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NeoGAF's Top/Essential RPGs
- Thread starter kswiston
- Start date
BlueScrote
Member
Diablo 2 (with expansion and online for the best experience)
Persona 3: FES (Haven't played P4 yet, but 3 is fantastic, original JRPG)
Baldurs Gate 2
Wizardry 8
The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall- It may not be as pretty, but it is even more wide open than Morrowind/Oblivion IMO
Pokemon Red/Blue - I never got into the sequels
Demon's Souls
KOTOR
Deus Ex - it blew my mind at the time.
Damn, it really is difficult picking 10.
Persona 3: FES (Haven't played P4 yet, but 3 is fantastic, original JRPG)
Baldurs Gate 2
Wizardry 8
The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall- It may not be as pretty, but it is even more wide open than Morrowind/Oblivion IMO
Pokemon Red/Blue - I never got into the sequels
Demon's Souls
KOTOR
Deus Ex - it blew my mind at the time.
Damn, it really is difficult picking 10.
DidntKnowJack
Member
1. Lunar The Silver Star (or Silver Star Story)
2. Lunar Eternal Blue (or Lunar 2: Eternal Blue)
3. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
4. Final Fantasy II (or FF IV in the US)
5. Xenogears
6. Suikoden II
7. Dragon Quest VIII
8. ChronoTrigger
9. Secret of Mana
10. Persona 4
I've probably forgotten something big, but oh well. It's still a solid list.
2. Lunar Eternal Blue (or Lunar 2: Eternal Blue)
3. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
4. Final Fantasy II (or FF IV in the US)
5. Xenogears
6. Suikoden II
7. Dragon Quest VIII
8. ChronoTrigger
9. Secret of Mana
10. Persona 4
I've probably forgotten something big, but oh well. It's still a solid list.
RPG_Fanatic
Member
1. Golden Sun + Golden Sun II
2. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
3. Chrono Trigger
4. Pokemon Gold/Silver
5. Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
6. The World Ends With You
7. Tales of Symphonia
8. Ar Tonelico
9. Final Fantasy VI
10. Kingdom Hearts
2. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
3. Chrono Trigger
4. Pokemon Gold/Silver
5. Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
6. The World Ends With You
7. Tales of Symphonia
8. Ar Tonelico
9. Final Fantasy VI
10. Kingdom Hearts
semiconscious
Member
1) final fantasy ix
2) final fantasy vi
3) final fantasy vii
4) final fantasy tactics
5) disgaea
6) demon's souls
7) shin megami tensei: nocturne
8) persona 3
9) mother 3
10) radiata stories (hidden gem)
no particular order (except for #1
- just finished a 90+hr replay on the psp, & ffix is definitely the best rpg i've ever played)...
2) final fantasy vi
3) final fantasy vii
4) final fantasy tactics
5) disgaea
6) demon's souls
7) shin megami tensei: nocturne
8) persona 3
9) mother 3
10) radiata stories (hidden gem)
no particular order (except for #1
- just finished a 90+hr replay on the psp, & ffix is definitely the best rpg i've ever played)...cosmicblizzard
Banned
1. Final Fantasy VII
2. Chrono Trigger
3. Final Fantasy VIII
4. Final Fantasy X
5. Final Fantasy VI
6. Chrono Cross
7. Skies of Arcadia
8. Grandia 2
9. Persona 4
10. Lunar
2. Chrono Trigger
3. Final Fantasy VIII
4. Final Fantasy X
5. Final Fantasy VI
6. Chrono Cross
7. Skies of Arcadia
8. Grandia 2
9. Persona 4
10. Lunar
CrazyIvan1978
Member
Final Fantasy VI
Super Mario RPG
Chrono Trigger
Rogue Galaxy
Xenogears
Fallout
Suikoden
Wild Arms
Demon's Souls
Oblivion
Super Mario RPG
Chrono Trigger
Rogue Galaxy
Xenogears
Fallout
Suikoden
Wild Arms
Demon's Souls
Oblivion
In no particular order but the first
Final Fantasy VII
Lunar Silver Star Story
Xenogears
Grandia
Valkyria Chronicles
Final Fantasy X
Chrono Trigger
Alundra
Tales of Legendia
Eternal Sonata
As far as hidden gems go the last two go without recognition in my eyes. Despite the flaws they stand out in lots of ways.
Edit... Man I knew I was forgetting something. Replaced Alundra with Diablo II after deciding that I should have gone with single player games only as in that's what love the most in terms of memorable RPGs.
Final Fantasy VII
Lunar Silver Star Story
Xenogears
Grandia
Valkyria Chronicles
Final Fantasy X
Chrono Trigger
Alundra
Tales of Legendia
Eternal Sonata
As far as hidden gems go the last two go without recognition in my eyes. Despite the flaws they stand out in lots of ways.
Edit... Man I knew I was forgetting something. Replaced Alundra with Diablo II after deciding that I should have gone with single player games only as in that's what love the most in terms of memorable RPGs.
Krispy Killa v3
Neo Member
1) Final Fantasy Tactics
2) Final Fantasy VI
3) Chrono Trigger
4) Tales of Vesperia
5) Dragon Age Origins
6) Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
7) Pokemon Red/Blue
8) Demons Souls
9) Knights in the Nightmare
10) Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
All these games are awesome and are worth the time... BUY THEM
2) Final Fantasy VI
3) Chrono Trigger
4) Tales of Vesperia
5) Dragon Age Origins
6) Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
7) Pokemon Red/Blue
8) Demons Souls
9) Knights in the Nightmare
10) Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
All these games are awesome and are worth the time... BUY THEM
cosmicblizzard
Banned
Is it really a good idea to have no weight given to each choice? I feel like it'll be hard to rank them that way. I would say have a top pick and then 9 that are worth the same.
fry - unused account
Neo Member
Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn - easily my favorite game ever.
Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - probably a little bias as it was my first entry into the series.
Planescape Torment
Earthbound
Chronotrigger
Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy VI
Diablo
Vagrant Story
Xenogears
Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - probably a little bias as it was my first entry into the series.
Planescape Torment
Earthbound
Chronotrigger
Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy VI
Diablo
Vagrant Story
Xenogears
RurouniZel
Asks questions so Ezalc doesn't have to
luka said:
Awww, those are expensive. D:
I don't play a whole lot of RPGs, but these are the few that I liked...
Phantasy Star 2
Dragon Quest 8
SMT: Devil Survivor
That RPG inside of Retro Game Challenge *hidden gem. It's honest in how shallow it is, but is still more enjoyable than most RPGs I've played.
Fallout 1/2/3
Advance Wars (the first GBA game)
Phantasy Star 2
Dragon Quest 8
SMT: Devil Survivor
That RPG inside of Retro Game Challenge *hidden gem. It's honest in how shallow it is, but is still more enjoyable than most RPGs I've played.
Fallout 1/2/3
Advance Wars (the first GBA game)
Herbspiceguy
Member
Earthbound Very charming, unique setting & style. Lovely cast and a story with lots of heart. It also has my favorite game soundtrack.
Chrono Trigger Epitome of the 16-bit RPG era.
Shadowrun (SNES) Gritty, cyberpunk setting & story, very unique for a SNES game.
Front Mission: Gun Hazard Unique blend of Cybernator/Assault Suits Valken and RPG.
Half Minute Hero Very well executed super speed RPG with RPG parody humor.
Fallout Incredibly immersive feel, very harsh setting, great dialogues and I love isometric turn-based combat.
Fallout 2 Despite having more 'funny'/pop references that take away some of the immersion, I prefere this game over the first one as it felt more diverse & open.
Anachronox Epic story, great humor.
System Shock 2 Excellent cyberpunk, survival horror in FPS RPG form. Very immersive and haunting. Reading all the logs of people who tried to survive/escape really adds to the tension.
Pokemon Blue/Red Unique setting & concept, charming style and simple, yet very memorable tunes.
Chrono Trigger Epitome of the 16-bit RPG era.
Shadowrun (SNES) Gritty, cyberpunk setting & story, very unique for a SNES game.
Front Mission: Gun Hazard Unique blend of Cybernator/Assault Suits Valken and RPG.
Half Minute Hero Very well executed super speed RPG with RPG parody humor.
Fallout Incredibly immersive feel, very harsh setting, great dialogues and I love isometric turn-based combat.
Fallout 2 Despite having more 'funny'/pop references that take away some of the immersion, I prefere this game over the first one as it felt more diverse & open.
Anachronox Epic story, great humor.
System Shock 2 Excellent cyberpunk, survival horror in FPS RPG form. Very immersive and haunting. Reading all the logs of people who tried to survive/escape really adds to the tension.
Pokemon Blue/Red Unique setting & concept, charming style and simple, yet very memorable tunes.
1. [N64] Paper Mario - A perfect blend of exploration, puzzles, skill-based combat, and character customization all wrapped up in an a very well-written game. Probably my favourite RPG ever.
2. [GBA] Fire Emblem - The game that got me hooked on SRPGs.
3. [SNES] Chrono Trigger - The epitome of standardized JRPG play. Art, Music, Story, Characters, Battle System, are all brilliant.
4. [GCN] Baten Kaitos - I've heard that the prequel is better, but I unfortunately haven't had a chance to play it. Anyways, I absolutely loved the card battle mechanic in this game, and Sakuraba's score is fantastic. The story and characters are mostly terrible but it's ok because the game is so fun.
5. [GCN] Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - A step back in some ways from the 2d iterations of the series but also included very cool new features plus some beautiful cut scenes.
6. [SNES] Final Fantasy VI - As much as I hate certain things about this game (glitchiness, World of Ruin, Esper system at high levels makes all chars essentially the same) the first 15-20 hours are amazing and some of my most memorable gaming experiences. This game is also sort of a harbinger of bad things to come in the Final Fantasy series and its getting harder and harder to separate the game from my overall feelings about the series.
7. [GB] Pokemon R/B/G/Y - I avoided Pokemon for so long just because it was such an annoying multimedia onslaught, but when I finally relented and tried the game (only last year) I was very impressed. The catching and training mechanic is very addictive and opens much more strategy than your average JRPG, which is the kind of thing that I love. Great character design on almost all of the Pokemon as well.
8. [PC] Diablo II - Hundreds, upon hundreds of hours poured in to this game. Every time that I think I'm done with the game, it pulls me back in. No other loot/hack game comes close.
9. [PC] nethack - You will never ever beat this game, but you will end up with lots of cool stories of how your chracter came to meet his untimely demise. Everyone fear the dreaded "D".
10. [NES] Dragon Quest - The game that started it all. The purest JRPG experience you can have.
2. [GBA] Fire Emblem - The game that got me hooked on SRPGs.
3. [SNES] Chrono Trigger - The epitome of standardized JRPG play. Art, Music, Story, Characters, Battle System, are all brilliant.
4. [GCN] Baten Kaitos - I've heard that the prequel is better, but I unfortunately haven't had a chance to play it. Anyways, I absolutely loved the card battle mechanic in this game, and Sakuraba's score is fantastic. The story and characters are mostly terrible but it's ok because the game is so fun.
5. [GCN] Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance - A step back in some ways from the 2d iterations of the series but also included very cool new features plus some beautiful cut scenes.
6. [SNES] Final Fantasy VI - As much as I hate certain things about this game (glitchiness, World of Ruin, Esper system at high levels makes all chars essentially the same) the first 15-20 hours are amazing and some of my most memorable gaming experiences. This game is also sort of a harbinger of bad things to come in the Final Fantasy series and its getting harder and harder to separate the game from my overall feelings about the series.
7. [GB] Pokemon R/B/G/Y - I avoided Pokemon for so long just because it was such an annoying multimedia onslaught, but when I finally relented and tried the game (only last year) I was very impressed. The catching and training mechanic is very addictive and opens much more strategy than your average JRPG, which is the kind of thing that I love. Great character design on almost all of the Pokemon as well.
8. [PC] Diablo II - Hundreds, upon hundreds of hours poured in to this game. Every time that I think I'm done with the game, it pulls me back in. No other loot/hack game comes close.
9. [PC] nethack - You will never ever beat this game, but you will end up with lots of cool stories of how your chracter came to meet his untimely demise. Everyone fear the dreaded "D".
10. [NES] Dragon Quest - The game that started it all. The purest JRPG experience you can have.
demosthenes
Member
- FFX
- FFVII
- Persona 3
- Persona 4
- SMT: Nocturne
- Xenogears
- Xenosaga 3
- Demon's Souls
- Knights of the old Republic
- Kingdom Hearts
I could play any of these games over and over again, Demon's Souls a little less just because it's not as story driven as the others but I love all 10 of these.
Future PhaZe
Member
Mass Effect 2
Chrono Cross
Star Wars: KotOR
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy X
Tales of Vesperia
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Phantasy Star Online
Diablo 2
Chrono Cross
Star Wars: KotOR
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy X
Tales of Vesperia
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Phantasy Star Online
Diablo 2
theinfinityissue
Member
In no particular order except of course for number one:
1.Chrono Trigger
2. Dragon Quest VIII
3. Suikoden 2
4. E.V.O. : The Search for Eden
5. Final Fantasy IV
6. Parasite Eve
7. Final Fantasy X
8. World of Warcraft (yeah yeah)
9. Final Fantasy VII
10. Shining Force II
1.Chrono Trigger
2. Dragon Quest VIII
3. Suikoden 2
4. E.V.O. : The Search for Eden
5. Final Fantasy IV
6. Parasite Eve
7. Final Fantasy X
8. World of Warcraft (yeah yeah)
9. Final Fantasy VII
10. Shining Force II
No particular order:
1. Shining Force II
2. Panzer Dragoon Saga
3. Final Fantasy II (American SNES II)
4. Valkyrie Profile
5. Shenmue
6. Suikoden II
7. Magic Knight Rayearth (don't ask me why, but man I love this game)
8. Harvest Moon, Magical Melody
9. Yakuza
10. Skies of Arcadia
1. Shining Force II
2. Panzer Dragoon Saga
3. Final Fantasy II (American SNES II)
4. Valkyrie Profile
5. Shenmue
6. Suikoden II
7. Magic Knight Rayearth (don't ask me why, but man I love this game)
8. Harvest Moon, Magical Melody
9. Yakuza
10. Skies of Arcadia
1. Final Fantasy VI
Highly regarded as the pinnacle of the Final Fantasy series and, indeed, the entire Japanese RPG genre, the game delivers beautiful graphics, a great story with an extremely large cast, and some really fun (but ultimately shallow) gameplay. I don't personally have a problem with recommending the GBA version, but some swear against it because they're SNES music enthusiasts.
2. Valkyrie Profile 2
This game delivers some of the most satisfying combat I imagine you are likely to ever find in a JRPG, and although once you've opened it up it doesn't particularly challenge you much beyond until the bonus dungeon at the end of the game, it is constantly a thrill to break off parts of the enemies, and fights can end very quick if you get good. The 2D dungeon design is often fun, though hardly the pinnacle of puzzle-based dungeon gameplay. It's also fucking gorgeous, both visually and aurally.
3. Baten Kaitos Origins
Improving upon the predecessor in almost every way, there is some divide about whether or not the battle system is better here or in the first installment, but it is still incredibly unique and satisfying in either case. Great dub efforts and translation, a really great story, and some awesome characters. It also has some stunning hand-drawn backgrounds, though you'll recognize a good portion of them if you played the first.
4. The Last Remnant
This game has brought some fantastic evolution to the turn-based RPG concept, with the unions creating a new dynamic in how you form parties and approach your enemies. The story and art and most of the characters are mostly trash, but the wealth of side-quests, completing the bestiary, and the music all add to the awesome gameplay. If playing on 360, install is compulsory.
5. Demon's Souls
Fun as shit. The sense of weight to your character and attacks presents you with a great methodical way of approaching the excellent level design. Innovative doesn't even begin to describe the incredible online implementation of leaving bloodstains and co-op/pvp. The art is wondrous, the music thrilling, and the sound design on a whole other fucking level. You must play this game.
6. Baldur's Gate II
My only WRPG on the list as I'm not as into it as others, but it's undeniably a great one. I love the cast of characters, the open gameplay, and the sense of accomplishment from journeying throughout the world.
7. Dragon Quest V
I'm not sure what is regarded as the greatest Dragon Quest - I never particularly cared for the series, but V is genuinely awesome, with a touching story, great characters, and the awesome ability to recruit monsters into your party. I'm not sure if the other versions are in English, but I fully recommend the DS version regardless, although some of the accent translations are annoying.
8. Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
Marred by some technical slights, I none-the-less suggest this as the essential sRPG, as the gameplay remains absolutely on top of everything else in the genre, forcing you to genuinely think about how to approach the levels with different jobs, and the new translation/cutscenes are incredible. The PSX version is still great, but if you have access to a PSP, I can't recommend it over the port.
9. Mother 3
Beautiful sprite-based graphics, an incredible story that really does push you to keep playing, and a strangely addictive gameplay in the form of the rhythm-based attacking.
10. Chrono Trigger
I don't know, it's fucking Chrono Trigger. I'm not the biggest fan, but I think you have to include this game on these lists or someone kills you.
Christ, really?
Highly regarded as the pinnacle of the Final Fantasy series and, indeed, the entire Japanese RPG genre, the game delivers beautiful graphics, a great story with an extremely large cast, and some really fun (but ultimately shallow) gameplay. I don't personally have a problem with recommending the GBA version, but some swear against it because they're SNES music enthusiasts.
2. Valkyrie Profile 2
This game delivers some of the most satisfying combat I imagine you are likely to ever find in a JRPG, and although once you've opened it up it doesn't particularly challenge you much beyond until the bonus dungeon at the end of the game, it is constantly a thrill to break off parts of the enemies, and fights can end very quick if you get good. The 2D dungeon design is often fun, though hardly the pinnacle of puzzle-based dungeon gameplay. It's also fucking gorgeous, both visually and aurally.
3. Baten Kaitos Origins
Improving upon the predecessor in almost every way, there is some divide about whether or not the battle system is better here or in the first installment, but it is still incredibly unique and satisfying in either case. Great dub efforts and translation, a really great story, and some awesome characters. It also has some stunning hand-drawn backgrounds, though you'll recognize a good portion of them if you played the first.
4. The Last Remnant
This game has brought some fantastic evolution to the turn-based RPG concept, with the unions creating a new dynamic in how you form parties and approach your enemies. The story and art and most of the characters are mostly trash, but the wealth of side-quests, completing the bestiary, and the music all add to the awesome gameplay. If playing on 360, install is compulsory.
5. Demon's Souls
Fun as shit. The sense of weight to your character and attacks presents you with a great methodical way of approaching the excellent level design. Innovative doesn't even begin to describe the incredible online implementation of leaving bloodstains and co-op/pvp. The art is wondrous, the music thrilling, and the sound design on a whole other fucking level. You must play this game.
6. Baldur's Gate II
My only WRPG on the list as I'm not as into it as others, but it's undeniably a great one. I love the cast of characters, the open gameplay, and the sense of accomplishment from journeying throughout the world.
7. Dragon Quest V
I'm not sure what is regarded as the greatest Dragon Quest - I never particularly cared for the series, but V is genuinely awesome, with a touching story, great characters, and the awesome ability to recruit monsters into your party. I'm not sure if the other versions are in English, but I fully recommend the DS version regardless, although some of the accent translations are annoying.
8. Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
Marred by some technical slights, I none-the-less suggest this as the essential sRPG, as the gameplay remains absolutely on top of everything else in the genre, forcing you to genuinely think about how to approach the levels with different jobs, and the new translation/cutscenes are incredible. The PSX version is still great, but if you have access to a PSP, I can't recommend it over the port.
9. Mother 3
Beautiful sprite-based graphics, an incredible story that really does push you to keep playing, and a strangely addictive gameplay in the form of the rhythm-based attacking.
10. Chrono Trigger
I don't know, it's fucking Chrono Trigger. I'm not the biggest fan, but I think you have to include this game on these lists or someone kills you.
Dogenzaka said:
Christ, really?
Suikoden II - Showed every other JRPG developer how to write and pace a story. It had a highly customizable yet accessible battle system, great minigames, 108 characters (many of which actually had some development), I could go on...did I mention the best videogame soundtrack ever? It epitomizes what was once great about the JRPG, before the genre degenerated into cringeworthy anime stereotypes.
Final Fantasy Tactics - SRPG, perfected. Its battle system is the reason there are no other traditional SRPGs on my list. Story was pretty complicated but still drew me in.
Baldur's Gate - Great D&D-based gameplay. I don't remember anything about the plotline itself (characters were great), but who cares? it was so fun to just wander around this world and see what kind of battles you could get into.
Suikoden III - Multiple main characters helped make the story fun. I didn't like the buddy system but the gameplay overall was still enjoyable.
Valkyria Chronicles - Great battle system. Story was pretty standard, but didn't detract from the gameplay at all.
Xenogears - The story pulled me in. The on-foot gameplay was great, I wasn't so hot on the mech battles though
Folklore - The art style and story pulled me in. It was a wholly unique, enthralling, and enjoyable experience. It had problems with backtracking, but the battle system itself was so streamlined that it was a minor grievance
I might add a couple more to round out the ten if I think of them, but fine with these right now.
Final Fantasy Tactics - SRPG, perfected. Its battle system is the reason there are no other traditional SRPGs on my list. Story was pretty complicated but still drew me in.
Baldur's Gate - Great D&D-based gameplay. I don't remember anything about the plotline itself (characters were great), but who cares? it was so fun to just wander around this world and see what kind of battles you could get into.
Suikoden III - Multiple main characters helped make the story fun. I didn't like the buddy system but the gameplay overall was still enjoyable.
Valkyria Chronicles - Great battle system. Story was pretty standard, but didn't detract from the gameplay at all.
Xenogears - The story pulled me in. The on-foot gameplay was great, I wasn't so hot on the mech battles though
Folklore - The art style and story pulled me in. It was a wholly unique, enthralling, and enjoyable experience. It had problems with backtracking, but the battle system itself was so streamlined that it was a minor grievance
I might add a couple more to round out the ten if I think of them, but fine with these right now.
Fimbulvetr
Member
1) Vagrant Story
2) Chrono Trigger
3) Final Fantasy XII
4) Final Fantasy Tactics
5) Planescape: Torment
6) Earthbound
7) SMT3: Nocturne
8) The World Ends With You
9) Mass Effect 2
10) Deus Ex
2) Chrono Trigger
3) Final Fantasy XII
4) Final Fantasy Tactics
5) Planescape: Torment
6) Earthbound
7) SMT3: Nocturne
8) The World Ends With You
9) Mass Effect 2
10) Deus Ex
BobbyRobby
Member
Final Fantasy VI
Dragon Quest IV
Suikoden 2
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy VII
Lunar: SSSC
Lufia II
Grandia
Dragon Quest V
Final Fantasy IV
Dragon Quest IV
Suikoden 2
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy VII
Lunar: SSSC
Lufia II
Grandia
Dragon Quest V
Final Fantasy IV
I think we're already starting to see a few trends in the lists, in terms of what people want from RPGs. I think you could find 4 general categories of respondents to the thread so far.
1. People who love pre Final Fantasy VII style JRPGs
2. People who love post Final Fantasy VII style JRPGs
3. People who love WRPGs
4. People who love SRPGs
There's obviously some crossover for the vast majority of people, but I think these are the four broadest categories that you could divide people in to.
1. People who love pre Final Fantasy VII style JRPGs
2. People who love post Final Fantasy VII style JRPGs
3. People who love WRPGs
4. People who love SRPGs
There's obviously some crossover for the vast majority of people, but I think these are the four broadest categories that you could divide people in to.
Fimbulvetr
Member
There are so many other RPGs I wanna put on my list but at the same time don't wanna remove anything on my list.
Damn.
Damn.
"God's Beard!"
Member
Lootwhore RPGs:
Demon's Souls - Weak enemy AI, but pacing, atmosphere and unique multiplayer make this an incredible game
Monster Hunter 2 - Infinitely replayable, endlessly addicting. The greatest co-op game ever.
Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst - The game that started it all. It took the Diablo format and put it into a digestible, hopelessly time-consuming console game.
jRPGS:
Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete - The game that got me into gaming, a timeless story, great music and an awesome localization.
Megaman Legends 2 - 3rd person dungeon shooting with customizable weaponry
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment - It's a jRPG with awesome fashion design that doesn't star confused teenagers.
wRPGS:
System Shock 2 - It's System Shock 2.
other:
Harvest Moon 64 - The best game on the N64. Karen likes grapes and hangs out by the ocean.
Pokemon Gold/Silver - Probably the best singleplayer/multiplayer integration of any RPG. Period.
Princess Maker 2 *HIDDEN GEM* - Don't let your daughter get raped by bandits.
Demon's Souls - Weak enemy AI, but pacing, atmosphere and unique multiplayer make this an incredible game
Monster Hunter 2 - Infinitely replayable, endlessly addicting. The greatest co-op game ever.
Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst - The game that started it all. It took the Diablo format and put it into a digestible, hopelessly time-consuming console game.
jRPGS:
Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete - The game that got me into gaming, a timeless story, great music and an awesome localization.
Megaman Legends 2 - 3rd person dungeon shooting with customizable weaponry
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment - It's a jRPG with awesome fashion design that doesn't star confused teenagers.
wRPGS:
System Shock 2 - It's System Shock 2.
other:
Harvest Moon 64 - The best game on the N64. Karen likes grapes and hangs out by the ocean.
Pokemon Gold/Silver - Probably the best singleplayer/multiplayer integration of any RPG. Period.
Princess Maker 2 *HIDDEN GEM* - Don't let your daughter get raped by bandits.
ConcealedBlaze
Member
I'm not a very big RPG fan, so my list is going to be a little short.
1. Deus Ex - Not only is DX a pretty fun game with some great character customization, story, setting, music, and exploration, but it's also still THE golden standard for choice in video games. You really feel as if you've impacted the storyline. And not in the sense of Mass Effect where you can really only impact the story through dialogue trees or bioshock where you have a binary choice, but in the sense that you can truly think through situations and then ACT however you best think fits the situation. This is especially present in certain areas, such as Hong Kong. It really is the greatest RPG I've ever played.
2. Bioshock - This might seem like an odd choice, since many people consider it more of a shooter than an RPG, but if something like Mass Effect 2 classifies, then I still feel Bioshock falls under the RPG umbrella. Bioshock has, hands down, the most fully realized setting of any game I've ever played. Ever. Add in amazing voice acting, memorable characters (even the bit parts), a great aesthetic sense, and a mind-blowingly good story and you're left with one of the most impressive RPGs I've ever played. The gameplay is fairly good but certainly not up to par with the rest of the game, but everything else is so incredibly strong that Bioshock still comes out on top.
3. Planescape: Torment - A trippy journey through a dimension familiar yet strange. A quest to make you question what it means to be human. Characters you'll remember for a long time to come. These are what makes PS:T the best old school CRPG ever. It's a game that everyone should play.
4. Lost Odyssey - A game that takes JRPG tropes and twists them into something uniquely beautiful. Memorable characters and short stories that twist the heart. A game I'm glad I experienced.
5. Mother 3 - A love letter to old school RPGs, a better game than Earthbound, and a story that is as unique as it is incredible. Hands down a must play or anyone who wants to see the potential for videogames as art.
1. Deus Ex - Not only is DX a pretty fun game with some great character customization, story, setting, music, and exploration, but it's also still THE golden standard for choice in video games. You really feel as if you've impacted the storyline. And not in the sense of Mass Effect where you can really only impact the story through dialogue trees or bioshock where you have a binary choice, but in the sense that you can truly think through situations and then ACT however you best think fits the situation. This is especially present in certain areas, such as Hong Kong. It really is the greatest RPG I've ever played.
2. Bioshock - This might seem like an odd choice, since many people consider it more of a shooter than an RPG, but if something like Mass Effect 2 classifies, then I still feel Bioshock falls under the RPG umbrella. Bioshock has, hands down, the most fully realized setting of any game I've ever played. Ever. Add in amazing voice acting, memorable characters (even the bit parts), a great aesthetic sense, and a mind-blowingly good story and you're left with one of the most impressive RPGs I've ever played. The gameplay is fairly good but certainly not up to par with the rest of the game, but everything else is so incredibly strong that Bioshock still comes out on top.
3. Planescape: Torment - A trippy journey through a dimension familiar yet strange. A quest to make you question what it means to be human. Characters you'll remember for a long time to come. These are what makes PS:T the best old school CRPG ever. It's a game that everyone should play.
4. Lost Odyssey - A game that takes JRPG tropes and twists them into something uniquely beautiful. Memorable characters and short stories that twist the heart. A game I'm glad I experienced.
5. Mother 3 - A love letter to old school RPGs, a better game than Earthbound, and a story that is as unique as it is incredible. Hands down a must play or anyone who wants to see the potential for videogames as art.
I have to think about that topic a bit more in order to compile a list, but I have finished a game that I really have to mention yesterday:
Baten Kaitos Origins
Most people have never played the game for various reasons. It was released too late in the GC's life cycle and many people strongly disliked the first Baten Kaitos due to its battle system - while not bad, it involved too much micromanagement and luck for many gamers - and therefore weren't interested in the sequel. A huge mistake. Quite honestly, I didn't like the battle system of BK. Too slow, too tedious. But Origin's battle system is easily one of the best battle systems ever and for me nearly as good as the brilliant battle system of Grandia. It's fast, due to its super combos it's fun as hell and there is no need for micromanagement since you only have to make one good deck at the beginning of the game and adjust it in the process of the game slightly. Add some magic cards, switch the heal items for better one and the equipment cards for new ones (and a good deck doesn't have more than ~5eq cards). If you have made one great deck, you don't spend much more time in menus that in normal jRPGs - but you are rewarded with an infinitely better batte system. People claim it's quite hard, what I can't really understand, though. It's not easy, but definitely not hard as long as you know what you are doing.
At top of that its prerendered backgrounds are even today beautiful to look at (the real-time scenes not so much), the story has some nice twists and the OST is one of Sakuraba's best. Especially the track "Le Ali Del Principio" is fantastic.
Baten Kaitos Origins
Most people have never played the game for various reasons. It was released too late in the GC's life cycle and many people strongly disliked the first Baten Kaitos due to its battle system - while not bad, it involved too much micromanagement and luck for many gamers - and therefore weren't interested in the sequel. A huge mistake. Quite honestly, I didn't like the battle system of BK. Too slow, too tedious. But Origin's battle system is easily one of the best battle systems ever and for me nearly as good as the brilliant battle system of Grandia. It's fast, due to its super combos it's fun as hell and there is no need for micromanagement since you only have to make one good deck at the beginning of the game and adjust it in the process of the game slightly. Add some magic cards, switch the heal items for better one and the equipment cards for new ones (and a good deck doesn't have more than ~5eq cards). If you have made one great deck, you don't spend much more time in menus that in normal jRPGs - but you are rewarded with an infinitely better batte system. People claim it's quite hard, what I can't really understand, though. It's not easy, but definitely not hard as long as you know what you are doing.
At top of that its prerendered backgrounds are even today beautiful to look at (the real-time scenes not so much), the story has some nice twists and the OST is one of Sakuraba's best. Especially the track "Le Ali Del Principio" is fantastic.
Dwight Schrute
Member
1. Planescape : Torment
2. Arcanum (bolded 'cause underrated)
3. Demon's souls
4. Diablo 2
5. FF VI
6. FF VIII
7. Disgaea
8.Persona 4
9. Suikoden 2
10. Tales of Symphonia
2. Arcanum (bolded 'cause underrated)
3. Demon's souls
4. Diablo 2
5. FF VI
6. FF VIII
7. Disgaea
8.Persona 4
9. Suikoden 2
10. Tales of Symphonia
1) Final Fantasy VI
2) SD Gundam G Generation NEO (not for the same reasons obviously)
3) Grandia
4) Sakura Taisen 2
5) Final Fantasy Tactics
6) Disgaea
And that's it, i tried to take different things, and to avoid pure nostalgia choice (as Secret of Mana) or different games of a same serie. Didn't take Parasite Eve cause for me it's not an rpg, despite i looooooooooove it.
2) SD Gundam G Generation NEO (not for the same reasons obviously)
3) Grandia
4) Sakura Taisen 2
5) Final Fantasy Tactics
6) Disgaea
And that's it, i tried to take different things, and to avoid pure nostalgia choice (as Secret of Mana) or different games of a same serie. Didn't take Parasite Eve cause for me it's not an rpg, despite i looooooooooove it.