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[Luminaire]

I would legit do one for horror games. I doubt it could be top 50 though.

Maybe one day.

 

[whatever6352]

I have never played a Dragon Quest game or SMT game not named Persona, but I plan to change that next year when the new Dragon Quest and SMT game are out hopefully.

 

[Robert at Zeboyd Games]

I would legit do one for horror games. I doubt it could be top 50 though.

Maybe one day.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_horror_video_games - Looks like there's a few hundred games listed there and I'm guessing it's missing a lot of indie games as well as border cases (like for example, Silent Hill: Book of Memories isn't listed).

 

[Jigorath]

An essential horror thread would be cool but yeah, I don't know how popular it would be.

 

[Htown]

Frankly, Xenoblade X shouldn't even be in the top 50, its simply not good enough. DQ5, DQ6 and DQ8 though should definitely be in there. Probably DQ3 as well simply because of the history but it's not quite as good judging from more modern standards unlike say Phantasy Star 1.

Potentially Xenoblade X could have been even higher. I almost gave my underrated vote to X instead of Mount and Blade.

 

[MoonFrog]

I was sort of considering making this a thread but it would just be, basically, a blog post so I'll just stick it here .

Basically, a LttP: One Year (and a bit) with Atlus. Their games have occupied a lot of my time and thought this past year. In rough chronological order by when I primarily played them or beat them (I, for example, did start Nocturne the first time before playing Persona 4, but came back and played it all the way through much later):

(some of this is re-purposed from earlier posts of mine)

TMS#FE (Beat):

I think both a) the game is a very strong JRPG and b) that the game was too ‘idols are amazing' for me, despite toying with some darker themes it ultimately rejected, and the FE crossover was extremely weak. It is a game I'm glad I bought and that I like a lot, but not unreservedly so. The stories, characters, art, etc. all leave something to be desired, but not nearly as much as I expected going in--I liked plenty of them despite myself--while the meat of the game is strong: the session system is strong, even if I think it peaks before the end; the encounter designs are strong, particularly the bosses; the dungeons are strong. It is a very good game and it drove me to seek Atlus's other products out.

Persona 4 (Beat):

Pop soundtrack; 'anime' high school simulation; small town murder mystery; dungeon-crawling JRPG. Only the latter two things were obviously appealing to me, yet I had managed to find myself quite happy with Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE (yes that is where morbid curiosity started my exploration of Atlus ) despite being in a similar place on the surface, and, in truth, beneath the surface as well. With Persona 4, the pop soundtrack completely stole my heart and I'm surprisingly (for me) not at all ashamed to admit it. So did the high school simulation despite all the horrible moments replete with unaddressed homophobia, conveniently out-sourced-to-the-real-victim fat-hatred, and over-the-top perversion. Inaba was immensely appealing to me, having grown up in a small town, and the cast felt 'real'--rather mundane and relate-able, to be honest--underneath the 'anime' exterior. The Dojimas and the friend group sucked me in. I romanced a teenage idol. I defeated an evil fog machine and its creator. And I had a really good time: it was a game that looked like it'd be just style over substance--it is incredibly stylish--but it had a heart.

Persona 3 (Beat):

The time management game feels a bit loose with the dungeon slot at night, but that is also because I had no plan of strategically cheating on the girls .

I didn't love Tartarus, but I had fun with it overall. I liked the fatigue system. I liked the higher emphasis on getting the jump on the enemy. I found myself using the whole ensemble cast. Lack of party control and tightly tuned sub-bosses were a mixed bad. As to the events, I liked the idea of monthly story event dungeons. The execution was just weak, imo.

As to the story, I think that Persona 3 did really well engaging its characters and their relationships in the main story in comparison to Persona 4. You have Yukari's issues with her father and Mitsuru, which tie into Mitsuru's own late game arc. You have the whole Junpei and Chidori sub-plot. You have the Akihiko/Shinji/Ken stuff. They've never done that as well again, imo.

I also liked the sort of seedy underbelly they had in the background, but thought it was under-explored.

Etrian Odyssey IV (Left off at ending):

I was quite busy when I played this so I unfortunately quit playing near the ending. I absolutely loved the class system and how well abilities, synergy, and battles were tuned. It is an absolute blast in terms of party play and completely addictive.

The mapping function plays into the strength of exploring dungeons, giving you an active way to express the process you are going through as you do so.

SMT Strange Journey (Unfinished):

I ultimately decided to play Radiant Historia instead at the time when I was testing these two out, but I really like the premise of this game and it was also my first extended experience with SMT demon acquisition, fusion, and what-not. I intend to go back to it at some point.

Radiant Historia (On Final Chapter, Alternate History):

I haven't completed this game. I enjoy the combat system where you try and stack enemies, push them into traps, build combos, etc. but it can be a bit too demanding on my attention at times and I can find myself not wanting to run into battles and being frustrated when I do, especially when they don't have ideal formations for my current party. Still, when I'm in the right mood to give it the time and attention it deserves, it is really fun.

I like the time travel conceit and the mechanics of the story more than I do the actual story, but the story is fine and has some distinctive premises so on the whole I think it is a strength of the game. I do find the characters a bit bland.

Persona 5 (Beat): I'll just take this long comment and link it.

SMT IV (Beat):

Persona 5 ignited me into an SMT fervor and I ended up playing IV and IVA back-to-back and making significant progress on Persona 2 EP. Mikado took a bit to get into, but ultimately I like SMTIV's earnest science fiction. This was also the first Press Turn game I played thoroughly and I really enjoyed the system as well as the extensive demon acquisition and fusion game. It was also just a lot of fun to explore a post-apocalyptic Tokyo.

SMT IV Apocalypse (In final dungeon):

I didn't like the change to a "comic book" like voice, and didn't fully enjoy the cast, but I can't say I hated them either. I mostly enjoyed this game for its refinements to IV's combat systems.

Persona 2: Eternal Punishment (about 75% through, going by a dungeon list):

I think the combat and conversation systems in this game are pretty clunky. I also think that the pacing could use some slackening. But...I really like the cast and the more expansive world of Persona usage that you haven't seen too much of in 3 through 5 (except for that underbelly in 3). I'll need to go back to this one and finish it up, but ultimately it was victim to me reaching SMT fatigue while playing it.

SMT Nocturne (Beat):

I finally made a concerted effort to beat this game at the end of August, beginning of September, thoroughly enjoying it. Coming from SMTIV, the reduced QoL was a bit of something to get used to, but when I got myself completely situated the game clicked very well. I really liked Press Turn, the bosses (particularly the fiends), and the dungeons. I also liked how they set up the paths compared to SMTIV with it coming across as your friends just slipping into somewhat understandable, somewhat not madness. There was a stronger element of horror and absurdity to it all, which I think matched the shockingly extreme choices SMT tends to provide you very well. The soundtrack also really grew on me.

Digital Devil Saga (Beat) & Digital Devil Saga 2 (In final dungeon): extended thoughts earlier in this thread.

On the docket:
SJ, RH, EOV, SMT 1, SMT 2, DSO, Persona 1 through 2-2

TL;DR: I like collecting my thoughts, sorry .

 

[kswiston]

The first (or rather last by ranking) 5 banners are up in the OP, along with first two thirds of my section explaining the banner details. Excuse the work in progress look of the OP for now!

Tomorrow, I will finish off the banner explanations, add participant quotes for the titles already present, add the credits section for the plethora of people who have helped out in various ways so far, and hopefully get started on the next set of banners.

I will do my best to get the entire thread wrapped up within 2 weeks of the end of the voting period, but we'll see how things go!

 

[MoonFrog]

Looks good

 

[Aters]

Interesting it's FC making the list. I assume people just write TitS and registered as FC.

 

[texhnolyze]

Wow, Star Wars has fallen so hard from number 6 at its best.

 

[kswiston]

Interesting it's FC making the list. I assume people just write TitS and registered as FC.

I think that in almost every case, it actually was FC being voted for. There might have been a case or two of lazy titles, but compare sales between FC and SC so far on Steam (300k vs less than 50k). SC was 84th, which is pretty great considering its sales and completion rate.

Wow, Star Wars has fallen so hard from number 6 at its best.

There seems to be a general trend of games released in 2000-2005 falling down the list since I first started this back in 2010.

 

[MoonFrog]

I really like the Old Republic setting/lore but the game isn't as central to my gaming life as it was in the mid-2000s. I'd think about it more if it fit together with more other RPGs I like in my mind.

 

[Yoshi]

These banners with all the additional info look like one huge amount of work.

I want to thank you for all the effort put into these votings and Robert for the bonus game!

 

[Wazzy]

The banners look fantastic!

I'm thinking I'll grab both Trails games since I've always heard such good things about them and luckily they're both on Vita. This thread has already pushed me to play Fire Emblem Blazing Blade and finish it so I guess another RPG won't hurt.

 

[texhnolyze]

There seems to be a general trend of games released in 2000-2005 falling down the list since I first started this back in 2010.

Yeah, I noticed that too. Even 2015 and 2016 lists are pretty different.

Anyway, in what interval are you going to post the results? 5 games at a time, right?

I think it's time for a title update as well.

 

[kswiston]

These banners with all the additional info look like one huge amount of work.

I want to thank you for all the effort put into these votings and Robert for the bonus game!

kayos90 (who can't even join us in the thread at the moment as he waits for the ban tag to leave his account), FiveSide, and Thores have been doing the majority of the info gathering for the banners. Info gathering is almost done, and I think that I did less than a quarter of that stuff so far. So they deserve huge props for speeding up the delivery of the aggregate list.

Once I get the supporting info finished in the OP, I should be able to stamp out banners fairly quickly. I spent a ton of time on the banner template itself, so now it's mostly clicking which layers are visible, and copying and pasting text.

Yeah, I noticed that too. Even 2015 and 2016 lists are pretty different.

Anyway, in what interval are you going to post the results? 5 games at a time, right?

I think it's time for a title update as well.

Either 5 or 10, depending on how quickly I can get through them. I'd like to update things daily, so this doesn't get dragged out too long, but we'll see how that turns out.

 

[Aters]

I think that in almost every case, it actually was FC being voted for. There might have been a case or two of lazy titles, but compare sales between FC and SC so far on Steam (300k vs less than 50k). SC was 84th, which is pretty great considering its sales and completion rate.

I'd say 90% of FC owners never finished the game. It starts slow so I can see how people not grabbed by it. No way people see the cliffhanger ending of FC and not jump into SC immediately. Also I don't think anyone who played the two game would rank FC higher. It's like a prologue to the real deal.

 

[Ascheroth]

A Trails game made the list \o/

I think that in almost every case, it actually was FC being voted for. There might have been a case or two of lazy titles, but compare sales between FC and SC so far on Steam (300k vs less than 50k). SC was 84th, which is pretty great considering its sales and completion rate.



There seems to be a general trend of games released in 2000-2005 falling down the list since I first started this back in 2010.

I voted for 3rd, the objectively best of of the TitS-saga (that <20k people have played so far...)
But no worries, next year I'll just vote for all of them, there will be no vote splitting that way <.<

I'd say 90% of FC owners never finished the game. It starts slow so I can see how people not grabbed by it. No way people see the cliffhanger ending of FC and not jump into SC immediately. Also I don't think anyone who played the two game would rank FC higher. It's like a prologue to the real deal.

I think last I checked 20-30% finished FC if I remember it right.

 

[Thores]

kayos90 (who can't even join us in the thread at the moment as he waits for the ban tag to leave his account), FiveSide, and Thores have been doing the majority of the info gathering for the banners. Info gathering is almost done, and I think that I did less than a quarter of that stuff so far. So they deserve huge props for speeding up the delivery of the aggregate list.

I've been happy to help! You always put so much work into these and do a fantastic job, and I feel like pitching in is the least I can do after enjoying your threads for years. Case in point, the banners already look soooo good!

 

[FiveSide]

Looks fantastic! Really nice to see it all coming together.

I'll echo what a few others have said, KOTOR's drop is pretty crazy. With how low it's ranked, either KOTOR2 beat it, or didn't even make the top 50...the second scenario would be a shame.

Haven't been keeping track of KOTOR vs. KOTOR2 mentions, so not sure how they'd approximately stack up compared to each other this year.

Glad Skies of Arcadia is still hanging on. We need a remaster/remake to bring it back into the collective consciousness...

 

[Skyless]

Also I don't think anyone who played the two game would rank FC higher. It's like a prologue to the real deal.

I like SC more, too, but I ranked FC higher in my list because it introduced me to the Trails series.

 

[Robert at Zeboyd Games]

I'd say 90% of FC owners never finished the game. It starts slow so I can see how people not grabbed by it. No way people see the cliffhanger ending of FC and not jump into SC immediately. Also I don't think anyone who played the two game would rank FC higher. It's like a prologue to the real deal.

I've been playing SC recently (I would have played it earlier, but when I beat FC the first time, it wasn't translated and then I was busy working on CSH) and I think I like FC better. SC has the more action-packed plot, but the gameplay being practical identical (same battle system & most character abilities are just more powerful versions of the FC abilities) and all the area & asset reuse really drags it down IMO. I'm in Chapter 8 and if it wasn't for the fact that I'm curious about the rest of the series, I'd be tempted to drop it. I'm glad they switched up the format for the 3rd game because I really don't want another 40 hours of this.

 

[Aters]

I've been playing SC recently (I would have played it earlier, but when I beat FC the first time, it wasn't translated and then I was busy working on CSH) and I think I like FC better. SC has the more action-packed plot, but the gameplay being practical identical (same battle system & most character abilities are just more powerful versions of the FC abilities) and all the area & asset reuse really drags it down IMO. I'm in Chapter 8 and if it wasn't for the fact that I'm curious about the rest of the series, I'd be tempted to drop it. I'm glad they switched up the format for the 3rd game because I really don't want another 40 hours of this.

System wise they are identical, but I think SC has more challenging encounters and some new arts. Overall I enjoy SC's combat much more than FC. As for the asset reuse, there's just no other way around it. You will see the same in Zero/Ao arc, also CS/CS2.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Honestly the problem is that TitS as a series is such slow going.

I finished FC but that took more than half a year. Put SC on hiatus for now.

So I can see why most would only really have experience with fc.

 

[Tamanator]

I'm glad that Alpha Protocol made the top 50. About to start of replay of it actually. Such a shame that there'll never be sequel/follow up title. Someone give me a new spy RPG please.

 

[Thud]

The banners look fantastic!

I'm thinking I'll grab both Trails games since I've always heard such good things about them and luckily they're both on Vita. This thread has already pushed me to play Fire Emblem Blazing Blade and finish it so I guess another RPG won't hurt.

Jeej.

 

[hidys]

I didn't get around to making a list but I'd be pretty happy if KOTOR 2 was able to beat KOTOR 1.

 

[Dark_castle]

I'd say 90% of FC owners never finished the game. It starts slow so I can see how people not grabbed by it. No way people see the cliffhanger ending of FC and not jump into SC immediately. Also I don't think anyone who played the two game would rank FC higher. It's like a prologue to the real deal.

I finished FC and loved it, but that was quite some time ago. SC releases too long after the first game and by that time I pretty much forgotten 80% of the plot of the first game that I find it hard to reinvest in the sequel. I started SC playthrough regardless but it felt weirdly slow in pacing, something I didn't really felt in FC. Going through all the same places and hearing all the same musics again felt really recycled and boring compared to the first time in FC when you're exploring all new places, listening all new music and meeting all new characters was a lot more fresh and exciting. SC might very well be a great game, but I probably have to replay the first game again to be able to immerse in the second.

 

[Spieler Eins]

An essential horror thread would be cool but yeah, I don't know how popular it would be.

I would legit do one for horror games. I doubt it could be top 50 though.

Maybe one day.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1252743

 

[Firemind]

Are Diablo 2 and LoD counted together?

And apparently there's no info on co-op multiplayer?

 

[YankeeDonB]

The banners are looking great OP. This has shaped up to be a really wonderful thread.

As for FC/SC TiTS, I too finished 1 but not 2. Was enjoying 2, but it really is a retread in a lot of ways, and I didn't love 1 enough to dig through so much similar content.

 

[Ascheroth]

The banners are looking great OP. This has shaped up to be a really wonderful thread.

As for FC/SC TiTS, I too finished 1 but not 2. Was enjoying 2, but it really is a retread in a lot of ways, and I didn't love 1 enough to dig through so much similar content.

I thought it was physically impossible to not finish SC after finishing FC
Pro-tip: turbo-mode fixes everything.

 

[cj_iwakura]

Apocalypse is a much more balanced game than IV, and has some great moments, but I can't say it's better or worse than IV, though it's an essential companion.

 

[Antiwhippy]

I thought it was physically impossible to not finish SC after finishing FC
Pro-tip: turbo-mode fixes everything.

Seeing how much less each subsequent tits game sells I'm going to guess very possible.

 

[YankeeDonB]

I thought it was physically impossible to not finish SC after finishing FC
Pro-tip: turbo-mode fixes everything.

Ha, part of it was playing on my dinky laptop. Really uncomfortable. But more than that, battles aren't fun or engaging, I don't find the setting very interesting (certainly not beyond 80 hours), I think the politics and most of the characters are too broad and overwritten (I.e., cartoonish), and Estelle is, really, the only character I like that much. I don't actively dislike many of the other characters, but they could almost all use a little more subtlety in writing and development.

I finished 1 because I was really hungry for classic jRPG, but the series never quite scratches the itch, even though it comes close at times.

 

[Robert at Zeboyd Games]

I thought it was physically impossible to not finish SC after finishing FC
Pro-tip: turbo-mode fixes everything.

I think that's only in the PC version (I have the PSP version since I wanted it portable).

 

[Surfside]

There seems to be a general trend of games released in 2000-2005 falling down the list since I first started this back in 2010.

Does this also hold true for crpgs released in that time period?

 

[Ascheroth]

I think that's only in the PC version (I have the PSP version since I wanted it portable).

Yes, only the PC versions of the Trails games have Turbo mode. Hopefully the PS4 ports of Cold Steel 1 & 2 will have it too.

 

[Usobuko]

I was sort of considering making this a thread but it would just be, basically, a blog post so I'll just stick it here .

Basically, a LttP: One Year (and a bit) with Atlus. Their games have occupied a lot of my time and thought this past year. In rough chronological order by when I primarily played them or beat them (I, for example, did start Nocturne the first time before playing Persona 4, but came back and played it all the way through much later):

(some of this is re-purposed from earlier posts of mine)

TMS#FE (Beat):

Persona 4 (Beat):

Persona 3 (Beat):

Etrian Odyssey IV (Left off at ending):

SMT Strange Journey (Unfinished):

Radiant Historia (On Final Chapter, Alternate History):

Persona 5 (Beat): I'll just take this long comment and link it.

SMT IV (Beat):

SMT IV Apocalypse (In final dungeon):

Persona 2: Eternal Punishment (about 75% through, going by a dungeon list):

SMT Nocturne (Beat):

Digital Devil Saga (Beat) & Digital Devil Saga 2 (In final dungeon): extended thoughts earlier in this thread.

On the docket:
SJ, RH, EOV, SMT 1, SMT 2, DSO, Persona 1 through 2-2

TL;DR: I like collecting my thoughts, sorry .

How do you find the time to beat all these long ass games in a year lol.

 

[Thud]

How do you find the time to beat all these long ass games in a year lol.

He's a slime.

 

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Glad at least one Trails game made the list, but I would much rather it be 3rd, or SC, or Cold Steel II than FC (although FC is a great game itself). Surprised at how much Knights of the Old Republic tumbled this year.

 

[FallenGrace]

Played 4/5 of the games so far. Interestingly the one I haven't is Tits, I only started the series at Cold Steel which I love. Doubt I'll get to play it though as I don't want to have to play the third game on PC. Here's hoping for a PS4 trilogy port, highly unlikely I know XD

 

[Thud]

Played 4/5 of the games so far. Interestingly the one I haven't is Tits, I only started the series at Cold Steel which I love. Doubt I'll get to play it though as I don't want to have to play the third game on PC. Here's hoping for a PS4 trilogy port, highly unlikely I know XD

The 3rd is more like an extended epilogue. You can see FC/SC as Cold Steel I&II, one story spread over two games.

Also the game is available on psp or vita (evo) in Japan. The English translation is only on PC.

 

[Luminaire]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1252743

Only one page...? Or is that just the results? I’ll look at it more later.

I also imagine a horror thread would also have people fighting over what is horror, how a game didn’t scare them so it shouldn’t count, etc.

Back to RPGs though! I remember playing a Japanese demo of TitS on PSP back in like...06? That game took so long to come over. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to jump back into it due to an endless backlog of RPGs that I keep adding to.

 

[Rad Shadow]

I started the free game raffle. Rad Shadow was the first name picked by the RNG gods. He will get first pick (or first pass) of one of the prizes. Once I get a reply from him, I will proceed to the next draw. It will probably take me a few days to get through everything with the delays between PMs. People whose names are picked for the raffle will be highlighted in red in my list of eligible participants (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11NygxUUHbzKMmPF3fUKiJqE7OYx-TAlf15rfElUN3Ng/edit?usp=sharing). You can only get picked once.

Cosmic Star Heroine keys should be going out in the next day or two. You will be getting an automated PM + key, so PM me if there are difficulties. If you don't want your key for whatever reason, give it to a friend that might be interested, or raffle it off in the Steam community thread. Hopefully most of you will actually play the game though!

If you like it, spread the word.




I originally had it in the Mario & Luigi category, but combining everything was less of a headache. The Mario and Luigi games didn't get a lot of love this year.

Yay. I won...I think. Hope I didn't miss the cutoff!

 

[Fou-Lu]

I voted for the 3rd over both FC and SC because I think it is by far the most fun to play of the three and still has a damn great plot. Plus it brings so many characters together it is ridiculous.

How do you find the time to beat all these long ass games in a year lol.

I have beaten 28 games this year and my average playtime on them was 40 hours. I am determined to try and actually play as many of the important and praised RPGs of the past and present as possible. It helps that I am in grad school and do computational research, so a lot of the time I just set up a bunch of jobs and let them run while I play RPGs. I doubt I will get another chance in my life to play this much video games.

 

[Sherlock00]

I voted for the 3rd over both FC and SC because I think it is by far the most fun to play of the three and still has a damn great plot. Plus it brings so many characters together it is ridiculous.



I have beaten 28 games this year and my average playtime on them was 40 hours. I am determined to try and actually play as many of the important and praised RPGs of the past and present as possible. It helps that I am in grad school and do computational research, so a lot of the time I just set up a bunch of jobs and let them run while I play RPGs. I doubt I will get another chance in my life to play this much video games.

Do it. As a working professional and family man, you definitely will NOT have time like this again. I miss being able to Veg out and just play games

 

[MoonFrog]

How do you find the time to beat all these long ass games in a year lol.

I'm in-between things atm. I was trying to do something and it didn't happen. Now trying to do something else.

So I had something to do between June and December of the relevant period. But unfortunately not after that.

Hopefully my new tack pans out for me. It is looking much much easier for it to work out in my favor.

It also is what I used to say I'd never do but...I have to grow up at some point and I failed to do so in the way I wanted to.

But yeah, I am filling this gap with a lot of games. Intentionally too.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

If we're going to be counting down, can you at least start from 50 to 46, 45 to 40, etc. in each post, instead of 46-50, 40-45? That's rather annoying to read this way...

I thought it was physically impossible to not finish SC after finishing FC
Pro-tip: turbo-mode fixes everything.

It really does.

 

[Opa-Pa]

That's a rather impressive list of Atlus games, damn, even all three modern Persona games in a sinfle year? That makes your take on those games extra interesting.

Please return to OG Strange Journey eventually though!

I remember there was a year back in college where I decided to catch up with most Megaten games at the time as well, I think I beat like 5 and it was glorious.

Generally though, regardless of how busy life gets, I always kinda try to clear a similar lists every year, haha. I think this year alone I've attempted to beat like 6 RPGs and I believe I've done like 4? And that's without counting how much I've wanted to start stuff like FF3 and DQ randomly and abandon every game I'm currently playing... I've resisted though (so far ;P).