The Greatest RPG Of All Time

[Alpha2099]

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

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

Best of luck with that.

[Del Murder]

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

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

I read it, but I don't need to choose five things from games because the greatest RPG already exists.

Ok, I didn't read it.

[Madame Adequate]

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

[Del Murder]

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

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

[Laddy]

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

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

Hell yes, that actually sounds like a great idea!

[Markus. D]

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

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

[Depression Moon]

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

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

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

[Loony BoB]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Clo]

Chrono Trigger: because I love the chars, the environment, and smurfing TIME TRAVEL. Also, the battle system doth please me. And Zeal is just cool. This game is a hundred times cooler than most modern JRPGs. Final Fantasy Tactics: this game never fails to entertain. And the story is just well-written for an RPG, far more so than others.

[Fynn]

Alright, here goes/

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

Number 2 is a tie!

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

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

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

[escobert]

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

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

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

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

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

Exactly my thoughts.