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[kswiston]

This thread is an annual update to a best of/essential RPG list I started about two years ago.

I often find myself trying to pick up quality games that I have missed over the last decade or so, and game review aggregates (like GameRankings or Metacritic) do a poor job of assessing role playing games, especially the lesser known titles. Word of mouth consensus from GAF can be better, but you have to do more digging and (again) most discussion tends to be about the big franchises. These voting threads are a great place to collect a diverse array of opinions from a large number of GAFers. Last year about 200 members submitted their picks, and I created an aggregate list, with short summaries of the top 40 games by vote.

You can view that thread here: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=416224

2011 has been a great year for rpgs worldwide. We have seen new mainline entries in several new series, including the Elder Scrolls, Deus Ex, The Witcher, Pokemon and Dragon Quest (in the West). GOG, PSN and other digital platforms have given us an affordable and easy way to play classics such as Ultima VII and Alundra, exposing these games to new audiences. Other great titles such as Tactics Ogre and Persona 2 have seen remakes. I am really curious to see how the rankings have changed!​

THE VOTING STAGE IS FINISHED!. Thanks to the 197 people who participated in the voting stage. If you still want to add your own top 10 picks (and thoughts) you can, but they will not be counted towards the aggregate list.

Full results and game summaries will be posted starting tomorrow morning.​

Here are the top 50 by points as voted on by the participants of this thread. (work in progress)​

Summary: Chrono Trigger was developed and published by Square, and follows a group of adventurers who travel through time to prevent a global catastrophe. Chrono Trigger's development team included Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy series, and Yuuji Horii and Akira Toriyama—two freelance designers known for their work on the Dragon Quest series. Chrono Trigger was praised for many of its features, including multiple endings, plot-related sidequests focusing on character development, unique battle system, and then detailed graphics.

Summary: Final Fantasy VI ( originally Final Fantasy III in North America) was developed and published by Square. Set in a fantasy world with a technology level equivalent to that of the Second Industrial Revolution, the game's story focuses on a group of rebels as they seek to overthrow an imperial dictatorship. The game features fourteen permanent playable characters, the most of any game in the main series. Final Fantasy VI was the first game in the series to be directed by someone other than producer and series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi; the role was filled instead by Yoshinori Kitase and Hiroyuki Itō. Yoshitaka Amano, a long-time contributor to the Final Fantasy series, returned as the image and character designer, while regular composer Nobuo Uematsu wrote the game's score, which has been released on several soundtrack albums.

Summary: Xenoblade was published by Nintendo and developed by Monolith Soft. The game follows a young man named Shulk, who wields an energy blade called the Monado against the Mechon, a robotic race threatening the world. The game’s title was changed to Xenoblade (from the original title of Monando) in honour Tetsuya Takahashi. Takahashi directed both Xenogears and Xenosaga previously. Xenoblade was the focus of a grassroots internet campaign (called Operation Rainfall) to persuade NoA to localize the game in North America after it was leaked that they had no plans on releasing the title. NoA has since announced that the title will be released in North America in April 2012.

Summary: Skyrimis was developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the fifth installment in The Elder Scrolls action role-playing video game series, following The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Skyrim's main story revolves around the player character's efforts to defeat a recently resurrected dragon menace. Set two hundred years after Oblivion, the game takes place in the land of Skyrim, which is in the midst of a civil war between the imperial forces and the Stormcloaks. The open world gameplay of the Elder Scrolls series returns in Skyrim; the player can explore the land at will and ignore or postpone the main quest indefinitely.

Summary: Persona 4 was developed and published by Atlus, and is chronologically the fifth installment in the series. Instead of the city locales of previous games in the series, Persona 4 takes place in a fictional Japanese countryside, where the main protagonist is a high-school student who moved into the countryside from the city for a year. During his year-long stay, he becomes involved in investigating mysterious murders while harnessing the power of summoning Persona. Combining high school simulation and traditional dungeon crawling rpg elements, Persona 4 features a weather forecast system with events happening on foggy days to replace the moon phase system implemented in the previous games.

Summary: Suikoden II was developed and published by Konami for the PlayStation. The game features a vast array of characters, with over sixty characters usable in combat and many more who move the plot forward. Suikoden II takes place years after the events of the original Suikoden, and centers around an invasion by the Kingdom of Highland of the City States of Jowston. The player controls a silent protagonist whose name is chosen by the player; he is the adopted son of Genkaku, a hero who saved the City-State of Jowston in a war against Highland years ago. The protagonist and his best friend, Jowy Atreides, each gain one half of the Rune of the Beginning, one of the 27 True Runes of the Suikoden setting, and become caught up in the intrigues of the invasion and the dark fate of those who bear the halves of that Rune.

Summary: Baldur's Gate II was developed by BioWare and is set a few months after the events of Baldur's Gate. The story opens with the player having been ambushed by assassins and taken captive into a mysterious dungeon under the control of the mage, Jon Irenicus. Based on the 2nd edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role-playing system, Baldur's Gate II was praised for its epic story and well developed characters. Throughout the game, the player must make crucial choices, some of them vital to the character's development. Using Bioware's infinity engine, the game is played from an isometric view, and enemy encounters can be fought in both active and turn-based modes.

Summary: KOTOR was developed by BioWare and published by LucasArts. The game takes place 4,000 years before the rise of the Galactic Empire. Darth Malak, a Dark Lord of the Sith, has unleashed a Sith armada against the Republic. Malak's aggression has left the Jedi scattered and vulnerable; many Jedi Knights have fallen in battle and others have sworn allegiance to Malak. The game's battle system is based on Wizards of the Coast's Star Wars Roleplaying Game, a d20 role-playing game derived from the Third Edition Dungeons & Dragons rules. Combat is round-based; time is divided into discrete rounds, and combatants attack and react simultaneously. An alignment system tracks actions and speech to determine whether the player's character aligns with the light or dark side of the Force. Generosity and altruism lead to the light side, while selfish or violent actions will lead the player's character to the dark side, altering the character's appearance in the process.

Summary: Final Fantasy VII was originally developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Set in a dystopian world, Final Fantasy VII's story centers on mercenary Cloud Strife who joins with several others to stop the megacorporation Shinra, which is draining the life of the planet to use as an energy source. As the story progresses, the situation escalates and Cloud and his allies face Sephiroth, the game's main antagonist. Originally planned for the SNES, and then the N64, Square moved development of Final Fantasy VII to the Playstation to take advantage of the larger storage capacity offered by cds over cartridges. The music was scored by Final Fantasy veteran Nobuo Uematsu, while the series' long-time character designer, Yoshitaka Amano, was replaced by Tetsuya Nomura. Noted for its graphics, gameplay, music and story, Final Fantasy VII is acknowledged as one of the most influential games of all time.

Summary: Demon's Souls is a fantasy action RPG developed by From Software. The game is described as a spiritual successor to the King's Field series, and set in a dark fantasy world where an acursed fog brought forth demons that laid waste to humanity. Noted for its high difficulty level, Demon's Souls was released to nearly unanimous praise, winning year-end awards from several publications.

Summary: Planescape: Torment was by Black Isle Studios and takes place in Planescape, an Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) fantasy campaign setting. The game's engine is a modified version of the Infinity Engine, which was also used for BioWare's Baldur's Gate. Planescape: Torment is primarily story-driven; combat is given less prominence than in most contemporary role-playing games. The protagonist is an immortal who has lived many lives but has forgotten all about them, even forgetting his own name. The game focuses on The Nameless One's journey throughout the city of Sigil and other planes to reclaim his memories of these previous lives. The game was not a significant commercial success but received widespread critical praise and has since become a cult classic. It was lauded for its immersive dialogue, for the dark and relatively obscure Planescape setting, and for the protagonist's unique persona, which shirked many characteristics of traditional role-playing games.

Summary: Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines is a computer role-playing game for Windows developed by Troika Games in 2004, and is set in White Wolf, Inc.'s Vampire: The Masquerade universe (also known as the World of Darkness). The game allows the player to choose one of several different vampire clans and progress through the game according to the different strengths and weaknesses of the player's character, as in its paper and pencil role playing origins. Bloodlines was infamous for gameplay bugs upon release, and receive mixed reviews from critics. However, it developed a popular cult following, and many of the glitches have been resolved through unofficial patches. The game is also notable for being the first game along with Half-Life 2 to use Valve's Source engine.

Summary: Developed by Blizzard North, Diablo II is a dark, fantasy-themed action rpg with elements of the hack and slash and "dungeon roaming" genres. The game was conceptualized and designed by David Brevik and Erich Schaefer, whom with Max Schaefer acted as Project Leads on the game. The story takes place after the end of the previous game, in the lands of Sanctuary where Diablo, the Lord of Terror, was defeated by an unnamed warrior. The storyline of Diablo II progresses through four acts, with each act following a predetermined path and list of quests. The player assumes the role of a hero from one of five different character classes. Players fight monsters through wilderness areas and dungeons in order to level-up their character and gain better items. Combat is in real-time, and shown from an isometric viewpoint. The game can be played either in single player mode, or in multiplayer through Blizzard's Battle.net service, or via a LAN.

Summary: Final Fantasy Tactics was developed by Square, originally for the PS1. Square-Enix released a moderately upgraded port of the game for the PSP featuring animated cut-scenes, new job classes, and a retranslated script. Directed by Yasumi Matsuno, the game combines thematic elements of the Final Fantasy video game series with a game engine and battle system similar to that used in Tactics Ogre (another Matsuno game). The game is set in a fictional medieval-inspired kingdom called Ivalice and follows Ramza Beoulve, a young highborn cadet who finds himself thrust into the middle of a military conflict called the Lion War, where two noble factions are coveting the throne of the kingdom.

Summary: Mass Effect is an action role-playing game developed by BioWare for the Xbox 360 and then ported to Microsoft Windows by Demiurge Studios. The game takes place in the year 2183.Thirty-five years prior, humankind discovered a cache of technology on Mars, built by a long-extinct race called the Protheans. Studying and adapting this technology, humanity has managed to break free of the solar system and has established numerous colonies and encountered various extraterrestrial species within the Milky Way galaxy. As the elite human soldier named Commander Shepard, you travel the galaxy in an effort to uncover the motivations behind an attack on the human colony Eden-Prime by the Geth, an alien race of synthetic life-forms.

Summary: Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne was developed by Atlus, and was the first Megaten game in the series to be released into the United States using the "Megami Tensei" name. The player takes control of a half-human half-demon silent protagonist. The protagonist is an average high school student with some interest in video games and in the occult. He becomes involved in the Conception, the end of the world, when visiting his teacher. Classic MegaTen games had a simple turn-based system where characters attacked in one round based on their speed rating. Nocturne has a different turn-based system in place called the 'Press Turn' system. In this system, the player is assigned Press Turns equal to the size of his party (although a special event allows the player to gain an extra press turn) and can re-use some of them by scoring Critical Hits or exploiting elemental weaknesses.

Summary: Valkyria Chronicles, known in Japan as Battlefield Valkyria: Gallian Chronicles, is a tactical role-playing game published by Sega, and developed by their Sega WOW division, for the PlayStation 3. The game is set in Europa, a fictional version of Europe, in 1935. Because of its abundance of Ragnite ore, which can be refined into a powerful fuel, the neutral nation of Gallia comes under attack from the East Europan Imperial Alliance, which is itself engaged in a war with the Atlantic Federation. Players take control of a militia squad of Gallian nationals, dedicated to repelling the invasion. The game's visuals, which utilize SEGA's CANVAS graphics engine, resemble a watercolor painting in motion.

Summary: Final Fantasy XII is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. The game introduced several innovations to the series: battles occur without a transition to a separate screen; a customizable "gambit" system automatically controls the actions of characters; and a "license" system determines which abilities and equipment are used by characters. The game takes place in the fictional location of Ivalice, where the empires of Archadia and Rozarria are waging an endless war. Dalmasca, a small kingdom, is caught between the warring nations. When Dalmasca becomes annexed by Archadia, its princess, Ashe, creates a resistance movement. During the struggle, she meets Vaan, a young adventurer who dreams of commanding an airship. They are quickly joined by a band of allies; together, they rally against the tyranny of the Archadian Empire.

 

[kswiston]

Summary: Dark Souls was developed and published for PlayStation 3 by From Software in Japan, and published for both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 by Namco Bandai Games internationally. Dark Souls is the spiritual successor to Demon's Souls. Dark Souls takes place in an open world environment, with the player able to travel to and from areas and explore various available paths. Like its predecessor, the game is known for its high level of difficulty, which has prompted much interest and discussion.

Summary: Final Fantasy IX is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for the PlayStation. Set in the fantasy world of Gaia, Final Fantasy IX's plot centers on a war between several nations. Players follow a young thief named Zidane Tribal, who joins with several characters in an effort to defeat Queen Brahne of Alexandria, who started the war. Final Fantasy IX was developed alongside Final Fantasy VIII, but took a different path to return to the style of the early Final Fantasy games with a more traditional fantasy setting.

Summary: The Witcher 2 was developed by Polish studio CD Projekt RED. Like its predecessor, the game is based on the book series of the same name by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. The Witcher 2 contains many different paths and storylines, along with multiple endings. As in the first game, the player takes control of Geralt of Rivia, one of the few remaining witchers. Witchers are humans that have been genetically enhanced and trained to fight monsters from a young age.They have special Powers, different in each Witcher. These include Alchemy, Magic, and Sword Handling

Summary: World of Warcraft, often referred to as WoW, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) by Blizzard Entertainmen. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994. World of Warcraft takes place within the Warcraft world of Azeroth, approximately four years after the events at the conclusion of Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. With more than 12 million subscribers as of October 2010, World of Warcraft is currently the world's most-subscribed MMORPG, and holds the Guinness World Record for the most popular MMORPG by subscribers. In April 2008, World of Warcraft was estimated to hold 62 percent of the MMORPG subscription market.

Summary: Xenogears was developed and published by Square for the Sony PlayStation. Xenogears follows protagonist Fei Fong Wong and several others as they struggle to survive in a world torn apart by war between the nations of Aveh and Kislev. The principles and philosophies of Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung and Jacques Lacan, as well as various religious themes influence the overall plot and world of Xenogears. A major theme of the game is the nature of human memory: from the start of the game, Fei has memory loss, which colors his interactions with other characters. In addition, the struggle between man and machine is also central to the game's plot. Each of the playable characters can ride in giant mechs known as gears and can use them in battle. Xenogears gameplay features two-dimensional sprites overlaid on three-dimensional backgrounds and two different battle systems: the first uses the characters in combo-based physical combat and the second takes place in turn-based "gear" battles.

Summary: Skies of Arcadia was developed by Overworks for the Dreamcast and published by Sega. The game's story focuses around Vyse, a young pirate in a Jules Verne-inspired fantasy world, and his friends as they attempt to stop the Valuan Empire from reviving ancient weapons with the potential to destroy the world. Most of gameplay in Skies of Arcadia takes place in dungeons, and combat comprises two vastly different settings: those encountered in ship to ship combat, and character to monster combat. Sega released an enhanced port, Skies of Arcadia Legends, for the GameCube. Legends features slightly enhanced graphics, shorter loading times and some additional content.

Summary: Morrowind is a single-player computer role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios, and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game takes place on Vvardenfell, an island in the Dunmer province of Morrowind, which lies in the empire of Tamriel and is far from the more civilized lands to the west and south that typified Daggerfall and Arena. The central quests concern the deity Dagoth Ur, housed within the volcanic Red Mountain, who seeks to gain power and break Morrowind free from Imperial reign. Morrowind was designed with an open-ended free-form style of gameplay in mind, with a lessened emphasis on the game's main plot.

Summary: The World Ends with You (TWEWY) is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts team and Jupiter for the Nintendo DS handheld console. Set in the modern-day Shibuya shopping district of Tokyo, TWEWY features a distinctive art style inspired by Shibuya and its youth culture. In the game, Neku Sakuraba and his allies are forced to participate in a game that will determine their fate. The battle system uses many of the unique features of the Nintendo DS, including combat that takes place on both screens, and attacks performed by certain motions on the touchscreen or by shouting into the microphone. Elements of Japanese youth culture, such as fashion, food, and cell phones, are key aspects of the missions.

Summary: Fallout: New Vegas is a role-playing video game in the Fallout series developed by Obsidian Entertainment (many employees of which worked for Black Isle Studios on Fallout and Fallout 2), and published by Bethesda Softworks. New Vegas is not a direct sequel to Fallout 3. Though the game offers a similar role-playing experience to Fallout 3 and a few events from the game are mentioned, no characters from Fallout 3 appear. However, the game marks the return of many elements found in previous Fallout titles, including Marcus, a super-mutant from Fallout 2, again voiced by Michael Dorn. It also incorporates plot lines and ideas that would have appeared in the first scheduled Fallout 3, codenamed Van Buren, for example Hoover Dam and the New California Republic's fight against Caesar's Legion to hold it.

Summary: The Thousand-Year Door was developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube. The Thousand-Year Door borrows many gameplay elements from its predecessor, including a turn-based battle system with an emphasis on action. For the majority of the game the player controls Mario, although Bowser and Princess Peach are playable at certain points. The plot follows Mario's quest as he tries to retrieve the seven Crystal Stars and rescue Peach from the X-Nauts.

Summary: Deus Ex is a cyberpunk-themed action role-playing game developed by Ion Storm Inc. and published by Eidos Interactive in 2000, which combines elements of first-person shooters with those of role playing games. Set in a dystopian world during the year 2052, the central plot follows rookie United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition agent JC Denton, as he sets out to combat increasingly prevalent terrorist forces in a world slipping ever further into chaos.

Summary: EarthBound was co-developed by Ape and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo. Despite being successful in Japan, the North American version was released to poor commercial response. Despite the poor sales figures, the game has been lauded by gamers for its humorous depictions of American culture and parody of the RPG genre, and has since become a cult classic. EarthBound takes place on Earth in the year 199X, and puts the player in control of four characters, Ness, Paula, Jeff, and Poo. Rather than using an overworld map screen like most console RPGs of its era, the world in Earthbound is entirely seamless, with no differentiation between towns and the outside world. Another non-traditional element is the perspective used for the world. The game uses oblique projection, while most 2-D RPGs use a "top down" view on a grid or an isometric perspective.

Summary: Dragon Quest VIII was developed by Level-5 and published by Square Enix. Dragon Quest VIII uses cel-shading textures for the characters and scenery and is the first game in the series to have fully three dimensional environments. Despite the graphical update, the game retains most of the series' role-playing game elements, such as turn-based combat and the experience level system. Dragon Quest VIII follows a silent Hero and his party of allies as they journey towards their goal of defeating the wicked Dhoulmagus. Like all mainline Dragon Quest titles, battles are randomly occurring and turn-based. However, this is the first game in the series to not have battles shown from a first person perspective.

Summary: Fallout 3 is an action role-playing shooter developed by Bethesda Game Studios. The game takes place in the year 2277, 36 years after the setting of Fallout 2 and 200 years after the nuclear apocalypse that devastated the game's world in an alternate post-World War II timeline. The game places the player in the role of an inhabitant of Vault 101, a survival shelter designed to protect a small number of humans from the nuclear fallout. When the player character's father disappears under mysterious circumstances, he or she is forced to escape from the Vault and journey into the ruins of Washington D.C. to track him down. Along the way the player is assisted by a number of human survivors and must battle myriad enemies that now inhabit the area now known as the "Capital Wasteland". The game has an attribute and combat system typical of an action strategy game but also incorporates elements of first-person shooter and survival horror games.

Summary: Alpha Protocol was developed by Obsidian Entertainment, their first title for an original IP, and published by Sega. The game revolves around the adventures of field agent Michael Thorton. Alpha Protocol is played from a third-person perspective, and allows for both combat and stealth gameplay. Tools at the player's disposal include numerous firearms, hand to hand combat using Kenpo, and spy gadgets. In addition to the action elements, players also earn Advancement Points, which can be placed into any of the ten different skills in the game.

Summary: Mother 3 is a role-playing video game developed by Brownie Brown, HAL Laboratory, and Nintendo SPD Production Group No. 3. It has only been released in Japan, and is the third video game in the EarthBound series. Mother 3 is a loose sequel to EarthBound. It takes place on the "Nowhere Islands", a series of islands on Earth, and stars several characters. The primary antagonist is the mysterious Pigmask Army, an army of people who wear pig-like uniforms, who suddenly invades the islands, subjugating its population. They create a variety of technologies, including Chimeras, creatures that consist of either multiple animals or machine-animal hybrids. The game switches perspectives between the main characters during several chapters. Although Nintendo of America have not announced plans to localize Mother 3 into another language, a fan translation group has released a patch to translate the game into English.

Summary: Pokémon Gold Version and Silver Version are the second installments of the Pokémon series of role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo. The games introduce 100 new species of Pokémon, and follow the progress of the central character, whose name the player may choose, in his quest to master Pokémon battling. Both games are independent of each other but feature largely the same plot and, while both can be played separately, it is necessary to trade between them and their backward compatible predecessors in order to fully complete the games' Pokédexes.

Summary: Final Fantasy X was developed and published by Square for Sony's PlayStation 2. The game marks the Final Fantasy series' transition from entirely pre-rendered backdrops to fully three-dimensional areas, and is also the first in the series to feature voice acting. Final Fantasy X replaces the Active Time Battle (ATB) system with a new Conditional Turn-Based Battle (CTB) system, and uses a new leveling system called the "Sphere Grid". Set in the fantasy world of Spira, the game's story centers around a group of adventurers and their quest to defeat a rampaging monster known as "Sin". The player character is Tidus, a blitzball star who finds himself in Spira after his home city of Zanarkand is destroyed by Sin. During the game, Tidus, along with several others, aids the summoner Yuna on her pilgrimage to destroy Sin.

Summary: Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together was developed by Quest. The first game to bear the name "Tactics" in its title, a term gamers would come to associate with the genre, the gameplay of Tactics Ogre is similar to the turn-based strategy style of tactical RPGs later popularized by Final Fantasy Tactics (developed by former members of Quest, including writer-director Yasumi Matsuno), complete with battles taking place on isometric grids. The game was innovative in its non-linear branching plotline. Crucial decisions made in the game determine the path of the story, the members of your army and the ending sequence. A remake of the game by the original development team was released for the PSP.

Summary: Valkyrie Profile was developed by tri-Ace and published by Enix. An enhanced port of the game was later released for the PlayStation Portable under the name Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth. The game is loosely based on Norse mythology, where players assume the role of a valkyrie who recruits and prepares the souls of fallen warriors (Einherjar) before sending them to Valhalla for a final apocalyptic battle between the Æsir and Vanir: Ragnarok. Along the way, she uncovers the tragic events of her own hidden past.

Summary: Grandia was developed by Game Arts. The game was produced by much of the same staff who worked on the company's previous role-playing endeavor, the Lunar series, including producer Yoichi Miyagi and music composer Noriyuki Iwadare. Since its release, Grandia has become notable for its combat mechanics which have been carried over to future games within the franchise. The game is set in a fantasy world of emerging technology and exploration. A young boy named Justin inherits a magic stone that leads him on a journey around the world to uncover the mystery of a long-lost civilization.

Summary: The Witcher is a computer role-playing game for the PC developed by CD Projekt RED STUDIO and published by CD Projekt in Poland and Atari for the rest of the world. The game is based on the book series of the same name by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. The Witcher takes place in a medieval fantasy world and follows the story of Geralt, one of a few remaining "witchers" — traveling monster hunters for hire, gifted with unnatural powers. The game's system of "moral choices" as part of the storyline was noted for its time-delayed consequences and lack of black-and-white morality.

 

[kswiston]

Summary: Mass Effect 2 is an action oriented rpg developed by BioWare Edmonton, with assistance from BioWare Montreal, and published by Electronic Arts. Mass Effect 2 begins in 2183, shortly after the end of Mass Effect. On patrol to locate and destroy any remaining Geth, the Normandy and its commanding officer, Commander Shepard, are attacked. This starts a cascading series of events that finds Shepard searching the Milky Way for a crew of specialists and commandos capable of facing the greatest threat the galaxy has ever known. Mass Effect 2 blends third person shooter gameplay with the world building and character progression that are staples of the rpg genre.

Summary: Nier was developed by Cavia and published by Square Enix. In Japan, the game was an Xbox 360 exclusive titled Nier Gestalt, while an alternate version titled Nier Replicant was released for PlayStation 3 with a younger main character. The game follows the titular Nier as he attempts to find a cure for an illness, known as the Black Scrawl, that his daughter Yonah has succumbed to. The gameplay borrows elements from various video game genres, switching to them from the primary action role-playing style. The music was composed by Keiichi Okabe, head of Monaca, a music composition studio, and has sparked the release of several albums.

Summary: Persona 3 was developed by Atlus and is part of the larger Megami Tensei series of video games. In Persona 3, the player takes the role of a male high-school student who joins the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad (SEES), a group of students investigating the Dark Hour, a time period between one day and the next that few people are aware of. During the Dark Hour, the player enters Tartarus, a large tower containing Shadows, creatures that feed on the minds of humans. To fight the Shadows, each member of SEES is able to summon a Persona, a manifestation of a person's inner self. In addition to the standard elements of role-playing games, Persona 3 includes elements of simulation games, as the game's protagonist progresses day by day through a school year, making friends and forming relationships that improve the strength of his Personas in battle.

Summary: Pokémon Red Version and Blue Version are role-playing games developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. Pokémon Yellow, a special edition version, was released roughly a year later. Red and Blue have subsequently been remade for the Game Boy Advance as Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, released in 2004. The player controls the main character from an overhead perspective and navigates him throughout the fictionalized region of Kanto in a quest to master Pokémon battling. The goal of the games is to become the Champion of the region by defeating the top four Pokémon trainers in the land, the Elite Four. Another objective is to complete the Pokédex, an in-game encyclopedia, by obtaining the 151 available Pokémon.

Summary: Vagrant Story was developed and published by Square. Vagrant Story was primarily developed by the team responsible for Final Fantasy Tactics, with Yasumi Matsuno serving as producer and director. The game takes place in the fictional kingdom of Valendia and the ruined city of Leá Monde. The story centers on Ashley Riot, an elite agent known as a Riskbreaker, who must travel to Leá Monde to investigate the link between a cult leader and a senior Valendian Parliament member, Duke Bardorba. Vagrant Story is unique as a console action/adventure role-playing game in that it features no shops and no player interaction with other characters; instead, the game focuses on weapon creation and modification, as well as elements of puzzle-solving and strategy.

Summary: Chrono Cross is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Chrono Trigger. Chrono Cross was developed primarily by scenarist and director Masato Kato and other designers from Chrono Trigger, including art director Yasuyuki Honne and composer Yasunori Mitsuda. Nobuteru Yūki designed the characters of the game. The story of Chrono Cross focuses on a teenage boy named Serge and a theme of parallel worlds. Faced with an alternate reality in which he died as a child, Serge endeavors to discover the truth of the two worlds' divergence. The thief Kid and many other characters assist him in his travels around the tropical archipelago El Nido. Struggling to uncover his past and find the mysterious Frozen Flame, Serge is chiefly challenged by Lynx, a shadowy antagonist working to apprehend him.

Summary: Dragon Quest V is a console role-playing game that was originally developed by Chunsoft and published by Enix Corporation. It has since been remade for the PlayStation 2 and for the Nintendo DS. Along with Dragon Quest VI, the original SNES release never reached North America. Dragon Quest V takes place over twenty years of the main character's life, in which he gets married and has a family. The title features a gameplay dynamic in which monsters from random encounters may offer to join the player's party.

Summary: Fallout 2 is a computer role-playing game developed by Black Isle Studios and published by Interplay in 1998. The game's story takes place in 2241, 80 years after the events of Fallout. It tells the story of the original hero's descendant and his or her quest to save their primitive tribe from starvation by finding an ancient environmental restoration machine known as the Garden of Eden Creation Kit. Although featuring an almost completely new game world, stories, and adventures that are several times larger than its predecessor, the game mechanics from Fallout remain mostly unchanged, with the majority of changes dedicated to fixing interface issues.

Summary: Final Fantasy VIII was developed and published by Square. The game's story focuses on a group of young mercenaries who are drawn into an international conflict, and seek to protect the world from a sorceress manipulating the war for her own purposes. Final Fantasy VIII uses a battle system based on summon-able monsters called Guardian Forces (GF). Assigning a GF onto a character allows the player to use battle commands beyond Attack with the main weapon. In Final Fantasy VIII, spells are drawn either from enemies in battle, Draw Points distributed throughout the game's environments, or by refining items and cards. Spells are then stocked on characters as quantified inventory and are consumed one by one when used. Characters can also junction these spells onto their statistics for various bonuses, provided the character has junctioned a Guardian Force. The junction system's flexibility affords the player a wide range of customization options.

Summary: Phantasy Star Online (PSO) was developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega. The Phantasy Star Online titles are a sub-series of Sega's Phantasy Star series of games that began in 1987. The online Phantasy Stars differ from the previous games of the series by offering a real-time – rather than turn-based – approach to combat, seamlessly integrating this with exploration and plot developments. Players choose one of three jobs - Hunter, Ranger or Force, each focusing on a different combat role.

At this point there are a lot of ties, making individual numbering a little pointless. Instead I have broken down the bottom half of the top 100 by points. The last 17 games were tied for #85, even though there was 102 titles over 5 points in total

- Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga
- Secret of Mana
- Shadow Hearts: Covenent

- Arcanum
- Fallout
- Shining Force 2
- Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky

- Final Fantasy IV
- Paper Mario
- Pokemon Black/White
- System Shock 2
- Tales of Symphonia

- Disgaea
- Dragon Age Origins
- Panzer Dragoon Saga
- Phantasy Star IV
- Ultima VII
- Xenosaga 3

- Dark Cloud 2
- Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
- Lunar: Silver Star Story
- Tales of Vesperia
- The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

- Deus Ex: Human Revolution
- Grandia 2
- Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

- Baten Kaitos
- Fire Emblem (GBA)
- Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
- Lunar 2: Eternal Blue
- Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga
- Risen
- Suikoden
- Tales of the Abyss

- Baten Kaitos Origins
- Diablo
- Final Fantasy 13
- Kingdom Hearts
- Lufia 2
- Super Mario Rpg
- Persona 2
- Phantasy Star
- Pool of Radiance
- Shadow Hearts
- Star Ocean 2: The Second Story
- Star Ocean 3: Till the End of Time
- Suikoden III
- Terranigma
- Ys 7
- Radiant Historia
- Torchlight
- Mount and Blade: Warband

 

[kswiston]

Chrono Trigger - 75
Final Fantasy 6 - 61
Xenoblade - 50
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - 44
Persona 4 - 42
Suikoden 2 - 38
Baldur's Gate 2 - 37
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - 37
Final Fantasy 7 - 36
Demon's Souls - 35
Planescape: Torment - 34
Vampire: The Masquerade - 33
Diablo 2 - 32
Final Fantasy Tactics - 32
Mass Effect - 32
SMT: Nocturne - 31
Valkyria Chronicles - 31
Final Fantasy 12 - 29
Dark Souls - 28
Final Fantasy 9 - 27
The Witcher 2 - 27
World of Warcraft - 26
Xenogears - 26
Skies of Arcadia - 25
The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind - 25
The World Ends With You - 24
Fallout: New Vegas - 23
Paper Mario 2 - 23
Deus Ex - 22
Earthbound - 20
Dragon Quest 8 - 19
Fallout 3 - 19
Alpha Protocol - 18
Mother 3 - 18
Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal - 18
Final Fantasy 10 - 17
Tactics Ogre - 17
Valkyrie Profile - 16
Grandia - 15
The Witcher - 15
Mass Effect 2 - 14
Nier - 14
Persona 3 - 14
Pokemon Red/Blue/Green/Yellow - 14
Vagrant Story - 14
Chrono Cross - 13
Dragon Quest 5 - 13
Fallout 2 - 13
Final Fantasy 8 - 13
Phantasy Star Online - 13
digital devil saga - 12
Secret of Mana - 12
Shadow Hearts: Covenent - 12
Arcanum - 11
Fallout - 11
Shining Force 2 - 11
Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky - 11
Final Fantasy 4 - 10
Paper Mario - 10
Pokemon Black/White - 10
System Shock 2 - 10
Tales of Symphonia - 10
Disgaea - 9
Dragon Age Origins - 9
Panzer Dragoon Saga - 9
Phantasy Star 4 - 9
Ultima VII - 9
Xenosaga 3 - 9
Dark Cloud 2 - 8
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - 8
Lunar - 8
Tales of Vesperia - 8
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion - 8
Deus Ex: Human Revolution - 7
Grandia 2 - 7
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - 7
Baten Kaitos - 6
Fire Emblem - 6
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn - 6
Lunar 2 - 6
Mario and Luigi - 6
Risen - 6
Suikoden - 6
Tales of the Abyss - 6
Baten Kaitos Origins - 5
Diablo - 5
Final Fantasy 13 - 5
Kingdom Hearts 5
Lufia 2 - 5
Mario Rpg - 5
Persona 2 - 5
Phantasy Star - 5
Pool of Radiance - 5
Shadow Hearts - 5
Star Ocean 2 - 5
Star Ocean 3 - 5
Suikoden 3 - 5
Terranigma - 5
Ys 7 - 5
Radiant Historia - 5
Torchlight - 5
Mount and Blade: Warband - 5
Baldur's Gate - 4
Dragon Force - 4
Dragon Quest 9 - 4
Final Fantasy 5 - 4
Golden Sun - 4
Kingdom Hearts 2 - 4
Lost Odyssey - 4
Mana Khemia - 4
Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story - 4
Neverwinter Nights - 4
Shining Force - 4
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 - 4
Suikoden 5 - 4
Ultima Online - 4
Resonance of Fate - 4
Atelier Totori - 4
Ar Tonelico 2 - 4
Jeanne D'arc - 4
Harvest Moon 64 - 4

2011 Edition: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=416224
2010 Edition: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=387052

 

[The Technomancer]

Geneforge - one of my favorite RPGs of all time, a Fallout-like game with inspirations from Deus Ex revolving around a race of mad scientists. Fantastic atmosphere and player flexibility.

Planescape: Torment - I shouldn't really have to explain this one. One of the best written games of all time.

Chrono Trigger - Pretty much the greatest JRPG I've ever played. A fantastic story with a great cast of characters that feels like its an actual video game story, not just a story slapped onto a video game

MegaMan Battle Network 3 - The Battle Network games have my favorite battle system in any RPG ever, and 3 was the pinnacle of that combat. The most diverse chip selection, the best customization options, and a fuckton of post-game content that pushed your battle skills to the limit.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Okay, so this one is a bit pre-emptive. I think that vanilla Skyrim is better then vanilla Morrowind. I'm hoping that modded Skyrim will eventually also be better then modded Morrowind

Xenoblade - A fantastic game that takes the JRPG mold and adds healthy doses of innovation while still feeling eastern in design. Fantastic art direction, engaging (if not stellar) story and fun battle system.

Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver - Behind all of its kiddie veneer the Pokemon games have the deepest competitive mechanics in an RPG series I've ever played, and HG/SS are the current pinnacle of the series for me.

The World Ends With You - It really doesn't feel right to call this a JRPG, since its pretty much the most un-traditional RPG I've ever played. Its impossible to classify, and its fantastic for it.

Shining Force - While the core strategy isn't as deep as something like Disgaea or Fire Emblem this is still my favorite SRPG because of the quirky and diverse set of units and the actual "RPG" framework that exists between the battles, really making your quest feel like an actual journey.

Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura - Definitely a janky game, especially compared to others on this list, but it makes up for it in sheer ambition. I'm only ten hours into my first playthrough and I still have no problem including this on here. The fact that we don't seem to get RPGs with this kind of ambition anymore is incredibly disheartening.

 

[Htown]

OKAY FINALLY DOING THIS WHAT A JERK I AM
the first one gets my extra point

Chrono Trigger - simply the best JRPG of all time. It's a nearly perfect game. The characters are great, the battle system is great, the graphics are great, the music is amazing, there's just so much AWESOMENESS here.

Final Fantasy VI - this is the best game to carry the name. a plot that extends beyond the end of the world, another fantastic ensemble cast, one of the creepiest villains in gaming, more great music. HOW WAS SQUARE THIS GOOD IN THE SNES DAYS? I MEAN DAMN.

Skies of Arcadia: Legends - No JRPG captures the sense of exploration and adventure like this one. It's got a sprawling world with surprises around every corner, one of the best protagonists of the post-FF7 RPG industry, and you get THE BEST AIRSHIP IN VIDEO GAMES. Also, YOU'RE AIR PIRATES. So, so fun.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door - Easily the apex of the Mario RPG series. Fantastic from beginning to end. Fun timing-based battles, a ridiculous amount of charm oozing out of every pixel, fantastic writing and memorable characters. Super Mario RPG WISHES it could be nearly as good as this game.

Fire Emblem (GBA) - I don't know what the Japanese name is, in the US it's just called Fire Emblem. This is the one with Hector, Lyn and Eliwood. This is the Fire Emblem that grabbed me the most so far (though I love the others, too). Fantastic SRPG.

Tales of Symphonia - my favorite action JRPG, probably, with fun battles that feel as much like a fighting game as an RPG sometimes.

Lord of the Rings Online - easily my favorite MMO, I think what grabbed me is the depth to which Turbine goes to construct a believable Middle Earth. Every place you go is steeped in "history", and there are A LOT of places. The game is damned huge. Also I like the main story quest line. It doesn't have the production values of something like TOR, but it's a bunch of good stories, well-told.

Mount and Blade: Warband - It's an entirely open-ended sandbox action RPG. No main plot, other than "yo you have a sword, go build an army and WRECK STUFF". Fantastic medieval combat, with empasis on large battles. I sunk probably upwards of 200 hours into this and its previous version without the Warband subtitle. Grab it if you can.

The Last Remnant - Shut up, I know. I KNOW. You think I'm crazy. But listen, this game has a damned amazing battle system that just gets better the more you play it. I know you were confused by the demo because it didn't explain anything. Heck, the game isn't all that great at explaining it either. BUT IT'S AWESOME. Also, please play it on PC because the Xbox 360 version is BUS-TED.

Xenoblade - Look, let me be honest. I haven't finished this game, and I don't feel I'm super far into it. (Just got out of the mine under Colony 6). This game is already impressing the HELL out of me. Fantastic outdoor environments, a great real time battle system, handles quests and travel better than maybe any JRPG I've ever played. Unless it suddenly falls apart later in the game, Xenoblade is heading for this list.

I know, extremely light on WRPGs. It's not because I don't like them, it's because I don't have that much experience with them. I've mostly had Nintendo consoles through my life, and the RPGs that get there are of the J variety.

 

[Rahxephon91]

Digital Devil Saga 2-While you could put 1 and 2 together, I like two more. I really like the soundtrack and story. The story, while pretty insane, has a lot of twists and turns and takes place in a world with an interesting history. Also the turn based battle system is great and the skill system keeps you on your toes.

Resonance of Fate- Great battle system that's almost like a srpg. I like the weapon system sense it keeps you tinkering with your weapons, always trying to make them as great as possible.

Ys 7-Just some of the most responsive and intense action rpg combat I've ever played.

Final Fantasy X-An excellently paced story in a cool tropical world. A great cast with a great skill system that still has set classes, but has some later customization. The battles can feel pretty strategic as well.

Final Fantasy XIII-I like the premise and battle system. I don't care what anyone else thinks.

Xenoblade- It's just a really good game.

Final Fantasy XII- A world that really feels alive. The most well written and mature FF. A FF with a battle and skill system that really involves the player with the thinking behind the scenes. It's great.

Final Fantasy VI-It's a classic.

Xenogears- It's Evangelion in rpg forum!

Wild Arms 5-really underrated game. It has an excellent battle system that's very strategic, but has little frustrations. It always seems fair and you have many options as to how to play. The world map is also scaled and very nice.

 

[Fou-Lu]

Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim (PC) --- I honestly believe this deserves to be up there among the best games of all time. The immersion you feel running around Skyrim is the deepest I've ever felt. I don't think I'll ever stop playing it thanks to fan mods, not to mention the base game is HUGE. It has replaced Morrowind as my favorite WRPG of all time. The combat system deserves a special mention for feeling so much more.... solid and real than any other WRPG.

Shining Force 2 (GEN) --- Possibly the best game I've ever played, everything about it is charming and whimsical and hits just the right spots. I've finished it so many times and yet I do so again almost every year. Peter the Phoenix is boss. Also, you have to admit it is pretty badass to have a main character not only be a monster in close combat, but also have one of the best spells in the game. Plus the tune for the last battle is beyond amazing, one of my top gaming songs of all time. Speaking of tunes, this game has a lot of great ones, that I still find myself humming in day to day life.

Final Fantasy 2 Anniversary Edition (PSP) --- While I am still playing through the Final Fantasy series, so far this is my favorite game in it. While I'm sure next to no one will agree with me, like SF2 it is the whimsy and charm that draws me to this game. Also, something about the keyword system is just perfect. I only stopped playing it to sleep once before completing it, I couldn't put it down. Simply beautiful, maybe even perfect.

Breath of Fire 3 (PSX) --- Breath of Fire (the original) was one of the first games I ever beat, and I still love it 'til this day. However, my favorite of the series is undoubtedly the third entry, while it has some glaring flaws such as the slow battle system, it is honestly a great game. Especially the characters, who are some of my favorites in any game ever. <3 Rei. Plus the dragon gene system is fantastic.

Dragon Quest 5 (DS) --- For once it was almost entirely the story that pulled me through a game. Gripping and surprising, DQ5 is a beautiful experience, well worth braving the archaic battle system, which isn't bad at all if you played old school RPGs from the beginning.

Dark Cloud (PS2) --- Most people prefer the second game, I; however, find the first far superior. I love the multitude of game systems, from battling, to upgrading, to building, to surviving, there's always something you're doing. I also love the variety of weapons, between Toan's huge amount of swords and the many weapons of the other characters I don't think I've even seen them all yet. And once again its whimsy and charm win me over as well. Noticing a pattern?

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (GCN) --- Whimsy and charm in spades. I should probably stop using those words, but those are very important to me in an RPG. FFCC could quite possibly be my most played game of all time. I couldn't put the damn thing down when I first got it and went as far as skipping school for a week. I've played every single area so many times and they never get old. Also, the subtlety of the story is pulled of extremely well, unless you listen and search for it, it's almost not even there.

Chrono Trigger (SNES, DS) --- Of course this makes the list. To be honest, I didn't find the gameplay as compelling as many others did. However, the combination of story, characters and the large amount of twists thrown your way really keep you wanting more. Magus rocks and Lavos is the most epic final boss ever. Also one of the only games to ever do time travel well. It's huge amount of praise is well deserved.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (GCN) --- Mario taken into RPG perfection. The combat never gets old and I love switching up my badges for different gameplay. And, I have to say it. Whimsy and charm. Everything in it is just so.... Mario. From the setting, to the humour and story, to the characters and gameplay. I especially love the train of mysteries.

Leaving a couple spaces in case I remember a game I loved. Might replace Chrono Trigger with Chrono Cross at some point. It's a hard choice for me.

 

[Derrick01]

Deus Ex- There still hasn't been a game that has matched the amazing exploration of this and it came out 10 years ago. It's funny because when you step back and look this game doesn't really do much else great. It was ugly even at release, the shooting and stealth range from god awful to not very good, the story was pretty cheesy. But the exploration was so amazing that it carried the game to greatness.

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind- It's the game I wish Bethesda would rehash. No loot scaling, more rpg mechanics, better exploration (partly due to no loot scaling). Since we're never going to see a game on the level of Morrowind again from Bethesda I'll just say thank god for modders.

Planescape: Torment- Self explanatory really. It's the best written video game of all time and it hasn't been matched since.

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic- While I think 2 was the better game it didn't have the same wow factor that the first did and it didn't have the greatest surprise twist ever. Bioware's last true great game.

World of Warcraft- Another one that doesn't need much explanation. Probably the most addictive game I've ever played, RPG or otherwise.

Final Fantasy 7- Haters be damned I still haven't played a more fun and interesting FF game since this and it's not nostalgia because I can still play it to this day and have fun. I can remember just about every detail and song from this game to this day, it was that great.

Fallout New Vegas- Including the DLC, this is the best written game of the current generation. It added so many more RPG and story elements over Fallout 3 and really it's the true Fallout 3 to me.

Baldur's Gate 2- Another self explanatory. I miss Bioware.

Witcher 2- A game with great characters, an amazing world full of detail everywhere and it's the best looking game ever so far, great combat for a RPG, and a really interesting story with actual meaningful choices to make.

Final Fantasy 9- This was far different than 7 or 8 was and in a way it was kind of how I envisioned the series would transfer over to PS1 instead of going the futuristic route. I liked the 4 character party for added strategy and the fantasy world was really well done. It kind of fell off near the end but it was a great game.

 

[Alexios]

Panzer Dragoon Saga
Best video game setting & story ever, fun real-time-ish battle system way ahead of its time, incredible art style, and dragons. Short & easy, sadly. Extra point here.

Xenogears
Similar to the above, a notch below, and not so much the story but the mood and vibe of it all. Replace dragons with mechs. It did feel somewhat unfinished, but whatever.

Gothic II Gold
Open world single character RPG done right. No, not like Bethesda stuff. Hand crafted worlds ftw! It holds up surprisingly well too.

Skies of Arcadia
Traditional JRPG done right. In the skies! With ships! And flying whales! If only there weren't those frequent random battles...

Xenoblade
Traditional JRPG made less traditional with a beautiful vast world & MMORPG-esque real time combat. So good. Great story and characters too.

Icewind Dale Complete
So what if it's not as long as Baldur's Gate II or as complex as Planescape Torment? So what if it edges toward the dungeon crawling side? The setting is awesome, the locations beautiful, the story serves its purpose, it's long and hard. Co-op!

Grandia
Another traditional JRPG with a unique battle system allowing you to delay and cancel enemy moves, fun characters and a cool story. God damn that final dungeon/boss.

Final Fantasy VII
Haters gonna hate. The story wasn't all that but it served its purpose, the game was vast with all sorts of things to find and materia still offer the best magic in the series.

Final Fantasy Tactics
Great story regardless of any botched translation, great characters, great turn based strategy with a sweet job system. Hard too.

Baldur's Gate II Complete
Massive, pretty, fun. D&D at its best. Co-op!

 

[DonMigs85]

Final Fantasy VI - my all-time favorite.
Chrono Trigger - close second to FFVI
Fire Emblem Path of Radiance - first 3D entry in the series with great characters and the introduction of the Laguz.
Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn - A worthy sequel to PoR and the Wii game I poured the most time into.
Paper Mario - Witty writing, funny scenarios and just fun to play.
Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky - Likable characters, good writing and a great story that leaves you hungry for the sequel.
Secret of Mana - Addictive to play and level up, and multiplayer doesn't hurt.
Skies of Arcadia - Lovable characters and a charming world to explore.
Chrono Cross - bizarre story, but more than worth it for the music
Final Fantasy VII - story wasn't all that great but I liked most of the cast and all the secrets it had which puts it above 8 and 9 for me.

 

[Tucah]

Just a list for now, I'll edit in some reasons later:

Valkyrie Profile
Planetscape: Torment
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Final Fantasy VII
Deus Ex
Ys: The Ark of Napishtim
Balder's Gate II
World of Warcraft
Knights of the Old Republic
Chrono Trigger

 

[necrolysis]

Coming up with a list that wasn't current-gen restricted has made me think real hard about how today's RPG's stack up against some of the classics of old. That said, my short list includes:

Dragon Quest VIII - all DQ games are solid picks, imo, but this one drew me in like no other, due to the scale of the world and the vibrant art style.

Secret of Mana - like 50,000 people are going to list Chrono Trigger, and with good reason. But for reasons I have a hard time explaining, I liked SoM more. I've replayed it dozens more times in my life.

Skyrim - PS3 issues aside (I played 360), this game is grand, ambitious, and awe-inspiring once you consider the scale of the world it takes place in. While it's not without its faults, those are objective, and those first dragon encounters are some of my most epic game moments of recent memory.

Persona 3 Portable - I've loved everything about this game since picking it up on the cheap earlier this year. The battles, the music, the characters. I love it all. I've heard P4 is even better, but I've not gotten to that one yet.

Xenoblade - Another that most are gonna list, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute I sunk into my first playthrough of this game, all 142 hours of it. I plan on playing through it again when NA gets it proper this spring, so I can play along with my non-importing friends.

Neverwinter Nights - I loved playing through this game, especially as a monk, but what I loved even more was the ability to create my own modules. I was never good enough to make anything anybody else in their right mind would want to play, but boy did I come up with some crazy scenarios to keep myself entertained. The very first game I ever tried using creation tools on, and my imagination just ran wild.

Last one for me was also just mentioned:

Pokemon SoulSilver - Something about pokemon games grabs hold of me and doesn't let go. It's rpg battling at it's finest, because of its deceptive simplicity. When you really take the time to learn some of the mechanics, this rabbit hole goes deeeeep.

 

[ivysaur12]

Xenoblade - Probably one of the most well-crafted games I've played in years. Everything felt right, from the story, to the gameplay systems, to (most) of the sidequests. It was beautiful to look at and has set a new standard for what JRPGs need to accomplish.

Final Fantasy XII - For attempting to change up the JRPG format significantly before Xenoblade was a thing.

Baten Kaitos Origins - Probably the best JRPG released last generation and one of my favorite games of all time. Completely low-budget, but the world, gameplay, side quests, and most importantly, localizations and characters, were some of the best gaming has seen.

Skyrim - A monster and a beast and I've loved almost every minute of it.

Persona 4 - I'm a sucker for small towns and murder mysteries. The story got weird in only the ways SMT can, but I still was down for the ride.

Pokemon Black/White - Distilled Pokemon. It's like love in a game.

Xenosaga III - It took the insane idea Takahashi had with the first game, gave it a (somewhat?) more coherent story that tied things up and added some really addictive battle systems. Considering the trainwreck that this series was headed towards, the fact that Xenosaga III ended up to be not only a good game but a great one is a minor miracle.

Shadow Hearts: Covenant - I'm a sucker for weird. Even though I take issue with how superfluous many of the secondary party members were, it's still an amazing ride. And its battle system is like no other.

Mother 3 - The most heart wrenching game I've ever played. A classic, if there ever was one.

Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter - Again, weird. But it was also haunting and, most importantly, challenging. I don't think I've ever felt this helpless in a JRPG before. I felt like I was truly fighting against an unstoppable enemy, right up until the end.

I realize this list is heavily skewed towards last generation. I think that's where the genre hit its peak (at least JRPGs, I don't play many Western ones because my computer isn't great for gaming and my brother has my 360).

 

[gillty]

Its hard to believe that I played SIX of the games on my list for the first time in 2011. I guess this year has been the year of the RPG for myself.

• The Witcher 2 [2 points]
  Brilliantly and absolutely jaw-dropping world, The Witcher series does choice like no other, it really is the best WRPG this year. I'll be highlighting it for 2 points just because I feel that somehow that kinda POS Skyrim has overshadowed it.
  
  [*]Final Fantasy XII: International
  Having just completed this last week over a marathon session, this is the first Final Fantasy I have ever completed. The world is gorgeous and the plot is 100% engaging. I really did not know that a Final Fantasy had a combat system like this one, I've always wanted to like a FF but this one with its combat had me at day one. The Super-Speed and Zodiac Job class system were welcomed and greatly helped me accelerate the good but slow combat and over-world traveling.
  
  [*]Final Fantasy XI
  My first love in the MMO genre, defined my gaming habits ever since. An engrossing and massive world that you can share with great friends. Story and job system remained unmatched today. (Yes, I'm playing SWTOR)
  
  [*]Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines
  Another one the six games I've only begun playing this year. While I haven't completed this one, I can safely say its a flawed but brilliant game, thank you to Eat Children and GAF for exposing me to greatness. Be sure to play it with the wonderful community patches.
  
  [*]Pokemon Soul Silver (HeartGold)
  The remake of, in my opinion, the best Pokemon ever made.
  
  [*]Alpha Protocol
  Another first-played in 2011. There are two Obsidian games in this list for a reason, they are master story tellers one-uping, Bioware at their own game. The combat presented as a third-person shooter, but has dice rolls and is very similar to Mass Effect 1, which is one major reason why the game received massive criticism. I feel like had this game released a few months prior before Mass Effect 2 it would have been critically acclaimed. The stealth combat while flawed is very fun, great RPG.
  
  [*]Demon's Souls
  Yet-another first played in 2011. The world while ultra punishing is always fair, so if you make the choice to learn it you will be rewarded greatly. Dripping ambiguous atmosphere and featuring a very interesting take on "physics" combat making it extremely engrossing.
  
  [*]Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2
  Brilliant locations, its a shame that Obsidian wasn't given the proper time to complete the game, Lucasarts strikes again. One-ups Bioware's KOTOR in story and world.
  
  [*]The Witcher
  This game does choice even better than its sequel, and while Chapter 2 can be a drag (just run past the f'ning monsters), its a must play.
  
  [*]Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes (HD)
  Great puzzle tactical combat and art crisper than crisp.

 

[Hansel]

Harvest Moon 64 - Depth/Charm

Paper Mario - Charm

Mother 3 - Charm/Story

The World Ends With You - Originality/Combat/Charm

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 - Story/Charm

Skies of Arcadia - Charm/Combat

Valkyria Chronicles - Originality/Charm/Combat

Resonance of Fate - Combat/Charm/Originality

Final Fantasy XII - Combat/Charm

Demon's Souls - Originality/Combat/Charm


They're all quite charming.

 

[King of the Potato People]

All these are great, none of them have aged badly.

Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door *

I love the sense of humour, imaginative levels and the way the audience reacts in battle.

Paper Mario

The same reasons I adore the second, only without the paper transformations and the battle audience.

Final Fantasy IX

I like the futuristic/medieval setting with a fairytale tone, and that it doesn't take itself too seriously.

Tales of Symphonia

It has great dual worlds, a fast battle system and nice pastel-style graphics.

Xenoblade Chronicles

A lot of exploration in a seamless world that juxtaposes machines and nature, with the game taking place on top of a machine titan and a more biological one. There's innovative design such as the affinity board and Visions that allow Shulk to see into the future. There's an interesting eccentric, philosophical story.

Panzer Dragoon Saga

An atmospheric, original take on a post-apocalyptic world, with customisable dragon that grows on you.

System Shock 2

There’s a creepy atmosphere that is at its most scary not with gore, but because of the voices of the monsters. There's a great amount of Cybernetic Upgrade that guarantee that no play through is the same. There's wide open areas, and many decks to explore with much to find.

Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

Fawful is an amazing villain, both inside Bowser and outside offer different types of game play through 2D or an isometric view. It's easy to backtrack and discover new items.

Fable II

A very charming Dickensesque and British feel, a free world that is easy to relax in, whether it's being a blacksmith in Oakfield, taking care of a family, buying dog tricks, taking over the economy. There’s so much to do that it cannot all be listed here.

Chrono Trigger

Each era offers something radically different, whether it the cybernetic ruined future, the floating islands in the dawn of time, the prehistoric empire worshipping the apocalypse, the Millennial Fair of the modern day or the magical war against skeletons in the medieval times. The turn based combat was ahead of its time, allowing characters to move around the battlefield and combing team attacks. One of the best stories in a JRPG, that doesn't have a clichéd villain and is twisty.

 

[Snuggles]

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines - great cast of characters, memorable quests that take you to all sorts of dark and twisted locales, lots of sex, violence and insanity, the world of Bloodlines is very unlike any other RPG settings.

The Witcher - love the somber soundtrack and atmosphere, the mature take on sex and adult relationships, the moral ambiguity and the struggle to remain neutral. if you don't mind the slow burn pacing it's a very absorbing game. [2 points]

Deus Ex - I dig the dark take on the future, the charmingly goofy voice acting, and the way it gives the player a variety of options in most scenarios. these days "choice" is more about dialog trees than anything else, which makes DX's flexible gameplay all the more timeless.

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - massive sense of scale, supports a wide variety of play style and rewards risk and experimentation. the sequels got the scale right but never felt as free or expansive as Morrowind.

Demon's Souls - intense and satisfying action combat, brilliantly designed levels full of danger and secrets. it's as rewarding and exciting as it is harrowing.

Fallout: New Vegas - the best open world game of this gen due to Obsidian & Avellone's writing, the tense open world exploration (much enhanced by hardcore mode) and the impressive amount of branching paths when it comes to aiding or hindering the factions of the wasteland. plus, you can be one evil motherfucker in FNV which is always fun.

Alpha Protocol - gameplay is a fun if a bit flawed mish mash of Deus Ex and Metal Gear Solid stealth gameplay, and it shines when you realize it's an RPG first and work towards creating a defined build instead of playing it as a straight TPS. the highlight of AP is the well-written characters and the choices that come at you fast and hard. you have to make decisions on the fly, and they a lasting impact in the end. no color coded choices or morality meters. plus, it has some damn good beards.

Mass Effect - the whole is greater than sum of its parts...cliche phrase, but it describes Mass Effect perfectly. it's not great as an RPG or a shooter, but the stylish visuals, the amazing, synthy soundtrack, and the interesting, fleshed out lore make for one of the most compelling universes I've ever visited in a game.

Valkyria Chronicles - accessible but deep strategy gameplay, the canvas engine is gorgeous and I liked the big cast of quirky characters

The Witcher 2 - cutting edge visuals, fantastic storytelling and characters. the action combat isn't perfect, but it was challenging with a tactical element that prevents it from being "mashy". it's refined and a bit punchier than the first game, I'm not sure if I prefer it but it's a very worthy sequel to one of the best of all time.

 

[Fjordson]

I'm sorry for the crappy explanations =[ I suck at this sort of thing. I find it oddly difficult sometimes to eloquently say why I love something.

Fallout 1 [2 points]

For my money, the most interesting universe in gaming. So much lore, so many details, so many interesting characters packed into this game (into the entire series really) it's crazy. Fallout 1 and 2 were some of the first games that were able to affect me with their atmosphere. Insanely memorable from start to finish. This explanation is a bit bare, but I don't want to come anywhere close to spoiling why this series is so special. Definitely a watershed game for me that I think everybody should play. I could easily put Fallout 2 here. I feel like I prefer it most days of the week. Really tough decision, but I'll kick it off with the original.

Planescape: Torment

Probably not the best RPG combat out there at this point, but still the definition of essential. Some of the best writing, storytelling, and general atmosphere that I've ever experienced in video games. Chris Avellone is quite simply an RPG boss.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

I didn't play Bloodlines until earlier this year so it's still fresh in my memory, but what a great game. The setting and general premise with the multitude of different vampire clans living in present day is my probably favourite thing about it. Definitely a nice change of pace from the usual sci-fi/fantasy stuff. Another notch on Tim Cain's golden RPG belt.

Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura

Another great from Tim Cain and co. at Troika. Like Fallout, Arcanum features a phenomenal setting with some great characters and writing. I've always loved the Steampunk twist on fantasy that it provides and the dichotomy in the world between technology and magic. The combat isn't quite as strong as Fallout, and I feel like the technological side as far as character progression can be a little weak, but it's not that big a deal. Similar to a lot of other entries on this list, playing Arcanum means lots and lots of freedom as far as building your character and tackling quests throughout the world. The really, really big world. It wasn't great technically when it came out, but patched up today it's a sublime experience.

Baldur's Gate II

The pinncale of BioWare. It's tough for me to adequately communicate why this game is so legendary. Not just because I'm mediocre at writing this sort of thing, but so much has already been said about the game over the years. Definitely my favourite Infinity Engine game packed to the brim with interesting environments, top notch characters, and combat that still holds up surprisingly well.

The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

Honestly, I could probably put Skyrim up here too, but I still think Morrowind is my favourite TES game. Something about the setting really got to me. It's certainly big time fantasy like the rest of the series, it's just...it's unique in a way that none of the other TES games have quite replicated. Also, the relatively relaxed presence of level and loot scaling is definitely preferable to what Bethesda's done since (though that did improve with Skyrim).

The Witcher

I love Geralt, I love the Witcher world, and I love how this game handles choices throughout the narrative. Meaningful choices that aren't black & white (or red & blue). I even liked the combat. Yeah, you're just sort of clicking a lot for most fights, but I think it's fun. I was so struck by this game's general tone and atmosphere that I made it a personal mission to seek out all of the Witcher books that have been translated into English.

Deus Ex

Provides true freedom to tackle the game pretty much any way you want. Something you don't see too much these days. And cyberpunk! Good ol' cyberpunk. Really wish more games would take advantage of this style of setting.

Diablo II

This counts right? Not my favourite on this list, but easily the most addictive. One of the first big multiplayer experiences of my life. Utterly stellar campaign with piles and piles of delicious loot. Definitely something that's never been matched for me, even by other loot games that have followed in Diablo's wake.

Fallout: New Vegas

I didn't want to double up on any series for the sake of variety, but I simply have to include this. It's too great. And of course, the current 3D Fallouts are fairly large departures from their isometric predecessors so I think it's okay here. Big draw for me is some of the best writing from any genre this generation and a fantastic use of the Fallout universe. Obsidian fucking nailed it in that regard. It's literally perfect. Really felt like a return to the atmosphere of the first two Fallouts. The great quests, the different factions, the music, the companions! It's all a Fallout fan could ask for.

 

[bhlaab]

Fallout 1 - The best RPG made to date. Smartly written, a truly interactive narrative with only two mandatory tasks required to complete the game, unrestrained freedom of action with logical consequences, and quest design that rewards diplomacy just as much as it does combat strength.

Ultima IV - Quest of the Avatar - Breaks the mold even today with its decidedly non-epic quest of self-fulfillment. There is no looming threat of great evil, only the player's spiritual pilgrimage to become a better person.

Ultima V - Warriors of Destiny - Continues where Ultima 4 left off but places that same idea into a new, subversive context where everything that once stood for good has been twisted into oxymoronic draconian law such as legislating the concept of "honesty" by slicing out the tongues of liars. And how can the player remain virtuous when hunted by the state? Is upholding the true meaning of 'honesty' really that important when an npc who may or may not be a government informant out for your blood asks you for your name?

Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura - One of several spiritual successors to Fallout, Arcanum takes quest design to a whole other level. Its setting subverts every fantasy RPG cliche you can imagine in a way that is clever instead of obnoxious parody.

Gothic II Gold - Punishingly difficult and immediately awkward, but with practice (and experience points allocated) it becomes a master of the open world action RPG for exactly the same reasons it felt like junk for the first hour. While the combat feels clunky at first, peeling back the layers reveals the best action-realtime RPG combat around-- rewarding caution and skill over the mindless offensive mashing of lesser games.

Planescape Torment - The gameplay is fairly standard, although an emphasis on wisdom and charisma and a de-emphasis on combat is refreshing. The true greatness of Planescape is the way it absorbs you into its world and the quality of the world and its characters once you're inside.

MOTHER 3 - There's a part in the game where you are a monkey. Your owner is a bad guy who eats while you starve, electrocutes you when you fail to comply to his commands or just when he wants to watch you suffer. However, when in any given combat scenario you, as the monkey, are incredibly weak and must rely on your tormentor to protect you from danger and defeat enemies. The internal conflict this makes you feel is intentional. Shigesato Itoi, the chief creative force behind this game, is incredibly good at evoking obscure, striking emotions through gameplay. He strings the player along through this emotions so effectively that the overarching antiquity of the JRPG gameplay stops mattering.

Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines - Again, the philosophies behind Fallout and Arcanum shine through in Bloodlines. However the real stars of the show are the fresh and realized characters and the variety of wildly different experiences separate players may have interacting with them.

 

[Ravage]

In no particular order,

FFVIII - Unique worldview (my favourite theme thus far) and a good dose of originality to break off from RPG norms. And there's the TripleTriad which is good enough to be a standalone game.

FFX - Great story and cast. Like FFVIII, it has mindblowing graphics for its time.

FFXII - A huge step forward for the FF series, it has an incredibly interesting and detailed world begging to be explored. For me, it sets the standard for all open-world RPGs.

Star Ocean 3 - Perfection of real-time action-RPG gameplay. Don't waste your time with SO4 and play this instead.

Resonance of Fate - Very original gameplay mechanics, fantastic customisation system that is almost a sub-game of its own.

Kingdom Hearts 2 - Fun and charming. The amount of fan service might put off some, but i love it.

Demon's Souls - Most satisfying game i've ever played. I'd also consider it to be the most unique game experience this gen.

Atelier Totori - Charming and fun, a refreshingly light-hearted game that steer clear from the boring save-the-world plots that plagues most RPGs

Persona 4 - Engaging story and gameplay.

Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll - My SO3 of this gen. Perfectly crafted gameplay with a mature and engaging plot and cast.

 

[Mistwalker]

Baldur's Gate II (Complete) [2 points]
Planescape: Torment

Arcanum: Of Steamwork and Magicks Obscura

Neverwinter Nights 2
Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer

Fallout 3
Fallout: New Vegas

The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion

I'm a big story and characters fan, so pretty much all the major Infinity Engine games are going to be at the top of any of my lists. Baldur's Gate 2 in particular is probably my favorite game of all time, as it combines fantastic writing, an amazing cast of characters, mountains of content, and a game engine with a ton of depth, customization, and abusability if you work through the mechanics well enough.

I thought Neverwinter Nights 2 also had a solid main campaign, with a fantastic follow-up in Mask of the Betrayer. Again, a lot of content and options in character setup and options for strategy.

The Fallout and Elder Scrolls games were much weaker on the characters fronts (New Vegas did much better here) but the sheer amount of freedom they offer, while realizing vast, open worlds to explore and experience as you see fit, makes them perfect for multiple playthroughs. You can literally put in hundreds of hours and still encounter things you've never seen before or events playing out differently, often due to your own choices.

And of course, the single thread tying all of these together is the POWER OF MODs. The amount of tweaking, absolutely enormous amounts of user-created content--from NPCs to game engine tweaks to new lands, massive graphical overhauls, to complete game overhauls--give these games more life and lastability than virtually any other single player experiences out there.

A ton of fantastic choices to choose from for a final spot, but I'm going to have to leave this list JRPG-less and give it to

Ultima IV

for both being my introduction to the series (which peaked in the fantastic Ultima VII) and doing so much more than many other games then or since, with its unique goals, premise, challenges, and nostalgic jankiness.

 

[Rarutos]

Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland: Extremely charming characters and story that does not involve saving the world. Simple, but fun battle system. Alchemy within a set amount of time at it's finest. All of the items you use in battle, you make yourself!

Mana Khemia: The Alchemists of Al-Revis: Definitely hard to choose between this one and Mana Khemia 2 which might have won out just because of it's two different stories you can choose from, but I chose this one anyway. Anywho this game has super fun characters and a great battle system that evolves throughout the game. Alchemy is fun and addicting, and character focused segments known as character quests were just a lot of fun to go through.

Ar tonelico II: Melody of Metafalica: Despite the localization being horrid, it was still a great game overall. Fun and interactive battle system. Cosmospheres are always fun to go through. Music is amazing as always for GUST and Ar tonelico. Definitely the best Ar tonelico in the trilogy.

Xenoblade Chronicles: Great story and really fun combat. The quest system worked really well and definitely made me feel like I was part of the world. Just an overall great experience.

Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love: Not sure if this counts exactly, but everyone else calls it an RPG so... Anywho, fun combat! Relationships with your team members make the stats, and all the characters were just so lovable.

Odin Sphere: Absolutely loved the multiple characters thing. Difficulty was high, but once you got used to it, it was oh-so satisfying to beat the bosses. Loved the story and characters, although it was a bit melodramatic. Definitely one of the best PS2 games ever IMO.

Valkyria Chronicles: Very unique SRPG overall. Extremely charming characters, even if they weren't very important to the story. Interesting story and a great experience to go through.

Fire Emblem (Blazing Sword): One of my favorite SRPGs of all time. Difficult, but once you get it down, it's just a blast to go through. Story was interesting, but it really shone with all the different characters you got to know through their support conversations!

Tales of Vesperia: Definitely my favorite Tales game! Loved the characters in it, and it was just fun to fight in and make combos!

Persona 4: Social Links, and great cast of characters! I personally did like 3's cast a little bit more, but I do actually really like 4's. The combat is fun, and the difficulty can be quite punishing, but it's a rewarding experience to go through overall!

Tried to be as diverse as possible! I guess I never realized how much characters and story really matter to me. But all of these games were a lot of fun for me to play through overall.

Honorable mentions to Pokémon Black/White, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, Final Fantasy IX, and The World Ends With You!

 

[Tabris]

I will do this in order even though I know it doesn't matter:

1) Suikoden II - The greatest game ever created (from Ping Pong to Tetris to Mario, etc... this is the king)

2) Xenogears - Greatest story in an RPG.

3) Final Fantasy VII - The story at the core of this and the theme put this in the top 3.

4) Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zathurstra - Most under appreciated RPG out there.

5) Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals - The best 'old school' RPG.

6) Castlevania: Symphony of the Night - I'm not sure if this should be included but it's more RPG than Metroid in my opinion.

7) Genso Suikoden - The second greatest game ever created (well not really but you need to play this game for the greatest game ever created, honestly I would just combine Suikoden and Suikoden II for my number 1 vote if I could. On it's own, it drops a bit)

8) Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core - The best RPG of this generation. I think this is weighted so high through due to the last 30 minutes and my love for the original.

9) Valkyrie Profile - Best gameplay in an RPG out there.

10) Final Fantasy VIII - Best love story in a video game.

 

[UberTag]

Final Fantasy XII [PS2]
Grandia [PSX]
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky [PSP]
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door [GC]
Persona 4 [PS2]
Skies of Arcadia [DC]
Tales of Vesperia [X360]
Valkyria Chronicles [PS3]
Xenoblade Chronicles [Wii]
Xenogears [PSX]

 

[Tabris]

FYI, anyone who does not include Suikoden II in their list, is not a jRPG fan. I can understand the controversy about Xenogears and Final Fantasy VII, but not to include at least Suikoden II is an unforgiveable jRPG sin.

 

[Flying_Phoenix]

The Witcher 2- The only reason why many are hesitant to say its one of the greatest is due to its young age.
The Witcher - A classic of this generation.
Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines - Criminally under-rated. One of the best RPG's ever.
Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne - Quite possibly the deepest JRPG ever. It got so much love last generation but as the series has taken a break its slightly dimmed in talks.
Persona 4 - Fresh, deep, and enjoyable.
The World Ends With You - Very unique and a huge breath of fresh air.
Mother 3 - Is it the deepest game? No. But its certainly one of the most polished and enjoyable with fantastic writing.
Fallout: New Vegas - The real Fallout 3.
Skies of Arcadia - A perfect 3D transition of 16-bit classics.
Dragonquest VIII - The ultimate 3D JRPG.

 

[Fou-Lu]

FYI, anyone who does not include Suikoden II in their list, is not a jRPG fan. I can understand the controversy about Xenogears and Final Fantasy VII, but not to include at least Suikoden II is an unforgiveable jRPG sin.

I've never played a single Suikoden title... (Also seeing so many titles in this thread that I own, but have either never played or have never finished... I need to get to work on my RPG backlog)

 

[jakershaker]

Diablo 2 [2 points]
If you consider time spent this is my all time no.1. Gameplay perfection.

Fallout
Fallout 2
Both early Fallout have amazing worlds to explore.

The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall
I actually bought Daggerfall instead of Diablo 1 for myself one christmas. Never regretted that decision.

Final Fantasy Tactics
Favorite console rpg, need to replay it on Psp someday.

Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines
Somewhat mature storyline is refreshing.

The Witcher
The Witcher 2
Currently the best rpg series.

World of Warcraft
Undisputed king of MMOs, so much content. I'm WoW free these days but the game held me in it's grip for several years.

Risen
Nice handcrafted island to explore.

 

[Gambit]

10) Final Fantasy VIII - Best love story in a video game.
[/IMG]

But you already mentioned Xenogears earlier in your list. You can't beat a love story across reincarnations ;-)

The rest of this post is reserved for my list, which I shall have to think about.

1) Chrono Trigger - my very first RPG, still my all-time favourite. Perfect cast, perfect battle system, perfect...well just about everything

2) Secret of Mana - beautiful music, great gameplay, and fantastic multiplayer

3) Final Fantasy VI - The bad guy is trying to forever alter the face of the world and he succeeds! A Must-play

4) Final Fantasy VII - It has Midgar, probably one of the most interesting RPG towns ever. It was a revelation when I first experienced it

5) Grandia - very charming, great battle system

6) Xenogears - at the time I was a big fan of Neon Genesis Evangelion. This is EVA as a videogame. Loved it!

7) Suikoden 2 - one of the most moving stories in any RPG. A tale of friendship, war, crimes and a lot of fan-service for loyal followers

8) Panzer Dragoon Saga - I think I fancied Azel...

9) Shadow Hearts Covenant - This is my special entry that I want to award two points to. The reason is that it will almost certainly be overlooked by many people. Shadow Hearts Covenant is a strange game. Wrestler-Vampires, Russians tsars, puppeteers...a great protagonist and possibly my favourite RPG heroine: Karin.

10) Xenoblade - the latest entry to this list. I bet enough people list its many advantages , so I shall just say: it has my favourite dub of any RPG!

 

[Kurtofan]

In no specific order:
Planescape Torment
The combat is kind of janky, but the story, atmosphere and the dialogue of the game are so good.One of the best story for an RPG
Persona 4
A great JRPG, I love the story and the character
Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne
Kind of hard( some puzzles are tough, you can die easily, but it's really a great JRPG, very rewarding game.
Mass Effect 2
Very good game, action oriented, lots of dialogue choices, play Mass Effect before playing it!
Fallout New Vegas
A great Fallout, made by some of the people who made the first two Fallouts!Amazing games with lots of quests, story options, fighting styles and excellent DLCs.
Fallout 2
A classic, full of humour,lot of freedom of action.
Vampire :The Masquerade Bloodlines
Different Vampire clans to chose from, leading to different playstyles, nice story and lots of humour.
Alpha Protocol
A diamond in the rough, still good with interesting story changing choices which lead to totally different playthroughs and different playstyles, you have to get past the graphism and the janky controls though.
Elder Scrolls V:Skyrim
A vast game with atmosphere, great quests and different playstyles, my game of the year 2011.
Nier EXTRA POINT
Also a diamond in the rough, it has poor graphisms, repetitive combat, but it has an awesome soundtrack, a fantastic and touching story with amazing characters.

 

[Tabris]

But you already mentioned Xenogears earlier in your list. You can't beat a love story across reincarnations ;-)

The rest of this post is reserved for my list, which I shall have to think about.

Depends whether you like a love story between 2 adults (Final Fantasy VIII) or a love story between the

Spoiler

generational/genetic imprint of a child and the physical manifestation of that child's desire for a mother.

 

[MasterShotgun]

I'm picking ten titles that mean a lot to me. All of them may have not been the best RPGs I've played, but I had more fun with these ten than any others I've played.

The World Ends With You

I love this game so damn much. The primary reason is of course the battle system. You have to focus on both screens of the DS at the same time in order to perform well. It sounds incredibly difficult, but the game lets the player adjust the difficulty of the game whenever they want to. This allows anyone to play at whatever level they feel comfortable. Higher difficulties = greater rewards. TWEWY also had a fantastic story and good music. And lastly, it provided one of my favorite villains, Sho Minamimoto.

Final Fantasy VI

By far my favorite Final Fantasy game. It made me care about each character in my party. It also allowed for tons of variety in your lineup. There were 14 characters to pick from and each one had viable strengths. The battle system is mostly straightforward turn based fighting, though it did have the ATB system in place. Kefka is also a great villain. He was pure evil and actually succeeded in his plans of taking over the world. If they ever remade this for the 3DS, I would buy it in an instant.

Chrono Trigger

Out of JRPGs, it still holds the title of best battle system. (Xenoblade might claim that crown once I play it more.) The position of both your party and the enemies is so important in determining your strategy. The story's main focus is on time travel and is also known for having multiple endings. I have yet to beat the game, but I believe I've played enough to fairly judge it as one of the best RPGs ever.

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door

The best Mario RPG. First off, there's the art style. Every object is made out of paper, and the game makes full use of that. Houses fold down when you enter them, Mario can turn into a paper airplane or boat, etc. The battle system is also strong. It's turn based, but the main feature is on performing simple actions to enhance your attacks or block the enemies' attacks. It requires you to focus the whole time instead of just mind-numbingly selecting your attacks and just watching them. The dialogue is freaking hilarious. The whole game is full of jokes that anyone can laugh at.

Pokemon Black/White

Everyone knows about Pokemon and how it works. It was hard to decide on a specific title, but I feel safe in choosing the most recent games. The main reason is that it's the most complete Pokemon game yet. There's 649 Pokemon and 100s of attacks with widely varying properties. Now of course a lot of those Pokemon are not fully evolved and some of those attacks have much better versions. But it still leads to a huge varieties in the teams people can make. And for new players and players who have been absent from the franchise for a long time, Black/White is the perfect point to jump in. Until the main story is beaten, the game only features the new Pokemon. The entry barrier is much lower since prior knowledge of older Pokemon is not needed.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

I can't really explain why this game is so good. Apart from the Star Wars license, it's a very straight forward WRPG. You create your own characters, you get different party members throughout the game, it's fairly non-linear, etc. It does have HK-47, who is one of the funniest party members in any game. Except for maybe Baldur's Gate II (which I've yet to play), KOTOR is possibly BioWare's best game. It's also the best Star Wars game, so any fan of that should also check this game out.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

This series is one of the best at letting you do whatever the hell you feel like. Once you're on your own (which always happens very early on), you can continue to work on the main quest, or you can ignore it for over 100 hours if your heart so desires. I chose Skyrim because it's the Elder Scrolls game I liked the most. I had been in a gaming slump for a while, but once I picked up Skyrim, I just played and played and before I realized it, I had clocked 50 hours in just 2 weeks. The world is also extremely beautiful. I love to just stare at various mountains and admire the view.

Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean

Despite the Gamecube relative lack of RPGs, it still produced a few good ones. Baten Kaitos featured a card battle system that was actually very good. You start off with a small deck and hand size, and are given a lot of time to make your decisions in battle. But as the game progressed, your deck and hand size grew, and your time to pick cards got smaller and smaller. Eventually, you had to know your decks thoroughly as battles became very reflex based. The backgrounds for the world were all hand-drawn and were some of the most beautiful things seen on the Gamecube. The story was pretty good with one of the best twists I've seen. It was a shame the voice acting was so fucking bad.

Fire Emblem (GBA)

(Officially, I'm choosing Fire Emblem 7 for the GBA, although it wasn't called that in America. But I'm mostly referring to the franchise in my explanation.)

I love me some Fire Emblem. To me, it's the top SRPG around. They are very difficult to me and sometimes even frustrating, but I always find myself trying to beat it. (I swear I'm going to beat Sacred Stones now that it's on my 3DS.) The whole "once a character dies, they're gone forever" factor makes you think very hard about every decision you make. I still wish stats weren't (seemingly) randomly raised, but it doesn't change the fact that the best strategies will always win.

Diablo II (w/ Lord of Destruction expansion)

Still the best Action RPG around. I haven't played it in a while so my memories are not very clear. I just remember having a shit ton of fun with my Druid kicking ass across the countryside.

 

[Son1x]

Diablo II The looting never ends. 2 Points
Lunar: Eternal Blue - My Favorite JRPG. Love pretty much everything about it.
Grandia - What I believe is one of the best battle systems ever. Also comes with interesting story and amazing soundtrack.
Parasite Eve - Who says JRPG's don't mix with horror? I prefer PEs battle system over the "improved" Vagrant Story one.
Lunar: The Silver Star - See Lunar: EB, just a little weaker.
Secret of Mana - 3 player JRPG on SNES? Thank you Square
Final Fantasy IV - My first Final Fantasy. Holds a special place in my heart. I guess.
Ar tonelico II - This game totaly blew my mind. I went into it expecting your average JRPG with cliched story. What I got was amazing characters and soundtrack. Story was great too.
Phantasy Star IV - I got this on VC when I was on JRPG spree. Went in without knowing anything about it. Ended up being one of my favorite JRPGs.
Tales of the Abyss - I wanted to include Tales of Vesperia at first, but FoF (Field of Fonons) is the best thing to ever happen to the Tales series. Only thing I dislike about the game is the main character Luke.

Spoiler

Asch sucked too

 

[Gambit]

Depends whether you like a love story between 2 adults (Final Fantasy VIII) or a love story between the

Spoiler

generational/genetic imprint of a child and the physical manifestation of that child's desire for a mother.

I'm fine with either.

 

[Semblance]

Alpha Protocol An interesting if basic mix of Metal Gear Solid's stealth and Deus Ex's aiming mechanics. Okay, actual combat is just on the "well, good enough" / serviceable side, but IDGAF. The dialogue and characters were outrageous, with Steven Heck alone cementing this game's place on my list.

Fallout: New Vegas It's the ... everything. It's the hairs on your neck that stand up as a pack of Cazadores charge you, it's having a long conversation with a broken down old NCR cowboy, it's watching Dog / God flip out into his other personality, it's walking down that last corridor in Vault 11 as all the pieces of that puzzling place begin snapping together in your head, it's busting out a dog-machinegun hybrid in Old World Blues, it's pumping some asshole's chest full of riot shotgun buckshot and watching his limbs pop off like firecrackers, it's Joshua Graham telling you how he was baptised twice, it's feeling moved over Ed-E's little bloops and bleeps in the Lonesome Road, it's Primm Slim telling you he doesn't wanna hear any of that bosh. It's a journey rich with highlights, in other words. The vanilla experience was already a brilliant game, but the DLCs elevated this to all-time-greatest status for me. My favorite RPG. [2 points]

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES Mitsuru.

Valkyria Chronicles I adored the visuals, was sucked into the combat, and took a real liking to my squad. Relentlessly charming.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines Holy hell, this is something else. A delicious, dark sense of humor with excellent hubs, fantastic dialogue, and choices, choices, choices. And Velvet. The sewers can fuck off forever though, yeah.

The Witcher
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings I'm not sure if I'm cool with two from one series, but it's difficult to pick one over the other. First game told its story much better, handled choices and consequences intelligently; second one did everything else better though, particularly combat and pacing. Difficult! So, whatever, I'm throwing them both in.

Yakuza 2 I think this holds together throughout as the best Yakuza. Kaoru Sayama was a real highlight, and Ryuji Goda was a straight up dudebeast. Final encounter in that cage was some manly ass shit. This is how you wind down an awesome game. Also: tigers and their faces being punched.

Only eight picks as I feel I might be missing some other titles and would like to mull over that some more.

 

[jim-jam bongs]

Fallout: New Vegas [2 points]
Want to be a fist fighting cannibalistic savant? How about a diplomatic pacifist who solves problems with their words? Or a gunslinging cowboy with a duster and a stetson? Perhaps a power-armoured scientician with a gatling-laser? Whoever you choose to be, New Vegas brings roleplaying back to RPGs by making your decisions matter.

System Shock 2
A cracking sci-fi yarn with a deep and complex character progression system, oodles of tension and an underlying philosophical exploration of individualism and humanity which will give you pause long after the endgame.

The Witcher
CDProjekt owe a lot to Andrzej Sapkwoski for what makes The Witcher the amazing game that it is, but the character progression, meaningful choice and consequence, quirky combat and beautiful art are as much a part of it as his incredible world and characters.

Planescape: Torment
If you completely removed combat from this game, it would still be one of the best RPGs ever. "What can change the nature of a man?" Spoiler: you already know the answer. Maybe.

Alpha Protocol
It has a surprisingly creative character progression system, but the real meat of the game is the convoluted interactive narrative which does just as good a job as the dozens of unlockable perks at creating consequences for the player's decisions. For better, or worse.

Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines
The combat is almost irreparably broken, but it has a great setting and writing which is full of sex and death. So kind of like life. Except that hiring a prostitute and drinking her blood is less likely to get you arrested.

Torchlight
It's hard to put Torchlight over Diablo 2 because of the lack of multiplayer, but Runic completely nailed continuously massaging the pleasure-centers of loot-loving degenerates, so it takes the crown. If Torchlight 2 is basically the same game with co-op, consider this entry usurped.

Paper Mario
It's cutesy and can almost be played on total auto-pilot, but it has enough depth that the charm never wears off. Though they really need to kill the unskippable cut-scenes.

Freedom Force vs The Third Reich
A unique strategy RPG with a fantastically camp superhero theme. And you get to smash the crap out of Nazis in the most fabulous way possible.

World of Warcraft
At its peak, WoW was an incredible game. While it's true that it relies heavily on carrot-on-a-stick character progression to keep the subs going, when it's actually being a video game and not a Skinner-box it's extremely well executed.

 

[areal]

I'm not qualified to participate, I think, but this thread is so interesting. I'm going to give New Vegas another go.

 

[Card Boy]

Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura 2 points. Fuck Fallout 1 & 2

Yakuza 3

Alpha Protocol

Deux Ex 1

Witcher 1

Witcher 2

Guild Wars

Elder Scrolls 3 Morrowind

Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic

Mass Effect 1

 

[archnemesis]

• Demon's Souls - A perfect combination between action-oriented combat and traditional RPG mechanics. While the sequel, Dark Souls, improved upon the core mechanics I also felt like it was very unbalanced. The poor framerate also hurt the experience. I haven't played it since the 1.03 patch, so maybe my opinion will change next year.
• The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - An incredibly rich vast world teeming with experiences waiting to be discovered. Even though Skyrim was amazing, I still prefer the world and people of the remote north-eastern part of Tamriel.
• Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions - The quintessential SRPG. Now with a new script and prettier cutscenes!
• Final Fantasy VI - The best game in a series of great games.
• Quest for Glory: So You Want to Be a Hero [2 points] - The first game in a five-part epic journey from being a nobody to being the greatest. Pick one out of three different classes, each with their own unique approach to puzzles and problems, and set off on a quest for fame and glory. Never again has there been a successful hybrid between a RPG and the classic adventure game. It's a shame that so few people on NeoGAF has played the series, so I decided to give it 2 points for a bit more exposure. Hopefully, it will end up on GoG eventually.
• Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne - Beautiful and highly atmospheric with the excellent press-turn combat system. Skills, enemies & allies, and the ending are all highly customizable and change depending on your actions.
• Suikoden III - Suikoden is a great series and it's really difficult to pick only one game, but the different perspectives and non-linearity of SIII makes it a bit more special than the others.
• Valkyrie Profile - I annihilate thy form, Divine Techinique.....Niberlung Valesti!
• Vampire: The Masquerade &#8211; Bloodlines - Interesting storyline, good dialogue, intense combat, and most important, vampires.
• Valkyria Chronicles - It's not only beautiful, but it also showed that strategy role-playing games can improve and evolve with modern gaming systems.

Next year's list might have a few more changes, now that I own most of the old-school western classic RPGs from GoG's catalogue.

 

[RE lover]

Final Fantasy 6 SNES

Final Fantasy 9 PSX

Tales of Symphonia NGC

Final Fantasy 7 PSX

Chrono Trigger SNES

Secret of Evermore SNES

Xenoblade Chronicles WII

Lufia II SNES

Pokemon Black/White NDS

Alundra PSX

 

[Coxy]

Grandia: Simply put, the Grandia series has the best battle system of any traditional RPG and is a must play for that reason alone. Add to that a wonderful story about growing up, living freely and going against the way of the world and the huge character development the characters go through from beginning to end and you've got one of the best RPGs of all time.

Grandia 2: The battle system is an improved version of the first but the story stands in contrast, much darker and more adult than the first game, with a main character who doesnt develop but changes the world and people around him, challenging prejudices and other stupid ideas people hold. Has a really fantastic witty script and a nice bit of character interaction at the dinnertime discussions. 2 points

Lunar 2: Eternal Blue: A really really nice love story with a lot of lovable funny characters. There's some neat quirks to the game like how you cant control the most powerful character in the game. She acts on her own and cant be told what to do, through the course of the story as her personality develops, so does her AI, turning more towards protecting and healing her friends instead of raining lazers on everything forever.

Skies of Arcadia: You're a sky pirate, captaining a flying pirate ship through a world of islands in the sky, battling other ships and giant monsters with its cannons and stepping off to explore mysterious ruins and foreign cities. Has a really great sense of exploration, scale and the unknown.

Phantasy Star Online: The very first game I played online and an experience unmatched since, really fun game to play with a few friends and way ahead of its time with its action based co-op online gameplay.

Super Robot Wars: Original Generations: Awesome people in giant robots with a very fun over the top story involving opposing earth forces, evil clones from a parrallel universe, aliens, even worse aliens, weird aliens and the other aliens bosses, sometimes all of these will show up at the same time as the large scale battles get increasingly insane. You might be fighting a tough boss when 4 more bosses show up just to really push you over the limit.

Shining Force 3: An immense SRPG spread over 3 full games and a bonus disc of just for fun battles. The unique Synchronicity system means decisions you make in one game effect the story of the consecutive games, changing who lives and dies and certain parts of the story. The shining force series always had a fantastic simple but effective battle system and this game is its ultimate and sadly final incarnation. Has a MASSIVE cast of characters with sometimes complex relationships and a huge depth to the world and its mythology.

Valkyria Chronicles: Another awesome story of love and war with a Ghibli-esque artstyle I really enjoyed. An army draft forces together an assortment of random people from all walks of life resulting in a really weird loveable cast of misfits. The sadistic Jane, the deranged Wendy, Lone Wolf Marina, Fabulous Jann, grouchy grampa Coby, I loved so many of them. The main cast are even better, Welkin is such a weird guy you have to like him and his MacGuyver level plans. The game is littered with truly epic set pieces as the enemy trot out massive experimental weapons. These bits really force you to play around with the already great battle system.

Ar Tonelico: While I'm just nominating the first game here I really recommend anyone trying this plays all 3 parts of the series. After the destruction of the world, humans are forced to live on towers in the sky to stay above the sea of death. In this new world, humans live with an artificial type of human called a Reyvateil. On each tower their staus is different, on one they're subserviant to humans and abused, on another they're the ruling class. The last remaining human life that clings to these towers is under threat too, from viruses and malfunctions of the tower. Throughout the course of the games seperate groups work to stabilize the towers, or create new land for humans to live on. It's a really large scale story with a massive amount of depth to it. On the basic game to game level it's really enjoyable due to the humour, character interaction and generally great characters.

Mana Khemia: At first glance this seems like throwaway high school anime shit and certainly for the first few chapters it's a pretty simple cute fun little story about life in a fantasy high school. However as the story progresses a darker side to the story unfolds making it a really great story, I cant say any more without spoiling it so just try it out! The battle system is pretty excellent too, it's turn based but incredibly fast paced with some really flashy attacks. Since you control the pace of the battle so directly yourself it never becomes a loosely controlled button mashing clusterfuck nor do you often sit around waiting for your turn. The Grow Book is really fun too, combining Gusts trademark alchemy system with something like a much better version of the sphere grid from FFX.

 

[vhfive]

Knights of the Old Republic (2 points)
Skyrim
Dark Souls
Oblivion
Mass Effect
Pokemon Red/Blue
Fable
Torchlight
Final Fantasy Tactics

 

[Dwight Schrute]

Xenoblade :
While classic on the formula, it can be so innovative... world is huge and beautifull.

Planescape Torment (2 points) : best story in a game, ever.

Suikoden 2
108 stars, story, LUCA BLIGHT

Arcanum
Unique universe, music and story

Tales of Symphonia
Still my favourite tales after abyss and vesperia. Dual worlds, some good mindfucks...

NIER
Gameplay mechanic, humor, OST, OST, OST, characters, NG+

Valkyrie profile
Combat, story, setting, ost

FF8
Yeah, you know why.

Dark Souls

And

Demon Souls
Both of them were incredibl innovative, plus the setting is fabulous.

 

[Rolf NB]

Fallout 2
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy 7
Diablo 2
Wizardry 8
Final Fantasy 10
Dragon Quest 8
Morrowind
Demon's Souls
Trinity: Souls Of Zill'Oll


Honorable mentions:
Dungeon Master
Tales Of Symphonia
Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald
Disgaea: Afternoon Of Darkness
Fallout: New Vegas

 

[Luthos]

In no order...

Final Fantasy IX (two points) - There are a few games (RPG or not) that I just think have that extra "something." I don't know what it is, but it sucks me in, and I don't mean just playing it for long periods of time. I just feel apart of the game. A great combination of atmosphere, music, characters... it has it. It feels "home-y". I love nearly everything about this game, and is probably one of (if not) my favorite game of all time. A somewhat slow combat system is one of my few complaints about the game. It had that great blend of old school and new. And I don't even know how to explain that.

Final Fantasy VII - As much as this game gets discussed on the internet, be it blind fanboyism or hate of it's believed undeserved popularity, I feel I've grown to love it more over the years. It wasn't my first FF, yet somehow it seems to give me the most nostalgia. I feel it has a underrated soundtrack in regards to the whole series. And I'm not sure how a FF7 remake would make me feel, as I feel part of the nostalgia for me is the blocky appearance of the characters. Just thinking about this game now and it's music, has me a bit nostalgic (I can actually hear the chink sounds from Tifa in the bar at the beginning in my head, with her theme playing in the background). I don't know how the game does it.

Final Fantasy VI - I was thinking how many FF games I was gonna have in this list... I can't help it, it's one of my favorite series ever. So I tried to limit it to my favorite 3. And FF6, back in the day on the SNES, pretty much got me started on RPGs. At least of the console/JRPG variety. This game to the day probably still has the best playable cast in an RPG. Nearly every single character is appealing in their own way. Except maybe Relm, but still, she's not even that bad as far as the young female characters go in JRPGs. This game will never lose it's shine, and as they say, sprites never go out of style.

The Elder Scrolls Skyrim - I'm curious how much this game will show up in this topic. It seems some people don't like to put recent games on lists like these because you might still be riding the excitement of post-release. But I think it still deserves a spot. I enjoyed both Morrowind and Oblivion, but I felt Skyrim fixed the things I needed. Magic is viable for me this time around. The world seemed to have the diversity that Oblivion didn't. The world is so much more appealing it's not even funny. There are some jaw-dropping vistas. Melee combat wasn't much changed, but enough that I felt comfortable all the way through a melee character. And in general it's just one of those few games that will suck you in for so much longer than other games, and yet you still realize you've barely tapped into all the content the game has to offer.

Suikoden III - Along with FF9, I believe this game also has that home-y "it" quality. Love the trinity system. I love that device used in media, where you get to see something unfold through a different person, and it provides answers to question you had from the other one. The combat system may not be the best, but it's good enough, as this game makes up for it with it's characters, music, and ability to draw me in.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - Oh man, this game... I never was really big into D&D, so I was (and honestly, still am, somewhat) a bit confused with how the combat works in these types of games. What with the rolls affecting everything. But how could I not be interested in a Star Wars RPG like this? This is one of my favorite Star Wars games (if not tops), and I've played a lot of Star Wars games over the years. It also had (two) of the coolest looking villains in a game in Darth Revan and Darth Malak. Also, this game has one of the biggest and best

Spoiler

twists

in any game I've ever played. You know what I'm talking about.

World of Warcraft - It would almost be a crime to not put this up here. It had it's ups and downs, sure. But it also had me addicted to it for years. I don't know if any game will ever top it for me, in pure hours played. I have a lot of memories from it, from guild to guild, raiding, PVP with friends, multiple expansions, multiple characters. And while I loved the game and it deserves its spot of great RPGs (whether or not you want to include online), I gotta say I'm kinda glad to be free of it's grip. =P

Mass Effect - I'm one of the people that like it more than 2. Yea, 2's combat is much better, but 1 was the better RPG imo, and that's why I like it more overall. While 2 had some of the same characters, and more, I prefer the cast of the 1st. I mean it had Wrex (playable). And Wrex and Garrus was the best tag team possible. Also, this game had a good story. I just didn't like 2's that much, of what there was. And 1 had an awesome climax, imo, with an exciting ending. Overall though, as the final boss itself wasn't the best. And it remains to be one of my favorite Sci-Fi games that isn't part of the Star Wars universe. Great characters, headlined by Joker, Garrus, Wrex. And one of the few games that made it seem big... really big. Even though only a few planets were really fleshed out, just the fact that you could go to some others just gave you an incredible sense of scale. Especially with the galaxy map, letting you view the planets in the system, with characteristics of the planets to the side. Just a great atmosphere in this game.

Kingdom Hearts - Yea I'm putting it. I can look past all the heart and darkness mushy stuff, because this game blended my love for FF games, and for Disney stuff. (I'm a big Disney/Pixar guy, but who isn't). It also to this day has one of the most appealing graphics I've seen. And it allows for what I think is a good transition for Disney characters, from 2D to this very cartoonish 3D look. I can't wait for KH3 (lol), to see what they can do with a current or next gen system in HD. But yea, great look, and a fun cast of characters. And while the combat system was a bit repetitive, I enjoyed the open real-time approach to the game. It's sequel did some things better, but a lot of sequels do. I just gotta give it to the original.

Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance - You know, in this list, I knocked through some of my obvious favorites. Then I had to think about others. I was going through a lot that I've played. Maybe I could of put some more FF games on there, but I tried to limit them. And then I went through games I loved enough to replay multiple times. And I kept coming back to this (and it's sequel, along with the Champions of Norrath games). Damned if I don't love this action RPG dungeon crawling loot games. And it had great co-op. Some good times were had with co-op in these games. I know Diablo II is probably king of this genre for most people, but for some reason I never played it. Or Baldur's Gate II, or Planetscape Torment (I know, I'm horrible. I should really play those some day). So this game remains one of my favorite action RPG loot games. Though this is definitely my most loosely placed one. It could be interchangable with a lot of others.



...Honorable Mentions: Skies of Arcadia and Grandia II. I loved these games, but I haven't played them in forever as I no longer have a Dreamcast. I would like to replay them, too. Also, Disgaea and multiple other FF's: FFT, FFX, FFXII.

 

[Rygar 8 Bit]

diablo 2
nox
fallout 2
secret of mana
the world ends with you
skies of arcadia
castlevania symphony of the night
knights of the old republic
skyrim
dark souls

 

[DigitalDevil]

Reserved

 

[Durante]

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.

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.

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. Othe 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:
Atelier Totori
Alpha Protocol
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 or 5 (same here)
Demon's Souls
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
Arx Fatalis

Yeah, that's 26 games (without even having a duplicate from a series). So sue me, I like RPGs.

Edit: added Arx Fatalis to honorable mentions. How could I forget Arx Fatalis?

 

[Buttons]

Final Fantasy IX (two points): My favourite game of all time. I love the story and the characters, I found the gameplay to be so much fun that I have finished the game multiple times. I love how you learn new abilities through gear, you are always searching for new items. I also loved the sidequests such as Chocobo Hot and Cold.

Xenoblade: This game really surprised me. A huge world and so much quests and content that it puts many MMOs to shame. I like the characters, especially Riki. Both the English and Japanese voice acting are amazing. Not to mention the interesting turns in the storyline.

PoPoLoCrois: An amazing old-school JRPG and one of the first games I played on PSP. Amazing battle system, beautiful and quaint 2D graphics, a catchy soundtrack and an overall interesting story and a colourful variety of characters.

Suikoden Tierkreis: While many Suikoden fans do not like the game, I enjoyed it tremendously. If you just look at it as a JRPG it can be very enjoyable. Interesting storyline, tons of characters to recruit, very fun battle system. One of my favourite DS games.

Final Fantasy VI: My favourite 2D Final Fantasy. Absolutely amazing cast and storyline. Kefka has to be one of the best and most insane villains ever. It has my favourite soundtrack to date. A must play.

Chrono Trigger: Just an amazingly fun game with lovable characters and a very interesting storyline. If you can get the DS version, play it!

Romancing Saga: Minstrel Song: One of my favourite PS2 games. While it does have some very unconventional systems which discourage you from grinding and practically requires you to use a guide, this game is one of my all-time favourites. I love the characters and the unique art-style. This game has my favourite battle system in any RPG game ever. Turn based, with each character being able to use multiple weapons. You can chain the skills to create vortexes, powerful combos. This game has some of the most over the top animations and I love it!

Grandia: This is one game that every RPG lover should at least give a try. I loved it and still have fond memories of playing it.

Final Fantasy X: I remember how I had bought this game before I even owned a PS2. I was blown away by the graphics and storyline once I started playing and to this day I love the turn based battle system. I prefer it over the fancy shmancy fast-paced action systems that games have nowadays.

Final Fantasy VIII: My first Final Fantasy. It still has a special place in my heart. I found the story very interesting and it has the best love story in a video game in my opinion. I really loved the graphics back in the day. While I may prefer games such as FFIX over this one, I still love it and fondly remember the GF system and the beautiful music.

Edit: Added images. ^_^/