I Need a New RPG

[FFIX Choco Boy]

Just as the title says, I'm looking for a new RPG to play. I don't want any shooters, I don't want a sandbox game, I want an RPG. I also don't want one with a really complicated system like Disgaea, or like the skill system with Suikoden. I loved the .Hack series, so something similar would be nice. Most Final Fantasies I've played through way too many times, now, though, so they're not really an option, but something like them would still be welcome. Mostly, though, I'm looking for a good story, a steady game progression, and likable characters.

Edit: PS1, PS2, or PC please.

[TrollHunter]

Have you played through the star ocean series at all?

[FFIX Choco Boy]

Yeah, I've finished 1-3. Hmm, lemme update my signature, and you guys can just look there for all the RPG like games I've finished.

[Laddy]

Try PC RPG's. They're more Western in nature, but you can't go wrong with the Baldur's Gate games, Fallout 1 and 2, Morrowind, etc.

Plus they're very compliacted and ubercheap.

[FFIX Choco Boy]

There, I updated my sig for all the games I've finished, but really I'm not in the mood for the typical western RPG, either. Usually the stories for western RPGs are pretty bad. Besides, eastern ones tend to have a better feel to them, with more compelling characters and areas, and a more immersive story. I may have played and beaten some Western RPGs, but I never enjoyed them nearly as much as the Eastern ones.

[KentaRawr!]

Lost Odyssey is a good game. You might like Chaos World or Dark Lord for the NES as well. Bahamut Lagoon, Live a Live and Treasure of the Rudra are all pretty unique RPGs for the SNES from Square. Check 'em out.

[FFIX Choco Boy]

Oh, I forgot to mention. I need one for PS1, PS2, or PC. My other systems are out of commission right now.

[Laddy]

Baldur's Gate II has one of the best RPG plots and scripts ever. It's really Eastern-like in many ways.

EDIT: Really, it's quite unlike most Western RPG's due to its focus on plot and characters. There are about 20 characters who can join your party, each with different motivations, alignments, and personalities. Some are crazy, others are noble, others are evil. They will generate conversations with the party based on who is in it and their actions. You can have a party of the exact same characters and still have different dynamics. Your created character is very deep and has a flexible personality, changing his/her role in the plot and ending.

The quests are very open-ended, too. The way you complete them changes the way the world an characters respond to you. Will the good characters leave your party by engaging in the slave trade, having you be shunned by society? Will the evil characters look kindly towards your dismantling of an evil cult?

The plot is downright creepy but excellent. It is related to the first game by a bit, but the game does and excellent job of informing you of the events of the first. Your created is very much the star of the plot, and his/her personality and role in it is entirely up to you. I have never seen a game that rewards actual role-playing so much more.

The game is also more complex than many of its peers. One thing that I wish eastern RPG's would better incorporate is more statistical flexibility, and BGII does this well without making it feel like a chore. Seriously, BGII trumps almost every RPG, eastern or western, in its sheer size, scope, complexity, and flavor.

[KentaRawr!]

Oh, I forgot to mention. I need one for PS1, PS2, or PC. My other systems are out of commission right now.

All the games I mentioned were Japan only, so you'd need an emulator to play them in English anyway. (Besides Lost Odyssey, obviously)

Anyway, how about Vagrant Story? It's pretty nice.

[Polnareff]

Breath of Fire III is awesome. It has a lot of likable characters (even a few of the villains are likable in some way) and the story is pretty decent and forgoes much of the traditional "world destruction" story, especially in the beginning.

In the beginning of the game, (much like the other BoF games) you play as a character named Ryu who has dragon powers. In 3 you meet him in a rather surprising way which I will not spoil. He makes friends with two punks named Rei and Teepo. They go around town causing trouble a few times more than what they should and that's when the real story begins.

There are random battles but instead of the flashy camera pans and such of other RPGs you simply meet the enemies right where you stand. What makes this game stand out above some of the other ones are the Master system where you can make your characters apprentices under masters and level up to gain new skills. The fairy colony is another great feature that can't be utilized until later but gives you all sorts of rewards. The fishing minigame is back too and more fun than before. That also gives you some really good items if you play it enough.

The other awesome thing about the battle system is that along the way you get different genes to transform into different dragons (15 in all) but you can combine up to three of them to make a better dragon form.

The setting is much darker than in BoF1 (and BoF2 if you're playing the English versions) but there's plenty of lighthearted moments as well.

Some people say you have to grind levels to beat the game but it's not entirely true. You really just need good equipment and good skills and you'll do fine. The second time I played I beat the game in the low 30s. BoF3 is around 30 to 40 hours unless you do any of the side stuff for a long time.

[Wolf Kanno]

I'll second Breath of Fire series overall, with II-V getting my highest approval. I'll also second Vagrant Story if you can get your hands on it as well as one of my personal fave titles Xenogears. The problem is, many of these titles are difficult to find nowadays for the original PS1.

So I'll default to Persona 3: FES and Persona 4. Very excellent characters and story and snazzy battle systems.

You also sound like you really like action style RPGs with .Hack and Star Ocean under your belt so I'll suggest the Tales series since they are pretty much the kings of the sub-genre at the moment.

You already shot down Suikoden so I won't mention that... Xenosaga is not too bad if you can get past the half hour cutscenes.

[Polnareff]

Yeah BoFIV is pretty cool too, and I think I should have suggested he play that first before 3 since the general opinion is that 3>>>>>>4 (although I like both about equally).

BoFV is polarizing but it's pretty fun, save system and length aside.

Can't believe I forgot Persona 3 and 4. I'm wondering if I should mention Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2? They're both reasonably challenging but not too overly complicated.

[Carl the Llama]

[Polnareff]

Atelier Iris series is a good choice, but be warned the second one kinda drags in certain points because when you play as Viese she is really only used to gather items to give to Felt.

Grandia is great too (and my next favorite RPG series after BoF). The entire Grandia series outside of Parallel Trippers and Digital Museum can be had on PS1/PS2, but the port of Grandia 2 on PS2 is pretty bad. Grandia Xtreme has IMO the best battle system but the story is severely lacking. Grandia 1 has maybe the best story in the whole series and a very endearing cast (the graphics, music, and gameplay are no slouch either).

I'll be honest and say I'm not a fan of Grandia 3. Too much Squenix influence IMO. However I'm in the minority, so.....

[Pheesh]

Knights of the Old Republic I and II. They're freakin' amazing.