RPG's have been a passion of mine pretty much since I was old enough to hold a controller. The idea of filling the roll of a character thrust into extraordinary circumstances in a fantastic setting was always so appealing. From old-school Silent Protagonist games to the Choose your Destiny choice driven games of today, anything that has the words Level Up and X Exp Gained has my interest. While my interest in new J-Rpgs has been waning of late, I still love to replay the classics from time to time, and modern RPGs still bear hug me into submission. I'll rank them by quality of system, story, sound, time played, times beaten, etc. So, here is a list of my faves, and in the interest of avoiding filling half the list with one series (Cough Final Fantasy Cough), I'm going to limit myself to one game per series.
And No, there will be no Super Mario RPG on this List.
10) The World of Warcraft
This pick was actually a tough one to make my mind up about. It has to be said that WoW might hold the "Most hours Played" title for me, since I've been playing all but a few months since it's debut in late 04. And while the game is neck deep in lore, the massively multi-player aspect always takes me out of the story. That said, there are few games that give you more options for character customization. From basic appearance andtitles to varied classes and talent trees, not to mention the joys of being a Hunter and naming a menagerie of pets (Like my bear, FurryTractor, for example) and boatloads of gear and mounts to acquire , the options are huge. And while it was a little boring soloing in the past, the leveling process revamp that came with Cataclysm has provided a single player experience on par with rpg's that are exclusively single player. Combine that with the fun of teaming up with 4 friends to take on a dungeon or24 to raid the most challenging depths the world has to offer, as well as professions and playing the server wide auction house, and there is plenty of fun to be had.
9) Neverwinter Nights
Based on the d20 system rules of Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 and set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, Neverwinter Nights was a 3D culmination of a lot of Nerd fantasies. For the first time, a fully realized, fully 3D D and D game was available. While the main stories of Neverwinter 1 and 2 are good in their own right, the real value to be had here was in customizing the game itself. From the deep character customization included right out of the box to the plethora of downloadable mods that added additional options, to modules that added all new player generated stories and the official expansions that added more depth to the core experience, the re-playability of this game was off the charts. Add to this the ability to play multiplayer cooperative games and this game became a regular installment at LAN parties. Good times had by all as we leveled our characters, killed monsters, and laughed when one of us got killed by a trap.
8) Breath of Fire II
Now we're kickin' it Old School. Throughout the 8 and 16 bit eras, I was a JRPG fanatic, and I still have a soft spot for Sprite Based Role Playing. Breath of Fire II is a standout in a period when there were a lot of excellent games in the genre. Centered on the life of Ryu, a young orphan who is the last of the ancient Dragon Clan, BoFII starts out simply enough. After a brief scene in which we see a glimpse of Ryu's childhood which culminates in an encounter with the Nightmarish creature Barubary who makes his family vanish and the rest of the village forget who he is, an older Ryu and his fried Bow set off to find a Pet Pig for a Princess. It isn't long after this quest that a much larger plot unfolds and Ryu and crew face off with a number of various threats, from Demonic possession, to a corrupt Religion, to a final confrontation with Barubary and his Master. The cast of characters is varied and interesting, and only gets deeper when you learn how to fuse their souls with elemental shaman to grant them new forms and powers. The town building element, by which the player builds a town up from a single shack to a thriving community full of useful vendors and craftsmen, was revolutionary at the time. The story is rich, very character driven and full of emotional moments.
7) Fallout 3
Fallout 3 is a great example of how the genre is evolving to be more action oriented, but still maintain the aspects that make RPG's so much fun. Set in an alternate America who's culture stagnated in the 50s, and was subsequently destroyed in a nuclear war, F3 depicts a very grim reality of how the Atomic Age could have ended. Starting from you birth within a community sized bomb shelter known as a Vault, the life of your character is completely controllable. And while the illusion slips from time to time and you realize how much the story is "On Rails" as they say, it is largely an open-ended adventure that encourages the player to interact with the world around them any way they choose. Add an ingenious and endlessly entertain system of incorporating slow motion dramatic action scenes into the heat of combat so players can savor just how much they can mess a guy up with a combat shotgun or any of a number other weapons, and the addictive nature of this game should come as no surprise.
6) Mass Effect 2
The current King of the "Modern RPG" hill, Mass Effect 2 is a truly epic space adventure. The title character, Shepard, is whatever you make of him/her, from baby hugging goody-two-shoes to baby punting heartless bastard. As you begin this sequel, you can import data from your Mass Effect 1 save to deepen the immersion and see the results of you actions from the first game on the second. And while there is a definite feeling of being 'on rails' on your journey, the good news is that it's a great ride. The story starts with Shepard being brought back from the dead after the Normandy was destroyed by a Cerberus, an enigmatic pro human organization who's leader, the equally enigmatic Illusive Man see's Shepard as the only hope for humanity. The cast of characters is impressive and varied, with fan favorites rounding out a group of interesting newcomers. One may argue that this game only barely qualifies as an RPG, and as far as the combat and Item system goes, I have to agree. In those areas, it could easily be described as RPG Lite. But the story is where it's at: Full of intrigue, deception, action, romance, mirth, despair, hope, and determination.
5) Illusion of Gaia
Another Snes title, Illusion of Gaia is another game that isn't quite the textbook definition of an RPG, but has more than enough soul and character development to earn it this spot on the list. Set in a world with many familiar landmarks like the Pyramids, Machu Pichu, and the Great Wall of China in unfamiliar places, Illusion of Gaia has a lot going on under the surface of a game that plays a lot like Zelda. Will is a young man who was the only person to return from his Father's expedition to the Tower of Babel, though he has no memory of how. He leads a normal life in the care of his Grandparents until one day he is summoned to the palace by the King of his land. The King has requested that he bring the Crystal Ring Will got from his father, but throws him in prison when he arrives. After escaping with the help of the Earth Spirit, Gaia, who transforms young will into the powerful dark knight Freedan, Will and his friends embark on a journey to visit sacred ruins all over the world and learn the secrets of the Spirit Statues and what became of Will's Father on his expedition. The ending is a real tearjerker and I've played through this game many times just to experience the story again.
4) Disgaea
Oh, Disgaea. How to describe this game? Well, it is hilariously aware of what it is, an insanely deep Tactical RPG with an insane number of possible characters and side-splitting tongue-in-cheek story. Early on, we learn that our hero, Prince Laharl, is the next in line to inherit the throne of Overlord of the Netherworld, after his father died when he choked on a Black Pretzel. Unfortunately, Laharl has been taking a nap for the last two years and missed it. In the meantime, other demons have started to lay claim to the title of Overlord for themselves. The first of these demons that Laharl dispatches is Vyers, the self styled Dark Adonis. The prince dismisses him as a trivial stepping-stone on the path to domination and to drive home the point, he officially changes his name to Mid Boss. This self referential joke is an example of what makes this game as hilarious as it is additively challenging.
3) Final Fantasy VI
Picking one Final Fantasy game as the best is a hard enough task in and of itself, let alone deciding where it belongs amongst it's peers. While FF Tactics is an absolute classic in my book, and VII changed RPGs and their Fanbase forever, I still have to say that FF VI is the high water mark of an excellent series. An Industrial Era world where Magic scarcely exists and is spoken of as a myth of ancient times is a compelling setting for a FF game, which up to this point, had only featured worlds steeped in sorcery. There are only two known magic users in the world when the game starts, and one of them is Terra. Press-ganged into military service with a mind control device by the nefarious empire, Terra is sent to acquire a recently unearthed frozen Esper, a Magical creature of mysterious origin. When Terra encounters the Esper, a sequence of events is set into motion that will see the world torn apart. The graphics and sound were jaw dropping when it was released, and the epic story stands the test of time and multiple playthroughs.
2) Secret of Mana
There's really only one word I should have to say to explain why this game was such a big deal when it came out in '94. Multiplayer. At the time, RPG's and even Action games like Zelda never even attempted Multiplayer modes. In Secret of Mana, it's one of the best reasons to play. Three people could huddle around their Super NES and play through an extended quest of epic proportions. Hours of gametime with friends, slashing, casting, and laughing when people got turned into Moogles. It is almost a forerunner of MMORPGS, like a first baby step in that direction. And while the action is largely similar to action games like IofG or Zelda, there is definitely strategy and timing involved, and the story is epic and worthy of the genre.
1) Chrono Trigger
Seriously, who's surprised? Anyone who has asked me to recommend a game since 95, including my niece, knows this might be my favorite game Period, not just in the RPG genre. Crono, the hero of our story and all round nice guy/silent protagonist type bumps into a beautiful girl named Marle at the Kingdom of Guardia's Millennial Fair. After showing her the sights, they go to see a demonstration of a Crono's friend Luca's new invention, a Teleporter. Marle excitedly volunteers to try out the device, but when Luca starts it, the teleporter reacts with the pendant Marle is wearing and she is transported into a mysterious Gate, leaving the Pendant behind. Luca examines it and realizes it is a royal artifact that belongs to the Princess of Guardia. Without hesitation, Crono takes the pendant and steps onto the teleporter, intending to rescue her. He arrives in Guardia, but it quickly becomes clear that he has traveled hundreds of years back in time. As the story progresses, Crono and crew ally with a loyal Robot from the far future, a gallant knight that was transformed into a frog, and a tough as nails prehistoric woman. As they attempt to return to their own time, they learn of a plot by a master of the dark arts, Magus, to summon Lavos, an inter-planetary Parasite that will destroy the world. They decide that cannot simply return to their time and live out their lives burdened with this knowledge, and set out on a quest to destroy Lavos before the Cataclysm can occur. One of the great things that made this game so replayable was the New Game + feature that allowed the player to start a new game with the endgame character data. To add to this mode there were several varied endings to the game, both good and bad, based on what point in the replay you defeat Lavos. The soundtrack is one of the most memorable of the 16 Bit Era. It's a game that has been copied, remade in part by fans, and had a fanmade sequel in the works before Square "cease and desist"ed them. It's a game that spans the entire history of human existence, from it's primal beginnings to it's eventual destruction and decline, and offers the chance to change history. It's a game full of interesting characters, monsters, and fantastic locales.
It's a classic.
Bonus, Nifty Japanese Commercial.
Honorable Mention: Final Fantasy Tactics
, FFIV
, FFVII, FFX
(in that order), Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age Origins, Destiny of an Emperor, Secret of Evermore, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
, .The Lufia Series
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