Okay so let me ask you this, what are your top 5 RPG's of all time? I bet a lot of you start thinking of games like Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI or VII, Secret of Mana, etc. But take another look at history and try to look at things critically. Were those games the best RPG's ever? Or were they simply classics. Final Fantasy VII, for example, is one of my favorite games of all time. But recent years have had me rethinking my position as my favorite RPG of all time. While FF7 is still a fantastic game, I can't reasonably say that there aren't tons of games that don't do what FF7 does only better. There are games with better combat, better story, much better graphics (though this is the least important aspect), so how can I realistically call it the best RPG ever? I don't think I can.
So for this list I am going to list my Top 5 RPG's. This list is taking into account the vast game play improvements made in gaming history since the "classics" and as a result any game that is considered timelessly classic is exempt from contention here.
#5 - Persona 5: What can I say about Persona 5 that hasn't already been said. Persona 5 does nothing different from "classic" rpg's of the past age, but it does it better than almost every one of them. From an engaging battle system that requires smart play that allows players to overpower enemies without the challenge ever feeling broken, to a pokemon mechanic that is more engaging and works better than pokemon, to a story that somehow manages to be both grounded and fantastic at the same time. Persona gives you a story with real world elements that do wonders to connect you to the characters on a deeper level, somehow hooking you into the story in a way that fantasy RPG's just don't.
#4 - Original Mass Effect Trilogy: Okay so I am gonna cheat a little here. But that's because what Mass Effect did, encompassed three entire epic games. While people have a favoring lean toward the second game because of how polished it was compared to the first, you can't have ME2 without ME1. These games proved that you could have a great and epic sci-fi trilogy RPG without boring dialog, and making magic spells somehow work in a sci-fi setting. Biotics are basically the force right? Anyway this epic adventure put the fate of the entire galaxy at risk in a real tangible way and was exciting from start to finish. Sure it got a lot of slack for it's final ending, but honestly I didn't find it that upsetting. Plus the journey was worth taking, and there aren't many games that you can say that about.
#3 - Horizon Zero Dawn - Okay I'm probably gonna get shit for this one, and I will admit that Horizon doesn't really do anything differently. But what it does, it does perfectly and as such it earns it's high rank. Until other series based RPG's with established foundations, Horizon comes out of the gate as a brand new IP and knocks it out of the fucking park. The world is fantastically realized, with an incredibly interesting history. The Protagonist is fantastic with her own history that actually ties into the grander world history as well. The combat takes the wild concept of hunting robot animals with a fucking bow and arrow, and makes it feel and play incredibly. The game doesn't bog you down with a million pointless side quests, and even the collect-a-thon elements are fairly held back providing just enough to offer reasons to fully explore the world without also being fucking annoying and tedious.
#2 - BloodBorne: What Dark Souls began, Bloodborne perfected. FromSoft truly made something special with Bloodborne. It took the interconnected, world of Dark Souls and adapted it into a Victorian Chutulu setting making one of the most interesting worlds I've ever been murdered in. Bloodborne evolved Dark Souls combat and it is here that I think the Souls-like combat was perfected. Unlike DS where you must be patient and slow with your progression, Bloodborne says "Fuck that go ham!" Combat is fast, aggressive and still extremely challenging. The lore is rich and interesting, but like the Soul's series, you have to hunt for it. Bloodborne doesn't give you anything, you have to earn all of it. On top of a fantastic main game, you also have endless play in Chalice Dungeons which act like random game sections that allow you to continue to play and progress far beyond what the main game can offer you.
#1 - The Witcher 3: I mean....Fucking....Duh!
Okay, okay, okay. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt does everything right. I mean everything. The world is rich and vibrant. The game has some of the most beautiful dialog animations EVER, I mean...EVER in the history of EVER! This game is bursting at the seems with content, and none of it is throw away. From every little question mark on the map that often times has surprising levels of story, to entire side quests that are better written that most entire games, The Witcher 3 is incredible on ever level. Even the card mini game is addicting and rewarding, so much so that they are making an entire stand alone version of the card game with expanded mechanics and tribes. Combat is amazing as well, Geralt responds with grace and fluidity to your commands, and the difficulty options allow you to make combat as engrossing as you want. On story mode, you can steam roll through everything in the game and just enjoy the story content. On Fuckyourface hard, you can watch the enemies fuck your face if you make the slightest mistake. One complaint I see about this game is that combat is too easy, bullshit. On very hard you must farm materials to make sure you are potioned for heightened combat prowess, on top of making sure your sword is coated in the right weapon oil for any given baddie, on top of making quick and clever use of Geralt's five magic abilities. One mistake will kill you on very hard.
Oh and if the 70+ hour main game wasn't enough for you. The Witcher 3 has TWO expansions each adding over 25+ hours of content. Yeah 25+ HOURS! That means that each expansion is bigger that most FULL games. For 10 bucks a piece. Are you fucking kidding me right now? Look not only is The Witcher 3 the best RPG ever made, but it is the best video GAME ever made. I'm not saying perfect, I'm saying best, there is a difference because nothing is perfect. But honestly I can't think of a better game. I just can't.
Tell me Escapist. What are your Top 5 RPG's of all time. Try to separate yourself from the classics and think on it.
Do you agree with my list, disagree? Let me know.
So for this list I am going to list my Top 5 RPG's. This list is taking into account the vast game play improvements made in gaming history since the "classics" and as a result any game that is considered timelessly classic is exempt from contention here.
#5 - Persona 5: What can I say about Persona 5 that hasn't already been said. Persona 5 does nothing different from "classic" rpg's of the past age, but it does it better than almost every one of them. From an engaging battle system that requires smart play that allows players to overpower enemies without the challenge ever feeling broken, to a pokemon mechanic that is more engaging and works better than pokemon, to a story that somehow manages to be both grounded and fantastic at the same time. Persona gives you a story with real world elements that do wonders to connect you to the characters on a deeper level, somehow hooking you into the story in a way that fantasy RPG's just don't.
#4 - Original Mass Effect Trilogy: Okay so I am gonna cheat a little here. But that's because what Mass Effect did, encompassed three entire epic games. While people have a favoring lean toward the second game because of how polished it was compared to the first, you can't have ME2 without ME1. These games proved that you could have a great and epic sci-fi trilogy RPG without boring dialog, and making magic spells somehow work in a sci-fi setting. Biotics are basically the force right? Anyway this epic adventure put the fate of the entire galaxy at risk in a real tangible way and was exciting from start to finish. Sure it got a lot of slack for it's final ending, but honestly I didn't find it that upsetting. Plus the journey was worth taking, and there aren't many games that you can say that about.
#3 - Horizon Zero Dawn - Okay I'm probably gonna get shit for this one, and I will admit that Horizon doesn't really do anything differently. But what it does, it does perfectly and as such it earns it's high rank. Until other series based RPG's with established foundations, Horizon comes out of the gate as a brand new IP and knocks it out of the fucking park. The world is fantastically realized, with an incredibly interesting history. The Protagonist is fantastic with her own history that actually ties into the grander world history as well. The combat takes the wild concept of hunting robot animals with a fucking bow and arrow, and makes it feel and play incredibly. The game doesn't bog you down with a million pointless side quests, and even the collect-a-thon elements are fairly held back providing just enough to offer reasons to fully explore the world without also being fucking annoying and tedious.
#2 - BloodBorne: What Dark Souls began, Bloodborne perfected. FromSoft truly made something special with Bloodborne. It took the interconnected, world of Dark Souls and adapted it into a Victorian Chutulu setting making one of the most interesting worlds I've ever been murdered in. Bloodborne evolved Dark Souls combat and it is here that I think the Souls-like combat was perfected. Unlike DS where you must be patient and slow with your progression, Bloodborne says "Fuck that go ham!" Combat is fast, aggressive and still extremely challenging. The lore is rich and interesting, but like the Soul's series, you have to hunt for it. Bloodborne doesn't give you anything, you have to earn all of it. On top of a fantastic main game, you also have endless play in Chalice Dungeons which act like random game sections that allow you to continue to play and progress far beyond what the main game can offer you.
#1 - The Witcher 3: I mean....Fucking....Duh!
Okay, okay, okay. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt does everything right. I mean everything. The world is rich and vibrant. The game has some of the most beautiful dialog animations EVER, I mean...EVER in the history of EVER! This game is bursting at the seems with content, and none of it is throw away. From every little question mark on the map that often times has surprising levels of story, to entire side quests that are better written that most entire games, The Witcher 3 is incredible on ever level. Even the card mini game is addicting and rewarding, so much so that they are making an entire stand alone version of the card game with expanded mechanics and tribes. Combat is amazing as well, Geralt responds with grace and fluidity to your commands, and the difficulty options allow you to make combat as engrossing as you want. On story mode, you can steam roll through everything in the game and just enjoy the story content. On Fuckyourface hard, you can watch the enemies fuck your face if you make the slightest mistake. One complaint I see about this game is that combat is too easy, bullshit. On very hard you must farm materials to make sure you are potioned for heightened combat prowess, on top of making sure your sword is coated in the right weapon oil for any given baddie, on top of making quick and clever use of Geralt's five magic abilities. One mistake will kill you on very hard.
Oh and if the 70+ hour main game wasn't enough for you. The Witcher 3 has TWO expansions each adding over 25+ hours of content. Yeah 25+ HOURS! That means that each expansion is bigger that most FULL games. For 10 bucks a piece. Are you fucking kidding me right now? Look not only is The Witcher 3 the best RPG ever made, but it is the best video GAME ever made. I'm not saying perfect, I'm saying best, there is a difference because nothing is perfect. But honestly I can't think of a better game. I just can't.
Tell me Escapist. What are your Top 5 RPG's of all time. Try to separate yourself from the classics and think on it.
Do you agree with my list, disagree? Let me know.
These are some (very) honorable mentions: Nioh, Xenogears, The Witcher 3(one of the most amazing 'traditional' RPGs I've ever played), Digital Devil Saga(my favorite in the Megaten franchise). If Horizon is considered an RPG I'll include that one too. 
