Best Plot/Story Rpgs of recent time

Originally Posted by Summonmaster

Wild Arms 4 deals with themes of maturity. At the start of the game, everything is just hunky-dory for the protagonist Jude. His perfect world quickly shatters soon after a catastrophic event happens and he is thrust instantaneously into a war-stricken world. There are uber-spoilers within the first hour of gameplay! This isn't your typical "hero" quest by a long shot.

For almost every moment of the game after that first hour, all 4 of you kids are on the run from an elite squad of agents bent on capturing the mysterious girl in your group, Yulie Ahtreide. Throughout the whole game we see how Jude matures from childhood into adulthood rather forcefully. We see Arnaud change from his cowardice to bravery. We see Yulie attempt to escape her horrible childhood memories. We see Raquel has troubles of her own, despite being the overkill princess of the group.

I don't think it had a theme of maturity... I mean, yeah, it DID, but it was more a side theme. The main thing that makes the game a insant classic, plot-wise (not to say the game is bad, it's great), is that it dives into Humanity itself, such as how there is no true black and white, good and evil, that everything has a grey area, the horrors that Humanity can commit, and that the people who you think are doing wrong, just might think they're doing right.

Spoiler:

Plus, the ending was awesome. It wasn't a "everybody is happy" ending, but it wasn't depressing either. It showed you that the 4 kids got through it because they trusted each other and worked together, not some superpowered freaks. Instead of having a corny, too-often seen scenario, Jude, instead of fighting in a 1vs1 duel, throws his gun down and TALKS IT OUT. The fact that, while yes, the ending was slightly sad, all the characters did find happiness in some form, even Raquel, who dies.

And uh, yeah, FF7 is not a shining example of a good plot. It makes no fucking sense half the time.

Jam it back in, in the dark.