robotnik said:

Don't know, but more important Zero Escape are adventure games.

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They might fall under Rule 5's "outrageous choices," but it hardly matters since the voting process will screen out choices like that. If only one person thinks a game is an RPG, then that game isn't going to make much of a showing.

Patryn said:

How will people who break the rules and list multiple titles in a single spot be handled? Point given to the first title listed, or will just nothing get the point for that slot?

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Probably case by case. The Digital Devil Saga games were released 6 months apart, so I will just treat them as one game like I would Shining Force 3 scenarios. Same goes with the .Hack games.

If people list two non-episodic games together (eg. Morrowind/Skyrim, or Mass Effect 1/2) I will split the points provided they didn't list any honorable mentions. If they have HMs, I will just disqualify the entry. Same with anyone who lists 3+ games under an entry. If the grouped entry falls under the Honorable mentions section, I will just throw it out, since I am not doing half points.

decoyplatypus said:

They might fall under Rule 5's "outrageous choices," but it hardly matters since the voting process will screen out choices like that. If only one person thinks a game is an RPG, then that game isn't going to make much of a showing.

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Ya, I'm not worried about that. No point on getting into debates about what is or isn't an rpg since the consensus will decide in the end. If there is a concerted effort to list something like Super Mario 3 enough times that it makes the final Top 100 as a joke, I will throw it out, but that never happens.

1. Final Fantasy VI - This has been my favorite game since it released and I don't foresee any game topping this in the near future. I come back for a playthrough every year and between the amazing sprites/artwork, my favorite OST, and a very invested set of characters/story this game never gets old.

2. Final Fantasy Tactics - A close second to FFVI, but a very amazing story/world, with the best character customization system of any game I've ever played. I play through this every year or 2, and play until I have a team of level 99's in every job before quitting. The PSP game improved upon the original in most ways and the increased difficulty and more jobs really help with the replayability of this game.

3. Diablo 2 - While I adored Diablo 1 (late nights huddled over my CRT screen), Diablo 2 is where the game clicked not just for me, but it was a bonding experience with my brothers. We would take turns between our 2 PC's day in/out playing the game for probably thousands of hours. The game still holds up today and I still load it up as it's a far superior game (to me) than its disappointing sequel.

4. Final Fantasy VII - I place this game high for the sense of adventure, interesting characters, one of my favorite OSTs, more use of steampunk (my favorite) and the great Materia system. While many mark this game as overrated with a convoluted story, and it is, it is still a very fun game to play today. I still get excited when I start a new game and I see the train scene with the exciting music start to play.

5. Castlevania: SotN - A friend brought this over one day for me to try saying it was his favorite game of all time, so I popped it in with him watching and hours passed while he watched me play and get sucked into this game. A metroidvania game that does everything right (with an amazing OST) and adds a lot of RPG elements to it (think Super Metroid meets RPG). Yet another game I replay every year and does not get old.

6. Chrono Trigger - Another game I come back to year after year for a full replay, holds up amazing today and many others can tell you why this game is great better than me.

7. Pokemon Gold/Silver - While Pokemon Red/Blue are my most played Pokemon games, Gold/Silver will always hold a special place in my heart. I think it was the point that after you complete the main journey in G/S and you were thrown back into the R/B world, but with so much more content that this was immediately ranked up there for me. I have played every Pokemon game but B/W2 and HG/SS just reminded me of how superior the G/S games were to every other Pokemon in both scope and execution.

8. Suikoden - I have played most of the Suikoden games, but the original is still by far my favorite. I think the point that this game really clicked with me was when I captured my base and my mind was blown that I have a full on castle/army in the coolest location on the map at my disposal. This is the only Suikoden game I can and do continually play to completion to this date and still thoroughly enjoy.

9. Tales of Vesperia - My favorite Tales game and favorite game of this generation, both for story/characters (best Tales MC) to the combat (sorry Graces). In fact I enjoyed this game so much it has been the sole disc in my 360 since I picked it up and have since picked up and played a chunk of the PS3 version (which I intend to finish) for the bonus content.

10. Persona 4 - My first time through the game garnered me with many emotions, so much so I wanted to skip the dungeons just so I could interact more with the characters of this game. I never finished it as I reached yet another long dungeon near the end and got distracted, but with the portable version out now and beginning to replay it, this game has a lot of magic and does a lot of things very, very right.


Honorable Mentions:

1. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars - The best Mario RPG to date (you all know this to be true). Between this being the first game I played with a "Press button at right time to dodge/bonus damage" and the large 3d environments holding many secrets this is one game that blew my mind at the time. Thankfully, it still holds up today and is fun for a play even if you have only played the newer "Paper" series.

2. Final Fantasy - The game that really jump started my love of the RPG genre, even though I had played DW1/2 previous. This is another yearly game for me that I go and beat trying to switch up my party each time (4x Fighters, 4x White Mages, 4x Black Mages, etc.). If you are new to this game I would recommend starting with the PSP version as it moves a lot faster with less grinding required than previous versions, though all the versions are amazing.

3. Xenogears - This game made the list for it's interesting story, but even more interesting combat/combo/mech gameplay. Also, it has a mini-game near the end of the game that I just couldn't get enough of.

4. Baldur's Gate II - The first game gave me my AD&D fix, but this game took it to another level and then some. With an amazing story, wonderful gameplay following the AD&D rules I knew well, and useful mages (big selling point to me) I am still constantly replaying this game.

5. Monster Hunter Tri - The first Monster Hunter I played with 2 joysticks and it is where the series really clicked for me. Hundreds of hours later and I still can't get enough of this game.


Unranked Honorable Mentions: (aka. Games I Love that Didn't Make the List)

Baldur's Gate
Breath of Fire II
Demon's Souls
Disgaea
Dragon Quest VIII
Fallout 2
Final Fantasy IV
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
Grandia II
Lufia 2
Secret of Evermore
Secret of Mana
Shining Force II
SoulBlazer
Suikoden II
Tales of Graces F


I thought I had my list down perfect, but I've changed it quite a bit thanks to everyone's detailed posts reminding me of games I love. I may be back to edit this at some point and to fill it out more.

Here's are my choices (not in any particular order):

1. Final Fantasy Tactics: This is a gem of a game. Truly, anyone who has an interest in either the SRPG or even RPG genre should lend a little time to playing it and getting hooked. The combat is satisfyingly simple but brilliant with moderate difficulty for each map. The lore itself is a little much, but the character interactions are where the game truly shines.

2. Tactics Ogre: Similar to FFT in build, there's a lot of love for Tactics Ogre. What it gives to the genre is a compelling storyline (branching!) which ties together political upheaval and subjective narrative. Great in small bites, where even after you're done with a route, you'll find no reason to stop.

3. Disgaea 1: The combat might be the least attractive or rather primitive of the four Disgaea's but the story is remarkably the best. Also, item world, zany extra dungeons and a multitude of different things to try out. Why wouldn't you play this?

4. The World Ends With You: I believe its acclaim stands for itself. This is greatness incarnate. The innovative approach of simultaneously wielding two screens at the same time may seem confusing, aggravating and senseless, but after awhile, it becomes beautiful. It'll get to the point where you're zoning out as you take on enemies to the beat of the music, oblivious to you're almost god-like controlling.

5. Ys Oath in Felghana: I'm actually not sure if this is an RPG. Actually, I'm kind of positive it isn't...but hey! It's one of the best games to introduce a person to the Ys series and its combat is so satisfying I'm drooling while thinking of it. Enemies are challenging, but even more than that, they're fair. There's a fairness in the difficulty which makes me take a step back, inspect my skills as a gamer and cultivate them further.

6. Persona 4: Everyone should play this game, especially now that it's been re-released with Golden on the Vita. The combat may be a little iffy, but the social links are endearing and the persona creation almost addictive. No, it's not a dating sim. There's roots for all kinds of people-- it truly is a game focused on creating bonds socially.

7. Pokemon Silver/Gold: One of them is superior to the other but that's beside the point. Great welcoming additions to the Pokemon franchise, if you've never cared to play it or just want to dip in now at the right moment.

8. Final Fantasy XII: Some people have a problem with the battle system. Let me tell you now, those people are crazy. Crazy. I absolutely adore the way they let you have almost free reign over your character, mixing and matching to make one fit to your play-style. Also, since he's basically just my character mule, he doesn't need to have any impact on the story (not that he does). He's merely my conduit into the action, so I can openly enjoy the tale of Ashe and Bosch.

9. The Legend of the Legendary Heroes: Trails in the Sky- Honestly, this is an amazing RPG, but it isn't the 'best'. It does however, have the greatest set-up for a sequel that I have ever witnessed. It's as if the entire game were only the prologue for its next venture. Leaves you gripping your console in anticipation.

10. Shadow Hearts II: Covenant: This game is great. Period. The reasons why it didn't take off or do as well as FF, DQ or others is mind boggling. The protagonist is realistic-- an anti-hero who doesn't preface every other word with an ideal or feign ignorance/act stupidly. There's a surreality in the characters present...except maybe one body builder but he has his reasons...The combat is satisfying. Its based on a ring which is more or less like a mini-game within battle. Actually, that sounds bad. Call it linked to reflexes.

Honorable Mentions:
Nier: Combat is mediocre, but not all people play RPG's for the combat. Unless it's an SRPG then...yeah okay. The story and music alone warrant it an honorable mention.
Tales of Symphonia: I was worrying over whether to include this into my top 10, but ultimately decided against it. It's an amazing game, absolutely brilliant, but it does have its flaws. I would feel wrong though not giving it an honorable mention.
Star Ocean 1: Yeah, kind of the same reason for above, but as a traditional RPG I'd say it ranks up there high.
FFIX: Zidane. My man, Zidane. Wish I could have made him make the list but nostalgia man. Haven't played it for a while but from what I do remember there were some flaws present. Like the last battle. Great game otherwise.
Valkyria Chronicles: I was actually not sure whether to include this or not in my top 10. I could reasonably take it and then inter-change it with TiTS but I decided against doing so because it stands on its own reasonably well. And Sega. But it's incredibly beautiful and the storyline is surprisingly simple, yet well constructed.

If Demon's/Dark Souls were considered totally RPGs by me then they'd be here. I'm not actually sure what they are; they're like a genre all to their own. Same thing with Resonance of Fate even with all the little tidbits riddling its beauty.

Verelios said:

FFIX: Zidane. My man, Zidane. Wish I could have made him make the list but nostalgia man. Haven't played it for a while but from what I do remember there were some flaws present. Like the last battle. Great game otherwise.

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The last dungeon was a huge flaw to me, almost every enemy had an instant-death attack. To me it was like "Hey we can't properly balance against your powerful party anymore so let's give every enemy a high-chance to 1-shot you". Completely agreed with you that it was a great game otherwise, but the last dungeon/boss/etc. just didn't sit right with me.

Final Fantasy IX is on my never ending list of games to replay one day. I beat it back in 2000, but I barely remember a thing about it. Sort of strange, since I wasn't young at the time (18) and I remember the Final Fantasy games before and after it a lot more clearly despite not playing them since release either.

1. Baldur's Gate I & II (nothing else even in this league, the best ever)
2. Fallout I, II & New Vegas
3. Icewind Dale I (II is not as good)
4. Planescape: Torment
5. Diablo 3 (it's fun now get over the launch)
6. Dragon Age Origins (console versions need not apply)

1. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door : Turn-based battle perfection mixed with mostly clever, unique and simply fun scenarios. The only downside about this game is that it is too similar to its predecessor and hence you shouldn't play both in a close time range.

2. Skies of Arcadia : If you pick certain aspects out of it, this game might seem like an average RPG with lots of typical tropes, but it's also one the few whose overall picture truly leaves you with a sense of going through some epic adventure once you're done.

3. Mario & Luigi Bowsers Inside Story : It has the same polish and amazing creativity as most of the other Super Mario RPGs but takes it to another level with Bowser, wo might just be one of the best JRPG main characters ever written.

4. Tales of Symphonia : While later entries of the series have improved the combat (of which several didn't see a release around here anyway), it's still addicting enough in this early 3D iteration. Despite some goofy moments, I've really enjoyed the story and I'm sure some of its twists would still blow my mind today.

5. Rune Factory Frontier : Harvest Moon on its own is addicting enough already, but mixing it with a lengthy loot RPG makes this truly outstanding and it's going to eat LOTS of your time... while you don't even feel bad about it. Despite its low budget, its charming presentation hides lots of the weaknesses very well.


Honorable mentions:

The World Ends With You
Chrono Trigger
Xenoblade Chronicles

supaman900s said:

10) Final Fantasy 10 - this is probably the first RPG that I ever remember playing, I put nearly 50 hours into this game at a very young age - which was rare as I usually moved from game to game regularly.

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Oh man, this makes me feel old and I'm not even old. I played that when I was... 13, I think? I got deep into RPGs when I was younger than that, and reading all that text (even while badly translated) helped out a lot with my reading comprehension and vocabulary learning (like, bear in mind that I was 7-9 when playing some RPGs, so most of my reading material at school was far less complicated than the subject matter and lexical items included in your standard Genso Suikoden game or Final Fantasy).

It's something I came to treasure when I played RPGs with a lot of text to read. I had always treated them as learning experiences in the past.

It's just one of those things that makes you realize that people aren't growing up with the same things you grew up with, I guess.

kswiston said:

We probably end up with less people participating due to the emphasis on explaining your thoughts rather than just listing titles, but I do think the thread is infinitely more enjoyable to read because of it.

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Yeah, that's true. I know last year you had a draw to entice people to post more, but that shouldn't really be the case. We have a lot of good posters on GAF who offer rather thorough responses when pressed to do so, and I feel like I learn not only more about them and their tastes, but also about the games they're talking about because they see things in a game that I probably don't. But still, I think it's a bit of a shame that list threads are the way they are. Even just a small blurb justify why you posted what you did! Anything!

Patryn said:

If you know what you're getting when you go into AP, I think most people really like it. I know that I thought it was going to be a disaster, then picked it up a few months after it came out and it ended up being my 2010 GOTY.

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BeesEight said:

Do it! It's also pretty short for a rpg. I think it's only about 15-20 hours long?

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Thanks, guys. I don't expect much, but I'll look forward to playing it after I finish Xillia 2 hopefully next week. Since it's short, I'll put it closer to the top of my to-do pile.

As always, I restrict myself to one game per series, and I try to include as many RPG sub-genres as possible. As someone who enjoys RPGs of all kinds its really hard to narrow it down to just 10. I tried to make space for Dark Souls on my main list, but I simply couldn't in good conscience remove any of the titles on it right now. Maybe I'll still change my mind before the deadline, but I wanted to get my votes in before I forget. At least having it in the honorable mentions prompted me to write some text for those.

Planescape: Torment
Best writing, story, setting and characters in any RPG ever. The only game that made me feel a real emotional attachment to the characters' fate, like a good book does. Unmatched. Maybe not for an Eternity though?

Unordered:

Ar Tonelico 2
The best entry in the Ar Tonelico series, which features one of the most interesting settings in JRPGs. Also has a very unique battle system, and integrates some gameplay elements from japanese Visual Novels. Fantastic, distinctive music that's different from anything else out there. The characters and story are also much better than you'd expect, even despite the bad translation.

Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter
Very different from most other JRPGs and the games in the series in terms of battle system and setting. The mechanics of the game explicitly forbid grinding, which makes it one of the most challenging JRPGs ever, particularly if you choose not to use the restart feature.

Baldur's Gate 2
The best representative of the traditional party-based, isometric, tactical WRPG. Packed full of content, with a great balance of story and gameplay.

Morrowind
I was very close to giving this spot to Skyrim, but I feel like despite its outdated gameplay, Morrowind is still the best representation of what Bethesda's first-person exploration based RPGs want to offer. The variety of locales and cultures is unmatched in the later games.

Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer
The party-based tactical RPG is my favourite subgenre, so it gets 3 games in this list. Mask of the Betrayer is the closest any modern game has come to Planescape: Torment in terms of the quality of the writing, story and characters. I also enjoy the huge amount of features and character options available in the latest version of the NWN2 engine.

Ultima VII
The oldest game in my list, Ultima VII is -- to me -- the best entry in its series and one of the most forward-looking games ever released. Many of the features it pioneered, like NPC schedules, are only now slowly reaching other RPGs (Bethesda were the first to jump on that). The world was also highly interactive to an extent rarely seen to this day.

Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines
A first person RPG of a very different type compared to Morrowind. A lot more focused on (and better at) story and characters. Even with it feeling slightly rushed toward the end it's still my favourite first-person RPG of all time based on the strength of its writing and setting. Other strong competitors for this spot include Alpha Protocol and Deus Ex HR.

Valkyria Chronicles
The only SRPG featured on my list, Valkyria Chronicles is one of the very rare games that combines true genre innovation with a high amount of polish. The battle system, while not perfectly balanced in some cases, was unlike anything seen before, and combined with the wonderful presentation (including the art style, in-game graphics, music and even the menus) makes VC a unique title to this day. It's sad that the sequel did not live up to the standards set by the first game.

Nier
In my previous list Xenogears took this spot, but I feel like Nier outdoes it in its most memorable features (insane plot twists). The music is also sublime, up there with the Ar Tonelico series as the best the genre has to offer. Unlike some other people I also greatly enjoyed the variety of gameplay featured in Nier, including pretty solid standard action-RPG, text adventure, horror, isometric action and bullet hell sequences.

Honorable mentions:
Dark Souls - Dark Souls is packed full of such a plethora of ideas that it would probably take other developers a decade to drip-feed them to players. They may not all be perfectly realized, but it still does integration between a single-player experience and online features infinitely better than any other attempt, ever.
Arx Fatalis - One of the greatest first person dungeon crawlers, really nails the oppressive atmosphere.
Atelier Totori - My favourite in the Arland trilogy, narrowly edging out Meruru. This picture does a great job at describing what makes these games unique.
Suikoden 5 - I settled on this as my favourite entry in one of my favourite series, after much deliberation. The series as a whole is remarkable for its huge cast of characters, and the hideout building and strategic combat mechanics.
Alpha Protocol - Remarkable innovation in the handling of RPG dialogue and choices earns this game a spot on the list.

Honorable mentions (uncounted):
Deus Ex HR
Xenogears
Final Fantasy X
The Witcher 1 or 2 (I wish I could make space for one of them on my main list)
Suikoden 2
Mass Effect 1
The World Ends With You (the only portable title on I mentioned I think -- very unique gameplay, setting and story)
Chrono Trigger
Mana Khemia 3
Might and Magic IV + V: World of Xeen
Diablo 2
Fallout New Vegas

Yeah, that's 27 games (without even having a duplicate from a series). So sue me, I like RPGs.

FWIW, this is probably my favourite yearly thread on GAF. Thanks for your continued work on it, kswiston.

I feel like its time for some nice shifts.

1. Tales of Vesperia(360): Normally I put Tales of Abyss here, but thinking about it. Vesperia just does everything better. Cast, Gameplay, World, Story, etc. It of course runs 1 act too long, but the gameplay and replay system kept me coming back for an additional 2 times. Few RPGs can do this.

2. Final Fantasy X-2(PS2)(+3 Points): This is my favorite from the legendary series. Being able to customize each character with a playful story, rather than the end of the world, Doom and Gloom. When it comes down to it. It just fits my nature. Its Pop Song the game

3. Nier(360): Completely new addition. Its flawed but an emotional tale. Gameplay lacks, designs get repetitive, and its largely a push over. But it comes with a wonderful story that progresses nicely, a great twist for a replay, and easily the best soundtrack in gaming this generation.

4. Witcher(PC): I think I may put Witcher 2 also up here, but I'm one of those that prefer 1 over 2. Starting to notice a trend with my RPGs. Either I focus on the mood it puts me in or a gameplay system I can run through. This is definitely the former. Combat is a complete steamroll after the first few hours. But how each act drastically differs in overtones. Act 1 and Act 4 are counterparts. The doom town that brought misfortune and a haunted paradise. And how Act 2 and 3 are counter parts too with Act 2 being a detective story and act 3 being the repercussions of that story.

5. Shin Megami Tensei:Nocturne(PS2): Atmosphere, Atmosphere, Atmosphere. Thinking about it, this is why I loved both Nocturne, though sadly never being able to complete it and Digital Devil Saga.

6. Diablo II(PC): The best way to describe this title is why all the clones and its sequel never matched up to it. Most games take the approach of normalizing the game. They don't want people to clear content too fast, they want them to invest into a single character, etc. Its similar to shooters now. Basically they don't want their game to be broken. Diablo II is one of those titles that were meant to be broken. You could make characters that would break the game. Completely cancel out attacks or bosses, teleport around freely, and so forth. Balance was done by improving characters and adding new items, not nerfing.

7. Star Wars Galaxies(PC): When I look back at moments from MMOs, This is the one that comes to mind. It was an clusterfuck. Some classes were useless, terrible balancing, features missing, no real PvE or PvP. But it had a world run by players. Make a city were you please. Attack who you want. The best items were made and mass produced. SWG was a contradiction to most MMOs where only an elite few would get access to items or reach certain levels of power. But all of that was easily accessible in this game and the elite quest was for a Jedi, which was a side journey for a jack of all trades. While standard classes would out preform them in any given respect, but would not have the same utility. And it worked wonderfully till they decided to turn everyone into a Jedi game.

8. Pokemon Gold and Silver(GBC): I have more fond memories of Red and Blue, but these were definitely the superior titles. It was nothing more than a grind fest and collect-a-thon, but it clear works for how strong the franchise still is. Its a simple game to understand. Everything is rock, paper, or scissors, but its addictive.

9. Phantasy Star Online(Xbox/DC): I got hit by a car for this game. Fuck if that doesn't deserve a spot.

10. Mount and Blade Warband(PC): Did not know this was allowed at first glance till I went over last years. This is one of my all time favorite titles. The single player aspect allows you to build an army. You start off as a single lone peasant, who can fight your way to amassing an army of 100+ and with that army, storm castles, take cities, etc. Or you can just keep soloing it. Hone you're skills to the point where a 20v1 is nothing. It allows for complete management of both you're character and what you conquer. And unlike most RPGs where online reduces what you can do. Modders have actually imported the entire single player aspect on to it. Persist stats, Clan warfare, etc.

What's changed from my previous lists?
Decided to drop
Guild Wars-I liked it, but I think it got on largely because I have to think about the list each time.
EveOnline-Was on a high at the time. Best market to play, but I don't have the same fond memories I do with other MMOs.
Tales of the Abyss-Replaced with Vesperia.

Honorable Mentions(Will fill in explanations later)
World of Warcraft(PC)
Witcher 2(PC)
Vampire Bloodlines(PC)

Dark Schala said:

Thanks, guys. I don't expect much, but I'll look forward to playing it after I finish Xillia 2 hopefully next week. Since it's short, I'll put it closer to the top of my to-do pile.

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When you do please make an LTTP or post your thoughts somewhere semi-visible. Very curious as to your thoughts on that game as it's a game I've been curious on but not curious enough yet to pickup (and I respect your opinion on most things RPG).

Durante said:

FWIW, this is probably my favourite yearly thread on GAF. Thanks for your continued work on it, kswiston.

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Thanks! It would be nice if more of the people who racked up those 1700+ (mostly negative) posts in that thread about IGN's Top 100 RPGs would contribute to our own list, but I'm glad that those who do participate seem to mostly enjoy the process and end product. One of the biggest reasons I continue to do these threads (other than to help people discover great games) is to read insightful and posts that many people write each years. Judging by the page view to post ratio, I imagine others appreciate the effort that most contributors are making as well.

1) Tokyo Jungle. IMO, this is a JRPG at the core, and a badass one. Growth, breeding, stats, absurd equipment. It's awesome.

2) Valkyria Chronicles (3 points). This game is severely underrated. From its deep character traits system to its delightful meld of action, size and strategy. On paper it sounds like a horrid mishmash, but in actuality it's a symphony of delights.

3) Heroes of Might and Magic III. My favorite hot seat multiplayer RPG combining exploration, some RTS and regular RPG elements. I love this mix,

4) Phantasy Star Online. I was conflicted about putting PSO2 on here instead of PSO1, but PSO1 just feels like it has more soul to it.

5) Persona 3. Persona 3 onward has been a phenomenal leap forward for JRPGs. Pacing, using the school setting, gameplay, relationships, they're all so stellar. I was tempted to put 4 here and 4 deserves to be played just as much, but start with 3.

6) Nier. The soundtrack is so insanely awesome, it has to be on the list. I dunno why but I found the random "inane" quests rather addicting.

TO BE EDITED:

7) Final Quest 7 - (insert explanation here)

8) Final Quest 8 - (insert explanation here)

9) Final Quest 9 - (insert explanation here)

10) Final Quest 10 - (insert explanation here)


Honorable Mentions


11) Final Quest 11 - (insert explanation here)

12) Final Quest 12 - (insert explanation here)

13) Final Quest 13 - (insert explanation here)

14) Final Quest 14 - (insert explanation here)

15) Final Quest 15 - (insert explanation here)

My list is not in order of preference.

1) Ys Origin
It's a pretty recent discovery for me, but Ys Origin is an excellent game and the most fun I had in jRPG in a while. It's an action RPG with a fast and yet tight gameplay, with a nice story that you can see from 3 different point of views. It's well written, well paced, the boss battles are some of the best I ever played and the dungeons are excellent. A must have.

2) Final Fantasy 9
It is the best Final Fantasy, the characters and story are better than the best JRPGs (except for the last disc, which is only as good). The production value and combat system are the finest of their era, and still old up perfectly today. I'd play it again anytime, anywhere.

3) Final Fantasy 7
This is the big one. This jRPG is ballsy, like anything before or after. It made such an impact that it changed the face of the genre. You can like it or dislike it, but you can't ignore it's huge influence. For me, this game is awesome incarnate. The story grabs you right away and never let go. The battle system is fast and satisfying, and the materia system is a brilliant idea all around. There is plenty to do in this game and it never feels stale. They don't make them like it anymore.

4) Seiken Densetsu 3 (3 points)
I only played it to completion a year ago, and yes, this game is as excellent as it seems. The multiple characters is a brilliant concept, and the universe feels more alive for it. I enjoyed the world and story a lot. The gameplay is not perfect, I had 2 or 3 awkward moments with some magic spam, but other than that it was very fun and fast paced. This game does everything almost perfectly and it impressed me a lot. Square-Enix really needs to bring it over officially, it's a lost gem to us westerners.

5) Kingdom Hearts 2 Final Mix+
It's a bit of a stretch, as I don't personally treat this game as an Action RPG, but more as a Character Action Game (DMC/Bayo genre). Still, the roxas story touched me a bit, while the rest of the story was total nonsense, I didn't really mind it as the cutscene quality was stellar. I don't care much for the disney worlds, hell, I might even have liked it more if the game didn't have any Disney branding shoved into that organization XIII story. But what really sold me into it was the combats, and most of all the boss-battles. In critical mode this game is bloody intense and will put your skills to the test. It looks and play awesome. I love it.

6) Final Fantasy 12
To me this game is not far behind FF9 and 7. Like FF7, this game is ballsy and tries all new things that could have defined the jRPG genre in the future and beyond. Its new combat system is full of brilliance with the gambit system. The world is immense and full of life like anything before. It is HUGE, so many big and interesting cities with lots of people, so many caves dungeons, plains with their defining vistas, monsters and mysteries. This game is beyond awesome.
The only thing that didn't work out as good is the story, it has nice ideas, but unfortunately felt unfinished and rushed. Tho it is easy to overlook as the game is so damn good and unique. I can't wait for an HD collection of the International Zodiac Job System version. Do it Square-Enix.

7) 3D Dot Game Heroes
This game has many throwbacks and references to jRPG, but in essence is more of a Zelda-Like. With that said it's awesome, to me it is a better Zelda game than any of the recently nintendo-released zeldas. Like a perfect mix between LoZ Nes and ALTTP made in heaven. The only real "issue" is the odd graphic style, but if you can get past it, only pure bliss is awaiting you.

8) Dark Souls
Even tho I did ragequit 35 hours in, I can't deny the ultimate goodness of this game. I'll eventually get back to it and I will Defeated.

9) Half Minute Hero
A very original and fun take on the genre, that is genuinely a very good game too.

10) Mass Effect 1
Fantastic storytelling. It's a bit like the star trek of video games, and I loved it. The combat system is a bit meh, but not too bothersome either. My favorite WRPG. Just don't play the sequels.


Honorable Mentions
11) Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7
Even with the Genesis bullshit, this game still managed to be pretty enjoyable.

12) Vampire the Masquerade
A Deus Ex with vampires that's better than Deus Ex, what more do you want? There's a few lackluster combat sequences tho (mostly toward the end).

Unranked Honorable Mentions
- World of Warcraft - While I can be very critical of MMO schemes, I can't deny the few good moments I had with it.

DSix, you need to specify which Vampire game you are talking about, as the Masquerade is the name of the PnP game and your mention might also refer to Redemption.

I of course assume you mean Bloodlines, right?

I went through all the entries to date and updated my Master RPG title list. So far close to 300 games have been voted for, so remember that when some of your favourites miss the Top 100!

I find it interesting to see the vote splitting that some longer series get. If a series has a 4-5 solid entries, it can receive a decent number of recommendations in total without any entries making it further than the bottom part of the top 100. I might also do a Top 25/50 series list by votes this year. This would be an additional list at the end of my OPs, and obviously wouldn't be as elaborate as the main list. Final Fantasy will obviously be #1, but it would be interesting to see what follows it I think.

A bunch of people are still posting acronyms despite the rules. The tallying process is partially animated (going through 2000-3000 votes one by one would take forever), and specifically searches for keywords. I usually catch the most common acronyms (KOTOR, FF7) in a manual Ctrl-F pass-through, but I guarantee you some of the others will be missed. If you are not taking the two minutes required to write out proper titles, it is not my responsibility to guarantee your votes count toward the aggregate list

Also, I might make a light-hearted Hall of Shame for those of you who reserved posts or posted long unordered brain dumps without following through with an actual entry. Posts aren't in limited supply, so if you want to contribute at some point in the future you could just make your post when ready!

Lime said:

DSix, you need to specify which Vampire game you are talking about, as the Masquerade is the name of the PnP game and your mention might also refer to Redemption.

I of course assume you mean Bloodlines, right?

Click to expand...

No one... would actually vote for Redemption, right?

I really liked Redemption back in the days, but I would probably not place it in a top 10 list.

Ultima VII – This was one of the first games that made me realize that a large cohesive world could exist in the digital realm. The idea that people existed and lived their lives when you weren’t around was a tangible idea and it worked wonderfully in this. I felt like a citizen of Britannia and got sucked into its world for a large chunk of time. A time I do not regret. The best game of the series without question.

Golden Sun – The quintessential RPG for the GBA. I know there were quite a few great role-playing games for the system, but more were just rehashes of older SNES classics. While most of them were good in their own rights, this game (and it’s sequel) were the main reason I owned a GBA. The world was fun to explore, the Djinn collecting were addictive and everything at the time resonated a perfect mix of new and old school. Top notch fun.

Tales of Destiny (3 points)– This is the least likely of the Tales games to be selected from what I noticed and I know I could pick out other games in the series that stand taller but this title holds a spot on my list mainly because of what it lead to. I love this series to death, alongside DQ, and this game started me on that path of eating up all games in this series, regardless of the language barrier for some titles that never made it stateside, I played it if it was a Tales game. Tales of Destiny, Stahn and his trusty talking sword Dymlos took me on an adventure that I’m still on today with the release of each new Tales game.And the PS2 Director's Cut re-release has arguable the best battle system of the entire series.

Dragon Quest V – Right beside my love for Tales is my love for Dragon Warrior/Quest games. I enjoyed the whole series, but this and DQ VII are tops on my list, and it was a tough call to only pick between one of them for this list since I tried to stick with one game per series. I chose V for the simple fact that it told an amazing heartwarming story with only a small amount of text. No fancy CGI or facial animations, just a simply told story that follows several generations of a family who are out to avenge a father’s death, restore a civilization, time travel and maybe get married along the way. Yeah, this game has it all, and it is all fantastic.

Grandia – An epic sweeping adventure for the ages. This game has one of the best battle systems I have ever played and it was coupled with a huge, colorful world that was a blast to explore. One of my favorite things about this game besides its length and breadth was the details. Every town was different and unique and you could walk into a house and interact with things that added to the immersion of this fantasy world. Pots boiled over, lamps tipped and clanked, bottles rattled…the list goes on. I know some of those little things like objects making noise and moving seem dumb, but I’m a sucker for that stuff and I loved it.

Xenogears – Another massive adventure game that was non-stop fun. Weird religious subtext and second disc lulz aside, this game was an experience. The world was detailed and rich with history, the inclusion of mechs to the story and battle system only added to the bad-assery. I gravitated toward this initially because of the sci-fi aspects of the title and I’m glad I did. The game mixes a lot of principles and philosophies established in our history, psychological themes and heavy symbolism helped shape the characters and world the game existed in. It was deep, dark and at times confusing, but it was a fantastic play and a highly memorable experience.

Dark Souls – Demons souls did it well but Dark Souls perfected it. The combination of the existing Demons Souls no holds barred hack n slash battling and unforgiving difficulty meshed with a metroid-vanian world that felt like it stretched on to infinity in any given direction gave birth to a love I didn’t think was possible this past console generation. The dark fantasy world filled with ghastly, hideous creatures all trying to kill you is one I could spend day after day in. It’s addictive, and hard, and addictive, and torturous, and addictive….you get the point. This series came out of nowhere a few years back and I’m betting it’s here to stay.

Suikoden II – Another game filled with an amazing cast of characters, but that fact that you can gather most of them to fight for you made this a unique experience. Awesome story aside, I had the most fun watching my castle evolve during the course of the game and fill up with all the people you befriend along the way. Each with a unique back-story and personality that made you care for them all. The Rune magic system was interesting but the 6 person battles, duels and massive battles that took place on the map all kept me wildly entertained and helping the world’s people and fighting for their survival made me care. And that’s what makes you keep coming back to it, that fact that you feel a part of that world and you care.

Wild Arms 2 – A steam punk, sci-fi infused RPG set in the old west, sign me up. A unique cast of characters packing cool unique weapons called ARMs who are tasked with saving a dying world. Not super unique, but I see this game as more style over substance. Most games on my list have a nice mix of story and game play that hold it high on my all time favorites list, this game is mainly on here because of the world. I enjoyed exploring it, plain and simple. The western setting sucked me and, and I had fun overcoming all the puzzles the dungeons threw at me. My love for this game is pretty simple really and it’s ok to have it that way sometimes. I’d return to the land of Filgaia anytime.

Persona 4 – One of the most likeable cast of characters in any JRPG ever. This unique blend of life-sim and dungeon crawling is something I never thought I’d ever care to play let alone have such an amazing time living through the lives and experiencing everything that Teddie, Rise, Yosuke, Naoto, Kanji, Chie,Yukiko and you, the main character go through. The social link system is ingenious and only strengthens the bonds you make with these characters, figuratively and literaly. I laughed out loud, got choked up and ran through a gamut of emotions playing this. It envokes so many great feelings and then makes you want to start doing it all over again as soon as the credits role. This game reminds me why I play games, and that’s a good thing.

Honorable Mentions
Tales of Vesperia – I knew I’d put another Tales game here, and picking which one came down to one character, Yuri Lowell. His is easily the most well rounded, likeable main character in all the Tales games. He doesn’t whine, moan or question things. He just knows what he has to do and does it. The game itself is tons of fun and as with all Tales games, the real time battles are the differentiator, but I won’t delve into that stuff, Yuri is all that matters here…with a shout out to Repede. Dogs with pipes rule.
Final Fantasy VI – Most people have this on their lists, It was tough not putting it in my top ten. I vividly remember buying this when I was younger from a neighbor who said it was dumb and boring. Thank god for his inability for find enjoyment in the game. Story, setting, characters and music…oh, the music. This game was a revelation to my young mind and will always hold a special place in my heart.
Fallout 3 – Massive open world that was always out to make you dead. I can’t think of many games that sucked as many hours of my life away this gen as this bad boy. Every nook and cranny needing to be searched and looted, every quest needing to be completed and every head needing to be exploded in VATS. Who thought that a dark, dank apocalyptic Washington DC could look to magnificent.
Xenoblade – This was a breath of fresh air in the land of JRPG. Massive, almost MMO like, world that took place on the bodies of two giant gods. What? Yup and it’s as cool as you’d think. The real-time active battle system never took you away from the large landscapes you trekked through, always staying immersed in the unique world you were thrown into at the start of the game. A world I searched high and low for little glowing dots, dots that I couldn’t stop looking for. The side quests were a bit bland and trivial though, but it didn’t stop me from doing em’, since it gave me even more of a reason to dive back in. This game did so much right and I hope another like it comes out sooner rather then later.
Dragon Quest VII – Part V barley edges this out, but not by much. This game kept my enthralled for a large chunk of 2001. Mastering all the classes was fun like in VI but slowly opening up the world map by travelling back in time to remedy the areas problems and then seeing the changes effects in the present is what made this game great. I like a good time travelling mechanic in my games (see Chrono Trigger or Radiant Historia) and even though it was nothing elaborate, it was quite effective in DQ VII. It made the game world feel twice as large and I enjoyed seeing how the people and places had changed, for better or for worse. I had spent so much time in this game that I was genuinely sad when I finished.

1.) Vagrant Story: With each passing year I think I find myself more aligned with Matsuno and his projects/games. He's stuff just so inspiring to me (and my brother). His games go much deeper with me beyond the "It's a fun/entertaining/engaging" game to play. In fact, his games are what keeps my brother and I motivated to finish our own project(s). I love the worlds he creates and the characters that are in them. The small attention to detail in character movement/animations and cut scene direction triggers all the right signals in my brain (especially in his Strategy/Tactical games). His desire (or whomever decides) to include Sakimoto on his projects is like a match made in heaven too. I never want to see those guys apart from each other. Those two create some of the best synergy out there. It also doesn't help that Sakimoto happens to be one of my favorite (if not favorite) composer ever!

Vagrant Story is nearly a perfect game to me. It's short, but highly re-playable. Story/narrative is dark, interesting, and engaging. It has one of the best, most fitting soundtracks, ever. The combat/mechanics are deep, complicated, and highly customizable. The enemy/boss variety is through the roof and the cinematic direction/style is pure CLASS. UI issues and some other problems aside, it's easily my favorite RPG of all time. I'd KILL for a Vita remake/update akin to the treatment Tactics Ogre received.

2.) The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky: My first exposure to the real Legend of Heroes franchise (excluding the terrible Bandai ports) left quite an impression on me. Trails in the Sky/Legend of Heroes picked up where Suikoden left off. This is a prime example of a game with a realized world. What starts out as a Grandia-like adventure turns into something much, much more. The lead character, Joshua, is probably my favorite character of all time. The story/narrative/whatever is one of the best ones out there. It's one of the few remaining old school RPGs that you can actually feel passionate about. The ending reveal left my jaw on the floor. It was one the most memorable moments in gaming, for me anyway. The combat system is just engaging/customizable enough too. New Game+ options help speed up replays as well. Every RPG fan NEEDS to play this at some point.

3.) Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne: Replaying this game this year made me realize just how fucking good it is. Nocturne is the ultimate "get down to business" game. Light on story, but heavy on messages/themes. This game is all about building a party and rocking a dungeon. The press turn battle system is at its best in this game. Finding enemy weaknesses and turning the tide of battle never gets old. This has to be one of the most balanced RPGs of all time too. There's SO MANY ways to play this game, the customization is unprecedented. The fact that players can low level/solo run the entire game on the hardest difficulty speaks volumes of its craftiness. The story/narrative is interesting and engaging and the soundtrack is bad ass. If you had to play just ONE SMT game, make it Nocturne. You won't regret it.

4.) Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter: [+ 3 POINTS!!!] Vagrant Story 2. Directed by Matsuno's long lost brother. Seriously, if there was a game out there that could be compared to Vagrant Story, it's Dragon Quarter. The fact that Sakimoto composed this game too doesn't help. Although I grew up with and enjoyed the traditional Breath of Fire games (especially Breath of Fire III & IV), Dragon Quarter is the real deal. This has to be one of the most challenging RPGs of all time too.

5.) Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together: My favorite strategy RPG of all time. Any version of this game is cool, but I specifically like the PSP update (even with its overpowered archer class and other small problems/balance issues). Matsuno's direction is at its finest in this game. Incredible story, interesting characters, classic moments, great messages/themes, amazing Sakimoto soundtrack, and just an all around great scenario.

6.) Suikoden II: The last great Suikoden title. One of the finest narratives/stories ever told. This game has one of the best friendships I've ever seen in a game. The relationship between Jowy and the Hero is touching, yet tragic and sad at the same time. Just an overall great war story too. This game has one of the best introductions as well. I could listen to the Reminiscence track for the rest of my life and still feel emotional about the piece/game. Talk about a sequel doing things right too. Everything about this game is an improvement upon the original. While the original game established base/castle building, it was pretty much perfected in the sequel (aside from some buggy/glitchy/missable issues). Between all the side stories, mini-games, and items/things to collect for your base, this is one packed game. If you're looking for a truly evil villain you won't find one better than Luca Blight either. Every RPG fan MUST play this game at some point or you simply don't "get it".

7.) Valkyria Chronicles: One of my favorite strategy RPGs of all time. Easily my favorite modern day tactical/strategy RPG too. Great/likeable cast, excellent story, AMAZING Sakimoto soundtrack, simple, yet satisfying/rewarding combat, and just some of the finest visuals/attention to detail you're going to find in game. This is a CLASSY and sophisticated game too. It's all about that polish. It's nearly a perfect game. This game still sits up there as my favorite PS3 game of all time.

8.) Shadow Hearts: This game introduced one of the most bad ass lead characters in any game. The successor to the cult classic, Koudelka. Talk about a COMPLETE evolution. The jump from Koudelka to Shadow Hearts was like night and day. It's so radical that most people don't even realize that Koudelka is its predecessor. The Judgement Ring was a much needed breath of fresh air for turn based RPGs too. The groundwork laid in the original Shadow Hearts lead to some of the finest, most well balanced RPG battle systems ever (Covenant and From the New World's Judgment Ring/battle system enhancements were incredible). This game is also the darkest and most serious out of the trilogy. The fact that a very special character (and an area) from the original game returns also makes this particular entry my favorite in the series.

9.) Demon's Souls: The successor to King's Field/Shadow Tower. The first true Dark RPG of the new generation. So brutal yet so fucking cool. The game From Software released not knowing that what they had on their hands would become a huge success. This game means so much more to me than Dark Souls. It just feels so pure and innocent. A game that was unknown and untouched (for quite some time) by the masses. While Dark Souls improved upon a lot of elements, I still feel like the original game was better. The general atmosphere/vibe feels darker and there's just a more serious tone compared to Dark Souls. Amazing bosses, great stage/area design, cool enemies, and rewarding combat/gameplay.

10.) Xenogears: The first RPG to make me question my Catholic/Grade School/Grammar School upbringing, lol! Playing this game as a kid had quite an impact on me. While it used to be my favorite RPG of all time, I've grown a bit distant from it as I've grown older and played other games. This was the first RPG/game I've ever played to question religion/faith. The messages/themes/philosophies present were issues I've never seen mentioned in a game before too. The setting, cast of characters, the gears, the Mitsuda/Chrono Trigger-like soundtrack, everything about this game spoke to me in my youth. Today, it's not the most fun/interesting game/RPG to play, but it still holds a very special place in my heart.

Honorable Mentions: These are in no particular order, mind you.

1. LandStalker: This past year I've recently caught up on some Genesis RPGs. While I still haven't played the apparent masterpiece known as Phantasy Star IV, I did manage to make time for LandStalker. The true beginnings/precursor to one of my other favorite games of all time, Alundra. This is my new personal favorite Genesis game of all time. I can't describe how ahead of its time this game felt playing it for the first time this year. The writing is excellent, the scenario is interesting, the music is outstanding (for a Genesis title) and the combat/puzzle/world design is brilliant. I just feels like the premier Sega Genesis title, the kind of game that everyone who owns a Genesis should play. Clearly it was meant to be Zelda's rival and it certainly lived up to all of the hype and respect it receives.

2. Chrono Trigger: If I had to pick just one SNES RPG, it's gotta be CT. What the fuck else is there to say about this game. Bad pun aside, it was TOTALLY ahead of its time. As much as I adore Chrono Cross, the original game is timeless. I feel weird about not including this game in my top 10, but it sort of just happened that way.

3. Alundra:

4. King's Field: the Ancient City

5. Xenosaga Episode III:

BeesEight said:

No one... would actually vote for Redemption, right?

Click to expand...

I don't think Redemption played anything like Deus Ex (wasn't it party based?) so he must be talking about Bloodlines.

kswiston said:

I don't think Redemption played anything like Deus Ex (wasn't it party based?) so he must be talking about Bloodlines.

Click to expand...

I remember so little of the game, to be honest, but I think you're right about it being party based.

More people need to list their favorite games.

I've had Vagrant Story and Xenogears sitting downloaded on my PS3 for a long time, but haven't gotten around to playing them yet. Same for Last Story and Xenoblade on Wii. I'm sure at least one of those would crack my top 10 if I ever got around to playing them.

They need to hurry the hell up and put Suikoden II up for download as well. Really, really want to play it but would rather not pay $100 for a copy.

Xenoblade Chronicles (3 points)
I didn't get bored once in over 100 hours. Not many other games, and certainly no other RPGs, have done that for me.
Also, amazing environments, incredible music, British voice acting, likeable characters etc. The combat could be better, and some of the sidequests are a bit simplistic, but it's still an incredible experience.

Chrono Trigger
As a European, I didn't get to play this until the DS release. It was pretty good. The battle system feels a little dated these days, but I've yet to see another game that does combination attacks quite as well. Timeless story (if you don't mind my pun) etc etc.

Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver
Although I prefer Black/White on a gameplay level , HeartGold/SoulSilver bring back Pokemon as it was at its peak. Seeing as the Pokemon series get better with each game, it's difficult to choose any particular (pair of) titles for all-time best, as they'll just get bettered later. HG/SS represent Pokemon best in my opinion.

The World Ends With You
An RPG set in modern-day Tokyo, with a graffiti-inspired art style and J-pop filled soundtrack? Not the most conventional RPG, but a breath of fresh air that worked out very well. My main gripe is the terrible difficulty curve on the battle system that made me give up quite early on - once I got the hang of it, the battle system was a ton of fun.

Dragon Quest V
Favourite family in a video game. Even though the battle system is now rather archaic, the story is as good as ever. Loses points for out-of-nowhere final boss though.

Incendiary said:

I've had Vagrant Story and Xenogears sitting downloaded on my PS3 for a long time, but haven't gotten around to playing them yet. Same for Last Story and Xenoblade on Wii. I'm sure at least one of those would crack my top 10 if I ever got around to playing them.

They need to hurry the hell up and put Suikoden II up for download as well. Really, really want to play it but would rather not pay $100 for a copy.

Click to expand...

I need to go back and finish Xenoblade. I played through the first 25-30 hours, but it unfortunately released during a time that was really busy at work, and I wasn't really able to play any games at all for 2-3 months following that initial start. This has unfortunately been a trend with JRPGs this generation...

Games I need to finish up:

Radiant Historia (I might just restart since I think I stopped 4-5 hours in)
Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (played the first 15 hours or so)
Xenoblade Chronicles
Tales of Graces F (struggling through this one. 15 hours in)
Valkyria Chronicles (I would probably have to restart at this point, it has been so long)

Games I need to clear out of my backlog:

SMT: Strange Journey
Infinite Space
Dragon Quest VI and IX
The Last Remnant
Nier
Final Fantasy XIII-2 (not in a huge rush)
Atelier Meruru
Lost Odyssey
Blue Dragon
Resonance of Fate
The Last Story
Valkyria Chronicles 2

... And probably a few others I am forgetting about.

Yet I still felt that it was a good idea to start, and play through Final Fantasy Tactics again a few months back :/

EDIT: My wrpg backlog isn't much better, but I typically finish those once I start. I think the major offender is Fallout New Vegas. I sort of lost interest trying to grind out side quests 35 hours into the game. I should just spend the 5-8 hours it would take to wrap up the main quest and move onto the DLC.

Took me a while but finished!

Been enjoying reading your posts, specially JRPGs suggestions. It'd be nice to get a sabbatical and catch up...

zkylon said:

Took me a while but finished!

Been enjoying reading your posts, specially JRPGs suggestions. It'd be nice to get a sabbatical and catch up...

Click to expand...

I really like your banners.

I might be PMing some of you for your artwork sources when I am putting together the aggregate list.

Hopefully a bunch of you are just waiting to until we are closer to the voting cutoff to post your own lists, because this thread is starting to really slow down. We need more participation!

Thanks to the ~130 people who have participated so far. There are a lot of great posts.

I am thinking of posting my own list tonight or tomorrow morning. I want to read through all of your lists again first and see what I feel needs more exposure.

I think I'll add some banners for my post as well.

I can't comprehend how some people put Dark Souls on their top 10 over Demon's Souls. It boggles the mind.

They must have either:
A) NEVER played Demon's Souls

or

B) Played Dark Souls FIRST. This would mean that Demon's Souls did not have the proper impact, since Dark Souls is copypasta.

Ahh never mind.

gioGAF said:

I can't comprehend how some people put Dark Souls on their top 10 over Demon's Souls. It boggles the mind.

They must have either:
A) NEVER played Demon's Souls

or

B) Played Dark Souls FIRST. This would mean that Demon's Souls did not have the proper impact, since Dark Souls is copypasta.

Click to expand...

Or maybe people have different preferences in terms of what makes a good game. Respect that, you'll stay unbanned here longer.

I rank Dark over Demon's (but not by much) due to the brilliant way From interconnected the game world (as opposed to the hub and spoke model of demon's souls) and the improved multiplayer component.

kswiston said:

I really like your banners.

I might be PMing some of you for your artwork sources when I am putting together the aggregate list.

Hopefully a bunch of you are just waiting to until we are closer to the voting cutoff to post your own lists, because this thread is starting to really slow down. We need more participation!

Thanks to the ~130 people who have participated so far. There are a lot of great posts.

I am thinking of posting my own list tonight or tomorrow morning. I want to read through all of your lists again first and see what I feel needs more exposure.

Click to expand...

Thanks, ask away if you need anything.

gioGAF said:

I can't comprehend how some people put Dark Souls on their top 10 over Demon's Souls. It boggles the mind.

They must have either:
A) NEVER played Demon's Souls

or

B) Played Dark Souls FIRST. This would mean that Demon's Souls did not have the proper impact, since Dark Souls is copypasta.

Click to expand...

I played Demon's Souls first, then Dark Souls and I thought about it for a while, and prefer Dark Souls overall. Maybe it has something to do with playing it on PC versus console, but I just liked the story and felt it was fairer and overall more fun. I also really liked the seamless, open-ended world.

Also, it's a weird thing to be "mind-boggled" about. I mean, if someone said Dark Souls is great, Demon's is trash, alright, that's weird. But getting upset over someone ranking up two perfectly good games in an order different to yours is completely crazy on your part.

You should at least say why you'd prefer one over the other, dontcha think?

gioGAF said:

I can't comprehend how some people put Dark Souls on their top 10 over Demon's Souls. It boggles the mind.

Click to expand...

Played Demon's Souls first. Thought it was great. Played Dark Souls, initially thought it was okay but over time it's improved to the point of I tried going back and playing Demon's Souls and it just doesn't work for me anymore.

-Estus Flask, bonfires, not having MP, not having a hub world and instead having the whole world interconnected - all these things I feel are improvements and make Dark Souls much better.

kswiston said:

I need to go back and finish Xenoblade. I played through the first 25-30 hours, but it unfortunately released during a time that was really busy at work, and I wasn't really able to play any games at all for 2-3 months following that initial start. This has unfortunately been a trend with JRPGs this generation...

Games I need to finish up:

Radiant Historia (I might just restart since I think I stopped 4-5 hours in)
Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (played the first 15 hours or so)
Xenoblade Chronicles
Tales of Graces F (struggling through this one. 15 hours in)
Valkyria Chronicles (I would probably have to restart at this point, it has been so long)

Games I need to clear out of my backlog:

SMT: Strange Journey
Infinite Space
Dragon Quest VI and IX
The Last Remnant
Nier
Final Fantasy XIII-2 (not in a huge rush)
Atelier Meruru
Lost Odyssey
Blue Dragon
Resonance of Fate
The Last Story
Valkyria Chronicles 2

... And probably a few others I am forgetting about.

Yet I still felt that it was a good idea to start, and play through Final Fantasy Tactics again a few months back :/

EDIT: My wrpg backlog isn't much better, but I typically finish those once I start. I think the major offender is Fallout New Vegas. I sort of lost interest trying to grind out side quests 35 hours into the game. I should just spend the 5-8 hours it would take to wrap up the main quest and move onto the DLC.

Click to expand...

I have this same problem. Here's my backlog, only including rpgs:

Xbox 360
Arcania: Gothic 4
Divinity 2: Dragon Knight Saga (Maybe halfway through the game.)
Star Ocean: TLH (On disc 2, don't remember anything about the game.)

3DS
Tales of the Abyss 3d (Played about 8 hours.)

GBA
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (Completed some battles.)

PC (lol!)
Anachronox (Not played.)
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura (Played this several times, never played 'till the end.)
Avadon: The Black Fortress (Near the final battles.)
Baldur's Gate II Complete Edition (Never played the expansion.)
Bastion (Not played.)
Dark Messiah Might & Magic (RPG or not? Not played.)
Darksiders II (RPG or not? Not played.)
Disciples II: Gallean's Return (Not played.)
Disciples II: Rise of the Elves (Not played.)
Divine Divinity (Played it for an hour.)
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind GOTY Edition (Never played this version.)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Intend to finish next year.)
Fallout 2 (I need to finish up my replay, but I stopped because of new releases.)
Heroes of Might & Magic V (Not played.)
Heroes of Might & Magic V: Hammers of Fate (Not played.)
Heroes of Might & Magic V: Tribes of the East (Not played.)
Icewind Dale 2 Complete (Not played.)
Jade Empire (Never finished.)
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (Completed some quests in the 1st region.)
Lionheart: The Legacy of the Crusader (Not played.)
Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir (Currently playing.)
Planescape: Torment (Doing my first ever mage playthrough.)
Septerra Core (Not played.)
The Temple of Elemental Evil (Not played.)
Titan Quest Gold (Very slow progress.)
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (Not completed because of combat.)
Ys Origin (Very slow progress.)
Ys: Oath in Felghana (Not played.)

iOS
Crimson Gem Saga (Haven't played for a long while.)

NDS
Dragon Quest IX (Progressing slowly.)
Luminous Arc (Not played.)
Sands of Destruction (Not played.)

PS1
Final Fantasy VIII (Doing a rerun that I need to finish.)
Front Mission III (Never finished.)
Grandia (Making slow progress.)
Vagrant Story (Making slow progress.)
Wild ARMs 2 (Making slow progress.)

PS2
Shadow Hearts: From the New World (Not played.)
Deus Ex (Not played this version.)

PS3
Borderlands: GOTY (Making slow progress.)
Dark Souls (Not sure if I'll ever finish because of Blight Town.)
Rainbow Moon (Making slow progress.)
Records of Agarest War (Not played.)
Tales of Graces f (Doing end game stuff.)
Yakuza 4 (Making slow progress.)

PSP
Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky (Put on hold for another game.)
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (Not played this version.)
Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth (Currently playing.)
Wild Arms FX (Not played.)

Wii
Xenoblade Chronicles (Stopped playing, but I don't remember why.)


My problem is that despite my backlog, I go back and beat older games that I have already beaten some other time. So I have 55 unbeaten rpgs in my backlog and that number will only grow over time with lots of exciting games coming up. Kickstarter isn't helping either.

Revising my list, and expanding it to 15 games took a lot longer than I thought...

I have decided to mix my list up a bit this year. Using Durante’s rule, I limited myself to one vote per franchise (including spin-off series), and I am only listing games that I have completed. I have also decided to split my list between personal favourites and games that I feel deserve more representation. Therefore, what follows is NOT what I consider to be the 15 best rpgs. I do consider all of these worth playing, and they cover a lot of the diverse traits I enjoy about the genre. Since I have played five times as many console JRPGs as I have CRPGs, my expanded list skews that way.

Regular picks and honorable mention picks are not hierarchical. The games in the honorable mentions section are simply titles that have already received a lot of love in this thread and are therefore are in less need of points. Some of my favourite games of all time are in the honorable mentions section.

My Ten Picks in no order:

Grandia – The Grandia series features one of the best battle systems in jrpg history. While Grandia 2 offered a refined version of the original’s combat, I think Grandia is a stronger game in every other respect. Full of interesting locations, charming characters, puzzles to solve, and dungeons to explore, Grandia captured that sense of adventure that a lot of titles aim for. While the graphics are dated (the game is 15 years old) the colorful sprites and 3D overworld still hold up fairly well, especially when playing the game on a PSP/Vita via the PSN version of the game. The biggest downsides to Grandia are the somewhat sloppy translation and the horrendous voice acting. If you can get past those, you are in for a great game.

Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven (3 Points) – The Infinity Engine and Fallout games get most of the recognition these days, but I believe Might and Magic VI was among the best crpgs of the late 90s. The game is a non-linear, open-world RPG that featured excellent dungeon design and an immersive world to explore. While the story is pretty light, exploring the game’s dozens of dungeons and defeating the hordes (and I mean HORDES) of enemies can be very addicting. I lost more than one night of sleep to this game in my high school and college years.

Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland – Atelier Totori is one of those rare JRPGs that imposes little direction on you, and lets you decide exactly how you want to play. You do have to work towards general goals in order to progress the plot, but you can achieve these goals in any number of ways. You can manipulate the game world’s economy to maximize your profits, delve into the deep and expansive item synthesis system, explore the game’s many locations as you fight monsters and develop your party members, or any combination of the above. Atelier Totori is also one of the more relaxed JRPGs I have ever played. The world is not on the brink of destruction, your home town doesn’t get destroyed, and there are no continent-wide wars on the horizon. Totori is just a girl from a small fishing village who wants to be the best adventure/alchemist she can be. The cutesy characters/dialogue may turn some gamers off, but if you can get past that there is a lot to like.

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn – There are 3-4 other Fire Emblem games that I could have easily put here instead Radiant Dawn, as the series is full of excellent titles. Fire Emblem titles are turn-based strategy games which utilize a paper-scissor-rocks combat system where swords have an advantage over axes, axes an advantage over spears, and spears an advantage over swords. The series is well known for its difficulty, mainly due to a permadeath feature which means that characters lost in a battle are gone for good. Radiant Dawn probably has the largest scope and greatest mission diversity of any game in the series. The first three quarters of the game are played from the perspective of three separate armies, each with different (and sometimes opposing) goals. It is fun to see the same battle or moment played out from two opposing viewpoints, and Radiant Dawn offered a nice change of pace from the series’ typical one-dimensional evil villains. While the game features a gigantic cast of characters (over 70), the three party system allows you to utilize a larger percentage of them than is typically the case in other series games.

Shining Force 2 – Shining Force 2 copies the Fire Emblem battle formula (right down to the unit promotions and battle cutscenes) and adds more RPG elements to it. When you are not fighting, you can explore towns and traverse the world map like a normal 16-bit jrpg, revisiting past locations as you please. While the plot centered on defeating an ancient evil that destroyed your kingdom and stole away your princess, Shining Force 2 is a cheerful game that features an excellent soundtrack and made great use of the limited Genesis colour palette. I still whistle the town theme on occasion.

Fallout 2 – Fallout 1 and 2 are open world crpgs that featured isometric, turn-based tactical combat. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, you play the descendent of a fallout vault dweller. At the start of the game your character is forced to leave his or her small village in search of an item that would end the horrible drought threatening to destroy the entire community. Fallout 2 is a true sandbox rpg, allowing you to attack/kill anyone (if you can survive the reprocussions of your actions), go anywhere, and complete quests in any number of ways. You can can diligently work towards your goal of saving your little village, or you can let them wither away as you partake in whores and gambling. Whether you prefer brute force or diplomacy in your interactions with the denziens of the wasteland, you will be rewarded with well written characters and dialogue, and memorable locations. While I enjoy the modern fallout games, some of the roleplaying systems were streamlined in the conversion to a fully 3D world, and the tactical gameplay was lost thanks to the easily exploitable VATS system.

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together – It pains me to cut Final Fantasy Tactics this year, but Tactics Ogre truly is the superior game, and I felt they were too similar to list both. Tactics Ogre is an isometric, turn-based strategy title that served as the template for dozens of SRPGs that followed it. Like a lot of Matsuno games, the story is a tale of war and political backstabbing. You are forced to make several choices throughout the course of the game that actually influence the events and battles you experience, and the characters that you recruit, a neat feature for a tactical JRPG. Tactics Ogre also features an item crafting system that I had a love-hate relationship with. While it is very extensive, the crafting process is soooo slooow, and recipes for the best equipment (which you can’t buy from vendors) came from enemy drops in an easily missable side-quest chain.

Dragon Quest V – Dragon Quest V is the only JRPG that I can think of which opens to a montage of your young character being sold into slavery and growing up in a slave mine. The story and characters, while fairly simple, were very well done and DQV featured my favourite campaign in the series. The game’s battle system is pretty traditional. You receive a number of party members who each have their own class and who learn new abilities at set levels. However, the game allows you to recruit a number of enemy monsters (up to 70 types in the DS version) that can be used in battle. This monster recruitment system allows for a lot of party customization, and avoids some of my issues with the earliest DQ titles. Battles are quick, and the entire game can be wrapped up in a reasonable 30-35 hours. Fans of games like Chrono Trigger should check out DQV if they haven’t already.

Final Fantasy V – FFV is not my favourite Final Fantasy title, but I decided to vote for it because it is often skipped over on these lists. There are two reasons to play a JRPG: for the story/characters, or for the battle system. FFV excels at the later. Utilizing the popular job system first seen in Final Fantasy 3 (and later used in FF Tactics and FFX-2), you can switch your four characters between a suite of classes at any time to build a play style that is to your liking. Featuring over 20 different jobs explore, and the ability to equip the skills of a second job to each character, Final Fantasy V is one of the most replayable games in the series. There are two official English versions of FFV in existence, one for PS1/PSN, and one for GBA. While the PS1 version is still playable, I would recommend grabbing the GBA version, as it featured bonus content, a better translation, and lacked the menu/save loading issues of the Playstation port.

Dragon Force – Dragon Force is a real-time (with pause) tactical game for the Sega Saturn. At the start of the game, you take on the role of one of the continent’s eight rulers, and are tasked with the quest of conquering the other seven kingdoms in an effort to unite the world against an ancient threat. Most of this happens via skirmishes and castle sieges that take place between various cities on the world map. Your army is made up of Generals, each of which controls 10-100 generic troops from one of 10 classes (from soliders and archers to harpies and dragons). Probably the most memorable aspect of Dragon Force are the large scale skirmishes between enemy generals. Starting at opposite sides of the map, you send your forces head first into a Braveheart style melee that can feature up to 200 sprites. While it is light on story, Dragon Force is one of those “one more turn” games that will keep you playing for hours.

Honorable Mentions – Not in order and definitely not inferior to my ten picks above

Baldur’s Gate 2 – I don’t know if I have anything to say about Baldur’s Gate 2 that hasn’t been said already. It featured one of the best crpg stories released and contained one of my favourite game antagonists. The voice acting was excellent for the time, and Athkatla is one of the best major crpg cities out there. Baldur’s Gate 2 really felt like the end cap of the CRPG renaissance that started around 1993 or so.

Persona 4 - Persona 4 was my favourite PS2 era RPG. The game fixed almost all of my issues with the PS2 version of Persona 3 (giving you control over your entire party being the most welcome fix). It featured a well-rounded cast of characters, and offered a level of challenge missing from most modern jrpgs. Since status effects and element resistances were actually important in regular battles as well as boss battles, Persona 4 is one of the Rare JRPGs that doesn’t have you spamming the X button for 90% of the game.

Mass Effect – The Mass Effect series gets a lot of hate on GAF nowadays, but this was my favourite game of the generation for quite some time. Yes, the combat was janky and yes, most of the explorable planets were empty copy-and-paste jobs, but rarely have I seen such a well realized game world. I loved exploring the citadel, learning the history, culture, and philosophies of every new race I came across. The Elcor are still my favourite fictional space race.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Bethesda (rightfully) gets a lot of bad press for their buggy software, but there are very few modern games that give me the same sense of exploration and freedom that their titles do. Since I still haven’t finished the main questlines in Morrowind (I always seem to get side-tracked), I am going to stick with Skyrim as my Bethesda pick of the year. Skyrim borrows heavily from Norse history and mythology to create a world filled with interesting and diverse architecture, beautiful northern scenery, and (of course) big ass dragons. The somewhat shallow game systems start to lose their luster after 20-30 hours, but the time before that is magical. PC owners also have access to a host of fan mods that will enhance their experience from a visual and gameplay perspective.

Suikoden II - Suikoden 2 is my favourite PS1 rpg. Its battle system is quick and simple, avoiding all the bloat that has plagued the genre in the last 10 years. You would think that a game featuring over 100 playable characters would lead to a cast that lacked individuality, but almost all of the characters were unique and memorable. The story itself was engaging, and while most of the plot threads have been done before, the entire package had a lot of emotional impact. The mini-games in Suikoden 2 were actually fun, and I spent many hours customizing my castle, recruiting optional characters and competing in various cooking competitions. While the $100+ price tag is probably a turn off for most perspective gamers, Suikoden 2 would make a great addition to any game collection. If this game ever sees a re-release on PSN, I would highly recommend it.

My Top 10 choices:

Earthbound (3 points): Was ever a game as charming and fun as this? No matter how much time passes, I can always go back to Earthbound and just feel like a little kid again. Aside from the frustrating inventory system, I love just about everything the game has to offer. It says a lot about the game that despite having almost no dialogue, the four main characters feel (to me, at least) like very well fleshed out people. The story of the game is fun, the world is incredible and very well defined, and the music is really something special. Time has marched on since Earthbound, but it remains my absolute favorite game.

Mother 3: Following up a game like Earthbound is a tough act, but Mother 3 managed to pull it off. I think this game proves, above everything else, how effective sprites can be used at telling a story. There are so many genuinely emotional moments in Mother 3, and it does so without the need for big cutscenes or voice acting, but by making perfect use out of the sprites and music. The first half of the game also manages to keep up the story in an interesting way by shifting your perspective regularly, and it does a great job at slowly bringing the characters together and having you understand them as people, rather than simply as tools for battle. The small scope of the game (in contrast to the typical RPG when 15-20 different cities spread out across multiple continents) also allows for a more personal game, and to understand the area these characters live in extremely well. It's a beautiful game deserving of every single bit of praise ever given to it.

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4: There's just something about Persona 4. The cast of characters are all so well defined, and the story sucks you in right from the start. When you combine this with a really fun battle system, a gorgeous soundtrack, and a really fun gameplay setup which combines traditional RPG mechanics with dating sim elements, you get something really special. My feelings on Persona 4 are probably clouded somewhat by it being my first Megaten game, but I still hold it up in very high regard in terms of the story, the characters, and especially the setting. I really love how the game takes full advantage of its atypical setting, and the town of Inaba is almost a character in of itself. They also do a great job at giving each character a strong arc which sees them not only change and grow, but also deal with realistic teenager feelings. At almost every turn, Persona 4 is tugging at your feelings in some way.

Final Fantasy IX:

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door:

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic:

Final Fantasy XIII:

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep: I had always loved the Kingdom Hearts franchise, but prior to Birth by Sleep, I don't know if you could really say I loved the games. Birth by Sleep managed to take a series best known for having clunky mechanics and battles where you would have to spend time navigating menus while enemies were wailing on you, and fixes pretty much every possible problem the first two games had. The battles in BBS are fast paced and fun, but they're also more strategic and involving than previous games had, and the command deck system gives you so many more options for different styles to take for any given fight. Coupled with that is an embarrassing amount of content, with the game's addictive command board game at the center of it. I don't have as much experience with the genre as some people on here, but based solely on the games I've played, I have no qualms with calling Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep the best action RPG out there.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky:

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey:


Honorable Mentions:

Xenoblade Chronicles:

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King:

Mass Effect:

Final Fantasy XII:

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 2: Innocent Sin:

1. Dark Souls
2. Final Fantasy Tactics
3. Mass Effect 2
4. Final Fantasy VI
5. Fallout 3
6. Mass Effect
7. Crono Trigger
8. Demon's Souls
9. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
10. Suikoden II

1. Final Fantasy 7 aka Best RPG Ever 7
2. Final Fantasy 6
3. Final Fantasy 10
4. Demon's Souls
5. Yakuza 4
6. Yakuza 3
7. Legend of Dragoon
8. Chrono Cross
9. Valkyria Chronicles
10. Shadow Hearts 2

1: Vampire: Bloodlines
2: Fallout 2
3: Deus Ex
4: System Shock 2
5: Arcanum
6: Fallout: New Vegas
7: Planescape: Torment
8: Morrowind
9: Dishonored
10: Mask of the Betrayer

Honorable Mention
Baldur's Gate 2
The Witcher 1 and 2
Dragon Age

kswiston said:

Dragon Force – Dragon Force is a real-time (with pause) tactical game for the Sega Saturn. At the start of the game, you take on the role of one of the continent’s eight rulers, and are tasked with the quest of conquering the other seven kingdoms in an effort to unite the world against an ancient threat. Most of this happens via skirmishes and castle sieges that take place between various cities on the world map. Your army is made up of Generals, each of which controls 10-100 generic troops from one of 10 classes (from soliders and archers to harpies and dragons). Probably the most memorable aspect of Dragon Force are the large scale skirmishes between enemy generals. Starting at opposite sides of the map, you send your forces head first into a Braveheart style melee that can feature up to 200 sprites. While it is light on story, Dragon Force is one of those “one more turn” games that will keep you playing for hours.

Click to expand...

The biggest shame about how fucked the development of the Saturn was is that the emulation is practically non-existent. If they ported Dragon Force (with the WD translation) to XBL or PSN, I'd be all over that sucker. I had a friend who had a Saturn and DF and I remember being awed by it.

This list is in no particular order, Probably add a few more when I think of them

Final Fantasy VI - I am not sure what I can say that has not already been said. I had previously played Final Fantasy, and Final Fantasy IV (II) and had greatly enjoyed the story and gameplay in each. Knowing this and seeing the spread that Nintendo power had given it, I knew I needed this game. I can remember the difficulties I had with the Magitek Factory escape the first time playing, actually beating Wrexsoul legitimately, and foolishly turning Ragnarok into a sword (I was but young). Overall an experience that I can not forget, and replaying it always seems to bring me back to a simpler time.

Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals This game seemed to have it all when I first read about it in Nintendo Power. Capsule monsters to train and fight battles with you, land, air and sea vehicles to traverse a varied and fun overworld, a special attack oriented battle system designed to have you perform them constantly, and a 99 floor randomly generated dungeon just as a bonus minigame. Couple those points with a deep and engrossing storyline full of triumph and tears. These characters seemed like they actually age, and mature as they go through the game.

Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne Fall Break 2004, I picked this game up the Friday I left College on my second fall break. Subsequently, I listened to the included soundtrack the entire four hour ride home from College. That week I must have spent 40 hours, and still had not completed the game. Overall, this is one of the few games where I truly did every single thing possible on the first playthrough of the game, even leaving a special save game so that I could replay the game to get the different endings.

Front Mission 3 Probably my most controversial choice, I adored this game, playing both sides of the story. Delving deep into the turn based strategy, and enjoying crazy political intrigue. Incredibly fun, though with each subsequent playthrough it gets easier. The new game + is handled pretty well, with the game being just as challenging as the first time when you switch the storylines.

Xenogears Coming off watching the Evangelion Anime series, I picked this nugget up winter of 2000. While the game starts off strong, focusing of the battle system both in and out of the giant Mecha, it gives way to the story fairly often. I remember the tower of Babel and having the battle animation start mid jump (plummeting you down), and the Epic battle/video game PITA. Each of these missteps coupled with a story that just kept pushing me to complete it come hell or high water. Likeable characters, fun Mech designs, and a very interesting second disk that I found quite fun (previous battle mentioned aside).

Reading these list drives me to want to replay awesome RPGs I've already played.

There are 3 games I haven't played or haven't finished that these list have me consider playing in the near future (KOTOR 2, Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines and Fallout: New Vegas) but there are so many more games that I've already played that I want to start up right now due to these lists. This is a problem of mine and it makes my backlog grow larger than it should. That comfort of knowing the gameplay mechanics and systems., the fact that I know I love the game causes me to replay 50-60-100 hour RPGs while I have a mountain of games I haven't touched or finished.

1) - Baldur's Gate 2 - I can't help it, it is just so high up there in my memories. Superb story, quests, characters, combat....man, the combat. Love it.

2) - Final Fantasy Tactics - The story is confusing, the character's motives are obscure as a result. Overall tone is that evil is bad, don't be evil (what I got from it) However, I love the tactics. I screwed my playthrough over on PS1 and couldn't continue with my party. Years later I bought it on PSP and played through it again. The jobs, the attacks, the spells. Fun.

3) - Fallout 3 - I enjoyed exploring the world so much. Finding new areas, monsters, funny references to earlier games. The atmosphere and tone were perfect.

4) - Paper Mario: 1000 Year door - I just loved the cheery tone of the game. The jokes, the secrets, the characters. Then add on that a turn based combat system that blows Final Fantasy out of the water for pure fun and interactivity.

5) - Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker - This game is just full of joy. And exploration. And fun. And joy. LTTP has greater nostalgia but this eclipsed it somehow. I don't know how. Maybe I should replay LTTP.

6) - Xcom: Enemy Unknown - I saw some talk about this at the start of the thread and decided it had enough of the RPG conventions to count. It combines tactics like FFT with overworld strategy. Instead of following a linear storyline with the same battles each time it changes it up with random maps and enemies. My GOTY of 2012.

7) - Elder Scrolls: Oblivion - I never finished this game but I don't hold that against it. It was just so huge and sprawling, you could explore for days and never touch the main story. I loved the exploration, in that sense it was the same as Fallout 3. You never know what you will find over the next hill.

8) - Secret of Mana - This was a breath of fresh air in the RPG genre. After Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest had established that turn based random encounters were the norm, this game brought the action back. Levelling up weapons, finding new ones, trying to keep the AI guys alive. All of it in a colourful world of cute enemies. Great fun.

9) - Planescape: Torment - This almost needs no comment. I will say that it holds a special place in my heart for changing up many of the conventions surrounding fantasy.

10) - Chrono Trigger - I was surprised to see this atop last year's list. I think it's a great game but I myself wouldn't put it at the top. However there's enough nostalgia associated with it for me, and I've played it more than once, so that puts it in my list.


Honourable Mentions

Dragon Age: Origins
Skies of Arcadia
Tactics Ogre
Neverwinter Nights 2
Drakensang: The River of Time

Felix Lighter said:

Reading these list drives me to what to replay awesome RPGs I've already played.

There are 3 games I haven't played or haven't finished that these list have me consider playing in the near future (KOTOR 2, Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines and Fallout: New Vegas) but there are so many more games that I've already played that I want to start up right now due to these lists. This is a problem of mine and it makes my backlog grow larger than it should. That comfort of knowing the gameplay mechanics and systems., the fact that I know I love the game causes me to replay 50-60-100 hour RPGs while I have a mountain of games I haven't touched or finished.

Click to expand...

Know the feeling, dude. Sometimes I feel like "hey, I'll just put on another playthrough in New Vegas, new stuff be damned..."

I limited myself to one game per series.

1. Earthbound - A vibrant and "real" world, excellent and funny writing, and endearing characters came together to make this a timeless classic.

2. Final Fantasy VI - Still my favorite Final Fantasy, with the most memorable cast of characters. The game surprised me with the end of the world. Then, not only did the game continue, it transformed into an open-world search for your allies.

3. Chrono Trigger - Fully animated enemies, team attacks, and the decision to eschew traditional RPG random battles was revolutionary for its time. However, it's the beautiful artwork, multiple endings, and well-crafted story that makes the game so enjoyable almost 20 years later.

4. Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn - The best implementation of any version of D&D in video game form. Bonus: Minsc and Boo.

5. Dragon Quest VIII - Originally, I had DQV in this spot, but after giving it some thought, I have to hand it over to VIII. Words cannot describe the sheer joy I felt in exploring this beautiful cel-shaded world. I want DQX to come to the US, but it is my hope that DQXI provides a return to the eighth installment's winning combination of classic RPG mechanics and a wide world to travel.

6. Persona 4 - This was my first Persona game, and still narrowly my favorite after playing 2 and 3. The need to balance your character's relationships, school, and even part-time jobs with working to solve the mystery and save your friends presents a suitable challenge even when you're not battling through the dungeons of the TV world.

7. The Witcher II: Assassins of Kings - The world presented by The Witcher stories is fantastic for games, as CD Projekt has proven twice now. The Witcher II improves on the first game in every way, including the best graphic design of any CRPG to date.

8. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door - Surprisingly witty and charming, this game provided me with hours of fun despite having fairly simplistic RPG gameplay.

9. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - Still the best Star Wars game ever created.

10. Suikoden II - A sprite-based RPG that arrived in an era of blocky polygonal aberrations on the PlayStation. The result is a game that still holds up today - if only Konami would see fit to release it again in NA. The game receives bonus points for the music alone, placing it easily into my top 10.

Honorable mentions: Lufia II, Breath of Fire III, Pools of Radiance, Tales of Vesperia, Lost Odyssey, Lord of the Rings Online, Xenoblade Chronicles

Labadal said:

I have this same problem. Here's my backlog, only including rpgs:

Bastion (Not played.)

Loads a games

Click to expand...

And I thought my backlog was bad!

This one stood out to me though. Is Bastion an RPG? If so, I'd have to revise my list...

Here are my top 10 picks, in no particular order:

Skies of Arcadia - The sheer sense of discovery and wonder made this one of my favorite games on the Dreamcast. I always choose SoA when listing my favorite RPGs. The characters are charming, the world is interesting and varied, and the music is very appropriate relative to the situation/setting. The story is actually pretty good as well, despite falling into several stereotypical RPG tropes. I strongly recommend this game to every fan of the genre.

Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions - I'll admit, I'm a total sucker for this sub-genre of RPG. Strategy/Tactical RPGs give so much replay value that I (almost) always feel like I'm getting my money's worth out of it. FFT is one of the very best titles in this category. Lots of replay, excellent story line, much much improved dialogue over the original, wonderful music, etc. The list goes on and on. I have put more hours in this game than most MMO's. It's that good. Check it out! It's free right now if you're a PS+ member!

Baldur's Gate II - This is the game that got me into PC RPGs. I have fond memories of playing this with friends in college. There's something really, really fun about discovering a new dungeon and raiding it in the hopes of finding new and better equipment. D&D, Forgotten Realms... love it. Also, they just re-released this as an Enhanced Edition, so it's easily accessible right now!

Persona 4 - I would like to list this as Persona 4: Golden, but since I am still playing through it I will simply go with the original. Persona games hold a special place in my heart, and this is the best of the bunch. Some people are turned off because they think of this as too "sim-like". Trust me, though, that there is much more to this game than that. Social links provide real bonuses outside of non-combat portions of the game. It's addictive combining and creating new persona's to aid you in battle. There is a TON to do in this game, so if you're looking for a deep RPG that will last you a while, this is a good candidate.

Suikoden II - This game is a damn masterpiece. My absolute favorite RPG of the PSX era. I cannot say enough good things about this title. It's by far the best in the series. Recruiting all the Stars of Destiny is a real thrill, and it's fun to combine different party members to see how they complement one another. It also features one of my favorite villains ever in a video game. Luca Blight!



--I will be editing this up until the deadline.

Patryn said:

The biggest shame about how fucked the development of the Saturn was is that the emulation is practically non-existent. If they ported Dragon Force (with the WD translation) to XBL or PSN, I'd be all over that sucker. I had a friend who had a Saturn and DF and I remember being awed by it.

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I would imagine that the bigger issue is that Sega doesn't feel as though it is financially worth the trouble. SSF is a decent Saturn emulator. I am sure a small team working at Sega could do a lot better. At least they have the source code for Dragon Force...

BeesEight said:

And I thought my backlog was bad!

This one stood out to me though. Is Bastion an RPG? If so, I'd have to revise my list...

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It's got most of the features that make up an Action RPG. It's also classified as such on Wikipedia, Steam, XBLA, Gamespot, etc. I don't think it is that far of a stretch.