So not to hijack this thread.. but to save a new thread on the topic that might get 4 responses.. which RPG's have come out in the past 10 years that are "must plays"?
Since I started MMO's with UO in 97 my RPG and console game play in general has taken a nose dive. I've gotten consoles, but years later and palyed very few games. "Back in the day" there wouldn't be a RPG that got past my radar, from crappy ones like Mystic Quest to the best of the best (IMO) like FF: Tactics or Ogre Battle...
I think the last RPG I got into was Ogre Battle 64 and Tactics Ogre... FF3 was the last Final Fantasy I played as well.
Watching all this footage at E3 and for the first time since 97 not being interested in any single MMO out there, I think I need to get back into console gaming.
I was always a huge fan of Tactics type games (Shining Force, Fire Emblem, FF Tactics, Ogre Battle, Tactics Ogre) Class systems and promotions have always got my attention. But I also played the live actions like Zelda and SOM, and the turn based randomized battle RPG's like Breath of Fire, FF1/2/3 and Chrono Trigger.
So which console/games would you recommend I pick up since the 2001ish era?
Sadly, you've got to pick up both systems.
KOTOR Series is worth playing.
Mass Effect series.
Neverwinter Nights...
(notice a Bioware theme here...) - Pretty much any game they've developed is top notch in terms of RPG quality.
If you quit at FF3... well, pick the series back up and play FF7. FF9 apparently is very good (just got it off kijiji and plan to play it soon). 10 is pretty decent, but not amazing. X-2 is a waste of money - I turned it off after 10 minutes. It was that terrible.
Never got into 12... 13 I got 20 hours in and stopped playing. So linear... Might pick it up again when I'm in a better mood.
Suikoden - Awesome series - Suikoden I & III are very very good games.
Baldur's Gate II might be the greatest RPG ever invented. I didn't get into #1, but BG 2 + expansion was nothing short of epic.
Oblivion and Fallout 3 were kind of overrated IMHO - but worth tested out. I wasn't a huge fan of the FPS RPG (I like the party systems and deep character interaction in RPGs).
That's just off the top of my head for things you'd like.
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My only hope is that EA doesn't ruin this one. They have a tendency to really sh*t the bed when it comes to maintaining MMOs.
UO's downfall and inability to fix bugs was nothing short of tragic (we're talking 2+ years in some cases for MAJOR hacks/bugs). Killed the player base. For all the crap World of Warcraft gets sometimes, at least the Blizzard Dev team strives to provide a solid online gaming experience.
One of the biggest problems with so many MMOs is that the companies run out of money and try to recoup their losses by releasing the product early. Poor, poor business strategy as your long term MMO retention is going to be decided within the first month of release.
Take Ubisoft and Shadowbane. They finished making Shadowbane 2 years after it was released to the general public. Congrats guys. You already lost 90% of your subscribers and doomed the game to failure.
I'm really looking forward to this game... Don't it up for me EA.
So not to hijack this thread.. but to save a new thread on the topic that might get 4 responses.. which RPG's have come out in the past 10 years that are "must plays"?
the best of the best (IMO) like FF: Tactics or Ogre Battle...
You need Valkyria Chronicles. It's probably as close as you're gonna get to a FF tactics/Ogre battle game this gen plus it actually has the same composer.
Last edited by Human Torch; 06-16-2010 at 09:50 PM.
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KOTOR Series is worth playing.
Mass Effect series.
Neverwinter Nights...
(notice a Bioware theme here...) - Pretty much any game they've developed is top notch in terms of RPG quality.
If you quit at FF3... well, pick the series back up and play FF7. FF9 apparently is very good (just got it off kijiji and plan to play it soon). 10 is pretty decent, but not amazing. X-2 is a waste of money - I turned it off after 10 minutes. It was that terrible.
Never got into 12... 13 I got 20 hours in and stopped playing. So linear... Might pick it up again when I'm in a better mood.
Suikoden - Awesome series - Suikoden I & III are very very good games.
Baldur's Gate II might be the greatest RPG ever invented. I didn't get into #1, but BG 2 + expansion was nothing short of epic.
Oblivion and Fallout 3 were kind of overrated IMHO - but worth tested out. I wasn't a huge fan of the FPS RPG (I like the party systems and deep character interaction in RPGs).
That's just off the top of my head for things you'd like.
Good post!
BG2 & BG2: ToB is seriously the pinnacle of RPGs. BG1 was great too but BG2 was perfection.
Bioware calls Dragon Age: Origins the spiritual successor to BG2. It's not without its flaws but it's got easily the best combat of any RPG I've ever played, and is easily one of the best RPGs of the last 5 years, IMO.
I'd skip KOTOR2. The first was great, the second was a disaster, IMO. Great gameplay but it's just so obvious they never finished the story.
You need Valkyria Chronicles. It's probably as close as you're gonna get to a FF tactics/Ogre battle game this gen plus it actually has the same composer.
Valkyria Chronicles is a great game. You should really give that one a go.
If you want Final Fantasy 9 you can download it from PSN now. I think it's $9.99 or $14.99.
And I also agree with what one poster said about Fallout 3. It's good but I personally don't think it deserves all the hype it gets. I'm more of a 3rd person, party, swords/shields type RPG guy.
I've also put about 15 hours in on Final Fantasy 13 and I'm enjoying it. It is very linear and, so far, you don't explore much so if that doesn't bother you then you should try it.
There's a game on XBox Live called Vandal Hearts which is a tactical type RPG game. I thought it was pretty fun (the demo at least).
Last edited by Meelapo; 06-17-2010 at 09:41 AM.
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Here is the Rock Band 3 demo (warning: it's 26 minutes long). The pro guitar looks interesting, not sure about the keyboard. Bohemian Rhapsody will be a lot of fun for vocals
interesting thread. obviously lots of hardcore gamers on here, and very committed to their hobby. i'm actually surprised by the unhappiness on here; but i'm not a hater on the haters. i think it is good that one platform (or multi platform) excels in one area or another so that the benefits accrue to other platforms.
kinect; i have a wii and i will be buying a kinect; it may in fact render my wii obsolete. i never play the thing and with the perpetual shovelware that comes out for the platform it will be only signature titles that i buy going forward. kinect gives hidef gaming in a format that casual gamers and children will enjoy. as far as i can tell, the games are launch titles, just like other platform's launch titles, and they will get better/more complex as developers get a sense of what consumers want and what kind of code they can use. i would spend $150 for a kinect and my existing xbox rather than $250 or whatever for a new wii when it comes out. wii owns the children's and casual gamers demographic because you can pick up and play the games easily. i don't see how kinect is meant to be any different for gameplay.
xbox and microsoft: the average gamer is 35 and the average game buyer is 39; pretty desirable demographics. no platform will abandon that, and m$ is no different. hard core games aren't going away; some might argue that the kinect gives another tool for game play than taking one away. i love the idea of playing star wars and use the force myself and not a button; dark jedi throat chokes would be sweet! but the idea that i can perform a button mashing combo in a fighting game is only true if my wife has an ambulance ready to go. i just don't see any developer or platform abandoning the controller because hard core gamers will demand it until this motion sensing stuff exceeds their expectations. microsoft already has the highest number of games bought per console; kinect is a view to getting more games per unit. many don't realize that the profit isn't in the console, it is in the games and peripherals. i think the kinect haters need to let the market decide if the masses like it or not. so far, hardcore gamers have given a meh or worse, but that was always going to be the case and m$ would have known that beforehand.
the battle for the living room: someone posted this above, but microsoft and sony aren't in a battle for the gamer, it is for the living room. nintendo has been successful showing that it didn't have to pander to the hardcore gamer, and sony and m$ want that too. nintendo grew the market essentially. kinetic is intended to be wireless at some point, and i would think that placing multiple cheap, wireless kinects around the house with a centrally located 360 would be a goal; i can assure you that it would be mine. my disappointment is with the lack of a bluray player in the 360, but is a pipe dream anyways. m$ (and the other platforms for that matter) are really pushing the streaming (except in canada apparently) and so not surprised, except it still cedes the blu ray differentiator to sony.
handhelds: with the growth of the iphone/smartphone gaming, what will the impact be on psp and ds? i think that iphone and their ilk need to get more ram or some kind of ssd which expands the storage; as it stands the handheld gaming is a niche market and it makes me wonder how long it will be before these handhelds start to deliver gameplay every bit as compelling as the best high end consoles...
exclusivity; to me, ultimately this will be the differentiator. bungie moving away from halo i think hurts m$, although they still retain the IP. where we have games that are awesome on all platforms, everyone wins. i think that nintendo owns an extremely desirable portfolio of IP, probably the best of the 3 companies.
i'll stop there as i think i will be the only person to read this long winded mini blog, but certainly it is a very interesting topic.
ultimately, i am ecstatic that one of my hobbies is going more and more mainstream, and the possibilities that this brings to gamers across the board.
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Valkyria Chronicles is a great game. You should really give that one a go.
If you want Final Fantasy 9 you can download it from PSN now. I think it's $9.99 or $14.99.
And I also agree with what one poster said about Fallout 3. It's good but I personally don't think it deserves all the hype it gets. I'm more of a 3rd person, party, swords/shields type RPG guy.
I've also put about 15 hours in on Final Fantasy 13 and I'm enjoying it. It is very linear and, so far, you don't explore much so if that doesn't bother you then you should try it.
There's a game on XBox Live called Vandal Hearts which is a tactical type RPG game. I thought it was pretty fun (the demo at least).
Ya VH 1 and 2 I forgot about them, they were great tactics games.. I beat those a few years back..
I think this new Dragon Quest looks pretty sweet, I was a big fan of Dragon Warrior (I believe it was the first RPG for NES, even before Link).
I am tempted to buy a DS though because that seems to be where the traditional, 3rd person sword/shield RPGs you describe take place.
However.. Wiis are incredibly cheap right now..
__________________ "In brightest day, in blackest night / No evil shall escape my sight / Let those who worship evil's might / Beware my power, Green Lantern's light!"
kinect; i have a wii and i will be buying a kinect; it may in fact render my wii obsolete. i never play the thing and with the perpetual shovelware that comes out for the platform it will be only signature titles that i buy going forward. kinect gives hidef gaming in a format that casual gamers and children will enjoy. as far as i can tell, the games are launch titles, just like other platform's launch titles, and they will get better/more complex as developers get a sense of what consumers want and what kind of code they can use. i would spend $150 for a kinect and my existing xbox rather than $250 or whatever for a new wii when it comes out. wii owns the children's and casual gamers demographic because you can pick up and play the games easily. i don't see how kinect is meant to be any different for gameplay.
xbox and microsoft: the average gamer is 35 and the average game buyer is 39; pretty desirable demographics. no platform will abandon that, and m$ is no different. hard core games aren't going away; some might argue that the kinect gives another tool for game play than taking one away. i love the idea of playing star wars and use the force myself and not a button; dark jedi throat chokes would be sweet! but the idea that i can perform a button mashing combo in a fighting game is only true if my wife has an ambulance ready to go. i just don't see any developer or platform abandoning the controller because hard core gamers will demand it until this motion sensing stuff exceeds their expectations. microsoft already has the highest number of games bought per console; kinect is a view to getting more games per unit. many don't realize that the profit isn't in the console, it is in the games and peripherals. i think the kinect haters need to let the market decide if the masses like it or not. so far, hardcore gamers have given a meh or worse, but that was always going to be the case and m$ would have known that beforehand.
the battle for the living room: someone posted this above, but microsoft and sony aren't in a battle for the gamer, it is for the living room. nintendo has been successful showing that it didn't have to pander to the hardcore gamer, and sony and m$ want that too. nintendo grew the market essentially. kinetic is intended to be wireless at some point, and i would think that placing multiple cheap, wireless kinects around the house with a centrally located 360 would be a goal; i can assure you that it would be mine. my disappointment is with the lack of a bluray player in the 360, but is a pipe dream anyways. m$ (and the other platforms for that matter) are really pushing the streaming (except in canada apparently) and so not surprised, except it still cedes the blu ray differentiator to sony.
Most of the negativity in this thread towards Kinect is because a) all the games shown have already been done on the Wii, and b) it's an extra cost on top of the system. How many people in their average demographic you mention want to play Wii Sports with no controller? I certainly am not jumping out of my seat to preorder a Kinect.
If you're trying to take a piece of the pie of the casual market (as you put it, taking away the use of the Wii since Kinect does it better apparently), you're going to market to the same people who buy Wii games for their families. First you need to sell them on spending more money on an accessory (no guarantees), then get them to buy the shovelware they might own on the Wii. If you're trying to cater to the hardcore gamers, they got to an awful start with no support to their current users, so to speak.
Not too many people care about hi-def yet. It's not a requirement so to speak. My parents or some kids could care less if it's 480p or 1080p when they're playing Random Party Game. Also, when the Wii came out everyone was saying "give them some time to work with the system and better games will come out". Has that happened? Not really. The only game I've played on the Wii recently has been Mario Galaxy 2, and it has very little use of the remote. I'm skeptical Kinetic will move beyond gimmicky control schemes (I'm thinking they limit the amount you can do in a star wars game for example because too much means the system can confuse your movements), but I'm willing to be proven wrong.
(Note: I have all three current gen systems and I don't have a favorite, they all do different things for me.)
There are 2 pro guitars for RB3. The Fender Mustang (102 buttons on the neck with 6 strings for strumming) is $149. The Squire Stratocaster (standard 6 string guitar with sensors on the frets) doesn't have a price yet, but will likely be around $200. It's a lot for a game controller unless you're interested in learning to play a real guitar, in which case the Squire might be worthwhile.
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I think it's great that you'll have the fun casual games (and no matter what anyone says, full body obstacle courses vs the wiimote is not even a competition) and how they are planning on implementing it into the more hardcore games via voice commands, turning your head to look left or right, or making a tossing motion with one hand to throw a grenate...
Maybe this generation won't be mind blowing but the next with potentially 3d could be amazing.
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I hate that I'm actually considering PSN Plus. Pretty awesome to get 1 hour previews of games, and getting a free PSN game and a Playstation classic game is pretty cool (there are PSP games as well, but I don't have those). In addition the auto-update is a sweet feature. Not sure it's all worth the cost of a game though ... I only buy about 3 games a year at this point.
I hate that I'm actually considering PSN Plus. Pretty awesome to get 1 hour previews of games, and getting a free PSN game and a Playstation classic game is pretty cool (there are PSP games as well, but I don't have those). In addition the auto-update is a sweet feature. Not sure it's all worth the cost of a game though ... I only buy about 3 games a year at this point.
You also don't really 'get' those games either, as they will only be playable while your account is active.
Get 3 months and find a couple of cool games? tough shiatzu on day 92, that game won't work.
I'll say this - if they're planning on a fall release and haven't even figured out how to make Kinect while sitting yet it either spells two things: major delays or half-assed functionality if they do release it this fall.
