I really need to try Koudelka, is it available on EU PSN?I also want to give a shoutout to Koudelka, the first in the Shadow Hearts series, because while Nier has rather grown out of its lesser known cult status thanks to Automata, Koudelka is still fairly forgotten even among people who've heard of Shadow Hearts which itself is rather forgotten.
Koudelka is still really unique among JRPGs even today. The game is influenced heavily by Gothic horror; its set during the 1890's in a monastery in the Welsh hills. The protagonist, Koudelka Iasant, is a bitter and world-weary Roma woman with physic powers drawn to the monastery on Halloween night by a mysterious voice pleading for her help. Once she enters the monastery she's attacked by monsters and eventually meets two other people drawn to the monastery, Edward Plunkett, a spoiled British aristocrat looking for treasure and women, and Father James O' Flaherty, a scholarly and pious Irish bishop.
What makes the three of them really unique as JRPG parties go is that none of them can stand each other all at first, i.e. both Koudelka and James consider Edward to be nothing more than a rakish buffoon while James is completely appalled at Koudelka's outspoken atheism and Koudelka in turn is disgusted by what she sees as James' blind faith. They only work together out of sheer necessity and survival as they battle their way through the monster infested monastery and begin to uncover its dark past. Through the course of the game they eventually begin to all understand each other and get to the point where they treat each other like friends, even though none of them would readily admit it. All three are just well done, fleshed out characters.
It also has surprisingly great voice-acting for a PS1 game, even on par with the likes of Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen/Soul Reaver and MGS1. This is because the devs got English VAs to voice the game from the start and they all recorded together. Koudelka telling Edward about her past is probably the standout scene of the whole game when it comes to the writing and voice-acting.
The tone is fantastic, being oppressively bleak but also very human and mature in a good way. Koudelka and pals run into some screwed up stuff and they themselves are rather screwed up, but ultimately the game is quite optimistic in the end.
The other Shadow Hearts games are all great games and they do have really nice writing, but they dont have the same maturity and strong character development that Koudelka had.
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What JRPG has the best story? *NOT A LIST THREAD*
- Thread starter SolVanderlyn
- Start date
God fucking dammit... Yeah, this is the one that blew me away even after entering the "OMG XENOGEARS IS THE GREATEST" phase. And almost certainly holds up better honestly, while Xenogears won me over with concepts and scope, Suikoden II hits harder on an emotional level and with a better cast of core characters.No love for the Suikoden series in here?. Especially number 2 and 5 in my opinion. Great stories with political shenanigans and fairly good plot twists. Even the trinity system in Suikoden 3 was an interesting experiment, although it had flaws. Only real clunker in the series in regards to story was Suikoden 4.
Plus Suikoden 2 still has one of the best villains ever.
So yeah, going with Suikoden II. Engaging political story with characters you can get attached to and great villains of all stripes.
Zap Rowsdower
Banned
Nope, as I said you either have to buy an old PS1 copy or emulate it. None of the Shadow Hearts game have ever been rereleased and most likely never will without some sort of miracle. It's an absolute shame.
Does Sacnoth still make games? Aruze Corp still own the ip?
Zap Rowsdower
Banned
Sacnoth/Nautilus got disbanded after SH: From the New World and they were scattered to the winds of the Japanese industry. Aruze still does own the rights but they pulled a Konami before Konami and have just been making pachinko machines ever since.
The last ever Shadow Hearts related product was a Pachinko machine...
AcademicSaucer
Member
For me its between Final Fantasy VI , Chrono Trigger , EarthBound and the Ogre games, kind of sad that all those are old but modern JRPGs havent grabbed me with their story like those did.
DiscoJer
Member
I'm going to go with Legend of Heroes: A Tear of Vermillion (for the PSP).
Firstly, it's got a very well developed world. It's by Falcom and the setting was used for 3 different games and has a pretty detailed chronology
But the story basically revolves around 3 remarkably strong characters. Avin, the main character. His best friend, Mile, and Rutice who is the most complex of all and arguably is the real focus on the game There's a fairly detailed plot involving a church and Avin wanting to find his sister, but that's really more a backdrop, the real story is about relationships
The dialogue in the game can be a bit clunky due to the translation, but it's still better than most SNES era and PS1 era translations. It's a Falcom game, so the music is excellent.
But what's really remarkable is that the ending cutscenes (all done in engine) are literally almost an hour long. Something like 55 minutes. Really satisfying.
Firstly, it's got a very well developed world. It's by Falcom and the setting was used for 3 different games and has a pretty detailed chronology
But the story basically revolves around 3 remarkably strong characters. Avin, the main character. His best friend, Mile, and Rutice who is the most complex of all and arguably is the real focus on the game There's a fairly detailed plot involving a church and Avin wanting to find his sister, but that's really more a backdrop, the real story is about relationships
The dialogue in the game can be a bit clunky due to the translation, but it's still better than most SNES era and PS1 era translations. It's a Falcom game, so the music is excellent.
But what's really remarkable is that the ending cutscenes (all done in engine) are literally almost an hour long. Something like 55 minutes. Really satisfying.
Suikoden 2 is the best JRPG story of all time, and it's not even close. Flawless structure, memorable characters throughout even in bit parts, a believable and human central conflict that enhances and is enhanced by the larger war story that frames it. No other JRPG has ever come close to it, and being so close to FF7 means it's one of the last of its kind, as the genre largely abandoned novel-style storytelling for a structure more closely resembling FF7's "season of anime episodes" style in the wake of that game's success.
It was a chore to play then. The story is cluttered nonsense and freshman year philosophy regurgitated without comprehension. I mean even the screens you posted show how slapdash the second disc was as a result of the loss of budget. Xenogears is a prime example of the late '90s trend of "throw a bunch of confusing metaphysical crap at the wall and hope people think it's deep because it's hard to understand. Oh, and put some religion references in there, because Evangelion." Couldn't stand the game then, I'm sure it would be even more maddening now, especially with the lack of a text speed option that was already infuriating 20 years ago.
But in all fairness, it has one of the best soundtracks ever.
OP nailed it. Xenogears excels in all 5 of those categories.
The plot/story of XG ruined the stories of other games for years after I played it. Even the rest of the games in the Xeno franchise can't hold a candle.
That said, the game hasn't aged that well and can be a chore to replay.
It was a chore to play then. The story is cluttered nonsense and freshman year philosophy regurgitated without comprehension. I mean even the screens you posted show how slapdash the second disc was as a result of the loss of budget. Xenogears is a prime example of the late '90s trend of "throw a bunch of confusing metaphysical crap at the wall and hope people think it's deep because it's hard to understand. Oh, and put some religion references in there, because Evangelion." Couldn't stand the game then, I'm sure it would be even more maddening now, especially with the lack of a text speed option that was already infuriating 20 years ago.
But in all fairness, it has one of the best soundtracks ever.
NipplesAndToes23
Member
You made this thread again? Well I don't want to repeat the long ass post I made last time so I'll just say I agree with all the points the person made about Final Fantasy IX on the first page.
WickedLaharl
Member
Vic_Viper
Member
How does Breath of Fire IV compare storywise? Is Ryu silent in 3 like he is in 4? Ive always had such a hard time understanding the whole silent protag thing in jrpgs. When they are first person it makes sense, but not when I can see the character im playing as.
Just got a Vita a week ago just to play Breath of Fire IV and Xenogears!
The JRPG with the best story IMO is Persona 3. 4 might have the better battle system and the better all around cast, but 3 takes the crown for having the best story. Its like Evangelion but without the super annoying main character. The atmosphere alone sold me on the game when it first came out. I havent played much of the Persona 2 games but It seems like they have an amazing story also. Just cant get past the older combat systems.
killatopak
Gold Member
NieR and NieR Automata for me.
Nothing comes close.
The themes are very mature and leaves you with food for thought.
Nothing comes close.
The themes are very mature and leaves you with food for thought.
themagicalkitsune
Member
I think the story of 3 relies on a bit more generic tropes than that of 4 (there's no character equivalent of Fou-Lu) but it is executed better and the characters are more likable. There are a lot of parallels between the characters of 4 and 3 (both games have Nina as princess of Wyndia and a member of the Woren tribe; Cray in 4 and Rei in 3).
Ryu is always silent, but seeing him develop his character in expressions and gestures is sometimes better than words. A small example: in the beginning of the game, Ryu is a small child and when he attacks he frantically waves his sword while he closes his eyes and faces the other way. After certain events in the game his battle stance changes to a much more confident one and he starts to attack while facing the enemy upfront.
....Yeahhhhhhhhhhhh. Chuchu getting crucified is a net loss there for Xenogears there...
Even though, its still best JRPG story.
Samanosuke Akechi
Member
Chrono cross.
Final Fantasy VI is my recommendation. The game's story is simply told but very effective and charming. It is way more moving than any 16-bit top down RPG has to be and it is so right from the beginning. It has been a while since I first played it so I can't give a proper review but note that it isn't really nostalgia that makes me love it because the first time I played it was as an adul. I was astonished that a game so old would work so effectively.
SolVanderlyn
Thanos acquires the fully powered Infinity Gauntlet in The Avengers: Infinity War, but loses when all the superheroes team up together to stop him.
AFAIK the last time a a similar thread was made was four years ago.
IV has a slightly darker tone and a very cool dual protagonist system where you play as the villain at times. He's a high level character from the very beginning and never gets any party members, instead taking out everything by himself.
Other than that it's much more "low-key" than BoFIII, which you can see in its art style and hear in its soundtrack. It has a better main plot than III (which kind of bounces everywhere IMO) but the cast of characters isn't as strong. I think it's an equal tradeoff.
Well most say the same about FFVI and Chrono Trigger thus why I'm cautious about these games as well
But yeah that's partly on me, but I don't think it's 100% on me.
Do note that I not only mentionned nostalgia as a kid but as a teenager too.
That's not necessary a problem, I don't mind playing a Visual Novel once in a while what I don't like is when the dialogs/characters are poorly written or where I have text where it's clearly not something I want to have (I honestly dropped Project Diva X after a few hours because I HAD to read a completely garbage useless story to unlock songs and modes, who at Sega thought it was a good idead after the Project Diva F/F2?)
Nah, that's a strawman argument. The philosophical and religious references were used because they sounded cool, not to add any kind of depth.
The actual physical event-for-event plot including the backstory was what made Xenogears' story something special, not the window dressing. The layered and interconnected reveals and events of the game are what make it mindblowing, something nothing else has been able to emulate on the same scale.
The second disc was also the best part since the story took front and center stage, which is the game's biggest asset.
semiconscious
Member
simply on the basis of 'the best romance in a fantasy adventure, ever!', yes, gets my vote, too
...Agree with all the Suikoden II people. I'm a sucker for these types of political stories. You have the game set in a believable world that has continuity rather than everything being centered around a single story or character, big plot twists, betrayals, an actually good friendship story, a huge cast of great characters, and an amazing villain. It's like the Game of Thrones of JRPGs.
Fantastapotamus
Wrong about commas, wrong about everything
I'm not gonna say it has the best story but I really freaking love the story of Terranigma. One of the best jRPGs Square ever made on the SNES and that's saying a lot. That game needs more love.
Terranigma is indeed amazing but it was developed by Quintet and published by Enix (in Japan) and Nintendo (in Europe) not Square.
For me it would be Mother 3, without a doubt.
The Plot - It begins with the most peaceful place you can ever dream of.... Everyone is in peace, the tutorial for the battle is with some sort of angry insect which mean you really doesn't risk anything. You were safe and everyone is loving you... But when you hear that dreadful music in the air, you know it won't last... Mother 3 is... Tragic, really tragic... And i really don't want to spoil anything.
The Dialogue - Earthbound was already a master with the dialog, they were quirky, charming and just plain memorable. Some people would say that Mother 3 have "less" interesting stuff going one with their NPC... I can see that but there is also an overeaching plot of greater interest with Mother 3... And the dialog are largely on the same quality of Earthbound... Whih means good by the way... Really good...
The Characters - Most of the time, the characters you have in your party don't even talk but novertheless, i really found them very memorable. The character you meet in the world are also quirky and very charming, following the fate of the village with the different people who live here is also a neat idea to make them memorable. A very strong point.
The World - Even if it seems like "a simple village with some stuff on the side", the "Western" feel of it + the design of some of those part make it also very memorable. Maybe not the most noteworthy stuff, but really good nevertheless.
The Mood - I actually kinda talked about it in "dialog" since a lot of the mood go through there. Even if it's a very dramatic game, it's never told in a very tragic way, the game actually seems quite... PLayful with a lot of the tragedy going on.
It definitely leave a strange impression and is definetly part of the incredible identity of Mother 3.
Which is why i think that game has a story like no other !
Well, I'm also quite surprised by the lack of FInal Fantasy VII... I know it's the first RPG for a lot of people which makes it kinda hard to "judge" but i think the game is a masterpiece on its own.
The Plot - Which is what i like the most actually. The whole thematic of the Shinra vs a group of terrorist was fine enough and isn't actually used that often.... But the game made a turn around that after the "intro". It talks mainly about Cloud and how he handle his past.
The Dialogue - Well, obviously the weak point, i mean i ever played in French which have a way worst translation than you guys in English... You have no idea...
The Characters - Mostly good, all the cast have its own story in a pure Final Fantasy tradition and i don't think i didn't liked a single one of this character. Of course it's no Tales of, they aren't discussing a lot with each other but that default would be more on the "Dialog" part.
The World - The world of Final Fantasy VII is strange, very modern but very archaïc at the same time, Midgar is one of the best exemple of city like that (i forgot the term) in a J RPG i have ever seen and the rest of the game is full of surprise... Indian People in a Canyon, ancient ruins which can become small, giant casino world with a big poverty zone just as its feet. The world of Final Fantasy VII is very diverse, maybe it lacks to be... "cohesive" or something since the world is so strange, but i liked that about it.
The Mood - Which is also one of my first point and is something we can see in "The World" part already... Because the mood can be anything, really. The OST from Uematsu can make some dreadful moment (like in Mako Reactor) or more "strange" (like the Cetra's Ruins) or anything. We have very fun and absurd pieace of humor throwing before very tragic moments.
. Again, maybe some people would think it doesn't go well together... But i totally love that kind of approach really.
The Plot - It begins with the most peaceful place you can ever dream of.... Everyone is in peace, the tutorial for the battle is with some sort of angry insect which mean you really doesn't risk anything. You were safe and everyone is loving you... But when you hear that dreadful music in the air, you know it won't last... Mother 3 is... Tragic, really tragic... And i really don't want to spoil anything.
The idea of bringing several aspect of our society into that little village (money, "happy boxes") and see it becoming less and less good is simple;.. But so bad... And it's not even talking about what happens to the hero family and the overeaching plot with Earthbound !
The Dialogue - Earthbound was already a master with the dialog, they were quirky, charming and just plain memorable. Some people would say that Mother 3 have "less" interesting stuff going one with their NPC... I can see that but there is also an overeaching plot of greater interest with Mother 3... And the dialog are largely on the same quality of Earthbound... Whih means good by the way... Really good...
The Characters - Most of the time, the characters you have in your party don't even talk but novertheless, i really found them very memorable. The character you meet in the world are also quirky and very charming, following the fate of the village with the different people who live here is also a neat idea to make them memorable. A very strong point.
The World - Even if it seems like "a simple village with some stuff on the side", the "Western" feel of it + the design of some of those part make it also very memorable. Maybe not the most noteworthy stuff, but really good nevertheless.
The Mood - I actually kinda talked about it in "dialog" since a lot of the mood go through there. Even if it's a very dramatic game, it's never told in a very tragic way, the game actually seems quite... PLayful with a lot of the tragedy going on.
"Hey Flint, i have a good and a bad news ! The good news is that i found that really neat weapon ! Now the bad news... "
Which is why i think that game has a story like no other !
Well, I'm also quite surprised by the lack of FInal Fantasy VII... I know it's the first RPG for a lot of people which makes it kinda hard to "judge" but i think the game is a masterpiece on its own.
The Plot - Which is what i like the most actually. The whole thematic of the Shinra vs a group of terrorist was fine enough and isn't actually used that often.... But the game made a turn around that after the "intro". It talks mainly about Cloud and how he handle his past.
The fact that Cloud never was a SOLDIER but some kind of looser guard was absoltuly fantastic for me. I was really thinking Cloud is a Sephiroth Clone with Zack memories at this point which would be... Dreadful... But the game suddenly tell me that this twist isn't the good one and there is another... Cloud was here. "Okay, but why nobody remember him ? And why was it Jack on the photo ?". Because Zack was here, Cloud is wearing a mask, he is one of those NPC Soldier you see everywhere. WHAT ?
That was really fantastic and maybe my favorite twist of all time. The whole part with JENOVA/Sephiroth was also fun to think about as it's so convulsed... But that's more my taste i guess...
That was really fantastic and maybe my favorite twist of all time. The whole part with JENOVA/Sephiroth was also fun to think about as it's so convulsed... But that's more my taste i guess...
The Dialogue - Well, obviously the weak point, i mean i ever played in French which have a way worst translation than you guys in English... You have no idea...
The Characters - Mostly good, all the cast have its own story in a pure Final Fantasy tradition and i don't think i didn't liked a single one of this character. Of course it's no Tales of, they aren't discussing a lot with each other but that default would be more on the "Dialog" part.
The World - The world of Final Fantasy VII is strange, very modern but very archaïc at the same time, Midgar is one of the best exemple of city like that (i forgot the term) in a J RPG i have ever seen and the rest of the game is full of surprise... Indian People in a Canyon, ancient ruins which can become small, giant casino world with a big poverty zone just as its feet. The world of Final Fantasy VII is very diverse, maybe it lacks to be... "cohesive" or something since the world is so strange, but i liked that about it.
The Mood - Which is also one of my first point and is something we can see in "The World" part already... Because the mood can be anything, really. The OST from Uematsu can make some dreadful moment (like in Mako Reactor) or more "strange" (like the Cetra's Ruins) or anything. We have very fun and absurd pieace of humor throwing before very tragic moments.
(The whole "be dressed like a girl" part just before the destruction of AVALANCHE
Adam Prime
hates soccer, is Mexican
This is a good thread, keep the posts coming!
It's amazing how a good story, good writing and make up for a lot of "so-so" in JPRGs. Trails in the Sky is the best example. The overall aesthetic and music is nothing special. A lot of the game over world feels very "RPG Maker"-ish in its look.
And it's funny how nobody in this thread mentions Bravely Default/Second. It has a better battle system out of ANY game in this thread, and yet its story and writing are pretty damn average at best. If not for that game's music, art style, and combat system... the story alone wouldn't support it
I'm curious what people think of Radiant Historia, I don't think I've seen it mentioned. I thought the story wasn't "crazy enough", there weren't enough twists and you pretty much see what you get in that game. You have some good characters and writing but the scenario never really felt like it escalated and had a climax.
It's amazing how a good story, good writing and make up for a lot of "so-so" in JPRGs. Trails in the Sky is the best example. The overall aesthetic and music is nothing special. A lot of the game over world feels very "RPG Maker"-ish in its look.
And it's funny how nobody in this thread mentions Bravely Default/Second. It has a better battle system out of ANY game in this thread, and yet its story and writing are pretty damn average at best. If not for that game's music, art style, and combat system... the story alone wouldn't support it
I'm curious what people think of Radiant Historia, I don't think I've seen it mentioned. I thought the story wasn't "crazy enough", there weren't enough twists and you pretty much see what you get in that game. You have some good characters and writing but the scenario never really felt like it escalated and had a climax.
Neff
Member
I still think it's Final Fantasy VII even though the translation is wretched and the plot kind of goes to pieces on discs II and III. There's never been a RPG Japanese or otherwise with that level of invention and expertly engineered drama imo. Emotional gut punches, fingernails-in-palms tension, subtle poignancy, epic catharsis- it's got it the whole roller coaster. And it has a literal roller coaster.
SolVanderlyn
Thanos acquires the fully powered Infinity Gauntlet in The Avengers: Infinity War, but loses when all the superheroes team up together to stop him.
This is like the perfect back of the box quote
I'd put it on the remake if I were on the PR team.
Never played a Persona game but after watching a few hours of a P5 stream I've concluded that I am not nearly enough into anime to enjoy it.
So based on what I've played I'll say FFX since the story and worldbuilding compelled me to play through all 80+ hours. I've heard really good things about Xenogears too.
So based on what I've played I'll say FFX since the story and worldbuilding compelled me to play through all 80+ hours. I've heard really good things about Xenogears too.
Northeastmonk
Gold Member
I want to say Front Mission 3 or FFVI, but I'll probably go with...
Chrono Trigger because it sets off the mood by having you wake up during a festival and the world map feels comfortable. Its relaxing as well as having some complexity to it. You continue down a path that deals with a threat that's taking over and time. The music is spot on and memorable. The cast of characters are varied and you also have a game which takes its own twists and turns with storytellIng. It made going into the sequel expecting more than it actually gave. I'd also say there was always a sense of direction instead of mindlessly going around a world map. There are lighter tones and some darker ones. There are also different aspects that dealt with time. Most CT fans can probably relate or explain it better without spoiling it. It's one game that I still remember wondering "wtf" when it happened to Chrono.
I felt the same about Lunar and FFVI in terms of plots that I feel close to and that I've been attachment to over the years. I really wish East of Eden Apocalypse IV had been localized for the sheer amount of quality they put in to the character design and charisma. With Lunar the entire game was designed with style, something that probably wouldn't shine through in today's games.
I hope that's not a list because this is hard, very hard. I have spent many years with plots from JRPG's replaying themselves in my mind.
Chrono Trigger because it sets off the mood by having you wake up during a festival and the world map feels comfortable. Its relaxing as well as having some complexity to it. You continue down a path that deals with a threat that's taking over and time. The music is spot on and memorable. The cast of characters are varied and you also have a game which takes its own twists and turns with storytellIng. It made going into the sequel expecting more than it actually gave. I'd also say there was always a sense of direction instead of mindlessly going around a world map. There are lighter tones and some darker ones. There are also different aspects that dealt with time. Most CT fans can probably relate or explain it better without spoiling it. It's one game that I still remember wondering "wtf" when it happened to Chrono.
I felt the same about Lunar and FFVI in terms of plots that I feel close to and that I've been attachment to over the years. I really wish East of Eden Apocalypse IV had been localized for the sheer amount of quality they put in to the character design and charisma. With Lunar the entire game was designed with style, something that probably wouldn't shine through in today's games.
I hope that's not a list because this is hard, very hard. I have spent many years with plots from JRPG's replaying themselves in my mind.
GeekyDad
Member
Final Fantasy Tactics for me...
Love the writing, the way the characters interact, the choice of words in dialogue. It's very proper and in an almost Shakespearean style, but I love it. Very sordid, believable tale that rings true. A great tragedy.
And...
Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume
Kinda in the same vein, very tragic and somber. The language is just excellent. I'm guessing it's owed mostly to the translation. Gameplay-wise, it's definitely another great tri-Ace game, but story-wise, it's leaps and bounds above anything else I've ever played by them. Insane to believe it's the same folks who did the story and dialogue for Resonance of Fate (again, I'm speaking only to the story and dialogue). And with this game in particular, they weave the gameplay and story elements together in really powerful ways. Plus, of course, three very sizeable story paths, each equally excellent.
John Kowalski
Banned
Disk 2 is great y'all nuts
Plenty of my favorites have been mentioned - Mother 3, Suikoden 2, DQ5, FF7, CT, and my all-time favorite storyline in any game of Xenogears. So I'm gonna talk about how great and ahead of its time Phantasy Star 2 was.
The setting was very unique in that it expanded upon the original Phantasy Star's concept of a spacefaring civilization that still had many elements of fantasy (swords and armor coexisted with robots and rocketships), and went full-on sci-fi. Pretty unique back in 1989 and even nowadays there's not a whole lot for fans of sci-fi RPGs. The Algol star system was controlled by the Mother Brain, a mysterious AI that showed up one day and moderated the climate, provided foodstuffs, terraformed the desert planet of Motavia (Mota), handled governmental tasks. People were lured into complacency, but then the 'biomonsters' engineered specifically for foodstuffs went out of control. As the hunter Rolf (Eusis in JP), you set out to see what's causing the increased biomonster attacks, and discover the Mother Brain is going out of control.
What makes this even more unique is the amount of twists that occur during the game, leading up to one of the most memorable endings in gaming history.
SPOILERS (even though the game is close to 30 years old)
Everything you do seems to end in disaster:
-You attempt to return a girl kidnapped by bandits to her father who hasn't taken the kidnapping too well and is slowly going insane... he doesn't recognize her, and then he mistakenly murders her.
-You root out the source of the biomonsters, who turns out to be the original human/biomonster hybrid and the prototype of your traveling companion, Nei. She murders Nei, in what may be one of the first major deaths of a lead party member in an RPG (Aeris who?).
-Taking revenge on Nei and destroying Neifirst ends up triggering a flood, so your party then sets off to open 4 dams before the whole planet is overtaken by the flood. After opening the final dam, you are taken into custody by a group of robots and stationed on a prison satellite..
-This prison satellite is on a crash course for the planet Palma (where Phantasy Star 1 started), and you only escape in the nick of time, to watch the planet be destroyed.
-Finally overcoming all the trials and tribulations, collecting the Nei equipment, and traveling to the satellite where Mother Brain resides (called "Noah"), you then battle the corrupting power of Dark Force (the PS series infamous villain), stop Mother Brain, and then come face to face with Mother Brain's creators... Earthlings, who destroyed their planet (goddamnit Trump and your gutting of the EPA!) and were looking for another place to reside. They created Mother Brain as a trojan horse, to eventually subdue the Algol population. The ending of the game is a skirmish between your party and several hundred earthlings, the outcome unclear...
-Though, we learn in Phantasy Star 4 that the events of 2 set the solar system back into a 1000 year cultural and technological decline, and we learn in 3 that the citizens of Palma managed to escape and live in gigantic arks searching for a new planet (in one of the endings, they do manage to make it to our solar system and the planet Earth, which I guess now is OK for life to live on again?)
The setting was very unique in that it expanded upon the original Phantasy Star's concept of a spacefaring civilization that still had many elements of fantasy (swords and armor coexisted with robots and rocketships), and went full-on sci-fi. Pretty unique back in 1989 and even nowadays there's not a whole lot for fans of sci-fi RPGs. The Algol star system was controlled by the Mother Brain, a mysterious AI that showed up one day and moderated the climate, provided foodstuffs, terraformed the desert planet of Motavia (Mota), handled governmental tasks. People were lured into complacency, but then the 'biomonsters' engineered specifically for foodstuffs went out of control. As the hunter Rolf (Eusis in JP), you set out to see what's causing the increased biomonster attacks, and discover the Mother Brain is going out of control.
What makes this even more unique is the amount of twists that occur during the game, leading up to one of the most memorable endings in gaming history.
SPOILERS (even though the game is close to 30 years old)
Everything you do seems to end in disaster:
-You attempt to return a girl kidnapped by bandits to her father who hasn't taken the kidnapping too well and is slowly going insane... he doesn't recognize her, and then he mistakenly murders her.
-You root out the source of the biomonsters, who turns out to be the original human/biomonster hybrid and the prototype of your traveling companion, Nei. She murders Nei, in what may be one of the first major deaths of a lead party member in an RPG (Aeris who?).
-Taking revenge on Nei and destroying Neifirst ends up triggering a flood, so your party then sets off to open 4 dams before the whole planet is overtaken by the flood. After opening the final dam, you are taken into custody by a group of robots and stationed on a prison satellite..
-This prison satellite is on a crash course for the planet Palma (where Phantasy Star 1 started), and you only escape in the nick of time, to watch the planet be destroyed.
-Finally overcoming all the trials and tribulations, collecting the Nei equipment, and traveling to the satellite where Mother Brain resides (called "Noah"), you then battle the corrupting power of Dark Force (the PS series infamous villain), stop Mother Brain, and then come face to face with Mother Brain's creators... Earthlings, who destroyed their planet (goddamnit Trump and your gutting of the EPA!) and were looking for another place to reside. They created Mother Brain as a trojan horse, to eventually subdue the Algol population. The ending of the game is a skirmish between your party and several hundred earthlings, the outcome unclear...
-Though, we learn in Phantasy Star 4 that the events of 2 set the solar system back into a 1000 year cultural and technological decline, and we learn in 3 that the citizens of Palma managed to escape and live in gigantic arks searching for a new planet (in one of the endings, they do manage to make it to our solar system and the planet Earth, which I guess now is OK for life to live on again?)
Sumio Mondo
Member
Going to agree with this. Yoko Taro and Yasumi Matsuno write the best narratives in RPGs from Japan for me.
Outside of those I was really engrossed in Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume on DS (the SRPG edition of VP) and really into the characters of Persona 2 (Eikichi was a fantastic character). Also, Breath of Fire V Dragon Quarter's story was really underrated and had such tight presentation and narrative (not cutscenes that drone on, every scene feels tightly woven and dialogue is minimal). Shit really hits the fan in that game and gets pretty damn dark.
eternalthree
Member
makes me almost want to replay this game. got to the last dungeons in the game i think, but never finished it.
I got to go with Persona 2 IS and EP.
When it comes to plot, 3 and 4 can't hold a candle compared to these games.
It's crazy rollercoaster ride that starts a few mintus into the game and never stops.
The cast is great as well, but the villains are the ones that stand out the most.
No ones else in ther series even comes close the main villain of these games.
Honerable mentions go to Final Fnatsy Tactics and IX.
When it comes to plot, 3 and 4 can't hold a candle compared to these games.
It's crazy rollercoaster ride that starts a few mintus into the game and never stops.
The cast is great as well, but the villains are the ones that stand out the most.
No ones else in ther series even comes close the main villain of these games.
Honerable mentions go to Final Fnatsy Tactics and IX.
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