-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
NeoGAF's Essential RPGs: 2017-2018 edition - Vote open until Oct 13th - Win Free RPGs
- Thread starter kswiston
- Start date
I probably haven't played as many RPGs as some of the posters here, but there are still some highlights. List in no particular order:
The Witcher 3: Probably one of the greatest games I have ever played. The world, while not huge, is filled to the brim with details and invites the player to explore. The sidequests are actually interesting and have their own backstory.
Chrono Trigger: I had not heard of this game until about a year ago when I first got into emulation but I instantly fell in love with it. The characters are all lovable and the story is really interesting and to the point without unnecessary dillution.
Fable: The world in Fable is really charming and I like that the hero is literally just a hero among many. Every time I hear a track from the OST I get the urge to play this game again.
Mass Effect 2: I wasn't sure whether to include Mass Effect 1 or 2. While 2's story isn't as interesting as 1's it compensates with characters and gameplay. Bonus points for being able to romance Tali.
Gothic 2: Probably the best work from Piranha Bytes. I really like the atmosphere and design of the world.
Skyrim: The story isn't terribly good and there are bugs on every corner but goddamn if I don't love the game. The role playing part is huge in this game and you can do pretty much anything anytime you want.
Fallout: New Vegas: Similar to Skyrim but with guns. There is a huge open world to explore but also the main story shines in this one.
Pokémon Red/Blue: Mechanically it is far behind the newer entries and it is quite imbalanced but it is still my favorite pokémon game. It is also the only pokemon game where I completed the pokédex (including Mew).
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} The Witcher 3
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Gothic 2
Chrono Trigger
Fable
Mass Effect 2
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Fallout: New Vegas
Pokemon Red/Blue
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Mass Effect 1
Minecraft
Stardew Valley
--VOTE INFO END--
The Witcher 3: Probably one of the greatest games I have ever played. The world, while not huge, is filled to the brim with details and invites the player to explore. The sidequests are actually interesting and have their own backstory.
Chrono Trigger: I had not heard of this game until about a year ago when I first got into emulation but I instantly fell in love with it. The characters are all lovable and the story is really interesting and to the point without unnecessary dillution.
Fable: The world in Fable is really charming and I like that the hero is literally just a hero among many. Every time I hear a track from the OST I get the urge to play this game again.
Mass Effect 2: I wasn't sure whether to include Mass Effect 1 or 2. While 2's story isn't as interesting as 1's it compensates with characters and gameplay. Bonus points for being able to romance Tali.
Gothic 2: Probably the best work from Piranha Bytes. I really like the atmosphere and design of the world.
Skyrim: The story isn't terribly good and there are bugs on every corner but goddamn if I don't love the game. The role playing part is huge in this game and you can do pretty much anything anytime you want.
Fallout: New Vegas: Similar to Skyrim but with guns. There is a huge open world to explore but also the main story shines in this one.
Pokémon Red/Blue: Mechanically it is far behind the newer entries and it is quite imbalanced but it is still my favorite pokémon game. It is also the only pokemon game where I completed the pokédex (including Mew).
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} The Witcher 3
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Gothic 2
Chrono Trigger
Fable
Mass Effect 2
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Fallout: New Vegas
Pokemon Red/Blue
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Mass Effect 1
Minecraft
Stardew Valley
--VOTE INFO END--
Highlight: Half-Minute Hero - While hardly a typical RPG, I love everything about this little game...at least on the Hero 3/30/300 side of things. While the sequel improved on most everything I liked about this, I figured no one had played it so wanted to give this one a highlight for being a fast-paced RPG that cuts the crap and gets to it.
Underrated: Vandal Hearts - Easily my favorite TRPG, as it has my favorite class system. Each character has a set role, but can still branch into a different specialty. The party was massive and all were playable, and there was a LOT of blood. Shame the sequels ditched all that was good about this.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC - Where Trails FC took forever to get going, SC starts off quick and keeps going all the way through. The cast is huge and fantastic to juggle around. Loved this so much.
Xenoblade - I had a false start on this to start with, but once I learned you could control characters other than Shulk it got much better. Love the story, characters, and the variety of places to go.
Lunar: The Silver Star - Pretty barebones by today's standards, but I loved the cutscene, voice acting, and music. Back in the day it was pretty groundbreaking, but having replayed the Sega CD version just recently it still held up.
Final Fantasy IV - While not my first RPG, this is the one that really got me into RPGs. I actually love that there's not a ton of customization for characters, as I loved adapting to whoever was in my party. Yeah, it's melodramatic, but I don't care. It's all good.
Demon's Souls - I'm not a fan of hard games, but I don't really think the Souls games are brutally difficult, they just require a different stand of mind. This was the one that got me into the series, and I love how it progresses as you go along.
Fallout: New Vegas - I was not much for Western RPGs, but Fallout 3 changed my mind on that. I've very thankful that this happened, because I then was interested in playing New Vegas when it hit. The story, characters, world, choices, and DLC are all top notch.
Final Fantasy XII - While there are things I'd tweak about it, FFXII still has my favorite battle system in any RPG. Yes, there are pacing issues in the game that cause the gameplay to be restricted, but it still is fundamentally great. I would love to see another game take the battle systems and gambits and run with it.
Persona 4 Golden - This is still my favorite modern era Persona game, as it has the best cast and story of the three. Great music, relatable characters, and an interesting murder mystery make this great and the Golden version just cleaned up a lot, though the original was great too.
(Unranked HMs)
HM: Alpha Protocol - Great dialogue, wonky combat
HM: Final Fantasy VI - A classic, but I am not a fan of the second half
HM: Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn - An MMO that really feels like a traditional Final Fantasy
HM: Fire Emblem: Awakening - A great starter Fire Emblem
HM: Jeanne d'Arc - My favorite Level-5 game, weird story, but combat was solid
HM: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning - The best action RPG combat I've played to date
HM: Lunar: Eternal Blue - A fantastic sequel that is close to topping the original
HM: Shining Force II - The TRPG that got me into the series, still love this style
HM: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable - Great story, some quirks that got ironed out later
HM: Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra - Shame Episode II stopped more from playing this
(PS: While I appreciate the prizes being offered, I do not want to be included in the giveaway please.)
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Half-Minute Hero
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Vandal Hearts
Demon's Souls
Fallout: New Vegas
Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy XII
Lunar: The Silver Star
Persona 4 Golden
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC
Xenoblade
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Alpha Protocol
Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
Fire Emblem: Awakening
Jeanne d'Arc
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Lunar: Eternal Blue
Shining Force II
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable
Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra
--VOTE INFO END--
Underrated: Vandal Hearts - Easily my favorite TRPG, as it has my favorite class system. Each character has a set role, but can still branch into a different specialty. The party was massive and all were playable, and there was a LOT of blood. Shame the sequels ditched all that was good about this.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC - Where Trails FC took forever to get going, SC starts off quick and keeps going all the way through. The cast is huge and fantastic to juggle around. Loved this so much.
Xenoblade - I had a false start on this to start with, but once I learned you could control characters other than Shulk it got much better. Love the story, characters, and the variety of places to go.
Lunar: The Silver Star - Pretty barebones by today's standards, but I loved the cutscene, voice acting, and music. Back in the day it was pretty groundbreaking, but having replayed the Sega CD version just recently it still held up.
Final Fantasy IV - While not my first RPG, this is the one that really got me into RPGs. I actually love that there's not a ton of customization for characters, as I loved adapting to whoever was in my party. Yeah, it's melodramatic, but I don't care. It's all good.
Demon's Souls - I'm not a fan of hard games, but I don't really think the Souls games are brutally difficult, they just require a different stand of mind. This was the one that got me into the series, and I love how it progresses as you go along.
Fallout: New Vegas - I was not much for Western RPGs, but Fallout 3 changed my mind on that. I've very thankful that this happened, because I then was interested in playing New Vegas when it hit. The story, characters, world, choices, and DLC are all top notch.
Final Fantasy XII - While there are things I'd tweak about it, FFXII still has my favorite battle system in any RPG. Yes, there are pacing issues in the game that cause the gameplay to be restricted, but it still is fundamentally great. I would love to see another game take the battle systems and gambits and run with it.
Persona 4 Golden - This is still my favorite modern era Persona game, as it has the best cast and story of the three. Great music, relatable characters, and an interesting murder mystery make this great and the Golden version just cleaned up a lot, though the original was great too.
(Unranked HMs)
HM: Alpha Protocol - Great dialogue, wonky combat
HM: Final Fantasy VI - A classic, but I am not a fan of the second half
HM: Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn - An MMO that really feels like a traditional Final Fantasy
HM: Fire Emblem: Awakening - A great starter Fire Emblem
HM: Jeanne d'Arc - My favorite Level-5 game, weird story, but combat was solid
HM: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning - The best action RPG combat I've played to date
HM: Lunar: Eternal Blue - A fantastic sequel that is close to topping the original
HM: Shining Force II - The TRPG that got me into the series, still love this style
HM: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable - Great story, some quirks that got ironed out later
HM: Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra - Shame Episode II stopped more from playing this
(PS: While I appreciate the prizes being offered, I do not want to be included in the giveaway please.)
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Half-Minute Hero
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Vandal Hearts
Demon's Souls
Fallout: New Vegas
Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy XII
Lunar: The Silver Star
Persona 4 Golden
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC
Xenoblade
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Alpha Protocol
Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
Fire Emblem: Awakening
Jeanne d'Arc
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Lunar: Eternal Blue
Shining Force II
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable
Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra
--VOTE INFO END--
I fixed the banner with the incorrect date in the OP. If you were unsure, voting ends on Oct 13th.
I have been letting the thread proceed at its own pace, but people who plan on participating/voting shouldn't wait until the last minute. In my experience, that will lead to you not participating at all. Something always comes up!
Those of you who reserved posts on the first 2-3 pages and then never filled them in will be receiving PMs at some point within the next few days. People will continue to refer back to these threads for years. Don't let the untouched "Reserved!" be a mark of lasting laziness and shame
We currently have over 180 participants. It would be nice to get 50-100 more, but my target was 200, and we're pretty close to that. Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote and write their comments/explanations.
I have been letting the thread proceed at its own pace, but people who plan on participating/voting shouldn't wait until the last minute. In my experience, that will lead to you not participating at all. Something always comes up!
Those of you who reserved posts on the first 2-3 pages and then never filled them in will be receiving PMs at some point within the next few days. People will continue to refer back to these threads for years. Don't let the untouched "Reserved!" be a mark of lasting laziness and shame
We currently have over 180 participants. It would be nice to get 50-100 more, but my target was 200, and we're pretty close to that. Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote and write their comments/explanations.
MasterMenace
Member
- Mass Effect 2
- Dark Souls
- Bloodborne
- Persona 5
- Divinity Orignal Sin
- The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion
- Tales of Vesperia
- Horizon Zero Dawn
- Witcher 3
I fixed the banner with the incorrect date in the OP. If you were unsure, voting ends on Oct 13th.
I have been letting the thread proceed at its own pace, but people who plan on participating/voting shouldn't wait until the last minute. In my experience, that will lead to you not participating at all. Something always comes up!
Those of you who reserved posts on the first 2-3 pages and then never filled them in will be receiving PMs at some point within the next few days. People will continue to refer back to these threads for years. Don't let the untouched "Reserved!" be a mark of lasting laziness and shame
We currently have over 180 participants. It would be nice to get 50-100 more, but my target was 200, and we're pretty close to that. Thanks to everyone who took the time to vote and write their comments/explanations.
I am very curious on how you'll be tallying things up! Is it all manual/by hand or do you have some kind of code/trickery/magic that you do to quickly gather stuff?
The people who properly included the ballot with their posts will allow me to semi-automate the tallying. I'll have to see if I can write something to grab those ballots from the thread. If I can't find time to do that, I can still just copy/paste the ballots into excel and run a visual basic script to sort everything.
The others who didn't follow the rules, I will probably have to do by hand.
I know that the GOTY threads just throw those lists out, but they get over 1k participants. We can't afford to be as picky!
I have done the whole thing by hand in previous years, and it takes around 8 hours.
KuwabaraTheMan
Banned
Was hoping to have some more time to play a couple of other RPGs before I made my list, but there's too much other stuff going on. I'll still come back and write some comments for a few more games when I get the chance, though.
1. Earthbound: One of the most joyous games ever made, Earthbound is something that has stuck with me ever since I first played it. Itoi crafted an amazingly charming world, and a story that while simple, leaves so much for the player to insert themselves into. So many different things in the game can just put a smile on my face any time I come across them, and yet there are also moments that leave me feeling emotional. It's a journey that I think everyone needs to experience for themselves. Beyond the story and the amazing atmosphere, it's also just a very well designed RPG, with a battle system that still feels fresh to this day. The rolling HP meter is something that I always remain shocked at almost no one copying, and the game manages to incorporate many of the typical RPG mechanics into its delightful world really well, such as needing to call your dad to save your game. The variety of enemies in the game is also second to none.
2. Mother 3: Earthbound's more serious older brother. It's not quite as charming as Earthbound overall, but it has arguably even better storytelling, and probably has some of the best cutscene direction of any pixel game out there.
3. Shin Megami Tensei IV(Highlight): The ultimate Shin Megami Tensei experience, with a surprisingly great story that is even better if you're the sort of player who likes to talk to all of the NPCs and fill in gaps mentally. In contrast to something like Persona or Final Fantasy, SMT IV's storytelling is very reminiscent of games like Earthbound or Dragon Quest, where there's a really great story there, but the player is sort of actively involved in shaping it by how they interact with the world and how they let themselves sort of imagine all of the other details that are going on. The worldbuilding in particular is especially great, and the atmosphere, aided by one of the very best soundtracks out there, is phenomenal. But of course, the real key in any Shin Megami Tensei game is the gameplay, and SMT IV doesn't disappoint with its press turn battles and a greatly improved fusion system. While I was initially unsure about the fusion search system since it was such a departure, after a few hours of playing with it it became my favorite system ever. While Shin Megami Tensei IV has some warts, especially the way that the game becomes really easy after the first two boss fights, as an RPG experience it's among the finest ever crafted.
4. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd: The most atypical of the games in the Trails series, and yet somehow also the one that best exemplifies many of the series strengths at the same time. Although ostensibly a dungeon crawler, it's still filled with all of the NPC dialogue, quirky characters, and the same storytelling tricks that make all of the Trails games amazing RPGs. And by upending the typical structure of the game, the story is able to flow in a much different and more rewarding manner. Somehow, by making a game that was so unlike any of the other games in the series, Falcom was actually able to make it feel like the ultimate Trails game, hitting on every single thing that makes the games great while being able to move the player from strength to strength at every moment.
5. Ys II (Underrated): The best sequel ever made, and something that should be considered an essential game by any measure. The original Ys is a really fun game in its own right, but Ys II really is just the perfect sequel in every way, improving on the battle system in a number of ways, while also adding a number of new twists to the game. I can just lose myself running around and talking to the monsters instead of fighting them. And it has some of the best areas to explore, especially once you get to the Shrine of Solomon. Just a perfectly crafted 10 or so hour experience.
6. Persona 5: Following up on a game like Persona 4 isn't an easy task, but Persona 5 somehow managed to top that game in practically every way. The story of Persona 5 picks up pretty much right from the beginning, and it manages to tackle a lot of serious issues with society in a way that its predecessors never really bothered with. An RPG attacking the current political state of a country so directly, as well as being such a sharp criticism of deep seated societal issues is a pretty rare sight, and Persona 5 manages to weave that together with a really exciting story about a pretty great cast of characters, probably the best in any Persona game to date. The game oozes style like almost no other game on the market, and it boasts the expected great Persona soundtrack. Combat and fusion are also improved upon from previous games, especially playing the game on merciless.
7. Final Fantasy IX
8. Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep
9. Divinity Original Sin
10. The Witcher
1. Final Fantasy XIII
2. The Last Remnant
3. Tales of Graces f
4. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
5. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
6. Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth
7. Xenoblade
8. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II
9. Nier
10. Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen
I cut Persona 4 from my list despite being one of my 20 favorite RPGs for sure because I already had Persona 5 on there (and having four Megaten titles would have been a bit much), and because I wanted to focus on getting some different types of RPGs on the list as well. I also very nearly put Kingdom Hearts 0.2 on my list, but I decided that it was just a bit short of it.
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Shin Megami Tensei IV
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Ys II
Earthbound
Mother 3
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd
Persona 5
Final Fantasy IX
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep
Divinity: Original Sin
The Witcher
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Final Fantasy XIII
The Last Remnant
Tales of Graces f
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth
Xenoblade
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II
Nier
Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen
--VOTE INFO END--
1. Earthbound: One of the most joyous games ever made, Earthbound is something that has stuck with me ever since I first played it. Itoi crafted an amazingly charming world, and a story that while simple, leaves so much for the player to insert themselves into. So many different things in the game can just put a smile on my face any time I come across them, and yet there are also moments that leave me feeling emotional. It's a journey that I think everyone needs to experience for themselves. Beyond the story and the amazing atmosphere, it's also just a very well designed RPG, with a battle system that still feels fresh to this day. The rolling HP meter is something that I always remain shocked at almost no one copying, and the game manages to incorporate many of the typical RPG mechanics into its delightful world really well, such as needing to call your dad to save your game. The variety of enemies in the game is also second to none.
2. Mother 3: Earthbound's more serious older brother. It's not quite as charming as Earthbound overall, but it has arguably even better storytelling, and probably has some of the best cutscene direction of any pixel game out there.
3. Shin Megami Tensei IV(Highlight): The ultimate Shin Megami Tensei experience, with a surprisingly great story that is even better if you're the sort of player who likes to talk to all of the NPCs and fill in gaps mentally. In contrast to something like Persona or Final Fantasy, SMT IV's storytelling is very reminiscent of games like Earthbound or Dragon Quest, where there's a really great story there, but the player is sort of actively involved in shaping it by how they interact with the world and how they let themselves sort of imagine all of the other details that are going on. The worldbuilding in particular is especially great, and the atmosphere, aided by one of the very best soundtracks out there, is phenomenal. But of course, the real key in any Shin Megami Tensei game is the gameplay, and SMT IV doesn't disappoint with its press turn battles and a greatly improved fusion system. While I was initially unsure about the fusion search system since it was such a departure, after a few hours of playing with it it became my favorite system ever. While Shin Megami Tensei IV has some warts, especially the way that the game becomes really easy after the first two boss fights, as an RPG experience it's among the finest ever crafted.
4. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd: The most atypical of the games in the Trails series, and yet somehow also the one that best exemplifies many of the series strengths at the same time. Although ostensibly a dungeon crawler, it's still filled with all of the NPC dialogue, quirky characters, and the same storytelling tricks that make all of the Trails games amazing RPGs. And by upending the typical structure of the game, the story is able to flow in a much different and more rewarding manner. Somehow, by making a game that was so unlike any of the other games in the series, Falcom was actually able to make it feel like the ultimate Trails game, hitting on every single thing that makes the games great while being able to move the player from strength to strength at every moment.
5. Ys II (Underrated): The best sequel ever made, and something that should be considered an essential game by any measure. The original Ys is a really fun game in its own right, but Ys II really is just the perfect sequel in every way, improving on the battle system in a number of ways, while also adding a number of new twists to the game. I can just lose myself running around and talking to the monsters instead of fighting them. And it has some of the best areas to explore, especially once you get to the Shrine of Solomon. Just a perfectly crafted 10 or so hour experience.
6. Persona 5: Following up on a game like Persona 4 isn't an easy task, but Persona 5 somehow managed to top that game in practically every way. The story of Persona 5 picks up pretty much right from the beginning, and it manages to tackle a lot of serious issues with society in a way that its predecessors never really bothered with. An RPG attacking the current political state of a country so directly, as well as being such a sharp criticism of deep seated societal issues is a pretty rare sight, and Persona 5 manages to weave that together with a really exciting story about a pretty great cast of characters, probably the best in any Persona game to date. The game oozes style like almost no other game on the market, and it boasts the expected great Persona soundtrack. Combat and fusion are also improved upon from previous games, especially playing the game on merciless.
7. Final Fantasy IX
8. Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep
9. Divinity Original Sin
10. The Witcher
1. Final Fantasy XIII
2. The Last Remnant
3. Tales of Graces f
4. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
5. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
6. Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth
7. Xenoblade
8. The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II
9. Nier
10. Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen
I cut Persona 4 from my list despite being one of my 20 favorite RPGs for sure because I already had Persona 5 on there (and having four Megaten titles would have been a bit much), and because I wanted to focus on getting some different types of RPGs on the list as well. I also very nearly put Kingdom Hearts 0.2 on my list, but I decided that it was just a bit short of it.
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Shin Megami Tensei IV
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Ys II
Earthbound
Mother 3
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd
Persona 5
Final Fantasy IX
Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep
Divinity: Original Sin
The Witcher
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Final Fantasy XIII
The Last Remnant
Tales of Graces f
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth
Xenoblade
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II
Nier
Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen
--VOTE INFO END--
decoyplatypus
Member
I don't know if I'll finish Divinity Original Sin 2 before the deadline. Acts 1 and 2 put it well on track for my ballot (granted, I hear Act 2 is where the game peaks). Ah well.
My List (in Some Kind of Order)
Chrono Trigger - Fantastic artwork and music. A fun, light-hearted story with a few emotional gut punches. The perfection of JRPG gameplay, in and out of combat. I've asked myself for years why other RPGs since don't just copy Chrono Trigger wholesale.
Final Fantasy VI - The pinnacle of one of the greatest series of RPGs in gaming history. Its ridiculously large cast allows the plot to branch and run in unexpected directions, thanks in large part to the game's exceptionally effective villain. The art and music are both sublime.
World of Warcraft - The single greatest waste of gaming hours in my entire life. In a good way, I mean. World of Warcraft redefined the MMORPG by being an actual good game instead of yet another punishing grind held together by its community. The combination of a good guild and a good game kept me hooked to this game for years. I don't regret it too much, either. Honest.
Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals - An overlooked gem from the 16-bit era. Lufia II may not have the beauty of some of its better-known peers, but it has its own style and a level of quality that lets it run with the big dogs. Its emphasis on puzzle solving, as well as the exceptionally memorable Ancient Cave (a randomly-generated, 99-floor optional dungeon years before the indie roguelike renaissance) make this a game I recommend whole-heartedly to any JRPG fan. Don't feel compelled to play Lufia I first--it's a fine but less exceptional game--but Lufia II's story is remarkably affecting for a prequel.
Dark Souls - Easily my favorite game of my favorite action RPG series. Souls games are very popular right now, and my reasons for loving them are not unique: brilliant level and enemy design, excellent ambient sound design contrasted with bombastic boss themes, and sublime, understated story and lore. I feel like everyone knows these games are something special, but it still bears repeating. Dark Souls in particular is my favorite due to its large, interconnected world, which to this day is the crowning achievement of the series.
Dragon Quest V - At its best, the Dragon Quest series is the quintessential JRPG series. Dragon Quest V in particular marries that pure JRPG gameplay to a brilliant fairy tale story that's among my favorite stories from any RPG. This game stands up there with the 16-bit greats; it's a crime that it took so long for this game to make its way west.
Fire Emblem (GBA) - Speaking of games that languished too long in Japan, it's hard to believe now that we didn't get our first Fire Emblem until 2003. This game was a revelation for me; it gave me an entirely new perspective on tactical RPGs and quickly became my favorite in the genre. The huge cast of recruitable characters, sweet combat animations, and impeccable scenario design made this a game I played and replayed more times than I care to admit.
Xenoblade Chronicles - Xenoblade Chronicles is an interesting game for me. The first time I played it, I bounced off it the way I had with multiple other Monolith Soft RPGs. I decided to give it another go, from the beginning, and somehow it ended up being my favorite console RPG in years. The likeable cast and simple, engaging story filled a void left by some of my favorite JRPGs of years gone by, and the spectacular world and fantastic soundtrack kept me eager to see what was next. By the end, I felt like I had a new favorite RPG series, even though it only had one game to its name.
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door - My favorite entry of my favorite Mario RPG subseries. Thousand Year Door strikes a great balance of RPG elements: creative locations, fun characters and writing, excellent level design, and minimal, thoughtful combat. There's a reason why this game always comes up whenever a new Paper Mario game is announced or released: it's still the best one.
Etrian Odyssey IV - I never really played the classic first-person dungeon crawlers of the classic PC RPG era: Wizardry, Might & Magic, or even Ultima. It's weird then that Etrian Odyssey became one of my favorite RPG series of the past decade. The combination of vast dungeon maps, brutal difficulty, outstanding music, open-ended party creation, and minimal, effective use of story and supporting characters made these games something special. The fifth entry is almost upon us, and I can't wait. So far, every successive game in the series has become my new favorite.
Honorable Mentions
Diablo II - The best game in the first family of loot games.
Earthbound - Quirky, touching, and a little bit infuriating.
Secret of Mana - A peculiar action RPG that feels both fundamentally broken and absolutely enthralling.
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness - Sometimes I can't decide whether Disgaea is a guilty pleasure or a legitimately good series. The first game is paradoxically the worst entry mechanically and the easiest one to recommend.
Mother 3 - A beautiful game that many of played under less than ideal circumstances. Hopefully this game will eventually get its due in the West, but until then the fan translation is an amazing achievement all its own.
Breath of Fire II - Another 16-bit classic. Doesn't hold up as well as some of my other favorites, but I still have a lot of fondness for this game.
Undertale - A small, clever game with a lot of heart.
Dragon Quest VII - Possibly my favorite RPG from the PS1 era, but I came to it super late, on 3DS. An excellent traditional RPG with fun premise and job system.
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn - A true testament to perseverance. Went from one of the worst games ever made to one of my favorite MMORPGs.
Asheron's Call - It's hard to recommend this game. Impossible, actually, since it went permanently offline less than a year ago. Still, Asheron's Call was a vastly different take on the MMORPG that stuck with me decades later. My fingers are crossed that the various homebrew server replacements will mature enough to reproduce (and fix) the game as I remember it.
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Chrono Trigger
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals
Final Fantasy VI
World of Warcraft
Dark Souls
Dragon Quest V
Fire Emblem (GBA)
Xenoblade Chronicles
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Etrian Odyssey IV
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Diablo II
Earthbound
Secret of Mana
Undertale
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
Breath of Fire II
Asheron's Call
Mother 3
Dragon Quest VII
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
--VOTE INFO END--
Chrono Trigger - Fantastic artwork and music. A fun, light-hearted story with a few emotional gut punches. The perfection of JRPG gameplay, in and out of combat. I've asked myself for years why other RPGs since don't just copy Chrono Trigger wholesale.
Final Fantasy VI - The pinnacle of one of the greatest series of RPGs in gaming history. Its ridiculously large cast allows the plot to branch and run in unexpected directions, thanks in large part to the game's exceptionally effective villain. The art and music are both sublime.
World of Warcraft - The single greatest waste of gaming hours in my entire life. In a good way, I mean. World of Warcraft redefined the MMORPG by being an actual good game instead of yet another punishing grind held together by its community. The combination of a good guild and a good game kept me hooked to this game for years. I don't regret it too much, either. Honest.
Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals - An overlooked gem from the 16-bit era. Lufia II may not have the beauty of some of its better-known peers, but it has its own style and a level of quality that lets it run with the big dogs. Its emphasis on puzzle solving, as well as the exceptionally memorable Ancient Cave (a randomly-generated, 99-floor optional dungeon years before the indie roguelike renaissance) make this a game I recommend whole-heartedly to any JRPG fan. Don't feel compelled to play Lufia I first--it's a fine but less exceptional game--but Lufia II's story is remarkably affecting for a prequel.
Dark Souls - Easily my favorite game of my favorite action RPG series. Souls games are very popular right now, and my reasons for loving them are not unique: brilliant level and enemy design, excellent ambient sound design contrasted with bombastic boss themes, and sublime, understated story and lore. I feel like everyone knows these games are something special, but it still bears repeating. Dark Souls in particular is my favorite due to its large, interconnected world, which to this day is the crowning achievement of the series.
Dragon Quest V - At its best, the Dragon Quest series is the quintessential JRPG series. Dragon Quest V in particular marries that pure JRPG gameplay to a brilliant fairy tale story that's among my favorite stories from any RPG. This game stands up there with the 16-bit greats; it's a crime that it took so long for this game to make its way west.
Fire Emblem (GBA) - Speaking of games that languished too long in Japan, it's hard to believe now that we didn't get our first Fire Emblem until 2003. This game was a revelation for me; it gave me an entirely new perspective on tactical RPGs and quickly became my favorite in the genre. The huge cast of recruitable characters, sweet combat animations, and impeccable scenario design made this a game I played and replayed more times than I care to admit.
Xenoblade Chronicles - Xenoblade Chronicles is an interesting game for me. The first time I played it, I bounced off it the way I had with multiple other Monolith Soft RPGs. I decided to give it another go, from the beginning, and somehow it ended up being my favorite console RPG in years. The likeable cast and simple, engaging story filled a void left by some of my favorite JRPGs of years gone by, and the spectacular world and fantastic soundtrack kept me eager to see what was next. By the end, I felt like I had a new favorite RPG series, even though it only had one game to its name.
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door - My favorite entry of my favorite Mario RPG subseries. Thousand Year Door strikes a great balance of RPG elements: creative locations, fun characters and writing, excellent level design, and minimal, thoughtful combat. There's a reason why this game always comes up whenever a new Paper Mario game is announced or released: it's still the best one.
Etrian Odyssey IV - I never really played the classic first-person dungeon crawlers of the classic PC RPG era: Wizardry, Might & Magic, or even Ultima. It's weird then that Etrian Odyssey became one of my favorite RPG series of the past decade. The combination of vast dungeon maps, brutal difficulty, outstanding music, open-ended party creation, and minimal, effective use of story and supporting characters made these games something special. The fifth entry is almost upon us, and I can't wait. So far, every successive game in the series has become my new favorite.
Honorable Mentions
Diablo II - The best game in the first family of loot games.
Earthbound - Quirky, touching, and a little bit infuriating.
Secret of Mana - A peculiar action RPG that feels both fundamentally broken and absolutely enthralling.
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness - Sometimes I can't decide whether Disgaea is a guilty pleasure or a legitimately good series. The first game is paradoxically the worst entry mechanically and the easiest one to recommend.
Mother 3 - A beautiful game that many of played under less than ideal circumstances. Hopefully this game will eventually get its due in the West, but until then the fan translation is an amazing achievement all its own.
Breath of Fire II - Another 16-bit classic. Doesn't hold up as well as some of my other favorites, but I still have a lot of fondness for this game.
Undertale - A small, clever game with a lot of heart.
Dragon Quest VII - Possibly my favorite RPG from the PS1 era, but I came to it super late, on 3DS. An excellent traditional RPG with fun premise and job system.
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn - A true testament to perseverance. Went from one of the worst games ever made to one of my favorite MMORPGs.
Asheron's Call - It's hard to recommend this game. Impossible, actually, since it went permanently offline less than a year ago. Still, Asheron's Call was a vastly different take on the MMORPG that stuck with me decades later. My fingers are crossed that the various homebrew server replacements will mature enough to reproduce (and fix) the game as I remember it.
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Chrono Trigger
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals
Final Fantasy VI
World of Warcraft
Dark Souls
Dragon Quest V
Fire Emblem (GBA)
Xenoblade Chronicles
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Etrian Odyssey IV
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Diablo II
Earthbound
Secret of Mana
Undertale
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
Breath of Fire II
Asheron's Call
Mother 3
Dragon Quest VII
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn
--VOTE INFO END--
If you have fairly extensive RPG knowledge, and want to help with some of the info gathering for the final aggregate list, shoot me a PM. I will be crediting everyone who has helped in the making of this thread, since it usually ends up being a team effort.
These threads are a ton of work. I have probably already put in 30 hours since I started planning things in May, between figuring out the banners and icons, general graphic design, and just managing the thread. From past experience, there's probably another 30-50 hours worth of work to get the final list up. As such, even taking on a small fraction of that would be a big help!
Preferably, helpers would be widely familiar with both JRPGs AND WRPGs, but if you mainly play one of those types, that's good too. As long as you are fairly well versed in those titles.
Areas that I could use help with are identifying key staff members, music composers, and soundtrack selections. Every game also has room for a piece of trivia related to the development of the game, or maybe a cool secret within the game. I want the trivia to be interesting to people who are familiar with the genre, so we'll have to dig deeper than "Final Fantasy VI was originally titled Final Fantasy III in North America" or "Pillars of Eternity was developed to be the spiritual successor of Baldur's Gate and other Infinity Engine games".
My other major requirement is that you have to have a Google account. I am coordinating all of the banner info in a Google spreadsheet that is set to private for various reasons. I need your gmail/google username to add you as an editor to the spreadsheet.
Right now, I am starting with the 35+ titles that have made most of the previous lists. In a week, I should start to have some actual vote counts, and we can fill in the gaps.
If no one has the time or inclination to help, I will still make sure that the final aggregate list is posted. It will just take longer (and be limited by my personal knowledge).
These threads are a ton of work. I have probably already put in 30 hours since I started planning things in May, between figuring out the banners and icons, general graphic design, and just managing the thread. From past experience, there's probably another 30-50 hours worth of work to get the final list up. As such, even taking on a small fraction of that would be a big help!
Preferably, helpers would be widely familiar with both JRPGs AND WRPGs, but if you mainly play one of those types, that's good too. As long as you are fairly well versed in those titles.
Areas that I could use help with are identifying key staff members, music composers, and soundtrack selections. Every game also has room for a piece of trivia related to the development of the game, or maybe a cool secret within the game. I want the trivia to be interesting to people who are familiar with the genre, so we'll have to dig deeper than "Final Fantasy VI was originally titled Final Fantasy III in North America" or "Pillars of Eternity was developed to be the spiritual successor of Baldur's Gate and other Infinity Engine games".
My other major requirement is that you have to have a Google account. I am coordinating all of the banner info in a Google spreadsheet that is set to private for various reasons. I need your gmail/google username to add you as an editor to the spreadsheet.
Right now, I am starting with the 35+ titles that have made most of the previous lists. In a week, I should start to have some actual vote counts, and we can fill in the gaps.
If no one has the time or inclination to help, I will still make sure that the final aggregate list is posted. It will just take longer (and be limited by my personal knowledge).
My list. To make it easier on myself I am going to limit myself to 1 game per franchise in the top 10 so I don't go insane.
1. Planescape: Torment - Let's get something out of the way to start. Yes, the combat is pretty mediocre. But who cares when the rest of the game is so damn good. Great art, great characters, and most important of all, a great story.
2. Deus Ex - Another game with somewhat clunky combat! Oh, and the visuals aren't that great. And the story seems like a combination of every conspiracy theory under the sun. What makes Deus Ex great however, is the way you can complete missions and solve problems. Want to be a mass murdering psychopath who butchers enemy soldiers? Go ahead. Prefer stealth? Be stealthy. The game seems to react to almost every choice you make, even the tiniest ones.
3. System Shock 2 - I've never played System Shock 1. But I have played 2 a couple of years ago and it stands the test of time.
4. Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines - Poor Troika. After making this excellent RPG the studio failed. It's a shame because a more polished version of VtmB today would be well received.
5. Pillars of Eternity - I may be a little biased because this was the first real-time with pause RPG I played, but I can't help but love PoE. It features some great characters like Durance, Eder, and Hirivias. Critics will claim that other RtWP games do the combat better, and they may be right, but I can't help but love it anyway. And PoE 2: Deadfire seems to be an improvement in every way.
6. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - As someone who has played every Witcher game, 3 is easily the best. It has the best combat, the best characters, and wraps everything up.
7. World of Warcraft - WoW was essentially the game that got me to buy a PC. I remember watching a friend playing and being amazed at what you could do in a game and the amount of the players you can interact with. I started playing WoW about 5 or 6 months after release and I still have great memories of my time playing it.
8. Divinity: Original Sin - Played co-op with a friend and had a blast, even if the game is brutally difficult in some spots and some of the puzzles felt really unfair.
9. Dark Souls III - IMO, it is the easiest of the Dark Souls games, but that really doesn't take much away from it. It still has challenge, but the game removed much of what I didn't like about the previous souls games such as being cursed.
10. Mass Effect - The best of the franchise even if if features the worst combat out of the trilogy.
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Planescape: Torment
Deus Ex
System Shock 2
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Pillars of Eternity
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
World of Warcraft
Divinity: Original Sin
Dark Souls III
Mass Effect
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Shadowrun: Dragonfall
Alpha Protocol
Fallout: New Vegas
Torment: Tides of Numenera
Baldur's Gate
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Pokemon: Gold and Silver
Shadowrun: Hong Kong
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
--VOTE INFO END--
1. Planescape: Torment - Let's get something out of the way to start. Yes, the combat is pretty mediocre. But who cares when the rest of the game is so damn good. Great art, great characters, and most important of all, a great story.
2. Deus Ex - Another game with somewhat clunky combat! Oh, and the visuals aren't that great. And the story seems like a combination of every conspiracy theory under the sun. What makes Deus Ex great however, is the way you can complete missions and solve problems. Want to be a mass murdering psychopath who butchers enemy soldiers? Go ahead. Prefer stealth? Be stealthy. The game seems to react to almost every choice you make, even the tiniest ones.
3. System Shock 2 - I've never played System Shock 1. But I have played 2 a couple of years ago and it stands the test of time.
4. Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines - Poor Troika. After making this excellent RPG the studio failed. It's a shame because a more polished version of VtmB today would be well received.
5. Pillars of Eternity - I may be a little biased because this was the first real-time with pause RPG I played, but I can't help but love PoE. It features some great characters like Durance, Eder, and Hirivias. Critics will claim that other RtWP games do the combat better, and they may be right, but I can't help but love it anyway. And PoE 2: Deadfire seems to be an improvement in every way.
6. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - As someone who has played every Witcher game, 3 is easily the best. It has the best combat, the best characters, and wraps everything up.
7. World of Warcraft - WoW was essentially the game that got me to buy a PC. I remember watching a friend playing and being amazed at what you could do in a game and the amount of the players you can interact with. I started playing WoW about 5 or 6 months after release and I still have great memories of my time playing it.
8. Divinity: Original Sin - Played co-op with a friend and had a blast, even if the game is brutally difficult in some spots and some of the puzzles felt really unfair.
9. Dark Souls III - IMO, it is the easiest of the Dark Souls games, but that really doesn't take much away from it. It still has challenge, but the game removed much of what I didn't like about the previous souls games such as being cursed.
10. Mass Effect - The best of the franchise even if if features the worst combat out of the trilogy.
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Planescape: Torment
Deus Ex
System Shock 2
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Pillars of Eternity
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
World of Warcraft
Divinity: Original Sin
Dark Souls III
Mass Effect
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Shadowrun: Dragonfall
Alpha Protocol
Fallout: New Vegas
Torment: Tides of Numenera
Baldur's Gate
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Pokemon: Gold and Silver
Shadowrun: Hong Kong
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
--VOTE INFO END--
Sunless Sea
Sunless Sea is easily the best written game I've ever played, combining masterful prose, intriguing mysteries and tons of creativity.
While most RPGs focus on their characters, Sunless Sea instead creates a world like no other. And that's important, since Sunless Sea is, at its core, an exploration game done right, where you explore not to get some extra gold or experience, but because you genuinely want to see what's out there. And this is even mirrored in the gameplay mechanics. For example, you don't level up by gaining experience points, but by collecting secrets.
Growlanser Wayfarer of Time [UNDERRATED]
Growlanser Wayfarer of Time is the absolute peak of Japanese strategy RPGs that nobody actually played. Instead of focusing on complicated character development mechanics with dozens of different classes, Growlanser thrives on simplicity. For the most part, the only two commands you need to use are move and attack (with the occasional spell thrown in).
Despite the simplicity, Growlanser still manages to be more strategic than most other games in the genre due to one simple fact: good mission design. There's almost never a mission where you just have to kill all enemies, with most of them adding in additional objectives like defending certain points, interacting with special objects or keeping other characters alive. Even missions with no extra objectives require you to vary your strategy with careful enemy placement and map design. Even years after finishing the game, I can still remember most of the game's missions.
It's not just gameplay that surprised me with its quality. The story makes a good attempt at giving every side in the war a good mixture of good and evil characters, which means there isn't one side that is 100% good and one that's 100% evil (well, apart from the player's party itself). There's a simple Persona styled character bonding system a Suikoden styled base building. The character art is detailed and very distinct and unique. There's also a surprising amount of choice and consequences in the game, accomplished mostly with doing specific side quests and fulfilling certain mission objectives, instead of pure dialogue choices.
Planescape: Torment
Well, Planescape Torment is basically a requirement in a list like this, and there's not much I can say about it that hasn't already been said. Great storytelling and writing, and a very creative world make Planescape one of the best RPGs ever written.
Baldur's Gate 2
Baldur's Gate 2 is the closest you can get to the definitive western fantasy RPG. What really makes Baldur's Gate 2 stand apart from its peers is its second chapter. After escaping the tutorial dungeon, you're thrown into the city of Athkatla and told you need to collect 20000 gold to progress. In most other games (Dragon Age 2 being the obvious offender), this would involve hours of pointless grinding and filler side quests. In Baldur's Gate 2, its the best part of the game. The city is so filled with side quests you practically can't walk two feet without bumping into another questgiver. And every single one of this sidequests is interesting, unique, and just as good as all of the main content that comes later. I never really timed it, but it felt like I spent more time on chapter 2 then I did on the rest of the game combined.
Baldur's Gate 2 deserves a spot in this list simply because its side quests are better than the main story of a large number of other RPGs, and the sheer quantity of the side content is astounding.
Fire Emblem Fates
Fire Emblem Fates is on this list for one reason only: Conquest. Like Growlanser, Fire Emblem Conquest understands that good map design is the most important part of a good strategy game. The maps in Conquest are so far above anything else in the franchise, with almost every map featuring a unique mechanic that you have to play around with.
Unfortunately, almost every other aspect of the game has issues. The story is awful, the character interactions are almost entirely one note, and the marriage and children mechanics are completely shoe-horned in a way that makes almost zero sense and turns literally every character in the game into absolutely vile child torturers.Still, as far as gameplay is concerned, Fire Emblem Conquest is so good that it gets a spot on this list.
Knights in the Nightmare
Knights in the Nightmare is a real time strategy bullet hell RPG. The fact that it manages to make such a combination of genres work is reason enough to include it here. In addition to the innovative gameplay, I also really liked its story. The game takes part after what is essentially the end of the world, and the story is delivered through short snippets of events that happened just before the end. This gives the game a really dark and gloomy feel, similar to something like Dark Souls.
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Divinity Original Sin 2 is one of my biggest gaming surprises in a while. I knew it would be a good game, but I didn't imagine just how good it would be. While it's probably to early to say this, Original Sin 2 feels like a modern Baldur's Gate 2. Much like BG2, it drastically improves on its predecessor. Much like BG2, it features a ton of interesting and varied side content and a great combat system with good encounter design. Unfortunately, the game seems incredibly unbalanced at the moment, with certain character classes feeling near useless, while others can completely demolish every encounter.
Original Sin 2 greatest strength, other than the sheer amount of content, is that it gives you great freedom in choosing how to approach quests, be it through combat, dialogue or sneaking. This freedom extends to exploration as well, thanks to tools like the teleport spell. Unfortunately, the game can't always quite keep up with the freedom it provides to the player, and it sometimes breaks when you take an unintended approach to a quest. Still, just the fact that you can approach the game in many different ways makes it stand out in a very positive way.
Pyre
Another surprise from this year, Pyre is by far the best game from Supergiant Games. Much like Sunless Sea and Torment, Pyre stands apart with its brilliant writing. Unfortunately, its hard to talk about what makes Pyre really special without spoiling its best moments, so I'll just say that the way Pyre handles player choice is incredibly well realized and that the themes it handles are something I didn't think I'd ever see in a game this high profile. In addition to that, the world and characters in general are really well developed, and despite the bleak themes it presents, the game never loses hope and optimism, which is something I appreciate.
On the gameplay front, Pyre works for me due to its uniqueness. An RPG styled 3v3 basketball-ish sports tournament isn't something you see every day, and Pyre manages to keep introducing just enough new mechanics to make it not get old throughout.
Of course, it wouldn't be a Supergiant game without a stellar soundtrack and beautiful art, both of which are present here. Out of the three Supergiant games, I'd say this one has the best soundtrack, with a great mix of music genres. Much like Transistor, Pyre also manages to integrate the music into the game extremely well, making it so that the soundtrack is actually one of the more important aspects of the game.
Trails in the Sky Second Chapter
Trails in the Sky Second Chapter is, without a doubt, the best written fantasy JRPG I've ever played. The way the game develops its world and characters is in a league above other games in the genre. A big part of this is the localization work, which makes the dialogue and prose feel natural, which is something even high profile games like Persona struggle with.
Trails in the Sky SC is also one of the very few story based JRPGs that manages to actually present a challenge when it comes to the gameplay, with interesting boss battles that require good strategy, not grinding, to beast.
Ys Origin
Ys Origin is action RPG perfection. Great gameplay, tons of hard boss fights, and outstanding soundtrack make it, as well as other Ys games, a joy to play.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
Arcanum is basically Fallout, but set in a steampunk world where technology clashes with magic. Much like Sunless Sea and Torment, it is the writing that makes the game stand out. The world is unique, varied and well developed, and there are plenty of interesting side quests with different outcomes and ways to approach them.
Unfortunately, it doesn't quite earn a spot in the main list due to its gameplay. At best, you'll spend one skill point in destruction magic and the combat will simply involve clicking on things really fast and hoping they die. At worst, you'll spend hundreds of skill points in the technology branch and end up with a completely useless character that takes forever to get anything done. Either way, the combat won't be any fun. Which wouldn't be a problem, if the game didn't involve a number of dungeons that are much too big for their own good.
There's also one thing that Arcanum does really well that I've never seen done in a game. This one moment really makes the game stand out to me, but it is, unfortunately, a spoiler.
Baten Kaitos Origins
Baten Kaitos Origins is here purely because its battle system. In the simplest terms, its essentially a real time poker/solitaire card game, where you need to quickly discard cards to make the best possible hand you can. Its fun, unique, and memorable enough to earn a honorable mention.
Demon's Souls
What's there to even say about the Souls franchise that people on neogaf don't already know. For me, Demon's Souls is the best one, simply because I don't feel like its dark atmosphere has ever been matched in any of the sequels.
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
Devil Survivor is another brilliant strategy RPG, made by the same developers that made Growlanser (after they were picked up by Atlus). The strategy RPG genre fits with traditional Shin Megami tensei gameplay surprisingly well, and the wide variety of demons allows for great freedom when it comes to customizing your party. The game also stands out with its story, which offers a ton of different paths through it, as well as a great feeling of hopelessness and impending doom.
Neverwinter Nights 2 - Mask of the Betrayer
Neverwinter Nights 2 is a very generic realtime fantasy RPG that never really stands out in any way whatsoever. Its second expansion, Storm of Zehir, is even worse, with practically nonexistant story and boring world. In between these two, there's Mask of the Betrayer, the spiritual successor to Planescape Torment.
Mask of the Betrayer is dragged down by NWN2's awful engine, bad combat (of which there is notably more than in Planescape, so it's harder to ignore), and a completely pointless hunger mechanic that adds nothing but tedium to the game. But the core of the game, the writing, is still good enough to make the game worth playing.
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3
The best Persona game, personally. With the best social links, an additional playable character in the portable version, as well as the best final boss in the franchise. Persona 3's biggest accomplishment happens near the end, when the game masterfully shifts its atmosphere to really drive in just how impactful a certain story revelation was.
Sadly, it doesn't quite make the main list due to several reasons. First, the pacing has big issues, with most of the story happening near the end of the game. Secondly, the dungeon crawling just isn't very fun. And finally, the localization, like in other Persona games, has huge issues.
Star Control 2
An open world space exploration game filled with humorous alien races and colourful dialogue. Star Control 2 really captures the great feeling of space exploration, where you never quite know what's out there. The game does, sadly, suffer from problems, the main of which is that it can be difficult at times to figure out how to progress the main story. If you do want to give the game a try, it has a completely free modern remake, called The Ur-Quan Masters.
Valkyrie Profile
Valkyrie Profile is a really one of a kind game. The gameplay is a interesting mix of platforming, dungeon crawling and timing based combat that already makes the game stand out. But the real draw for me is the story. You play as a Valkyrie, collecting souls of the dead, and the story is presented through short cutscenes which show the life of your party members some short time before they died. This fragmented and unique style of storytelling worked really well for me, and makes Valkyrie Profile stand out amongst all other classic JRPGs.
Wild Arms XF
Wild Arms XF is what you get if you take Final Fantasy Tactics and improve upon it in every way. There are two things that make Wild Arms XF stand out. First is the leveling system. Instead of earning exp to improve your character, leveling up simply gives you more options. Basically, you first pick a main class for your character, which can be changed at any time. Your character always has access to every skill of this class, and leveling up the class unlocks its skills so that they can be used even when you switch the character's class. Only a limited number of unlocked skills can be selected, so unlocking skills never directly improves your character. This means that combat is never about having the best stats, but about picking the right combination of skills to take into battle. Secondly, the game makes great use of map variety to force you to switch classes around. You won't be able to finish every map with the same party composition, and since you can't just level up to make them easier, all maps do require good strategy.
Wizardry 8
The Wizardry franchise is probably one of the most historically important and influential RPGs series out there, and Wizardry 8 provides by far the easiest and most modern entry point into the franchise. An open world, turn based, party based RPG with a huge focus on exploration and combat. While combat is very traditional, its hard to blame the game for that when Wizardry more or less invented/popularized the classic turn based party RPG. For party customization, the game gives you a truly staggering amount of customization options, with a large number of classes and races, as well as the ability to multiclass.
Wizardry 8 differentiates from traditional Dungeon Crawlers with an inclusion of a large open world, as well as a story that requires thorough exploration.
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Sunless Sea
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Growlanser Wayfarer of Time
Planescape: Torment
Baldur's Gate 2
Fire Emblem Fates
Knights in the Nightmare
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Pyre
Trails in the Sky Second Chapter
Ys Origin
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
Baten Kaitos Origins
Demon's Souls
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
Neverwinter Nights 2
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3
Star Control 2
Valkyrie Profile
Wild Arms XF
Wizardry 8
--VOTE INFO END--
Sunless Sea is easily the best written game I've ever played, combining masterful prose, intriguing mysteries and tons of creativity.
While most RPGs focus on their characters, Sunless Sea instead creates a world like no other. And that's important, since Sunless Sea is, at its core, an exploration game done right, where you explore not to get some extra gold or experience, but because you genuinely want to see what's out there. And this is even mirrored in the gameplay mechanics. For example, you don't level up by gaining experience points, but by collecting secrets.
Growlanser Wayfarer of Time [UNDERRATED]
Growlanser Wayfarer of Time is the absolute peak of Japanese strategy RPGs that nobody actually played. Instead of focusing on complicated character development mechanics with dozens of different classes, Growlanser thrives on simplicity. For the most part, the only two commands you need to use are move and attack (with the occasional spell thrown in).
Despite the simplicity, Growlanser still manages to be more strategic than most other games in the genre due to one simple fact: good mission design. There's almost never a mission where you just have to kill all enemies, with most of them adding in additional objectives like defending certain points, interacting with special objects or keeping other characters alive. Even missions with no extra objectives require you to vary your strategy with careful enemy placement and map design. Even years after finishing the game, I can still remember most of the game's missions.
It's not just gameplay that surprised me with its quality. The story makes a good attempt at giving every side in the war a good mixture of good and evil characters, which means there isn't one side that is 100% good and one that's 100% evil (well, apart from the player's party itself). There's a simple Persona styled character bonding system a Suikoden styled base building. The character art is detailed and very distinct and unique. There's also a surprising amount of choice and consequences in the game, accomplished mostly with doing specific side quests and fulfilling certain mission objectives, instead of pure dialogue choices.
Planescape: Torment
Well, Planescape Torment is basically a requirement in a list like this, and there's not much I can say about it that hasn't already been said. Great storytelling and writing, and a very creative world make Planescape one of the best RPGs ever written.
Baldur's Gate 2
Baldur's Gate 2 is the closest you can get to the definitive western fantasy RPG. What really makes Baldur's Gate 2 stand apart from its peers is its second chapter. After escaping the tutorial dungeon, you're thrown into the city of Athkatla and told you need to collect 20000 gold to progress. In most other games (Dragon Age 2 being the obvious offender), this would involve hours of pointless grinding and filler side quests. In Baldur's Gate 2, its the best part of the game. The city is so filled with side quests you practically can't walk two feet without bumping into another questgiver. And every single one of this sidequests is interesting, unique, and just as good as all of the main content that comes later. I never really timed it, but it felt like I spent more time on chapter 2 then I did on the rest of the game combined.
Baldur's Gate 2 deserves a spot in this list simply because its side quests are better than the main story of a large number of other RPGs, and the sheer quantity of the side content is astounding.
Fire Emblem Fates
Fire Emblem Fates is on this list for one reason only: Conquest. Like Growlanser, Fire Emblem Conquest understands that good map design is the most important part of a good strategy game. The maps in Conquest are so far above anything else in the franchise, with almost every map featuring a unique mechanic that you have to play around with.
Unfortunately, almost every other aspect of the game has issues. The story is awful, the character interactions are almost entirely one note, and the marriage and children mechanics are completely shoe-horned in a way that makes almost zero sense and turns literally every character in the game into absolutely vile child torturers.Still, as far as gameplay is concerned, Fire Emblem Conquest is so good that it gets a spot on this list.
Knights in the Nightmare
Knights in the Nightmare is a real time strategy bullet hell RPG. The fact that it manages to make such a combination of genres work is reason enough to include it here. In addition to the innovative gameplay, I also really liked its story. The game takes part after what is essentially the end of the world, and the story is delivered through short snippets of events that happened just before the end. This gives the game a really dark and gloomy feel, similar to something like Dark Souls.
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Divinity Original Sin 2 is one of my biggest gaming surprises in a while. I knew it would be a good game, but I didn't imagine just how good it would be. While it's probably to early to say this, Original Sin 2 feels like a modern Baldur's Gate 2. Much like BG2, it drastically improves on its predecessor. Much like BG2, it features a ton of interesting and varied side content and a great combat system with good encounter design. Unfortunately, the game seems incredibly unbalanced at the moment, with certain character classes feeling near useless, while others can completely demolish every encounter.
Original Sin 2 greatest strength, other than the sheer amount of content, is that it gives you great freedom in choosing how to approach quests, be it through combat, dialogue or sneaking. This freedom extends to exploration as well, thanks to tools like the teleport spell. Unfortunately, the game can't always quite keep up with the freedom it provides to the player, and it sometimes breaks when you take an unintended approach to a quest. Still, just the fact that you can approach the game in many different ways makes it stand out in a very positive way.
Pyre
Another surprise from this year, Pyre is by far the best game from Supergiant Games. Much like Sunless Sea and Torment, Pyre stands apart with its brilliant writing. Unfortunately, its hard to talk about what makes Pyre really special without spoiling its best moments, so I'll just say that the way Pyre handles player choice is incredibly well realized and that the themes it handles are something I didn't think I'd ever see in a game this high profile. In addition to that, the world and characters in general are really well developed, and despite the bleak themes it presents, the game never loses hope and optimism, which is something I appreciate.
On the gameplay front, Pyre works for me due to its uniqueness. An RPG styled 3v3 basketball-ish sports tournament isn't something you see every day, and Pyre manages to keep introducing just enough new mechanics to make it not get old throughout.
Of course, it wouldn't be a Supergiant game without a stellar soundtrack and beautiful art, both of which are present here. Out of the three Supergiant games, I'd say this one has the best soundtrack, with a great mix of music genres. Much like Transistor, Pyre also manages to integrate the music into the game extremely well, making it so that the soundtrack is actually one of the more important aspects of the game.
Trails in the Sky Second Chapter
Trails in the Sky Second Chapter is, without a doubt, the best written fantasy JRPG I've ever played. The way the game develops its world and characters is in a league above other games in the genre. A big part of this is the localization work, which makes the dialogue and prose feel natural, which is something even high profile games like Persona struggle with.
Trails in the Sky SC is also one of the very few story based JRPGs that manages to actually present a challenge when it comes to the gameplay, with interesting boss battles that require good strategy, not grinding, to beast.
Ys Origin
Ys Origin is action RPG perfection. Great gameplay, tons of hard boss fights, and outstanding soundtrack make it, as well as other Ys games, a joy to play.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
Arcanum is basically Fallout, but set in a steampunk world where technology clashes with magic. Much like Sunless Sea and Torment, it is the writing that makes the game stand out. The world is unique, varied and well developed, and there are plenty of interesting side quests with different outcomes and ways to approach them.
Unfortunately, it doesn't quite earn a spot in the main list due to its gameplay. At best, you'll spend one skill point in destruction magic and the combat will simply involve clicking on things really fast and hoping they die. At worst, you'll spend hundreds of skill points in the technology branch and end up with a completely useless character that takes forever to get anything done. Either way, the combat won't be any fun. Which wouldn't be a problem, if the game didn't involve a number of dungeons that are much too big for their own good.
There's also one thing that Arcanum does really well that I've never seen done in a game. This one moment really makes the game stand out to me, but it is, unfortunately, a spoiler.
During a particular quest, one of your story companions will get killed off in a cutscene. This is a familiar sight, that happens in a ton of games. In most games like this, you also possess some kind of resurrection spell you can use during battles, but you can't use it here, since getting stabbed in a cutscene is apparently different than getting stabbed in combat. Not so in Arcanum. If you've learned the resurrection spell, you're allowed to use it to bring the dead companion back to life. The game never even mentions this, but its also not going to stop you.
Baten Kaitos Origins
Baten Kaitos Origins is here purely because its battle system. In the simplest terms, its essentially a real time poker/solitaire card game, where you need to quickly discard cards to make the best possible hand you can. Its fun, unique, and memorable enough to earn a honorable mention.
Demon's Souls
What's there to even say about the Souls franchise that people on neogaf don't already know. For me, Demon's Souls is the best one, simply because I don't feel like its dark atmosphere has ever been matched in any of the sequels.
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
Devil Survivor is another brilliant strategy RPG, made by the same developers that made Growlanser (after they were picked up by Atlus). The strategy RPG genre fits with traditional Shin Megami tensei gameplay surprisingly well, and the wide variety of demons allows for great freedom when it comes to customizing your party. The game also stands out with its story, which offers a ton of different paths through it, as well as a great feeling of hopelessness and impending doom.
Neverwinter Nights 2 - Mask of the Betrayer
Neverwinter Nights 2 is a very generic realtime fantasy RPG that never really stands out in any way whatsoever. Its second expansion, Storm of Zehir, is even worse, with practically nonexistant story and boring world. In between these two, there's Mask of the Betrayer, the spiritual successor to Planescape Torment.
Mask of the Betrayer is dragged down by NWN2's awful engine, bad combat (of which there is notably more than in Planescape, so it's harder to ignore), and a completely pointless hunger mechanic that adds nothing but tedium to the game. But the core of the game, the writing, is still good enough to make the game worth playing.
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3
The best Persona game, personally. With the best social links, an additional playable character in the portable version, as well as the best final boss in the franchise. Persona 3's biggest accomplishment happens near the end, when the game masterfully shifts its atmosphere to really drive in just how impactful a certain story revelation was.
Sadly, it doesn't quite make the main list due to several reasons. First, the pacing has big issues, with most of the story happening near the end of the game. Secondly, the dungeon crawling just isn't very fun. And finally, the localization, like in other Persona games, has huge issues.
Star Control 2
An open world space exploration game filled with humorous alien races and colourful dialogue. Star Control 2 really captures the great feeling of space exploration, where you never quite know what's out there. The game does, sadly, suffer from problems, the main of which is that it can be difficult at times to figure out how to progress the main story. If you do want to give the game a try, it has a completely free modern remake, called The Ur-Quan Masters.
Valkyrie Profile
Valkyrie Profile is a really one of a kind game. The gameplay is a interesting mix of platforming, dungeon crawling and timing based combat that already makes the game stand out. But the real draw for me is the story. You play as a Valkyrie, collecting souls of the dead, and the story is presented through short cutscenes which show the life of your party members some short time before they died. This fragmented and unique style of storytelling worked really well for me, and makes Valkyrie Profile stand out amongst all other classic JRPGs.
Wild Arms XF
Wild Arms XF is what you get if you take Final Fantasy Tactics and improve upon it in every way. There are two things that make Wild Arms XF stand out. First is the leveling system. Instead of earning exp to improve your character, leveling up simply gives you more options. Basically, you first pick a main class for your character, which can be changed at any time. Your character always has access to every skill of this class, and leveling up the class unlocks its skills so that they can be used even when you switch the character's class. Only a limited number of unlocked skills can be selected, so unlocking skills never directly improves your character. This means that combat is never about having the best stats, but about picking the right combination of skills to take into battle. Secondly, the game makes great use of map variety to force you to switch classes around. You won't be able to finish every map with the same party composition, and since you can't just level up to make them easier, all maps do require good strategy.
Wizardry 8
The Wizardry franchise is probably one of the most historically important and influential RPGs series out there, and Wizardry 8 provides by far the easiest and most modern entry point into the franchise. An open world, turn based, party based RPG with a huge focus on exploration and combat. While combat is very traditional, its hard to blame the game for that when Wizardry more or less invented/popularized the classic turn based party RPG. For party customization, the game gives you a truly staggering amount of customization options, with a large number of classes and races, as well as the ability to multiclass.
Wizardry 8 differentiates from traditional Dungeon Crawlers with an inclusion of a large open world, as well as a story that requires thorough exploration.
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Sunless Sea
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Growlanser Wayfarer of Time
Planescape: Torment
Baldur's Gate 2
Fire Emblem Fates
Knights in the Nightmare
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Pyre
Trails in the Sky Second Chapter
Ys Origin
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
Baten Kaitos Origins
Demon's Souls
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
Neverwinter Nights 2
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3
Star Control 2
Valkyrie Profile
Wild Arms XF
Wizardry 8
--VOTE INFO END--
Never thought or heard much about Growlanser. You make it sound quite appealing to me though.
Part of what I like about Fire Emblem is the simplicity of a) its round-based combat, b) class system, c) weapon triangles, and d) map rules.
I also like it more when Fire Emblem gives more attention to map and objective design than when it doesn't.
Also @kswiston I'd love it if I felt I could be of use but a) I don't know CRPG and b) I don't know much trivia and probably nothing that isn't widely known. Thanks for putting so much time into this.
Part of what I like about Fire Emblem is the simplicity of a) its round-based combat, b) class system, c) weapon triangles, and d) map rules.
I also like it more when Fire Emblem gives more attention to map and objective design than when it doesn't.
Also @kswiston I'd love it if I felt I could be of use but a) I don't know CRPG and b) I don't know much trivia and probably nothing that isn't widely known. Thanks for putting so much time into this.
rabhimself6
Neo Member
Here's my list - many of these I haven't revisited since my first (and probably only) playthrough, but nostalgia is a powerful thing. Plus, many of these are being ranked on the strength of their soundtrack.
My list, in alphabetical order:
Chrono Cross - I was new to the PS1 when I first heard about this game, and I hadn't played Chrono Trigger, but saw the art and wanted to try something different than the Final Fantasies I had played before. One of the few RPGs that I've actively replayed, just to try new partners and see how many endings I could get. I also cosplayed as the main character Serge for a few years at local conventions, and found out the hard way that carving a sword out of wood is very tough! Soundtrack highlights include every single track. I bought the soundtrack, and still play it regularly.
Chrono Trigger - My friend used to tell me stories about how he and his Japanese exchange student would replay this over and over, getting all characters to lvl 99, and even writing a sequel, "Chrono Trigger 2: The Chronicles of Chronology." When I finally got a chance to play this as a part of the PS1 collection, complete with anime cutscenes, I learned that the hype was true, and that this was one of the best RPGs ever created. I still hold that to be true to this day. Even the music pushed boundaries, and the jazzy remix album "The Brink of Time" has never left my iPod. Soundtrack highlights include "Guardia's Millenial Fair", "Gato's Song", "Frog's Theme", "Jolly Ol' Spekkio", "Ayla's Theme", and "Robo's Theme".
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - I knew I was getting into something amazing when I first booted this up years after it first came out, but what I didn't know was that I would be completely captivated by the sheer scope of the land. It was really incredible how I could always seem to stumble across a new quest and lose hours exploring random dungeons just for the heck of it. Soundtrack highlights include "Dragonborn" and "The Streets of Whiterun".
Final Fantasy VIII - Two words: TRIPLE TRIAD. I lost countless hours of sleep playing this mini-game into the early hours of the morning, refusing to accept a loss and practically saving after ever game to ensure that I ended up with a complete card collection by the end of the game. Soundtrack highlights include "The Landing", "Shuffle or Boogie", Waltz for the Moon", "The Man with the Machine Gun", "Slide Show Part 2", and "The Extreme".
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning - I remember going to lunch with my friend who worked at 38 Studios, who told me to give him my resume so he could try and get me a job there. I asked "so are you guys actually making any money?" and he responded with "I guess we're doing okay?" about a month before the paychecks stopped coming and the doors were locked up. Never did get that callback! Anyways, for the month I was unemployed, this game was the perfect way to kill the hours of soul-crushing boredom between applying for jobs, and despite the overly complex lore, had one of THE BEST fighting systems in any action RPG ever. No real soundtrack memories here; mostly just nostalgia fighting its way to relevancy.
Grandia 2 - Integrating anime cutscenes into special attacks remains one of the coolest things I have ever seen in an RPG. The overall art design was incredible, and I loved how it took everything great about Grandia 1 and made it even better! (well, except for the opening theme - Grandia 1's opening is still the most epic way to start a journey.) Soundtrack highlights include "Fight!! ver 1", "Come on, let's travel!", and "Commercial Town Liligue - Apparent Prosperity".
Mass Effect 2 - The clear standout best game in the trilogy, this game made me care about side quests and the fate of the crew that I found, trained, and was now responsible for. Nothing was better than the intense decisions of the final suicide mission, as well as comparing how my team did vs my friend playing his own game at the same time! Plus, Legion's reveal and whole concept was fascinating and unlike any helper character I had ever come across in an RPG. Soundtrack highlights include "New Worlds" and "Suicide Mission".
Skies of Arcadia - Despite its ridiculous encounter rate, this was a breathtaking experience and so much fun to play as I sailed the skies looking for new treasures and islands to explore. For a while, the graphics made me think that the Dreamcast was the future, and not the PS2. Soundtrack highlights include "Battle 1" and the world theme that would dynamically change when you got to a new civilization.
Parasite Eve - One of the first games that I played where it felt like I was watching a movie. It was so cool to see the (at the time) realistic cinematics, as well as the real-life setting of New York City as opposed to the fantasy realms of past RPGs that I had played. I even went a little crazy and did a whole science project on mitochondria that year in school! Soundtrack highlights include "Primal Eyes", "Arise Within You", "Urban Noise", and "Missing Perspective".
Super Mario RPG - Probably the first RPG I ever played. I remember renting this with my brother over the course of several weekends from the local video store, always hopeful that nobody would delete our save file. Beating the hidden boss Culex was a highlight. Soundtrack highlights include "Beware the Forest's Mushrooms", Welcome to Booster's Tower", and "Barrel Volcano".
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Final Fantasy VIII
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Chrono Trigger
Chrono Cross
Skies of Arcadia
Parasite Eve
Super Mario RPG
Grandia 2
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Mass Effect 2
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Bravely Default
Fallout 3
Fallout 4
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy X
Grandia
Legend of Dragoon
Parasite Eve 2
Shadow Hearts: Covenant
--VOTE INFO END--
My list, in alphabetical order:
Chrono Cross - I was new to the PS1 when I first heard about this game, and I hadn't played Chrono Trigger, but saw the art and wanted to try something different than the Final Fantasies I had played before. One of the few RPGs that I've actively replayed, just to try new partners and see how many endings I could get. I also cosplayed as the main character Serge for a few years at local conventions, and found out the hard way that carving a sword out of wood is very tough! Soundtrack highlights include every single track. I bought the soundtrack, and still play it regularly.
Chrono Trigger - My friend used to tell me stories about how he and his Japanese exchange student would replay this over and over, getting all characters to lvl 99, and even writing a sequel, "Chrono Trigger 2: The Chronicles of Chronology." When I finally got a chance to play this as a part of the PS1 collection, complete with anime cutscenes, I learned that the hype was true, and that this was one of the best RPGs ever created. I still hold that to be true to this day. Even the music pushed boundaries, and the jazzy remix album "The Brink of Time" has never left my iPod. Soundtrack highlights include "Guardia's Millenial Fair", "Gato's Song", "Frog's Theme", "Jolly Ol' Spekkio", "Ayla's Theme", and "Robo's Theme".
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - I knew I was getting into something amazing when I first booted this up years after it first came out, but what I didn't know was that I would be completely captivated by the sheer scope of the land. It was really incredible how I could always seem to stumble across a new quest and lose hours exploring random dungeons just for the heck of it. Soundtrack highlights include "Dragonborn" and "The Streets of Whiterun".
Final Fantasy VIII - Two words: TRIPLE TRIAD. I lost countless hours of sleep playing this mini-game into the early hours of the morning, refusing to accept a loss and practically saving after ever game to ensure that I ended up with a complete card collection by the end of the game. Soundtrack highlights include "The Landing", "Shuffle or Boogie", Waltz for the Moon", "The Man with the Machine Gun", "Slide Show Part 2", and "The Extreme".
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning - I remember going to lunch with my friend who worked at 38 Studios, who told me to give him my resume so he could try and get me a job there. I asked "so are you guys actually making any money?" and he responded with "I guess we're doing okay?" about a month before the paychecks stopped coming and the doors were locked up. Never did get that callback! Anyways, for the month I was unemployed, this game was the perfect way to kill the hours of soul-crushing boredom between applying for jobs, and despite the overly complex lore, had one of THE BEST fighting systems in any action RPG ever. No real soundtrack memories here; mostly just nostalgia fighting its way to relevancy.
Grandia 2 - Integrating anime cutscenes into special attacks remains one of the coolest things I have ever seen in an RPG. The overall art design was incredible, and I loved how it took everything great about Grandia 1 and made it even better! (well, except for the opening theme - Grandia 1's opening is still the most epic way to start a journey.) Soundtrack highlights include "Fight!! ver 1", "Come on, let's travel!", and "Commercial Town Liligue - Apparent Prosperity".
Mass Effect 2 - The clear standout best game in the trilogy, this game made me care about side quests and the fate of the crew that I found, trained, and was now responsible for. Nothing was better than the intense decisions of the final suicide mission, as well as comparing how my team did vs my friend playing his own game at the same time! Plus, Legion's reveal and whole concept was fascinating and unlike any helper character I had ever come across in an RPG. Soundtrack highlights include "New Worlds" and "Suicide Mission".
Skies of Arcadia - Despite its ridiculous encounter rate, this was a breathtaking experience and so much fun to play as I sailed the skies looking for new treasures and islands to explore. For a while, the graphics made me think that the Dreamcast was the future, and not the PS2. Soundtrack highlights include "Battle 1" and the world theme that would dynamically change when you got to a new civilization.
Parasite Eve - One of the first games that I played where it felt like I was watching a movie. It was so cool to see the (at the time) realistic cinematics, as well as the real-life setting of New York City as opposed to the fantasy realms of past RPGs that I had played. I even went a little crazy and did a whole science project on mitochondria that year in school! Soundtrack highlights include "Primal Eyes", "Arise Within You", "Urban Noise", and "Missing Perspective".
Super Mario RPG - Probably the first RPG I ever played. I remember renting this with my brother over the course of several weekends from the local video store, always hopeful that nobody would delete our save file. Beating the hidden boss Culex was a highlight. Soundtrack highlights include "Beware the Forest's Mushrooms", Welcome to Booster's Tower", and "Barrel Volcano".
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Final Fantasy VIII
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Chrono Trigger
Chrono Cross
Skies of Arcadia
Parasite Eve
Super Mario RPG
Grandia 2
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Mass Effect 2
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Bravely Default
Fallout 3
Fallout 4
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy X
Grandia
Legend of Dragoon
Parasite Eve 2
Shadow Hearts: Covenant
--VOTE INFO END--
You will be happy with your free code for Cosmic Star Heroine. I'm playing through it right now and it's the closest I've seen an RPG come to Trigger's battle system and general design ethos.
(Other than I Am Setsuna, but personally I found Setsuna a bit too heavily on the derivative side. CSH is similar to Trigger but adds its own wrinkles and mechanics.)
ankle-rocker
Neo Member
I'm garbage at typing explanations on why a game is amazing, but I still wanna cast a vote.
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT – 3 points} EarthBound
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} Crimson Shroud
Bloodborne
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy
Dragon Quest V
Shin Megami Tensei IV
Undertale
Final Fantasy VI
Valkyrie Profile
--VOTE INFO END--
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT – 3 points} EarthBound
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} Crimson Shroud
Bloodborne
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy
Dragon Quest V
Shin Megami Tensei IV
Undertale
Final Fantasy VI
Valkyrie Profile
--VOTE INFO END--
I do really like the original Final Fantasy. In general, I've liked NES JRPG with spruced up graphics and improved QoL (lower encounter rates/quicker leveling, more forgiving save functions) when I've played them. Never played any NES game in its original version, though.
Still, I like the simplicity of, say, a Final Fantasy I or a Dragon Quest I-IV.
Still, I like the simplicity of, say, a Final Fantasy I or a Dragon Quest I-IV.
ankle-rocker
Neo Member
Yeah I still play the original Final Fantasy pretty much every year. It's so open and free with the character selection and I love goofing around with random combos. DQ1 changed my life and I have a tattoo to honor it. But I'll admit that today it feels dated to play it.
Meh, I played the first DQ a year ago and I think it still holds up as a short, solid RPG. Its simplicity makes it a lot more manageable than, say, DQ2 (which has not held up at all, though the remakes help somewhat with that).
SatelliteOfLove
Member
Fwew. Done. I didn't pick a Full-Point Game, as it's still a tie in my mind, but I did have an underrated.
Also, I have both purchased and played thru Cosmic Star Heroine, so Im good on the key. It's good! Give it to someone else so they can enjoy!
FULL POINT GAMES
Legend of Grimrock 2 (Almost Human 2014) *UNDERRATED*
You know those games that come out and feel good, feel right, and play right, but they juuuuuuuuuuuuuust don't have the scope, polish, or the design in a few facets quite right to really work, but so damn enjoyable and honest and true in their aim that you like the game and wish the devs the best on the next adventure? That was Grimrock 1.
And you know that NEXT game, that takes the scope, polish, and design critiques and sends that sequel thru the roof with some of the best-thought out gaming you've experienced and an all-time classic? THAT'S Grimrock 2.
They did so much so right in this game.
A grander scale with a whole island full of smaller dungeons to explore. More puzzles. More secrets. More variety. More ambience. More choice. More monsters. More loot. More boss fights. More MORE.
Chrono Trigger (Squaresoft 1995)
One of the best games ever made. One of the most revolutionary, as well. No list is complete without it, no gaming career without having had beaten it. It also had this strong lean 'n mean structure with nigh perfect pacing.
SFC RPGs were in a good place around that time for this.
Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter (Capcom 2002/03)
Completely misunderstood upon release, this delicate, intricate, brutal game is a masterpiece for every expert RPG player out there hungry for an excellent dungeon crawler.
World of Warcraft (Blizzard 2004-08)
Particularly around 2.4, where they came as close to landing the goals they set out to do way back before release and before they started obeying the siren's song of player bribery and other toxic influences. No other game than WoW under this period so NAILED a genre that the only choice during their glory days to have success in the genre was to make a completely different game with completely different goals and play (EvE).
Modability
Responsive Combat
"Equality of Opportunity" balancing
Can run decently on a toaster
Read those? Good, you now know more than other MMO developers not named Blizzard.
Digital Devil Saga (Atlus 2004/5/6)
Atlus' Beast Mode Era continues with the Press Turn sporting, demon-protagonisted, Vedic lore-infused, post-apocalyptic, Jazzy, Metal, eatin' people excellence of DDS1. The attention to detail and creativity is outstanding (just watch how Heat and Argilla talk in demon form). May have THE hardest boss in any game ever.
Etrian Odyssey II (Atlus 2008)
Even in a RPG list, yada yada. A fine evolution of EO1, but without EO3 and 4's oversoftened edges. Updating dungeon crawlers away from the clunk of yore with outstanding ergonomics yet still made you plan and work and seek and suffer with Himukai's cute, colorful art and yet another delicious Koshiro OST of awesomeness trying their damnedest to distract you from the brutal indifference of the Labyrinth.
Suikoden II (#FucKonami 1998/99/00)
I replayed this a year ago and I had forgotten just how different this game behaves and is structured than others.
There's extremely little fluff, with only a couple of stretches that have bosses that are not major antagonists or serve no war function. It also has the audacity to completely shake up the usual act form and is incredibly strong for it.
Other than that, it's still a world-building, characterization, musical, theming, and lore tour-de-force that stands as an all-time great.
Demon's Souls (FromSoft 2009)
A gloriously bitter medicine for the toxic ills that infected gaming at the time of its debut. It stands the test of time due to its phenominal mechanics, consistancy, creativity, atmosphere, level design, and art direction.
Plus it still has the best on-line in the series.
Vagrant Story (Squaresoft 2000)
Lord Matsuno's magnum opus and one of Squaresoft's crown jewels from their glory days. Smith's rich but tasteful localization, Sakimoto's greatest OST, Akiyama's industry standard-setting choreography, and many many other's A Games brings a dark political tale and brilliantly envisioned mechanics together in one of the classiest games I've ever had the joy to play.
Not bad for something made under a time and budget squeeze, huh?
Shin Megami Tensei: 3/Nocturne/Lucifer's Call (Atlus 2003/4)
This is Atlus at the height of their powers; stellar atmosphere, combat, visual design, dungeon craft, music, everything.
When this beautiful, bleak, intricate, wonderful masterpiece launched in 2004, I knew Square had been dethroned as best JRPG maker.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Dark Souls (FromSoft 2011)
The breakout smash for the franchise that added a ton of neat new mechanics and interconnectivity; and continued the quality of the original short of the on-line quality and the LI zone.
Final Fantasy Tactics (Squaresoft 1997/98)
Another dark, deep, and difficult Matsuno classic. Just an absolute classic of the form.
Persona 4 (Atlus 2008)
A JRPG. A game steeped Japanese EVERYTHING. About teenagers saving the day.
Yet, somehow, it's the least egrarious about all JRPGs that visit these conditions. May have the finest cast ensemble ever assembled in an RPG. Magnificent job interweaving the various facets of the game so that they influence each other without crippling yourself for not involving yourself in one enough. Definately has something to do with the grounded, relatable characters and a handling of a setting in a fashion that you didn't have to be a hardcore Japanophile to appreciate.
I don't think it's been remembered just how GOOD the characterization is in this; a deluge of spin-offs have distilled facets to Everclear strength, threatening to undo what was done in-game with digging down and out further in each character.
Planescape: Torment (Black Isle Studios 1999)
The finest written game in history. Much like the Vagrant Story example above, has not been matched, and quite frankly the industry seems hellbent at times to avoid even trying to learn form this game, much less to attempt topping it.
Also like how there's approximately 3 mandatory fights in the entire game. I love that stuff. Skip bosses LIKE a boss!
Final Fantasy VI (Squaresoft 1994)
Another game that tosses the usual narrative structure to the four winds and another masterpiece of its respective series, and Squaresoft when they were Kingmakers. Chock full of secrets, a genuinely interesting tale with both drama and comedy, orbited by a great cast. Great bad guy and his final boss theme is the best of all time, hands down.
Divinity: Original Sin (Larian 2014)
A complete upheaval in the field of mechanics and skills, it asks the question of how no one came up with, nay, allowed skills to exist like this before. A fireball spell almost can't be called a "combat spell"...when I saw that burning boat at the beginning and my cleric guy knew Rain and it worked at putting that boat out, well, that was it. Welcome to the revolution.
Ys: Oath in Felghana (Nihon Falcom 2005)
One of the things that got me about this one (other than ROCKING TUNES), is the sheer variety of the bosses. It and Origins are really, really close, but OiF has a slight nod at not dipping into the well of "expose boss then damage" methodology too many times.
Trails in the Sky The 3rd (Nihon Falcom 2007, 2017)
The newest game on my list, 3rd is the strongest written title in a strongly-written series.
Yeah, it seems like a fandisk, but that doesn't have the connotations most series would create with that. No, Falcom WENT PLACES, MAN. Went places and conquered. Like, one subject is handled in two COMPLETELY different ways both of which extremely dangerous, yet they pull it off with flying colors.
The form of the games' famed Doors system does the fan vignettes and foreshadowing really well; no fluff, just lean and clean despite a huge roster.
Makai Kingdom (Nippon Ichi 2005)
NI's best game, taking the original Disgaea formula and running with it to crazytown allowing you to do even more brilliantly stupid things. Plus I just feel it's funny as hell and has a great soundtrack from Hosoe, Saso, and their crew. In fact, he audio-visual work on this game was outsourced and the whole thing has this shoestring feel even for a NI game (yet is their best!)
Valkyrie Profile 1 (tri-Ace 1998, 1999)
VP1 shouldn't exist, frankly. t-A was and is notorious for narratives that barely function, much less have nuance and maturity. Yet here this is, as morose and fatalistic as the Teutonic myths that inpsired it. I really appreciate that.
Unranked Honorable Mentions *no points but deserve kudos*
Persona 2 IS & EP (1997, 1999, 2011)
You get TWO damn strong Persona ensemble casts and are 99% runaway freight trains to Crazy Town. Just gotta look past that dungeon and combat "design" to get to all this.
Devil Summoners: Soul Hackers (Atlus 1997, 2013)
A wait of 17 years was VERY worth it. Another of those Atlus classics that just sings and that also shows the way that their games would evolve into later.
Star Ocean 2 (tri-Ace 1998/99/00)
The sheer number of things you can do outside of battle in this thing beats some computer RPGs. This isn't a commonly used statement about console RPGs one bit. Sakuraba's best OST. Has a phenomenally long and even difficulty curve that I don't feel gets enough attention.
Trails in the Sky: FC (Nihon Falcom 2004)
You don't get a game that is both dead set on going about its own odd way come hell or high water while also being extremely accomplished at it, but the genesis of the underappreciated Trails series does just that.
Holistic worldbuilding, lore, characterization, and excellent conversational tones are a treat if you meet it halfway with the proper mindset.
Recettear (EasyGameStation 2007, 2010)
One of the most accomplished "economy"-focused RPGs ever, and the Carpe Fulgur localization gives it spice it needs. "Capitalism, ho!" indeed.
Legend of Grimrock 1 (Almost Human 2012)
Excellent, excellent dungeon crawler that was phenomenal for a first try.
Grandia 1 (GameArts 1997/99/00)
Outstanding sense of ADVENTURE, tactical combat, dungeon design, and music.
Chrono Cross (Squaresoft 2000)
The best soundtrack that is, that ever was, that will ever be. Gorgeous artwork and a snazzy battle system (no grinding! you can run from almost every boss! Vancian magic!) was fun.
Witcher 2 (CD Projekt Red 2011)
Cleaner and leaner than 1, but not as bifurcated an experience as 3, hits what the series does with less distractions: dark low fantasy with a true mature experience by adults for who they percieve as adults.
Phantom Brave (Nippon Ichi 2004/5)
Makai Kingdom's less wacky, more secretive older sister. Manages to be kid-friendly without being annoying or creeper bait, and has an even deeper dive into crazytown mechanics than even MK did.
Ys Origins (Nihon Falcom 2006)
The purest Ys experience, all about fightin' and killin' and rockin' out.
Valkyria Chronicles 1 (Sega 2008)
One of those many revolutionary Gen 7 Japanese games that didn't get noticed till the world came to its senses.
Has a ton of honest charm painted in a gorgeous art direction and fun mechanics to tinker with and exploit.
Trails in the Sky: SC (Nihon Falcom 2006, 2015
Second Chapter was the payoff to a very unsure wait of four and a half years and it almost over-delivered.
Wait, lemme explain that, SC is more up-and-down than FC or 3rd, but the heights this game hits...holy lord when this game hits, it hits HARD...so goddamn hard.
Estelle likewise begins exploding from hour one and just doesn't stop accellerating upwards, being probably the perfect example of a wisening-up coming-of-age story in the genre. And that music...holy mother of GOD...
Persona V (Atlus 2016, 2017)
The second newcomer. The more deft yet bold interweaving of sociopolitical issues with the plot in this is art.
Also, check that styyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyle.
Wizardry VIII (Sir-Tech 2001)
It's an uneven game, I'm not denying that; the clunky encounter system and some large, empty zones prove that.
But open up the mechanics hood and dig around in there, find those few, really really involved dungeons, and go places you shouldn't be and you'll find what makes this a classic.
Xanadu Next (Falcom 2005, 2016)
XN is a very particularly assembled and very cleverly balanced game. The systems work together, the combat will fly by, and the puzzles click into place once you give yourself into how this game thinks. This is always the sign of a well-made game - give it your attention, your respect and it'll take you places. Hit from behind. Herd the herd of foes. Prioritize targets. Move boxes before hitting them. XP boost card for exploring, HP boost for bosses. You can never have enough bone keys. Etc, etc. Follow these parameters and you just fly thru this game.
Witcher 3 (CD Projekt Red 2015)
This game frames black-gray-white moral and ethical choices in orders of magnitude better ways than other games of its ilk. You just stumble upon things going Bad Wrong with no warning and no framing of what's coming as a D&D alignment test, and even when I knew some were coming (Bloody Baron and Ugly Baby) they kept the surprises coming early and often putting me on the backfoot where I should be there. Geralt is a good-hearted, powerful man and all that can get him in many cases is in trouble, incapable of setting things right, and safe with his neck intact.
Lunar: Silver Star Story (Game Arts 1 1992)
God, this game is just so cozy. Iwadare's masterpiece soundtrack, really clean simple progression, and just so much damn charm.
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} Legend of Grimrock II
Vagrant Story
Chrono Trigger
Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter
World of Warcraft
Digital Devil Saga
Etrian Odyssey II
Suikoden II
Demons' Souls
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Dark Souls
Final Fantasy Tactics
Persona 4
Planescape: Torment
Final Fantasy VI
Divinity: Original Sin 1
Ys: Oath in Felghana
Trails in the Sky the 3rd
Makai Kingdom
Valkyrie Profile 1
--VOTE INFO END--
Also, I have both purchased and played thru Cosmic Star Heroine, so Im good on the key. It's good! Give it to someone else so they can enjoy!
FULL POINT GAMES
Legend of Grimrock 2 (Almost Human 2014) *UNDERRATED*
You know those games that come out and feel good, feel right, and play right, but they juuuuuuuuuuuuuust don't have the scope, polish, or the design in a few facets quite right to really work, but so damn enjoyable and honest and true in their aim that you like the game and wish the devs the best on the next adventure? That was Grimrock 1.
And you know that NEXT game, that takes the scope, polish, and design critiques and sends that sequel thru the roof with some of the best-thought out gaming you've experienced and an all-time classic? THAT'S Grimrock 2.
They did so much so right in this game.
A grander scale with a whole island full of smaller dungeons to explore. More puzzles. More secrets. More variety. More ambience. More choice. More monsters. More loot. More boss fights. More MORE.
Chrono Trigger (Squaresoft 1995)
One of the best games ever made. One of the most revolutionary, as well. No list is complete without it, no gaming career without having had beaten it. It also had this strong lean 'n mean structure with nigh perfect pacing.
SFC RPGs were in a good place around that time for this.
Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter (Capcom 2002/03)
Completely misunderstood upon release, this delicate, intricate, brutal game is a masterpiece for every expert RPG player out there hungry for an excellent dungeon crawler.
World of Warcraft (Blizzard 2004-08)
Particularly around 2.4, where they came as close to landing the goals they set out to do way back before release and before they started obeying the siren's song of player bribery and other toxic influences. No other game than WoW under this period so NAILED a genre that the only choice during their glory days to have success in the genre was to make a completely different game with completely different goals and play (EvE).
Modability
Responsive Combat
"Equality of Opportunity" balancing
Can run decently on a toaster
Read those? Good, you now know more than other MMO developers not named Blizzard.
Digital Devil Saga (Atlus 2004/5/6)
Atlus' Beast Mode Era continues with the Press Turn sporting, demon-protagonisted, Vedic lore-infused, post-apocalyptic, Jazzy, Metal, eatin' people excellence of DDS1. The attention to detail and creativity is outstanding (just watch how Heat and Argilla talk in demon form). May have THE hardest boss in any game ever.
Etrian Odyssey II (Atlus 2008)
Even in a RPG list, yada yada. A fine evolution of EO1, but without EO3 and 4's oversoftened edges. Updating dungeon crawlers away from the clunk of yore with outstanding ergonomics yet still made you plan and work and seek and suffer with Himukai's cute, colorful art and yet another delicious Koshiro OST of awesomeness trying their damnedest to distract you from the brutal indifference of the Labyrinth.
Suikoden II (#FucKonami 1998/99/00)
I replayed this a year ago and I had forgotten just how different this game behaves and is structured than others.
There's extremely little fluff, with only a couple of stretches that have bosses that are not major antagonists or serve no war function. It also has the audacity to completely shake up the usual act form and is incredibly strong for it.
Other than that, it's still a world-building, characterization, musical, theming, and lore tour-de-force that stands as an all-time great.
Demon's Souls (FromSoft 2009)
A gloriously bitter medicine for the toxic ills that infected gaming at the time of its debut. It stands the test of time due to its phenominal mechanics, consistancy, creativity, atmosphere, level design, and art direction.
Plus it still has the best on-line in the series.
Vagrant Story (Squaresoft 2000)
Lord Matsuno's magnum opus and one of Squaresoft's crown jewels from their glory days. Smith's rich but tasteful localization, Sakimoto's greatest OST, Akiyama's industry standard-setting choreography, and many many other's A Games brings a dark political tale and brilliantly envisioned mechanics together in one of the classiest games I've ever had the joy to play.
Not bad for something made under a time and budget squeeze, huh?
Shin Megami Tensei: 3/Nocturne/Lucifer's Call (Atlus 2003/4)
This is Atlus at the height of their powers; stellar atmosphere, combat, visual design, dungeon craft, music, everything.
When this beautiful, bleak, intricate, wonderful masterpiece launched in 2004, I knew Square had been dethroned as best JRPG maker.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Dark Souls (FromSoft 2011)
The breakout smash for the franchise that added a ton of neat new mechanics and interconnectivity; and continued the quality of the original short of the on-line quality and the LI zone.
Final Fantasy Tactics (Squaresoft 1997/98)
Another dark, deep, and difficult Matsuno classic. Just an absolute classic of the form.
Persona 4 (Atlus 2008)
A JRPG. A game steeped Japanese EVERYTHING. About teenagers saving the day.
Yet, somehow, it's the least egrarious about all JRPGs that visit these conditions. May have the finest cast ensemble ever assembled in an RPG. Magnificent job interweaving the various facets of the game so that they influence each other without crippling yourself for not involving yourself in one enough. Definately has something to do with the grounded, relatable characters and a handling of a setting in a fashion that you didn't have to be a hardcore Japanophile to appreciate.
I don't think it's been remembered just how GOOD the characterization is in this; a deluge of spin-offs have distilled facets to Everclear strength, threatening to undo what was done in-game with digging down and out further in each character.
Planescape: Torment (Black Isle Studios 1999)
The finest written game in history. Much like the Vagrant Story example above, has not been matched, and quite frankly the industry seems hellbent at times to avoid even trying to learn form this game, much less to attempt topping it.
Also like how there's approximately 3 mandatory fights in the entire game. I love that stuff. Skip bosses LIKE a boss!
Final Fantasy VI (Squaresoft 1994)
Another game that tosses the usual narrative structure to the four winds and another masterpiece of its respective series, and Squaresoft when they were Kingmakers. Chock full of secrets, a genuinely interesting tale with both drama and comedy, orbited by a great cast. Great bad guy and his final boss theme is the best of all time, hands down.
Divinity: Original Sin (Larian 2014)
A complete upheaval in the field of mechanics and skills, it asks the question of how no one came up with, nay, allowed skills to exist like this before. A fireball spell almost can't be called a "combat spell"...when I saw that burning boat at the beginning and my cleric guy knew Rain and it worked at putting that boat out, well, that was it. Welcome to the revolution.
Ys: Oath in Felghana (Nihon Falcom 2005)
One of the things that got me about this one (other than ROCKING TUNES), is the sheer variety of the bosses. It and Origins are really, really close, but OiF has a slight nod at not dipping into the well of "expose boss then damage" methodology too many times.
Trails in the Sky The 3rd (Nihon Falcom 2007, 2017)
The newest game on my list, 3rd is the strongest written title in a strongly-written series.
Yeah, it seems like a fandisk, but that doesn't have the connotations most series would create with that. No, Falcom WENT PLACES, MAN. Went places and conquered. Like, one subject is handled in two COMPLETELY different ways both of which extremely dangerous, yet they pull it off with flying colors.
The form of the games' famed Doors system does the fan vignettes and foreshadowing really well; no fluff, just lean and clean despite a huge roster.
Makai Kingdom (Nippon Ichi 2005)
NI's best game, taking the original Disgaea formula and running with it to crazytown allowing you to do even more brilliantly stupid things. Plus I just feel it's funny as hell and has a great soundtrack from Hosoe, Saso, and their crew. In fact, he audio-visual work on this game was outsourced and the whole thing has this shoestring feel even for a NI game (yet is their best!)
Valkyrie Profile 1 (tri-Ace 1998, 1999)
VP1 shouldn't exist, frankly. t-A was and is notorious for narratives that barely function, much less have nuance and maturity. Yet here this is, as morose and fatalistic as the Teutonic myths that inpsired it. I really appreciate that.
Unranked Honorable Mentions *no points but deserve kudos*
Persona 2 IS & EP (1997, 1999, 2011)
You get TWO damn strong Persona ensemble casts and are 99% runaway freight trains to Crazy Town. Just gotta look past that dungeon and combat "design" to get to all this.
Devil Summoners: Soul Hackers (Atlus 1997, 2013)
A wait of 17 years was VERY worth it. Another of those Atlus classics that just sings and that also shows the way that their games would evolve into later.
Star Ocean 2 (tri-Ace 1998/99/00)
The sheer number of things you can do outside of battle in this thing beats some computer RPGs. This isn't a commonly used statement about console RPGs one bit. Sakuraba's best OST. Has a phenomenally long and even difficulty curve that I don't feel gets enough attention.
Trails in the Sky: FC (Nihon Falcom 2004)
You don't get a game that is both dead set on going about its own odd way come hell or high water while also being extremely accomplished at it, but the genesis of the underappreciated Trails series does just that.
Holistic worldbuilding, lore, characterization, and excellent conversational tones are a treat if you meet it halfway with the proper mindset.
Recettear (EasyGameStation 2007, 2010)
One of the most accomplished "economy"-focused RPGs ever, and the Carpe Fulgur localization gives it spice it needs. "Capitalism, ho!" indeed.
Legend of Grimrock 1 (Almost Human 2012)
Excellent, excellent dungeon crawler that was phenomenal for a first try.
Grandia 1 (GameArts 1997/99/00)
Outstanding sense of ADVENTURE, tactical combat, dungeon design, and music.
Chrono Cross (Squaresoft 2000)
The best soundtrack that is, that ever was, that will ever be. Gorgeous artwork and a snazzy battle system (no grinding! you can run from almost every boss! Vancian magic!) was fun.
Witcher 2 (CD Projekt Red 2011)
Cleaner and leaner than 1, but not as bifurcated an experience as 3, hits what the series does with less distractions: dark low fantasy with a true mature experience by adults for who they percieve as adults.
Phantom Brave (Nippon Ichi 2004/5)
Makai Kingdom's less wacky, more secretive older sister. Manages to be kid-friendly without being annoying or creeper bait, and has an even deeper dive into crazytown mechanics than even MK did.
Ys Origins (Nihon Falcom 2006)
The purest Ys experience, all about fightin' and killin' and rockin' out.
Valkyria Chronicles 1 (Sega 2008)
One of those many revolutionary Gen 7 Japanese games that didn't get noticed till the world came to its senses.
Has a ton of honest charm painted in a gorgeous art direction and fun mechanics to tinker with and exploit.
Trails in the Sky: SC (Nihon Falcom 2006, 2015
Second Chapter was the payoff to a very unsure wait of four and a half years and it almost over-delivered.
Wait, lemme explain that, SC is more up-and-down than FC or 3rd, but the heights this game hits...holy lord when this game hits, it hits HARD...so goddamn hard.
Estelle likewise begins exploding from hour one and just doesn't stop accellerating upwards, being probably the perfect example of a wisening-up coming-of-age story in the genre. And that music...holy mother of GOD...
Persona V (Atlus 2016, 2017)
The second newcomer. The more deft yet bold interweaving of sociopolitical issues with the plot in this is art.
Also, check that styyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyle.
Wizardry VIII (Sir-Tech 2001)
It's an uneven game, I'm not denying that; the clunky encounter system and some large, empty zones prove that.
But open up the mechanics hood and dig around in there, find those few, really really involved dungeons, and go places you shouldn't be and you'll find what makes this a classic.
Xanadu Next (Falcom 2005, 2016)
XN is a very particularly assembled and very cleverly balanced game. The systems work together, the combat will fly by, and the puzzles click into place once you give yourself into how this game thinks. This is always the sign of a well-made game - give it your attention, your respect and it'll take you places. Hit from behind. Herd the herd of foes. Prioritize targets. Move boxes before hitting them. XP boost card for exploring, HP boost for bosses. You can never have enough bone keys. Etc, etc. Follow these parameters and you just fly thru this game.
Witcher 3 (CD Projekt Red 2015)
This game frames black-gray-white moral and ethical choices in orders of magnitude better ways than other games of its ilk. You just stumble upon things going Bad Wrong with no warning and no framing of what's coming as a D&D alignment test, and even when I knew some were coming (Bloody Baron and Ugly Baby) they kept the surprises coming early and often putting me on the backfoot where I should be there. Geralt is a good-hearted, powerful man and all that can get him in many cases is in trouble, incapable of setting things right, and safe with his neck intact.
Lunar: Silver Star Story (Game Arts 1 1992)
God, this game is just so cozy. Iwadare's masterpiece soundtrack, really clean simple progression, and just so much damn charm.
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} Legend of Grimrock II
Vagrant Story
Chrono Trigger
Breath of Fire V: Dragon Quarter
World of Warcraft
Digital Devil Saga
Etrian Odyssey II
Suikoden II
Demons' Souls
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Dark Souls
Final Fantasy Tactics
Persona 4
Planescape: Torment
Final Fantasy VI
Divinity: Original Sin 1
Ys: Oath in Felghana
Trails in the Sky the 3rd
Makai Kingdom
Valkyrie Profile 1
--VOTE INFO END--
Wow, this is IMPRESSIVE. Very cool writeups, and props to having such a mix of eastern and western titles. I envy the variety in your roster, and it inspires me to broaden my horizons more by next time voting rolls around.
FTFY lol
Great write-ups! I should check out Grimrock, I've never played it. I do own the first game on GOG though, I picked it up in a bundle.
Make sure you give something your highlight vote in the code down at the bottom (unless you intentionally left that off).
Playing Digital Devil Saga atm, and at the end of game number 2. I have mixed feelings about it, personally.
I really like being able to keep more than 8 moves and change up your set-up between fights. I also like the mantra system for learning abilities. I do find myself not using money for anything but mantra, but that's mostly okay because it is not like I find myself wanting to shoot the monsters with my human forms.
I also appreciate that you can set turn order by setting battle formation. I don't think I outright like that better than speed determining turn order, but it is good in its own right.
Moving void/repel/drain mostly to active moves is an interesting change. It can be very useful, particularly against enemies with a predictable pattern or enemies that you can force to not use certain moves this way. But it can also be a bit annoying when you use it as a precaution and the enemy attacks another weakness.
Press-turn is generally just good beyond these variations from Nocturne.
What mostly annoys me about the game is the way the games will take your characters from you, thwarting your mantra- and party-planning.
I never really got annoyed about this in the first game but in the second game...(event spoiler)
As the spoiler highlights, in the background of this for me is that I'm not willing to allow for the game's story conceits much, particularly in the second game. I don't think they're particularly good and anything surrounding Sera mostly just annoys me. IDK. I liked the basic premise of the first game and found the cannibalism themes amusing. I'm just having a harder time with the second one.
...
Also, I'm playing 2 on hard so a bit scared of this final boss going by the above comments now. Already had some difficult fights that took some work to redevelop characters to match a strategy, but the thing has been that so far, outside the story taking away from the party play, it has been a game where I find that you tend to be able to find pretty good strategies fairly close at hand. I appreciate that.
I really like being able to keep more than 8 moves and change up your set-up between fights. I also like the mantra system for learning abilities. I do find myself not using money for anything but mantra, but that's mostly okay because it is not like I find myself wanting to shoot the monsters with my human forms.
I also appreciate that you can set turn order by setting battle formation. I don't think I outright like that better than speed determining turn order, but it is good in its own right.
Moving void/repel/drain mostly to active moves is an interesting change. It can be very useful, particularly against enemies with a predictable pattern or enemies that you can force to not use certain moves this way. But it can also be a bit annoying when you use it as a precaution and the enemy attacks another weakness
.Press-turn is generally just good beyond these variations from Nocturne.
What mostly annoys me about the game is the way the games will take your characters from you, thwarting your mantra- and party-planning.
I never really got annoyed about this in the first game but in the second game...(event spoiler)
Argilla's death was particularly canned, pointless, and frustrating.
As the spoiler highlights, in the background of this for me is that I'm not willing to allow for the game's story conceits much, particularly in the second game. I don't think they're particularly good and anything surrounding Sera mostly just annoys me. IDK. I liked the basic premise of the first game and found the cannibalism themes amusing. I'm just having a harder time with the second one.
...
Also, I'm playing 2 on hard so a bit scared of this final boss going by the above comments now. Already had some difficult fights that took some work to redevelop characters to match a strategy, but the thing has been that so far, outside the story taking away from the party play, it has been a game where I find that you tend to be able to find pretty good strategies fairly close at hand. I appreciate that.
StrangeRoboMemory
Member
Full Point Games (2 points)
Skies of Arcadia
This is a sentimental favorite. Pure fun from top to bottom, nasty encounter rate be damned...the entire experience is just a spectacularly unfiltered and undiluted burst of adventure, whimsy, and romance (in the classical sense). When I play an RPG, I want to go on a massive, world-spanning adventure, seeing the entire planet, meeting dozens of characters, recruiting heroes to my side, and becoming a global legend. Skies of Arcadia gives me everything that I'm looking for in a way that few RPGs, much less video games in general, have been able to match. Also, as a big One Piece fan, this is basically as close as we'll get to a perfect One Piece Game.
NetHack [UNDERRATED]
I'm probably never going to beat this game. I've been playing it for over 15 years and have barely sniffed the Amulet of Yendor. I'm okay with that. I don't need to ascend. What matters is the journey. Players say that "the dev team has thought of everything", and it's really true. Your mind will boggle at what they've accomplished with ASCII text, a perverse sense of humor, and a stunningly thorough understanding of the world that they've programmed. Please, please play this game - some folks know it, but it's really sadly under-played by the new generation of gamers. Plus, it's free. Go for it: https://www.nethack.org/ (I'll remove the link if that's not considered kosher)
Chrono Trigger
The very best minds in the Japanese game industry, from writers to programmers to composers to character designers, from the two biggest and best RPG studios, teaming up to make the best game possible. We're not, and will never be, worthy of this game.
I know we all want a truly worthy sequel, but I don't think lightning will strike twice. I'm okay with that. We still have this one shining star of a masterpiece. Skies of Arcadia is my sentimental highlight choice and NetHack is my underrated underdog entry, but there's no doubt for me that Chrono Trigger is the absolute greatest RPG ever made.
Phantasy Star IV: End of the Millennium
Probably the most "cinematic" 16-bit RPG, and one of the most best and most epic experiences on the Genesis/Megadrive. Hopping from planet to planet, delving into the lairs of mutant space warlords, battling alien bugs, teaming up with androids and psychic heroes - if you're a pulp sci-fi fan, this game has your name all over it. This might still be the single best game that Sega ever produced.
Final Fantasy VI (aka III)
The absolute highlight of the Final Fantasy franchise - it still hasn't been topped. Incredible characters, fantastic world-building, addictive combat, unforgettable set pieces and that. God. Damn. Sound. Track. Music for the gods. I'll never forget the feeling of ogling the pictures of this game in Nintendo Power, drooling at the idea of participating in this epic adventure. I didn't have a Super Nintendo at the time, but I saved up all of my Christmas and birthday money for two years, hoping to get a SNES and a couple of good games. When FF III and Chrono Trigger came out, I knew that these games had to be mine. At the last minute, I changed my mind and got a Virtual Boy. Yeah. I wound up playing this game five or six years later when I borrowed a buddy's system. Live and learn.
Final Fantasy Tactics
Not only is the music amazing, not only is the art design a masterclass in elegance and atmosphere, not only has the strategy battle system been fine-tuned to perfection, but the writing is worthy of the very best fantasy novels. JRPG writing can be so cheesy and cliche, but Final Fantasy Tactics has a thoughtfulness and sober, adult perspective that is truly necessary. Of course, you also get to fight monsters and demons, so hey, it's the best of both worlds.
Persona 3
Pure class, from music to art design to battle system to story. I didn't really play any video games while I was in university and preparing for grad school from 2002 to 2006...when I finally finished, I treated myself and bought a new PS2. Persona 3 caught my eye and I decided to pick it up on a whim. From the first moments, I was hooked. That stylish as hell opening, the unique Social Link system, the smooth jazz/hip hop/dance rock tunes...man, what atmosphere. Persona 3 manages to capture a very particular vibe in a way that just nails it.
Xenogears
Jaw-dropping sense of scope, covering millions and millions of years of time. The battle system is so smooth and fun - I love how interactive it is - and the 2D spritework is just as good as it gets. It really feels like you're playing the grandest, biggest 90s anime OVA of all time. It's a shame about the second disc (as you may know, the game was unfinished and had to quickly brush over some important plot details with a few screens of text), but what we do get is still awe-inspiring in many ways. It's probably for the best that we didn't get a chance to play the "complete" game...our brains may not have been able to handle it.
Valkyria Chronicles
So unique and none of the sequels have been able to top it...the ability to individually control your units is just brilliant and I can't believe that more Japanese strategy RPGs don't take this approach. It looks like a storybook in motion, the character designs are instantly iconic, and your entire company of troops has tons of personality. It was really interesting to find that Welkin isn't the typical anime hero who complains and whines about battle and fighting until he is forced to change his mind. He's a scientist and a student, but he knows the stakes and he's committed to the fight from the very start. Overall, if you like anime/manga war stories like the original Gundam, Gundam 08th MS Team, Macross, or Legend of the Galactic Heroes, this will be right up your alley.
Honorable Mentions (1 point)
EarthBound
One of the funniest, weirdest, and most touching games ever made.
Super Mario RPG
I absolutely love the fact that Nintendo let Squaresoft run wild and turn the Mario universe into this completely nuts, hilarious, constantly inventive RPG.
Persona 4
Charming, spooky, atmospheric, stylish, with an unforgettable cast and possibly the best video game soundtrack of the past ten years.
Fallout
The high point of the WRPG output of the 90s - tons of choices, loads of creativity, and a world that you can just get lost in.
The World Ends With You
Completely unique take on the action/RPG genre, with style for days and original ideas to spare.
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT – 3 points} Skies of Arcadia
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} NetHack
Chrono Trigger
Phantasy Star IV: End of the Millennium
Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy Tactics
Persona 3
Xenogears
Valkyria Chronicles
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
EarthBound
Super Mario RPG
Persona 4
Fallout
The World Ends With You
--VOTE INFO END--
Skies of Arcadia
This is a sentimental favorite. Pure fun from top to bottom, nasty encounter rate be damned...the entire experience is just a spectacularly unfiltered and undiluted burst of adventure, whimsy, and romance (in the classical sense). When I play an RPG, I want to go on a massive, world-spanning adventure, seeing the entire planet, meeting dozens of characters, recruiting heroes to my side, and becoming a global legend. Skies of Arcadia gives me everything that I'm looking for in a way that few RPGs, much less video games in general, have been able to match. Also, as a big One Piece fan, this is basically as close as we'll get to a perfect One Piece Game.
NetHack [UNDERRATED]
I'm probably never going to beat this game. I've been playing it for over 15 years and have barely sniffed the Amulet of Yendor. I'm okay with that. I don't need to ascend. What matters is the journey. Players say that "the dev team has thought of everything", and it's really true. Your mind will boggle at what they've accomplished with ASCII text, a perverse sense of humor, and a stunningly thorough understanding of the world that they've programmed. Please, please play this game - some folks know it, but it's really sadly under-played by the new generation of gamers. Plus, it's free. Go for it: https://www.nethack.org/ (I'll remove the link if that's not considered kosher)
Chrono Trigger
The very best minds in the Japanese game industry, from writers to programmers to composers to character designers, from the two biggest and best RPG studios, teaming up to make the best game possible. We're not, and will never be, worthy of this game.
I know we all want a truly worthy sequel, but I don't think lightning will strike twice. I'm okay with that. We still have this one shining star of a masterpiece. Skies of Arcadia is my sentimental highlight choice and NetHack is my underrated underdog entry, but there's no doubt for me that Chrono Trigger is the absolute greatest RPG ever made.
Phantasy Star IV: End of the Millennium
Probably the most "cinematic" 16-bit RPG, and one of the most best and most epic experiences on the Genesis/Megadrive. Hopping from planet to planet, delving into the lairs of mutant space warlords, battling alien bugs, teaming up with androids and psychic heroes - if you're a pulp sci-fi fan, this game has your name all over it. This might still be the single best game that Sega ever produced.
Final Fantasy VI (aka III)
The absolute highlight of the Final Fantasy franchise - it still hasn't been topped. Incredible characters, fantastic world-building, addictive combat, unforgettable set pieces and that. God. Damn. Sound. Track. Music for the gods. I'll never forget the feeling of ogling the pictures of this game in Nintendo Power, drooling at the idea of participating in this epic adventure. I didn't have a Super Nintendo at the time, but I saved up all of my Christmas and birthday money for two years, hoping to get a SNES and a couple of good games. When FF III and Chrono Trigger came out, I knew that these games had to be mine. At the last minute, I changed my mind and got a Virtual Boy. Yeah. I wound up playing this game five or six years later when I borrowed a buddy's system. Live and learn.
No, I didn't learn anything, I later on bought such things as a Dreamcast, Wii U, and Vita...I've loved them, though, and even kind of enjoyed my Virtual Boy in a certain way)
Final Fantasy Tactics
Not only is the music amazing, not only is the art design a masterclass in elegance and atmosphere, not only has the strategy battle system been fine-tuned to perfection, but the writing is worthy of the very best fantasy novels. JRPG writing can be so cheesy and cliche, but Final Fantasy Tactics has a thoughtfulness and sober, adult perspective that is truly necessary. Of course, you also get to fight monsters and demons, so hey, it's the best of both worlds.
Persona 3
Pure class, from music to art design to battle system to story. I didn't really play any video games while I was in university and preparing for grad school from 2002 to 2006...when I finally finished, I treated myself and bought a new PS2. Persona 3 caught my eye and I decided to pick it up on a whim. From the first moments, I was hooked. That stylish as hell opening, the unique Social Link system, the smooth jazz/hip hop/dance rock tunes...man, what atmosphere. Persona 3 manages to capture a very particular vibe in a way that just nails it.
Xenogears
Jaw-dropping sense of scope, covering millions and millions of years of time. The battle system is so smooth and fun - I love how interactive it is - and the 2D spritework is just as good as it gets. It really feels like you're playing the grandest, biggest 90s anime OVA of all time. It's a shame about the second disc (as you may know, the game was unfinished and had to quickly brush over some important plot details with a few screens of text), but what we do get is still awe-inspiring in many ways. It's probably for the best that we didn't get a chance to play the "complete" game...our brains may not have been able to handle it.
Valkyria Chronicles
So unique and none of the sequels have been able to top it...the ability to individually control your units is just brilliant and I can't believe that more Japanese strategy RPGs don't take this approach. It looks like a storybook in motion, the character designs are instantly iconic, and your entire company of troops has tons of personality. It was really interesting to find that Welkin isn't the typical anime hero who complains and whines about battle and fighting until he is forced to change his mind. He's a scientist and a student, but he knows the stakes and he's committed to the fight from the very start. Overall, if you like anime/manga war stories like the original Gundam, Gundam 08th MS Team, Macross, or Legend of the Galactic Heroes, this will be right up your alley.
Honorable Mentions (1 point)
EarthBound
One of the funniest, weirdest, and most touching games ever made.
Super Mario RPG
I absolutely love the fact that Nintendo let Squaresoft run wild and turn the Mario universe into this completely nuts, hilarious, constantly inventive RPG.
Persona 4
Charming, spooky, atmospheric, stylish, with an unforgettable cast and possibly the best video game soundtrack of the past ten years.
Fallout
The high point of the WRPG output of the 90s - tons of choices, loads of creativity, and a world that you can just get lost in.
The World Ends With You
Completely unique take on the action/RPG genre, with style for days and original ideas to spare.
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT – 3 points} Skies of Arcadia
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} NetHack
Chrono Trigger
Phantasy Star IV: End of the Millennium
Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy Tactics
Persona 3
Xenogears
Valkyria Chronicles
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
EarthBound
Super Mario RPG
Persona 4
Fallout
The World Ends With You
--VOTE INFO END--
A REMINDER THAT VOTING ENDS OCTOBER 13th (at noon Eastern)
There are less than 6 days less in the voting period, so if you were planning on voting, you shouldn't put it off much longer.
As of this post, 157 people are eligible for Cosmic Star Heroine keys and the other game raffles. To be eligible, you need to vote for at least 5 games and type up comments on why you picked each.
If you are eligible for free games, your name should appear here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11NygxUUHbzKMmPF3fUKiJqE7OYx-TAlf15rfElUN3Ng/edit?usp=sharing
I know that some of you passed on CSH since you already own it, but I have to keep you on the list for the raffles.
If your name is NOT on that list, you either did not make comments for your picks, recently edited a post before post #478, or were somehow missed. PM me a link to your post after making need edits and I will add you to the eligibility list. I will NOT be checking posts prior to this one for eligibility again, so it is up to you to make sure you are on that spreadsheet.
There are currently 46 unreserved Cosmic Star Heroine keys remaining
There are less than 6 days less in the voting period, so if you were planning on voting, you shouldn't put it off much longer.
As of this post, 157 people are eligible for Cosmic Star Heroine keys and the other game raffles. To be eligible, you need to vote for at least 5 games and type up comments on why you picked each.
If you are eligible for free games, your name should appear here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11NygxUUHbzKMmPF3fUKiJqE7OYx-TAlf15rfElUN3Ng/edit?usp=sharing
I know that some of you passed on CSH since you already own it, but I have to keep you on the list for the raffles.
If your name is NOT on that list, you either did not make comments for your picks, recently edited a post before post #478, or were somehow missed. PM me a link to your post after making need edits and I will add you to the eligibility list. I will NOT be checking posts prior to this one for eligibility again, so it is up to you to make sure you are on that spreadsheet.
There are currently 46 unreserved Cosmic Star Heroine keys remaining
Vitor Navarrete
Neo Member
{HIGHLIGHT – 3 points} Final Fantasy XI
I played FFXI during a strange time of my life. I had just finished my master's degree and was unemployed, so I had loads of free time and didn't know what to do with my life. It was 2013 and I managed to pick the game, that I wanted to play when I was a teen but didn't have the means to on a steam sale. So I dove into the game like in a way I'll probably never be able to do again. I was so engrossed that I was eating and breathing the game. Two months after starting it my grampa fell ill, so I had to spent the nights with him at the hospital. I'd play at day and sleep with him at night. After a couple of weeks he died, and I played even more. This cycle of random, mostly bad, stuff happening lasted about 6 to 7 months. I eventually managed to get a job and a girlfriend, with made me drop the game altogether, but not before I logged for more than 100 days (so half of my life during that time was spent playing it).
Sure, my life was terrible, and MMOs have this draw in effect on depressed people, but man, what an incredible game it is. Of course it wasn't as new and amazing as it should have been back in 2004, but the story of the game is still amazing. I only finished the base game, Rise of Zilart and Chains of Promathia. I did play a bit of ToAU and WotG but never touched the last expansion. But I do have to say that Distant Worlds still bring tears to my eyes. It is definitely worth the check out, while you can still play it.
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} Legend of Legaia
Every time you ask to yourself: "Why can't all those modern games change the gear I'm currently equipping?" Remember that Legend of Legaia did that back in the 90's. I wouldn't say the story is phenomenal, it's a good one, but nothing to write home about, IMO. But the systems of that game are so good that I love it to this day. When you attack you select which arm will attack and how, depending on input you'll do a different combo (Arts). The special weapon each character has, called Ra-Seru, evolves as the game goes on, which always made me think the game was similar to Magic Knight Rayearth without mechas.
Fantasy Life
This games exhales charm. I fell in love when I first saw it on a Japanese Nintendo Direct and was really worried it would release here since some Level 5 games aren't sometimes. I played it for more than 100 hours and even so didn't manage to max every job. The Uematsu soundtrack is stellar. Since you can have many npcs in your party (upt to 2 at the same time), added the job+crafting system I always felt this game was some weird cross between an offline MMO with Animal Crossing.
The World Ends With You
For me the soundtrack of a game is as important as the gameplay and the story. A game that I play while I listen to something else is a game I probably won't be coming back to. Takeharu Ishimoto had already won me over due to FFVII: Crisis Core but man, when I started playing TWEWY I started to worship the guy (being hyperbolic, but still). The story of the game is incredible, the setting, the style. The gameplay is really refreshing. It is a game that I think everyone that like japanese modern culture should play. Fun fact: Calling has been my ringtone for a looong time (yes, I still think the joke of "someone is calling" funny. Judge me.)
Final Fantasy Tactics
This game is the reason I sold my snes and gave my mom the money to get me a Playstation. My mom spent the money elsewhere and I'm still wait for my new console (from her) til this day. Eventually I managed to rent a psone from a friend and finished the game. There isn't much I can say about it that other people haven't already said on this thread other than Matsuno is love, Matsuno is life (and lets not forget Ito).
Final Fantasy XIV A Realm Reborn
So, 1 year after dropping FFXI, here I was unemployed again. So it was time to star another MMO. I started playing the day patch 2.3 went live, I was so pissed because I thought the update had ended and them there was another patch to download. But man, how I had a blast with this game, countless hours grinding, raiding or just plain fishing. The memories of me and my mates overcoming Nael Deus Darnus and Bahamut Prime will probably last for a long time on my brain. Life got in my way and, while I already bought Heavensward, I still didn't manage to start playing it (cash is also short for sub right now). But I do plan on getting it and Stormblood done between december and january.
Persona 5
The last game I finished. I spent 130 hours to finish the game, but I still wanted more. So I went back for a NG+ to get Plat (something I don't particularly care) so that I could play the game more. I basically only played it during 5 weeks. A total of 200 hours in the game. My first persona but it made such a big impression on me that I'm planning on playing both P3 and P4 pretty soon. If you have a PS4 or PS3 and haven't played it yet, go and play it. Even if you don't like the slice of life sections the dungeon crawling and style this game is top notch.
Super Mario RPG
My very first console RPG. Oh the memories this game brings me. Since I played it as a kid my english was very limited (not native) so I got forever stuck on the pirate ship puzzle and I didn't have access to internet at that time. So I had to get back to the game many years after first playing it to be able to finally finish it. This game is truly the son of a masterful partnership between Squaresoft and Nintendo.
Chrono Trigger
Since I was talking about partnership, this one cannot be missed. This game is the sole reason why I didn't pay a ounce of attention to FFIII (FFVI). The Toryama art and the Tech gameplay kept me entertained for days and days. The fact that I didn't own it and had to get it from a rental store kept me from finishing it back in the day because someone would always erase my file. But I really didn't mind and kept coming back to it, always managing to get to a point I hadn't before.
Kingdom Hearts - 358/2 Days
This one was a tough one to decide to include. You see, Kingdom Hearts is my favorite series of all time (keep your "Nomura is crazy about belts" memes away from me, I don't mind me some belts) but excluding KH1 I don't really think any of the other games work alone. Sure, many people played KH2 without prior knowledge and had a blast, but I love the series and would never recommend someone to play 2 before playing KH1 and CoM (yes, play it, give sometime and the card system will grow on you). So, why did I decide to close with Days? A game that many love but as many hate, that had a very repetitive quest based system and was horrible to play at times. Because I dropped so many tears while watching those 3 friends bond over ice-cream and how everything went down that I really couldn't leave it out. But my recommendation for anyone wanting to try Kingdom Hearts my advice is play all the games by release order. If you like Disney, Shonen Tropes, Hack-n-slash RPG and a history that goes from Star Wars to Harry Potter to some levels of crazy philosophy of what is a heart, you'll have a blast.
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT – 3 points} Final Fantasy XI
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} Legend of Legaia
Fantasy Life
The World Ends With You
Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy XIV A Realm Reborn
Persona 5
Super Mario RPG
Chrono Trigger
Kingdom Hearts - 358/2 Days
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy Tactcis A2 Grimoire of the Rift
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy
Final Fantasy VII
Dark Cloud 2
Final Fantasy IX
Digimon World
Kingdom Hearts - Birth By Sleep
Child of Light
Dragon Quest Builders
--VOTE INFO END--
Persona 4 Golden - Highlight
Its really hard for me to find the right words to describe whats so perfect about P4G. I love the characters, I love the music, I love the social link system and I love the themes of the game. Especially all around facing yourself is an interesting topic that really hit me since I had troubles with such things. It changed some ways of thinking and doing of me and I guess therefore Persona 4 takes a special place in my heart. Besides that I like the gameplay and I have to admit I am more fan of the random-generated dungeons than the dungeons in Persona 5. Also Persona taught me that supportive mechanics like Attack and Defense Up/Down arent that useless which I ignored in RPGs before. This even improved in the Legend of Heroes series.
Trails in the Sky FC
I guess I like the second iteration of Trails in the Sky a bit more but FC had the hard task to convince me that it is a good game. I never had a problem with the slow pacing which many people criticize the game for. Luckily I played Trails in the Sky to a time where I took a long break from RPGs and an even longer break from turn-based combat. I just love the combat even if it was kinda slow. But even more I love the music from falcom here like Sophisticated Fight. I also had to wait for Second Chapter after the brutal cliffhanger but it took only a year and not four years or something like that.
I dont really know who introduced me into the Trails series but I should thank that person.
Terranigma - Underrated
As a kid I swapped my Zelda: A Link to the Past for Terranigma with my cousins. At first I thought this was the worst trade I done back in the days since me and my brother couldnt pass tower 3 or 4, something very early in the beginning. It took us pretty long to beat the towers and advance to the overworld where the game really starts. In the past I couldnt really appreciate this game what it deserves but with the years passing by and continuously getting better in gaming it really grew on me. The ending, credits and music still give me goosebumps.
Gothic 2
I am currently playing through Gothic 1, with Gothic 2 and 3 next on my list. The first part is good but is way inferior to his successor. The world is rich and vivid, NPCs have a schedule for the day and you can travel and fight everything from the beginning which is the strongest part in my eyes. The story kinda lacks depth but the localisation in German is funny as hell. Also revisiting the part from the first game was magical at the first time.
Secret of Mana
Back in the 90s I played many RPGs and Secret of Mana was my favourite one of them. Today I would rank it a bit lower but I still love the art and gameplay. Also the soundtrack is exceptional. My brother and me played at least a half of dozen times through and I just cannot wait to play through it again with the SNES Mini.
Diablo 2
My first experience with Diablo is very vague. It was at a cousins house where I was way too young to play or watch it but the effects and equipment menu (strange enough) left an impression although I didnt catch the name that day. Some years past, I got Diablo 2 and after some time I remembered the day back at my cousin's house. Diablo 2 is most fun playing with friends. Before I had the opportunity to do so, I was really bad at this game. I always picked the amazon since i felt the most secure with her. But I also failed to set my skill and attribute points right, resulting in never reach act 4 by myself until a friend of mine explained to me I had to focus on something and not spend points in every direction. Diablo 2 kinda taught me about the RPG mechanics. Side note: I played through Gothic 1 and 2 before Diablo 2 but I dont know why I had so many problem with this game.
Bloodborne
Bloodborne improves on many things of the Souls formula. To me the main aspect is the faster combat and the drop of the shield. Where Dark Souls is a slow dance between yourself and an enemy waiting for an opening, Bloodborne is faster and fiercer. Furthermore, I like the setting more than in its predecessor. I have to admit I am not a fan of the lore-thingy and the transport of the story through weapons, items and stuff like that is not really my type of game. But gameplay-wise it is top-notch.
Pokemon Red/Blue
I never really was a huge fan of the pokemon series but Pokemon Blue(/Red) was something special. Starting the playthrough with a different pokemon was something new and collecting new and stronger pokemon was addicting. I never had the muse to collect every pokemon since I played on the Super Gameboy and I could not swap pokemons either. But I loved to go for missingno and zapdos (my favourite pokemon) every run.
Hyper Light Drifter
I love the fast pacing combat in HLD. I played the game through NG and NG+ without the patches where the difficulty was reduced. I think it was perfect and the yelling for balance was a bit too much. I also wanted to collect everything in the game since it was a rather short ARPG but that was a contra in the game. Searching for the containers could be a real pain and if you forgot where the doors were, you had a problem since you could not mark them on the map. Nonetheless a unique game and one of very few modern ARPGs I really like.
Nier: Automata
I still hassle with myself if Nier: Automata really should be in my top 10. All games before have excellent executed or at least interesting gameplay. But the gameplay of Nier: Automata is lacking substance in my eyes. Yeah, you switch through different genres gameplay-wise which is itself interesting but you never have a challenge or rather it only scratches the surface. Besides the gameplay I really had a great time. I did not play Nier or anything from the Drakengard series, so I did not know what Yoko Taros games were like. Because of the story it didnt really take me long to play through the game. And the last decision (you know which one I mean) took me at least 15 minutes which is, in retrospective, a bit excessive. I absolutely love the music and also bought the soundtrack.
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Persona 4 Golden
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Terranigma
Trails in The Sky FC
Gothic 2
Secret Of Mana
Diablo 2
Bloodborne
Pokemon Red/Blue
Hyper Light Drifter
Nier: Automata
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Chrono Trigger
Trails in the Sky SC
Guild Wars
Persona 3
Lufia 2
Valkyria Chronicles
Ys 1 & 2 Chronicles
Transistor
Suikoden 2
Dark Souls
--VOTE INFO END--
Its really hard for me to find the right words to describe whats so perfect about P4G. I love the characters, I love the music, I love the social link system and I love the themes of the game. Especially all around facing yourself is an interesting topic that really hit me since I had troubles with such things. It changed some ways of thinking and doing of me and I guess therefore Persona 4 takes a special place in my heart. Besides that I like the gameplay and I have to admit I am more fan of the random-generated dungeons than the dungeons in Persona 5. Also Persona taught me that supportive mechanics like Attack and Defense Up/Down arent that useless which I ignored in RPGs before. This even improved in the Legend of Heroes series.
Trails in the Sky FC
I guess I like the second iteration of Trails in the Sky a bit more but FC had the hard task to convince me that it is a good game. I never had a problem with the slow pacing which many people criticize the game for. Luckily I played Trails in the Sky to a time where I took a long break from RPGs and an even longer break from turn-based combat. I just love the combat even if it was kinda slow. But even more I love the music from falcom here like Sophisticated Fight. I also had to wait for Second Chapter after the brutal cliffhanger but it took only a year and not four years or something like that.
I dont really know who introduced me into the Trails series but I should thank that person.
Terranigma - Underrated
As a kid I swapped my Zelda: A Link to the Past for Terranigma with my cousins. At first I thought this was the worst trade I done back in the days since me and my brother couldnt pass tower 3 or 4, something very early in the beginning. It took us pretty long to beat the towers and advance to the overworld where the game really starts. In the past I couldnt really appreciate this game what it deserves but with the years passing by and continuously getting better in gaming it really grew on me. The ending, credits and music still give me goosebumps.
Gothic 2
I am currently playing through Gothic 1, with Gothic 2 and 3 next on my list. The first part is good but is way inferior to his successor. The world is rich and vivid, NPCs have a schedule for the day and you can travel and fight everything from the beginning which is the strongest part in my eyes. The story kinda lacks depth but the localisation in German is funny as hell. Also revisiting the part from the first game was magical at the first time.
Secret of Mana
Back in the 90s I played many RPGs and Secret of Mana was my favourite one of them. Today I would rank it a bit lower but I still love the art and gameplay. Also the soundtrack is exceptional. My brother and me played at least a half of dozen times through and I just cannot wait to play through it again with the SNES Mini.
Diablo 2
My first experience with Diablo is very vague. It was at a cousins house where I was way too young to play or watch it but the effects and equipment menu (strange enough) left an impression although I didnt catch the name that day. Some years past, I got Diablo 2 and after some time I remembered the day back at my cousin's house. Diablo 2 is most fun playing with friends. Before I had the opportunity to do so, I was really bad at this game. I always picked the amazon since i felt the most secure with her. But I also failed to set my skill and attribute points right, resulting in never reach act 4 by myself until a friend of mine explained to me I had to focus on something and not spend points in every direction. Diablo 2 kinda taught me about the RPG mechanics. Side note: I played through Gothic 1 and 2 before Diablo 2 but I dont know why I had so many problem with this game.
Bloodborne
Bloodborne improves on many things of the Souls formula. To me the main aspect is the faster combat and the drop of the shield. Where Dark Souls is a slow dance between yourself and an enemy waiting for an opening, Bloodborne is faster and fiercer. Furthermore, I like the setting more than in its predecessor. I have to admit I am not a fan of the lore-thingy and the transport of the story through weapons, items and stuff like that is not really my type of game. But gameplay-wise it is top-notch.
Pokemon Red/Blue
I never really was a huge fan of the pokemon series but Pokemon Blue(/Red) was something special. Starting the playthrough with a different pokemon was something new and collecting new and stronger pokemon was addicting. I never had the muse to collect every pokemon since I played on the Super Gameboy and I could not swap pokemons either. But I loved to go for missingno and zapdos (my favourite pokemon) every run.
Hyper Light Drifter
I love the fast pacing combat in HLD. I played the game through NG and NG+ without the patches where the difficulty was reduced. I think it was perfect and the yelling for balance was a bit too much. I also wanted to collect everything in the game since it was a rather short ARPG but that was a contra in the game. Searching for the containers could be a real pain and if you forgot where the doors were, you had a problem since you could not mark them on the map. Nonetheless a unique game and one of very few modern ARPGs I really like.
Nier: Automata
I still hassle with myself if Nier: Automata really should be in my top 10. All games before have excellent executed or at least interesting gameplay. But the gameplay of Nier: Automata is lacking substance in my eyes. Yeah, you switch through different genres gameplay-wise which is itself interesting but you never have a challenge or rather it only scratches the surface. Besides the gameplay I really had a great time. I did not play Nier or anything from the Drakengard series, so I did not know what Yoko Taros games were like. Because of the story it didnt really take me long to play through the game. And the last decision (you know which one I mean) took me at least 15 minutes which is, in retrospective, a bit excessive. I absolutely love the music and also bought the soundtrack.
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Persona 4 Golden
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Terranigma
Trails in The Sky FC
Gothic 2
Secret Of Mana
Diablo 2
Bloodborne
Pokemon Red/Blue
Hyper Light Drifter
Nier: Automata
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Chrono Trigger
Trails in the Sky SC
Guild Wars
Persona 3
Lufia 2
Valkyria Chronicles
Ys 1 & 2 Chronicles
Transistor
Suikoden 2
Dark Souls
--VOTE INFO END--
THORES' ESSENTIAL RPGS 2017
PART 1 - MAIN GAMES
1) Undertale (HIGHLIGHT)
Undertale is a tricky game to talk about. On one hand, the less you know about it, the better your experience will be when you play it. On the other hand... it is very hard to get people who know little about the game to want to play it.
You look at it for the first time, particulary the field sprites for the beginning dungeon, and you think, "Oh, another mediocre RPG Maker game". Or, "Wow, this looks like an Earthbound ripoff, and not even a very good one". The initial 20 minutes of the game has cute moments, and introduces you to several key mechanics, but it doesn't immediately reveal why Undertale is so remarkable. I have a friend that gave up and stopped playing before he even left the Ruins, a part of the story that drags just enough that I don't fully blame him (at least, I try not to). The thing is, at least to an extent, this is done on purpose. It sets your expectations low at the start, so it can subvert them later on. Without giving too much away, it does this more than once, in several different ways, and by the end of everything I felt I had experienced things I had never seen done in this medium before.
Even for reasons beyond the understandably obnoxious "I can't tell you why, but trust me, it's great!", there really are a lot of wonderful things about Undertale once it gets rolling, stuff I can state in more tangible terms. The distinct, well-written characters vary from amusing, to bizarre, to tragic, to genuinely unsettling. The turn-based-rpg-meets-bullet-hell battle system is challenging and satisfying to play. The soundtrack makes it very clear that the creator, Toby Fox, got his start as a composer, and is honestly one of the best scores for a video game that I've ever heard.
It's funny... I didn't intend on making Undertale my highlight when I started compiling this list. But the more I wrote about it, the more it became clear to me that this is an Essential. It really, absolutely is something you should play if you're interested in RPGs. If you passed on the initial release because you're not really a PC gamer, it's on PS4 now. The only real reason to avoid playing it otherwise is its overbearing fanbase, and they've quieted down some now that the Homestuck video game is out. I can recommend it without hesitation.
Spider Dance
Home
Dogsong
(Spoiler: Endgame boss)
2) Persona 5
In a lot of ways, Persona 5 approaches perfection.
Something I absolutely love is that it does an exceptional job at enforcing the core story concept with its gameplay. In P5 you are a group of Phantom Thieves, entering the hearts of people with warped minds and stealing the embodiment of their desires. So how does Atlus work the dungeon crawling gameplay of its third and fourth entries into that concept? It turns the dungeons into heists. As you go through the dungeon you may need to disable security systems and open safes, and the entire exploration of the dungeon revolves around first locating the treasure, and then breaking into the room containing it. Practically every aspect of 5's gameplay is justified by the game's story and aesthetic. Confidants, the characters with whom you have dating sim style interactions with, aren't just people you stumble upon and decide to be friends with. They're connections, people it's in your best interest to be closer to, because they help you become better at being a thief. A reporter that writes fluff pieces about you to improve your reputation with the general public, or the owner of a private clinic selling you medicine under the table. Every gameplay mechanic is flawlessly supported with context, which makes investing yourself in Persona 5's world pretty much effortless.
Even more impressive is what a great evolution it is of the games that came before it. The Press Turn battle system has always been solid and functional in the past, but 5 elevates it to a new level. The gun tricks, the baton passing, and the return of monster negotiations are all additions that make combat more interesting and engaging. Dungeons used to be a randomly generated pile of unremarkable hallways, now each dungeon is a fully realized Palace. The social system used to merely boost your ability to fuse your Personas and make new ones. Now, on top of that, you'll get entire new game features depending on which Confidant you're building a relationship with, and the more Confidants you have, the more tools you have to get through the game with. Every game mechanic related element from Personas 3 and 4 has been polished into a diamond. There has never been a Persona that is as fun to play as 5.
The narrative experience is nearly as much of a blast as the gameplay. The cast is excellent; each one has a surprising amount of depth and has their own captivating motive for rebelling against your adversary. My fellow Phantom Theives have a lot of great dynamics, Morgana is my favorite "animal mascot" character in the franchise, and I got really attached to the supporting cast as well. All of these pieces really sold the overarching plot, and made it feel like it had stakes. I wanted to succeed because I cared about the people that would be affected if I failed. I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention that that P5 friggin oozes style. Everything down to the menus are sleek as hell, and the in-engine cutscenes look so good that I wished there were less animated cutscenes. Finally, the soundtrack ties everything together like a dream. I wish there were more original songs, but what is there is A+.
Like I said, Persona 5 approaches perfection, but doesn't quite reach it. The narrative experience is nearly as much of a blast as the gameplay because it has some failings. The main one being that it's a story that has some very important and poignant messages; messages that the writers proceed to ignore for roughly half the game. I'll avoid spoiling anything with examples, but the gist of it is that the not-infrequent disconnect these moments caused did break my immersion from time to time. That, and the fanservicey elements of the game are more pronounced than in past Persona games, which isn't why I'm here.Ultimately, these things aren't dealbreakers. They're just maybe a little more disappointing than they should be, since these elements held Persona 5 back from being something I could recommend to absolutely everyone, and possibly my favorite RPG of all time. Instead, it's one of my Top 10 RPGs, and a title I would still strongly recommend to the vast majority of JRPG fans.
That's... still probably pretty good.
Life Will Change
Tokyo Daylight
Beneath the Mask
Price
3) Mother 3
It's always hard for me to describe why I love Mother 3 so much. Like, one of the reasons I love it so much is because it's so weird, and it does so many things that are hard to describe. It doesn't help that I haven't played it since 2008, and a lot of the specific things that happen in the story are no longer a very clear memory. It's almost like I've been waiting for an official localization for years and years, and keep getting let down! Ha ha, what a funny thought! Ha ha... ha...
What I do know is that when I think back on it, I get a lot of genuine feelings. I get nostalgia for a lot of games, but the kind of fondness and warmth that I feel for Mother 3 is one of a kind. I remember a narrative that balances whimsy and tragedy in a very impressive way. I remember a fan-translation that's so well done that I would have believed you if you said Nintendo's Treehouse wrote it themselves. I remember everything culminating a finale that had me misty-eyed, something incredibly rare for me at the time. Everything comes into a package that I still adore, even nearly a decade later, when I barely remember it. I keep it this high up on the list because I know it belongs here. It feels right. It may not have my absolute favorite writing in a role-playing game, or my favorite soundtrack, and certainly not my favorite combat, but all of its ingredients mix together to create something that's better than the sum of its parts.
I really, really do want to play it again in the near future though. Maybe NoA can stop yanking my heart around and finally put out a version I can pay them money for.
Mom's Hometown
Open Sesame Tofu!
Adolescence (Toilet Cow's Recommendation)
4) Xenoblade Chronicles
I bought Xenoblade thanks to Project Rainfall and GAF hype. One of the best purchasing decisions I've ever made. The gigantic world was one of the most visually stunning things that the poor little Wii has managed to put out. The cast was fantastic, if a bit archetypal, and I loved seeing them interact on the field and unlocking all of their private conversations. And holy crap, the sidequests. The clever way that they sort of informed you of the personal lives of every single NPC you met, investing you in the universe even further, took away over 120 hours of my life before I realized what was happening. And holy cow, the soundtrack. Mitsuda, Shimomura, and ACE can all create phenomenal soundtracks by themselves, but Xenoblade features all three of them.
What's especially impressive is that the combat isn't even my favorite part, and the combat is phenomenal. It's definitely the most enjoyable implementation of an MMO style battle system in a single player game I've ever witnessed. Each character plays like their own distinctive class, and their playstyles all highlight and reinforce their different personalities. Reyn, the stubborn but loyal meathead of the group, fills the Aggro Tank role like a glove, while the wacky mascot character Riki has an assortment of bizarre tools that overwhelm the enemy. The customization options let you do some really cool things and create some very interesting builds (Naked Dunban the Dodge-Tank was a personal highlight for me), and the way battles flow made it surprisingly easy to juggle a large amount of variables at the same time.
I am so, so glad that Nintendo bought Monolith Soft and produced this masterpiece. I don't know if Xenoblade 2 will come even close to dethroning it (the main female character design certainly doesn't do it any favors), but I'm excited to find out.
You Will Know Our Names
One Who Gets in Our Way
To the Last Battle (Spoiler: Endgame dungeon... if you couldn't guess)
5) Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
The undisputed king of hilarious dialogue for me. The localization done by Treehouse is some of their best work to date, with a whimsical and pithy style that you can't really find anywhere else. Some of the scenes were pitch perfect; personal highlights include Mario helping a bumbling penguin detective solve a mystery, and the entire Glitzville arc.
The battle system is also quite a treat! The blend of traditional turn-based menus and input-based action mesh together really well, and your party's array of abilities bring forth some very cool and unique potential strategies. However, the star is ultimately still the writing and the colorful cast of characters. I was heartbroken when those elements were stripped away in Sticker Star, and I've refused to play Color Splash on principle. Paper Mario returning to its roots at this point feels like a pipe dream, but one can hope that someday Mario will meet a Goomba that actually has a name again.
Main Theme
Petal Meadows
Luigi's Theme
6) Live A Live (UNDERRATED)
Anyone looking forward to Project Octopath Traveler should take a look into the past while they wait, and try out Live A Live. Octopath Traveler is looking like a contender for sure, and may be one hell of a challenger for the title of "Best Japanese Role Playing Game Where You Start The Game As One Of Multiple Different Personalities, Each of Them Playing Drastically Different Than the Rest". But until it comes out? Live A Live is the reigning champion.
The selectable character system works so well in Live A Live because if it weren't for the battle system, which remains mechanically consistent, each character's story would feel like a different video game. If you select the robot character, Cube, you play a horror story set on a deteriorating spaceship in the far future. You have to rely on stealth instead of combat, because the creatures unleashed on the ship overpower you too easily. Alternately, you can pick the martial artist Masaru, whose chapter is almost entirely combat. You enter a tournament and fight through a gauntlet of other martial artists, in a modern day tale that feels like Street Fighter: The RPG. The other five playable characters are just as radically different, from a cowboy defending his town by laying traps for a group of invading bandits, to a caveman who can only speak via word balloons with pictures of meat in them. Each character's vignette can be played through in any order, and once you've played through all of them, I won't spoil what happens, but it's good stuff.
This never came to the states, but the fan translation job is fantastic, if not as professional as Mother 3's. Some of the mechanics may feel a bit archaic and dated these days, but so much more of Live A Live is wonderfully ahead of its time.
Megalomania
Ultimate Strength ~ Victory Road
Go Go Buriki Daioh!
7) Persona 4
While I've currently decided that I like Persona 5 a little more, and I don't like saturating my list with too much of one series, Persona 4 is such a great game that I can't bring myself to remove it from the list or demote it to the Honorable Mentions section.
Every member of the group you accrue is a distinct, fleshed out person with different motivations, personalities, and secrets that you get to discover by making the decision to spend time with them. They all have entertaining and believable dynamics with each other, driven home by superb voice acting and excellent dialogue from Atlus' localization team. These dynamics were incredible. They made the cast feel like real people. It was remarkable, the amount of depth they went to with each character's psyche. Kanji and Naoto's stories in particular are amongst the frigging coolest things I've seen a JRPG do, even if I don't think that those arcs reached their full potential, and they're a big part of why I love both those characters so much.
By the time I reached the game's weird, weird end, I got to see my party bond to an extent that lots of games don't bother with. Usually RPG parties establish that they share a common goal, and then reach the end of their destination as friends that usually go their separate ways, minus the romantic couple. When I beat Persona 4, the main party felt like they had become a family, and the execution of it was so good that I believed that too.
I do want to make a special note that if all versions of a game weren't bundled into the same slot for the purposes of voting, my vote would be for the original PS2 release of Persona 4 and not Golden. The QOL updates and additional mechanical changes are nice, but ultimately they're not worth the narrative experience becoming worse. I don't hate the new character, Marie, but she changes the story in a way that gives it some pacing issues that weren't there before. The annoying but tolerable fanservice in Persona 4 really begins to push it in Golden; an offhand comment during a hot spring scene in the original becomes a fully animated cutscene with closeups and jiggle physics, because I guess it was too subtle initially. Not to mention the homophobia and fat jokes are practically doubled in the exclusive scenes added to the Vita version. The comparison may be a moot point in this specific thread, I think Golden is a really interesting example of how more isn't always better.
Reach Out to the Truth
Your Affection
I'll Face Myself -Battle-
8) Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald and Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire
If I could just recommend "Pokemon", the entire franchise, as a whole, it would be at the absolute top of the list. It is my favorite series of all time, and the franchise I've undoubtedly sunken the most hours into over my many years of gaming. The endless customization potential of your party of six, the deceptively deep and complex battle system and Type Effectiveness mechanics, and the completionist urges in invoked in me to catch every single one were all elements that had me playing the games since I was 10. Not to mention the superb worldbuilding. From each interesting region with tons to explore, to the incredibly varied ever-growing list of Pokemon themselves, each with their own backstory and fluff... the universe of Pokemon is so rife with cool experiences and stories to me that I actually found a Tabletop RPG adaptation of it online, and have since both played in and ran multiple campaigns using that system. I am super cool.
The hard part is picking the definitive game in the series. And I think the short answer is still that there isn't one yet. I ended up picking the Pokemon game that means the most to me personally. The original Pokemon Ruby is the most I've ever played Pokemon. Hoenn was my favorite region, it still is, and I felt like I could be a trainer there forever. Omega Ruby updated everything to the current generation phenomenally, and did one of the greatest things in the franchise to date: Online Secret Bases. I get to make my own house, share it with my friends across the country, and have them fight my Pokemon team? If they had just brought Battle Frontier back, and made the postgame as robust as Emerald's was, ORAS would have been the definitive game in the series.
Either way, it's hard to go wrong with almost any mainline entry in the franchise. Red and Blue are classics that are still fun to play, even if the adventure is more stilted and frustrating in 2017. HeartGold and Soulsilver still have the best postgame across every generation, no contest. Diamond and Pearl had Chimchar in it. I actually considered making Sun and Moon my nomination this year, because it mixes everything up in a great way and has some top notch advancements and Quality of Life changes. It's possible that Ultra Sun and Moon add the tiny bit of extra meat this Generation needs to be the best of its kind. I suppose we'll see.
Rival Battle
Fortree City
Trick Mansion
9) Final Fantasy IX
IX is the definitive Final Fantasy to me. It has big story with the intimidating scale, and the constant rewards for exploring. But it also has an overwhelming amount of love and charm injected into it. The world is fun! I wanted to talk to everyone, investigate every distraction, every jumprope minigame and trading card sidequest. The cast all start with big, striking personalities and most of them have great arcs and development that keeps you hooked. Zidane, a wise-cracking rogue, was the perfect protagonist after two Final Fantasies of brooding edge-boys. It doesn't hurt that Vivi and Steiner are also GOAT characters who he gets to have excellent dynamics with. The soundtrack bleeds the words "fantasy epic" from its very pores, and it was very, very difficult to whittle my highlights down to three picks.
Even combat, which maybe hasn't aged as well compared to the rest of IX, has its good points. I personally love the mechanic where you gain abilities by winning battles with specific pieces of Equipment on. Being able to see the progress bars on those items, and knowing for a fact when I would next unlock an ability I need, gave me the incentive to grind and keep pushing forward. It was really satisfying to craft a combination of abilities you accrued yourself that would make your character completely wreck face in battle.
Bottom line, Square really created something precious when they made Final Fantasy IX. Recent Final Fantasies seem hollow and sobering in comparison.
Battle Theme
Vamo' Alla Flamenco
Steiner's Theme
10) Chrono Trigger
As much as I tend to resist the bandwagon, I can't help but respect Chrono Trigger, because it deserves it. The cast is great, the battle system is solid- Dual/Triple techs really attached me to my characters- and the time travel is expertly executed from both a story and gameplay standpoint. Trigger also has one of the finest video game soundtracks in history for "To Far Away Times" alone. That shit is my fucking jam.
I don't think I'll ever get tired of playing the final act, when you have your whole party and you're bouncing through time, getting to experience side arcs in slightly different ways every time because people will say different things depending on your current group layout. My favorite thing of all was to play as much of the game with Ayla as possible. She just threw the serious tone in every scene out the window. "Leave nest! Have baby! Give milk! Have more baby!"
To Far Away Times (Spoiler: Credits theme)
Silvard (Epoch)
Frog's Theme
PART 1 - MAIN GAMES
1) Undertale (HIGHLIGHT)
Undertale is a tricky game to talk about. On one hand, the less you know about it, the better your experience will be when you play it. On the other hand... it is very hard to get people who know little about the game to want to play it.
You look at it for the first time, particulary the field sprites for the beginning dungeon, and you think, "Oh, another mediocre RPG Maker game". Or, "Wow, this looks like an Earthbound ripoff, and not even a very good one". The initial 20 minutes of the game has cute moments, and introduces you to several key mechanics, but it doesn't immediately reveal why Undertale is so remarkable. I have a friend that gave up and stopped playing before he even left the Ruins, a part of the story that drags just enough that I don't fully blame him (at least, I try not to). The thing is, at least to an extent, this is done on purpose. It sets your expectations low at the start, so it can subvert them later on. Without giving too much away, it does this more than once, in several different ways, and by the end of everything I felt I had experienced things I had never seen done in this medium before.
Even for reasons beyond the understandably obnoxious "I can't tell you why, but trust me, it's great!", there really are a lot of wonderful things about Undertale once it gets rolling, stuff I can state in more tangible terms. The distinct, well-written characters vary from amusing, to bizarre, to tragic, to genuinely unsettling. The turn-based-rpg-meets-bullet-hell battle system is challenging and satisfying to play. The soundtrack makes it very clear that the creator, Toby Fox, got his start as a composer, and is honestly one of the best scores for a video game that I've ever heard.
It's funny... I didn't intend on making Undertale my highlight when I started compiling this list. But the more I wrote about it, the more it became clear to me that this is an Essential. It really, absolutely is something you should play if you're interested in RPGs. If you passed on the initial release because you're not really a PC gamer, it's on PS4 now. The only real reason to avoid playing it otherwise is its overbearing fanbase, and they've quieted down some now that the Homestuck video game is out. I can recommend it without hesitation.
Spider Dance
Home
Dogsong
ASGORE
2) Persona 5
In a lot of ways, Persona 5 approaches perfection.
Something I absolutely love is that it does an exceptional job at enforcing the core story concept with its gameplay. In P5 you are a group of Phantom Thieves, entering the hearts of people with warped minds and stealing the embodiment of their desires. So how does Atlus work the dungeon crawling gameplay of its third and fourth entries into that concept? It turns the dungeons into heists. As you go through the dungeon you may need to disable security systems and open safes, and the entire exploration of the dungeon revolves around first locating the treasure, and then breaking into the room containing it. Practically every aspect of 5's gameplay is justified by the game's story and aesthetic. Confidants, the characters with whom you have dating sim style interactions with, aren't just people you stumble upon and decide to be friends with. They're connections, people it's in your best interest to be closer to, because they help you become better at being a thief. A reporter that writes fluff pieces about you to improve your reputation with the general public, or the owner of a private clinic selling you medicine under the table. Every gameplay mechanic is flawlessly supported with context, which makes investing yourself in Persona 5's world pretty much effortless.
Even more impressive is what a great evolution it is of the games that came before it. The Press Turn battle system has always been solid and functional in the past, but 5 elevates it to a new level. The gun tricks, the baton passing, and the return of monster negotiations are all additions that make combat more interesting and engaging. Dungeons used to be a randomly generated pile of unremarkable hallways, now each dungeon is a fully realized Palace. The social system used to merely boost your ability to fuse your Personas and make new ones. Now, on top of that, you'll get entire new game features depending on which Confidant you're building a relationship with, and the more Confidants you have, the more tools you have to get through the game with. Every game mechanic related element from Personas 3 and 4 has been polished into a diamond. There has never been a Persona that is as fun to play as 5.
The narrative experience is nearly as much of a blast as the gameplay. The cast is excellent; each one has a surprising amount of depth and has their own captivating motive for rebelling against your adversary. My fellow Phantom Theives have a lot of great dynamics, Morgana is my favorite "animal mascot" character in the franchise, and I got really attached to the supporting cast as well. All of these pieces really sold the overarching plot, and made it feel like it had stakes. I wanted to succeed because I cared about the people that would be affected if I failed. I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention that that P5 friggin oozes style. Everything down to the menus are sleek as hell, and the in-engine cutscenes look so good that I wished there were less animated cutscenes. Finally, the soundtrack ties everything together like a dream. I wish there were more original songs, but what is there is A+.
Like I said, Persona 5 approaches perfection, but doesn't quite reach it. The narrative experience is nearly as much of a blast as the gameplay because it has some failings. The main one being that it's a story that has some very important and poignant messages; messages that the writers proceed to ignore for roughly half the game. I'll avoid spoiling anything with examples, but the gist of it is that the not-infrequent disconnect these moments caused did break my immersion from time to time. That, and the fanservicey elements of the game are more pronounced than in past Persona games, which isn't why I'm here.Ultimately, these things aren't dealbreakers. They're just maybe a little more disappointing than they should be, since these elements held Persona 5 back from being something I could recommend to absolutely everyone, and possibly my favorite RPG of all time. Instead, it's one of my Top 10 RPGs, and a title I would still strongly recommend to the vast majority of JRPG fans.
That's... still probably pretty good.
Life Will Change
Tokyo Daylight
Beneath the Mask
Price
3) Mother 3
It's always hard for me to describe why I love Mother 3 so much. Like, one of the reasons I love it so much is because it's so weird, and it does so many things that are hard to describe. It doesn't help that I haven't played it since 2008, and a lot of the specific things that happen in the story are no longer a very clear memory. It's almost like I've been waiting for an official localization for years and years, and keep getting let down! Ha ha, what a funny thought! Ha ha... ha...
What I do know is that when I think back on it, I get a lot of genuine feelings. I get nostalgia for a lot of games, but the kind of fondness and warmth that I feel for Mother 3 is one of a kind. I remember a narrative that balances whimsy and tragedy in a very impressive way. I remember a fan-translation that's so well done that I would have believed you if you said Nintendo's Treehouse wrote it themselves. I remember everything culminating a finale that had me misty-eyed, something incredibly rare for me at the time. Everything comes into a package that I still adore, even nearly a decade later, when I barely remember it. I keep it this high up on the list because I know it belongs here. It feels right. It may not have my absolute favorite writing in a role-playing game, or my favorite soundtrack, and certainly not my favorite combat, but all of its ingredients mix together to create something that's better than the sum of its parts.
I really, really do want to play it again in the near future though. Maybe NoA can stop yanking my heart around and finally put out a version I can pay them money for.
Mom's Hometown
Open Sesame Tofu!
Adolescence (Toilet Cow's Recommendation)
4) Xenoblade Chronicles
I bought Xenoblade thanks to Project Rainfall and GAF hype. One of the best purchasing decisions I've ever made. The gigantic world was one of the most visually stunning things that the poor little Wii has managed to put out. The cast was fantastic, if a bit archetypal, and I loved seeing them interact on the field and unlocking all of their private conversations. And holy crap, the sidequests. The clever way that they sort of informed you of the personal lives of every single NPC you met, investing you in the universe even further, took away over 120 hours of my life before I realized what was happening. And holy cow, the soundtrack. Mitsuda, Shimomura, and ACE can all create phenomenal soundtracks by themselves, but Xenoblade features all three of them.
What's especially impressive is that the combat isn't even my favorite part, and the combat is phenomenal. It's definitely the most enjoyable implementation of an MMO style battle system in a single player game I've ever witnessed. Each character plays like their own distinctive class, and their playstyles all highlight and reinforce their different personalities. Reyn, the stubborn but loyal meathead of the group, fills the Aggro Tank role like a glove, while the wacky mascot character Riki has an assortment of bizarre tools that overwhelm the enemy. The customization options let you do some really cool things and create some very interesting builds (Naked Dunban the Dodge-Tank was a personal highlight for me), and the way battles flow made it surprisingly easy to juggle a large amount of variables at the same time.
I am so, so glad that Nintendo bought Monolith Soft and produced this masterpiece. I don't know if Xenoblade 2 will come even close to dethroning it (the main female character design certainly doesn't do it any favors), but I'm excited to find out.
You Will Know Our Names
One Who Gets in Our Way
To the Last Battle (Spoiler: Endgame dungeon... if you couldn't guess)
5) Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
The undisputed king of hilarious dialogue for me. The localization done by Treehouse is some of their best work to date, with a whimsical and pithy style that you can't really find anywhere else. Some of the scenes were pitch perfect; personal highlights include Mario helping a bumbling penguin detective solve a mystery, and the entire Glitzville arc.
The battle system is also quite a treat! The blend of traditional turn-based menus and input-based action mesh together really well, and your party's array of abilities bring forth some very cool and unique potential strategies. However, the star is ultimately still the writing and the colorful cast of characters. I was heartbroken when those elements were stripped away in Sticker Star, and I've refused to play Color Splash on principle. Paper Mario returning to its roots at this point feels like a pipe dream, but one can hope that someday Mario will meet a Goomba that actually has a name again.
Main Theme
Petal Meadows
Luigi's Theme
6) Live A Live (UNDERRATED)
Anyone looking forward to Project Octopath Traveler should take a look into the past while they wait, and try out Live A Live. Octopath Traveler is looking like a contender for sure, and may be one hell of a challenger for the title of "Best Japanese Role Playing Game Where You Start The Game As One Of Multiple Different Personalities, Each of Them Playing Drastically Different Than the Rest". But until it comes out? Live A Live is the reigning champion.
The selectable character system works so well in Live A Live because if it weren't for the battle system, which remains mechanically consistent, each character's story would feel like a different video game. If you select the robot character, Cube, you play a horror story set on a deteriorating spaceship in the far future. You have to rely on stealth instead of combat, because the creatures unleashed on the ship overpower you too easily. Alternately, you can pick the martial artist Masaru, whose chapter is almost entirely combat. You enter a tournament and fight through a gauntlet of other martial artists, in a modern day tale that feels like Street Fighter: The RPG. The other five playable characters are just as radically different, from a cowboy defending his town by laying traps for a group of invading bandits, to a caveman who can only speak via word balloons with pictures of meat in them. Each character's vignette can be played through in any order, and once you've played through all of them, I won't spoil what happens, but it's good stuff.
This never came to the states, but the fan translation job is fantastic, if not as professional as Mother 3's. Some of the mechanics may feel a bit archaic and dated these days, but so much more of Live A Live is wonderfully ahead of its time.
Megalomania
Ultimate Strength ~ Victory Road
Go Go Buriki Daioh!
7) Persona 4
While I've currently decided that I like Persona 5 a little more, and I don't like saturating my list with too much of one series, Persona 4 is such a great game that I can't bring myself to remove it from the list or demote it to the Honorable Mentions section.
Every member of the group you accrue is a distinct, fleshed out person with different motivations, personalities, and secrets that you get to discover by making the decision to spend time with them. They all have entertaining and believable dynamics with each other, driven home by superb voice acting and excellent dialogue from Atlus' localization team. These dynamics were incredible. They made the cast feel like real people. It was remarkable, the amount of depth they went to with each character's psyche. Kanji and Naoto's stories in particular are amongst the frigging coolest things I've seen a JRPG do, even if I don't think that those arcs reached their full potential, and they're a big part of why I love both those characters so much.
By the time I reached the game's weird, weird end, I got to see my party bond to an extent that lots of games don't bother with. Usually RPG parties establish that they share a common goal, and then reach the end of their destination as friends that usually go their separate ways, minus the romantic couple. When I beat Persona 4, the main party felt like they had become a family, and the execution of it was so good that I believed that too.
I do want to make a special note that if all versions of a game weren't bundled into the same slot for the purposes of voting, my vote would be for the original PS2 release of Persona 4 and not Golden. The QOL updates and additional mechanical changes are nice, but ultimately they're not worth the narrative experience becoming worse. I don't hate the new character, Marie, but she changes the story in a way that gives it some pacing issues that weren't there before. The annoying but tolerable fanservice in Persona 4 really begins to push it in Golden; an offhand comment during a hot spring scene in the original becomes a fully animated cutscene with closeups and jiggle physics, because I guess it was too subtle initially. Not to mention the homophobia and fat jokes are practically doubled in the exclusive scenes added to the Vita version. The comparison may be a moot point in this specific thread, I think Golden is a really interesting example of how more isn't always better.
Reach Out to the Truth
Your Affection
I'll Face Myself -Battle-
8) Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald and Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire
If I could just recommend "Pokemon", the entire franchise, as a whole, it would be at the absolute top of the list. It is my favorite series of all time, and the franchise I've undoubtedly sunken the most hours into over my many years of gaming. The endless customization potential of your party of six, the deceptively deep and complex battle system and Type Effectiveness mechanics, and the completionist urges in invoked in me to catch every single one were all elements that had me playing the games since I was 10. Not to mention the superb worldbuilding. From each interesting region with tons to explore, to the incredibly varied ever-growing list of Pokemon themselves, each with their own backstory and fluff... the universe of Pokemon is so rife with cool experiences and stories to me that I actually found a Tabletop RPG adaptation of it online, and have since both played in and ran multiple campaigns using that system. I am super cool.
The hard part is picking the definitive game in the series. And I think the short answer is still that there isn't one yet. I ended up picking the Pokemon game that means the most to me personally. The original Pokemon Ruby is the most I've ever played Pokemon. Hoenn was my favorite region, it still is, and I felt like I could be a trainer there forever. Omega Ruby updated everything to the current generation phenomenally, and did one of the greatest things in the franchise to date: Online Secret Bases. I get to make my own house, share it with my friends across the country, and have them fight my Pokemon team? If they had just brought Battle Frontier back, and made the postgame as robust as Emerald's was, ORAS would have been the definitive game in the series.
Either way, it's hard to go wrong with almost any mainline entry in the franchise. Red and Blue are classics that are still fun to play, even if the adventure is more stilted and frustrating in 2017. HeartGold and Soulsilver still have the best postgame across every generation, no contest. Diamond and Pearl had Chimchar in it. I actually considered making Sun and Moon my nomination this year, because it mixes everything up in a great way and has some top notch advancements and Quality of Life changes. It's possible that Ultra Sun and Moon add the tiny bit of extra meat this Generation needs to be the best of its kind. I suppose we'll see.
Rival Battle
Fortree City
Trick Mansion
9) Final Fantasy IX
IX is the definitive Final Fantasy to me. It has big story with the intimidating scale, and the constant rewards for exploring. But it also has an overwhelming amount of love and charm injected into it. The world is fun! I wanted to talk to everyone, investigate every distraction, every jumprope minigame and trading card sidequest. The cast all start with big, striking personalities and most of them have great arcs and development that keeps you hooked. Zidane, a wise-cracking rogue, was the perfect protagonist after two Final Fantasies of brooding edge-boys. It doesn't hurt that Vivi and Steiner are also GOAT characters who he gets to have excellent dynamics with. The soundtrack bleeds the words "fantasy epic" from its very pores, and it was very, very difficult to whittle my highlights down to three picks.
Even combat, which maybe hasn't aged as well compared to the rest of IX, has its good points. I personally love the mechanic where you gain abilities by winning battles with specific pieces of Equipment on. Being able to see the progress bars on those items, and knowing for a fact when I would next unlock an ability I need, gave me the incentive to grind and keep pushing forward. It was really satisfying to craft a combination of abilities you accrued yourself that would make your character completely wreck face in battle.
Bottom line, Square really created something precious when they made Final Fantasy IX. Recent Final Fantasies seem hollow and sobering in comparison.
Battle Theme
Vamo' Alla Flamenco
Steiner's Theme
10) Chrono Trigger
As much as I tend to resist the bandwagon, I can't help but respect Chrono Trigger, because it deserves it. The cast is great, the battle system is solid- Dual/Triple techs really attached me to my characters- and the time travel is expertly executed from both a story and gameplay standpoint. Trigger also has one of the finest video game soundtracks in history for "To Far Away Times" alone. That shit is my fucking jam.
I don't think I'll ever get tired of playing the final act, when you have your whole party and you're bouncing through time, getting to experience side arcs in slightly different ways every time because people will say different things depending on your current group layout. My favorite thing of all was to play as much of the game with Ayla as possible. She just threw the serious tone in every scene out the window. "Leave nest! Have baby! Give milk! Have more baby!"
To Far Away Times (Spoiler: Credits theme)
Silvard (Epoch)
Frog's Theme
PART 2 - HONORABLE MENTIONS
11) Lost Odyssey
FFIX was the best Final Fantasy released in the PS1 generation. Lost Odyssey was the best Final Fantasy game released in the PS3 generation, despite it not actually releasing for the PS3 and not actually being called Final Fantasy. It didn't do a lot that we hadn't seen before, but it executed nearly all of it expertly. The cast was a little generic but also eventually quite charming, and certain dynamics were a pleasant surprise to me. The character progression system where you could use your mortal characters to customize your immortal characters created opportunities for some really neat builds. Nobuo Uematsu is really in his prime with the soundtrack as well, with even the basic battle theme sounding epic, intense, and cool as hell. I also didn't realize at the time that tucking away a bunch of cool secrets in your RPG would become a relic of the past, and I took them for granted in one of the last games where I saw that happen. One sad note is that this ended up being one of the last games of its scale and scope that Sakaguchi ended up producing; at least it ended up being really good.
Prologue
Fire Above the Battle
An Enemy Appears!
12) Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
Tokyo Mirage sessions is a pretty weird game. It started as a collaboration between Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem, but it doesn't scratch my itch for either of those games. The entire cast is made up of anime archetypes we've seen a thousand times before, some of which I wish stayed in Japan, like "horny drunk businesswoman" and "loud otaku that loves lolis". Even the more likable characters, like "rich tsundere" and "dorky friend that wants to be a hero", have fairly predictable arcs. Despite all that, I can't deny that I had a pretty great time with this game. It is just an incredibly mechanically solid JRPG. TMS has one of the most fun turn based battle systems I've ever played; the "Sessions" combo system is always very satisfying to pull off, and makes it one of the few games where it feels like your entire extended party is significantly involved in each combat. I actually didn't mind grinding (not that it was incredibly necessary, this isn't the hardest game in the world) because I enjoyed battles so much, and because the character progression systems are also great and really rewarded me for all the time I put in. The unashamedly J-Pop soundtrack and aesthetic also ended up displaying quite a bit of charm in the end. In spite of all the generic pieces that hold it together, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE feels unique. I think it's a quality experience, even without its source franchises holding it up.
Showtime
Normal Battle
Reincarnation
13) Dragon Quest V
The way your character grows and progresses through the story is wonderful. You get to make decisions that last for the rest of the game, and you could recruit monsters into your party before Pokemon was even a thing. Dragon Quest V is kind of showing its age these days, even in the DS remake, but in the 90s it was absolutely ahead of its time. If this came out in the US when it first released on the SNES, maybe Dragon Quest wouldn't be a dead franchise over here. Extremely wishful thinking, I know...
Casino
Town
14) Brave Fencer Musashi
Musashi's localization was so well done that it's hard to believe that it came out during the PS1 era. All the voice acting is competent at worst. The dialogue is packed to the brim with charm and wit and is funny as hell. Even the menu text is hilarious. BFM manages to be a pretty fun Action RPG as well, if a bit more unforgiving than I remember. My favorite thing to play with was the Assimilation mechanic, which allowed you to steal other enemies powers and use them yourself. I was also really into the mechanic where you have to rescue the denizens of the kingdom, and rescuing them unlocks more features and benefits for you to use on your quest. Absolutely a hidden gem, and worth picking up even if doing so is kind of inconvenient these days.
The Musashi Legend
The White Cloud in the Sky
15) Kingdom Hearts
The first KH is above and beyond the best of its franchise so far. It was beautiful, charming and sincere, and the story actually revolved around all the Disney stuff that was supposed to be the point of the crossover. For all of the gameplay improvements that later games in the series made, I miss the days when Maleficent was central to the plot instead of an increasing number of mysterious shirtless anime men.
Colisseum Battle
Simple and Clean
16) Final Fantasy X
My second favorite Final Fantasy, for most of the reasons that IX is my favorite. The cast and dialogue is almost as good as IX's, I think the worldbuilding is actually a little better, and on top of that they absolutely knock it out of the park with their subsystems. The Al Bhed Primer was addictive to collect so I could learn the language that they fucking invented (so cool!), the Sphere Grid is just perfect and glorious, and X probably has the best traditional turn based battle system I've experienced. In the end, IX's style ends up being just a little more my thing, but X is still very, very much Square at their best.
To Zanarkand
Blitzball Gamblers
17) Chrono Cross
I actually played through most of this game for the first time before I experienced Chrono Trigger. I loved it. I eventually beat Trigger and realized that Cross was probably not an ideal followup, but it's still a fascinating and wonderful RPG on its own merits. It feels kind of narrow-minded of me to vote for four Square games in a row, but I can't deny that they knew how to make a good game back then.
Time's Scar
Dancing the Tokage
18) Marvel Ultimate Alliance
Not only is this an incredibly eloquent love letter written to the characters and stories of the Marvel universe, but it is also a surprisingly well done co-op RPG experience. I have a lot of fond memories of playing through M:AU with my friends in high school, discovering unique team combinations and unlocking references to obscure characters in the form of special costumes.
M.O.D.O.K. Battle
19) Valkyria Chronicles
Valkyria Chronicles is gorgeous on both the inside and the outside. It caught my attention with its stunning graphical style, but then I stuck around for the incredible character development and the awesome hybrid battle system. I'm still waiting for my localization of III, dammit.
Decisive Battle
20) Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Weirdly enough, I like FFTA more than the original Final Fantasy Tactics. The whimsical atmosphere fits me better, and it isn't as unforgivably hard as original Tactics was for me. Those two things helped me get drawn in to Advance's deceptively deep, oddly dark story and completely devour the battle system. This is one of the few games I've 100%ed. Maxed out every class, unlocked every hidden character.
At The Bar
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Undertale
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Live A Live
Persona 5
Mother 3
Xenoblade Chronicles
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire / Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby
Final Fantasy IX
Chrono Trigger
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Lost Odyssey
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
Dragon Quest V
Brave Fencer Musashi
Kingdom Hearts
Final Fantasy X
Chrono Cross
Marvel Ultimate Alliance
Valkyria Chronicles
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
--VOTE INFO END--
11) Lost Odyssey
FFIX was the best Final Fantasy released in the PS1 generation. Lost Odyssey was the best Final Fantasy game released in the PS3 generation, despite it not actually releasing for the PS3 and not actually being called Final Fantasy. It didn't do a lot that we hadn't seen before, but it executed nearly all of it expertly. The cast was a little generic but also eventually quite charming, and certain dynamics were a pleasant surprise to me. The character progression system where you could use your mortal characters to customize your immortal characters created opportunities for some really neat builds. Nobuo Uematsu is really in his prime with the soundtrack as well, with even the basic battle theme sounding epic, intense, and cool as hell. I also didn't realize at the time that tucking away a bunch of cool secrets in your RPG would become a relic of the past, and I took them for granted in one of the last games where I saw that happen. One sad note is that this ended up being one of the last games of its scale and scope that Sakaguchi ended up producing; at least it ended up being really good.
Prologue
Fire Above the Battle
An Enemy Appears!
12) Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
Tokyo Mirage sessions is a pretty weird game. It started as a collaboration between Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem, but it doesn't scratch my itch for either of those games. The entire cast is made up of anime archetypes we've seen a thousand times before, some of which I wish stayed in Japan, like "horny drunk businesswoman" and "loud otaku that loves lolis". Even the more likable characters, like "rich tsundere" and "dorky friend that wants to be a hero", have fairly predictable arcs. Despite all that, I can't deny that I had a pretty great time with this game. It is just an incredibly mechanically solid JRPG. TMS has one of the most fun turn based battle systems I've ever played; the "Sessions" combo system is always very satisfying to pull off, and makes it one of the few games where it feels like your entire extended party is significantly involved in each combat. I actually didn't mind grinding (not that it was incredibly necessary, this isn't the hardest game in the world) because I enjoyed battles so much, and because the character progression systems are also great and really rewarded me for all the time I put in. The unashamedly J-Pop soundtrack and aesthetic also ended up displaying quite a bit of charm in the end. In spite of all the generic pieces that hold it together, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE feels unique. I think it's a quality experience, even without its source franchises holding it up.
Showtime
Normal Battle
Reincarnation
13) Dragon Quest V
The way your character grows and progresses through the story is wonderful. You get to make decisions that last for the rest of the game, and you could recruit monsters into your party before Pokemon was even a thing. Dragon Quest V is kind of showing its age these days, even in the DS remake, but in the 90s it was absolutely ahead of its time. If this came out in the US when it first released on the SNES, maybe Dragon Quest wouldn't be a dead franchise over here. Extremely wishful thinking, I know...
Casino
Town
14) Brave Fencer Musashi
Musashi's localization was so well done that it's hard to believe that it came out during the PS1 era. All the voice acting is competent at worst. The dialogue is packed to the brim with charm and wit and is funny as hell. Even the menu text is hilarious. BFM manages to be a pretty fun Action RPG as well, if a bit more unforgiving than I remember. My favorite thing to play with was the Assimilation mechanic, which allowed you to steal other enemies powers and use them yourself. I was also really into the mechanic where you have to rescue the denizens of the kingdom, and rescuing them unlocks more features and benefits for you to use on your quest. Absolutely a hidden gem, and worth picking up even if doing so is kind of inconvenient these days.
The Musashi Legend
The White Cloud in the Sky
15) Kingdom Hearts
The first KH is above and beyond the best of its franchise so far. It was beautiful, charming and sincere, and the story actually revolved around all the Disney stuff that was supposed to be the point of the crossover. For all of the gameplay improvements that later games in the series made, I miss the days when Maleficent was central to the plot instead of an increasing number of mysterious shirtless anime men.
Colisseum Battle
Simple and Clean
16) Final Fantasy X
My second favorite Final Fantasy, for most of the reasons that IX is my favorite. The cast and dialogue is almost as good as IX's, I think the worldbuilding is actually a little better, and on top of that they absolutely knock it out of the park with their subsystems. The Al Bhed Primer was addictive to collect so I could learn the language that they fucking invented (so cool!), the Sphere Grid is just perfect and glorious, and X probably has the best traditional turn based battle system I've experienced. In the end, IX's style ends up being just a little more my thing, but X is still very, very much Square at their best.
To Zanarkand
Blitzball Gamblers
17) Chrono Cross
I actually played through most of this game for the first time before I experienced Chrono Trigger. I loved it. I eventually beat Trigger and realized that Cross was probably not an ideal followup, but it's still a fascinating and wonderful RPG on its own merits. It feels kind of narrow-minded of me to vote for four Square games in a row, but I can't deny that they knew how to make a good game back then.
Time's Scar
Dancing the Tokage
18) Marvel Ultimate Alliance
Not only is this an incredibly eloquent love letter written to the characters and stories of the Marvel universe, but it is also a surprisingly well done co-op RPG experience. I have a lot of fond memories of playing through M:AU with my friends in high school, discovering unique team combinations and unlocking references to obscure characters in the form of special costumes.
M.O.D.O.K. Battle
19) Valkyria Chronicles
Valkyria Chronicles is gorgeous on both the inside and the outside. It caught my attention with its stunning graphical style, but then I stuck around for the incredible character development and the awesome hybrid battle system. I'm still waiting for my localization of III, dammit.
Decisive Battle
20) Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Weirdly enough, I like FFTA more than the original Final Fantasy Tactics. The whimsical atmosphere fits me better, and it isn't as unforgivably hard as original Tactics was for me. Those two things helped me get drawn in to Advance's deceptively deep, oddly dark story and completely devour the battle system. This is one of the few games I've 100%ed. Maxed out every class, unlocked every hidden character.
At The Bar
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Undertale
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Live A Live
Persona 5
Mother 3
Xenoblade Chronicles
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire / Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby
Final Fantasy IX
Chrono Trigger
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Lost Odyssey
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
Dragon Quest V
Brave Fencer Musashi
Kingdom Hearts
Final Fantasy X
Chrono Cross
Marvel Ultimate Alliance
Valkyria Chronicles
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
--VOTE INFO END--
RespectThySole
Member
^ Marvel Ultimate Alliance co-op was so fun
firehawk12
Subete no aware
There's a bit of recency bias on my list, but Chrono Trigger is still the RPG that I think of when I think "best RPG". The story, the characters, the game design and mechanics, the music... it's literally the entire package. I don't even have to revisit it anymore because the entire game is essentially burned into my brain and I can just recall it.
Yakuza 3 is my first entry into the series and it made me a fan. It features the biggest sin of video games for me - lots and lots of cutscenes - but the context of the scenes combined with the mission/quest design sells it for me. There's a quest chain where you build a dog house. A dog house! It's one of the few games that made me cry, which then subsequently made me want to play the game even more so that I could participate in the act of beating up some bad guys. Bonus points for still being the only game set in the contemporary world, a setting that most RPG developers seem to avoid.
Persona 4 Golden is really more of a stand in for all the Shin Megami Tensei games, but I guess P4G is my favourite of them. Now, this is also set in the contemporary world, but all the supernatural Midnight Channel stuff disqualifies it for me and still makes it more fantasy than reality. Mechanically, the game is somewhat weak - the dungeon design, because of their randomized nature, is pretty bland and the combat system is easily exploitable once you understand how to manipulate turn orders and weaknesses. But the writing, and in particular the life simulation aspects of the game make it an extremely memorable experience. Golden can be a mixed bag, but I do think it's the definitive version of the game.
Mass Effect 1 is probably the most excited I've been for a game franchise in my history as an educated gamer. A brand new IP from what was then my favourite game developer? Yes please. I loved the universe they created, I loved the gameplay (and am one of the few who prefers it over the shooter entries), and I loved the writing. I still have a soft spot for the game, despite what happened to the franchise after.
If ME1 is peak BioWare, Fallout New Vegas is peak Obsidian. Yes, they were basically contracted to work on someone's IP, but they took it and ran with it, creating a mutilfaceted storyline with good writing and good quest design. There are so many systems in play, and it's miraculous that the game works together. Compare the game to Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 and you can tell that Obsidian is a great developer and miles ahead of Bethesda.
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Chrono Trigger
Yakuza 3
Persona 4 Golden
Mass Effect 1
Fallout New Vegas
Final Fantasy VI
Baldur's Gate
Neverwinter Nights
Fallout 2
Planescape Torment
--VOTE INFO END--
Yakuza 3 is my first entry into the series and it made me a fan. It features the biggest sin of video games for me - lots and lots of cutscenes - but the context of the scenes combined with the mission/quest design sells it for me. There's a quest chain where you build a dog house. A dog house! It's one of the few games that made me cry, which then subsequently made me want to play the game even more so that I could participate in the act of beating up some bad guys. Bonus points for still being the only game set in the contemporary world, a setting that most RPG developers seem to avoid.
Persona 4 Golden is really more of a stand in for all the Shin Megami Tensei games, but I guess P4G is my favourite of them. Now, this is also set in the contemporary world, but all the supernatural Midnight Channel stuff disqualifies it for me and still makes it more fantasy than reality. Mechanically, the game is somewhat weak - the dungeon design, because of their randomized nature, is pretty bland and the combat system is easily exploitable once you understand how to manipulate turn orders and weaknesses. But the writing, and in particular the life simulation aspects of the game make it an extremely memorable experience. Golden can be a mixed bag, but I do think it's the definitive version of the game.
Mass Effect 1 is probably the most excited I've been for a game franchise in my history as an educated gamer. A brand new IP from what was then my favourite game developer? Yes please. I loved the universe they created, I loved the gameplay (and am one of the few who prefers it over the shooter entries), and I loved the writing. I still have a soft spot for the game, despite what happened to the franchise after.
If ME1 is peak BioWare, Fallout New Vegas is peak Obsidian. Yes, they were basically contracted to work on someone's IP, but they took it and ran with it, creating a mutilfaceted storyline with good writing and good quest design. There are so many systems in play, and it's miraculous that the game works together. Compare the game to Fallout 3 and Fallout 4 and you can tell that Obsidian is a great developer and miles ahead of Bethesda.
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Chrono Trigger
Yakuza 3
Persona 4 Golden
Mass Effect 1
Fallout New Vegas
Final Fantasy VI
Baldur's Gate
Neverwinter Nights
Fallout 2
Planescape Torment
--VOTE INFO END--
thesaucetastic
Unconfirmed Member
That's basically how I felt about the second game too. I didn't care about Sera either. I did love the concept of the first, which is why I voted for it.
Iva Demilcol
Member
This is the first time that I vote in this kind of threads... and my list look like a Famitsu top 20, but I don't care. Let me do this just because it's my first time.
I'm going to keep updating this post until it looks nice, but I'm not going to modify my list.
LIST HIGHLIGHT: Persona 5
Persona 5 is the best RPG I've played in years. Persona Studio took everything they knew so far and made the definitive version of Persona. It's not a perfect game by any means, there are things that can be criticized and improved but that can be said about every game on my list. If I have to use a single word to define the game it would definitively be ”stylish": from the menus to the amazing music, the colorful graphics, the great character designs, the incredibly ambitious story, the harsh criticism to Japanese society, the dynamic user interface, the sick attention to little details that no game had ever attempted to do... the game left a lasting impression that I don't know if it could be matched soon by any other game of the genre. It is that good.
Underrated on GAF: Dark Souls II
You knew he was busy with something else and so they brought a fan of his games to direct the sequel of your favourite game. Then someone showed to you that there were a bunch of names that didn't match with the people that worked with the previous game and a tiny voice said ”B Team" and that tiny voice became a mob of angry people and then the game was doomed. That's an oversimplification of what happened with Dark Souls II, the sequel to one of the most beloved games of this decade. Despite Dark Souls being more an exception than a rule within the Souls series, people condemned Dark Souls II for daring to try to be different instead of celebrating all the things that Fromsoft did right with it. The fact that my explanation of why I voted for Dark Souls II says more about Dark souls one than DSII is the best testament of why this game is underrated on GAF. My only consolation regarding Dark Souls II's status as part of the Souls series is that these days there are more and more voices that are recognizing why the game is genuinely good.
3. Earthbound
To me Earthbound is 50% nostalgia and 50% awesomeNess, but it is also 25% craziNess... which is 125%... well, my point is Earthbound is a crazy game full of awesome stuff that makes me nostalgic for some reason, I mean you're a kid that lives in a town far from the nearest city that explores around his house to find a meteorite, which is like the greatest adventure any kid could have and somehow that puts him a journey to save the world... but he's still a kid and then he and you yourself get homesick and the only way to prevent that is calling your mom or go back to your house and eat your favourite food... and the whole game is plagued with small details like those and that's what makes Earthbound more than great. People consider Chrono Trigger the best RPG of the SNES but to me that title is for Earthbound. There's too much to say about Earthbound here but I have to cover more games.
4. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3
This is my favourite PS2 game. I'm a total sucker for games that have urban fantasy settings so the Persona series is very precious to me. I must say I love everything in Persona 3: the characters, the story, the art style, the music, the combat, even the exploration of Tartarus (which many consider the worst part of the game itself), and of course, I love the social links system... I consider the NPCs of the Persona series the most important NPCs that have ever appeared in a game. Perhaps I'm exaggerating a little bit there but the dungeon crawling coupled with the social link system makes me feel at times as if I'm playing two different games at the same time and that novelty has never felt old for me. And the ending... the ending! Not only the final battle but the final days of the game as well are so emotionally charged that it took me several weeks to recover from the whole thing the first time I played it. Even today I remember my time with Persona 3 and get nostalgic again.
5. Dark Souls
One of the best games of the previous generation. Dark Souls is basically the game I never knew I wanted. The concept was quite intriguing since I hadn't played Demon's Souls at the time, and both the reveal trailer and the good word of mouth about Demon's Souls made me consider playing it. And the game itself not only surpassed but it kind of pulverized all my expectations.
6. Chrono Trigger
This game is charming as hell, the combat felt very novel at the time I played it, the visuals were superb and the music was amazing but the best part to me was the time travel mechanic that let me alter the timelines and the fact that it has a lot of endings that add a lot of replayability. Before playing Earthbound I considered this the best SNES game I had played; don't get me wrong, I still think the game is fantastic, In fact I believe this game should be played by every RPG fan out there, it is easily one of the pinnacles of gaming in its entirety. I'm not joking here.
7. Tales of Vesperia
I feel that the series Tales of is good enough to be part of this list. Many may think this game is too high but Vesperia really is that good, and what makes it different to most JRPGs is one character: Yuri Lowell. In a genre where main characters try to give others a second chance, Yuri is an odd character: he'd kill everyone who has to be killed if that fits his definition of justice and he'd even do it without involving his companions. It was very refreshing to play a game where the main character is a subversion of the shonen hero; the battle system is good as well and the rest of the cast while troopey is one of the best in the series.
8. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Late to the party... this was my first Dragon Quest. What I loved about the battle system was how classic it felt, it was like playing a SNES game several generations later, and I loved it for it. In terms of presentation DQVIII was one of the best games the ps2 could offer at the time: the graphics were amazing, the music was incredible, the voice acting was superb, and exploring around was mesmerizing despite the random encounters. The story has its moments too despite the fact that the game is pretty standard for a medieval fantasy fairy tale. The game was also pretty though: I was used to conquer enemies as if they were nothing in most RPGs, but DQVIII tought me that if I didn't pay attention I could potentially lose the last hour of my progression, ouch.
9. Pokémon Blue
My first RPG was this trap. I call it a trap because it lures you with its charming little monsters and never lets you go. I played it obsessively during months until I got the need to search for similar experiences elsewhere. Once I realized this was a somewhat atypical Role Playing Game I started a search of more RPGs and fell in love with the whole genre, not only Pokémon. As my first taste of the whole genre it has a special place in my heart.
10. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
Oh, this game! I started playing it when I moved to Tokyo, so actually goofing around in places like Shibuya, Ueno, Shinjuku, Harajuku, both in the game and in the real world was especially satisfying. And if my real life experiences didn't enhance my experience with this game, the battle system alone was more than enough reason to keep me hooked playing: It basically is a mixture of a turn based SMT game + a SRPG; and the bosses were ridiculously tough. The presentation was amazing too, I think it is one of the last games I played on NDS that featured 2D pixel art instead of blocky (and ugly) 3D models.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
11.The World Ends With You
Did I mention I love urban fantasy settings?
12.Dragon's Dogma
What game made me quit Dark Souls to play something more awesome? Hint: its name starts with ”D" and ends with ”ragon's Dogma".
13.Dark Souls III
If Dark Souls III were an album it would be the Greatest hits remastered of your favourite band plus a couple of new songs included but somehow it's still missing some songs you like.
14.Bloodborne
All those monsters that pop culture made inoffensive are scary once again, yep, that includes aliens too.
15.Nier:Automata
This is the creation of a mad man who wanted to subvert all the tropes that are part of the genre. By the way, this is like the fourth time he did it.
16.Final Fantasy Tactics
I read on GAF that this game could be called ”White Privilege the RPG". It's one of the best descriptions of FFT I've ever read.
17.Contact
This is the game that I should explain more about from all my honorable mentions, my vote may be one of the few ones it might receive too. Contact is the child of Akira Ueda (of Shining Soul fame), but it was branded as a Suda 51 game because the name of that person sells games. It is a weird game for NDS and its battle system feels kind of similar to FFXII's: You activate a battle stance that makes the character attack automatically the enemies next to him and you get to manually control what special skills the main character uses; you can control the main character using the stylus or the face buttons of the DS, but it's better to play with the stylus imo. The game requires that you dress your character with different outfits to get access to different weapons and skills and minigames, for example, to use a Kitchen knife you need to wear the chef outfit... which is also the only way to cook in the game, and the food takes time to digest so you can't eat twenty hamburgers in the middle of a fight; the music is pretty good and the graphics are nice, and it feels like Earthbound at times... and you are a character in the game!, like in Baten Kaitos; and the ending is kind of sad, and it makes you reflect about the nature of videogames. And you basically fight the space version of Green Piece... yeah, I told you the game was kind of weird.
18.Inazuma Eleven
This RPG is basically Captain Tsubasa meets Pokémon and it's surprisingly fun, and somehow it manages to be more flashy than the games I mentioned.
19.Demon's Souls
You thought I'd let this out of my list?
20.Xenoblade Chronicles
This game right here has one of the most spectacular settings I've ever seen in a game. The rest of it is quite good as well. The armours are fugly as hell though.
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT – 3 points} Persona 5
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} Dark Souls II
Earthbound
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3
Dark Souls
Chrono Trigger
Tales of Vesperia
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Pokémon Blue
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
The World Ends With You
Dragon's Dogma
Dark Souls III
Bloodborne
Nier:Automata
Final Fantasy Tactics
Contact
Inazuma Eleven
Demon's Souls
Xenoblade Chronicles
--VOTE INFO END--
I'm going to keep updating this post until it looks nice, but I'm not going to modify my list.
LIST HIGHLIGHT: Persona 5
Persona 5 is the best RPG I've played in years. Persona Studio took everything they knew so far and made the definitive version of Persona. It's not a perfect game by any means, there are things that can be criticized and improved but that can be said about every game on my list. If I have to use a single word to define the game it would definitively be ”stylish": from the menus to the amazing music, the colorful graphics, the great character designs, the incredibly ambitious story, the harsh criticism to Japanese society, the dynamic user interface, the sick attention to little details that no game had ever attempted to do... the game left a lasting impression that I don't know if it could be matched soon by any other game of the genre. It is that good.
Underrated on GAF: Dark Souls II
You knew he was busy with something else and so they brought a fan of his games to direct the sequel of your favourite game. Then someone showed to you that there were a bunch of names that didn't match with the people that worked with the previous game and a tiny voice said ”B Team" and that tiny voice became a mob of angry people and then the game was doomed. That's an oversimplification of what happened with Dark Souls II, the sequel to one of the most beloved games of this decade. Despite Dark Souls being more an exception than a rule within the Souls series, people condemned Dark Souls II for daring to try to be different instead of celebrating all the things that Fromsoft did right with it. The fact that my explanation of why I voted for Dark Souls II says more about Dark souls one than DSII is the best testament of why this game is underrated on GAF. My only consolation regarding Dark Souls II's status as part of the Souls series is that these days there are more and more voices that are recognizing why the game is genuinely good.
3. Earthbound
To me Earthbound is 50% nostalgia and 50% awesomeNess, but it is also 25% craziNess... which is 125%... well, my point is Earthbound is a crazy game full of awesome stuff that makes me nostalgic for some reason, I mean you're a kid that lives in a town far from the nearest city that explores around his house to find a meteorite, which is like the greatest adventure any kid could have and somehow that puts him a journey to save the world... but he's still a kid and then he and you yourself get homesick and the only way to prevent that is calling your mom or go back to your house and eat your favourite food... and the whole game is plagued with small details like those and that's what makes Earthbound more than great. People consider Chrono Trigger the best RPG of the SNES but to me that title is for Earthbound. There's too much to say about Earthbound here but I have to cover more games.
4. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3
This is my favourite PS2 game. I'm a total sucker for games that have urban fantasy settings so the Persona series is very precious to me. I must say I love everything in Persona 3: the characters, the story, the art style, the music, the combat, even the exploration of Tartarus (which many consider the worst part of the game itself), and of course, I love the social links system... I consider the NPCs of the Persona series the most important NPCs that have ever appeared in a game. Perhaps I'm exaggerating a little bit there but the dungeon crawling coupled with the social link system makes me feel at times as if I'm playing two different games at the same time and that novelty has never felt old for me. And the ending... the ending! Not only the final battle but the final days of the game as well are so emotionally charged that it took me several weeks to recover from the whole thing the first time I played it. Even today I remember my time with Persona 3 and get nostalgic again.
5. Dark Souls
One of the best games of the previous generation. Dark Souls is basically the game I never knew I wanted. The concept was quite intriguing since I hadn't played Demon's Souls at the time, and both the reveal trailer and the good word of mouth about Demon's Souls made me consider playing it. And the game itself not only surpassed but it kind of pulverized all my expectations.
6. Chrono Trigger
This game is charming as hell, the combat felt very novel at the time I played it, the visuals were superb and the music was amazing but the best part to me was the time travel mechanic that let me alter the timelines and the fact that it has a lot of endings that add a lot of replayability. Before playing Earthbound I considered this the best SNES game I had played; don't get me wrong, I still think the game is fantastic, In fact I believe this game should be played by every RPG fan out there, it is easily one of the pinnacles of gaming in its entirety. I'm not joking here.
7. Tales of Vesperia
I feel that the series Tales of is good enough to be part of this list. Many may think this game is too high but Vesperia really is that good, and what makes it different to most JRPGs is one character: Yuri Lowell. In a genre where main characters try to give others a second chance, Yuri is an odd character: he'd kill everyone who has to be killed if that fits his definition of justice and he'd even do it without involving his companions. It was very refreshing to play a game where the main character is a subversion of the shonen hero; the battle system is good as well and the rest of the cast while troopey is one of the best in the series.
8. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Late to the party... this was my first Dragon Quest. What I loved about the battle system was how classic it felt, it was like playing a SNES game several generations later, and I loved it for it. In terms of presentation DQVIII was one of the best games the ps2 could offer at the time: the graphics were amazing, the music was incredible, the voice acting was superb, and exploring around was mesmerizing despite the random encounters. The story has its moments too despite the fact that the game is pretty standard for a medieval fantasy fairy tale. The game was also pretty though: I was used to conquer enemies as if they were nothing in most RPGs, but DQVIII tought me that if I didn't pay attention I could potentially lose the last hour of my progression, ouch.
9. Pokémon Blue
My first RPG was this trap. I call it a trap because it lures you with its charming little monsters and never lets you go. I played it obsessively during months until I got the need to search for similar experiences elsewhere. Once I realized this was a somewhat atypical Role Playing Game I started a search of more RPGs and fell in love with the whole genre, not only Pokémon. As my first taste of the whole genre it has a special place in my heart.
10. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
Oh, this game! I started playing it when I moved to Tokyo, so actually goofing around in places like Shibuya, Ueno, Shinjuku, Harajuku, both in the game and in the real world was especially satisfying. And if my real life experiences didn't enhance my experience with this game, the battle system alone was more than enough reason to keep me hooked playing: It basically is a mixture of a turn based SMT game + a SRPG; and the bosses were ridiculously tough. The presentation was amazing too, I think it is one of the last games I played on NDS that featured 2D pixel art instead of blocky (and ugly) 3D models.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
11.The World Ends With You
Did I mention I love urban fantasy settings?
12.Dragon's Dogma
What game made me quit Dark Souls to play something more awesome? Hint: its name starts with ”D" and ends with ”ragon's Dogma".
13.Dark Souls III
If Dark Souls III were an album it would be the Greatest hits remastered of your favourite band plus a couple of new songs included but somehow it's still missing some songs you like.
14.Bloodborne
All those monsters that pop culture made inoffensive are scary once again, yep, that includes aliens too.
15.Nier:Automata
This is the creation of a mad man who wanted to subvert all the tropes that are part of the genre. By the way, this is like the fourth time he did it.
16.Final Fantasy Tactics
I read on GAF that this game could be called ”White Privilege the RPG". It's one of the best descriptions of FFT I've ever read.
17.Contact
This is the game that I should explain more about from all my honorable mentions, my vote may be one of the few ones it might receive too. Contact is the child of Akira Ueda (of Shining Soul fame), but it was branded as a Suda 51 game because the name of that person sells games. It is a weird game for NDS and its battle system feels kind of similar to FFXII's: You activate a battle stance that makes the character attack automatically the enemies next to him and you get to manually control what special skills the main character uses; you can control the main character using the stylus or the face buttons of the DS, but it's better to play with the stylus imo. The game requires that you dress your character with different outfits to get access to different weapons and skills and minigames, for example, to use a Kitchen knife you need to wear the chef outfit... which is also the only way to cook in the game, and the food takes time to digest so you can't eat twenty hamburgers in the middle of a fight; the music is pretty good and the graphics are nice, and it feels like Earthbound at times... and you are a character in the game!, like in Baten Kaitos; and the ending is kind of sad, and it makes you reflect about the nature of videogames. And you basically fight the space version of Green Piece... yeah, I told you the game was kind of weird.
18.Inazuma Eleven
This RPG is basically Captain Tsubasa meets Pokémon and it's surprisingly fun, and somehow it manages to be more flashy than the games I mentioned.
19.Demon's Souls
You thought I'd let this out of my list?
20.Xenoblade Chronicles
This game right here has one of the most spectacular settings I've ever seen in a game. The rest of it is quite good as well. The armours are fugly as hell though.
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT – 3 points} Persona 5
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} Dark Souls II
Earthbound
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3
Dark Souls
Chrono Trigger
Tales of Vesperia
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Pokémon Blue
Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
The World Ends With You
Dragon's Dogma
Dark Souls III
Bloodborne
Nier:Automata
Final Fantasy Tactics
Contact
Inazuma Eleven
Demon's Souls
Xenoblade Chronicles
--VOTE INFO END--
Cool idea for a thread! Here are my votes. Click the logo for a selected track from that game.
Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward {HIGHLIGHT}
Final Fantasy XIV is one of the most charming and atmospheric games I have ever played. The characters, environments, and boss fights come together with the glue that is the outstanding soundtrack to create the most memorable scenes in the MMORPG genre. I can't overstate the highs I felt fighting the classic FF summons; Square Enix absolutely nailed it. The localization also gets high praise, creating different dialects, phrases, etc. which add a great deal to the immersion (e.g., once familiar, one can identify a great deal about NPCs based only on their manner of speech). A Realm Reborn suffered from huge pacing issues, and the story felt unsatisfying. Heavensward fixes both of those issues. The story clips along at a decent pace, filling in the newly discovered regions' lore while also advancing the overarching plot; none of it felt like filler. Character development was also improved, and I grew quite attached to a great many of my companions, which added a great deal of impact towards the conclusion of the story. The game is also loaded with references and new takes on the old Final Fantasy games, and it is great to see content from those worlds again. I would recommend it as much as any single player FF game.
Valkyria Chronicles 3 {UNDERRATED}
Portable Valkyria Chronicles. Many people dislike VC2 for downgrading to the PSP and for the lighthearted high school setting, but VC3 returns the series to its rightful form as a proper sequel to the original game. The CANVAS engine looks great, and while the battle maps are segmented due to constraints of the PSP they are designed in such a way that you barely notice. The game is set during the same period as VC1, but the plot is darker, owing to the squad you control being a penal squad, called The Nameless, sent to accomplish dirty work and impossible tasks. Character development is well written, with each squad member having unique missions and events with the main character. Music fits well with the game, as in the previous installments. Gameplay is improved, and the class customization is a great addition. It's unfortunate that Sega sent the series off to die on the PSP, especially since the remaster of VC1 has sold so well on PC, but I'm not optimistic that the PSP games will be ported to PC (let alone localized, in VC3's case). Even so, the game is easy to buy on the Japanese PSN store and the fan translation is good, so don't miss out on a great game!
Mass Effect
The Mass Effect games are all very different from one another in that they focus on different aspects (i.e. characterization, story, gameplay), but they are all outstanding. Mass Effect 1 gets on this list above the others because, it had the task of developing the story and world of the series, and ME1 excelled at it. There is a great deal of world building in the story, and if that isn't enough there is a huge compendium of lore to read through. The characters are well written (Garrus best bro), the music fits well with the game, and the gameplay is enjoyable as well. Many people think ME2 > ME1 due to the streamlined combat in ME2, but I enjoy the overall package of ME1 more and think the combat works well in the slower paced game that is ME1.
Grandia
The definition of adventure. Play it.
Persona 4 Golden
Persona 4 has an amazing cast of characters that you'll come to love hanging out with as you attempt to solve a mystery that is plaguing your town. The mystery plot felt like it only served as an excuse to hang out with the Investigation Team, and that was okay, because the meat of this game is in your interactions with the many different characters in the game. You can develop your relationships with a great deal of people in town at your own pace, and they all open up to over time, which is rewarding both emotionally and gameplay-wise. The music is unique and addicting too. I would often find myself running circles around town/dungeons just to listen to a tune for a little longer. Gameplay is quite fun, being turn-based with a system that grants extra turns when attacking an enemy's weakness, which results in a powerful tag team super attack. Magic is cast not by you, but by your 'Personae', which you receive after winning battles or by combining multiple Personae into new ones. Each Persona has its own level that increases by using them in battle, and skills that must be chosen by the player; It feels a lot like Pokemon. All these aspects combine to create an amazing character focused game that rewards your investment with great vibes and wonderful feelings, even with the overdone high school setting.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
Final Fantasy Tactics was my introduciton to SRPGs and JRPGs, and the game only got better when I revisited the PSP version years later. The story is mature and sobering, with a new localization that fits the setting. This is accompanied by an amazing art style that has been showcased beautifully in animated cut scenes and a wonderful soundtrack that supports the story and action. Gameplay is top tier in the genre. All of the character classes feel unique, and unlike many SRPGs I found myself rarely using the basic 'attack' command, because the abilities of the classes are all well balanced and effective. I continue to play FFT when on public transit, and hundreds of hours later, the game is still great fun.
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
Another enhanced port of an old game made by the same director as FFT, Yasumi Matsuno. Let Us Cling Together was the predecessor to FFT, and the two games share many themes. What separates the two is that LUCT has a branching story with multiple endings; your choices during the game matter a lot, and not everything can be taken at face value. The game also has an interesting time travel mechanic that adds replayability by allowing you to go back to any part of the game and repeat battles and select new choices so you can see all endings and unlock all characters in one save. As with FFT, LUCT has a great art style and music. However, gameplay suffers slightly because the amount of characters present in each battle is larger than FFT, but the ability and class balance is such that there is a lot of basic attacking involved. You are also dissuaded from diversifying your magic users, because spell impacts cause subsequent spells of the same element to cause more damage, and one element in the game is stronger than all the others. Even so, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together is a game worthy of your time, and if you've enjoyed Final Fantasy Tactics then you will most certainly enjoy this game.
Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver
The best remake and the best Pokemon game. The main journey is jolly fun, and of considerable length, but the vast amount of end game content is what elevates this game above all other Pokemon games. You can revisit Kanto, which has been fully fleshed out; take part in Battle Frontier that includes lots of challenging and varied battle styles; or catch 'em all, with an overwhelming amount of Pokemon to catch across the generations. I'll also echo the sentiment that having your chosen pal follow behind you is a great feature.
Darkest Dungeon
A game with the goal of stressing the player out doesn't seem like fun, but Darkest Dungeon manages to tread the line between keyboard smashing frustration and brow sweating tenseness. The wonderful narration of the game's dungeon crawling warn you time and again: "Overconfidence is a flimsy shield," and the RNG can bring any party, no matter how well stocked, to its knees. Coupled with the feeling that you are in it for the long haul, this makes getting out of a dungeon relatively unscathed all the more satisfying. You must manage your supplies and loot wisely to bring home the most characters and loot, but there is a system that increases the reward when you increase the risk, so you have control over how stressful the game can be. There are many different classes, with tons of different synergistic abilities. The standard healer/tank/support/damage RPG system is present, but it is often better to forsake bringing a healer just to end battles quicker because the longer a fight takes the harder it gets. There are three different sizes of dungeons that take short/medium/long amounts of time, so it is the perfect game to play in short bursts, or even longer sessions, as the reward for completing a long dungeon is well worth the effort. If you're into challenging turn based RPGs, give Darkest Dungeon a go!
Summon Night 5
A charming SRPG with an insane amount of content. Its story is somewhat standard JRPG fare, but the combat is quite challenging, and there is a lot of character customization. Additionally, you must choose one of 4 sidekicks to fight with you at the start of the game, and game/story interactions change depending on who you chose. Another character interaction feature is called Night Talks. At the end of each chapter in the game you get some one-on-one time with the character of your choice which results in raising their affection level. These affection levels determine which game ending you get, and there are tons of them. There is a NG+ feature that allows you to keep your items and summons, and increases the exp you earn which makes repeat playthroughs to see different endings less of a chore, though I wouldn't call it much of a chore because I love the gameplay. Note: Summon Night 5 is the only main line game to have a release in English, but Summon Night 6 will be here soon (please no more delays), so get to it!
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT – 3 points} Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} Valkyria Chronicles 3
Mass Effect
Grandia
Persona 4 Golden
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver
Darkest Dungeon
Summon Night 5
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Ar Nosurge
Jeanne d'Arc
Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town
Threads of Fate
Digimon World
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Final Fantasy XII
Mass Effect Andromeda
Diablo 3
--VOTE INFO END--
Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward {HIGHLIGHT}
Final Fantasy XIV is one of the most charming and atmospheric games I have ever played. The characters, environments, and boss fights come together with the glue that is the outstanding soundtrack to create the most memorable scenes in the MMORPG genre. I can't overstate the highs I felt fighting the classic FF summons; Square Enix absolutely nailed it. The localization also gets high praise, creating different dialects, phrases, etc. which add a great deal to the immersion (e.g., once familiar, one can identify a great deal about NPCs based only on their manner of speech). A Realm Reborn suffered from huge pacing issues, and the story felt unsatisfying. Heavensward fixes both of those issues. The story clips along at a decent pace, filling in the newly discovered regions' lore while also advancing the overarching plot; none of it felt like filler. Character development was also improved, and I grew quite attached to a great many of my companions, which added a great deal of impact towards the conclusion of the story. The game is also loaded with references and new takes on the old Final Fantasy games, and it is great to see content from those worlds again. I would recommend it as much as any single player FF game.
Valkyria Chronicles 3 {UNDERRATED}
Portable Valkyria Chronicles. Many people dislike VC2 for downgrading to the PSP and for the lighthearted high school setting, but VC3 returns the series to its rightful form as a proper sequel to the original game. The CANVAS engine looks great, and while the battle maps are segmented due to constraints of the PSP they are designed in such a way that you barely notice. The game is set during the same period as VC1, but the plot is darker, owing to the squad you control being a penal squad, called The Nameless, sent to accomplish dirty work and impossible tasks. Character development is well written, with each squad member having unique missions and events with the main character. Music fits well with the game, as in the previous installments. Gameplay is improved, and the class customization is a great addition. It's unfortunate that Sega sent the series off to die on the PSP, especially since the remaster of VC1 has sold so well on PC, but I'm not optimistic that the PSP games will be ported to PC (let alone localized, in VC3's case). Even so, the game is easy to buy on the Japanese PSN store and the fan translation is good, so don't miss out on a great game!
Mass Effect
The Mass Effect games are all very different from one another in that they focus on different aspects (i.e. characterization, story, gameplay), but they are all outstanding. Mass Effect 1 gets on this list above the others because, it had the task of developing the story and world of the series, and ME1 excelled at it. There is a great deal of world building in the story, and if that isn't enough there is a huge compendium of lore to read through. The characters are well written (Garrus best bro), the music fits well with the game, and the gameplay is enjoyable as well. Many people think ME2 > ME1 due to the streamlined combat in ME2, but I enjoy the overall package of ME1 more and think the combat works well in the slower paced game that is ME1.
Grandia
The definition of adventure. Play it.
Persona 4 Golden
Persona 4 has an amazing cast of characters that you'll come to love hanging out with as you attempt to solve a mystery that is plaguing your town. The mystery plot felt like it only served as an excuse to hang out with the Investigation Team, and that was okay, because the meat of this game is in your interactions with the many different characters in the game. You can develop your relationships with a great deal of people in town at your own pace, and they all open up to over time, which is rewarding both emotionally and gameplay-wise. The music is unique and addicting too. I would often find myself running circles around town/dungeons just to listen to a tune for a little longer. Gameplay is quite fun, being turn-based with a system that grants extra turns when attacking an enemy's weakness, which results in a powerful tag team super attack. Magic is cast not by you, but by your 'Personae', which you receive after winning battles or by combining multiple Personae into new ones. Each Persona has its own level that increases by using them in battle, and skills that must be chosen by the player; It feels a lot like Pokemon. All these aspects combine to create an amazing character focused game that rewards your investment with great vibes and wonderful feelings, even with the overdone high school setting.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
Final Fantasy Tactics was my introduciton to SRPGs and JRPGs, and the game only got better when I revisited the PSP version years later. The story is mature and sobering, with a new localization that fits the setting. This is accompanied by an amazing art style that has been showcased beautifully in animated cut scenes and a wonderful soundtrack that supports the story and action. Gameplay is top tier in the genre. All of the character classes feel unique, and unlike many SRPGs I found myself rarely using the basic 'attack' command, because the abilities of the classes are all well balanced and effective. I continue to play FFT when on public transit, and hundreds of hours later, the game is still great fun.
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
Another enhanced port of an old game made by the same director as FFT, Yasumi Matsuno. Let Us Cling Together was the predecessor to FFT, and the two games share many themes. What separates the two is that LUCT has a branching story with multiple endings; your choices during the game matter a lot, and not everything can be taken at face value. The game also has an interesting time travel mechanic that adds replayability by allowing you to go back to any part of the game and repeat battles and select new choices so you can see all endings and unlock all characters in one save. As with FFT, LUCT has a great art style and music. However, gameplay suffers slightly because the amount of characters present in each battle is larger than FFT, but the ability and class balance is such that there is a lot of basic attacking involved. You are also dissuaded from diversifying your magic users, because spell impacts cause subsequent spells of the same element to cause more damage, and one element in the game is stronger than all the others. Even so, Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together is a game worthy of your time, and if you've enjoyed Final Fantasy Tactics then you will most certainly enjoy this game.
Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver
The best remake and the best Pokemon game. The main journey is jolly fun, and of considerable length, but the vast amount of end game content is what elevates this game above all other Pokemon games. You can revisit Kanto, which has been fully fleshed out; take part in Battle Frontier that includes lots of challenging and varied battle styles; or catch 'em all, with an overwhelming amount of Pokemon to catch across the generations. I'll also echo the sentiment that having your chosen pal follow behind you is a great feature.
Darkest Dungeon
A game with the goal of stressing the player out doesn't seem like fun, but Darkest Dungeon manages to tread the line between keyboard smashing frustration and brow sweating tenseness. The wonderful narration of the game's dungeon crawling warn you time and again: "Overconfidence is a flimsy shield," and the RNG can bring any party, no matter how well stocked, to its knees. Coupled with the feeling that you are in it for the long haul, this makes getting out of a dungeon relatively unscathed all the more satisfying. You must manage your supplies and loot wisely to bring home the most characters and loot, but there is a system that increases the reward when you increase the risk, so you have control over how stressful the game can be. There are many different classes, with tons of different synergistic abilities. The standard healer/tank/support/damage RPG system is present, but it is often better to forsake bringing a healer just to end battles quicker because the longer a fight takes the harder it gets. There are three different sizes of dungeons that take short/medium/long amounts of time, so it is the perfect game to play in short bursts, or even longer sessions, as the reward for completing a long dungeon is well worth the effort. If you're into challenging turn based RPGs, give Darkest Dungeon a go!
Summon Night 5
A charming SRPG with an insane amount of content. Its story is somewhat standard JRPG fare, but the combat is quite challenging, and there is a lot of character customization. Additionally, you must choose one of 4 sidekicks to fight with you at the start of the game, and game/story interactions change depending on who you chose. Another character interaction feature is called Night Talks. At the end of each chapter in the game you get some one-on-one time with the character of your choice which results in raising their affection level. These affection levels determine which game ending you get, and there are tons of them. There is a NG+ feature that allows you to keep your items and summons, and increases the exp you earn which makes repeat playthroughs to see different endings less of a chore, though I wouldn't call it much of a chore because I love the gameplay. Note: Summon Night 5 is the only main line game to have a release in English, but Summon Night 6 will be here soon (please no more delays), so get to it!
--VOTE INFO START—
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT – 3 points} Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward
{UNDERRATED – 4 points} Valkyria Chronicles 3
Mass Effect
Grandia
Persona 4 Golden
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
Pokemon Heart Gold and Soul Silver
Darkest Dungeon
Summon Night 5
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Ar Nosurge
Jeanne d'Arc
Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town
Threads of Fate
Digimon World
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Final Fantasy XII
Mass Effect Andromeda
Diablo 3
--VOTE INFO END--
With votes ending in a few days, I want to remind everyone that it will take some time to get the results tallied, the rewards distributed, and the banners created. Don't expect all of that to be done on Friday afternoon!
I will try to get the CSH keys out as quickly as possible, but if it turns out that I have to distribute them individually via PMs, it will take some time.
My order of priority will be:
1) game raffle and key distribution
2) vote tallying (probably as I do the first task if manual PMs are required)
3) finish collecting info for the banners (I have a few people helping me with this. More help is always welcome)
4) Putting the info above into the banner images, and publishing them.
For those that care, I usually start with #1 and proceed through the banners until #50. Should I mix things up and start with #50 this year? I don't know if that will lead to more or less complaining
I will try to get the CSH keys out as quickly as possible, but if it turns out that I have to distribute them individually via PMs, it will take some time.
My order of priority will be:
1) game raffle and key distribution
2) vote tallying (probably as I do the first task if manual PMs are required)
3) finish collecting info for the banners (I have a few people helping me with this. More help is always welcome)
4) Putting the info above into the banner images, and publishing them.
For those that care, I usually start with #1 and proceed through the banners until #50. Should I mix things up and start with #50 this year? I don't know if that will lead to more or less complaining
Valkyria Chronicles 3 {UNDERRATED}
Portable Valkyria Chronicles. Many people dislike VC2 for downgrading to the PSP and for the lighthearted high school setting, but VC3 returns the series to its rightful form as a proper sequel to the original game. The CANVAS engine looks great, and while the battle maps are segmented due to constraints of the PSP they are designed in such a way that you barely notice. The game is set during the same period as VC1, but the plot is darker, owing to the squad you control being a penal squad, called The Nameless, sent to accomplish dirty work and impossible tasks. Character development is well written, with each squad member having unique missions and events with the main character. Music fits well with the game, as in the previous installments. Gameplay is improved, and the class customization is a great addition. It's unfortunate that Sega sent the series off to die on the PSP, especially since the remaster of VC1 has sold so well on PC, but I'm not optimistic that the PSP games will be ported to PC (let alone localized, in VC3's case). Even so, the game is easy to buy on the Japanese PSN store and the fan translation is good, so don't miss out on a great game!
Hell yeah. This game doesn't nearly get the recognition it deserve. Personally I think this is better than the original but I voted for VC1 because I thought that would be the one others gonna vote for.
Link1110
Member
Japanese pan store has the entire 8 and 16 series as a pack and it includes English versions where they exist
texhnolyze
Banned
With votes ending in a few days, I want to remind everyone that it will take some time to get the results tallied, the rewards distributed, and the banners created. Don't expect all of that to be done on Friday afternoon!
I will try to get the CSH keys out as quickly as possible, but if it turns out that I have to distribute them individually via PMs, it will take some time.
My order of priority will be:
1) game raffle and key distribution
2) vote tallying (probably as I do the first task if manual PMs are required)
3) finish collecting info for the banners (I have a few people helping me with this. More help is always welcome)
4) Putting the info above into the banner images, and publishing them.
For those that care, I usually start with #1 and proceed through the banners until #50. Should I mix things up and start with #50 this year? I don't know if that will lead to more or less complaining
Thanks for the good work!
Please go with the latter. It'll make the announcement more exciting.
RespectThySole
Member
Thanks for the good work!
Please go with the latter. It'll make the announcement more exciting.
I agree
There are so many games Im leaving completely off this list and I kinda feel bad about it but there are only 20 spots so.
1. Demons Souls: This is one of those games that you really had to be there to understand it. There was really nothing like it. The feeling of Boletaria 1-1 with half of your hp bar gone and wondering where the hell it went and how the hell to get it back. The feeling of getting completely destroyed by the red eyed knight over and over again. Being invaded and not knowing what the hell is going on. People having the ability to invade your game and totally screw with you (scraping spear). The oppressive and bleak atmosphere the game is constantly invoking. And finally the gameplay was really unique and interesting with the way they balanced the game around the stamina bar instead of things like hp, damage, or items like most games do. Demons really gave a feeling I had hadnt really had in gaming before or since. And this is before all of the wiki, walkthroughs, guides, cheats, etc became available. You really had to figure this stuff out for yourself which really reminded me what it was gaming was like back in the late 80s and 90s where all your friends would get a game (or one friend would get a game) youd try to figure out how to beat it because games were significantly more punishing by design back then. It really was a great experience to be apart of a new and growing community back then before souls became a popular thing. So while I dont think anyone can get the experience I particularly had, I think you can experience a great gaming experience because of the ways demons is designed. Even with harsh penalties for death, I still believe it to be the best in the series in terms of difficulty and player options on how to get past a difficult encounter.
2. Bloodborne: The ethos and design of the game is really top notch and in terms of combat mechanics, I dont think it can be topped. This is about as good as your going to make combat in a souls game. Every weapon in the game viable, and the movesets of every weapon is unique and different going from thrust attacks into slashing attacks and blunt attacks (though I will admit theres really no reason to anything else other than the saw cleaver). Central Yharham is the best first area in the entire souls franchise with several different branching paths that all eventually connect to either (though I will say the difficulty is probably a little rough because of the roaming mob and the two wolves on the bridge). Cainhurst is one of my favorite areas in the game and this game has 4 of my favorite boss fights in the series (Maria, Gherman, Ludwig, and Father G). An absolutely fantastic experience and probably my favorite souls game behind Demons.
3.Alpha Protocol: This game is so good. Yes, I know this might be a weird pick but Im putting it on here anyway. I really want people to at least give it a shot. When it came out in 2010, I think it was unfairly compared to Mass Effect 2, which had probably twice the budget it had and was more polished and as a result Alpha Protocol looked really like a poormans Mass Effect when in reality I wouldve loved for Mass Effect to take some cues from Alpha Protocol. Yes, Ill grant that the gameplay isnt great and it was kind of buggy but everything else is really good. It has a fun story with great dialogue and the best part about it is the way the game changes based on how you play or respond to dialogue. Its such a cool system and allows for multiple playthroughs because of the way the game reacts to you. And whens the last time you played a spy rpg? Well, heres one and its a pretty decent one at time. Alpha Protocol is really underrated and is a great game.
4. Fallout: New Vegas: This game is really everything a fallout game should be. Factions with their own motivations and interests, npcs with the same and sometimes conflicting motivations and goals and asking the player to make real choices that have a real effect on the game not any of this you make a choice but your not bound to it and you can get out of it later if you really want making it not really a choice at all stuff that Fallout 4 liked to do so much. The thing I love the most about New Vegas is the questing and how much of an emphasis Obsidian put on the quests. It wasnt just that the quests gave you real choices that had consequences. Its that the quest you were doing felt important. In Fallout 4, the quests felt more like another thing to do where as in New Vegas it felt like the quests where the thing to do. The questing was just extremely rewarding and satisfying and really lets you role play which allows for multiple playthroughs. I never really felt the need to play through Fallout 3 or 4 more than once but with New Vegas Ive probably played through it 3 times now.
5. Dark Souls- If youve been following gaming in the last 5 years, theres probably nothing I can say that hasnt already been said about Dark Souls. I would be remissed if I didnt bring up the strong level design especially in the first half of Dark Souls. It would be hard any game to top how perfectly designed the first half of the game is. Its near perfection.
6. Planscape Tormnet: I dont want to go on and on about how great Planscape Torment is but I will just say that it has one of the best if one the best stories in all of gaming.
7. Baldurs Gate 2: This is Biowares best game imo. Great story, deep and interesting characters, and a ton of customization. There are tons of quests to do and things to explore as well. Really a must play.
8. Knights of the Old Republic: This is classic Bioware. Good story, great characters, I will say the combat has aged a bit but its still serviceable.
9. Chrono Trigger: The thing that is interesting about Chrono Trigger is that it tells a time travel story and those are so easy to screw up or just get bogged down in minute details that it ruins the narrative but that never happens with Chrono Trigger which is why I think the story is so strong. It also has great music, great characters, nice aesthetics, and a fun battle system. Probably my favorite jrpg of all time.
10. Dragon Age: Origins: Probably the last truly great Bioware game. It stays true to the classic Bioware formula but offers great strategic gameplay and a good story.
Honorable Mentions:
Dues Ex: What makes Dues Ex so great is the multiple ways you can play though the game. The level of freedom the game gives not only in terms of leveling but also how you approached the objectives. The game always gave you 3 or 4 different ways of tackling each objective. It
also had great level design and a great story as well. Just a fantastic game and one of my favorite games.
Mass Effect- I know other games in the series play better but I really feel the ethos and the world in Mass Effect was really only captured well in ME1. It also has the strongest story of any of the games. It really got you invested in the world which I think allowed the ME2 and ME3 to focus on other things but I always loved the world building. Going to the Citidel for the first time, meeting Garrus, talking to the council, helping out Drack. It was awesome. Its a shame no other game has really captured that feeling since ME1.
Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind: The best thing about this game is how the game makes you feel like an outsider but yet it somehow sucks you into this world. Great quests, great music, and good at the time rpg systems but are now probably a bit dated for some. Still a great game and people are still modding it to try and make it more new player friendly like the Morroblivion or Skywind mods.
KOTOR 2: The Sith Lords: Honestly, this game is better than KOTOR 1 in many ways. While KOTOR 1 tells a more traditional star wars type story, KOTOR 2 turns many of the preconceived notions of star wars on its head and makes it a more interesting game. The issue with KOTOR 2 is that many of the games quests and dialogue when cut due to time constraints. There is a mod that I find essential that restores the cut content. Without it, the games ending makes no sense and is confusing. Its hard for me to say KOTOR 2 is better than KOTOR 1 because you dont need mods to finish KOTOR and have it make sense. That said, I think it speaks highly of the game that I would put it on this list despite all of that. Even without the restored content mod, I wouldve put in on here because its that damn good.
Valkyria Chronicles: This was a wonderful game that came out during last gen. Good story with good tactical gameplay.
Dragons Dogma: Dark Arisen: Really satisfying gameplay. A story that is actually interesting but is hampered by being told extremely poorly but that doesnt change the fact that the game is fun as hell to play.
Final Fantasy VI: This was my first final fantasy but I still think it holds up as one of the best final fantasies. Good story, great cast, great villain, amazing soundtrack. If someone wanted to get into final fantasy, I would tell them to start with FFVI and watch them fall in love with the game and the series.
Mass Effect 2- Much improved combat from the first game and great character development between Sheppard and his crew really make the game great. The DLC is quite good too especially Liar of the Shadow Broker.
System Shock 2- Im honestly not sure if System Shock 2 is an rpg. It feels more like a combination of different genres instead of an rpg so thats why Im not going to put in the top 10. With that said, SS2 is great and I think everyone should at least try it. If you love being immersed in a world, then SS2 is the game for you. It also makes you make choices in terms of character development as you can put points into three trees and you obviously cant respec and there is a strong emphasis on resource management as SS2 has a limited inventory system. It also has this horror aspect to it that brings the world to life and makes everything work.
Divinity: Original Sin- It was really the first of this renaissance of crpgs weve been seeing recently. It has the classic things youd expect in a crpg but also has some modern things that makes it easier for newer players to get into this kind of game.
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Demons Souls
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Alpha Protocol
Bloodborne
Fallout: New Vegas
Dark Souls
Planscape Torment
Baldur's Gate 2
Knights of the Old Republic
Chrono Trigger
Dragon Age: Origins
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Dues Ex
Mass Effect 1
Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind
Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords
Valkyria Chronicles
Dragons Dogma: Dark Arisen
Final Fanstasy VI
Mass Effect 2
System Shock 2
Divinity Original Sin
--VOTE INFO END--
1. Demons Souls: This is one of those games that you really had to be there to understand it. There was really nothing like it. The feeling of Boletaria 1-1 with half of your hp bar gone and wondering where the hell it went and how the hell to get it back. The feeling of getting completely destroyed by the red eyed knight over and over again. Being invaded and not knowing what the hell is going on. People having the ability to invade your game and totally screw with you (scraping spear). The oppressive and bleak atmosphere the game is constantly invoking. And finally the gameplay was really unique and interesting with the way they balanced the game around the stamina bar instead of things like hp, damage, or items like most games do. Demons really gave a feeling I had hadnt really had in gaming before or since. And this is before all of the wiki, walkthroughs, guides, cheats, etc became available. You really had to figure this stuff out for yourself which really reminded me what it was gaming was like back in the late 80s and 90s where all your friends would get a game (or one friend would get a game) youd try to figure out how to beat it because games were significantly more punishing by design back then. It really was a great experience to be apart of a new and growing community back then before souls became a popular thing. So while I dont think anyone can get the experience I particularly had, I think you can experience a great gaming experience because of the ways demons is designed. Even with harsh penalties for death, I still believe it to be the best in the series in terms of difficulty and player options on how to get past a difficult encounter.
2. Bloodborne: The ethos and design of the game is really top notch and in terms of combat mechanics, I dont think it can be topped. This is about as good as your going to make combat in a souls game. Every weapon in the game viable, and the movesets of every weapon is unique and different going from thrust attacks into slashing attacks and blunt attacks (though I will admit theres really no reason to anything else other than the saw cleaver). Central Yharham is the best first area in the entire souls franchise with several different branching paths that all eventually connect to either (though I will say the difficulty is probably a little rough because of the roaming mob and the two wolves on the bridge). Cainhurst is one of my favorite areas in the game and this game has 4 of my favorite boss fights in the series (Maria, Gherman, Ludwig, and Father G). An absolutely fantastic experience and probably my favorite souls game behind Demons.
3.Alpha Protocol: This game is so good. Yes, I know this might be a weird pick but Im putting it on here anyway. I really want people to at least give it a shot. When it came out in 2010, I think it was unfairly compared to Mass Effect 2, which had probably twice the budget it had and was more polished and as a result Alpha Protocol looked really like a poormans Mass Effect when in reality I wouldve loved for Mass Effect to take some cues from Alpha Protocol. Yes, Ill grant that the gameplay isnt great and it was kind of buggy but everything else is really good. It has a fun story with great dialogue and the best part about it is the way the game changes based on how you play or respond to dialogue. Its such a cool system and allows for multiple playthroughs because of the way the game reacts to you. And whens the last time you played a spy rpg? Well, heres one and its a pretty decent one at time. Alpha Protocol is really underrated and is a great game.
4. Fallout: New Vegas: This game is really everything a fallout game should be. Factions with their own motivations and interests, npcs with the same and sometimes conflicting motivations and goals and asking the player to make real choices that have a real effect on the game not any of this you make a choice but your not bound to it and you can get out of it later if you really want making it not really a choice at all stuff that Fallout 4 liked to do so much. The thing I love the most about New Vegas is the questing and how much of an emphasis Obsidian put on the quests. It wasnt just that the quests gave you real choices that had consequences. Its that the quest you were doing felt important. In Fallout 4, the quests felt more like another thing to do where as in New Vegas it felt like the quests where the thing to do. The questing was just extremely rewarding and satisfying and really lets you role play which allows for multiple playthroughs. I never really felt the need to play through Fallout 3 or 4 more than once but with New Vegas Ive probably played through it 3 times now.
5. Dark Souls- If youve been following gaming in the last 5 years, theres probably nothing I can say that hasnt already been said about Dark Souls. I would be remissed if I didnt bring up the strong level design especially in the first half of Dark Souls. It would be hard any game to top how perfectly designed the first half of the game is. Its near perfection.
6. Planscape Tormnet: I dont want to go on and on about how great Planscape Torment is but I will just say that it has one of the best if one the best stories in all of gaming.
7. Baldurs Gate 2: This is Biowares best game imo. Great story, deep and interesting characters, and a ton of customization. There are tons of quests to do and things to explore as well. Really a must play.
8. Knights of the Old Republic: This is classic Bioware. Good story, great characters, I will say the combat has aged a bit but its still serviceable.
9. Chrono Trigger: The thing that is interesting about Chrono Trigger is that it tells a time travel story and those are so easy to screw up or just get bogged down in minute details that it ruins the narrative but that never happens with Chrono Trigger which is why I think the story is so strong. It also has great music, great characters, nice aesthetics, and a fun battle system. Probably my favorite jrpg of all time.
10. Dragon Age: Origins: Probably the last truly great Bioware game. It stays true to the classic Bioware formula but offers great strategic gameplay and a good story.
Honorable Mentions:
Dues Ex: What makes Dues Ex so great is the multiple ways you can play though the game. The level of freedom the game gives not only in terms of leveling but also how you approached the objectives. The game always gave you 3 or 4 different ways of tackling each objective. It
also had great level design and a great story as well. Just a fantastic game and one of my favorite games.
Mass Effect- I know other games in the series play better but I really feel the ethos and the world in Mass Effect was really only captured well in ME1. It also has the strongest story of any of the games. It really got you invested in the world which I think allowed the ME2 and ME3 to focus on other things but I always loved the world building. Going to the Citidel for the first time, meeting Garrus, talking to the council, helping out Drack. It was awesome. Its a shame no other game has really captured that feeling since ME1.
Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind: The best thing about this game is how the game makes you feel like an outsider but yet it somehow sucks you into this world. Great quests, great music, and good at the time rpg systems but are now probably a bit dated for some. Still a great game and people are still modding it to try and make it more new player friendly like the Morroblivion or Skywind mods.
KOTOR 2: The Sith Lords: Honestly, this game is better than KOTOR 1 in many ways. While KOTOR 1 tells a more traditional star wars type story, KOTOR 2 turns many of the preconceived notions of star wars on its head and makes it a more interesting game. The issue with KOTOR 2 is that many of the games quests and dialogue when cut due to time constraints. There is a mod that I find essential that restores the cut content. Without it, the games ending makes no sense and is confusing. Its hard for me to say KOTOR 2 is better than KOTOR 1 because you dont need mods to finish KOTOR and have it make sense. That said, I think it speaks highly of the game that I would put it on this list despite all of that. Even without the restored content mod, I wouldve put in on here because its that damn good.
Valkyria Chronicles: This was a wonderful game that came out during last gen. Good story with good tactical gameplay.
Dragons Dogma: Dark Arisen: Really satisfying gameplay. A story that is actually interesting but is hampered by being told extremely poorly but that doesnt change the fact that the game is fun as hell to play.
Final Fantasy VI: This was my first final fantasy but I still think it holds up as one of the best final fantasies. Good story, great cast, great villain, amazing soundtrack. If someone wanted to get into final fantasy, I would tell them to start with FFVI and watch them fall in love with the game and the series.
Mass Effect 2- Much improved combat from the first game and great character development between Sheppard and his crew really make the game great. The DLC is quite good too especially Liar of the Shadow Broker.
System Shock 2- Im honestly not sure if System Shock 2 is an rpg. It feels more like a combination of different genres instead of an rpg so thats why Im not going to put in the top 10. With that said, SS2 is great and I think everyone should at least try it. If you love being immersed in a world, then SS2 is the game for you. It also makes you make choices in terms of character development as you can put points into three trees and you obviously cant respec and there is a strong emphasis on resource management as SS2 has a limited inventory system. It also has this horror aspect to it that brings the world to life and makes everything work.
Divinity: Original Sin- It was really the first of this renaissance of crpgs weve been seeing recently. It has the classic things youd expect in a crpg but also has some modern things that makes it easier for newer players to get into this kind of game.
--VOTE INFO START
<FULL POINT GAMES 2 points>
{HIGHLIGHT 3 points} Demons Souls
{UNDERRATED 4 points} Alpha Protocol
Bloodborne
Fallout: New Vegas
Dark Souls
Planscape Torment
Baldur's Gate 2
Knights of the Old Republic
Chrono Trigger
Dragon Age: Origins
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
Dues Ex
Mass Effect 1
Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind
Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords
Valkyria Chronicles
Dragons Dogma: Dark Arisen
Final Fanstasy VI
Mass Effect 2
System Shock 2
Divinity Original Sin
--VOTE INFO END--
For those that care, I usually start with #1 and proceed through the banners until #50. Should I mix things up and start with #50 this year? I don't know if that will lead to more or less complaining
The latter would definitively make things more interesting, yes!
And this being the internet, I'm pretty sure you'll get lots of people complaining anyway ¯\_(ツ
_/¯Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Please don't. xD