I need an RPG........

[Damaramu 0]

Well I haven't played a real good turn-based RPG in years(ok maybe a year and a half).

Of course blockbuster doesn't have shit so I'm going to have to find other means to acquire it. So I was wondering if anyone knew of any good ones? Anything new or hell old?

I really like good story above all else.

And Andrew if you somehow turn this into a Xeno fight like the last time I swear to god......

[Guest JebusNassedar]

Based on heresay, the most recent Shin Megami Tensei games (Nocturne, Digital Devil Saga) have been awesome. But I don't play RPGs, so I don't know personally.

 

EDIT: Both are PS2.

[Special K 0]

Shadow Hearts 1 & 2 are good and cheap.

 

FFX was darn good, if you can sit through cinematics. Avoid FFX-2.

 

Suikoden III & IV are ok, but aren't nearly as good as the first two.

 

Star Ocean: Til the End of Time has been good so far.

 

I didn't much like Xenosaga.

 

I haven't played the newest Shin Megami Tensei game, but my experience with the series is AWESOME storyline, eh gameplay.

 

Old gems: Valkyrie Profile! (rare and expesnsive, worth it.) Suikodens I & 2 (#2 is ungodly expensive, and probably worth it.) Of course FFVI & VII, Chrono Trigger. Star Ocean 2!

 

Fallout, Fallout 2 for PC. Also Anachronox, but it's basically half of a game that'll never be finished.

 

Regarding games like Suikoden II and Valkyrie Profile, I bought them cheap, and intend to hold on to them. However, if you haven't played them, you can always buy them on eBay, play them and take good care of them, then sell them back, at worst probably losing about $10.

 

I cannot reccomend those two above games highly enough.

[razazteca 0]

I'll give you the Gamefaqs #1 fanboy answers: Fire Emblem, Tales of series, Lost Kingdom.

[AndrewTS 0]

And Andrew if you somehow turn this into a Xeno fight like the last time I swear to god......

You're no fun.

 

If you're able to play Game Boy Color games, there's the Dragon Warrior games.

 

In fact, here's the original 3.

 

Dragon Warrior 1 and 2 are pretty much direct ports, but Dragon Warrior 3's graphics are somewhat polished up, and they re-translated the text. The rating is also bumped up to Teen because a little more innuendo and other content considered too much back in the NES days was restored.

 

I'd recommend Phantasy Star Collection, but the PS2 revamps are going to come out...uh...sometime this year. Besides--PS3 sucks and PS1 is really hard to play today with things we take for granted in modern RPGs gone missing (like having a clue what the hell we're buying in item shops, what they do, and if they're actually better than equipment we already have.

 

I've heard a very positive consensus about Shadow Hearts Covenant.

[Guest Skironox]

You can get the Baldurs Gate saga for PC really really cheap these days. Not strictly turn based but you can make it that way with a few clicks on the option menu. Great games, only downside is the difficulty can go from moderate to extreme in no time flat.

[{''({o..o})''} 0]

I know it's not an RPG but fuck it, ICO for PS2 needs more love.

[Guest Coffey]

Breath of Fire 2.

[Lightning Flik 0]

The RPG master is only adding in his comments to what people have suggested already.

 

Shadow Hearts 1 & 2 are good and cheap.

I would definitely pick these up, as they are quality RPGs. Different, but quality nevertheless.

 

FFX was darn good, if you can sit through cinematics.

Only get this one if you like more cinematics than actual substance. Its not that great, and FFX-2 is even worse.

 

Suikoden III & IV are ok, but aren't nearly as good as the first two.

Suikoden III is probably the worst of the entire series and should burn in hell for being such a brutally designed (gameplay wise) game.

 

Suikoden IV while isn't as great as the first two, will suffice in being a decent RPG if you want something to pass the time.

 

Star Ocean: Til the End of Time has been good so far.

Wait till you get to the explanation of why Fayt and Maria are the way they are. Everything crashes and burns badly. Basically this game kills off any point to the first two Star Ocean.

 

I didn't much like Xenosaga.

Xenosaga: Episode 1 is like FFX, except more cinematics and even less to anything else.

 

I haven't played the newest Shin Megami Tensei game, but my experience with the series is AWESOME storyline, eh gameplay.

Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne is a pretty good game. The difficulty though is a bit on the harsh side, and you need to make sure that you get the right spirits and stuff. Otherwise you screwed.

 

From what I've heard about Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga, its has all the positives and negatives game play wise as Nocturne.

 

Old gems: Valkyrie Profile! (rare and expesnsive, worth it.)

Find this for less than $40 used and you got a steal. Very good game. I highly recommend it, and actually the voice acting I think in it is probably near the top of games that have used VA.

 

Suikodens I & 2 (#2 is ungodly expensive, and probably worth it.)

These are very good games to pick up. Definitely worth finding. Especially Suikoden 2 for the most glorious baddies there were in video games. Luca Blight and Jowy Blight.

 

Of course FFVI & VII, Chrono Trigger. Star Ocean 2!

Classics that every RPGamer should own.

 

I'll add some of my own gems later.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

You definitely want to try Suikoden III & IV.

 

Star Ocean: Til the End of Time has been good so far.

 

Its not a turn-based game.

 

These are very good games to pick up. Definitely worth finding. Especially Suikoden 2 for the most glorious baddies there were in video games. Luca Blight and Jowy Blight.

 

II is the best RPG ever made.

[Special K 0]

Yeah, I should have used a caveat: The Star Ocean games (and the Tales game, which I never took a shine to, but aren't bad) have you controlling one character in real-time with the ability to switch between party members. It was done best in Star Ocean 2, but it's not really turn-based, though you can pause.

 

Oh, and the Lunars aren't too much. (PS version, that is) good story, great characters (Mostly due to the excellent translation I think) and a VERY standard and uninspiring combat system.

[nogoodnick 0]

Jade Empire just came out for X Box if you wanna try something new. Ign.com gave it a 9.9.

 

I liked both the KOTOR games and try the Dragon Warrior series.

[chaosrage 0]

Only get this one if you like more cinematics than actual substance. Its not that great, and FFX-2 is even worse.

Pshh. It's still the best FF. And I had fun with FFX-2, that's more than I can say for the PS1 FFs at least.

 

Well I haven't played a real good turn-based RPG in years(ok maybe a year and a half).

Of course blockbuster doesn't have shit so I'm going to have to find other means to acquire it. So I was wondering if anyone knew of any good ones? Anything new or hell old?

I really like good story above all else.

And Andrew if you somehow turn this into a Xeno fight like the last time I swear to god......

 

Well I don't know what you played or didn't play. Xenogears stands head and shoulders over every RPG ever made. (hell every game ever made) Suikoden 2 is great. Dragon Warrior 7 is great. Then there's FF4, FF6, Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, the Lufia games, the Lunar games, and Earthbound. Every RPG fan should have played all of those. For newer RPGs, I heard Disgaea is supposed to be good but I've been too busy with RE4 to play it much.

 

Stay away from Xenosaga or the Tales of games or the Wild Arms series.

[Black Lushus 0]

I actually liked FF X, I thought it had one of the best storylines since FF 6...I mean I actually found myself caring about Tidus fate by the end of the game, regardless of how annoying and whiney he was throughout...took me quite a few tries to knock off that last boss (his dad)...I will agree that there were way too many cut scenes, however...

 

Xenogears was awesome, I concur...the only thing I didn't care for was when you get to the second half of the game and you don't really explore anymore, you just jump from boss battle to boss battle...the last set of bosses were damn hard as well (which is NOT a bad thing)...

 

I'm enjoying KOTOR at the moment and I started in on X-Men Legends which is half hack n- slash, half RPG...I'll get to Fable eventually and will scoop up Jade Empire and KOTOR 2 this weekend...

[Lightning Flik 0]

Only get this one if you like more cinematics than actual substance. Its not that great, and FFX-2 is even worse.

Pshh. It's still the best FF. And I had fun with FFX-2, that's more than I can say for the PS1 FFs at least.

 

You can call it the best, if that's your opinion, but here's how most RPGamers would tell you:

 

"Blasphemy. Final Fantasy X isn't the best of the 11 Final Fantasys released. Top 3 In No Order: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy V."

 

Seriously though, as an all-round package, FFX isn't best. That would go to Final Fantasy VI.

 

 

Damararu, Xenogears isn't for everyone. It is one of the better RPGs out there, however if you blink during something the story tells you, you'll miss a good chunk of something that if not known, you'll miss a part of the plot. And that can mess up how good this game can be, but on the flip side it can also annoy you to no end.

 

Dragon Warrior VII is a good game. Not great as mentioned by the user above, but definitely a good game. It strives on the ol' school philosophy of trudging around and fighting a lot of battles (unless, you pick up how to "cheat" the system). There are going to be some periods where you don't even really get to the main plotline and you might be going "why am I doing this again?". Oh yeah, because this is of the ol' school, you'll actually need to talk to most people because they have relevent things to say (well, some do).

 

If you are looking seriously into the turn based style, Disgaea: Hour of Darkness or La Pucelle or Phantom Brave might be the way to go. All revolve around the turn based strategy style. La Pucelle was originally the first of the three to be released in Japan so its actually not as good as Disgaea or Phantom Brave. Disgaea reigns in as undisputed goodness of the three, simply because its freaking hilarious. However, Phantom Brave has a more serious storyline (although it gets sickingly sweet sometimes).

 

And since I'm a dipstick, you probably wouldn't like the Tales of... series because it is action paced. But if you want to play something different, its a good choice as the battle style is a refresh on the turn base, and you don't usually get tired of wasting baddies.

[Black Lushus 0]

I'd say the main problem with Xenogears is the amount of heel/face turns...seemed like everyone turned one way or the other...some of them did it more than once!

[Lightning Flik 0]

Actually Black Lushus, that's a good way of putting it. The backstabbing and reforming that goes on is a little nuts. ...okay, now let's drop this so that Andrew doesn't come along and write a 35 page essay on Xenogears.

 

No offense Andrew, just wanting Damararu to be able to see what suggestions there are.

[Black Lushus 0]

dropped!

[AndrewTS 0]

Actually Black Lushus, that's a good way of putting it. The backstabbing and reforming that goes on is a little nuts. ...okay, now let's drop this so that Andrew doesn't come along and write a 35 page essay on Xenogears.

 

No offense Andrew, just wanting Damararu to be able to see what suggestions there are.

You people are something else. I make a conscious attempt at keeping my contributions pure and germane to the conversation, and some of you are practically baiting me to rant on those games.

 

Come on, my rants weren't nearly that long. Besides, I can just state my opinion that people who say things like...

 

Well I don't know what you played or didn't play. Xenogears stands head and shoulders over every RPG ever made. (hell every game ever made)

 

are absolutely full of it, and leave it at that.

 

From what I played of Disgaea, I really enjoyed, but it's more of a strategy game than a regular turn-based RPG. It's not that far different an animal, though, so throw in a recommendation from me on it, too.

[Guest OSIcon]

Don't know if you have a Gamecube, but....

 

Skies of Arcadia is a real good RPG is you are looking for something to keep you entertained but not consume your life. The turn-based battle system has some cool elements that keep fights from becoming overly repetitve (this includes turn-based battles where you 'fight' as the airship). The story is fun also (if not a tad predictable).

 

It certainly isn't the best RPG out there but it is one of those games that can only be described as "fun"......

[LaParkaMarka 0]

I thought Disgaea was fun and amusing, but La Pucelle made me want to gouge my eyes out. The gameplay is fairly deep and intricate, good stuff. The storyline is meant for pre-teens. I actually couldn't finish the game because the story was so retarded (which is kinda crazy considering I had no problem with X-2).

 

I have to say I did like FFX and X-2. X-2 actually had a fairly solid storyline, but a lot of people are turned off by the Charlie's Angels vibe the game has.

 

Covenant is probably the best PS2 rpg. I played it without playing the orginal Shadow Hearts, and I understood the storyline just fine. The humor falls flat at times, but overall it's quite good. I'd take SH:C over the extremely overrated FFVII/Xenogears.

 

Chrono Trigger still holds up after a good 10+ years.

[chaosrage 0]

You can call it the best, if that's your opinion, but here's how most RPGamers would tell you:

 

"Blasphemy. Final Fantasy X isn't the best of the 11 Final Fantasys released. Top 3 In No Order: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy V."

 

Seriously though, as an all-round package, FFX isn't best. That would go to Final Fantasy VI.

I don't think many people would put FFV over FFIV or FFX. But you're right about FF7 and FF6. FF7, I've never understood why it was so popular, I couldn't stand it. FF6 is a good game, however imo the World of Ruin keeps it from being the best all around.

[LaParkaMarka 0]

Yeah, I'm closer to chaosrage then to flik here. I really enjoyed X, and I played VI to death. 7 was something I played, but I'd easily put it below X and VI.

[Lightning Flik 0]

You people are something else. I make a conscious attempt at keeping my contributions pure and germane to the conversation, and some of you are practically baiting me to rant on those games. 

 

Come on, my rants weren't nearly that long.  Besides, I can just state my opinion that people who say things like...

 

Geezus Andrew, we were just making a joke about the last time you went on a rant. Lighten up. No baiting or anything, just having some fun.

 

Well I don't know what you played or didn't play. Xenogears stands head and shoulders over every RPG ever made. (hell every game ever made)

 

are absolutely full of it, and leave it at that.

Agreed on this point. 100%. Xenogears is not the be end and end all for RPGs. Its a good RPG, but I've got quite a few that I would stick way before it.

 

 

La Pucelle made me want to gouge my eyes out. The gameplay is fairly deep and intricate, good stuff. The storyline is meant for pre-teens. I actually couldn't finish the game because the story was so retarded (which is kinda crazy considering I had no problem with X-2).

That's probably because La Pucelle actually came before Disgaea or Phantom Brave.

 

...hell, La Pucelle was like two or so years old when it was released in North America.

 

You can call it the best, if that's your opinion, but here's how most RPGamers would tell you:

 

"Blasphemy. Final Fantasy X isn't the best of the 11 Final Fantasys released. Top 3 In No Order: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy V."

 

Seriously though, as an all-round package, FFX isn't best. That would go to Final Fantasy VI.

I don't think many people would put FFV over FFIV or FFX. But you're right about FF7 and FF6. FF7, I've never understood why it was so popular, I couldn't stand it. FF6 is a good game, however imo the World of Ruin keeps it from being the best all around.

Final Fantasy VII, when taken with knowing everything and excusing the horrid translation process is a fairly good game. Its considered one of the top 3 of the Final Fantasys simply because it brought the genre full blown mainstream.

 

And yes, the World of Ruin is a pretty good reason why I could see people saying its not the best all-round.

 

Yeah, I'm closer to chaosrage then to flik here. I really enjoyed X, and I played VI to death. 7 was something I played, but I'd easily put it below X and VI.

Uh... Guys, I said that would be what most RPGamers would say. That's not my top 3 Final Fantasys.

 

As for some other games I could suggest to Damararu, I would suggest the following titles if you can find them: Grandia (PS), Grandia II (PS2), Baiten Kaitos (GC), Fire Emblem (GBA), Golden Sun (GBA), Golden Sun: The Lost Age (GBA), and Tactics Ogre: Knight of Lodis (GBA).

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

I never really understood the love for FFX. It is hard to get through a game when the characters are as annoying as they are there. The only one that doesn't drive me crazy is Auron and he's dead. The villains suck, and the lack of a world map really hurts the exploring aspect of the game. The gameplay is fun, and I like that they have unique character roles, unlike FFVII or VIII, but it is nothing more than a middle of the road Final Fantasy.

 

The best ones are V, VI & IX. V & VI pretty much everybody agrees on, but IX is grossly underrated and Vivi is probably the best non-villain character in the entire series.

[Guest OSIcon]

FF6 is a good game, however imo the World of Ruin keeps it from being the best all around.

 

I've come to appreciate the World of Ruin.

 

In terms of layout, I find the first half of the game to be nearly perfect. It is the layout in a linear fashion with just enough freedom here and there. I've always thought they were going for a contrast with the WOR. You get your linear RPG play in the first half and the second half you get that freedom to basically do whatever you want (which a lot of people do like). I am sure this is looking too much into it, but the gameplay in the WOR (basically lots of optional sidequests) kind of reflects the world itself.

 

Anyway, I've come to appreciate if because it gives you a chance to play an RPG that progresses in a linear fashion and then an ROG where you have many more choices/more exploration, all in one game. I do wish they would have wrapped more things up in the WOR of Ruin though and made it a little tighter.

[Der Kommissar 0]

Suikoden III is probably the worst of the entire series and should burn in hell for being such a brutally designed (gameplay wise) game.

 

Why the Suikoden III hate, Flik? I found it to be rather average. It was certainly nowhere near as good as the original or Suikoden II, but I wouldn't call it horrible or anything. Just curious...

[Damaramu 0]

What I have played(off the top of my head):

-Every Final Fantasy on the market

-Xenogears

-Wild Arms 3

-Breath of Fire 3

-Both Legaia games

-Both Chrono games

-Both KOTOR games

-The Baldur's Gate series

-Saga Frontier

-The Mana games

 

That's all i can think of off the top of my head. I probably should've mentioned that in the first post.

[Special K 0]

I've played almost every console RPG up until the playstation explosion, and then an awful lot of those. My standards for more recent RPGs are a little higher nowadays, because I'm a little burnt out on the genre.

 

I'd say Xenogears is the most frustrating game I've ever played, because the first disc is the first half, 3/5ths of the greatest RPG ever. The second disc is ALL exposition that doesn't even live up to the first disc. It is DEFINITELY worth playing.

 

The text goes WAY too slowly though.

 

The problem with FFVII is that while a great game (in my eyes) and wildly successful (indisputably) it started some bad trends. while it had long cutscenes, they directly related to plot and character, and instead of the BIG inside Cloud's head cutscene, moved at a good clip. And I LIKED the one inside Cloud's head, since it felt unique, being as it was a big chunk of the story, with most of the rest of the plot revealed.

 

Now RPGs (notably Xenosaga, Star Ocean TtEoT, FFX-2) have these long MUNDANE cutscenes. Look assholes, I have better things to do than watch a half-hour straight of lame pseudo-science exposition, when I could page through it in 4 minutes.

 

RPG writers need to understand that they're not going to write the next great sci-fi novel. A certain amount of explanation is needed, but keep it pithy, and more abrupt than a novel. The reason novels are enjoyable is we can read quickly. If I had to literally read aloud a novel, or listen to books on tape, I'd lose my mind.

 

It took FFVI and Suikoden II about 3 minutes each to convince me that Kefka and Luca Blight, respectively were the most evil fuckers ever.

[The Czech Republic 0]

You can call it the best, if that's your opinion, but here's how most RPGamers would tell you:

 

"Blasphemy. Final Fantasy X isn't the best of the 11 Final Fantasys released. Top 3 In No Order: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy V."

 

Seriously though, as an all-round package, FFX isn't best. That would go to Final Fantasy VI.

I don't think many people would put FFV over FFIV or FFX. But you're right about FF7 and FF6. FF7, I've never understood why it was so popular, I couldn't stand it. FF6 is a good game, however imo the World of Ruin keeps it from being the best all around.

Yeah 4 is a better all-around game than 5. 5 is fun in a novelty way, messing with the job system and all that, but I think the storylines are kind of secondary to the battle system. Like porn.

 

Only things about WOR that I don't care for are all the unexplained disappearances (I assume Banon died?), and the fact that it gets so dismal and washed-out, color-wise. I always used Mog's dances to restore the pretty field and forest scenes in lieu of the wastelands.