Support NeoGAF

[RedSwirl]

Reposted for New Page:

Well what are your favorite JRPGs? You might actually find a WRPG kind of similar to that.

I'm not sure if this would help narrow things down, but the most important thing to me is probably an interesting gameplay system and an interesting character growth system. It's also important that the game keeps me actively involved. A streamlined system isn't necessarily a good thing for me, and is probably a big part of why I very much disliked FFXII.

Based on this, the first Dragon Age might be a good choice. The character development system is very standard, but the combat feels extremely tactical. It actually feels pretty similar to FFXII (which itself borrowed a lot from WRPGs) but doesn't depend nearly as much on gambits, and combat really does demand that you micro-manage your team strategy, almost like a quarterback.

The other games mentioned in this thread are all good for other reasons (I haven't played any of the GOG classics), but they are also very streamlined these days. Most WRPGs give you a ton of choice in terms of what kind of character you want to build, but they all do it in very similar ways.

I'll add that if you want an interesting story and world, I would definitely suggest the Deus Ex games: the original one on PC (your laptop can definitely run it) and Human Revolution on PS3. I'd suggest The Witcher 2 as well but I don't know if you can even access the game since on consoles it's 360-only and the PC version has pretty steep system requirements.

Whoa hold up. OP says he wants engaging character growth and combat systems. Why aren't we rolling out the dungeon crawler suggestions?

Diablo III and Torchlight II are this year's top isometric dungeon crawlers, and are specifically built to have addictive character growth and item-gathering systems. There are actually quite a few JRPGs based on the same structure, like Phantasy Star Online.

Man, Orzammar was awesome. Dwarf city, those long-winded tunnels, and you get a cool armor set out of that place.

If OP picks Dragon Age and doesn't roll mage, he should definitely go to the mage tower first. I made the mistake of going to Redcliffe first.

 

[MoogPaul]

Hate wrpgs. Hated Deus Ex, can't stand Fable, Mass Effect is boring, and the newer Fallouts don't cut it for me.

That being said, Dragon Age 1 was alrigh. vampire, fallout 1/2, and balders gate are all very very playable by this jrpg fan.

 

[Toki767]

Man, Orzammar was awesome. Dwarf city, those long-winded tunnels, and you get a cool armor set out of that place.

It was just too long. Easy to want to give up halfway through the tunnels

 

[Finaika]

Wow.

WOW.

This.

The Mists of Pandaria expansion is coming out next week too.

 

[Crash Station]

Don't mean to high jack the thread, but I'd like some recs too. Only WRPG I've really given a good chance is Planescape, and I found it incredibly boring. I was a big fan of Diablo 2 back in the day, but now I can't stand it or the isometric view.

Is there anything else with some degree of linearity, is in 3rd person, and has good combat? Should I play that Vampire game?

 

[Boogiepop]

Reposted for New Page:

Well what are your favorite JRPGs? You might actually find a WRPG kind of similar to that.

Ah, right, knew I was forgetting something.

Personal favorites are probably TWEWY, the Etrian Odyssey games, Nocturne, Persona 3, and Paper Mario TTYD.

 

[JoeBoy101]

Western RPGs... hmm... god I can't think of a good one I've played aside from Skyrim. Skyrim can be a bit daunting at first, especially because your first instinct coming from a JRPG is to grab everything in every building forever which, as anyone who's played any of the elder scroll games will tell you, is bad form.

Not only do people not like you taking their stuff... you can't easily sell it and most of it is worthless. That said, Skyrim is still probably the best WRPG in existence. You can try the earlier games, but in a lot of ways they are more constrictive in what you can do class/character wise.

When it all comes down to it though, I think I played Skyrim so much NOT because it was a WRPG, but because it was one of the few games that really rewards you for exploring and doing your own thing... I'd go so far as to say that Skyrim is better defined as an open world game with RPG aspects than I would call it an outright RPG.

(edit) Forgot the original Dragon Age... It's about as good as KotOR for good or bad anyways. It's got a much better narative structure than Skyrim, but it comes at the cost of being a lot more constrictive gameplay and what appears to be never ending text/talking.

Dude, I hate JRPG's and love WRPG's. On top of that, I really do love Skyrim, but its hardly the best WRPG. Not sure which is the best, but I would easily rank Baldurs Gate 2, Planescape: Torment, KotOR, and Vampire: Bloodlines all above Skyrim (though Vampire only slightly over Skyrim due to its melee combat which manages to be worse than Skyrim, Oblivion, or even Morrowind).

 

[SparkTR]

I recommend Vampire the Masqurade: Bloodlines, Deus Ex and Planescape Torment. They're some of the best games ever in my opinion.

If you want more recent stuff check out Fallout New Vegas, Legend of Grimrock, The Witcher 2 and Dragon Age Origins.

Combat/loot oriented ones check out Torchlight 2, Grim Dawn, and Diablo 3.

 

[Dresden]

Don't mean to high jack the thread, but I'd like some recs too. Only WRPG I've really given a good chance is Planescape, and I found it incredibly boring. I was a big fan of Diablo 2 back in the day, but now I can't stand it or the isometric view.

Is there anything else with some degree of linearity, is in 3rd person, and has good combat? Should I play that Vampire game?

People are going to be divided on the 'good combat' thing, but The Witcher 2 might be what you're looking for.

Bloodlines is a bit... high level for newbies. IMO.

 

[RedSwirl]

Ah, right, knew I was forgetting something.

Personal favorites are probably TWEWY, the Etrian Odyssey games, Nocturne, Persona 3, and Paper Mario TTYD.

Dungeon crawlers bro. Those three games mechanically are actually very similar to a lot of WRPGs (this is assuming Nocturne is similar to P3. I haven't actually played it).

Etriryan Odyssey in particular, from what I've seen of it, is a first person dungeon crawler, which has a rich heritage in the world of WRPGs. Check out GOG. The closest modern successor is definitely Legend of Grimrock, but I don't know if the system requirements are too high for your laptop.

The dungeon crawlers I mentioned earlier - Diablo and Torchlight, are an offshoot of that genre. They have the same focus on exploring dungeons and getting the best items, but move at a much faster pace and are viewed from an isometric angle. Actually, games like Oblivion and Skyrim are distant descendants of the same games Etririan Odyssey probably takes after. They've just also focused a lot on the open-world element, but if you want to, you can spend a shitload of time in Elder Scrolls looting dungeons in that old fashion.

 

[Midou]

Dragon Age Origins and Deus Ex: Human Revolution are great starting points for easily accessible games with a decent amount of WRPG customization. Some older WRPGs are quite daunting when you start them, but if you push through they can be enjoyable pretty fast. I started Planescape over a number of times and could not get into it, but when I pushed through the opening bits and started to level up more and find dungeon loot, get more characters, read the entirety of the dialog, the game became awesome fast.

 

[PataHikari]

You can kill wolves easily at the very start of BG. Are you playing it right?

Not when your party consists of a Level 1 wizard and thief.

 

[ChiefofCitadelSecurity]

Is there anything else with some degree of linearity, is in 3rd person, and has good combat? Should I play that Vampire game?

Sounds like you should try the Witcher 2 to me. Combat isn't the best thing ever but I think it's good enough to carry the game especially compared to the first one.

 

[IoCaster]

As has already been mentioned in this thread games like Deus Ex: HR, KoTOR and Dragon Age: Origins are easy to get into. The gameplay is not difficult to get a handle on and enable you to get to the fun parts relatively quickly. Once you've gotten a feel for that type of gameplay then there's always time to delve a bit deeper and grab some of the older classics.

This post hurts my soul.
Opinions and all but I think we can safely cross Skyrim off the Good Exploration List when almost all of the loot in the game is scaled for your current level.

I don't really have any interest in defending Skyrim, but I question the validity of this criticism. I don't think that Skyrim is intended to be perceived as a "loot" game. Considering the fact that you can craft/enchant weapons and armor that far exceed in quality anything that you could find in the wild should make that obvious. There are many people that enjoy the exploration aspect of the game just on the basis of the constant random and weird encounters that crop up. In the Elder Scrolls games exploration for the sake of exploration is it's own reward. I can understand that this may not have any appeal to some folks, but it is what it is and the series popularity has grown rather than diminished over the years because of it. *shrug*

 

[xJavonta]

Every Fallout (even 3, despite the hate it gets)
Every The Elder Scrolls (even Skyrim, it's the best TES)
Every Mass Effect (again, even 3 despite the hate)
Both Baldur's Gate's
DA:O (Dragon's Age 2 was alright but really actiony compared to the first. The first was much better)
All the Deus Ex's

Also I'm not a fan of them, but The Witcher games are worth a try too.

 

[Rad-]

It can feel, no, it will feel overwhelming at first but that's only because the game is so packed with quality content it's crazy. Best game ever made imo.

Just remember to install the wide screen mod before starting.

 

[Mysterious Stranger]

Dragon Age 2

 

[EVOL 100%]

I was in a similar boat to you a few years back. Played a lot of JRPGs, and avoided WRPGs for the most part. VTM:B was the first WRPG I seriously tried, and I loved it. If it weren't for this game, I'd probably still be avoiding the genre.

Just make sure you get the latest fan patches.

Seconding this. I'd recommend BG2, but you have to play BG1 to get full enjoyment out of it and BG2 starts out really slow.

Vampire is a good taste of what you can expect from WRPGs without missing out on some of the aspects that made WRPGs great that have sadly disappeared from the genre these days.

 

[D3RANG3D]

What I learned from this thread not only is the Skyrim the best WRPG but it's the best TES, fuck no!

 

[Linkhero1]

I was in a similar boat to you a few years back. Played a lot of JRPGs, and avoided WRPGs for the most part. VTM:B was the first WRPG I seriously tried, and I loved it. If it weren't for this game, I'd probably still be avoiding the genre.

Just make sure you get the latest fan patches.

This and Fallout New Vegas. I wasn't a fan of WRPGs until I played these two games.

 

[Combichristoffersen]

Vampire: the Masquerade - Bloodlines.

I generally don't give a shit about WRPGs, but that game is seriously amazing.

 

[Oxigen_Waste]

It can feel, no, it will feel overwhelming at first but that's only because the game is so packed with quality content it's crazy. Best game ever made imo.

Just remember to install the wide screen mod before starting.

This and

are the undisputed kings of the WRPG genre. The Chrono Trigger and FFVI of the whole genre, if you will.

 

[D3RANG3D]

This and

are the undisputed kings of the WRPG genre. The Chrono Trigger and FFVI of the whole genre, if you will.

LOL!

 

[EVOL 100%]

BGII and Torment are generally accepted as the best of the genre but you have to play other WRPGs to really appreciate how good they are. I wouldn't recommend them to beginners.

 

[REMEMBER CITADEL]

Apart from what's already been suggested, you should try one of King's Bounty games. Also Anachronox, which is basically a JRPG made by a western developer.

By the way, if you want depth in terms of mechanics and customization, you probably won't find a better game than TES: Daggerfall. Everything that followed in the series was simplified in one way or another.

 

[LiK]

Mass Effect series if you like action and shooting. The characters and dialogue is worth it alone.

 

[TheFLYINGManga_Ka]

For PS3, I recommend these because they're very cheap now and has all the DLCs. If you never played these before, this is an amazing value, basically all three games + DLCs for the price of one:

• Mass Effect 2 Complete Edition
• Dragon Age Origins Ultimate Edition
• Fallout 3 GOTY Edition

 

[Riposte]

Do you want a shooter, a tactics game, or a 3D action game? "WRPG" doesn't really mean much these days.

 

[subtles]

I'd vote for Mass Effect as well. The other games divide opinion, but in my experience everyone has taken something good from the Mass Effect trilogy.

 

[NullPointer]

As Skyrim is one of the best games ever made I've got no problem recommending it for someone looking for an incredible western RPG. It incorporates a lot of what worked in Fallout 3, but has so much more to offer, especially so if the world you want to spend countless hours in is one that should be lush and beautiful to wander and get lost in.

 

[Riposte]

As Skyrim is one of the best games ever made I've got no problem recommending it for someone looking for an incredible western RPG. It incorporates a lot of what worked in Fallout 3, but has so much more to offer, especially so if the world you want to spend countless hours in is one that should be lush and beautiful to wander and get lost in.

I'd probably recommend a MMORPG before Skyrim.

 

[Writer_Head]

Fallout 3 / New Vegas

 

[fallagin]

Advice: do not play the steam version of kotor, it is a buggy mess, I don't know if this holds for other pc versions.

 

[NullPointer]

I'd probably recommend a MMORPG before Skyrim.

Player choice and the freedom to follow your own path is a defining aspect of WRPGs for me, so I don't hold MMOs in high regard. They are social treadmills, but if OP really wants multiplayer that's a good way to go.

 

[NBtoaster]

Going by the criteria in the OP:

Good gameplay systems
Good character growth
Good Aesthetics
No morality system

These rule out Oblivion, Fallout 3, New Vegas and Skyrim. The gameplay systems aren't particulalry good, and the art quality isn't either. Bethesda's strength is exploration, New Vegas' strength is story telling.

I'd say it also rules out Mass Effect and Dragon Age because the gameplay systems aren't that good either, and the integral morality systems.

I'd reccomend Demon's Souls. Some weirdos clasify it as a JRPG, but it doesn't play like other JRPGs at all. It has great gameplay, character building and art. No morality system.

 

[Ikuu]

As Skyrim is one of the best games ever made I've got no problem recommending it for someone looking for an incredible western RPG. It incorporates a lot of what worked in Fallout 3, but has so much more to offer, especially so if the world you want to spend countless hours in is one that should be lush and beautiful to wander and get lost in.

 

[encephalon]

I primary play JRPGs and was able to immerse myself into Deus EX HR for the latter half of a day, despite sucking at it for the most part and having an overly loud laptop fan noise to deal with. I would recommend it (and I need to get back to it and actually play it).

 

[SamVimes]

Western RPGs... hmm... god I can't think of a good one I've played aside from Skyrim. Skyrim can be a bit daunting at first, especially because your first instinct coming from a JRPG is to grab everything in every building forever which, as anyone who's played any of the elder scroll games will tell you, is bad form.

Not only do people not like you taking their stuff... you can't easily sell it and most of it is worthless. That said, Skyrim is still probably the best WRPG in existence. You can try the earlier games, but in a lot of ways they are more constrictive in what you can do class/character wise.

When it all comes down to it though, I think I played Skyrim so much NOT because it was a WRPG, but because it was one of the few games that really rewards you for exploring and doing your own thing... I'd go so far as to say that Skyrim is better defined as an open world game with RPG aspects than I would call it an outright RPG.

(edit) Forgot the original Dragon Age... It's about as good as KotOR for good or bad anyways. It's got a much better narative structure than Skyrim, but it comes at the cost of being a lot more constrictive gameplay and what appears to be never ending text/talking.

Yes, it rewards you by giving you scaled loot. :lol

Play The Witcher series and Bloodlines first.

 

[NullPointer]

Did I miss the backlash? OK. Luckily I didn't have backlash-GAF in my living room for the countless hours I loved of my time in Skyrim. Yeah, its a fucking amazing game and an incredible accomplishment. Couldn't recommend it more.

 

[toddhunter]

Did I miss the backlash? OK. Luckily I didn't have backlash-GAF in my living room for the countless hours I loved of my time in Skyrim. Yeah, its a fucking amazing game and an incredible accomplishment. Couldn't recommend it more.

I agree. Skyrim is easily in the top 5 elder scrolls games ever made.

 

[AllenShrz]

The Witcher 2!!!!!

 

[Astra]

You should consider giving Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning a try. It's quite accessible to new comers to the (guided) open-world WRPG genre. There are lots of choices for character builds. There's three basic classes, and you can make a hybrid out of any two classes, or all three. You can pick and choose skills from each of the three classes to customize your character how you wish.

The battle system is pretty great for an open-world RPG. Fast-paced action like battles with a fair amount of combos and skills you can use. The game is rather easy, though. Even hard mode ends up becoming easy pretty quickly. Most of these types of games suffer from this, but KoA takes it to the extreme. I still had loads of fun with it, though.

The studio that made the game is dead, however, and there was a patch planned but it never got released. The game is generally bug free, though. There have been complaints about the camera being too close to the character, and the game's difficulty, both of which were going to be addressed, but now they never will. Still, it's worth a play. I'm sure it can be found cheap somewhere.

 

[sleepykyo]

Too Human

How would he do that with a PS3 and a laptop?

 

[Finalow]

Skyrim is still probably the best WRPG in existence. .

WOW OPINIONS

yeah opinions, wrong opinions. like dead wrong.

Skyrim is a decent game with a lot of problems, I'd recommend better games like TW2, Deus Ex HM and Fallout NV if you want to play something from this gen.

Go to GOG.com and buy some (or all) of these:

Fallout 2
Planescape: Torment
Baldur's Gate 2

Your computer can definitely handle all three of these and they're still three of the finest RPGs to ever come out of the western world.

this ^ if you want to play the best WRPGs in existence.

 

[Ceebs]

Go with Vampire. It's fantastic.

Ignore the Dragon Age suggestions. A bland generic game with absolutely broken combat that got by on the reputation of similar (and superior) games that came before.

 

[ChosenPredator]

thats easy, KOTOR is the best one to start with.

 

[Canis lupus]

KOTOR and Deus Ex

 

[teh_J0kerer]

Best WRPGs imo are Demon's Souls and Dark Souls.

Spoiler

Come at me bro.

 

[MaverickHunterAsh]

I wholeheartedly recommend Deus Ex: Human Revolution. I don't even like WRPGs and it was my game of the year for 2011.

 

[AB12]

Bioshock, Mass Effect, Dragon Age Origins, Deus Ex HR. If you like some of these franchises continue except for maybe Dragon Age 2. Most of these games can be had for cheap.