your all-time favourite RPG

[earsofdoom]

you know, that one RPG that you love and rank #1 and could easilly replay the whole thing without a second thought.

My all time favourite RPG is Grandia for the ps1 (and saturn). i loved EVERYTHING about that game (well.... cept for the bad voice acting) it really had it all good battle system, plot, humor. really sad part's (poor Leen). after playing allot of new rpg's that really just dissapointed me (cept shadow heart's and Shin megemi games) i went back and replayed it.... loveing every minute of it (grandia 2 is an honorable mention also but the 1st one was better)

[_jwb388_]

Final Fantasy X, Shadow Hearts Covenant, Fire Emblem 7, and Kingdom Hearts are all games I never get old of.

[Danju]

I hated the first Grandia.

Hmm...this is a tough one. Probably either Lunar 2: Eternal Blue or Star Ocean: The Second Story.

[rayndeon]

Without a doubt, Deus Ex is definitely my all-time favorite RPG. The Baldur's Gate series comes very close however.

[Loopy]

Tales of Symphonia, Wild Arms 4, Arc the Lad II, Shadow Hearts II: Covenant, Disgaea, Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken, Final Fantasy Tactics and...that's it. In the ocean of RPGs, there are only a few titles that stand out from the stinky ocean that it is.

[Akito]

This is easy. Earthbound.

[Mercenary]

Skies of Arcadia

[Rahxephon91]

Just Final Fantasy X.

[Lemina]

If I could only choose one, it would be Lunar 2: Eternal Blue. It was one of the first RPG games I played and absolutely enjoyed. It was a great fantasy aspired series with a lot of character development and so many memorable moments. I really grew to love this game. The new anime cutscenes included in the released "Complete" Playstation version was something great, and it really fit well in this game as it made much more interactive. It was really thrilling to see.

Sorry, I hate to mention just one, I'm an RPG fangirl afterall. Runner-ups would be Lunar: Silver Star Story. It was the introductory game of the series, and it was just as memorable and considered my favorite in its own right too. Both games of the series are easy RPG games to get into and enjoy, not to mention the great music they both have. Gameplay was linear, typical of traditional RPG's, and the battle system had always been relatively easy to manuver and get used too, so it really made playing this game quite worthwile. I've always enjoyed both of their included soundtracks.

I liked the first two games of the Grandia series as well. The first game was really fun and enjoyable, and you could easily get into the characters personalites and a story oriented more toward younger audiences. This game was what started a battle system that made the Grandia series so unique from other RPGs, literally by mixing up both linear and real time game playing at the same time. The sequal Grandia 2 improved many things from the first game by refining just about everything in it. It also catered more toward older audiences. Although the story was completely different from the first, the characters here managed to become just as memorable. The musical tracks composed by Noriyuki Iwadare was outstanding. Story-wise, I still thought the first game was better, the second game was a little too dark, serious, and religous for me. I didn't like Grandia Xtreme though, and I still have yet to play Grandia 3.

I loved Chrono Trigger. Great story, battle system, music, you name it. I loved the animation so much (made by the great Akira Toriyama). I loved the whole concept of time travel to beat parts of the game, and that added a certain flair of uniqueness to this game. Square really pulled it off here. I love replaying this game every once in a while, because it really is great.

Speaking of Square, Final Fantasy. I enjoyed every game I've played from this series. That would be FF IV, FF IX, FF X, and FF X-2. Apart from the FF X series, each and every other game in the Final Fantasy series was unique, yet interconnected too. From Chocobos to Moogles to basic health items. All games were within the same universe. A series that has been in the industry for over a decade, and is widely considered one of the best RPG series ever created. I really liked these games, and so I mention them as well.

Lastly, another great RPG game was Skies of Arcadia. A great story where you can get out and explore the world to your very desire, I loved the whole concept of traveling to distant lands as air pirates and visiting floating islands with different themes and cultures from around the world. This game certainly had so many memorable characters and it certainly was unique compared to other RPG games that I've played.

There are other RPG games I liked playing too, but then I'd be going to far with this one game only topic. ^_^

[DarkDestiny]

Tales of Symphonia!!! :D

Skies of Arcadia
I just got that. How good is it? Very good, I take it?

Did anyone play Fire Emblem: Path of Radience? How is it?

[RamenBoy]

Diablo2 counts right?

[Danju]

Did anyone play Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance? How is it?
It was pretty fun, but nothing special. The battles take forever, but that's to be expected from a Fire Emblem game. I loved the stories and the characters, but the voice acting was horrible. It's not very expensive, so it's worth getting.

[Lord Dagoth]

Morrowind, by far.

[germanturkey]

haven't played EB yet, but SSSC is my favorite, along with FFX

[SonRyu]

I have a tie for 1st place; my all time favorite RPG's are Lunar The Silver Star and Lunar Eternal Blue, both for Sega CD. I love both of the PSX remakes, and I see no fault in them at all, but it was the original versions that got me into RPG's in the first place. The stories, characterizations and music are all superb.

[MightyDustLoop]

Final Fantasy IV (well, we called it 2 back then....so secluded we were....)

[Loopy]

Tales of Symphonia!!! :D


I just got that. How good is it? Very good, I take it?

Did anyone play Fire Emblem: Path of Radience? How is it?

The game and storyline are good and all but it suffers from a Xenosaga-syndrome in that there is little music, except for the battles, and though you eventually get used to it, I went on a hiatus after several months, returned to it, and I just couldn't get back into it.

[Neo0tak0n]

Forgotten Realms campaign setting Dungeon & Dragons 3rd Ed.

and Lunar 2

[Manafairy]

This is easy. Earthbound.

Quoted for emphasis and truth. The only game that I'd say even holds a candle to it is Suikoden II, which I enjoyed on a near equal level, but all in all, there's nothing quite as awesome as Earthbound ^_^

[GreatNekoKoneko]

...always the Fallout Series. i still play it to this day.

[kenshinbebop]

FFX/ .hack sereis tied. Nothing will ever blow my mind more than these two astounding games.

[Ikari Warrior]

I'm not sure which one is my favorite. This is a very hard choice for me.

It would have to be on the PS1, because that's when I was RPG crazy. I think it comes down to Xenogears and Final Fantasy Tactics. I love the sprite work in FFTactics, and the music, and the story.

I loved the story in Xenogears, but the spritework was halfassed, maybe even bad (remembers the scene where Citan pours Fei some tea, and the teapot floats). I love how the game had both sprites and texture mapped polygon characters/battle elements. The texture map stuff is very good. I wasn't a big fan of the soundtrack, though.

I think I'll go with FF Tactics on this one. It's the one I played the most, and even though it's fairly linear in story, you can do a lot with your party. No two playthroughs of FF Tactics have been the same for me.

And yes, Ramenboy, I'd say Diablo 2 counts as an RPG. You kill monsters, get gold/items, get experience, level up, etc.

[CyberNinja5]

I would have to go with Final Fantasy X.

[gameoffreak8]

My all time favorite RPGs: Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete, Shadow Hearts: Covenant, and Final Fantasy X.

[seba_boi]

Most likely Chrono Trigger... This was my first introduction to RPGs as well... Way to start on a high note too... Plus, Yasunori Mitsuda's music!... :D

[seba_boi]

BTW, is Earthbound worth blindbuying off eBay?...

[Bishoujo Senshi]

Suikoden II still holds the crown, and no one has been able to take it yet. Suikoden V gave it a shot, but still couldn't reach the greatness that is Suikoden II.

[Joeshie]

I'll probably have to go with Final Fantasy VIII. It was the first video game that actually hooked me and wouldn't let me go.

[seba_boi]

I'll probably have to go with Final Fantasy VIII. It was the first video game that actually hooked me and wouldn't let me go.EEWW!!!

J/K... I love FFVIII...

[Akito]

Quoted for emphasis and truth. The only game that I'd say even holds a candle to it is Suikoden II, which I enjoyed on a near equal level, but all in all, there's nothing quite as awesome as Earthbound ^_^
Funny that you say that, because Suikoden II would have been my choice had it not been for Earthbound.

[soulreaper]

Lastly, another great RPG game was Skies of Arcadia. A great story where you can get out and explore the world to your very desire, I loved the whole concept of traveling to distant lands as air pirates and visiting floating islands with different themes and cultures from around the world. This game certainly had so many memorable characters and it certainly was unique compared to other RPG games that I've played.

My favorite is also Skies of Arcadia. Nothing like it for me.

[brolylssj95]

cant decide so all of the star oceans.

[Westlo]

Valkryie Profile

[brolylssj95]

VAN is is the Valkryie series any good private messasge me bout it k.

[_jwb388_]

VAN is is the Valkryie series any good private messasge me bout it k.

I'm sorry but you could use your brain and pm him first and ask him about it.

On topic: Breath of Fire 2 is one of my favs. I beat it about 4 times and doing everything in it each playthrough cept the first.

[Idioteque]

Chrono Trigger

[Ornette]

IMO angband (http://buzzy.tesuji.org/images/zangband.png) was more fun than a lot of the story-based RPGs, and the enhanced version zangband.

[Shanks]

you know, that one RPG that you love and rank #1 and could easilly replay the whole thing without a second thought.

My all time favourite RPG is Grandia for the ps1 (and saturn). i loved EVERYTHING about that game (well.... cept for the bad voice acting) it really had it all good battle system, plot, humor. really sad part's (poor Leen). after playing allot of new rpg's that really just dissapointed me (cept shadow heart's and Shin megemi games) i went back and replayed it.... loveing every minute of it (grandia 2 is an honorable mention also but the 1st one was better)

I like this one too, playing it now actually. (but yeah the voice acting sux lol)

As for my favorite, I'd have to say either FFVIII or Kingdom Hearts both for really good story and cool characters.

Also, I like Chrono Trigger and the Dragon Quest series, especially for their atrwork. (havent played DQVII yet but I want to try it out... )

[Texcap]

Always a tough question! I don't know that I have an all-time favorite RPG at this point (I enjoy too darn many of 'em), but I do have many favorite[s] that I'd be glad to go on about -- though I'll try to limit it for the sake of space:

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King - I don't know that there's a grander RPG out there in terms of it's scope, or one that is as pure "fun" as this one is. It's a traditional RPG in that it follows certain conventions that the genre is famous for (thankfully so, IMHO), but the presentation of these conventions is several steps above and beyond. In addition to being a very visually impressive game (with art design by Akira Toriyama, and perfectly suited to the cell-shading technique they use), you play the silent hero on your journey to save a kingdom and it's royal family and 100+ hours later you just might be on your way to completion...but probably not. The quest can initially be completed anywhere from 45-60 hours in, but so much content is unlocked thereafter that you'll have plenty of stuff to do as you gather your strength/skills, complete quests, and continue the game. And some nice twists in the story that you might not exptect to boot! It won RPG of the year in '05 in so many outlets for darn good reason so if you've missed this one, it's been discounted to the point that you've no reason left not to pick it up. I couldn't reccommend it more.

The Shadow Hearts Series - I'm still playing through the first installment, but Covenant and From the New World are pure gold, through and through, and I'm having a blast with the first as well. There are a thousand things worth mentioning about the series, including some very cool characters throughout each of the games, but one of the "niftier" elements of the series is the "Fusion" aspect, which allows for several characters -- the principle of which is Yuri -- to turn into beasts and beings with unique (and very powerful) abilities during battle -- in addition, other characters learn skills, spells, etc. (always something to do). Another aspect that sets the game apart is the "Judgement Ring" which asks the player to hit certain areas of the ring to perform commands. The better you react, the more powerful your attack, and it adds an interactive element that is a welcomed change of pace. And the art!

Xenosaga Ep. I: Der Wille zur Macht - This game holds a special place in my RPG-heart of hearts for a number of reasons, but what it boils down to most is that I loved the characters, customization of the Skills, Ethers, etc., the bonuses, and found the intricate storyline to be worth investing in -- the foundation of which is set in motion in this first episode. I also loved the dramatic cut-scenes (several of which that could put full-fledged Hollywood productions to shame in terms of their execution). The second episode was a step back in terms of gameplay and presentation (though the storyline remains impressive) and didn't manage to capture the feel of the first, in my mind, but I've got high hopes for the final installment which looks to be a return to what made the first one as good (and contrary what a vocal minority might say, a very worthwhile game). The critical praise it's recieved is well founded, and among other things -- you get KOS-MOS out of the deal!

Lunar, Silver Star Story Complete - Good, old-school, RPG with a very slick presentation and high entertainment value. I had to invest a little in order to get this game, as well as Eternal Blue, but it was well worth the cost and I was very satisfied once I'd completed it. Loved the characters, and the epic storyline from start to finish. I was surprised at the challenge that a few levels presented themselves to be, but I wouldn't have changed the difficulty of those areas. Good stuff all around. I've not yet had the chance to play EB, but I look forward to doing so as I've heard it's very comparible to it's predecessor in terms of what you get out of the game.

There are several others, including Tales of Symphonia, Chrono Trigger, Disgaea, Fire Emblem, etc. that deserve mention but for the sake of space I'll just keep it to these, this round.

.......

I think the next RPG that's stepping up to bat will be Valkyrie Profile, which I look forward to finally jumping into with both feet, and my full attention. I've got more than a few games that I've not been able to begin yet, and this is one of the ones I've anticipated most. That, and with Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria hitting the shelves on the PS2 in the near future, I'd like to have the first completed for the additional context it'll provide. Both of the games look amazing, and dang I wish I had a PSP lying around for the extra content it'll give to the original game.

[Daishikaze]

I agree with all the Grandia lovers out there, its one of my absolute favorites.

The Lunar games are also great, as well as Chrono Trigger and the Dragon Quest games. Final Fantasy 6 is another great one. Ah, there are just to many that I love.

Thousand Arms is a fun game, not too many people know that one.

[Texcap]

If I could only choose one, it would be Lunar 2: Eternal Blue. It was one of the first RPG games I played and absolutely enjoyed. It was a great fantasy aspired series with a lot of character development and so many memorable moments. I really grew to love this game. The new anime cutscenes included in the released "Complete" Playstation version was something great, and it really fit well in this game as it made much more interactive. It was really thrilling to see.

Dang it, I'm hoping that one day in the not-to-distant future that I can get to Eternal Blue. As I mentioned in my own list, Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete was one of my own favorites and I've simply not had the chance to start up EB yet (just need more time I tell ya). One day!

Likewise, I've long wanted to try Grandia but it's managed to elude me to this point. I've got a copy in my sights though, so we'll see if I can remedy that. The newest game looks like a lot of fun, but I'd like to be a little more familiar with the Grandia-verse before starting it (including what I hear is a unique battle-system). Curiously, having enjoyed the first games in the series as much, would you reccommend the most recent game?

Counting on a fellow Texan to help me out here!

[Daishikaze]

Texcap, Eternal Blue will not disappoint you, I love it every bit as much as SSS.

I wish I could help you out about the newest Grandia, but I haven't even gotten around to playing 2 yet.

[miakarayne]

I haven't played through very many, so I will go with Kingdom Hearts II.

I'm loving The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion right now, too. ^_^

[Daishikaze]

My Wife loves Oblivion, probably her favorite at the moment.

[Professor Funk]

The Elder Scrolls Morrowind and The Elder Scrolls Oblivion are my favorite 2 RPG's of all time. I love the fact that in both games the Provinces are HUGE and allow for free roaming and about a million side quests in the 2 games combined. Also the amazing character creation in both games is plus. Hands down The Elder Scrolls is my favorite RPG series to date.

[Shanks]

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King - I don't know that there's a grander RPG out there in terms of it's scope, or one that is as pure "fun" as this one is. It's a traditional RPG in that it follows certain conventions that the genre is famous for (thankfully so, IMHO), but the presentation of these conventions is several steps above and beyond. In addition to being a very visually impressive game (with art design by Akira Toriyama, and perfectly suited to the cell-shading technique they use), you play the silent hero on your journey to save a kingdom and it's royal family and 100+ hours later you just might be on your way to completion...but probably not. The quest can initially be completed anywhere from 45-60 hours in, but so much content is unlocked thereafter that you'll have plenty of stuff to do as you gather your strength/skills, complete quests, and continue the game. And some nice twists in the story that you might not exptect to boot! It won RPG of the year in '05 in so many outlets for darn good reason so if you've missed this one, it's been discounted to the point that you've no reason left not to pick it up. I couldn't reccommend it more.

Yeah this one was great. It took a lot of hours, but didnt ever really seem boring or repetative at all. IMO though, it's sad that I've played this one and not number 7...I've seen the case and it looks really cool...any idea at all where to get it? (is it out in english or what?)

I wish I could help you out about the newest Grandia, but I haven't even gotten around to playing 2 yet.

I played 2 before I played the first one cause I had a Dreamcast and randomly picked it up. It's really cool and IMO it is just as good as the first. I dunno anything about #3 but I'll pick it up as soon as I get the extra money because I've been wanting it lol.

[Joeshie]

Yeah this one was great. It took a lot of hours, but didnt ever really seem boring or repetative at all.

Really? I thought that the leveling felt like a grind similar to an MMO. Although, I know that many old-school RPGers enjoy the aspect of massive grinding.

[Gannon]

Crono Trigger
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy VI
Secret Of Mana
Secret Of Evermore
Lunar

[Lemina]

Dang it, I'm hoping that one day in the not-to-distant future that I can get to Eternal Blue. As I mentioned in my own list, Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete was one of my own favorites and I've simply not had the chance to start up EB yet (just need more time I tell ya). One day!

If you enjoyed Lunar: Sliver Star Story, you'll love Lunar: Eternal Blue too. Basically, this game takes place 1000 years after the events of the first game, and you'll run across many familiar things that interconnect both games including similar items, cameo appearances, returning voes, and a descendent of the Ausa family.

For anyone else who is considering getting into the Lunar series. You better get them as fast as you can because they are getting harder to find each day. The original Sega CD games of both games are practically impossible to find, but you just might be able to find the re-released Playstation versions. You can maybe manage to find it at your local videogame store that sell used games. If you can find it, you'll be very lucky, and if you do, I assure you that you will enjoy them if you’re looking for an older RPG series with a great story, memorable characters, impressive visuals including animated cut scenes and many more surprises. Lunar is widely considered among one of the best RPG series of all-time and no one should pass this series up. It is an essential series to own for RPG fans.

I've long wanted to try Grandia but it's managed to elude me to this point. I've got a copy in my sights though, so we'll see if I can remedy that. The newest game looks like a lot of fun, but I'd like to be a little more familiar with the Grandia-verse before starting it (including what I hear is a unique battle-system). Curiously, having enjoyed the first games in the series as much, would you reccommend the most recent game?

If you liked Lunar SSS, you enjoy the Grandia series just as much. It was made by GameArts (same creators who did Lunar), and they managed to release a great series on its own right taking some aspects that made Lunar so great and creating a completely new story different from Lunar with a new battle system and many other surprises completely remade into 3D (2D character sprites on a 3D background). It's also a fantasy series, and it has one of the most memorable soundtracks from Noriyuki Iwadare in the second game. When you play it, its almost as if your playing Lunar because it has pictures of characters using emotions to interact within its dialog. They look really cute, and are things you find very similar to the Lunar series. I've only played the first two games of Grandia, but I have yet to play the newest installment of the series, Grandia 3, so I can't really help you there. But nevertheless, I think you will really enjoy this series if you can manage to get a hold of them.

Grandia was first released on the Sega Saturn in 1997, and then on the Sony Playstation on 1999. Grandia 2 was released for the Sega Dreamcast in 2000 and released on the Sony Playstation 2 in 2002. The first two Grandia games are becoming harder to find by the day as well (especially the original Saturn and Dreamcast versions of each game respectively), so the faster you get them, the higher the chances you'll be able to own these games.

[TheOneAndOnly]

Chrono Trigger is a total classic. Final Fantasy VII and VI, Dragon Quest VIII, and a forgotten classic in time Xenogears. Also, the Grandia series is great. Skies of Arcadia and Grandia II on DC were really good game experiences for me and Tales of Symphonia was a really good GC RPG along with Paper Mario. The Elder Scrolls III & IV are fantastic games. Also, I love the Digital Devil Saga series.

[HitokiriShadow]

It's a three way tie for me between Final Fantasy 6 (a.k.a. FF3 on the Snes), Chrono Trigger and Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete.

FF6 had a huge cast of characters and the latter portion of the game was very open ended. You could beat the game (theoretically) with as few as three or four characters or you could go and hunt down everyone and have a full roster. Not to mention it had a great story. Sure, Kefka may not have been developed like villains typically are now, but that just lets you make up your own backstory for him.

Chrono Trigger had a great story with a dozen endings (only a few were really an option on the first playthrough though) with a ton of replay potential. I also liked how the boss fights tended to involve a bit more strategy than "figure out what he's weak against."

Lunar: Eternal Blue Complete had a great story, great characters and it made talking to all of the NPCs worthwhile because they tended to be pretty funny. I loved the epilogue feature of this game as well. The only other game I know of to try something like it was Tales of Legendia.

I'm currently playing Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete right now, but Lunar 2 beats in just about every way.

[Texcap]

If you enjoyed Lunar: Sliver Star Story, you'll love Lunar: Eternal Blue too.

I've heard nothing but great things about Lunar: Eternal Blue, and really I don't have any doubt that I'll enjoy it having loved Lunar: SSSC as much. I made sure to snatch both of these up as soon as I was able to find copies, complete, and in great condition -- not cheap by any means, but worth every penny so far. I'm glad to hear that they share commonalities between the two games, as well, so I look forward to discovering what they are.

For anyone else who is considering getting into the Lunar series. You better get them as fast as you can because they are getting harder to find each day.

I can attest to this!

If you can find it, you'll be very lucky, and if you do, I assure you that you will enjoy them if you’re looking for an older RPG series with a great story, memorable characters, impressive visuals including animated cut scenes and many more surprises. Lunar is widely considered among one of the best RPG series of all-time and no one should pass this series up. It is an essential series to own for RPG fans.

Absolutely. I'd also like to reiterate the excellent art and production work that went into these games. While I've obviously not begun the second installment of Lunar yet, I'm certainly no stranger to the visuals and the first game is more than enough to drive home the craft of Toshiyuki Kubooka, who is chiefly responsible for the slick presentation of the characters throughout. The visuals are stunning, and it's one of the greatest assets of the series. Incidentally, his anime work consistently shows the same quality -- if you've never seen Giant Robo, for example, you're in for a real treat.

[Re: Grandia]

If you liked Lunar SSS, you enjoy the Grandia series just as much. It was made by GameArts (same creators who did Lunar), and they managed to release a great series on its own right taking some aspects that made Lunar so great and creating a completely new story different from Lunar with a new battle system and many other surprises completely remade into 3D (2D character sprites on a 3D background). It's also a fantasy series, and it has one of the most memorable soundtracks from Noriyuki Iwadare in the second game. When you play it, its almost as if your playing Lunar because it has pictures of characters using emotions to interact within its dialog. They look really cute, and are things you find very similar to the Lunar series. I've only played the first two games of Grandia, but I have yet to play the newest installment of the series, Grandia 3, so I can't really help you there. But nevertheless, I think you will really enjoy this series if you can manage to get a hold of them.

Thanks for the rundown. I've got the first game in my sights, as I mentioned, and if I manage to finally obtain it then I look forward to playing it that much more knowing it was from the same creators as Lunar (which I did now know until you mentioned it).

As for the comments from everyone else that replied to a couple of my questions, I appreciate the responses.

[Neo0tak0n]

I'm currently playing Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete right now, but Lunar 2 beats in just about every way.

Yep, it definitely does (and that is in no way is dissing Lunar SSSC).

[Loopy]

Meh. Eternal Blue turned Ghaleon into a pansy, had a forgettable villain, and the character's debut and development, not to mention the storyline's course was so rushed it killed the story for me. Gameplay was better but anything above the simple turn-based system of the original isn't that hard to pull off.

[Neo0tak0n]

ghaleon was always a pansy

[NGT]

My favorites are FF7, FF8, FF10. I can't even count how many times I've beaten these games I usually do it at least once a year. SH 2 is also one of my favorites.

[Warabit]

Without hesitation I can say Earthbound(SNES) is my favorite RPG ever.

[Yukito Kunisaki]

Favorites... I can say there are none worth that title to me yet...seeing how none have totally WOWED me. BUT...as for games I like up to date... I must say I like the Star Ocean series and Dragon Quest series the best.

Star Ocean...it is HARD to choose a game from this series to crown your fave...or atleast for me...NOW I KNOW people hate TTEOT, but I rather enjoyed it. The only thing I hated were glitches, the item creating, and some of the REDICULOUS battle trophies (50000 battles, Chain of 500, Defeat FD Freya..etc.) All and All, I really liked it. The other two, I know this game didn't live up to it, and I hear people complainig it is like the Matrix, but to be honest, I never saw the Matrix so I can say it is unique to me. I agree it doesn't live up to the previous two, but as its own thing, it kicks *** ;)

Dragon Quest was like...my very first RPG. The first one was very fun for its time, but there wasn't too much into it. After that, I never played another until 7, and that one kept me busy. 7 took FOREVER to beat, but it IS one of my top games at the moment. There was alot to do and alot of maps to go through. It was cool...and long...haha

[Sachiel03]

Mine was Chrono Cross for the PS1.

I beat it twice and had all the rainbow weapons and unlocked most of teh characters.

[Yukito Kunisaki]

Mine was Chrono Cross for the PS1.

I beat it twice and had all the rainbow weapons and unlocked most of teh characters.

I might just be the only one, but I did love CC, but after the first time or so playing I got REALLY bored with it =\

[HitokiriShadow]

Chrono Cross got a lot of flak, but it actually wasn't that bad. I thought it was pretty good, just not as good as Chrono Trigger. Taken on its own, its a good game, but combined with peoples high expectations as the sequal to Chrono Trigger and some the tie-ins to Chrono Trigger not being well recieved, it got a lot more flak than it probably deserved.

[Powatanner]

Advance Wars: Dual Strike for DS
Worth my money
It never gets old
and it's portable!

[HitokiriShadow]

That's not an RPG. Unless you get really technical, but then pretty much any game would be considered an RPG. This is thread is referring the video game genre of RPGs.

[Yukito Kunisaki]

Chrono Cross got a lot of flak, but it actually wasn't that bad. I thought it was pretty good, just not as good as Chrono Trigger. Taken on its own, its a good game, but combined with peoples high expectations as the sequal to Chrono Trigger and some the tie-ins to Chrono Trigger not being well recieved, it got a lot more flak than it probably deserved.

See, that I really don't care about...it being a sequel or whatever. The think that bored me was the...idk...it just wasnt so interested second time around, I think it was the battles that hurt my feel for it, they just got REALLY boring, the music with those graphics... Idk... I honestly don't know what it was...just...very boring O.o.............

dot dot

[Gaming_Bum]

Skies of Arcadia

[Hunter_Z]

I"m glad I'm not the only one that has Final Fantasy VIII as their favorite. Done beat it 7 times already and thinking about going through it again.

I liked pretty much everything about the game, except that the regular boss battles could've been harder. Could identify with the characters and it had a great plot,

Honorable mentions go to Disagea, Final Fantasy 7, and Star Ocean: TTEOT.

[Makimachi]

It's all in my sig. But my #1 is Legend of Zelda: OOT. But I have re-played Tales of Symphonia 3 times -_-;...

[Sachiel03]

Chrono Cross got a lot of flak, but it actually wasn't that bad. I thought it was pretty good, just not as good as Chrono Trigger. Taken on its own, its a good game, but combined with peoples high expectations as the sequal to Chrono Trigger and some the tie-ins to Chrono Trigger not being well recieved, it got a lot more flak than it probably deserved.

Chrono Cross was one of the only 4 games at Gamespot (not sure if it was gamespot,but im pretty sure)To get a perfect rating.

[Makimachi]

Chrono Cross was one of the only 4 games at Gamespot (not sure if it was gamespot,but im pretty sure)To get a perfect rating.

Yeah it was gamespot. I really loved that game, I didn't know lotsa people didn't.

[Levon]

Final Fantasy VII

(Sue me)

[Tidusauron12]

One of the FF games. Alot are good ones; hard to choose.

Edit:

Ok, I've thought it over, and FFX is my favourite. Don't know why, it just clicks in that 'empty' part of me... I think you get the gist of it.

[Shiroiyuki]

Personally, I like Final Fantasy VIII the best...even though, yes there are newer Final Fantasy (and otherwise) games out there that have better graphics nowadays. FFVIII was just beautiful though, the story, the characters....the music. It really was the very first RPG that I truly loved and appreciated.

People always complain that the 'junction' system that they used in the game was nonsense; they say it was too hard to understand and basically was the reason the game wasn't more popular. I disagree with this completely--the draw system allowed you to gain magic (and a lot of it) from monsters, then the junction system allowed you to use that said magic to INCREASE your stats. Heck, by the time I finished the game, I was an unstoppable force of nature--junctioning aura, ultima, and whatever else I could to my stats to increase practically everything to the max.

At that time, I didn't have to rely on magic to beat enemies--that's what the GF's were for. I really don't know why people complain so much about FFVIII's system, it was a Godsend.

Storyline wise, music wise, and character wise....FFVIII beats all others games in my opinion. Everything was just so beautiful--so wonderfully constructed. I really wish they would make a sequel to this game. Or, maybe even a movie (like they did for that FFVII game which in my opinion wasn't that great).

[Tidusauron12]

Personally, I like Final Fantasy VIII the best...even though, yes there are newer Final Fantasy (and otherwise) games out there that have better graphics nowadays. FFVIII was just beautiful though, the story, the characters....the music. It really was the very first RPG that I truly loved and appreciated.



You see, this is where my problems arise. I feel that way with almost eery new installment of the series. I just get too attached, so I generally try to look at the FF series a one family... generation after generation.

[Wolfsbane68]

Daggerfall is still my favorite RPG and the best of the Elder Scrolls series AFAIC, falling through the pixels and all XD Morrowind came close but this game lost its heart around the second expansion pack. Oblivion failed to regain it ;-(

[Laharu]

Valkyrie's Profile for PS1. That game is easily the best game in existence...

[xAndronicusX]

I loved Tales of Symphonia, Skies of Arcadia. I couldn't choose one of those three, so they'll all just have to tie for first. ToS never bored me, I played through it in a few days when I was on vacation. Skies of Arcadia was the same way, plus those ship battles were awesome.

[Mordecai]

After replaying it once again, I would say Valkyrie Profile is my favorite RPG.

[Gasaraki]

Mordecai took the words right out of my mouth =)

[Shiroiyuki]

I"m glad I'm not the only one that has Final Fantasy VIII as their favorite.
YES YES YES YES!!!! I love you! Final Fantasy VIII is my ALL TIME FAVORITE rpg game EVER.

Not too many people think highly of FFVIII, but I just hit them in the forehead and pretend they must be too ignorant to understand greatness when they encounter it :P.

*Shrugs*

[Chidori Raikiri]

Final Fantasy 7 FTW!!!

[Lacan]

I've been doing some thinking and I have to say Final Fantasy VI, its very timeless, the graphics are still good even in this age, and Kefka is an awesome villian, plus the gameplay is extremely fun, the music is awesome. I still need to finish Final Fantsay VI Advance, well I might as well restart since I screwed up somewhere.

[ryushe]

Wow, I'm surprised I never replied to this thread.

Long thought provoking post short....Xenogears.

[Tidusauron12]

Of course... it is:

SHADOW HEARTS II

[Raziel_MGS]

parasite eve

[NeoA]

Final Fantasy VIII

[Old Ape Face]

Golden Sun for all time best story. IMO Who cares if their's too much talking, that's what makes the story so interesting, think of it as cut scenes without a movie.

[JoeStrummer]

Earthbound, best game ever. Final Fantasy VI at a close second. Ah, the SNES, how I love you

[ElDusto]

YES YES YES YES!!!! I love you! Final Fantasy VIII is my ALL TIME FAVORITE rpg game EVER.

Not too many people think highly of FFVIII, but I just hit them in the forehead and pretend they must be too ignorant to understand greatness when they encounter it :P.

*Shrugs*

I thought the Characters, story and atmosphere in that game are great. The fighting system is alright, even though you can make your characters very powerful very early in the game. I found all the fights in the game to be fairly easy, but I kind of liked that and FF games have been kind of that way. The whole SeeD ranking and stuff annoying because you could get demoted so you waisted time killing monsters between getting paid so you wouldn't lose rank. Then there were the tests to help raise your rank. Neither of these things have made me not want to quit playing this game, even if they bug me alittle. The Carbuncle money making trick is awesome, BTW.

[Yukito Kunisaki]

Tough call, but Sailor Moon: Another Story, Dragon Quest 7, Final Fantasy 5 and a few others are up there.

Golden Sun for all time best story. IMO Who cares if their's too much talking, that's what makes the story so interesting, think of it as cut scenes without a movie.

What made GS fun for me was looking for the Djinns. Those were awesome, haha. I love hunting for things like them.

[J Dude]

I don't think just naming one would do this thread justice for me. If I had to pick between two RPGs it would be Final Fantasy IV and Xenogears.

Back in the day when Final Fantasy IV was only released in America as Final Fantasy II on the SNES, this was my first RPG back when I played it around 1992-1993. This is the game that got me into RPGs and I've played and beaten the game several times, which would include beating the Advance version at least once. I love the cast, I love the story (as simplistic as it is compared to some other RPGs), the music is excellent, etc. etc. I'm sure once Final Fantasy IV for the DS gets released over here, I'll be all over it as soon as I get it.

Xenogears, well.... this is just a masterpiece. I found out about the game back when Parasite Eve first came out for PS1 in 1997 and I played the demo of Xenogears on the demo disc that came with it and really enjoyed it. Got the game for X-Mas back in 97 and since then, I've beaten the game and played through it three times. I'm currently replaying it for the first time in several years and I'm loving it again, making this my 4th playthrough of the game. Just got to Bledavik and I'm about to fight Ramsus for the first time. The cast is great, the story is very well written and complex, the music is excellent, and one of my favorite things about this game are the Gears without a doubt. Shame the FMVs are so poorly dubbed, I'd honestly rather have the original Japanese as usual, but that doesn't hinder the awesome experience for me.

[Sushikins]

Kingdom Hearts II. Runner-ups would be Chrono Cross and Final Fantasy IV. The Legend of Dragoon gets honorable mention only because I love the game, but I don't think its quite on the level of the above 3.

[ryushe]

Tough call, but Sailor Moon: Another Story
That game was god, One of the first RPG's I've ever played. I remember playing the emulation a loooong time ago on the ZSNES. Man that game was fantastic, to bad I never beat it -_-;

[CitizenGeek]

My favorite RPG, and absolute all-time favorite game full stop, is without doubt Final Fantasy XII. FFXII oozes utter quality from start to finish, I enjoyed every single minute of the 140 hours I spent on it!

FFVII, FFX, Disgaea and KHII would be runners-up.

[lunarvesperia]

Tales of Symphonia :)

[MightyDustLoop]

I don't think just naming one would do this thread justice for me. If I had to pick between two RPGs it would be Final Fantasy IV and Xenogears.

Back in the day when Final Fantasy IV was only released in America as Final Fantasy II on the SNES, this was my first RPG back when I played it around 1992-1993. This is the game that got me into RPGs and I've played and beaten the game several times, which would include beating the Advance version at least once. I love the cast, I love the story (as simplistic as it is compared to some other RPGs), the music is excellent, etc. etc. I'm sure once Final Fantasy IV for the DS gets released over here, I'll be all over it as soon as I get it.

Xenogears, well.... this is just a masterpiece. I found out about the game back when Parasite Eve first came out for PS1 in 1997 and I played the demo of Xenogears on the demo disc that came with it and really enjoyed it. Got the game for X-Mas back in 97 and since then, I've beaten the game and played through it three times. I'm currently replaying it for the first time in several years and I'm loving it again, making this my 4th playthrough of the game. Just got to Bledavik and I'm about to fight Ramsus for the first time. The cast is great, the story is very well written and complex, the music is excellent, and one of my favorite things about this game are the Gears without a doubt. Shame the FMVs are so poorly dubbed, I'd honestly rather have the original Japanese as usual, but that doesn't hinder the awesome experience for me.


My god. I have a doppleganger!

[Old Ape Face]

Tough call, but Sailor Moon: Another Story, Dragon Quest 7, Final Fantasy 5 and a few others are up there.



What made GS fun for me was looking for the Djinns. Those were awesome, haha. I love hunting for things like them.

and then the Summons that came as a result of looking for them :) and then in Lost age, you get fun tablets to look for :) and the summons get better and better :)

[Tonyx35]

Xenogears followed closely by Chrono Trigger are my favorite RPGs ever.

Xenogears- Citan, Emeralda, Elly, Fei were some of my favorites RPG The Music in this game became an instant favorite of mine. I spent a few extra hours trying to get the disc to unlock the jukebox just so I could listen to the wonderful Sound Track. I've finished the game more than 10 times. To get all the deathblows, secrets, weapons etc. The graphics might not hold up too well but the Story, music and battle system ( on foot and mech) are still really awesome imho .

Chrono Trigger- Characters Story, Music, Battle System ( Techs). First played and beat it 5 years ago

Honorable Mentions:

Breath of Fire 2 and 3 (love Dragons and Winged people)
FF VI, VII, X
Super Mario RPG (Bowser tossing Mario, Peach slapping down her enimies, Mario's special attacks
Sailor Moon Another Story

[Yukito Kunisaki]

That game was god, One of the first RPG's I've ever played. I remember playing the emulation a loooong time ago on the ZSNES. Man that game was fantastic, to bad I never beat it -_-;

I never beat it either, but I get very far. Really, it is similar to the old FF games, it even had an Airship thing (Though limited to drop space.) Lets see, you have 10 young girls to use, puzzle pieces to collect, Enemies that followed through the Original - Sailor Moon S in it, and the game did deliver. I miss it. ^_^



and then the Summons that came as a result of looking for them :) and then in Lost age, you get fun tablets to look for :) and the summons get better and better :)

Oh yea, thats right. i forgot about the summons. It has been a while. I never played the second, but I remember I never did end up beating who I call the "Jessi and James" of the game at the end. (Well, the dragon thing, and I mean....Saturos and Menardi was it?...Something like that.) I need to try GS2.

[J Dude]

My god. I have a doppleganger!

:lol:

Xenogears followed closely by Chrono Trigger are my favorite RPGs ever.

Xenogears- Citan, Emeralda, Elly, Fei were some of my favorites RPG The Music in this game became an instant favorite of mine. I spent a few extra hours trying to get the disc to unlock the jukebox just so I could listen to the wonderful Sound Track. I've finished the game more than 10 times. To get all the deathblows, secrets, weapons etc. The graphics might not hold up too well but the Story, music and battle system ( on foot and mech) are still really awesome imho .

Chrono Trigger- Characters Story, Music, Battle System ( Techs). First played and beat it 5 years ago

Honorable Mentions:

Breath of Fire 2 and 3 (love Dragons and Winged people)
FF VI, VII
Super Mario RPG (Bowser tossing Mario, Peach slapping down her enimies, Mario's special attacks

I'd also have to give honorable mention to the ones you've listed that I didn't. They were all great stuff. Even if Breath of Fire III had that plot hole with Teepo, I still loved the game. I've played through and beaten Breath of Fire III three times.

[Old Ape Face]

Oh yea, thats right. i forgot about the summons. It has been a while. I never played the second, but I remember I never did end up beating who I call the "Jessi and James" of the game at the end. (Well, the dragon thing, and I mean....Saturos and Menardi was it?...Something like that.) I need to try GS2.

pff comparing Golden Sun to Pokemon is like Family Guys to Stand Up Comedy

the second is much longer and the story got even more in depth, it's my favorite part of the series.

[Reidar]

It's a tie between Morrowind and Dragon Quest VIII.

[Yukito Kunisaki]

pff comparing Golden Sun to Pokemon is like Family Guys to Stand Up Comedy

the second is much longer and the story got even more in depth, it's my favorite part of the series.

Well, if I remember correctly, Saturos and Menardi are a male and female bandit who are always causing trouble for the main characters, granted I remeber well enough. I forget their personalities, but Something about them reminds me of those two.

@ Reidar: Try Dragon Quest 7 if you ever get the chance. IMHO, I think DQ8 was a kick down the stairs of a two story building. Don't get me wrong, DQ8 was good, but in terms of DQ games, 7 had the most, spellwise, questing-wise, side-quests/games, and a more interesting idea compared to the others where you pretty much just explore your home island and move off to the next. DQ7 goes through time trying to restore the lands to their former glory.... God I love it, haha.

[Nash]

All time fav FF4.

Hands down.

[JoeStrummer]

I don't see enough praise being handed out to Earthbound, you guys suck

[Reidar]

@ Reidar: Try Dragon Quest 7 if you ever get the chance. IMHO, I think DQ8 was a kick down the stairs of a two story building. Don't get me wrong, DQ8 was good, but in terms of DQ games, 7 had the most, spellwise, questing-wise, side-quests/games, and a more interesting idea compared to the others where you pretty much just explore your home island and move off to the next. DQ7 goes through time trying to restore the lands to their former glory.... God I love it, haha.

Thanks for the recommendation. I was already planning to. Dragon Quest VIII was the first in the series I actually completed. Although, I did play through Dragon Warrior Monsters for GBC years ago, but that doesn't really count. I'm extremely fond of these none-linear RPG types, like Morrowind and Skies of Arcadia.

[CrisisLover]

FF6, FF7, Lufia II and Chrono Trigger. Honorable mention to the pokemon games, loved them especially Red and Blue.

[Yukito Kunisaki]

Thanks for the recommendation. I was already planning to. Dragon Quest VIII was the first in the series I actually completed. Although, I did play through Dragon Warrior Monsters for GBC years ago, but that doesn't really count. I'm extremely fond of these none-linear RPG types, like Morrowind and Skies of Arcadia.

Your welcome. My discs are in fair condition, so I might actually look into getting another copy of it online somewhere myself. I just hope it comes out as a remake somewhere soon. Too good of a game to miss out on.

[Tidusauron12]

... Shadow Hearts II ...

[Shadowbandit]

I really like world of warcraft and i rank it number one on my list.

[Keroberos]

So hard to choose. D/P was a great RPG but I would have to definelty say FFVII was my ultimate RPG. For the time it came out the graphics where stunning and not to mention the game was addicting. At least to me it was but what FF game isn't. I enjoyed the battle system set up for FFVII there is something about the ease of understanding with it. Games with complex battle systems make the game more annoying to play.

:punch: :punch: :punch:

[metal_slime1022]

My favorite is either Dragon Quest VII or VIII. And the Tales games.

[Anamin]

Tales of Symphonia and FFVII will always have a special place in my heart.

[Naraku]

There are 3 RPGs I can always easily get into, replay, and enjoy.

The Legend of Dragoon, Valkyrie Profile, and Chrono Cross - in that order.

[Masokick]

"Wizardry IV: Heart of the Maelstrom" for the SNES. Difficult, huge levels, and very fun.

[AsukaxSohryux]

Xenosaga series, FFX (Yes I loved it), and Eternal Sonata (Beautiful game).

[max payne]

Linear: Planescape: Torment
Non-Linear: Morrowind
Inbetween the two: Fallout 2

[Tidusauron12]

... Shadow Hearts 2 ...

[Demon_Eva01]

FF2 (SNES) FF8, Oblivion, Persona 3, Growlanser: Heritage of War

[luciano]

Didn't read through all the pages but I damn sure hope someone mentioned Baldur's gate 2!

[AkitoZ]

Xenosaga Series

[andromakon]

Linear: Eternal Sonata
non linear: morrowind

[Old Ape Face]

Can't go wrong with "Ocarina of time", though I'd have to say "A Link to the Past", is probably the best Zelda game ever made, OOT comes at a close second.


Um is the Zelda series considered a legit RPG? Or a straight forward adventure genre? :blink:

[cyborgaaron]

"Legend of Mana" hands down for me, everything about it is just so awesome. Then coming in second is Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind (beause I haven't played Oblivion yet) and third would be Golden Sun for the GBA. Dear Christ! And I almost forgot about Tales of Symphonia!