Favorite RPG of this Generation

[Sushi_b]

More and more RPGs are creeping onto our consoles and I thought it might be nice to hear what games you have loved so far.

There are some pretty good titles out there, but Mass Effect takes the cake for me. I really enjoyed the vast story telling and characterization that is in the game. Bioware did an excellent job of creating so many races with different and interesting backgrounds. The combat is a little rough at times but still enjoyable overall. Throw in the great music score and voice work and you've got a winner.

Thoughts on titles you've fallen for?

[Sibek]

The Witcher:

The game features probably the best protagonist I've witnessed in a RPG, especially after being burned by a lot of JRPGs. Geralt is presented as an ubermensch type character instead of the traditional nobody that grows into a hero. Only problem is that he has amnesia and doesn't remember his past. This makes the game very analogous to something like KOTOR. The devs actually used Bioware's engine that was used in KOTOR and jade empire. However, unlike KOTOR, Geralt personality matches something closer to a Hollywood badasses of the past like Eastwood's Man with no Name or Richard Roundtree's Shaft. I tend to lean towards the latter because Geralt's personality as a womanizer and swift killer for hire was already established.

If that isn't enough, there's a Dwarf in the game that sports a faux-hawk. That in itself deserves laughter.

[Contagion]

Console RPG would have to be Tales of Vesperia.

Handheld RPG...Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII and Wild Arms XF are tied for me.

[King Zeal]

There are some pretty good titles out there, but Mass Effect takes the cake for me. I really enjoyed the vast story telling and characterization that is in the game. Bioware did an excellent job of creating so many races with different and interesting backgrounds. The combat is a little rough at times but still enjoyable overall. Throw in the great music score and voice work and you've got a winner.

Thanks Sushi. Now I don't need to post the same thing.

[twerp]

Right now I'd have to give it to Tales of Vesperia. I'm about 40 hours in and it keeps getting better and better.

[moogle]

I'm kind of embarassed, I haven't played any. I haven't even really played many from the last generation, actually.

[Void]

Oblivion. Only RPG that really stands out.

[King Zeal]

Good one, Void. Oblivion is utterly amazing, too.

But, being the plot whore that I am, I stick with Mass Effect.

[Sushi_b]

Thanks Sushi. Now I don't need to post the same thing.
I aim to please Zeal. I've managed to play through the game 3 times already and I'll likely play it again some time in the future on the Insane level. Looking forward to see how the plot choices of the first carry into the 2nd and 3rd installments.

Still is beyond me that so few people here have taken notice of the game.

[Void]

Unfortunately, I haven't played enough of Mass Effect to really make a fair decision on it. Not surprised that AllRPG hasn't really gotten into it, though. The love of 360 genius is lackluster, here. Gears of War didn't have a huge reception. And Halo 3, even smaller. I shake my head at AllRPG!

[drunken monk]

JRPG - Lost Odyssey

Handheld - I haven't had a chance to play FFIV yet so I have to go with Crisis Core .

Western RPG - Mass Effect with Oblivion just a little behind. But with Fallout 3 and Fable 2 coming out Im sure I will change my mind soon enough.

If I could only choose one I would have to go with Mass Effect. Its really the only RPG this gen that has really showed me something new.

[Borg1982]

The latest I can go is Dragon Quest VIII (PS2 - 2005) because I'm an old schooler. Even that very game has the original gameplay to it.

Not sure what else I could pick.

[Blackdragon]

Tales Of Vesperia - Offered me 3 1/2 playthroughs of fun gameplay, an amusing and fulfilling storyline, with some interesting characters.

Fabl 2 takes a close second. While it was fun and had good gameplay, it offered me no reason to pick the game up and play it again.

[Ges]

I really haven't been much of an RPG gamer this generation.

Don't get me wrong, I love the genre and play a ton of RPGs, it's just that nothing really has struck my fancy this console generation. I've really been playing a lot of the games I missed on the PS2 and PS1 ever since the new consoles hit. The last RPG I truly loved was Xenosaga Ep. III.

Nothing this generation has piqued my interest enough (at least yet) other than Mass Effect and Fable II, and I'm not far enough into either yet to know if I like them on a level akin to how much I liked FFX. Some games I'll get eventually (like Vesperia - maybe something like Lost Odyssey or Eternal Sonata) but really no RPG on a non-handheld system screams "get me now!" like anything I can think of this generation will except FFXIII at this point, and I still have to wait a bit for that. Honestly, the only RPG I can think of besides FFXIII that has me salivating is CT on the DS, and I've already played it a million times before. Maybe the new Star Ocean, but I'll have to play at least one of the other games in the series first, I think, just to get the hang of things, but that's just the way I am and being weird with stuff.

Then again, I think I may have outgrown the genre, at least a little bit. Not moved on entirely, but definitely playing more of other genres (FPS mostly, fighting games, too). I don't have the time to marathon an RPG nowadays except Christmas and Summer break.

I do plan on playing Okami over this Christmas break, though.

Someone suggest me a current-gen home system (Wii/PS3/360) RPG I might like. A really good one I can sink my teeth into.

[Raidou]

FF7: Crisis Core of course! All the summons are awesome!

[scorpion]

I'm gonna go with fable 2 because thats the only current gen rpg I have besides marvel:ultimate alliance gold edition thats not on the ds.

[Sen]

This generation's offering of RPGs have yet to really hold my attention. Although I heard great things about games like Mass Effect and Oblivion, I just couldn't get into them. It's probably mostly because I get hung up in creating my character at the very beginning, and despite how much I try, they always come out ugly. I'd like to believe I'm not that superficial, but I just can't stand to play a game with a hideous character that I crafted. I also get the impression that open-ended games like those, with huge worlds to explore and endless amounts of quests to embark upon are just too intimidating for me. I inevitably think about how much time I'd need to dedicate to them, and then convince myself not to play. I could tell they were good games from the little playtime I managed to get, but those games are just a tad too ambitious for me.

I tried out a couple of Japanese RPGs, namely Lost Odyssey and Eternal Sonata. The former kept my interest for a few days, while the latter only held my attention up until the first save point. Lost Odyssey seemed like a pretty good game. From what I experienced, the story seemed interesting enough, though all those memories the main character has that require you to sit there and read for twenty minutes, got to be somewhat annoying. It's not that those weren't interesting, but coming across them were fairly frequent, and time spent reading them took me right out of the game. And don't get me wrong, I do enjoy to read, but that wasn't quite what I expected from an RPG in this generation. But the game overall didn't seem to accomplish anything new; it was just another Japanese style RPG, for which I've played so many. Like the game's theme, the game felt destined to become a forgotten memory. Eternal Sonata felt like another game to be easily lost in the stereotypical JRPG genre as well. And while I'll appreciate any game for being highly stylized, in the case of that game, they utilized a style (classical music; implementing such things as instruments and musical notes wherever possible) that didn't do much for me. It definitely had a creative look, but that wasn't enough to hook me. I also feel I've grown tired of the fully realized interactive anime the game comes across as, which I'm sure further pulled me away from it.

And that will probably make me seem somewhat hypocritical when I say that Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII was the last truly memorable RPG experience for me. In defense of my time with that game, I suggest that much motivation I had in initially playing it was derived from it's association with the legendary FFVII, and its promise to further expand upon its (now multigame/mutilmedia) storyline, for which it did quite adequately. Though it turned out to play very little like its roots, using an odd combination of Kingdom Hearts gameplay and a slot machine, the game effectively played like something new and familiar at the same time, paradoxically working in a controlled yet random fashion. The game turned out to very good, and probably my most fond memory of an RPG yet for this generation. So while it's great to see the PSP kick ass in the RPG department, at this time it is a little disconcerting to see the 360 or PS3 lacking, especially with the advanced hardware they boast.

[Sushi_b]

I tried out a couple of Japanese RPGs, namely Lost Odyssey and Eternal Sonata. The former kept my interest for a few days, while the latter only held my attention up until the first save point. Lost Odyssey seemed like a pretty good game. From what I experienced, the story seemed interesting enough, though all those memories the main character has that require you to sit there and read for twenty minutes, got to be somewhat annoying. It's not that those weren't interesting, but coming across them were fairly frequent, and time spent reading them took me right out of the game. And don't get me wrong, I do enjoy to read, but that wasn't quite what I expected from an RPG in this generation. But the game overall didn't seem to accomplish anything new; it was just another Japanese style RPG, for which I've played so many. Like the game's theme, the game felt destined to become a forgotten memory. Eternal Sonata felt like another game to be easily lost in the stereotypical JRPG genre as well. And while I'll appreciate any game for being highly stylized, in the case of that game, they utilized a style (classical music; implementing such things as instruments and musical notes wherever possible) that didn't do much for me. It definitely had a creative look, but that wasn't enough to hook me. I also feel I've grown tired of the fully realized interactive anime the game comes across as, which I'm sure further pulled me away from it.



Firstly, Bloody hell it's nice to see Senpuken back after probably years of inactivity (that I'm aware of).

Sen, I can understand that the memories of Kaim in Lost Odyssey seemed long winded at times, but they were far and away the best part of the game. They were written with so much more vigor and emotion then the entire rest of the game. If they weren't there at all, LO would simply be that... a lost game without direction, energy or purpose.

I'm a little surprised that you couldn't get into Mass Effect. Don't get hung up making your character and just use the standard Commander Shepard for even a single play through. If you skip a lot of the side quests you can finish the game in about 15-20 hours.


Ges, You've played most of the games I have as well, but I have high hopes for Valkyria Chronicles despite the utter lack of interest at Allrpg for the game. I'll be getting it this week and I'll give some thoughts on it soon.

[Sen]

Firstly, Bloody hell it's nice to see Senpuken back after probably years of inactivity (that I'm aware of).
Hehe, it hasn't been that long. I tend to return for a little while whenever I feel there are games worth talking about. Last time I was active was probably a little more than half a year ago, when Crisis Core came out. Now that games are coming out left and right, there's a possibility my visit here might get extended. Though I must say, every time I return, this place looks different. I mean, you guys can't stick to one layout for very long, heh.

Sen, I can understand that the memories of Kaim in Lost Odyssey seemed long winded at times, but they were far and away the best part of the game. They were written with so much more vigor and emotion then the entire rest of the game. If they weren't there at all, LO would simply be that... a lost game without direction, energy or purpose.
I didn't think they were bad or anything, and many of them were really quite moving, but that wasn't exactly what I was expecting when I brought the game home to play it. And if the game's story (which we experience firsthand in progressing through as we play), has less of an impact than those "novella" sequences, I don't really see the point in continuing through. Especially since I can't say the gameplay was one of the game's highlights, either. It could be that I just didn't make it far enough into the game to get introduced to the deeper gameplay mechanics (assuming the battle system does indeed become more complex), but the first several hours of play were pretty bland for me. It may also just be that Lost Odyssey is one of those games that begins with little steam, but does deliver in the long run. But the kickstart I was waiting for wasn't there.

I'm a little surprised that you couldn't get into Mass Effect. Don't get hung up making your character and just use the standard Commander Shepard for even a single play through. If you skip a lot of the side quests you can finish the game in about 15-20 hours.
I tried playing as that guy too, but knowing I could make my own character was too enticing to pass up. I'm so pathetic; I want to take advantage of that feature, but simply can't please myself in any way with it, hehe. Regardless, this is one of those games that I'm still on the fence about. I may still play it, but it will probably have to wait until this game season has died down a bit.

[Void]

I'm pretty happy with Fallout 3, so far. Yeah, I realize it's just another cookie cut Bethesda game. What can I say? When you do it right, you do it right!

[sabijon]

I agree with blue eon, Eternal Sonata and Tales of Vesperia, is somewhat downright thrilling and exciting.

[Abominari]

I haven't been excited about any of the RPGs out lately. Last great titles were Rogue Galaxy and Dragon Quest VIII. Haven't played Fable II, didn't like FFXII, haven't played Mass Effect. Fallout 3 is a good game but a shitty RPG; I'm convinced anyone who sincerely likes Oblivion has Down's Syndrome (but some people like the music of My Chemical Romance, so I guess it takes all kinds).

It's just that everything feels so compromised lately. It's been ages since we've had a solid RPG with real stats and creation of roles.

[Devil King]

I'm convinced anyone who sincerely likes Oblivion has Down's Syndrome (but some people like the music of My Chemical Romance, so I guess it takes all kinds).

I assure you, that's utter rubbish.

It's just that everything feels so compromised lately. It's been ages since we've had a solid RPG with real stats and creation of roles.

I hear you on that one, Abom.

[Sen]

Did anybody else play Folklore on PS3? That was kind of a neat game. Probably the only RPG of this console generation that I played all the way through. It wasn't the greatest game, but at least it had style and some memorable imagery.

[Sushi_b]

It's just that everything feels so compromised lately. It's been ages since we've had a solid RPG with real stats and creation of roles.

I think that can be particularly argued against Japanese RPGs where that norm has never been a really feature in any game that comes to memory. Although Mass Effect didn't give you full freedom to do so, it's probably as close as this generation has gotten to doing so (from a western developer at the very least).

[Koneigg]

Tales of Vesperia for the Xbox 360. That by far is one of the best RPGs i have played in my life, it had good story, the graphics were nice and easy on the eyes, the anime cutscenes were simply brilliant, and the combat system was easy to learn and implement.

[Silver Ogre]

I've been waiting to get Mass Effect (PC). It has precipitously dropped in price and is now under $30 so I'll probably do that soon.

Fallout 3 is very fun. I have played a couple characters 10-20 hours and still have much more exploring to do. I have not yet finished the main quest line, I'm more about building my character. In that way, I feel it is a solid RPG. The presentation of setting is so amazing and detailed that the Capital Wasteland feels real and alive. However, the game could use some more NPC dynamics. Sometimes you really feel like the lone Wanderer.


I never really got into Oblivion. I think it would be fun if I got a good character going, but that seems like a lot of work. I recently bought The Witcher, which seems like it is going to be fun.

I also like a good Diablo clone, and Titan Quest (with the Immortal Throne expansion) was incredibly satisfying for a long time. It suffers from a few bugs, but what's a PC gamer without a buggy game!? It's harder to play on my laptop, but I think once I get my desk back from the currently occupied 'spare bedroom' I will continue to play. Haven't yet tried multiplayer with that, but that would be swell from all I can foresee.