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[Fimbulvetr]

Thought this would be a good place to post this.

I was just wondering what reasons you GAFfers play the RPGs you play. Is it the combat,story,music,charachters,dialogue etc.. ?

Personally, for me to enjoy an RPG it needs to have an amazing soundtrack, interesting charachters, a unique and interesting universe and a great combat system and a great story. This is why I love the Final Fantasy series as most of the games in the series tick all those boxes and more, except for FFXII which I felt was sorely lacking.

Just like every genre I play for many different reasons.

I could play X-2 only for the combat and missions while completely ignoring the story, but still play Tactics for the actual plot(on top of gameplay).

It's situational.

 

[Alucrid]

Thought this would be a good place to post this.

I was just wondering what reasons you GAFfers play the RPGs you play. Is it the combat,story,music,charachters,dialogue etc.. ?

Personally, for me to enjoy an RPG it needs to have an amazing soundtrack, interesting charachters, a unique and interesting universe and a great combat system and a great story. This is why I love the Final Fantasy series as most of the games in the series tick all those boxes and more, except for FFXII which I felt was sorely lacking.

Unsure. The best I can come up with is that it's "my genre."

 

[DaBuddaDa]

I have to say that this list is fantastic, and any RPG gamer should do themselves a favor and try every single one of these games at least once. There isn't a bad one to be found.

 

[toythatkills]

The love GAF pours upon Skies of Arcadia amazes me every single time I see it. Never has a game been so unworthy of praise.

 

[WanderingWind]

The love GAF pours upon Skies of Arcadia amazes me every single time I see it. Never has a game been so unworthy of praise.

Do you hate puppies and blowjobs too?

 

[toythatkills]

Nah, just Skies of Arcadia.

 

[kswiston]

Ranks 1-100+ are now up in the OP (plus post #3). for #21-100, I have selected a few games and provided both a screen shot and a quote about the game from someone in the thread. The rest of the games are presented as titles and vote counts only.

I think that's about it for me. Hopefully people like the final list. If you want to provide a screenshot and a quote for a game in the top 100 that is currently lacking one, post it here, and I will add it to the OP. Please make the screenshots 320x240, and keep the quotes under 150 characters (I think NeoGAF's post size limit is 25k characters).

 

[TheExodu5]

Thought this would be a good place to post this.

I was just wondering what reasons you GAFfers play the RPGs you play. Is it the combat,story,music,charachters,dialogue etc.. ?

Personally, for me to enjoy an RPG it needs to have an amazing soundtrack, interesting charachters, a unique and interesting universe and a great combat system and a great story. This is why I love the Final Fantasy series as most of the games in the series tick all those boxes and more, except for FFXII which I felt was sorely lacking.

It really varies for me.

I love FF6 for the soundtrack, art, story, and characters
Persona 4 I love for the soundtrack, art, story, characters, difficulty, and most of the gameplay
Disgaea I love for the stat grinding and characters
Star Ocean 3 I love for the battle system and grinding

It's really rare that I'll like an RPGs soundtrack or story to the point where nothing else matters. Actually, Final Fantasy 6 is probably the only thing that does this to me, and it's my favorite game of all time, despite the tedious random battles and lack of strategy/difficulty in the battles.

 

[cosmicblizzard]

Thought this would be a good place to post this.

I was just wondering what reasons you GAFfers play the RPGs you play. Is it the combat,story,music,charachters,dialogue etc.. ?

Personally, for me to enjoy an RPG it needs to have an amazing soundtrack, interesting charachters, a unique and interesting universe and a great combat system and a great story. This is why I love the Final Fantasy series as most of the games in the series tick all those boxes and more, except for FFXII which I felt was sorely lacking.

Story, characters and combat mostly. Good music is a bonus and will make the game more memorable (Chrono Trigger and Cross are great examples) but they aren't deciding factors.

 

[LordPhoque]

1.Mass Effect 2
2.MOTHER 3
3.Baldur's Gate 2
4.Vagrant Story
5.KOTOR
6.Mass Effect
7.Final Fantasy VI
8.Golden Sun 2
9.Demon's Soul
10.Final Fantasy XII

11 would be Final Fantasy VII. 12. FF Tactics. 13. Valkyria Chronicles. 14. The Witcher.

 

[kswiston]

Thought this would be a good place to post this.

I was just wondering what reasons you GAFfers play the RPGs you play. Is it the combat,story,music,charachters,dialogue etc.. ?

Personally, for me to enjoy an RPG it needs to have an amazing soundtrack, interesting charachters, a unique and interesting universe and a great combat system and a great story. This is why I love the Final Fantasy series as most of the games in the series tick all those boxes and more, except for FFXII which I felt was sorely lacking.

If I had to rank the attributes of an rpg in order of importance in regards to me enjoying a game or hating it, I would say that:

gameplay/combat > characters = setting/universe > dialogue > game plot > music

Gameplay makes or breaks most games with a few exceptions. I will play and enjoy a game with bland characters and story if the gameplay is good. Final Fantasy Tactics A2 is a good example of that.

Aside from gameplay, an rpg should ideally have memorable characters and locals. I can forgive the Mass Effect games for their technical flaws, because I find the game universe to be one of the best original universes in the medium. As someone who has been studying/working as a biologist for the last decade, I really appreciate the games' attention to scientific detail, even if they don't always get it right. The characters are great as well. Mordin is one of the best rpg characters I have come across in recent years.

Dialogue isn't as important, but bad writing/voice acting can really put a hamper on the experience. Part of what makes Star Ocean: The Last Hope so painful to play is the dialogue. The gameplay itself is actually pretty good.

The older I get, the less I care about game plot. It's a welcome surprise when a game has a truly innovative plot, but 95% of the time rpgs follow one of three or four basic story lines. Play enough rpgs and those story lines, along with their typical plot twists, stop impressing you.

I really don't care about music that much. Memorable music is an added bonus, but if I find it obnoxious, I can usually turn it down/off.

 

[Lard]

I disagree with the Top 10 almost entirely, but I knew I would.

 

[eggandI]

There isn't a single game on that list better than Diablo 2/Demon's Souls. Lol.

 

[cartman414]

There isn't a single game on that list better than Diablo 2/Demon's Souls. Lol.

Haven't played Demon's Souls yet, but Diablo 2? As great as it is for what it is, that has to be a joke.

 

[TheExodu5]

That is a damned solid list. Glad to see the two top SNES RPGs got their deserving spots. Fantastic games.

Persona 4 needs some more exposure! RPG fans, play it!

There isn't a single game on that list better than Diablo 2/Demon's Souls. Lol.

I love Diablo 2 and have played it for hundreds upon hundreds of hours, but it just has way too many flaws for me to consider it to be too high on my list. Also, as a singleplayer game, it's pretty boring and terribly balanced. Multiplayer balance has always been an issues and they can never get it right.

 

[PseudoKirby]

why did this only last a week, and how the hell isnt Vesperia up higher?!

 

[TheExodu5]

why did this only last a week, and how the hell isnt Vesperia up higher?!

I'd say although it's an incredibly polished game and one of the best in the action JRPG genre, there's nothing truly outstanding about it that sets it apart from other titles. Most of the titles in the 20 are particularly outstanding.

 

[eggandI]

That is a damned solid list. Glad to see the two top SNES RPGs got their deserving spots. Fantastic games.

Persona 4 needs some more exposure! RPG fans, play it!



I love Diablo 2 and have played it for hundreds upon hundreds of hours, but it just has way too many flaws for me to consider it to be too high on my list. Also, as a singleplayer game, it's pretty boring and terribly balanced. Multiplayer balance has always been an issues and they can never get it right.

What is "right"? there is just no way to get it right when you have a game with so much customization. Yes, obviously some builds were preferred over others and each patch tends to change around the balance but there are still tons of viable builds.

I don't think there is any game on that list (excluding DS) that even comes close to D2 in terms of gameplay, re-playability and hell even music. Sure it has it's flaws but it's still better than the competition

 

[Ferga]

Final Fantasy Tactics =(

Its so sad seeing that game so high on game lists. I just couldn't get into it even though i love those kinda games

 

[TheExodu5]

What is "right"? there is just no way to get it right when you have a game

If you have played much online, you'd know just how horribly imbalanced it is.

Nothing can beat a Hammerdin with an enigma in terms of survivability and killing power. Amazons are useless, Assassins are useless, Barbarians are completely useless, Necros are only useful in the survivability department (good for hardcore), Sorcs are only good for the very poor (or very rich if you make a lightning sorc).

After having played it for so long, I'm just astounded at how bad the balance is in Diablo 2.

 

[ULTROS!]

I'm happy FFVI, Suikoden II, Persona 4, and Earthbound are in the top 20+

Of course I love most of the games on the top 20 (most meaning JRPGs that I've played).

 

[cartman414]

Not to mention the fundamental lack of depth. Skill trees aside, for the most part, it's click, click, bloody click. Heck, I daresay it's a "casual gamer's RPG".

Baldur's Gate II and the like are light years ahead of it.

 

[Rahul]

Do I get to post Final Fantasy VIII here or have I lost all credibility and right to an opinion after the other thread?

I wonder if the other thread being posted before this topic would have had any impact on the vote.

 

[soco]

wow @ ultima 7. it should be so much higher.

 

[eggandI]

If you have played much online, you'd know just how horribly imbalanced it is.

Nothing can beat a Hammerdin with an enigma in terms of survivability and killing power. Amazons are useless, Assassins are useless, Barbarians are completely useless, Necros are only useful in the survivability department (good for hardcore), Sorcs are only good for the very poor (or very rich if you make a lightning sorc).

After having played it for so long, I'm just astounded at how bad the balance is in Diablo 2.

:lol you are talking like it has been that way forever. Hammerdins are not invincible and they have never been. This is why I love D2. Just a couple of patches ago D2 was a completely different game. And it'll be a completely different one with the new patch, too. You really want to talk about broken, boring, simple and easy? Look at the other 8 of the top 10.

 

[M°°nblade]

Just reading the the list and i'm very surprised to see Demon Souls get a strong reception. I have heard good things, but I find it hard to believe that it is that 'good' to beat out RPGs which are considered to be the finest in the genre. Same goes with Valkyria Chronicles, suppose to be a good game but surprised that it beats so many giants of the genre.

Is it just the platform bias of NeoGAF is heavily in favour of the PS3 or as a PC gamer I am obviously not on the right platform for the best RPGs this generation?

Just buy demon's souls. Maybe you won't agree with it's ranking. Maybe you won't even like it. But you will definitely understand why some people love it.

My personal statistics:
3 of my top 10 RPG's made it in the top 5 (planescape, FFVII, demon's souls).
My personal number 10 is ranked as low as 57 (lufia II).

I own 17 of the top 20 RPG's.
I own 26 of the top 30 RPG's.
I own 62 of the top 100 RPG's.

This makes my RPG collector's heart cry from happiness.

 

[archnemesis]

M°°nblade inspired me to look up my own personal stats. All of my top 10 essential RPGs except Quest for Glory: So You Want to Be a Hero made it on the list.

I own 62 of the top 100 RPGs.
I've played 69 of the top 100 RPGs.
I've completed 38 of the top 100 RPGs.

I'm looking forward to playing the rest of the list.

 

[Urban Scholar]

Quite the varied list we were able to create. I believe I've played/owned 32 of the list and played 24 to the end

 

[heringer]

Vagrant Story in #27 makes me so sad...

Too bad the voting is over.

 

[Semblance]

I really should have voted. Completely slipped my mind, but whatever.

Anyway, I'm playing through The Witcher right now for the first time and even though it starts off really slow, I think it's addictive as hell and really quite engrossing once it gets going. Geralt is also one of the coolest main characters I've ever played as in an RPG, ever, be it Western or Japanese. More people need to try this game, it's really fucking fun.

 

[TheExodu5]

:lol you are talking like it has been that way forever. Hammerdins are not invincible and they have never been. This is why I love D2. Just a couple of patches ago D2 was a completely different game. And it'll be a completely different one with the new patch, too. You really want to talk about broken, boring, simple and easy? Look at the other 8 of the top 10.

No it hasn't. Previously CE Necros were overpowered. Then it was Bowazons. Then Hammerdins/Smiters. In any case, they keep shifting the balance in a terrible direction. On top of that, the game is purely focused on multiplayer...singleplayer balance is completely broken. With rune drop rates and the focus on high level runewords, it's clear the game is balanced around duping. Blizzard has simply lost touch with the legitimate player base.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

And it'll be a completely different one with the new patch, too. You really want to talk about broken, boring, simple and easy? Look at the other 8 of the top 10.

Really? All I see are awesome games.... and Final Fantasy VII.

Oh and those last 2 "flaws" don't fit.

 

[Durante]

wow @ ultima 7. it should be so much higher.

Yeah, Ultima VII's place is the saddest part of the otherwise pretty good list. It's a seminal game. (Remember Bethesda bragging about their NPCs having schedules before they released Morrowind?)

 

[djtiesto]

Is the Star Wars RPG really that good? I never played it, due to a hatred of everything Star Wars related. And not being a big fan of Bioware games no matter how hard I try (it's usually the combat that does it in for me).

 

[spwbym]

Is the Star Wars RPG really that good? I never played it, due to a hatred of everything Star Wars related. And not being a big fan of Bioware games no matter how hard I try (it's usually the combat that does it in for me).

If you dislike the combat in bioware games, stay far away from this one.

 

[cartman414]

:lol you are talking like it has been that way forever. Hammerdins are not invincible and they have never been. This is why I love D2. Just a couple of patches ago D2 was a completely different game. And it'll be a completely different one with the new patch, too. You really want to talk about broken, boring, simple and easy? Look at the other 8 of the top 10.

You are totally nuts here.

 

[Phoenix's Rage]

Is the Star Wars RPG really that good? I never played it, due to a hatred of everything Star Wars related. And not being a big fan of Bioware games no matter how hard I try (it's usually the combat that does it in for me).

I'll assume you've tried Mass Effect. ME's narrative structure, character/stats building, and NPC interactions are VERY similar to KOTR. The combat is somewhat different though. KOTR also lets you pause during combat to micro-manage your teammates and use special/technical attacks, but its combat is not real-time. There's a "lag-time" (can't think of a better phrase) between each attack and each attack's success is based on dice rolls/algorithms.

 

[nipapoo]

Grandia 2
Lunar: silver star story
Baldur's Gate 2
Deus Ex (has rpg elements)
Final Fantasy Tactics
Xenogears
Tales of Symphonia
Breath of Fire 3
Final Fantasy V
Mario RPG

 

[Fimbulvetr]

You are totally nuts here.

Nothing new.

 

[djtiesto]

I'll assume you've tried Mass Effect. ME's narrative structure, character/stats building, and NPC interactions are VERY similar to KOTR. The combat is somewhat different though. KOTR also lets you pause during combat to micro-manage your teammates and use special/technical attacks, but its combat is not real-time. There's a "lag-time" (can't think of a better phrase) between each attack and each attack's success is based on dice rolls/algorithms.

Yeah, I'm currently making my way through Mass Effect (I'd estimate a bit less than halfway done)... good thing the combat is different (since I absolutely hate the ME combat, think it's extremely clunky and waay too random), but the thing I enjoy most about ME apart from the soundtrack is the background stories, which probably won't be true for any Star Wars game.

Just pretty curious to see why it rates so high among GAF. Then again, I don't get the love affair with Mass Effect either.

 

[Snuggles]

This list proves why GAF is awesome, no surprise that people are bitching but that is one solid f'n list of RPG's. BUT WHY ISN'T (MYFAVORITEGAME) HIGHER? STOOPID LIST.

I was just wondering what reasons you GAFfers play the RPGs you play. Is it the combat,story,music,charachters,dialogue etc.. ?

For me, having an interesting, deep and fleshed out world to explore and plunder is the best thing an RPG can offer. Morrowind and Demon's Souls are good examples of that. I also love being able to start with a "blank slate" of a character and build them into an unstoppable badass with sweet gear and shit. So I guess overall, I love RPG's for their depth and exploration aspects as well as the freedom they usually allow the player to interact with the world and mold their character however they want.

 

[HK-47]

If Ultima VII released today, it would still be doing things no other games have bother to do.

 

[EviLore]

If Ultima VII released today, it would still be doing things no other games have bother to do.

Yeah, like use the worst camera perspective ever

 

[kswiston]

Going through all the titles in the Top 100 114, here are my personal stats:

- I own (or have owned) 43 of the top 50 and 84 of the top 114.
- I have at least tried 43 of the top 50 and 80 of the top 114 (not all of them games I own)
- I have extensively played/completed 41 of the top 114.

My backlog is massive though, and I really should get around to playing more of these great titles.

Games in my backlog that I have embarrassingly not played yet:

Demon's Souls
KOTOR
Skies of Arcadia
Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines

I also need to eventually track down System Shock 2 and Deus Ex. I know that DX is digitally available from places like Steam, but is there any way to download a copy of System Shock 2 (legally) yet?

 

[EviLore]

Really? What's it like?

Very awkward in practice. Also couldn't stand the font.

 

[batbeg]

I'm happy to see 9 out of the 10 games I suggested made the list, though Valkyrie Profile 2 and Baten Kaitos Origins are too low for my happiness

I'm surprised apparently nobody else suggested The Last Remnant. It really is an excellent evolution on a genre that many consider stale and derivative, and nobody praises it more than GAF.

 

[BrokenFiction]

Very awkward in practice. Also couldn't stand the font.

Love the isometrics, man!
But I agree, the font was an eye-bleeder.

 

[2San]

I'm surprised apparently nobody else suggested The Last Remnant. It really is an excellent evolution on a genre that many consider stale and derivative, and nobody praises it more than GAF.

Got the game for the PC recently, already played a bit. Standard fare till now. The battle system is pretty different, not sure if that's good or bad thing yet. The game also hates nostromono for some reason(can't use the 360 pad with the macro program installed).

 

[Olorin]

Wow, I haven't played any of the games in the top 20, and most of my favorites are down in the 50's. I guess I need to play some more rpgs.

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

That's actually a pretty damn good list.