Are RPG's getting worse every 5 years? (List your top 10 RPG's ever to help!)

I've said on here many times that I think RPGs are getting worse. That combined me getting bored with the repetitiveness of them. How about some new original ideas and characters? The badass characters are slowly fading. I miss the days of Kain, Cecil, Shadow, etc.

1. Final Fantasy VII
2. Suikoden 2
3. Suikoden
4. Chrono Trigger
5. Dragon Force
6. Panzer Dragoon Saga
7. Final Fantasy IV
8. Final Fantasy VI
9. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
10. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

There are a lot of games I could add as honorable mentions, like the Wild Arms 1 and 2, Final Fantasy Tactics/8/9/10, Vandal Hearts, and just so much more. But the majority of my favorite RPGs are from the pre-next gen era. I do think they are getting worse.

How ya doing, buddy?

I own all 3 of those games. I liked SH a lot, but I give SH2 and Suikoden V both meh's.

I never finished SH2 and Suikoden V though. Got too bored, I just can't finish them.

Which is why I said I think half of it is me, and half of it are the games. I can't finish RPGs not named The Elder Scrolls anymore. I did beat Star Ocean 3 and Tales of Symphonia though. But the last 5 RPGs I bought, I can't finish and get incredibly bored of them.

Suikoden V and Shadow Hearts 2, being 2 of those games. Kingdom Hearts 2 being another one of them. I thought SH2 ruined Yuri with his girly voice, and I couldn't take the random battles anymore.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I think I was 6 hours into Suikoden V. Yea, I know, not a lot, but I'm not patient when it comes to stuff like games. I can't drag through hours upon hours of boredom. I just usually shut it off, and pop in another game.

The last game I beat that I hated was Final Fantasy X-2. I hated that game and everything about it pretty much, and I dragged myself through it hoping it would get better, but it didn't.

I'll eventually get around to beating Suikoden V, and even IV which I also own and couldn't beat, but I'm a tad angry that Pesmerga(my favorite Suikoden character of the series) isn't in one since 2.

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

Star Ocean 3 started out slow for me too, but I really loved it. It was one of my favorite games in the last 5 years. Good plot twists, and I loved the battle system. It had it's flaws, but I'm so glad I played through it.

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

Originally Posted by Monkey King

You said something interesting there. Kain, Cecil, and Shadow are indeed bad ass characters, but notice how they're superficially no different than pretend-badass characters like Cloud, Sephiroth, or Amarant. Cecil and Kain have their fair share of angst, and Shadow is just as bad as any other over-the-top-look-how-awesome-and-cool-I-am character.

The difference? They don't wallow in it. Cecil is forced pretty quickly to get over himself, unlike Squall or Fei who spend the entire game being unlikable emo bitches. Kain has brief angsty moments, but doesn't dwell on it, and saves the weepy stuff for non-critical moments. Sorry I tried to kill you and take your woman, Cecil, but right now it's more important that I use Jump on this boss. And Shadow? He's professional. He doesn't get pretentious about his motives or badass ninja skillz, he just does the job he's paid to do.

Square's writers lately have taken to copying the form, but not the function of the badass archetypes. That's why you end up with guys like Cloud who spend all their time being emo instead of picking their ass up, turning off the Robert Smith, and getting out there to kick some proper ass.

I'm not talking just personality, but appearance too. To me, to be completely badass you need both personality AND appearance. You can have the most badass personality ever, but if you look like Tidus, then I'm sorry, you aren't a badass.

Shadow, Kain, and Cecil had both IMO.

But lately, Square has had the characters look like every day people. Nothing unique about the appearance, which to me is important. Would it hurt to have the main character dress in a nice dark suit of armor or cloak with a cool looking helmet or mask? Why do they have to be regular looking people?

I mean, even Cloud was technically normal looking, but he had the spikey hair, the badass sword, and some cool armor on. Sephiroth had the silver hair, the cool clothes, and the masamune. Why can't Square RPGs today have any unique cool characters?

I was speaking idiomatically.