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NeoGAF's Essential RPGs (2012 edition) - Results Posted
- Thread starter kswiston
- Start date
famousmortimer
Banned
1. Kings Field 1 - Im gonna go with KF1 here, even though the others improved on it. But the first time I played Kings Field my jaw hit the floor. All of a sudden videogames were capable of so much more than I thought.
2. Dark Souls - I love everything about this game except for the peer to peer stuff, but even that hasn't impeded on my enjoyment. I don't want all games to be as unforgiving as this game, but I sure am glad that atleast this (and demon's souls) are. It creates an intensity that's unmatched. And yes, the top of my list is a From Software lovefest.
4. Suikoden 1 - The sequels are probably better games, but the first one put me in a trance the whole time I played it. Shocked im putting it higher than a Final Fantasy, but whenever I think about 2d JRPGs i can't help but see the little guys in the big battles in this game.
5. FFXIII - WHAT? REALLY? Yes, really. I know it's a straight tube, no towns, no exploration, no anything that usually makes a good Final Fantasy game. I can't explain it, but I played it for 108 hours in the matter of two weeks and got the platinum and loved every second of it.
6. FFVI - An alltime classic, i would lop off an arm for Square to make a 'retro' rpg in this style again and release it on psn/xbla/steam.
7. Chrono Trigger - Great combat, great story, best use of time travel. This game could easily be number 1. That's how close everything on this list is. Im glad everything is worth one point.
8. Skyrim - I love Bethesda RPGs and this is their best. I'm playing it on the PC, so that probably helps. Not sure it would be ranked if i had the ps3 version.
9. Legend of Zelda: A link to the past - Even though the name is silly when taken literally, it's the best zelda, by about 9000 miles.
10. World of Warcraft - While I have a million problems with this game... I can't deny the fact that I had 200+days played of this game. Days! It was over 3-4 years, but still, that's insane.
2. Dark Souls - I love everything about this game except for the peer to peer stuff, but even that hasn't impeded on my enjoyment. I don't want all games to be as unforgiving as this game, but I sure am glad that atleast this (and demon's souls) are. It creates an intensity that's unmatched. And yes, the top of my list is a From Software lovefest.
4. Suikoden 1 - The sequels are probably better games, but the first one put me in a trance the whole time I played it. Shocked im putting it higher than a Final Fantasy, but whenever I think about 2d JRPGs i can't help but see the little guys in the big battles in this game.
5. FFXIII - WHAT? REALLY? Yes, really. I know it's a straight tube, no towns, no exploration, no anything that usually makes a good Final Fantasy game. I can't explain it, but I played it for 108 hours in the matter of two weeks and got the platinum and loved every second of it.
6. FFVI - An alltime classic, i would lop off an arm for Square to make a 'retro' rpg in this style again and release it on psn/xbla/steam.
7. Chrono Trigger - Great combat, great story, best use of time travel. This game could easily be number 1. That's how close everything on this list is. Im glad everything is worth one point.
8. Skyrim - I love Bethesda RPGs and this is their best. I'm playing it on the PC, so that probably helps. Not sure it would be ranked if i had the ps3 version.
9. Legend of Zelda: A link to the past - Even though the name is silly when taken literally, it's the best zelda, by about 9000 miles.
10. World of Warcraft - While I have a million problems with this game... I can't deny the fact that I had 200+days played of this game. Days! It was over 3-4 years, but still, that's insane.
ZephyrFate
Banned
I thought Covenant was stunningly mediocre and was glad FTNW was better.
FTNW had a completely sterile world and lost all of the charm of Shadow Hearts. It also offered little real connections to Yuri's continuing story.
It had a marginally better gameplay system than Covenant, but it also lacked many of the things that made games a Shadow Hearts experience in the first place.
Covenant > 1 >>>>>>>>>> FTNW > (Koudelka?)
But I guess this is for another thread.
cartman414
Member
I was just thinking: would it be possible for anyone to list up to an additional 10, provided a given explanation for each?
ZephyrFate
Banned
Yuri's story ended, FTNW's world was gorgeous, and it has exactly ALL the charm the SH series had.
But you're right.
From the New World really does have the best battle system out of all of them though. The judgment ring system was refined in Covenant, but it was PERFECTED in FtNW. I wouldn't say FtNW was lifeless or sterile, it just didn't have an as interesting of a cast or world as Koudelka and its sister games, Shadow Hearts and SH: Covenant.
I still think FtNW used the Emigree Document in a really unique way. I mean, you can't hate on it too much, it does have two of the Shadow Hearts/Koudelka world staples, the Emigree Document and Roger Bacon. Man, just thinking about those 4 games, I love 'em so much. =)
SatelliteOfLove
Member
It's now on PSN for like $6, and yes, the Souls twanged some aspects of the mindset I had while playing VS. Twas GLORIOUS.
Dragon Quest I
Even though I only first played this a few years ago, it still pulled me in. The gameplay was simple, there were no signs pointing the way to go much of the time, and aside from the main quest, there wasn't really any other content, but the charm and feel of the game was still very enjoyable. I encourage everyone to experience this game, to know where their jrpg roots come from.
World of Warcraft
This was and still is by far the most immersive experience I've ever had, across all media. It destroyed my life, but it was still by far my favorite gaming experience. Being in a server top guild, raiding with 39 other people, that thrill of killing a raid boss for the first time, those are the memories that are the brightest for me in WoW. Vanilla was my favorite, but that is probably alot of nostalgia talking.
Legend of Dragoon
This game gets alot of hate, mainly for its generic storyline and bland characters. As one of my first RPGs though, I didn't notice these things. I did notice the beautiful towns, the great FMV, and the amazing, amazing combat mechanics. The addition system was so much fun, each attack you were involved, not simply hitting X and watching your character attack. I wish more games would adopt battle systems like this.
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite
MHFU definitely puts the action in arpg. This one kept me glued to my PSP for hundreds of hours; killing monsters, looting their corpses, making wicked looking new armor and weapons, and then going off to hunt the next biggest dude. Killing a monster that I had been bashing my head against time and time again gave a feeling similar to killing a boss in WoW, though not quite as epic. What I liked most about this game was that you were the one gaining skill, not your character. You could die against the first boss so many times, and then later come back with no armor and kill the same boss without taking a hit.
Persona 4
This and Persona 3 are close, but P4 had more interesting characters for me. I loved the combat in this game, the world felt alive, the story was enjoyable and unique, and I felt more connected to the characters than in any other game. I kept going because I wanted to know what happened to them next, and the S-links had interesting stories of their own. This is a jrpg done right.
Neverwinter Nights
A game that often gets buried under more popular DnD titles such as BGII. Even though it gets looked at negatively for its story, I thought the story was immersive and enjoyable. The main draw for this game however is the user-created content. This game just might have the most user-created content, of any game, ever. Behind WoW, this game has probably taken up most of my gaming time, spent in user made worlds, playing with friends.
Dragon Quest VIII
My first Dragon Quest game, though I've certainly played more since then. The amazing artwork of DQVIII cannot be stated enough, this game was just dripping with charm, sucking you into its world and characters. DQVIII has one of my favorite worlds, oozing with life and color. The actual gameplay is quite fun too. Traditional, as are all Dragon Quest games, but that is part of what makes them appealing to me.
Skies of Arcadia
Another of my first RPGs. The only complaint that usually gets tossed around Skies is that it was too grind heavy, but that didn't deter my enjoyment. The world and story just drew me right in. A vast, mysterious world, all yours to explore. It had everything, from futuristic metal environments, to sandy deserts, to mysterious ruins, to lush forests, and more; this game was a joy to explore.
The World Ends With You
A very unique RPG, and kind of surprising coming from SquareEnix. It took me a little while to get into this game, but when I did, it had me hooked. The characters, the story, the amazing soundtrack, and the crazy combat system, all rolled together to make an amazing DS RPG experience. It's quite sad that there hasn't been word of a sequel, or a spin-off of some sort, I would really like to play this type of game again.
Diablo II
Last, but most certainly not least, is D2. A game so groundbreaking that it has a sub-genre named after it. It takes some serious self-control to put this game down, Blizzard knows how to make an addicting game. Going through dungeons, killing dudes, looting armor and weapons, repeat. Sounds repetitive, and it is, but that doesn't make it any less fun.
IrishNinja
Member
good thread! i still won't have played Xenoblade, Witcher 2 or Deus Ex HR by the cutoff date, so that's out.
Earthbound - was a fun, quirky RPG with a flavor all its own, until i got older & played it again and realized all the subtlety it had. a nod to Mother 3 as well, which was excellent but im trying to not vote for 2 entries of the same series here.
Planescape Torment - The writing with the sensory stones is something i want to see in more games.
The World Ends With You - great story, great use of the hardware, a lotta 4th wall breaking that actually worked and an ending that gets you kinda choked up.
Persona 4 - Took everything i dug about 3 and improved on it, while picking a really great setting - murder mystery in a small town! 100+ hours, loved all of it.
Suikoden 2 - The finest chapter in a fantastic series about the horrors of war. Luca Blight stole the show early on, but this is another one with an unforgettable ending (the bad one was the best). Only drawback was the translation.
Xenogears - Great soundtrack & story for its time, plus later Xenosaga entries made the religious stuff actually seem subtle.
Phantasy Star IV - A perfect send-off for my first RPG series. I quietly hope we never get a V.
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne - the only one on this list ive still not finished, but i love lovecraftian worlds like this, the atmosphere feels as oppressive as Berserk, and of course Meguro put a really fitting (and isolating) OST to it.
Final Fantasy VI - The peak of the series, as far as plot, character & soundtrack went. It also addressed some rather heavy & dark issues for its time, despite Nintendo. nearly 2 decades and many chapters later, and i'm still hoping another entry resonates with me as well.
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue - justified my Sega CD purchase, and told a really great story (with spectacular voice acting) years before anime troupes became a bane of the genre. One of the things that really did it for me was seeing the party members in various exchanges throughout the game, really fleshed out the characters in a way that i'm still happy to see years later when FF IX, Vesperia etc did it.
Honorable mentions:
Chrono Trigger - it's prolly gonna win by a landslide, so i feel okay putting it here. if Chrono Cross breaks top 10, i'll openly weep.
Nier - has some rough spots, but where it works, it shines. Had a story i found worth replaying for all 4 endings, and possibly the best OST this gen.
Demon's Souls - was a slow burn for me, but again, i'm a big fan of worlds that draw you in like this and challenge you to step up & survive.
i know i'm forgetting stuff here.
Earthbound - was a fun, quirky RPG with a flavor all its own, until i got older & played it again and realized all the subtlety it had. a nod to Mother 3 as well, which was excellent but im trying to not vote for 2 entries of the same series here.
Planescape Torment - The writing with the sensory stones is something i want to see in more games.
The World Ends With You - great story, great use of the hardware, a lotta 4th wall breaking that actually worked and an ending that gets you kinda choked up.
Persona 4 - Took everything i dug about 3 and improved on it, while picking a really great setting - murder mystery in a small town! 100+ hours, loved all of it.
Suikoden 2 - The finest chapter in a fantastic series about the horrors of war. Luca Blight stole the show early on, but this is another one with an unforgettable ending (the bad one was the best). Only drawback was the translation.
Xenogears - Great soundtrack & story for its time, plus later Xenosaga entries made the religious stuff actually seem subtle.
Phantasy Star IV - A perfect send-off for my first RPG series. I quietly hope we never get a V.
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne - the only one on this list ive still not finished, but i love lovecraftian worlds like this, the atmosphere feels as oppressive as Berserk, and of course Meguro put a really fitting (and isolating) OST to it.
Final Fantasy VI - The peak of the series, as far as plot, character & soundtrack went. It also addressed some rather heavy & dark issues for its time, despite Nintendo. nearly 2 decades and many chapters later, and i'm still hoping another entry resonates with me as well.
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue - justified my Sega CD purchase, and told a really great story (with spectacular voice acting) years before anime troupes became a bane of the genre. One of the things that really did it for me was seeing the party members in various exchanges throughout the game, really fleshed out the characters in a way that i'm still happy to see years later when FF IX, Vesperia etc did it.
Honorable mentions:
Chrono Trigger - it's prolly gonna win by a landslide, so i feel okay putting it here. if Chrono Cross breaks top 10, i'll openly weep.
Nier - has some rough spots, but where it works, it shines. Had a story i found worth replaying for all 4 endings, and possibly the best OST this gen.
Demon's Souls - was a slow burn for me, but again, i'm a big fan of worlds that draw you in like this and challenge you to step up & survive.
i know i'm forgetting stuff here.
Great choices here, I also like to contribute my list. I don't have that many RPGs, especially this gen, but I think I'll have at least ten I can recommend.
1. Final Fantasy XII (2 Points)
I love this game. There are so many optional bosses, optional areas even, there is so much to do, the game looks incredible, I love the characters (yes,even Vaan) and the Battle System is the best. It simply does (almost) everything right. I replay it now and then, even though it is quite a huge game and I don't normally have that much time.
2. Dragon Quest VIII
A beautiful game, very traditional and yet there is so much to explore, to discover. The artstyle is so completely amazing and the Voice Quality is up there with FFXII, that is, absolutely perfect. I spent hours upon hours on this game.
3. Wild Arms 3
While it doesn't have the budget of FF or DQ, it is still an RPG I really like. There are so many excellent ideas, using special moves in the dungeons, the very tactical Battle System, the great variety in dungeon design and awesome puzzles. Plus a ton of sidequests (Millenium Puzzle, yes!) The characters are awesome and very different from the typical clichees.
4.Fire Emblem - Path of Radiance
Best SRPG I ever played. Permanent Deaths make sure you plan every step tightly and it's so good when a plan works. Plus nice cutscenes and great characters. I just wished there were some optional battles or multiple paths.
5. Golden Sun
A game that I played over and over again. It is quite a short game, finishable in 15-20 hours, and that makes it quite awesome for that little handheld. The graphics are incredible here, I didn't know that the GBA was capable of doing such things. And the Psynergy system is so great, allows great puzzles in the dungeons.
6.Paper Mario : The Thousand Year Door
A unique battle system, lots of sidequests to do, the areas are filled with secrets and some chapters are completely amazing.
7. Mass Effect 1
I loved this, exploring the planets with my mako, having that great battle system and wonderful environements. I also loved the many dialog choices.
8.Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
I finished all 300 main missions and all the bonus missions. I was quite surprised that there is so much content and that there were so many things,tactics and stuff I didn't notice on my first playthrough.
9.Kingdom Hearts II
Battle System works quite well. KH I clearly had the better level design, but KHII had many other things that did it better. Soundtrack, epicness, the Special Moves depending on the enemy, everything. And the gummi ship levels. Oh, the ship levels. That is so incredible, I spent almost as much as the main game in these levels. If you like Starfox, you like this one.
10. YS6:Ark of Naphishtim
My first and only Falcom game so far, but this game doesn't disappoint. Sure, it has some huge backtracking, but the artstyle is incredibly beautiful, and more important, the Battle System works perfectly. The game is also really challenging and yet so rewarding. The bosses are so amazing.
Honorable Mentions:
Final Fantasy X
I must admit, I really didn't like it the first time. This is not surprising, I played it right after the masterpiece called Final Fantasy XII. However, I appreciated it more on my second playtrough. The battle system allows strategic thinking and the Sphere Grid is a great idea. Plus the story is quite good.
Suikoden V
It is quite a good game, I love the characters and the "oldschoolness" of this game. But I'm only 12 hours in so far and I can barely tell if it even keeps getting better (especially after the bad first 4 hours), but so far I like it, but not as much as the other games mentioned above. The random encounter rate sucks.
Breath Of Fire
ragon Quarter
Quite a good game, and the battle system is extemely strategical and I like to see more of that type. It is, however, quite hard and the low, low amount of save stones is really bad.
I want to play Suikoden II, but I won't pay 100 € for a used PS1 copy. No way. Same with Tales of Symphonia.
1. Final Fantasy XII (2 Points)
I love this game. There are so many optional bosses, optional areas even, there is so much to do, the game looks incredible, I love the characters (yes,even Vaan) and the Battle System is the best. It simply does (almost) everything right. I replay it now and then, even though it is quite a huge game and I don't normally have that much time.
2. Dragon Quest VIII
A beautiful game, very traditional and yet there is so much to explore, to discover. The artstyle is so completely amazing and the Voice Quality is up there with FFXII, that is, absolutely perfect. I spent hours upon hours on this game.
3. Wild Arms 3
While it doesn't have the budget of FF or DQ, it is still an RPG I really like. There are so many excellent ideas, using special moves in the dungeons, the very tactical Battle System, the great variety in dungeon design and awesome puzzles. Plus a ton of sidequests (Millenium Puzzle, yes!) The characters are awesome and very different from the typical clichees.
4.Fire Emblem - Path of Radiance
Best SRPG I ever played. Permanent Deaths make sure you plan every step tightly and it's so good when a plan works. Plus nice cutscenes and great characters. I just wished there were some optional battles or multiple paths.
5. Golden Sun
A game that I played over and over again. It is quite a short game, finishable in 15-20 hours, and that makes it quite awesome for that little handheld. The graphics are incredible here, I didn't know that the GBA was capable of doing such things. And the Psynergy system is so great, allows great puzzles in the dungeons.
6.Paper Mario : The Thousand Year Door
A unique battle system, lots of sidequests to do, the areas are filled with secrets and some chapters are completely amazing.
7. Mass Effect 1
I loved this, exploring the planets with my mako, having that great battle system and wonderful environements. I also loved the many dialog choices.
8.Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
I finished all 300 main missions and all the bonus missions. I was quite surprised that there is so much content and that there were so many things,tactics and stuff I didn't notice on my first playthrough.
9.Kingdom Hearts II
Battle System works quite well. KH I clearly had the better level design, but KHII had many other things that did it better. Soundtrack, epicness, the Special Moves depending on the enemy, everything. And the gummi ship levels. Oh, the ship levels. That is so incredible, I spent almost as much as the main game in these levels. If you like Starfox, you like this one.
10. YS6:Ark of Naphishtim
My first and only Falcom game so far, but this game doesn't disappoint. Sure, it has some huge backtracking, but the artstyle is incredibly beautiful, and more important, the Battle System works perfectly. The game is also really challenging and yet so rewarding. The bosses are so amazing.
Honorable Mentions:
Final Fantasy X
I must admit, I really didn't like it the first time. This is not surprising, I played it right after the masterpiece called Final Fantasy XII. However, I appreciated it more on my second playtrough. The battle system allows strategic thinking and the Sphere Grid is a great idea. Plus the story is quite good.
Suikoden V
It is quite a good game, I love the characters and the "oldschoolness" of this game. But I'm only 12 hours in so far and I can barely tell if it even keeps getting better (especially after the bad first 4 hours), but so far I like it, but not as much as the other games mentioned above. The random encounter rate sucks.
Breath Of Fire
ragon QuarterQuite a good game, and the battle system is extemely strategical and I like to see more of that type. It is, however, quite hard and the low, low amount of save stones is really bad.
I want to play Suikoden II, but I won't pay 100 € for a used PS1 copy. No way. Same with Tales of Symphonia.
I haven't played much in terms of RPGs over the years, but I am a pretty big fan of SRPGs so here goes. This is in no particular order aside from the first:
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance: It was my introduction to the series and the genre, and I don't think I've ever clicked with a game like this before. I absolutely loved it. I jumped in on hard, played like an amateur but slowly picked up what I was doing, and by the end I was leading an army into battle with the mindset that everyone was coming back alive. These games are designed to make you to care about 20-30 soldiers that you don't want to lose, each with a name and story, and that's what makes the games so difficult.
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn: They are two parts of the same game so I can't not mention it. Radiant Dawn is the game that happens after the "Happily Ever After" in games where a war occurs. It tells the story of strife that occurs after war has subsided and the politicians regain power. Not only that, but it tells it from all angles, meaning you're often fighting against the crew you were just controlling. It's also unapologetically difficult right from the start, and I love it for that.
The World Ends With You: Who knew Square still had it in them? It turned out to be a pretty innovative collaboration with Jupiter. The story may have been the same generic stuff about a kid whose heart grew three sizes that day but it's told in an incredibly unique way. I don't think there's anything I didn't like about the game. The battle system is unique, the music is great for the theme, everything is adjustable, there's a collection aspect, plenty of post game content. There's really nothing this game didn't do, and it did it all really well. I've never experienced anything quite like this before, and it came at a time I thought nothing could surprise me anymore.
Earthbound: I don't think a game has ever endeared itself to me the way Earthbound has. I only played it a couple of years ago, but it still has the most charm and heart I've seen in the medium. The dialogue and music are still great after all these years, though the battle system isn't my cup of tea. It was heartfelt without being corny, and it delivered its themes with a light hand. The final battle is something that cemented it as one of my favorite games of all times.
Xenoblade Chronicles: A beautiful fusion of different RPG styles. The story wasn't spectacular, but it was pretty good. The battle system was really fun and had a lot of depth once you got further in the game. It was a pretty great showing of what the Wii was really capable of in terms of scale by producing this giant world for you to explore. That's all great, whatever, but the music blew me away. Shimomura especially outdid herself.
Valkyria Chronicles: It was sort of light on the RPG elements but I guess it still counts since other people are listing it. The art direction goes without saying, but it really is one of the things that impacted me most with this game. This is a weird one for me, because I thought the strategy aspect was pretty light and easy, but at the same time super fun and satisfying.
Tales of Symphonia: This was my introduction to the Tales series, but more importantly, my introduction to the battle system, which is the reason it is up here. I thought the story was pretty inoffensive though they pull pretty much every cliche in the book. Not much else to say about this.
Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga: While I loved the gameplay and the way encounters work, I think the writing really made this game. It was everything I would expect from a Paper Mario game, which is about the highest compliment I can pay to comedy in games.
Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation 2: Another SRPG. Like Radiant Dawn, I thought this was a strong follow up, but unlike Radiant Dawn I thought the prequel was lacking. It fixed pretty much any complaints I had with the first game, returned with great music, and a strong cast and story.
Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean: Horrible voice acting aside, I thought the environments were really cool, the combat actually required some thought, and the characters were likable. I never got around to the sequel, unfortunately.
Honorable mentions:
Disgaea: Great story, characters, and music however, strategy was replaced by grinding.
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones: Because when your country gets attacked you don't sit their and defend, you grab the four closest guys and lunge right into enemy territory.
Pokemon Black/White: I think I would have enjoyed this game more if I had some sort of math doctorate.
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance: It was my introduction to the series and the genre, and I don't think I've ever clicked with a game like this before. I absolutely loved it. I jumped in on hard, played like an amateur but slowly picked up what I was doing, and by the end I was leading an army into battle with the mindset that everyone was coming back alive. These games are designed to make you to care about 20-30 soldiers that you don't want to lose, each with a name and story, and that's what makes the games so difficult.
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn: They are two parts of the same game so I can't not mention it. Radiant Dawn is the game that happens after the "Happily Ever After" in games where a war occurs. It tells the story of strife that occurs after war has subsided and the politicians regain power. Not only that, but it tells it from all angles, meaning you're often fighting against the crew you were just controlling. It's also unapologetically difficult right from the start, and I love it for that.
The World Ends With You: Who knew Square still had it in them? It turned out to be a pretty innovative collaboration with Jupiter. The story may have been the same generic stuff about a kid whose heart grew three sizes that day but it's told in an incredibly unique way. I don't think there's anything I didn't like about the game. The battle system is unique, the music is great for the theme, everything is adjustable, there's a collection aspect, plenty of post game content. There's really nothing this game didn't do, and it did it all really well. I've never experienced anything quite like this before, and it came at a time I thought nothing could surprise me anymore.
Earthbound: I don't think a game has ever endeared itself to me the way Earthbound has. I only played it a couple of years ago, but it still has the most charm and heart I've seen in the medium. The dialogue and music are still great after all these years, though the battle system isn't my cup of tea. It was heartfelt without being corny, and it delivered its themes with a light hand. The final battle is something that cemented it as one of my favorite games of all times.
Xenoblade Chronicles: A beautiful fusion of different RPG styles. The story wasn't spectacular, but it was pretty good. The battle system was really fun and had a lot of depth once you got further in the game. It was a pretty great showing of what the Wii was really capable of in terms of scale by producing this giant world for you to explore. That's all great, whatever, but the music blew me away. Shimomura especially outdid herself.
Valkyria Chronicles: It was sort of light on the RPG elements but I guess it still counts since other people are listing it. The art direction goes without saying, but it really is one of the things that impacted me most with this game. This is a weird one for me, because I thought the strategy aspect was pretty light and easy, but at the same time super fun and satisfying.
Tales of Symphonia: This was my introduction to the Tales series, but more importantly, my introduction to the battle system, which is the reason it is up here. I thought the story was pretty inoffensive though they pull pretty much every cliche in the book. Not much else to say about this.
Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga: While I loved the gameplay and the way encounters work, I think the writing really made this game. It was everything I would expect from a Paper Mario game, which is about the highest compliment I can pay to comedy in games.
Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation 2: Another SRPG. Like Radiant Dawn, I thought this was a strong follow up, but unlike Radiant Dawn I thought the prequel was lacking. It fixed pretty much any complaints I had with the first game, returned with great music, and a strong cast and story.
Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean: Horrible voice acting aside, I thought the environments were really cool, the combat actually required some thought, and the characters were likable. I never got around to the sequel, unfortunately.
Honorable mentions:
Disgaea: Great story, characters, and music however, strategy was replaced by grinding.
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones: Because when your country gets attacked you don't sit their and defend, you grab the four closest guys and lunge right into enemy territory.
Pokemon Black/White: I think I would have enjoyed this game more if I had some sort of math doctorate.
bigdaddygamebot
Member
This thread is chock full of great recommendations. I wouldn't need to buy a game for two years straight if all I did was play games from this thread.
1. Final Fantasy VIII - perfection. never change.
2. Final Fantasy VII - outmatched by VIII in every way except for story and characters
3. Final Fantasy X - the last great (offline) Final Fantasy. wonderful designs from Naora and Nomura
4. Dragon Quest V - pinnacle of the series. everything was just right.
5. Xenogears
6. Chrono Cross
7. Dark Cloud
8. Final Fantasy Tactics
9. Ogre Battle
10. Breath of Fire
took out Final Fantasy VI/IX/XI
but they could've easily fit anywhere in the list after #4
nothing from this gen
sad
2. Final Fantasy VII - outmatched by VIII in every way except for story and characters
3. Final Fantasy X - the last great (offline) Final Fantasy. wonderful designs from Naora and Nomura
4. Dragon Quest V - pinnacle of the series. everything was just right.
5. Xenogears
6. Chrono Cross
7. Dark Cloud
8. Final Fantasy Tactics
9. Ogre Battle
10. Breath of Fire
took out Final Fantasy VI/IX/XI
but they could've easily fit anywhere in the list after #4
nothing from this gen
sad
Mavromatis
Member
x2Arcanum: Wonderful setting and the schematics system was really good.
Borderlands: Really fun story, especially with the DLC's.
Chrono Trigger: Great story, ageless graphics.
Diablo II: Great atmosphere, really good item system, wonderful cinematics.
Fallout New Vegas: Really good open world game.
x2Mount and Blade: Warband: Backstabbing politics and a challenging way to kingdom through slashing thousands of people.
Neverwinter Nights: Great story backed by the power of DnD.
Pokémon Red/Blue/Green/Yellow: Simplicity of the pokémon makes it everlasting fun.
Honorable Mention:
Any modable game. Game mods adds users dreams to games.
Borderlands: Really fun story, especially with the DLC's.
Chrono Trigger: Great story, ageless graphics.
Diablo II: Great atmosphere, really good item system, wonderful cinematics.
Fallout New Vegas: Really good open world game.
x2Mount and Blade: Warband: Backstabbing politics and a challenging way to kingdom through slashing thousands of people.
Neverwinter Nights: Great story backed by the power of DnD.
Pokémon Red/Blue/Green/Yellow: Simplicity of the pokémon makes it everlasting fun.
Honorable Mention:
Any modable game. Game mods adds users dreams to games.
Louis Cyphre
Banned
Grandia II - I remember the good old days on the Dreamcast, spent lots of time with this one
Diablo - Such a fun game with all the looting
Mass Effect - Love the universe and characters
Mass Effect 2 - Same as above but with better gameplay mechanics but lesser of an RPG
Valkyria Chronicles - Love the art style
Demon Souls - Hard game getting started but so rewarding
KOTOR - It's Star Wars, need we say more?
Deus Ex - Such a classic
Skies of Arcadia - Another great RPG on the Dreamcast
Jade Empire - It really does deserve a sequel
I think Grandia II was my first RPG that I got totally sucked into which is why it should be the one that's bold.
Diablo - Such a fun game with all the looting
Mass Effect - Love the universe and characters
Mass Effect 2 - Same as above but with better gameplay mechanics but lesser of an RPG
Valkyria Chronicles - Love the art style
Demon Souls - Hard game getting started but so rewarding
KOTOR - It's Star Wars, need we say more?
Deus Ex - Such a classic
Skies of Arcadia - Another great RPG on the Dreamcast
Jade Empire - It really does deserve a sequel
I think Grandia II was my first RPG that I got totally sucked into which is why it should be the one that's bold.
theDeeDubs
Member
I got a lot of Vagrant Story vibes from the castle areas in Demon's Souls too. It was a big reason I loved DS so much.
bigdaddygamebot
Member
Not sure if you tried Xenoblade. It's pretty special.
Also, I've heard solid things about Lost Odyssey and Tales of Vesperia as well. (on my to do list)
Valkyria Chronicles is also pretty great if you haven't tried it.
I saw White Knight Chronicles II on sale for $25 so I picked it up. I'm hoping it's interesting.
It's also nice to see Alpha Protocol getting some love.
Rei no Otaku
Member
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - I was never much of a PC gamer so this was my introduction to Western RPGs, and what an introduction it was. Still one of my favorite games of all time. I've played through it more times than I can count.
Shadow Hearts Covenant - A great sequel to a great game. Yuri and Alice have probably my favorite relationship out of any game, and that says a lot considering Alice isn't even really in Covenant. The characters and music are fantastic.
Mass Effect 2 - Yes, I still consider this a RPG. While the game seems to get a lot of hate here I still love it.
Dragon Age - Another Bioware game I really enjoyed. I think I've played through the game with every character type and gotten all possible endings.
Suikoden 2 - My favorite JRPG of all time. Such an amazing story and characters.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - Already well over 120 hours into it, and loving it.
Persona 3 - I especially liked the portable version. Something about the way the game was broken up made it awesome to play on the go.
Tales of Legendia - I seem to be the only one who likes this one. While the battle system isn't as good as other games in the series, the characters were great and the soundtrack is phenomenal.
Shadow Hearts Covenant - A great sequel to a great game. Yuri and Alice have probably my favorite relationship out of any game, and that says a lot considering Alice isn't even really in Covenant. The characters and music are fantastic.
Mass Effect 2 - Yes, I still consider this a RPG. While the game seems to get a lot of hate here I still love it.
Dragon Age - Another Bioware game I really enjoyed. I think I've played through the game with every character type and gotten all possible endings.
Suikoden 2 - My favorite JRPG of all time. Such an amazing story and characters.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - Already well over 120 hours into it, and loving it.
Persona 3 - I especially liked the portable version. Something about the way the game was broken up made it awesome to play on the go.
Tales of Legendia - I seem to be the only one who likes this one. While the battle system isn't as good as other games in the series, the characters were great and the soundtrack is phenomenal.
NaughtyCalibur
Member
I've got a killer headache right now and am partially sleep deprived, so this list may be a little off due to me forgetting certain titles. But regardless, here's 10 RPGs I absolutely love.
Mass Effect -- Everything about this game felt so damn grandiose. The music, the story, the setting -- everything. For the first time in a long time, I became completely immersed in a game. Mass Effect 2 may have had better gameplay, but it simply didn't reach the same scope of storytelling and immersion I felt with ME1, which is an important part of the RPG genre.
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind -- Being a console gamer for most of my life, this is THE game that convinced me of the potential that western RPGs hold. It also remains my favorite game in the series. Oblivion and Skyrim's level scaling annoyances and various other restrictions and issues that didn't exist in Morrowind make me wish I never played that game when it came out on Xbox back in 2002, as it's really hindered how much I enjoyed both of those games.
Final Fantasy VIII -- Perhaps a bit biased here, as this was technically my first RPG (or at least first one I cared enough for to complete), but this is seriously one of the better Final Fantasy games as far as I'm concerned. Arguably not regarding gameplay, but the overall storytelling and art direction resonated with me moreso than the wildly popular FFVII. The ending, as much of a mind fuck as it was, is still one of my favorite endings to a game, ever.
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne In short? Fucking BADASS. I was accustomed to JRPGs being bright, colorful and typically very childish in nature, and then this game is introduced to me by a friend of mine and all of my preconceptions regarding the genre are turned upside down. The music, the enemies, the setting, and the gameplay are equally phenomenal. It was also very challenging (beat it on Hard Mode), which made for a rewarding experience that no JRPG had ever given me before. It also helps that I'm a sucker for monster training games, and this is one of the best out there.
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness -- First SRPG I ever played, and it ate my soul. I sunk 500+ hours into this beast, and the only reason why I stopped was to maintain some kind of social life. So much customization, so many classes, side-quests, and an infinite number of randomly generated dungeons to explore = goodbye, life.
Star Ocean: The Second Story -- Crappy storyline for sure. Horrid voice acting unlike anything you've ever heard, but the gameplay... my GOD the gameplay. So good. Sunk 70+ hours into this sucker and would have easily sunk another 70 if I hadn't 100%'ed it by then.
Final Fantasy X -- I admittedly didn't enjoy this game on my first playthrough. But after giving it another go and exploring all of its features, I ended up putting over 200 hours into it and realize that it's about as good an RPG as they come.
Chrono Trigger -- I don't even think this deserves much of an explanation. Brilliant game on so many levels. It doesn't hurt that I looooove time travel plots, and I first played it while going through a Dragon Ball Z phase in Jr. High. Dat Akira Toriyama art. :3
Dragon Warrior Monsters -- While everyone else was obsessed with Pokemon Blue, Red, Yellow and whateverthefuck, I was the only kid in school playing this. The monster breeding was addictive as hell, and the overall gameplay was much more fun to me. I'm happy to see it's getting a remake!
Grandia II -- First RPG I got on Dreamcast and I was BLOWN AWAY. The storyline definitely isn't anything to write home about, but the gameplay is so addicting that I NEVER avoided a battle. I understand that the first Grandia is superior in many ways, but I never beat that one so I didn't want to include it. However, I did manage to sink at least 15 hours into it and yes, it's incredible.
There's a lot of other RPGs that I've played, loved but didn't beat for whatever reason. These include Xenogears, DQVIII, Super Mario RPG, The Witcher, and many more. I'll consider them to be honorable mentions.
Mass Effect -- Everything about this game felt so damn grandiose. The music, the story, the setting -- everything. For the first time in a long time, I became completely immersed in a game. Mass Effect 2 may have had better gameplay, but it simply didn't reach the same scope of storytelling and immersion I felt with ME1, which is an important part of the RPG genre.
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind -- Being a console gamer for most of my life, this is THE game that convinced me of the potential that western RPGs hold. It also remains my favorite game in the series. Oblivion and Skyrim's level scaling annoyances and various other restrictions and issues that didn't exist in Morrowind make me wish I never played that game when it came out on Xbox back in 2002, as it's really hindered how much I enjoyed both of those games.
Final Fantasy VIII -- Perhaps a bit biased here, as this was technically my first RPG (or at least first one I cared enough for to complete), but this is seriously one of the better Final Fantasy games as far as I'm concerned. Arguably not regarding gameplay, but the overall storytelling and art direction resonated with me moreso than the wildly popular FFVII. The ending, as much of a mind fuck as it was, is still one of my favorite endings to a game, ever.
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne In short? Fucking BADASS. I was accustomed to JRPGs being bright, colorful and typically very childish in nature, and then this game is introduced to me by a friend of mine and all of my preconceptions regarding the genre are turned upside down. The music, the enemies, the setting, and the gameplay are equally phenomenal. It was also very challenging (beat it on Hard Mode), which made for a rewarding experience that no JRPG had ever given me before. It also helps that I'm a sucker for monster training games, and this is one of the best out there.
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness -- First SRPG I ever played, and it ate my soul. I sunk 500+ hours into this beast, and the only reason why I stopped was to maintain some kind of social life. So much customization, so many classes, side-quests, and an infinite number of randomly generated dungeons to explore = goodbye, life.
Star Ocean: The Second Story -- Crappy storyline for sure. Horrid voice acting unlike anything you've ever heard, but the gameplay... my GOD the gameplay. So good. Sunk 70+ hours into this sucker and would have easily sunk another 70 if I hadn't 100%'ed it by then.
Final Fantasy X -- I admittedly didn't enjoy this game on my first playthrough. But after giving it another go and exploring all of its features, I ended up putting over 200 hours into it and realize that it's about as good an RPG as they come.
Chrono Trigger -- I don't even think this deserves much of an explanation. Brilliant game on so many levels. It doesn't hurt that I looooove time travel plots, and I first played it while going through a Dragon Ball Z phase in Jr. High. Dat Akira Toriyama art. :3
Dragon Warrior Monsters -- While everyone else was obsessed with Pokemon Blue, Red, Yellow and whateverthefuck, I was the only kid in school playing this. The monster breeding was addictive as hell, and the overall gameplay was much more fun to me. I'm happy to see it's getting a remake!
Grandia II -- First RPG I got on Dreamcast and I was BLOWN AWAY. The storyline definitely isn't anything to write home about, but the gameplay is so addicting that I NEVER avoided a battle. I understand that the first Grandia is superior in many ways, but I never beat that one so I didn't want to include it. However, I did manage to sink at least 15 hours into it and yes, it's incredible.
There's a lot of other RPGs that I've played, loved but didn't beat for whatever reason. These include Xenogears, DQVIII, Super Mario RPG, The Witcher, and many more. I'll consider them to be honorable mentions.
corporateslave
Neo Member
This is a great thread! RPG's have always been my preferred game genre and its hard to condense my list to 10. I've played dozens of RPG's over the year but my OCD play tendencies tend to prevent me from finishing the vast majority of them. But the list below contains games that even with my mad quest to finish every quest line/obtain every item I still completed the game (or in the case of MMO's became hooked).
- [*]Morrowind - Double points! I played Arena first and daggerfall as well, but never really got far in either. Morrowind however took over my life when it was released like no other game before had done. I played this game completely through 3 times, spending probably 400 hours on the Vanilla version, unmodded. Cliffracers attack! I ended up buying the fantastic strategy guide after completing my first playthrough so I could see every quest and item in the world. Beautiful for its time, my ex-roommate still makes fun of me for calling him into my room to look at the water graphics, which were amazing for the time.
- Everquest - My first MMO, I remember many aspects of this game very fondly. I experienced so many things with this game, from online weddings to sneaking into the dark elf city as a paladin with a Dark Elf friend. I camped in a corner while random trolls and dark elves /spat on me. People actually role played in EQ and the fan base I played with was much more mature then the future MMO crowds I played with. Though I never got so far as raiding or end game content, no game has ever made me fear for my virtual life so much as running from a giant in the commonlands.
- SMT:Nocturne - I played this game on 2 continents. This game made me invest in a PS2 slim just so I could take this game with me and plug it into my hotel when I traveled for business. It took me forever to beat but this game is one of the most "complete" games I have ever played. Challenging gameplay , multiple paths and endings. The fantastic art direction gave this game a "feel" that few games have ever rivaled. I still need to get myself a demi fiend tattoo.
- Final Fantasy 1(NA NES) - I played this game a kid way back when and it probably changed my life forever. This game and Sid Meirs pirates forever impressed upon my brain what gaming was all about. While the game doesn't hold up as well as many future FF games, this game is largely what made me passionate about RPG's. The opening Midi title music is probably my all time favorite game music since it makes me feel like a child again, NES controller in hand, glued to the TV lost in the game.
- Kings Bounty (original, not the remake) - Similar to FF 1 this game introduced me to strategy mechanics within a fantasy setting. While maybe not a pure "RPG" the game had enough RPG mechanics that I feel justified adding it here. The game was short, with a play thorough being completable within 1-3 hours. The game had near infinite replay value. I sank a ton of hours on this game, playing on the C64. I would specifically visit my uncles house largely to play this game. The remakes are also quite good but the nostalgia factor catapults the original onto my list.
- Skyrim - My new favorite. No need to elaborate as many other people already have extolled this games virtues. Needless to say, any game I spend 100+ hours on and have not completed more then 3 main quest missions, must be doing something right.
- Persona 3 - I played Persona 1 on the PS and loved it. I played Person 2 EP as well. However Persona 3 was a game changer. I replayed this game twice (second play through being FES) on the PS2 and twice more on the PSP. So altogether I bought this game 3 times, original, FES and PSP. The game must be doing something right for me to drop that much cash on it.
- Persona 4 - I'm in the minority that prefers 3 over 4 but 4 is also a must play game. I introduced my younger brother in law to persona and 4 has become his favorite all time game. Persona is therefore helping me proselytize folks in the religion of sublime RPG's.
- World of Warcraft - After playing EQ, WoW added the polish that EQ never had and upped the addiction factor by a factor of ten. I started Wow back in the original pre expansion days when Strat was end game content and played through WotLK. I had to quit because I became a family man and could just not spend the hours on the game anymore. But while it lasted, Wow provided the highest ROI on pure gaming pleasure for my money spent. I still miss playing Wow and hit the official forums from time to time just to see how the game plays nowadays.
- Knights of the Old Republic - I, like most guys my age, love star wars. So a SW RPG seemed like a no brainer. The fact that the game was made of pure awesome was just a bonus. This is another game I finished multiple times, once to be "good" and another to be "evil" It's a shame KOTR2 wasn't quite as good but KOTOR on its own was a game that made playing a CPRG an occasion to miss a lot of sleep.
King's Field 1? As in the original Japanese King's Field that never made it to the states? Or are you technically talking about King's Field II, which is called King's Field 1 in NA? I'm very happy and surprised to see someone mention the old King's Field games. Demon's/Dark Souls wouldn't be what they are today without those games. Have you played the PS2 King's Field title, Ancient City? I'm surprised that isn't your favorite in the series. I know the original King's Field games were quite ground breaking for their time, but Ancient City, in my opinion, is the best one. It's so good that I still feel the need to alter my list and include it in my top 10.
You can list more than 10 (with explanations) if you want, but for voting purposes, I will just take your first 10. We already have over 120 people who have participated, and there is still over a week to go before I will tally votes. We should be able to get a big enough sample size to make a top 100.
1. Baldur's Gate 2 (2 points)
2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
3. Demon's Souls
4. Neverwinter Nights (especially Hordes of the Underdark)
5. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
6. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
7. Diablo
8. Guild Wars
9. Baldur's Gate
10. Dragon Age: Origins
Honorable mentions:
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Fallout 3
Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of Betrayer
2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
3. Demon's Souls
4. Neverwinter Nights (especially Hordes of the Underdark)
5. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
6. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
7. Diablo
8. Guild Wars
9. Baldur's Gate
10. Dragon Age: Origins
Honorable mentions:
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Fallout 3
Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of Betrayer
ZephyrFate
Banned
1. SMT: Nocturne (2 points)
2. Shadow Hearts
3. Nier
4. Digital Devil Saga
5. Final Fantasy IX
6. Chrono Trigger
7. Xenoblade
8. Shadow Hearts: From the New World
9. Final Fantasy XIII-2
10. Chrono Cross
2. Shadow Hearts
3. Nier
4. Digital Devil Saga
5. Final Fantasy IX
6. Chrono Trigger
7. Xenoblade
8. Shadow Hearts: From the New World
9. Final Fantasy XIII-2
10. Chrono Cross
AzureSkies
Member
1. Digital Devil Saga
2. Persona 4
3. Chrono Trigger
4. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
5. Demon's Souls
6. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
7. Final Fantasy VI
8. Phantasy Star Online
9. Final Fantasy XII
10. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
2. Persona 4
3. Chrono Trigger
4. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
5. Demon's Souls
6. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
7. Final Fantasy VI
8. Phantasy Star Online
9. Final Fantasy XII
10. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
I bought it for $10 and regret it. At best its very lame and the opposite of interesting.Not sure if you tried Xenoblade. It's pretty special.
Also, I've heard solid things about Lost Odyssey and Tales of Vesperia as well. (on my to do list)
Valkyria Chronicles is also pretty great if you haven't tried it.
I saw White Knight Chronicles II on sale for $25 so I picked it up. I'm hoping it's interesting.
It's also nice to see Alpha Protocol getting some love.
Tribes of Trusty
Member
1. Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)
IMHO a nearly perfect JRPG : Beautiful game despite being on Wii and cannot compete with its HD counterparts. It's absoletuly a blast to play : the characters are endearing, the English dub is good, the combat system is good, the games gives you a sense of exploration never felt before. There's also the fact that there are several game mechanisms (quick travel, changing time of the day, instantaneous sidequest reward, auto-healing after battles) that makes no sense on a story level but are there to make your life easier and the game more enjoyable. For me, the game has perfectly accomplished something that I think is really important in video games : the story must serve the gameplay, not the contrary. Definitely my RPG of the year.
2. Deus Ex : Human Revolution (PC/PS360)
A worthy sequel. Even if the game suffers from some hiccups (boss battles, useless praxis evolutions, uncanny lipsync, etc), the main character is likeable, the gameplay possibilites makes you really feel you are in control and makes multiple playthroughs interesting. The stealth was really well done, superior to the MGS series that I love. My WRPG of the year.
3. Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES (PS2)
The game that made me interested in Atlus's realeases. I played dungeon RPG before like Dark Chronicles or Rogue Galaxy, but I didn't really like them. Persona 3 achieves to make hours and hours of grinding in the Tartarus really fun with its "Press Turn System" and its Personas fusions. Plus I really enjoyed the high school setting, the S-Links system, the music and the scenario. The FES extension, while unfair and though as nails, gives an interesting epilogue to the story.
4. Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 4 (PS2)
Basically Persona 3 but better. There are some little problems (such as the weather system not really efficient in creating the tense atmosphere intended by the creators), the intro is really long, but overall, I even think P4 is a superior game to P3, and a welcome breather after P3 stifling story. Plus it has one of the best ending and boss battle of all time.
5. The World Ends With You / Subarashiki Kono Sekai (NDS)
Alas one of the lesser known Sqeenix's RPG, and it's a shame, because like Xenoblade above, the game is designed with its gameplay and portability in mind first. You can retry battles, you can enter battle anytime you want, modify the difficulty, and the game even rewards you for not playing. The combat system is really interesting and fun to play, with several supporting characters, each playing differently from the last. I also liked the music (J-Pop and J-Rock mainly), and the story subverts Squeenix's usual tropes. Neku is a jerk, but becomes likable over time. The hidden reports you can collect after the ending add to the game's world and replay value, and the "What if ?" scenario is fun to play (with its share of shout outs and Take That ! at other Squeenix's games and characters).
Also it has one of the best boss of all time : Sho Minamimoto (SOHCAHTOA SO ZETTA SLOW LEVEL i FLARE)
6. Pokémon Black & White (NDS)
The last Pokémon games I really played and enjoyed were Gold/Silver. I remember not really liking the following games, I felt them too outdated.
The leap between Gen. 2 and these was mindblowing. The game felt really more fluid to play. The fact you only had 150 new pokémon to play with reminded me of the originals, which is a good thing. The music is great, and the scenario is a little more elaborated in this one.
Plus my 8 years-old self would've killed to have those WiFi features that permits you to exchange pokémon and battle over the internet so easily.
7. Dragon Quest VIII (PS2)
My first Draque game, and I loved it, finished it in about 110 hours (first time I had passed such amount of time on a signle game, the previous record was FFVII with around 70 hours). The game is very straightforward in its execution and gameplay, even if they added orchestral music and dub for the occidental versions. What I like most about the game at the time was the scale of the world and the sense of wonder you get when you just went exploring around. Plus the fact that you had to earn your happy ending.
8. Star Ocean : Till The End of Time (PS2)
I know what you're all thinking about : the infamous plot twist the changed everyone's perception of the series forever.
Except this, it is a very solid game, with one of my favourite battle systems ever. The post-game content is just incredible, with a ton of stuff to do. Also it's the first game I say with an achievement/trophy system (with some incredibly pushy one to obtain).
9. Kingdom Hearts 2 (PS2)
One of the best looking game for PS2, Kingdom Hearts reunites the best of Disney's and Square's world into an awesome experience. Sure, at times the game looks more like a button masher than a RPG and the exploration of KH1 is quite gone, but overall the fighting is really enjoyable, with a lot of tweaks added to the gameplay, the multitude of Disney worlds to discover, makes a great game. It also has marked the beggining of "WTF is going on" about the scenario (Birth By Sleep somewhat got better at this).
10. Final Fantasy VII (PS)
The first RPG for a lot of persons. Even if the game is ugggglllyyyy today, the story doesn't look as awesome as it did to your 10 years old self, the environment is still appealing, you still try to find the "ultimate" materia combination, the game is still fun to play. Plus, Golden Saucer and Chocobrodeo/Chocobo breeding.
IMHO a nearly perfect JRPG : Beautiful game despite being on Wii and cannot compete with its HD counterparts. It's absoletuly a blast to play : the characters are endearing, the English dub is good, the combat system is good, the games gives you a sense of exploration never felt before. There's also the fact that there are several game mechanisms (quick travel, changing time of the day, instantaneous sidequest reward, auto-healing after battles) that makes no sense on a story level but are there to make your life easier and the game more enjoyable. For me, the game has perfectly accomplished something that I think is really important in video games : the story must serve the gameplay, not the contrary. Definitely my RPG of the year.
2. Deus Ex : Human Revolution (PC/PS360)
A worthy sequel. Even if the game suffers from some hiccups (boss battles, useless praxis evolutions, uncanny lipsync, etc), the main character is likeable, the gameplay possibilites makes you really feel you are in control and makes multiple playthroughs interesting. The stealth was really well done, superior to the MGS series that I love. My WRPG of the year.
3. Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 3 FES (PS2)
The game that made me interested in Atlus's realeases. I played dungeon RPG before like Dark Chronicles or Rogue Galaxy, but I didn't really like them. Persona 3 achieves to make hours and hours of grinding in the Tartarus really fun with its "Press Turn System" and its Personas fusions. Plus I really enjoyed the high school setting, the S-Links system, the music and the scenario. The FES extension, while unfair and though as nails, gives an interesting epilogue to the story.
4. Shin Megami Tensei : Persona 4 (PS2)
Basically Persona 3 but better. There are some little problems (such as the weather system not really efficient in creating the tense atmosphere intended by the creators), the intro is really long, but overall, I even think P4 is a superior game to P3, and a welcome breather after P3 stifling story. Plus it has one of the best ending and boss battle of all time.
5. The World Ends With You / Subarashiki Kono Sekai (NDS)
Alas one of the lesser known Sqeenix's RPG, and it's a shame, because like Xenoblade above, the game is designed with its gameplay and portability in mind first. You can retry battles, you can enter battle anytime you want, modify the difficulty, and the game even rewards you for not playing. The combat system is really interesting and fun to play, with several supporting characters, each playing differently from the last. I also liked the music (J-Pop and J-Rock mainly), and the story subverts Squeenix's usual tropes. Neku is a jerk, but becomes likable over time. The hidden reports you can collect after the ending add to the game's world and replay value, and the "What if ?" scenario is fun to play (with its share of shout outs and Take That ! at other Squeenix's games and characters).
Also it has one of the best boss of all time : Sho Minamimoto (SOHCAHTOA SO ZETTA SLOW LEVEL i FLARE)
6. Pokémon Black & White (NDS)
The last Pokémon games I really played and enjoyed were Gold/Silver. I remember not really liking the following games, I felt them too outdated.
The leap between Gen. 2 and these was mindblowing. The game felt really more fluid to play. The fact you only had 150 new pokémon to play with reminded me of the originals, which is a good thing. The music is great, and the scenario is a little more elaborated in this one.
Plus my 8 years-old self would've killed to have those WiFi features that permits you to exchange pokémon and battle over the internet so easily.
7. Dragon Quest VIII (PS2)
My first Draque game, and I loved it, finished it in about 110 hours (first time I had passed such amount of time on a signle game, the previous record was FFVII with around 70 hours). The game is very straightforward in its execution and gameplay, even if they added orchestral music and dub for the occidental versions. What I like most about the game at the time was the scale of the world and the sense of wonder you get when you just went exploring around. Plus the fact that you had to earn your happy ending.
8. Star Ocean : Till The End of Time (PS2)
I know what you're all thinking about : the infamous plot twist the changed everyone's perception of the series forever.
Except this, it is a very solid game, with one of my favourite battle systems ever. The post-game content is just incredible, with a ton of stuff to do. Also it's the first game I say with an achievement/trophy system (with some incredibly pushy one to obtain).
9. Kingdom Hearts 2 (PS2)
One of the best looking game for PS2, Kingdom Hearts reunites the best of Disney's and Square's world into an awesome experience. Sure, at times the game looks more like a button masher than a RPG and the exploration of KH1 is quite gone, but overall the fighting is really enjoyable, with a lot of tweaks added to the gameplay, the multitude of Disney worlds to discover, makes a great game. It also has marked the beggining of "WTF is going on" about the scenario (Birth By Sleep somewhat got better at this).
10. Final Fantasy VII (PS)
The first RPG for a lot of persons. Even if the game is ugggglllyyyy today, the story doesn't look as awesome as it did to your 10 years old self, the environment is still appealing, you still try to find the "ultimate" materia combination, the game is still fun to play. Plus, Golden Saucer and Chocobrodeo/Chocobo breeding.
- Dark Souls [2 points]
While it could be argued its closer to an action game than to what we understand as an RPG, this is the only game where I've felt transported, body and spirit, to another world.
Where I was left, no map in hand, no idea of whats ahead, holding a sword and a shield and hoping the blade is sharp enough to do its job.
Dark Souls allowed me to have a tremendously long adventure full of memorable moments, both on my own and with my fellow players, supporting phantoms and invaders alike; a journey choke full of rewards for the persistent and curious ones.
The way the story and the world gradually reveal themselves, combined with the requirements of attention and skill and personal choice -- you end up seeing a lot of yourself in your progression arc, and in the general game's experience.
Picked this one over Demon's because I feel Dark Souls offers a fuller experience, more mature in craftmanship, and tops it with what seems to be an endless amount of content. Losing a few bits of what made Demon's special, but gaining in other ways.
- Vagrant Story
- Planescape Torment
- Final Fantasy VI
- Deus Ex
- Valkyria Chronicles
- Diablo 2
- Knights of the Old Republic
- Anachronox (I somehow need to justify this one but if theres a game that made me wade through mediocre gameplay for its characters, its this one)
- Nier (aaand this is the second one of the interesting characters & mediocre gameplay combination)
I'm not even sure if I've played 10 RPG's over the years, I mean I think I have, its just some were so long ago, i can't quite remember why I loved them, I just know that I did.
1. Mass Effect 1 - This is really the only one that can be considered an RPG in the series, while 2 had plenty of interesting characters, never have I liked a character in a game as much as I do Wrex Urdnot, I can remember just getting sucked into the sci-fi world.
2. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic - I don't even remember much from this game, but it might have been my first taste of the RPG genre, It felt like I was playing a Star Wars game, and not some RPG with the star wars name tacked on.
3. Radiant Historia (+1 point) - I love love love the idea of time travel when it's done right, and this game actually takes that and ups the ante, I just played this after I got my 3ds, and it didn't disappoint. I fell in love with changing the story, and was obsessed with getting the good ending. This game reminded me of one of those choose your own adventure books, where you could do something that would make the game end, and then go back and make the different choice that keeps the game going.
4. Final Fantasy IV - I really hope I got the number right, just because the numbering system (japan vs US) confuses the shit out of me, but I remember going into this one with high expectations as it was being touted as one of the best final fantasy games in the series and it really didn't disappoint.
5. Demons Souls - I wish I could tell you what this game meant to me, but even I dont know, it is the most depressing game I've ever played, and thats a really really good thing. I remember Boletaria and the nexus. There was nothing like finally getting by that boss that you've died to 10 or 20 times or sometimes far far more.
6. Dark Souls - Almost the same as above, only a little less depressing, but far more involved, I can happily say that I JUST got done platinuming this, and can finally put it on the shelf for a while, because it sucked a week of my life away (185 hours), and I honestly didn't want it to end.
7. Jeanne D'arc - I remember painstakingly going over every character that I brought into battle just because bringing the wrong person in, and leaving someone out meant total death for my squad. Interesting characters along with really fun fights.
8. Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time - I know most people hate the babies, and as characters they kind of leave a lot to be desired, but this game is the one that hit home most for me. At a time in my life when I needed something to distract me from the things going on around in my life, it was easy to get lost in the fantastical world of mario and luigi.
9. Pokemon Blue/Red - I mean come on, any one my age kind of remembers the craze in school, and how much pokemon meant to them. You'll always remember your first pokemon (Mine was Squirtle). while the others might have better gameplay, This is the one I remember most fondly because it was the whole craze, and of course cheating to get Mew.
10. Might and Magic Clash of Heroes - Not even sure if this count's as an RPG since its the hybrid RPG/Puzzler which I love. I was almost tempted to include the one that started them all (puzzle quest) but I prefer this game and also felt it might have been a little bit more of an RPG
1. Mass Effect 1 - This is really the only one that can be considered an RPG in the series, while 2 had plenty of interesting characters, never have I liked a character in a game as much as I do Wrex Urdnot, I can remember just getting sucked into the sci-fi world.
2. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic - I don't even remember much from this game, but it might have been my first taste of the RPG genre, It felt like I was playing a Star Wars game, and not some RPG with the star wars name tacked on.
3. Radiant Historia (+1 point) - I love love love the idea of time travel when it's done right, and this game actually takes that and ups the ante, I just played this after I got my 3ds, and it didn't disappoint. I fell in love with changing the story, and was obsessed with getting the good ending. This game reminded me of one of those choose your own adventure books, where you could do something that would make the game end, and then go back and make the different choice that keeps the game going.
4. Final Fantasy IV - I really hope I got the number right, just because the numbering system (japan vs US) confuses the shit out of me, but I remember going into this one with high expectations as it was being touted as one of the best final fantasy games in the series and it really didn't disappoint.
5. Demons Souls - I wish I could tell you what this game meant to me, but even I dont know, it is the most depressing game I've ever played, and thats a really really good thing. I remember Boletaria and the nexus. There was nothing like finally getting by that boss that you've died to 10 or 20 times or sometimes far far more.
6. Dark Souls - Almost the same as above, only a little less depressing, but far more involved, I can happily say that I JUST got done platinuming this, and can finally put it on the shelf for a while, because it sucked a week of my life away (185 hours), and I honestly didn't want it to end.
7. Jeanne D'arc - I remember painstakingly going over every character that I brought into battle just because bringing the wrong person in, and leaving someone out meant total death for my squad. Interesting characters along with really fun fights.
8. Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time - I know most people hate the babies, and as characters they kind of leave a lot to be desired, but this game is the one that hit home most for me. At a time in my life when I needed something to distract me from the things going on around in my life, it was easy to get lost in the fantastical world of mario and luigi.
9. Pokemon Blue/Red - I mean come on, any one my age kind of remembers the craze in school, and how much pokemon meant to them. You'll always remember your first pokemon (Mine was Squirtle). while the others might have better gameplay, This is the one I remember most fondly because it was the whole craze, and of course cheating to get Mew
. 10. Might and Magic Clash of Heroes - Not even sure if this count's as an RPG since its the hybrid RPG/Puzzler which I love. I was almost tempted to include the one that started them all (puzzle quest) but I prefer this game and also felt it might have been a little bit more of an RPG
Most of the current gen jrpgs making people's top 10 lists seem to be handheld games. Makes sense given Japan's switch to handhelds as their main focus. I can't imagine any hasrdcore jrpg fans NOT owning a DS/PSP at this point.
Chrono Trigger: Just an endearing RPG. Wonderful story, fun characters and fantastic design for look and sound. Easy game main path but allowing you to challenge the last boss at numerous points of the game with NG+ is a great touch. The one RPG I have actually beaten numerous times and not stopped part way through a replay.
FFVII/FFVIII/FFIX: All three are joined together in my mind, like an anthology of short stories or something. I remember first playing FFVII at a friend's birthday party when I was 13 and completely ignoring the rest of the people there. I had no memory card so I couldn't save or anything (and it wasn't mine to begin with!) so as the night ended I was left wanting so much more. Ended up saving all my allowance and selling my Genesis (with mint copies of Phantasy Star 2-4, all with guides... a mistake ;_; ) to buy a PSone and FFVII. I got a guitar the same day and my parents wondered why I never wanted to play it... The music is etched into my head and to this day I can basically play the game by muscle memory. Only ever fully beat it once though. Always get to Disc 3 and stop playing. FFVIII was all about cards, never beat it either and FFIX was amazing EXCEPT for the battle system, which I felt was a step back from VII/VIII. Very slow. But I remember being wowed at how good it looked and how awesome the magic/skill system was.
Persona 3 & 4: Again, might as well be one game. I heard about P3 on Playstation Nation podcast and thought it sounded fucking lame. High school kids fighting monsters at night time and a relationship sim during the day? Lulz... but while at EB I saw PS3:FES was out and $30 so for whatever reason I bit. So amazing. It consumed my life for a month or so. So much so that I took a sick day when P4 came out and, while I was a bit unsure at first, it became without a doubt my favorite game since the PSone era. Characters are fantastic, great VA, fun and challenging gameplay, love the look and J-Pop. Added bonus of getting my girlfriend into RPG's herself! The wait for P5 is un-bear-able.
Final Fantasy Tactics: My favorite game ever. Amazing. Hundreds and hundreds of hours sunk into this game. Grinding for dozens of hours to get Ramza to a Master Wizard/White Mage/Calculator-Summoner and doing a single character run through of the game. WotL was a great improvement except for the crippling slow down which, for me, makes it unplayable. Still fire it up from time to time and devastate some fools. So amazing.
I'll have to add more...
FFVII/FFVIII/FFIX: All three are joined together in my mind, like an anthology of short stories or something. I remember first playing FFVII at a friend's birthday party when I was 13 and completely ignoring the rest of the people there. I had no memory card so I couldn't save or anything (and it wasn't mine to begin with!) so as the night ended I was left wanting so much more. Ended up saving all my allowance and selling my Genesis (with mint copies of Phantasy Star 2-4, all with guides... a mistake ;_; ) to buy a PSone and FFVII. I got a guitar the same day and my parents wondered why I never wanted to play it... The music is etched into my head and to this day I can basically play the game by muscle memory. Only ever fully beat it once though. Always get to Disc 3 and stop playing. FFVIII was all about cards, never beat it either and FFIX was amazing EXCEPT for the battle system, which I felt was a step back from VII/VIII. Very slow. But I remember being wowed at how good it looked and how awesome the magic/skill system was.
Persona 3 & 4: Again, might as well be one game. I heard about P3 on Playstation Nation podcast and thought it sounded fucking lame. High school kids fighting monsters at night time and a relationship sim during the day? Lulz... but while at EB I saw PS3:FES was out and $30 so for whatever reason I bit. So amazing. It consumed my life for a month or so. So much so that I took a sick day when P4 came out and, while I was a bit unsure at first, it became without a doubt my favorite game since the PSone era. Characters are fantastic, great VA, fun and challenging gameplay, love the look and J-Pop. Added bonus of getting my girlfriend into RPG's herself! The wait for P5 is un-bear-able.
Final Fantasy Tactics: My favorite game ever. Amazing. Hundreds and hundreds of hours sunk into this game. Grinding for dozens of hours to get Ramza to a Master Wizard/White Mage/Calculator-Summoner and doing a single character run through of the game. WotL was a great improvement except for the crippling slow down which, for me, makes it unplayable. Still fire it up from time to time and devastate some fools. So amazing.
I'll have to add more...
In order of personal preference:
Final Fantasy 6 (2 points) - Simply the best cast, story, and villain ever. The OST alone puts it above everything else.
Valkyrie Profile - Voice acting that made every battle a real event. Including the platforming and post-game challenge dungeon make this one a great experience.
Final Fantasy 7 - Materia is the way and Limit Breaks are the light. Doesn't hurt that the protagonist and antagonist are about the most believable rivalry ever.
Chrono Trigger - Incredible use of the time aspect.
Suikoden 2 - A hero with a real and useful following.
Final Fantasy 1 - Throwback? Yes for all the right reasons.
Lost Odyssey - A great first jRPG for the then next-gen consoles
Final Fantasy 6 (2 points) - Simply the best cast, story, and villain ever. The OST alone puts it above everything else.
Valkyrie Profile - Voice acting that made every battle a real event. Including the platforming and post-game challenge dungeon make this one a great experience.
Final Fantasy 7 - Materia is the way and Limit Breaks are the light. Doesn't hurt that the protagonist and antagonist are about the most believable rivalry ever.
Chrono Trigger - Incredible use of the time aspect.
Suikoden 2 - A hero with a real and useful following.
Final Fantasy 1 - Throwback? Yes for all the right reasons.
Lost Odyssey - A great first jRPG for the then next-gen consoles
Xenogears: Yeah it might be unplayable by today's standards but it's still shows that Space opera can be done and done well in RPGs.
Dragon Quest III (2 points): This game just blew so much of my mind and still continues to do so today. I mean it's the end of a trilogy done so right. Include the first modern inception of a "job" system done right. It still holds up today.
Persona 4: Great characters, compelling gameplay, a great story that balances seriousness with whimsy. Also this can show that there can be a huge amount of symbolism in a game and still be palatable.
Xenoblade: It gets so much right and steamlines out so much of the crap in JRPGs and shows that (WITH PROPER MARKETING) jRPGs can still be relevant in the age of pretty but ultimately vapid games of this generation
Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver: The definitive Pokemon experience and beyond that, it's just a really well made game that anyone can enjoy.
Final Fantasy VI: This game really kicked things into high gear for FF. If there was no FFVI, then FFVII would not have been the landmark game it was. Really the entire game was an Opera with leitmotif and all that. It even had an opera in it.
Baldur's Gate II: This really influenced so much in gaming that I feel any list that doesn't call this one out is missing.
The World Ends with You: It had so many sub systems that it could be argued that it was broken. Never the less it was hip and fun and cool. Really set a vision that could be the future for games, if only SquarEnix would follow it up.
Chrono Trigger: Really just pure fun and it introduced many of us to Non-linearality.
Morrowind: Let's face it, you can talk about Skyrim all you want, but Morrowind is the game everyone's chasing.
Dragon Quest III (2 points): This game just blew so much of my mind and still continues to do so today. I mean it's the end of a trilogy done so right. Include the first modern inception of a "job" system done right. It still holds up today.
Persona 4: Great characters, compelling gameplay, a great story that balances seriousness with whimsy. Also this can show that there can be a huge amount of symbolism in a game and still be palatable.
Xenoblade: It gets so much right and steamlines out so much of the crap in JRPGs and shows that (WITH PROPER MARKETING) jRPGs can still be relevant in the age of pretty but ultimately vapid games of this generation
Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver: The definitive Pokemon experience and beyond that, it's just a really well made game that anyone can enjoy.
Final Fantasy VI: This game really kicked things into high gear for FF. If there was no FFVI, then FFVII would not have been the landmark game it was. Really the entire game was an Opera with leitmotif and all that. It even had an opera in it.
Baldur's Gate II: This really influenced so much in gaming that I feel any list that doesn't call this one out is missing.
The World Ends with You: It had so many sub systems that it could be argued that it was broken. Never the less it was hip and fun and cool. Really set a vision that could be the future for games, if only SquarEnix would follow it up.
Chrono Trigger: Really just pure fun and it introduced many of us to Non-linearality.
Morrowind: Let's face it, you can talk about Skyrim all you want, but Morrowind is the game everyone's chasing.
Rankings are in chronological order:
1. Phantasy Star II (Genesis / 1990): Although brutally difficult and lacking the varying battle background graphics of its Master System predecessor, I was completely absorbed in the atmosphere and story of crumbling society over-reliant on technology. The ending is still my favorite of all time.
2. Final Fantasy IV (Super Nintendo / 1991): Played it as FFII back in Christmas of 1991. Like Phantasy Star II, it's the ending that pushes this one into my top 10. A great wrap-up of characters you really grew to know and love, especially the Rydia and Kain storylines. Fantastic use of Mode 7 - it really got you pumped for the next random battle when the screen would start to rotate and then zoom in!
3. Lunar: The Silver Star (Sega CD / 1993): For Christmas 1993, I received Lunar, Silpheed, and Sonic CD. Those who deem the Sega CD a waste of time and money are sorely mistaken! The anime cutscenes are what drew me to the game initially, but the epic length of the quest, coupled with the soundtrack set this one apart. I'm excited to try the PSP remake, but couldn't get into the PSOne version when that opening cinema was so completely reworked.
4. Skies of Arcadia (Dreamcast / 2000): Completely justified the purchase of the Dreamcast system alone. Probably too many battles, but the presentation and vision of the world was so fully realized that it didn't bother me in the least. Looking for treasures was about a million times more rewarding than exploring the ocean in Wind Waker.
5. Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean (Gamecube / 2003): I hadn't played a card-based battle system before, and haven't played one since, but by the last third of the game, the battles played out so quickly and strategically I wonder why I haven't sought out another one. Richly rewarding.
6. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Gamecube / 2005): I've played all the GBA/DS Mario & Luigi games, but I haven't one that touched TTYD in terms of playability, humor, and graphical presentation. I still can't come to terms with the Game Informer 6.75 review on this one.
7. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (Playstation 2 / 2005): Still the only DQ game I have played, but the overworld map alone is what merits this game's inclusion. Every divergent path resulted in some sort of treasure or enemy encounter that rewarded you with great amounts of experience and/or loot. The voiceovers, particularly the king, won me over instantly.
8. Fallout 3 (Playstation 3 / 2008): I tried really, really hard to like Oblivion and Skyrim, but those settings just simply do not do it for me. Fallout 3, on the other hand, is just about the only game this generation that I was actually thinking and dreaming about when I wasn't playing. I lived in the northern Virginia/DC area for a number of years, so I'm sure that has a lot to do with it, but I also really appreciated VATS and the perk system. I've heard that it doesn't quite stack up story-wise with Fallout 1 and 2, but having never played those, I'm not in a position to judge. I hope that an eventual Fallout 4 is being planned for next generation consoles, rather than this one, as New Vegas just felt too samey for me to get into.
9. Persona 3 Portable (PSP / 2010): I didn't play the PS2 version as I had already moved on to next generation systems, but the social link system was really interesting and it was fun to role-play in the high school environment. I'm stuck at the second-to-last boss at the moment and may need to consult a FAQ to figure it all out, but it still sneaks into my top 10 - I put over 80 hours into it already!
A tenth game doesn't come to mind at the moment, but my copy of Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky arrives today. Only $12 on Amazon and I noticed it on a number of lists. Once Nintendo lowers the MSRP on the DSi XL, I think I'll go in for Chrono Trigger and The World Ends With You too. Great thread!
1. Phantasy Star II (Genesis / 1990): Although brutally difficult and lacking the varying battle background graphics of its Master System predecessor, I was completely absorbed in the atmosphere and story of crumbling society over-reliant on technology. The ending is still my favorite of all time.
2. Final Fantasy IV (Super Nintendo / 1991): Played it as FFII back in Christmas of 1991. Like Phantasy Star II, it's the ending that pushes this one into my top 10. A great wrap-up of characters you really grew to know and love, especially the Rydia and Kain storylines. Fantastic use of Mode 7 - it really got you pumped for the next random battle when the screen would start to rotate and then zoom in!
3. Lunar: The Silver Star (Sega CD / 1993): For Christmas 1993, I received Lunar, Silpheed, and Sonic CD. Those who deem the Sega CD a waste of time and money are sorely mistaken! The anime cutscenes are what drew me to the game initially, but the epic length of the quest, coupled with the soundtrack set this one apart. I'm excited to try the PSP remake, but couldn't get into the PSOne version when that opening cinema was so completely reworked.
4. Skies of Arcadia (Dreamcast / 2000): Completely justified the purchase of the Dreamcast system alone. Probably too many battles, but the presentation and vision of the world was so fully realized that it didn't bother me in the least. Looking for treasures was about a million times more rewarding than exploring the ocean in Wind Waker.
5. Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean (Gamecube / 2003): I hadn't played a card-based battle system before, and haven't played one since, but by the last third of the game, the battles played out so quickly and strategically I wonder why I haven't sought out another one. Richly rewarding.
6. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Gamecube / 2005): I've played all the GBA/DS Mario & Luigi games, but I haven't one that touched TTYD in terms of playability, humor, and graphical presentation. I still can't come to terms with the Game Informer 6.75 review on this one.
7. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (Playstation 2 / 2005): Still the only DQ game I have played, but the overworld map alone is what merits this game's inclusion. Every divergent path resulted in some sort of treasure or enemy encounter that rewarded you with great amounts of experience and/or loot. The voiceovers, particularly the king, won me over instantly.
8. Fallout 3 (Playstation 3 / 2008): I tried really, really hard to like Oblivion and Skyrim, but those settings just simply do not do it for me. Fallout 3, on the other hand, is just about the only game this generation that I was actually thinking and dreaming about when I wasn't playing. I lived in the northern Virginia/DC area for a number of years, so I'm sure that has a lot to do with it, but I also really appreciated VATS and the perk system. I've heard that it doesn't quite stack up story-wise with Fallout 1 and 2, but having never played those, I'm not in a position to judge. I hope that an eventual Fallout 4 is being planned for next generation consoles, rather than this one, as New Vegas just felt too samey for me to get into.
9. Persona 3 Portable (PSP / 2010): I didn't play the PS2 version as I had already moved on to next generation systems, but the social link system was really interesting and it was fun to role-play in the high school environment. I'm stuck at the second-to-last boss at the moment and may need to consult a FAQ to figure it all out, but it still sneaks into my top 10 - I put over 80 hours into it already!
A tenth game doesn't come to mind at the moment, but my copy of Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky arrives today. Only $12 on Amazon and I noticed it on a number of lists. Once Nintendo lowers the MSRP on the DSi XL, I think I'll go in for Chrono Trigger and The World Ends With You too. Great thread!
In no particular order.
Chrono Trigger - My favorite RPG of all-time. Tied (with Metal Gear Solid) for my favorite overall game ever. It's concise, yet worth pouring a hundred hours worth of repeat playthroughs into, it has a fast and fun battle system, and excellent characters. Memorable locales, outstanding music, and awesome graphics for a 16-bit game. Not much else to say, play it if you haven't already. The DS port added some neat stuff too.
Final Fantasy VII - My favorite in the series, and a top five all-time game for me. Although Earthbound was my first real experience with turn-based RPG's, FF7 really cemented my interest in the genre. I couldn't believe how great the FMV graphics looked back in 1997. I remember downloading videos of the Japanese version of the game through AOL's Gamespot page in anticipation for the game six months before the NA release (totally spoiled Aerith's death). I still go back and play through this game every two or three years and it doesn't get old. The allure for me is the materia, the characters, the music, the game world, and most importantly the nostalgia. I would definitely love to see a remake with expanded towns and extra side quests (although I will always love the crappy, mismatched polygon characters of the original).
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne (my two-point choice) - I place Chrono Trigger and FF7 higher than Nocturne, primarily out of nostalgia. Nocturne is the best RPG of the three. A very challenging game with multiple game paths. Demon recruiting from previous games was only improved on. I absolutely love the dark tone of the game's atmosphere (the world is destroyed in the first half-hour!). No bullshitty mushy love themes or emo-garbage in this game, just pure malevolence. I think I poured 125 hours into my first playthrough, only to immediately begin a new game + file. I would love to see a full-fledged mainline console sequel (Strange Journey is wonderful, but it can't compare to the scale of Nocturne). If you haven't played this game, you must. Price is no longer an excuse with all the reprints in the last couple of years. Oh and by the way, it blows Persona 3 and Persona 4 out of the water.
Xenogears - This game blew my mind back in 1998. It was so epic, with such a crazy story, and awesome gameplay (both hand-to-hand fighting and mech-fighting were done great here). One of my favorite soundtracks as well. So many changes of pace in the story, weighty themes, and unparalleled character development for 1998. This game was really ahead of its time. Still very much worth playing in my opinion.
Final Fantasy VI (NA III, whatever)- I love this game, it's right up there with FF7 in my book. I like the characters even more than FF7's. The gameplay is awesome, the Espers created a lot of options. The tone of the game seemed darker than FF7's as well; in fact, it probably had the darkest tone of any JRPG released up to 1994 (SMT 1 notwithstanding because it never made the Pacific jump). Plus, nostalgia (obviously); you might think it's rubbish if you played it for the first time now, but I figure that might be the case with most younger gamers and previous-gen RPG's.
Planescape: Torment - Best quality writing and dialog I have ever encountered in a video game. Gameplay is enjoyable if you're intrigued by things archaic and/or obscure, like I am. Play it if you haven't, as the dialog and story will never grow outdated. 'Nuff said.
The Witcher - I love the choices you are able to make, and the pure badassery of the main character, Geralt. He is such an arrogant, rude fuck, and it's a pure joy to assume his role. The combat is janky as everyone will tell you (eastern-Europe PC developer, durrr), but it certainly grew on me. I love the story, and the style it was told with. A definite must play for WRPG/PC RPG fans. The Witcher 2 might be on this list as well, but I haven't had the time to finish it yet. W2 is a wonderful game as well, that has improved on the W1 formula in many ways.
Valkyrie Profile - I love the concept, the dark tone, the Norse-inspired story, and the unique gameplay of this game. The game did an amazing job of incorporating death as a primary theme, and in a way that had never been done before. Somewhat unique RPG platforming and time-management themes as well. A must-play for JRPG fans.
Chrono Cross - I hated this game when it first came out. I played it for ~20 hours and I thought it was terrible, it was too easy, and it desecrated its predecessor Chrono Trigger (even though I loved the music, and Kid, from the get-go). I shelved it for six months, came back, and I inexplicably loved it from that point on. Case in point, don't treat this as a Chrono Trigger sequel, because it certainly is not. It is an excellent stand-alone JRPG with a cool, non-traditional leveling system, and a neat alternate-dimension concept. Chrono Cross has this synergistic effect which makes it really fun. I still think the game is too easy though.
Tactics Ogre - Although I played Final Fantasy Tactics (which I love) first, Tactics Ogre is the better game on account of the better, less convoluted story, and the multiple story paths
. The character classes also seemed more original and less Final Fantasy-ey. I should really check out the PSP remake, I hear it's awesome (does it work on homebrew PSP's yet?).
Honorable mention: Final Fantasy Tactics, Castlevania: SOTN (top five game for me, but I can't justify putting it on an RPG list ahead of the listed games), Shin Megami Tensei (check out the original post apocalyptic, demon-summoning, good/neutral/evil path JRPG on Super Famicom---translation needed), Persona 3 (I liked it better than Persona 4 on account of the story, and I played it before Fes came out), Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (I loved this game but I can't bring myself to put it on this list, because a game-breaking bug prevented me from finishing the main quest on my 100+ hour file. I should really put some time into Skyrim, I hear it's even better), Earthbound (my first turn-based RPG).
Chrono Trigger - My favorite RPG of all-time. Tied (with Metal Gear Solid) for my favorite overall game ever. It's concise, yet worth pouring a hundred hours worth of repeat playthroughs into, it has a fast and fun battle system, and excellent characters. Memorable locales, outstanding music, and awesome graphics for a 16-bit game. Not much else to say, play it if you haven't already. The DS port added some neat stuff too.
Final Fantasy VII - My favorite in the series, and a top five all-time game for me. Although Earthbound was my first real experience with turn-based RPG's, FF7 really cemented my interest in the genre. I couldn't believe how great the FMV graphics looked back in 1997. I remember downloading videos of the Japanese version of the game through AOL's Gamespot page in anticipation for the game six months before the NA release (totally spoiled Aerith's death). I still go back and play through this game every two or three years and it doesn't get old. The allure for me is the materia, the characters, the music, the game world, and most importantly the nostalgia. I would definitely love to see a remake with expanded towns and extra side quests (although I will always love the crappy, mismatched polygon characters of the original).
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne (my two-point choice) - I place Chrono Trigger and FF7 higher than Nocturne, primarily out of nostalgia. Nocturne is the best RPG of the three. A very challenging game with multiple game paths. Demon recruiting from previous games was only improved on. I absolutely love the dark tone of the game's atmosphere (the world is destroyed in the first half-hour!). No bullshitty mushy love themes or emo-garbage in this game, just pure malevolence. I think I poured 125 hours into my first playthrough, only to immediately begin a new game + file. I would love to see a full-fledged mainline console sequel (Strange Journey is wonderful, but it can't compare to the scale of Nocturne). If you haven't played this game, you must. Price is no longer an excuse with all the reprints in the last couple of years. Oh and by the way, it blows Persona 3 and Persona 4 out of the water.
Xenogears - This game blew my mind back in 1998. It was so epic, with such a crazy story, and awesome gameplay (both hand-to-hand fighting and mech-fighting were done great here). One of my favorite soundtracks as well. So many changes of pace in the story, weighty themes, and unparalleled character development for 1998. This game was really ahead of its time. Still very much worth playing in my opinion.
Final Fantasy VI (NA III, whatever)- I love this game, it's right up there with FF7 in my book. I like the characters even more than FF7's. The gameplay is awesome, the Espers created a lot of options. The tone of the game seemed darker than FF7's as well; in fact, it probably had the darkest tone of any JRPG released up to 1994 (SMT 1 notwithstanding because it never made the Pacific jump). Plus, nostalgia (obviously); you might think it's rubbish if you played it for the first time now, but I figure that might be the case with most younger gamers and previous-gen RPG's.
Planescape: Torment - Best quality writing and dialog I have ever encountered in a video game. Gameplay is enjoyable if you're intrigued by things archaic and/or obscure, like I am. Play it if you haven't, as the dialog and story will never grow outdated. 'Nuff said.
The Witcher - I love the choices you are able to make, and the pure badassery of the main character, Geralt. He is such an arrogant, rude fuck, and it's a pure joy to assume his role. The combat is janky as everyone will tell you (eastern-Europe PC developer, durrr), but it certainly grew on me. I love the story, and the style it was told with. A definite must play for WRPG/PC RPG fans. The Witcher 2 might be on this list as well, but I haven't had the time to finish it yet. W2 is a wonderful game as well, that has improved on the W1 formula in many ways.
Valkyrie Profile - I love the concept, the dark tone, the Norse-inspired story, and the unique gameplay of this game. The game did an amazing job of incorporating death as a primary theme, and in a way that had never been done before. Somewhat unique RPG platforming and time-management themes as well. A must-play for JRPG fans.
Chrono Cross - I hated this game when it first came out. I played it for ~20 hours and I thought it was terrible, it was too easy, and it desecrated its predecessor Chrono Trigger (even though I loved the music, and Kid, from the get-go). I shelved it for six months, came back, and I inexplicably loved it from that point on. Case in point, don't treat this as a Chrono Trigger sequel, because it certainly is not. It is an excellent stand-alone JRPG with a cool, non-traditional leveling system, and a neat alternate-dimension concept. Chrono Cross has this synergistic effect which makes it really fun. I still think the game is too easy though.
Tactics Ogre - Although I played Final Fantasy Tactics (which I love) first, Tactics Ogre is the better game on account of the better, less convoluted story, and the multiple story paths
(no Kachua, don't stab yourself!)
Honorable mention: Final Fantasy Tactics, Castlevania: SOTN (top five game for me, but I can't justify putting it on an RPG list ahead of the listed games), Shin Megami Tensei (check out the original post apocalyptic, demon-summoning, good/neutral/evil path JRPG on Super Famicom---translation needed), Persona 3 (I liked it better than Persona 4 on account of the story, and I played it before Fes came out), Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (I loved this game but I can't bring myself to put it on this list, because a game-breaking bug prevented me from finishing the main quest on my 100+ hour file. I should really put some time into Skyrim, I hear it's even better), Earthbound (my first turn-based RPG).
Vampire: Bloodlines (2 point)
-Best RPG ever, some of the most clever writing and best voice acting in any game.
Fallout 2
-Kind of a draw between Fallout 1 and 2, but Fallout 2 didn't have the time limit of 1 and just felt more open.
Planescape: Torment
-Best writing of any game, the combat wasn't the greatest, but you could not die which made up for it.
Deus Ex
-Fun, futuristic FPS/RPG romp through open ended levels
System Shock 2
-Another sci-fi FPS/RPG, you are trapped on a space ship with a crazy AI with a fetish for metal, but that is ok because flesh is better. Last hour in the body of the many reminded me alot of xen, but the rest of the game makes up for it.
Arcanum
-The most open RPG i have ever played, you can be and do anything.
Fallout: New Vegas
-I feel New and Old fallout are different enough from each other to be on the same list. New Vegas did everything Fallout 3 did and did it better. In some ways I feel that this is the best fallout game.
Skyrim
-It's a toss up between this and morrowind, but I feel vanilla modless skyrim is better than vanilla modless morrowind.
The Witcher 2
-Probably has the best combat for a WRPG, the amount of branching paths and semi open world nature make this a great rpg.
Baldur's Gate 2
-Not alot to really say about this game that hasn't already been said.
-Best RPG ever, some of the most clever writing and best voice acting in any game.
Fallout 2
-Kind of a draw between Fallout 1 and 2, but Fallout 2 didn't have the time limit of 1 and just felt more open.
Planescape: Torment
-Best writing of any game, the combat wasn't the greatest, but you could not die which made up for it.
Deus Ex
-Fun, futuristic FPS/RPG romp through open ended levels
System Shock 2
-Another sci-fi FPS/RPG, you are trapped on a space ship with a crazy AI with a fetish for metal, but that is ok because flesh is better. Last hour in the body of the many reminded me alot of xen, but the rest of the game makes up for it.
Arcanum
-The most open RPG i have ever played, you can be and do anything.
Fallout: New Vegas
-I feel New and Old fallout are different enough from each other to be on the same list. New Vegas did everything Fallout 3 did and did it better. In some ways I feel that this is the best fallout game.
Skyrim
-It's a toss up between this and morrowind, but I feel vanilla modless skyrim is better than vanilla modless morrowind.
The Witcher 2
-Probably has the best combat for a WRPG, the amount of branching paths and semi open world nature make this a great rpg.
Baldur's Gate 2
-Not alot to really say about this game that hasn't already been said.
Unfortunately, I've never become enthralled in a JRPG so the list will be heavy with western flavor.
In no particular order:
Ultima VII
The height of the Ultima franchise and the first game I remember playing that made be believe a world had been created by the developers.
Might & Magic VIII
Similar to the above, this game represents the height of the series. I wish more western RPGs would return to this type of party format. And Arcomage is still one of the better minigames included in any RPG.
Diablo II
For (in its time) single handedly keeping rogue-likes alive and keeping me addicted to crack like loot chasing.
Torchlight
For keeping the "torch" alive. PC and XBox combined, I've spent more hours in Torchlight than Diablo II.
Skyrim
The most complete, open word RPG ever released. Complete in the sense that the entire world is fun and every interaction and new area seems worthwhile. Not to mention, the technical spectacle of the entire system to marvel at.
Baldurs Gate II
Though games previous to this tried, this is the first game that game me a similar feeling to sitting around a table (or floor) playing AD&D with my friends.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Though difficult to decide between this and the "original" N64 release, I'd have to give the GameCube version the nod for improved game mechanics and slightly better graphics.
Fallout: New Vegas
Though perhaps standing on the shoulders of the Fallout giant, the world has been improved and the characters more fun to interact with.
World of Warcraft
No other RPG has managed to distill its elements down to its most base, addictive levels and no other RPG has been ad financially successful in doing so.
Fable II
Though flawed, there are so many good features in Fable II that I had to include it. The ability to be a jack of all trades, the gambling minigames, the odd and varied NPCs and the world itself all combine to a fun and rewarding experience.
In no particular order:
Ultima VII
The height of the Ultima franchise and the first game I remember playing that made be believe a world had been created by the developers.
Might & Magic VIII
Similar to the above, this game represents the height of the series. I wish more western RPGs would return to this type of party format. And Arcomage is still one of the better minigames included in any RPG.
Diablo II
For (in its time) single handedly keeping rogue-likes alive and keeping me addicted to crack like loot chasing.
Torchlight
For keeping the "torch" alive. PC and XBox combined, I've spent more hours in Torchlight than Diablo II.
Skyrim
The most complete, open word RPG ever released. Complete in the sense that the entire world is fun and every interaction and new area seems worthwhile. Not to mention, the technical spectacle of the entire system to marvel at.
Baldurs Gate II
Though games previous to this tried, this is the first game that game me a similar feeling to sitting around a table (or floor) playing AD&D with my friends.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Though difficult to decide between this and the "original" N64 release, I'd have to give the GameCube version the nod for improved game mechanics and slightly better graphics.
Fallout: New Vegas
Though perhaps standing on the shoulders of the Fallout giant, the world has been improved and the characters more fun to interact with.
World of Warcraft
No other RPG has managed to distill its elements down to its most base, addictive levels and no other RPG has been ad financially successful in doing so.
Fable II
Though flawed, there are so many good features in Fable II that I had to include it. The ability to be a jack of all trades, the gambling minigames, the odd and varied NPCs and the world itself all combine to a fun and rewarding experience.
This is the first time I've participated in one of these thread, and winnowing down my list to ten was a far more difficult affair than I thought it would be. I ended up having to cross games off the list that I absolutely love.
Anyway, here's the list, starting with my extra-point game and continuing in roughly reverse chronological order:
***Extra Point***Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - I can't say much about this game that hasn't already been said, but very few games that I've played over the years have resonated with me while playing like this one did. It was a perfect combination of quality RPG with Star Wars nostalgia, and it came out at just the right time to get the bad taste of the new SW movies out of my mouth. It managed to pull the right things from the source material - including the often-ridiculous camp value of the original films while giving a new story with its own interesting characters and locales.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Morrowind was a great game, but the setting put me off a little bit, and sometimes information wasn't presented very well to the player. Oblivion was also a great game, but it really over-stepped a bit in certain areas, and also felt a bit rushed in many regards. Skyrim isn't perfect, but in many ways, it's the game that Oblivion should have been. I still wish there was a little bit less monsters-leveling-with-the-player, but this was definitely handled better here than in Oblivion, and while there are definitely re-used assets throughout the game, things don't feel nearly as copy/pasted as they did in Oblivion.
Mass Effect - While I've been one to complain about Bioware's binary "illusion of choice" issues in their games from time to time, And this series is definitely one of the prime culprits, it doesn't overshadow the quality of characters and plot flow in this game. You can deconstruct the story all you want apart from the game, but few game stories do a better job of communicating their world and villains to the player, and the final showdown in this game is set up masterfully, starting from the very early stages of the game.
Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines - I always really wanted to enjoy the V:TM pen-and-paper RPG, since it had such a rich world and interesting lore. However, the PnP mechanics were so poorly thought-out that our group could never get more than a session or two into a game before we'd remember all the things we hated about it. This game does an absolutely fantastic job of putting that lore to use in an actual playable format. Entire sections of the game play out completely differently (in ways that are entirely consistent with the fiction) if you choose to play as a character from a certain clan (Nosferatu, for instance, have to spend much of their time in the sewers to avoid being seen - while Malkavians have vastly different dialog choices due to their dementia). I couldn't tell you that I remember a whole lot about the specific plot of the game, but the way they brought the Vampire clans alive makes this one of the most memorable RPGs I've played.
Champions of Norrath - I've long had a soft spot for this genre, and this Snowblind masterpiece sits atop the heap when I look back at all the isometric ARPGs I've played. While I love the mouse driven PC games like Diablo and Titan Quest, I feel that controlling the character directly with a gamepad leads to a much more satisfying experience. The balance between satisfying combat and satisfying RPG character and loot progression has always been a challenge in this genre, but I think this game does the best job of balancing that of any I've played.
Golden Sun - The combination of solid JRPG mechanics and clever environmental puzzles (that occasionally skirted near metroidvania territory) always struck a chord with me, and I have nothing but fond memories of this game.
Everquest - There was something about the way this game tossed you into a brutal world and forced you to work with others to progress that made is both unbelievably annoying in some regards, yet incredibly rewarding at the same time. The lack of instancing and reliance on other players also led to a community aspect that simply doesn't exist in modern MMWOWRPGs. After several expansions, they lost track of what was appealing to begin with and began to offer a more directed progression, which ultimately turned me away from the game. But those first several years are simply unforgettable.
X-Com: UFO Defense - In many ways, the exact opposite of the character-driven SRPGs from Japan. This game's characters are all randomly generated and have no set personalities, but I defy anyone to not get attached to them nonetheless. It is absolutely devastating to lose one of your favorite soldiers in this game in a way that I don't think I've ever experienced in another game.
Final Fantasy 6 - I don't think there's anything I can say about this game that hasn't been said a million times already. I've recently begun playing it again for the first time since it was new, and it still holds up very well.
Shining Force - Simple, elegant, and impossible to put down. Shining Force doesn't do much, but it does it exceptionally well, and the simple mechanics remain fun for hours on end as you push your way through fight after fight.
Anyway, here's the list, starting with my extra-point game and continuing in roughly reverse chronological order:
***Extra Point***Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - I can't say much about this game that hasn't already been said, but very few games that I've played over the years have resonated with me while playing like this one did. It was a perfect combination of quality RPG with Star Wars nostalgia, and it came out at just the right time to get the bad taste of the new SW movies out of my mouth. It managed to pull the right things from the source material - including the often-ridiculous camp value of the original films while giving a new story with its own interesting characters and locales.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Morrowind was a great game, but the setting put me off a little bit, and sometimes information wasn't presented very well to the player. Oblivion was also a great game, but it really over-stepped a bit in certain areas, and also felt a bit rushed in many regards. Skyrim isn't perfect, but in many ways, it's the game that Oblivion should have been. I still wish there was a little bit less monsters-leveling-with-the-player, but this was definitely handled better here than in Oblivion, and while there are definitely re-used assets throughout the game, things don't feel nearly as copy/pasted as they did in Oblivion.
Mass Effect - While I've been one to complain about Bioware's binary "illusion of choice" issues in their games from time to time, And this series is definitely one of the prime culprits, it doesn't overshadow the quality of characters and plot flow in this game. You can deconstruct the story all you want apart from the game, but few game stories do a better job of communicating their world and villains to the player, and the final showdown in this game is set up masterfully, starting from the very early stages of the game.
Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines - I always really wanted to enjoy the V:TM pen-and-paper RPG, since it had such a rich world and interesting lore. However, the PnP mechanics were so poorly thought-out that our group could never get more than a session or two into a game before we'd remember all the things we hated about it. This game does an absolutely fantastic job of putting that lore to use in an actual playable format. Entire sections of the game play out completely differently (in ways that are entirely consistent with the fiction) if you choose to play as a character from a certain clan (Nosferatu, for instance, have to spend much of their time in the sewers to avoid being seen - while Malkavians have vastly different dialog choices due to their dementia). I couldn't tell you that I remember a whole lot about the specific plot of the game, but the way they brought the Vampire clans alive makes this one of the most memorable RPGs I've played.
Champions of Norrath - I've long had a soft spot for this genre, and this Snowblind masterpiece sits atop the heap when I look back at all the isometric ARPGs I've played. While I love the mouse driven PC games like Diablo and Titan Quest, I feel that controlling the character directly with a gamepad leads to a much more satisfying experience. The balance between satisfying combat and satisfying RPG character and loot progression has always been a challenge in this genre, but I think this game does the best job of balancing that of any I've played.
Golden Sun - The combination of solid JRPG mechanics and clever environmental puzzles (that occasionally skirted near metroidvania territory) always struck a chord with me, and I have nothing but fond memories of this game.
Everquest - There was something about the way this game tossed you into a brutal world and forced you to work with others to progress that made is both unbelievably annoying in some regards, yet incredibly rewarding at the same time. The lack of instancing and reliance on other players also led to a community aspect that simply doesn't exist in modern MMWOWRPGs. After several expansions, they lost track of what was appealing to begin with and began to offer a more directed progression, which ultimately turned me away from the game. But those first several years are simply unforgettable.
X-Com: UFO Defense - In many ways, the exact opposite of the character-driven SRPGs from Japan. This game's characters are all randomly generated and have no set personalities, but I defy anyone to not get attached to them nonetheless. It is absolutely devastating to lose one of your favorite soldiers in this game in a way that I don't think I've ever experienced in another game.
Final Fantasy 6 - I don't think there's anything I can say about this game that hasn't been said a million times already. I've recently begun playing it again for the first time since it was new, and it still holds up very well.
Shining Force - Simple, elegant, and impossible to put down. Shining Force doesn't do much, but it does it exceptionally well, and the simple mechanics remain fun for hours on end as you push your way through fight after fight.
Thanks to the 140+ people who have voted so far. My goal is to get at least 200 votes so that we have a robust aggregate list. That means around 60 more in the next week. If you plan on participating, but have been putting it off, please do so! Even if you only have time to list out titles right now. You can come back and add explanations in later. Thanks to everyone who has been justifying their picks. It's great to see almost everyone doing so!
I reformatted the OP to make it a little easier to read.
I also added in 2 more (smaller) draws. There are now 5 prizes to be won for participating. Four open to everyone, even if you simply listed out 10 titles, and a larger prize that will go to someone who took the time to add explanations to their post. All of these draws will be decided via random number generator on Dec 28th or Dec 29th.
I reformatted the OP to make it a little easier to read.
I also added in 2 more (smaller) draws. There are now 5 prizes to be won for participating. Four open to everyone, even if you simply listed out 10 titles, and a larger prize that will go to someone who took the time to add explanations to their post. All of these draws will be decided via random number generator on Dec 28th or Dec 29th.
Final Fantasy Tactics (2 points)
-My first grid rpg, and the greatest one I have played.
Persona 3
-First Shin Megami game I played, a great gateway to their dimension.
Demon's Souls
-Watching the japanese videos of this helped me decide on buying a PS3. Wouldn't be the same without the difficulty.
Heroes of Might and Magic
-Not much reason to go back and play this game with 3 being much better, but the first should be recognized.
Chrono Trigger
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Final Fantasy IV (II)
Diablo II
Final Fantasy VIII
Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
-My first grid rpg, and the greatest one I have played.
Persona 3
-First Shin Megami game I played, a great gateway to their dimension.
Demon's Souls
-Watching the japanese videos of this helped me decide on buying a PS3. Wouldn't be the same without the difficulty.
Heroes of Might and Magic
-Not much reason to go back and play this game with 3 being much better, but the first should be recognized.
Chrono Trigger
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Final Fantasy IV (II)
Diablo II
Final Fantasy VIII
Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
we.are.the.armada
Member
*Extra Point*Final Fantasy IV (AKA Final Fantasy II US & Cecil is Hotter Than Your Girlfriend) -
It's dated now, but at the time of it's release, it made a lot of convenient changes for console RPGs. It's also been remade a ton of times because it's so damn loved by its fans. In my opinion, FFIV DS was the best version but FFIV Complete on PSP is pretty good too.
Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines:- One of the best written games of all time. It's combat is janky but the story/character parts make up for it.
Persona 4 (AKA Chie Satonaka's Awesome Adventure: Trial of The Dragon 2011) - The greatest JRPG I've ever played. A fantastic story with Chie Satonaka and some other good characters. Chie Satonaka is a cool high school chick that likes kung fu and eating steak. She has some issues with her femininity and kicks things. Combat in Persona 4 is also pretty fun but the Persona creation sucks.
Demon's Souls - Unique take on MMORPG. Very challenging and gives a sense of accomplishment that is hard to find in modern games.
Dark Souls - Just as good as it's older brother but follows Metroidvania and King's Field methodology.
Xenogears - Played it for the art, music, and story. I was pretty impressed with the rich fiction behind the game too.
Valkyria Chronicles - Very fun combat and a lot of replay value.
Lunar - Definitely a product of it's time with it's goofy writing but charming nonetheless.
World of Warcraft - I was part of the min/max community for this game. To us, it was more like a competitive sport than an RPG, but in some way, we were playing out our role as well in cracking boss strats and parcing gear variables.
Secret of Mana - I probably think that this game is better than it is since I played it as a child. To me, it was unlike anything else I had ever experienced. It had a great co-op setup as well.
Also, thanks kswiston for putting together this thread!
Blast Processing
Member
Tweaking my list from last year with games I played this year:
Planescape: Torment (2 votes, please) - Simply the greatest story ever told in game form
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions - Incredible saga of deep political intrigue, with awesomely addictive battle and character growth systems attached
Demon's Souls - Unparalleled in terms of dark fantasy atmosphere with a revolutionary combat and character development system, and a rare example of the genre succeeding in telling a story without huge dumps of exposition around every corner
Diablo - The Progenitor of the click-em-up loot genre, and the only truly essential entry in the genre
Fallout - An ambitious and superb freedom-filled open-world RPG with a unique setting and aesthetic that has become iconic
Final Fantasy VI - The greatest entry of this storied and reknown RPG franchise
Chrono Trigger - Perhaps the most inventive and progressive Japanese RPG from an era when they flourished
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings - An awesome dark, gothic fantasy action-rpg with an irresistible protagonist and choices that have a very real effect on the plot, which can be more divergent than any other game I've played in the genre
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - An epic open world, free form RPG that exposed the genre to millions who may not have played, otherwise
Mass Effect - A great classic sci-fi take on the genre, with excellent character definition on the part of the player and good shooting action
Planescape: Torment (2 votes, please) - Simply the greatest story ever told in game form
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions - Incredible saga of deep political intrigue, with awesomely addictive battle and character growth systems attached
Demon's Souls - Unparalleled in terms of dark fantasy atmosphere with a revolutionary combat and character development system, and a rare example of the genre succeeding in telling a story without huge dumps of exposition around every corner
Diablo - The Progenitor of the click-em-up loot genre, and the only truly essential entry in the genre
Fallout - An ambitious and superb freedom-filled open-world RPG with a unique setting and aesthetic that has become iconic
Final Fantasy VI - The greatest entry of this storied and reknown RPG franchise
Chrono Trigger - Perhaps the most inventive and progressive Japanese RPG from an era when they flourished
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings - An awesome dark, gothic fantasy action-rpg with an irresistible protagonist and choices that have a very real effect on the plot, which can be more divergent than any other game I've played in the genre
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - An epic open world, free form RPG that exposed the genre to millions who may not have played, otherwise
Mass Effect - A great classic sci-fi take on the genre, with excellent character definition on the part of the player and good shooting action
Mattakuevan
Member
1. Xenoblade [2 points] (wii) - Best RPG this generation and one of the best I've played in general. Amazing music, setting, gameplay, everything. Plus, Riki is easily my new favorite character from any game.
2. Demon's Souls (ps3) - I'd never played anything like this and it blew my socks off. The atmosphere is unparalleled.
3. Final Fantasy 6 (snes) - I don't really have to say much about this one, best FF.
4. Chrono Trigger (snes) - Same, I don't really feel the need to justify this choice.
5. SMT3: Nocturne (ps2) - I love every SMT and spinoff, however Nocturne is easily my favorite due to its minimalistic setting and top notch gameplay.
6. Final Fantasy 9 (ps1) - Maybe not everyone's favorite, but I feel that this has the most charm out of any FF and is a true work of love by the Gooch.
7. Super Mario RPG (snes) - I've played this game once yearly since it came out and it never gets old.
8. Shadowrun (snes) - This one might be hard to explain... I know a lot of people hate this game because of the pointer/aim controls, which I agree are frustrating. But the setting is perfect and great music to boot. I love the sprite work especially.
9. Shadow Hearts (ps2) - Dark, dank, and campy as hell. Its so hard to recommend this game to anyone but its so damn good.
10. Deus Ex HR (pc) - Normally I would have put Deus Ex on this list, but HR has taken its place for me (no clue if its cause its shinier or if its because it really is a better game). Very fun game, loads to do and see. Exactly what I wanted and never thought Edios would deliver.
2. Demon's Souls (ps3) - I'd never played anything like this and it blew my socks off. The atmosphere is unparalleled.
3. Final Fantasy 6 (snes) - I don't really have to say much about this one, best FF.
4. Chrono Trigger (snes) - Same, I don't really feel the need to justify this choice.
5. SMT3: Nocturne (ps2) - I love every SMT and spinoff, however Nocturne is easily my favorite due to its minimalistic setting and top notch gameplay.
6. Final Fantasy 9 (ps1) - Maybe not everyone's favorite, but I feel that this has the most charm out of any FF and is a true work of love by the Gooch.
7. Super Mario RPG (snes) - I've played this game once yearly since it came out and it never gets old.
8. Shadowrun (snes) - This one might be hard to explain... I know a lot of people hate this game because of the pointer/aim controls, which I agree are frustrating. But the setting is perfect and great music to boot. I love the sprite work especially.
9. Shadow Hearts (ps2) - Dark, dank, and campy as hell. Its so hard to recommend this game to anyone but its so damn good.
10. Deus Ex HR (pc) - Normally I would have put Deus Ex on this list, but HR has taken its place for me (no clue if its cause its shinier or if its because it really is a better game). Very fun game, loads to do and see. Exactly what I wanted and never thought Edios would deliver.
Final Fantasy 6 - Factually the best in the series, and one of the best games ever made
Diablo - Genre defining with an amazing sequel
Ultima Online - A classic, i just can't count how many hours i put into that game
Paper Mario - So good and so charming, glad to see the new entry coming back to it's roots from the first two games
Breath of Fire 2 - One of my favourites, and mostly overlooked
Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga - Started and amazing pack of three amazing games, with one of the most fun battle systems
Chrono Trigger - This game, seriously, this game
Pokemon red/blue - Addictive little games that became one of the biggest franchises in the world
Soma Bringer - Top notch action RPG, you can play for hours seeking for some good loot
Shadowrun - Classic
Diablo - Genre defining with an amazing sequel
Ultima Online - A classic, i just can't count how many hours i put into that game
Paper Mario - So good and so charming, glad to see the new entry coming back to it's roots from the first two games
Breath of Fire 2 - One of my favourites, and mostly overlooked
Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga - Started and amazing pack of three amazing games, with one of the most fun battle systems
Chrono Trigger - This game, seriously, this game
Pokemon red/blue - Addictive little games that became one of the biggest franchises in the world
Soma Bringer - Top notch action RPG, you can play for hours seeking for some good loot
Shadowrun - Classic
Blackace
if you see me in a fight with a bear, don't help me fool, help the bear!
Since ranking has no bearing on the votes I just jogged backwards in my mind...
1) Elder Scrolls Skyrim - Super solid gameplay/system looks amazing and story is accessble for the scope of the game
2) Fallout 3 - Wasteland in 3-D/ more wasteland than Fallout and to me that is a good thing
3) Curse of Azure Bonds - Great story and fun strag gameplay..loved all the SSI goldbox games
4) Mass Effect 1 - First good "pure" sci-fi RPG since Buck Rodgers from SSI
5) Final Fantasy Tactics - Good story for most the game, one of the greatest level systems for a JRPG ever..
6) Final Fantasy II (IV) - Everytime I see a FF game now I think "remember when FF had good stroies like IV"
7) PlaneScape Torment - Greatest stories and use of speaking in a RPG
8) Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic - Awesome "twist", it's story was better than anything Lucas has written in years
9) Might and Magic IV and V - Epic!
10) Wasteland - so far ahead of its time..
1) Elder Scrolls Skyrim - Super solid gameplay/system looks amazing and story is accessble for the scope of the game
2) Fallout 3 - Wasteland in 3-D/ more wasteland than Fallout and to me that is a good thing
3) Curse of Azure Bonds - Great story and fun strag gameplay..loved all the SSI goldbox games
4) Mass Effect 1 - First good "pure" sci-fi RPG since Buck Rodgers from SSI
5) Final Fantasy Tactics - Good story for most the game, one of the greatest level systems for a JRPG ever..
6) Final Fantasy II (IV) - Everytime I see a FF game now I think "remember when FF had good stroies like IV"
7) PlaneScape Torment - Greatest stories and use of speaking in a RPG
8) Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic - Awesome "twist", it's story was better than anything Lucas has written in years
9) Might and Magic IV and V - Epic!
10) Wasteland - so far ahead of its time..
cartman414
Member
What I mean is, just an extra half point for each of the following 10, for instance? Just for the sake of the list having additional breadth.