RPGs | Who has the time to play them?

[Extra Terrestrial]

That is so true for me, that it is not funny anymore.

Tales of Symphonia,
Paper Mario 2,
Star Wars: KotOR,

Hell even the likes of:

Fable,
Deus Ex: Invisible War,
Zelda: The Wind Waker (the tri-shards!)

When I was younger, in primary school and my first couple of years at high school, I use to play quite a lot of RPGs (especially on the PSone) because I had no job, no great deal of homework and during the winter periods I would sit indoors and get stuck into a long RPG.

Now, its the other way round. If your asking why I don't play games when I'm on the internet, it is because I don't like games the way I use to and only sadly, play Halo all the time, which is the game of the generation for me. I have never came back to a game like this, especially after nearly 4 years since the release.

Want to know whats ironic though?

I got Baten Kaitos the other day for ?19.99 from Virgin Megastores (in Ipswich) as they wanted to get rid of their GameCube stock or something I suppose. It was hard to believe that Resident Evil 4, Donkey Konga: Jungle Beat, Mario Golf/Kart/Party/Tennis and Zelda: Four Swords Adventure were all ?19.99 too but only RE4 was sold out.

Oh well...

I loved my good old PSone:

Chrono Cross,
Vagrant Story,
Final Fantasy VII,
Final Fantasy VIII,
Final Fantasy IX,
Xenogears,
Grandia,
Suikoden,
Suikoden II,
Breath of Fire IV,
SaGa Frontier 2,

Perhaps there is a few more that I cannot quite remember so well and I was lucky enough (thanks to my Dads trip to the US at Christmas of 1996) to get a US PSone to play them the non-release PAL RPGs. This is why the PSone is my favourite console of all time. Did the N64 have any RPGs? The hell it didn't, although I did like the performance from Rare and Nintendo first party titles.

Plus:

Where the hell is Final Fantasy these days?

I played through FFX, after spending 8 months (nearly 110 hours) on the game and it is still one, if not the best RPG on the PS2 and it went dead in the Square Enix camp.

FFXI was online, therefore I did not care too much, then an expansion pack was released and FF-X2 shortly after, which I have never played despite me liking the Final Fantasy series.

I bloody hope, for mine and Square Enix sake, that FFXII is going to be a big and bold step forward for a RPG and I'm willing to give up a lot of time to play it. It is also the first '1 player' Final Fantasy in aaggeess, not the crap that is 'Crystal Chronicles'.

And lastly.

The PS2 still is the best for RPG fans:

Final Fantasy X
Dark Cloud 2 (Dark Chronicle)
Suikoden III
Kingdom Hearts
Final Fantasy X-2
Shadow Hearts: Covenant
Xenosaga Episode I
Star Ocean: Till The End of Time
.hack
Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter
Wild Arms 3

Compared to GameCube:

Paper Mario 2
Skies of Arcadia Legends
Tales of Symphonia
Baten Kaitos
Lost Kingdoms

Compared to Xbox:

Star Wars: KotOR
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Fable

Just showing you all a simple list with a point.

I'll shut up now!

Read the title question and answer if you wish to contribute to this topic.

Thanks.

[?pint]

Everyone says the FF series is stale, but FF11 was such a quantum leap forward for the series, and easily rivals the other top MMORPG's around.

[E. Randy Dupre]

Don't really understand what you're asking. You start off by saying that you don't have time to play RPGs any more, then say that the reason you don't play them is because you simply don't enjoy playing games as much as you used to.

[sj33]

I think it was more of a rant than anything else... but I agree with it.

I love RPG's (the old offline kind, remember those?). They're the only genre of game I really play religiously... or at least I'd like to, no time for them at all anymore >_< Struggling to find time to finish Tales of Symphonia, and I got Baten Kaitos this week >_<

btw Extra Terrestrial, if you completed FFX and enjoyed it, you should like FFX-2. A lot of people slag it off, and it's going to be alien to anyone who didn't play FFX to it's conclusion... but FFX-2 really just rounds off FFX. It doesn't really try to be a sequal, just rounds it all off with a basic ending and lots of stuff to do (the main portion of the game seems to be the extra quests actually).

And yeah, I didn't like FFXI either. Just not my kinda game.

[Miguel007]

The best machine for RPG's is the SNES IMO, just it'll cost you big money to own them in good condition these days.

[Concept]

I have the time for RPGs. I just don't have the patience or the enthusiasm for most of them anymore. I've said it before.

I'm tired to the back teeth of teenage coming-of-rites passages that virtually all mainstream single-player J-RPGs in the west seem to follow.

[C']

And yeah, I didn't like FFXI either. Just not my kinda game.

Speaking from experience with it or just a reaction to it being online?

I've just come out of an almost 18 month stint (may go back, not decided yet) and I don't regret any of it. I had no interest in MMORPG beforehand (nor do I have any interest in trying another) but the inclusion of FF canon into the genre got me interested. Certainly, I would heartily recommend any FF to give it a try. Go in with an open mind (and ideally a good month or so of your time spare as it does demand attention) and see how you go. You may be surprised.

No other offline RPG can come close to offering such a depth of experience in terms of quests and storyline.

However, I also recommend you try FFX-2. IMO one of the greatest things to happen in the genre for a long time. X-2 was everything that Square RPGs usually aren't. It was bold, quirky and just that little touch of sassiness that made it a joy to play. A ton of side content too which is something that some of S-E recent offerings have lacked. Definately a favourite of mine.

[sj33]

Not saying FFXI is a bad game or anything, nor would I tell anyone to steer clear of it... but I preordered the European version of the game, and really did try hard to get into the game... maybe too hard... I wanted to like the game, I really did, because everyone else seemed to love it so much, so I'm sure I must be missing something big... I just didn't find a hook. Maybe I just missed it, or maybe it just isn't my thing, I dunno.

FFX-2 was the most fun I've had in a video game for a long time. It's one of the only games where I really didn't wanna complete the game... I did pretty much every mini-game and side quest there was because I didn't want it to end. I played the game fresh out of completing FFX and was so engrossed in the world. I can't say I've felt that about any other game - I usually just wanna finish them.

[C']

nah, that's cool. I didn't mean to sound antagonistic in my post. It's just that there are a lot of people who simply dismiss the game for being online rather than at least trying it. However, you have gave it a go and found it wasn't for you. That is going to happen, no game has universal appeal.

[Jusatsushi]

I played FFXI for a month or two over the summer and thought it was great, but really does demand far too much of your time. After 150 odd hours I'd barely scratched the surface, so just gave up and handed my money and kit to some new fella in my linkshell (he was more than a little chuffed!). I found it really frustrating how dependant progress was on level grinding, and started falling behind my party... Sometimes I still miss it, but it's uninstalled as to avoid temptation!

As for time, I tend to plug away at rpg's over long periods. Took me over two months to complete Tales of Symphonia, and a month into Shadow Hearts: Covenant I'm only just onto disc 2.

Even Resi 4 took me two weeks!

[mareg]

There was a time when the only games i would consider playing were absolute epic rpg's. I couldnt really get into "pick and play games". I'm not sure why this was, i think it was probably because i liked to immerse myself in a story. I didnt really make a concious effort to stop playing rpg's, it just seemed to happen i stopped playing games in general for a while, other commitments meant i couldnt find the time. Now though i'm back playing games regularly but without realising it i've gone for shorter games or games that you can just have a quick bash at then turn off.

I still read up about rpg's that are coming out and think yeah i'm definately going to get that but by the time it does come out i either get it and dont bother playing it or just dont get it at all. The big turn off for me is the time spent levelling up and fighting countless random battles, i cant see the point in it anymore, it just seems like a chore i have to do until the next bit of the story unfolds. I read a lot more books now so perhaps that is where i get my fix of immersing stories.

At work today for some reason i started thinking about skies of arcadia (one of my all time favourite games) i thought it's about time i got it out and played it again. I really do want to play it because i love the story but the thought of spending 60 hours on the game, when essentially all i want is to watch the cut scenes and see the story unfold, turns me right off.

And like concept has said, one of the other main turn offs for me is the fact that many rpg's use the same old story. 16-19 year old male comes of age, he starts off to save a village and ends up saving the universe (dont get me started on why so many rpg's have to end up going into space).

Dont get me wrong though, i'm not bashing rpg's my top games of all time are primarily made up of them. Back to the question, i reckon i probably do have the time to play rpg's i just dont want to anymore.

[Zapp$ter]

dont get me started on why so many rpg's have to end up going into space

I can't recall that many RPGs set in space. Most of them seem to be medieval fantasy affairs.

You guys should check out Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, the battle system in that is awesome and it isn't your typical RPG story either. I haven't played much but it certainly is very different to what I'm accustomed to with regards to my JRPGs.

[Zanza]

I used to love RPG's for the same reasons, I was a kid who had anothing better to do with his time than sit inside all day and play games. These days I find I cant spare enough time to get seriously involved in an rpg, and I cant commit the time keep playing them. Sometimes it can go a week without having the chance to play which really ruins the experience ;(

Thanks for the tip on Virgin tho, I might go and check if the one in Liverpool is doing a similar thing.

[Plisken]

Just started Shenmue II on Xbox again, there goes another 45 odd hours.

[Bleeders]

I wish developers would take heed of the online capabilities we have now and develop an RPG, which can played co-operatively over LIVE or the PS2 equivalent, something akin to Secret of Mana would be nice.