Jump to content

RPG Codex's Top 70 PC RPGs


Recommended Posts

MM7 had a lot going for it over its predecessor, but a bigger world was certainly not one of them. Indeed one of the possible criticisms that could be levelled at MM6 was that it was *too* big.

 

 

....also it had better portraits. :p

L I E S T R O N G
L I V E W R O N G

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gamefaqs have no taste whatsoever... officially acknowledged.

The Top 10 female characters you should go out with

 

 

#10: Rinoa Heartily from Final Fantasy VIII (PS)

 

Good: She's cute, not gorgeous.

Bad: She's a teenage mercenary. In effect, a child soldier.

Good/bad: She's seventeen.

 

I was also seventeen when Final Fantasy VIII came out. The opening Full Motion Video is LEGENDARY - to the point it makes all Japanese large-budget games FMV-heavy since then. Probably this is one of many catalysts (besides Cowboy Bebop, GTO manga, and L'arc~en~ciel) of the global Japanese pop culture boom in late 90s and early 2000s.

 

Enough about the game. Rinoa is a daughter of a general and a pianist, so you might keep your future father-in-law in mind. She has utilized her dog in battle long before Franklin Clinton does. In arts and cutscenes (arts and cutscenes, okay?) she looks and moves like the prettiest Asian girl you see in the mall. Boy high school was good times with Rinoa despite the financial crisis and the race riots.

 

Say: "Blaster Edge"

Don't say: "......................................................." for four discs long.

 

#9: Asuka Kazama from Tekken 5 (PS2)

 

Good: She's knows martial arts and BMX freestyle.

Bad: She ditches the mission to arrest her evil cousin and uncle for the sake of fighting (in both senses) a psychopathic Monaco heiress.

Good/bad: Her Sunday clothes.

 

Ah fighting games. They have buxom ladies who actually do nothing besides jumping around the screen screaming one-liners, yelling in very moderately sexy groan when defeated, and acting a bit for the ending video. We don't know why we buy them except to nurture our egos, personally and professionally.

 

Asuka Kazama is the It Girl of fighting games. Conventions aside, you won't see someone walking around wearing Chun-li or Kasumi outfits, while Asuka's outfits still have proper places - her school uniform, her training uniform, and uh...those shiny silver flaming pants and blue tank tops...in a rave club maybe? Ling Xiaoyu is certainly sweeter, but her dedication to turn a Yakuza family into honest men is unsettling, her pouts are annoying (compared to Asuka's Osakan dialect), and that Panda is cute, but I wish it's not always around. Big apologies to more decent Julia or Christie - you just lost to plaid skirt and loafers. And BMX.

 

Say: "Have you seen this man? He has long pigtail...and he's muscular...Oh, he's you!"

Don't Say: "Where am I? What happened?"

 

#8: Zoe Taylor from Bully (PS2)

 

Good: She's the first and only woman to be in stable romantic relationship with a GTA universe's protagonist.

Bad: There are no many pictures of her. Not that she's the fairest maiden in Bullworth.

Good/bad: She's the female counterpart of Jimmy Hopkins, a 21st century Holden Caulfield.

 

Back in high school I shunned squealing Chinese classmates and dreamed of a sarcastic and tomboy white girlfriend (this being 90s, the age of angry white female). Bully, set in a prep school, has plenty of female students with unique names and identities (rather than being random extras). Jimmy Hopkins (who, hopefully won't appear as a criminal in any future GTA game) conquers all tribes the way a warrior does - knock out the guys and kiss the girls.

 

Of all girls Jimmy kisses, only Zoe Taylor is not part of his conquest. Other girls just cry or sulk and tell Jimmy to do something dirty for them, but Zoe is a happy accomplice. If she becomes a playable protagonist of GTA VI, I would not mind. She is about 23 by now.

 

Say: "Why is everyone around here so fake?"

Don't say: "I prefer to date older men and junkies."

 

#7: Kirce James from Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars (PC)

 

Good: A brunette GDI officer.

Bad: Her world is a screwed-up one - environmental catastrophe, messianic maniac, and alien invasion. And oh, it's ruled by Lando Calrissian.

Good/bad: She calls you "Commander".

 

Command & Conquer has been a nerd heaven since it was a British game in mid 90s - rocky soundtrack, FMVs, carnage. Beginning with Red Alert, the franchise introduced steamy good and bad ladies, played by actresses, who look at you, talk to you, and Tanya kills people and animals mercilessly when you tell her to. When EA bought the franchise, they made several big chances for better and worse - the actors were Hollywood (or at least FHM) notables and Red Alert was made campy while C&C retained its dark tone.

 

Command & Conquer 3 goes all-out with the ladies. Of course I go with the good girls of GDI and it's a tough choice to pick between Jennifer Morrison and Grace Park. Sandra Telfair, however, is too angry and opinionated. Lieutenant James *might* subconsciously persuade you to join the Navy, where in the end you can earn the title Commander. Plus, you can still see Grace Park weekly on CBS (hi!), but it's been ages since we saw a brunette Morrison.

 

Say: "Join us, GDI could use a good soldier like you!"

Don't say: "I thought you were too screwed up to love anyone."

 

#6: Mei Ling from Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)

 

Good: She saves everyone's ass. Now this is Cavalry.

Bad: She's so buried deep below even the minor characters- you might think she is not in the game.

Good/bad: Even with the bad monkey, no reader remembers to take a picture of her.

 

Metal Gear Solid: A genius of a game or a twelve hours self-righteous rants? I pick the latter. All the laments of the evil of war that omits anything that does with Japan. All the discussion about child soldier trauma that ends as an excuse to shoot models in body suits and asking them to pose later on (after frying their minions to dust...duh). "Complex storytelling" that goes nowhere, involving an African ninja who looks like a J-rock hunk.

 

I'm sorry for all those. Yet, all the spent hours of sneaking and passing through those videos (all of those fit into a disc? Neat) end with a clear and cool oasis - Mei Ling in US Navy officer uniform saves old Snake and the gang. And she's grown mature. Hooray for a Japanese game for letting a woman to grow up beyond high school years.

 

Why her instead of Meryl? Because she commands the USS Missouri, that's why.

 

Say: "Asian persuasion"

Don't say: "Confucius says this. In Japanese, it means....., while in English,...."

 

#5: Kaoru Sayama from Yakuza 2 (PS2)

 

Good: She is known as "the Yakuza Eater"

Bad: She is never seen again after this game.

Good/bad: The Yakuza Eater dates a Yakuza godfather.

 

There's almost no good cop in GTA. There are some good cops in Yakuza. Kaoru Sayama is a hot and good cop from Osaka. Believing the yakuza murdered her parents, she braves herself against those sociopath bullies and send them to prison - until the ex-Godfather of Tokyo, Kazuma Kiryu, saves her life. In return, she follows him to Tokyo, changing in front of him, double teams punks with him, and has a real-time hacking duel, among other things.

 

Kaoru is not playable, actually she's also dateable only through cutscenes instead of gameplay - but she can smash heads, she can hack, and she can drive like Michelle Rodriguez. Sadly she leaves Japan in Yakuza 3. Well, maybe she's too young for Kiryu, anyway.

 

In another sad news, we might not able to play Yakuza 5 at all. Since oh, Sega says we non-Japanese won't like it.

 

Say: "Beer for breakfast."

Don't Say: "Video games? Those junks mess up with your head."

 

#4: Alicia Melchiott from Valkyria Chronicles (PS3)

 

Good:She's a good shot.

Bad: She does not wear helmet in combat.

Good/bad: Her time is only in the first game.

 

You might not have heard of this game. Valkyria Chronicles takes place in 1941, er, 1935. Germany, er, East Europan (sic) Imperial Alliance, who is in war with the Allied, er, Atlantic Federation, attacks the neutral country of Switzerland, er, Gallia. While there, they are persecuting the hated ethnic minority the Jews, er, Darcsens. So you command the Gallian militia outfit, composed of male and female volunteers with distinct personalities, to fight back in a hybrid strategy/third person shooter game. Kinda like Jagged Alliance - with more pleasant and more good-looking soldiers.

 

Alicia Melchiott is the female protagonist, a baker and town watch captain (they let a young female to become a town watch captain at that time. How cool). She is also a scout, so she has long move points, but small fire power. You really have to aim for the head if you want to keep alive. Actually there's a more badass female soldier (who also appears on cutscenes), Rosie Stark. But she's ****y and a racist. Plus, Alicia is a baker.

 

Alicia returns in Valkyria Chronicles II as a cameo (where sadly, sadly now Gallia uses child soldiers) and is a secret playable character - but she's the canonical main character no more. As for Valkyria Chronicles itself? The Third is not released outside Japan, since like Yakuza 5, the publisher is Sega and they use the same "Non-Japanese won't like this game" excuse. So much for European inspiration.

 

Say: "Das Zoft ist fertig!"

Don't say: "I'll make a Gallian cheese out of you, Imperial scum!"

 

#3: Female Protagonist from Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable (PSP)

 

Good: She's cute, and badasssss.

Bad: She'll date you ten times max since her schedule's very tight.

Good/bad: List of possible love interests: two classmates, a primary school kid, a shady guy, and an android, according to several porn comics.

 

Created Character as an ideal girlfriend? LOL. No, this is different. The only thing you can customize about the Female Protagonist is her name. Other than that, her look and personality are fixed. Even her weapon is fixed, the naginata (polearm) class, which can be upgraded into...hockey sticks or a public toilet scrub (causing ailments to monsters).

 

The female protagonist is not a "silent moody guy". She is a cheerful and lively girl who can say a bad word or two when pushed. And she houses the power of a pantheon of gods, demons, and everything in between. Even outside the demon world, she still can take punks, bullies, and child custody battle by herself. If this list is ranked by preference, the Female Protagonist (called lovingly "Hamuko" by Japanese fans) is my number one. Oh no, I cannot. She's under 18.

 

Say: "YAKUSHIMA!"

Don't say: "This bikini armor improves your defense, sempai."

 

#2: Elena Fisher from Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (PS3)

 

Good:She's more kickass than Claudia Black.

Bad: She lives in a world where there are lost cities and yawn, secret societies where powerful figures decide the course of history. There's no such thing in real life, right? Right?

Good/bad: She does a commercial for Toyota.

 

Right. I have never played anything in Uncharted. I don't think I have to. Must be great games and all, but I'm not a great fan of Indiana Jones (I'm okay with the franchise...even bought the pulp novels regularly). Indiana Jones would have wished his wife could launch a grenade the way Elena does.

 

She is, a rare instance of executive's business instinct prevailing over developer's creative drive. Naughty Dog designed her to be a short-haired brunette, but Sony said that a square-chinned blonde looks better. She raced neck-to-neck with Assassin's Creed Lucy Stillman in both 2007 and 2009, before 2011 brought in different fates to both. Elena wins.

 

Say: "Yeah, it's like a camera.You just point and shoot, right?"

Don't say: "You are the worst liar!"

 

#1: Jodie Holmes from Beyond: Two Souls (PS3)

 

Good: She's a psychic CIA agent.

Bad: Her bro can possess and strangle you at will.

Good/bad: She's seen more human misery than a foreign correspondent does.

 

What's not to like about Ellen Page? Hipsters love Juno, where she walks around town with a liter of orange juice for an unholy purpose. Nerds love Kitty Pryde, who owns Juggernaut, the bane of English underworld and soccer fields (BrE: football pitches).

 

Jodie Holmes has worse problems than teenage pregnancy and mutantphobia. CIA exploits her, other kids hate her, and vigorous drawing gives her bleeding nose. All for the purpose of giving another lease of life for adventure game and showing Japan what does "visual novel" supposed to be. She changes the game. So she's number one based on timeline, and I guess by preference, she also trumps over the Female Protagonist. Congratulations Jodie. And Aiden. Friend?

 

Say: "Aiden. Go."

Don't Say: "Ellie! You're Ellie, right?"

 

It's a good thing that there are plenty of female characters out there who are not only eye candy or kicking ass per se (while being subjected to naughty camera angles in the process). Looking from the timeline perspective, there are indeed stronger and deeper female character development over the decades, and that is good. This list is by no mean exhaustive, but I hope it is pretty unique.

 

Aveline de Grandpre shows that it's possible to sell a minority woman as a hero, and I hope gamers, developers, and publishers accept the diversity of gaming heroes in this decade and the next.

 

 

 

hitler-takes-off-glasses-o.gif

  • Like 1

The ending of the words is ALMSIVI.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just goes to show we could do worse than the codex, those people I can at least relate with. I don't know who thinks like that ^

Edited by Drowsy Emperor

И погибе Српски кнез Лазаре,
И његова сва изгибе војска, 
Седамдесет и седам иљада;
Све је свето и честито било
И миломе Богу приступачно.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I dont understand that fuzz around that list. clearly not everyone have same taste but I can more or less agree with most of it. Some posts here makes me feel sad for you

I'm the enemy, 'cause I like to think, I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech, and freedom of choice. I'm the kinda guy that likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder, "Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecue ribs with the side-order of gravy fries?" I want high cholesterol! I wanna eat bacon, and butter, and buckets of cheese, okay?! I wanna smoke a Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section! I wanna run naked through the street, with green Jell-O all over my body, reading Playboy magazine. Why? Because I suddenly may feel the need to, okay, pal? I've SEEN the future. Do you know what it is? It's a 47-year-old virgin sitting around in his beige pajamas, drinking a banana-broccoli shake, singing "I'm an Oscar Meyer Wiene"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As far as lists go, this is a fairly good one. Somethings may appear odd if you don't know the Codex, of course, but it's certainly a fairly good way to figure out which RPGs you should play next.

"My hovercraft is full of eels!" - Hungarian tourist
I am Dan Quayle of the Romans.
I want to tattoo a map of the Netherlands on my nether lands.
Heja Sverige!!
Everyone should cuffawkle more.
The wrench is your friend. :bat:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Slinky

I dont understand that fuzz around that list. clearly not everyone have same taste but I can more or less agree with most of it. Some posts here makes me feel sad for you

 

Are you talking about the codex top rpg list or that gamefaq top female list :teehee:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

I dont understand that fuzz around that list. clearly not everyone have same taste but I can more or less agree with most of it. Some posts here makes me feel sad for you

 

Are you talking about the codex top rpg list or that gamefaq top female list :teehee:

 

 

RPG list, dont want to argue which pixel boobs are better :)

I'm the enemy, 'cause I like to think, I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech, and freedom of choice. I'm the kinda guy that likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder, "Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecue ribs with the side-order of gravy fries?" I want high cholesterol! I wanna eat bacon, and butter, and buckets of cheese, okay?! I wanna smoke a Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section! I wanna run naked through the street, with green Jell-O all over my body, reading Playboy magazine. Why? Because I suddenly may feel the need to, okay, pal? I've SEEN the future. Do you know what it is? It's a 47-year-old virgin sitting around in his beige pajamas, drinking a banana-broccoli shake, singing "I'm an Oscar Meyer Wiene"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the only problem with that list is that Skyrim and Fallout 3 didn't make it. You can say what you want about them, but they're not bad RPGs and I'd recommend them to any newbie of the genre. And what else is a list such as this one good for, except to show people which games to look out for?

So... yeah, some of the very old RPGs could've been replaced with modern ones.

 

Other than that: I couldn't care less about the ranking. And it's funny how people get so angry about it. I know that the Codex likes Arcanum, PST and Obsidian games, and the list perfectly reflects that.

What's important is that there are pretty good reviews of the various games (which must have been a lot of effort) and that almost all important RPGs are represented. These two combined make it possible for anyone to find games he/she might like, and that's great. :)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 'Codex are RPG-connoisseurs or aficionadoes, atleast they see themselves as so. But suggesting Skyrim and Fallout 3, you are pretty much asking a beer master distiller on why he hasn't Bud or Fosters in his list of favourite beers. Things simply do not work that way.

  • Like 1

"Some men see things as they are and say why?"
"I dream things that never were and say why not?"
- George Bernard Shaw

"Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man."
- Friedrich Nietzsche

 

"The amount of energy necessary to refute bull**** is an order of magnitude bigger than to produce it."

- Some guy 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the only problem with that list is that Skyrim and Fallout 3 didn't make it. You can say what you want about them, but they're not bad RPGs and I'd recommend them to any newbie of the genre. And what else is a list such as this one good for, except to show people which games to look out for?

So... yeah, some of the very old RPGs could've been replaced with modern ones.

 

I think this would get a "hahaohwow" response from the Codexers,

"My hovercraft is full of eels!" - Hungarian tourist
I am Dan Quayle of the Romans.
I want to tattoo a map of the Netherlands on my nether lands.
Heja Sverige!!
Everyone should cuffawkle more.
The wrench is your friend. :bat:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 'Codex are RPG-connoisseurs or aficionadoes, atleast they see themselves as so. But suggesting Skyrim and Fallout 3, you are pretty much asking a beer master distiller on why he hasn't Bud or Fosters in his list of favourite beers. Things simply do not work that way.

 

Even Australians don't drink Fosters. That's why we export that ****.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the only problem with that list is that Skyrim and Fallout 3 didn't make it. You can say what you want about them, but they're not bad RPGs and I'd recommend them to any newbie of the genre. And what else is a list such as this one good for, except to show people which games to look out for?

So... yeah, some of the very old RPGs could've been replaced with modern ones.

 

Other than that: I couldn't care less about the ranking. And it's funny how people get so angry about it. I know that the Codex likes Arcanum, PST and Obsidian games, and the list perfectly reflects that.

What's important is that there are pretty good reviews of the various games (which must have been a lot of effort) and that almost all important RPGs are represented. These two combined make it possible for anyone to find games he/she might like, and that's great. :)

 

I would recommend Unreal tournament to gamer newbie - doesnt make it good RPG huh? xD

Edited by Chilloutman

I'm the enemy, 'cause I like to think, I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech, and freedom of choice. I'm the kinda guy that likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder, "Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecue ribs with the side-order of gravy fries?" I want high cholesterol! I wanna eat bacon, and butter, and buckets of cheese, okay?! I wanna smoke a Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section! I wanna run naked through the street, with green Jell-O all over my body, reading Playboy magazine. Why? Because I suddenly may feel the need to, okay, pal? I've SEEN the future. Do you know what it is? It's a 47-year-old virgin sitting around in his beige pajamas, drinking a banana-broccoli shake, singing "I'm an Oscar Meyer Wiene"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting - An exact thread like this was created on BSN a few days ago, so it's safe to say I thought I had gone through the wrong door when seeing this thread on the feed. :p

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gamefaqs top 10 lists

 

->

 

Gamefaqs Top 10 RPGs ever

 

 

#10: Tales of Symphonia (GC)

 

While the Tales franchise has achieved great success and has countless installments, Tales of Symphonia was absolutely terriffic. Not only was the story fairly good and somewhat unique, but the battle mechanics and pacing of the game were worthy of mention. Sure, the game had several fundamental flaws, but was still one of the most enjoyable RPGs to date. Featuring two player compatability gains this game extra points for me, even if the camera angle was the focus of many complaints. Throw in cooking food to boost your stats and the desire to scour the planet in search of new recipes and titles, and you've got an immersive and entertaining time. Just for extra measure there is the Grade system, which effectively acts as the greatest form of New Game + that has ever existed, allowing you to choose which accumulated goodies and special features would carry over to the next play through.

 

#9: Eternal Sonata (PS3)

 

Eternal Sonata was somewhat a knockoff of Tales games, but stood on it's own because of several unique innovations. With a turn-based 3D combat system where each character's turn was limited based on a timer, the option to play with one or two other players, and a score of fun and capable characters, this game quickly hopped into my top ten RPGs of all times. This game also included a light and dark based special ability system, where the attack you executed was directly related to whether you were standing in the shadows or in the light. With all sorts of special instances to accomodate this light/dark system, battles remained extremely fun and thoughtful even after they've been fought several times. Throw in the party levels system which changed the pacing of battle, making it more intense and fast paced the further you got into the game as well as a New Game + system that greatly increased the difficulty of the game, and you've got yourself a sure-fire winner.

 

#8: Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht (PS2)

 

Xenosaga: A game I bought, played for fifteen minutes and then shelved for nearly two years because I thought it was so terrible. I finally picked it up and played it through, only to play it through two more times within a couple months. Battle was unique with the stock feature that allowed you to store up attacks by passing your turn in order to execute powerful moves. There was also a basic but effective character customization system, deeply involving and intriguing plot, a host of good playable characters, and even portions of the game where you'd explore and fight in your A.G.W.S. (mech). Xenosaga also featured one of the few minigames I've ever enjoyed playing: Xenocards. You'd build your deck of cards and fight against other decks (a la Magic the Gathering), using a wide variety of cards. In addition, Xenocards was two player so you could play against a friend.

 

#7: Final Fantasy V (SNES)

 

That's right, I consider FFV to be the best FF game to ever exist, and the only FF game worthy of making my top ten. With only four playable characters you were forced to utilize a class changing system in order to fully customize your party as you saw fit. This was also the last Final Fantasy which adhered to the original concept of Final Fantasy: the four crystals. With each new crystal that got destroyed you would get a new handful of classes to change into, almost all of which were useful in at least one way. As you spent time as a certain class you would unlock abilities which you could equip after reclassing, and eventually you'd return to the Bare class where you could completely customize your character while simultaneously equipping them with any equipment types in the entire game. In addition there was a fair amount of comic relief, two huge worlds and a third decently sized world, and all the other FF classics ranging from airships to moogles and chocobos. There were a lot of secrets to be discovered, and who doesn't love picking from twelve legendary weapons as you near the end of the game?

 

#6: Parasite Eve (PS)

 

Parasite Eve deviated from the standard cookie cutter RPGs that proceeded it back when Squaresoft was in it's prime. This game featured an explosive plot and cutting edge cutscenes when it came out, as well as a unique and innovative combat system. During the real time combat you could move around to dodge attacks while building up your action points. When you had enough action points you could attack, use Parasite Energy or items. Most the weapons (worth using) were firearms, which expended ammunition as you used them. You could customize your firearms in several different ways and even further had special abilities (Parasite Energy) which in effect was the same as magic. While Parasite Eve lacked free roaming and many aspects of other great RPGs, it accomodated this with it's unique concepts and compelling plot.

 

#5: Suikoden III (PS2)

 

Suikoden III's battle system is one of the funnest battle systems I've ever used in the conventional but innovative old-school style. Characters would move around on the battlefield to execute attacks, and their position greatly affected the way the rest of the battle would play out. With around 108 playable characters and about a dozen different skills to customize each character with you could assemble a party in whatever way you desired. In addition, certain characters could be paired in combat to create a unique effect. One of the main characters could be paired with his Griffin, allowing him to mount the Griffin in combat. Dragon riders could mount their dragons and so on and so forth. Equipping runes acted to further customize your party as you could either put actively used magic runes on a character, or passive abilities like blink. The story of Suikoden III was also well done, focusing on three different groups of characters in a time of regional conflict, all revolving around the concept of the True Runes. You could choose which group you would follow through whichever chapters in whatever order you desired, and all groups finally came together for the final chapter, allowing you to control one of the most customizable and powerful parties you'll probably ever use in an RPG.

 

#4: Secret of Evermore (SNES)

 

Playing in a similar fashion to the Secret of Mana games was Secret of Evermore. A tale about a boy and his dog who are thrust into a fantasy world of epic proportions. Spanning from the tribal lands of Bugmuck to the Roman era, medi-evil times and even a futuristic setting, the hero and his dog had to fight tooth and nail to return home. There were several weapon types with which you could gain proficiency and unlock powerful moves, and an alchemy system which allowed you to use powerful magic assuming you had the proper ingredients and recipe. Secret of Evermore took you through fantastic settings with an enjoyable active battle system and a pet dog to keep you great company.

 

#3: Chrono Trigger (SNES)

 

Like it or hate it, Chrono Trigger stands on it's own in the RPG world. There has never been a game like it, not even it's 'sequel' Chrono Cross. When you accidentally travel through time during a small town festival your journey through the ages begins. Chrono and his band of about half a dozen allies must fight in a unique and enjoyable combat system all the way to Lavos in order to stop the eventual destruction of their world. The most unique thing about Chrono Trigger which has never been duplicated is their dual and triple tech system. When two characters could both act in combat they would be capable of performing a dual tech (or a triple tech if all three could act), which essentially combined a move from each character into a single move that was extremely powerful. This added a new dimension of thought to the battles, as you could choose to either execute each tech seperately or as a dual tech. This system allowed you to form a party of your liking not only based on each member's abilities, but what dual and triple techs were available. With a good amount of free roam, a hidden special character, and really cool accessories, Chrono Trigger chiseled it's place out in RPG history.

 

#2: SaGa Frontier (PS)

 

Yet another game made by Squaresoft in their heyday. Saga Frontier allowed you to play five or six different heroes on their own unique quest. Some tried to save their worlds, others focused on defeating their personal enemy, but each character's story was unique. You'd travel through the galaxy, visiting different planets and recruiting almost a score of allies to help you with your cause. Certain characters would only join your party when you were playing a certain story, others would always join. Unique things would happen or certain places could be visited depending on which story you played. Red was a superhero who, when all your party members were dead in combat (to preserve his secret identity), could transform into his superhero form and unleash devastating attacks; while the robot (can't remember his name, T-256G or something) hero could change his body type to alter his base stats and equipment. Characters could use a range of weapons from bare fists to swords and guns, as well as magic. As you used a weapon type more and more you were likely to unlock new moves to execute in combat, and some characters learned moves for their preferred weapon type more quickly. Even further, if you attacked with physical weapons often you were more likely to gain physical stats, if you used magic a lot you were more likely to gain magic stats. Balancing physical abilities with magical abilities played an important role. The random nature of items dropped by enemies made each play through different, even when playing the same story. Saga Frontier is like Chrono Trigger in the fact that there has never been a game that was similar to it, even it's sequel Saga Frontier II.

 

#1: Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter (PS2)

 

While not the biggest Breath of Fire fan, Dragon Quarter is without a doubt the best RPG ever, in my opinion. In a quest to find the fabled "Sky" you had to make your way through a massive dungeon, heading for the surface in order to help save a small girl whose lungs were failing from the poor air. When travelling through dungeons you would encounter enemies (touch encounters) which you could slash with your sword to get the initiative, or could be attacked in the back by them to be ambushed. Enemies on the map were located in strange nooks and crannies and even on the ceiling, which meant you had to stay on your toes. Each floor of the dungeon had a treasure chest which you would only get the key to when all enemies on the floor were defeated. Battle was intense, and losing was not an option. Featuring a radius system and turn based combat, you would spend your AP (action points) however you saw fit, executing strong attacks a few times or weak attacks many times. Each attack had it's own range, advantages and disadvantages. In addition you could stock up your AP to unleash massive combos against your enemies. The biggest and most important part of Dragon Quarter, however, is that when your party died it was game over. Not like game over it's time to load, like GAME OVER. You could restart the game from the beginning and keep a portion of your power, including equipment and items that were stored away or equipped, as well as learned abilities. To help you through this unforgiving game, you had the power to transform into an extremely powerful dragon during battle in order to decimate your foes. Hand in hand with transforming into a dragon was consuming your dragon gauge (I can't remember what it was really called). Once your dragon gauge was fully consumed though... GAME OVER. With extremely powerful enemies littered about randomly throughout dungeons, and outrageously strong bosses you had to balance the use of your dragon form to last you to the end of the game. I'd love to tell you more about this great game, but I've already used up too much space. Even for the hardcore gamer, Dragon Quarter is a hardcore game.

 

No Shin Megami Tensei, Persona, Valkyria Chronicles or even Dragon Quest on that list? Does notcompute. Edited by TheChris92
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It seems some people have missed the part that this is for PC games. Not sure why people are mentioning console games. If it was a list of all time RPGs, then yeah, I can understand including consoles games in the list.

Look at the list in the quote I was responding to matey. ;) Edited by TheChris92
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wasn't responding to you Chris. I was making a general observation. Some people are quoting games like Chrono Trigger. This thread is about PC games.

Then I apologize for assuming so it's just that your post came not too long after mine implying it was directed towards me as well. My apologies :) Edited by TheChris92
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wasn't responding to you Chris. I was making a general observation. Some people are quoting games like Chrono Trigger. This thread is about PC games.

 

You're right, I missed that part. :shame: Yeah, the list is even better with PC only titles. I had mostly praise for it  anyway. :)

The Seven Blunders/Roots of Violence: Wealth without work. Pleasure without conscience. Knowledge without character. Commerce without morality. Science without humanity. Worship without sacrifice. Politics without principle. (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi)

 

Let's Play the Pools Saga (SSI Gold Box Classics)

Pillows of Enamored Warfare -- The Zen of Nodding

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 'Codex are RPG-connoisseurs or aficionadoes, atleast they see themselves as so. But suggesting Skyrim and Fallout 3, you are pretty much asking a beer master distiller on why he hasn't Bud or Fosters in his list of favourite beers. Things simply do not work that way.

 

...his list of favourite beers that, as has been said, includes almost all the beers that exist.

 

Skyrim and Fallout 3 are very, very good RPGs, mainstream or not. (In the case of Fallout 3, this shouldn't even be a question; in the case of Skyrim, well. They did include and praise Morrowind. So the gameplay can't be the problem. The world is interesting, the dungeons are excellent. The only negative thing I can think of are some storylines, but well. There are lots of them, and I'd say most were pretty good. Neverwinter Nights only had one plot, and it was horrible.)

Edited by Fearabbit
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fallout 3's world was interesting ? 

Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fallout 3's world was interesting ? 

 

Well, that's not what I said (I was talking about Skyrim), but it is the same world as any other Fallout game, and they are pretty well-regarded.

The game has skill checks, choices & consequences, crafting, difficult combat, various ways to approach a situation... everything that made Fallout so popular can be found in Fallout 3. But people hate on it because "it's Oblivion with guns" (which is so far from the truth it hurts).

And then they like on New Vegas which had so many problems. To be sure, I love both games and yes, I love them for different things. Saying one is one of the best RPGs and the other a completely crappy one is beyond ridiculous, however.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

The 'Codex are RPG-connoisseurs or aficionadoes, atleast they see themselves as so. But suggesting Skyrim and Fallout 3, you are pretty much asking a beer master distiller on why he hasn't Bud or Fosters in his list of favourite beers. Things simply do not work that way.

 

...his list of favourite beers that, as has been said, includes almost all the beers that exist.

 

Skyrim and Fallout 3 are very, very good RPGs, mainstream or not. (In the case of Fallout 3, this shouldn't even be a question; in the case of Skyrim, well. They did include and praise Morrowind. So the gameplay can't be the problem. The world is interesting, the dungeons are excellent. The only negative thing I can think of are some storylines, but well. There are lots of them, and I'd say most were pretty good. Neverwinter Nights only had one plot, and it was horrible.)

 

 

So any beer-connoisseur should consider Bud and Fosters as very, very good beers. It shouldn't even be a question. They included Guinness, which is exactly the same thing, so therefore Bud and Fosters should be there as well.

 

You're not making a good argument here.

"Some men see things as they are and say why?"
"I dream things that never were and say why not?"
- George Bernard Shaw

"Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man."
- Friedrich Nietzsche

 

"The amount of energy necessary to refute bull**** is an order of magnitude bigger than to produce it."

- Some guy 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So any beer-connoisseur should consider Bud and Fosters as very, very good beers. It shouldn't even be a question. They included Guinness, which is exactly the same thing, so therefore Bud and Fosters should be there as well.

 

You're not making a good argument here.

 

 

1. Your beer metaphor is not a very good comparison. I mean, the whole premise that the Codex knows better what makes a good RPG and what doesn't is flawed.

2. I'm German and I don't know Bud and Fosters. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't compare Skyrim and Fallout 3 to either of them though, judging by what you're implying.

3. YES, if almost all beers are on the list, even some crappy ones, then excluding two that have lots of good qualities (and even "twin beers" on the list) and are more popular than almost any of the beers on the list seems like a very stupid thing to do. Especially if it's only because they're popular.

 

By the way, my whole point is that lists like this one are only useful as a guide for newcomers or for people looking for a good RPG. As has been said it's useless to make a simple list of favourites. If that's all they wanted to do, I'm completely fine with the ranking and the list. It serves no purpose but it's fine.

My point, however is that if it's also supposed to be a guide, then some pretty important RPGs are missing.

Edited by Fearabbit
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Fallout 3's world was interesting ? 

 

Well, that's not what I said (I was talking about Skyrim), but it is the same world as any other Fallout game, and they are pretty well-regarded.

The game has skill checks, choices & consequences, crafting, difficult combat, various ways to approach a situation... everything that made Fallout so popular can be found in Fallout 3. But people hate on it because "it's Oblivion with guns" (which is so far from the truth it hurts).

And then they like on New Vegas which had so many problems. To be sure, I love both games and yes, I love them for different things. Saying one is one of the best RPGs and the other a completely crappy one is beyond ridiculous, however.

 

 

Forget how well the C&C was done in Fallout 3 as it's been 6 years or so, but do recall the game world being rather dull creeping around the drab city with invisible walls or the tunnels teeming with zombies.  That and the hubs seeming rather disconnected and the BoS and Enclave showing up somehow.  

 

Anyway, to each his own.

Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...