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Your Top Five RPG

German Hops

German Hops

GAF's Nicest Lunch Thief
This has been limited to 5 (or less) RPGs because it makes it easier for people to read and compare, you can limit your list to 3 or even 1 if you’d prefer. Go ahead and do 10 or whatever if you want to be an individual.

Share your favorites, regardless of the system. Also, giving reasons and details behind the game would also be relatively kind of you, as it gives others an insight into why these RPGs grace your list.

My personal list:

1. EarthBound [SNES]
– An obvious and slightly biased choice, this game has had me laughing at all of it’s quirks ever since I picked up the controller. Unique new psychic powers and random, but loveable characters.

2. Kingdom Hearts [PS2]
– Call me a fanboy if you will, but this game was fun to play through from start to finish for me. I loved the action-RPG aspect and the ability to move around and dodge as you fought, instead of the basic stand-still gameplay that we saw in alot of RPGs.

3. Persona 3 (FES). [PS2]
– Great console RPG, straying from the average “JRPG” boringness, Persona 3 comes up with some really unique new high school scenarios and storylines. Battle system also rocks my socks.

4. Super Mario RPG [SNES/Virtual Console]
– A revolutionary RPG for it’s time, SMRPG utilized a simple “timed hits” battle system, that helped defend against attacks and do more damage than usual. Very awesome storyline and funky characters.

5. Legend of Dragoon [PS1]
– This game was simply a work of art. 4 disks of pure awesome RPG-goodness, I absolutely loved the heck out of this game as a kid. Turning your character into an awesome suped-up half-dragon/half-human hybrid was brilliant.
 
Kupfer

Kupfer

Member
Pokemon Red
I played it in the late 90's while Pokemon was the big thing. Everyone traded cards, played the games, watched the series. It was like a parallel universe made for us kids. The game just fulfilled my dream of becoming a Pokemon trainer


Pokemon Gold
Same like Red but better.


Golden Sun
This game swallowed hours without me noticing it. It was just so beautiful and I was a part of the world. This never happened with a rpg game again.

These where pretty much all rpg's I played, I tried some others later but didn't get the vibe like when I was a kid playing endless hours with on my gameboys.


EDIT:

Ok Witcher 3, if it counts. I just started playing it on PS4 and like it so far. When it released 5 years ago I also started to play it on PC but couldn't stand the controls and gameplay while fighting, so I stopped like 20 hours in the story.
I'm pretty much invested this time, so I think I will complete it.

But I don't see it as a rpg like I don't see Diablo as a rpg. For me these games are more action adventures. But if Witcher 3 counts, then Fable is also in my top 5, I just liked style and me and my friends played it together, talking all the time about our decisions and so on.
 
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Bonfires Down

Bonfires Down

Member
Darkest Dungeon
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Final Fantasy VI
Knights in the Nightmare
Baldur's Gate
---
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy Tactics A2
Witcher 3
Diablo II (would be higher but I think it's stretching the definition of RPG)
 
Werewolf Jones

Werewolf Jones

Gold Member
Xenogears

A game so ambitious its scope had to be forced into one single game of a story that spanned six episodes. Tetsuya Takahashi and Kaori Tanaka's love for Japanese mecha from the 70s to the 90s is all given tribute here while all upholding its own unique story. What was the original prototype for their vision of FF VII became something far greater. It's not a flawless game but really deserves every bit of praise it's ever gotten to this day.

Final Fantasy IX

The swan song for Final Fantasy, the last game of the PS1 era and Sakaguchi's Final Fantasy. A love letter to all games prior, with a child-like fantasy look has something much darker in store as the game unfolds, a masterful blend of fantasy and science fiction with the former having a much stronger presence. Great characters who all have substantial meaning in the narrative whether large or small.

KotoR II

Absolutely blows the first game away in every way imaginable. A much more brooding and adult take on the first game which is by the numbers Star Wars as fuck and does nothing interesting with the IP. It makes you question the supposed balance of the force and the characters are top notch. Those extra little moments of the characters interacting with each other on the ship without your influence just goes to show Obisidan went above and beyond what BioWare established. I played this game without the mod fix and still rate it highly.

Vampire the Masquerade - Bloodlines

NOW THIS IS THE REAL SHIT RIGHT HERE. Straight away you're thrown into the deep end of choice out of how many Vampire races with their own unique appearances and traits, what 7? And with two of them forcefully altering the game that's not the best option for newcomers but gives you no real warning about it. I rarely rate Western video game composers but the work on this I still pull up every now and then, so atmospheric and captures the feeling for the game perfectly. Sure the near end game is fucking nigh impossible if you don't set up the right stats but other than that? Game is heat.

Shin Megami Tensei: Soul Hackers

The 3DS remake broke me in on 90s SMT games in their prime. Music is on another level, doesn't hold your hand at all but it's pretty clear what your objectives are. The entire game immerses you into this cyberpunk type world with demons that you fight with and against.
 
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16bitwarzvet

16bitwarzvet

Member
1. The Mass Effect Trilogy - While the ending of three is not what many wanted, the overall story, gameplay, music, and more make for a grand adventure. It was probably my favorite series from the last gen...I'm still waiting on a switch port.
2. Shining Force 2 - this was my first entry into the strategy rpg world and I loved it. The characters and artwork are really well done. The gameplay was good (for it's time) and while strat/RPGs have made greater progress in gameplay, this Sega classic will always be a favorite.
3. Breath of Fire 2 - Another 16-bit game, this was one of the first games I owned for the SNES. The art design is really colorful and it's easy to get sucked into the world. I love the town building aspect and the different dragon combinations you can use. If you haven't played this one, go play it. There's a couple of mods out there that provide a better translation than the original game as well as tweak the leveling/money system (those who played in the 16-bit era will know all about the grind).
4. Dark Souls 3 - I love the Dark Souls series and 3 is there culmination of a great world, cool weapons, and the importance of learning patience (and getting gud). Great game.
5. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The first time you have the glider and jump off.that plateau and the world just opens up made me smile like a little kid. What can be said other than it's an adventure that everyone should go on.
There are more that could be mentioned (Mario RPG, Witcher, Wild Arms, Chrono Trigger, FFIX, Tales of Symphonia).
 
snotcricket

snotcricket

Neo Member
1.) Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
This is mostly a right place right time game that has deep roots in my memory. Was my first willing JRPG experience that I wanted to play, as well as my first Dragon Quest game. Enjoyed top to bottom and also played this game side by side with a friend that enjoyed the game as much as I did. Still holds up pretty well on the 3DS.

2.) Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
This game also is my favorite due to time and place. picked this game up on a whim around the time it was in the zeitgeist. wanted to play something but didn't know what and the vast openness and options and opportunity seemingly available was a first time experience for me with this one.

3.) Dark Souls
Played this when it was a year or two old at the time after giving in after hearing about it through friends so much.
Hated it, put it down, then came back about 6 months later to adore it.

As I type this at work, I'm realizing I didn't enjoy each of these game's sequels as much as my experiences with the originals, I also didn't follow the industry as closely as I do now. I hope I'm not doomed to never have great gaming memories as I consider these due to being so jaded and in the weeds with games now. all well. surely there will be new Ip that will wow me as these games did.
 
sublimit

sublimit

Banned
In no particular order:

Final Fantasy X
A lot of people look down upon it for various reasons,but it still is my favorite FF mostly due to the battle system,story,characters and music.

Dragon Quest VIII
My first DQ and still my favorite.I loved exploring its world more than anything else.Its world oozes charm and has a strange nostalgic feel about it that i can't describe easily.

Demon's Souls
My first Souls game and still my favorite. As much as i love all the other Souls/borne games From never managed to replicate the impact and originality of Demon's and it's obvious that it used its blueprints on various aspects of the designs of all their subsequent games.

Dragon's Dogma (Dark Arisen)
The huge variety of very unique classes,one of the best combat in any ARPG (if not the best),and one of the most deep mechanics and overall functionality of the Pawn system.I could talk for hours about this game and what does right.

The Witcher 3
The sense of place of its world and its atmosphere,the incredible art direction with its fresh Eastern European aesthetics in Velen,the most organic and most polished side quest system of any open world game and some of the best stories and characters we have seen in any RPG make this one of my favorite games of all time even if i wasn't a big fan of its combat (although it has the potential to become significantly better if they fine tune it a bit more).

(edit:btw i didn't want to include more than one game from a series or developer just for variety's sake and to keep the post short. Otherwise you'd definitely see more FF's,DQ's,Souls,Bloodborne and many other games who are in my top RPG lists)
 
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ZeroZeroQuatre

ZeroZeroQuatre

Member
In chronological order :

• Secret of Mana
For the magic, the art, the atmosphere, the grind... and Hiroki Kikuta's music.

• Final Fantasy VI & Final Fantasy IX
Best characters, best villain, best mechanics, best music. My favorite Nobuo Uematsu soundtrack.
And FF9 for being a best-of Final Fantasy.

• Chrono Cross
For being such a beautiful failure. They tried so much, put so much love into it, and yet it still didn't satisfy the world.
The environnements were gorgeous, the story intriguing, the replayability a nice curiosity, and again, the music. Yasunori Mitsuda's soundtrack is stellar.
The game summarizes itself the best :
But for a certainty, back then
We loved so many yet hated so much
We hurt others and were hurt ourselves.

Yet even then we ran like the wind
Whilst our laughter echoed
Under cerulean skies..
Click to expand...


• Baten Kaitos & Baten Kaitos Origins
I suppose I'm a sucker for Masato Kato's writing ? Amazing story and twists, beautiful environments, and my favorite Sakuraba soundtrack.
Also : battle mechanics are great, I love the cards concept. Even moreso in Origins, where achieving a perfect sequence can be orgasmic - really, not kidding.
 
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Life

Life

Member
German Hops German Hops
Was Legend of Dragoon challenging? Does it require you to reassess your team/strategy for important battles? I've grown to really dislike JRPGs over time for their simple battle systems, grindy nature - and generally "one tactic kills all bosses/enemies" until the credits roll.

As I've gotten older, I realise that so many of them are overrated. Even the ones I really liked in the past.
 
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German Hops

German Hops

GAF's Nicest Lunch Thief
Life said:
German Hops German Hops
Was Legend of Dragoon challenging? Does it require you to reassess your team/strategy for important battles? I've grown to really dislike JRPGs over time for their simple battle systems, grindy nature - and generally "one tactic kills all bosses/enemies" until the credits roll.

As I've gotten older, I realise that so many of them are overrated. Even the ones I really liked in the past.
Click to expand...

LoD is on the same level as Final Fantasy VII, challenge-wise. In some spots, you do have to reassess your strategy, but for the most part, the game flowed evenly
 
Vlaphor

Vlaphor

Member
Persona 4 Golden - Amazing gameplay, best cast
Dragon Quest 11 - An amazing refinement of the DQ formula and an awesome story
Witcher 3 - A legendary open world RPG that I can still pick at over 100 hours later
Dragon Age Origins - The last truly amazing Bioware RPG and a great swan song for what they once were
Final Fantasy VI - Just my favorite Final Fantasy, though 7 could also easily be in this spot depending on the day.
 
ROMhack

ROMhack

Member
In no order:

Mother 3
A lot of fun, great music, touching story, good characters. I think it's better than Earthbound due to its tighter chapter-like structure.

FFVI
A really solid adventure for the most part. Think it undersells itself after the BIG EVENT but until that point it's a great adventure, akin to Star Wars and Dune.

Xenogears
Far too ambitious and personal for a videogame. It's just amazing really that it was made, warts and all.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Solid sci-fi story and a gripping take on a divided city. The gameplay is super fun too, especially stealthing it.

Nier: Automata
Grand-scale story with strong philosophical roots and amazing music. Haven't played the games before it so can't compare.
 
Radical Dreamer

Radical Dreamer

Member
ZeroZeroQuatre said:
In chronological order :

• Secret of Mana
For the magic, the art, the atmosphere, the grind... and Hiroki Kikuta's music.

• Final Fantasy VI & Final Fantasy IX
Best characters, best villain, best mechanics, best music. My favorite Nobuo Uematsu soundtrack.
And FF9 for being a best-of Final Fantasy.

• Chrono Cross
For being such a beautiful failure. They tried so much, put so much love into it, and yet it still didn't satisfy the world.
The environnements were gorgeous, the story intriguing, the replayability a nice curiosity, and again, the music. Yasunori Mitsuda's soundtrack is stellar.
The game summarizes itself the best :



• Baten Kaitos & Baten Kaitos Origins
I suppose I'm a sucker for Masato Kato's writing ? Amazing story and twists, beautiful environments, and my favorite Sakuraba soundtrack.
Also : battle mechanics are great, I love the cards concept. Even moreso in Origins, where achieving a perfect sequence can be orgasmic - really, not kidding.
Click to expand...
man this quote ,_, goddamn I love chrono cross so much

and by the way, persona 4 > p4g just because Chie's voice in golden is hideous lmao, I can't get over this ;[
 
S

sid2vicious

Banned
1. FF7 - Truly revolutionary in more ways than one. (I would also like to include AC, CC and Remake as they're all part of the same universe but exclude that shitty DoC).
2. Chrono Trigger - Because it was the first JRPG I got into, and because of Akira Toriyama.
3. Xenogears - Because it was a masterpiece of story telling, combining religion with science fiction, the Bible and Star Wars.
4. Witcher 3 - the first rpg where the world felt alive to me, everything from the vastness to the lore, and how the characters felt real and alive.
5. I won't name a fifth because I would be singling out many of my favorite rpgs and I can't choose! (Mario RPG, Lunar, Legend of Dragoon, more recently Trials of Mana Remake, The Last Story, Nier Automata, I could go on and on so I won't go there).
 
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deriks

deriks

4-Time GIF/Meme God
People are saying action games that have RPG elements. What the fuck?

Not in a particular order:

Persona 5
Maybe the best RPG this generation. Great characters, great music, great stages, great story... I guess that the only kinda bad thing is Mementos, because is just not well balanced.

Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal
Nostalgia maybe is a factor, but holy shit, I play the hell of this game. I got Gold not longer after launch, and I explore everything, got as many pokémons I could (had no friends with the game at the time, so...), and beat Red. It was a glory time for me.

Final Fantasy VIII
I played this game on my PC. I was like "this game is dark as hell. I love it". Also, I wanted to do a Squall Cosplay.

Earthbound
I played this very late, when the Game Cube was in the middle of the life. It's hard, but not that bad. I guess that in a time that RPGs are basically medieval or future scenario, the contemporary thing got me. You can feel that is just a boy and his friends with a lot of imagination. It's magical.

Skies of Arcadia
So unfair that people didn't play much of this game. They're fucking pirates with ships in the sky! A very colorful, funny and awesome game
 
Guilty_AI

Guilty_AI

Member
In no particular order:

Tales of Berseria
Crosscode
Deus Ex
Divinity Original Sin 2
Nier Automata

I could never get into some of the 'classic' stuff like Fallout or Elder Scrolls. I played The Witcher 3 too but i didn't like it very much. I suppose i just dislike their settings in general.
 
L

Labadal

Member
In no particular order:
Planescape: Torment - My favorite Infinite Engine game
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines - My Favorite First Person RPG
Arcanum of Steamworks and Magick Obscura - My Favorite Fallout style RPG
Final Fantasy VI - My favorite JRPG*
Final Fantasy Tactics - My favorite SRPG

*I could have have picked Final Fantasy IX, the games are tied.
 
teezzy

teezzy

Banned
Smug_Horned_AI said:
In no particular order:

Tales of Berseria
Crosscode
Deus Ex
Divinity Original Sin 2
Nier Automata

I could never get into some of the 'classic' stuff like Fallout or Elder Scrolls. I played The Witcher 3 too but i didn't like it very much. I suppose i just dislike their settings in general.
Click to expand...

What is it about Tales of Berseria which makesit your absolute favorite?
 
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