Really curious what they do with this franchise as they leave 3DS behind. Hope something Etrian Odyssey-like exists in the future or that they find a solution to the map making.
I'm also really curious to see what they do next, after Etrian Odyssey X.
My personal hope is that they have the same team make a spiritual successor series of sorts. Call it Etrian _____, or maybe _____ Odyssey, but not exactly Etrian Odyssey VI. Keep it a dungeon crawler with a job system and turn-based battles, but otherwise take the opportunity to do something a little different, and mix up the mechanics a bit. As for map making, while it is really fun, I do understand if they have to leave it behind. We already have so many Etrian Odyssey games, so I think it's okay to move on now.
Fallout New Vegas: My favorite RPG of all time. It truly alows you to play just about any Role you want. Dynamite chucking Madman? Check. Fast talking politician? Check. Gunslinger? Check. Awkward genius? Check. Punched Drunk moron? Check. Whatever character you want to play you can play.
Elder Scrolls Morrowind: Untouchable atmosphere and player freedom. Hand crafted world. Bethesdas greatest by far. I was in middle school when i first played it and I was always searching for that next game to blow me away like Zelda. This was it. I didn't understand why my characters couldnt hit shit but i didnt care. It was amazing. And of course before long i figured out how to game the system.
The witcher 3: Oh what do ya know. Its almost like Morrwind and New vegas had a baby. Beautifully Handcrafted world and story. So much to do and see that its really overwhelming even a second time through.
Demons Souls: I realised this was one of the greatest games ever in just a few hours of playing it. The only game ive ever beat and immediately went through and finished it again. And its not a short game. So many fun memories. I was so blown away when I reached a boss area and it summoned a player to fight me! Why haven't other games done this?
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together: If theres one game i wish was on the ps4 right now, its this one. Ive been through this game so many times and i stay engaged everytime. So in love with the art style, the music , the gameplay and story.
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Final Fantasy 12
The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind
Fallout 2
Star Wars: Knights of the old republic 2
The Witcher 3
Dragon Quest 8
God Of War 2018
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
Demons Souls
Bloodborne
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Dark Souls 2
The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion
Final Fantasy 7
Dragon Age Origins
Pokemon Heart Gold/Soul Silver
Dark Souls
Planescape Torment
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Paper Mario 64
Mass Effect 2
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Not only is Persona 4 my favorite RPG of all time, it's my favorite game of all time. Perhaps my favorite thing about Persona 4 is it's amazing cast of characters, which shine as the games tie the character's personalities with the dungeons, and then converting that into strong Social Links. The dungeon crawling aspect of the game is solid as well, but the strength of Persona 4 undoubtedly lies in the story, characters, and interactions that make your one year in Inaba something special.
Full Point Games:
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 almost certainly would have just been an honorable mention if we did this only a few months ago, but Monolith's consistent updates and post-launch support for the game has been fantastic. With additions such as NG+, Challenge Mode, and DLC Quests as well as a bountiful of QOL changes, Xenoblade 2 has elevated from a great JRPG to one of my favorites.
Persona 3 contains the single best story of any of the Hashino directed Persona games, as it hits all of the right notes to provide a more serious story while being able to also have some lighthearted fun when necessary. While 3 suffers from a lack of QOL updates introduced in later entries in the franchise, the strength of the story and characters is still up there with the best the genre has to offer.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is a confusing game. When we first heard Shin Megami Emblem x Fire Emblem, I doubt anyone saw a game about idols coming at all. Still, #FE features a well-done battle system, and a solid cast of characters that make the game shine. #FE feels more like a crossover between the Persona sub-series of SMT and Fire Emblem than one of Fire Emblem and SMT proper, but the strong RPG gameplay remains a key part of the game.
Xenoblade Chronicles is one big game, especially for a Wii title. The game features a lovable cast, a large variety of side quests and a world that can truly feel alive with an array of interesting NPCs. Add to that a strong battle system and you've got yourself one amazing swan song for the Wii.
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is the last Paper Mario game to feature this more traditional RPG style, which is a shame due to brilliance of the game. TTYD features a strong battle system with a variety of things to be paying attention to and focusing on, as well as some great writing.
Speaking of Mario RPGs, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars can easily hold its own. The grandfather of both the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi series, Mario RPG has had a long lasting impact and features an interactive battle system and some fun moments.
Earthbound features a quirky, unique style and charm to it that is nearly impossible to replicate. Thanks to this style, Earthbound manages to be fun at every moment, as you never know what crazy event can happen next. With the scrolling HP bars, Earthbound can leave players in suspense if a party member can perform a heal right before someone's else's HP hits zero.
Mother 3 not having a Western release is still disappointing, as the game manages to make the player feel emotions in a way that most games cannot. Mother 3 can go from the charming and quirky style that Earthbound is known for to a somber, emotional moment quickly, and manages to handle the transition well.
Trails of Cold Steel is a game with a strong cast, and a compelling story to boot. The gameplay is fun and allows for players to really plan out decisions and utilize the various mechanics in a great way, with the turn order and the way it is manipulated being a huge factor, especially as spell casts have delays and the buffs present on certain turns. Cold Steel takes players through a variety of locales and features a large, interesting, and changing cast of NPCs.
--VOTE INFO START—
<HIGHLIGHT VOTE– 4 points>
Persona 4
</HIGHLIGHT VOTE– 4 points>
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Persona 3
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
Xenoblade Chronicles
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Earthbound
Mother 3
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Pokemon HeartGold/SoulSilver
Pokemon Platinum
Final Fantasy VI
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 2
Fire Emblem
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Final Fantasy X
Secret of Mana
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Yakuza is kinda hard to categorize, but I personally include it in the same nebulous "Action Adventure" umbrella as the Zelda games so I probably won't include it in my list. Which is a shame because I've just realized how little I actually played since the last list and Yakuza 0 would've been a nice addition.
Yea I think the only RPGs since last time I put really decent chunks of time into are D:OS2, Bloodlines, Yakuza 0, Heracles III, and now Grandia. Two of those are already on there, and I'm not far enough in Grandia yet to comfortably put it up there, so Yakuza is the only wild card. I think it's the fact that you don't really "make a build" per se, as opposed to just filling out a relatively linear skill tree, that makes me lean toward not classifying it as an RPG. Kind of pedantic, I know, but I have to draw the line somewhere!
Prey was actually on my top 10 last year and now I'm also reevaluating whether or not I consider that an RPG. The open-ended build options and choice and consequence narrative weigh in its favor. I might end up swapping it into the HMs.
I will have to write more on each entry when I have the time, and likely I will need to edit a lot of my picks as I'm probably forgetting some games. Anyways here is a rough draft for the time being.
HIGHLIGHT VOTE - 4 points
1. Final Fantasy XV - While I had to heavily debate between this and Persona 4, I ultimately chose to go with Final Fantasy XV because I feel it is overlooked by many. This was the first game that I played after going through a breakup (we got back together), and the story to me was beautiful, engaging, and brilliant. While I do agree that it is flawed, I also feel almost every game on this list is flawed. To me however, Final Fantasy is a flawed masterpiece, that keeps getting better. One thing about Final Fantasy XV compared to other JRPG games though, is that its presentation is top notch, whereas other JRPG games you have to try and overlook the presentation.
None the less the gameplay is fun, and fast paced, so I didn't just have to try and fight through monsters to get to the story which is usually why I play JRPG games. I actually thought it was fun, and the world is so pretty that I would find myself exploring the world. That rarely happens for me. More so the characters were well written and had a ton of chemistry, something that my #2 pick also has in common with. Even the villain I thought was so exceptional that it inspired me in my own stories.
As I said, it is flawed, but to me it is a flawed masterpiece.
Full Point Games - 2 points
2. Persona 4 - As I noted above, it was close between this and Final Fantasy XV. Persona 4 just like FFXV has great characters, and chemistry. The main hook in the game may be the mystery of the fog and deaths of this small town, but its the characters and how well they work together that keeps you intrigued. This game is stylized, with great atmosphere, fun turn-based battles, interesting story, great characters, and an outstanding soundtrack. What ultimately catapulted Persona into popularity with the Vita among all devices will instantly go down as a classic. All things considered, this is easily the best turn-based RPG when it comes to story.
3. Pokemon Silver/Gold/Crystal - This List has already been hard just with my top 3 picks. The sad part of this is, Pokemon Crystal may actually be my favorite game on this entire list, yet I placed it third. That probably doesn't make a lot of sense, but I chose to do this because I think Final Fantasy XV and Persona 5's stories really are that great, and will be more timeless, while Pokemon will always be dictated by the newest release. While Pokemon Crystal may be my favorite game on this list, it is a lot harder for me to recommend this game to a new generation of gamers over newer pokemon entries,
Regardless, I chose Crystal over the rest of the series, because not only do I think the Pokemon designs was great in this game, but also because I think it had the best end game out of all Pokemon games in the franchise. Not only to you play one region in this, but you play in two!
4. Dark Souls - Really it is hard to just pick on game from the Souls series. In a way you can also throw Bloodborne in with this game, so I will just go with the first Dark Souls entry. In a generation where hand holding seemed to be at an all time high, Dark Souls came and showed the gaming industry that some people are looking for a challenge. Does it have the best story in the world? No, but it does have a lot or lore if you're interested in reading a lot. What it shines at is with its combat system. No combat system up to that point has been as intricate, and as good as Dark Souls was. Now we have several Souls clones that have been inspired by the combat, as well as the challenge. I repeat the word challenge, because I do not think it is overly difficult. What Dark Souls asks you to do is to learn from your mistakes, and learn the weapon you choose to win.
Out of every game on this list, this is the one I will recommend for somebody who wants a fun game.
5. God of War - I am always cautious about putting new games on all-time lists because people do tend to over-exaggerate things when things are fresh in their mind. Usually, when I let things sit in my mind for a while I feel I can give more of an honest opinion. However, I will be making an exception with this game, because I do feel it is that good. There is certain games that excel in story, but lack in gameplay, and then vice versa. God of War (2018) however, is the best of both worlds. The combat is fantastic, and actually offers a challenge, but unlike the original trilogy, I think its the story that truly shines. It is something that plays off Norse mythology and creates its own spin in such an interesting way. Even more, this is just the beginning of this new trilogy, and when you finish, you are going to salivate for more.
6. Witcher 3 - Yet another game from this generation. Even if it feels like ages ago, it has only been a short few years since Witcher 3 came out and made CD Project Red one of the most inspiring developers in recent years. What I think this game does best is how it makes every character, and every story interesting. While the main quest is already highly interesting, it's side quests are somehow also engaging to the point you will find yourself exploring this wonderful, and mysterious fantasy world. Its funny because I usually just avoid side quests because usually, they're just fetch quests ith boring dialogue. The reward in a sense is just the XP, unique item, or an achievement, but with Witcher the reward is so much more. It's the engaging stories even with the most minor of characters.
7. Nier: Automata - In an era where you almost always know what to expect, with trailers, news, etc comes a title that takes your expectations and constantly twists them throughout every turn in this beautiful, weird, and crazy wild ride While it is a little misleading to say the game has "ended" after the first playthrough, once you continue the game on the third playthrough is when the story really gets going. Its a game that constantly asks you to question what is going on, and you will only be rewarded once you dive deeper and deeper. Luckily we are curious creatures that constantly searches for answers. Its one of the best stories I have witnessed in video games in not only recent memory, but of all time.
While I do think 9S is a little boring, the gameplay overall is great. It can be a tad easy on the first playthrough, but it does get much harder on the third playthrough. The music is simply breathtaking. In fact, I'm listening to Neir: Automata's music as I type this. It may be one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard quite honestly.
In the end, Nier: Automata is yet another reason we may be in another RPG Golden Era. A true masterpiece
8. Tales of Vesperia - I have wondered to myself if this is a bit too high for this title, but for some reason this title has stood out to me for years as being one of the best JRPG games I have played. There was a point in time that I didn't care about JRPG games at all. I use to think they were just weird games for niche gamers, but then I played Persona 4, and Tales of Vesperia. Since then I have went back in time to try other JRPG games to see what all I have missed, and still this one has stood out to me for its likable characters, and engaging story. If you have noticed a theme with me, I will always empasize the chemistry among the main characters, because I don't think you can have a good story, without good characters who have chemistry among each other. Tales of Vesperia is one of these games taht accomplish that, and more so it has a timeless artstyle. I actually did not play this game until like 7 years after it released, and even then it was still so beautiful because the artstyle it uses.
9. Paper Mario 64 - There isn't many games that I will go back play again and again, and I'm not even a big Mario fan, yet somehow I have managed to go back and play this game countless times. A title so charming and ageless it begs the question, to just why in the hell is Nintendo not making more Paper Mario games like this?
Ignoring that though, even if this cute little game is Mario, don't distract you into thinking it isn't a true RPG with a good story. Not only does Paper Mario have a good story (even if not super deep), it also has pretty good turn based combat where you will mix and match moves, and memorable partners.
This is a game that I will likely never forget, and I hope I'm not alone on that.
10. Final Fantasy IX - What more is there to say about Final Fantasy IX than what has already been said? It seems to be universally believed to be the best story in the legendary Final Fantasy franchise, and even in 2018 that legitimately can be taken serious. See, I never really played Final Fantasy games in the 90s, as I was more into N64 as a kid, so I've treid going back to several Final Fantasy games over the last few years.
Out of all the Final Fantasy games that I have played (so far) this is the one that stands out to me the most. Its story truly is very good, and the artstyle is just so charming. If you believe any of the hype from old Final Fantasy games, this is the one I would recommend the most.
Honorable Mentions - 1 point
11. Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
12. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
13. Mass Effect 3
14. Lost Odyssey
15. Disgaea 4
16. The Elder Scrolls IV - Oblivion
17. Divinity Original Sin 2
18. Deus Ex: Human Revolution
19. Ark: Survival Evolved
20. Monster Hunter World
--VOTE INFO START—
<HIGHLIGHT VOTE– 4 points>
Final Fantasy XV
</HIGHLIGHT VOTE– 4 points>
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Persona 4
Pokemon Gold/Silver
Dark Souls
God of War
Witcher 3
Nier: Automata
Tales of Vesperia
Paper Mario
Final Fantasy IX
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Zelda: Oracle of Seasons The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Mass Effect 3
Lost Odyssey
Disgaea 4
The Elder Scrolls IV - Oblivion
Divinity Original Sin 2
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Ark: Survival Evolved
Monster Hunter World
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Final Fantasy IX
The Witcher 3
Chrono Trigger
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Persona 4
Knights of the Old Republic
Mass Effect 2
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Divinity: Original Sin
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy XII
Fallout: New Vegas
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Neverwinter Nights
Baldur's Gate II
Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana
Jade Empire
Diablo II
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Bloodborne
Fallout New Vegas
Persona 4
Dark Souls
Final Fantasy VI
Persona 2: Innocent Sin
Shin Megami Tensei IV
Persona 5
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
Undertale
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse
Persona 3
Earthbound
Fire Emblem: Awakening
Final Fantasy VII
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Glad to see this returning! Its always thread to come back to over the year with interesting ideas and lots of wonderful games contained throughout. On to the descriptions! This post is a work in progress. I'll be filling in the rest as time goes on. Enjoy the ride!
HIGHLIGHT:
Planescape: Torment - This game is still the bar for videogame story telling. The central question of this game is "What can change the nature of a man?" and it is one of the few games ever made that truly and completely tackles its premise. The game honestly plays somewhat poorly. It uses the venerable Infinity Engine at its core but is highly modified so that many of those AD&D 2nd edition stats become largely irrelevant as the game proceeds. The real gameplay then is reading the volumes of descriptive text and lore about every strange nook and cranny of this wonderful and weird world of Sigil and beyond into the Planes. It manages to blend both the bizarre (a brothel dedicated to slaking intellectual lust) and the mundane (a simple slab in a mortuary) in a way that really no game has done before or since. You have to play this game. See past the dated combat to the wonderfully weird and thought provoking and deeply human story underneath. It is a true classic for a reason.
Full Point Games (List is unordered because honestly its too much work to try and rank, all these are great):
Suikoden II - A microcosm of what is great in JRPGs. It has a world that spans multiple games, but is distinct enough that you don't NEED to have played the original (or sequels) to appreciate it. It has a massive cast, in fact the best criticism against the game is that in its desire to stick to the 108 Stars of Destiny the characterization falls flat for the majority of the cast. But if you treat this more like Game of Thrones as a political sea of characters than the result is superb. The personal story works and the greater, world defining moments fall away in the story about a boy, his friend, his sister, and the kingdoms they live in.
Baldur's Gate II - Frequently held up by others as the grand-daddy of D&D RPGs and with good reason. BG2 has the breadth of content that many other games in this genre lack. As a WRPG you get to inhabit a character so completely that the story feels like your own. There are enough twists and turns and odd side quests that you would be very hard pressed to do most of them in a single play though. You truly do adventure all over the world beyond the city of Baldur's Gate and in the expansion pack/sequel Throne of Bhaal, you go even farther beyond. It tells a story that is a fun ride and has excellent companions to share the adventure with.
Xenoblade Chronicles - Honestly, the reason this game is here and not the sequel is that they added so much to the combat system in the sequel that it lost the elegance of this game. So jump into the shoes of Shulk and story of the Monado secure in the knowledge that it is the better playing game of the two. While the story does take some time to get going, once its running, it is non-stop revelations and twists about this world that was unbelievably huge for a game on the Wii.
Divinity: Original Sin II - This game is a masterpiece. It follows from all the best WRPG traditions and retains and improves upon the sublime turn-based combat of the original. The armor and health system give the game a pretty fantastic balance throughout and as your character grows in power, so do the threats you face. The story telling is Larian's unique blend of fantasy weirdness and the world is exciting to explore. This game one ups the original (a great game in its own right) in every single way. And thanks to the way Larian structures its timelines you need not even know much about the first game to enjoy this one. Dive in and explore Rivellon.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution - An immersive sim as an RPG? HELL YES IT IS. Deus Ex has so many crunchy bits and fun ways to design your character that it actually does have a lot of appear to RPG players. The mission design allows you to get to your objective in many different ways (yes including boss fights now that the Definitive Edition is out). So the game really is about how you want to play and how you want to approach the mission. Adam Jensen (your protagonist/PC) is a wonderfully molded character and the game has a massive amount of customization in the various ways you can spend your Praxis Points (essentially skill points). The story is a fun romp though conspiracy theories, sinister plots and betrayals. Believe me, you did ask for this.
Chrono Trigger - The classic, grand-daddy to nearly every good JRPG ever. What can I say that hasn't been said before? You should play this game.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - A game made with clear reverence for the setting and characters. The action in the game is sometimes decried for not being as great as other action games, but when you consider this as an RPG, it is fantastic. Gera;t of Rivia is a wonderful person to be and living his life leads to many grand adventures. This game has the notable distinction of having 2 STUNNING DLCs that honestly are nearly as good as the main game. Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine are each fantastic stories on their own, but when added to a game with as much variety and interesting locations as TW3, it simply makes it feel endless. Blood and Wine in particular is so big it may as well be a whole new game. Simply a fantastic game all around.
Trails in the Sky: Second Chapter - A vote here for the Second Chapter over First Chapter because only with the sequel do you come to realize how big and sweeping the story you're involved in really is. Sadly, you MUST play this game second to realize the proper context, but it is well worth playing though Trails:FC regardless. When you do finally shepherd Estelle & co onto this adventure, you have no idea what a ride is in store for you. Estelle might be the best written JRPG protagonist ever, and the cast of characters around her are diverse, funny and similarly well-written (usually). The world of Zemuria and the Kingdom of Liberl feel like truly lived-in spaces with townsfolk that have new things to do and say after all sorts of major events, even in towns so far off the path that you would have to spend hours backtracking to see them. Even so, those townfolk have their own lives and stories that don't really concern you, yet are there if you want to see them. The game is a triumph and simply must be recognized as one of the best ever.
Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Harebrained Schemes brings a cyberpunk world to life in this game. It is a turn based combat game with many different skill sets at play. You can be a hacker, a street samurai, a mage or something in-between and use your powers to save yourself and your crew on a wonderfully strange set of missions. This Shadowrun series has some other great games in it (Shadowrun Returns, and Shadowrun Hong Kong), but Dragonfall has the benefit of being the best written of the 3 and has a cast of characters that you will come to love (or hate) over the course of the game. The battles become intense and require careful planing by the end as your objectives become protected by bigger and more dangerous foes. Expect to deal with mega-corps and the underworld alike if you want to be able to survive.
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Suikoden II
Baldur's Gate II
Xenoblade Chronicles
Divinity: Original Sin II
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Chrono Trigger
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Trails in the Sky: Second Chapter
Shadowrun: Dragonfall
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Divinty: Original Sin Enhanced Edition
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VI
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Trails of Cold Steel
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Deus Ex
I keep this game at the top spot of most of my lists for many evolving reasons. I find myself returning to it (and its extremely competent mods) no matter what games I'm playing. The simplest reason is that the game is far, far greater than the sum of its parts. The soundtrack, the dense environments, the choices you make that allow you to interact with those environments, all come together to create a world that you want to explore. One thing the game does that some of its successors fail to do is to not explicitly reward one playstyle (stealth, nonlethal, etc.) over another except in narrative situations, allowing you to truly play the game the way you want. Over time and many playthroughs, the game does start to show how much it's really stitched together, but even then, it still compels me to return to it to find something I missed.
Divinity: Original Sin 2
This is my favorite classic CRPG, and it only came out last year! This game pushes the genre forward from the classics such as Baldur's Gate with its extensive character interactions, environmental combat system, and seamless multiplayer, which truly elevated the experience that I was able to share with friends. Although the last few acts are somewhat unfinished, I think that Larian was still able to go above and beyond the normal trappings of the genre. They truly are too good for us, and I'm half serious about that.
Dark Souls
People talk about Souls games all the time for their difficulty as if that's all they have going for them. I believe that the difficulty would not be so notorious were it not that the core gameplay and systems were top notch. Dark Souls merges active gameplay with traditional RPG mechanics in a way far beyond anything else I've played, and the game is fun as hell as a result. For that alone, the game deserves recognition on an RPG list, and of course the level and encounter designs complement it too.
Baldur's Gate 2
This is the mold from which every great Bioware game that followed was made. This game was so ambitious with its character interactions and stories, merged with a world full of content that stretched the encounter design to the limits of the RPG system. It was not the first to do the things that it did, but it is the quintessential CRPG that so many games even outside of the RPG genre draw influence from. Looking back, the romances were cheesy as hell, but the systems allowed you to immerse yourself in anyway.
Will continue later.
--VOTE INFO START—
<HIGHLIGHT VOTE– 4 points>
Deus Ex
</HIGHLIGHT VOTE– 4 points>
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Planescape: Torment
Dark Souls
Baldur's Gate 2
Nier: Automata
Ultima Underworld
Fallout: New Vegas
Shadowrun: Dragonfall
Prey
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Gothic 2
Alpha Protocol
Might and Magic 6: Mandate of Heaven
Fallout
Icewind Dale
Underrail
Valkyria Chronicles
Ys: Origin
Final Fantasy Tactics
Dragon Age: Origins
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Pokemon Black/White
Pokemon Emerald
Pokemon X/Y
Pokemon Black 2/White 2
Pokemon FireRed/LeafGreen
Pokemon Diamond/Pearl
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time
Dragon Ball Z: Buu's Fury
Fable II
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
I'm going to grab my post from last time since it hasn't changed. Happy to see this thread again!
1. FinalFantasyVIII
Final Fantasy VIII is a high recommendation and favourite from me for many reasons. There's a lot of fantastic traits VIII has that makes it a monster of an RPG. The story follows a 17 year old named Squall Leonhart who was raised in a military school called Balamb Garden. The development of Squall is incredibly interesting as you watch an introverted teenager thrust into situations and grow as a person because of them. Squall's growth is especially noticeable when he meets an upbeat teenager named Rinoa Heartilly whom he takes an interest in. Both have clashing personalities and together both these characters learn from their mistakes and improve throughout the story. The biggest thing about VIII's characters is they have many flaws and feel like real teenagers trying to get through situations that they shouldn't be in. VIII's leads are also contrasted by another small story in the game that follows young adults Laguna, Kiros and Ward who are complete opposites to VIII's young cast.
Final Fantasy VIII is an RPG full of lore and content. The game rewards you for exploring and taking time to talk to NPC's with changing dialogue expanding the history behind the games story. The side content is plenty such as Triple Triad, a card game that you can spend hours collecting and modding, hidden boss fights that net you powerful fighting tools, towns that expand on different races within VIII or characters that lived in them and mini games that are silly fun and reward you for completing them. The world is incredibly lively making you feel like you're actually part of a living world. The game blends realism and fantasy in a way that makes it easy to just relax in such a beautiful world.
The best aspects from VIII come from it's gorgeous world and character design and of course it's massive and fantastic soundtrack. Each town is memorable with it's own unique structure and mood. The music for each location creates a perfect setting. The game's soundtrack features a variety of different sounds, the gorgeous orchestra and chorus that immediately get's you pumped right from the intro to the relaxing and cozy Balamb Garden theme which then switches to the battle theme Don't Be Afraid making you ready to take what's coming on. There's very little to be dissapointed with when it comes to VIII's vast soundtrack, especially since it was the first Final Fantasy to contain a song with vocals that featured vocalist Faye Wong and composed by Nobuo Uematsu. The character and town designs are European influenced with many choices looking incredibly familiar yet unique in it's own way. Most of VIII's characters wear clothing that is a simple design but still has the fantasy feel and look to it. Each character stands out on their own and can easily be remembered for their design or personality quirks. The Full Motion Video's that use expression and motions to convey the meaning of each scene without words was extremely well done. A lot of VIII's cutscenes felt like short silent films with exciting and emotional moments in each one. There is many iconic moments from these FMV's that will easily be ingrained into players memories such as the Opening fight, The Dance and Ending.
Final Fantasy VIII's battle system is quite different from most RPG's due to it's Junction system which links magic to a characters stat when equipped with a particular summon(called Guardian Force in VIII) opening up particular stat increases depending on what magic is placed and where. The system, while easily broken due to Guardian Force abilities and Triple Triad modding, is quite open to player customization and allows for many differenty play styles in VIII keeping it fresh every time. The neat thing about VIII is that the game has an option to avoid Random Encounters, a staple complaint about RPG's, with no punishment if the player decides. The game does however punish players for over levelling by increasing monster levels with Squall. That is also easily avoided if you do not over level Squall. The system does still involve a three party setup with ATB battle but the options available in battle is quite vast. The limit break system is full of fun player interacting specials and the Guardian Forces can be boosted in battle when the ability is purchased.
To finish, VIII is an RPG that will not leave you bored. There is plenty to do and lot's of ways to play. There will be music setting the mood wherever you choose to go, dialogue to expand lore, quirky quests that have fun rewards and beautiful locations to explore. This is a must play RPG.
2. Final Fantasy Tactics
A world full of medieval war and politics, what's not to love? The game mixes fantasy and realism perfectly with a deep story about betrayal and corruption. The Job system is full of variety and abilities that will leave you addicted. The soundtrack is another major appeal to an already excellent game and is perfectly suited to each moment leaving you completely engaged to whats unfolding. Some personal favourite tracks would be Under The Stars, The Pervert, Trisection, Battle On The Bridge, Decisive Battle and Run Past Through The Plains if you want to get an idea of how fantastic this soundtrack really is.
The game follows a young man named Ramza who is from house Beoulve. What follows is a story of class corruption and clashing of beliefs that force Ramza to make difficult decisions and question his role and morals. He travels with his close friend Delita who was not highborn and is constantly reminded of it by those who were. These two coming from different classes makes for a struggling fight against those with corrupt morals.
Tactics is an RPG that you will be invested in for it's incredible story and have a ton of value gameplay wise.
3. Xenogears
Xenogears is a massive game that has so much complexity to it's story and characters. The lead is Fei Wong who starts off in a small peaceful village but when something goes wrong, Fei is soon forced to deal with the consequences of his choices. The game features what they call Gears, giant Mecha's that characters pilot.
The battle system features two different types of fighting, one with your characters and one with the characters in their Gears. Each style has it's own combo's and abilities that is unique to each character. The camera can be a little wonky throughout Xenogears but it only can be a bit of trouble when it comes to the platforming sections many of which are simple enough.
The music is another top notch RPG soundtrack that will put you right into the games mood. It features two gorgeous vocal tracks sung by Joanne Hogg and composed by Yasunori Mitsuda. The game has a great selection of battle and boss themes and the town themes full of celtic music influence.
4. PokemonSilver
Pokemon Silver was an incredible game. It took everything great about the previous generation R/B/G/Y and made it so much better. The game is huge with a ton of new pokemon to find and catch. The sprite designs were fantastic and a huge improvement over the previous ones. The story was a great tie into R/B/G.Y with it's option to travel back to Kanto once you completed it's new location, Johto. The game also introduced roaming Pokemon where you could run into these legendary beasts randomly throughout the world thus creating an unexpected aspect to travelling through populated pokemon areas. Silver added many other cool features to the series such as communication with trainers on a cellphone and a Night and Day system that also tied into evolving specific Pokemon.
Pokemon music has always been fantastic and this game was no exception. With previous tracks and new combined, Pokemon Silver was always ready to make sure your journey was truly an experience having sounds that perfectly set the tone for the many different type of battles and towns.
5. Final Fantasy VII
One of the biggest and most well known RPG's, Final Fantasy VII is an amazing game that was a huge boost for RPG popularity and Final Fantasy as a brand. The game is led by a young man named Cloud Strife who works with a rebel group named Avalanche. The game starts you off with the idea that big companies are ruining the planet and Avalanche is trying to prevent it but soon the game opens up to something far worse than what the cast originally thought, especially when Cloud meets the mysterious Aeris Gainsborough . VII is full of tragedy and dark themes. We lose loved ones, experience identity issues, try to prevent the destruction of the planet and so much more. The gameplay introduced Materia which was a fun system to setting up magic and abilities. The story and cast is one of the best RPG casts out there with plenty of different characters to pick and choose from. While VII is a very dark game, it features quite a lot of quirky moments and humour. The music is quite memorable and while not the greatest Final Fantasy soundtrack it still holds up as a wonderful one.
This is one of the must play RPG's.
6. Dragon Quest VIII
My first Dragon Quest title and what a game to start with. This game had a massive open world that was fully explorable in 3D. The characters were fully voiced and well developed. The mini games were plenty and an easy time consumer that rewarded you with powerful equipment. The Dragon Quest games usually feature pretty straight forward but simple and charming stories so it was pleasant to see both VII and VIII still be completely charming yet have more depth to its characters and plot. There was so much to do in this game that you could spend hours on side content or exploration.
This is definitely the DQ title to start with and a fantastic RPG in general.
7. Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
I'm giving this the Underrated rating due to it being absent from many Persona lists. The writing and characters in this are wonderful. This also avoids a lot of the recurring issues that the newer titles have such as weird treatment of female and gay characters, personality types carrying over from game to game and finally the romance system which while fun can also take away from characters to fit the romantic aspect. Even with these issues I still adore the later titles for their stylized appearance and poppy soundtracks but Persona 2 EP is special for it's place of being just before the huge changes that have become most known in the series. The music is great, as most Persona games are and the game features an adult cast which is not common in later games. The story, which is a sequel to the game Innocent Sin( I heavily recommend playing it before EP IF you want to understand some motives and characters) follows a female writer named Maya who begins following rumours that lead her into a chase to find someone.
The gameplay has a negotiation system that we saw return in Persona 5 in which you can convince monsters to give you Tarot cards or Items. It's a straightforward system outside of the negotiation system with regular attacks and spells that you can combo together depending on the order and spells used.
This is a game I heavily recommend people play, especially if you're a fan of the series but want something with a mature cast and focused character development.
8. Suikoden II
Suikoden II is actually incredibly fresh for me since I've just completed it recently. The story and characters are probably one of the most well written in gaming with heart wrenching moments that will make you care for these characters and what happens to them. The soundtrack is enjoyable and fit's the game quite well. The one downside to Suikoden II is that it's a bit of a mess in terms of the localization department and has a few slow downs from certain spells in battle. There's also some glitches that can affect items or characters. Suikoden II's strength is absolutely it's story and the way it is presented along with the character design which is fantastic and one of my favorites considering the game has over a 110+ characters with portraits. If story, characters and art design are important in an RPG to you then you will not be disappointed. The games battle system is simple enough and still quite fun though it doesn't add anything to the genre but that is more than alright for a game with such great writing.
9. Chrono Trigger
The funny thing about Chrono Trigger is that it's not in my top 10 favourite games and barely breaks top 20 for me. So why do I have it in my top 10 essentials? Well it's because I DO think it's an essential RPG and here is why. The game is probably the most well packaged RPG out there. It doesn't do anything better than many other RPG's on individual categories but as a whole it's the most well rounded and one of the easiest to get into as a first. The artstyle is colorful, the cast is charming, the story is interesting and the gameplay is extremely fun. The soundtrack is another great aspect with incredibly memorable themes many of which are character themes. I may not place this game as high as other people do but I do think it's one of the most well made RPG's and absolutely deserves a high spot in this ranking. It's very difficult to find a game that manages to do every part of game well.
10. Fire Emblem Path Of Radiance
My first Fire Emblem and by far the most challenging one I have played. The game can be incredibly punishing when you lose units in battle but it makes the fights tense and more strategic. The story is my favorite for the series with it being led by Ike, a young man part of a Mercenary group commanded by his father, Greil. An encounter with a mysterious women set's off events that lead to a harsh journey that will change Ike's life forever.
The art style is another fantastic part to this game that is full of variety. Different heights, styles, ages and races can be encountered and recruited.
If you love a challenging game with a fantastic story and cast then this game is for you.
--VOTE INFO START—
<HIGHLIGHT VOTE– 4 points> 1.Final Fantasy VIII
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points> 2. Final Fantasy Tactics 3.Xenogears 4. PokemonSilver
5. Final Fantasy VII 6. Dragon QuestVIII 7. Persona 2 Eternal Punishment
8. Suikoden II
9. ChronoTrigger
10. Fire Emblem Path Of Radiance <FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS 1 point>
11. Final Fantasy X - Final Fantasy X is an amazingly colourful game with an emotional journey following a summoners pilgrimage and her guardians perspective of it
12. Valkyrie Chronicles - Tactical gameplay that is fun and challenging with a great cast
13. Chrono Cross - Amazing soundtrack and world design. A lot of characters to recruit and use
14. Persona 5 - An incredibly stylish and fun game about fighting against society's normalization of many different types of abuse from people in positions of power, particularly adults towards teenagers.
15. Tactics Ogre - Much like Final Fantasy Tactics this has a mature story and fun job system.
16. Kingdom Hearts - This series is greatest for it's battle system and soundtrack
17. Parasite Eve - Incredible horror story with a wonderful soundtrack and fantastic female lead
18. Ys VII - The three party system was a great addition to a wonderful action RPG series and plenty of party styles to choose from
19. Final Fantasy VI - Beautiful soundtrack and an interesting cast and story
20. Paper Mario
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
--VOTE INFO END--
I also have to give mentions to Vagrant Story for it's challenging battle system, Suikoden for it's story and cast, Front Mission 3 for it's tactical gameplay and mecha customization and Persona 3 and 4 for their additions to the persona series that has become well known. Oh I forgot to add Mario RPG. Really surprised how much I loved this game. Not enough to crack my rankings but it's worth mentioning.
Edit: I guess we aren't doing underrated this time. I'll have to switch around my ranking.
All of this is a lot of work, so we are counting on people to actually participate, and not just wait until the final list is up to complain about where Final Fantasy VIII ends up! The more votes we get, the better chance that a diverse selection of games is highlight, and the better chance that we see some hidden gems in the individual lists.
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
NieR
Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean
Final Fantasy IX
Xenosaga Epsiode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Chrono Cross
Xenoblade Chronicles
Baten Kaitos Origins
Xenoblade Chronicles X
Xenosaga Epsiode II: Jensets von Gut und Bose
NieR: Automata
Valkyrie Profile
Chrono Trigger
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
--VOTE INFO END--
(Explanations coming soon. Too tired to finish now, but I didn't want to forget my picks.)
Xenogears - Way too ambitious for it's own good, especially at the time, but that's why it's my number one pick. A story spanning 10,000 years crammed into a 65 hour game would have the problems you'd expect, but if you're someone who really gets invested in the world, story, characters, and lore of the RPG's you play I'd say it's definitely worth putting up with some of the problems it has. Switching between on-foot traditional turn-based combat and mech turn-based combat adds some variety to battles throughout the game. Plus the amazing soundtrack.
Xenosaga Epsidode I: Der Wille zur Macht - Well, Xenogears didn't go so well, so let's make it episodic instead.....yeah. While Ep.I isn't a complete experience, it's still the Xenosaga game with most of the original vision intact. Again, the ambition of making a multi-part space-opera epic is just something I can get behind. The series didn't end as planned, but it sure had a great start. Mostly focusing on on-foot turn-based combat, this a complete linear experience unlike Xenogears where you had a world map most of the time. Story is even more of a focus I would say this time around. The soundtrack is much more subdued and kind of in the background, but still great and underrated.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - Don't let it's more colorful and cartoony exterior put you off (even though this looks more like what Xenogears and Xenosaga were trying to look like) because it has the heart and soul of a Xeno game, I would say even more so than Xenoblade Chronicles 1 or Xenoblade Chronicles X, but it's meant to be more of a nostalgic trip. The combat is much more fun than first one and definitely way flashier.
1. Horizon Zero Dawn - unique and likeable protagonist, beautiful world, great combat
2. Elder Scrolls Morrowind - unparalleled immersion in a well-realized world
3. Elder Scrolls: Skyrim - the ES formula tuned to high precision, in a mountainous landscape I loved
4. Mass Effect 1 - the original had the magic, the "sensawunda"
5. Mass Effect 2 - a good follow up to the first
6. Jade Empire - a personal favorite, no expectations that others will share this opinion
7. Fallout 3 - immersive world, enjoyable combat
8. Kotor - important for the storytelling and characters, if nothing else
9. Arks Fatalis - I still hear the theme music when I enter staircases, for some reason; the game stayed with me
10. Witcher 3 - honorable mention
For what it's worth, Yakuza games aren't classified as RPGs in Japan, but frankly I have no idea why. They contain every trait of an RPG - story focused, immense character growth (with different skill trees), random battles, items and equipment to find that boost stats, tons of side quests and minigames, etc. They're as RPG as it gets imo.
Can one suggest something like Trails in the Sky as a whole trilogy? I feel the thing, especially the first two, are so tightly connected that it should really be recommended as a whole package and not just one game over the other(s).
Can one suggest something like Trails in the Sky as a whole trilogy? I feel the thing, especially the first two, are so tightly connected that it should really be recommended as a whole package and not just one game over the other(s).
I haven't played Trails myself, but in a situation like this I would personally just vote for the first game but then specify in the write-up that the vote should really be viewed as a recommendation for the series as a whole. One purpose of the write-ups is to provide that additional useful information, after all.
Digital Devil Saga is another set of games that this would be a dilemma with.
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
God of War (2018)
Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans
Advance Wars
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Pokemon Silver
Final Fantasy X
Yakuza 3
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Kingdom Hearts 2
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
World of Final Fantasy
Wild Arms Alter Code: F
Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth
Pokemon Diamond
Digimon World 3
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
--VOTE INFO END--
Alpha Protocol
I loved it the moment it started. As much as the choice system and how it affects the story is good, i actually enjoyed the combat more. It was really fun to mess around and find out different paths you can take with different skill sets. Also, as soon as 'Turn up the Radio' started playing during one of the boss fights, my jaw dropped. It was such an epic moment.
One of those once in a generation games. I had no idea what to expect going into it. Basically everything that made me love the franchise in the first place (Greek Myth setting, hack n slash gameplay) was done away with so I thought this was going to be the game to make me fall out of love with. Man was I wrong, this game blew my expectations. The combat is SO good, the setting is exceptionally realised and Kratos is still as badass as ever.
The only blemish on this otherwise stellar title was the lack of main bosses. 3 had like 6+ bosses, down to 2.
Extremely underrated title. If you're a fan of DBZ, you cannot pass on this title. It's ideal for those who prefer the original saga, but longtime fans should enjoy this too.
There's nothing 'special' about the battle system, however it is very competent and the graphics and animations were very well designed.
One of my favourite nintendo franchises, up their with Smash & Pokemon. I adore this series, but the first holds a special place in my heart.
Charming graphics and music, a fun strategy system, and pretty unique at the time.
My first Deus Ex title. I didn't know what to expect but it blew my mind from start to finish. I LOVE cyberpunk, and the world that Eidos Montréal designed was spectacular. Everything about Jensen is badass, from his dialog to the way he looks. It was a pleasure crawling through vents and punching enemies through walls, and the hub worlds were very fun to explore. I am probably the only person that loved the 'piss filter' however. I think Mankind Divided lost a bit of 'cyberpunkyness' due to its absence.
My favourite FF game. People hate Tidus but he isn't a problem for me. The supporting cast is great and the battle system is enjoyable.
The music track is fantastic and Sin is one of my favourite 'villains' in gaming. The story is very unique, which happens to be another thing people don't like...
My first Yakuza game. The combat/music/setting is pretty much the same in each title however I find that the story 3 is the best of the lot i've played (3,4,5,0, soon to kiwami)
Kaz is a badass protagonist and very lovable. Whether its sending thugs to the hospital with a bike to the face or singing to some catchy tunes, Yakuza 3 something for everyone. I also like that you don't change protagonists, I don't really like that with the other games..
Definitely in my top 3 RPG's of all time. This was my 1st DQ game, not having even know about the previous ones until this hit my radar. I went back to a few of them but only V was good enough to also make my lists. The graphics were great, the combat system although not unique was fun, the characters had personality, the enemies had personality and the world itself was oozing with charm. Even the side characters were a treat to deal with. I enjoyed the fact that near the end of the game I could fly everywhere. But probably my favourite thing about the game is the music.
Totally skipped 1, but still enjoyed this game. Can't really remember much about the story and I guess it doesn't help that I didnt play the first, but visiting different Disney worlds is more enjoyable than I would have thought it'd be. I love the fact that its an action rpg instead of turn-based.
I totally forgot to buy this. Last time this was posted(not sure if it was you?) I was interested in playing it. I'm going to see if I can find a copy on Ebay for cheap since everything on Amazon was $90+.
Fallout New Vegas: It's my favorite RPG and potentially my favourite game of all time. The retro futurist western 50's post post apocalypse setting is something that really clicked with me especially in first person. The companion characters are interesting and the quest design, especially the rather opaque loyalty quests are fantastic. Its a game I still play regularly and I can't really say that about any other single player game.
Full Point Games:
Persona 4 Golden: I was a late comer to Persona and I started with this entry on Vita. I liked the way the game felt both languid and urgent. What you did each day and who you interacted with was important but if felt like you had so many days. The characters were pretty great too. The battle system while being simple was also pretty satisfying.
Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines: I was a pen and paper RPG kid back in the 90's Back when White Wolf was the shit and this game is a damn good videogame version of Vampire. The game sets its self apart by having a lot of interesting choices, character creation and dialogue and there are also some fantastic set piece moments and to this day I think the game is under appreciated. .
Elder Scrolls Morrowind: This hit me at exactly the right time, and completely changed my preferences. Before Morrowind I used to put games into arbitrary boxes. Console games should be played on consoles and PC games should be played on PC. Then Morrowind comes out on Xbox and works amazingly well and I end up 100s of hours into the game on Xbox. Its also the game that made me love FP RPG's. I felt really invested in my character in that game, it made going back to isometric games really difficult for me personally.
Suikoden: The first time a JRPG really got its hooks into me. The battle system was fun and the story was pretty interesting but it was collecting all 108 stars that was the real draw. It was amazing how much character they could put into a few lines of text.
Knights of the Old Republic: Good characters, a fantastic interpretation of Star Wars and a good battle system. Probably my favourite Bioware game.
Pool of Radiance: This was probably the first RPG I played. I first played it when I was about 9, when I was just getting into D&D and other pen and paper RPGS. It was far more tactical than I could handle at 9 and it was so easy to get wiped out I never really got that far. I remember going back to it in my mid teens and feeling so accomplished as I moved forward in the game. It was incredibly satisfying. I know it really doesn't hold up today however its also historically important, being the first D&D video game.
Fallout 2: Its just a fantastically written game and contains a bunch of interesting choices. Also the combat was very satisfying. I was hesitant to put this on the list because its been well over a decade since I last played it so I don't know if it holds up and I tried Planescape enhanced edition last year and didn't even make it an hour into the game before giving up, but Fallout 2 did mean a lot to me back in the day and I still think it has a place at this table.
Lunar Silver Star Story: I'm gonna be honest this is here purely because of nostalgia. Its not a better game than most other well regarded RPG's but I played it at just the right time in my life, at a point where I needed a endearing sometimes funny traditional JRPG and it really delivered. I want it to get points just because it was important to me.
Persona 5: I was debating putting this on the list, there are so many games I feel equally strongly about, I could easily replace this with Mass effect, Witcher 2 or 3, Planescape, Icewind Dale, Skies of Arcadia or any of the other 100's of games I love. But Persona 5 is just that little bit more special to me, its not about space monsters or sky pirates, its just about some teens in pretty shitty situations and while the battles are in an alternate world that's not where the meat of this game is found. Its not as well paced as 4 but the game just oozes style.
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Persona 4
Vampire The Masquerade: Bloodlines
Elder Scrolls Morrowind
Suikoden
Knights of the Old Republic
Pool Of Radiance
Fallout 2
Lunar Silver Star Story
Persona 5
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
1 Chrono Trigger
As an rpg, its simply perfection. If anyone says no game is perfect, this one has to be an exception. Diverse cast of characters, check. Amazing music, check. Varied graphics, check due to different eras represented. Interesting gameplay, check. Good pacing, check, no fluff at all, requires no grinding at all. Good story, check, its a bit cliched but antagonist is developed really well and a mystery always surrounds it, pushing you forward to uncover it.
Did I miss anything. I sure must've. Bottom line is: just play it. Don't waste time here reading nonsense.
2. Baldurs Gate 2
A strong contender to Chrono Triggers throne. It also comes together really well, is much lengthier, has some exciting adventures to undertake. You can also craft a special set of weapons that are unique and very powerful. Prompting you to fully explore and absorb the twisted world.
Only reason why its not no 1 is slightly above average difficulty spikes. It does not flow as smoothly as CT. You have to repeat lots of fights hoping for better outcome. None the less, its much more absorbing than CT so you wouldn't mind as much.
3 Demons Souls
My first Souls game. I tried Dark Souls after this but couldn't finish it, cause of slightly uninteresting world. For me Demons is the king of souls games. I did some questionable things like using ai glitches to beat final boss and flame lurker, but that was only reasonable way of doing it.
I would say though, play any souls game. They all are good. First one will most likely be your favourite. I do prefer structure and absolutely malicious game world of demons far better though.
4 Final Fantasy 10
My favourite final fantasy so far. I loved character interaction, internal conflicts of Yuna, Tidus. Game also had a very harmonious pallette, from music to your motivations. Absolutely a work of art.
Rest everything else was 'A' effort in typical final fantasy fashion. Music, gameplay, graphics, writing all top notch.
5 Final Fantasy 7
The essential rpg. I can't really point out any one standout aspect of the game. Its like star wars. Very well developed cast of characters, general very high quality throughout. Love it. Can't explain it in text.
I totally forgot to buy this. Last time this was posted(not sure if it was you?) I was interested in playing it. I'm going to see if I can find a copy on Ebay for cheap since everything on Amazon was $90+.
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - The game that redefined modern RPGs for me. Everything from the world to the soundtrack was so well done. The guild quests especially for the Thieves guild are some of my favorite quest lines in any game.
Full point games
2. Horizon Zero Dawn - My current game of the generation. Really loved the world, lore and characters (especially Aloy) that Guerilla Games created. The soundtrack is also one of my favorites this generation and the combat is one of the best systems of any game ever.
3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Best game world in any RPG to date. I felt so invested in Geralt's story that it was bittersweet to see it end.
4. Fallout 3 - Just recently replayed the game and the Capitol Wasteland is every bit as good to explore now as it was back at launch.
5. Final Fantasy X - My favorite JRPG of all time. Such an amazing experience and one that still makes me tear up even after multiple playthroughs. Also has my favorite battle system of any Final Fantasy game.
6. Final Fantasy VII - My first ever Final Fantasy game and the game that started my love for RPGS. Seeing Midgar for the first time was so awe inspiring. It was also the first game that made me appreciate video game music.
7. Persona 5 - What an amazing game and possibly the best soundtrack of any game ever. Is also the first JRPG in which I actually enjoyed every single party member and it also has the best combat of any turn based game.
8. Fallout: New Vegas - Replayed the game earlier this year and the games RPG elements are so well done. Really hoping Obsidian gets another crack at a Fallout game in the near future.
9. Xenogears - Amazing game with an equally impressive soundtrack. Fei might actually be my favorite JRPG protagonist as well.
10. Valkyria Chronicles - I only played this game this generation with the remastered release and I'm glad I did. I love the story and if it wasn't for Tidus and Yuna, Welkin and Alicia would be my favorite love story in a JRPG.
Honorable mentions
11. Dragon Age: Inquisition - My favorite cast of characters in the Dragon Age series. They all felt so well written and I loved the world so much I replayed the game 3 times 1 for each class (warrior, mage, and rogue).
12. Assassins Creed Origins- Just finished it so it might be receny bias, but it has one of the best quest lines (The Crocodile) in gaming history and it had me feeling the whole range of the emotional spectrum.
13. Suikoden II - Best in the series in everything from building up your HQ to the story and villain.
14. Fable II - Another best in series and hoping we get a new Fable game soon.
15. Chrono Trigger - Great cast of characters and soundtrack.
16. Mass Effect 2 - Such an improvement on combat from the 1st game and full of memorable characters and moments that made me tear up.
17. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - Stepping out of that prison for the first time was so awe inspiring back on 360 and with the new 4k patch on Xbox 1X has me planning a new playthrough soon.
18. Dragon Age: Origins - I love Bioware games. Such an amazing game and I always struggle in picking my favorite in the series between this and Inquisition.
19. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind - One of the most memorable settings in any video game.
20. Mass Effect 3 - Great game and fitting end to the trilogy.
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Horizon Zero Dawn
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Fallout 3
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy VII
Persona 5
Fallout: New Vegas
Xenogears
Valkyria Chronicles
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Dragon Age: Inquisition
Assassins Creed Origins
Suikoden II
Fable II
Chrono Trigger
Mass Effect 2
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Dragon Age: Origins
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Mass Effect 3
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Star Wars: Knight of the Old Republic
Dragon Age Origins
Fallout 1
Ultima 7: The Black Gate
Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn
Witcher 3
Divinity Original Sin 2
System Shock 2
Deus Ex 1
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Tyranny
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy 6
Mass Effect 2
Planescape Torment
Neverwinter Nights 2
Fallout: New Vegas
Elderr Scrolls 3: Morrowind
Wizardry 7
Persona 5
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Suikoden II
What can I say about this game. It's got an amazing fleshed out world and has one of the largest cast of an RPG with each character having a well developed background (Just ask Richmond and he'll tell you). Luca Blight is probably one of my favorite villains, so there is that too.
Chrono Trigger
Short and sweet time travel RPG with a colorful cast of characters. The combo tech system is awesome. I never got all 13 endings but with each time I play it get closer to seeing all of them. Favorite one is the Developers Room.
Valkyrie Profile
I am a big fan of Norse Mythology but more so, I love this games focus on individual characters / Einherjar and events leading up to their deaths before they are recruited by Valkyrie to fight for Odin and impending Ragnarok.
Final Fantasy VI
First FF game I beat and one of the first RPGs I've ever played. I like how there is unique character abilities which is much more elaborate than what SE has did prior to this game. Sabin with his Blitz, Cyan's Sword Techs, and Edgar's Tools, each character had unique skills like this.
Phantasy Star IV
This is my first RPG. I just happened to play FF6 around the same time. so both games are highly memorial to me. I love the sci-fi direction. It also has a Combo spell system. I love the cast of characters and how different they are from each other comprised of multiple races from different planets and backgrounds.
Dragon Quest VIII
I think the world in this game is one of the best case of a traditional world map with towns and villages to scale and not tiny setpieces on the overworld. I really like the skill system and 3rd person combat view. Thanks to the games excellent art direction, it visually still holds up to this day.
Tales of Vesperia
Not the first Tales game I've beaten but it's certainly my favorite. My favorite aspect about this game is probably the lead character Yuri Lowell being one of the best leads in the series in the longest time. Glad I'll get to revisit this game again with the upcoming re-release.
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
I've put over 700 hours into this game according to my Steam profile. I have played it with tons of mods, the amazing thing is the how much lore and how everything is cohesive in terms of world design the game is. You can pick up a teacup carry it half way across the town, drop it. and come back 10 hours later and the teacup will be exactly where you left it. While not the strongest game in terms of narrative, there aren't many other open world RPGs that fulfill the kind of things you can do in an Elder Scrolls game.
Disgaea 5
The most refined game in the series mechanically. From the first game and getting to this point everything really has been streamlined for the better. There are so many improvements is ridiculous how far this series comes along. While the Anime tropings may not be for anyone, the strategy RPG elements and over-the-top craziness being able do damage in the trillions cannot be understated. This game is pure chaos.
Star Ocean: The Second Story
I am a big fan of tri-Ace's output which is why I must mention my favorite Star Ocean game. So many different ways to play it with the many recruits. Also with two lead characters there is some minor changes for some replay value. It's definitely worth a playthrough. If you like some Sci-fi style RPGs as opposed to a pure high fantasy game, check this out.
--VOTE INFO START—
<HIGHLIGHT VOTE– 4 points>
Suikoden II
</HIGHLIGHT VOTE– 4 points>
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy VI
Phantasy Star IV: End of the Millenium
Valkyrie Profile
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Tales of Vesperia
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Disgaea 5
Star Ocean: The Second Story
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Lufia II: Curse of the Sinistrals
Resonance of Fate
The Witcher III
Persona 4 Golden
Final Fantasy X
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
I started playing RPGs on GB and PS1. As a kid, I was attracted by big budget jRPGs like Final Fantasy but also by social experiences like Pokémon. Hence, I'd say my favorite RPG of all time is Final Fantasy VII; it's a hard choice because there are plenty of others but that's probably the game summing up how a jRPG should be: great music, wonderful atmosphere, not-too-cliché, well-paced. I liked the fact that the story was about a group of terrorists against a big firm-state, very dystopian. Pokémon is a close second, especially the second generation. There is one thing that might group the two games together: the environmental message. In Final Fantasy VII you have this corporation draining the Earth's resources and creating an hostile environments while in Pokémon you have firms polluting and a mafia-like group of people that exploits Pokémon to earn money. Chrono Trigger must be there, of course. Objectively, Chrono Trigger is perhapes the greatest jRPG ever created; I recently replayed it on 3DS and it was phenomenal. Battle system is pretty fast and addictive and plot and scenario are very touching. Against what people are saying, I enjoyed a lot The Legend of Dragoon; replaying now after about 20 years and I still find the game pretty interesting, especially the scenario; I think Sony at that time poured a lot of efforts in creating a believable world. On DS, I played plenty of jRPGs; from top franchises to super niche ones. Two in particular were top-notch: The World Ends with You, which was mentioned by many people already and Contact, which probably would make the final list. I feel, though, to mention it because it was a groundbreaking experience, very similar to Earthbound, but much crazier and innovative.
--VOTE INFO START—
<HIGHLIGHT VOTE– 4 points>
Final Fantasy VII
</HIGHLIGHT VOTE– 4 points>
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Pokémon Gold/Silver
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy IX
The Legend of Dragoon
The World Ends With You
Shin Megami Tensei IV
Yo-kai Watch
Pokémon GO
Contact
Advance Wars Dual Strike
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Final Fantasy VIII
Pokémon Blue/Red
Dragon Quest IX
Earthbound
Fantasy Life
Kingdom Hearts
Final Fantasy VI
Suikoden II
Bravely Default
Parasite Eve 2
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Highlight:Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn
Still the one I will always recommend first, my favorite classic, and thanks to the expansion an epic follow up to the intimate low level beginnings of Baldur's Gate 1. Compared to old and new infinity style RPGs this game doesn't do everything best, but presents a complete package without meaningful downsides and is overloaded with quests and narratives of different scale and depth, great itemization and character customization, and white knuckle battle encounters in an established and popular universe.
Ultima Underworld: The Stygian Abyss
Together with System Shock the essential immersive dungeon simulator with many groundbreaking innovations, some seemingly ubiquitous today and others rarely seen again. You will scribble rudimentary notes on your ingame map, meet numerous factioned NPCs, learn a new language, think up and remember rune spells, and discover secret shrines to enhance your skills while slowly exploring the dangerous abyss. Without proper ingame journal, or help in general, this is a game for pen, notebook and keen senses in a tense low resolution underground adventure.
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
Occasionally dismissed because of somewhat lackluster quests or story, this action RPG offers some of the best combat against large foes, coupled with an eerie and memorable atmosphere both above and under ground. Features my favorite character creator with fun classes, awesome magic, and customization. Dark Arisen adds some more twisted challenge to a game that often suprised me with an exciting old school dungeon crawler charme when struggling in the dark.
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King, Final Fantasy IX, Xenoblade Chronicles, Monster Hunter: Stories and The World Ends With You
My "feel good RPGs": DQ8 is probably my favorite Dragon Quest, FF9 probably my favorite Final Fantasy, and XBC an awe inspiring and world crossing journey I will always fondly reminisce about.
Monster Hunter: Stories recontextualizes many of the fierce foes of mainline Monster Hunter to adorable "Monstie" partners in this delightful and astonishingly good looking 3DS roleplaying adventure. The combat is rather straight forward, but managed to weave in monster personalities satisfyingly for me, while the customization retained just enough depth to make me brood over equipment and Monstie choices, especially in end game and multiplayer.
This ride is a sunday morning rollercoaster of light hearted rapid fire MH goofiness, and will make you want to wear pyjamas and eat cornflakes all day.
And The World Ends With You is just a cool game that stays in your head, yeah!
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Ultima Underworld
Fallout 2
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Planescape: Torment
Final Fantasy IX
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
Xenoblade Chronicles
The World Ends With You
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Ultima Online
Gothic
Final Fantasy XII
Mass Effect
Fallout: New Vegas
Persona 3: Portable
Phantasy Star Online
Monster Hunter: Stories
Shadowrun: Dragonfall
Prey (2017)
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
I'll just be reposting my list from last year, since I didn't really play anything significant enough to make the list since then.
Also, this is probably just me, but I found the voting ballot format at the end kind of confusing. It mixes hyphens, em, and en dashes in a way that I can't tell if it's intentional or not. Not that it really matters since most people will just copy-paste it, but in case the different dashes are significant, anyone writing it by hand will probably get it wrong.
Sunless Sea (Highlight)
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
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 also a simple Persona styled character bonding system and 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 quest giver. 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
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 most other Ys games, a joy to play. Even after a bunch of new, more modern releases, Ys Origin is still the pinnacle of the franchise.
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 Era 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 real-time fantasy RPG that never really stands out in any way whatsoever. Its second expansion, Storm of Zehir, is even worse, with practically non-existent 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.
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Growlanser Wayfarer of Time
Planescape Torment
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
Fire Emblem Fates
Knights in the Nightmare
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Pyre
Trails in the Sky Second Chapter
Ys Origin
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<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
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
EarthBound
Pokémon Gold&Silver
Chrono Trigger
Undertale
Dragon Quest IV
Mario&Luigi: Superestar Saga
Paper Mario
Pokémon Black&White
Kingdom Hearts
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Pokémon Red&Blue
Final Fantasy IX
Dragon Quest II
Final Fantasy VI
Persona 5
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Super Mario RPG
Final Fantasy I
Dragon Quest I
EarthBound Beginnings
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Pokemon Gold/Silver
Mass Effect 2
Bloodborne
Assassin's Creed Origins
The Witcher 3
Xenoblade Chronicles
Final Fantasy VII
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Valkyria Chronicles
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana
Persona 5
Persona 3
Resonance of Fate
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
Borderlands
Horizon Zero Dawn
Vagrant Story
Fire Emblem Awakening
Shin Megami Tensei IV
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
--VOTE INFO END--
God damn seeing all your lists reminds me of all the games I need to catch up on still. So many amazing games out there. I sometimes think that it would be for the best if games would just stop coming out so I could play everything I missed in all those years. I'm sure I'd have more than enough to play for a lifetime even in just the RPG genre haha
I'll preface this by saying that I'm terrible at coming up with rankings, which is why I appreciate that only 3 tiers exist for this vote. Makes it easier. I'm still certain that I'll miss some games that I'm later gonna think I should have mentioned, and I'm also certain that some games will now be in the honorable mentions pick that would be in the normal nominations the next day. I'm going to refrain from changing my list, though, as that would be a never-ending process.
Also, only JRPGs here. If you're not interested in those, don't waste your time reading my ramblings. :P
Highlight Vote
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
This game was the primary reason I wanted a GameCube back when I was 8 – 9 years old, and the game didn't disappoint once I got it. It remains my favourite game of all time. There are plenty of reasons for this: The game has a delightful story that, while generally lighthearted (this is a Mario game after all) gets unexpectedly dark in places and grips you despite its relative simplicity.
Being split up into different chapters with mostly self-contained scenarios, it takes you from a village of friendly Koopas being tormented by a Dragon to a town in eternal darkness where people get turned into pigs, from a wrestling-style tournament held in a flying arena to helping a detective solve a case aboard a luxury train, from being shipwrecked on an island that serves as a skeleton pirate's hideout to a secret base on the Moon.
The characters are varied and colorful, despite many of them being based on Mario series mainstays such as Koopas, Toads and Goombas, with completely new designs thrown into the mix.
The highlight for me, though, is its simple battle system, which is based around Mario and one of his partners fighting an array of enemies. HP and damage output remain low throughout (with the final boss having 150 HP), and almost all attacks can be deflected to not only take no damage if you're playing well, but also dishing out damage in return during the enemies turn. It makes for interesting battles, because you're always looking to execute the commands with the right timing to dish out as much and take as little damage as possible. On level up, there are only 3 stats to increase – HP, FP (used for special attacks) and BP. Using BP, you can equip various badges you can find, buy or get throughout the game, with which you can further customize your stats and attacks. This can be used in various ways to break the game and allows for a varied playstyle while staying simple for first-timers.
The game is simple and thus suited for beginners but remains a wonderful game even for those that have been playing video games in general and JRPGs in particular for ages. And that's why I love it so much. I still regularly replay it.
Votes
Persona 4 Golden
Fantastic game that manages to suck you into it's (relatively normal) world. Its strongest point is the characters and their interactions. Much of the game is spent interacting with the people around you, building relationships and learning more about them, and it's honestly my favourite part of the game. Your relationships influence the battling during the JRPG-portion of the game, in which you traverse randomly generated dungeons. The battle system is based exploiting enemies' weaknesses to gain additional turns or starting all-out attacks to gain an advantage. The main character can use multiple Personas to achieve this, and fusing Personas is key to get good attacks and buff/debuff spells. If the difficulty is too high or you just want to enjoy the world, characters and the story (which is very good but gets confusing, especially towards the end), the game offers a mode where you can always be revived, and is thus very accessible. If that is too easy, though, there are several other difficulty modes with varying degrees of challenge.
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Fire Emblem Echoes is a remake of Fire Emblem Gaiden, a Famicom game that was very different from it's predecessor. It remained quite unlike most other Fire Emblem games, as the series reverted to the style of the first game with Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem, and the remake keeps most of these "odd" aspects. Despite this, due to its excellent presentation including a nice artstyle and excellent English voice acting for almost all dialogue, it became my favourite game in the series. The general gameplay received quite the upgrade from Gaiden, with explorable dungeons now being traversed as a full 3D environment more similar to more modern JRPGs. The battle system, being a grid-based strategy RPG, remains similar to Gaiden, with magic costing HP to use. The only downside of this game compared to most other Fire Emblem games is its map design, with maps taken almost verbatim from Gaiden, which often contain a lot of empty space and some cheap placements.
A great aspect added for the remake is the now series mainstay "Casual mode" which turns of permadeath, but exclusive to this game as an alternative method that can serve as an in-between called Mila's turnwheel, which allows you to revert turns if something went wrong in most situations. This makes for a nice safety net and helps to get through the harder parts of the game.
Fire Emblem being my favourite game series I could have put pretty much any Fire Emblem game here (and I highly recommend them all), but I want my normal vote list to be a bit more varied. Some other highlight FE games will be included in the honorable mentions picks, but I honestly think they're all fantastic games.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Another Mario RPG, which impresses for mostly the same reasons as Paper Mario TTYD. This game doesn't have a segmented storyline and takes place in the Beanbean Kingdom, with most characters being based on some form of bean. There are many jokes made relating to beans, which make for a pretty funny game. Both the battle system and world traversal are based on controlling Mario and Luigi, who are tethered together for most of the game, with a dedicated button each, and it makes for interesting gameplay that integrates well with the Mario series.
A 3DS remake exists, and I think it's quite good, but the GBA original holds up very well, so which version is the one to play is really up to taste and price.
Mother 3
A very unique JRPG. The biggest standout is the rhythm combo system incorporated into it's battle system, which ties the background music to your battle style. Depending on the battle music, of which there are tons, you have to find the right rhythm to press the attack button after attacking to keep the combo going. There's a maximum of sixteen hits per attack, but this is difficult to achieve. There are battle items that isolate a "heartbeat", which you can use as a guideline for comboing. Besides this, the game is rather weird and silly in spots, but that's what makes it unique.
EarthBound
As with Mother 3, the game is weird and silly, but much darker than one would expect. It has nice 16 bit graphics plus a unique and pretty cool soundtrack. It doesn't feature its successors combo battle system, but it does have the rolling HP bar, which, even after a mortal blow, allows you to act for a few seconds based on your HP rolling down to act and prevent a game over or a knocked out companion. This can make for hectic battles, even though the game is turn-based. Mother 3 also uses this system.
Grandia II
It's been a while since I played it, but what stuck with me is the enjoyable battle system, the funny-but-serious storyline and the nice music. I'm mostly including it since I suspect it to be underrepresented and I think that anyone already into JRPGs would greatly enjoy it.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
The game got a lot of hate for some stupid character design choices, but if you at all manage to overlook some of the more egregious character designs (many of which are contained to rare blades which you might not even obtain), it's a wonderful game. I love some of the character interactions and consider the main cast to be one of the best in any game simply for those moments. While the battle system takes a while to wrap your head around, once it clicks, it's very fun. Definitely an overlooked game only marred by the use of clichés and some unfitting character design choices. I highly recommend it if you can look past these issues.
Bravely Default
I debated going with Bravely Second here, and recommend it just as much as Default, but I decided to go with the first game, since this is also supposed to help people find new games to play.
Bravely Default has a rather unique artstyle and battle system, which manages to be a throwback to JRPGs past and yet remains fresh. In battle, you can use up turns in advance to dish out a lot of damage at once, making the character unable to act for a while, or you can accumulate turns beforehand to reduce the risk. It's always important to think about which character should wait or which should attack in advance, and it makes for interesting strategies. There is an infamous part of the story that makes you repeat some actions, but I consider it to be not that bad, since it really doesn't take up that much time – unless you get sidetracked.
Dragon Quest VIII
A very concise cast of characters and a very concise story paired with a nice artstyle and entertaining dialogue with great voice acting. Where the first Dragon Quest popularized basic JRPG gameplay, this game perfects it, all while being utterly charming. I personally recommend the 3DS version due to it's quality-of-life improvements (especially ditching the random encounters), but this is again up to preference.
Honorable mentions:
The Fire Emblem games
I picked out a couple more, but many of the same reasons for Echoes apply here. I particularly want to point out the combined story of Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn, the pixel art for the sprite animations in Thracia 776's battles, and Awakening, Sacred Stones and the second GBA game which was simply titled Fire Emblem and was the first one released in English for being good entry points. But all Fire Emblem games are worth a look, really.
Mario and Luigi: Bowsers Inside Story
Most of the stuff here can be taken from the above segment about Superstar Saga. This game however adds the concept of Mario and Luigi being inside Bowser's body, while you play Bowser for most of the actual world traversal. The game uses the DS's to screens to make this concept work, and Mario and Luigi's actions inside Bowser affect Bowser's behavior and help him on his journey. It's a very interesting variation of the Mario & Luigi concept and many people's favourite game in the series (though I prefer Superstar Saga).
Super Paper Mario
This game is different from the other ones that I picked in that it is not a turn based game. It's an action RPG-type thing that takes heavy inspiration from Mario's 2D sidescrollers, but adds RPG elements, a crazy story and crazy characters and environments to the mix. It also has a gimmick in which Mario changes from the 2D to the 3D plane, which makes for interesting puzzle solving. Honestly a very underrated game.
Paper Mario
Much of the stuff I wrote about Paper Mario TTYD applies here. The game is a bit less "different" (Bowser is the clear bad guy here from start to finish, for example) from other Mario games than TTYD is. It also doesn't have the counter mechanic in it's battle system, and your partners are less useful than in TTYD. Still a very good game.
Persona 5
Many of the same reasons from Persona 4 apply, although I think most aspects are slightly weaker than it its predecessor. Still a cool game and its presentation is top notch (and quite a step above Persona 4's.) The music's cool, too.
--VOTE INFO START—
<HIGHLIGHT VOTE– 4 points>
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
</HIGHLIGHT VOTE– 4 points>
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Persona 4 Golden
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Mother 3
Earthbound
Grandia II
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Bravely Default
Dragon Quest VIII
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Fire Emblem Awakening
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Fire Emblem
Fire Emblem: Thracia 776
Mario & Luigi: Bowsers Inside Story
Super Paper Mario
Paper Mario
Persona 5
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
1. Final Fantasy XII - Back in 2006, I thought this was the best game ever made. It is a story about war and politics. I loved every bit of it. I love the combat, the Gambit system, the license board. Voice acting and sound are great. I haven't revisited the game via the HD Remaster yet but I don't think it will change my opinion about this great game.
2. Diablo III: Reaper of Souls - Logged in about 3000+ hours on this game, spanning 5 Seasons. This is the most recent game that I've been competitive with. It is a time sink, but the loot system is generous in my opinion.The story campaign is ok, but the meat of the game is in the Adventure Mode end-game that was introduced in the Reaper of Souls expansion. Community is also great. Lots of helpful people on Diablo III Gaf Era and on Reddit.
3. Marvel Ultimate Alliance - X-Men Legends was great, but this game upped the ante. It is a Marvel fan service game. I am not an avid comic reader, so this game introduced me to a lot of Marvel Comics characters that I'm not familiar with. Great cast of playable characters. Even if you're not an avid comic reader, you will still find lots of characters that are familiar, at least if you watched some cartoons and movies. Gameplay is good, easy to pick up and play. Story is decent. Voice acting and dialogue are also great.
4. Final Fantasy X-2 - After the sad game that is Final Fantasy X comes this great sequel with a kind of an upbeat vibe. Loved that intro. Job system is great. Gameplay-wise, it is one of the best games I've ever played. Waifus.
5. Planescape: Torment - I've only played this recently with Beamdog's Enhanced Edition. I enjoyed my time with it. This game is great but really hard to recommend. It is boring to watch someone play this on Twitch. But when I'm playing, I love every second of it. I loved getting lost in this world. Lots of reading but its worth it. One of the best stories ever.
6. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - Great Star Wars story. Plot twist was cool. Great music. I did not understand much of the combat but the story kept me going.
7. Pillars of Eternity - This was my first CRPG experience. Hard to learn but very rewarding. I cheesed some battles and I felt good about them.
8. Mass Effect 2 - One of the best intros in gaming. Great cast of characters. Became more of an action game compared to the first game, but still very enjoyable.
9. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII - One of my favorite PSP games. Game has a lot to offer. Good story, good amount of sidequest and rewards. Spent a lot of my time crafting materia until my character became overpowered.
10. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - First Elder Scrolls game that I played and finished. Great story, great amount of side content. I also just love playing games where my character can be overpowered so I can steamroll the rest of the game.
--VOTE INFO START—
<HIGHLIGHT VOTE– 4 points>
Final Fantasy XII
</HIGHLIGHT VOTE– 4 points>
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls
Marvel Ultimate Alliance
Final Fantasy X-2
Planescape: Torment
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Pillars of Eternity
Mass Effect 2
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Legend of Legaia
Fable
Bastion
Breath of Fire III
Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout 3
Jade Empire
Pokemon Ultra Sun / Ultra Moon
X-Men Legends 2
Parasite Eve
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
World of Warcraft
Wild ARMs
Chrono Cross
Final Fantasy 6
Final Fantasy 9
Fallout 2
Xenogears
Deus Ex
Mass Effect
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Planescape Torment
Dragon Age Origins
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2
Fallout
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magic Obscura
Final Fantasy 4
Shining Force 2
Phantasy Star 4
Skies of Arcadia
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
This game reignited my love of RPGs. I was honestly growing tired of the genre the few years leading up to this game then this came along and completely blew me out of the water. It felt the perfect actualization of the old school 16bit RPGs but in 3d that I had been waiting for. It played on old tropes but didnt feel cliche, it really felt like an adventure with such a great world to explore, and I had so much fun just exploring for hours. The story was full of twists, the characters were endearing, the fights were challenging but fair. And the combat system was incredibly fun. I understand the auto attacks with the cool down time were not for everyone but once you got used to them they made so much sense and were just fun to do especially when making chain attacks. It was kind of like a blend of turn based and real time action that kind of reminded me of Secret Of Mana in certain ways. I understand other genres and games feature cool down and auto attacks but they worked so well here. But overall ot just excelled in so many fields, exploration, story, combat, music (omg the music), leveling, town building, relationship building, side quests, crafting. It was around about 100 hours and it was fun from start to finish.
I look forward to seeing people's explanations again. The thread on the old forum had lots of good posts in it. I'll get to work on rewriting my own list later this week.
HIGHLIGHT: Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 1 & 2
The Digital Devil Saga duology is my favorite game ever. The story (heavily influenced by hinduism), characters, atmosphere, combat and music are all top tiers.
FULL POINT GAMES
Vagrant Story is a dark tale with some of the best written characters ever made. The scenario was written by the amazing Yasumi Matsuno while the music was composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto. A masterpiece.
Valkyrie Profile is a tragic story with an intense plot and interesting characters. The fighting system is a lot of fun. The divine music was composed by Motoi Sakuraba.
Suikoden II is a masterpiece. Nothing to say about it, everyone knows it well.
Final Fantasy VII. Same here.
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne. One of the best art directions I know, thanks to creative director Kazuma Kaneko. This post-apocalyptic and metaphysical story is extremely well-crafted. The Music by Shoji Meguro is unique and fits perfectly this dark and weird Vortex World. The atmosphere of this game is outstanding.
Bloodborne is the best Soulsborne game in my opinion. One of the best combat in a video game, an amazing atmosphere and intriguing characters and plot.
Dark Souls has the best level-design in any game. The discovery of Lordran is one of my best memories.
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is unique. Its story takes place in the Schwarzwelt, a black hole in the center of Antartica. Characters are well developed and the atmosphere is perfect. It was heavily influenced by western sci-fi movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Thing or even Aliens. The last true project of Kazuma Kaneko.
XCOM 2: War of the Chosen. Some may argue it's not a true RPG but there is character personnalisation and growth, the system is tactical-RPG in its core, etc. This is one of the best games ever made.
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Vagrant Story
Valkyrie Profile
Suikoden II
Final Fantasy VII
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
Bloodborne
Dark Souls
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
XCOM 2: War of the Chosen
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Suikoden
Final Fantasy Tactics
Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen
Dark Souls III
Suikoden III
Suikoden V
Final Fantasy VIII
Shadow Hearts: Covenant
Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria
Crimson Shroud
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Final Fantasy VI: Personally I was not introduced to this game until around 2001 or so, and did not fully complete it until 2014 but even then the game stood the test of time. The music, the characters, the story and the visuals all still resonated with me and for me is the closest to a perfect game that I think has ever been made.
--VOTE INFO START—
<HIGHLIGHT VOTE– 4 points>
Final Fantasy VI
</HIGHLIGHT VOTE– 4 points>
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Final Fantasy VII
Chrono Trigger
Radiant Historia
Persona 4
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Tales of Symphonia
Skies of Arcadia
Pokemon Red / Blue
Final Fantasy X
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Lost Odyssey
Lunar Silver Star Story
Golden Sun
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
Final Fantasy IX
Knights of the Old Republic
Bravely Default
Kingdom Hearts
Persona 5
Xenosaga: Episode 1
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 3
The Witcher
The Witcher 2
Horizon : Zero Dawn
Torment : Tides of Numenera
Tyranny
Fire Emblem : Awakening
Life is Strange
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Pillars of Eternity
Dragon Age Inquisition
Shadowrun Returns
The Council
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
--VOTE INFO END--
I will begin by the end : for me, playing a RPG, it's making choices. You don't need a level system, a character creation or even a battle system : if you give player choices that matter, you're a RPG. If you don't give choices or use fake choices, you are an action-adventure game.
This is why for me, Life is Strange is more a RPG than most of JRPG or even some WRPG. This is also why I don't quote The Witcher 3 : The Witcher 3 has the best gameplay of the serie, but he ignores every choice make before (except ONE choice). Mass Effect 3 and Dragon Age Inquisition take a lot more into account the previous choices.
I won't describe each game of this list. I think they give a lot of choices and aren't Manichean. For exemple, I did every ending of The Wicther 2 and even after that, I don't know which one is the best, because all endings have some good points and some bad. The Witcher 2 is a little bit to short, but it's the perfect exemple of how a RPG should use choices.
My favorite thread returns! As always Chrono Trigger is on top. There can be only one, and Chrono Trigger is that one.
A new entry in my list is Final Fantasy VI. I've played this game for the first time last year thanks to the SNES Mini and I think it is one of the best Final Fantasy games ever. It amazes me that a game that is almost 25 years old grabs you and doesn't let go until the end. I also really love the fact that the main antagonist is just pure evil.
Before playing VI I was flipping coins between VII and IX to decide which one got on the list. Now I have to think about another way to decide which Final gets my vote as I only list one game per franchise.
Earthbound is a bit of a slow starter and I had to focus on continuing the game. After the first town it clicked and I fell in love with the game. It's so adorable, from the fact you can get homesick to the way you defeat the final boss. Also. Please. Give me more games with a rolling HP counter and instant deaths for low level enemies.
For the Xenoblade franchise it looks like every new entry is better than the previous one. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 goes above and beyond everything I hoped for the game. And no, it's not too anime, the voice acting isn't that bad and the pacing is just right. Can't wait for the DLC in september!
The Witcher III shows everyone how DLC should be done. Release a fantastic trilogy that has an epic ending and just expand the experience with two major stories. Geralt is a great character, as are all the other characters in the game. There isn't a moment where I was bored even though I've played this game for 100+ hours. The trilogy also comes to a superb conclusion with B&W. The perfect ending for one of the best games ever.
Radiant Historia shows how to do time travel and different dimensions. It comes with a nice combat system that stays interesting until the very end. Also, this is one of the few games where I predicted to plot twist within the first hour of the game. I'm so proud of myself.
Terranigma is one of those unknown games I bought when I was younger. Back then we didn't have no internet. But man I never will forget how this game and the world in it developed as I was playing. One of the gems we European people got, and even though it wasn't enough to compensate for Earthbound, Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI, it made me happy we did get it.
Fallout 1 and 2 were way too difficult for me when they released. I didn't have the patience back than for games that didn't follow a clear path from start to ending. I got lost, and eventually gave up on the games. When Fallout 3 came out I didn't really pay much attention to the game as I was afraid to be overwhelmed once more. Eventually the price dropped below 20 bucks and I decided to give it another go. 100 hours later I finished the game with all the expansions. I'm a Fallout fan ever since.
Dragon Quest was that one franchise that isn't Final Fantasy. Never really cared for it until number VIII released on PS2 but soon after the next generation started and I forgot all about Dragon Quest. A couple of years later I gave the franchise another go with the DS remakes, starting with Dragon Quest IV, and yes, I finally understood what was so awesome about Dragon Quest. A text book example for JRPG's! I've got some entries to go in the franchise but I'll play XI first when it finally releases here.
I'm putting Ni no Kuni 2 on my main list because it is such in improvement over the first entry which was just boring. The combat is faster and better, the city building is great, recruiting is fun and it looks stunning! The game is just a bit too much feelgood and it drags on a little long to make it an instant classic. If Ni no Kuni 3 fixes that, and drops the army battles, it has the potential to be one of the goat.
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Final Fantasy 6
Earthbound
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
The Witcher 3
Radiant Historia
Terranigma
Fallout 3
Dragon Quest 4
Ni no Kuni 2
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Child of Light
Kingdoms of Amalur: The Reckoning
Sword of Hope
Losy Odyssey
Tales of Symphonia
Fable
Borderlands
Pokémon Blue
Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Persona 4 Golden
Earthbound
Chrono Trigger
Fallout: New Vegas
Dark Souls
Xanadu Next
Kingdom Hearts 2
Final Fantasy Tactics
Suikoden 2
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy IX
Pokemon SoulSilver
Mass Effect
Diablo 3
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Divinity: Original Sin
Trails in the Sky: First Chapter
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
--VOTE INFO END--
The Witcher 3 as the highlight vote is a no brainer for me. There is nothing quite like it and probably never will be. The scale and the quality is not matched by anything. And they even recognized the tatoo from The Witcher 2.
Really have to play more RPGs again. But who has the time?
1) Planescape: Torment
2) Xenosaga ep. III: Also sprach Zarathustra
3) Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
4) Chrono Trigger
5) Persona 2: Innocent Sin
7) Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer
8) Xenogears
9) Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
10) Nier
Honorable Mentions:
1) Dark Souls
2) Anachronox
3) Dragon Quest VIII
4) Final Fantasy IX
5) Lufia II
6) Panzer Dragon Saga
7) Tales of Symphonia
8) Baten Kaitos: Origins
9) Infinite Space
10) Terranigma
Highlight Vote:
Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
Pretty much just copied and pasted my usual list, almost nothing changed.
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Fable II
Mass Effect 2
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Dragon Age: Origins
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Mass Effect
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Fallout 3
Mass Effect 3
Fable - The Lost Chapters
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
The Elder Scrolls Online
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
1. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - The Elder Scrolls is not only my favorite series within the genre, but my favorite series in gaming. The world design is second to none, while some like negative space in open worlds, I prefer the micro detail found within Bethesda's games. It gives dungeon crawling and overworld exploration a visceral feeling not found in any other game. The main plots I usually find serviceable, but the lore is ripe with fascinating cultures and places. Skyrim won out over Morrowind and Oblivion due to mods. At some point those games will be entirely remade in Skyrim's engine, extending the life of this RPG powerhouse.
2. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - The Witcher 3 built upon the great storytelling of Assassin of Kings all the while making a gigantic open world to explore on top of it. While the writing may be among the weaker points of the Elder Scrolls, it's a strength in the Witcher series. The Bloody Baron questline is a highlight within the main game, but somehow the DLC manages to be even better. Heart of Stone nails the storytelling while Toussaint tops the main game in terms of level design.
3. Fable II - Fable II's Albion is a whimsical world full of English charm and humor reminiscent of Douglas Adams, Prattchet and Gaiman. The series has always had a wonderful voice cast, while Fable III is more star studded, Zoe Wanamaker, Stephen Fry and Ron Glass give wonderful performances here. Some criticize the lack of challenge within the series, but I find it to be a strength when I just want to sit back and forget my troubles.
4. Mass Effect 2 - I had a hard time choosing between ME1 or 2 here, but ultimately went with 2. The suicide mission may be filler in terms of the trilogy but it ends up strengthening the game overall. The large cast of squadmates is probably the series best. The shooting is tighter than ME1 and the dialogue options while black and white in their morality end up being fun with their polarity.
5. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - This really set the foundation for what Mass Effect would be like. The Ebon Hawk while outdone by the Normandy is still a great hub to interact with your squad members. Again the morality system may be polar, but being evil is too much fun. This is the best Star Wars game which probably won't be matched by EA's current output.
Please use the correct format and motivate your choices people, otherwise the votes may not count. (Read the rules)
It's better to post your list in full with write ups than reserve a post and forget about it later on. This does take more time, but you don't have to write it in one day and you don't have to make a whole review out of it. Personally, I like to read something along the lines of what makes your rpg worth playing or what makes you like this rpg so much in a few sentences.
Nice, finally our own essential RPG list. Thanks for the hard work for everyone who's involved!
Too bad there's no underrated vote this time. Though I perfectly understand as it would be weird if we have to refer to the results of previous years' essential RPGs from the old site.
Make sure you have the ballot form. You can copy it from the OP. Not sure if people are just editing their posts yet, which is a common thing to do so it could well be the case, but you want to have your list (or other sort of text) introducing your choices and then the ballot stub with the format on the bottom of the OP.
Lol, don't know how I was typing that for 9 minutes Thuddert already spoke to this :).
Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals (Highlight) ---------------------------------------------------------- My original introduction to the genre. It will always hold a dear spot in my heart just for that. Beyond that, it is one of the few RPGs that successfully introduced puzzle dungeons into the formula that could rival any Zelda game. It has phenomenal music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBnYGYa6l3M. The story is simplistic, yet satisfying with great characters and honestly surprising/touching moments. Then there is an amazing rogue-like snuck in for good measure called the Ancient Cave that I have sunk upwards of 100 hours in over my life.
Chrono Trigger ----------------------------------------------------------
I'm not sure I have to articulate why Chrono Trigger would be on a Top 10 or even a Top 3 list of RPGs of all time. The SNES classic is such a perfect synthesis of every good trait of the genre. I don't think I could really pick any nits with it. This was Square being at the top of their craft and flexing. It remains one of the few games I've ever replayed immediately after finishing the first time so I could search for alternate endings.
Final Fantasy VI ----------------------------------------------------------
I can pretty much copy and paste what I said about Chrono Trigger here. Kefka is an all time great villain and I still remember how shocked I was when he essentially got what he wanted. I loved and still love the Esper system. Great music, great characters... I always had a tough time choosing my party because I liked so many of them.
--VOTE INFO START—
<HIGHLIGHT VOTE– 4 points>
Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals
</HIGHLIGHT VOTE– 4 points>
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy VI
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC
Pokemon Gold/Silver
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Diablo II
Final Fantasy XII
Seiken Densetsu 3
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Golden Sun
Skies of Arcadia: Legends
Terranigma
Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga
Persona 5
Tales of Symphonia
Stardew Valley
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
1. Kingdom Come: Deliverance - As I put together this list, I had to balance how much I enjoyed the game at the time I first played it versus how much I would enjoy playing it now. Unfortunately, given how games tend to become more enjoyable to play as time goes on and systems are refined, there are many games I loved in the past that I would not enjoy as much if I played them now. This game has the benefit of being very new, which means its systems and gameplay have the benefit of avoiding mistakes made by earlier games. That said, the combat still is not anything special. It gets the job done without boring me or annoying me. Where this game shines is the world-building and the writing. Simply top notch stuff. I can play this game for hours at a time and it still doesn't feel like it's enough.
2. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - The atmosphere and writing for this game is just perfect; the gold standard for sword and sorcery RPGs. Unfortunately the combat, while ok by the standards of a decade ago, has not held up at all.
3. Fallout: New Vegas - Probably the best writing of any game I've played. Every character feels fleshed out; every choice you can make feels substantial. The only reason I can't give this the top spot is due to the glitches and very long load times that plagued my experience.
4. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - The northern setting never appealed to me, so it's a testament to the quality of its overall gameplay that I'm rating it that highly despite the setting. This game will go down as one of the all-time greats for good reason.
5. Demon's Souls - People say that the first Soulsborne game that you play will be your favorite. For me, that's not true. BB was my first, then I played this and no other Soulsborne game can touch it, IMO. The combat, story and atmosphere are exactly what I want out of video games. But even better than those things is the level design. I have to rank this game highly for level 4-2 alone. I went from hating that stage to absolutely loving it by the time I finished it even though I died countless times. Figuring out that stage gave my brain a new wrinkle.
6. Mass Effect - The gameplay was rougher than its sequels but the customization and Mako exploration were things that I enjoyed and sorely missed. And for my money, the writing in this initial game reached a level that the sequels didn't quite match.
7. Dark Souls 3 - The most satisfying Soulsborne combat, which is very high praise.
8. Fable- The atmosphere. Damn, the ATMOSPHERE! The visuals, music and voice acting presented a setting that you could easily lose yourself in. The combat was pretty damn fun as well. My only complaint is that every map felt like a corridor; it ultimately felt like a linear experience, which is not what I want in a game with a world as rich as this. It's like presenting a huge Thanksgiving feast but only letting you eat the corn and potatoes.
9. Mass Effect2 - This sequel perfected the gunplay from the first and had the best climactic stage of any game I've ever played. The only reason it's not higher up is some puzzling narrative choices, particularly the happenings in the first 20 minutes.
10. Xcom 2 - Compelling narrative with white-knuckle combat and consequences. This game finally got me to realize that I loved tactical RPGs.
<FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Fallout: New Vegas
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Demon's Souls
Mass Effect
Dark Souls 3
Fable
Mass Effect 2
Xcom 2
</FULL POINT GAMES – 2 points>
<HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
Dark Souls
Fallout 4
Bloodborne
Mass Effect 3
Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy VI
Chrono Trigger
Dragon Age: Origins
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Dragon Age: Inquisition
</HONORABLE MENTIONS – 1 point>
;)
