Feeling a bit nostalgic yet?

[Evil]

I certainly am, especially after reading Ges' article on the home page: Experience Points: The JRPG in America (http://www.allrpg.com/2011/10/experience-points-the-jrpg-in-america/)

There was a time in my life when I couldn't wait for the next great RPG to come out. I loved Final Fantasy, Xenosaga, Breath of Fire, Suikoden, Grandia, Chrono, Shadow Hearts and Tales. I even loved the few stand-alone titles such as Radiata Stories and Vagrant Story. These days, however, each one that comes out seems to be a letdown. And as far as Final Fantasy is concerned, I feel as though they are unable to top the greatness that was Final Fantasy X.

So my question to you is, what is the last great RPG game you played?

[Sushi_b]

The article was a very good read. I would highly suggest that everyone read it and give some opinions on what was stated there.


Evil, it seems that you are suggesting RPG that are coming from Japanese developers? Since the list you gave were all of that sort.


Just a few months ago I finished Grandia and I still loved every minute of that game. I was playing Grandia II but had to put it down because of work and other distractions. Going back to the game has been slightly difficult for some reason. That series means a lot to mean, even Grandia Xtreme which is dusted under the rug quite often. I'm going to eventually play III but it will have to be later down the line.

There are a number of games this generation that haven't gotten much due for a variety of reasons.

[Evil]

When I actively played RPGs, there was no differentiating between western RPGs and Japanese RPGs. There was a time when all RPGs were imported and western RPGs just didn't exist. So yes; I was referring specifically to JRPGs.

There are a few good western RPGs out there, such as Dragon Age and Mass Effect, but I don't hold them to the same standards as I do JRPGs.

[Priest4hire]

I am pretty much required by cosmic law to comment. There never was a time when Western RPGs didn't exist and Japanese RPGs did. On the other hand, there was a time when WRPGs existed but JRPGs didn't.

Back in the 8 and 16 bit eras there were any number of WRPGs ported onto consoles. The 16 bit era even saw some original titles like Warriors of the Eternal Sun. The Japanese seemed fond of porting WRPGs to consoles and any number of them made it back, but there were some done by Western studios. Then it dried up.

I can only think of 2 WRPGs of note on the PS1: Blood Omen and Diablo. Ironically, if you lived in Japan you'd get two classics of the genre, Ultima Underworld and Crusaders of the Dark Savant, but neither made it back overseas. Most WRPGs of that period just never made the jump. Still, plenty of great WRPG titles existed even if they were PC only. I'll admit, I'm not really sure why this happened. Perhaps it was a result of the decline of the genre or Western publishers deciding console gamers wouldn't be into the WRPG style of gameplay.

Of course, when the Xbox hit it also brought Western RPG developers like Bioware and Bethesda to the table. This in turn produced peeps of strong opinions and weak history to proclaim that the Xbox was introducing the WRPG to consoles for the very first time ever. That Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord is probably the RPG to show up on the most consoles just makes their ignorance all the sweeter.

[Cyrus the virus]

I think the last great RPG I played, in terms of chronology, was Tales of Vesperia.

I found the story compelling and well-paced and the characters would good. I loved that the main character actually takes the law into his own hands at some points. I liked that exploring could be important... Actually, before Vesperia I felt the same about Abyss.

[Priest4hire]

Ah, nostalgia. There's no doubt that I do feel it. I have to wonder though. Sometimes I think the nostalgia isn't really for the games of old, but rather for how I felt when I played those games. While I can go back and play the games again, that feeling is long gone. Unless someone invents a drug for it, I doubt I'll ever have that level of enthusiasm again.

Last great JPRG I played? Great might be a stretch, but it's a blast so I'll include it anyway: Ys Seven. Last great RPG period? Fallout: New Vegas. Just finished up a run through all the DLC and while it might not be perfect, it still hits some great high points.

[Phakiel]

Every moment I play FFXIII, it makes me think how incredibly bad the game is compared to the good game of old.

Its not a classic per se but I have never wanted to play SMT Nocturne more than while playing FFXIII. Seriously, if you are abusing the whole weaknesses crap on enemies in your game at least give some kind of reward for good strategy.