In order to balance out all the negative threads lets make a positive one! My favorite RPG is Skyrim and I like it for the immersion and huge world to explore. What about you guys?
What's your favorite RPG and why do you like it?
- Thread starter Sanderpower
- Start date
I'm going to split mine up, in part because there is such a major difference between JRPGs and Western RPGs.
JRPG:
*Looks at avatar*
Hm, I'm going to have to think long and hard about this one. It might be Final Fantasy VI or maybe Tales of Vesperia...
Joking aside, Xenoblade Chronicles. I absolutely loved exploring the world. It had plenty of open, beautiful environments, and there are very few games that captured my attention much as this did when it came to finding the best sights that the world had to offer. The absolutely [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xweRl4LZlmo] magnificent [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p45gdP2OKmU] soundtrack [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MORt3P92HKs] also really helped bring out the mood of each zone whether it was daytime or nighttime. The rather large cast of characters also helped give a sense of interconnectedness to all the various zones, and the affinity meter with each major city helped give a connection to each of them, especially at Colony 6, which you had to rebuild throughout the course of the game.
The game's main party was also filled with fantastic characters that were interesting both in themselves and for the way that they interacted. Whether it was cutscenes, odd comments in battle, or the Heart-to-Heart moments, I throughly enjoyed seeing the characters' relationships develop as well as their own personal stories. Granted, I will say that Shulk, Melia, and Fiora did tend to overshadow the rest of the party, but Reyn, Sharla, Dunban, and Riki were all interesting in their own right.
Also, it helped that it was one of only a few JRPGs I've played where the combat was itself interesting. Yeah, it was the basic auto-attack while picking powers similar to games like World of Warcraft and Dragon Age: Origins, but it managed to find a way to make it constantly engaging for all "classes", which is something that I don't think any other game has done for me.
Basically, Xenoblade easily takes my favorite JRPG and even my favorite RPG in general. Even as far as games are concerned, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is the only one that can really compete with it.
Western RPG:
This really depends on what we're talking about. Mass Effect is my favorite as far as writing is concerned. The Elder Scrolls games offer the best roleplaying. Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 have the best gameplay.
Overall, I'd say it goes to either Oblivion or Mass Effect 3. The former has the advantage of giving freedom to do whatever I please in one of the most beautiful worlds I've seen in games. Yeah, Skyrim is probably better in terms of gameplay, but I preferred the look of Oblivion's world. As for Mass Effect 3, it offered the best combination of story and gameplay of the Mass Effect trilogy, and considering my love of the first game's story and second game's combat, that's saying a lot.
JRPG:
*Looks at avatar*
Hm, I'm going to have to think long and hard about this one. It might be Final Fantasy VI or maybe Tales of Vesperia...
Joking aside, Xenoblade Chronicles. I absolutely loved exploring the world. It had plenty of open, beautiful environments, and there are very few games that captured my attention much as this did when it came to finding the best sights that the world had to offer. The absolutely [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xweRl4LZlmo] magnificent [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p45gdP2OKmU] soundtrack [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MORt3P92HKs] also really helped bring out the mood of each zone whether it was daytime or nighttime. The rather large cast of characters also helped give a sense of interconnectedness to all the various zones, and the affinity meter with each major city helped give a connection to each of them, especially at Colony 6, which you had to rebuild throughout the course of the game.
The game's main party was also filled with fantastic characters that were interesting both in themselves and for the way that they interacted. Whether it was cutscenes, odd comments in battle, or the Heart-to-Heart moments, I throughly enjoyed seeing the characters' relationships develop as well as their own personal stories. Granted, I will say that Shulk, Melia, and Fiora did tend to overshadow the rest of the party, but Reyn, Sharla, Dunban, and Riki were all interesting in their own right.
Also, it helped that it was one of only a few JRPGs I've played where the combat was itself interesting. Yeah, it was the basic auto-attack while picking powers similar to games like World of Warcraft and Dragon Age: Origins, but it managed to find a way to make it constantly engaging for all "classes", which is something that I don't think any other game has done for me.
Basically, Xenoblade easily takes my favorite JRPG and even my favorite RPG in general. Even as far as games are concerned, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is the only one that can really compete with it.
Western RPG:
This really depends on what we're talking about. Mass Effect is my favorite as far as writing is concerned. The Elder Scrolls games offer the best roleplaying. Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 have the best gameplay.
Overall, I'd say it goes to either Oblivion or Mass Effect 3. The former has the advantage of giving freedom to do whatever I please in one of the most beautiful worlds I've seen in games. Yeah, Skyrim is probably better in terms of gameplay, but I preferred the look of Oblivion's world. As for Mass Effect 3, it offered the best combination of story and gameplay of the Mass Effect trilogy, and considering my love of the first game's story and second game's combat, that's saying a lot.
It's probably Kingdom Hearts, only because I've played several games in that series. Whereas I've only played one Dragon Quest and one Tales of. But I have a hard time considering KH an RPG.
For me, that would be Final Fantasy IX.
For me, that game has everything I could ask for in a JRPG. An engaging story with a wonderful cast of well realized characters, a fun battle system with with each character playing an important role for the team, an interesting ability system, several beautiful locations, an amazing soundtrack, and one of my most favorite game endings ever.
I didn't get to play it until ten years after it's initial release. But I'm glad I had the chance to.
For me, that game has everything I could ask for in a JRPG. An engaging story with a wonderful cast of well realized characters, a fun battle system with with each character playing an important role for the team, an interesting ability system, several beautiful locations, an amazing soundtrack, and one of my most favorite game endings ever.
I didn't get to play it until ten years after it's initial release. But I'm glad I had the chance to.
Diablo 3 mostly because there is no true way to fuck up your character. most people whine "oh but i cant make my own build" when most people resorted to copying the proven most effective builds anyway, rendering the fact that you could make your own build nul in the first place.
Etrian Odyssey. If I had to pick a specific one I'd say the 3rd.
I just love building my parties in these games although coming up with names gets hard. The dungeons are great as well with lots of trap floors, secrets pathways, and enemies to avoid. Drawing the map yourself on the bottom screen is a feature I love; it really sell the ragtag adventurer feeling.
I just love building my parties in these games although coming up with names gets hard. The dungeons are great as well with lots of trap floors, secrets pathways, and enemies to avoid. Drawing the map yourself on the bottom screen is a feature I love; it really sell the ragtag adventurer feeling.
I keep wanting to play Roadwar again. I keep wanting someone to remake it for android, or 3ds so I don't have to emulate it on my laptop. I don't think I've ever even heard of a game like it.
I mean, how many games let you roam a continent (USA, then later Europe in a sequel) gathering a massive army, a ton of assorted vehicles to travel, and fight from, fight mutants, cannibals, and stuff while trying to gather food, and supplies, and build an empire? All while trying to save the world by finding important people?
I mean, how many games let you roam a continent (USA, then later Europe in a sequel) gathering a massive army, a ton of assorted vehicles to travel, and fight from, fight mutants, cannibals, and stuff while trying to gather food, and supplies, and build an empire? All while trying to save the world by finding important people?
Mine's a bit of a toss-up, really.
A few months ago I would have said Final Fantasy Tactics (the original for the PS1), easily. But having played Skyrim on the PC now, I really can't decide which one I like more. FFT has a story so grand (imo) that it inspired me to become a creative writer. But Skyrim has mods...glorious, delicious, holy mods of greatness...and while I normally do agree with the sentiments of the Critical Miss comic, I have to disagree with the one that says "You can't say that Skyrim is a great RPG because of the mods." Now, that would technically be true except for one factor: Bethesda made Skyrim specifically to be modded. Saying that you can't claim that Skyrim is a good game because it's modded is like saying that you can't claim pepperoni pizza is your favorite because it's just a modded cheese pizza.
A few months ago I would have said Final Fantasy Tactics (the original for the PS1), easily. But having played Skyrim on the PC now, I really can't decide which one I like more. FFT has a story so grand (imo) that it inspired me to become a creative writer. But Skyrim has mods...glorious, delicious, holy mods of greatness...and while I normally do agree with the sentiments of the Critical Miss comic, I have to disagree with the one that says "You can't say that Skyrim is a great RPG because of the mods." Now, that would technically be true except for one factor: Bethesda made Skyrim specifically to be modded. Saying that you can't claim that Skyrim is a good game because it's modded is like saying that you can't claim pepperoni pizza is your favorite because it's just a modded cheese pizza.
I am going to take Mystic's route and separate mine.
JRPG
Final Fantasy Tactics(PS1)
I bought both this and FF7 at the same time. I loved FF7 until I played FFT. Tactics story is one of the best I have ever played. Politics, betrayal, murder, religion and mysterious stones plus one great combat and job system. No JRPG has ever got me so involved. The lore was fun to look for and the secrets were well worth looking for.
CRPG
Arcanum of steamworks and magick obscura
One of my favorite games of all time. The options are vast and world is quite amazing. Granted I played this game years after its release(thank you GOG) so I miss many of the bugs. Just the options given to you when creating your character is amazing. Using technology and magic leaves many choices when it comes to combat. Some of my favorite NPCs of all-time.
WRPG
Elder Scrolls Morrwind
What can be said about this gem that other have not already said? Make a character leave the beginning area and then lose hundreds of hours just wandering the earth. So much to see and discover plus the amazing expansion packs when you finish the main game.
JRPG
Final Fantasy Tactics(PS1)
I bought both this and FF7 at the same time. I loved FF7 until I played FFT. Tactics story is one of the best I have ever played. Politics, betrayal, murder, religion and mysterious stones plus one great combat and job system. No JRPG has ever got me so involved. The lore was fun to look for and the secrets were well worth looking for.
CRPG
Arcanum of steamworks and magick obscura
One of my favorite games of all time. The options are vast and world is quite amazing. Granted I played this game years after its release(thank you GOG) so I miss many of the bugs. Just the options given to you when creating your character is amazing. Using technology and magic leaves many choices when it comes to combat. Some of my favorite NPCs of all-time.
WRPG
Elder Scrolls Morrwind
What can be said about this gem that other have not already said? Make a character leave the beginning area and then lose hundreds of hours just wandering the earth. So much to see and discover plus the amazing expansion packs when you finish the main game.
JRPG:
I am wanting to agree with the 2 who said Xenoblade but I have to cheat and nominate an entire franchise.
Shin Megami Tensei.
The entire series, I love it all.
From all the games in the series I have played I have loved every single one, especially post Nocturne with the Press Turn Battle system and all of its derivatives with in the franchise, in my opinion it is the best execution of turn-based battle's I have encountered, dethroning the CTB system from Final Fantasy X. It feels so good to really control the tide of battle with your actions and when you get good be able to completely beat down a group of enemies in one round because you knew exactly how to hit them where it hurts.
And story wise I LOVE bleak, apocalyptic, and morally grey stories, which the main series has no shortage of, but as one who loves good stories in general the rest of the series still has that as a standard, even their worst stories are on par with many other games that have semi good stories.
And yes like many on this site I think Persona 4 is a masterpiece of a JRPG, enough that compared to ANY other JRPG I had completed it withing one month of buying it,, which is rare for me with any GAME in general, and never with a JRPG, because it kept me invested that well, and the existence of Golden was enough to force my hand in to getting a Vita. Which I have only stopped due to that brutal February dungeon, and lack of time, and I'm still too stubborn to quit it and comeback on a New Game +.
And I will cap it off by saying that while I will never be truly able to pick a favorite, of all genres JRPG's are the most likely to be it. And that says something when one franchise manages to be my favorite within one of my top most favorite genres.
WRPG:
Fallout New Vegas.
Like I said, I like bleak apocalyptic stories. So Fallout NV fits as well as being one of the most fun times I have had in a free roaming RPG. I loved exploring the Mojave wasteland, I loved the quests, the followers and other characters, the weapons. And as a JRPG person I really have to give props to how the final quest for the House, NCR, and Wild Card Ending was handled. Labeled Point of No return, with all your actions and prep paying off in a final dungeon with ends with a direct confrontation and dialogue with Legate Lanius before you can attempt to talk him down or choose to fight in which he becomes very traditional Final Boss, high health, high damage, tough if you don't know what you are doing, but easy and still satisfying if you powered up through doing side content. Also with DLC I love the near Godhood you could obtain by optimizing while having 50 levels of skill points and 25 perk choices. Hell I managed to become a silver-tongued, lock-picking, master of repair with the ability to use an anti material rifle so well that it was a viable all purpose weapon with just the initial 30 levels out of the box.
I am wanting to agree with the 2 who said Xenoblade but I have to cheat and nominate an entire franchise.
Shin Megami Tensei.
The entire series, I love it all.
From all the games in the series I have played I have loved every single one, especially post Nocturne with the Press Turn Battle system and all of its derivatives with in the franchise, in my opinion it is the best execution of turn-based battle's I have encountered, dethroning the CTB system from Final Fantasy X. It feels so good to really control the tide of battle with your actions and when you get good be able to completely beat down a group of enemies in one round because you knew exactly how to hit them where it hurts.
And story wise I LOVE bleak, apocalyptic, and morally grey stories, which the main series has no shortage of, but as one who loves good stories in general the rest of the series still has that as a standard, even their worst stories are on par with many other games that have semi good stories.
And yes like many on this site I think Persona 4 is a masterpiece of a JRPG, enough that compared to ANY other JRPG I had completed it withing one month of buying it,, which is rare for me with any GAME in general, and never with a JRPG, because it kept me invested that well, and the existence of Golden was enough to force my hand in to getting a Vita. Which I have only stopped due to that brutal February dungeon, and lack of time, and I'm still too stubborn to quit it and comeback on a New Game +.
And I will cap it off by saying that while I will never be truly able to pick a favorite, of all genres JRPG's are the most likely to be it. And that says something when one franchise manages to be my favorite within one of my top most favorite genres.
WRPG:
Fallout New Vegas.
Like I said, I like bleak apocalyptic stories. So Fallout NV fits as well as being one of the most fun times I have had in a free roaming RPG. I loved exploring the Mojave wasteland, I loved the quests, the followers and other characters, the weapons. And as a JRPG person I really have to give props to how the final quest for the House, NCR, and Wild Card Ending was handled. Labeled Point of No return, with all your actions and prep paying off in a final dungeon with ends with a direct confrontation and dialogue with Legate Lanius before you can attempt to talk him down or choose to fight in which he becomes very traditional Final Boss, high health, high damage, tough if you don't know what you are doing, but easy and still satisfying if you powered up through doing side content. Also with DLC I love the near Godhood you could obtain by optimizing while having 50 levels of skill points and 25 perk choices. Hell I managed to become a silver-tongued, lock-picking, master of repair with the ability to use an anti material rifle so well that it was a viable all purpose weapon with just the initial 30 levels out of the box.
Hard to say when it comes to whether Skyrim is a great RPG or not. I feel it is more style over substance compared to earlier games of the series(Morrowind). Given the fact Skyrim is made to be modded ONLY for the PC, It leaves console players with only the base game. But I can understand why you would put it as your number one.RJ 17 said:
Xenogears, the best videogame ever made. ^^ According to me, anyway.Sanderpower said:
It was a 1998 JRPG by Squaresoft (back when that meant something) and was ALMOST released as Final Fantasy 7 before someone realized it was too weird to be a FF title.
Let that sink in a moment.
It has an incredible story, fun gameplay, awesome characters, and a rich and detailed world.
....
I'm also quite partial to Planescape: Torment.
Probobly Paper Mario: the Thousand Year door: perfect mix of involving gameplay, comedic writing, memorable and well rounded characters, and a brilliant aesthetic that complements the set pieces and world design beautifully.
I do like the first Paper Mario allot as well, and I actually think Super Paper Mario is also pretty cool in a different sort of way, but I think TTYD was far and away the best entry in the series.
Second place would probably be Kingdom Hearts 1. I know Two is technically the superior game, most assuredly the bigger game, but I prefer the story, characters, and theming of the first one.
KH2 is still an incredible game though, I'm not bashing it just because I like the original more.
I do like the first Paper Mario allot as well, and I actually think Super Paper Mario is also pretty cool in a different sort of way, but I think TTYD was far and away the best entry in the series.
Second place would probably be Kingdom Hearts 1. I know Two is technically the superior game, most assuredly the bigger game, but I prefer the story, characters, and theming of the first one.
KH2 is still an incredible game though, I'm not bashing it just because I like the original more.
For me it's Project X-zone on the 3DS. It's just so much fun having so many different characters from so many games coming together to fight monsters and save the world.
I think my favorite teams from that game are: Chris and Jill from the Resident Evil series, Team Vashyron from Resonance of Fate and Frank West (Dead Rising) and Hsein-Ko (Darkstalkers).
I think my favorite teams from that game are: Chris and Jill from the Resident Evil series, Team Vashyron from Resonance of Fate and Frank West (Dead Rising) and Hsein-Ko (Darkstalkers).
I'm gonna have to go with Planescape: Torment. In addition to having the best story, well, ever, it was so wildly different from any RPG not only that I'd ever played, but that I'd ever even imagined. A fantasy RPG with no Orcs, Trolls, Knights, Elves, Dwarves, etc. etc? Sign me up. The fact that it took such an incredibly bizarre setting as Planescape and not only brought it to life, but managed to make you understand it, was just extraordinary. Awesome soundtrack too.
On the complete opposite side of the coin, I gotta go with Skyrim, but only the PC version. The mods for the game added so much replayability and so many hours of fun. It was just so packed with content and fun that I find myself constantly coming back to it, because the mods essentially make it a whole new game every time you play it.
On the complete opposite side of the coin, I gotta go with Skyrim, but only the PC version. The mods for the game added so much replayability and so many hours of fun. It was just so packed with content and fun that I find myself constantly coming back to it, because the mods essentially make it a whole new game every time you play it.
Gothic 2.
For one, the exploration in that game is great. It's a small but open hand crafted world, so it's very detailed and rich to explore with things hidden around every nook and cranny. There is no hand holding in the game whatsoever, no map markers, no minimaps, no fast travel. The game treats you with respect and in turn demands respect - or it'll kick your ass. The atmosphere of the game is great, accompanied by some really good soundtrack and the storyline is pretty good at holding it all together. But the real kicker for me is the combat. It's my favourite melee combat in any game, ever. It might not look like much, but it's insanely enjoyable and offers an 'easy to pick up, hard to master' system. A truly skilled player can even defeat the toughest enemies in the game at level one with a wooden stick if they're up for it. The magic is pretty fun as well, with spells that can freeze your enemies solid so you can either crowd control or whack 'em with a staff. You can transform yourself into dangerous animals, to rip enemies to pieces or slip by other tough animals without notice. You can summon creatures to your aid, the aptly named army of darkness spell being the strongest, as it can summon 5 or 6 skeleton warriors to assist you, which can be spammed over and over if you have the mana for it. Always fun to do that in the city and watch the chaos.
But yeah, it may not have the interesting characters or massive world of Gothic 3, or the shiny graphics of the Risen games (and fucking hell, Risen 3 is a fantastic game damn it! Reviewers, stop what you're doing to it, please...!) but it's the one I hold dearest. It's also the game that made me love RPGs (I played Oblivion first, but Gothic blew it out of the water) so there's some nostalgia in it for me as well.
I'm going to go play it again now.
For one, the exploration in that game is great. It's a small but open hand crafted world, so it's very detailed and rich to explore with things hidden around every nook and cranny. There is no hand holding in the game whatsoever, no map markers, no minimaps, no fast travel. The game treats you with respect and in turn demands respect - or it'll kick your ass. The atmosphere of the game is great, accompanied by some really good soundtrack and the storyline is pretty good at holding it all together. But the real kicker for me is the combat. It's my favourite melee combat in any game, ever. It might not look like much, but it's insanely enjoyable and offers an 'easy to pick up, hard to master' system. A truly skilled player can even defeat the toughest enemies in the game at level one with a wooden stick if they're up for it. The magic is pretty fun as well, with spells that can freeze your enemies solid so you can either crowd control or whack 'em with a staff. You can transform yourself into dangerous animals, to rip enemies to pieces or slip by other tough animals without notice. You can summon creatures to your aid, the aptly named army of darkness spell being the strongest, as it can summon 5 or 6 skeleton warriors to assist you, which can be spammed over and over if you have the mana for it. Always fun to do that in the city and watch the chaos.
But yeah, it may not have the interesting characters or massive world of Gothic 3, or the shiny graphics of the Risen games (and fucking hell, Risen 3 is a fantastic game damn it! Reviewers, stop what you're doing to it, please...!) but it's the one I hold dearest. It's also the game that made me love RPGs (I played Oblivion first, but Gothic blew it out of the water) so there's some nostalgia in it for me as well.
I'm going to go play it again now.
Baldurs gate series.
When I first played it blew me away.
It was everything I'd ever wanted in an rpg.
An epic storyline, strategic combat, dungeons and exploration.
As the series continued and expansions were released, carrying that party over to the next made the game truly feel like one absolute epic.
I don't think any other game ever managed to capture that sense as keenly for me as BG.
It became the yardstick by which I measured other games.
Honourable mention to Daggerfall.
For sheer scope, size and overall freedom.
One of those games where you risk being paralyzed by choice, but never by a lack of something to do.
When I first played it blew me away.
It was everything I'd ever wanted in an rpg.
An epic storyline, strategic combat, dungeons and exploration.
As the series continued and expansions were released, carrying that party over to the next made the game truly feel like one absolute epic.
I don't think any other game ever managed to capture that sense as keenly for me as BG.
It became the yardstick by which I measured other games.
Honourable mention to Daggerfall.
For sheer scope, size and overall freedom.
One of those games where you risk being paralyzed by choice, but never by a lack of something to do.
I'mma have to go with Skies of Arcadia.
What can I say, I love the world. I love the airship battles and feel of the game. I enjoy the characters and the optional shenanigans of gathering the most awesome pirate crew of rag-tag pre-teens and sky hobos.
What can I say, I love the world. I love the airship battles and feel of the game. I enjoy the characters and the optional shenanigans of gathering the most awesome pirate crew of rag-tag pre-teens and sky hobos.
