Best Playstation RPGs...?

[Mad Gear]

When it comes to RPGs, Europe gets the shitty end of the stick. The likes of Xenogears, Final Fantasy Tactics, Legend of Mana never even got a sniff of coming to these shores, despite being released in America.

It would be nice to see a top 5 of your most enjoyable PS RPGs and what made them special to you.

I'm especially interested in the not so well known one's that were only released elsewhere. Has anyone played the likes of Rhapsody, Persona, Battle/Tactics Ogre etc?

Share your thoughts please.

[twobells]

Lunar: The Silver Star
Xenogears
Tales Of Destiny II
Vagrant Story [released in UK]

Interestingly enough Edge magazine [June 2005 edition] has an amazing piece on 'Vagrant Story' in its 'Time Extend' section.
For me Vagrant Story summed up everything i ever wanted in a rpg, looks, plot, player interaction, a mature item creation engine and mapping system bar none [editable 3d map].


For many years americans have been considered pretty lowbrow while brits and europeans look down from the dizzying heights on mount cerebral.
The reality of course is far different.
The UK gaming public are the low-brow consumers according to every demographic ever made.
Ask any publisher's marketing clone; sports, racing and fps genre's are what sell here, while the neccessary mental gymnastics, concentration and the ability to hold the gamers interest through plot required for rpg's fails to enthuse buyers in large enough numbers to warrant a UK/EU release.

However, this situation is starting to change thanks to the bravery of Atlus [Disgaea] and Mastiff [La Purcelle] while those games are srpgs a chink of light through the cloud of generic fps's and rts titles are appearing.

For me I'll always import my games on US release dates, but I would like to see gamers introduced to the classics listed above.

TB

[brokeback]

final fantasy 7
dragon warrior 7
tales of destiny 1 and 2
final fantasy anthology
final fantasy tactics
xenogears (amazing)
star ocean 2
brave fencer musashi
castlevania cymphony of the night (I reckon this IS an RPG)
saga frontier 2 (this is pretty unkown but truly amazing)
suikoden 1 and 2 (miles better than the ps2 versions)
tactics ogre (atlus rpg from the sens. the only english dialogue version of this classic game)
lunar silver star and eternal blue (whas that the name of the sequal?)

*edit* sorry, didn't realise it was my top 5:


1) final fantasy 7 - blew me away, still don't rat it as highly as 3 on the snes.

2) castlevania SOTN - best platform rpg ever.

3) rhapsody - my first experience with nippon ichi. what a game, the music was awesome

4) xenogears - music and story were great

5) Dragon warrior 7 - so much to do and it genuinely made me laugh. This almost beats dragon warrior 5. almost.

[Keith]

SaGa Frontier 2 isn't a patch on SaGa Frontier. http://ntsc-uk.domino.org/images/smilie/sad.gif

[brokeback]

SaGa Frontier 2 isn't a patch on SaGa Frontier. http://ntsc-uk.domino.org/images/smilie/sad.gif
I can't believe you just wrote that. kudos for your 'out there' point of view , but jesus, saga frontier 1 was shocking. saga frontier 2 had some of the best graphics on any system and a really great story.

[Sketcz]

People actually like the SaGa Frontier games?

I personally hate them, and Tim Roger's recent review on the SaGa series echoes my thoughts quite well.

http://www.largeprimenumbers.com/article.php?sid=saga

[superkully]

Don't forget Grandia - what a loveable little (not in the game sense) game this was.

I only came into PSX in late 1998, and the two RPGs which sucked me in were

1) FF7
2) Grandia

and maybe

3) Front Mission 3

Nothing else grabbed me, but this could have been down to Dreamcast and me starting work...

[saturn-gamer]

Chrono cross, Xenogears, FF7, Lunar 2 Eternal Blue and also Parasite Eve 1 are my favorites..

[Big Seany]

1) Alundra
2) Vagrant Story
3) Castlevania SOTN
4) Azure Dreams
5) Jade Cocoon

[gunrock]

Azure Dreams? Was that worth perservering with?

My vote is for Vandal Hearts.

What about Breath of Fire III. Is it any good? Or Legend of Kartia?

[brokeback]

maaan, breath of fire 3 is ok but breath of fire 4 is where it's really happening. some of the greatest 2d/3d graphics out there. whaddagame!

legend of kartia is crap. vandal hearts 2 - also crap.

alos, has anyone played saiyuki journey west? that is a fantastic strategy rpg game. looks quite similar to final fantasy tactics but the story is awesome and quite monkeyish. look at it on this site: http://www.neoseeker.com/Games/Products/PSX/saiyuki/
I think there should actually be an official saiyuki journey west appreciation thread. such a rare and wonderful game.


going back to person, that's a great game.

[djtickle]

Final Fantasy 7
Final Fantasy 8
Final Fantasy 9
Xenogears
Parasite Eve

Many hours of fun :)

[gossi the dog]

I've got Saiyuki Journey West. It's ok. The battles are a bit too slow and I don't like the fact that you and the enemy move at the same time (although admittedly this is the norm in most standard SRPGs). I like the Chinese flavour and the monkey (is it Songoku?) is a cool character. If you like the TV programme Monkey you'll probably love this. However, I do feel there are much better SRPGs out there.

[gingerj]

No one gonna mention Rhapsody, the Nippon RPG? Although it seems extremely rare so I'm not sure as to how many people are actually aware of it.

[gossi the dog]

There are so many brilliant RPGs on the PS1 - the PS2 really hasn't come close. Anyhow here's my top 5:

1. Dragon Warrior VII
2. Final Fantasy IX
3. Star Ocean: The Second Story
4. Breath of Fire III
5. Alundra

By the way all of the above with the exception of Dragon Warrior VII received UK releases.

[gossi the dog]

No one gonna mention Rhapsody, the Nippon RPG? Although it seems extremely rare so I'm not sure as to how many people are actually aware of it.

Have you played it?

[MartyG]

Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth pretty good SRPG (and I like typing the name because it sounds so great)
Final Fantasy Tactics, better than the GBA version (which is pretty decent), probably the pick of the SRPGs

(Gah - and please stop putting RPG's what exactly do you think they own? Sorry, went on an apostrophe cull.)

[brokeback]

I own rhapsody. I mentioned it earlier. it's truly excellent.

[gingerj]

Have you played it?

Nah mate I've been hunting high and low for it, I saw one on ebay a month or so ago and it went for crazy money and now theres 2 on ebay so i'll definatly keep an eye out.

All I've heard is praise for it, the only negative stuff I've read in many reviews are its cutesy gfx and its length. Neither of which ever bother me.

[Geoff D]

How is Brave Fencer Musashisashisashisahi? Always liked the look of that one.

[brokeback]

How is Brave Fencer Musashisashisashisahi? Always liked the look of that one.
it's great! really lovely, colourful environments and the characters are all named after food.

[Hohum]

Wild Arms is a decent PSX rpg, don't see it mentioned that often but has a decent storyline and gameplay. Soundtrack is also quite cool too http://ntsc-uk.domino.org/images/smilie/happy.gif

[gossi the dog]

Nah mate I've been hunting high and low for it, I saw one on ebay a month or so ago and it went for crazy money and now theres 2 on ebay so i'll definatly keep an eye out.

All I've heard is praise for it, the only negative stuff I've read in many reviews are its cutesy gfx and its length. Neither of which ever bother me.

It's appealed to me but ever since Disgaea was released it's price has sky rocketed. The fact that it's apparently very short (10 - 15 hours), very easy and it didn't receive awesome reviews when it was released has put me off spending £50+ on it. From what I can gather there are much better RPGs out there.

[erhgiez]

1. Xenogears
2. Grandia
3. FF7
4. Lunar SSS
5. Thousand Arms/Chrono Cross cant decide

These are the ones that had the sticking power for me, some others like SF 2 were good but didnt have the plotline to draw me in, wild arms and suikoden 2 are also worthy mentions but due a failed memory card i lost my save data and was never bothered to restart them :(

[chis]

Ugh... perhaps replace FF7 with FF9 then I'd agree with you. (preferred the characters, story, setting... everything. Hated the "angst" vibe in 6-8.)

[erhgiez]

Hmm yeah id would probably agree with you that FF7 isnt the best game but it was my first game for the PSX and at the time I LOVED it, it was one of the first proper jap style RPGs id played bar some ones id played on the saturn, so for me it holds a special place in my heart :D

[Mad Gear]

maaan, breath of fire 3 is ok but breath of fire 4 is where it's really happening. some of the greatest 2d/3d graphics out there. whaddagame!

legend of kartia is crap. vandal hearts 2 - also crap.

alos, has anyone played saiyuki journey west? that is a fantastic strategy rpg game. looks quite similar to final fantasy tactics but the story is awesome and quite monkeyish. look at it on this site: http://www.neoseeker.com/Games/Products/PSX/saiyuki/
I think there should actually be an official saiyuki journey west appreciation thread. such a rare and wonderful game.


going back to person, that's a great game.

Just started playing this today and it very good. Take's a while to get going but once it does it keeps you hooked.

The whole thing is just like the Monkey (TV series) but based in a SRPG world. It even starts out with you freeing Goku (monkey) from the rock just like the series. He even has his extending staff and cloud to fly on!

Thanks for the recommendation BB.

[Applefiend]

Oh man... Is that Monkey game in English? Tell me yes.

The kids seem to think Xenogears and Vagrant Story are the best two PS1 RPGs I think.

Answers own question: US: August 14, 2001. Whoop!

[Mad Gear]

Yes it's in English. Cheap too
http://cgi.ebay.com/SAIYUKI-JOURNEY-WEST-PLAYSTATION-ONE-GAME-PS1-PS2_W0QQitemZ8209060907QQcategoryZ62053QQssPageNam eZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Pigsy is there as well and i'm also getting strange feelings for the lead character ;)

[gossi the dog]

Mad Gear

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

[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 :blink:

[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 (http://membres.lycos.fr/milhouse/vagrant/vagrantsolen.htm) too.

[imzu]

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

Here (http://membres.lycos.fr/milhouse/vagrant/vagrantsolen.htm) 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.

[JazzFunk]

^I've had that sitting on my shelf for a few years but have never got round to playing it. What's it like and why's it bad?

[Scarface]

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

Well, there's a lot of people saying quite the opposite. At least when talking about rpgs for PS2.

[Profit]

Threads of Fate is brilliant and overlooked. One of the funniest games around and fairly short too.

[Meadows14]

^I've had that sitting on my shelf for a few years but have never got round to playing it. What's it like and why's it bad?

OK, it might not be bad, it is in my opinion that it is, but Scarface seems to think people liked it, so maybe you should give it a whirl.

The reason I didn't like it was because of it's large differences with 3+4. Breath of Fire 3 + 4 were cheerful games (in a way), with bright surrondings and colourful enemies. However, Breath of Fire: DQ was dark and depressing, all set underground (as far as I got in the game). Also, I think if you died a certain number of times you had to start the game again, which i thought was stupid, but I don't know if that was in the game for sure, as I haven't played it in ages.

[John Parry]

I don't think I noticed at the time as my other consoles probably had more play but thinking back it's quite surprising just how many top quality RPGS appeared on the PS1.

I'm tempted to say that it may well have been the best console for RPGs.:hmm:

I had a list of about 15 which could have easily gone here but...
Chrono Cross - A surprisingly good follow up to Chrono Trigger.
XenoGears - A fantastic first half that was let down by a relatively disappointing second disc. As a whole it was still far better than most out there.

Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure - A game by Nippon Ichi & Atlus...don't really need to say anything else.
Wild Arms - A really enjoyable top down RPG. Bought it on my PS3 a couple of weeks back too.
Thousand Arms - I don't think this was a popular game but it held my attention for ages. I loved the anime style 2D battles scene!

[FreddyKrueger]

Reading this thread I get the idea that I have missed out on a lot of good RPGs as in the past all I have really had is PAL stuff. Have I missed the boat or can some of these still be picked up cheaply?

[Champloo]

XenoGears - A fantastic first half that was let down by a relatively disappointing second disc. As a whole it was still far better than most out there.The second disc really wasn't that bad at all. Essentially, they ran out of time/budget, so they decided to cut out a few of the later dungeons in order to finish the game and leave the story intact, which was the games selling point afterall. It could have been better, but seeing as the game was still a good 60 hours long, I can't help but feel that cutting a few of the dungeons was possibly a good thing.

[John Parry]

Which is why it's remained the top of my list!;)

The main problem with disc 2, or at least the last 50% of disc two wasn't the lack of dungeons it was the fact that it seemed to consist of walking 10 foot and then having to watch a five minute cut-scene. That was repeated until the end of the game!:thumbd:

Whether it was a lack of money or time that caused the problems is irrelevant to the fact that a lack of good planning was what resulted in the drop of quality towards the end of the game.

The high points of the majority of that game almost make that crap at the end excusable and I imagine that the game will remain close to the top of my list of favourite RPGs on any system for a very long time even with all the problems!:)

EDIT:
Reading this thread I get the idea that I have missed out on a lot of good RPGs as in the past all I have really had is PAL stuff. Have I missed the boat or can some of these still be picked up cheaply?
Some of them are fairly cheap now as they've been reprinted which reduces the value of the originals.

Things like Suikoden I & II still have really high value but that may well drop in value if/when Gensosuikoden (http://www.konami.jp/gs/game/genso/I_II/) gets an English language release.

[nintastic]

PDS !!! Opps that's on the saturn ! Oh well, that games worthy in any thread on rpgs ! :D

[Swaain]

It's appealed to me but ever since Disgaea was released it's price has sky rocketed. The fact that it's apparently very short (10 - 15 hours), very easy and it didn't receive awesome reviews when it was released has put me off spending £50+ on it. From what I can gather there are much better RPGs out there.

I owned the game for a while, played it to completion and was very disappointed. Presentation is OK-ish, music is fine, but the battle system is broken as hell : in my opinion, grid- and turn-based battles don't mix with random battles. Plus, the game is way too easy and the dungeons extremely repetitive. They all look alike. The game is rare and it's neat to "own" it as it's relatvely rare, but it's really not a good game. Only for Nippon Ichi completists and PSX-collectors!

[gossi the dog]

I owned the game for a while, played it to completion and was very disappointed. Presentation is OK-ish, music is fine, but the battle system is broken as hell : in my opinion, grid- and turn-based battles don't mix with random battles. Plus, the game is way too easy and the dungeons extremely repetitive. They all look alike. The game is rare and it's neat to "own" it as it's relatvely rare, but it's really not a good game. Only for Nippon Ichi completists and PSX-collectors!

I actually own this now. Bought it a couple of years ago following a rerelease which saw the price fall to a realistic price. I must admit to really enjoying it. It is short (less than 15 hours in length) and it is very easy, but it's such a lovely game. I really enjoyed it. There are far better PS1 RPG's but this as something a bit different is very good.

[danholo]

The time I've spent most time with:
Star Ocean: Second Story
Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VII
Grandia


I'd say SO2 is the best game battle system wise. I like the junction system in FFVIII and the simplicity and world in FFIX were great.
I'd put Tales of Phantasia on that list if but the PSX version is a remake of the original for the Super Famicom. Chrono Cross also receives a notable mention from me. Xenogears was an amazing game but I never did beat it... for some reason. The "human" battle in it was really cool but the mecha battles so-so. I never got the hang of it. I always found my gears low on health and fuel and there was no easy way to repair them. I still have a save for the last dungeon but it's kind of hard picking up where I left off 2-3 years ago. Also, I missed some item that you can acquire for only a certain period of the game. I guess it allowed better item drops or something...