I' ve played ' em all (or just about), so here is a list of the best RPGs this generation has to offer. After the glory days of the PSOne (I still own 25 RPGs for that system, and played over 35), the PS2 is primed to perhaps equal that number, although it will take a bit longer...
(in no particular order)
Legaia 2: Duel Saga I figured I' d start with a more controversial pick. While it didn' t garner great reviews, I consider it to be one of the most underrated games of this generation. What it lacked in flash it made up for in smooth and balanced gameplay. The story wasn' t all that great, the soundtrack was hardly anythi.ng to brag about, and the characters weren' t beautiful, but the game was still a blast to play...so long as you didn' t mind frequent random encounters that could take a while. The physical combo attacks known as Arts were back from the original, and better than ever, and there were more than enough extras, mini-games, and side-quests to satisfy most any hardcore RPGer. 65 hours invested, and I don' t regret a minute of it.
Suikoden III Continuing in the tradition of excellence set forth by its predecessors, the third installment of this stellar series was every bit as great as was expected. The 108 Stars were back and ready to find and recruit, but the series took a major twist and showed the story in three distinct parts, from three distinct viewpoints. The new " buddy" system in combat added yet another element of depth, and the story, as usual, was OUTSTANDING. Typical Konami-quality sound and soundtracks coupled with some extremely memorable characters make this gem of a game stand out above most all the rest.
Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2 X set the mark for this generation that, IMO, has yet to be beaten. Gorgeous and wonderfully-designed characters, environments, and the like settled comfortably around a freedom-oriented advancement system known as the Sphere Grid. For the first time, the customary " levels" were done away with, and characters learned new physical and magical abiltiies, as well as permanent stat enhancements, via their path on the ingeniously created Grid. A story that touched on religion, fate, and love brought the masterpiece together, and helped to further solidify FF' s legacy.
FF X-2 came out to much speculation, and although it doesn' t quite beat out X, the first true sequel in the FF series sported the fastest-paced battle the franchise had ever seen, with a Class system disguised in the Dress Spheres (forgive the pun). The game also took another different turn in telling the story, straying a bit from the traditional ways and offering a more free-roving exploration right from the start. There was a lot more depth and dark storyline behind that bouncy cover provided by the upbeat girl trio, and turned out to be nearly as addictive as FF X.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Choose the light side or the dark side, and battle your way through a real-time fun-fest of beautiful environments, compelling characters, and a classic story. It turned out to be a benchmark for future real-time RPGs, and portrayed the Star Wars universe extremely well. Both hardcore SW fans and RPG fans got the best of both worlds with this one.
XenoSaga XenoSaga showed everyone that Namco was more than capable when it came to making a highly engaging RPG. Character design and storyline is where this one excelled, and we were treated to a lovable android named KOS-MOS...who was far more deadly than anyone ever imagined. Complex turn-based combat that included combination attacks, upgradable abilities and statistics, and even the use of mechs in battle provided a strategic style of gameplay that never seemed to get old. The second episode is eagerly anticipated...
Wild Arms 3 You start with three characters; you end with three characters. Like the original, you really got to know these guys, and that was some of the allure of this unique, western-style RPG. A wasteland that holds some earth-shattering secrets, battles complete with real-time movement for character placement coupled with dozens of abilities and magic attacks, and a whole new Guardian system, the third installment changed much, but retained most of its old charm. This one couldn' t be missed by any true RPG fan, for a variety of reasons. The great characters, story, and gameplay are only a few of those reasons...
This is most of them, but I' d also like to give honorable mention to Jade Cocoon 2, Grandia II, Morrowind, the .hack series, Summoner 2, and Dark Cloud 2. Upcoming titles to look for:
Star Ocean 3
Suikoden IV
Final Fantasy XII
XenoSaga: 2cd Episode
Front Mission 4
< Message edited by fathoms -- 3/31/2004 1:11:02 PM >