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Lets talk about action RPGs or Lets talk about the best genre around

The SMT Raidou games, particularly the second, Raidou vs. King Abaddon, definitely belong here.

The Torchlight games also.

Morrigan Stark said:
What about those that are hybrid of RPG and shooter? Like Deus Ex series, Fallout 3/New Vegas, for instance. Borderlands series too, to a certain extent. I hated the combat in New Vegas but I liked pretty much everything else. I think a massive Fallout-like but with tight and well-crafted shooting mechanics would be amazing.
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Not shooters, but I suppose you could include all the first-person actiony RPGs that followed in Ultima Underworld's wake: Elder Scrolls, King's Field, System Shock 2 (kinda), etc.
 
Just take it with you. said:
The SMT Raidou games, particularly the second, Raidou vs. King Abaddon, definitely belong here.

The Torchlight games also.



Not shooters, but I suppose you could include all the first-person actiony RPGs that followed in Ultima Underworld's wake: Elder Scrolls, King's Field, System Shock 2 (kinda), etc.
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I think shooters absolutely can be action rpgs. Hell there are more skills and growth in Borderlands 2 than Ys.
 
I have to agree that Tales series are really niche RPGs with cliche and predictable story & characters. I still love the combat though.

sn00zer said:
I didnt like the circular arena aspect of Tales and Star Ocean....would rather just fight in the playing field.

Also Zelda is action adventure....its like the definition of action adventure games
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Well, yeah. the circular arena in Tales and Star Ocean series is the outcome of consoles' limitation those days. Changing them, however, would not be a good idea, as the fans are already attached to the system. Even with the power of newer consoles, I don't think they'll ever change the circular arena of the combat.

I'll add more to the list, which are mmorpgs.

Vindictus
5Njye.jpg


Dragon Nest
20121231023035a0dczt72jxuop3i1.jpg


Tera
tera_launch_press_release03.jpg
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Action mmorpgs are one of the most fun experience I've had of all time.
 
I was going to make a thread but this seems like a valid place to put it. I started playing Risen 2 yesterday and I think it may have the worst combat out of any game in any genre ever!
 
Birth By Sleep is one of my favorite games of all time. The command deck is a really innovative system. I hope 3 keeps it.

I've also really enjoyed the Ys series, particularly Seven.


But yeah. ARPGs are great. Looking forward to Type 0.
 
ryseing said:
Birth By Sleep is one of my favorite games of all time.

I've also really enjoyed the Ys series, particularly Seven.
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I really really really want to like BbS, but I just feel like a dog on a leash being able to only select a few skills at a time. I would like it a lot more if I can just have all my abilities at once like KH2: Final Mix
 
sn00zer said:
I really really really want to like BbS, but I just feel like a dog on a leash being able to only select a few skills at a time. I would like it a lot more if I can just have all my abilities at once like KH2: Final Mix
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Oh boy, you're going to hate Type-0 =P


Anyway, I like the BBS system more than having everything at once (even though I usually prefer the latter). BBS's allow for you to do more stuff than KH2 (and it's not that limited the amount of skills you can equip).

The problem is that items become basically useless.
 
Truly the best genre in my opinion. The Ys games are especially fun to play if you haven't picked them up already.
 
Mauricio_Magus said:
The command menu is here to stay, it's part of what makes Kingdom Hearts such an awesome series and without it it would stop being Kingdom Hearts, you're going through a menu while playing a fast paced action games, it gives them an easy way to have a lot of stuff that Sora and co can do without caring about the controller limitations.

More Quick Menus is the best you could expect, and that would be neat.
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I just feel like menus really hold back Kingdom Hearts as a whole. Just feels like an unnecessary hoop you need to work around in order to do what you want.
 
mrmickfran said:
Oh my god wat

Why am I just hearing about this now
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Ys a more button mashy game than DMC, and there's no stylish combos =P

That being said, I agree with the comparison if we're talking about crazy fights. Shit can get pretty crazy in Ys, specially in boss fights. Difficulty can get pretty high too, playing these games in Nightmare is a pretty tough challenge.

I would only say DMC-lite if we took off the combo system of the game =X

(It's still a pretty damn awesome game though)
 
Mount & Blade still has my favourite combat even if it is very quite dated now and the animations are not exactly pleasant to look at. So satisfying though.
ClqFKOP.jpg


The sandbox style with very little story doesn't really bother me in this. Its really like magic when you finally gather a small band (15-30) allies and enter a battlefield fighting 30 bandits for the first time. Or tagging along in a castle siege with the random lord that has hired your services.

It is even better with mods. Being able to organise your troops into better formations, issue better orders and increasing the battle sizes.

Multiplayer is a lot of fun. I have spent so many hours in it. Weapon choices matter and it isn't all about damage. You need to know which attacks to use and when. :D

Can't wait for the sequel.
 
I'd say Tales games tend to be better than almost every single KH game due to its focus on various auxiliary systems that are actually meaningful...
 
Zukuu said:
It surely is, but also offers the worst, cliche filled cast ever in one of the most boring, plain, stupid, cliche stories and the single handedly most unlikable protagonist since the beginning of time. It's almost amazing, when a character can make Lightning seem like a deep, likable character. Where it not for the godlike battle system, it would have been the worst jRPG I have ever played.
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I didn't even like Graces battle system all that much so combined with the story and characters, you can imagine how much I liked the game. :p
 
kayos90 said:
I'd say Tales games tend to be better than almost every single KH game due to its focus on various auxiliary systems that are actually meaningful...
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Tales characters are super shallow in the way you play then. The only advantage those games have over KH is switching party members (and the fact that they are indeed different, even if all of them are just as shallow). Oh, and the Combo Command too, that is an advantage over everything that is not a character action or fighting game, really.

That being said, Tales games are amazing and the stories are enjoyable despite what GAF says...
 
Why has there been no mention of Castlevania in this thread? SotN anyone? Dawn of Sorrow?

And what about games like Fortune Summoners? Wings of Vi? Valdis? Dungeon Fighter Online?

All fantastic ARPGs.
 
I've got a pretty good history with arpgs.

.hack//
.hack//G.U.
.hack//Link
Phantasy Star Online
Phantasy Star Universe
Phantasy Star Portable
Pokémon Ranger (?)
Secret of Mana
Shining Wisdom

An others but I can't place 'em above traditional jrpgs. Given the opportunity I can play any game for hours on end but arpgs leave me feeling much more "drained" then other types of games. Prolly cause they're super focused on combat whereas traditional ones combat is more idk... incidental?

btw had no clue Tales games were arpgs o.o
 
sn00zer said:
Ok...i wouldnt call it that...actually it reminded me of a isometric Muramasa with a dash of shmup and actual level design
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threelights said:
Ys a more button mashy game than DMC, and there's no stylish combos =P

That being said, I agree with the comparison if we're talking about crazy fights. Shit can get pretty crazy in Ys, specially in boss fights. Difficulty can get pretty high too, playing these games in Nightmare is a pretty tough challenge.

I would only say DMC-lite if we took off the combo system of the game =X

(It's still a pretty damn awesome game though)
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Keep whispering sweet things into my ear. This actually sounds interesting. I'll look up gameplay vids.
 
threelights said:
Tales characters are super shallow in the way you play then. The only advantage those games have over KH is switching party members (and the fact that they are indeed different, even if all of them are just as shallow). Oh, and the Combo Command too, that is an advantage over everything that is not a character action or fighting game, really.

That being said, Tales games are amazing and the stories are enjoyable despite what GAF says...
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I think it depends entirely on the Tales game and character(s) in question. Learning how to play as Judith in Vesperia was almost like learning how to pick up a character in a fighting game. Tons of little nuances to learn and pick up on, and approaching her the same way you would Yuri (i.e. spamming artes all day, erry day) gets you wrecked in a hurry.

KH is less about learning to use a character and more about learning how to exploit the tools you're given in relation to what you might be fighting at the time. Thing is, in most KH games, the basic tools given are usually more than enough to get the job done. The only KH games I'd say have auxiliary systems that actually complement each other well are Birth by Sleep, Re:Coded, and to a certain extent, KHII. That's three games compared to the half dozen or so Tales games that do it right.
 
sn00zer said:
I really really really want to like BbS, but I just feel like a dog on a leash being able to only select a few skills at a time. I would like it a lot more if I can just have all my abilities at once like KH2: Final Mix
Click to expand...

That's actually what I enjoy about BBS. There's a meta game where you need to craft the best abilities and pick the ones you want to use in a strategic manner. Having all of your options would kill most of the fun.

Different strokes I guess.

Psychological Intellect said:
I want kingdom hearts to go full stylish action game a la DMC. Items already stylish as fuck.
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That is an awful, awful idea.
 
ryseing said:
That's actually what I enjoy about BBS. There's a meta game where you need to craft the best abilities and pick the ones you want to use in a strategic manner. Having all of your options would kill most of the fun.

Different strokes I guess.
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yeah I can understand the strategy of only being able to choose a few skills. But as I said feels like a choke collar on a wild dog wanting to be let loose.
 
I'm glad you guys already hit my favourites.

I enjoy almost every one of these games but I have a soft spot for Legend of Mana and the Ys series.

In fact, I am on a job in Vegas and had to buy Legend of Mana for the plane ride, making this about the tenth time I've played through it.
 
sn00zer said:
I just feel like menus really hold back Kingdom Hearts as a whole. Just feels like an unnecessary hoop you need to work around in order to do what you want.
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I Platinum'd KH2:FM in Critical Mode and I rarely felt like the menus were a problem, I always mention how awesome the KH series is for being a menu based game that can get insane as hell at times.

so yeah, I see the menus in KH as a important part of the identity of the series and an element that won't go away. Even if I do see your point, more quick menus would make it a better game, just having 4 slots kinda limits you even if most battles don't need more than 1 or 2.
 
I feel like KH is better for staying within the confines of an Action RPG. Nothing in the series indicates to me that S-E is capable of turning the series into a full on action game (No, not even KHIIFM on Critical).

That being said, anyone have any recommendations for flashy ARPGs that have some substance to go along with it? (i.e. KH & Tales) The more over the top, the better.
 
ElyrionX said:
Diablo 3, ARPG perfected. And it's not even in the OP.
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Ehhh, perfected? Hardly. Worthless story and dialogue and the main game is the easiest game I've played in decades, it's so brain dead. I imagine the higher Torment levels make it more interesting but it takes forever to unlock.

mrmickfran said:
Keep whispering sweet things into my ear. This actually sounds interesting. I'll look up gameplay vids.
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There is a free demo of Ys Origin on Steam. Try it. If you like it, Ys: Oath in Felghana is much in the same vein as well, you can't go wrong with it.

Seven Force said:
That being said, anyone have any recommendations for flashy ARPGs that have some substance to go along with it? (i.e. KH & Tales) The more over the top, the better.
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Dragon's Dogma?
 
favorite action RPG are either

Star Ocean: Till The End of Time (and by extension Star Ocean: The Last Hope International)

and

Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria
 
Definitely agree. Action RPG games have always been my favorite.

When done right, the combination of feeling your character progress, plus having complete control over that character is great.

My favorites:
Brave Fencer Musashi
Secret of Mana 1 & 2
Kingdom Hearts
Dragon's Dogma
Dead Rising
 
I'm enjoying the witcher 2, finally. The combat is a bit shit but it gets easier.

I liked kh1, dues ex and human revolution (although hr is best played as a stealth game), I liked skyrim, new Vegas, oblivion and morrowind, morrowind having the least actiony mechanics. Dead island was ok. Mass effect 2 was my favorite of that series. Dragon age 2 on consoles had a very fun action combat system. Too bad about the rest of the game, and the sequel. Phantasy star online was one of my favorite games ever and really set me on the path. In a way dark souls reminded me greatly of it: sense of discovery, importance of enemy behavior, positioning, and weapon moveset.

Dark souls, having played it recently was incredible. Risen 2 has the worst combat ever, but I managed to enjoy getting through it. I agree with the tc though. Action mechanics are engaging; and, with the role playing elements, the games are more engrossing than ever. But slogging through convos and story isn't for everyone.

Vampire bloodlines is my favorite arpg.

That said, I would enjoy bigger scaled crpg kind of games, like kotor for instance.
 
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