Top 3 RPG's

We've all seen this type of topic before, but since the forums seem to be picking up in activity lately, I think now's a good time to ask the eternal question: What are your favorite RPGs . . . and why?

(Not necessarily in order)

Chrono Trigger
My first RPG. Also, it was brilliant in the sense that it captured the FUN of time-travel stories without getting bogged down by temporal theorems/paradoxes. Your group of heroes are trying to undo a horrible future by going back in time and stopping it at the source. The idea is so simple, so cool that it was just bound to work. The fact that the game had a memorable cast of characters, an innovative battle system, and gorgeous graphics (at the time) was just icing on the cake.

Skies of Arcadia
Another idea so brilliantly simple, that you just have to wonder why the HELL no one ever thought of it before. You play as a swashbuckling pirate in a world that mimics the Age of Exploration. You travel throughout the world from continent to continent, making discoveries, meeting eccentric new characters, and going from one dashing adventure to the next. If there's someone who didn't dream about stuff like this as a kid, I haven't met 'em. The gameplay was also very unique in the sense that it encouraged you to explore and examine EVERY single nook and cranny of the world, just as the main character was sworn to do in the plot itself.

Final Fantasy X
A controversial pick, as many people either love or hate this game. Personally, I love it. I really don't care that RPGs in this day and age are opting to be more cinematic with their cutscenes than in previous generations. That is, I don't mind as long as said cutscenes are in moderation. (Unlike in . . . say . . . Xenosaga). Nor do I mind if the core gameplay works. That's why FFX is distinct to me over the rest of the series. The game takes the time to develop its plot and characters, so they actually seem like real people instead of just tools in the game which I use to get from point A to point B. Also, the battle system was a refreshing change, though switching characters in battle did make things a bit easy at times.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

This thread is similar -> http://www.gamingforce.com/forums/rp...ever-help.html

Also, Final Fantasy X, give me a fucking break. Worst piece of RPG ever to hit shelves.

Most amazing jew boots

Final Fantasy IV
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy VIII

I agree with FFX not being great. But everyone has their own opinions. I bet there's going to be some that will say.. OMFG FFVIII suckx!@#!!

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Andrew Evenstar

I bet there's going to be some that will say.. OMFG FFVIII suckx!@#!!

Actually, it does. Well everything except the battle system. That was well planned and executed.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Okay, this might be member moderation, but this thread is nothing like the other thread. That thread asks if RPGs are getting worse in recent years, and this thread is asking what your three favorites are--from any era.

Also, Fafner asked for reasons why.

Now, on to the topic.

I agree that FFX used cutscenes just right--but it really isn't one of my top three games.

Mine are:

Suikoden II: perhaps one of the best Suikoden I've played. (I haven't played them all). This is a well-written story with quite a bit of humor thrown in (Hero's sister slams him into a rock face, and his outline remains. If the bad guy didn't get him, his sister sure would have.). The battle system is 6-member turn-based with battle and magic combos. Occasionally, there are the "required" members, but there are about 70 others you can choose from.

Suikoden IV: Okay, not a lot of people like this one. "It's too dreary." "The sailing takes too long." "Too many random battles." But, I liked it because although it was a four-member battle party, it brought back the Magic Combos that III got rid of. And its cut scenes were also done sparingly and quite well.

Suikoden V: (A trend!) Okay, I haven't finished playing it, but I can honestly say this is one of my favorites. We're back with the 6-member battle party, and you can have up to 4 people in reserve WITH you if you want to change party members before a battle. It again has the humor that Suikoden I and II had in it, plus there's the family relationship with the Hero and his sister.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by Leknaat

Okay, this might be member moderation, but this thread is nothing like the other thread. That thread asks if RPGs are getting worse in recent years, and this thread is asking what your three favorites are--from any era.

Have you even looked inside the thread? Most people are discussing the topic and listing their 10 favourite rpgs. What's the point in having a thread with 3 favourite rpgs and 10 favourite rpgs?


EDIT: Yeah, okey, their only listing games, not discussing them. My bad, carry on. I am an idiot.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by YoMan

I am an idiot.

Ain't that the truth. :biggrin:


I can't list in any specific order.


Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

I really enjoyed the Light/Dark side of the game. It's not as detailed oriented as PC RPGs, but it provides more 'role playing' than many other Japanese RPGs. The combat is a bit weak, however the excellent story, characters and everything else more than make up for it.


Xenogears

Recently I've been enjoying RPGs that provide more choice rather than strict lineararity. This game however provides me with a story that I really enjoy as well as some decent character development. There are some nagging issues like how bland some characters are and the rushed second disc. Nonetheless, this game holds a special place in my heart and is why I'm including it.

Earthbound

A quirky adventure about a 3 boys and a girl. It could be the makings of a new Fox sitcom! Until they cancel it three weeks later. The sense of humor was something I hadn't seen in a RPG before, as well as the modern day setting was a breath of fresh air.


Runner Ups

Fallout (haven't played it long enough to judge it properly)
Jade Empire (ditto)
Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VI
Deus Ex (too FPS to be considered?)

FELIPE NO

Top 3 RPGs eh? Okay, here goes...

FFVIII: Also my favourite FF game, FFVIII seems to be hated by lots of people, but I thought it was great. I liked the idea of mixing fantasy with more real-life elements, and it's the only RPG I've played (not that I've played many) where the characters felt more real to me than other games. I felt like they were in fact real people, making it easier for me to identify wih them. Squall's also my favourite VG character ever (I'd probably get flamed for that remark). There's other reasons why it's my favourite RPG, such as great music, a story that revolves around the characters instead of the actual plot and the best Bahamut yet. Sure, it had some nigglings (nothing is perfect after all), but over all, I had a great time playing through it.

Tales of Symphonia: I've never played a Tales game before, so I didn't know what to expect. I wasn't interested in it at all when my little sis showed me an ad from a mag and wanted to get it. However, it had a 2 player mode, so that was pretty interesting. She got it for Christmas and we played it and I thought it was pretty darn good, with one of the best voice-acting I've seen in a video game (I'll probably get flamed for that remark too), likable characters, a decent enough plot (although the first part was a lot like FFX) and a fun battle system. I didn't like the music much except for a few tracks, but overall it was cool. One beef is that the casino isn't even playable : /

I actually don't have a third fave. None of the others I've played struck a chord with me as much as the above two games. Hmmm, I'd choose FFVI if the World of Ruin part never existed : /

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by YoMan

Have you even looked inside the thread? Most people are discussing the topic and listing their 10 favourite rpgs. What's the point in having a thread with 3 favourite rpgs and 10 favourite rpgs?


EDIT: Yeah, okey, their only listing games, not discussing them. My bad, carry on. I am an idiot.

Actually, the point of that thread is to discuss which era had the best RPGs, and to NOT just list games.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by guyinrubbersuit

Ain't that the truth.

Ahhh shaddup

Originally Posted by Leknaat

Actually, the point of that thread is to discuss which era had the best RPGs, and to NOT just list games.

True. Guess I jumped to conclusions a little bit to fast.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyway, i guess i can list my 3 favourite rpgs. (in no particular order)

Chrono Trigger: Great story with a pretty good cast of characters. Battle system was pretty cool with double and triple combos. Top Notch graphics for the snes era. It been awhile since i last played it so i can't think of anything else to say, my memories of the game are kind of foggy even though i have completed it like 3 times.

Chrono Cross: Again, great story, it's loosly tied with Chrono Trigger making it somewhat of a sequal, but with its own story. Great set of characters, although i must admit, the ability to recruit 40 characters was a bit of an overkill in my opinion. The battle system was fun in it own unique kind of way. And again, same thing as with chrono trigger, it has been awhile since i last played it. Can't remember a whole lot more.

Xenogears: One of my all time best rpg stories period. You know, half way through it i actually though the story sucked and then in the end the story punched me in the face and said: I'm an amazing story dammit!
The battle system in this one was very fun, where one button is a weak attack, another a normal and a third strong (I think it was like this). Gave the ability to perform alot of different moves. And in addition to that you had the deathblows which were cool to watch. I can't really remember all that much about the gear combat, sorry, its been awhile since i played this game too.

Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne: Boy, this was something different than you normal standard rpg and i LOVED IT! The story is so dark so well written and executed that it just sucked me right in and blew my mind. The loneliness, the emptiness, the darkness, the new world, the new life, brilliant, absolutley brilliant.
Moving on to another brilliant aspect of the game, the combat system. One my favourite things about it was that if you didn't know what you were doing in battle, or if you didn't prepare enough for the battle, essentially, if you screwed up during battle you would be punished. Another thing about the combat is the speed, the battle's are pretty fast and that's a great thing, because for the most part of tha game your in them. The press turn system is excellent. You loose turns if you do something wrong (the enemy voids, deflects etc) and you gain turns if you do something right (critical, void, deflect, absorb etc). Another little touch that i liked was the ability to automate the attacks. For instance if you got in a fight with a weak enemy and you know that they are weak against normal attacks you could just press the triangle button and automate the battle. Which would end it in like 5 seconds.

Okey, i don't feel like writing anymore ,but there are 4 more rpgs and i'll just list them instead.

- Shin Megami Tensei Digital Devil Saga 1&2
- Shadow Hearts Covenant
- Seiken Densetsu 3
- Terranigma

As you can see there's a little bit more then 3 rpg's here and the reason is simple. I love them all. I can't decide on which 3 of these are the best because in my opinion their all equally good.

Maybe i'll come back another time and add more info on the once a just listed.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Despite all the negative critics, FF8 still remains my favorite game. Best soundtrack (the first one I ever downloaded), decent gameplay (who needs magic when you can join it to stats?) and awesome graphics (still stuck with the ball and the end animation, quite an original one), not to forget squall's limit break, which makes you almost invincible wiht proper junctionning :P

Chrono trigger: my favorite SNES game. Very original history (man, you can change TIME!), excellent soudntrack (from relaxing to rock and roll), amazing graphics (for the time, plus the SFX match well) and 12 different endings. However, now that I look at it, it can be finished... quickly

3rd spot... this one's too difficult. I can't get enough of the shining force series as much as the PS series.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Suikoden V-For characters, their interaction and overall storyline.

Valkyrie Profile-For gameplay, music and atmosphere.

FF6-Still a measure of excellence with good reason. Does all of the traits above right enough to make a great whole.

Hon. Mentions: Suikoden 2, Star Ocean 2 (excluded for developer/series redundancy), La Pucelle (my favorite SRPG to date, but no way is it better than the top three).

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Definitely

Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne:
Definitely unconventional in comparison to a majority of the PS2 rpgs (ahem Square enix) the style is interesting as well.

Digital Devil Saga 1

Persona 2 Innocent Sin

hahah yes I am an atlus fanboy

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by GoldfishX

Suikoden V-For characters, their interaction and overall storyline.

Thank you for also mentioning Suikoden V. I was feeling all alone.....

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by YoMan

Actually, it does. Well everything except the battle system. That was well planned and executed.

I thought both FFVIII and FFX were great games, as for my favorite:

Wild Arms Alter Code: F - I thought this was more then just a remake, to me it seemed like a completely different and all around better game. The characters had more to them, the world, towns and dungeons were fantastic! Not to mention the music, which was superb (thank you Michiko Naruke)!

Tales of Symphonia - Easily the best of all the Tales games. I loved the characters,the epic story, the colorful enviroment, the battle system, and Motoi Sakuraba did a great job on the music in this game.

Valkyrie Profile - This game had a beautful soundtrack, great artwork, an excellent battle system, sweet characters, the works. To me, this game is a work of art.

Honorable mentions:
Xenogears
the Chrono games
pretty much all FF games
The Kingdom Hearts games
Skies of Arcadia
Legend of Legaia
and all other Wild Arms games!

FELIPE NO

There are only three possible to list. Everything else is irrelevant.

Dragon Quest III for opening the RPG floodgates to the masses and beginning the frenzy known as "serious console RPGs" long before Aeris died and Cloud procreated with Zack to make Tidus. The single best NES RPG available to the market, and the sole reason that high popularity games in Japan could no longer release on school/work days.

Suikoden II because war and betrayal turning into a kid's game of real life Risk was singlehandedly the most badass way to handle a storyline I've ever even seen in my life. I mean where else would you find two 13-15 year old kids taking control of ultimate power and two countries, battling it out with real lives and real situations, then just shaking hands in the end and being like "AIN'T NO THANG" then just going on a trip together? Classic.

Suikoden V because Konami knows how to dish out and play with games that are 3D but have enough 2D elements to keep the hope alive that more and more current RPGs will not rely on only "looking pretty" in order to survive. You Madden and action game lovers can continue to be the graphics whores. Just stay the fuck away from the RPGs, thanks.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Final Fantasy VI was one of my earliest memories of playing an RPG that I was unable to put down. I played through this one twice in about two months because at that time, I hadn't yet played an RPG that featured a large cast of interesting characters and an engaging plot.

Terranigma is a game that I still try to play whenever I can. I remember how much I enjoyed the battles and how the last few sequences in the plot surprised me. Although I felt it was too short, Terranigma still occupies a spot on my list of favorite RPGs.

Suikoden V has easily become one of the most enjoyable RPGs I've played in years. The length of the plot and the sidequests to recruit the 108 Stars made the game fun. The interactions between characters also seemed natural and allowed the player to see how those relationships changed as the story progressed. I also thought the wars were slightly more interesting than the ship battles from Suikoden IV (although I also liked those).

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Wow, thanks, Leknaat. I just got back here and wasn't able to defend my thread, so, much appreciated!

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Fafner

Wow, thanks, Leknaat. I just got back here and wasn't able to defend my thread, so, much appreciated!

Meh, I made a mistake, okey and am sorry for that.

I saw a bunch of lists with everybody's favourite rpgs so I though it was a very similar thread.

Lesson learned. We all make mistakes

Double Post:
Damn, i have heard very good things about the suikoden series, but i have never tried it. Any recommendations on which one to start off with? Are they all good or should I avoid some of them. I hear Suikoden II and V are pretty good, dunno about the rest. Someone fill me in on the details.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Grandia - Bad voice acting, and an amizingly average at best story aside, RPG is one of the best, because of its battle system and characters. Every character is likable, and even though the story is filled with cliches, sometimes its about how its told, and not what is told. And again, best battle system ever. Nice music too.

Chrono Cross - The only real downside to this game is the characters. There are too many of them, which leads to a lack of development, (not to mention that the majority of them suck). The story was good, good battle system, great music, not much more you can ask for in an RPG.

Deus Ex - To me, this is a very borderline game. My opinion of it used to be, if its in first person, and you shoot people, then its a first person shooter. However, you cannot deny the RPG elements in the game, and it is usually classified as an RPG, and it was one of the best games I've ever played, and it takes my third spot. Open ended game play, solid story, great voice acting, this is the finest RPG on the PC.

Honorable mentions include
Skies of Arcadia (loved it, but too similar to Grandia to list)
Shadow Hearts Covenant (this is a great game, but part of its fun, to me at least, came as a sort of nostalgia for the first game, and taking controll of Yuri again after all signs pointed to a new cast. However, the first game was a bit subpar, and because part of the enjoyment depends on playing the first game, I cut it)
Persona 2 (Persona 2 is in 2 parts, Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment. Only the latter was released in the US, so I pretty much only played half a game. it was great, but only half)

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I'll keep them short and sweet:

Final Fantasy VI: If Secret of Mana drew me in, then this game sealed the deal. Great music, cast, story, you name it. It has a linear first half and non-linear second half which allow it to provide the best of worlds. It's still the standard by which I judge all other RPGs.

Chrono Trigger: Probably the most polished RPG ever made. Time travel is great fun and this game never seems to drag. The whole end of time setup gives the game a feeling of being linear and non-linear at the same time, which is very cool. It's just top class.

Earthbound: It's quirky, it's original, and it leaves one heck of a lasting impression. The humor is great, the gameplay is tried and true with some nice improvements like visible enemies and the rolling HP counter, and the modern-styled world really feels alive.

Honorable mentions:

Super Mario RPG, Deus Ex, Valkyrie Profile, Star Ocean 2, Legend of Mana, Grandia, Vagrant Story, Ogre Battle V/VI/VII, Final Fantasy Tactics, Breath of Fire V, Fallout, System Shock 2, Shining the Holy Ark

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by YoMan

Meh, I made a mistake, okey and am sorry for that.

I saw a bunch of lists with everybody's favourite rpgs so I though it was a very similar thread.

Lesson learned. We all make mistakes

Double Post:
Damn, i have heard very good things about the suikoden series, but i have never tried it. Any recommendations on which one to start off with? Are they all good or should I avoid some of them. I hear Suikoden II and V are pretty good, dunno about the rest. Someone fill me in on the details.

I don't think it was just your post. Andrew Evenstar just listed three games, without explaining why. But, I think you've redeemed yourself with me by stating you want to try Suikoden.



Unfortunately, the games are pretty hard to find, and when you do find them, they are expensive. Unless you get a lucky break somewhere.

But, to be honest, I would start at the beginning with Suikoden. It, of course, lays the ground work for everything, and you're not exactly lost when you play II (which takes place 3 years after I, and III, which takes place 15 years after II.) IV and V, however, take place before the events in Suikoden I, so I would say those can wait.

But, I agree. II and V are the best of the 5 games I've played. I haven't played the Gaidens or Tactics.

And off topic:

Suikoden Timeline (not actual years, just reference points):

Suikoden I
Suikoden II: 3 years after Suikoden I
Suikoden III: 15 years after Suikoden II
Suikoden IV: 150 years before Suikoden I
Suikoden V: 9 years before Suikoden I (I got that from Georg's age)

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Hmmm, top 3 RPGs of all time? Well, here goes...

3. Final Fantasy II - I'm going to copy what I wrote on another site about the game. "I say "II" simply because of one reason...Nintendo Power. I was a huge fan of Final Fantasy I. I had played it and replayed it so many times that it wasn't even funny, wishing that we would get a sequel or something. Then one day, a friend showed me an issue with The black chocobo on the cover, with Cecil riding it arm outstretched, sword in hand. The big words Final Fantasy II announced on it. I was stunned. I flipped through that book so many times until the game came out the pages were getting all frayed. This game looked astounding. Everything was so much better than the original on those glossy pages that I could hardly believe it. But I didn't have a SNES, so I would never see it. Another friend of mine did though, and he bought the game. He however, didn't like it, so he said that he'd sell it to me. $15 dollars later, I had in my hands a hardly played copy of Final Fantasy II. I literally ran over to the local arcade place, where in the back the owner had set up a SNES and Genesis, and would charge $1 an hour to play. I sat down and began playing one of the greatest games of my life (at the time). I still have that cartridge somewhere, and I still don't own a SNES, heh."

Sure, the story is a bit simplistic, as well as the game over all, but for its time this game was absolutely beautiful. I miss the feeling of awe that this game gave me from start to finish that almost no game has been able to recapture.

2. Final Fantasy Tactics - A different kind of Final Fantasy and yet one that I loved all the way through it. It had a great story, excellently done characters, a fun battle system, and along with recruiting a bunch of premade guys, they allowed you to create a ton of your own. One of my favorite games ever, and I have replayed it countless times.

1. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - This game drew me in from the opening title screen to the closing credits, like no other game has, nor even movies. I felt like I played a part in the Star Wars universe. The music, the scenes, the characters...all of it was perfectly done. Plus you created your own character, you weren't "given" a character to play, and you could choose your actions and responses within the story. It was an experience like no other that not even the sequel topped.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Leknaat

Unfortunately, the games are pretty hard to find, and when you do find them, they are expensive. Unless you get a lucky break somewhere.

But, to be honest, I would start at the beginning with Suikoden. It, of course, lays the ground work for everything, and you're not exactly lost when you play II (which takes place 3 years after I, and III, which takes place 15 years after II.) IV and V, however, take place before the events in Suikoden I, so I would say those can wait.

But, I agree. II and V are the best of the 5 games I've played. I haven't played the Gaidens or Tactics.

Well I just ordered Suikoden III, IV and V. They were the easiest to track down. I guess i'll have to look a little bit harder for I and II, but Im sure i'll find them eventually.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

My Top 3 are:

Final Fantasy VII
The first RPG I ever played, an amazing game from the moment it starts until the very end. Great battle system, story, characters (besides Yuffie) and everything else.

KOTOR
If you like Star Wars you must like this game. The story is amazing, the feeling of your character developing to the light side or dark side of the force is simply great.

Final Fantasy Tactics
The first game the made me play like there was no tomorrow. For something like a week all I wanted to do was play this game.
Even though I played through it 3 times I couldn't understand the story fully but still I enjoyed the game very much.

Jam it back in, in the dark.