The greatest games - A Personal list of Neocracker~

[NeoCracker]

Late in updating, but I've ahd a lot go on the past couple days.

Anyay, here is the next set, and possibly the one of the last times Wolf will
find himself shaking is head at me!


47. Atelier Rorona: Alchemist of Arland (PS3)
46. Atelier Meruru: Apprentice of Arland (PS3)
45. Atelier Totori: Adventurer of Arland (PS3)
      These are not games made for everyone due to the nature of the stories they tell. The Arland series of games from Atelier aren't about saving the world, they tell the stories of a person simply trying to, for one reason or another, become an alchemist. At thier core the games hold the same game play, though here are variances in each one to keep them all feeling fresh.

      There is a big focus on non-combat in the game as well, where you build relationships as well as advance a separate level for your alchemy skill in order to create more powerful items, which in terms of combat is the main characters main method of battle. Each game comes with multiple endings, all of which are fun and unique. This comes with a great premise that you do play the game striving for a goal, but with so many different ways to achieve it, all of which offering different experiences giving
you reason to play through multiple times ot see all the games have to offer.

      This set of games knows not to take themselves to seriously and are some of gaming's most light hearted experiences. Still though, the game comes with some fairly dark moments. While not as dark as other games, it does do a better job at some to make you feel unsettling. I mean in a game such as Fall Out, even mass murder isn't going
to come as a shock as it's just part of the world, but killing only one person in a game like these leaves a big impact due to the dark contrast to the rest of the world.

      Really this game is only going to be good if you can get into the story and world, which a lot of people may not be able too. However, if you can enjoy the cast, which I do, and don't mind the lack of world ending plot, there is a lot to these games to enjoy.




Special Mention - Atlier Ayesha: Alchemist of Dusk

This isn't on the list because it came out after I started it, and it is just as good, if not better then the Arland games. On a whole it seems to have the weakest cast of the series, which may be why I'm not to sure if it's better or not, having only played through once, but from a mechanical stand point is is by far the best. The Alchemy, the central point of these games as well as most of the Atelier series, is the best it has ever been. It's the most in depth crafting system I have ever seen in a game, yet never is it confusing. It is rewarding to players who actually sit down to put a lot of thought into it, and I love it for that.

Combat is also a hell of a lot better, adding some positioning elements to the combat, so while at it's core it's the same there is an all new level of depth to and strategy added. Perhaps I will comment more on it once I get a few more endings.

[drotato]

Neo, this is such a great thread. How have I never seen this before..? ; ~;

[NeoCracker]

44. Final Fantasy V (SNES)
      I hate to say this, cause some one will stab me, but I don't think I should have listed this after the Atelier Arland games. FF V is fun, though looking at it now I got more enjoyment out of No More Heroes and Kingdom Hearts as well, but smurf it. To late to change the number now.

      FF V has a lot going for it regardless. It's definitely the goofiest FF in the main series, and it does well for it. The jokes are great, the characters are fun and it's easy to care about what happens to them. Krile is the only exception, but hey, we had Galuf Vs. Ex-Death, the games single greatest moment, and honestly one of the
better ones in the series.

      There really isn't an objective reason I don't enjoy this game more though. It was just never one to hold my interest enough for me to care to play it again, and while there isn't many problems with the story, it lacks many moments that stand out, the Galuf one being the biggest. Hell, it didn't even leave an impact when you had the two worlds fusing together for me.

      That said though, the games combat is also great, giving you a lot of customization within your party, though there are quite a few classes and abilities that just aren't really that good, and it can be obvious even to a person who has little experience in RPG's. Still though, solid game and you should play it.

43. No More Heroes: Desperate Struggle (Wii)
      Take everything no more heroes did and make it better. The Jokes are funnier, the story is better, and the mini-games are better. Hell, you even get the chance to play as a couple characters other then Travis. Both Shinobu levels are great, except the second boss is frustrating as smurf, as Shinobu's Jump Mechanic's aren't tight enough for that level, though work great the rest of the time.

      Henry's only fight was a bit dull though to be honest, I didn't really like controlling Henry, and it was only for one fight anyway, so it could have been dropped. Regardless though, nothing else I could say about this without just retreading what I spoke of in the first one.


42. Legend of Zelda: Ocorina of Time (N64)
      OOT and Desperate Struggle are two games that are kind of interchangeable for me in terms of enjoyment, though the Nostalgia gave this game the edge. Zelda has always been a good series, and it transitioned beautifully into 3D. Like other games, the Puzzle's are fun to figure out and you have all sorts of fun gadgets to do it with.

      And while easy to blaze through now, a lot of the puzzles were actually challenging and took some thought to make it through. There was the water temple which was just a smurfing asshole, but other then that great. Also a lot of really fun and inventive bosses.

      Best of all, it came with the best story and characters of the series yet. Even the non-speaking link felt as though he had more character then ever before. And seeing the changes to the world after the seven year jump to the future when Ganon takes over is great. Best story, atmosphere, and gameplay to date in a Zelda game.

[Bolivar]

FFV is probably my favorite 2D FF game, most likely because of when I played it. I played through the first 6 FF games all the way through while I was in college. I suspect that an amazing story, visuals, and music is enough to blow you away when you're younger but when you're older, you need a little more to back it up. That's why I never fell that hard for FFIV or VI and probably why FFV edges them out for me. The gameplay is better balanced, of more substance, and scales well as the player progresses through the game. Managing those three things at the same time is a very rare balancing act and there's maybe 3 or 4 that have actually done it.

I do enjoy the replays, seeing a scene you forgot was there the first time, or smiling when a really cool scene comes up. Gilgamesh was awesome, X-Death was awesome ("Fools!"), and Reina's origin story was heartbreaking. Salute to Bartz, FF's only one true pimp.

[Bubba]

I haven't played the No More Heroes sequel but hope to get onto it at some point. I'm also slowly working my way through the old FF games. Having already played FFVI onwards, I finished FFI recently I have just started FF2 and will make my way up to FFV eventually!

Ocarina of Time holds a special place in my heart though. It still doesn't quite top ALTTP for me but it is pretty damn close! It was my first proper 3D game I played (besides Mario 64) and was absolutely blown away back in 1998. If I'm being honest though, I would regard Twilight Princess as the best 3D Zelda I've played.

[NeoCracker]

And here we go with the latest update!

41. White Knight Chronicles (PS3)
40. White Knight Chronicles 2 (PS3)
      This is a game that got quite a bit of backlash from a fair amount of people when it first came out, and I can't entirely blame it. It was a game that pretty much the entirety of it was the set up for something bigger, White Knight 2. I, obviously, was not one of those people, as I loved the first game, as well as the second.

      For starters it had a solid cast, with a couple exceptions. Mostly who shines in this game, however, are the Villains. Belcantine is quite literally a mustache twirling obviously evil man, but is so fun and wonderful in the role, he steals just about any scene he is in. Hell, there is a bit when he turns into a demon and his is still doing the mustache gesture, even though there is no longer a mustache to twirl. In addition is Shepur, who is far less talkative then Belcantine, but any time he does speak his dialogue is wonderfully vicious in nature.

      The game is also wonderful to look at, with imaginative designs and wonderful detail in the world around you, though there are times when the designs come across as a bit uninspired. However, this isn't often.

      The combat is fun, though I don't know if a lot of people would agree with me on it. Mostly, once you've hit about the half way point, you've pretty much established the combo set ups you will be using, and battles start to become rinse and repeat.

      While this is a game I probably enjoy more then it is objectively
good, there is still a lot this game can offer you. If you have a lot of free time on your hands it's worth checking out.

[Bolivar]

Haven't played the second one.

If I had to describe White Knight Chronicles, it would be the next-generation JRPG with all the gameplay mechanics in place to back it up... but none of the story/scenario to go along with it.

Still waiting for the explanation on how the last 80 or so entries are ahead of Final Fantasy VII.

[NeoCracker]

...Because FF VII wasn't that good?

[Mercen-X]

I haven't played these games, but I seen the video footage. It looks cool enough to play regardless of what criticism it may have received. I still want to get my hands on a copy but I haven't had luck so far.

[Wolf Kanno]

I'm going to have to agree with Bolivar here. I don't even rank VII that high but some of these games you've posted have less merit than VII. White Knight Chronicles is a boring game with a generic cast and plot, and while its gameplay has a novel idea, it just can't carry the game for how tedious it is. I feel VII is overrated and while I agree with some of your reasoning's for not liking it (and could add a bit more) I'd still rank it over some of these games you've listed.

You already know how I feel about Atelier which while I can agree the crafting system is well done, it just can't make up for the bland plot, characters and gameplay. Like the Tales franchise, it is the RPG equivalent of Junk Food compared to the more exquisite meals offered by Breath of Fire, Suikoden, and most of the numbered FF series.

The fact you can rank these two series in your top 50 and turn around to consider Xenogears one of the worst games of all time just confounds me.

Implied-Facepalm.jpg

[NeoCracker]

The Atelier Iris games were a big generic, but there is no way you can say that about the Arland series of games. In the world of RPG's, there really isn't any other games with plots like those ones. I guess you could call it bland, but really the focus of those games are on the path of your growing workshop over some overarching plot, as well as a goal that's pretty much only important to your main character rather then the world around her.

The cast can be a bit stereotypical at times, but still within their stereotypes they are pretty well written. Though I can see why a person wouldn't like the games characters.

And face it, my criticisms of Xenogears are all entirely valid.

Edit: And note There has yet to be a Breath of Fire game, or any other FF besides VII and V listed.

And I have yet to actually play any Suikoden besides IV....

[Pheesh]

My new thing to do is going to be listing which of the games higher than Kingdom Hearts on your list are in fact no where near as good as Kingdom Hearts:

All of them.

[Shauna]

And I have yet to actually play any Suikoden besides IV....

Perhaps you should play one that is not considered the worst Suikoden game. :3

[NeoCracker]

I've been meaning to get around to it actually, I just almost always have a new game coming out.

Perhaps, since I'm somewhat gameless right now, I'll get around to it!

[Loony BoB]

FFV rocked and yeah, Bolivar/WK are correct but you're Crackers when it comes to game ranking so what can I say.