The Greatest RPG Of All Time

[Laddy]

We like RPG's, yes? Unfortunately, there has been a relative lack of them in the current generations, and oftentimes they are either mediocre or the RPG elements are tacked on another genre (even to sequels of older RPG's!) So, I ask you, if you could borrow five RPG's from any platform, time, or series and use them as inspiration for the Greatest RPG of All Time, what would it be?

1. Fallout 2: What a Wonderful World
The Fallout series always had a detailed world with meaningful characters, but what made the series really stand out in this department was Fallout 2. In this game, it was all about influencing the world. Using its extensive history, multiple faction, and variety of locales to create a complex cast of locales that did the narrative justice. The locations were all wrought with their own problems, characters, and solutions, and the game never held your hand on how to deal with these obstacles, making experimentation, research, and decision-making into every area you went an intensive labor of love that rewarded the thorough.

What made this department even better was that the results of your actions were very much real and not always obvious. The whole world was tied together by events affecting them, and your reactions to them had consequences, and helped shape an organic world that responded and evolved due to your actions. Upon finishing the game and getting an extensive epilogue on the fates of the factions, characters, and locations I've touched is one of the most satisfying - or haunting - experiences I've had in gaming, and I'm incredibly disappointed that such a great example of an organic world has been so rarely matched.

2. Final Fantasy VI: Poignant Storytelling Without Insulting Your Intelligence
I love this game. What made it so great is in an age of HD graphics and professional voice acting, this game gave me so many chills and made me think far more than most any modern game. And why? Well, for one, the game tells a good story without needless complexities and painstakingly over-the-top attempts at creating drama. From Locke to Terra to Celes to Setzer to Shadow, the game's cast was likable and worthy of your sympathy, because they'd let their stories and motivations evolve naturally without feeling forced. The characters, and the plot as a whole, used minimalistic storytelling that was often optional but always gripping. And since these snippets of drama were so understated and uncommon, they made them more powerful.

What this game says is that while a complex, nuanced, plot can be great, a simple, original and heartfelt story can be just as effective without whiny speeches and "character complexities" that serve the bring down plots. In the end, that's the way the story should be in game, evolving naturally without unwanted exposition that fails to improve the quality of the narrative. "Complicated" doesn't mean "smart," and Final Fantasy VI's stories and characters are original and smart without needing to flesh out what isn't wanted or needed.

More to come later. Thoughts? Your own opinions? Post them here.

[Alpha2099]

1. The Legend of Dragoon (PSX) - First major RPG I ever played, well before I got into FF games. 12 years later, I'm still playing it. Points for lastability, even if a lot of elements are cliche.

2. Final Fantasy VII (PSX) - Hands-down my favorite Final Fantasy game. I love the story, the characters, the Materia system, the music, etc. Fantastic game all-around. My only real gripe is the way they released it on 3 discs, when Disc 3 doesn't serve much purpose beyond the final battle and sidequests. It's like they put too much in for 2 discs, but not enough for 3.

3. Final Fantasy I (GBA version) - Easy to pick up and play, relatively short as RPGs go, and lots of good replay value.

4. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PC) - One of the most immersive RPGs I've ever played. It really feels like living a life inside a game. It was also a massive improvement over its predecessor, Morrowind, and I loved just running around and seeing what I could find, without feeling tied down to a set storyline.

I can't think of a fifth one at the moment. I'm also not suggesting that these 4 are the greatest RPGs ever, but since you were asking what games we would as inspiration -- as if we were going to make the greatest RPG ever -- then I would try to incorporate these elements that made these 4 games so lovable.

[Del Murder]

Final Fantasy VI is not just the greatest RPG, but the greatest video game of all time.

[Hollycat]

Final Fantasy VI is not just the greatest RPG, but the greatest video game of all time.
I think that honor goes to Crash Bandicoot 2, the wrath of Cortex.

Also Crisis core/

I will update this list later, I'm at the office so this'll be short:

1. Crisis core (of course)
2. Oblivion
3. FF 9
4. Fallout 3
5. FF 6
6. Skyrim
7. Pokemon. (it so is)

[Alpha2099]

I think that honor goes to Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back.
Fixed that for you. :p

[Hollycat]

I am too ashamed to keep living.
SEPUKU

[Jinx]

HOW HAVE YOU IDIOTS NOT SAID THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME, YET?

[Hollycat]

HOW HAVE YOU IDIOTS NOT SAID THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME, YET?

Because while it was a good game for its age it is dated in every possible way and is merely nostalgia.

[Slothy]

HOW HAVE YOU IDIOTS NOT SAID THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME, YET?

Because it's an adventure game. Not an RPG.

Also, LttP and Majora's Mask are superior. /smug

[Shauna]

Suikoden II.

[Jowy]

^ That and Chrono Trigger.

[Pike]

HOW HAVE YOU IDIOTS NOT SAID THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME, YET?

Because it's an adventure game. Not an RPG.

Also, LttP and Majora's Mask are superior. /smug

I agree with Vivi on the first line but I'm willing to debate the second line! ...in another thread, perhaps.

Anyways Super Mario RPG is my favorite RPG of all time for a multitude of reasons which I've detailed elsewhere. I don't know if I'd say it's the best. That title should really probably go to Planescape Torment or something. I dunno, I'll have to think about it.

[Psychotic]

My top 3 JRPGs: FFVII, Chrono Trigger, Pokemon
My top 3 WRPGs: Fallout: New Vegas, Skyrim, Mass Effect (as a trilogy)

Need to get around to playing the older Fallouts. I loved Fallout 3 when I played it, but when I moved onto New Vegas it was like a veil was lifted from my eyes. It's exactly the same game, but the writing...

[Alpha2099]

HOW HAVE YOU IDIOTS NOT SAID THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME, YET?
...Because I never played it? Seriously, the only Zelda game I've played from start to finish was Link's Awakening. That was a good game, and while it is an RPG of sorts, it's not exactly in the traditional vein like Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy.

[Jowy]

If you liked Link's Awakening, check out Oracle of Ages/Seasons. Everything that made Link's Awakening awesome, but better!

[Alpha2099]

If you liked Link's Awakening, check out Oracle of Ages/Seasons. Everything that made Link's Awakening awesome, but better!
I've actually been thinking about adding that to my collection. I should go do that.

[Slothy]

I agree with Vivi on the first line but I'm willing to debate the second line! ...in another thread, perhaps.

Sorry. I forgot to include Link's Awakening.

[NeoCracker]

To put it to rest here and now, Majora's Mask = Greatest Zelda of all time.

On topic...

1) Persona 4: Amazing story and character developement. Beautiful artwork.

2) Odin Sphere: Not really an RPG, but everyone who wants to do an end of the world plot should play this. No game I feel has done a better job at setting up the atmosphere to make you actually feel like shit is going wrong.

3) Breath of Fire 2: This game is classic turn based RPG's perfected. Not as good as Chrono Trigger or FF VI mind you, but this is a list for inspiration. :p

4) Xenosaga Trilogy: While I do enjoy 2, really that's only included to show a game maker how to not fuck up a sequal by not following it's example. :p

The big thing to take from this would be Episode 3. If you have a game with unique characters, it's goofy as fuck to make them all fully customizable. (FF V did alright with it under it's circumstances, and Devil Survivor handled it amazingly but then you have games like FF VII which made your character differences almost irrelevent outside of Limit Breaks). Episode 3 is a great basis for being able to delevope your characters down multiple paths, all of which make sense to the character.

5.) Devil Survivor 1 + 2: I'm done writing, play them yourselves to find out. :p

[Madame Adequate]

1) Fallout Trilogy (1, 2 and New Vegas :colbert:) for the writing of plots and quests, and the implementation of choices and consequences.

2) Final Fantasy X for world art direction and blitzball and Wakka.

3) Suikoden II for cast of characters and music, as well as overarching plot.

4) Mass Effect for waifus.

5) Titan Quest/Torchlight for loot.

Honorable mention: Skies of Arcadia for airships, and FFXI for actually making you ride on vehicles when you travel rather than just teleporting you to wherever you're going.

[Bolivar]

1. Shining Force II: Accessibility, polish, charm - Shining Force I and II do not represent the sense of complexity and challenge that the SRPG genre usually invokes. Other than the four items characters bring with them into battle and the personal choice of when/if to promote their classes, the player doesn't have to make decisions about the progression of her characters. What made the game really shine was the way they used the Genesis system to its strengths. They used charming sprites when it was feasible, but talking character portraits and beautiful character illustrations during the battle scenes when possible. The soundtrack is one of my favorite Genesis compositions, creating mesmerizing songs and battle themes. Artistically, it's one of the most well-rounded games I've played and the combat is not advanced enough to drive away curious casual players. For these reasons I think it's one of the most perfectly packaged games I've ever played.

2. Final Fantasy VII: pacing - I think Final Fantasy VII is the best paced RPG I've ever played. It goes beyond what JRPGs were at the time and is essentially a collection of mini-games and story sequences. Sometimes you would run from cover to cover at just the right time to avoid detection. In another scene, you'd pilot a submarine with missiles. The battles were fare more fluid and fast paced than their PlayStation counterparts and the game rarely spent too long with text boxes. Things were constantly going on around you in the environments - soldiers fighting and falling from the plate pillar in Sector 7, or helicopters flying in the Rufus fight. This combination of intense scenes, varying gameplay in mini-games, action-packed turn-based combat, imaginative cutscenes and unique characters made it a joy to play through, whereas too many games get bogged down today in any one of these factors, especially due to a lack in the variety of gameplay.

3. Tactics Ogre: scope and scale - I previously would've put Tactics Ogre here, but I prefer its predecessor better. When it comes to games that have casts of hundreds of characters, with a story whose implications span thousands of years, and subject matter that delves into the mature and sometimes dark, few people do it better than Matsuno and crew, especially with the art, music, and customizable gameplay

4. Valkyria Chronicles II: cast development and progression - I really love the first, but the second hit me hard with how they developed so many side characters. These people come from varying backgrounds and viewpoints and I love how the game gives you the opportunity to interact with each of them to find out what makes them tick and then gives each one a character arc, a resolution to a conflict or an advancement of their goals. I love how side missions with unique contexts and challenges are consistently used to help with this. It's a very large cast of characters and when you see all of them working together or putting differences aside throughout the story, it makes for really emotional storytelling that is always different depending on the player.

5. Dragon Quest V: classic RPG gameplay - most any game in the DQ series would do, but I think the factor that has made Dragon Quest such an enduring success in Japan is how they grasp what makes the JRPG formula good, better than any of the developers that have emulated it. I think the way the combat is relatively simple and starts off so is what makes the game friendly for everyone. Then, you get just enough new abilities and the enemies get difficult at just the right rate to make it the best scaled games. It gets more difficult and more complex just as it should, whereas so many RPGs have horrible difficulty spikes or the player can take advantage of the system far earlier than they should with respect to the enemies they're facing. The dungeons are also novel with each one having a unique twist with either the setting, the traps, and the puzzles always require just enough ingenuity to have that "a-ha!" moment. I love how Dragon Quest takes just enough of these ingredients to make such a delicious meal.

So those are the five games and their elements I would take to making a modern, greatest RPG of all time.

[Dreddz]

Final Fantasy VII because nitpicking over its translation doesn't overshadow the high quality found in the games art direction, music, story and overall tone. And as Bolivar said, the games pacing is perfect (a trait found in most Final Fantasy games) in that you are never meandering around doing pointless tasks that bore you. You are consistently being surprised by new story sequences and locales throughout the game. If nothing else FFVII best displayed Squaresofts rich imagination during the mid to late 90's. Despite influencing many JRPG's few managed to be as memorable as FFVII.

Honourable mentions go out to FFIX, Phantasy Star II and IV, Dark Chronicle and Persona 4. I'm just highlighting the more traditional RPG's. If I'm including RPG hybrids then the original Deus Ex is about as good as any game can get.

[Araciel]

ff6

[Rocket Edge]

The best game I've ever played was Final Fantasy VIII. The only RPG worth mentioning after that is another FF, X.

[Slothy]

The best game I've ever played was Final Fantasy VIII. The only RPG worth mentioning after that is another FF, X.

Did you design this answer specifically to make Wolf Kanno cry?

[NeoCracker]

The best game I've ever played was Final Fantasy VIII. The only RPG worth mentioning after that is another FF, X.

Did you design this answer specifically to make Wolf Kanno cry?

I'd say don't forget me, but at this point the only emotion I can conjure up is pity. :(

[DarkBahamut]

1. Final Fantasy VII
2. Xenogears
2t. Final Fantasy Tactics

FFT and Xenogears are both amazing. I think Xenogears is better, but there's something keeping me from demoting Tactics to 3.

[Wolf Kanno]

I'm amused by the amount of people who simply read the title and didn't bother reading the first post and then posted. You have amused me to no end. :smug:

Seriously people, you should try to have a conversation here and explain your answer instead of just listing your favorite games. ;)

[Trumpet Thief]

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is my favorite RPG, and probably my favorite game of all time. It's quirky, fun, lighthearted, generally enjoyable, and is honestly just perfect in every way to me. That game oozed fun.

Honorable mentions will be FFIX, FFVI, FFVII, and FFVIII. Otherwise, maybe Xenosaga/Xenogears or something.

EDIT: To go more in depth, I'll say that nostalgia plays a big part in SMRPG being my favorite RPG. That said, I've played it many times over (including recently), and rose-colored glasses aren't blinding my vision. The game is great, and doesn't feel like it has aged horribly (to me). Then again, I can't think of many examples of games that haven't aged well, so maybe I'm just strange.

I'm a lover of Nintendo and I'm a lover of SquareSoft, so generally, them coming together was just about the 'best thing ever' for me. The atmosphere in the game was a load of fun, the battle system was accessible but rewarding, and Geno and Mallow were two very great and surprisingly fleshed out characters. Heck, Peach and Bowser got some well needed development, and we were able to get a receive a great balance between traditional Mario staples and new characters (Thwomps to Birdo to Toads to Shy Guys to characters like Valentina, Booster, Bowyer, Johnny, etc). All of the NPCs were insanely memorable, and just to stress that point, I'll rattle some more off the top of my head. Croco, Toadofsky, Mack, The Chancellor, Frogfucious, Dyna and Mite, Boshi, Garro, Gaz, Belome, Chef Torte, Jinx. That's better.

As well, the locations that you visited in the game were really great. I've made this point before, but going 'full circle', back to Bowser's Castle was really, really cool. Places like Nimbus Land, Marrymore, Rose Town, Moleville, and Monstro Town are just so full of life, and the simplistic story can surprisingly get just about anyone hooked. Little developments throughout the story like Bowser's diminishing control and Mallow's subplot with his parents are all very, very great, and I just can't stress how fun this game was.

[Laddy]

3. Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn: Make It Epic
This game followed my first two points, but the game really succeeded in feeling grand and epic in scale, more than any RPG. In this game, you are the offspring of a god, and you really do feel like godlike stakes are present. The game is huge and the amount of scale you feel with every incredible battle, huge dungeon, and jaw-dropping plot twist has never been matched. Fighting the villains of the game is truly surreal as you truly feel like you are battling something truly dastardly. I remember killing my first dragon, facing my demons, and literally going to hell. This game just feels epic and that you really are on a grand and fantastic quest.

What really made the game feel epic was the atmosphere. The score was excellent, the writing was excellently poignant, and the whole look and feel of everything was hauntingly dark sometimes, but always an epic ride through some of the greatest moments in gaming history. This is truly one of the most involving, deep, and emotionally satisfying games I've ever played and it's a crime that Bioware has been known for comparatively weak titles instead of this masterpiece.

[Pike]

I'm amused by the amount of people who simply read the title and didn't bother reading the first post and then posted. You have amused me to no end. :smug:

I read it but I feel that I haven't played enough RPGs to participate. So I did as best as I could under the circumstances.

[Alpha2099]

I'm amused by the amount of people who simply read the title and didn't bother reading the first post and then posted. You have amused me to no end. :smug:

Seriously people, you should try to have a conversation here and explain your answer instead of just listing your favorite games. ;)
Best of luck with that.

[Del Murder]

I'm amused by the amount of people who simply read the title and didn't bother reading the first post and then posted. You have amused me to no end. :smug:

Seriously people, you should try to have a conversation here and explain your answer instead of just listing your favorite games. ;)
I read it, but I don't need to choose five things from games because the greatest RPG already exists.

Ok, I didn't read it.

[Madame Adequate]

Well, tell us which game you were referring to Del!

[Del Murder]

Final Fantasy VI is not just the greatest RPG, but the greatest video game of all time.
:D

I guess if I were to make one improvement I'd give it the battle system of FF Tactics.

[Laddy]

Final Fantasy VI is not just the greatest RPG, but the greatest video game of all time.
:D

I guess if I were to make one improvement I'd give it the battle system of FF Tactics.
Hell yes, that actually sounds like a great idea!

[Markus. D]

- Battle system from Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria
- The morbid whimsy from Devil May Cry 3
- The character depth of the Mass Effect Franchise
- The scope of Final Fantasy XI
- The storytelling of Final Fantasy VI

I think I'd be set for life, personally.

[Depression Moon]

1. Final Fantasy IX
What can I say this game changed my life and is responsible for the road I'm heading for in life. I owe my career to Sakaguchi.

I can't really decide on the orders for the rest since nothing comes close to IX for me, but here other notable rpgs that I love.

Kingdom Hearts II (Action-RPG)
Super Mario RPG (JRPG)
Threads of Fate (Action-RPG)
Final Fantasy XII (XII is up there in top 10 though just not sure where) (JRPG)
Pokemon (JRPG)
Dragon Quest VIII (JRPG)
The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask (Action-Adventure/RPG)
Okami (Action-Adventre/RPG)

[Loony BoB]

I'm going to ignore FPS games that masquerade as RPGs, such as Mass Effect and Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Not sure if the latter would be in my list anyway, but just to give an idea of what I don't class as an RPG.

1. Final Fantasy VII
Over the years I've tried to ascertain exactly what it is that makes me consider Final Fantasy VII the best game I have ever played (the only game to compete with it, for me, has been Uncharted 2). There are too many reasons to list, in the end. Yes, there are some things that weren't quite right, but overall I feel the game just caught me at every turn. I loved all the characters bar Aeris, and she got killed. I mean, if that can't make me love a game on it's own, I don't know what can.

But more notably, the other stuff the fact that both Sephiroth and Shinra actually made me give a damn about the storyline. There are far too many games these days that have villains which feel as though they are just thrown in there with little thought, but in this case both of them felt like they fitted the world, fitted the story, fitted the attitude and fitted the look perfectly.

Gameplay was immense - there were loads of things that you did in this game beyond fighting and traveling. You had chocobo capturing, chocobo breeding, chocobo racing, materia leveling, gambling, submarine chases, snowboarding, the highway battle, dungeon puzzles, unlocking limit breaks, amusing NPCs, unlockable characters and their relevant sidequests... just so much to do! I would be loathe to finish the game because I always felt I should do just one more of the many things that you could take on in the game.

The story was very well done, and perhaps a little ahead of it's time. I think others have covered this stuff, such as Bolivar with pacing and if someone hasn't mentioned the gorgeous use of music then I'm stunned (haven't read everything just yet). I dunno, the game was just perfectly done for me.

All the others are in no order because I can't decide which is better than the next.

Final Fantasy VIII
Perhaps a surprising addition, but it gets the nod because of how well it mixed up the gameplay aspects and the exploration. Multiple travel methods, each with their own 'indoors' areas, good twists in the storyline, interactive limit breaks, Triple Triad (and card mod, one of my favourite things ever), interesting sidequests and whatnot. I just felt it was a very enjoyable game, and didn't suffer from Tidus/Yuna/Seymour like FFX did. So I could actually play it without wanting to kick my TV. Sure, the VIII character's aren't amazing, but they're tolerable at worst and amusing at best.

Final Fantasy XII
Gets a nod for the vastness of the maps, the fantastic world (although obviously credit can largely go to FFT etc. for this, FFXII was a JRPG rather than strategy RPG which is what I'm going for), the quality characters, the interesting bestiary, the hunts and whatnot. I felt it had a great amount going for it, so much that the downside was that I would never remember to get on with the storyline and would forget what was going on. That, and like many FF's, I didn't care about the enemy.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Walking from one corner of the map to the other and being confronted with so many different things I've never experienced or noticed in the game puts this high on my list. But obviously such things happen in games! What is key about this is that this was after I had finished the game. I'd completed four main questlines, maybe five, and I came across new things in the game time and time again. I would not be surprised (and I mean this in a good way) if something new were to come up should I load the game up once more. Also, modding this game makes it incredible. The stuff people come up with enhances the game to no end. I fully reccomend having a look around.

Excelsior
The amount of skills and the amount of diversity in character creation alone make this game incredible to play. There is so much to do and the puzzles are very well done. I seriously enjoy this game every time I play it, because with the character creation system it always makes each game different when I play it with a new setup.

Pokémon Red/Blue
Because they had the Pokémon I actually give a crap about. This would be higher up the list if I could actually get all 151 Pokémon in a single game, but you have to catch them in two different games. I don't know about you guys, but I feel like my character (and thus, me) is cheating when he trades in Pokémon. Even when he's trading them from another game that is controlled by me. :S

[Clo]

Chrono Trigger: because I love the chars, the environment, and fucking TIME TRAVEL. Also, the battle system doth please me. And Zeal is just cool. This game is a hundred times cooler than most modern JRPGs.

Final Fantasy Tactics: this game never fails to entertain. And the story is just well-written for an RPG, far more so than others.

[Fynn]

Alright, here goes/

1. Xenoblade Chronicles - come on, how can it be that after three pages I am the first person to mention this game? There is just too much stuff this game does right - an engrossing story with amazing characters, without ever being over-the-top and with spot-on pacing, yet the world is still huge, full of side quests that, while captivating, still don't make you forget about the story - they just add life to the world and the mini-storylines that they contain are often quite amusing and make you care even for regular NPCs you would otherwise never pay attention to in an RPG. And have I mentioned how huge the world is? Cause it is ginormous. And the graphics, while limited due to the game being are the Wii, perfectly convey the sense of grandeur a fantastical world like this would evoke. Plus, the music is to die for. Aside from a few issues regarding quest-fulfilling conditions, I would say this game is flawless and a perfect marriage of JRPG and RPG concepts. It is simply a beautiful game with more than 100 hours worth of amazing gameplay.

Number 2 is a tie!

2. Planescape: Torment - one of the most unique gaming experiences for me. Surely, there's not much here to speak of in terms of gameplay - the general AD&D ruleset is pretty limited here, but the battles are not what this game is about. THis is one of the few games that I can forgive the fact that they concentrate way too much on the story, instead of the gameplay. But it just works. The story is philosophical, though-provoking, and just plain amazing, while still retaining both quirky and macabre elements that go with the setting. With one of the most memorable casts in a video game I have ever encounter, this game holds a special place in my heart.

2. Kingdom Hearts (series) - so everybody knows this - a crazy idea, but it works. But many people decide this series becomes too complex for a Disney game from CoM onwards. Well, smurf that noise, I love it. I love these games with all their mind-screwiness, retcons and whatnot. The story is just so engrossing and becomes bigger and bigger with every installment. Also, this is hands-down the best example of action-RPG gameplay ever. No Fable, Gothic or Devil Summoner can ever compare to the flow this series' gameplay gives you. And man, all those characters and their existential problems... With Donald Duck! Eeeeee! :love:

3. Baldur's Gate (series) - these games taught me strategy. Fighting each of the dragons (especially Draconis) will forever stay in my memory as a true challenge, and not just some unfair boss that made me want to hurl the console through the window. While the storytelling in BGI left a lot to be desired, BGII is, in my opinion, the most perfect sequel ever, with an incredibly vibrant cast and a story bringing so much more into the one established in BGI, you just get hooked and cannot stop. Ever

[escobert]

Well, my favorite RPG would have to be Final Fantasy VII




1. Final Fantasy VII
Over the years I've tried to ascertain exactly what it is that makes me consider Final Fantasy VII the best game I have ever played (the only game to compete with it, for me, has been Uncharted 2). There are too many reasons to list, in the end. Yes, there are some things that weren't quite right, but overall I feel the game just caught me at every turn. I loved all the characters bar Aeris, and she got killed. I mean, if that can't make me love a game on it's own, I don't know what can.

But more notably, the other stuff the fact that both Sephiroth and Shinra actually made me give a damn about the storyline. There are far too many games these days that have villains which feel as though they are just thrown in there with little thought, but in this case both of them felt like they fitted the world, fitted the story, fitted the attitude and fitted the look perfectly.

Gameplay was immense - there were loads of things that you did in this game beyond fighting and traveling. You had chocobo capturing, chocobo breeding, chocobo racing, materia leveling, gambling, submarine chases, snowboarding, the highway battle, dungeon puzzles, unlocking limit breaks, amusing NPCs, unlockable characters and their relevant sidequests... just so much to do! I would be loathe to finish the game because I always felt I should do just one more of the many things that you could take on in the game.

The story was very well done, and perhaps a little ahead of it's time. I think others have covered this stuff, such as Bolivar with pacing and if someone hasn't mentioned the gorgeous use of music then I'm stunned (haven't read everything just yet). I dunno, the game was just perfectly done for me.

Exactly my thoughts.