Current RPGs

I am really behind on RPGs in this era. What game do you think is the best one so far? What are your opinions on this era's RPGs?

I have Skies of Arcadia. It's decent but I was let down by it. It's nowhere near in the same league as other Sega RPGs like Panzer Dragoon Saga or Phantasy Star IV.

Grandia 2 looks okay from what I have seen.

Suikoden 3 very much interests me since I loved the first two but many people say it's not as good as the PS1 games.

Final Fantasy X seems quite good from the demo. I have always enjoyed FF games(including VIII) so I'm sure I will like this one.

Xenosaga is must-play for me since I loved Xenogears although it sounds like it didn't quite live up to expectations.

Tsugunai interests me but reviews weren't too positive.

The demos of Legaia 2 and Wild Arms 3 were okay but I don't have interest in buying the games.

Then there's .hack and Breath of Fire...too many RPGs to keep track of.

Well, I will sound repetetive but give Shadow Hearts a try. WHile its not rpg for everybody, its a pretty good game, with interesting story, cool battle system, and great characters and dialogs.

As for others, definately Final Fantasy X, which one of the better rpgs of late, Suikoden 3 and Xenosaga. While I havent played the last 2 I mentioned, they are known to be a pretty good games.

Legaia 2 is my favorite RPG of this generation by far, not including DC RPGs.

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Originally posted by Despair
Well, I will sound repetetive but give Shadow Hearts a try.

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I second this. It's a very well-done and underrated game, with some unique elements - where else can you play as a half-demon half-Russian in an alternate early 20th-century setting?

If I had the time, I'd play Dark Cloud 2 - it sounds/looks fantastic.

I don't usually play RPGs - I look for something different from the normal cliches - but these two piqued my interest.

Suikoden III, in the end, isn't quite as good as Suikoden II, but it's like Suikoden II = 9.5/10, Suikoden III = 9/10.
III was still enjoyable as hell, and I put 81 on hours on that thing because I was just having a great time doing absolutely everything there was to do (and there's a hell of a lot to do).

Xenosaga...I was so pumped for this, but like I said in the pile o' shame thread, I just feel no motivation to keep playing it. It's not quite the sum of its parts, and the cast of characters isn't as cool as Xenogears' was.

Skies of Arcadia needs to go away, forever.

Grandia II is probably best just being forgotten about, especially on PS2.

Legend of Legaia 2 is uninspired and generally horrible. They tried with the battle system, but everything else is so lame it's not worth playing.

Wild Arms 3 isn't really my thing. I just found it all to be too cutesy for its own good.

Breath of Fire V sounds really well designed, but the SOL thing keeps me away. It sounds too painful for words.

.Hack was...bleh. Rented it, wondered why I wasn't just playing PSO instead. The characters weren't up my alley, and pretending to play an online rpg felt pathetic somehow. But I can see why some others would get into it.

Final Fantasy X is a good game, and I really believe any bashing it recieves is Square backlash. Even if you don't like the story or characters, it's visually, aurally and structurally solid.

I've never played Tsugunai or Shadow Hearts, but the reports generally haven't been kind.

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Originally posted by StriderKyo

I've never played Tsugunai or Shadow Hearts, but the reports generally haven't been kind.

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I dont know about Tsugunai, but Shadow Hearts had misfortune to be release right before FFX hit the scene, and most of the reviewer started comparing it to FFX, instead judging it as its own game. Plus the whole horror/alternative reality subject is somwhat unusual for an rpg, and might have turned off some of the reviewers.

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Originally posted by Despair
I dont know about Tsugunai, but Shadow Hearts had misfortune to be release right before FFX hit the scene, and most of the reviewer started comparing it to FFX, instead judging it as its own game. Plus the whole horror/alternative reality subject is somwhat unusual for an rpg, and might have turned off some of the reviewers.

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Yeah, I can't judge Shadow Hearts since I haven't played it myself. All I can go on is that you and like 2 other guys are the only people I've seen say its above average ;)

Play Dragon Quarter. The rest suck.

I liked .hack//infection - I finished it. It was a more basic dungeon crawl - hack 'n' slash with not much story. I still enjoyed it.

Dark Cloud 2 is tons of fun - there's so much to do in that game.

Of those, I'd reccommend Grandia II most strongly. Except for the weak dungeon design and horribly low difficulty it's a really excellent game.