Best Playstation RPGs...?

[Lactose Intollerant]

Vandal Hearts 2 could have been sodding ace. Had they not changed the battle system from simple and fine to utter toss.

The first one is still good today.

Suikoden 1 is still king in my book. I spent an embarassing amount of hours getting all battle characters up to about level 60 and level 16 weapons. For no reason, at all.

[Mad Gear]

Mad Gear

Do you like the theme tune to Saiyuki? It's brilliantly awful

When i first heard it i had the urge to stick screwdrivers inside my ear canal. Now i just wish i were dead.

[Daragon]

In order of preference:

1. FFVII: No RPG since has rivaled this game in terms of what it offers - A fantastic story, memorable characters and setting and a brilliant soundtrack.

2. FFVIII: Loved this game too, extremely enjoyable and the card game was a pretty nice diversion.

3. Arc the Lad II: A pity the PS1 AtL games never made it to PAL format - A highly under-rated gem. Great story, nice battle system, good characters and ALOT to do. I still think that main theme track is class

4. FF tactics: Not normally a fan of strategy based games but it has a pretty nice story and its good on the eyes too (unlike some PS games). Another good battle system and er its got Cloud from FF7 in it

5. Symphony of the Night: Arguably the best castlevania title. So much to do it and bags of replay value. Some nice orchestral tracks go well with the relevant parts of the game. Alot of key rpg elements too (MAJOR exploration aspect, good character development etc)

[Lactose Intollerant]

Alundra was pretty good too. Alundra 2 however was horrid.

Probably the spiritual successor to Landstalker, after Dark Saviour that is.

[erhgiez]

I think im the only person in the world that actually liked alundra 2 and completed it

[imzu]

Vagrant Story - too good for words really, there is so much goodness in this black disc.

Front Mission 3 - just awesome mecha combat strategy. Makes the the PS2 remake look like a pile of poo to be honest. Working "internet" system in the game that actually complements the story.
Deserves more exposure.

Chrono Cross - disorienting storyline in places but some of the best sound and visuals produced on the PS1. Good combat and level system. Loved Chrono Trigger so this was a shoe-in.

Final Fantasy VIII - cheesy dialogue but I enjoyed playing it through. I even enjoyed Triple Triad. Get the Arrange Music CD for teh best game music evar11!!1!

No #5 as such but Final Fantasy Tactics - playing this on and off, not bad so far.

[Sabreman]

Vagrant Story

My favourite RPG by a long, long shot. I didn't really know what to expect from it, having heard little about it other than it's stellar Famitsu score, but I was in the midst of a grand love affair with FF and this was Square so I was hyped up. At first it was quite baffling, and I know a lot of people hold that against it and give up. I persevered, rummaged through the minutiae of the equipment system and uncovered a glorious, dark, romantic, mature adventure that repaid my hard work in spades.

It pushes the PS about as far as it ever went graphically, and the music... oh lordy. I urge everyone who ever tried it and came away dispirited at the weakness of their weapons to give it another shot. Even hunt down a guide to start with, just to get a hold on it. Once it clicks you'll be expelling beasties left, right and centre and you can concentrate on the outstanding plot (and if you're like me, spend countless hours fiddling with weapons and armour, and investigating the deepest reaches of the city).

Final Fantasy VII

Once the game of my dreams. Christmas 1997 meant nothing else. It meant tearing myself away from the TV to make a snack, then taking bites inbetween battles. From the haunting melodies and rusty steampunk of Midgar to the pomp of 'One Winged Angel' it was a feast for the eyes and ears. I don't think the Materia system has been bettered in an FF, and the variety of locations gave it a real epic feel which never got stale. Most of all I actually cared about the characters and their stories, whereas usually in RPGs I'm just interested in turning my guys into unstoppable killing machines regardless of anything else.

Final Fantasy Tactics

I had this for two years before getting addicted to it. It just seemed so dense and I never felt I had the time or the patience to get into it. Early this year I finally decided to give it a proper whirl and it singlehandedly tore me away from World of Warcraft. No mean feat. My little obsession with customization came to the fore, and I'd spend hours doing the same battle map over and over just to get those abilities I'd set my sights on. Another stunning soundtrack from Hitoshi Sakimoto is the icing on the cake.

This and Vagrant Story are the two reasons I'm so excited by the prospect of FFXII - the people involved in creating it.

Valkyrie Profile

Not finished this one yet, and in fact don't even own it. I'm playing it on emulation while trying to get hold of a copy (will someone please tell ebay to calm the hell down). Regardless, the quality of this title puts so much else to shame. Awesome music, great visuals... heck, even the voiceovers aren't bad. What I love most is the genuine feeling of character and place it gives. It feels like a real labour of love and I'm in love with it.

Final Fantasy VIII

It gets a lot of stick, but I honestly adore this game. Almost as much as VII in fact. Yeah, the characters are on the annoying side and the story doesn't make a whole lot of sense but I was hooked from the moment I put this in the machine. I thought the Junctioning system was great - even if it did allow you to create a ludicrously powerful party very early on. The real cream of VIII is the Triple Triad card game though. I'd load it up purely for this and play it for hours. Coupled with the card refining system and I was in stat/ability fiddling heaven. Nobuo Uematsu's finest end boss themes to boot. Can't be bad.

[Commander Marklar]

There's an utterly brilliant guide on GameFAQs for Vagrant Story by Zy Nicholson, IIRC.

Here too.

[imzu]

There's an utterly brilliant guide on GameFAQs for Vagrant Story by Zy Nicholson, IIRC.

Here too.

Sabreman, I really liked your paragraph on VS. I think I'd buy a PS2 just to play FFXII.

Yes, Zy Nicholsons FAQ is excellent. I was trying to get the URL of a good VS fansite I once saw but I cannot see it indexed on Google anymore. There was a staff interview there and the way they talk about how the game evolved organically and as a result of 'spontaneous game development' just heightened my appreciation of the game.

I think I have the webpage saved somewhere, so if you are really interested then PM me and I will dig it out.

[eastyy]

Wasent there a version of chrono trigger released for the psone with adde cutscenes?

[Mad Gear]

Wasent there a version of chrono trigger released for the psone with adde cutscenes?

Yes it's on the US FF Chronicles release.

[Peekay]

It's not exactly an RPG, but I really enjoyed City of Lost Children. Quite clunky and slow but it made an impression. I like all the Square games but in spite of, rather than because of, all the trite characterisation and corny dialogue.

[Meadows14]

Breath of Fire III was one of the best RPGs I have ever played. Mind you, it's probably only because it reminds me of my childhood.

Breath of Fire IV was also great, but no match to its mighty predecessor.

[JazzFunk]

^I agree with that. BOF3 is more old-skool in feel, and the character graphics have that vintage Capcom 2D polish. BOF4 is technically superior, and probably the better game, but I got more involved in BOF3.


Jade Cocoon 2 is excellent, too. As one of the earlier PS2 games, it's quite dated graphically, but it is incredibly absorbing. It's also quite common and usually can be had for pennies.

[Meadows14]

Just out of interest, did anybody play Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter. It has to be the worst game I have ever played.