Your Top 5 RPGs (and why)

[Kaylia]

There is nothing wrong to tag Xeno on it, that's what made me enjoy the game as much like I said. The story of both game support each other more than you think at first sight.

[Krandor]

Hey, speak of the devil, CVG did PC gaming's 10 best and worst characters with HK-47 from KOTOR and Morte (the floating skull) from Planescape: Torment.

Morte's Description:

Everyone has a friend they don't really like - an abusive arsehole who lives to see you suffer, but who you still like having around. Mortimer Rictusgrin - Morte to his friends - is exactly that guy... well, head.

He's a sarcastic, lying and stunningly witty flying skull. (SPOILERS) Amongst a pack of memorable characters, Morte is the one you love Planescape for.

Link is http://www.computerandvideogames.com/ar ... ?id=183044, MAJOR SPOILERS IN THE TEXT THOUGH ESPECIALLY FOR KOTOR, DONT GO IF YOU ARE GOING TO EVER PLAY KOTOR

Seriously, most of you shouldn't read HK-47's description and should stay away from all KOTOR spoilers, spoiling KOTOR would suck

Seriously, KOTOR's plot deserves to not be spoiled, I can't emphasize this enough.

That's so awesome that Max Payne is on the "good" list.

[sephir]

1. Lufia II- One of the best story lines and a very simple concept game. Never was too comlicated and delivered on almost every aspect of a good RPG.

2. Tales of Destiny/Tales of Eternia- This game was a lot of fun. The story was long, and it had a tonne of extra features that could further extend gameplay.

3. FF7/FF9- Most people know why these were good.

4. Zelda OoT- One of my favorite games ever, I have very fond memories of trying to solve puzzles like the water temple with my older brother when I was young. One of the most positive experiences I have ever had with an RPG.

5. Star Ocean III or Legend of Heroes- I can't decide which one I enjoyed more. Star Ocean III kept me interested with its story and although it got a bit weird at some parts I loved the gameplay and the overall premise of the game. Legend of Heroes offered a deep while humouress RPG for PSP and although I wasn't that fond of the battle system (played the game in 1 hour intervals or so), the story always kept me entertained. Its humour and excellent storyline kept me coming back to this game over and over again even though the battle system kept making me want to put it down.

[Woozie]

In no particular order

Star Ocean 2. The battle system was good. I really liked the story line. I LOVED the battle system. I also liked all of the other aspects such as building/crafting, pickpocketing, counterfeiting, cooking, etc. Did I mention the battle system? It was just an overall fun game to play.

Star Ocean 3. Battle system, again, is a huge part of why I liked it. This story was very good (for the most part).

Chrono Trigger. I don't think this requires explanation.

Final Fantasy VII. I don't think this requires explanation either. All the fanboyism kind of ruins the enjoyment of the game, unfortunately, but before all the fanboyism, this game was hot stuff.

Final Fantasy Tactics. I've beat it dozens of times and yet I still don't know what the storyline was even about. But I loved the game.

I feel bad for leaving out Golden Sun and a few Suikodens, as well as FF9....

Also, reading this thread has finally convinced me that Xenosaga 3 is worth trying out. 1 was barely bearable after I got halfway through, 2 was, uh, no comment...

[ronin sparthos]

Star Ocean 2. The battle system was good. I really liked the story line. I LOVED the battle system. I also liked all of the other aspects such as building/crafting, pickpocketing, counterfeiting, cooking, etc. Did I mention the battle system? It was just an overall fun game to play.

This is why SO2 is priceless.

[Richybear]

1. NBA Jam
2. RC Pro-Am
3. Excitebike
4. Karate Champ
5. Street Fighter II Alpha

[Charismatic]

Is this some kind of super-troll?

[Richybear]

Yeah... a troll named Richybear...
Actually, it was more of an "I'm bored at work and RL best friend is reading the boards. Which post is he currently reading so he can see it?" type posts.

[Charismatic]

I don't think you get it...
This thread is titled "Your Top 5 RPGs (and why)"

You posted some pretty decent games there, but none were RPGs.

[Richybear]

Nevermind, my attempt to just be a harmless asshat was taken seriously for some reason. Ok, as for a LEGIT top 5 RPG list:

1. Phantasy Star IV: Rika has always been my fave RPG character of all time. Had some replayability so you could beat it over and over without getting bored easily.

2. Shining Force II: I actually played 2 before I played one. I think the only flaw is that Peter seems too overpowered. Plus I got a kick out of seeing how strong I could make the Turtle/Monster character.

3. Dragon Quest VIII: Hey it's like a throw back to the turn based games and a synth system that doesn't cause you to perma break expensive items! While you may have to wait a few minutes for the synth/recipe to turn out, at least you weren't gonna see "Critical Failure: A Sun Crown is lost."

4. Super Mario RPG: Killed lotsa time at work with this game, via emulator. Hasn't seemed to lose its fun at all.

5. This may be breaking the rules a bit, but River City Ransom is sorta RPGish in a way. You're still boosting stats, farming up coins and killing things.

[Zilong]

5. This may be breaking the rules a bit, but River City Ransom is sorta RPGish in a way. You're still boosting stats, farming up coins and killing things.

BARF

[Pendas]

Top 5 RPGs

1. Grandia - The original for the PS1 was amazing in my eyes, it was the game that completely changed the way I looked at RPGs. Amazing battle system, jaw dropping story, lovable characters but very bad voice acting, but I didn't care once I got into it. Nothing I've played has topped it.

2. FFVII - Yeah, I loved this game, but I'm not going to get into a flame war about it or explain my reasons because its been done to death.

3. Earthbound - Simple, Classic, lighthearted, and so much fun. My first RPG and 1/2 SNES games I still have to this day and will never sell.

4. Super Mario RPG - The other SNES I game I own till death. The fusion of SE and Mario brought gaming gold to the world. Again, its simple, fun and challenging at the same time (fkin Axem Rangers!)

5. Kingdom Hearts - A game that not only changed RPG battle systems by throwing it into real time, but also brought me back to my childhood days of disney magic that can't be replicated by any other means. The greatest charm in this game is the sense of reliving a piece of your childhood you'll never get back. Whether its laughing at the antics of donald duck, riding the magic carpet with Aladdin or traversing through wonderland, everything brought a smile to my face. (Not to mention it was so fkin Hard at times, but I love a challenge ^^)

Yeah, most of the RPGs I like are simple, fun and lighthearted. Its all about being simplistic but at the same time fun and challenging with a nice in-depth story you can get into.

[Turambar]

I don't think you get it...
This thread is titled "Your Top 5 RPGs (and why)"

You posted some pretty decent games there, but none were RPGs.

Well, to be fair, you play a role in each of them.

[Exoduso]

Doesn't make them RPGs?

[Mayareira]

1. Final Fantasy XII
Not only the greatest RPG, imo, greatest game of all time.

2. Xenogears
Awesome Music, great plot and characters.

3. Castlevania: SOTN
Was playing this on ps3 20 mins ago(yeah, completed it dozens of times before). Masterpiece.

4. Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy X Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy VII (don't feel like filling the list with ff's)

5. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, Persona 1 2 and 3
Love the setting, music, story etc. etc.

Others: Elder Scrolls, Lunar, Valkyrie Profile, Other Castlevania Games, Shadow Hearts, Harvert Moon, Arc the Lad, Pokemon, Chrono's, Azure Dreams, Vagrant Story, Star Ocean's, Parasite Eve's, Grandia I and II.

[Avanarius]

1. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest
2. Saga Frontier
3. Beyond the Beyond
4. Shadow Madness
5. FFX-2

lmfaojk

[Charismatic]

How hard was it for you to type that?
(Although I actually like SaGa Frontier and FFX-2)

[Avanarius]

It was harder going through the 3 years of therapy after playing Mystic Quest then posting it was.

Saga Frontier mehhhhhhhhhhh maybe Unlimited SaGa floats your hate boat a bit better?

And FFX-2 would have been an awesome game for me if I hadn't known anything, previously, about FFX lol

[Bingbong]

Been about 3 weeks, so this may almost be called a necro-bump... but I'm new here so cut me some slack.

I gotta break this up into 2 top 5's... the FF's and the others.

FF's:
1> IX great game play, even better storyline,
2> X the storyline alone puts this one up here
3> VII for it's time, the look and feel, gameplay were all top notch, the epic storyline was uber too
4> VI again, the "epic-ness" of the characters and their stories put this one up here.
5> Tie between II and XII; II (SNES, Kain and Rosa etc)- because you never forget your first, and XII because it's enjoyable enough I've replayed it a few times.

Others:
1> Xenosaga series. 'Nuff said - yeah, I know it's different, but Xenogears goes here too.
2> Shadow Hearts series. Grown-up sort of game, loved the characters and gameplay.
3> Legend of Dragoon. EPIC. Gameplay, characters, storyline... solid solid RPG.
4> Chrono Cross. Immense depth of game, so much involvement with characters.
5> Skies of Arcadia. On Dreamcast... only RPG I ever owned for that system. Would replay it today if I could get my hands on it without having to buy new hardware.

[LD]

#5: Final Fantasy XII
It started out great and has an amazing battle system with many visually impressive and technically challenging fights, but the story died for me about half-way through. It became so cliched and contrived that I was disgusted with how much I'd looked forward to what I'd hoped to be another Ivalice epic (FFT, VS). I didn't care about any of the characters, which is supposed to be a staple of any FF, imo. They all seemed to be hollow cardboard cut-outs of age-old stereotypes, even the 'cool' ones, Balthier and Fran. However, it did have its moments and the first half's story kept me wanting to know what would happen next. Of course, the battle system is probably one of the best I've played and kept making me want to force the FFXI team to convert it to this.

#4: Final Fantasy IX
After 2 overly angst filled 'emo in the year 2200' male leads, it was refreshing beyond words to see someone as fun, funny, and full of life as Zidane, and that's what FF9 is. From start to finish, FF9 is as interesting and engrossing as any other FF without taking itself so seriously. Most FFs tend to have their funny moments, but they tend to be few and far between. Which is fine, that's how certain stories should go, but it was nice to see that some people understand that not every quest has to be a stoic sacrifice for the world and you can poke a bit of fun on the way. Not to say it wasn't capable of good drama or portraying something as appropriately dangerous. From the attack on Alexandria to the airship battle over the Iffa tree, everything sweeps you up and pulls you along for every single moment. Making each character a different Class was also nice and they were able to pull it off while making everyone pretty balanced (for the most part.) The game is filled with fun extras, mini-games, and Easter eggs, and terra master, but I can forgive that. The emotional Depth and Growth of all the characters in a rich full world really makes the game come alive.

#3: Final Fantasy VII
What to say that hasn't already been said? Despite being a spikey-headed brain-washing victim, Cloud was a lot more deep than people give him credit for. A guy who at first is dealing with his life not turning out how he wanted and then has to face the rest of his home town as a failure. He then has to deal with his commander and idol steadily going insane and then finally destroying his town and killing nearly everyone he cares about. When he confronts this man, he himself is nearly killed, but somehow manages to kill the man as well (sorta). He is then subjected to torturous experiments that drive him to his physical and mental limits, forcing him to reform his mind by adopting the personality of his closest friend and role model. Eventually has to come to terms with his actual past and all the pain, suffering, and humiliation that caused him to fall into that pit in the first place. On the whole, Cloud is one of the most human characters I've seen; He was put through a traumatic experience and was badly damaged by it instead of comoing out strong, as we all want our heros to be and how we'd all like to THINK we'd come out. He is fragile and flawed to begin with but eventually becomes just as flawed, but much less fragile. I can't say I wanted to identify with him, but a lot of people oversimplify his character and that's not really fair considering how much work obviously went into him. The Materia system is amazing, easy to get into, apply, and perfect. The Characters, even the minor ones, have more depth than most video games in general. The score and CSs are unforgettable. Hate all you want, this is still one of the best RPGs in history...except for..

#2: Vagrant Story
It was once dubbed "Medieval Metal Gear", that suits it extremely well. The varied, deep, and interactive combat, the twisting, dark, and intriguing story, the mostly linear, but free exploration, the stoic, impressive, but still human protagonist. It's probably as close as SE will ever get to Kojima's story-telling. For the technology at the time, the scale of the game was shocking, and yet once you really get into it, even after walking through the iron maiden, you want more. Perfecting and maintaining your equipment, chaining enough to kill, but still managing your risk, using the landscape to your advantage, the combat was at least 2 games by itself. The bright, deserted courtyards, the monster-infested dungeons, you could hear everything, Lea Monde literally breathed and had a heartbeat. It howled and clawed at itself like a trapped beast. The score breathed even more life into the different environments and had your blood racing in the boss battles. The only thing that was wrong with this game was that it was made too early, technology today would vastly improve the more tedious elements, like the storage box. This is a game that needs to be remade or expanded, almost as much as...

#1: Chrono Trigger.
By RPG standards, CT would be labeled as 'simple' and I can't say that would be unfair, but in this simple game is more depth than I've found in ANY game to date (cept maybe MGS). The characters, the world, the various battles, the story, this is the closest thing to a perfect game that I've ever seen (INCLUDING MGS). The nature of techs not only allows characters to cooperate, but the nature of each attack and the cumulative damage it can do depends on the position of the monster(s), taking the tactical element further than most turn-based RPGs. The characters show more emotion with their uncomplicated motivations than half the over-hyped Animes, even (especially) the game’s silent protagonist, whose triumphs and ultimate sacrifice have you feeling for him as if he were almost a real person. The main villain is so incredibly and carelessly destructive, he doesn’t even have to speak or actually be evil in the traditional sense. The story compels you to race through to the next confrontation all while the amazing music urges you on even further. From the epic boss themes to the sad song of loss, everything is woven together into grand tapestry that is a feast for the senses. Play this game. Now. I don't care if you've played it before, play it again. If you haven't played it before, get it and play it. If you don’t want to play it, you're stupid and you should play it. If you don't like it, you are a horrible person and I hope you and your seed are destroyed by fire. This is the best game ever and not playing it is a crime against God, Nature, God, and humanity, in that order.
Chrono Trigger, cuz you know there’s gunna be mo’ cats.