What is your favorite RPG series/entry? And explain why!

[Demolition_Human]

I want make a thread to talk about our favorite RPGs or favorite RPG series and what makes them special. Whether it's the graphics, artstyle, game mechanics, battles, story or even characters in it, we are gonna talk about it. So let's discuss.

I'm gonna begin the discussion with probably a rpg that finally got me into RPGs.....Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga. More specifically, the 3DS remake.

I love this game! From the humor to the wonderful colors, it's just so vibrant. But what I really love about Mario and Luigi is the battle system. It's so interactive for a turn based battle system with unique special moves for the Bros and how satisfying it is to pull off the move without a hitch. And it keeps you engaged compared to a regular rpg that is just pushing a button and watching an animation (no offense to those who love those turn based RPGs.)

But anyways, Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga finally got me into RPGs and I honestly couldn't be any happier.

 

[Mitsurugi]

FF9 in my childhood opened the way for me to adore RPGs. Same goes to Chrono Trigger/Cross, Golden Sun and many more great JRPGs

 

[Kamiyouni]

Shin Megami Tensei. The battle syatem is addicting, the story is thought provoking, and the world building is so fascinating. I love the characters and the setting too. ESPECIALLY the setting. Such an ideal RPG. Demon designs are super cool and very Kamen Rider-y, which I'm also an fan of. Kaneko's art is also eye candy.

Pokémon, Yokai Watch, and MonHun are close seconds due to the same reasoning, except more emphasis on world building in Pokémon, yokai lore in Yokai Watch, and combat in MonHun. Pokémon's monsters creating is so complex and flexible when you learn it. YW captures all my weeb tendencies ans MonHun is just addicting fun. I could play that game all day. Also giant monsters are cool af and I have a weakness for kaiju and monsters.

 

[Dougieflesh]

Final Fantasy. They've all been between good-great games for me (except 8 cuz it sucks), and the series opened me up to the JRPG genre.

 

[fbnaulin]

Dragon Quest. It's your classic turn-based JRPG, but I love the lighthearted, humorous, and double meaning in its tone. Every town you visit has its own problems, short stories, and unexpected situations with NPC whose dialogs are tragic, epic and funny at the same time.

As any other RPG series, in Dragon Quest you have to explore, fight monsters, and help people, but it never feels stressful. It's always a welcoming experience, a breeze from start to end.

Dragon Quest is a celebration of adventure, heroism and life.

 

[makonero]

Mother/Earthbound. I can't pick a favorite because all of them have great things I love. The original game has such amazing music, freedom to move through a huge world, a poignant story and some really cool enemy designs. Earthbound is amazing for a lot of the same reasons, but also just how it felt true to life as a kid in the 80s/90s. Mother 3 is the best story-wise about capitalism, safety, environmentalism, memory and so much more. I love them all so much.

 

[Marukoban]

SaGa series.
Always love games that dare to think outside the box and have different approach, with tight gameplay design. For me generally gameplay >> story, except for maybe Xenogears/Xenosaga.
I also like to play games with various "complicated" system. The fun is in understanding the system and try to break it.
SaGa offers those and is pretty much one of few series with heavy emphasis on those things.

 

[Paul]

Fallout - specifically FO1,2 and New Vegas. Fallout 2 and Arcanum are still golden standard of player agency. You can be a moron, scientist, junkie, slaver, slave, pornstar, gravedigger, childkiller, sniper, boxer, martial artist...anything goes in Fallout 2 and to my knowledge, not a single AAA modern 3D game matched that level of freedom and player agency.

Witcher trilogy - ultra atmospheric, slavic, extremely well written and artistic series

There are more brilliant games/series like Vampire Bloodlines, Gothic, Deus Ex..but those first two rule.

When I was opening this thread I didn't expect to see Mario and Luigi there in OP..

 

[cdm00]

Dragon Quest. Granddaddy of JRPGs. Monster designs are sublime (it's why I prefer the Monsters games over the mainline series). DQV really brought the series to the front of my head when I was 10, 11. I played V and it was some next level shit, it's my favorite game of all time. XI is literally DQ in HD, which is all I wanted.

 

[monmagman]

Do ARPG's count as well?
If so Bloodborne.........I don't really need to explain why to anyone on these boards,do I?

 

[Demolition_Human]

Mother/Earthbound. I can't pick a favorite because all of them have great things I love. The original game has such amazing music, freedom to move through a huge world, a poignant story and some really cool enemy designs. Earthbound is amazing for a lot of the same reasons, but also just how it felt true to life as a kid in the 80s/90s. Mother 3 is the best story-wise about capitalism, safety, environmentalism, memory and so much more. I love them all so much.

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You have no idea how badly I wanna play earthbound. It's literally one of the reasons I planning on purchasing a New 2DS XL, just for the SNES virtual console.

 

[Alberto Robert]

I think I love too many series in general to pick one, but if it counts I guess I could say that my favorite series of them all is the Infinity Engine CRPGs. Baldurs gate 1 and 2, Icewind Dale 1 and 2 and Planescape: Torment.

Each game has it's own balance and focus, Baldurs gate 1 and 2 balances story and gameplay, not focusing on one or the other too much and ended up being one of the most acclaimed RPG series of all time for having great combat and a well thought out story with a satisfying conclussion. Icewind Dale 1 and 2 focused more on combat and the story just an excuse to go to the nearest dungeon and try your different party configurations.
Planescape: Torment has pretty much the best videogame story ever written, entwining its themes of Torment and the nature of humanity to the very last detail, at the expense of pretty much ruining the gameplay and feel of the combat that Baldurs Gate and Icewind Dale had achieved (this is not a problem if you make a mage character though).

They scratch every itch you may have for an RPG. Want a great story? Planescape torment it is. Want a good combat system with many playstyles? Icewind Dale 1 and/or 2 it is. Want great combat and great overarching story? Baldurs gate then.

 

[Deleted member 13645]

This is incredibly difficult to choose. I think for me it has to be Warcraft/World of Warcraft.

Warcraft 3 was one of my favorite games when I was young and when they came out with World of Warcraft is was mind blowing to me. Suddenly I was inside this world that I had seen from above for so long. Where Orgrimmar had been a small collection of huts in the RTS, Thrall a character I controlled from above, I was now walking around inside the city, the cliffs towering over me, Thrall greeting me as a member of the Horde. I remember sitting on the character creation screen amazed at the choices, it was such a hard decision! I was amazed that I could be an Undead. I had remembered the Scourge in Warcraft 3, and yet I could experience the world as one?! Or maybe I should be an Orc like Thrall. Staring at all the racial abilities and perks, trying to really decide who I wanted to be inside that world, it was so amazing to me.

Those first few years of playing it was by far the most i've ever been immersed in a game. I was inside the World of Warcraft. I had stepped into the RTS i'd played for years. I was transported to a different world that I could explore.

I think in terms of raw gameplay or story there are easily other games that i'd put above it, such as Mass Effect, but in terms of flat out roleplaying and immersion and being put into a different world as a different person, WoW takes the cake for me and nothing comes close.

 

[Netherscourge]

#1. Witcher
#2. Elder Scrolls
#3. Baldur's Gate
#4. Final Fantasy
#5. Ultima

^Those are my all time favorite RPG series.

 

[makonero]

You have no idea how badly I wanna play earthbound. It's literally one of the reasons I planning on purchasing a New 2DS XL, just for the SNES virtual console.

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Also pick up Monster Hunter Stories, Etrian Osdysey 4, and Ever Oasis!

 

[Deleted member 4037]

Persona

Amazing stories, characters, music, unique gameplay structure, there is too much to love in these games. When I say persona I am more talking about the new ones, the older ones have aged poorly in certain aspects, P2 has a great story, but that gameplay is harsh. P3-5 is where the magic is, I love all of them and each really does something new to make them standout, Persona 3 has the best story, Persona 4 has the more intimate feel that makes the cast and hangouts the best, and P5 has just a major overhaul to the gameplay and style which is fantastic. Overall I think P5 is the best one, the gameplay improvements cant be ignored and it still has amazing characters and story to bring you along on an amazing journey.

 

[Ushay]

There are many to pick, but the big ones for me were Baldurs Gate 1 & 2 and Deus Ex. One had a focus on companion integration while the other broke new ground in merging shooter and RPG mechanics into the 3D genre.

Each of these influenced my taste in RPG as a genre.

 

[Torpedo Vegas]

Mass Effect. The 1st one, because Wrex supported all my bad decisions to just shoot someone to fix problems.

 

[No Depth]

Final Fantasy 1 was the game that pretty much made me an RPG fan. I mean I have played RPG's prior(DQ1 with Nintendo Power promo and some PC stuff like M&M and Bard's Tale), but it wasn't until FF1 and the NP strategy guide issue that I fell in love with an RPG videogame.

Then FF4 arrived on SNES and RPG's became my favorite genre. The storytelling, characters, and twists were perfectly executed and super dramatic for my 10 year old brain. FF4 is arguably my favorite in terms of nostalgia, but later entries like 5, 6, 9, or even 12 are more proficient games. (Meanwhile I loathe FFXV with a fiery passion where I bristle at the mere mention of it)

 

[Deleted member 33533]

Xenoblade Chronicles X is my favorite RPG. I was a big fan of the original Xenoblade before I played this one but it just blew me away. The game has the best open world I have ever played. Planet Mira is beautiful with tons of interesting and unique sights, secrets to find, tons of verticality and good level design. It's one of those open worlds where you can stand in a spot and spin the camera 360 degrees and find something interesting on the horizon in pretty much every direction. It's not surprising that the people behind this helped create Hyrule in Breath of the Wild.

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Exploration is rewarding and challenging. There's a great sense of danger in Mira that adds an element of tension to the exploration without making it frustrating. You really have to think outside the box and use all of the terrain to make your way around safely. Also just simply moving through the world is fun and engaging. The sprinting speed, the super jumps, the transforming mechs... it all feels so fine tuned. I never felt like I wasn't moving fast enough or too fast to skip by interesting things. Being able to seamlessly go from running on foot to jumping into your mech and then flying is breathtaking, especially because there are no loading zones in the game. The game has a great battle system that can get really complex if you put the time into it. I love how customizable all the classes are with the plethora of weapons types, skills and arts and the focus on making different builds. The battle system is real time but with skills on cooldown and auto attacks yet it has a brisk pace and you are encouraged to move around a lot in battle. It really blends a strategic element with an action one and I feel like it's the perfect pace of battle for a Xenoblade game to have. Jumping into your mech mid battle is so fun and they have such over-the-top weapons that it's always fun to just blast away enemies with a huge drill or laser cannon. The monsters you fight are so varied and interesting, some of the alien creatures are truly massive even when you're in your mech. It's fun fighting every single one of them and reading up on them in the bestiary.

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The game also has amazing world building. The main story really takes a back seat to this more open approach where you meet all kinds of people and aliens living on this planet and trying to survive. There's so many interesting characters and relationships to navigate, some NPCs feel as fleshed out as main characters in other games. There's tons of lore and histories to uncover, you learn a great deal about various alien races and their cultures. Even the collectibles have tons of lore and world building in their descriptive text. The sidequests are really engrossing and build up the setting and the characters so well. They intersect in ways you wouldn't expect and have branching paths with consequences. The main city hub is always updating with new inhabitants and new developments and interactions between NPCs. It feels very alive and I spent so much time just wandering around seeing what was new with people. The playable characters are cool in that most of them aren't story relevant characters but rather just normal people that you meet and befriend. They get more involved quests that elaborate on their personalities, backstories, day-to-day lives and the problems they face and I find it really refreshing to have that. They feel more relatable to me that way and I found myself feeling more attached to some of them and their charming personalities than I did for very plot crucial characters in other Xenoblade games.

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The music in the game is incredible. It's so unique for a JRPG soundtrack and avoids what you usually expect from the genre. The music in the open world fits so well with the environments and the way your character moves around the world, the battle themes are pumping and energetic, the vocal themes always have me singing along.






Really this game isn't just my favorite RPG, it's my favorite video game. I'm really hoping this game gets another chance on the Switch since it's stuck on the Wii U right now. Xenoblade Chronicles X 2 is my most wanted sequel right now too. Come on Monolith Soft!

 

[MoonFrog]

Favorite series? Dragon Quest.

It gets in the door with its "classical" feel: the journeys, the art, the setting, the gameplay--all of these things contribute to a feeling that really appeals to me.

It barrels past the door with its unique voice and narrative approaches, its quality of writing, and its strong sense of balance.

 

[Redfox088]

Tales of. Since symphonia it's basically been my go to jrpg franchise. I've played just about every core release to credits since then. It's the battle system I'm here for.

 

[kenta]

This is a tough one... For years my main RPG exposure was Final Fantasy -- I wouldn't really play other RPGs, mostly because I was satisfied with what I was getting. But then FFXIII happened, and while I actually thought the game was alright, there were a lot of red flags. Watching FFXV's development unfold in the following years made me realize it was time to look elsewhere. I landed on Persona, Dragon Quest and (depending on your definition of RPG) Yakuza... And I couldn't be happier.

Persona's confidence in execution is what stands out to me, especially in contrast to Final Fantasy which in recent years has felt very... insecure about itself. Persona games feature atypical settings (you're not traveling the world -- a risky move for an RPG), with unique stories, endearing characters, incredible music, bold visual styles, and a battle system that's ever-so-slightly imbalanced so as to be exciting. The games feel like they're made by people who know exactly what they want to make, as if they're telling you to trust them and just go with it. And it's worth it if you do.

Dragon Quest games are unabashedly and relentlessly charming. They're made to show you a good time and they excel at it. Each game that I've played so far is a series of wonderful, uplifting vignettes told in service of a greater (and simpler) story. There is a wholesome sense of humor about the games -- they're happily winking at you the entire time and they're just a pleasure to play.

Yakuza games walk a very fine line between drama and humor, and I marvel at it each time I play. Kiryu is an admirable protagonist who has a heart of gold and isn't afraid to do (or say) what he thinks is right, and somehow it doesn't come across as juvenile or naive. It's surprisingly inspiring. Each game that I've played takes place in the same cities and I've never played a series that has done such a thing -- coming back to town always feels comfortable and refreshing instead of repetitive or tiring, and I don't know how they pulled that off. Getting an authentic sense of Japanese life and culture has been a welcome bonus as well.

Personal faves in each series are Persona 4, Yakuza 0 and Dragon Quest XI

Edit: longer than I expected it to be, sorry. Slow day I guess