RPGs/JRPGs. Name your favourites.

[Shadyside]

I never played Xenosaga. I heard it was supposed to be an attempt to act as a prequel to Xenogears but they didn't have the rights do make it an actual prequel and then each game had it's own notable issues up until the point only 3 of the presumed 4 ended up getting made(Because Xenogears was apparently Ep5 of 6 according to the Japanese universe/game guide Perfect Works).

I take it there are some redeeming characteristics to the Xenosaga games despite all of that.

Xenosaga is basically a remake/reboot/reimagining of what the creator intended Xenogears to be. It was supposed to be 6 games, but Namco decided to cut it since they weren't making much profit out of it. First game is decent, but the character models are mostly bad. The 2nd game has somewhat tedious combat and acts more of a set up. 3rd game has the best of everything, and the best turned based mecha combat in any game I've seen. But it does rush towards the ending and has some cencorship problems that really hinder the story. Despite some of the flaws, I still think it's a worthwhile trilogy to play as the setting is really unique for sci fi.

 

[Dreiko]

Okami is more of a Zelda type game. An action adventure with some RPG elements. I can see why you and that other person would think that, so I don't blame you for it.

I've heard people legit try to say Zelda itself is an rpg so I guess I can see em saying the same about okami.

But yeah no Okami is just an action game fundamentally, it has an upgrade system for your health and ink like DmC and you earn moves through doing plot related events and practicing with your sensei and so on. There's no stats anywhere.

 

[BrawlMan]

I've heard people legit try to say Zelda itself is an rpg so I guess I can see em saying the same about okami.

But yeah no Okami is just an action game fundamentally, it has an upgrade system for your health and ink like DmC and you earn moves through doing plot related events and practicing with your sensei and so on. There's no stats anywhere.

Hence why I said some. I do not consider Okami an RPG. It's more or less Legend of Zelda combined with elements of Devil May Cry. I think you're even ranked in combat scenarios when completing them. Darksiders I & II are similar to Zelda and DMC. Though the first two games main influence is Legacy of Kain and Soul Reaver.

 

[Samtemdo8]

Less my favorite since its hard to pick favorites, but I will curate the best Western RPGs

Diablo games, yes including 3
Fallout series, yes including 3 and 4, but not 76.
Baldur's Gate 1 and 2
Icewind Dale 1 and 2
Planescape Torment
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magic Obscura
Neverwinter Nights 1 and 2
Temple of Elemental Evil
Elder Scrolls series, Yes including Oblivion and Skyrim
Star Wars KOTOR seres
Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines
Jade Empire
Dragon Age: Origins
Mass Effect Trilogy
The Ultima Series (Preferably 4, 5, 6, 7, and the Underworld games)
Might and Magic games, Dark Messiah included
Wizardry games (the pre-JRPG makeover)
The Bard's Tale series
And MMORPGs that I recommend but it would be in another list.

Honorable mentions:
Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance 1 and 2
Everquest: Champion of Norrath games

 

[Dalisclock]

I've heard people legit try to say Zelda itself is an rpg so I guess I can see em saying the same about okami.

As someone who grew up playing Zelda, how the hell is it an RPG? I guess if you define RPG as "Get stronger over time" then I guess but that's making RPG very broad indeed.

Not directed at you, just wondering out loud.

 

[Dreiko]

As someone who grew up playing Zelda, how the hell is it an RPG? I guess if you define RPG as "Get stronger over time" then I guess but that's making RPG very broad indeed.

Not directed at you, just wondering out loud.

Yeah that's kinda what I was saying too. It sounds strange to me.


I think some people just mean "has fantasy themes" with RPG lol.

 

[Agema]

I really hate JRPGs. I played an old brower based one about 10-15 years ago called Marduk that was tolerable, and that's about it for me. I don't even bother checking them out, just skip straight past.

So my favourites are (no particular order):

Planescape: Torment
Wizardry 8
Wasteland 2
Fallout: New Vegas
Deus Ex
Disco Elysium
Arcanum: Of Steamworks And Magick Obscura
Ultima 6

RPGs I loved at the time but would probably not get much out of any more:
Eye Of The Beholder 2
Ultima Underworld 2

 

[Shadyside]

We really need more JRPGs with an M rating. Xenosaga and Xenogears would have benefited from an M rating.

 

[Agema]

As someone who grew up playing Zelda, how the hell is it an RPG? I guess if you define RPG as "Get stronger over time" then I guess but that's making RPG very broad indeed.

This is an interesting question. I see plenty of games tagged "RPG" that I wouldn't in a million years justify, and I'm assuming someone does over some very nebulous concept of choosing how their protagonist(s) develops or that they get to choose what missions they do.

I would be tempted to say they are a narrative-focused games where the player should be expected to take a role in deciding events and has key aspects of character development to control, which as you say suggests choice about lines of expertise rather than just power-ups. However, it strikes me early RPGs are weak on these grounds, as they can barely have a narrative and the player decides nothing, they're just led by the nose from fight to puzzle to fight, despite being incredibly recognisably computer-based versions of traditional pen and paper RPGs.

 

[CaitSeith]

As someone who grew up playing Zelda, how the hell is it an RPG? I guess if you define RPG as "Get stronger over time" then I guess but that's making RPG very broad indeed.

Not directed at you, just wondering out loud.

Someone just went with the literal meaning of "Role-Playing" as you are playing the role of a character in a explicit story. But it's been a while ago since I last heard the term being used like that.

PS: On a curious side note, Nintendo first categorized Legend of Zelda as Adventure game, because Adventure in the Atari 2600 is pretty much LoZ's grandad.

 

[sXeth]

FF9 is my absolute favorite Final Fantasy game

OH right, that the "one I inevitably forget to put on my list".

I'd still slot it slightly behind FF6 though (the mechanical side of FF9 is kind of a .... meh)

 

[Phoenixmgs]

This is an interesting question. I see plenty of games tagged "RPG" that I wouldn't in a million years justify, and I'm assuming someone does over some very nebulous concept of choosing how their protagonist(s) develops or that they get to choose what missions they do.

I would be tempted to say they are a narrative-focused games where the player should be expected to take a role in deciding events and has key aspects of character development to control, which as you say suggests choice about lines of expertise rather than just power-ups. However, it strikes me early RPGs are weak on these grounds, as they can barely have a narrative and the player decides nothing, they're just led by the nose from fight to puzzle to fight, despite being incredibly recognisably computer-based versions of traditional pen and paper RPGs.

Exactly this, it's why I don't consider most video game RPGs to be RPGs. The average JRPG is basically an adventure game with no puzzles and a combat system thrown in. Does The Longest Journey magically become an RPG if you had turn-based combat every 3 steps? If everyone that plays the game sees the character(s) do the same exact things out of combat, then your not role-playing. It's why everyone felt like their Shepard was indeed their Shepard vs say Cloud from FF7 or Batman from Arkham.

Someone just went with the literal meaning of "Role-Playing" as you are playing the role of a character in a explicit story. But it's been a while ago since I last heard the term being used like that.

With that definition basically every game is an RPG.

 

[Secondhand Revenant]

Planescape: Torment will always remain one of my all time favorite games. The writing is highly enjoyable.

I personally really like the Ogre Battle games. Tactical RPGs, controlling an army or large group depending on the game. Prefer Ogre Battle 64 and Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together.

Of the Elder Scrolls games I think Morrowind feels the coolest in terms of lore etc and the world

 

[meiam]

OH right, that the "one I inevitably forget to put on my list".

I'd still slot it slightly behind FF6 though (the mechanical side of FF9 is kind of a .... meh)

Yeah it's a real shame how un developed the gameplay of 9 is, maybe that was a reaction to 8? The ability system is kinda cool in concept since it force you to constantly use different equipment to keep gaining new ability. But pretty quickly you'll have most of them and you can just use the newest stuff. Character are varied but there's not much of a reason to use anybody but the same characters all the time, they all broadly work. A lot of the abilities also feel a bit pointless, I barely ever used most of Zidane and Freya abilities. It just needed one additional system to make things gel a bit more together. Side quest where great (except for the non sense card game), chocobo hot and cold is fun and the treasure quest makes good use of the world map.

But it's a fun story, Zidane is a great main character, music is excellent (although that can be said of almost any FF) art style/world are interesting.

 

[Dalisclock]

But it's a fun story, Zidane is a great main character, music is excellent (although that can be said of almost any FF) art style/world are interesting.

Just a shame Freyas arc got completely screwed over. Especially after it hits that low point and then dropped from the rest of the game(barring that one bit in the ending).

And that's after her people got mostly wiped out

 

[Samtemdo8]

MMORPGs curated by me:


Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures
Asheron's Call
Asheron's Call 2
City of Heroes
Dark Age of Camelot
DC Universe Online
Dungeons & Dragons Online
The Elder Scrolls Online
Everquest 1
Everquest 2
Final Fantasy XI Online
Final Fantasy XIV Online
Guild Wars
Guild Wars 2
Lord of the Rings Online
Neverwinter
Runescape
Star Trek Online
Star Wars: Galaxies
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Ultima Online
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning
World of Warcraft

Honorable Mentions:
Aion
Anarchy Online
Neocron
Rift
TERA
Tibia
WildStar

 

[stroopwafel]

Not counting action-rpgs/souls-like etc my favorites are probably Chrono Trigger, FF4, FF6, FF7, Xenogears, Xenosaga ep 1 + 3, Saga Frontier 2, Suikoden 2, Valkyrie Profile 2, Digitial Devil Saga 1 + 2, Tales of the Abyss, Dragon Quest 8, FF7 Remake, Catherine and Persona 5 Royal. I wish they re-released Valkyrie Profile 1 on modern systems. That is one of the few gems I missed out on. I refuse to play it on my phone.

 

[Chimpzy]

I've heard people legit try to say Zelda itself is an rpg so I guess I can see em saying the same about okami.

They'd be right if we're specifically talking Zelda 2. But other than that, no, not an rpg, tho Zelda does have some rpg dna through shared inspiration by early action rpgs like Hydlide, Dragon Slayer and such. Though that's really only related in the same way humans and baboons are related.

 

[Phoenixmgs]

Xenosaga is basically a remake/reboot/reimagining of what the creator intended Xenogears to be. It was supposed to be 6 games, but Namco decided to cut it since they weren't making much profit out of it. First game is decent, but the character models are mostly bad. The 2nd game has somewhat tedious combat and acts more of a set up. 3rd game has the best of everything, and the best turned based mecha combat in any game I've seen. But it does rush towards the ending and has some cencorship problems that really hinder the story. Despite some of the flaws, I still think it's a worthwhile trilogy to play as the setting is really unique for sci fi.

The 2nd Xenosaga easily had the best combat because you had to think about what you had to do. The other games were just spam your AOE attacks.

 

[Shadyside]

The 2nd Xenosaga easily had the best combat because you had to think about what you had to do. The other games were just spam your AOE attacks.

It made even random encounters longer than it needed to be. I just used a guide that told me all the correct positions. I admit that 3 is the easiest, but it at least made up for it with the mecha combat.