Your Top 5 RPGs (and why)

[rath]

1. Secret of mana
This game had me waiting so long for its sequel, only to have it not released in NA. Was a very good game, and it sucks they let the NA team make Secret of Evermore instead of translating Seiken Densetsu 3 into English.

2. 7th saga
This game was the best saga game I played. The immense difficulty you could create for yourself by the way you play was great. Too bad they devolved into stuff like romancing/unlimited.

3. Bahamut Lagoon
This is what FFT should have been like. It sucks that this game was only available in NA as a ROM. The dragons you got to raise were pretty nifty. This was like a FFT with a FFIII storyline AND you got to raise dragons to battle with too! The hard dungeon was actually hard too (unless you were super cheap and made an invincible dragon).

4. Kefka!
FFIII snes was one of my most-played games ever. I enjoyed everything I can remember about it. Even vanish>x-zone once I was done beating on things the normal way.

5. Chrono Trigger
Many of the reasons listed previously.

Edit: forgot to include the why

[layoneil]

2. 7th saga
This game was the best saga game I played. The immense difficulty you could create for yourself by the way you play was great. Too bad they devolved into stuff like romancing/unlimited.

unless you know something i don't know, 7th Saga has nothing to do with the SaGa series.

[rath]

Hmmm, you are correct. I assumed they changed the name while releasing 7th saga 2 in NA, apparently they just never released the sequel here. Regardless, it is still one of my top RPGs, and unlimited saga creator should be made to play through his own games.

[Xno Kappa]

1. Xenogears: Shits on any Final Fantasy story hands-down, anyone to even argue this is just pleading ignorance. Even more so considering this is a game that wasn't even truly completed. Till this day you can play the game and find a new clever metaphor pertaining to the characters and plot.

2. Suikoden Series: Absolute perfect blend of game-play and story-line. I still think the first one was the best, the hero was an absolute tank in the first and a god in part II. The history behind every single event and every single character also lent itself to create an epic feel for the series.

3. Lufia II: Game-play was meh but the music coupled with the story-line held me on the whole time. One of my favorite most memorable endings of all time.

4. Final Fantasy Tactics: I've must've put over a 100 hours into that game creating all my characters to be top-notch. I'm still trying to figure out the story though.

5. Xenosaga Series: The whole series was practically created to be a homage to Gears. Started strong with a lot of promise as establishing itself as its own universe of story-telling. Unfortunately Episode II was absolutely horrendous and the staff suffered the same time restraints and story cuts Gears suffered. Episode III was incredible but again, the whole series left me with a "what-if" taste. It's still amazing how much these game story-lines accomplished when they weren't completed in its original vision.

FOR THE RECORD: Xenogears and Xenosaga have absolutely NOTHING to do with each other story-wise as stated by the director whose name alludes me at the moment. Think Gundam animes, same thing. If you were a true fan of the Xeno universe you would have known this anyways just by the sheer contradictions of time-lines and certain plot characters.

[Karbuncle]

7th Saga:
Bassicly my first RPG, I loved it... i still haven't beat it since fighting other "Hero's" was so hard it made me cry. However the game was very fun.

Super mario RPG:
I don't care if it doesn't count, i Effin loved this game, The "Jump" Challenge, the humor in it, The "Hidden" Boxes, the collectables, the "Unseen" person behind the house in Toad town who was probably Luigi :O, Yoshi Island, the impossibility of actually winning a race against Boshi when playing Manual... hell even the final boss was fun, will always be in my heart <3.

Megaman Legends:
Pretty sure it had RPG elements.. (could upgrade HP, Weapons, etc)... but i think it was a platformer, im not sure :<, however it was still fun and i always considered it an RPG... definitly one of the best Megaman games i played :D, just my type i suppose.

FF8:
First Final fantasy i ever played, I got so into it, the card battle stuff, the Draw system, the Summons(Guardian forces w/e), Omega(or was it Ultima weapon who pwnt?). Everything about it was fun to me :O

FFT:A
I like it, what can i say, the equipment/Weapon system was confusing to me for a while, but i eventually figured it out and when i did the game was awsome... can't explain it more than enjoyability.

[Kaylia]

FOR THE RECORD: Xenogears and Xenosaga have absolutely NOTHING to do with each other story-wise as stated by the director whose name alludes me at the moment. Think Gundam animes, same thing. If you were a true fan of the Xeno universe you would have known this anyways just by the sheer contradictions of time-lines and certain plot characters.

I beg to disagree. D: While it's not a direct connection, it give you a good idea of what happened in the "cosmic war" before the Eldridge n Xenogears. Both series share the same timeline up to that point

[Kyo]

There are so many great RPG's its hard to choose 5, so im going to cheat and choose 6

1.Legend of Dragoon-By far my favorite RPG, loved the battle system and the music was phenominal, someone said the characters were corny and I dont see how they were, but thats a discussion for another day.

2.Mass Effect-Hands down one of the best RPG's made,kept me on the edge of my seat and intrested, cant wait for the sequel.

3.Jade Empire-ANother great game that was overlooked,battle system was great and it was a challenging game.

4. Fable-A very emersive RPG with lots of cool decision making, yet again another sequel I cant wait for.

5.Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne-Very fun title story is weird but the harvesting of demons was alot of fun.

6.FFIX and FFX-Both equal in my book and loved them both, story was great on both and I loved blitzball in 10.

I know I cheated but with so many rpg's made its so hrd to choose just 5, sure other titles are wothy of a top 5 list but these shined through greatly for me.

[Xno Kappa]

FOR THE RECORD: Xenogears and Xenosaga have absolutely NOTHING to do with each other story-wise as stated by the director whose name alludes me at the moment. Think Gundam animes, same thing. If you were a true fan of the Xeno universe you would have known this anyways just by the sheer contradictions of time-lines and certain plot characters.

I beg to disagree. D: While it's not a direct connection, it give you a good idea of what happened in the "cosmic war" before the Eldridge n Xenogears. Both series share the same timeline up to that point

Either way you look at it, Abel's Ark and the lack of Deus in this arc WILL throw off the time-line of Perfect Works, and unless we end up with a whole hell of a lot of contrivances, I don't see how the Xenogears world documented in Perfect Works can ever come to exist in the same fashion. Tetsuya Takahashi himself has stated the similarities between the series as merely nothing more then homage to Xenogears.

[Kaylia]

FOR THE RECORD: Xenogears and Xenosaga have absolutely NOTHING to do with each other story-wise as stated by the director whose name alludes me at the moment. Think Gundam animes, same thing. If you were a true fan of the Xeno universe you would have known this anyways just by the sheer contradictions of time-lines and certain plot characters.

I beg to disagree. D: While it's not a direct connection, it give you a good idea of what happened in the "cosmic war" before the Eldridge n Xenogears. Both series share the same timeline up to that point

Either way you look at it, Abel's Ark and the lack of Deus in this arc WILL throw off the time-line of Perfect Works, and unless we end up with a whole hell of a lot of contrivances, I don't see how the Xenogears world documented in Perfect Works can ever come to exist in the same fashion. Tetsuya Takahashi himself has stated the similarities between the series as merely nothing more then homage to Xenogears.

Quoting another post I made

Timeline:
---------
[A.D.]
2510 - A project the scope of the entire world, the Space Emigration Project commences.
15 years ago a national institution was founded that supervised the start of this
project. The name of the era is changed to TC(Transcend Christ), where 365 days per
year remains the norm.
[T.C.]
0016 - 16 years ago the National Institution was founded people's wish is being realized.
500 years late an emmigrent fleet leaves the Earth and heads into the abyss of space
on a journey. Earth is taboo after this, it is known as Lost Jeruselum.
(Reasons are unknown, most likely due to sudden change in the environment).
0294 - For roughly 250 years the emmigrent fleet wanders around and discovers a feasible
residence at the M24 Sagitarius star cluster. They land. This planet becomes a
beginning, and the land is christened 'Neo Jerusalem'. Emigrent Management and the
National Institution are reorganized and combined. The first chairman is elected.
With Neo Jerusalem as a starting point, mankind sets its sights to the abyss of space.

0295 - The Star Cluster Federation is started.
New Jerusalem is the principal planet of the Star Cluster Federation.

-4500 Blank Years-

4743 - Through the hand of Archeological Researchers and others, a relic from the Lost
Jeruselum era, MAM(Magnetic Abnormal Matter) is discovered. It was discovered on
a transport freight ship belonging to cosmic wanders in a Pilgramage Fleet who
worshipped an ancient religion.

4744 - Roughly 5000 years passes, the MAM analysis is resumed.
4750 - Through the MAM analysis process, the Phenomenon Alteration Theory comes into existence.
4751 - Top priority was given to completing research on MAM.
Project Zohar is started based this research.
4752 - The cosmic conflict becomes aggrivated.
4765 - The planet where Project Zohar was destroyed through an accident due to ignorance.
MAM was discovered drifting and was recovered.
4766 - Work on Control System Kadamony and Zohar is finished for the time being.
Kadamony's central element, Persona is developed although the details are unknown.
The Strategic Integration Weapon System Deus is developed to stop the current cosmic
war. Zohar is to be used at its main engine.
4767 - In March Zohar becomes Deus's main engine. Both systems were connected at
NGC6744(Note 1), aka Miktam 04 Beta Immigant Planet (immigration was taking place at
a satellite during construction). That same year, due to unknown reasons there was an
accident and both systems went haywire, invading the environment of Miktam 04 Beta.
Quite an enormous amount of damage was dealt. Deus's amazing and uncontrollable power
was such a threat that the military made a great sacrifice to force it into suspended
activity. Afterwards analysis concluded that Deus's core had to be sealed. After an
investigation the Enterprise's Large Space Cruiser Eldridge was commandiered by the
military. Approximately 120 million workers, survivors, and colonies were safeguarded
by going on board the Eldridge.

Event up to 4743 are the same in both Perfect Work and Xenosaga, date and name match perfectly.
4743 is the year Michtam was attacked. This is also when Mizrahi get his hand on the Zohar and anima relic
4752/4753 are the years of the Miltian conflict, match perfectly the little we know about the "cosmic conflict"
4767 is when Xenosaga start. Last 2 years event also happened, but in a different order (not surprising he had to rework certain thing for story telling purpose). Ariadne disapears duringthe Zohar project experiment a few week before Xenosaga start. Kos-mos, which can easily be linked to the persona is developped 2 years before, but is finished by Shion later.

Episode 3 is where the story start to differ a bit, but enough to break the link between XS and XG? Omega (Deus = omega-1) did go Berserk at the end of Episode 2 and was stopped. Technically, if at that point, they sent it on a ship to space with the Abel kid and Kos-mos, they would have had every element to continue with Xenogears. However, the story continue, Abel's Ark take possession of the Zohar and your party end up stopping Wilhelm.

Abel receive his anima power from chaos, as opposed to the WE in Xenogears, Nephilim receive the animus power from Mary and pretty much become the mother as we know her in Xenogears. Every human who rejected the world and want to start over will be carried to Lost Jerusalem for a new genesis (jin is amongst them if you want an explanation for Citan). They brought the Zohar and omega with them, as well as the 12 relic. Could Cain be a manifestation of wilhelm himself, or gnosis desire to go with go with desire?? They sure same some trait (white hair, red eye, immortal, only way to kill them is to use their own power, they both want to activate Omega because it's their role).

The whole kabalism symbolism is still left intact. Abel is the first "true human" (he is additionaly created by God itself in Xenosaga, which is even closer to the original story).

Certain thing in Xenogears were never explained either like the objective of Deus itself, the origine of Abel (come on, why would a 'normal' kid enter in contact with the Zohar...there is something fishy we are missing), what was on Lost Jerusalem...is Xenogears planet Lost Jerusalem? Xenosaga did a good job to explain certain of those thing

[/quote]

[Turambar]

is Xenogears planet Lost Jerusalem?

No, it's not. It's a random planet the Eldridge happened to be near when Deus started taking over the ship's controls. Deus changed the ship's course to the "main planet" of some system, and rather than allow it to go out of control the Eldridge's captain (whose daughter looks suspiciously like Elly) self-destructed the ship, causing it to crash. Various elements of the ship form parts of the landscape of the "planet Xenogears" (it's never named actually, fans just call it that), such as a segment of the fuselage becoming the Babel Tower, and one of the ship's weapons (seen firing in the opening movie) becoming the Jasper Cannon or whatever it was called.

[Kaylia]

I know that much. There is no doubt in my mind that some technical elements would have to be retconned, however, the essentials part needed for the transition between both games are there. Abel and his anima power (received from chaos), the mother and her animus power (grown up Nephilim), a manmade machine, part of the Mother, that can tap into the Zohar like Kadmony (Kos-mos), a fresh planet to make a new start (the one you see at the very end), 12 godlike gear, Omega body (the manmade God). The similarities between these elements are more than mere coincidences.

Originally, Takahashi intended to write about the "pre crash" era (episode 1 of perfect work), but Soraya Saga gave him the idea to do a post apocalypse setting on the Xenogears planet (2-3-4-5). He is correct when he says he is doing what he originally had in mind, but at the base, Xenosaga's era and Xenogears's episode 1 cover the same part, and they can't be that different.

[Khrno]

1. FFVI - Best story, great character development, good system, Kefka, the opera and Celes Chere (my favorite female character on any video game).

2. Chrono Trigger - Time traveling with an innovating fighting system, nice story and good set of characters.

3. Shadow Hearts - Not best RPG out there I know, but I just liked so much the Judgment Ring system on this game, story and characters were great too.

4. KOTOR 1 - Not very fond of western rpgs, but this game was awesome, sequel was great too, but still liked the first one better, I still need to play Mass Effect, but so much shooting, dunno, put me somewhat off for an rpg.

5. FFXII - I hope future FFs follow the path on the fighting system, that's a great way to go for menu combat based rpgs, there's lots of improvement to be done, but none the less, great as it was. FFXI could use some Gambits for our Fellow NPCs too, cuz I hate when my Taru casts Haste of me at the end of a fight, It reminds me of noobs RDMs

[Egobrannnnnnn]

1. Wild Arms

It was my first RPG, and I just was really attached to it's theme.


2. Final Fantasy III

I just liked how you could pick your jobs and change at any time.


3. Diablo II

It's like playing an RTS game with just 1 person and you can kill everybody.


4. Final Fantasy VI

I liked it.


5. Chrono trigger

Fun combat system.

[Kaylia]

1. Wild Arms

It was my first RPG, and I just was really attached to it's theme.

That intro was awesome. I never finished the game because it wasnt that great imo, but I could watch the intro over and over. It was also the first mp3 I downloaded on my p1 with 56kbps modem, and the one I played nonstop for 2 months while grinding in diablo 1.

[edit]
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=ISSAZrUU9aU
...nostalgia ftl..I feel like crying when I listen to this song

[edit2]
Might as well post my favorite intro while I'm at it D:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=GDnPYoGzW78

[Charismatic]

That, sir. Is also my favorite game intro ever (Chrono Cross).
I've been waiting for something to top it... but it just doesn't look like it's going to happen!

[Elcura]

1. Wild Arms

It was my first RPG, and I just was really attached to it's theme.

[edit]
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=ISSAZrUU9aU
...nostalgia ftl..I feel like crying when I listen to this song

I love that intro, brings back memories. I also loved WA3's intro. One thing about WA intros I liked was that they changed depending on how far you were in the game.

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd0t4Hl6d ... re=related

I love the music in this intro. And the game itself was pretty damn good too.

[Krandor]

Wild Arms 3 definitely had an awesome intro. The intro theme for XF is pretty good as well, though I don't think it changes any depending on where you are in the game.

[Lucean]

I know the point is kind of moot to come into a board for a Square-Enix game and get depressed to see people posting about SE RPGs mostly as their favorites but here's my list in no particular order of what I felt the best RPGs are.

***This list is not for fanboys***

Revelations Persona (PS1) -

Before P3 was out in the US appealing to the masses there was Revelations Persona. P1 combined the best of old school dungeon crawling via a cooridor first person view very similar to the first two Elder Scrolls games and Shining in the Darkness. P1 despite it's old school look had a very advanced modern gameplay system where you could create new demons by cards you collected to forge into new more powerful demons. The game was relentlessly hard and unforgiving which turned a lot of people off to a very interesting unique story and game.

Bahamut Lagoon (SNES) -

This is one of those rare gems that never got brought to the US for fear of poor sales and the fact the Playstation 1 and Saturn were hitting big in Japan at the time of it's release. Square at the time started shifting focus to bringing a new generation of RPGs to the US at this time and didn't bother translating this and bringing it over so late in the SNES's lifespan. Thanks to the internet and fans around the world there was a very well done fan translation ROM of this unique RPG that never saw EU or American shores. It showcased off the power of the SNES in it's layering techniques and it's style is very familar if you ever played Chrono Trigger. The game had a compelling story with an interesting fighting system, it combined tactical strategy RPGs and when individual units engaged it became turn based fighting, so it combined the best of both worlds and really made you think about resource management.

Shining Force II -

Way before Final Fantasy Tactics and around the same time as the Ogre Battle series started to take root in American soil there was a little series called Shining Force. Shining Force 1 met with mediocre success in the US and had a small cult following. The sequel took everything that made the original so much fun and amplified it. It wasn't an overly complex strategy RPG but it's best strong point is that it was FUN! You had a huge selection of characters to build up through out the game, some obviously more powerful than others but you still had the options of trying to make any kind of custom party as well as find lot's of optional characters and hidden characters. To top it all off once your characters hit a certain level or got a special item you could force them to upgrade their class, certain items would give them exclusive classes where as leveling them would yield something different, but you could only upgrade once, and in some cases you only got rare exclusive classes once per game, making second play throughs that much more fun!

Earthbound (SNES) -

What needs to be said about Earthbound that already hasn't? Earthbound is an easy to pick up and play RPG with such a fun story and gameplay that it's appealing to anybody. It's hands down one of the BEST RPGs for the SNES which has left fans wanting the true sequel in the US for quite some time, if you haven't had the pleasure of playing Earthbound it's slated for a Virtual Console release for the Nintendo Wii sometime this summer. The characters are memorable and the whole game is a classic.

Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne (PS2)

Nocturne is another game in the Shin Megami series, which is actually the third SMT game with Persona actually being a spinoff of the SMT line of games. With that being said Nocturne is a game aimed at people looking for a challenge who like to customize their character in RPGs. This game puts you in controll of a demi-fiend who has the ability to recruit other demons to your party and you can eventually register them in a Appendix similar to the Pokemon Pokedex, except whenever you register them you can pay a fee to have them brought back to your current roster. Your character has a living parasite that you digest to give you different sets of abilities, each parasite has it's own skill tree path. Combine that amazing gameplay structure with an awesome post apocalyptic Tokyo with an interesting compelling story and odd ball characters you have one of the best games the PS2 has to offer.

[Karbuncle]

I know i posted but i forgot one D:

Gaia
Was on the SNES, it was a really fun game, i have to admit im not sure it would be considered an "RPG", you could upgrade HP, Collect items, Get upgrades for attack, Defense, etc, but the battles aren't what you see in many RPGs >____>
Just thought of this game kinda out of nowhere

Also

Legends of Legaia
For the playstation, hehe, I loved the combo system and just the side games you could play, it was awsome :O

[Lucean]

Yeah Legend of Legai was pretty fun, reminded me of taking Squall's Renzokuken and making a whole game out of it.