Need RPG Suggestions

[Jedi2016]

I have a friend of mine who's about to inherit my old PS2, now that I've upgraded to PS3 and don't need it anymore. She enjoys mostly RPGs, so I want to be able to suggest some good ones for her.

I know the PS2 is rife with RPGs... it's got RPGs coming out of it's frikkin' ears.

Obviously, I can suggest the 2-3 Final Fantasy games. What else is there that's along the same style? Complex story, a bazillion quests, turn-based gameplay, etc. Obviously, I'd want to stick to the good ones.. hehe.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

You've already said it ... Final Fantasy. I can't really think of any other RPGs for the system because Square-Enix's series is first and foremost in the genre. Besides, they both take over 40 hours to complete (not just finish, but actually complete), so I don't think your friend will be at a loss for what to do with Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy XII.





Other than that, I have no idea.

 

[Keine Zeit]

There are earlier Final Fantasy games than X and X-2 and XII and they are actually good. The Dark Cloud games and Star Ocean games are also great (although not turn based.) The Dragon Quest (a.k.a Dragon Warrior for the ones before VIII) are also good and are turn based.

 

[nk4e]

XenoGears ,XenoSaga, Breath of Fire, Dot Hack( MMO based) series, if she mods the PS2 there is Namco X capcom or Super Robot Wars.

 

[ceiling_fan]

Rogue Galaxy was a great game that was massively overshadowed by FFXII. Kingdom Hearts I & 2 were rated well, but I never played it.

 

[Wolfe]

There are earlier Final Fantasy games than X and X-2 and XII and they are actually good.

By "they are actually good," you mean, "they are vastly superior," right?

I must admit that they aren't exactly relevant to the topic of PS2 RPGs, though. The best she could do is take advantage of backwards compatibility and buy the Playstation releases -- Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy Chronicles, and Final Fantasy Anthology. FFIX wasn't that great of a game, but she'd probably enjoy it. The rest of that list is excellent.

For those who don't already know, Chronicles and Anthology are re-releases of four of Square's games from the SNES era. Chronicles includes Final Fantasy IV (one of the best in the series, IMO) and Chrono Trigger (not an FF, obviously, but perhaps the greatest RPG of all time). Anthology includes Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI (VI is the best in the FF series, IMO).

Plus, if we're going to go ahead and include PSX games, there's Chrono Cross, which didn't quite live up to Trigger's legacy but is still very good.

In terms of actual PS2 titles, I'd recommend the Kingdom Hearts games. That's about it.

 

[ceiling_fan]

Chrono Trigger (not an FF, obviously, but perhaps the greatest RPG of all time).

Perhaps?! Without a doubt. 👍

 

[Azuremen]

Perhaps?! Without a doubt. 👍

Agreed. That game captivated me back when I was 11. And it still does. However, it is much more enjoyable on the SNES, as load times aren't stupid.

I may suggest its sequal, in a manner of speaking - Chrono Cross. The only RPG besides Kingdom Hearts that I have completed on a Playstation.

Which brings up another brillent piece of story telling; the Kingdom Hearts games. Each can be purchased for 19.99 USD New, as they are greatest hits. And I've logged close to 100 hours on each game. They are must haves I feel.

And I just realized I echoed everything Wolfe said He and I seem to have similar taste in games the more I look around the forum. Woo!

 

[Venari]

Saab AT-4.

Oh, that kind of RPG...

[/smartass]

 

[Tornado]

There are earlier Final Fantasy games than X and X-2 and XII and they are actually good.

I think that should read "There are later Final Fantasy games than IX and they are somewhat decent."

Oh, and fanboy moment: Lunar 2 Eternal Blue Complete. Silver Star Story sucks compared to the original and it is usually the more expensive of the two. If your willing to perform blind faith you can wait and see if Sega will release the Phantasy Star Collection they have been developing for PS2.

 

[Keine Zeit]

I think that should read "There are later Final Fantasy games than IX and they are somewhat decent."

Pretty much but a lot of people don't like X-2 or XII even though they are good games.

I've played all the Kingdom hearts games so far (including CoM) and I enjoyed them all. They are a lot of fun to play and there are a few sidequests in KH and KH2.

I must admit that they aren't exactly relevant to the topic of PS2 RPGs, though. The best she could do is take advantage of backwards compatibility and buy the Playstation releases -- Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy Chronicles, and Final Fantasy Anthology. FFIX wasn't that great of a game, but she'd probably enjoy it. The rest of that list is excellent.

I love FFIX (maybe because it was the first one I played) but all of the Final Fantasy games are great. FF tactics was, and still is, a fun game but it is a bit different than the rest; FFX and X-2 are closer to the top of my list of "Favorite FF games" though.

 

[Wolfe]

Perhaps?! Without a doubt. 👍

I'm torn between it and Final Fantasy VI.

...it is much more enjoyable on the SNES, as load times aren't stupid.

This is true, but (probably) can't be helped in Jedi2016's friend's situation.

And I just realized I echoed everything Wolfe said He and I seem to have similar taste in games the more I look around the forum. Woo!

Heh. It's already becoming apparent that at least half of us who have posted in this thread are "old-school" RPG gamers.

I still remember returning home from the local videogame store in 1991 with a copy of Final Fantasy clutched in my hands.

 

[Keine Zeit]

I wasn't alive in 1991 ^^ but I still like the older games.

 

[Ben Aracin]

There are also the PSone RPG's Parasite Eve1 and Parasite Eve2.
Both are very good to play, won a few awards,etc.
Also both are in the Sqauresoft line up as well.
They feature a female as the main character and she's no wuss either.
A modern day setting to both games, in which instead of swords/magic, you get guns/Parasite Energy um magic.....
I SO can't believe all you so called RPG'ers didn't mention those two very good alternative to Final Fantasy role playing games.

 

[nk4e]

There are also the PSone RPG's Parasite Eve1 and Parasite Eve2.
Both are very good to play, won a few awards,etc.
Also both are in the Sqauresoft line up as well.
They feature a female as the main character and she's no wuss either.
A modern day setting to both games, in which instead of swords/magic, you get guns/Parasite Energy um magic.....
I SO can't believe all you so called RPG'ers didn't mention those two very good alternative to Final Fantasy role playing games.

Well, PE and RE were survivor genres, Im not a RPGer but a gamer. Resident Evil is way better and it has TWO females(three if you include Sherry) that aren't wusses either.

 

[superberkut]

Are the games to be suggested have to be specifically PS2 games, or do they just have to play on a PS2?

If the latter, I recommend Brave Fencer Musashi. It's one of the rarer PS1 games, featuring a pint-sized swordsman fighting at first for a coveted sword, then the kingdom he was summoned to. It is more of a cartoon game, but it has actual voices in most scenes, the gaming quality is impeccable, and there is a coherent storyline. The only con is that the only female in the game is a wuss...

If the former, then Final Fantasy it is.

So, I agree with Wolfe.

 

[sicbeing]

Try Dragon Quest 8, it's REALLY long and the production rate is awsome compared to DQ7. Not sure about sidequests and stuff, but it's a great game. Its a turn base RPG, with the same art style as Dragonball and Chrono trigger.

I'd stay away from Rouge Galaxy, just not that great of an RPG compared to XII, sorry.

Have you tried the Disgaea Series? If you like tactics game, this is one of the best.

If all else fails, turn to FF.

 

[Boundary Layer]

old thread, but whatever,

+1 for the Disgaea series... if you can find them that is. I had to get my copies from eBay.

They're truly great though if you like tactical rpg's. The storylines are hillarious and there's almost no end in sight for those people that must collect everything or have maxed stats - max level 9999? Items you can level up to 100 in the Item World? Dozens of unlockable character classes? Check, Check, Check.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

So there is nothing worthwhile on the PS2?

I thought I was missing out on something considering the huge difference in the amount of RPGs I played on the PSX to the PS2.

 

[Delphic Reason]

Perhaps?! Without a doubt. 👍

Absofreakinlutely.


Also, Rogue Galaxy, an Dragon Quest VIII (immensely enjoyable).

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Absofreakinlutely.


Also, Rogue Galaxy, an Dragon Quest VIII (immensely enjoyable).

How is the story in Rogue Galaxy?


Did anybody here play the Xenosaga series? I finished the first one a long while ago and I don't know if I should finish it.

 

[Delphic Reason]

How is the story in Rogue Galaxy?

It's not bad. It's not Final Fantasy XII, or Chrono Trigger, but it will keep you entertained. One of the last good RPG's for the PS2.

Did anybody here play the Xenosaga series? I finished the first one a long while ago and I don't know if I should finish it.

I played through the first game. The story is decent, but not spectacular, and be ready to read, and read, and then read some more. You end up reading a lot more than you're playing.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

It's not bad. It's not Final Fantasy XII, or Chrono Trigger, but it will keep you entertained. One of the last good RPG's for the PS2.

How is it overall? Because Chrono Trigger and FFXII are almost on the opposite ends of the scale for me, but I haven't really played any bad RPGs.

If you played it, is Chrono Cross as enjoyable as Chrono Trigger?

I played through the first game. The story is decent, but not spectacular, and be ready to read, and read, and then read some more. You end up reading a lot more than you're playing.

That was a bad sentence. I finished the first game, but I saw from the reviews that the 2nd one went downhill, but the 3rd one seems to be good. I don't really mind the reading and cutscenes. I play RPGs mainly for the story. Many have the same general pattern for the story, but the presentation and atmosphere in the game can make it great.

Are there any must play sort of RPGs you could recommend for the PS2? I only played FFX, FFXII and the 1st Xenosaga game.

 

[Delphic Reason]

How is it overall? Because Chrono Trigger and FFXII are almost on the opposite ends of the scale for me, but I haven't really played any bad RPGs.

I wasn't commenting on the "type" of story. You asked about the "quality" of the story. To that end, they are not on opposite ends of the spectrum. They both have very high quality well thought out story lines.

If you played it, is Chrono Cross as enjoyable as Chrono Trigger?

Not even close. The 2nd game in the series falls far short of the original. Some may argue this, but I think most RPG addicts will agree.

That was a bad sentence. I finished the first game, but I saw from the reviews that the 2nd one went downhill, but the 3rd one seems to be good. I don't really mind the reading and cutscenes. I play RPGs mainly for the story. Many have the same general pattern for the story, but the presentation and atmosphere in the game can make it great.

Bad sentence? How so?

If you don't mind reading more than you're playing, by all means go for Xenosaga. It sounds like you have already played it, so you should know what to expect from the next games in the series. I've heard a lot of people like them, but I thought the story was lackluster, stereotypical, and some how a bit bland. I just didn't really care about any of the characters. Probably just me though.

Are there any must play sort of RPGs you could recommend for the PS2? I only played FFX, FFXII and the 1st Xenosaga game.

I would say check out "Dragon Quest VIII". It's not like any of the games you've mentioned. It's definitely more Japanese in feel. The characters were modeled by the same guy who created the Dragon Ball Z characters (Don't let that put you off, if you're not a DBZ fan....... Which I'm not). I enjoyed the game far more than I expected going into it. Very enjoyable experience.

I'm pretty busy at the moment, so I'm a bit scatter-brained, but I'll think of more later, when I'm not running around so much.

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

I wasn't commenting on the "type" of story. You asked about the "quality" of the story. To that end, they are not on opposite ends of the spectrum. They both have very high quality well thought out story lines.

I was commenting more on the enjoyability scale. I thought FFXII would be better than X.

Bad sentence? How so?

The one about finishing the game and not knowing if I should finish [the series]

If you don't mind reading more than you're playing, by all means go for Xenosaga. It sounds like you have already played it, so you should know what to expect from the next games in the series. I've heard a lot of people like them, but I thought the story was lackluster, stereotypical, and some how a bit bland. I just didn't really care about any of the characters. Probably just me though.

I just wanted to finish the series since it's supposed to be connected to Xenogears. But as you said the first one could have been a lot better. In the reviews, they said that they messed up the combat system in the 2nd one, which was one of the draws of the game. I think I would rather play something more fun/worthwhile, but who knows maybe I will finish the series someday. Right now, I'm looking into getting "Ring of Red" to get my mech fix.

I would say check out "Dragon Quest VIII". It's not like any of the games you've mentioned. It's definitely more Japanese in feel. The characters were modeled by the same guy who created the Dragon Ball Z characters (Don't let that put you off, if you're not a DBZ fan....... Which I'm not). I enjoyed the game far more than I expected going into it. Very enjoyable experience.

I'm pretty busy at the moment, so I'm a bit scatter-brained, but I'll think of more later, when I'm not running around so much.

But this same guy also created the Chrono Trigger characters. I'm not sure the whole cartoon thing appeals to me, but I will check it out.

Thanks for the help

 

[Delphic Reason]

I was commenting more on the enjoyability scale. I thought FFXII would be better than X.

Exactly, and to that effect they are easily as enjoyable as the other, just in different ways. Oh, and Final Fantasy XII is far better than Final Fantasy X, in my opinion.

But this same guy also created the Chrono Trigger characters. I'm not sure the whole cartoon thing appeals to me, but I will check it out.

Yes indeed. The first hour or two of the game is slow, but after that it's very enthralling. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks for the help

No problem. I'm always glad to help people find good RPG's. I'm an RPG addict.

 

[Sniffs]

you forgot a FF sideline game. I would personally reccomend FF Tactics. there's a bit of a heavy plot (good enough for a novel), and you can laugh at the "engrish" along the way (this is the same game as is currently on the PSP without the FMV Animated cutscenes)

don't forget, if you do decide to use old PSX/PSOne games on a PS2, you need a PSX mem-card for them

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Exactly, and to that effect they are easily as enjoyable as the other, just in different ways. Oh, and Final Fantasy XII is far better than Final Fantasy X, in my opinion.

Not to me they aren't, but then again I didn't like FFVI either.

you forgot a FF sideline game. I would personally reccomend FF Tactics. there's a bit of a heavy plot (good enough for a novel), and you can laugh at the "engrish" along the way (this is the same game as is currently on the PSP without the FMV Animated cutscenes)

don't forget, if you do decide to use old PSX/PSOne games on a PS2, you need a PSX mem-card for them

Someone did mention FF Tactics, but yeah it was a very good game.

 

[carnex]

No one mentions Atelier Iris series?
Especialy last two games Atelier Iris 3 and Mana Khemia. Awesome JRPGs

 

[Sniffs]

No one mentions Atelier Iris series?
Especialy last two games Atelier Iris 3 and Mana Khemia. Awesome JRPGs

I think it has to be US market. most of assumed PS format as well.