Board 8 > Haunter ranks 101 games he's played over the last decade, with write-ups.

(+) Yeah! (+)

I didnt mean that to come across as shade-throwing! I just meant that if you had no more desire to dig into the game and see what else was there, it clearly didnt grip you the way it did to me, so I understand the ranking.
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trdl23 posted...

I didnt mean that to come across as shade-throwing! I just meant that if you had no more desire to dig into the game and see what else was there, it clearly didnt grip you the way it did to me, so I understand the ranking.

No worries. I tried to give it the benefit of the doubt but it just didn't vibe with me as much as it did with others.

56. Tales of Symphonia 2: Dawn of the New World
Original Release: 2008
Developer: Namco Bandai
Platform: Wii

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLYJN2QHdd0" data-time="

I came to this game with absolutely zero expectations, as every Tales fan seemed to condemn its existence. I was not disappointed at all! It ended being a pretty decent release for what it's worth. If you start this game knowing that it's probably not going to surpass the original, or that it won't grip you as much as some of the more popular Tales titles, I think you'd enjoy it, as I did.

Not the biggest fan of Emil and Marta, but Tenebrae made everything better. I also enjoyed the central conflict between the Vanguards and that other group, even if it amounted to basically nothing. Finally, Richter actually received quite a bit of development and is one of the series better villains. The story itself is alright, I guess, although it never reached the highs of the original. It felt much much more grounded. It makes me wonder why they turned this into a sequel and not an all new spinoff-type Tales game. Especially because there's actually not a whole lot of recycled content -- the same areas from the first game were redone for the new visual style and even the music returning from the original was rearranged. I hate recycled content, but I never felt like everything was being rehashed here.

Didn't mind the combat either, even if monster raising is an overplayed trope that needs to be retired if it's not in a Pokemon game. I don't remember Emil's limit breaks to be all that useful, either. However, the dungeon battle theme, linked to above, is one of the greatest Tales battle themes of all time. Speaking of dungeons, they were quite well designed. I loved Symphonia's dungeons enough to actually rank them on this board many years ago! Keep in mind that after this game, no Tales game actually had any effort put into any of their dungeons: they ended up being boring labyrinths or corridors with zero personality.

I heard mention this game's the reason the next Tales wasn't released until 2012 (Graces), but I'm not sure how accurate that is. Did people really think it was that bad? Because it's a pretty solid and charming little Wii RPG from start to finish.

ToS2 is definitely worse than the original, but I still had fun with it.

Haunter12O posted...

Didn't mind the combat either, even if monster raising is an overplayed trope that needs to be retired if it's not in a Pokemon game.

Sounds like you need to play Dragon Warrior Monsters...!
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He said he disliked recycled content and generic dungeons right in that write-up and you think it's a good idea to recommend him a game whose "dungeons" entirely consist of randomized areas?

There's one of the two medicore-ish games I was wondering about down, though. The praise to dungeon design probably explains why the other game is even higher, because I'm playing through it at the moment and it sure doesn't have much else going for it!
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ToS2 has terrible main characters and story, monster raising is boring and is needed to complete certain content because the Symphonia original characters are locked at 50, and the ending screws up one of the connections between Symphonia and Phantasia. Tenebrae and Richter are decent characters, though.

If you want a good monster raising game that isn't Pokemon, I recommend Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth which is a better game than any Pokemon game I've played.
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Arti posted...

ToS2 has terrible main characters and story, monster raising is boring and is needed to complete certain content because the Symphonia original characters are locked at 50, and the ending screws up one of the connections between Symphonia and Phantasia. Tenebrae and Richter are decent characters, though.

If you want a good monster raising game that isn't Pokemon, I recommend Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth which is a better game than any Pokemon game I've played.

Somewhere deep on the Internet, I read a statement from Baba/Tales team itself where it's stated that Symphonia and Phantasia are not connected. Hard to believe, though.

AxemRedRanger posted...

He said he disliked recycled content and generic dungeons right in that write-up and you think it's a good idea to recommend him a game whose "dungeons" entirely consist of randomized areas?

There's one of the two medicore-ish games I was wondering about down, though. The praise to dungeon design probably explains why the other game is even higher, because I'm playing through it at the moment and it sure doesn't have much else going for it!

Berseria? if that's what you're talking about, then yeah, it has some boring dungeons.

Remember that even though I universally dislike some things, this list encompasses 10 years! I'm 30 now, and I turned 20 in 2008. My tastes in gaming change, and this list merely ranks the games based on my current opinion of them. Who knows, that can change next year! There's also the potential of replaying some of these, and liking them more than the first time. This isn't directed at you specifically, just a statement.

55. Ratchet and Clank
Original Release: 2016
Developer: SCEA
Platform: PS4

The first three Ratchet and Clank games on the PS2 are some of my favorites. From what I've played afterwards, everything was sorta meh. Sony decided to go back to the roots and attempt a full on remake of the original, rather than creating a completely new game. Why is that, you ask?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvWRilQ9lnI" data-time="

Yeah someone's brainy idea was to wide release a movie so they had to tie a game in along with it. Both are based on the original game, with some significant story changes and the addition of Paul Giamatti, John Goodman, and Sylvester Stallone. The movie did about as well as you'd expect of any video game movie, but the game was a whole lot better. Maybe Sony needs to realize that a big part of what makes R&C fun is the gameplay, not the story?!

As a remake, Ratchet and Clank PS4 disappoints. Plenty of content that I remember from the original was completely cut and some planets were changed. That, or I simply grew out of it. Fortunately, the devs took a few lessons from the shoot-ier games of the franchise and applied them here. R&C has less platforming than the original but more running and gunning, and the combat is FUN. Sometimes you're completely surrounding by endless mooks and it's a whole lot of fun when you get to play around with weapons and switch them on the fly to get rid of them all. One stage allows you to use a jetpack to float around a giant arena and chase around a boss while mooks attack you from all directions; I know it doesn't sound fun, but the game makes it so! Everything else about the remake, gameplay wise, works to its advantage: the controls are smooth, the graphics are incredible, and I believe there were a few more Clank sections. I just wish Sony took the time to turn this into a completely new R&C instead of a remake.

Berseria? if that's what you're talking about, then yeah, it has some boring dungeons.

Nah, I meant that the remaining dubious game yet to be ranked which I'm currently playing actually has good (or certainly at least distinctive) dungeons but I think it has very little else going for it.

If it's not obvious from that, maybe we have wildly diverging tastes. Or maybe the game actually gets better later on. I can only hope!
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Oh, you must be talking about Xillia! That game did some other things great that allowed me to rank it higher, though it's actually coming up soon.

54. Ys SEVEN
Original Release: 2010
Developer: Falcom
Platform: PSP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eInTbRWs-ak" data-time="

Let's rewind to 2010. Falcom was basically an extremely niche developer in the west, known for the occasional Ys release. Trails was nonexistent in the west, and the Ys series was mostly divisive, with the last numbered entry being Ark of Napishtim on the PS2. I decided to check out Ys 7 based on what the game promised me -- an action RPG with a big new world, many different party members, cool bosses, and maybe even an engaging story! Ys 7 delivered on many of those fronts, but still had a major problem of its own which should be obvious if you've been following this list!

Recycling! Come on, you knew that. This game is probably in the vicinity of 30-40 hours but has no right being that large. The entire second half of the game consists of going back to the same regions from the first half and finding a new dungeon in that area. The story slows down to a halt as well: go back here, fight this dragon, go back there, fight this dragon. It doesn't help that the game is absolutely infested with cliches. You've got Adol and Dogi, then you've got the spunky first female party member, the big guy, the little brat, and the quiet priestess lady. I don't want to compare this to Tokyo Xanadu, but the characters felt similar, all being one-note stereotypes (Geis was a lot better). Same with the regions -- the desert, the forest, the mountain, the water temple, etc. It's all pretty generic. Thankfully, the story is much better, containing twists and turns and an incredible reveal near the end which probably won't grab you like it grabbed me if you've already played Tales titles.

If you don't care and just want to play the game for combat, which is the bulk of any Ys game, then you'll feel right at home. I believe this is the first Ys to utilize multiple party members, and it works well. They're all fun to use, especially Aisha and Sigrun, and you can switch on the fly. Boss fights are also well designed, even if the final boss falls off the difficulty curve. If you enjoyed Oath in Felghana's combat more, though, your opinion may vary. Sometimes gets Ys 7 gets extremely button-mashy and battles can resort to doing so, healing, and repeating. The platforming and dodging and jumping involved in OiF is gone.

Everything that Ys 7 does, Ys 8 does better. I particularly liked the combat in OiF more, too, and Ys 7 is a step back. Still, it's a pretty good game.

Looks like my math is off and I had a total of 105 games instead of 101. Two of those weren't even included on the list (one was added in at the last second, see if you spot it in the newer versions of the list), and two I just forgot to assign a number. They're all actually coming up in this tier, but it's going to look wonky.

53. Dust: An Elysian Tail
Original Release: 2012
Developer: Humble Hearts
Platform: XB360

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B82Xmil5n8I" data-time="

Dust is a Metroidvania-type, though that term is applied loosely because the game is level-based and doesn't take place in just one giant castle or planet or whatever. It reminded me of SNES platformer games I used to play more than it did of Castlevania or Metroid, and that is a good thing. The combat is VERY smooth and even the platforming sections are done well. The game also manages to tell a dramatic, compelling story involving furries. Seriously, the plot is actually pretty good, and a lot of light is shined on the villain, who is a foil to the main character.

HyperDuck studios, who composed the music for Cosmic Star Heroine, did the music here as well, and as always it is fantastic. Graphics are beautiful. This isn't a cheap looking game at all, it feels like I'm playing a Don Bluth movie (ie Titan AE). The voice acting isn't terrible, either. Oh, and special mention goes to the final boss, as that fight was a total fight. YouTube it.

The game is too short, and sometimes gets repetitive. By the end I was often ignoring enemies and beelining it for the end of the map. There's a lack of boss battles as well, I think there were only three total. But it's pretty cheap now, so I suggest go grab it.

I'm impressed by this topic. Carry on.
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Dust was surprisingly good, even if the ending was stupid as fuck. All the lead-up was spot-on, and the combat was super fun, especially with Dust Storms. Got pretty easy at the end but still great.
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pjbasis posted...

I'm impressed by this topic. Carry on.

Thanks!

52. Grand Theft Auto IV
Original Release: 2008
Developer: Rockstar
Platform: XB360

Spoilers

I have another crack theory. GTA4 was supposed to be the biggest, best game ever judging from the advertising. It promised absolutely EVERYTHING. Sounded like it was going to completely blow you away. This is why it is not ranked in the top 10 of GameRankings and is often given a score of over 95% from reviewers: they fell for the advertising that they refused to see it the flaws it came with. Ultimately, sandbox is great in HD and this is one of the first games to successfully do so, but it is not revolutionary. RDR, coming out less than two years later, mastered the concept. The real problem consists of the overall "vanilla" feeling I got after completing it.

See, GTA4 may have a big, beautiful city with amazing (for 2008) graphics, but under it all it is a few steps back after the thrill ride that was San Andreas. Everything is streamlined, missions come in but a few varieties, several side content and minigames are gone, and despite the size of the city, the map feels much smaller than San Andreas. This is likely due to San Andreas containing much more than a single city. That felt like an evolution of sorts, and now we're stepping back to basically GTA3's style.

The worst offender is the overall simplicity of the plot. Don't get me wrong, the story is surprisingly good, but whereas San Andreas dealt with family, vengeance, and redemption, Niko Bellic's entire goal is to find the two brothers who betrayed him in Liberty City. Throughout the game he gets roped up in various subplots and side stories involving various gangs, but unlike CJ or Vercetti I never felt like he became any more powerful than he was at the very beginning of the game. He was always a hired gun, and goes from being a goon to a...better goon. The climax of the storyline ends up being disappointing, as your decision on whether to kill Darko has no real bearing on the rest of the plot. There's also a lack of an interesting villain throughout the game. I mean, Dimitri is great, but he disappears from the game for quite a while before coming back at the end.

GTA4 does, however, present you with some decisions which may result in branching outcomes. None of these are really all that big, and sometimes the right decision is the obvious one. Do you side with Playboy X, who is a complete jackass, or do you side with Dwayne, a guy that treats you fairly and can become one of your friends and allies? Yeah, stuff like that. The big decision comes near the end which alters the ending. You choose whether to take revenge or to side with the bad guy. Taking revenge may feel good but if you ally with Dimitri, he still becomes the final boss and you'll have to kill him anyway. On the other hand, Kate dies and Pegorino, a minor NPC and mission giver, becomes the final boss. And Pegorino's a complete douche and should never have been the final boss at any point. But I also thought Kate and Niko was an odd matchup and their attempts at building any sort of romance between the two was misguided.

Now, the missions themselves were mostly rather dull. San Andreas contained some crazy shit, if not brutally difficult sometimes. Getting on a Jeep and driving out of a plane (and the rest of Toreno's missions), burning down a weed farm, planning a heist and robbing a casino in GTA's Vegas equivalent, all of these types of missions are gone (but return in GTA5). Instead, the majority of mission are of the "drive here, go there, shoot this guy, shoot all those guys, chase this guy" variety. The most exciting mission of the game is a bank robbery gone wrong and your escape to the subway. It's nothing more than a shootout, but it's a tad more exciting than generic car race mission or generic foot chase mission. The characters and mission givers (outside of the "friends") aren't terribly interesting, either. It's like Rockstar went through a checklist of cultural stereotypes and squeezed all of them in. The friends/allies are well-developed, especially steroid junkie Brucie who would probably be a Jersey Shore dropout if the game came out one year later, but the rest of the NPCs are boring mafia types or angry Russians. In fact, the Godfather/mafia arc in the last third of the game was boring, because I'm tired of seeing these types of characters in games. GTA3 already did it (speaking of which, there are no yakuza in this game, feh!). As for the friends, one of the biggest bullet points from this game's features is the ability to call them anytime and go out with them to build you relationships. This was a cute concept back in 2008 but now we all remember it as, "Fuck you Roman, stop calling me, I don't want to go bowling."

I've said lots of mean things, but yet this game is ranked somewhere halfway on the list. Despite all my negativity, I freaking love it! As a GTA game it's not the greatest, but all the GTA games are made extremely well. Rockstar did not fail in delivering quite an excellent product with plenty of attention to detail and things to do, even if the latter is minimal compared to SA and GTA5. This being set in 2008 features cell phones and the ability to surf the Internet, which blew my mind back when I first played it. A game that has its own Internet that you can surf! If that doesn't suit your fancy, you can always go get a six star wanted level and blow shit up, and it's sometimes as thrilling as ever. The next game in the series improves upon the formula and it will be featured later on this list, but neither of them reach GTA: SA's level of near perfection. I can only hope GTA6 lives up to its standards. It's just sad that critics seem to think this is one of the greatest games ever made, without appearing to break it down and point out its faults when compared to the rest of the franchise.

I haven't played either of the DLC but I hear it's amazing and an improvement and maybe I'll check it out or YouTube it.

One of the themes GTA4 captured that I havent really seen elsewhere is the inversion of the American Dream. Its tragic to see Niko continue to go deeper and deeper underwater in crime while Roman acts as his conscience and what Niko could have been instead.
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trdl23 posted...

One of the themes GTA4 captured that I havent really seen elsewhere is the inversion of the American Dream. Its tragic to see Niko continue to go deeper and deeper underwater in crime while Roman acts as his conscience and what Niko could have been instead.

If that's the case it was incredibly subtle. I also thought Roman was less of a conscience and more of a nuisance. The guy was the reason Niko got involved in the shady gang stuff in the first place, and continued to get himself in trouble throughout. But yeah, I can see that.

51. Tales of Xillia
Original Release: 2013
Developer: Namco Bandai
Platform: PS3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8pNAHqOHg8" data-time="

Tales of Xillia was a moderately successful Tales title which ended up spawning a terrible sequel full of recycled assets of the worst kind. The original game is actually decent but has its fair share of problems. Namco Bandai was pressured to release this in time for the Tales anniversary, and so they rushed it out to meet that deadline. It shows, because most of the second half or last third of the game seems clearly rushed.

On the other hand, the first half of the game is incredible. The pacing is absolutely impeccable. You'll explore an awesome, lore-filled world and slowly learn about its secrets as well as the many characters you meet throughout during your progress. It keeps the town, dungeon, town, dungeon formula but does a great job of luring you in a large, interesting world once you're spirited away from Fennmont. The battle system is fun and allows you to link with other characters to power your attacks, something I felt was a big improvement over Graces f and Abyss (not as good as Vesperia). The towns look amazing, with Xian Du and Fennmont being standouts.

It's not until the halfway point that the storyline suddenly goes into overdrive. While interesting at first, it goes turbo mode in that half, with scene after scene and plot point after plot point with no real sense of progression. It's obvious there should have been a break - a dungeon perhaps - in some areas but instead we're treated to a Xenogears style hodgepodge of events. It doesn't help that there's a ton of backtracking in the last chapter, as well. Also in the last chapter is a brand new world to explore! Except it's underutilized. Why did Namco Bandai create an alternate second world only to drop you off in the final dungeon soon after you enter it? There's only one town and a few fields there, and unfortunately Xillia 2 does little to build upon it, turning it into a "what could have been" outcome. With these things in play, I stopped paying attention to the storyline because it was getting too difficult to follow, and surfed the Internet on my phone while the ending played out because I just didn't care anymore. The final dungeon and bosses were also disappointing. Oh, and in true Tales fashion, there's a shit ton of terminology you have to keep track of in order to understand the plot, so taking a break from the game for a bit is detrimental as you'll likely forget the difference between spirits, spiria, spirit power, greater spirits, etc.

I do appreciate the game's ability to try and make compelling character, but Jude and Milla get much more screentime (and combat prowess) than the others except for maybe Alvin. Jude is Gary Stu and Milla is Mary Sue. The game advertised being able to play two different scenario's - Jude's or Milla's - but for the most part they are exactly alike save for a few areas. Felt like a wasted opportunity, and Milla was just an all-around boring character with terrible VA.

The PS3 version also had this annoying "pop in" effect where monsters or NPCs were still loading when you stepped into a new map. It was annoying. Xillia 2 didn't fix this.

Lastly, I already mentioned this in Xillia 2's write-up but Xillia contains many "field" or overworld areas which are nothing more than flat.fucking.squares.of.land. They separate the towns and dungeons but they are horrible. There's nothing there but a plethora of random palette swapped monsters and random shit laying on the ground, and also little holes in the walls leading to treasures. I couldn't stand FFXIII's linearity but this shit is worse, especially with my OCD tendency to try and find everything, and thus having to hug walls to find the holes.

The Forgotten

The games below have been left out of the numbered ranking for some reason...I dunno, I forgot. Luckily, I don't really have any other place to put them but here. That's right, they rank about in the same spot.

The problem with lists like this usually lies in the middle section. This tier in particular is extremely hard to rank because you could take any of these games and switch them around. They're all about the same grade-wise. They're good, not great, but not bad either, so it's much harder to rank them with write-ups because I feel like I'm writing a review and it feels less natural to talk about a game that I have no real emotional feelings for (anger or happiness, that is).

50.75. South Park: The Stick of Truth
Original Release: 2014
Developer: Obsidian
Platform: XB360

Totally forgot I even played this! It's a decent RPG, if not a buggy mess. I loved the nods to various South Park episodes. Basically it's this generation of the South Park movie. It had everything the show had (except for Kanye West, I wish it had Kanye West) and it was much more crude, lewd, and uncensored. Blowing up the abortion clinic and fighting Nazi zombie aborted fetus was a highlight. I'm not a right winger. The Canada part, unfortunately, was a low point, dragging on seemingly forever. I had fun with the game but it obviously didn't leave much of a lasting impression. It was also riddled with bugs. I don't think I'll play the sequel anytime soon, either.

50.5. Borderlands
Original Release: 2009
Developer: Gearbox
Platformer: XB360

I played the shit out of co-op here. My friend and I actually finished it by playing through the entire thing co-op, and boy was it a blast. I don't remember much else, other than the awesome time I had finding all sorts of loot. I just wish this game had a storyline. I hear the sequel is better in every way, but I don't have access to co-op anymore and can't see myself single-player-ing through a game like this.

50.25. Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty
Original Release: 2010
Developer: Blizzard
Platformer: PC

I played this in 2014 but my love for Starcraft at that point was merely nostalgia. The late 90's to late early 2000's were a time of Starcraft solace for me. I lost countless hours playing on Battle.net, then I found the User Map Creator thing on Battle.net and spent even more time playing people's amazing creations and even making my own RPG!

I didn't do this with Starcraft II and I think that's because it was a learning curve I had to get over once again. SCII just adds a bunch of shit and that changes the gameplay a whole lot. What I did do was play single player mode up to the mission in which a giant supernova chases you. Fuck that mission.

Fifty Games Left! Can you guess what I'll have in my top 10?

2008
Lost Odyssey
Tales of Vesperia
Fallout 3
Call of Duty: World at War
Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core
Final Fantasy Tactics A2
Final Fantasy 4 DS
Super Smash Brothers Brawl
Ninja Gaiden 2
Devil May Cry 4

2009
Magnacarta 2
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
Last Scenario
Exit Fate
The World Ends With You

2010
Mass Effect 2
Persona 3 Portable
Red Dead Redemption
Mother 3
Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
Donkey Kong Country Returns

2011
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (PSP)
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky FC
Okami

2012
Final Fantasy XIII-2
Mass Effect 3
Xenoblade Chronicles
The Last Story

2013
Bioshock Infinite
Grand Theft Auto 5
Final Fantasy Dimensions

2014
Metal Gear Solid 4
Fire Emblem Awakening
Ys: The Oath in Felghana
The Last Of Us

2015
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
Grandia II

2016
Stardew Valley
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II
Ara Fell
Valkyria Chronicles Remastered

2017
The Witcher 3
Tales of Berseria
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the Third
The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Zero
Final Fantasy V
Persona 5
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana
Yakuza 0

Haunter12O posted...

Final Fantasy XIII-2

How the hell is this still here
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oh i thought the first game was 2008: A Lost Odyssey and I was very confused
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trdl23 posted...

Haunter12O posted...

Final Fantasy XIII-2

How the hell is this still here

I have extremely weird tastes, sometimes. Surprised no one's commented on Golden Sun: Dark Dawn still being there.

Haunter12O posted...

trdl23 posted...

Haunter12O posted...

Final Fantasy XIII-2

How the hell is this still here

I have extremely weird tastes, sometimes. Surprised no one's commented on Golden Sun: Dark Dawn still being there.

Magna Carta 2 is probably stranger than either of those two, tbqh!

It definitely had its charms, but I'm surprised its ahead of so many of these other RPGs.
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Suprak the Stud posted...

Haunter12O posted...

trdl23 posted...

Haunter12O posted...

Final Fantasy XIII-2

How the hell is this still here

I have extremely weird tastes, sometimes. Surprised no one's commented on Golden Sun: Dark Dawn still being there.

Magna Carta 2 is probably stranger than either of those two, tbqh!

It definitely had its charms, but I'm surprised its ahead of so many of these other RPGs.

wow the first time I've ever heard of that game was today and now that's twice it's been mentioned

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGXHrbn1gMU" data-time="
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Suprak the Stud posted...

Haunter12O posted...

trdl23 posted...

Haunter12O posted...

Final Fantasy XIII-2

How the hell is this still here

I have extremely weird tastes, sometimes. Surprised no one's commented on Golden Sun: Dark Dawn still being there.

Magna Carta 2 is probably stranger than either of those two, tbqh!

It definitely had its charms, but I'm surprised its ahead of so many of these other RPGs.

Actually that game surprised me at how good it was. I'll explain more when I get to it (hint: soon) but really the best surprise is buying a game on a whim and then realizing it's really, really good.

@NFUN that's a song from Magna Carta 1, not 2. The original is a much crappier game with one of the worst battle systems I've ever seen, but it did have a good soundtrack. The sequel is completely different and improves on pretty much every front.

Haunter12O posted...

Suprak the Stud posted...

Haunter12O posted...

trdl23 posted...

Haunter12O posted...

Final Fantasy XIII-2

How the hell is this still here

I have extremely weird tastes, sometimes. Surprised no one's commented on Golden Sun: Dark Dawn still being there.

Magna Carta 2 is probably stranger than either of those two, tbqh!

It definitely had its charms, but I'm surprised its ahead of so many of these other RPGs.

Actually that game surprised me at how good it was. I'll explain more when I get to it (hint: soon) but really the best surprise is buying a game on a whim and then realizing it's really, really good.

Actually, after looking back, I'm confusing Magna Carta 2 with Enchanted Arms for some reason. Magna Carta 2 was actually pretty good, ignoring some weird things about the story like that one girl who is almost naked and looks like a porn star but keeps going "hey guys I'm 12 years old" every ten minutes. Battle system was fun, too. Story was good even if it was cliched at times.

So I rescind my comment. FFXIII-2 is much weirder.
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trdl23 posted...

Haunter12O posted...

Final Fantasy XIII-2

How the hell is this still here

That must be the game that Axem was talking about. Once we ditch that, we'll only have good JRPGs left.
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Haunter12O posted...

trdl23 posted...

Haunter12O posted...

Final Fantasy XIII-2

How the hell is this still here

I have extremely weird tastes, sometimes. Surprised no one's commented on Golden Sun: Dark Dawn still being there.

I missed that. I enjoyed it too, but only out of nostalgia for the first two. Looking back it really wasnt very good.
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Dark Dawn is in fact the mediocre game I was talking about earlier. Just exited Luna Tower. Will say more when he gets to it (which may also let me progress a little further).
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50. Ninja Gaiden II
Original Release: 2008
Developer: Tecmo
Platform: XB360

I played this prior to Ninja Gaiden Black and boy was it a whole lot of fun. The controls are as smooth as cat fur and are extremely responsive. The combat was spectacular and I loved the boss fights, which provided enough of a challenge to keep me on my toes.

I also liked how the game takes place in some kind of dystopian future where demons have taken over the world. You'll get to fight some Sephiroth-like guy on top of the Statue of Liberty, a werewolf in a Roman coliseum, and a demon lady in the South American jungles. Each of the stages ooze with personality, and are accompanied by a strong soundtrack, to boot.

Haunter12O posted...

Can you guess what I'll have in my top 10?

sure, I love throwing darts at the wall

Brawl
DKCR
Okami
Xenoblade
Ys: The Oath in Felghana
The Last of Us
Trails in the Sky SC
Trails of Cold Steel
Stardew Valley
The Witcher 3
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49. Ara Fell
Original Release: 2016
Developer: Stegosoft Games
Platform: PC/Steam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QHOyDcn2DY" data-time="

Let me tell you a little story about an RPG Maker 2003 game that was conceived back in the early 2000's. It was called Ara Fell, and released as a prolonged "demo" or "beta" to the RPG Maker community. Lots of hype surrounded it based on its beautiful map design and its setting and concept -- a game taking place on floating continents in the sky with vampires as antagonists. The developer stated this was just a demo and that there were several more continents to explore with their own problems, but there was never a full release and it was quickly forgotten. There were problems with it as well: bugs, a wonky default battle system, and weird use of music IMO (a midi of Gangsta's Paradise was used as a dungeon theme, although I think this was an amazing idea).

Fast forward nearly 15 years and the game resurfaces as a paid Steam release for $10. The price tag seems odd as the game is made with RPG Maker 2003, but everything in the game is an original (or RM2K3 refmap/default) product, so it is valid. But how is the game itself? The dev decided there was no point in the additional continents, and made the game featured in the early 2000's a complete, polished product. As a result it wasn't very long, but oh boy was it good.

First off, if you can't stand the thought of playing a game made in RPG Maker 2003, or paying for it, this game is not for you.

Otherwise, I highly suggest checking it out if you need your JRPG itch scratched, for just ten bucks. In 2016, this was very much the case for me. I actually stopped playing more Undertale to play this instead. The visuals are beautiful, with TONS of detail in every.single.map. The music is fantastic. You play as an annoying little girl who becomes the "chosen one" and must save the world from evil vampires. Yeah, it's not exactly the most original premise, but Lita and company's journey is entertaining, often mixing humor and seriousness. I was basically smitted by the main playable cast AS WELL as the villains. The villains were very well developed, and despite sometimes being obviously evil I had sympathy for several of the bad guys. Special mention goes to the main villain who is particularly well written. In fact, the writing and dialogue is one the game's main highlights.

The floating continent also has its own personality. From near the beginning, you get access to most of the map, and as you progress you obtain new tools to allow you to find secret caves and passages and reach new areas for treasures, sidequests, etc. It's basically a top-down Metroidvania (ugh I'm using that term again). The battle system is the default ATB RM2K3 system (basically Final Fantasy 4-6 type) and it's kind of janky. This is the engine's fault, not the developer's, but it's manageable.

If you have a weekend with nothing to do and you enjoy SNES JRPGs, this is the game for you. $10 is a decent price, and it's definitely better than something like the new Secret of Mana remake. Also, Stegosoft is developing another title they released originally as an RPG Maker 2003 game, and it looks amazing. http://store.steampowered.com/app/698700/Rise_of_the_Third_Power/

Gatarix posted...

Haunter12O posted...

Can you guess what I'll have in my top 10?

sure, I love throwing darts at the wall

Brawl
DKCR
Okami
Xenoblade
Ys: The Oath in Felghana
The Last of Us
Trails in the Sky SC
Trails of Cold Steel
Stardew Valley
The Witcher 3

You got a few.

Haunter12O posted...

I'd rather go bowling.

I mean...so would I
Bowling is awesome
---

LOLIAmAnAlt posted...

Haunter12O posted...

I'd rather go bowling.

I mean...so would I
Bowling is awesome

Angry Birds, for some weird reason, reminded me of bowling.

Rounding off the last of this tier.

48. Metal Gear Solid 4
Original Release: 2008
Developer: Konami
Platform: PS3

The first three MGS games were some of my favorites, though the story was too hard to follow since I would step away from the series after finishing each game shortly after release. MGS was great because the story felt self-contained, and then MGS2 came along and made it something bigger. MGS3 was a step back in the right direction, and MGS4 goes the MGS2 route. Simply put: I don't know what the fuck is going on.

This game's also a magnum opus for Kojima, given that it's his perceived last mainline MGS game. Seems like he wanted to cram a lot into this one, while also putting in easter eggs and nods to the previous games. The result is a game that, while solid (no pun intended) doesn't really seem cohesive. It's a mishmash of different genres all rolled into one, but it's still a great game. Also, I didn't finish it, but from what I've played of it, I liked it.

Like, the first chapter is basically a Middle Eastern warzone, then chapter 2 goes back to the MGS formula that made the series so great. Then chapter 3 happens and fuck chapter 3. I reached the chapter 4 and stopped for some reason. There are a ton of scenes full of exposition and I had no idea what was happening. The story's better than Kingdom Hearts but it can still be unintelligible just like that series.

Luckily, the actual gameplay is still as fun as ever. I just wish the game was more like MGS1 and MGS3. I remembered the enjoyment I had from the progression of the earlier games when I was playing through chapter 2, but then the game switched gears on me in chapter 3, which had little reason to exist. Then chapter 4 is a huge nostalgia trip to MGS1 and that was cool. Makes me want to go play it right now.

47. Mass Effect 2
Original Release: 2010
Developer: BioWare
Platform: XB360

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh39K4lMGK8" data-time="

This is a controversial pick, and you might be wondering why it's so low when many consider it the best in the OT. The problem is the lack of a natural, progressing story and the focus taken primarily to a cast of characters that sometimes feel wasted.

I mean, the first game introduced us to this chaotic galaxy. There was so much lore and build up, and the plot was terrific, culminating in an amazing final showdown at the Citadel. I don't miss the empty planet exploration from the first game (which is the reason I won't play it again) but I do remember how well the story was told while progressing from planet to planet, all of which are oozing with personality. The first game ended with a climactic battle and a satisfying ending, which also served as a cliffhanger for things to come. The Reapers have returned and Shepard has been tasked with finding and preventing them from destroying the galaxy.

With that, the second game felt less like a direct continuation and more of a reboot. I mean, within the first few minutes the Normandy is completely destroyed and all of Shepard's companions are MIA (some come back during this game, either as playable or NPCs), replaced by new, less interesting ones. And that's the game for you. This game is concerned with its rather colorful cast of characters and showing how much they can cram into each character's personality and backstory. The story takes a backseat. The Reapers are nowhere to be found, and Shepard's new boss of the shadowy Cerberus organization tasks him with destroying some kind of new enemy called the Collectors, which have ties with the Reapers. 90% of the game deals with expanding the character roster or doing their so-called loyalty missions, and 10% actually progresses this Collector-Cerberus plotline. The Collectors have no role in the final game of the trilogy so they disappear here completely, and I don't remember ever seeing their boss, the Harbinger, again. Their big thing is kidnapping people, and when you finally find out why, it's quickly brushed off into a slapped-together final battle.

I wish I could say ME2 should be played because of the strong cast of characters, but that is not so. For one, there's a large cast of characters and their loyalty missions, but many of these new characters are either incredibly dull or feel like afterthoughts. Miranda and Jacob, who are members of Cerberus and your initial party members, are total bottom-of-the-barrel types. Generic crap, like Raynie and Marco from Radiant Historia. I also personally thought Miranda looked creepy uncanny valley. Their backstories weren't interesting as well. The non-human characters are much more interesting, specifically Garrus (who is a returning character though), Mordin, and Thane. Tali and Legion are cool too, but the latter joins way too late. Everyone else is pretty meh. Mordin and Thane had much more potential but their stories pretty much end here -- they briefly show up in ME3 but are relegated to NPCs. Everybody else, including DLC, are flat. If you recruited Morinth, well, shame on you because she shows up as a random enemy in ME3 and no one said anything.

Don't even bother getting attached to these characters because they are all expendable and can die in the final, "suicide" mission. Seriously, if you take away all the character quests and loyalty missions of this game, the game would be over in less than five hours. And the Collector base being the center of the galaxy was just reaching.

On the other hand, the gameplay, while majorly streamlined, is a huuuuuge improvement over the predecessor. The RPG elements are somewhat taken away but what we got in return is a tight, well polished and designed action game with RPG elements. I didn't mind this at all. ME3 perfects this formula. I also quite enjoyed the new, "seedy" side of the galaxy that Cerberus and Shepard operate in. ME1 had you exploring the more civilized locations of the Milky Way while ME2 goes over to the Terminus systems in the northeast part of the map that was largely unexplored in the first game. There seems to be a consistent theme of lawlessness in the game, and I enjoyed that feeling. Exploring the galaxy is just as fun -- there's just something relaxing about standing in the main room of the Normandy and peering onto the map, with the music above playing. Side note: the tune above is the galaxy map (Uncharted Worlds) of ME1 and ME3 as well as the galaxy map theme of ME2 (new worlds) combined. New Worlds starts about halfway. It's a darker version of Uncharted Worlds, and a great analogue to the overall theme and elements of the game.

I've already mentioned that I have weird tastes and ME2, for me, is the worst of the trilogy. Although it's still a great game, I just couldn't get over the focus pretty much only being on introducing a bunch of lowlife characters onto you and then either disposing of them in the final mission or wasting them in ME3. In fact, ME3 returns many of the first game's characters! Looking past that, this is still a good game. It also has plenty of great DLC.

No, I will never play Andromeda.

Update tonight.

46. Xenoblade Chronicles
Original Release: 2012 (US), 2011 (EU/AU)
Developer: Monolith Soft
Platform: Wii

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoIHFqMXWYE" data-time="

Xenoblade Chronicles is a completionist's nightmare. This game is absolutely fucking loaded. There's simply too much to do, and for an OCD JRPG'er like me, that is a problem, especially in 2012 when I was employed full-time and going to school. When a game is this large, I at least like to get 75% of it done completion wise. That's what I did with FFXII and FFTA2. But dare I say it, Xenoblade Chronicles is bigger than both of those games and sometimes for the wrong reasons. I had to come to terms about not finishing it. Simply put, this game is breathtaking but painstakingly dull.

First off, there are hundreds of sidequests in this game but pretty much every single one amounts to "go kill 5 of these guys" or "gather 5 of these things" and that's it. Sometimes it's a mark hunt. None of these are really any interesting at all, and yes you can get through the game without doing any of them, but at least FFXII gave you more of a variety, even if it was just a little more. It's true that you don't have to do them, but here's the thing. The game has difficult boss battles and the only reason they are difficult is because you're not leveled high enough, so your best bet is to go grind. Now, are you going to go randomly kill random bad guys or are you going to partake in one of the trillion side quests that require you to go kill the same random bad guys for rewards (and also their exp)? Yeah, I thought so. There were plenty of times where I had to grind just to get past the next boss.

And boy golly was the battle system a piece of work. First off, the interface. This isn't an HD game, and they manage to cram as much shit as they possibly could on the screen, so everything is just so cluttered. Second, every move you use has a cooldown effect. So you're constantly using the move, using another move, using another, then waiting...and waiting...and waiting....till the cooldown resets and then using the move again and waiting...and waiting...you get the drill. There's a ton of battles. I mean lots. The world is huge and most of it is spent battling, so if you don't like the battle system it's hard to appreciate the game.

Regardless of what I thought of the gameplay, Xenoblade is designed well. Each of the areas of the game are teeming with life and personality. They're huge and there's plenty of discover, and the music that accompanies each area is amazing. These areas felt less like RPG dungeons/fields and more like worlds from Super Mario 64 or Banjo Kazooie. There's a ton to discover in each area and many different enemies to fight, and you're always able to come back and do more. Colony 9 and Valak Mountain were my favorites. I also enjoyed the design of the Ether Mine, for some reason (it's usually forgettable).

I also loved the main cast of characters, except for Riki. I think Melia was my favorite, for reasons I do not know. I just found her so endearing. The story was pretty good but it's no Xenogears or Xenosaga. Lots of exposition is spread out between large segments of exploration and battling.

Lastly, I gotta say I'm not entirely sure why this game is so highly regarded. I don't know if it's because of the Xeno name, as it is made for the Wii when the rest of them were made for PS consoles. It could be because Nintendo fanboys were craving a JRPG on their console and overrated it to hell, I dunno, but bless them for succeeding with Operation Rainfall and getting Nintendo to bring this game over. It's still overrated because the gameplay just ain't that good. I also wish for an HD remaster/remake where the entire Bionis is seamless, so you can fall off Eryth Sea and land in Colony 9, but that will never happen.

Did you ever use characters other than Shulk? That was actually the difference between the game being the game being unfinishable and landing in my top 20.

To some extent though I think you just have to like the MMO-esque structure . The main reason I like it is probably story, though I also like how it presents its world.
---

I dunno, I liked FFXII. As I mentioned it could be my changing tastes and life events between 2006 and 2012. I felt like I could not sink as much time and pull all-nighters with XC like I could with FFXII. I played mostly Dunban.

Next one is the first time a game from a favorite series of mine is featured on this list.

45. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the Third
Original Release: 2017
Developer: Falcom
Platform: PC/Steam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUFqkmB5SSA" data-time="

The first game of the Trails franchise makes its appearance and you can guess how I feel about it from the fact that it didn't show up till over halfway on the list! By no means is the Third a bad game; it's a good game! It just doesn't hit all the right notes that FC and SC before it did. It's still an absolute must play if you're a fan of the series.

The Third does two things that prevent it from being a better game. One should be obvious- the use of recycled assets. This game reuses the same locations from the very first game, again! As if trudging through them wasn't enough in SC. Actually, SC was much more purposeful in their use, while in the Third I felt like the developers were being lazy. Dungeons like the Grancel Sewers are used yet again, and others were simply repurposed. Let me just say that if you like the city of Grancel, be prepared to see it way more than you should throughout the Sky trilogy.

Secondly, the story just didn't fly with me as well as it should have. The rest of the Trails games set a high bar, but in the Third it's obvious the plot was secondary to everything else. The main story is actually pretty minimal and almost entirely self-contained. Makes the game feel like a spinoff of sorts. It takes place entirely in a different dimension and focuses on Kevin's backstory at its forefront. Speaking of Kevin, he's a great main character, and one of the better ones in the franchise. He's got the right amount of comic relief and seems like a pretty good guy, while at the same point he's not afraid to murder your ass. (He's probably one of the only characters in the series with a kill count, actually.) Ries didn't as well, but that's because she's overshadowed by the rest of the cast.

The purpose of this game is to play it for the doors. Throughout your journey you'll come across several doors that show a piece of backstory/sidestory and let you play a minigame. You can skip the minigames unless you want to git gud, but the actual side stories are interesting, and pretty much required viewing. Some of them focus on an epilogue to certain characters of sorts, that shows what happened after the events of SC. Others are prologues or foreshadowing to future events. There's a big one showing the state of Erebonia and it's also the first appearance of Osborne. There's also one on Calvard, one on Crossbell, and one on even Ouroboros. I think my favorite was the baby dragon one; it was just so random but my crack theory tells me there's something major to be taken from it, that may alter the future of the franchise.

The battle system, same as it ever was, is also vastly improved and brings a challenge this time around. Having access to 14+ characters by the end of the game allows you to formulate your own strategies in taking down bosses unlike in the first or second game. Game's still much more difficult in the early stages than the later stages, which seems like an ongoing problem with Falcom's games, but taking down a big boss after a long, drawn out battle feels good.

Also gotta mention turbo mode. Assign it to a button and hold it down to 3x the game. This helps you get through the slower portions and some trash mobs. It's extremely nice and I wish most games had a feature like this.

As I already mentioned, the Third is a required playthrough if you're a fan of the series but it feels more like a dungeon-crawl-ery spinoff. If you haven't played Cold Steel 1 or 2 yet, absolutely play this one before! It's amazing to experience this immediately after FC and SC. Then you can get an idea of what's going on in Erebonia and head on over there with CS (or go to the Crossbell games).

I'm so hyped to play CS now after the Osbourne door.
---

purge bump

44. Bioshock Infinite
Original Release: 2013
Developer: Irrational
Platform: XB360

The first Bioshock was overrated but it's still one of the best FPS experiences of that console generation, and will go down as a classic. Its sequel was basically more of the same, but Infinite takes it up a notch...literally. This time around we go to the sky instead of a sea, to a city built in the clouds by a idealistic madman. From the get go, the story is interesting. The main character, Booker, is baptized into the Columbia community and becomes one of them. But then, someone realizes that he has come to purge them all and everyone attacks him. Cue blood and gore, and lots of it. This is one of the biggest surprises I've ever seen in gaming. We go from a sunny, happy place to chopping off limbs and head. At the same time, Bioshock Infinite had an amazing story with lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing till the very end. It also had a creepy robot owl.

Two things prevent this from being elevated to the first Bioshock's level. First off, the game sometimes feels mundane in the way it handles large maps. Similar to Uncharted, you've got a large map you can zip around in and it's hard to figure out where to go. Meanwhile, you're getting shot at from all directions. Secondly, there's an extremely annoying boss fight near the end where you have to fight a ghost. As if the annoyance of this fight wasn't enough, you have to do it again, at least two more times, before the game ends.

I didn't mind the whole Elizabeth thing because the game never felt like an escort mission (and neither did TLoU which came out later this year). The final moments of the game were rewarding and incredibly climactic. It comes close but it never reaches the levels of insanity the first Bioshock did, although it still comes with some amazing twists just like that game.

I also hear Ken Levine is a dick.

Fuck the ghost
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43. Magna Carta 2
Original Release: 2009
Developer: Softmax
Platform: XB360

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-kbWd1Kp1w" data-time="

This game and the next one are placed this high because they're solid releases although they're nothing amazing or super special. They're just great games with few flaws that I can find. Magna Carta 2 is a sequel to pretty crappy PS2 RPG but the two have absolutely nothing in common. The sequel adopts an action RPG approach.

Story's pretty simple. You live on an island that gets invaded, and you escape and join the army of the south to fight off the evil, invading armies of the north. The two sides (basically called South and North, lol) have been at war with each other for a long time. This game was made in South Korea...go figure. There are a plethora of twists along the way that pull the rug out from under you, and I enjoyed each and every one. Near the end, you're basically fighting to save the land on your own...everyone's against you, including the good NPCs that have been on your side. It was intense! The voice acting is also mostly top notch, with Johnny Yong Bosch and Steven Blum and the likes voicing the major characters. Oh, and it looks great with some awesome artwork!

As for the combat, it's pretty simple action RPG stuff. What makes it stand out is that plenty of the maps are basically skirmishes and a large battle is going on. It gave the game a Dynasty Warriors-like feel to it, and this happened often. The boss fights are also done really well, and feel appropriately epic.

However, the final dungeon of this game is designed horribly to an unacceptable level. It is completely different from anything you've experienced thus far and doesn't flow well with the game or its pacing at all. Basically, timed puzzles, maze-like structure with teleporters, and regular enemies that are basically minibosses. Gah it was horrible. The rest of the game was solid and the build up to the final dungeon was amazing, though.

I think one of the reasons I liked this game way more than I probably should have was because I bought it on a whim. Wanted a JRPG to play and found this at a store, picked it up and was impressed by it.