Help me pick a RPG!

[Darktau]

Ok, effectively I am in an RPG mood, but not a mood for just any RPG, no I need a RPG I like!
(I'm not talking mass effect here, I'm talking turn based goodness)
You get the honor!... No, privilege!... No, option!... No, just if you feel like it, to help me find one I will like.

I have two RPGs that I will love to the end of eternity and they are:

Skies of arcadia (DC/GC)
Lost Odyssey (X360)

And I am look for one similar, I have already set my sights on The Last Story but I need something already out, and I am not a final fantasy guy.

I thought, to make this a better-ish post I will add some better descriptions on what I like (Feel free to ignore):


Story - Main point

I play a RPG because of its story, linear or not, I want some like-able characters and some not so like-able characters (see i'm not fussy). But in all seriousness, the story must kick ass, or be similar to the two mentioned above .


Gameplay - Who cares?

Its an RPG? Turn based is fine by me.


Graphics - Really?

Story means so much more to me than graphics, but please no anime/cell shaded, I watch anime to watch anime, not play RPGs.


Free roam - Yay!

I LOVE free roam, or... well... the ability to move around the map in the majority of the game, I like to revisit places and do side missions! (Doesn't have to be free roam entirely the fast travel system in Lost odyssey and free roam was perfect for me)



Soooo... Yeah, this is the first time I have asked for a game from the escapist, going to be fun to see how it works out .

 

[ThatJoelGuy]

if you don't mind ps 1 titles. Star ocean the 2cd story is fantastic

 

[Darktau]

Anything Bethesda games really, Bioware games usually limit you on free roaming (most of the actual maps ingame are pretty linear)

"(I'm not talking mass effect here, I'm talking turn based goodness)"
Sorry >.< but im thinking turn based, but I have played fallout 3

if you don't mind ps 1 titles. Star ocean the 2nd story is fantastic

How good is the story?

 

[ThatJoelGuy]

pretty solid, i found it more enjoyable than most rpgs. neat battle system too

 

[Axolotl]

Fallout 1? Turn-Based, decent combat, great story (and setting and writing) and the most freeform RPG ever.

 

[Pimppeter2]

Morrowind.

Because its fucking Morrowind.

 

[Darktau]

Going to sleep now, wrote down all the games suggested to check out, will check tomorrow . Thanks guys btw.

 

[Geekmaster K]

Chrono Trigger. I know the character design was done by Akira Toriyama, who created Dragonball Z, which is an anime, which I know you said you didn't want. However, it's considered to be one of the best JRPGs ever made. The combat is turn-based, and it has one of the best stories I've seen in any RPG. Almost everything is not as it seems on the surface, and the last half of the game has more twists than an M. Night Shayamalan film. It also has about 12 different endings, which are not achieved by a "moral choice" system, but rather, by subtle things that you don't normally think about, such as what order you talk to people in. At the end of the game, it will tell you what you did to get that ending, so you can get a different one the next time you play.

It has an overworld map, so it IS free-roam, but there are no enemy encounters in the overworld. I liked that aspect of it, as well as the fact that there are no random encounters. You have to touch an enemy to initiate a battle. It's a JRPG, but it's not a typical JRPG at all. The turn-based combat even has some interesting mechanics that ensure you won't get bored if you don't want the combat to be too generic.

Chrono Trigger originally came out on the Super Nintendo, so even though the concept art is done in an anime style, the actual game uses sprites, so it doesn't totally feel like you're watching anime. However, if you play the Nintendo DS re-release, they added some anime cutscenes that happen at certain parts of the game. If you don't want to watch those, it's not a problem, because you can turn them off. The Super Nintendo version has become a collectible, and is really hard to find now, so if you have a DS, get that version. It's worth every penny. Or, if you don't have a DS and don't want to buy one, you can always play it on a Super Nintendo emulator. I normally don't condone piracy, but this is a REALLY good game.

If you decide to play it, let me warn you. Your head may explode from the sheer awesomeness that is Chrono Trigger.

 

[Heart of Darkness]

Either Chrono Trigger, for reasons stated above, or Mother 3. If you've played EarthBound before for the SNES, you will love Mother 3.

Also, first thing I noticed when I played CT for the first time: Crono looks a LOT like Vegeta. Some say he's more like Goku, but....I see Vegeta. Must be that devilish expression...

EDIT: Because I'm lazy, here are my reasons as to why you should play this.

Spoiler

Honestly, you should play Mother 3 first. Thematically, this game is a work of art (if you go by the text from the English patch. I'm assuming it's just as good in Japanese, but I digress). Although it's not thematically/atmospherically dark throughout, it does a good job of mixing both light and dark thematic elements nearly seamlessly, as well as having some really good messages, such as:

"...humankind's corruption of the natural world, the alienating effects of modern life on communities and families, the ethical treatment of animals, the folly of living vicariously in one's past, and brotherly love and rivalry.""[footnote]http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Mother3[/footnote].

With that being said, this game will tug on your heartstrings until the bitter end. And I mean that in utmost seriousness--if you don't feel like crying at all in this game, especially in the final battle, your heart is officially either made of steel or has collapsed in on itself due to its own negative energy and has become a black hole.

It's incredibly deep, incredibly emotional, and while some of the characterization feels a bit lacking, the characters that do get, well, characterized are done so in deep, meaningful ways.

But seriously, go play it. Now cannot be soon enough. And only used the TV Tropes page to read the overview and get the English patch.

Do NOT go to TV Tropes if you want this game to remain spoiler-free. You will ruin it if you do.

 

[Moose Fisher]

Planescape:Torment, where most of your problems will be solved through diplomacy. Really, it's best to have high intelligence, wisdom, and charisma when you start out. 18 wisdom is a must or you miss out on so much.

The setting and plot are unique as well, and are accompanied by lots of twisted cliches. A hoard of rats will be your most feared enemy at the early levels, and death can serve as a solution to several problems.

 

[Jonesy911]

All the Final Fantasy games, you say you are not a final fantasy guy but they are very similar to lost odyssey which you love, they were made by the guy who made lost odyssey and most of them are better than Lost odyssey. Definetly FF6,7 and 8 are ones to play

Chrono Trigger, my favourite 2d rpg

Blue Dragon is cute and sorta funny

Shin megami tenseiersona 1,2,3 and 4, ultimate story
Wild Arms
Parasite eve

 

[Peskie m]

You got to get Persona 3 and 4. I play a lot of JRPG's and they and these 2 are definitly the best. But be ready to spend 70-100 hours each on them. Or anything else with Shin Megami Tensai in the name, you can't go wrong, if you can find them.

 

[Axolotl]

Planescape:Torment, where most of your problems will be solved through diplomacy. Really, it's best to have high intelligence, wisdom, and charisma when you start out. 18 wisdom is a must or you miss out on so much.

The setting and plot are unique as well, and are accompanied by lots of twisted cliches. A hoard of rats will be your most feared enemy at the early levels, and death can serve as a solution to several problems.

I second this. If you handle the horrible real-time combat then it's an amazing experience.

 

[Ultress]

Wild Arms 3: Awesome characters, a interesting story and you don't have to play WA1 or WA2 to know what the hell is going on.Though both are worth picking up via download. It is Cell-shaded but doesn't really look animish but if you really don't like Cel-shading then WA2 is the way to go it's basically a less polished WA3.

Persona 3 FES: roughly 100+ hours of gameplay with a fun fusion system and a darker story line with likable characters

Persona 4: Improves on Persona 3 and the story is a awesome murder mystery with plenty of twists.

 

[Plurralbles]

Get the NES phantasy star.

 

[Explosm]

When you decide to join a MMORPG. Play WoW and join Aman'Thul

 

[Worgen]

hmm turn based, ahh, how about super robot taisen endless frontier for the ds

here is a promo by atlus

I enjoyed it, the story is kinda nonsensical but unlike alot of jrpgs its got pretty likable chars in it

 

[Walkchalk]

If you have nothing against going back to your GBA I would suggest Golden Sun. Its a splendid game, has turn based combat, and a great story.

 

[Hiphophippo]

Get the NES phantasy star.

Wait...what?

 

[Plurralbles]

Get the NES phantasy star.

Wait...what?

An RPG came out in 1987 and was PHantasy Star. it also came out on the Sega master thingy.
Just google search for it.

One can either virtual console it on the Wii, buy the Nes and search high and low for it, or Rom it for free illegally.

one thing that wikipedia is completely uninformed about, it says nothing of its existance. Gaming history 'tards.