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(Many thanks to Luminaire for the amazing banner.)
This thread is for general discussion about RPGs!

Looking for recommendations? Second-opinions? Found a great hidden gem you want to tell people about? It's all in here!


J-, W-, C-, A-, whatever letter you put in front of RPG, it's all good :)

Make sure to spoiler tag major plot points and things of that nature.


RPG Era has a nifty discord as well! DM Luminaire or myself for a link!

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While this thread encompasses all kinds of RPGs, I encourage you to check out some of ERA's other awesome community threads for individual franchises!

Have fun! And don't forget - equip the things you pick up!
 
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Wazzy

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Oct 25, 2017
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So happy we're getting a community going here for this. I can't wait to see what kind of games we can find or offer people to try!
 

Fou-Lu

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Oct 25, 2017
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Xanadu Next. This game deserves way more recognition. It has a very satisfying and fun gameplay loop and the soundtrack is up to your usual Falcom standards. I also found something about the combination of art style, atmosphere, story, and music beautifully haunting.
 
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Fou-Lu, Wazzy, pleasure as always :)

So someone had mentioned in the Essential RPGs a game called "Solatorobo"...has anyone actually played that? I hadn't even heard of it before it was mentioned.

I looked up some footage but unfortunately the game costs like $50+...DS games have gotten crazy expensive!

Xanadu Next. This game deserves way more recognition. It has a very satisfying and fun gameplay loop and the soundtrack is up to your usual Falcom standards. I also found something about the combination of art style, atmosphere, story, and music beautifully haunting.

I've been meaning to play this, picked up the PC re-release Day 1 but haven't even touched it yet. I'd start it now if I didn't already have like 6 other RPGs on my plate...
 

Luxorek

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Oct 25, 2017
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Poland
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Love RPGs and love to talk about them. If anybody has any questions regarding The Witcher, Gothic or Bioware RPGs pre-Inquisition I'm your guy. Let's be excellent to each other.
 

Fou-Lu

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,339
Fou-Lu, Wazzy, pleasure as always :)

So someone had mentioned in the Essential RPGs a game called "Solatorobo"...has anyone actually played that? I hadn't even heard of it before it was mentioned.

I looked up some footage but unfortunately the game costs like $50+...DS games have gotten crazy expensive!

That one caught my eye too. Haven't played it either.

I've been meaning to play this, picked up the PC re-release Day 1 but haven't even touched it yet. I'd start it now if I didn't already have like 6 other RPGs on my plate...

I hear ya. It's not too long though! I 100%'d it and it took 15 hours. So it's a good inbetween RPGs, RPG.
 
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Love RPGs and love to talk about them. If anybody has any questions regarding The Witcher, Gothic or Bioware RPGs pre-Inquisition I'm your guy. Let's be excellent to each other.

Lux I do have a question actually, I played Gothic II but never went back to the first game, is it possible to enjoy the first game after II or will it just feel archaic?

I hear ya. It's not too long though! I 100%'d it and it took 15 hours. So it's a good inbetween RPGs, RPG.

Oh jeez I thought it was a lot longer. 15 hours is peanuts, I could throw that into my game schedule anywhere. Might even start it this weekend if that's the case.
 

Opa-Pa

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Oct 25, 2017
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Awesome, watched! Been craving for a place like this ever since I had the pleasure of talking essential RPGs with some of you guys.

Anyway, I've been hooked to Monster Hunter Stories recently and despite being relatively ignorant about MH I've had one hell of a time. This game is criminally underlooked and surprisingly deep in its mechanics.
 
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Lynx_7

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,354
Been playing FF 2 (NES) recently. It's pretty slow and rough but I'm actually enjoying it.
 

Soran

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
697
Fou-Lu, Wazzy, pleasure as always :)
So someone had mentioned in the Essential RPGs a game called "Solatorobo"...has anyone actually played that? I hadn't even heard of it before it was mentioned.
.
Is one of the most lovely games I ever played. Beautiful art, characters, story, music and world. If you have played Tail Concerto you will recognize a lot of characters there.
The combat is really, really easy and kinda lack deepness. Is one of those you play for everything but well, the playability.
 

Fou-Lu

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,339
Oh jeez I thought it was a lot longer. 15 hours is peanuts, I could throw that into my game schedule anywhere. Might even start it this weekend if that's the case.

Awesome! Let me know what you think.

Been playing FF 2 (NES) recently. It's pretty slow and rough but I'm actually enjoying it.

I have only played the enhanced remakes of FFII (both on GBA and PSP) which I really enjoyed. I found it much better than what I had heard to expect, but maybe the remakes just fixed a lot of the issues.
 

Luxorek

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,164
Poland
Lux I do have a question actually, I played Gothic II but never went back to the first game, is it possible to enjoy the first game after II or will it just feel archaic?

Let me put it this way. In Gothic I you can't do shit with your mouse. You can look around, but to pick up items or attack you have to use bizzare, archaic key combinations like [CTRL+ arrows] and so on.

It's gonna be hard. It's euro jank granddaddy, fighting you using its most basic and effective weapon - its control scheme.

However. I love that game. It's graphically very similar to Gothic II, but unlike it you're not immediately given an end-game task. The world feels organic, it's set in a penal colony. You barter with pieces of ore, not money. It just oozes atmosphere.
 
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The original NES version of FF2 is grisly. Never beat it myself...did beat the PSP version though.

The leveling is completely borked but the game had some surprisingly good moments, and the final dungeon was great (and punishing.)

I'm going to try Solatorobo but I need to find it for a good price...

Let me put it this way. In Gothic I you can't do shit with your mouse. You can look around, but to pick up items or attack you have to use bizzare, archaic key combinations like [CTRL+ arrows] and so on.

It's gonna be hard. It's euro jank granddaddy, fighting you using its most basic and effective weapon - its control scheme.

However. I love that game. It's graphically very similar to Gothic II, but unlike it you're not immediately given an end-game task. The world feels organic, it's set in a penal colony. You barter with pieces of ore, not money. It just oozes atmosphere.

Thanks, I have it on GOG, I'll give it a whirl at some point.

I have to be in a very specific mood for Eurojank. But I get in that mood every once in a while lol.
 

ElephantShell

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Oct 25, 2017
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I've been wanting to start one of the RPGs on the SNES classic but I dunno which one. I've dabbled in FF6 and Mario RPG, never finished either though, and haven't touched Secret of Mana. A friend said Mana doesn't hold up, is he full of shit? Any suggestions which to start with?
 

Lynx_7

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,354
I beat it earlier this year, the PS1 version though. It was alright, but don't get attached to the 4th character in your party at any given time.
Yeah, I'm aware of their tendency for
dramatic sacrifices and just generally leaving the party lol
I have only played the enhanced remakes of FFII (both on GBA and PSP) which I really enjoyed. I found it much better than what I had heard to expect, but maybe the remakes just fixed a lot of the issues.
Yeah, the remakes makes things much snappier, but I chose to stick with the NES for historical reasons. Also, it'll make the transition to III (NES) that much easier!
I'm also enjoying it more than I thought I would. I can understand where FF fans are coming from when they say they don't like it, but it's far from some of the hyperbole I've read.
 

THErest

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,462
Here for the community, and it's not like I'll have time to actually play all the rpgs that interest me...
 

Fou-Lu

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,339
I've been wanting to start one of the RPGs on the SNES classic but I dunno which one. I've dabbled in FF6 and Mario RPG, never finished either though, and haven't touched Secret of Mana. A friend said Mana doesn't hold up, is he full of shit? Any suggestions which to start with?

I kind of agree with your friend. I have never been able to get into Secret of Mana since playing it as a kid. Final Fantasy VI and Super Mario RPG are both fantastic games, but SMRPG is very, very easy.
 
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Deleted member 419

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I've been wanting to start one of the RPGs on the SNES classic but I dunno which one. I've dabbled in FF6 and Mario RPG, never finished either though, and haven't touched Secret of Mana. A friend said Mana doesn't hold up, is he full of shit? Any suggestions which to start with?

I'd go with FF6. Masterpiece game and one of the highlights of the genre.

If you want something a little shorter though, SMRPG is also a good choice. Either one works. I much prefer FF6 but, opinions and all that!

I was never too big of a fan of Mana besides the music. It's a fun game but in my mind it's clearly on a lower tier than FF6. Certain things about it definitely haven't aged well, like the magic system.

Mana's also about to get a remake though, not sure if that will affect your decision.

Here for the community, and it's not like I'll have time to actually play all the rpgs that interest me...

I think I could live to a ripe old age and still not have time to play every RPG that interests me, if I'm being honest.
 

Kvik

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Oct 25, 2017
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Downunder.
Xanadu Next. This game deserves way more recognition. It has a very satisfying and fun gameplay loop and the soundtrack is up to your usual Falcom standards. I also found something about the combination of art style, atmosphere, story, and music beautifully haunting.

I'm a huge Falcom fan, and Xanadu Next has one of my favourite levels in videogames. (Castle Strangerock). It's kind of funny because when I played it for the first time, it really feels like a precursor of Demon Souls in terms of level design, and it's hard not to draw a parallel between the two.

Definitely one to check out even if one is also a fan of Souls game.
 

MrMatt555

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Oct 25, 2017
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Grandia fan (obviously) what is a good recommendation for someone who loves the battle system. Any thing close to it? I've heard recommendations for TitS
 

MoonFrog

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Oct 25, 2017
3,969
Neat. Planning on spending more time in community after the discord event. Never really ventured into it before; just stayed on the main gaming page.
 

Fou-Lu

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,339
Grandia fan (obviously) what is a good recommendation for someone who loves the battle system. Any thing close to it? I've heard recommendations for TitS

Trails in the Sky is completely turn based, but it does let you see who acts in the following turns and you can use abilities to manipulate it, and has positioning as a big part of the battle system so I can see the comparison. I would say it's worth giving a shot as both a Grandia fan, and just because it's a damn good game.
 

Lothar

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Oct 25, 2017
1,726
Tits are always good.

This was one of the two places I missed the most during my time off.

I've been wanting to start one of the RPGs on the SNES classic but I dunno which one. I've dabbled in FF6 and Mario RPG, never finished either though, and haven't touched Secret of Mana. A friend said Mana doesn't hold up, is he full of shit? Any suggestions which to start with?

I would say he's full of shit. I would definitely recommend SoM over FF6 and Super Mario RPG. But I would recommend Earthbound the most of all.
 
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Deleted member 419

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Grandia fan (obviously) what is a good recommendation for someone who loves the battle system. Any thing close to it? I've heard recommendations for TitS

This is a tough one because Grandia's battle system is unfortunately pretty unique ("unfortunately" because it's a shame other games haven't ripped it off completely, it's a great system).

You could try Cosmic Star Heroine which came out earlier this year and has some similarities. You can see whose turn is coming up next and have some options for manipulating turn order or other actions. Other than that the battle system is very Chrono Trigger-esque.

I'm playing through it right now, great game.

EDIT: Also, if you care pretty much exclusively about Grandia's battle system and don't care how good the rest of the game is, Grandia Xtreme is fun. I'm not a Grandia expert by any means, but Xtreme was solid.

I would say he's full of shit. I would definitely recommend SoM over FF6 and Super Mario RPG. But I would recommend Earthbound the most of all.

Damn it I forgot EarthBound was on the SNES Classic. ElephantShell, I recommend EarthBound. Legendary game, my third favorite of all time behind Nocturne and Resident Evil 4.
 

Wazzy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,070
How does everyone who is a fan of the Ys series feel about 6?

It was my first Ys title and I quite enjoyed it plus it gave me a favourite character from the series other than it's two main stays. I kind of want to recommend it to people who haven't played it yet.
 
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There's nothing wrong with Ys VI, its only sin is that it's worse than Oath in Felghana and Origin.

Being the weakest of that trio doesn't mean it's bad though, it's a Dark Souls II kind of situation.

I would spring for Felghana as an initial rec to get into Ys, but VI is also fine. They're all fine except Seven and Celceta, I didn't really care for those to be frank.
 

ULTROS!

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,474
Ultros reporting for duty.

Looking for a decent and short JRPG to tackle. Should I go for Ys V or Grandia III?
 

Wazzy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,070
I really liked Celceta at first but kind of began to dislike it compared to the rest of the series. I'm a big fan of the party system so I enjoyed VII a lot as it was my second game.

I liked 6's art style and I think it's one of my favourites in the series.
 

Thuddert

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,298
Netherlands
Hello again!

I think the saddest thing was seeing kwiston's work go to waste as a lover of rpgs.

When things settle down I'm gonna play one of my many rpgs from the backlog. You have to make me chose lol
 

Fou-Lu

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,339
Ultros reporting for duty.

Looking for a decent and short JRPG to tackle. Should I go for Ys V or Grandia III?

Grandia III is actually pretty long. Since Ys V is Japan only I have never played it so can't say whether it is good or not.

Obviously you should just play Xanadu Next as I mentioned earlier in the thread! :P
 

Soran

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
697
I been thinking for months about playing Rune Factory 4. Is good for someone who cares a lot about the characters?
 

Lothar

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,726
Hello again!

I think the saddest thing was seeing kwiston's work go to waste as a lover of rpgs.

When things settle down I'm gonna play one of my many rpgs from the backlog. You have to make me chose lol

Give us a list. I declare the Essential RPGs poll to be invalid this year because I wasn't around to vote for it!
 

Wazzy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,070
The essentials list will come back in some fashion but we aren't sure as to what yet. It's either going to continue from the previous one(I hope this is the case) or start anew.

Either way I'm excited when we finally see the previous results even if we don't use them!
 
Oct 25, 2017
1,754
Devil Halton's Trap
Xanadu Next. This game deserves way more recognition. It has a very satisfying and fun gameplay loop and the soundtrack is up to your usual Falcom standards. I also found something about the combination of art style, atmosphere, story, and music beautifully haunting.
Yes!

I really will have to preserve the OT I made for Xananext on GAF, and then do an RTTP or help someone else with a new thread here. The game deserves as many thoughtful recommendations as possible. Sadly it feels like even many Falcom fans overlook it because of the emphasis on Trails and Ys these days.

Anyone interested in the Trails community thread? I'm getting to work on it, not that it'll be super fancy.
 

Exentryk

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,238
Been playing Dragon Quest Heroes 2 recently, and it's surprisingly a lot more ARPG than musuo. Structure-wise you have your predetermined heroes, then story and cutscenes, explorable zones, and then battles in these zones and in dungeons. There are lots of different classes and weapons to keep the gameplay fresh.

As someone that didn't even try DQH1 coz of its musou structure, this game is so much better for RPG players. Still has some dungeons where you will see a bunch of enemies grouped together, but it actually feels quite satisfying when you send them all flying with a tornado sword attack, etc. You can also turn into monsters and beat enemies, or just use monsters to fight alongside you.

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Fou-Lu

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,339
Glad to see I'm not the only one pushing Xanadu Next!

And you know I'm in for Trails!
 

MoonFrog

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,969
Here's where I'm at with RPGs at the moment:

RPGs I am currently working on:

Trails in the Sky-Been on the last dungeon for a while now, I want to finish this within the next couple months.
Etrian Odyssey V-This just launched and my progress has been interrupted by the recent drama. I'm on the boss of the second stratum and am having some difficulty with him. I want my advanced classes, though, so he needs to die.

RPGs I'm working on but have put-down for some time:

Shin Megami Tensei Strange Journey- I bought a bunch of RPGs I'd missed for the DS at the end of last year and tried several of them out. I opted for Radiant Historia, in the end.
Radiant Historia- I'm near the end, I think, being on Final Chapter Alternate History, but I haven't played this in a couple of months now.
The World Ends with You- Same as with Strange Journery
Infinite Space- Same again
Persona 2 Eternal Punishment- I put this game down in May or June, suffering from MegaTen fatigue. I had just played many in a row. 75% through or so and I plan to return.
Bloodborne- I'm on the guy with a cage on his head. haven't tried him much but haven't played the game much recently either. I hope to get back to it at some point.
Fire Emblem Mystery of the Emblem- Last made progress about a year ago. I'm half-way or so through the first book
Fire Emblem Thracia 776- Last made progress about two years ago now. I had a traumatic experience with the Seti prison escape level and had to restart. I've done the first couple levels again but between cowardice and other games have not returned to re-do the prison levels.

RPGs I've put down recently that I might be done with:

Digital Devil Saga 2- I got through the stuff that was getting in the way of my enjoyment, i.e. I've gotten to the last dungeon and the story is no longer stealing my characters and getting in the way of my building them but I'm a bit exhausted with the game and the new possibility to play with all of my characters and create their builds, for which I was pushing through annoyance at the story, hasn't proven enough to maintain my interest at this point. Might not go back and finish it in the end.

RPGs I currently plan to play within the next year:

Dragon Quest XI- 2018 can't come soon enough and this better come soon enough in it!
Shin Megami Tensei- I plan to dig into this and the sequel starting this holiday.
Shin Megami Tensei II- See previous
Fire Emblem Mystery of the Emblem- I want to get back to work on my Fire Emblem obsession that I've let lie dormant.
Fire Emblem Thracia 776- See previous
Cosmic Star Heroine- Robert generously handed out those keys and I've been eyeing it for a while
Phantasy Star IV- My SEGA experience is woefully lacking and this is a cornerstone JRPG franchise I have yet to try
Trails in the Sky Second Chapter- I want to keep getting into this series
Final Fantasy IV- One of the major holes in my Final Fantasy experience I want to fill in. Getting the DS version for the enhanced ATB
(Edit: Forgot that FE and Octopath are 2018 too. Probably going to prioritize those too.)

Other RPGs on my back-catalog/wish list:

Ys VIII-I plan on getting this and trying modern Ys. I've played Ys I&II, tOiF, and Origin this past year. I really like the 2d games. I like the 3d ones but not as much. I've got mixed feelings about some of the things I hear about the most modern entries, but I hear VIII is great and better than Seven so...I'm planning on trying it soon.
Xanadu Next- Purchased and have played a little of it, not much.
Tokyo Xanadu- Want to try this one too.
Persona 1 & 2- I've acquired these for the PSP and want to play them some day.
Tactics Ogre- Same as Persona 1 & 2.
Final Fantasy XII- I plan on giving the PS4 version a try. I barely played the original but the word of mouth is good and I want to see what I missed. Plus Zodiac edition is supposed to be superior.
Suikoden II- Purchased this recently and want to try the franchise at some point.
Secret of Mana- I've had this game for a while but have yet to put much time into it.
A lot of classic CRPG- I got a bunch as a gift some years ago including a lot of fan favorites and genre innovators. I need to play them some day.
Divinty Original Sin- People were suggesting modern CRPG as a gateway, I'm thinking I might take them up on that suggestion with this game at some point. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
(Edit: Forgot I'm going to try Xenoblade 2 this winter as well).

Games I want to replay at some point:

Dragon Quest IV through VI, particularly VI
Final Fantasy V
 
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OP
OP

Deleted member 419

User requested account closure
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Oct 25, 2017
3,009
Been playing Dragon Quest Heroes 2 recently, and it's surprisingly a lot more ARPG than musuo. Structure-wise you have your predetermined heroes, then story and cutscenes, explorable zones, and then battles in these zones and in dungeons. There are lots of different classes and weapons to keep the gameplay fresh.

As someone that didn't even try DQH1 coz of its musou structure, this game is so much better for RPG players. Still has some dungeons where you will see a bunch of enemies grouped together, but it actually feels quite satisfying when you send them all flying with a tornado sword attack, etc. You can also turn into monsters and beat enemies, or just use monsters to fight alongside you.

Game looks amazing, really need to play more of the DQ spinoffs. Haven't played Monsters or Rocket Slime either (not even sure if those are the same series or not, my knowledge of these spinoffs is woeful).

Ys VIII is the best. If you haven't played it yet go do it. Thank me later.

I'm in the middle of this at the moment and I think it's the 2nd-best game in the series behind Felghana. Really happy with the outcome because I was lukewarm on Celceta.

Crazy that Ys has "8" (really it's more than that) entries. It's a long-runner like FF, DQ, and SMT, but doesn't get nearly as much exposure.


You've got a ton of great games on that plate. Interesting that you're going through a bunch of DS RPGs at the moment, was that a conscious decision or did it just randomly end up like that?
 

Fou-Lu

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,339
I wish my list was that small Moonfrog. It would make things a lot easier! I have a doc titled "RPGs to play someday" that has 154 titles in it. It was MUCH longer when I first made it though, so I am getting places!
 

gogosox82

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,385
Is the essentials thread coming back? Was really bummed that it didn't get finished and would love to see how the list would've shaped out.