RPGs - FF. ToS. KOTOR. Star Ocean etc

[wazy15]

Adam, the favourite RPG and best game of all time IMO is FF7. It is one of the games that has sucked me into its epic world and engrossing story. When it first came out it was amazing as no other game was capable of pulling off amazing visuals and painting an epic world for you to explore with a gripping and emotional story. Turn based combat gets a lot more exciting when you get into it and find new ablitites. Also FF games tend to have a very rewarding "system"

Waz

[PeteJ]

Star Ocean is out soon - that has a similar battle system to ToS. I can't wait for that one :wub

[dreamylittledream]

Star Ocean is out soon - that has a similar battle system to ToS. I can't wait for that one :wub

End of the month....along with Phantom Brave

But I still haven't managed to dip more then a toe into TOS yet...and I just picked up Front Mission 4...

Trying to sum up the energy to get through Suikden III - if only it wasn't quite so dull...one of those games I know will get better once it develops more but the opening chapters are just sooooo slow....

Ah so many RPGs - so little time just as well Growlanser Gernation has been delayed until the end of september!

[scarredbyvideogames]

Star Ocean is out soon - that has a similar battle system to ToS. I can't wait for that one :wub

I wasn't going to make a new thread but a reminder to anyone who cares - Star Ocean: Til The End Of Time is out today!(US)

'Tales' has whetted my appetite for another 'traditional' console RPG with real-time battles Im looking forward to another couple of weeks of sleepless nights and weekends with the curtains drawn and the abandonment of any kind of social life (who says videogames make you lazy,pasty-faced and anti-social?- huh!).

Ive played the original JP release some - and by the way,this version is bug-free apparently - and my pre-order cant come soon enough - BLISS!

[Adam Stone]

Glad you?ve got an engrossing title to look forward to buddy. I personally look forward to seeing the First Play thread which will no doubt see your impressions. Sadly I wont be able to play it myself because I don?t own a PS2? it is on the PS2 isnt it ? or have I just made a complete fool or myself? Heh

I?m currently looking forward to Fable. An action RPG which offers some diverse offerings and unique twist and turns to the formula.

I?m also currently in debate whether I should hunt out KOTOR. I know it receives enormous praise from here? but? for whatever reason... it has never really appealed to me. Not sure what it is? but every time I get really excited after reading all the praise and consider placing an order (well, when ive got the money) I download a movie file and suddenly I become slightly under-whelmed and would rather cling on to my dosh. Strange really? im sure that if I tried it out I would undoubtedly fall in love?

If anyone has a US version they would like to lend me so I can try it out let me know!

I bought and received the Japanese version of Baten Kaitos and my initial impressions were pleasing. ^_^ If I were to be a graphics whore for a moment I would say the environments were certainly beautiful, although the character models highly disappointing and didn?t quite look as if they were part of the surroundings? but simply copied and pasted?

But insignificant details aside, it seemed highly promising however I soon sold it due to the obvious language-barrier. To be truly pulled into the plot and to appreciate the depth of the characters I need to know what is being said. But, im definitely going to pick up the US version. Maybe not on its release (have far too many other games for xbox and cube, and Nintendo DS to get) but it is a no doubt must have?

Roll on Fable?s release!

[scarredbyvideogames]

^^
Yeah unfortunately Adam its PS2 only

Theres quite a few PS2 only RPG's coming up in the next month or two - Star Ocean,Shin Megami Tensei,Digital Devil Saga,Shadow Hearts 2,Phantom Brave (strategy) etc

Anyway,theres always Fable,more an adventure game I suppose but you seem pretty hyped for it!.Ive lowered my expectations somewhat (well,they were never THAT high to begin with I suppose) so when it comes hopefully it will at least match mine - and with some luck it'l live up to yours even

KOTORS good.Worth a play if theres nothing else to distract you for sure.If you like I'll lend you my (US) copy - just PM me if your interested.

[Adam Stone]

That?s very kind Mr, you have a Pm?

I think what attracts me most about Fable is the ability to wander off track halting the main story and spending time simply exploring the world and playing around needlessly.

Something which I loved so much within Wind Waker was the extraordinary amount of ?little details? that were implemented within the world which allowed me to play around? again, putting the main goal on halt. Little things like using the deku leave to blow cups/plates of a table, placing a pot on steam and watching it rise, fall and even turn in the air. Cutting grass, throwing bombs in water and simply watching the storms pass by on the Ocean. I?m the sort of person who cant wait to finally play Half Life 2 and will spend hours on end simply playing around with the physic engine? one of the things i loved most about ToS was how there were so many side-quests and side-plots diverse from the main story...

From what ive read, heard and seen? Fable offers similar distractions which have the potential to keep me entertained for some time. And yet? even better? is still within the RPG equation to capture me in an engrossing set of characters, locations and situations.

I look forward to finally playing KOTOR for myself... and hopefully will help keep me entertained until Fable... again, thank you Mr.

[phresh]

Ocarina of time is the only RPG to really pull me in and get completely engrossed. ToS came close, I got goosebumps during the ending sequence!!

If you want to try a slightly different RPG, then i'd recommend Ogre Battle on the N64. It requires masses of man management, which may or may not be up your street. The main draw is that the fights are 'automatic' (you have a number of different parties etc etc.), and they fight depending on how you organize them in their respective parties (on a 3x3 grid). This is quite a refreshing way, as lets be honest, we all use similar patterns of attacks on the majority of enemies anyway.

I'd recommene reading a FAQ on this game first as it is pretty intricate and it will help you a lot (i completed it without then realised i'd missed everything and then sold the game).

It is playable on a PC if you get the right software, before blowing a fair bit of cash on a game you might not like.

[Adam Stone]

Mr phresh sir, i remember seeing Ogre Battle and thinking it looked quite interesting. Sadly at the moment though im N64-less. My brother and his flat-mate wanted it for GoldenEye and i havent seen it since. heh

Ocarina of Time remains my favorite game - creating more emotions, memories and moments of awe then I can describe. The world was unique - it really did have a personality of its own. Everything came together seamlessly? the characters, the environments, the will and determination to restore peace. Not because you had to, but because you wanted to?

Whereas Metroid Prime is truly a captivating and all-engrossing title - a game where you feel you are exploring the alien world and totally alone ? It?s somehow different to OOT. The only game to come close to OOT?s sense of emersion(sp?) is ToS. I too had goosebumps towards the end.

Tho? its strange really, I?ve never really looked at OOT as a RPG title. In all many of speaking I suppose it is.

Another RPG I?m fairly interested in getting soon is Jade Empire for the Xbox. I?m not aware of the release date sadly? so if someone could enlighten me that would be great.

From what I?ve seen (there?s quite an impressive video-preview on the E3 Access dvd) it seems to be an action/RPG with heaps of potential. I believe it?s from the same people who brought us Star Wars KOTOR (a game I?m looking forward to finally playing for myself soon) so this should instantly increase its appeal. The battle system looks exceedingly polished and masses of fun. Being able to switch between different fighting styles is a great idea and, from the video, looked like it can add some interesting strategy ? and ultimately increasing the lasting appeal due to being able to tackle foes in a number of ways.

The graphics look to be highly impressive ? providing bright, expansive environments that look to be full of life and personality. Also it was said to have a very powerful story with interesting characters. Exactly what I?m after? ^_^

Its definitely a game that has intrigued me and one I will no doubt buy? just need to find out when its released. heh

Oh, also? after speaking to Evil Borris earlier today (very friendly chap) I?ve suddenly become overly interested in Skies Of Arcadia Legends. I?m aware it has received a lot of praise from people and is highly regarded as one of the better RPGs. However?as with the Final Fantasy series, the turn-base battles put me off. Now though, after hearing some persuasive comments from Mr Borris concerning a deep, powerful story with interesting characters? I?m willing to give it a shot. One to hunt out for me Cube

[lostn]

Ocarina of Time isn't an RPG you know, guys...

It's an action adventure.

[Adam Stone]

Fair enough (that's what i thougt it was tbh )

[Zed]

Noones mentioned the Ultima games yet?

I've been playing thru Zelda: Link to the Past, Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 3 (6 in USA) recently, and then i realised i'd missed some Ultima games, so i *cough* got Ultima 6 - and am blown away by it!

Yes many games contempary with it have plus points, but the Ultima games have always meshed with me in a way the more linear Japanese ones havent. I tried to like Final Fantasy 7 and 3, but the random battles of the latter get me down (every 10 seconds?! WTF!) and FF7 dragged a bit towards the end. Secret of Mana is good, and you can see how it inspired others, but all a bit restrictive. Chrono Trigger is superb, but i stopped it for U6 which grips me just so much more.

Why you ask? Just the completeness of the world i think. The go anywhere, explore / fight / quest nature of it. Also its much more logically consistent, with real options for good and bad deeds in it. Unfortunately this also depresses me, because while i can play this amazing piece of RPG history on my PSP, i can jump to its contempory in Untold Legends and find is oh so shallow in comparison. It's like devs have ignored what worked in the past, and apart from graphical updates i find Untold so inferior in so many ways to a game thats 15 years its junior.

I so desperately wish for a single-player modern update to the Ultima style...

Sorry for the thread res, but it got mentioned in the Shadow (?) thread, and ive been playing a number of RPGs recently.

[superkully]

Woah... Frankenstein thread indeed.

I completely agree about Ultima, I only played Ultima 7 (and never got close to finishing it) but I didn't see such a "free" world 'til I played Vice City on the PS2 in '02.

But, FF7 is still the RPG of RPGs for me, I loved Mario & Luigi better but FF7 was my first RPG and I was introduced to it by a bloke who would nowadays be called a chav in the nightclub I used to work in. He must have spent 30 minutes telling me it wasn't "for geeks" before he told me anything about it...

I dunno, if I played it again I would probably hate it. But I'll enjoy it through hindsight because that will never happen.