Video Games Your top favorite roleplaying games?

[Zombocalypse]

I don't care if it's top 3, top 5, top 10, whatever.

Which RPGs are dear to your heart and WHY?

I'll start...

# 3: Skyrim. Because of the freedom.

# 2: Final Fantasy 8. Because it defined my childhood.

# 1: Divinity 2: The Dragon Knight Sage (NOT Original Sin). Because... Let me put it this way... If Skyrim is an all-valuable diamond, Divinity 2 is a ruby. With that, even though the diamond is undoubtedly more precious, my favorite color is red.

Share yours!

Thanks.

 

[Tove]

1.) The Legends of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel. Awesome battle system even though it is turn base, likable characters, plot twists galore, and fantastic music. (I'm playing the second one currently but I'll add the series as I go.)

2.) Final Fantasy X. Because I feel out of all the Final Fantasy games the relationship between Yuna and Tidus was the best. Quite enjoyed the characters and story.

3.) Xenogears. Great plot, considered sort of taboo for the religious themes, and Fei Fong Wong enough said.

4.) Final Fantasy XV. The fellas and that car.

5.) Tales of Berseria.

Spoiler: SPOILER! DON'T WATCH IF YOU PLAN TO PLAY!

The chills!

 

[Jannah]

Skyrim because it's the first Elder Scrolls game I played. It also set my foundation in the world of Western RPG's. Before then I was mostly only really into JRPG's like Final Fantasy.

 

[Asuhra]

1. Dragon Age Origins, 2, and Inquisitions because the personal stories are so incredible and well-written

2. The Elder Scrolls series because the lore is pretty intense and huge as far as content goes

3. Pokemon because I grew up playing it

 

[TheKittieFromTime]

It’s impossible for me to choose only 3, so I went with a top 5.

1. Dragon Quest V. I love the series a lot and V’s story is just really good.

2. Tales of Symphonia. The first Tales game I played, and one of the first jrpg’s. It’ll always hold a special place in my heart. Great story and great characters.

3. Final Fantasy XV. The relationship between the boys is just so natural and pure. It made them feel alive, and made me genuinely care about them. And the story broke my heart.

4. Persona 5. One of the best jrpg’s made in the last few years. Great story, great characters, stylish designs, and an amazing soundtrack. It’s close to perfect for me.

5. Dragon Age Inquisition. It was my first DA game, bought it when it was on sale once. I love everything about it. The story isn’t anything special, but still entertaining. Just like wit FFXV, the characters sold me on it. I also really like the combat system and that you can control and create your own character.

 

[Shotagonist]

Not ranked, these come to mind:

Pokémon: I dont think I would have gotten into RPGs at all without that series. Today I see it more as a strategy game and it can still be a lot of fun.

Neverwinter Nights: My first OCs were all made in that game, and I loved it to bits. While I moved on from playing it, its the reason why I love Dungeons and Dragons today.

Tactics Ogre: Its the game FFT copied the plot from, the true OG tactical RPG. And boy is it fun.

Outward: Didnt get to play it as much yet as I wanted, but it has an Open World Survival approach to a Soulslike and it does that magnificently. One of the best Modern RPGs available.

Pillars of Eternity 2: I hated PoE1 and Deadfire turned it around magnificently. They managed to push the droning about metaphysical mumbojumbo aside and focused on the much more interesting personal stories. Plus the open world exploration of the Deadfire Islands was just lovely. Its the first WRPG that made me want to deal with story companions, so that speaks of its quality.

Other mentions:
XCom: Cool customization, but high lethality makes it hard to stay invested in your characters
Divinity OS 1/2: Great Mechanics but weak writing. "You can kill everyone" is a red flag for storytelling.
SMT Devil Survivor: I loved the plot of this game and the way critical events were on a timer. But it felt very grindy a harsh to play.
Undertale: Great artistic work, but quickly loses its luster after you played it. But I have real fun discussing this game!

 

[Windsock]

Does Rimworld count?

Anyway, #1 is Fallout New Vegas. Mostly because, while the base game itself is so good (especially when you include DLC's) that the community is still pumping out interesting, actually substantial story-based content somewhat frequently while the well of F3 and F4 have already died down in comparison besides lewds and guns. smh tbh. I think if your game is enough of a muse that people still want to keep adding onto your story, it's a damn good game.

 

[Idea]

World of Waracraft- pretty much grew up with it, and I'm yet to find an MMO that's as user-friendly yet still engaging in the way wow is

D&D- cause it's the one tabletop RPG I know how to play and I really wish I had the time to (and the people to)

 

[Firewind]

My favorite RPG’s Huh? I guess my top five will do in this scenario. Starting from 5 to 1 (with some honorable mentions)

5. Dark Souls trilogy: Whilst many would acknowledge it (rightfully so) for it’s difficulty, I’m a sucker for the fact your character’s who you make it to be, especially with talking to NPC’s and the choices you make. The reason it’s on 5? The difficulty curve might turn off other folks, but I like risk/reward.

4. Neverwinter Nights: As a child I watched my father play related games (will cover that in a bit). Neverwinter Nights however, was a moment where I first decided to try and learn how to play the previous games. The reason why it’s on 4 is that I’ve played other games since and when I look at it then and now, it does show its age.

3. Icewind Dale: unlike Neverwinter Nights, or its predecessor franchise Baldur’s Gate, you get to craft an entire party of characters at your disposal. It also taught me that if you’re going to build a party...at least make one member a cleric. ( I was 9-10 what can I say?)

2. Overlord (The Game Series not the anime): Taking a turn away from Heroes and jumping straight to playing the Villain. Overlord was, and always will be a unique gem... when you play The first and second games and ignore most spinoffs. ( Especially you Fellowship of Evil. ) These games gave you a tumbledown old tower to rebuild and an army of gremlins at your beck and call like Dark Fantasy Pikmin. Also a dash of Monty Python/Discworld Esque British humor.

The Honorable Mentions before Number 1 is given out.

Spoiler: Honorable Mentions

World of Warcraft-Though I’ve long ceased playing it, it’s still got a steady fan base and nonstop flow of creativity.

Final Fantasy/Kingdom Hearts: Always fun to experience whatever Square Enix cooks up for these franchises.

Drakengard/Nier series- Dark Sci-fi-Fantasy enough said.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning- An attempt at making a unique elder scrolls styled open world experience that frankly is an underrated classic.

1. Fable 1 (Plus the Lost Chapters): What can I say about this gem? You start out as a young boy who has a bright future ahead of them living a simple life. However, in true Fantasy RPG fashion, it gets taken away and now the life of a Hero is your only path to hunt down the dark forces responsible for your misery.

But what hooked me was the freedom of choice the game provided, and those choices affected how your character looked, and how the common townsfolk and your fellow Heroes in arms reacted to you. I remember my character ending up getting slashed and stabbed numerous and the scars began to pile up.

Conclusion? It was a darn good gem of a game.

 

[Anarchin]

Diablo 2 and Torchlight 2

 

[Faelarya]

In no particular order...

Okami
I love this game. The story, the visuals, and the music never fail to fully absorb me. I always loose track of how many hours I've been playing and wonder why it's dark outside already (or bright again).

Pokémon series
I haven't played all of the games, but it was the first RPG I ever played, and my second video game ever. I like to come back and play older editions as well as playing the new ones. Also Pokémon AUs are one of my favorites to rp in.

The Witcher
To be honest I'm not exactly sure why I like the series. Maybe because it adds on an alternating ending to the novel series. I found the ending of that one not really satisfying. The games made me want to throw away my mouse/controller more than once though.

Honorable mentions
Final Fantasy XIV, World of Warcraft, Octopath Traveler, Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild, Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy XII - Revenant Wings
... And probably many more that I can't recall at the moment.

 

[falsekings]

I don't have a set ranking for my favourites, but I'd say these would be my top three:

Pokemon - Similar to other people on this thread, I grew up playing the games LOL

Final Fantasy Series - Specifically Final Fantasy 1-3 would be my favourites, and I absolutely enjoy the whole dungeon-crawling aspect in the first games. For the newer games I think the character designs and overall game design is top-notch and I enjoy following the plots of each game.

Dark Souls Trilogy - I feel like I'm kind of a masochist for having this series as one of my top three since it's notorious for being super difficult, but I love that it's challenging and requires a lot of thinking to play. Similar to the FF Series, I also love the overall game design.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Undertale and Deltarune, Bloodborne

 

[Winter_Wolf]

Mount and Blade: Warband, anyone?

 

[scorpiodragon]

Pokemon

Online...LOTR before it became slow as molasses.

 

[PeteTheWitcher]

I ike Resident Evil and like to pair with someone.

Batman because I love the arkam games.

 

[Tashzilla]

The Tales of series in general is simply brilliant.
Tales of Symphonia is easily my favorite, but Vesperia, Xillia, Xillia 2, and Berseria were nothing to scoff at.
Other good games worth mention: Suikoden Tierkreis, Fire Emblem Echoes, Sword of Mana, Elder Scrolls, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Pokemon (All of them. But especially HeartGold and White/Black.)

 

[satanael]

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door - I just love the humor, the battle mechanics, the aesthetic... aaaaahhh, I can't wait until Bug Fables comes out and evokes all that good ol' nostalgia.

 

[LazyDaze]

Tales of Series in particular tales of Abyss and tales of Berseria.

The characters are some of the best I’ve ever seen and the stories are amazing. Especially in Abyss. There were so many twists and turns and it’s amazing how well that game holds up although it was on the PS2. Whereas in Berseria the uniqueness of playing as group of anti heroes was done extremely well. It was a little different from their tales of games I played. Moreover the game had a female lead, yet it never felt as if they were doing it for the sake of just doing it. It didn’t feel forced, or thrown in your face and it was never a focal point so u just got to appreciate her and he rest for what they were. I really love these games.

The Tales of series in general is simply brilliant.
Tales of Symphonia is easily my favorite, but Vesperia, Xillia, Xillia 2, and Berseria were nothing to scoff at.
Other good games worth mention: Suikoden Tierkreis, Fire Emblem Echoes, Sword of Mana, Elder Scrolls, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Pokemon (All of them. But especially HeartGold and White/Black.)

Just saw your post. I’ve yet to play Vesperia and Symphonia but I plan to. It’s an underrated series

 

[The Dark Wizard]

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door - I just love the humor, the battle mechanics, the aesthetic... aaaaahhh, I can't wait until Bug Fables comes out and evokes all that good ol' nostalgia.

I love Paper Mario, I've been dying for one to come to the switch. Was not aware of Bug Fables, but from researching it after reading about your post, it loosk fantastic!

I'm glad it is coming to steam, and apparently, they've confirmed a Switch version later as well!

 

[raindrop]

While I'm not a huge fan of RPGs, Pokemon is a mainstay for me like everyone else. I quite enjoyed the prospect of raising my own "pets" and battling them against others when I was younger, though I play it more tactically and in depth than I should be instead of having fun these days. :^]

That, and Fire Emblem: Awakening. Truly a masterpiece within this decade. It's got a charm with the story and its characters that can't be replicated.

 

[Cosmo]

There are a ton of RPGs out there that don't get the love they deserve from unique experiences like Mount and Blade to things like Blackguards, Dungeon Siege, Legend of the Heroes sagas, Tyranny to the more mainstream ones like Mass Effect, Elder Scrolls, KoTOR, etc. But if I had to pick my favorites..

Neverwinter Nights - Neverwinter Nights is nostalgia. But it isn't just Nostalgia, thanks to its graphics choice and gameplay design [pretty much just DnD 3.5 directly converted over], it has aged remarkably well, and the real prize you get with the game is the modules. It came with a modding kit modders dream about these days, as such, you can find hundreds of well crafted story lines and adventures that fans have made, many of which are far superior to the original campaigns with unique worlds, classes, companions, stories and romance. Some of the best video game storylines and companions I have ever had the pleasure of playing through came from such modules. This game also introduced the greatest companion in all video games ever and nothing will ever beat him.. Deekin, the cowardly, but adorable, kobold bard.

Fallout 2/Baldur's Gate 1/2 - Amazing games, with amazing stories and amazing characters. If you ever want to hear the voice actor of Hondo, the pirate from Star Wars: The Clone Wars, talk to his best friend.. a hamster called Boo, it is the game for you. However, it hasn't aged as gently as Neverwitner Nights and those used to more contemporary RPGs will struggle with it as the old school CRPGs tend to not be kind. Since they are very similar in that regard, I just bundled them together.

Neverwinter Nights 2 - Neverwinter Nights 2, on the whole, is better then the first. Same system but better graphics and the campaigns are better [Well, I think the last expansion of the first is better then everything in 2 save for the last campaign in the second..]. I do prefer the first one more, personally, just because I like the art style the first one went with [where it feels like you are looking down at a DnD table and just playing it]. But like the first, it is a modders dream and as such there are hundreds of fan crafted modules that contain campaigns filled with amazing story, mechanics and companions that vastly outstrip the original storyline.

 

[Nove NuVonde]

Very easy choice for me: Mother 3. Despite a few slightly dated, "yikes" moments that haven't aged well in the past decade, I'd still say those are small blemishes on maybe one of the most well written, unexpectedly dark kid's jrpgs I've ever played. I know lots of people prefer Earthbound, either because of nostalgia or other reasons, but as someone who didn't grow up with it, I just feel like Mother 3 is a more solid experience all around. The bosses, the music, the parties (yes, parties, plural - you play as a lot of different people), the humor, the characters - it feels like this game was written for me personally, it appeals to me so much. Even if you're a purely mechanically driven person who doesn't care about any of that, the party synergy and balancing is tight as hell, on top of a relatively novel battle system. The only gripe I have about Mother 3 is that it's dumbass-phobic: if you, like me, are bad at bibeo bames and/or rhythm systems, this game will kick your ass. Not what I'd call a fault, this is really just me complaining about how bad I am at games.

And of course, I can't forget Pokemon. In a lot of ways you could say Pokemon is just objectively just less well written or well balanced than Mother 3, or for that matter, pretty much most jrpgs. It's a franchise both for and about 10 year old's for god's sake. But do you think my inner child gives a damn about any of that? Hell no! If I want a: mindless fun, and b: cool monsters, I don't think there's a series that does the "collect and train" gimmick better. Well Telefang might do it in a cuter way, but we don't talk about Telefang. Nobody talks about Telefang. It never happened. It was never real.

 

[Manderwulf]

Top 6 - but they are not ranked because I'd be here all night trying to choose.

Fire Emblem: Awakening - first Fire Emblem game I ever played (I jumped a little late onto the bandwagon). As such, it holds a special place in my heart and always win. Though it's not that challenging, it was the first game I had that featured a perma-death system. Things got tense real fast when I lost... hm. What's-his-name?

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - the first Elder Scrolls game I ever played (honestly, there's a theme here of me jumping really late into all these different bandwagons). This was the first true RPG game I ever played, and as such, the freedom of choice and where I wanted to go in this massive open world blew me away at the time. I'd been a child, then. Now, I'm much more world-weary.

The Witcher 3 - I'm gonna stop saying "the first BLANK game in a series I've ever played" because I'm sure you all get the picture. I'm a latecomer to a lot of parties. In any case, the Witcher captivated me with its dark humor, its use of fantasy elements, and its overall massive world space. The lore around it gripped my attention, and I simply loved being able to run all around the map. Toussaint is probably one of the most beautiful places I've seen in a video game.

Final Fantasy XV - love the dynamic between the four friends. It was playful banter, well-done, and the tragic moments between them hit harder than I would have expected. On top of that, I loved traversing all the unique biomes and trying to outrun the other three guys in foot races. Needless to say, they always won. I'd walk all the way from the Hammerhead gas station to Lestallum on foot in the middle of the night if it meant I could win just one race.

NieR: Automata - this game blew me away with its sort of philosophical storytelling. It made me think on a lot of things once I finished the main story, and I never imagined a pair of androids would have me questioning the nature of emotions, existence, and what makes someone human.

Horizon Zero Dawn - the world building in this game was phenomenal, and I was blown away by the beautiful landscapes inspired by its real-world counterparts. The story was, overall, compelling and rather tragic, and I'm going to be honest here. I cried. Literally. The ending hit home in a place media rarely gets for me, and the profound effect lasted for quite a while. '

Hm, a couple on the list may not be RPGs by strict definition, but they are in my book.

 

[NeonFlow]

Hogs of war - PlayStation/probably steam.

This realistic depiction of war, tragedy and comedy... It has made me the writer I am to today. A brilliant campaign which provides many ideas or inspirations for role play.

Saints row 2 - a character you make yourself as a badass straight man to a wacky gangster crime world.

Any wwe/ufc game - you make a character and become champ,

Princess peach’s untold tale- wait how’d this get here...

 

[The Pattern]

Saints Row 3, just fun madness really.

Skyrim, it's a great RPG on its own but combine it with mods and it just gets even better. Companions were terrible but eh.

Divinity 2, Original Sin. I loved the animal pal perk or whatever it was called, and both the lore and the game itself were fun too. Ending was a little iffy but eh.

Fallout 4, not everyone's favourite but I loved the side stories and the companions. Seriously I think Fallout 4 has some of the best companions for an open world game I've played. The building was also great.

Mass Effect 1 (and 2 to a lesser extent), I have had some of my best memories with computer games playing Mass Effect 1. The story was great, the characters brilliant and even though the controls are a bit clunky today I loved sending the Mako flying off a mountain.

Crusader Kings 2, you literally control a dynasty as they go about ruling whatever part of Europe and bits of Africa and the Middle East you choose and dictate how history during that period goes. Make and or use the right mods and the ruler customizer and you can literally create any fantasy world you wish and choose to be any character in it from the lowliest count to the greatest emperor... I may have caused dragons to go extinct a little earlier than canon in a major conspiracy headed by the Lannisters by using the Game of Thrones mod.