10. Pokemon Red: It's contribution to gaming was huge, it brought one of the addicting parts of RPGs to its extreme, since you essentially have 150 characters to level up, maybe minus their evolves. Its strengths don't go as crazy as the others though so it's my number 10.




09. Final Fantasy XII: this game goes there just on the strength of its scope. Exploring the beautiful environments, mapping out every area, and chaining for fun and profit makes this game a heavy hitter on its own. I actually really like the story and characters a whole lot as well and the fact that this is the only fully realized Matsuno world makes it one of the most special video games of all time.



08. Shining Force I/II: Shining Force II was the first RPG I ever completed and I'm lumping them together since they each have different strengths on essentially the same idea. Some games have better stories, some games have deeper combat, but the excellent art, unique presentation, and VINTAGE Sega Genesis soundtrack makes this a unique experience. The story and combat are straightforward without being dumbed down and this is one of the pioneers of the SRPG genre, and probably the only real "must play" of the originators.



07. Final Fantasy IX: The ninth installment represents the entire series to me. It still has that "new FF" magic feeling whenever I put it in. The production value of the cutscenes outclass most HD games today. Sluggish combat and lack of risk taking holds it back though.



06. Valkyria Chronicles: Such an original game, a truly innovative title in our time. The fantasy WWII setting is easy to get into but gets progressively darker and more serious as the plot progresses, to a climax that appraoches horror. We all have our preferences as to what is better, but I think Valkria Chronicles edges out Demon's Souls as the most important RPG of this generation. It was a revolution before our very eyes.



05. Dragon Quest VIII: So these are the heavy hitters and I would nominate DQVIII for best RPG of all time any day of the week. The fact that it's a fully realized NES game makes it a miraculous experience all on its own. But it's epic-length, endless secrets, and interesting take on the DQ class-progress system reinforce what a monumental game this was and potentially the last classic DQ. What a way to go out.



04. Final Fantasy Tactics: I got high when I played this game. Final Fantasy Tactics is a game that can get you high if you play it. The story, artwork, and music are just too damn good. It's also a well done deeply customizable SRPG. You can't pass this game up if you play RPGs....



03. Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together: ...but this is the Quest/Ivalice team's magnum opus. It nails the entertainment aesthetics just as hard as FFT, if not harder. But it also has better balanced classes and systems. It also has better enemy progression. And customization is more endless when you break down the barriers of classes and ability slots and let the player build a character with any abilities and passives they want. Oh, and it takes all that and puts it in a game with branching storylines, multiple endings, hell, even multiple sidequest paths depending on the decisions you make. It also has some of the most insane optional dungeons ever in gaming. Pound for pound, I don't think any game can stand next to Let Us Cling Together.



02. Dragon Quest V: Yet I still put DQV ahead of it for what it did in gaming. I'm not even going to get into why I like the story and characters because it's a special experience that every RPG player should encounter on their own. But the reason Dragon Quest has become the juggernaut it is is because of its unmatched perfection in balancing accessibility and challenge. The enemies progress in a way that makes levelling up a tangible, meaningful experience, not just the addiction factor most games rely on. The puzzles are novel, but just hard enough to give you that "a-ha!" moment. And exploration is done in that beautiful illusion of non-linearity, with you finding the next town just off your own intuition alone. And DQV is an exemplar of all those philosophies. This is the best 2D RPG I've ever played.



01. Final Fantasy VII It's the best-paced video game ever made. It has sounds and visuals that you will not see in another game. Its introduction of seamless transitions from cutscene to gameplay and back revolutionized storytelling in video games, blurring the line between story and gameplay. I don't think we would have had a Half-Life if it weren't for Final Fantasy VII. Every action game on current-generation HD consoles struggles and strives to do what Final Fantasy VII did in 1997. Hironobu Sakaguchi and Nobuo Uematsu both called it a giant leap in gaming. It also has the most responsive and best choreographed combat in the series, and that's why it's my favorite Final Fantasy and my #1 RPG of all time.