Fynn's Top 25 games

[Fynn]

Since there have been a lot of these lately, I've finally decided to do one of my own. Hope this goes well!

A couple things to note. Yes, the vast majority of these are going to be JRPGs, but I'm still not putting it in that section, since there's a couple of games that I really want to talk about that are not RPGs. Don't expect these games to be super obscure or anything :p I also can't limit myself to one game per series, since there are some series where I love several games for wildly different reasons, so expect to see more than one FF, KH or SMT on this list.

Right! Spot #25 coming up later today, so for now, all bets are off as to what games will be on this list :3: Hope you guys are gonna have as much fun reading this as I expect to have writing this!

EDIT: Here's a handy list of the entries so far!


#25: "Adam did not eat the apple because he desired it. He ate it because it was forbidden. Now the apple has been set before all of you. Eat well!" (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3502280&viewfull=1#post3502280)

#24: "I am Alpha and Omega, The beginning and the end, the first and the last." (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3502379&viewfull=1#post3502379)

#23: "Sing to me of a time long past, a time when men answered to power alone; ruled by steel, steeped in darkness - sing of an age called Xytegenia." (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3502523&viewfull=1#post3502523)

#22: "Don't go out!!! -Walter" (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3502562&viewfull=1#post3502562)

#21: "Om Mani Padme Hm" (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3502607&viewfull=1#post3502607)

#20: "If you could rewrite history, what would you do differently?" (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3502811&viewfull=1#post3502811)

#19: "When your world is in peril. You must risk everything to save it. Even when Bravery is all you have left." (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3503370&viewfull=1#post3503370)

#18: "I have chortles!" (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3503614&viewfull=1#post3503614)

#17: "The world is square." (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3504254&viewfull=1#post3504254)

#16: "Reticulating splines." (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3505022&viewfull=1#post3505022)

#15: "It's more important to master the cards you're holding than to complain about the ones your opponents were dealt." (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3505056&viewfull=1#post3505056)

#14: "'Tis your birth and faith that wrong you, not I." (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3505255&viewfull=1#post3505255)

#13: "That was the last night we ever spent beneath the same stars..." (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3505323&viewfull=1#post3505323)

#12: "It's too late... for me to undo my mistakes." (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3506719#post3506719)

#11: "You gotta push your horizons out as far as they go." (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3508421&viewfull=1#post3508421)

#10: "Even so... mankind, desperate for salvation, clung to hope. A brave few begin their mission... To the enigmatic Land of Ruin. Little realizing this harsh Journey will decide man's fate... (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3510382&viewfull=1#post3510382)

#9: "Hurry! Hope rests in your hands." (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3514846&viewfull=1#post3514846)

#8: "Stand and deliver, that my hamster might have a better look at you!" (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3514967&viewfull=1#post3514967)

#7: "The Reins of History, back in the hands of Man." (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3515171&viewfull=1#post3515171)

#6: "Adventure is in the cards." (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3515393&viewfull=1#post3515393)

#5: "It'd be cool if this really were a magic book. Haven't you ever read a book and thought "'What if the world in this book was the real world?'" (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3515474#post3515474)

#4: "What can change the nature of a man?" (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3515786&viewfull=1#post3515786)

#3: "Death is not a hunter unbeknownst to its prey. One is always aware that it lies in wait. Though life is merely a journey to the grave, it must not be undertaken without hope. Only then will a traveler's story live on, cherished by those who bid him farewell." (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3516046&viewfull=1#post3516046)

#2: "In my restless dreams, I see that town..." (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3516267&viewfull=1#post3516267)

#1: "We may die if we make a stand here, but staying gives us the chance to change our destinies. We have the Monado. With this, the future is ours for the taking!" (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/161146-Fynn-s-Top-25-games?p=3532296&viewfull=1#post3532296)

[Formalhaut]

Oh how exciting! I'll be keeping tabs :)

[Pumpkin]

Exciting :excited:

Now by the time I make my list, people are going to be sick of these :lol:

I'm guessing there will be FF games





but not X

[Fynn]

Exciting :excited:

Now by the time I make my list, people are going to be sick of these :lol:

I'm guessing there will be FF games





but not X

Oh, how well you know me ;)

Also, keep in mind I love all the games that will be listed, so don't go saying "why the hell is this so low", because the very fact that the game is here means that that game is still very close to my heart. Also, I had to cut so many games that I adore, that's why, before revealing my number 1 spot, I will do an "honorable mentions" thing where I'll list the games that almost made it and why they had to be cut.

[Pumpkin]

*waits impatiently*

[Ayen]

Now by the time I make my list, people are going to be sick of these :lol:

Considering all the lists I've made since my Top 20 I doubt this is ever going to happen.

Fynn, I bet I never heard of or played half the games on your list. What do you want to bet? :colbert:

[Pumpkin]

Mine is going to be a Top 100 or so. At least Top 80, so it'll be a good bit larger. But I personally always love these because people usually write out good reasons for liking/disliking a game that I always find interesting to read.

Especially if it's a game I don't like that they do, because then I can see the game from the other perspective of "This game is good and here's why", instead of myself going "I didn't like this game and here's why". Lets me see the game in a different light if that makes sense

[Fynn]

Now by the time I make my list, people are going to be sick of these :lol:

Considering all the lists I've made since my Top 20 I doubt this is ever going to happen.

Fynn, I bet I never heard of or played half the games on your list. What do you want to bet? :colbert:

I wouldn't be so sure of that :D I think you should at least have heard of most, even in passing. I'm not really one to dig up obscure games.

And Pumpkin - I hope my list does just that, give you a new perspective! Also, perhaps even convince you to try some ;) I'll be sure to use spoiler tags, or avoid spoilers entirely, because I think all these are too good to miss.

[Ayen]

We'll see. I am the King of not knowing about games that everyone else knows.

[Fynn]

I think you're at least acquainted with the three series that will be dominating this list :p

[Pumpkin]

I'm almost 100% that Xenoblade will be near the top of this list

[Ayen]

If Fynn makes us wait too long I'm pulling out a certain Monty Python sketch. Don't make me do it, Fynn!

[Fynn]

Patience is a virtue, my dear Tori :cool: It'll be worth the wait, though!

[Pumpkin]

Waiting :colbert:

[Wolf Kanno]

I'm almost 100% that Xenoblade will be near the top of this list

I'm betting on it being number one actually. :wcanoe:

My list started off as a fun diversion from making my Top 25 JRPG list which itself was spun off from an aborted Top 100 List. I can narrow down the game but ranking them proved to be too much of a pain. ^^;

[Formalhaut]

I'm almost 100% that Xenoblade will be near the top of this list

I'm betting on it being number one actually. :wcanoe:

My list started off as a fun diversion from making my Top 25 JRPG list which itself was spun off from an aborted Top 100 List. I can narrow down the game but ranking them proved to be too much of a pain. ^^;

I don't think I've actually ever played 100 games, and really, I don't think I'm pushing past 50.

[Fynn]

#25

It’s hard being a MegaTen fan in the US. You guys have been screwed over so many times, considering how botched the first translation of Persona was, for example, not to mention the crapload of titles that went unreleased at all. It was even worse in Europe, however. It wasn’t before Lucifer’s Call (you guys know it as Nocturne) came along, with Digital Devil Saga and Persona 3 following soon after, that the series actually saw the light of day here. It’s even harder to be a MegaTen fan in Poland, as JRPGs as a genre were never really a thing here. The 90s and early 2000s were spent on playing nothing but Heroes of Might and Magic III by literally everyone in the country, and when the PS2 era came along, I was the only person I knew with any consoles or handhelds. If I hadn’t been desperately searching for JRPGs on Gamespot, I would most likely never have even known something like Persona 3 existed. But Persona 3 is not my #25. Persona 3 merely introduced me into this huge, incredible series that I adore to this day. Still, Europe still has a weird relationship with it, and I had to wait for this installment for nearly a year until it finally released as an eShop-only title on the 3DS. My number 25 is…


SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI IV

http://images.nintendolife.com/news/2013/07/video_this_shin_megami_tensei_iv_limited_edition_set_is_a_thing_of_beauty/attachment/0/original.jpg

Just to get you guys in the right mood, here’s a nice theme from the game.


qDsDYCI3fyc

So here’s how it started for me. It was a late November evening and I was home-alone. I was playing around with Pokemon Art Academy, but after hours and hours of trying to paint that perfect Charizard, I realized I suck and turned off the game. So I looked around the eShop. And then I saw it.


http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/33900000/Shin-Megami-Tensei-IV-Wallpaper-01-1280x1024-atlus-33901552-1280-1024.jpg

“Hey, it’s pretty cheap,” I thought. “I wanted to look into it anyway.” I told myself I would only buy it now since it’s got a low price, but that I shouldn’t play it yet, because I was busy. Yeah.


http://i.ytimg.com/vi/64E6Gn80rK8/0.jpg

“Oh, I’ll just check if it works properly.”


http://thisisanothercastle.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/screenshot-2281.png?w=600&h=400&crop=1

http://gematsu.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/SMT4-Screens-Details_11-30.jpg

“Oh, this is interesting… Let me just save.”


http://www.destructoid.com/ul/257718-review-shin-megami-tensei-iv/caca-620x.jpg

“S**t, it’s three in the morning.”

And thus my journey began, and what a journey it was! Following that, I spent every free minute I had playing this game, ultimately finishing it around Christmas (though I basically had to play through it twice. I’ll get to that in a minute). Now I know this game has garnered a lot of criticism, even from series fans, but hear me out. I have very valid reasons for not only liking it, but also considering it one of the most well-done entries in the SMT franchise. I’ll try to keep this spoiler-free, though some of the elements that really impressed me will be spoileriffic. I’ll be sure to mark those.

First of all, the setting in this game is phenomenal. Yes, you’ll spend the majority of the game exploring a post-apocalyptic Tokyo, like in the other three main entries, but there is a big twist to it. You don’t actually start the game in Tokyo. Your journey starts in the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado, a late medieval period-looking town, with some feudal Japanese elements thrown in. This might not seem like much, but it’s interesting how a traditional SMT COMP that displays text in kanji is called a mystic Gauntlet with mystic script on it. Other modern devices you’ll come across later on are referred to by the people of Mikado as mystic relics, adding further to the eerie anachronisms. All this makes you wonder: “What the hell happened to this place?” Uncovering this mystery becomes a central plot point, and I do like me some mysteries.


http://www.siliconera.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/SMT4_int_001_thumb.jpg

The story is well-paced, with tons of optional side-quests (managed by your AI computer buddy, who is voiced by Ali Hillis – Lightning herself) being basically the only thing between one story-relevant cutscene and the next. Now, I know I may be in the minority here, but I really enjoyed the characters and their interactions in this game. The characters may be painted in broad strokes compared to other modern games, but their relationships seem genuine, and the inevitable corruption of their friendship (a staple of the series) becomes all the more painful. I’ll move on to the characters and themes in a moment.

The gameplay is pretty stellar. SMT IV uses a mix of 3rd- and 1st-person perspective, the former used for field exploration, while the latter for battles. Like in all other mainline SMT games, in SMT IV you control one human character, and your whole party is comprised of demons you recruit and fuse. SMT IV utilizes the press-turn system from previous games, which grants you additional turns for striking the enemy’s weak point and penalizes you for missing and hitting a resistance, making battles fast, strategic, and exciting. Demon fusion can be accessed anytime and anyplace, so tweaking your party is easier than ever before, especially since you get to choose which skills your demons will get to inherit. Some changes were pretty weird, though. There is no defense stat in the game. At all. All that matter is attack power and HP, when it comes to damage output. The upside of this is that battles take much less time than before. The downside is that even low-level demons can beat you up later in the game if you’re not careful. I am endlessly grateful for the ability to save anywhere, however. I also noticed the game is substantially easier than others… at least later on. The beginning is pretty punishing and may be a trun-off to many.

Among other changes is the music. People familiar with Shoji Meguro, who has composed for the entries that have been the most popular lately, did not take part in composing this soundtrack. However, the guys responsible for this soundtrack do an outstanding job. There’s plenty of remixes of tracks from previous entries, making this a very welcome nod to faithful fans, but the new tracks we get are also pretty amazing. The music is one of the main reasons for the game’s heavy, eerily oppressive atmosphere. Just check out the opening theme:


MQ4dmzUBrlI

A change that did not sit well with me, however, was the demon designs. MegaTen is a series where most of the demon designs stay consistently the same in all entries, but for this entry, some new people were hired to handle new demon designs. Some of the demons (like Lilith and Minotaur) look really badass, but then we get to atrocities like Lucifer, who went from this:


http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Louis_Cypher.bmp

and this:


http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080926062734/megamitensei/images/d/db/KazumaKaneko-Lucifer.jpg

To this:


http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130906211305/megamitensei/images/b/b9/Lucifer_smt_4.png


Oh God, kill it with fire!

Now, the characters in SMT IV are something I’d especially like to address. People mostly came into this game expecting something along the lines of Persona when it comes to characters, but SMT was never that. Persona is a very character-driven game, and while they are technically part of the same franchise, the mainline SMT series was never like that. The characters, while remaining individuals, are more there to represent certain values and ideologies than be fleshed out, living, breathing human beings. And that’s okay. For a story as dark and as focused on its setting, concerning the fate of humans and what we do with the world, I think this approach is optimal.


http://resource.supercheats.com/library/shin-megami-tensei-iv/405.jpg
Each side of the conflict makes a compelling argument.

SMT IV also sees a return of the classic alignment system, where you get to side with any of the three ideological factions to determine the ultimate fate of Tokyo. And thus, there are multiple endings. I love how the factions are presented in this game (especially since there’s a surprise fourth faction that offers a very meta twist to the whole series), but I really hate how your alignment gets calculated. Namely, before this game, your alignment was determined by the decisions you made in very important moments, where it was made clear that this is where your alignment changes. Now here, almost every little decision give you points, either toward law or chaos. To remain neutral in the end, you need to stay very balanced, as out of the 200 points available between borderline law and chaos, only sixteen points are devoted to neutral. Anything beyond 8 and you’re lawful, anything below -8 and you’re chaotic. While this is thematically justified, it’s actually really frustrating if you can’t agree with either of the two factions and want to go neutral, like me. I don’t think there’s any way to know that you’re not going to be accidently not-neutral if you play without a guide. Thankfully, there’s a handy reset button near the alignment lock, and catching up is really easy because you get to keep nearly everything in New Game +, including equipment, levels and your demon compendium. Yes, this happened to me. This is why I had to beat it twice.

Now, I can say that it was all worth it. The neutral ending is very satisfying. Like in most MegaTen games, there’s a very strong catharsis factor to the game’s ending, due to the moral ambiguity making any small success you achieve all the sweeter. I can recommend this game to fans of the series, just don’t expect anything like Persona. As for newcomers… I think this may actually be the best entry point in the series yet. If you’ve never played any SMT and are interested, this game is most likely your best bet. It’s dark, ambitious, and probably as accessible as SMT is ever going to get :p This one is definitely one of those games that shouldn’t be skipped. So if you have a 3DS and some money to spare – what are you waiting for?

[Ayen]

Shin Megami Tensei? Never heard of it 8D Okay, so I have. Never played it though.

Ahh! Lilith's gonna eat me! This isn't sexy at all.

[Fynn]

Ahh! Lilith's gonna eat me! This isn't sexy at all.

How about old Lilith?

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080802042037/megamitensei/images/3/37/LilithSMT.jpg

[Formalhaut]

I've heard of the series before, but never actually seen screenshots. So is it basically: demons run amok, save the day? Or am I grossly oversimplifying the story? :p

Anyway, it sounds interesting. So Fynn, if you say IV is the best starting point, does that mean they are unrelated to each other in the series?

[Fynn]

I've heard of the series before, but never actually seen screenshots. So is it basically: demons run amok, save the day? Or am I grossly oversimplifying the story? :p

Anyway, it sounds interesting. So Fynn, if you say IV is the best starting point, does that mean they are unrelated to each other in the series?

Demons run amok, yes, but saving the day isn't really the solution here :D It's mostly demons run amok because humans are huge smurf-ups. You usually get to decide what to do with the world post-apocalypse. And that's just on the surface.

When it comes to continuity, I and II are one story, but III, Strange Journey and IV are all their own continuities. So yeah, you can pretty much go into this without playing any of the others.

[Ayen]

Ahh! Lilith's gonna eat me! This isn't sexy at all.

How about old Lilith?

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080802042037/megamitensei/images/3/37/LilithSMT.jpg

That works, but her hair is all wrong.

[Fynn]

Ahh! Lilith's gonna eat me! This isn't sexy at all.

How about old Lilith?

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080802042037/megamitensei/images/3/37/LilithSMT.jpg

That works, but her hair is all wrong.

Well, there's two more to choose from :D

http://images.wikia.com/megamitensei/images/7/71/Lilith.JPG

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080705001656/megamitensei/images/a/a0/NLilith.jpg

EDIT: Holy shit. I just noticed that throughout all of these designs, this lady consistently has only three fingers per hand and three toes per leg. :onoes:

[Ayen]

Lilith's hair is red, dammit! Red!

*flips trout over minor detail*

[Pumpkin]

So there were two things I noticed when watching LPs, reviews, and trailer that concerned me

Drab, dark setting
Demon characters

Your review pushes it further that way. Sorry, Fynn, I know you want me to be interested but I'm really really not.

I played a game called Digital Devil Saga and if I had to pick an all time least favourite game, that would be it. The setting was bleak, the character art was hideous (to me) and the effin demon characters gave me so many nightmare. I have never hated a game with the same fiery passion I hate that game, a passion that makes me want to buy every copy I can find just to smash it and burn it and scream and cry all at the same time

This series and the Persona games remind me so much of that

[Fynn]

So there were two things I noticed when watching LPs, reviews, and trailer that concerned me

Drab, dark setting
Demon characters

Your review pushes it further that way. Sorry, Fynn, I know you want me to be interested but I'm really really not.

I played a game called Digital Devil Saga and if I had to pick an all time least favourite game, that would be it. The setting was bleak, the character art was hideous (to me) and the effin demon characters gave me so many nightmare. I have never hated a game with the same fiery passion I hate that game, a passion that makes me want to buy every copy I can find just to smash it and burn it and scream and cry all at the same time

This series and the Persona games remind me so much of that

Oh, I will get to both DDS and Persona. Hopefully you'll get to understand where I'm coming from ;)

[Pumpkin]

Could be, could be

[Fynn]

#24

There’s something to be said about games that are too ambitious for their own good. You often end up with a complete mess of a product, true. But then again, once you get past the initial clunkiness, you really get to see how much care and love was put into conceiving this title, and you see the gem for what it really is, no matter how frustrating its coating may be. I am talking, of course, about…


XENOGEARS


http://operationrainfall.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Xenogearslogo.png

I’m gonna make starting these off with a piece of music from the game a tradition now :exdee:


DzQsL0hxmuI

In my high school years, I spent many an afternoon on playing PS classics before going to music school. I never had a PS1 and once the PS2 came along and I finally got one, no one around sold the old games anymore. So when I got the PS2, a whole new world of opportunity opened up. So I was browsing the EoFF main site and reading articles about the different games. Xenogears seemed interesting. I had one of my many Evangelion phases at the time, and this looked similar. From what I read on Wikipedia, it seemed that this game was the JRPG equivalent of Planescape: Torment, as my then-girlfriend, now-wife put it, what with its emphasis on story and in-depth study of philosophies. And so I downloaded Xenogears. And I was hooked. This was also one of the games that made me post more on these forums. Wolf Kanno was a big help when I had some problems with the game ;)


http://img.gamefaqs.net/screens/b/2/1/gfs_28106_2_65.jpg
Pretty much exactly what he said to me then.


There’s so many ways this game is special for me. A lot of you may know, being Catholic, I’m also a big fan of religion in general, including the use of religious symbolism and iconography in the media. Heck, I’m trying to write my own sci-fi novel with heavy religious themes, and it’s partly influenced by Xenogears too :p Still, it’s easy to just throw around giant crosses and name people after Apostles. Xenogears was different - it had so much work and thought put into its symbolism it’s staggering. There is no trace of gratuity, everything is in line with actual Gnostic dogma, and the Jungian psychology elements that pop up are also very well researched. And all those elements are not only accurate – they’re utilized in the story in such a way that my heart skipped more than one beat. The plot encompasses tens of thousands of years and it feels like it – the planet and the species inhabiting it seem to be as much protagonists of this story as the actual characters you control are.


http://img.gamefaqs.net/screens/5/3/4/gfs_28106_2_5.jpg

The game sadly suffers from what I mentioned earlier. It was too ambitious for its time, had too little funding, so tons of content had to be cut, relegated to other games in the universe that would never come to be in the way they had been envisioned. It really is a pity considering how Takahashi and Saga really fleshed out all these amazing details, and how Xenosaga never really delivered in the way they hoped it would. Though I would argue that the chopped-up nature of the second disc and the way it forced them to present those events made for some very artistic decisions which, IMO, sometimes elevated Xenogears to something much, much more meaningful than just a game. It doesn’t hurt that Mitsuda’s soundtrack to this game is magnificent. Just take a listen:

YDslx2n7tEw

So, with a story this fantastic, why is this game not higher on the list? Like I said, I still love it to bits, but besides the game being too ambitious to actually be realized, Xeongears had some very big flaws, IMO. In general, I can enjoy mood whiplash, but in a story of such caliber with such threatening villain and the stakes so high, some of the comedic elements were really, wildly inappropriate.


http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lpa7dpCKvf1qzozwgo1_400.png
CHU-CHU DIED FOR MY SIIIIIINS!!!!

There’s even some music I just can’t stand, despite what I said earlier. The gameplay seems to carry a lot of potential, but it seems that it didn’t even get a chance to realize it all. I liked the hand-to-hand combat just fine, but the Gear battles were always really stressful for me, especially since most bosses were relegated to Gear fights. And then there’s the mother**king jumping puzzles.


http://whatdoesgodneedwithastarship.com/182wheeee.png
*uncontrollable screaming*

Whoah, I just slammed one of my favorite games hard :D Still, the very fact that I still consider it a marvelous game despite some flaws that make me want to rip my hair out, really speaks volumes for how good it really is regardless. Nowadays, I don’t think anyone really puts this much thought and love into their games outside their indie scene. Luckily, Takahashi still makes some amazing games, and with Xenoblade Chronicles X having an even more Xenogearsy vibe than its predecessor, I think we can safely assume we have another gem at hand, that may not be the flawed masterpiece this game was. Perhaps this time, Takahashi’s visions may utilize their full potential, and we may soon see the undeniably best game of all time.

[Wolf Kanno]

I've heard of the series before, but never actually seen screenshots. So is it basically: demons run amok, save the day? Or am I grossly oversimplifying the story? :p

The plots of the game vary but basically the plots of the main game entail characters from modern day Tokyo learning about a secret war between the forces of Law and Chaos which is represented by religious and mythological figures, many of whom you can actually recruit. The gameplay is basically adult Pokemon where instead of collecting all the Fire Type, you're collecting the angelic host or Hindhu gods. Shiva is usually a total game breaker I might add.

The game's plot is focused more on exploring the themes of chaos, order and human nature. The plot's tend to be more subtle but you often get presented with pretty nasty choices like performing genocide to an entire race, collaborating with forces who keep the peace by doing absolutely horrible things behind the scenes or trying to help people only to learn to late the real circumstances of their problem. Really interesting is how often the series mixes in actual myth, legends and religious stories into the plot and side missions. It's a pretty meta series.


Anyway, it sounds interesting. So Fynn, if you say IV is the best starting point, does that mean they are unrelated to each other in the series?

Fynn pretty much nailed this though SMTIII and the Raidou games of Devil Summoner hint that every game is connected via parallel timelines and worlds. So certain things do kind of cross over into other games but their more of a shout out fan service than some overarching plot that has to be followed.


Lilith's hair is red, dammit! Red!

*flips trout over minor detail*

I don't think I get the reference...


So there were two things I noticed when watching LPs, reviews, and trailer that concerned me

Drab, dark setting
Demon characters

Your review pushes it further that way. Sorry, Fynn, I know you want me to be interested but I'm really really not.

I played a game called Digital Devil Saga and if I had to pick an all time least favourite game, that would be it. The setting was bleak, the character art was hideous (to me) and the effin demon characters gave me so many nightmare. I have never hated a game with the same fiery passion I hate that game, a passion that makes me want to buy every copy I can find just to smash it and burn it and scream and cry all at the same time

This series and the Persona games remind me so much of that

That's a shame and sadly I feel SMTIV does make a strong case for being one of the darkest entries in the series, especially when you get to Reverse Hills which made even Lilith and Lucifer go "That's fucked up.". It's a good series but if you don't like dark and bleak atmosphere, then you probably won't ever like the franchise. Though I do feel Devil Summoner and Persona fall more into the cheery side of things. Maybe you should check out DemiKids instead? It's the SMT games that are targeted towards actual youth and is close to being a blatant rip-off of Pokemon and Digimon in structure and setting.

***************************************************************************************************
As for the choice, I really enjoyed SMTIV, despite some of it's flaws I felt it was an excellent game and it's currently my favorite game on the 3DS though it wasn't good enough to dethrone Nocturne in my eyes it did make me hunger for more MegaTen and I still pop it in and play some more. The DLC bosses are brutal and finishing the Compendium can be very difficult especially since accidental fusions (which are the only way to make demons of two different class) are a near act of god to happen. I also agree that I really like the characters and the game's plot. There was more focus on making neutral not feel like the best choice and I absolutely love how the game forces you to actually explore and talk to people if you ever want to know what's up with Tokyo and the Eastern Kingdom of Mikado instead of just having some character sit you down and explain it all to you. It made exploring the world feel more organic.

[Pumpkin]

Like I was telling Fynn, I'm not saying the SMT games are poor quality or badly written or anything. I just know what I (don't) like and I feel like this game wouldn't be a good fit for me

And Xenogears. I won't go in to too much detail because I have my own review of it to write, but basically my feelings can be summed up as: crappy gameplay, amazing story. I'm also a huge fan of religious symbolism, and I've always enjoyed Freud's theory on the Id, Ego, and Super-ego and here is a game that largely centers around that. And I think they did it well. Although I didn't care much for the characters as far as likable, I did find some of them well written, but the gameplay was just horrendous to me

Still a strong game though :up:

[Ayen]

Still need to play this.

[Pumpkin]

Still need to play this.

You should start now if you want to finish it this year

[Ayen]

Still need to play this.

You should start now if you want to finish it this year

Me? Finish a game?
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[Wolf Kanno]

61832

Fun fact, the first forum I ever posted on was a Xeno forum where you was often changed to chu. Fun times. I love Xenogears and while I agree largely with your assessment of the game I find myself being a bit more forgiving than others on its flaws but perhaps that's because Xenogears was an incredibly influential title in my life.

[sharkythesharkdogg]

I keep thinking I'll go back and play it one day, and the age and clunkiness will finally kill it for me, but nope.

Even watching shion play Xenogears, there's just something about it that a lot of games don't capture. It crafts a really interesting universe.

Good work on the list Fynn!

[Pete for President]

Makes me feel like I should play this game.

[Bolivar]

Fair assessment of Xenogears. The only part I'd disagree with is the care when handling mature themes; a lot of the content is there for shock value. Like the Gears crucifixion a couple people have posted - it serves no purpose to the plot other than to evoke a response. There's a lot of juvenile elements of that in the game and it holds it back from being one of my all-time favorite stories. Although it's definitely up there.

I also think it's one of those games that models its form after parallels with religious literature but does not quite get at the takeaways that makes religion such an enduring part of the human experience. I'm not exactly sure what Xenogears is trying to say about the mystery of the human heart. Then again, I'm not sure any games have really done a serviceable job with religious themes just yet. The only one I can think of is Dragon Quest, which I can relate to with it's slice-of-life, everyday experience of being Catholic.

[Wolf Kanno]

I disagree with your disagreement about the religious symbolism not being handled well. Two scenes I've ever heard you harp on and neither scene is actually important, hell the crucification scene is hardly one of the big moments in Disc 2 and largely serves as explaining Elly being taken. It lacks the symbolic significance like Xenogears' birth, the one winged angel statues, and Fei's journey largely being a parallel to some Gnostic takes of Jesus. Many of the religious names utilized are not haphazardly given out to sound cool (unlike a certain seventh installment I can talk plenty of smack about for abusing good writing for the sake of shock value) but instead bear significance to the characters role in the story. Honestly, you won't really find a series outside of maybe MegaTen that handles religion with such historical accuracy for its themes, mythology, and values.

[Fynn]

I think the fact we always get such discussions when Xenogears is involved really speaks volumes about the game's quality :p

[Scotty_ffgamer]

I need to play these games and beat them... SMT IV I've never even started since I have other games in the overall SMT series I'm trying to get through first. Xenogears, I just keep getting distracted by life when I play it. I'll beat it someday.

[Fynn]

#23

Wolf Kanno and I have recently had this conversation about alignment systems in games. We agreed on one thing – it’s rarely done right. Most games I see that involve alignment systems generally boil down to a scale of “saint vs. complete asshole”. A good/evil system is very hard to work with when it comes to creating characters with actual depth. I already mentioned SMT as a game having an interesting alignment system based on a law/chaos scale. It’s a staple of that series. And yet, those games always present a pretty bleak scenario, where basically regardless of the placement on the law/chaos scale, people find ways to be assholes. And then there’s games that make that even more of a gray morality, where people do just as many heroic deeds and villainous acts in the name of upholding the law as they do when breaking the mold. One such magnificent gem is:


TACTICS OGRE: LET US CLING TOGETHER

http://elder-geek.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/TacticsOgrePSP.jpg

r_usrq8Abyo

Loads of people here are familiar with FF Tactics (oh, don’t worry – its time is coming :3: ), but I found that the Final Fantasy fandom actually rarely mingles with the Ogre Battle fandom. FFT is partly the reason they regard us with such distaste, you know. What follows is a summary of a discussion on an Ogre Battle board concerning the PSP remake that I stumbled upon while playing this game. Before FFT, Tactics Ogre was THE Matsuno game. But then Matsuno sold out to Square and made a different, (subjectively) inferior game. Many a fan was very wary of the PSP remake, afraid that it would become FF: Tactics Ogre. Oh, the horror!


http://www.jeuxcapt.com/upload/module_images/1306403607_1.jpg
Pictured: an unspeakable abomination.

Really, though, from what I heard, the remake is a vastly superior game. I have never played the SNES original, even when it was rereleased on the PSX, and I heard the job system was changed substantially. Still, I loved what we got. It’s a bit weird in some aspects, for example, you level up jobs, not characters, so when you switch a new unit to a job you’ve leveled up to, say Lv. 14, that unit is now Lv. 14. You get to control a crapload of characters during a battle, but the enemy gets three times as many anyway, so that’s hardly an advantage. What I liked about this game was that there was a lot of story-relevant characters you could recruit, and they would still remain story-relevant, taking part in the dialogs and whatnot.


http://static.gamesradar.com/images/mb/GamesRadar/us/Games/T/Tactics%20Ogre%20Let%20Us%20Cling%20Together/Bulk%20Viewer/PSP/2011-01-10/3%20-%20Character%20Class--article_image.jpg
And there's heaps upon of heaps of classes. You can even have a whole army of monsters, if you wish!

Like in SMT, there’s the law, chaos and neutral route to choose from. However, the PSP version of this game introduces the World Tarot mechanic. After beating the game on one route, you get to keep playing, and you can go back to most of the previous story scenes and check out all the other possible outcomes. This is especially useful if you want to recruit all the special characters, since some of them may wind up dead or otherwise unavailable in other story-lines. So abusing some time paradoxes is necessary.


http://static.gamespot.com/uploads/scale_super/gamespot/images/2010/308/1596102-999440_20101105_006.jpg

On to the story… Oh gosh. I really don’t want to spoil it for you guys. I’ll just say some general things. This is a Yasumi Matsuno game. If you come into this game knowing that, you know what to expect – a mature, politically-charged story, devoid of typical Japanese fantasy tropes. The world is usually pretty bleak, but not without hope, and your characters get caught up in all of this intrigue, suffering very much, like a real human being would. If you haven’t heard of Matsuno, let’s just say his stories are a bit like a Game of Thrones – a detailed fixation on the Medieval period with a very cynical, realistic worldview. Just with less boobs and gore. Like Martin, Matsuno usually bases his stories on real historical events. FF Tactics takes most of its inspiration from the War of the Roses, while Tactics Ogre is a fictionalization of the Yugoslavian conflict. Needless to say, the story is tangled, filled with backstabbing and betrayal. Pretty darn fantastic overall.


http://www.capsulecomputers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/tactics-ogre-let-us-cling-together-review-screenshot-03.png
The impeccable localization surely helps drive the point home.

The music is done by Hitoshi Sakimoto and a couple of other guys I’m not that familiar with. If you’ve played the Ivalice games, you know what quality you can expect here.


NfiBATGkkX4

I really recommend this game to SRPG fans, especially people who like FF Tactis, as this is kind of a spiritual predecessor to that game. Actually, the remake implements some aspects from FFT, so it’s kind of a weird hybrid at this point. I can’t vouch for the SNES version, but the PSP version is nothing short of brilliant. If you’re a Matsuno fan – what the hell are you waiting for?

[Ayen]

Oh, that game. I need to play that game some time now that I have it.

[Fynn]

Oh, that game. I need to play that game some time now that I have it.

Being the GoT fan that you are, I'm surprised you haven't done that yet.

[Pumpkin]

I like it but I can never get very far because some aspects of it confuse me and I can't keep up

[Fynn]

I like it but I can never get very far because some aspects of it confuse me and I can't keep up

Yeah, the system is pretty robust and easy to get lost in. If you ever decide to replay it, let me know and I'll try to help you to the best of my ability ;)

[Pumpkin]

Thanks! I probably will someday because I do like it

[Fynn]

#22

As some of you may know, I’m not a big horror fan. Wait, no. Maybe I should rephrase that… I love horror of a particular kind, but can’t really stand anything else. I don’t want any cheap jumpscares or gore. What I look for in a horror story is this deep feeling of unease. I just like psychological horror, I guess. So it’s a no-brainer that Silent Hill was what introduced me to horror games. Right now, I specifically want to talk to you about…


SILENT HILL 4: THE ROOM


http://www.silenthillmemories.net/sh4/wallpapers/pics/sh4_05_1024.jpg

NdXCsXcs6nA

My wife and I have made it a tradition to play a Silent Hill game every Halloween and this is the one we’ve played the most recently. Needless to say, I was pretty wary of the title. Silent Hill 3 was a really good game, but people have said that that was pretty much the last good game. So many people on the internet were slamming Silent Hill 4 I was starting to think I would regret it. Boy, was I wrong!


http://1u88jj3r4db2x4txp44yqfj1.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/creepy-terrifying-robbie-the-rabbit.jpg
No, wait. I regret everything!

Yes, it’s a bit different than a typical Silent Hill game. You don’t really even physically explore Silent Hill and, in a way, you are confined to your own room. But then again, you are supernaturally confined to your own room. You’re stuck in your apartment for months due to some unseen force and you get to visit some terrifying places by using a hole in your bathroom wall. Now if that isn’t an original idea for a story, I don’t know what is!


http://misterblank22.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/silent-hill-4-the-room-5.jpg
"Aw, man. My insurance can't cover that..."

The story itself is also different. It’s not really the protagonist’s journey to discover himself. Henry simply wants to get out of his apartment. And to do that, he needs to solve a bizarre murder mystery. In a nice twist, we get to go into detail of a murder case mentioned in Silent Hill 2 and explore the twisted mind of the culprit. People often complain that Henry isn’t too well developed, but I think that’s fine. He’s meant as just an avatar for the audience, plus the time he spent alone would really serve to make him seem more apathetic and reserved. And I just love how awkward and shy that makes him. He’s an adorkable little fella that I just want to hug and he has the best catchphrase out of all the Silent Hill protagonists.


MnDSYLnS3Kc

http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20141005160519/silenthillpedia/pl/images/7/72/Henry_Townshend.png
I mean, look at him!

This game is derivative of SH2 in more ways than one. Not only do you get a lot of shout-outs to that game (like your landlord is James Sunderland’s father), but the tone is more similar to what we had there than in Silent Hill 1 or 3. People often claim that 3 is the scariest entry, but I disagree. Silent Hill 4 probably has the most cases of truly subtle horror, as opposed to Silent Hill 3’s oppressive, over-the-top hellish environments (that I still enjoyed a lot). Just take a look at some of these scenes.


UWmXaCJ2qQs
Hey, your apartment actually starts getting possessed later in the game!

6yRoJBadHqA
The hauntings are always super fun!

Ql7wEkKdwiw
You get to exorcise your room with candles if you want to.

http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/silent/images/3/3e/BabyHaunting302.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140103030239
They're mostly harmless!

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/oCBnhv_s-CM/hqdefault.jpg
Mostly.

http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121020130642/silent/images/thumb/2/29/WalterSullivanCorpse.jpg/500px-WalterSullivanCorpse.jpg
Okay, only people who've played the game know exactly how terrifying this thing is.

This game is also a bit more combat heavy than previous games, but that works. You get a limited inventory and breakable weapons, so proper management is key. It really adds to the oppressive atmosphere and survival aspect of the game.
As usual, the music is pretty damn good. Akira Yamaoka is a master of atmospheric ambient tracks, but this game also has some of his prettiest melodies. It’s definitely worth a listen!

9xhI_IkOdCk

If you’re a horror fan, don’t miss out on this. Don’t listen to the haters. Come into this game with an open mind. Don’t expect this game to be the same as the previous games. Play it and enjoy it for what it is – an original game with a very interesting story and unique sense of horror. Perfect for Halloween gaming!

[Wolf Kanno]

I still need to play Tactics Ogre, as mentioned in my own List Thread when concerning VC, I've kind of fallen out with Tactical-JRPGs at the moment and few hold my interest so I didn't want to jump into this game because I was worried this mindset would paint the experience for me like it did Valkyria Chronicles and Disgaea 3.

I really like Silent 4 though, it was the game that got me into Silent Hill and introduced me to the awesomness that is Silent Hill2. Man, I really need to collect the series.

61863

[Fynn]

#21

For the following game, I am going to use unmarked spoilers. I can’t talk about what I liked about this game without using spoilers, and I can’t just use spoiler tags in the whole thing, since that would create a lot of self-fulfilling spoilers. Okay, that’s out of the way now. Behold another MegaTen game. This is partly dedicated to you, Pumpkin, so read carefully, so that you may finally understand why I like this game so much ;)


SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI: DIGITAL DEVIL SAGA (1&2)


http://www.digitaldevilsaga2.co.uk/img/dds2_wallpaper_03.jpg

MyG-HLAtGso

Honestly, I didn’t really feel this game at first either. The setting seems pretty drab, the cannibalistic elements are pretty graphic, in general the world seems incredibly pessimistic – and, truth be told, it does stay like this throughout most of the game. Still, once I started over after not getting far, I was drawn in. Mostly by the battle system and dungeon exploration. Like in SMT IV, the press turn system makes a return, so battles are fun as usual. This time around your party is comprised entirely of humans who can turn into demons, so no demon fusion, which is normally a staple of the series. Bu then again, you get the atma system that allows you to customize your party members in a very similar manner to things like FFX and FFXII. Another advantage of this change – the story is actually mostly centered around the characters and their relationships. And boy, does it go deep.

Here’s where the serious spoiler begin, guys, so if anyone hasn’t played this yet and wants to, stop reading, and go play the game.

Okay?

One last chance.

Okay?




SPOILERS COMMENCE!


http://s.pro-gmedia.com/videogamer/media/images/ps2/shin_megami_tensei_digital_devil_saga_2/screens/shin_megami_tensei_digital_devil_saga_2_4.jpg
Just as you will, from all the spoilers.

The story as a whole is a heart-rending journey dealing with the themes of humanity, love, and people’s relationship with God. For once in an SMT game, God is not portrayed as evil or mad. Here, they are ambiguous at worst, but mostly benevolent, just very, very pissed off at what people have done. They are the cause of everything wrong with the Earth at the time the game takes place, but DDS makes it very clear that we deserve it. The journey ultimately takes you to the Sun, where you face off with God with the hopes that you may appease them. The game uses a different interpretation of God than most games, however, borrowing mostly from Hinduism (God is even called Brahman in the final battle), wherein, in very simplified terms, a human soul is interpreted as a drop of water and God is the ocean. This game got me very interested in Hinduism and opened my eyes to a lot of things, on top of being very in-line with my interpretation of many things concerning spirituality.


http://static5.gamespot.com/uploads/original/gamespot/images/2005/290/reviews/693660-924460_20051018_001.jpg

Another heavy topic this game deals with is humanity. The characters start off as blank slates with no emotions of their own. A blast of unknown origin makes them begin to feel emotions – they start to become human (since up until that point, they were merely a military simulation). However, in an ironic twist, it turns them into flesh-eating demons. Some take big issue with their cravings – Argilla is visibly disgusted by what she has to do in order to survive, making this conflict central to her character arc. In the end, however, they need to survive, no matter how painful coming to terms with being a cannibal is. Then there’s characters who simply revel in their new-found instinct. The game takes this whole theme very seriously, and it’s as horrific as a scenario like this should be.


http://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/166298-shin-megami-tensei-digital-devil-saga-playstation-2-screenshot.png
Don't worry, I can't really pronounce those either.

So what about love? Love is a big deal here, and I don’t mean the romantic one. The main cast often refer to themselves as comrades – and you truly feel they are. The character may lack the development and depth of the cast of Persona 3 or 4, but their dialogs are very well-written, making you really feel for them. It is clear that the whole situation in the game has made a big impact on their lives. One of the most interesting characters is Heat. Heat starts off as Serph’s (the protagonist’s) best friend/rival. What at first seems to be lust for Sera, the mysterious girl who is obviously in love with Serph, and later drives him to betray his comrades, turns out to have been a trace of the genuine, father-like love he had for Sera in his previous life. Your decisions throughout both games have a heavy impact on how Heat’s arc develops. Namely, you get a better outcome if you reinforce the camaraderie – the love – that you guys share.


http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/c/c6/Badass_heat.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120217055038

Serph is a pretty interesting character in that regard as well. Namely, his previous incarnation, unbeknownst to him, was a terrifying maniac whose ambition and greed, coupled with the abuse of Sera and manipulating her love, is one of the reasons God is so angry. By the end, the characters remark how all this is because they all forgot about “one little thing”. People have become too caught up with ambition to forget what respect for other humans is, and what love is. I mostly love this game, because that’s something I agree with from the bottom of my heart – if more effort was put in society to actually accept other humans, and spread love, so to speak, many conflicts could be avoided.


http://www.kotowari.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/dds.jpg
"Comrades."

Phew! Went on quite a tangent there! :D Started having EoEO flashbacks. On to some lighter things. The music is very underrated. Again, people unfairly compare this game’s soundtrack to Persona’s. It’s also done by Shoji Meguro, but this is a completely different kind of story. And it has one kickass final boss theme.

f7zvmq24Sck

As this is on my top 25 list, I would definitely recommend it, but I have to concede that I probably have a high opinion of this game for mostly personal, subjective reasons. I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, much like most MegaTen games, but I think it’s one of those games where it pays to stick around, as it only gets better the farther it gets, with a breathtaking ending to top it all off.

[Fynn]

I still need to play Tactics Ogre, as mentioned in my own List Thread when concerning VC, I've kind of fallen out with Tactical-JRPGs at the moment and few hold my interest so I didn't want to jump into this game because I was worried this mindset would paint the experience for me like it did Valkyria Chronicles and Disgaea 3.

I really like Silent 4 though, it was the game that got me into Silent Hill and introduced me to the awesomness that is Silent Hill2. Man, I really need to collect the series.

61863

Silent Hill is pretty awesome, and 4 is a great entry that gets a lot of undeserved flak. It's a really interesting title that people hate for being different. Well, joke's on them, because I think it's mostly the fault of the negative reception that Team Silent disbanded. Here's hoping P.T. turns out great.

I think you should be fine with Tactics Ogre. It's still one of those old-style SRPGs that don't have the flaws you mentioned in your VC post. It really is all about strategy, rather than grinding (heck, I'm pretty sure you finish the main storyline around your teens).

[Scotty_ffgamer]

Someday I'll play the Digital Devil Saga games. I still need to someday beat Silent Hill 3 as well. Unfortunately, I got to the end of the game in college and then graduated before I could beat it, and the game went away with my roommate. I've only heard bad things about SH4 for so long that I've been unsure about it, but I've always been interested in playing it after I eventually beat 3. I think the biggest issue people have is the fact that it originally wasn't intended to be a Silent Hill game, and people just can't see past that.

[Fynn]

Someday I'll play the Digital Devil Saga games. I still need to someday beat Silent Hill 3 as well. Unfortunately, I got to the end of the game in college and then graduated before I could beat it, and the game went away with my roommate. I've only heard bad things about SH4 for so long that I've been unsure about it, but I've always been interested in playing it after I eventually beat 3. I think the biggest issue people have is the fact that it originally wasn't intended to be a Silent Hill game, and people just can't see past that.

It was always intended as a Silent Hill game, just not a main, numbered title. It was first called simply "Silent Hill: Room 302", and was supposed to be a gaiden game, kinda like FFTactics or something. Or, more accurately, it's kinda like how people are flipping out because Versus suddenly became XV.

[Scotty_ffgamer]

In any case, it shows that that idea at least is pretty pervasive on the internet. I don't know how many people I know who like Silent Hill but hate that game have made that claim at least. I've never checked into it really since I don't care that much.

In any case, I still hear the argument that it doesn't feel like a Silent Hill game. I feel like these fans of horror games that hate this game would really like it if it didn't have the Silent Hill name.

[Fynn]

In any case, it shows that that idea at least is pretty pervasive on the internet. I don't know how many people I know who like Silent Hill but hate that game have made that claim at least. I've never checked into it really since I don't care that much.

In any case, I still hear the argument that it doesn't feel like a Silent Hill game. I feel like these fans of horror games that hate this game would really like it if it didn't have the Silent Hill name.

Perhaps. To me, even though it was different, it still very much had this distinct Silent Hill vibe, and I don't know if I would even have played it if it wasn't Silent Hill. To each their own, though :shrug: I still think it deserves a fair shot, even if it doesn't turn out to be your cup of tea. Like I mentioned, I was wary of it, but ended up loving it much more than 3 (which I still liked very much, mind you).

[Scotty_ffgamer]

Oh, I'm sure I'll probably like it. I've always suspected that the issues people really have it are the things I stated above and not with the quality of the game itself. I'm all for trying horror games though.

[Pumpkin]

I do actually know the whole DDS story, because whenever I want to quit a story driven game, I always read ahead to see if its worth sticking around. While the premise is good, I don't like the way its told and on the whole the game is downright depressing. It probably hits me more then most because I suffer from depression, but this game makes me so depressed and angry. Plus the nightmares like I said.

I understand why you like it, it just really isn't for me personally

[Fynn]

Oh, I'm sure I'll probably like it. I've always suspected that the issues people really have it are the things I stated above and not with the quality of the game itself. I'm all for trying horror games though.

Yeah, can't say I have it the same. I'm really very picky when it comes to horror. I know Resident Evil is not my type of thing, and then all those super jump-scarey indie games just don't do it for me. Outlast is only shocking to me, not really the fear I'm looking for. And then there's things like Corpse Party, which is just gross. I really miss those Silent Hill games already :(

Thanks for your input, Pumpkin! I am well aware that my list is very subjective and don't expect everyone to like it, since I know I kinda had weird tastes. I mean, I've never seen a top games lost that would be so overwhelmingly dominated by JRPGs... :eep:

[Scotty_ffgamer]

Silent Hill is the type of horror I'm looking for, really. Although, I love horror B-movies, which is the kind of vibe I get from Resident Evil. I've never played those games. I actually picked up Corpse Party in a sale. I know nothing about it except I kept hearing it was good.

I should have said that I'm all for trying new psychological horror games, and Team Silent is a group I can trust with that. Really, all these posts boil down to is that I'm glad you liked 4 as what you said kind of confirms that I'll probably adore the game.

[Pumpkin]

I mean, I've never seen a top games lost that would be so overwhelmingly dominated by JRPGs...

Wait till you see the number of RPG's on my list

And yeah I hope you don't think I'm trying to put down your taste in games. If you like them then that's what matters and it makes me happy you have something you enjoy and also that all that work people put in to those games was appreciated. I'm just giving my opinion and discussing is all :D

[Shauna]

I have yet to play DDS2, but managed to work my way through DDS1. It is pretty fantastic. :D

[Colonel Angus]

Xenogears & Tactics Ogre are both on my must play list.

[Ayen]

Oh, that game. I need to play that game some time now that I have it.

Being the GoT fan that you are, I'm surprised you haven't done that yet.

I'm too busy playing video games to play video games.

I'll probably play The Room eventually. I just need to get through the first three games first. I played the first game for the first time last Halloween.

[Wolf Kanno]

Technically, SH4 has been saved from the scrapheap by fans and is often considered the last good one due to how awful the entries not done by Team Silent have been.

[Fynn]

Technically, SH4 has been saved from the scrapheap by fans and is often considered the last good one due to how awful the entries not done by Team Silent have been.

I heard Shattered Memories is surprisingly fantastic, though. And Downpour I've heard is pretty good.


Xenogears & Tactics Ogre are both on my must play list.

All the games on my lost should be on your must play list :monster:

[Scotty_ffgamer]

Shattered Memories has an interesting story and idea. It's probably the best of the post-Team Silent stuff that I've seen. I had some issues with the gameplay when I played, but it was enjoyable.

Downpour I watched my roommate play most of. He's the only person I've seen say anything positive about the game too. It has a ton of issues, but I still think I'd like it if I played it. Also, the joke ending in that one is absolutely fantastic.

[Fynn]

#20

This game is quite the fan darling. And for good reason! I almost missed out on playing this. Not only was this never released in Europe, it had a very limited release, from what I recall. My dad managed to get me one of the last copies of this game from PlayAsia for Christmas a couple of years ago. It was such a nice gift.


RADIANT HISTORIA


http://66.90.91.26/album_images/7624-Front.jpg

1i8vY4jzzZI

I know for a fact that most people here are familiar with this game, so this will probably be pretty short. This game is an amazing throwback to SNES-era RPGs. Its time-travel story is phenomenally well-written, the character artwork is stunning, and the battle system is very engaging and strategic, as each attack you use moves the enemies around the field in one way or another, making you really think things through when you battle. Ooh, and you get to play around with turn order. That’s always fun. And also, one of the central themes is love (or as I like to refer to it, the four loves, borrowing from Lewis, just so you guys don’t get the impression that I’m talking solely about romantic love here) yet again. See a pattern yet? :D


http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511pLb%2BHTxL.jpg

Yes, the world map is pretty small. Yes, there is a lot of backtracking. Yes, you often need to replay scenes making it very repetitive. But really, with a story and setting this consistent and well-executed, it doesn’t matter. Your characters and the plot more than make up for any of the story’s shortcomings.


http://41.media.tumblr.com/c30dbded9f4bf03855bf84d95c8c62c8/tumblr_mhmk4uHmX81rty7tao1_400.jpg
Ooh boy, don't ebem get me sarted on how much I love her :3:

The music is nothing short of amazing, which is to be expected, considering it’s Yoko Shimomura we’re talking about. Though smaller and more subdued than some of her best-known works, the soundtrack certainly does a great job in helping create an unforgettable experience.


9sCm__GcOPk

Now, the story does little to really take the genre off its rails and revolutionize JRPG story tropes. But I think, as I believe Jesu Otaku put it when describing Vision of Escaflowne, there’s something to be said when a story does nothing new but does what it does so well that it really does leave you immensely satisfied. Radiant Historia may not be the most revolutionary RPG ever. But damn, if it isn’t a beautiful one.

[Ayen]

Never heard of it :smug:

[Wolf Kanno]

I still need to pick this game up sometime. I think this and SH4 are the only games on the list so far I don't own, though I'm sure that will change eventually.

[Fynn]

I still need to pick this game up sometime. I think this and SH4 are the only games on the list so far I don't own, though I'm sure that will change eventually.

http://bulk2.destructoid.com/ul/220958-radi.jpg

It's gonna be pretty hard to get at this point, I bet. Still, I really hope you get to play it since it's awesome.

[Wolf Kanno]

I think it was more of being pre-occupied with other things and before I knew it my local game store had fazed out their DS section. I mean I'm still working on Four Heroes of Light as well from back then.

[Fynn]

I think it was more of being pre-occupied with other things and before I knew it my local game store had fazed out their DS section. I mean I'm still working on Four Heroes of Light as well from back then.

Oh man, I haven't tried that game yet!

[Wolf Kanno]

I think it was more of being pre-occupied with other things and before I knew it my local game store had fazed out their DS section. I mean I'm still working on Four Heroes of Light as well from back then.

Oh man, I haven't tried that game yet!

It's interesting and you can tell it's the same team as Bravery Default. I think my only beef so far is that the pacing is pretty slow. The Job Class system is interesting though.

[Madame Adequate]

I just wanted to say that although my list would look very different, I am enjoying this thread greatly!

[Pumpkin]

I still insist that Dias is a very pretty girl

[Fynn]

I still insist that Dias is a very pretty girl

I wish he was. That would make my crush on him much less awkward :exdee:

[Ayen]

I still insist that Dias is a very pretty girl

The prettiest in all the land.

[Fynn]

Sorry I kinda spoiled you guys with the update tempo so far. I'm going to have to slow down to about one entey a day, sińce I have a heap of exams coming up. Will try to make up for that during the weekend!

[Fynn]

#19

I bet a lot of you had this feeling. A game is coming out soon. You know you want it, bah, you need it! But you just don’t have the system. Yet. I vowed to get a 3DS for this game. Ultimately, I didn’t have to do a thing. Santa was kind enough to get me both a 3DS XL and…


BRAVELY DEFAULT: WHERE THE FAIRY FLIES


http://bravelydefault.nintendo.com/img/slide_character_one.png

NgpWhd80ldQ

For the most part, I was not disappointed. I thoroughly enjoyed the game, but I think I need to get the big bad thing out of my system first, before I proceed. This game has one huge gaping flaw. Half of the game is a loop of the previous half. You need to beat all the bosses an absurd amount of time, with little variation to break the monotony. This seriously tarnished a lot of the love I have for this game, especially since some of those battles were insanely hard in a cruelly unfair way. Huff, huff…


https://40.media.tumblr.com/a204027a3e03f6a44e0e352b5ac3fc5c/tumblr_mp2h07GzT41rzgx8qo1_500.jpg
*hrmphraghramfhrah*


Now that that’s out of the way, this is another one of those throwback days. Bravely Default is an SNES-era Final Fantasy in all but name. It has a vibrant world, endearing characters, an interesting storyline centering around elemental crystals, and the best version of the job system in existence, excluding the FFT sub-series. It’s very self-aware in many areas, and I like how fun all of the villains are. Seriously, I don’t think there’s a character in this game I didn’t enjoy in one way or another. The main cast gets a lot of banter, too – Party Chat reminds me of FFIX’s ATEs, where you get to view optional exchanges between your four party members, adding a lot to the relationship between them.


http://www.batteredjoystick.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/tumblr_n12aqfIehK1rnitbco1_400.jpg
I do my best to stay fashionabluuuuuuh.

I also really liked was the treatment religion got in this game. At the beginning, it seems like it’s pretty straightforward – the crystals are deities, so the religion following must be true and good. But then it turns out the Anti-Crystalists actually have valid reasons to hate the Crystalist Church, since it is a corrupt organization with a very bloody history. Nevertheless, neither side is presented as completely sympathetic or vile. There are good people in both, and there are corrupt officials in both. In the end most representative of both sides get to reach some understanding, and from what I’ve read about the sequel browser game, they co-exist. Lovely. :) Atheists and Christians can be friends. That is something I can really get behind.


http://images.eurogamer.net/2014/usgamer/bravelydefault-spot1.jpg

The battle system itself is phenomenal. What at first seems to be not much more than a traditional turn-base system actually turns out to be something much, much more complex and fun, with the simple addition of the Brave/Default mechanic. You can stock up on turns or use up more turns in one go, playing it safe or risking it all for a quick win. What sounds simple on paper turns out to be extremely strategic, as you constantly have to adjust your approach, depending on the situation you’re in. The enemies can use and abuse this system too, so you’re always kept on your toes. The games is pretty challenging, but you can always lower the difficulty if you’re feeling overwhelmed.


http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140514223545/finalfantasy/images/a/a7/Bravely_Default_Game_Over.png
Don't expect any mercy during the endgame, even on easy, though.

Finally, there’s the music. I can honestly say that this is the best video game OST that I have ever heard, and I didn’t expect it to be! I had never heard of Revo from before this game, but whoah, does this dude know what he’s doing or what. The melodies are pretty simple and memorable, actually very evocative of SNES-era FF, but it’s the arrangements that make this music special. Everything – every instrument, every little note, every break, is right in place. The music sucks you right in and doesn’t let go. It certainly doesn’t hurt that it’s all live music, without a trace of a midi sound, but I’m sure Revo would pull it all off even if he had to work with synth. Which makes the fact that he’s not reprising his role as composer for the sequel all the more depressing. Still, take a listen to this couple of tracks. Even if we don’t get Bravely Second soundtrack by him, regardless of its shortness, the Bravely Default OST can last you a loooong while. ;)


tCa17qVOTNM
Seriously, there's not a single bad track.

WVSrT5gC_NE
I dare say Revo makes a better Uematsu than Uematsu himself, nowadays :p

tl363Wh4ghU
I mean, just listen!

BiXfl0EIvxw
I can't stop listening to it!

vHeuR_bC9GM
I've had it on my iPhone non-stop for the year since I first listened to it.

znkBQOvDLeg
And I'm still not even close to being tired of it!

In short, this is another masterpiece with a huge, gaping hole in it. Still, I was able to forgive it, but it did put this game much lower on the list because of that. Without that, this game would easily have made top 10, if not top 5. If you have a 3DS and are a fan of SNES-era FF, you absolutely cannot miss this game.

[Pumpkin]

Again, I'm not going to go in to much detail because I have my own review to write but it is summed up like this:

Fun gameplay, loved the job classes, interesting story. Didn't care for any of the characters, which for me can be a big deal because in cases like this it makes me that much less invested in the story. Also SHOVING THE ONLINE FEATURES DOWN MY THROAT I DON'T WANT TO PLAY WITH OTHER PEOPLE I WANT TO PLAY BY MYSELF AND NOT BE PENALIZED FOR THAT

But still a good game :monster:

[Bolivar]

I actually did buy a 3DS to play this game, after the insane Nintendo Direct where they announced Link Between Worlds, the new Mario & Luigi RPG, and this localization. I held off because at the time of release, I started seeing a pattern that all my 3DS games with promise for a nostalgic franchise or concept all lost steam for me about halfway through. My Vita and PC backlogs are insane right now but your comments about the music make me want to take a second look here.

[Fynn]

I actually did buy a 3DS to play this game, after the insane Nintendo Direct where they announced Link Between Worlds, the new Mario & Luigi RPG, and this localization. I held off because at the time of release, I started seeing a pattern that all my 3DS games with promise for a nostalgic franchise or concept all lost steam for me about halfway through. My Vita and PC backlogs are insane right now but your comments about the music make me want to take a second look here.

The music is insanely good. Just keep in mind, this game will try your patience in a way I really can't spoil you. I think if you're prepared for that, the risk of you being severely disappointed with the game is much lower, and it'll be easier for you to look past it.

[Del Murder]

I see you like RPGs...

[Fynn]

I see you like RPGs...

Yeah. It was right there In the disclaimer In the OP :p

[sharkythesharkdogg]

I actually picked up Corpse Party in a sale. I know nothing about it except I kept hearing it was good.


I watched a Let's Play of one of those games. Very sad, pretty creepy, good story.

[Fynn]

I actually picked up Corpse Party in a sale. I know nothing about it except I kept hearing it was good.


I watched a Let's Play of one of those games. Very sad, pretty creepy, good story.

Idk, I found it very exploitational, both in story and in art. It's just not what I look for in horror.

[Ayen]

The fairy at the start is creepy.

[Galuf]

damn. well if im one of the 2 who hasnt completed it then i wonder who the other one is.

[Skyblade]

This is a fantastic game, but the spoiler problem does get to be quite aggravating. I would cut Chapter 6 entirely if I could. The rest of it I think is ok. Maybe do away with Chapter 5 as well, but it didn't start really grating on my nerves until 6.

Chapter 7 was fan-frelling-tastic, though, despite suffering from some of that same issue.

[Wolf Kanno]

damn. well if im one of the 2 who hasnt completed it then i wonder who the other one is.

That would probably be me, it's sitting in my game collection right now next to two other 3DS games I need to bust into. Been busy with real life.

[Scotty_ffgamer]

I've only played it a little bit. I really need to get back into it. I enjoyed what I did play. I still really like the whole system of being able to change the encounter rate at any time you wish. I'd love that feature to be a thing in more games that have random encounters.

[Ayen]

damn. well if im one of the 2 who hasnt completed it then i wonder who the other one is.

That would probably be me, it's sitting in my game collection right now next to two other 3DS games I need to bust into. Been busy with real life.

Make that three. I haven't completed it either.

[Fynn]

#18

I’ve recently been talking to Pumpkin about how some games just don’t even try to be something poignant. A lot of the best games are just pure fun. That is the point of games, after all. This list has so far been pretty dark and dreary, but I promise you, there’s more to my tastes than that :D So here’s one game that is nothing but pure, unadulterated, lighthearted fun:

MARIO & LUIGI: BOWSER’S INSIDE STORY


http://199.101.98.242/media/shots/50242-Mario_&_Luigi_-_Bowser's_Inside_Story_(US)(M3)(XenoPhobia)-2.jpg

RLB188aoqZQ

I know this forum has a collective boner for Super Mario RPG. It was a good game, I have to admit, but I never understood why people acted like it was the best thing since sliced bread and that nothing similar came out of it later (they sometimes acknowledge the Paper Mario series, however). I don’t get how people so in love with that game can simply ignore the existence of this cute little series, especially this, the third installment, which I consider the best among the Mario RPGs. Yes, I just said it. I like this game so much better better than Super Mario RPG, mainly because the star of the show is Bowser.


http://www.zeldauniverse.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/nintendo-e309-22.jpg

https://41.media.tumblr.com/3536c96c3fba31f6ac7c39740b522ac6/tumblr_mg1o76oVAC1qgmnq8o1_500.jpg
Is this a fanfic?

Bowser is my favorite Mushroom Kingdom character, hands down, and he is awesome in this game. He tosses stuff left and right, meaning he’s still the badass he’s supposed to be, but he also often plays the butt monkey. Basically any line he utters is priceless.
Really, I’m struggling to find a line from this game that isn’t comedic gold. I mean, look at Fawful and his hillariously broken English.


http://www.mariowiki.com/images/thumb/b/b3/Fawful3.png/210px-Fawful3.pnghttp://www.mariowiki.com/images/thumb/e/e3/Fawful1.png/200px-Fawful1.pnghttp://www.mariowiki.com/images/thumb/e/ee/MLBiS_-_Fawful_Statue_Screenshot.png/180px-MLBiS_-_Fawful_Statue_Screenshot.png
http://i.ytimg.com/vi/pWKgJCh1jB4/maxresdefault.jpg
http://static.gamesradar.com/images/mb/GamesRadar/us/Games/M/Mario%20and%20Luigi%203/Everything%20Else/ART/Finished/091409_marioandluigi3_obs01--article_image.jpg

Or Midbus, whose name is already punny enough, and who speaks like he watches too many kung fu movies.


http://www.mariowiki.com/images/b/bc/MLBiS_-_Midbus_Screenshot1.png

Besides the impeccable script, the game is also really nice to look at, with high quality 2D sprites with extra smooth animations.
The battle system is pretty nice, if nothing too original. Remember how in SMRPG you had to time your hits right? The same happens here. When you attack, you get to push a button. Time it right for massive damage. You can also avoid enemy attacks in a similar way. You control the Bros. using the A and B button, while Bowser is controlled with the X and Y button. The Bros. occupy the bottom screen, mostly exploring a 2D, side-scroller like environment, while the top screen is devoted to our lovable king of all Koopas.


http://dsmedia.gamespy.com/ds/image/article/102/1021923/mario-luigi-bowsers-inside-story-20090907043610372_640w.jpg

The music is done by Yoko Shimomura, as is the tradition for the series. Most of her tracks are fairly lighthearted, but I still always get a nice pump out of the regular battle theme.


mqSem0HtHXM

Too bad Dream Team Bros. never reached the level this game offers. Still, who cares if the sequel is weak if you still get to experience an amazing little gem anyway? I can recommend this game to anyone, really. It’s easy to get into, sucks you in and captivates you with magical whimsy. It’s a great game for both casual and hardcore gamers alike. And it’s hilarious as smurf.

[Ayen]

I didn't know Bowser had his own game. That's awesome. Luigi got his own game, Warrio got his own game, Peach got her own game, Toad got his own game, and now Bowser has his own game. EVERYBODY GETS A GAME!

[Wolf Kanno]

I didn't know Bowser had his own game. That's awesome. Luigi got his own game, Warrio got his own game, Peach got her own game, Toad got his own game, and now Bowser has his own game. EVERYBODY GETS A GAME!

Except Daisy
61937

[Pumpkin]

I like Daisy :(

Seems like a cute game! Never been one for the Mario games, but it does look cute and seems funny.

Midbus looks friggin creepy tho

[Ayen]

I didn't know Bowser had his own game. That's awesome. Luigi got his own game, Warrio got his own game, Peach got her own game, Toad got his own game, and now Bowser has his own game. EVERYBODY GETS A GAME!

Except Daisy
61937

She was doomed when she became Luigi's love interest.

[Fynn]

I like Daisy :(

Seems like a cute game! Never been one for the Mario games, but it does look cute and seems funny.

Midbus looks friggin creepy tho

Really? I always thought he had that ugly-cute charm going for him ;)


http://www.mariowiki.com/images/thumb/2/25/Midbus_Artwork_-_Mario_and_Luigi_BiS.png/250px-Midbus_Artwork_-_Mario_and_Luigi_BiS.png

But yeah, y'all have to try this game as it's one of the most fun experience I've ever had.

And it's not just Daisy, Wolf. Waluigi never got his own game either, and a very vocal part of tumblr is very upset about that... :eep:

[Pumpkin]

Ohh okay I misread

I meant this dude:
http://static.gamesradar.com/images/mb/GamesRadar/us/Games/M/Mario%20and%20Luigi%203/Everything%20Else/ART/Finished/091409_marioandluigi3_obs01--article_image.jpg

He's friggin creepy

[Fynn]

Ohh okay I misread

I meant this dude:
http://static.gamesradar.com/images/mb/GamesRadar/us/Games/M/Mario%20and%20Luigi%203/Everything%20Else/ART/Finished/091409_marioandluigi3_obs01--article_image.jpg

He's friggin creepy

Ah, yes. Fawful's pretty creepy. But he's also the hammiest villain ever. Seriously, it's glorious.

[Pumpkin]

Of course he's a ham, his name is Fawful. That's not even subtle

[Bubba]

I haven't played any of these but I'm really enjoying the list so far :p

[Fynn]

I haven't played any of these but I'm really enjoying the list so far :p

Well, here's hoping this list will help you change half of that statement someday ;)

[Bolivar]

I played Partners in Time, these are indeed really fun games, if a little on the simple side.

[Bubba]

I haven't played any of these but I'm really enjoying the list so far :p

Well, here's hoping this list will help you change half of that statement someday ;)

Indeed! A few of the reviews have already got me intrigued :)

[Fynn]

#17

An entry from this series was pretty inevitable on this forum. Still, I think it’s only proper that I start with a little story. When I was a kid, I didn’t even know what FF was until my friend found this cool little emulator site where you could, um… take in some classics, so to speak :D The NES and SNES never really existed in Poland. Exploring this whole new world of games was really exciting and new. Three games in particular have grabbed my interest. I have been addicted to this series ever since. These games were FFIV, FFV and…


FINAL FANTASY VI

http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/24600000/Terra-Branford-final-fantasy-vi-24682049-1300-771.jpg

BZgswAFQ16k

What can be said about FFVI that hasn’t been done to death on this forum? It’s a phenomenal game that redefined what Final Fantasy stood for. It had a fresh new setting, no central protagonist, instead making the story revolve around a group of individuals each taking the center stage at one point or another, and a completely non-linear second half. The story seems like a typical evil empire narrative at first, but the way it is told is unique and really, I don’t think any game has done it this well to this day. The amazing music drives this point home. This is probably my favorite soundtrack by Uematsu so far.


http://www.emuparadise.me/fup/up/33725-Final_Fantasy_VI_(Japan)_[En_by_RPGOne_v1.2b]_[All_Bug_Fixes]-1.jpg
Dicks.

While the game is extremely easy, the gameplay is never boring. Each character plays differently in battle, and though some are broken as all hell, they’re all fun to play with. There’s also plenty of scenes that shake the gameplay up substantially, and those are all pretty neat as well.


http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130422210501/finalfantasy/images/e/e5/FFVI_Tools_Chainsaw_1.png
"We all still can't get over the Mobliz chainsaw massacre..."

People praise VII for making JRPGs become more cinematic, but FFVI actually laid the groundwork for all that. The theatrical feel it has, what with its beautiful backgrounds, very expressive character sprites, and very well done tonal shifts, I really think all those FFVII fanboys have a lot to owe this game :monster: And again, the music!


hkFR7Z2SG2M

http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140120044053/finalfantasy/images/0/03/Opera-Floozy-FFVI-iOS.png
You're in an opera anyway you look at it, Celes.

Before I finish, I just wanted to touch on the iOS remake. I’ve given it a shot and I really like it! The menus are streamlined, the enemy graphics are nicely redrawn, and I have to say, I really love what they did with the sprites. Now, before you start hurling all those tomatoes at me, let me explain why. Unlike those bland FFIV:CC sprites, this time around, they actually got Kazuko Shibuya to draw them. Who is Kazuko Shibuya, you ask? Well, only the person responsible for all the sprites of the SNES-era FFs. This is one of her sprite artworks:


http://images.wikia.com/finalfantasy/images/archive/f/fa/20120502155650!VI-terra_sd.jpg

And here’s how the sprite looks in-game:


http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20140710233711/finalfantasy/images/5/5e/FF6_iOS_Terra_Sprites.png

Big kudos to Ms. Shibuya!

All things considered, FFVI is a must-play, whether you are an FF fan or not. Even if you end up not liking it, this is one big chunk of RPG history right there. I’m pretty sure JRPGs today (or dare I even say gaming in general) would look much different if it weren’t for Final Fantasy VI.

Ugh, now I’m pretty sure y'al are gonna lose your shit once you see what’s right above this game. I’ll go get the pineapple net :monster:

[Pumpkin]

I think it's got a really strong cast of characters. I didn't really dislike any of them and that's saying a lot for how many there are

[Wolf Kanno]

I'd say it's a fair assessment of VI. Now I'm curious which is next since you think we're all going to lose our shit over it. ;)

[Ayen]

Hey, I just started playing this today.

Smurf that goddamn octopus! When I get my hands on him I'm going to wipe that grin right off his stupid face!

[Fynn]

I'd say it's a fair assessment of VI. Now I'm curious which is next since you think we're all going to lose our trout over it. ;)

Oh you are so gonna hate me :p

[Wolf Kanno]

It's FFVII isn't it?

[Ayen]

It's gonna be Final Fantasy XIII. Calling it now.

[Wolf Kanno]

It's gonna be Final Fantasy XIII. Calling it now.

That's not very likely...

[Ayen]

It's gonna be Final Fantasy XIII. Calling it now.

That's not very likely...

I'm never gonna get to use these tumblr pics.

[Fynn]

Well, maybe not you guys specifically will rage. But considering how revered FFVI is by a lot of people here, placing anything in the vein of what's coming just above FFVI might be a blasphemy :p

As a spoiler, I'm gonna go ahead and say no. Neither of those two games made the list. But there's still three FFs coming up!

[Ayen]

Final Fantasy XII.

[Wolf Kanno]

Well the three I'm expecting are IX, XII, and Tactics Advance. I doubt I would rage over those choices. VI is a game near and dear to my heart, but it's hardly perfect and despite meaning a lot to me, I understand it doesn't mean the same to others and I can respect that. Now if you're going to list something like Xenosaga Episode II next... okay I might be a bit perplexed.

[Pumpkin]

Well the three I'm expecting are IX, XII, and Tactics Advance. I doubt I would rage over those choices. VI is a game near and dear to my heart, but it's hardly perfect and despite meaning a lot to me, I understand it doesn't mean the same to others and I can respect that. Now if you're going to list something like Xenosaga Episode II next... okay I might be a bit perplexed.

You are going to be so mad at both of my lists

[Fynn]

Okay, anothe hint then, since you guys are way off track and I still need a couple of hours.

It's not an RPG. Heck, some "true gamers" don't even consider it a game.

[Wolf Kanno]

Well the three I'm expecting are IX, XII, and Tactics Advance. I doubt I would rage over those choices. VI is a game near and dear to my heart, but it's hardly perfect and despite meaning a lot to me, I understand it doesn't mean the same to others and I can respect that. Now if you're going to list something like Xenosaga Episode II next... okay I might be a bit perplexed.

You are going to be so mad at both of my lists

Lol, I actually figured VI was going to be in your "Didn't make the List" thread considering the thread you posted in the VI forum about it. I also know that Xenosaga is near and dear to you and you wouldn't be the first person I've disagreed with concerning Episode II on this forum. ;)

[Pumpkin]

Okay, anothe hint then, since you guys are way off track and I still need a couple of hours.

It's not an RPG. Heck, some "true gamers" don't even consider it a game.

Bejewled?

[Wolf Kanno]

Radical Dreamers

[Ayen]

Okay, anothe hint then, since you guys are way off track and I still need a couple of hours.

It's not an RPG. Heck, some "true gamers" don't even consider it a game.

Angry Birds?

[Fynn]

Oho, I can feel the anticipation rising! :p

[Scotty_ffgamer]

You say some consider it not a game, and all I can think is that it has to be a visual novel type thing. All I can think of now really is Radical Dreamers, but I don't know that it would be that.

Also, I don't know if I could ever make a top games list. If I like a game as I play it a lot, it just immediately becomes my favorite game while I'm playing it.

[Fynn]

You say some consider it not a game, and all I can think is that it has to be a visual novel type thing. All I can think of now really is Radical Dreamers, but I don't know that it would be that.

Also, I don't know if I could ever make a top games list. If I like a game as I play it a lot, it just immediately becomes my favorite game while I'm playing it.

Oh yeah, I totally agree. It's difficult to rate games and for most of the entries here, the order is pretty arbitrary. Pretty much the only games with fixed spots in my head are the top3, maybe top 5.

[Ayen]

The only games I can think of that people wouldn't consider games are mobile games.

And Facebook games.

It's a mobile game you can play on Facebook, isn't it?

[Pumpkin]

Farmville

[Fynn]

A lot of people say it's boring, when in fact they just don't know how to play it in a gripping way :p

[Ayen]

Definitely Farmville.

[Bubba]

I've always said that FFVI would probably be my favourite if I'd played it back when it came out. I'm still furious with myself for not buying it back in the day and instead played soccer games like Fifa 96 and Striker. Wat a tool.

I played it a couple of years ago and while it had its faults... it just had a certain magic about it.

[Loony BoB]

I can only assume Fynn has, upon viewing my list, downloaded FreeCell on his phone and is totally digging it, making it #16 on his list.

[Pete for President]

Could be Heavy Rain :shifty:

[Fynn]

I can't believe no one got it yet! :exdee: Perhaps that means this game gets more respect here than I'd assumed? :shifty:

[Del Murder]

It's got to be online Texas Hold 'em.

[Pike]

I really hope it's Angry Birds because the Angry Birds series is so, so, SO much better than it gets credit for. Angry Birds Epic is easily one of the best RPGs I've played in the last ten years.

[Ayen]

I can't believe no one got it yet! :exdee: Perhaps that means this game gets more respect here than I'd assumed? :shifty:

l1YmS_VDvMY

[Fynn]

I can't believe no one got it yet! :exdee: Perhaps that means this game gets more respect here than I'd assumed? :shifty:

l1YmS_VDvMY

Victoria seems to be in need of lessons in patience :colbert:

[Fynn]

Sorry guys, but I won't manage to post the next entry today. Will do my best to make it up to you tomorrow by posting more than one entry. Now, so that you don't get bored, here's a couple of hints regarding entries 15 to 11:

Four of them are SE games.
Four are parts of larger series.
All have appeared on handhelds at one point or another.
They're all RPGs.

Stay tuned for more exciting reveals coming tomorrow!

[Skyblade]

Sorry guys, but I won't manage to post the next entry today. Will do my best to make it up to you tomorrow by posting more than one entry. Now, so that you don't get bored, here's a couple of hints regarding entries 15 to 11:

Four of them are SE games.
Four are parts of larger series.
All have appeared on handhelds at one point or another.
They're all RPGs.

Stay tuned for more exciting reveals coming tomorrow!

Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
Final Fantasy Tactics A3

Where did you get that last one, and why have you not shared it with us? Also, why are these so low on the list?

Actually, didn't they give a PSP release to Vagrant Story? So that's probably the other one.

[Fynn]

Sorry guys, but I won't manage to post the next entry today. Will do my best to make it up to you tomorrow by posting more than one entry. Now, so that you don't get bored, here's a couple of hints regarding entries 15 to 11:

Four of them are SE games.
Four are parts of larger series.
All have appeared on handhelds at one point or another.
They're all RPGs.

Stay tuned for more exciting reveals coming tomorrow!

Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
Final Fantasy Tactics A3

Where did you get that last one, and why have you not shared it with us? Also, why are these so low on the list?

Actually, didn't they give a PSP release to Vagrant Story? So that's probably the other one.
Vagrant Story barely counts as an RPG in my book :p You got one right, by the way :exdee: And I'm pretty sure you've played the non-SE one.

[Pumpkin]

Have I played any of dems?

[Ayen]

You got one right, by the way :exdee:

Which one was it?

[Fynn]

Have I played any of dems?

I think so.



You got one right, by the way :exdee:

Which one was it?

Really?

[Ayen]

Really?

Worth a shot.

[Loony BoB]

All the spoilers!

[Fynn]

#16

This game is part of a series that I have been addicted to since its very beginnings in the early 2000s. I may have exaggerated the fact that many people scoff at it, because it’s really incredibly popular, and yet I know many gamers who accuse it of being boring and barely a game. I couldn’t disagree more. I give you one of my favorite games…


THE SIMS 3

http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/47890/header.jpg?t=1406070256

YY6pCQtED4w

Meet Nestor Trimboli. He’s a bit lazy, but is very dedicated to his hobbies, including fishing.


http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o509/Paplyk/Screenshot-547.jpg
http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o509/Paplyk/Screenshot-566.jpg

Here he is with his wife, Bianca. She works a lot so that she can support the both of them. Unlike Nestor, she’s very grounded in reality and always gets the job done. Still, she accepts her husband’s laziness and loves him despite of it.


http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o509/Paplyk/Screenshot-531.jpg
http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o509/Paplyk/Screenshot-588.jpg
http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o509/Paplyk/Screenshot-589.jpg

They live in the picturesque town of Monte Vista, which is based on Italy.


http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o509/Paplyk/Screenshot-527.jpg
http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o509/Paplyk/Screenshot-549.jpg
http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o509/Paplyk/Screenshot-571.jpg
http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o509/Paplyk/Screenshot-593.jpg

Their family steadily grew. These are their children, Alba and Luca, who later grew up to be happy adults (I don't have their adult pictures though, sadly :( ).


http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o509/Paplyk/Screenshot-534.jpg
http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o509/Paplyk/Screenshot-551.jpg
http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o509/Paplyk/Screenshot-579.jpg
http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o509/Paplyk/Screenshot-608.jpg

What I just showed you are bits and pieces from the life of my favorite Sims 3 family. They live in my favorite world and are among the sims I think turned out best visually. I also made them right around the Seasons expansion pack came out, so that’s another nice association. In general, this set of photos kind of embodies what I love about the Sims. This is a game where you can tell your own story, and your tools are nearly unlimited.


http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o509/Paplyk/Screenshot-625.jpg
I wanna say it's not what it looks like, but I'm really not sure at this point.

Basically, the Sims 3 is a life sim. That’s basically the gist of it. You create little virtual people, you build them houses, make them work, fulfill their needs and dreams, and so on. What makes it the best installment in the series so far (4 sadly took away too many features that made 3 amazing) can be boiled down to two major additions: traits and the open world. Traits help create quite realistic personalities for your imaginary people, really helping make the sims feel alive. There’s quite a bit of traits to choose from, ranging from things like artistic, frugal, evil, night owl, and kleptomaniac. You can mix and match almost at will, with obviously contradictory traits not being acceptable, combining up to five traits in a single sim (though you gain ways to further extend that limit in later expansions). The open world speaks for itself – in the Sims 1 and 2 you were confined to your house and could only go downtown after a loading screen showed up and then your sim got transported to a pocket dimension and upon his or her return, it would be exactly the same time of day as it was. Not to mention your neighbors didn’t age, which was pretty creepy. Not the case anymore, since everything progresses at all times, and you have free roam of the town you choose at the beginning of a new game. And, depending on your expansions, DLC and custom content, you may get a huge amount of beautiful worlds to choose from.


http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o509/Paplyk/Screenshot-770.jpg
You may, however, find yourself perfectly satisfied sipping tea on your porch like the proper Victorian gentlemen that you are. Quite.

Another aspect of the Sims that I love is that they’re really wacky. Expansions usually add some crazy supernatural elements, which usually are completely optional, but I love them. It adds a bit more randomness and unpredictability to the game. For example, before Supernatural (the expansion, not the TV show) came out, you had no option to disable vampires from spawning in the town. So I often invited vampires to parties. Vampires basically are pretty broken – they’re nearly immortal, compared to regular sims, and gain skills incredibly fast, not to mention they can manipulate other sims, but they can’t eat, instead needing “plasma” (which can be harvested both from other sims and from a special kind of fruit), and having to stay away from the sun. If they went out during the day, their hunger need would plummet. Because of that, most of my parties consisted of at least one vampire turning to dust. Fun times.


http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o509/Paplyk/Screenshot-375.jpg
At other times the weirdness factor is just your maid coming up wearing this.

The music is pretty awesome. Steve Jablonsky really does a great job with capturing that suburban vibe (it actually sounds really similar to his work on Desperate Housewives, wchich I find amazing). I still think it can't hold a candle to the soundtrack to the first game, but it's much, much better than what we had in the Sims 2.


ifHjmYL4W4k

The game has its problems, unfortunately. if it weren’t for the numerous frustrating bugs the Sims 3 has plaguing it, it would have ranked much higher on the list, it probably would have even made my top 10. Also, the base game is pretty barebones, so you kinda need expansion packs and DLC to make things really interesting. I have no doubts that this is currently the most expensive game I own – adding up all the expansion packs, stuff packs and DLC, I guess I could have bought a PS4 with a solid game library for that amount right now :D


http://i1145.photobucket.com/albums/o509/Paplyk/Screenshot-570.jpg
Horses sinking into asphalt are apparently a thing.

Overall, I’m still really happy I forked over all that money. This truly is a fantastic game if you really have a drive to play it. You can spend hours simply creating your own stories or watching stories unfold before your very eyes if you decide to pose some limitations on yourself. I can honestly recommend this game to anyone, regardless of gaming preference, since there’s something in it for everyone, you just have to see it ;) So don’t use cheat codes and don’t just make making more money your only priority – make some stories and enjoy. The Sims 3 is fun in its purest form.

[Skyblade]

I used to love The Sims. It was the best house-building simulator ever. Used to have a ton of fun doing that.

Actually playing the game? Nah, not really any enjoyment there for me.

[Fynn]

There's been tons of adjustments to the gameplay since the first installment, though, to the point that it's not the same experience at all. Still, I know it's a huge investment if you want the full experience, so it's hard to expect someone who didn't enjoy that aspect of the first game to risk not enjoying it here :shobon:

[Skyblade]

There's been tons of adjustments to the gameplay since the first installment, though, to the point that it's not the same experience at all. Still, I know it's a huge investment if you want the full experience, so it's hard to expect someone who didn't enjoy that aspect of the first game to risk not enjoying it here :shobon:

I could definitely see some ways the gameplay of the original could be improved. The ability to script behavior macros would make managing multiple Sims way easier, since controlling even a single idiot in the first game was a full-time job. Being able to run it more as a "Sim Tycoon" game would probably work better. The inane micro-management just didn't work for me when none of the things you're doing are as interesting as they are in most other life sims (such as Harvest Moon).

[Fynn]

There's been tons of adjustments to the gameplay since the first installment, though, to the point that it's not the same experience at all. Still, I know it's a huge investment if you want the full experience, so it's hard to expect someone who didn't enjoy that aspect of the first game to risk not enjoying it here :shobon:

I could definitely see some ways the gameplay of the original could be improved. The ability to script behavior macros would make managing multiple Sims way easier, since controlling even a single idiot in the first game was a full-time job. Being able to run it more as a "Sim Tycoon" game would probably work better. The inane micro-management just didn't work for me when none of the things you're doing are as interesting as they are in most other life sims (such as Harvest Moon).

While it didn't go that way, the AI is vastly improved and sims will actually take care of their basic needs themselves unless you prevent them too, so you can basically go as hands-on or hands-off as you please, since you can focus on the wishes of your sims and the stories, rather than worrying if that one sim you're not controlling now is gonna piss himself in the living room. The added RPG-like elements are also a huge improvement. Assigning the sims traits is kind of like deciding on their attributes when creating the character, and even sims run by the AI will perform based on those traits. Evil sims will steal candy from babies on their own, for example.

[Pumpkin]

I wish I could play the PC version, but my computer can't handle it. Stuck with the PS3 one :(

Still good either way :D

[Fynn]

#15

Now here’s another impossibly popular series. This one’s from the ‘90s, though. It’s actually the reason I wanted a Gameboy Color (you see, a Gameboy Pocket just wasn’t enough to contain this awesomeness). The anime started it all, and everyone at school started playing this series. Sadly, once this installment came along, I was the only person around who still cared about it… You guys know what I’m talking about yet?


POKÉMON BLACK/WHITE


http://gamersushi.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/pokemon-black-white-review-1.png

7xyVHo02dyo

Well, everyone apart from my little brother, who wasn’t that big on Pokémon before. Still, once I got Black and he got White, he was pretty hooked. So yes, I have a bit of a personal reason to like this installment in particular.


http://199.101.98.242/media/shots/139027-Pokemon_-_Black_Version_(DSi_Enhanced)(USA)_(E)-1.jpg
The electric cave means a lot to me.

Anyway, I guess everyone knows the gist of the Pokémon series. You run around collecting Pokémon to battle for you. There’s tons of them, and they’re all incredibly cute in one way or another, and you need to become the very best while destroying some evil team along the way. The premise is simple, quite stupid really, but the execution is what makes it so popular among children and adults alike. The series is easy to get into, but with tons of underlying, fascinating mechanics lying underneath. The competitive scene is pretty crazy.


http://www.cheatcc.com/imagesds/pokemonbw_00b.jpg
Triple battles are also a thing now.

Okay, but again, that’s the series in general. What makes Black and White so special? Well, first off, I love the new Pokémon designs. I may be in the minority here, but I really enjoyed a huge chunk of them, and there are tons of them, with lots of never before seen type combinations. I also found it refreshing that you didn’t get access to any of the older Pokémon until the post-game. That was a very nice touch that really drove home the fact that we are far away from the pervious regions, even if that resulted in a very poor selection of electric types.


http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdcugds3eH1rxzbpeo2_1280.png
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdcugds3eH1rxzbpeo3_1280.png

The big reason why this generation is my favorite, however, is the story. I know gen IV went out of its way to give its villainous theme a complex excuse to do the things they do, but gen V actually tried to shake up the formula substantially. The evil team’s leader is actually very likeable, and very messed up, as it turns out later. I won’t go into very deep spoilers, but let me just say that N would make a very good SMT villain, even if just a minor one. There’s actual moral ambiguity, and though the actions of the evil team are still very “kick the dog” (it’s still a kid’s game, after all), N’s reasoning makes sense from a certain perspective and there are moments where you will actually think he has the right of it.


http://cdn.bulbagarden.net/upload/thumb/6/6d/Black_2_White_2_N.png/200px-Black_2_White_2_N.png
Also, he's very pretty. I'm a straight man and I want to run my fingers through his hair.

It’s not just the big bad that got a personality. Gym leaders are actually real, living people now, with jobs and everything, and they actually aid you in the crises to come. In that respect, this game’s story is very reminiscent to several arcs of the Pokémon Special manga, which is another big plus in my book. The rivals have some really nice character arcs as well, and there is actually some really massive build-up to the final battle, which in and of itself is actually a gigantic subversion of the typical Pokémon plot finale.
Pokémon Black and White get many kudos from me for first deconstructing its own tired premise, and later doing its best to reconstruct it on new, more real grounds. While I enjoyed the sequels and X and Y, I got the feeling that both pairs of games were simply more pandering to the fanbase, trying to apologize for B/W being different. I find it pretty sad, to be honest. With Black and White Gamefreak have shown that they can give us a compelling story and interesting characters in a Pokémon game, only to go back to their comfort zone with the following entries, seemingly trying to appease a fanbase that IMO was not that angered about the changes.


http://static.fjcdn.com/pictures/Gym_c748f3_1834778.png
These guys are also really attractive.

The music is also a nice change in a way. Everyone remembers Hoenn’s trumpets on everything, and then gen IV had music that was a tad on the bland side, IMO (the amount of accordion did not help). Gen V not only had very nicely written tracks (such as the Route 10 track linked below), it also took some risks in the implementation of music, like making the battle music change when your Pokémon reached critical health or when the gym leader was down to the last Pokémon. Neither of these changes made a return for gen VI, and I wish they did, because those were some seriously original ideas.

CV_2u6EDx6c
UJOuj59l-O4
Cy6_Z6mU_wA
OiNYhb543xs

Pokémon Black and White may not be the most popular entry in the series, but I think it’s a really important one and shouldn’t be missed. It’s also a great entry point into the series, so if you haven’t really had the chance to play Pokémon yet, Black and White are your best bet. As with many entries on this list, I highly recommend this game, whether you’re a long-time fan of the series or a complete newbie.

[Pumpkin]

Haven't had a chance to play much Black and White, sadly

[Ayen]

I can see why you thought you'd get hate for ranking Sims 3 higher than FFVI. I completely forget about the Sims until someone brings it up again. Only played the console versions and watched my brother play Sims 2.

Ah, Pokemon. My childhood define. Let's see how things has changed since...

*looks at the pictures*

Oh, sweet Jesus, this is terrible. *looks at them more* On second thought, some of these designs aren't half bad. I want an America, and a Bloody Face, and the Sumo, the Decepticon is a must for any decent human being, and the wheels. Trout, I gotta catch 'em all, Pokemon.

[Fynn]

I can see why you thought you'd get hate for ranking Sims 3 higher than FFVI. I completely forget about the Sims until someone brings it up again. Only played the console versions and watched my brother play Sims 2.

Ah, Pokemon. My childhood define. Let's see how things has changed since...

*looks at the pictures*

Oh, sweet Jesus, this is terrible. *looks at them more* On second thought, some of these designs aren't half bad. I want an America, and a Bloody Face, and the Sumo, the Decepticon is a must for any decent human being, and the wheels. Trout, I gotta catch 'em all, Pokemon.

Sadly, Decepticons were event-only :/

[Skyblade]

I endured some ridiculous Pokémon designs in Black/White. Up until I first entered a cave and encountered Woobat. That was when I just quit. If you want to make all new Pokémon, FINE. But when you wind up just creating a new (and awful looking) reskin of the EXACT SAME CONCEPT, you need to quit. They couldn't even think of an original name. "We'll just replace the 'Z' with a 'W' and give it a pig nose! New design!" No, GameFreak. Just no. If you're going to change things and introduce new ideas, then make things NEW. Don't be so lazy.

For some reason, they decided to front load the game with all of their worst Pokémon. The designs mostly get more creative and original the further you go into the game, and there actually are some really nice ones past the halfway point. But the early Pokémon are mostly terrible, as they're just trying to recycle the same exact concepts that they've done four times already. New bird, new rodent, etcetera.

Also, while the story was decent, I'd argue that they actually kind of ruined it with N. He's not a villain. He's not even really an antagonist at all. Ghetsis is, but N is just a poor, misunderstood kid, and that's clear from really early on. I always viewed N as more of a rival than anything else, taking the role of Gary or ??? in the older games, while Ghetsis is the one who takes the place of Giovanni. And, in that role, Ghetsis is terrible. He has no backstory, no explanation, no real characterization, which is a step down from Cyrus, who had some actual characterization, even if he was completely nuts.

They're not bad games, but they're not as good as Platinum. Or X/Y, for that matter.

[Fynn]

I endured some ridiculous Pokémon designs in Black/White. Up until I first entered a cave and encountered Woobat. That was when I just quit. If you want to make all new Pokémon, FINE. But when you wind up just creating a new (and awful looking) reskin of the EXACT SAME CONCEPT, you need to quit. They couldn't even think of an original name. "We'll just replace the 'Z' with a 'W' and give it a pig nose! New design!" No, GameFreak. Just no. If you're going to change things and introduce new ideas, then make things NEW. Don't be so lazy.

For some reason, they decided to front load the game with all of their worst Pokémon. The designs mostly get more creative and original the further you go into the game, and there actually are some really nice ones past the halfway point. But the early Pokémon are mostly terrible, as they're just trying to recycle the same exact concepts that they've done four times already. New bird, new rodent, etcetera.

Also, while the story was decent, I'd argue that they actually kind of ruined it with N. He's not a villain. He's not even really an antagonist at all. Ghetsis is, but N is just a poor, misunderstood kid, and that's clear from really early on. I always viewed N as more of a rival than anything else, taking the role of Gary or ??? in the older games, while Ghetsis is the one who takes the place of Giovanni. And, in that role, Ghetsis is terrible. He has no backstory, no explanation, no real characterization, which is a step down from Cyrus, who had some actual characterization, even if he was completely nuts.

They're not bad games, but they're not as good as Platinum. Or X/Y, for that matter.

Well yeah, he's not the main villain, but most of the game build him up to be such. I still like Ghetsis in the man behind the man role, but I'll agree he's pretty terrible as a villain on his own as the sequels have proved. Still, your primary antagonist throughout the game is N, and I still treat him as such, as I feel he's much more involved in the story than Blue and Silver, and is much more antagonistic and threatening at times than Barry or Brendan, and that fucking ensemble you get in X and Y. Regardless of his actual role, I think he's a fantastic character with the most twisted backstory in a Pokemon game.

How dare you talk smack about Woobat?! :colbert:

[Ayen]

I can see why you thought you'd get hate for ranking Sims 3 higher than FFVI. I completely forget about the Sims until someone brings it up again. Only played the console versions and watched my brother play Sims 2.

Ah, Pokemon. My childhood define. Let's see how things has changed since...

*looks at the pictures*

Oh, sweet Jesus, this is terrible. *looks at them more* On second thought, some of these designs aren't half bad. I want an America, and a Bloody Face, and the Sumo, the Decepticon is a must for any decent human being, and the wheels. Trout, I gotta catch 'em all, Pokemon.

Sadly, Decepticons were event-only :/

What? That's bulltrout! Minus five stars, one of the worse games I never played.

[Wolf Kanno]

Ah Pokemon takes me back.

[Fynn]

Ah Pokemon takes me back.
I didn't know you played Pokémon.

[Wolf Kanno]

I played first gen, and I do have a used copy of Silver lying around somewhere. I like the series but found MegaTen so I haven't really played the franchise in years. Been meaning to since my GF LOVES the franchise.

[Ayen]

Ahh... the days of my youth... like the scent of fresh lemon.

[Fynn]

I played first gen, and I do have a used copy of Silver lying around somewhere. I like the series but found MegaTen so I haven't really played the franchise in years. Been meaning to since my GF LOVES the franchise.

Well, you should come back to it someday, then ;) I actually consider gen 1 the weakest in hindsight. And if your girlfriend loves it that's awesome, because this series is played best with other people :D

[Fynn]

#14

It’s another one of those games that were really popular when the PSX was out that I couldn’t play because I did not have the system. It’s also one of the games I later got a PSP for, since this was getting an enhanced port for that very handheld. I do not regret it at all, even though it cost me quite a bit of money when I had little of it. What an adventure it was.


FINAL FANTASY TACTICS


http://dlgames.square-enix.com/fft/img/main_en.jpg

9VtX4DpzmMQ

So as you guys may have noticed by my Tactics Ogre entry, I am a big Yasumi Matsuno fan. Though FFT was not my first entry into the world of Ivalice, it was certainly a memorable one. I really don’t need to say anything about it, since people around here are quite in love with it :p


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/11/War_of_the_Lions_cutscene.jpg
Thread over - you can all go home now.

The gameplay system is kind of similar to Tactics Ogre but with a smaller roster and a job system inspired by FFV thrown in. This one little modification makes for a huge difference in gameplay. There’s tons of classes to choose from, with an intricate job tree making you really think about how you develop your characters. I had tons of fun with this version of the job system. Mastering a job is super satisfying, and getting ahold of the super rare jobs like Mime, Bard or Dancer feels incredible.
Although the colors in this game are a bit on the brownish side, the unique character artwork by Akihiko Yoshida truly makes the FFT’s characters come to life. Still, some could argue that the chibi-ish designs do not fit the mature tone of the story, but I disagree. I don’t think there’s inherently childish about the character designs, and they do give the game a unique feel. I think this is probably my favorite set of character designs by Yoshida.


http://images.wikia.com/finalfantasy/images/5/5b/Wall_TLW_10.jpg
This one picture makes me ship it so hard.

The story is based loosely on the War of the Roses. As with Tactics Ogre, you can clearly see Matsuno’s fixation on history and attention to detail. The feudal society of Ivalice clearly mirrors that of Medieval England, giving us a very thorough commentary on issues relevant today, such as racism and elitism. The Church is also here, and oh, is it deliciously evil at some points. But still, there are good people in it – just like in Tactics Ogre, the morality in this game is painted with very dark shades of gray, with the typical Matsuno protagonist simply wanting to reach the truth buried deep within all of this political turmoil. Needless to say, Ramza is one of my favorite protagonists of all time.


http://www.pixelcake.nl/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/art-3.jpg
Agrias is also pretty incredible, if underused.

Hitoshi Sakimoto does an amazing job on the soundtrack, as he always does. There’s some pretty chilling tracks in this game, further emphasizing the fact that this is probably the darkest entry in the Final Fantasy franchise as of now.


bgCtV9gxVqM

I know tactical RPGs are not everybody’s cup of tea, and this game certainly isn’t for newcomers (it is pretty unforgiving; more than once, I was on the verge of rage-quitting), but the story and job system really makes this game stand out as one of those sublime art pieces that happen once in ten years or less. The impeccable localization of the PSP version makes it all even better with its Shakespearean dialog. I know a lot of people hate it. I personally love it, but then again, I’m an English major, a linguist, mostly, who also enjoys a lot of classical literature :monster: If you’re looking for a really ambitious game, look no further – FFT is one of those games.

[Ayen]

Artwork looks pretty good. I have this game downloaded on my PS3. I might get around to playing it around... oh, I don't know, late 2016 knowing me >.>

[Wolf Kanno]

Ah, FFTactics, fond memories...

http://www.lifeinaggro.com/images/comics/2012/lia20120210.jpg

[Pike]

FFT gameplay is good stuff even if I much prefer the FFTA games overall. They feel more whimsical and I prefer my FF games to be whimsical.

[Pumpkin]

I love FFTactics. Another game I have my own review to write about so I won't go in too much detail ;)

Random fact:
Two of my random units the first time I played were named "Chamberlain" and "Montana". I forget what I did with them but they were absolute beasts in combat

I named the main character in my book Chamberlain Montana :D

Also, this was actually my first tactical RPG :P I was better at them when I was younger, further proving that I just get dumber as I get older

[Fynn]

#13

Another series that needs no introduction. Another series that is close to my heart. Out of all the series in this list, I’d say this is actually my favorite overall. Not that you could tell by the list itself :p I just think this series is the least flawed overall, considering there’s only one installment of it that I consider “meh”. But I know there’s a lot of people out there that will disagree with me, simply because it’s…


KINGDOM HEARTS BIRTH BY SLEEP

http://www.shatterheart.net/games/kingdomheartsbirthbysleep/wallpaper/kingdom-hearts-birth-by-sleep-official-wallpaper-5.jpg

hojBsE5kvqc

I always thought the handheld titles in the Kingdom Hearts series were the better ones (excluding coded, of course :eep:). This is probably due to the fact that a handheld release allows for more freedom, as the stakes are lower when a risk is taken. So what does BbS do differently? It introduces a very unique battle system utilizing a command deck, where every skill can be used freely, but later requires a cooldown period. Combine that with three new protagonists, unique battle styles and plenty of never-before-seen worlds (even if they’re a bit on the small side and get revisited a tad too often), and you’ve got yourself a real treat. Oh, did I mention this is a prequel to Kingdom Hearts I?


http://cdn2-www.playstationlifestyle.net/assets/uploads/2010/09/kingdom-hearts-birth-by-sleep-square-psp-e3-screens-1.jpg
Mickey's held up pretty nicely, you gotta admit.

While the battle system is fantastic and flows incredibly well, I think the strongest asset of this game is its story. While BbS does retcon some of the things already established in the KH canon, it does so quite elegantly, while answering many nagging questions people had after KHII, but also introducing new story arcs that are very well developed and put the series on its head in a good way. This is quite possibly the darkest entry in the series so far. Though the pacing is a bit disjointed due to the game being split between the three protagonists, the emotion is there and it is surprisingly genuine. As a long-time fan of the series, I was expecting a lot of the twists that came along, but the game still sucked me in completely. It’s an emotional roller-coaster. And I mean real human emotion, not the soap opera-ish drama we got fed in some popular SE entries (not gonna point any fingers *cough* FFX *cough*


http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/14700000/Birth-By-Sleep-kingdom-hearts-birth-by-sleep-14737105-476-268.jpg

About those characters now. While Terra and Ventus are really nice additions to the series, it was Aqua that I felt was actually the heart and soul of this game, and this was really unexpected. Terra and Ventus’ roles were pretty obvious from the beginning to anyone familiar with the series, but Aqua at first, at least to me, seemed to be put into game just so we can have a token chick. Well, luckily, I couldn’t be more wrong. Not going into spoilers too much, let me just say the series has a very interesting relationship with the Mary Sue trope. I always had this idea that maybe Nomura reads all this fanfic where people create replacements for Kairi and then put all those ideas on their head and turns them into something really smart. At the beginning Aqua seems like she’s just there to be the Kairi to Terra and Ven’s Riku and Sora, and that may be partly true. But then you start to see just how much she matters in the plot of the entire franchise, and what exactly her relationship with all those nagging questions is. Also, she’s hands-down my favorite character to play as in this game, because magic is awesome, and she’s much more graceful than Terra, without Ventus’s fragility. I still can’t decide if she or Riku is my all-time favorite KH character. Does it really matter, though?


http://files.g4tv.com/rimg_606x0/ImageDb3/205036_l/Kingdom-Hearts-Birth-By-Sleep---Cutscenes.jpg
A lot of good that'll do ya, huh.

The music is once again composed by the amazing Yoko Shimomura. This and the KH3D soundtrack are probably my favorite work ever done by her, with BbS’s version of Dearly Beloved (above) being simply magical – the best one yet – and the battle themes are also friggin’ amazing, as could be expected. Like with Bravely Default, I don’t think there’s a single track I dislike.


8mF_n6Fk6S0
lrtz7L0nH-c
Jm0MMjX-7K8

Birth by Sleep is a very important entry in the series that cannot be missed by series fans. If you think this is a good opportunity to jump into the series – I would not recommend that approach. Kingdom Hearts is pretty dense story-wise, so going in out of order is just asking for getting lost in all this. Still, it’s really an amazing game, and it’s now even more accessible, thanks to the KHII.5 HD remix.

[Pumpkin]

I haven't played that one. I've played a few KH games and II was the only one I liked, and I did like it a good bit. The sotry is just getting way too complicated to follow, especially when they change things and put everything on a different console, I mean gee whiz >.<

But like I said, I haven't played this one so could be great for all I know :monster:

[Fynn]

I really never had any trouble understanding the story. It's kinda like I said in the post above - if you play them in order, you'll be fine.

I actually think the console titles are the weaker ones. it's the handhelds where the real meaty bits of the story and characterization happen. Though I still think KHI had the best atmosphere.

[Polnareff]

I don't get the complaints about DDS's story and setting. If anything, it was a breath of fresh air in a boring sea of happy-go-lucky games. Truth be told, the way the world in DDS 1 and 2 was presented reminded me of how I see the real world. Just a bleak, dreary, pessimistic, misanthropic place.

The battle system was awesome and built upon what was offered in Nocturne, so that was another plus.

I also really loved Bowser's Inside Story as well. It was so cute. Shame that Dream Team sucked the big one.

[Fynn]

I don't get the complaints about DDS's story and setting. If anything, it was a breath of fresh air in a boring sea of happy-go-lucky games. Truth be told, the way the world in DDS 1 and 2 was presented reminded me of how I see the real world. Just a bleak, dreary, pessimistic, misanthropic place.

The battle system was awesome and built upon what was offered in Nocturne, so that was another plus.

I also really loved Bowser's Inside Story as well. It was so cute. Shame that Dream Team sucked the big one.

I wouldn't say it sucked that much, but yeah, after Bowser's Inside Story, it was a bit of a letdown.

[Ayen]

The game Del recommend I get for the PSP. I should get around to that at some point.

[Fynn]

The game Del recommend I get for the PSP. I should get around to that at some point.

Yes, but make sure you beat at least KHI, Chain of Memories, and KHII before playing this, otherwise you'll just end up confused.

[Ayen]

The game Del recommend I get for the PSP. I should get around to that at some point.

Yes, but make sure you beat at least KHI, Chain of Memories, and KHII before playing this, otherwise you'll just end up confused.

lol beating the games I play. That's a good one, Fynn.

[Fynn]

The game Del recommend I get for the PSP. I should get around to that at some point.

Yes, but make sure you beat at least KHI, Chain of Memories, and KHII before playing this, otherwise you'll just end up confused.

lol beating the games I play. That's a good one, Fynn.

Then at least watch it on YOUTUBE first, for God's sake.

[Skyblade]

I agree that Birth By Sleep is an incredibly strong game overall.

I absolutely hate the story presentation, though. I've still only done Aqua's story (and I agree she's a great character). For some reason, I don't find the idea of resetting all of the progress I had made and starting over from scratch an appealing one.


Pretty sure I don't really need to say anything about FFT.

[Fynn]

I agree that Birth By Sleep is an incredibly strong game overall.

I absolutely hate the story presentation, though. I've still only done Aqua's story (and I agree she's a great character). For some reason, I don't find the idea of resetting all of the progress I had made and starting over from scratch an appealing one.


Pretty sure I don't really need to say anything about FFT.

I still don't think it really counts as restarting, though. Each of the characters has a different set of deck commands available, as well as different command styles, so I never felt like I was repeating character progression. And Aqua gets to keep all you invested in her in the final chapter :monster:

I actually think you have one of the most unique opinions on FFT I have ever heard :D most people either adore it or hate it, while the thoughts about it that you shared on a couple of occasions are really complex and interesting to hear ;)

[Ayen]

The game Del recommend I get for the PSP. I should get around to that at some point.

Yes, but make sure you beat at least KHI, Chain of Memories, and KHII before playing this, otherwise you'll just end up confused.

lol beating the games I play. That's a good one, Fynn.

Then at least watch it on YOUTUBE first, for God's sake.

If it's for God's sake then I'm not going to do that.

[Fynn]

Sorry for the wait! I've been really busy with school lately and won't be able to pick up the pace for some more time still. But I'll do my best to post something at some point in time.

... Although you guys didn't seem to be really looking forward to it anyway... :erm:

So anyway :monster:


#12

I got this game when I was in England. I was really happy they'd have it, cause they were already very short on stock in Poland. I never expected it would be so addicting, and then become so heart-wrenching by the end…


KINGDOM HEARTS 358/2 DAYS


Qvd9RtRXSdk

http://static.zerochan.net/Kingdom.Hearts.358.2.Days.full.213027.jpg

Don’t let the odd title deceive you. This game is almost as dark as Birth by Sleep, if not darker at times. Days proves once again that handhelds get all the good writing in Kingdom Hearts, for some reason.


http://i.ytimg.com/vi/TPh8CxW-1WI/maxresdefault.jpg
I dare you to find a more heartful tale of friendship in a video game.

This is another kinda-prequel that sounds pretty bland on paper. “OK, so Roxas is in the organization. I knew that. I doubt anything interesting happens here. And then they’re retconning in this black-haired Kairi? Oh man, I sense another Genesis.” Hoo boy…
In essence, this game is Crisis Core done right. Yes, Xion basically fulfills the same role as Genesis. But she’s alive, and her adorable friendship with Roxas and Axel really feels genuine. Her struggles regarding her identity and their friendship falling apart are really relatable, while she could have been another emo teen just quoting shitty poetry. And when you reach the end, even though you know what’s coming, oh man, will you be bawlin’…


http://images.khinsider.com/Kingdom%20Hearts%20358-2%20Days/Screenshots/IGN%20-%20May%2029%202009/Screenshot01.jpg
Harsher in hindsight - the trope codifier.

The gameplay is less experimental than what we had in BbS, i.e. there is no command deck, you get a regular command window instead. However, you get to equip so-called “panels” where you’ll put things like items, spells, or even levels. It’s kind of a grid, so you need some special management to get optimum results. Considering the game is played in missions, you need to make adjustments to your panels pretty regularly. While it takes some getting used to, overall it makes for a really rewarding experience.


http://static.gamesradar.com/images/mb/GamesRadar/us/Games/K/Kingdom%20Hearts%20358%202%20Days/Everything%20Else/Super%20Review/Finished/092409_kingdomhearts358_obs02--article_image.jpg
Yep. Sums it up pretty nicely.

Shimomura does a great job once again. While there aren’t that many new tracks, those we get are incredible.

rf8hdNL7ZUA

While much more subdued than Birth by Sleep, 358/2 Days makes for a very beautifully tragic experience. This is a perfect example of a prequel done right. Even if the premise may seem fanficky, the end result is determined by the execution of the proper tropes. Days knows how to hit where it hurts the most. And I am so grateful for this game.

Sorry this was short. It's just really hard to keep it spoiler-free, and this is one of those games that I cannot let anyone interested get themselves spoiled. It's literally that good.

[Shauna]

The story is great. Pity it's such a boring game to actually play. :monster:

[Pumpkin]

I liked the story since I watched it on the KH 1.5 or whatever it was. Didn't like the game itself as much.

[Fynn]

The story is great. Pity it's such a boring game to actually play. :monster:

While I get where you are coming from, I actually enjoyed it. I really didn't expect to, but I found the quests genuinely interesting and I really just wanted to get to do more of them!

[Wolf Kanno]

Wow, didn't see that coming. Placing 358/2 over the more fan favorite Birth by Sleep.

I agree that 358/2 has the better narrative and amazingly the less insane plot of the two, but BbS definitely has the better gameplay. With that said, I feel that the customization system as well as the creativity that went into making Magic more useful were quite astounding. The games main issue was what I mentioned briefly for Crisis Core in my review, the game really should have been placed on a better system that could work around some of the design issues like the camera.

[Ayen]

Every time I see the members of Organization XIII I think of the parody comic "Ansem Retort." Anyone here ever read that? Funny stuff. Offensive as smurf, but funny stuff.

[Electroshock Therapy]

All this Kingdom Hearts talk really wants me to get back into trying the series game again. I gave up on the first game because of boredom or something like that. I wasn't really into RPGs at the time, even action RPGs. Now that I am, I bought the first game to try it out, but I'm having difficulty decided what kind of games I feel like playing. I'm still having fun with FF II and will finish that, but I also really want to play some Zelda games for the nth time, and take up side-scrolling Mega Man again even though I suck at those. Not to mention I still have just about every FF game from VI onward that I still haven't played.

I also have a job and college. Darn real life time limits!

[Fynn]

Wow, didn't see that coming. Placing 358/2 over the more fan favorite Birth by Sleep.

In a twist of Shyamalan proportions, there's another KH game on the list :monster:

[Wolf Kanno]

Yeah but I'm pretty sure it won't be the one that will offend me. :colbert:

[Fynn]

Yeah but I'm pretty sure it won't be the one that will offend me. :colbert:

:shifty:

[Scotty_ffgamer]

Hey guys, White Wizard of Flynn here to give you the next game on my list. And without further adieu...


#11

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRhEnkxySmR7Bvsxf7GeMCHzdOwMyiaAlxEVvYxLzBlZbqja9iHAw

Oh I am a giddy goat! I'm not Fynn. Woops.

358/2 Days is fantastic. I don't care what anyone says.

[Ayen]

Scotty is having an identity crisis.

[Fynn]

To tell you the truth, Scott is actually my Nobody.

Don't know if anyone told him yet, though :shifty:

[Scotty_ffgamer]

That explains why I can't feel anything. Also, I always knew you were my heartless.

[Fynn]

#11

There’s a couple entries on this list that get credit from me for being simply incredibly original. There’s just some games out there that just scream “INSPIRATION” when you see them. Games that try a new, original visual style, games that really try to challenge the typical notions of gameplay, games that throw in an interesting story-telling device as a little cherry on top of all that magnificence. Games like…


THE WORLD ENDS WITH YOU


GY1azpD5rrY

http://www.my3ds.pl/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/The-World-Ends-With-You-personajes-3.jpg

From the moment you launch the game, you are struck by vivid imagery in a unique style, with some really funky music in the background. TWEWY’s art style imitates street art, which is very fitting, considering its urban setting. The game takes place in Shibuya, where you will spend… um, a week playing a “game” to find out how you, um… died.


http://a1.mzstatic.com/us/r30/Purple/v4/88/d9/e7/88d9e72b-bfff-d4a1-65c2-f4f41925d94d/screen568x568.jpeg

Despite this premise, the game isn’t dark at all. The characters all stand out and have plenty of colorful lines. The story is another heartfelt tale of friendship and while it’s not anything groundbreaking, it’s incredibly well-written and well-paced, with very memorable characters.


http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/28000000/The-World-Ends-With-You-the-world-ends-with-you-twewy-28007471-1555-1166.jpg
Some of whom are walking spoilers.

The gameplay is where this game truly shines. This is an action RPG that you use two screens to play. Neku, your protagonist, occupies the bottom screen and is controlled by the touch screen, while your partner will fill the top screen, and you will need to use specific button combinations to control them. You get to customize Neku and give him new pins that grant him abilities, which you trigger by using different motions of the stylus. While this seems a bit confusing, I heard it’s pretty intuitive, and if you’re too lost in it all you can always let the game take over your partner. Now, I’m saying “I heard”, because the version I’m familiar with is the iOS port called -Solo Mix-. While I’ve heard I’ve lost a lot of the innovation because of that, I still had tons of fun and highly recommend it. And even if a large chunk of gameplay is simplified, the game looks quite a bit better with smoothed-out sprites and portraits, while the music range is largely expanded.


http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/33100000/TWEWY-the-world-ends-with-you-twewy-33199525-2048-1536.jpg

Speaking of music, TWEWY’s soundtrack was composed by Takeharu Ishimoto. His heavy use of pop and hip hop in this OST was something I was kinda dreading… But I couldn’t have been more wrong. The music sucks you in just like the rest of the game with its catchy melodies and fun arrangements. So, even though I didn’t expect it to turn out this way, the OST to TWEWY is one of my personal favorites.


[YOTUBE]A_8_UftiIHA[/YOUTUBE]
M4SauZ77tBU
73Akb_0UHuY
ZQjcGFoN6tk
NTaEvsdhWUI

I highly recommend this game, I can’t stress this enough. Whether you try to look for the DS version or just download this on iOS, you really can’t go wrong with The World Ends With You. With a story that sucks you in and incredibly unique presentation, this is one of the most original and well-done RPGs out there.

[Pumpkin]

Never played it

[Skyblade]

This is a game I really wanted to like, but I just couldn't. While the premise, storyline, and characters were interesting, I hated the primary game mechanics. Sure, they're original, but being original is not the same thing as being good. I loathed the amount of stylus control required. We know the combat system can support buttons, because we control the top screen with buttons. Why couldn't we just control both characters with buttons? Top screen D-Pad, bottoms screen ABXY.

But, far worse than that, was the garment and pin system. While it had some really neat concepts, the terrible world design and episodic nature of the game made the entire thing worthless. With each square of the world having different shops, carrying different items, and having its own rating of your characters, things quickly spiraled into a massively overcomplicated web that you NEED an FAQ or two to get through. Then they make it even worse by giving you so little control or understanding of the pin upgrade system that essentially your pins would just change as random. Again, unless you were using a guide.

"Oh, did we forget to tell you? If you leave your game off too long, this pin you love using is going to change into THIS nearly worthless new one, instead of a different new type. What's that? You want to go back and buy another one? Oh, sorry, completing that last mini-objective sealed off the square of the map you needed to get to. You should have bought everything you wanted at that shop while you could. Oh, you need to build up your reputation with this new line of shops in order to get something good? Pity you didn't buy everything out of that first store they had back in the first level of the game, it would make that so much easier."

The character progression and ability mechanics just SUCK. They needed to actually explain the way the systems work (including letting you know what pin evolutions were possible ahead of time), and they needed to give you the freedom to explore the world openly. Being segmented to five or six map screens at a time (out of what looks like a hundred) completely destroys any ability to understand or build on the shop system, which is kind of a huge part of the game.

[Scotty_ffgamer]

I absolutely adore this game. Have you played the iOS version, Fynn? I've always been interested in how that one works out since it is confined to one screen. I know you just see and control Neku and you don't have your partner except for in special moves or something. It's interesting, but I just can't imagine not having the two screen mechanic. It could be nice for people that just didn't like/couldn't grasp the two screens though.

There was nothing I didn't like about this game, and it's the only time I actually didn't mind playing something with touch controls. I need to play it again soon. It's definitely my current favorite DS game (though there are plenty of games I haven't played yet.)

[Fynn]

This is a game I really wanted to like, but I just couldn't. While the premise, storyline, and characters were interesting, I hated the primary game mechanics. Sure, they're original, but being original is not the same thing as being good. I loathed the amount of stylus control required. We know the combat system can support buttons, because we control the top screen with buttons. Why couldn't we just control both characters with buttons? Top screen D-Pad, bottoms screen ABXY.

But, far worse than that, was the garment and pin system. While it had some really neat concepts, the terrible world design and episodic nature of the game made the entire thing worthless. With each square of the world having different shops, carrying different items, and having its own rating of your characters, things quickly spiraled into a massively overcomplicated web that you NEED an FAQ or two to get through. Then they make it even worse by giving you so little control or understanding of the pin upgrade system that essentially your pins would just change as random. Again, unless you were using a guide.

"Oh, did we forget to tell you? If you leave your game off too long, this pin you love using is going to change into THIS nearly worthless new one, instead of a different new type. What's that? You want to go back and buy another one? Oh, sorry, completing that last mini-objective sealed off the square of the map you needed to get to. You should have bought everything you wanted at that shop while you could. Oh, you need to build up your reputation with this new line of shops in order to get something good? Pity you didn't buy everything out of that first store they had back in the first level of the game, it would make that so much easier."

The character progression and ability mechanics just SUCK. They needed to actually explain the way the systems work (including letting you know what pin evolutions were possible ahead of time), and they needed to give you the freedom to explore the world openly. Being segmented to five or six map screens at a time (out of what looks like a hundred) completely destroys any ability to understand or build on the shop system, which is kind of a huge part of the game.

You do raise a valid point. The way you put it, it does look like poor game design, and I can understand why you're miffed by it. I was never that much of a completionist and finished the game just fine without maxing anything. And I was too sucked into the story to actually care about those :monster: Still, hoping you'll someday find a way to enjoy this game!


I absolutely adore this game. Have you played the iOS version, Fynn? I've always been interested in how that one works out since it is confined to one screen. I know you just see and control Neku and you don't have your partner except for in special moves or something. It's interesting, but I just can't imagine not having the two screen mechanic. It could be nice for people that just didn't like/couldn't grasp the two screens though.

There was nothing I didn't like about this game, and it's the only time I actually didn't mind playing something with touch controls. I need to play it again soon. It's definitely my current favorite DS game (though there are plenty of games I haven't played yet.)

I've actually only played the iOS version and I loved it! Your partners get reduced to pins that last a bit longer than normal ones and charge up so that you can perform those nifty special attacks. It's simplified, but it works. I never felt like my experience was being hampered in any way. The enhanced visuals and more music certainly made up for it, I think.

So here's a couple of hints about my top 10!

Two spots are occupied by two games from one series each, making my top ten actually a top twelve (shut up - my list, my rules :p)
Two spots contain Western RPGs.
9 games (not places) are parts of series that already appeared on the list.
Only one game is not an RPG.

[Scotty_ffgamer]

I thought you'd played the iOS version, but I couldn't remember for sure. I might pick up that version someday. I still can't imagine it being confined to one screen because there were some fun things i really enjoyed that I feel wouldn't be present without the two screen gameplay. I imagine it is still a great game though.

[Wolf Kanno]

I absolutely loved this game. Almost failed a semester of college because I spent all my free time playing it. I loved the stylus controls which made trying out new pins fun, I loved the shop mechanics to unlock new stuff and I loved the fact it wasn't just about grinding to get new gear. The story was also really well done and one of the few times I've ever witnessed a really unlikable scrub of a character actually grow into a wonderful person. Neku's arc is really well done. Skiki and Joshua are both just awesome and my favorite thing about KH:3D was the cast making an appearance.

I loved the fact this game was truly tailor made for the DS and really showed how all of the system's features could be used to make a fun game. The OST is pretty damn snazzy and I loved how the game even let you control what was playing as you explored, so you could listen to your favorite tracks whenever you wanted.

[Ayen]

Never played it

[Fynn]

Never played it

You know, guys, that's nothing to brag about. You should get to it! :colbert:

[Pumpkin]

Who's bragging? Just commenting

[Ayen]

Never played it

You know, guys, that's nothing to brag about. You should get to it! :colbert:

Then I wouldn't be able to brag about anything.

[Scotty_ffgamer]

What do you say, Fynn? I say we give them one year to play this game. Fail, and they shall face erasure.

Edit: them = everyone who has not played it.

[Fynn]

What do you say, Fynn? I say we give them one year to play this game. Fail, and they shall face erasure.

Edit: them = everyone who has not played it.

*sigh* Alright Scott. Go have your fun. So what's their reward this time around, Game Master?

[Scotty_ffgamer]

They beat the game, then they have played through one of the best games the DS has to offer. I say that's reward enough. Also, 1 moogle hug each.

[Fynn]

They beat the game, then they have played through one of the best games the DS has to offer. I say that's reward enough. Also, 1 moogle hug each.

Fair enough.

Pumpkin, ToriJ - find your parter, don't get lost; let the Reaper's Game begin :radred:

[Scotty_ffgamer]

I want you to know that since you've started this list, I've bought Radiant Historia and Tactics Ogre. I also still have FF Tactics and Bravely Default that I have not played much of. I should get on that once I finish Persona 2 (almost done with Innocent Sin I think). So many RPGs, and I definitely don't have the time for all of these long games.

[Fynn]

I want you to know that since you've started this list, I've bought Radiant Historia and Tactics Ogre. I also still have FF Tactics and Bravely Default that I have not played much of. I should get on that once I finish Persona 2 (almost done with Innocent Sin I think). So many RPGs, and I definitely don't have the time for all of these long games.

Oh, you will make time :bigsmile:

Seriously though, glad my list got you interested in those games! Hope you enjoy them at least half as much as I have! :monster:

[Scotty_ffgamer]

THey are all games I've been interested in for the longest time, but I just hadn't thought about them in a while. This list has brought them all back to attention. I need to not spend anymore money on games though.

I wish the Silent Hill games would come out as PS2 classics on PSN so I could pick up SH4.

Fun fact: I have never completed a tactics style game before (unless you count Valkyria Chronicles.. but it's a little different). I've tried playing FF Tactics, Jeanne D'Arc, Disgaea, and some others. I've loved them all. Just can't seem to play them all the way through though.

Edit: I do hope to play every game on this list eventually. I'm sure that will continue as the list continues since you have impeccable taste.

[Fynn]

Well, those types of games always require quite a bit of investment. They're always really long :(

[Pumpkin]

Moar games :excited:

[Bolivar]

Never played it

It looked interesting but I had a lot of doubts which Skyblade more or less confirmed in his post.

[Ayen]

Seriously though

Hey! That is my line. Just because we're married doesn't mean you can steal my lines.

[Fynn]

Alright, so Pumpkin has started her list - it's time for me to step up my game!

Who's ready for the top ten! :omgomg:

Here's the hints, as a reminder:



Two spots are occupied by two games from one series each, making my top ten actually a top twelve (shut up - my list, my rules :p)
Two spots contain Western RPGs.
9 games (not places) are parts of series that already appeared on the list.
Only one game is not an RPG.

Stay tuned, as the number ten entry on my list shall be revealed...







... Tonight!

[Pumpkin]

I AM READY FOR THE TOP TEN :omgomg:

I'm awful at guessing though. Xenoblade, Final Fantasy XII

[Loony BoB]

Looking forward to it.

[Fynn]

#10

Starting off the top ten with a bang, this a game that I had waited a very long time for. And it ended up never coming out in Europe, imagine that! Still, thanks to the wonder that is PlayAsia, I managed to get one of the few copies for my nameday. My first foray into first-person dungeon crawlers…


SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI: STRANGE JOURNEY


owcjmHJ2Y7k

http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100114082017/megamitensei/images/0/05/SMT_Strange_Journey_Cast.PNG

There is a lot to like about this game. But only if you enjoy difficult titles. Strange Journey will kick your ass like there’s no tomorrow. Sure, it starts off innocent enough, but let me just say Sector Eridanus made me remember the name of that constellation for a lifetime :monster:.


http://www.lordyuanshu.com/images/StrangeJ/ouroboroskill.jpg?672cfe
Level 46? Pshaw, right? WRONG! :stare:

But I am getting ahead of myself! Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, like SMTIV earlier on my list, is part of the main SMT series (unlike, say Persona, DDS, or Devil Survivor, which make up their own series). I heard it was originally conceived as SMTIV, but since instead of advancing the new mechanics found in later games in the series (which the actual SMT IV did) this game returned to the series roots, though with some of its own additions, it didn’t seem like a good fit. That, and it doesn’t take place in Tokyo.


http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/16500000/SMT-Strange-Journey-shin-megami-tensei-16599017-1200-826.jpg

There's still shopping malls, though.

This time, you assume the role of a US Marine who takes part in a dangerous mission to save the world from being engulfed in a huge black hole that’s been expanding from the South Pole, called the Schwartzwelt. You team up from the top scientists and troops from around the world to put an end to this strange anomaly. That’s how you get to know Commander Gore, Zelenin, Jimenez and Arthur, your ship’s AI, all of whom are extremely memorable characters with a strong presence, and they’re one of the reasons why I simply adore this game. While the story does not take place in Tokyo, the themes of the self-destructive nature of humanity, as well as the conflict between complete chaos and absolute order are still very much present. Demons are involved, as usual, but this time things get even more sci-fi. You get equipped with top-of-the-line stuff, like the DEMONICA armor. Not only does it serve to explain a lot of the functions you receive later on in the game, it’s really nicely integrated with the DS, with the top screen letting you see the world through the visor of the armor, while the bottom screen shows whatever is on your wrist. It’s really immersive.


http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/megaten/strangejourney-12.png

The gameplay is based on traditional, first-person dungeon crawling. The bottom screen shows an automap, which is a huge help when you’re trying to search every nook and cranny. The battle system plays mostly like a traditional turn-based RPG, with an additional all-party attack possible if an enemy’s weakness is exploited. If it sounds simple – it is, but it is also incredibly challenging and surprisingly fun.


http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120426221143/megamitensei/images/d/db/Shin_Megami_Tensei_Strange_Journey_USA_28_16873.png
The gang is all here.

Presentation-wise, Strange Journey is fairly simplistic. We get 3D dungeons viewed from a first-person perspective, and in battle you get to enjoy pretty detailed demon artwork. Though it’s quite pleasant to look at, the music is where the game really shines. Shoji Meguro went for a completely different style this time, forgoing his usual electronic arrangements in lieu of a more orchestral soundtrack with very nostalgic-sounding melodies. I mean, if even the regular battle theme sends chills down your spine, you know you’re dealing with something awesome. This is hands-down my favorite Meguro soundtrack.


vYVXdQQoAcc

All things considered, I recommend this game to old-school connoisseurs, or people looking for a challenge. The game starts of quite tame, but you really get murdered easily later on. Still, if you have enough patience to make it through, you’ll be rewarded with a wonderful, dark story and unforgettable characters.

[Pumpkin]

It sounds interesting but I'm actually allergic to playing US marines in video game so...

[Fynn]

It sounds interesting but I'm actually allergic to playing US marines in video game so...

You're a part of the Japanese Defense Force in the original version, so yeah :monster:

Still, you might at least want to check out a playthrough. I know you don't like difficult games, but I think even the story scenes themselves should entice you :)

[Pumpkin]

I might do that!

[Shauna]

I spent too much money picking up this game.

I have yet to play it.

[Fynn]

I spent too much money picking up this game.

I have yet to play it.

You must, Shauna.

And yes, the import prices are horrendous. Why does Atlus hate Europe? :G

[Scotty_ffgamer]

Maybe someday I'll get around to buying and playing this. I used to avoid it mostly because I didn't like the idea of first person dungeon crawling. I still don't really, but I also do like what I've played of SMT games. I might enjoy it.

[Ayen]

Fynn really likes his marines. His favorite movie is "The Marine" starring John Cena.

[Wolf Kanno]

I can never tell if this entry is under-appreciated or if the fans do love it. The sheer amount of fanart it has compared to SMTIV does make me wonder though.

I really do like Strange Journey, while the gameplay isn't my favorite of the franchise it's a whole lot better than say the SNES entries. The real draw for me were the characters and story which was more fleshed out than other entries, including SMTIV itself. Glad I blasted through but damn did that game get mean towards the end.

[Fynn]

I can never tell if this entry is under-appreciated or if the fans do love it. The sheer amount of fanart it has compared to SMTIV does make me wonder though.

I really do like Strange Journey, while the gameplay isn't my favorite of the franchise it's a whole lot better than say the SNES entries. The real draw for me were the characters and story which was more fleshed out than other entries, including SMTIV itself. Glad I blasted through but damn did that game get mean towards the end.

Honestly, I'm pretty sure Strange Journey is the hardest that turn-based RPGs get.

[Fynn]

I apologize for this long hiatus. Finals and real life issues kind of prevented me from updating this thing. Still, for those still with me, here's the next entry.


#9

As finals have finally come to an end, I can resume my list. Not sure if it’ll pay off for me :D I mean, this game is revered like no other, and this is only my number 9. Theoretically, there are more games I like more than this. So, I wonder how much lynching will be going on when I announce that my number 9 is…


CHRONO TRIGGER


http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/chrono/images/1/1b/Chrono_Trigger_Artwork3.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20090311221905
eDZ2W0GpP_E

I don’t think there’s a single thing I don’t love about Chrono Trigger. It had beautiful visuals for its time, letting you get completely immersed into it from the very beginning. I really can’t stress this enough. The way you enter the game and are greeted with this swooping panorama of the meticulously drawn world-map is enough to sweep you off your feet from the first second of the game. The characters sprites are also very detailed, same with the monsters, though the end effect is as good as it is thanks to Akira Toriyama’s colorful designs, even if Crono looks like a red-headed Son Goku.


http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/chrono/chronotrigger-sfc.jpg
We also get Launch and, like, two Bulmas.

A big departure from most JRPGs, there are no random encounters and no fight woosh. I was really wary of this at first, but after seeing my characters scatter about the battle field and take out their weapons once, I decided that it’s perfect. I really wish more games did that, Chrono Cross especially, considering it’s a sequel to this game. Still, I guess this makes Chrono Trigger all the more special. Same with Dual and Triple techs. Many games try to utilize combination attacks, but few manage to pull it off with such balance and panache as this one. There’s really just enough techs for you to not get lost in, but you get to use practically any party combination without losing much. It really strikes a perfect balance. After my initial disappointment with the skill acquisition system – as in, each character only learns 8 basic techs, simply by gaining points, which is kind of boring compared to the robust skill trees some games today have to offer – seeing the group techs in action really made up for it. Really, this would have been overwhelming with more characters or more techs. This is what I call good game design and, again, good balance.


https://twscritic.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/chrono-trigger-battle.jpg
So you can beat up green balls of goop and goblins more efficiently.

The plot may not be mind-blowing nowadays, but this time travel story is really well-written, remains consistent throughout most of the game, is a lot of lighthearted fun… Until you get to Zeal, that is. I still think this game has one of the best wham episodes in video game history. It’s basically the only reason I’ve played this game like six times already and always went for the same ending, even though Chrono Trigger offers you as many as fifteen or so.


http://www.gamefabrique.com/storage/screenshots/snes/chrono-trigger-02.png
This place looks so nice. It must be really peaceful. I'm sure nothing bad can happen here, ever.

I also love how the game becomes open-ended near the end. I think it’s just perfect how the quests to get all the individual characters’ ultimate weapons all involve story closure for all of them. Games can rarely pull off story openness like this nowadays, which is a shame.


http://firsthour.net/screenshots/chrono-trigger/chrono-trigger-death-peak-rescue.jpg
Have I mentioned how pretty this game is? Wrong paragraph? What?

Yasunori Mitsuda (with some help from Nobuo Uematsu) gives us a truly stellar soundtrack that I can listen to all the time, even with the old-school SNES midi quality being the way it is. In a way, this soundtrack transcends synth and stands out as simply a bundle of well-written music that speaks for itself, despite not being performed live or with better synth.


Tcf_FBbIRpM

I think I’ve really drained the topic here, as far as avoiding spoilers goes. Chrono Trigger is truly a magnificent game that, while short, does everything so perfect, that making it even a second longer could probably ruin it. I know that such people are hard to find, but I’ll address them right now – if you still haven’t played Chrono Trigger, you owe it to yourself. Go out and play it now. I personally recommend the DS version, but you can always go for the original SNES version or the PSX port. You really can’t go wrong with it. Just play Chrono Trigger, as it’s probably the most important JRPG in history.

[Loony BoB]

I've played that one! I forgot a lot of it though. I might play it again someday to refresh my memory. But I have to get through FFIII and FFIV first (and probably FFT, FFTA, FFTA2 as well), so... probably not anytime soon. xD

[Egami]

But I have to get through FFIII and FFIV first (and probably FFT, FFTA, FFTA2 as well), so... probably not anytime soon. xD

Ah, you are on a FF spree as well? :D I've been on one for a couple of months now.

Yeah, Chrono Trigger is killer, nice choice Wizard :)

[Loony BoB]

Ah, you are on a FF spree as well? :D I've been on one for a couple of months now.
Yeah, but a very, very slow one. ;) FFIII & FFIV are the only single player FF's I've not finished yet in the main series. I'm currently playing FFT, have played FFTA but not finished it (this goes for III & IV as well) and have never played FFTA2. I go through about one FF per year, sometimes two. It really depends on how many games are out that I want to play ahead of the FF games, including other FF games (FFXIV gets a lot of my gametime).

[Fynn]

Ah, you are on a FF spree as well? :D I've been on one for a couple of months now.
Yeah, but a very, very slow one. ;) FFIII & FFIV are the only single player FF's I've not finished yet in the main series. I'm currently playing FFT, have played FFTA but not finished it (this goes for III & IV as well) and have never played FFTA2. I go through about one FF per year, sometimes two. It really depends on how many games are out that I want to play ahead of the FF games, including other FF games (FFXIV gets a lot of my gametime).

You know, technically, Chrono Trigger could be considered FF...-ish, so if you were going chronologically, you could play it before FFTA (although that game is simply fantastic! Oh shit, I just spoiled my lis...) :D

[Loony BoB]

It's not really about chronological order for me. :) Just about order of interest. Although with the Tactics series it makes sense to play them in order if I'm going to play all three (it helps knowing that I really like FFTA already).

FFIV is the next game I'll play in the main series. Then I'll drag myself through FFIII (probably). But at this rate I might end up playing FFXV first. :D

[sharkythesharkdogg]

Fynn, I'm sorry I forgot this was here. I'll go back and catch up.

So much activity in the lower forums nowadays. It's like a game forum or something, now.

[Pumpkin]

Yay Chrono Trigger! Still trying to get sharky to try it~

[Fynn]

Okay. Wolf Kanno, if you’re watching this, please don’t hate me for putting this above Chrono Trigger :p


#8

I think some of you may be familiar with how my wife and I got each other to play their favored type of game. I was always a big JRPG nerd, while she was very into WRPGs. When I introduced her to FFVII, I never expected this duology to become so close to my heart. And yet, here it is…


BALDUR’S GATE (I & II)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d0/Baldur's_Gate_box.PNG
ZP7vWiaxw7Y

So this is one of those two number I told you would have two games on them. This time, it’s two games because one’s a very direct sequel to the other. In that, it literally takes place just after the events of the first game.


http://static1.gamespot.com/uploads/original/mig/9/5/0/5/359505-bgs2_001.jpg
You're really gonna need all that exp from the first game.

So the first thing you’ll notice, is that the graphics aren’t that good. But once you get into it, you’ll appreciate the detailed backgrounds more and more. While BGI is mostly samey with its caves and forests (which are still nice and atmospheric), you’ll get much more variety with BGII’s dungeons, cities, etc. Still, I don’t think there’s a single reused map and they’re all very exciting to explore, especially since being thorough with your exploration may be very rewarding, providing you with really good equipment, which can literally save your life.


http://cdn.imore.com/sites/imore.com/files/field/image/2012/12/BaldursGate-02.jpg

You start your game by creating your own character. Now, I’m usually not a fan of this, but BG really nicely integrates your character’s backstory to the main plot (it’s actually pretty much central to it), and by the BGII expansion, you really do feel like this is your own personal journey, which is a really rare feeling for me. Also, the AD&D ruleset is very faithfully represented here and works really great, especially since you get to import your character with all their stat gains into BGII once you finish the first game.


http://www.baldursgateii.com/images/screens/screen11.jpg

You can have up to 6 party members at a time. You’ll get to choose from everyone and their mother in BGI (though still not as many characters as Chrono Cross). Most of them are pretty irrelevant, IMO, and the more story-important ones, or the ones that stood out more in BGI, become available again in BGII. The cast in BGII is much smaller, but they’re all much better fleshed out with really great backstories. And the banter between the characters in BGII is really amazing. You get different pieces of dialog for all the different party combinations you can have. It really makes your party feel like this living, breathing group of people that actually have specific attitudes to each other.


http://www.g4g.it/g4g/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/baldurs_gate_hd_widescreen_patch_01.jpg
It's incredibly hard to find screenshots with dialog.

I can’t say much about the story without spoiler, but I’ll tell you this: BGI is really slow about it, with very few story scenes and most of the plot conveyed through reports you find on the way. Still, it really pays off in the sequel, which is largely the reason why I can’t agree with people who tell you to start with BGII. Sure, II is easier to get into as it feels less dated, but you really lose that connection you get from actually taking part in that journey the prologue of BGII describes. So, if you’re going into this, I would really advise you to start with BGI and enjoy the feeling of this personal journey you get to experience as you roam the Sword Coast. And then, once you get to BGII, be swept away by the fantastic plot and well-written characters, continuing that innocent journey you began in BGI that’s turned not-so-innocent-anymore. You really feel like you’ve grown with it as you advance from BGI to BGII.


http://img.gfx.no/1329/1329924/screen19.jpg

Musically, while lacking the bombastic quality of JRPGs soundtrack, the Baldur’s Gate series is still really good. Most of the soundtrack is orchestral, which is a huge plus, and there are some memorable themes, mostly from the second game, since the first game utilizes silence and ambient sounds in place of music much more. Still, the romance theme and the dragon battle theme from BGII are fantastic pieces, along with the Bhaalspawn theme from the Throne of Bhaal expansion.

pxy_a1ZDsCM
GEK84_OSb38
-qJMJgLEQJs

I consider this game a “baby’s first WRPG”, but that may be because it was my own first WRPG. Even if you’re solely a JRPG player, like I used to be, once you get over the initial weirdness of this different approach, there is a truly fantastic experience just waiting for you right here.

[Egami]

Yeah, but a very, very slow one. ;) FFIII & FFIV are the only single player FF's I've not finished yet in the main series. I'm currently playing FFT, have played FFTA but not finished it (this goes for III & IV as well) and have never played FFTA2. I go through about one FF per year, sometimes two. It really depends on how many games are out that I want to play ahead of the FF games, including other FF games (FFXIV gets a lot of my gametime).

For my part, I hadn't played a FF title since I stopped playing XIII back in 2010; at which point I began playing Demon's Souls, then Skyrim and then Dark Souls for the most part and FF took a backseat of sorts. But then I felt like replaying VII and after I did I just felt like going on with the others, so I went with VIII, X/X-2 (the remaster which I had gotten recently), XIII Saga (had to complete it), VI, V, IV and lastly XII. I started replaying IX as I said in the playing now thread but it really doesn't do it for me, so Tactics may be the next stop.

Opps, I feel we are derailing Fynn's thread so I'll just stick to commenting on his list :p

[Ayen]

I plan to get to Chronos Trigger in May.

Oh, wait. That was Xenogears.

[sharkythesharkdogg]

Yay Chrono Trigger! Still trying to get sharky to try it~

Retry it. Play it ages ago across a few sleepovers, and my save file left with the copy of the game, since it wasn't mine.

Tried to play it years after that, and for whatever reason, my emulated copy on the XBox wouldn't keep my save data.

It does look very fun.

[Skyblade]

Chrono Trigger is too low. By about 8 spots. :D Still, good to see this being updated again.

[Fynn]

Chrono Trigger is too low. By about 8 spots. :D

Aha! Someone said it :D

[Loony BoB]

I've played a tiny bit of BG. I wanted to play it with Danielle but for some reason it was horribly buggy on our Windows XP (I think it was XP at the time, anyway) desktops and in the end it just didn't really work out very well. I don't think I could tear her away from FFXIV for long enough to get another attempt going, sadly.

[Fynn]

#7

This is a game I will fight you for. I find it undeniably better than its predecessor, and I really wish the following games would take more from the things this game did so right. But then, not enough people think following Matsuno’s vision is the optimal course of action, which is pretty obvious to me…


FINAL FANTASY XII


http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20081021090926/finalfantasy/images/7/7b/AkihikiYoshida-FFXIIallChars..jpg
D7J_8IB5i6k

Here we are. Let me get this out of the way – there is no numbered FF higher. This is my favorite numbered FF. There can be no other, as there are no words that I can use to express HOW MUCH I ADORE THIS GAME!!!!!!!!


http://www.ffwa.org/ff12/images/script-shots/71.jpg
Still not as much as Balthier love Fran SHUT UP YOU STUPID BALTHIER/ASHE SHIPPERS!!!!!

But I’ll try. First of all, I love the art style. Akihiko Yoshida gives us really beautiful character designs, and I love how most of his brushwork is still visible in the 3D models. I love how he uses mostly browns while still utilizing very vivid colors, making the whole game look like some really old painting. The same is true for the locations. Everything just seems to fit so well together. Too bad the FMVs didn’t really capture that, but hey, you can’t have everything :monster:


http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20080225080312/finalfantasy/images/8/88/Dr_Cid.jpghttp://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110906235258/finalfantasy/images/e/e4/Al-Cid.jpg
Plus, Yoshida gave us two really sexy Cids in this game (Cid Bunansa still wins out though).

On that note, I think the world in this game is amazing, not only because of how it looks. It is big with tons of nooks and crannies to explore. I love how varied the locales are and how the monsters really seem like an organic part of it. Ivalice really feels alive. I know a lot of people complained that you don’t get to travel the whole world, but IMO, that only makes it all seem bigger, that that huge swath of land you just explored is actually part of something even bigger.


http://www.ff12sector.com/images/ff12_screenshots/ff12_gs21.jpg
See, you even get a lense flare effect.

Now for the controversial opinion: I love the story and characters. Seriously. After the forced drama and over-the-top characters from FFX, seeing a cast that is subdued and more human in a very subtle way is extremely refreshing. The absolutely stellar voice-acting really helps make the characters feel alive, their emotional reactions natural and believable, and even though the dialogue (amazingly translated as it is) is spread out pretty far between the long journeys you have to make, you can tell the characters make very natural progressions. What I’m saying is, the character development may not be so evident (or in your face) as in previous games in the series, but I feel the end effect is that much more powerful thanks to that. The main theme is freedom, and the message is that revenge can’t solve anything if you want true peace. I always like to bring up how Vaan is actually crucial to the story, because without his decision to ignore the Occuria and forget about avenging Reks, Ashe would become a crazy dictator, but that’s a rant for another day. Bottom line, I really love how mature this story is and wish it was appreciated more than it is.


http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/4800000/FF-XII-Wallpaper-final-fantasy-4871055-1024-768.jpg
Larsa quite possibly still remains my favorite FF character.

Another controversial opinion, though arguably less so – the battle system is also amazing. “But the game plays itself,” you may say. And I say “only if you set it up so”. There is a huge amount of strategy involved in the gambit system and I absolutely love how flexible you must be to really get by (arguably, this is probably the most challenging FF). If you can set it up so that the game plays itself, you have my utmost respect, because that is quite a feat (though still achievable). You want a game that plays itself? Just add another I to the number ;)


http://ps2media.ign.com/ps2/image/article/741/741992/final-fantasy-xii-collectors-edition-20061028075956834-000.jpg

You really need to stay on your toes otherwise.

You really can’t go wrong with the music in FF. Seriously, even the most hated FFs are always praised for their music, and this one is no different. The soundtrack has a very similar feel to the FFT series and Vagrant Story, thanks to Hitoshi Sakimoto. Though the melodies stand out less, there’s a swooping, movie-like quality to it, which I really love. It’s definitely one of my favorite FF soundtracks. Oh, and it has an awesome remix of Battle on the Big Bridge.

1mY4qYnul3I
XJJjD-kZ4ck

Overall, I can’t say I can recommend this to anyone. I realize people come into FF expecting specific things that I guess X delivers on better. But FFXII showed me how an FF can be and it turned out to be something I always wanted without being aware of that. I loved the mature tone and subtle story-telling, and I really wish more games delivered in that regard.

[metagloria]

YEP YEP YEP YEP. Everything you said and more. Very very close to where XII will end up on my list :D

[Egami]

Excellent choice Fynn, agree with the points you made. XII is an epic and I consider it the silent under appreciated gem of the series.

[Pumpkin]

Love XII. I didn't like it the first time I played but now it's one of my favourites

[Egami]

Love XII. I didn't like it the first time I played but now it's one of my favourites

Did playing and enjoying other western and open world RPGs play a role in changing your mind about it? I ask because while I did like XII right from the start, when I replayed it recently after many years and after going through western/open world games like Skyrim/Oblivion, Dragon Age and the like, my appreciation of it increased.

[Electroshock Therapy]

I can't wait until I reach FF XII, but seeing as how I still need finish VI and onward, that will be quite a while yet.
I also can't wait until I can play XIII just because of how much flak it gets. Knowing me, I'll probably love it and defend it to no end because most people don't. That's kinda how I am with FF II. :p