose them in dioramas (which I found immensely entertaining) so I picked it up. It was as advertised and so much more. For some reason, the story really gripped me, the graphics looked good to me (especially for DS). Unlocking all the robos was fun (even the stupid chicken robo) and the gameplay was fast and intense. Despite absolutely loving the game, I never picked up the GameCube version. I should probably do that at some point. Nevertheless, I adored this game. It doesn't get talked about a lot at all and even when it does, it's usually meh at best, but I think it's criminally underrated here (and everywhere really).
3) Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood [DS]
I almost wanted to put this game as the underrated one on GAF. This game gets trashed left and right. The reason I didn't actually put it as the underrated one is because I can see a couple of the points. The music could've been better, the fact that it's a BioWare Sonic game is really odd, and the combat was pretty much ripped out of Mario and Luigi/Paper Mario/Mario RPG. Why is it on this list then? Well several reasons really. The biggest one is that it made the Sonic universe interesting and fleshed out. It's BioWare, so the writing was actually good and the characters were distinct. Something the Sonic universe needs in my opinion. Also, the Mario and Luigi combat system isn't a bad one, so I have no qualms with using it. But everything was such a unique take on characters I loved that I can't help but love it. Plus I love the dialogue trees. Snarky Sonic was amazing. Even if you don't like Sonic that much, it's still worth a look. You might just find something special. (P.S. BioWare give us another one or at least end the cliffhanger)
4) Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition [PC]
The meme about someone reinstalling this game when someone mentions it is funny to me, because this game is so good it deserves it. I admit that now its looks and key bindings are rather dated, the game has tons of trouble on newer hardware, and it's difficulty curve at the beginning are rather bothersome, but this game is something special. I generally consider myself pretty bad at stealth in games. Deus Ex wasn't easier by any means, but it taught me a lot about how to do it and really accommodated my usual panther-though-mostly-rambo playstyle. The story is excellent and the though put into the game is incredible. It's really ahead of its time in terms of design. I never would have guessed a game from 2000 would be so ubiquitous in its influence on games as a whole. I forced a friend to play the game this year and he ended up loving it despite the trouble he had with the difficulty at the beginning. He pulled off things I didn't think were possible with the game. Just goes to show that that game had all sorts of surprises. I highly recommend a playthrough.
5) Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door [GameCube]
I got this game completely randomly. My aunt visited me from the other side of the country and she heard I liked games, so she bought me a copy of Paper Mario on GameCube. I had never heard of the Paper Mario series before. (I went from Sega Genesis to GameCube when I was young, so I missed out on quite a bit) So I didn't know what I was in for. I recognized Mario and thought it would be a usual Mario platformer (which I'm never opposed to), but what I got was a funny, unique, and charming RPG. The mechanics were unlike anything I was used to, so it took some time for me to understand, but I became pretty good at it (I used to farm the Rawk Hawk battle because I was good enough at it). It's a shame that Paper Mario has turned out to be the way it is now, but I always enjoyed my time with it. But The Thousand-Year Door is definitely my favorite
HONORABLE MENTION
Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls [PS4]
I played through this one with a friend on his PS4 Pro and I can't say that I was particularly enthralled with the story. The gameplay was amazing though and I had a blast playing with a friend in the room. The loot system was great, it worked very well on PS4 Pro and the graphics were beautiful. If I had a PS4, I would gladly buy it again to play through it myself and see if there's anything we missed
Let me know if there's anything I need to improve!
Edit: For some reason I didn't see that we had to include this format, so let me do it now.
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT – 3 points} Xenoblade Chronicles
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} Custom Robo Arena
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls
--VOTE INFO END--
BlueBadger
Banned
This honestly made me so happy to see. I didn't include any MMOs in my list because I find them to be a really, really different form of RPG. But Ragnarok Online would have absolutely been at the top of my list. I feel like it doesn't get enough credit! Also, I miss itHONORABLE MENTIONS
Ragnarok Online (PC)
TrueDefault
Member
Oh, boy! I love RPGs!!
Edit: Made some changes to my honourable mention list. I swear, RPG genre is so hard to define these days.
Edit: Added pictures and honourable mentions.
Dragon age: Origins - My most played and absolute favourite of all time. It has a gritty, but believable fantasy world that you want to learn more about, with a real sense of role playing since there's no "karma" system. It can be play as a real time game, or a strategy RPGs on higher difficulties with auto-stop. The characters might be from Bioware's typical molds, but very enjoyable to converse with.
Dragon's Dogma - I believe no matter which class you pick, you'd have a great time since the combat is so enjoyable. It even makes archery fun and I don't usually play as archers. DD also has the best dragon's boss fight and I have yet to find another game that matches it. The story is somewhat generic though but serviceable, I bond with my pawn more than I do with companion NPCs in most RPGs.
Bloodborne - I love Souls games, but this was the first from From Software that compelled me to replay it. The combat is quick, brutal and requires a lot from you. The world is pretty unique in RPGs, characters are intriguing and the lore is deep enough for days of discussion. You really feel like living in a helpless world, but striving to make it better, maybe...
Fallout: New Vegas - Ive played this game 5-6 times, but each time I would find out a new approach I had no idea I could do. An improvement to Fallout 3s formula, in term of story, gameplay, companions, sidequests... Everything, really. The combat might not be perfect, but the role play opportunity makes up for it.
Suikoden 2 - This game ages very well. The game requires very little grinding as opposed to most classic JRPGs, packed with a lot of side quests, collectibles and a cool cooking mini game. The story is engaging and characters are culturally diverse. You feel genuine sadness near the end of the game (if you don't tear up, I'm sorry but you have no souls, or played this game way too many times.)
Atelier Totori - My favourite feel-good RPG series where you play as a young alchemist. Very relaxing to play, even more so in later titles which removed time limit, still this is my favourite one. The characters are cute and drive the story forward. It does not do one thing superbly, but it does several things well enough: good turn-based combat, fun crafting/looting and time management system.
Divinity Original Sin - My most favourite cRPG simply because the combat system is so good. The story lost me halfway through but the game remained entertaining enough I cant stop playing. A perfect coop RPG as well. I love the cheeky humour and the unique role play opportunity when you control two characters by yourself. Nothing quite feel like disagreeing with your own character.
Mass effect 2 - The best Mass Effect entry in the series. It improves greatly the gameplay of the first part, and has some of the most fun side quests which do not always revolve around fighting like its sequel. The setting is very defined, and encourages exploration. Most races feel well thought out. There is many reasons why it's considered one of the best scifi RPGs out there. Just like other Biowares games, the characters are one of the main reasons to get involved in the game. It's a shame you cannot hook up with a Krogan.
Lost Odyssey - One of the classic JRPGs. Although it does not redefine the genre, but it does the job extremely well. While most of the playable protagonists are immortal, the true theme of the story is mortality. It offers some of the most poignant, emotional short stories as collectibles. The characters feel human, and non-stereotypical. The music is just amazing.
Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon - Last, but not least. This is the most enjoyable time Ive spent in a Pokemon game. Ive told my friends again and again to give this a try Im sure all of them are sick of me talking about it. The story is surprisingly engaging and emotional. You play as one of the 16 Pokemon, lost in a world without human and have to find your way out, while accompanied by the cutest companion Pokemon ever. The gameplay is fun and varied due to a large recruitable NPCs. Although since the game is a roguelike, luck plays a part in your adventure.
HONOURABLE MENTION
Grandia 2 - This was the first RPG that I've completed. The battle was very renovated for me back then with positioning and satisfying sound/visual effect. I liked how they don't waste your time with grinding since there's no swapping party member and they come into play with high enough level. The story was an emotional trip with fairly good voice acting, I still remember many highlight points in the story and that's how much it stuck with me.
Diablo 3 - I enjoyed this more than Diablo 2, embarrassing to say, to the point I've run through the campaign at least 7-8 times with all the different classes. The gameplay loop is immensely satisfying and gets even better after patches. Despite having a lot of plot holes, I found myself enjoying the narm of this story greatly.
Tales of Vesperia - The thing about Tales of game is that you can pick it up and receive a very standard JRPG experience. Vesperia is the most defined RPG from the Tales of series. Very likable cast of characters, very satisfying gameplay and a lengthy story. There's a reason why Yuri is regarded as one of the more popular JRPG heroes, he's well written..
Shadowrun: Dragonfall - The name of Shadowrun surfaced after Returns, but Dragonfall improved on the formula greatly. Very well written cast of character, and a very unique, intriguing setting. The gameplay requires a lot of strategy with a lot of skills to unlock, very replayable.
Horizon Zero Dawn - One of the best open-world RPG got released this year. The apocalypse setting might be overdone by now, but this game still delivers it with a coat of colourful, vivid paints. The story might just be one of the more well-written one, once it picks up, it never let you go. The ending really got me as well.
Dark Souls - You never forget your first Soulsborne game and this was my first. I was very afraid I could not get into it after hearing about its infamous difficulty but how wrong I was. I didnt think it was artificially hard, the game is very fair and encourages mastery. Very intrigued level design with no maps, but you learn the map well as you go anyway. Characters have a distinctive feel, especially their voice, very otherworldly.
Summon Night: Swordcraft Story - One of the best RPG on GBA. Gameplay is super fun, and you can break boss weapons and leave them renderless which is awesome. Pratty, the main character, is adorable you cant help but rooting for her. The story is not relatively original though.
Fire Emblem Awakening - The game that singlehandedly saved and brought Fire Emblem to the mainstream. I prefer this to Fates. There are too many characters you bound to find at least one you really like. The coupling system allows replayability. The grid-based strategy might not be as deep as Disgaea, but very well designed and has that just one more turn feel to it.
Yakuza 5 - Yakuza 5 is the last PS3s Yakuza. While Ive played 8 games in the series and loved every single one -yes, even Dead Souls- this stands out as the biggest one with 5 playable characters and a lot of QoL changes (like side quest markers). Each character has a different skillset, their respective mini games and engaging plot. The ending concludes the trilogy (3 - 5) satisfyingly. Also the first one where I bothered to fight Amon.
Jade Empire - My first Biowares game. Prior to this I had limited knowledge of gaming and only played JRPGs. I was always hoping for a game where I can choose my conversation, wish granted I guess. I grew up with wuxia and while the English naming feels awkward, the experience was very unique and pleasant to me. I want a sequel so badly.
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Dragon Age: Origins
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon
Dragon's Dogma
Atelier Totori
Bloodborne
Suikoden 2
Lost Odyssey
Divinity Original Sin
Fallout New Vegas
Mass Effect 2
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Grandia 2
Diablo 3
Tales of Vesperia
Shadowrun: Dragonfall
Horizon Zero Dawn
Dark Souls
Summon Night: Swordcraft Story
Fire Emblem Awakening
Yakuza 5
Jade Empire
--VOTE INFO END--
Edit: Made some changes to my honourable mention list. I swear, RPG genre is so hard to define these days.
Edit: Added pictures and honourable mentions.
Dragon age: Origins - My most played and absolute favourite of all time. It has a gritty, but believable fantasy world that you want to learn more about, with a real sense of role playing since there's no "karma" system. It can be play as a real time game, or a strategy RPGs on higher difficulties with auto-stop. The characters might be from Bioware's typical molds, but very enjoyable to converse with.
Dragon's Dogma - I believe no matter which class you pick, you'd have a great time since the combat is so enjoyable. It even makes archery fun and I don't usually play as archers. DD also has the best dragon's boss fight and I have yet to find another game that matches it. The story is somewhat generic though but serviceable, I bond with my pawn more than I do with companion NPCs in most RPGs.
Bloodborne - I love Souls games, but this was the first from From Software that compelled me to replay it. The combat is quick, brutal and requires a lot from you. The world is pretty unique in RPGs, characters are intriguing and the lore is deep enough for days of discussion. You really feel like living in a helpless world, but striving to make it better, maybe...
Fallout: New Vegas - Ive played this game 5-6 times, but each time I would find out a new approach I had no idea I could do. An improvement to Fallout 3s formula, in term of story, gameplay, companions, sidequests... Everything, really. The combat might not be perfect, but the role play opportunity makes up for it.
Suikoden 2 - This game ages very well. The game requires very little grinding as opposed to most classic JRPGs, packed with a lot of side quests, collectibles and a cool cooking mini game. The story is engaging and characters are culturally diverse. You feel genuine sadness near the end of the game (if you don't tear up, I'm sorry but you have no souls, or played this game way too many times.)
Atelier Totori - My favourite feel-good RPG series where you play as a young alchemist. Very relaxing to play, even more so in later titles which removed time limit, still this is my favourite one. The characters are cute and drive the story forward. It does not do one thing superbly, but it does several things well enough: good turn-based combat, fun crafting/looting and time management system.
Divinity Original Sin - My most favourite cRPG simply because the combat system is so good. The story lost me halfway through but the game remained entertaining enough I cant stop playing. A perfect coop RPG as well. I love the cheeky humour and the unique role play opportunity when you control two characters by yourself. Nothing quite feel like disagreeing with your own character.
Mass effect 2 - The best Mass Effect entry in the series. It improves greatly the gameplay of the first part, and has some of the most fun side quests which do not always revolve around fighting like its sequel. The setting is very defined, and encourages exploration. Most races feel well thought out. There is many reasons why it's considered one of the best scifi RPGs out there. Just like other Biowares games, the characters are one of the main reasons to get involved in the game. It's a shame you cannot hook up with a Krogan.
Lost Odyssey - One of the classic JRPGs. Although it does not redefine the genre, but it does the job extremely well. While most of the playable protagonists are immortal, the true theme of the story is mortality. It offers some of the most poignant, emotional short stories as collectibles. The characters feel human, and non-stereotypical. The music is just amazing.
Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon - Last, but not least. This is the most enjoyable time Ive spent in a Pokemon game. Ive told my friends again and again to give this a try Im sure all of them are sick of me talking about it. The story is surprisingly engaging and emotional. You play as one of the 16 Pokemon, lost in a world without human and have to find your way out, while accompanied by the cutest companion Pokemon ever. The gameplay is fun and varied due to a large recruitable NPCs. Although since the game is a roguelike, luck plays a part in your adventure.
HONOURABLE MENTION
Grandia 2 - This was the first RPG that I've completed. The battle was very renovated for me back then with positioning and satisfying sound/visual effect. I liked how they don't waste your time with grinding since there's no swapping party member and they come into play with high enough level. The story was an emotional trip with fairly good voice acting, I still remember many highlight points in the story and that's how much it stuck with me.
Diablo 3 - I enjoyed this more than Diablo 2, embarrassing to say, to the point I've run through the campaign at least 7-8 times with all the different classes. The gameplay loop is immensely satisfying and gets even better after patches. Despite having a lot of plot holes, I found myself enjoying the narm of this story greatly.
Tales of Vesperia - The thing about Tales of game is that you can pick it up and receive a very standard JRPG experience. Vesperia is the most defined RPG from the Tales of series. Very likable cast of characters, very satisfying gameplay and a lengthy story. There's a reason why Yuri is regarded as one of the more popular JRPG heroes, he's well written..
Shadowrun: Dragonfall - The name of Shadowrun surfaced after Returns, but Dragonfall improved on the formula greatly. Very well written cast of character, and a very unique, intriguing setting. The gameplay requires a lot of strategy with a lot of skills to unlock, very replayable.
Horizon Zero Dawn - One of the best open-world RPG got released this year. The apocalypse setting might be overdone by now, but this game still delivers it with a coat of colourful, vivid paints. The story might just be one of the more well-written one, once it picks up, it never let you go. The ending really got me as well.
Dark Souls - You never forget your first Soulsborne game and this was my first. I was very afraid I could not get into it after hearing about its infamous difficulty but how wrong I was. I didnt think it was artificially hard, the game is very fair and encourages mastery. Very intrigued level design with no maps, but you learn the map well as you go anyway. Characters have a distinctive feel, especially their voice, very otherworldly.
Summon Night: Swordcraft Story - One of the best RPG on GBA. Gameplay is super fun, and you can break boss weapons and leave them renderless which is awesome. Pratty, the main character, is adorable you cant help but rooting for her. The story is not relatively original though.
Fire Emblem Awakening - The game that singlehandedly saved and brought Fire Emblem to the mainstream. I prefer this to Fates. There are too many characters you bound to find at least one you really like. The coupling system allows replayability. The grid-based strategy might not be as deep as Disgaea, but very well designed and has that just one more turn feel to it.
Yakuza 5 - Yakuza 5 is the last PS3s Yakuza. While Ive played 8 games in the series and loved every single one -yes, even Dead Souls- this stands out as the biggest one with 5 playable characters and a lot of QoL changes (like side quest markers). Each character has a different skillset, their respective mini games and engaging plot. The ending concludes the trilogy (3 - 5) satisfyingly. Also the first one where I bothered to fight Amon.
Jade Empire - My first Biowares game. Prior to this I had limited knowledge of gaming and only played JRPGs. I was always hoping for a game where I can choose my conversation, wish granted I guess. I grew up with wuxia and while the English naming feels awkward, the experience was very unique and pleasant to me. I want a sequel so badly.
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Dragon Age: Origins
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon
Dragon's Dogma
Atelier Totori
Bloodborne
Suikoden 2
Lost Odyssey
Divinity Original Sin
Fallout New Vegas
Mass Effect 2
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Grandia 2
Diablo 3
Tales of Vesperia
Shadowrun: Dragonfall
Horizon Zero Dawn
Dark Souls
Summon Night: Swordcraft Story
Fire Emblem Awakening
Yakuza 5
Jade Empire
--VOTE INFO END--
InquisitorAles
Member
1. Fallout 3
Huge, filled with interesting places and secrets world - this is what makes RPG great for me. Fallout 3 did outstanding job in this field, this is one of my most played game ever. I've never been a TES fan and i loved Fallout 2, but Fallout 3 become not just my favorite RPG, but also my #1 game ever. Exceptional feel of exploration and endless mod support did a real magic, too bad that Fallout 4 turned out as misstep in so many ways.
2. Alpha Protocol
The one and only Spy RPG, amazingly unique and deep game. Great story and atmosphere, lots of choices and consequences, also you can play as real asshole and this way is incredibly funny. Yes, action mechanic is clunky, but it didn't bothered me at all and i'm still convinced that Alpha Protocol is best Obsidian game to date.
3. Mass Effect 2
BioWare's highest point, a huge improvement over original in every field except music. This is the sequel done right, Mass Effect was a good game with god-tier soundtrack, but i become a real fan of ME universe only after ME2.
4. System Shock 2
One of the most immersive games i've ever played, excellent combination of sci-fi and cyberpunk aesthetics. Even though it became a little worse after arriving at Rickenbacker in second part of the game, it's still an essential RPG in therms of atmosphere and engaging player to play his role.
5. Fallout 2
Another sequel done right, it was my favorite RPG before Fallout 3 came out. Music from Vault City still give me chills every time i hear this melody.
6. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Basically remake of the original Deus Ex, this game is pure art. Absolutely love cyberpunk aesthetic, still hope that Megan Reed costume ideas would become popular in fashion someday. Oh, and this game also plays damn good, so you absolutely must try it if you still didn't do that.
7. Anachronox
Extremely underrated game, unique mix of western and japanese RPGs. "Firefly" aesthetics and bunch of crazy plot twists is what makes this game great. Maybe it's a little chore to play Anachronox, this game is crazy big by modern standards, but story and characters are definitely worth playing it at least once. Or just watch Anachronox movie
8. Dragon Age: Origins
One of the last great BioWare games. A lot of difficult choices and Fallout-style ending about your impact on game world.
9. Deus Ex
Maybe it feels dated now, but it's still a great RPG. World, story, music, atmosphere, everything in this game is very nostalgic.
10. Planescape: Torment
This game would always have place in my heart, even though i never beat last boss and there was too much unavoidable combat for my taste.
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT – 3 points} Fallout 3
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} Alpha Protocol
Mass Effect 2
System Shock 2
Fallout 2
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Anachronox
Dragon Age: Origins
Deus Ex
Planescape: Torment
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
The Fall: Last Days of Gaia
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
The Witcher
Jade Empire: Special Edition
Fallout
Risen
Mass Effect
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption
The Witcher 2
--VOTE INFO END--
For me i would have included DAoC if any, but i played
mmos for their social aspects and not the things i
normaly associate with rpgs. Things like characters,
story, skillsystems etc, so they didn' t really enter
my mind making this list.
BasilZero
Member
I would have placed Ragnarok Online since I did play it for about 5 years straight.
But I've had both good and bad memories with it lol, in anyways, rather include single player RPGs only at least for me
.Trails in the Sky SC - HIGHLIGHT
What else is there to say about this beautiful series? It has one of the best characters ever made in any game. The writing is so good I had to cry and laugh in almost every chapter in the whole trilogy.
Trails of Cold Steel - UNDERRATED
The characters aren't as good as in TitS but they improved the combat immensely. Also the world building is just amazingly done and you really start to care about every single NPC in the game. I can't believe I haven't heard of this before the PC release this year.
Valkyria Chronicles
Probably has one of the most unique and beautiful artstyle in any game. Speaking of unique the turn based combat feels so rewarding and for the FPS player in me good aim will also be rewarded.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
A technical master piece. One of the best cinematic story telling if not the best in any game. Despite the mediocre combat this is a must play for every WRPG fan.
Undertale
Anyone who played it knows why it's on the list. The experience is just one of a kind. This game shows perfectly how gaming is so different from other media.
Mass Effect 2
I was never a Star Wars fan because I was feeling there was a lack of depth in the lore. Mass Effect's world is so fascinating. You want to explore everything because the planets, races and conflicts feel so real. The crew in Mass Effect 2 is easily the best cast of characters in any game. They are all so vastly different with everyone having an amazing back story.
Dark Souls 3
If I had played the first Dark Souls when it originally released instead of 2015 I might rate it above the 3rd. But Dark Souls 3 just makes everything better. It has better pacing, the movement and combat feels a lot more responsive and some bosses and areas are just breath taking.
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Probably the funniest video game ever made. You almost can't call it a video game because while playing it you can mistake it for the TV series. The animation, the writing, the voices everything feels like a South Park episode. A whole season of interactive south park with 4 different classes to choose from. What do you want more?
Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire
Probably the nostalgia speaking out of me but it has the best Pokemon designs since the original 150. The artstyle is just timeless unlike all the DS ones and the fights were more complex with double fights and berries.
Dragon Age: Inquisition
Hated on GAF but loved by me. It get's a lot of flak for the slow start deservedly but after that it just a blast to roam around the amazing looking world to get lost in. I can really recommend this if any Mass Effect fan want's more of the "samey" gameplay.
Transistor
This game just screams style. Everything just works perfectly together. The art, the music, the voices and the gameplay just fit in one another like no other game. Don't know exatly if I'd call it an RPG but it definetly deserves the last spot on my list.
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT – 3 points} Trails in the Sky SC
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} Trails of Cold Steel
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Undertale
Mass Effect 2
Dark Souls 3
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire
Valkyria Chronicles
Transistor
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Dragons Dogma
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Fallout 4
Final Fantasy VI
Chrono Trigger
Mass Effect
Hyper Light Drifter
Trails in the Sky 3rd
Nier: Automata
--VOTE INFO END--
What else is there to say about this beautiful series? It has one of the best characters ever made in any game. The writing is so good I had to cry and laugh in almost every chapter in the whole trilogy.
Trails of Cold Steel - UNDERRATED
The characters aren't as good as in TitS but they improved the combat immensely. Also the world building is just amazingly done and you really start to care about every single NPC in the game. I can't believe I haven't heard of this before the PC release this year.
Valkyria Chronicles
Probably has one of the most unique and beautiful artstyle in any game. Speaking of unique the turn based combat feels so rewarding and for the FPS player in me good aim will also be rewarded.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
A technical master piece. One of the best cinematic story telling if not the best in any game. Despite the mediocre combat this is a must play for every WRPG fan.
Undertale
Anyone who played it knows why it's on the list. The experience is just one of a kind. This game shows perfectly how gaming is so different from other media.
Mass Effect 2
I was never a Star Wars fan because I was feeling there was a lack of depth in the lore. Mass Effect's world is so fascinating. You want to explore everything because the planets, races and conflicts feel so real. The crew in Mass Effect 2 is easily the best cast of characters in any game. They are all so vastly different with everyone having an amazing back story.
Dark Souls 3
If I had played the first Dark Souls when it originally released instead of 2015 I might rate it above the 3rd. But Dark Souls 3 just makes everything better. It has better pacing, the movement and combat feels a lot more responsive and some bosses and areas are just breath taking.
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Probably the funniest video game ever made. You almost can't call it a video game because while playing it you can mistake it for the TV series. The animation, the writing, the voices everything feels like a South Park episode. A whole season of interactive south park with 4 different classes to choose from. What do you want more?
Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire
Probably the nostalgia speaking out of me but it has the best Pokemon designs since the original 150. The artstyle is just timeless unlike all the DS ones and the fights were more complex with double fights and berries.
Dragon Age: Inquisition
Hated on GAF but loved by me. It get's a lot of flak for the slow start deservedly but after that it just a blast to roam around the amazing looking world to get lost in. I can really recommend this if any Mass Effect fan want's more of the "samey" gameplay.
Transistor
This game just screams style. Everything just works perfectly together. The art, the music, the voices and the gameplay just fit in one another like no other game. Don't know exatly if I'd call it an RPG but it definetly deserves the last spot on my list.
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT – 3 points} Trails in the Sky SC
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} Trails of Cold Steel
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Undertale
Mass Effect 2
Dark Souls 3
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire
Valkyria Chronicles
Transistor
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Dragons Dogma
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Fallout 4
Final Fantasy VI
Chrono Trigger
Mass Effect
Hyper Light Drifter
Trails in the Sky 3rd
Nier: Automata
--VOTE INFO END--
Trails in the Sky is a about the length of a standard RPG (~40h).
Ys are really fast paced games, so most are done within 10-20 hours. However Ys are perfect for challenging yourself on higher difficulties.
timothyonfire
Member
Reserved for when I get out of work today.
Ys VIII is standard RPG length though.
Yoshi
Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
1. Fire Emblem Fates (Conquest) - Challenging, engaging, varied, strict. Fire Emblem Fates (Conquest) is an amazing SRPG with nuanced battle mechanics, strict experience rules which do not allow for grinding and the best map design I have yet witnessed in an SRPG. It is just amazing and managed to take the top spot in my RPG list, while also earning one in my "best games ever" list in the process. Too bad the others episodes are merely good SRPGs and not the same kind of masterpiece Fates is.
2. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story - Mario & Luigi mixes classic jRPG elements with some platforming / skill game elements and a world structure and mild puzzles reminiscent of an Action-Adventure, which makes for an incredible experience. Bowser's Inside Story is not only my favourite among the series, but also among all RPGs, because it has a fantastic pacing and an incredibly fun premise and humour. Bowser's Inside Story had me laughing almost constantly and offered compelling and non-laberous gameplay all the time. A true gem! (Best Writing)
3. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - My first Fire Emblem has a special place in my heart, as it not only completely convinced me of the series, but also made me a fan of the sub-genre of strategy rpgs. It's wonderfully strategic, yet simple and quickly grasped. This simpleness combined with complexity makes Fire Emblem so compelling. I also love the use of experience points not as a way to enforce busy-work, but to make the player decide who to use properly. I won't comment on all Fire Emblem games I name individually, because their strengths are almost universal for the series and I'd just repeat myself. (Best Combat)
4. Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn - Very similar to Path of Radiance. What I prefer in this game is the fact you are forced to split up your forces and that the difficulty is considerably higher. However, playing PoR before is more or less mandatory.
5. Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. - Merging these two series might seem a bit odd and the story explanation is of course rather dumb. However, it makes for some welcome shake-up of the battle system, now having battle commands from the Mario & Luigi series as well as from the Paper Mario series mixed together. Additionally each enemy comes in two flavours and dodging works slightly different with Paper Mario when compared to Mario and Luigi. Also, Alpahdream addressed the pacing issues of the predecessor well and designed a varied, interesting world full of fun gameplay content. It doesn't quite reach the height of Mario & Luigi Bowser's Inside Story, but it still is the second best Mario RPG in my book.
6. Lufia (that's the European name, it's the second game in the series, and called Lufia 2 in the US, I think using the subtitle Rise of the Sinistrals) - This truly is a masterpiece. It is devoid of any busy-work and concentrates on a simple, yet rewarding fighting system and involving dungeon design filled with great puzzles. Lufia basically offers, what I'm looking for, but failing to find in many RPGs and is my favourite SNES rpg due to this.
7. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door - I liked the first Paper Mario, but found it a bit too slow for my taste, the second game takes the formula and ramps it up considerably. The fighting mechanics are awesome and the humor is outstanding. Paper Mario 2 is a real masterpiece and if it were not for the tedious last big mission where you basically just have to wander around all known locations without any meaningful new gameplay content, it'd rank even higher.
8. Pokémon Sun / Moon - The first time since the very beginning of the series, Game Freak has done proper work to mix up the series and what I have played of it tells the success story. Pokémon Sun / Moon not only is suprisingly fresh, but it is more varied, and interesting, than previous entries.
9. Fire Emblem - the seventh game in the series here, the frist released in the west, great introduction to the series!
10. Super Mario RPG
11. Fire Emblem Sacred Stones
12. Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon
13. Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga
14. Mario & Luigi Dream Team
15. Mario & Luigi Brothers in Time
16. Chrono Trigger - I do not love it as much as GAF's general audience does, but it has a really well-made world and a fantastic battle design. Still, it "only" is number three among the SNES RPGs I know (after Lufia 2 and SMRPG) and as soon as the translations for Fire Emblem 3-5 are done, it may drop even further. Anyway, it is a great game well worth playing.
17. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle - A really nice combination of some light puzzle solving and an intriguing battle system. It is not very difficult, but harder than one might think and has great humour, as well.
18. Super Paper Mario
19. Paper Mario Sticker Star - Many hate it, but I love the focus on puzzles and the great humour in the game. I appreciate it even more after playing most of Colour Splash, because while Colour Splash is less obnoxious when it comes to the battle system, it did away with the clever puzzle and world design of Sticker Star and comes off as a lesser follow-up to me.
20. Shining Force - Fire Emblem Awakening had to go because of this, since I wanted to keep at least some variety in the list. Shining Force merges traditional JRPG world design with SRPG battles and does this better than the modern Fire Emblem Shadows of Valentia in many ways. I had a great time with this.
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT – 3 points} Fire Emblem Fates
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros.
Lufia (2 in the US)
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Pokémon Sun / Moon
Fire Emblem
Super Mario RPG
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Fire Emblem Sacred Stones
Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon
Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga
Mario & Luigi Dream Team
Mario & Luigi Brothers in Time
Chrono Trigger
Paper Mario
Super Paper Mario
Paper Mario Sticker Star
Shining Force
--VOTE INFO END--
2. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story - Mario & Luigi mixes classic jRPG elements with some platforming / skill game elements and a world structure and mild puzzles reminiscent of an Action-Adventure, which makes for an incredible experience. Bowser's Inside Story is not only my favourite among the series, but also among all RPGs, because it has a fantastic pacing and an incredibly fun premise and humour. Bowser's Inside Story had me laughing almost constantly and offered compelling and non-laberous gameplay all the time. A true gem! (Best Writing)
3. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - My first Fire Emblem has a special place in my heart, as it not only completely convinced me of the series, but also made me a fan of the sub-genre of strategy rpgs. It's wonderfully strategic, yet simple and quickly grasped. This simpleness combined with complexity makes Fire Emblem so compelling. I also love the use of experience points not as a way to enforce busy-work, but to make the player decide who to use properly. I won't comment on all Fire Emblem games I name individually, because their strengths are almost universal for the series and I'd just repeat myself. (Best Combat)
4. Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn - Very similar to Path of Radiance. What I prefer in this game is the fact you are forced to split up your forces and that the difficulty is considerably higher. However, playing PoR before is more or less mandatory.
5. Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros. - Merging these two series might seem a bit odd and the story explanation is of course rather dumb. However, it makes for some welcome shake-up of the battle system, now having battle commands from the Mario & Luigi series as well as from the Paper Mario series mixed together. Additionally each enemy comes in two flavours and dodging works slightly different with Paper Mario when compared to Mario and Luigi. Also, Alpahdream addressed the pacing issues of the predecessor well and designed a varied, interesting world full of fun gameplay content. It doesn't quite reach the height of Mario & Luigi Bowser's Inside Story, but it still is the second best Mario RPG in my book.
6. Lufia (that's the European name, it's the second game in the series, and called Lufia 2 in the US, I think using the subtitle Rise of the Sinistrals) - This truly is a masterpiece. It is devoid of any busy-work and concentrates on a simple, yet rewarding fighting system and involving dungeon design filled with great puzzles. Lufia basically offers, what I'm looking for, but failing to find in many RPGs and is my favourite SNES rpg due to this.
7. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door - I liked the first Paper Mario, but found it a bit too slow for my taste, the second game takes the formula and ramps it up considerably. The fighting mechanics are awesome and the humor is outstanding. Paper Mario 2 is a real masterpiece and if it were not for the tedious last big mission where you basically just have to wander around all known locations without any meaningful new gameplay content, it'd rank even higher.
8. Pokémon Sun / Moon - The first time since the very beginning of the series, Game Freak has done proper work to mix up the series and what I have played of it tells the success story. Pokémon Sun / Moon not only is suprisingly fresh, but it is more varied, and interesting, than previous entries.
9. Fire Emblem - the seventh game in the series here, the frist released in the west, great introduction to the series!
10. Super Mario RPG
11. Fire Emblem Sacred Stones
12. Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon
13. Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga
14. Mario & Luigi Dream Team
15. Mario & Luigi Brothers in Time
16. Chrono Trigger - I do not love it as much as GAF's general audience does, but it has a really well-made world and a fantastic battle design. Still, it "only" is number three among the SNES RPGs I know (after Lufia 2 and SMRPG) and as soon as the translations for Fire Emblem 3-5 are done, it may drop even further. Anyway, it is a great game well worth playing.
17. Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle - A really nice combination of some light puzzle solving and an intriguing battle system. It is not very difficult, but harder than one might think and has great humour, as well.
18. Super Paper Mario
19. Paper Mario Sticker Star - Many hate it, but I love the focus on puzzles and the great humour in the game. I appreciate it even more after playing most of Colour Splash, because while Colour Splash is less obnoxious when it comes to the battle system, it did away with the clever puzzle and world design of Sticker Star and comes off as a lesser follow-up to me.
20. Shining Force - Fire Emblem Awakening had to go because of this, since I wanted to keep at least some variety in the list. Shining Force merges traditional JRPG world design with SRPG battles and does this better than the modern Fire Emblem Shadows of Valentia in many ways. I had a great time with this.
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT – 3 points} Fire Emblem Fates
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros.
Lufia (2 in the US)
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Pokémon Sun / Moon
Fire Emblem
Super Mario RPG
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Fire Emblem Sacred Stones
Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon
Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga
Mario & Luigi Dream Team
Mario & Luigi Brothers in Time
Chrono Trigger
Paper Mario
Super Paper Mario
Paper Mario Sticker Star
Shining Force
--VOTE INFO END--
Yoshi
Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
The thing is that Lufia 2 has the best gameplay out of all SNES RPGs known to me, whereas Lufia 1 is far off from that. It is sad that people prefer voting for games that are much weaker in terms of gameplay in my view, like Terranigma or especially Earthbound. I get that my view on what makes good gameplay may not be shared by all or even many, I also acknlowledge that others may just value gameplay not as the primary deciding factor for the worth of a game, but I feat that it is also an expression of a lack of knowing the game, which is really sad for anyone who likes 16 bit RPGs.
me0wish
Member
Going to try to be as obscure as possible.
<List highlight>
1- *Glittermitten Grove*
One of the biggest surprises of 2017 for me, the less said about it the better, if you're looking for something fun and unique, this game takes a huge risk and does something that no other game has done before.
Just Googling the game could spoil it, so I strongly suggest against that. If you're going into it, go into it blind.
Steam page:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/536890/Glittermitten_Grove/
<Underrated on GAF>
2- *Paper Mario Color Splash*
My favorite PM, has both amazing visuals and a steller soundtrack, it's also well written and the humor is spot on, PMCS was one of the biggest surprises for me in 2016.
The lovely visuals make the creatively designed levels a joy to explore and solve. Speaking of solving, one of the highlights for me were the boss battles, they felt more like a puzzle you need to figure out rather than having to optimize numbers.
It received unfair hate on GAF due it being a sequel to Sticker Star and following some of its design choices made it an automatic pass for many, I was going to pass it up and I'm glad I didn't.
Wonderful title screen: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hZTUYjNMACw
3-Septerra Core:
The first proper attempt for a western studio to make a JRPG (afaik). Released three years after FF7 as a PC exclusive, as a kid, it blew me away with its pre-rendered graphics and fully voice acted characters, yes every character is fully voice acted in 1999, as an adult, it blew me away with its rich narrative and its detailed world.
The game is atmospheric, well written, there are 7 "worlds", each with its own geopolitics, religious views and culture. The story is filled with intrigue and mystery, the gameplay is unique and encourages experimenting and is a lot of fun. I highly recommend this game as it's clearly a labor of love and pure passion, I don't understand how this game fell into obscurity, maybe it's because the character designs don't have wide appeal.
it's currently 1$ on Steam, and aged pretty good imo.
Intro: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2e-Lwgr5POY
4- Opoona
Opoona release on the Wii and has somewhat of a small cult following, often titled as the Wii's Earth Bound. The story it self isn't anything special, but the world it self is incredibly detailed, no RPG got me immersed in an alien world as much as Opoona did, the sound track is phenomenal, every place is crafted with some of the best art I've ever seen. The game suffers from a generic plot and being poorly translated, still, that doesn't stop it from giving me a heart warming smile and the game being special due to its wonderful world.
The combat mechanics are fun and unique, the game is the only game on the Wii that uses the nunchuck exclusively.
Favorite track: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lh4PWuxAuP4
5- Lisa
All I'll say that it's a surreal post apocalyptic rpg, with amazing and just as surreal soundtrack that goes from what the hell I'm listening to, to listening to it on a daily bases.
If you're looking for something that will make you feel the opposite of what Undertale made you feel, Lisa would do that with its dark depressing humor.
Intro:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6ma8dFmNv1g
Faovrite track: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BcFIR6Bft9g
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Glittermitten Grove
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Paper Mario Color Splash
Septerra core
Opoona
Lisa
<List highlight>
1- *Glittermitten Grove*
One of the biggest surprises of 2017 for me, the less said about it the better, if you're looking for something fun and unique, this game takes a huge risk and does something that no other game has done before.
Just Googling the game could spoil it, so I strongly suggest against that. If you're going into it, go into it blind.
Steam page:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/536890/Glittermitten_Grove/
<Underrated on GAF>
2- *Paper Mario Color Splash*
My favorite PM, has both amazing visuals and a steller soundtrack, it's also well written and the humor is spot on, PMCS was one of the biggest surprises for me in 2016.
The lovely visuals make the creatively designed levels a joy to explore and solve. Speaking of solving, one of the highlights for me were the boss battles, they felt more like a puzzle you need to figure out rather than having to optimize numbers.
It received unfair hate on GAF due it being a sequel to Sticker Star and following some of its design choices made it an automatic pass for many, I was going to pass it up and I'm glad I didn't.
Wonderful title screen: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hZTUYjNMACw
3-Septerra Core:
The first proper attempt for a western studio to make a JRPG (afaik). Released three years after FF7 as a PC exclusive, as a kid, it blew me away with its pre-rendered graphics and fully voice acted characters, yes every character is fully voice acted in 1999, as an adult, it blew me away with its rich narrative and its detailed world.
The game is atmospheric, well written, there are 7 "worlds", each with its own geopolitics, religious views and culture. The story is filled with intrigue and mystery, the gameplay is unique and encourages experimenting and is a lot of fun. I highly recommend this game as it's clearly a labor of love and pure passion, I don't understand how this game fell into obscurity, maybe it's because the character designs don't have wide appeal.
it's currently 1$ on Steam, and aged pretty good imo.
Intro: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2e-Lwgr5POY
4- Opoona
Opoona release on the Wii and has somewhat of a small cult following, often titled as the Wii's Earth Bound. The story it self isn't anything special, but the world it self is incredibly detailed, no RPG got me immersed in an alien world as much as Opoona did, the sound track is phenomenal, every place is crafted with some of the best art I've ever seen. The game suffers from a generic plot and being poorly translated, still, that doesn't stop it from giving me a heart warming smile and the game being special due to its wonderful world.
The combat mechanics are fun and unique, the game is the only game on the Wii that uses the nunchuck exclusively.
Favorite track: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lh4PWuxAuP4
5- Lisa
All I'll say that it's a surreal post apocalyptic rpg, with amazing and just as surreal soundtrack that goes from what the hell I'm listening to, to listening to it on a daily bases.
If you're looking for something that will make you feel the opposite of what Undertale made you feel, Lisa would do that with its dark depressing humor.
Intro:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6ma8dFmNv1g
Faovrite track: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BcFIR6Bft9g
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Glittermitten Grove
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Paper Mario Color Splash
Septerra core
Opoona
Lisa
YankeeDonB
Member
Lots of people in this thread have been really explicit about their prioritizing story and characterization and tone in RPGs over pure gameplay. It takes all kinds... From my perspective, the best RPGs support the story and characterization via their gameplay, which means that really slick or clever gameplay loops may play less well over all than something clunkier but consistent. For example, I really like the puzzle battle aspect of FF XIII. But the way the characters play in battle tells me very little about who they are in the world, so I actually prefer FF VI's simple battle system in context, where each character's battle approach is intimately tied in to their place in the world. I play RPGs to experience a world and a story. I evaluate gameplay partly on its ability to support that experience.
I think it's mostly an issue of different priorities, not "lack of knowing" a game....
And yes, Lufia 2 is really great!
oh wow, it's the first time in my life when I see Septerra Core in any kind of good list.
Yoshi
Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
Yes, I acknowledge this viewpoint and can understand it (in fact, with GAF's darling Earthbound I feel it must be the case that a lot of people value story, atmosphere and systems to support them over pure mechanical qualities; which is fine, I just don't share this), but on the other hand, I think that even with RPGs there are probably still quite a lot of people on GAF who share my "gameplay mechanics and corresponding level design first" mentality, but the almost complete lack of votes for Lufia 2 tells me, leads to the suspicion that there are quite a few people who would adore Lufia 2 but just haven't had the chance of playing it yet, which is a shame to me. Due to the severe lack of votes for this game, it is likely that these votings will not lead to them giving the game a chance, sadly.
My own story with Lufia 2 has started early and ended late by the way. When Super Nintendo was on its way out, there was a sale for clearance at a local shop, where they sold three SNES games for 10 DM (5) each: Super Mario World, Lufia (2) and Terranigma. I only had 20 DM with me, so I had to decide on two games. Super Mario World was a given, Terranigma looked much more intriguing and interesting, so it was it over Lufia 2. It turned out that Terranigma had:
- amazing visuals
- a fantastic soundtrack
- a unique and nice story
- an outstanding atmosphere
But on the other hand I felt the gameplay systems couldn't sustain the game at all, it had quite a few places where design was just trash (helping that lion for instance) and it took me many years (10?) to finish it. When talking about it in a German forum I frequent, several people pointed me towards buying Lufia, but I was reluctant because of my bad experience with Terranigma and Lufia's high price as well as (for me) unappealing aesthetics. Still, I was convinced to try it and got a good offer on ebay. In the end I was very suprised how fantastic the dungeon design was.
The interesting thing is that Lufia 2 just completely turns around the strengths and weaknesses of Terranigma. When presentation is concerned, it is not terrible, but just "ok", this holds for all the points, visuals, soundtrack, story, atmosphere, but the gameplay is outstanding and had me hooked from beginning to end. Going for Terranigma over Lufia 2 was among my worst buying decisions ever.
There are some weird-ass games being mentioned in this thread. RPG is such a loosely defined term huh. In that case...
1. Zelda: Breath of the Wild
2. Persona 5
3. Okami
4. Witcher 3 (w/expacs)
5. Final Fantasy IX
6. World of Warcraft
7. Bloodborne
8. Yakuza Zero
9. Pokemon Red/Green
10. Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
That's my personal list, and ticks off most major sub-genres. Of course, each game represents their complete franchises by extension also. I've left out D&D RPGs until I can conclusively say that Divinity Original Sin 2 belongs on that list also.
1. Zelda: Breath of the Wild
2. Persona 5
3. Okami
4. Witcher 3 (w/expacs)
5. Final Fantasy IX
6. World of Warcraft
7. Bloodborne
8. Yakuza Zero
9. Pokemon Red/Green
10. Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
That's my personal list, and ticks off most major sub-genres. Of course, each game represents their complete franchises by extension also. I've left out D&D RPGs until I can conclusively say that Divinity Original Sin 2 belongs on that list also.
YankeeDonB
Member
Yeah, I hear you -- the thread does seem currently somewhat story v gameplay biased. Lufia 2 was one of the first games I played. I liked the core story, and the gameplay, but the puzzles were a bit much for younger me. Would be interesting to revisit....
i second this. Can we have this stickied?
It would definitely encourage more people to vote
It's more an exception to the rule tho. There's also still time to make it into my list
.shadowfoxx21
Member
Golden Sun The Lost Age
As soon as I saw the game open at the climax of the first game and you played as the "bad guys" from the first I was hooked. The mix of RPG combat and puzzle solving is great. The battles are fast paced and creating new classes by mixing Djinn is super fun. The story is well crafted and expands upon the world created in the first game.
Raidou Kuzunoha 2
Another sequel I love dearly, this game took the basic mechanics of Raidou 1 and improved upon them immensely. With a more fluid combat system, and the return of demon negotiation this games is everything the first game wanted to be and more. The unique setting also lends so much charm as you run around 1920 Tokyo.
Valkyria Chronicles
This was the first Tactical RPG that really grabbed me. It's beautiful artstyle combined with fun gameplay, and loveable characters makes this heartwarming tale of friendship and war one that I'll always remember.
.
Demons Souls
I did not like Demon's Souls the first time I played it. I found it too difficult and obtuse. After a few months I decided to go back to it and found it to be one of my absolute favorite games ever. The sense of satisfaction you feel when you complete and area is one that is simply unparalleled in the genre. Only the other Soulsborne games have really provided it for me. The PvP system while frustrating at times also lends to the added sense of accomplishment when you are invaded and manage to repel the invader by the skin of your teeth.
The World Ends with You
Another game with a very unique setting, TWEWY is simply a delight to play as you run around Shibuya. The interesting story of Neku as he comes to grips with his death and uses his adventure as a means to grow as a person is just great. The combat is always engaging as you switch between both characters on each screen of the DS.
Birth By Sleep
My favorite Kingdom Hearts game, which also features my favorite character, Aqua. Playing as the three different characters is fun, with each playing slightly differently and forcing you to use different strategies to survive. Creating new skills through melding and upgrading your characters is an interesting system that I really enjoyed.
Xenoblade Chronicles
My favorite Wii game, that was almost never released outside of Japan. The scale of the world is incredible. Being able to go anywhere you can see truly helped bring this world to life. The sstory of Shulk and his companions as they battle against the Mechon to save the Homs is great and full of fun and interesting developments that really push it along. The MMO style combat is fun and engaging as it rewards being attentive as well as player positioning.
Persona 4
This game only barely beats out Persona 3 and 5, mostly because of the characters and murder mystery of the story. I love the Persona 4 gang, they are so interesting and seeing them grow as as friends in ways that do not really happen in P3/5 is a joy. The combat is a great loop of going to dungeons, doing social links, fusing personas, and repeating.
Soul Silver
Pokemon Silver will always hold a special place in my heart as my favorite Pokemon game. This remake was a welcome update to that. I still remember the first time I beat the Johto portion and was then told to go to Kanto. As a child my mind was blown and I still didn't believe that I would get to Kanto until I crossed Tohjo falls.
Bloodborne
As much as I love the Souls games, this is my favorite of the bunch. I still remember the first time I played it, having to consciously tell my self to play more aggresively and forget the habits I learned in DS. The world of Yharnam is beautiful and disgusting at the same time. It creates a place that you dread to explore but must as you're drawn into it's sinister beauty.
Honorable mentions
Chrono Trigger
Nier
Ys Oath in Felghana
Nier automata
Phantasy Star Online
Undertale
Tales of Vesperia
Persona 5
Digital Devil Saga
Pokemon Black and White
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Golden Sun The Lost Age
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Raidou Kuzunoha 2
Valkyria Chronicles
Golden Sun The Lost Age
Demons Souls
The World Ends with You
Birth By Sleep
Xenoblade Chronicles
Persona 4
Soul Silver
Bloodborne
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Chrono Trigger
Nier
Ys Oath in Felghana
Nier automata
Phantasy Star Online
Undertale
Tales of Vesperia
Persona 5
Digital Devil Saga
Pokemon Black and White
--VOTE INFO END--
As soon as I saw the game open at the climax of the first game and you played as the "bad guys" from the first I was hooked. The mix of RPG combat and puzzle solving is great. The battles are fast paced and creating new classes by mixing Djinn is super fun. The story is well crafted and expands upon the world created in the first game.
Raidou Kuzunoha 2
Another sequel I love dearly, this game took the basic mechanics of Raidou 1 and improved upon them immensely. With a more fluid combat system, and the return of demon negotiation this games is everything the first game wanted to be and more. The unique setting also lends so much charm as you run around 1920 Tokyo.
Valkyria Chronicles
This was the first Tactical RPG that really grabbed me. It's beautiful artstyle combined with fun gameplay, and loveable characters makes this heartwarming tale of friendship and war one that I'll always remember.
RIP Isara
Demons Souls
I did not like Demon's Souls the first time I played it. I found it too difficult and obtuse. After a few months I decided to go back to it and found it to be one of my absolute favorite games ever. The sense of satisfaction you feel when you complete and area is one that is simply unparalleled in the genre. Only the other Soulsborne games have really provided it for me. The PvP system while frustrating at times also lends to the added sense of accomplishment when you are invaded and manage to repel the invader by the skin of your teeth.
The World Ends with You
Another game with a very unique setting, TWEWY is simply a delight to play as you run around Shibuya. The interesting story of Neku as he comes to grips with his death and uses his adventure as a means to grow as a person is just great. The combat is always engaging as you switch between both characters on each screen of the DS.
Birth By Sleep
My favorite Kingdom Hearts game, which also features my favorite character, Aqua. Playing as the three different characters is fun, with each playing slightly differently and forcing you to use different strategies to survive. Creating new skills through melding and upgrading your characters is an interesting system that I really enjoyed.
Xenoblade Chronicles
My favorite Wii game, that was almost never released outside of Japan. The scale of the world is incredible. Being able to go anywhere you can see truly helped bring this world to life. The sstory of Shulk and his companions as they battle against the Mechon to save the Homs is great and full of fun and interesting developments that really push it along. The MMO style combat is fun and engaging as it rewards being attentive as well as player positioning.
Persona 4
This game only barely beats out Persona 3 and 5, mostly because of the characters and murder mystery of the story. I love the Persona 4 gang, they are so interesting and seeing them grow as as friends in ways that do not really happen in P3/5 is a joy. The combat is a great loop of going to dungeons, doing social links, fusing personas, and repeating.
Soul Silver
Pokemon Silver will always hold a special place in my heart as my favorite Pokemon game. This remake was a welcome update to that. I still remember the first time I beat the Johto portion and was then told to go to Kanto. As a child my mind was blown and I still didn't believe that I would get to Kanto until I crossed Tohjo falls.
Bloodborne
As much as I love the Souls games, this is my favorite of the bunch. I still remember the first time I played it, having to consciously tell my self to play more aggresively and forget the habits I learned in DS. The world of Yharnam is beautiful and disgusting at the same time. It creates a place that you dread to explore but must as you're drawn into it's sinister beauty.
Honorable mentions
Chrono Trigger
Nier
Ys Oath in Felghana
Nier automata
Phantasy Star Online
Undertale
Tales of Vesperia
Persona 5
Digital Devil Saga
Pokemon Black and White
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Golden Sun The Lost Age
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Raidou Kuzunoha 2
Valkyria Chronicles
Golden Sun The Lost Age
Demons Souls
The World Ends with You
Birth By Sleep
Xenoblade Chronicles
Persona 4
Soul Silver
Bloodborne
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Chrono Trigger
Nier
Ys Oath in Felghana
Nier automata
Phantasy Star Online
Undertale
Tales of Vesperia
Persona 5
Digital Devil Saga
Pokemon Black and White
--VOTE INFO END--
Hopefully the PC release is soon.It's more an exception to the rule tho. There's also still time to make it into my list
Also, I'm totally for making a vote like this for RPG series as it was suggested earlier in the thread. Trails in the Sky is suffering from extreme vote fragmentation here : P
It always pains me to include only Suikoden 2, because Suikoden 1-3 is one huge game in three parts in my mind, and all parts are amazing, the same is true for Trails in the Sky.
............ to be added later ..................
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Suikoden 2
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Lost Odyssey
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky FC
Final Fantasy VII
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
Mana Khemia
The Last Remnant
Fallout
Chrono Cross
Star Ocean: The Second Story
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Valkyrie Profile
Baldur's Gate
Vampire: The Masquerade
Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
Tales of Graces F
Breath of Fire IV
Divinity: Original Sin
Suikoden
Transistor
--VOTE INFO END--
............ to be added later ..................
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Suikoden 2
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Lost Odyssey
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky FC
Final Fantasy VII
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
Mana Khemia
The Last Remnant
Fallout
Chrono Cross
Star Ocean: The Second Story
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Valkyrie Profile
Baldur's Gate
Vampire: The Masquerade
Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords
Tales of Graces F
Breath of Fire IV
Divinity: Original Sin
Suikoden
Transistor
--VOTE INFO END--
Rad Shadow
Banned
I revisit all of my old snes rpgs all the time.
I sometimes get sad that I can't experience these games for the first time again. I have a sick, twisted imagination of me in some retired home when I'm super old, playing these games with no recollection of past play throughs...
I sometimes get sad that I can't experience these games for the first time again. I have a sick, twisted imagination of me in some retired home when I'm super old, playing these games with no recollection of past play throughs...
Megatron
Member
it makes me sad there are so many rpg's listed in this thread that i OWN but have
a)never started
b)only played a bit of and never finished
I think a lot of us are in that boat. Use it as inspiration to pick one and try to play through it so you can vote for it next time. I played persona 4 golden this year and Earthbound last year. I am eyeing phantasy star 4 or Final Fantasy X next.
me0wish
Member
Is it universally hated? Checked Metacritic and it has a decent average scores, personally I've never seen anyone even mention it.
To be fair when I say I played it as an adult, it was 8 years ago, and that's a long time, but I remember loving every part of it besides the usual unnecessary battles of JRPG games.
it makes me sad there are so many rpg's listed in this thread that i OWN but have
a)never started
b)only played a bit of and never finished
I'm the opposite. It makes me sad how few of these games I haven't played. It's becoming harder and harder to find new RPGs to play that aren't swimming in 6s or 7s.
Reading love for ambitious FE stories, wars, and worlds of yore makes me cry tears of joy.
I do think Conquest is a return to ambition wrt gameplay that is wildly successful.
But I also hope IS takes the Awakening/Fates story/world criticism to heart and moves past their intentional efforts to make Fire Emblem less "nerdy" and more accessible by adopting narrowly episodic, personality-driven storytelling that completely eschews paying attention to things like, say, making the war make sense.
I do think Conquest is a return to ambition wrt gameplay that is wildly successful.
But I also hope IS takes the Awakening/Fates story/world criticism to heart and moves past their intentional efforts to make Fire Emblem less "nerdy" and more accessible by adopting narrowly episodic, personality-driven storytelling that completely eschews paying attention to things like, say, making the war make sense.
Fire Emblem was character driven in the Tellius series too.
Part of the problem in the Awakening/Fates entries is that they try to tell these serious campaign stories while simultaneously having the entire cast act like a bunch of goofs in the support stuff and some of the other dialogue.
Disgaea had everyone act like goofs at all times, and it mostly works. Stuff like Final Fantasy Tactics is always serious, and it works.
A few comedic moments in serious games, or serious moments in comedic games are fine, but they should pick one feel overall and stick to it.
Also, the campaign plots could stand to be stronger.
Part of the problem in the Awakening/Fates entries is that they try to tell these serious campaign stories while simultaneously having the entire cast act like a bunch of goofs in the support stuff and some of the other dialogue.
Disgaea had everyone act like goofs at all times, and it mostly works. Stuff like Final Fantasy Tactics is always serious, and it works.
A few comedic moments in serious games, or serious moments in comedic games are fine, but they should pick one feel overall and stick to it.
Also, the campaign plots could stand to be stronger.