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[Dragona Akehi]

Per the FF / DQ bit: DQIII is a far sight better than FFIII, and I really like FFIII. But looking on the FF franchise as a whole, I simply see much better on the Enix side. Each iteration improved vastly over their predecessors and never totally fucked up unlike a few FF iterations.

As for the Enix games that did make it out here: they're all big budget-esque titles and will easily make "the mainstream", and sell to Square fans. I'm not saying that absolutely no Enix games will come out in North America, but that any game that isn't "flashy" enough (or god forbid a DQ game that isn't DQVIII) won't make it. Caravan Hearts should have been a shoe-in, considering how the others sold. Square USA seems to specifically ignoring the DQ spinoffs and remakes with a passion that is unholy. Slime Mori Mori being passed up is beyond a mere "shame".

About the "flexing RPG muscles" bit: I'm not bragging, far from it. The only flaw with the game is that it plays like an SRPG and doesn't play like an SRPG. If you're an SRPG vet, and you think of BOV as one, the game is strategic (very much so) but also very easy because of key elements that the designers specifically left in. Such as the ability to use as many Items as you WISH per turn. It smacks of something the designers left in so that it would make the game easier.

The real reason that people have had such a hard time, I suspect is the fact they rely on the Dragon form, rather than using their brains to come up with another plan. Since I never ever used the Dragon form other than in the required battles, (Nina is so overpowered it isn't funny,) I never had that problem. The most unfortunate part is that if you know what enemies to manipulate you'll have a billion zenny and the ability to buy as many items as you would ever need. It would have been neat if they limited how many items were available to be sold.

 

[RevenantKioku]

If you're not sure about SMT, acquire yourself the original and give it a shot. While its quite different I'm sure, the subject material is far enough for me to be excited for the third in the series.

 

[Ar_]

If you want a dungeon crawler, play Dark Cloud 2, the best RPG of this game.

A game that values "challenge" and tedious repetition over graphics, story, and FUN is not worth anything. Neither is a game that actually fucks around with your saves.

I find DQuarter better than average for looks and story; you may not like their mood, but they gain points for originality.
Better than Dark Cloud 2 story, from what I read, which you apparently have no problem with.

Challenge and "fucking with your saves" are good to me.
RPGs that pretend you are a hero, but can be completed by a gimp are, well... for gimps. A challenge makes the victory so much sweeter; even failing to complete the game, can be an interesting "ending". Otherwise you might just watch a movie.
DQ isn't nearly as challenging as I'd have liked (remove party experience, make the dragon level raise twice as fast, add a time limit, and we are start talking), still more rewarding that any traditional console RPG.
Stay away from MMORPGs. And the real world. They also fuck with your saves

"Tedious repetition". Again I wonder how Dark Cloud 2 and traditional RPGs you like are better.
Whats so good in Final Fantasy random boredom encounters, or DC2 poor action wannabe combat?
I preferred DQ, especially when the fights posed a challenge.

Aside that there isn't much interest in Shadow Hearts.... was the pic not good enough?

Ok, LOOK SHE TOOK HER JACKET OFF!

Furries!

3d backgrounds! Apocalyptic cinemas! Closeups of women!

Weird old men with dolls!

Wait, forget the latter...

 

[Mareg]

Geez, I'm officialy broke. Damn, this is a good time to be an RPG lover PS2 owner.

I love this generation.

 

[jiggle]

SH2 is so pretty

Boggles the mind why Midway would release screens from the ending movie.

 

[Neutron Night]

Epic has zero to do with length, sorry.

I define "epic" based on:

1. Overall length of game.

2. Presentation of the story.

3. Variety of locations (in terms of both graphics and gameplay).

Which of these fits BOF5?

Per the FF / DQ bit: DQIII is a far sight better than FFIII, and I really like FFIII. But looking on the FF franchise as a whole, I simply see much better on the Enix side. Each iteration improved vastly over their predecessors and never totally fucked up unlike a few FF iterations.

Oh, PLEASE. DQ's idea of innovation is adding a background to the battle screens. DQ7 is basically a polygonal version of the NES games. DQ8 is the first remotely innovative game in the series.

FF has changed much more dramatically, and it never "fucked up". Don't tell me you're one of those people that hates FF8 (a kickass game) and thinks the SNES trilogy was superior to the PS1 trilogy (which is flat-out idiotic)?

I find DQuarter better than average for looks and story; you may not like their mood, but they gain points for originality.
Better than Dark Cloud 2 story, from what I read, which you apparently have no problem with.

DC2's story is fine. It's fun and the characters are charming, unlike BOF5.

Stay away from MMORPGs. And the real world. They also fuck with your saves

No, they don't. That's because they don't have "saves" in the first place. It's a realtime persistant world. Call me when BOF5 gets one of those.

"Tedious repetition". Again I wonder how Dark Cloud 2 and traditional RPGs you like are better.
Whats so good in Final Fantasy random boredom encounters, or DC2 poor action wannabe combat?

Because DC2 is:

1. Absolutely fucking loaded with minigames,

2. Has a variety of colorful locations, you don't spend the whole game in some damn underground tunnel,

3. Has a revolutionary save system that actually allows you to save your freaking game like you're supposed to,

4. and it's fun. Some games just "click", and DC2 clicked with me.

 

[Mejilan]

I'll be getting all of those except for MM and SMT.

Edit - Hey Neutron. People ARE allowed to have opinions, you know. I thought DC and DC2 were amongst the shittiest high profile games ever this gen, and imho, SNES trilogy of FF games far, FAR exceeds anything Square has done. Also, saying that DW7 is a polygonal version of the original transcends the realm of opinion and enters the murky underworld of supreme ignorance.

 

[Neutron Night]

I thought DC and DC2 were amongst the shittiest high profile games ever this gen, and imho, SNES trilogy of FF games far, FAR exceeds anything Square has done. Also, saying that DW7 is a polygonal version of the original transcends the realm of opinion and enters the murky underworld of supreme ignorance.

Your opinion might mean something if you could back it up with, you know, fact. And I didn't say DW7 was a polygonal version of the original, I said it was a polygonal version of the NES games. And I don't remember saying anything about DC1.

 

[BobbyRobby]

Oh, PLEASE. DQ's idea of innovation is adding a background to the battle screens. DQ7 is basically a polygonal version of the NES games. DQ8 is the first remotely innovative game in the series.

FF has changed much more dramatically, and it never "fucked up". Don't tell me you're one of those people that hates FF8 (a kickass game) and thinks the SNES trilogy was superior to the PS1 trilogy (which is flat-out idiotic)?

Did you ever play any other Dragon Quest games? The first one had background images in battle. The second, third and fourth did not.

I bet you're basing your opinion of Dragon Quest solely on Dragon Quest VII, because almost every title in the series brings something new to the table.

 

[Mejilan]

I don't need to support my opinions with fact, that's what makes them my opinions. The best I could do would be to provide examples of why I prefer one over the other, but that wouldn't be fact-based, that would be opinion-based. I threw in DC1 merely to establish a pattern. I mean, you're talking about FFs and DWs... plural. There is more than one DC game, after all.

Fine, not the original, but all 4 NES DW games. Either way, calling DW7 a polygonal version of the first 4 DW games is still wrong.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

Oh I'm going to have fun with this one.

1. Overall length of game.

We've been over this one. Epic != Length.

2. Presentation of the story.

How far have you gotten? Better story than all FFs combined. And don't get me STARTED on DC2. Bleh. Characters? There's only three but they're some of the best I've seen in JRPGs.

3. Variety of locations (in terms of both graphics and gameplay).

Again, how far? All areas are designed differently with traps, enemies and challenges that are all their own.

Oh, PLEASE. DQ's idea of innovation is adding a background to the battle screens. DQ7 is basically a polygonal version of the NES games. DQ8 is the first remotely innovative game in the series.

FF has changed much more dramatically, and it never "fucked up". Don't tell me you're one of those people that hates FF8 (a kickass game) and thinks the SNES trilogy was superior to the PS1 trilogy (which is flat-out idiotic)?

Nein. FFVI, FFVII and FFX-2 are the prime culprits here. FFVI had the terrible Esper system, FFVII was a general fuck up all in all, and FFX-2 is an insult to gamers everywhere. The best FFs were for the Famicom, or, if you count the SaGa series for GB (FFLegends in English). FFVIII surprisingly didn't totally suck in terms of gameplay. The Junction system was interesting if horribly flawed in execution.

Out of the SFC FFs, only FFV had anything in terms of fun playability due to the class systems.

DQ on the other hand, has always improved on what it does best: Class system and world exploration. The Battle System is the weakest link in some people's opinion, but at least the battles don't go on forever like Square's. DQ has ALWAYS raised the gameplay bar in RPGs.

DQVII was one of the best RPGs of LAST gen.

DC2's story is fine. It's fun and the characters are charming, unlike BOF5.

Kotex is that you? Or is that herbatatea?

No, they don't. That's because they don't have "saves" in the first place. It's a realtime persistant world. Call me when BOF5 gets one of those.

I've been meaning to address this. You must really really suck at games or something. I always had at least 2 goddamn Save Tokens at any given time. I actually had to SELL SOME to make space at some point. THEY WERE 5 GODDAMN ZENNY. Not to mention the fact that you can save interrupt at any goddamned time.

You sir are

W-E-A-K-S-A-U-C-E.

Because DC2 is:

1. Absolutely fucking loaded with minigames,

2. Has a variety of colorful locations, you don't spend the whole game in some damn underground tunnel,

3. Has a revolutionary save system that actually allows you to save your freaking game like you're supposed to,

4. and it's fun. Some games just "click", and DC2 clicked with me.

1. Ant Farm #1, Kokon Hore > *.

2. The scenery does change you know, and regardless, it suited the game just fine.

3. SEE MY POST ABOVE. 5 GODDAMN ZENNY IS ALL THEY ARE WORTH.

4. There's no accounting for people's taste. DC2 is far from a terrible game but it sure as hell did not click with me. BOFV, however did on an unprecidented scale.

It's the best RPG this gen, whether one is able to appreciate it is another story...

 

[Gattsu25]

I bet you're basing your opinion of Dragon Quest solely on Dragon Quest VII, because almost every title in the series brings something new to the table.

The same can be said about other popular JRPG series


oh...and BoF: DQ isn't a terrible game...nor is it a great game

 

[MoxManiac]

You know guys, you can bitch at each other for the next 10 pages, but I don't think anyone here is going to change their opinion.

 

[Gattsu25]

About the "flexing RPG muscles" bit: I'm not bragging, far from it.

I've been meaning to address this. You must really really suck at games or something. I always had at least 2 goddamn Save Tokens at any given time. I actually had to SELL SOME to make space at some point. THEY WERE 5 GODDAMN ZENNY. Not to mention the fact that you can save interrupt at any goddamned time.

You sir are

W-E-A-K-S-A-U-C-E.

About the "flexing RPG muscles" bit: I'm not bragging, far from it.

hypocrisy

 

[NotMSRP]

thread = 6.7999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

 

[Dragona Akehi]

Well explain to me the ungodly amount of Save Tokens I was able to amass? I hard saved after every major boss battle my first time through, and I even hard saved IN BETWEEN, gasp.

I don't think they're random, since I seemed to get them in the same places on subsequent playthroughs.

 

[Semjaza Azazel]

Did you ever play any other Dragon Quest games? The first one had background images in battle. The second, third and fourth did not.

I bet you're basing your opinion of Dragon Quest solely on Dragon Quest VII, because almost every title in the series brings something new to the table.

Quoted for truth.

Let's take the swapping characters mid-fight in FFX. So many people seem to think this is some massive innovation for the series and RPGs in general. Dragon Quest was doing this in the early 90s. That's just one simple example. It ignores the previously mentioned class systems, battle animations and other such additions entirely.

To ignore the gameplay innovations and alterations throughout the series in favor of DQ8, with little known about it aside from 1.) really nice graphics and 2.) partially 3rd person battles makes little sense.

DQ7 itself suffers from the idea that it needed to combine the new with so many throwbacks to nostalgia and older games in the series. DQ8 does this as well, but seems to do so with far greater success based on what I have seen.

 

[teiresias]

When am I going to find time to play all of these games when I've just now learned how to properly play the PC Baldur's Gate games, and now that I'm doing well enough to actually progress in them I can't pull myself away!!! AAaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!! At least I quit FFXI - one less game to take up my time!!

 

[TKM]

You know guys, you can bitch at each other for the next 10 pages, but I don't think anyone here is going to change their opinion.

Haha how true. DQVII was one of the absolute worst RPGs I've played last generation. Trudged on for 40 hours hoping fun would eventually reveal itself. When I found out the game was 70+ hours, it promptly went to Half.com. Didn't click with DQ1, DQIV, or DQVI either. Just not my series I suppose.

Enix still rocks for bringing me 7th Saga though. I can still hum the throne room and Lemele music. Lux Tizer>>>>stupid DQ slime killing boy and angst ridden FF teen.

 

[Neutron Night]

We've been over this one. Epic != Length.

Most people disagree.

How far have you gotten? Better story than all FFs combined. And don't get me STARTED on DC2. Bleh. Characters? There's only three but they're some of the best I've seen in JRPGs.

Better story than all FFs combined? Now you're just going overboard.

Again, how far? All areas are designed differently with traps, enemies and challenges that are all their own.

You know what I mean. I mean a variety of locations that look different, sound different, feel different, that are far apart physically, at least in the game.

Nein. FFVI, FFVII and FFX-2 are the prime culprits here. FFVI had the terrible Esper system, FFVII was a general fuck up all in all, and FFX-2 is an insult to gamers everywhere. The best FFs were for the Famicom, or, if you count the SaGa series for GB (FFLegends in English). FFVIII surprisingly didn't totally suck in terms of gameplay. The Junction system was interesting if horribly flawed in execution.

Nein? Ok Frau Dragona, it's on now. For one, I too don't like FFX-2 and don't consider it to truly be part of the FF series. But FF7 is a classic, no matter how much the haters want to distance themselves from the crowd. The "best FFs were on the NES" line is really not worth dignifying with a response. I suppose you think Defender is superior to Gradius?

DQ on the other hand, has always improved on what it does best: Class system and world exploration. The Battle System is the weakest link in some people's opinion, but at least the battles don't go on forever like Square's. DQ has ALWAYS raised the gameplay bar in RPGs.

DQVII was one of the best RPGs of LAST gen.

Yes, simpler battles generally go on much quicker. Come on. DQ had the worst of both worlds, at had all the stuff people complain about in console RPGs but non of the modern story and presentation. It was a proto-RPG. DQVII is a proto-RPG with polygons. It IS big and epic in a bland kind of way though, so I'll give it credit for that.

Kotex is that you? Or is that herbatatea?

Huh? I seem to remember the guy you're talking about, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't named after a brand of tampons, was he?

I've been meaning to address this. You must really really suck at games or something. I always had at least 2 goddamn Save Tokens at any given time. I actually had to SELL SOME to make space at some point. THEY WERE 5 GODDAMN ZENNY. Not to mention the fact that you can save interrupt at any goddamned time.

Most people were complaining about this. It's not just me. Save-interrupt doesn't work if you die.

1. Ant Farm #1, Kokon Hore > *.

2. The scenery does change you know, and regardless, it suited the game just fine.

3. SEE MY POST ABOVE. 5 GODDAMN ZENNY IS ALL THEY ARE WORTH.

4. There's no accounting for people's taste. DC2 is far from a terrible game but it sure as hell did not click with me. BOFV, however did on an unprecidented scale.

1. Hmm, that's great. There was still a lot more in DC2.

2. Not enough for me. I hate "dark" games.

3. So why not just go with a normal save system?

4. Well I feel the opposite. So there it is.

It's the best RPG this gen, whether one is able to appreciate it is another story...

I could say the same about DC2. All I will say, however, is this:

Metacritic:

Dark Cloud 2: 87%

Dragon Quarter: 78%

Gamerankings.com:

Dark Cloud 2: 89%

Dragon Quarter: 77%

 

[Mejilan]

Epic is not the same thing as length.

Pokemon is probably the longest RPG I've ever played.

And by far the one of the least epic.

 

[explodet]

Who are these "most people" you're referring to?

/just wondering

 

[Neutron Night]

Pokemon is probably the longest RPG I've ever played.

But is it the biggest? The amount of time you spend playing a game isn't the same as the SIZE of the game. Were you exploring new areas the whole time?

Who are these "most people" you're referring to?

/just wondering

Normal people. The kind of people who wouldn't describe an 82-minute animated musical, or a leaflet about recycling, as "epic".

 

[Mejilan]

But is it the biggest? The amount of time you spend playing a game isn't the same as the SIZE of the game. Were you exploring new areas the whole time?

Sure, as always, I'd fully explore one area before moving on. Hunting for different pokemon depending on day, time, etc. Running around solving little quests and whatnot. The later Pokemon games have HUGE worlds to explore, caves you can choose to do now or later, etc. Even if you take away the relatively few hours I spent ONLY leveling up, and not exploring a new area or hunting a new Pokemon, you're left with a long and large game.

But it isn't epic. Nor was it meant to be... at least I hope.

 

[Socreges]

Alright. The word "epic" CAN be attributed to short games, but generally longevity is heavily considered in the definition.

Dragon Quarter does not qualify as epic for me, but I see both sides of the argument.

Anyway, I'm interested in SO3, Command Mission, and Phantom Brave. I may buy each one. I may buy none of them.

 

[Gruco]

Good things about Dragon Quarter - The various tiers and effects and costs of attacks, and how to build them into combos and stuff. Also, the Dragon counter was a good idea; definitely liked the long term costs involved.

Bad things - Tedious combat. The combo system, while clever, as realllllllly slow and basically a pain. The first strike aspect decided way too much of the fight too soon. Due to the general lack of difficulty, the downsides (slow, annoying) carried more weight than the upsides (clever, demanding of some thinking) IMO.

I did enjoy the game enough to finish, but I definitely wouldn't all it the best RPG of this gen, and think calling it the PS2's equiv of VP is just crazy hyperbole. But hey, that's just me!

On the fence for Star Ocean, SMT and Megaman. Probably no for Growlanser, and I dunno what a Phantom Brave is, but it looks sorta neat! Probably get Wild Arms too.

Also, I ever thought the Pokemon games were very long or big. I always put a ton of hours on 'em, but never thought the size of the areas was particularly noteworthy.....maybe I just screw around so much that I can't put it in context or something....

In conclusion, Grandia Xtreme rocks.

 

[fennec fox]

Something about this thread that makes me wish I wasn't an RPG fan, somehow.

 

[SolidSnakex]

All that matters:

 

[TheGreenGiant]

IS THAT DANTE?!

 

[SolidSnakex]

Yep that's Dante, he was added in the upgrade of SMT3 (the one we're getting).

 

[Neutron Night]

Sure, as always, I'd fully explore one area before moving on. Hunting for different pokemon depending on day, time, etc. Running around solving little quests and whatnot. The later Pokemon games have HUGE worlds to explore, caves you can choose to do now or later, etc. Even if you take away the relatively few hours I spent ONLY leveling up, and not exploring a new area or hunting a new Pokemon, you're left with a long and large game.

If that's the case (I've never played Pokemon), then how is it not an epic, at least by portable standards?

 

[JackFrost2012]

Something about this thread that makes me wish I wasn't an RPG fan, somehow.

Me, I'm feeling uneasy just for being human.

 

[Drinky Crow]

MAN-FACE KOS-MOS DUBS THIS THREAD THE WORK OF THE DE-VIL:

 

[MetatronM]

Random RPG points....

-Dragon Quest games are archaic, antiquated, and dull. Final Fantasy games look like shining pillars of innovation and originality compared to the Dragon Quest series.

-Valkyrie Profile is totally awesome.

-I FINALLY gave Dragon Quarter a fair and very serious shot today for the first time (despite owning practically since it came out), and it seems very cool. I'm really digging the battle system and how the game makes you actually think through your every move as opposed to the monotonous "attack, attack, attack, attack" routine you go through for non-boss monsters in most other RPGs. I always appreciate a nice breath of fresh air, and this seems to have it. I'll definitely be devoting some time to this one.

-There are too many RPGs coming out way too fast that I want but don't have the money for. Phantom Brave, FF XI CoP, Shin Megami Tensei, Digital Devil Saga, Star Ocean 3, maybe Shadow Hearts 2 (especially because some places are just giving you Shadow Hearts 1 with the game)...and that's not to mention the RPGs on other consoles like Tales of Symphonia (which I still haven't gotten), Baten Kaitos, KOTOR2, and Fable. And then then of course there are all the OTHER types of games coming out. I have no time, I have no money. DAMN YOU EVIL GAMING INDUSTRY!

 

[Zenny]

SolidSnakex

All that matters:

That's right!
And this is the first time I think I've ever agreed with SolidSnakex,

The only thing that matters in this whole thread is SMT.
+ Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuner

 

[djtiesto]

Star Ocean 3... I've waited since this game was first announced in 2001 for this game... seriously, the wait is killing me. The second one is my favorite game of all time, so the wait for the 3rd one is even harder. I can't wait to see what tri-Ace will do next (some people say Valkyrie Profile 2)

After SO3 I'm gonna go and replay Valkyrie Profile, that game was awesome, too... Except the time limit I think was implemented real poorly, and having your weapons break was stupid. Like, my Dragon Slayer broke, and I was stuck in Lezard's tower fighting those dragons and they kept kicking my ass, the difficulty level shot up to unbearable levels (tri-Ace always has one part in their games where they do this, in SO2 it was the Hoffman Ruins)... Other than that, the atwork and graphics were fantastic and the game was awesome.

Other than that, Shadow Hearts 2 might be cool to pick up eventually (I already have the first game), I'll probably just borrow it off my girlfriend since I think she's gonna get a copy. I also want Growlanser:Generations, the collector's edition, and maybe try Avatar Tuner.

Oh yeah, and DQ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> FF, especially nowadays. FF has gone so far downhill it's embarassing to think this used to be my favorite game series ever (but I was talking in the days of 3j-7). DQ7 was a bit disappointing (it took way too long to get anywhere in the game, and it didn't feel as epic and cohesive as the other DQs), but DQ1 was my first RPG ever, and DQ3-6 are all some of my favorite games of all time. With the exception of DQ2 (game was annoying as hell) and 7, it's rare for a series to only get better and better through the ages. While at the same time, FF gets more and more retarded (maybe 12 can change this...)

 

[kiryogi]

Star Ocean 3... I've waited since this game was first announced in 2001 for this game... seriously, the wait is killing me. The second one is my favorite game of all time, so the wait for the 3rd one is even harder. I can't wait to see what tri-Ace will do next (some people say Valkyrie Profile 2)

Who the hell told you it was like VP2?

 

[Gattsu25]

Who the hell told you it was like VP2?

your lacking reading skills did

 

[kiryogi]

Come again? What did I miss? I've followed lots of import impressions and VP2 it was not

 

[Gattsu25]

Come again? What did I miss? I've followed lots of import impressions and VP2 it was not

hmm...

I can't wait to see what tri-Ace will do next (some people say Valkyrie Profile 2)

read that a few times

 

[kiryogi]

............. I'm not going to bother. XD

 

[Gattsu25]

He's saying that he's heard that Tri-Ace's next game is going to be VP2....nothing about SO3 playing like VP2

 

[kiryogi]

yah, hence the whole not gonna bother part. lack of sleep = win

 

[Gattsu25]

lack of sleep = win

I believe this news. I'm already an hour late for class :b

 

[RevenantKioku]

By the way, how much continuation does the Star Ocean series hold?

And on the FF/DQ thing, from my experience, comparing just 1-3 on both series, because I haven't completed the rest of the DQ series yet.
It just seems that the DQ series goes for building upon itself, while the FF series tends to have more radical changes. Now mind you I have played all of the games from the series, just not DQ4-7 to completion, so this by all means could be skewed. Personally, I enjoy FF more, but DQ still gets props.
<--
Stories are a complete toss up. Personally I loved X-2, I thought it was a nice quirky game, but its obvious not everyone felt this way.

 

[Diomedeskun]

I love both Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, but the comment about Dragon Quest being far better than Final Fantasy now seems a bit contradicted by the fact that Final Fantasy VII came out after Dragon Quest VI.

I agree that 3-6 are great. DQ4 is my personal favorite in the series, but the later games are just bigger versions of the earlier games with feeble attempts to differentiate themselves, other than the fact that VII is so bloated and poorly balanced that I got terribly bored at the end. I was sick of needing random battles to learn new jobs that might or might not combine into better jobs, so I just ran stampeding sheep over the final boss until he died (it was worth it for the mental image alone).

That said, I just happen to love RPGs and a game has to be outstandingly bad for me not to play it. I have only once sold an RPG without finishing it (Legend of Dragoon, as I will probably keep my free copy of Unlimited SaGa for the intro music alone) and only rarely sold RPGs at all (Skies of Arcadia, Tales of Destiny, Breath of Fire 3+4). Flaws in RPGs may annoy me, but I usually accept them if I like the game. The closest to flawless from among RPG I can think of is probably Final Fantasy IV, but I have about twenty games I like more. My favorite RPG is probably Xenogears, which is one of the most flawed games I have ever played, but it is daring and ambitious.

I love Valkyrie Profile and Grandia. Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy. Tales of Symphonia and Chrono Trigger. Star Ocean and Suikoden. I think Wild ARMS and Lunar (PSX) were a little weak, but I still played and enjoyed them (never touched the sequels though).

 

[Korranator]

If you want a dungeon crawler, play Dark Cloud 2, the best RPG of this game.

Dark Cloud 2 was a borefest. Throw in a bunch of mini games, and lots of customization to cover up the fact that it's a genric dungen crawler.

Dragon Quater, however was all about game play and battle tactics. A damn fun game. The best RPG on the PS2, not counting Disgaea.

 

[Musashi Wins!]

Is that the Kos Mos pooping doll?

 

[MoxManiac]

I was stuck in Lezard's tower fighting those dragons and they kept kicking my ass, the difficulty level shot up to unbearable levels (tri-Ace always has one part in their games where they do this, in SO2 it was the Hoffman Ruins)...

Yes, I recall the difficult level boost in Lezard's tower, in fact, I even made a thread on it 3 years ago about the same exact subject. I came to the conclusion (and others did too) that Tri-Ace rocks. I liked the sudden difficulty boost because it forced you to rethink how your going to progress. Your coasting along and suddenly Tri-Ace throws you a curveball. The game has enough depth that you can overcome the area with a change of strategy, at least I did. Somewhat related, i'd say Lezard Valeth is probably one of my favorite rpg "villains" of all time.

 

[isamu]

Enix still rocks for bringing me 7th Saga though.

Bullshit. 7th Saga never came to the U.S.