I have briefly touched on this subject in a previous post. Just to recap, when it comes to role playing games there are only a few that really get me hooked and i play through to the end. I love rpg games but in my opinion there are not many out there that keep me entertained for long enough to finish them.
The only games that have managed to keep me entertained to the point of playing till the bitter end are:
Crisis Core: Final fantasy VII: Although this is not a traditional battle system for an RPG and the combat itself is a bit randomised with the DMW (digital mind wave). The game Kept its appeal mainly for the great story of how sephiroth became evil, and the story of jenova. Also cut scenes were good and the learning curve wasn’t hard at all. All in all a great game and the only reason why my PSP is to this day still in my possession.
Kingdom Hearts I: There are two types of people in this world. The ones that play Kingdom hearts and love the fact Disney and final fantasy have made a eye burning lovechild who likes to throw keys around. And the people who gauge their eyes out at the very thought of the idea. For me I like this game how i like marmite Its good and perfectly playable but at the same time i still think why the hell am i really playing this. I didn’t survive kingdom hearts II. So what did appeal? I think it was the battle system again. I like the real time battles. Makes you think on your feet more. I also liked the inclusion of Cloud And Sephiroth. And i liked it because it was different to what i have played. It seemed fresh.
Golden Sun I: One of the first turn based RPG i got into and it still remains one of the best for a hand held IMO. Thing is i don’t own the thing i only borrowed it. What i loved? Use of Synergy?hell yeah! The awesome summons you can do? you bet, (gotta love ragnarock) But what i really loved was the dijnn system. Picking up small elemental creatures and combining them. It made the game have endless possibility’s (to an extent). Its a shame i never really got into Golden Sun II. Probably buy them both off eBay at some point.
Fable I and Fable II: Real time battle system strikes again. And from the start you pick up the controller you can automatically tell that this is a British game at its finest. The story was simple but very compelling, the good and evil system is a great way to customise and personalise your character, and the amount of weapons to use especially in Fable II. If your looking for a simple run of the mill real time RPG grab Fable II.
Castlevania Series: Only recently come to my attention. This game is on the border of adventure and RPG but i thought it was worth a mention. Aria of Sorrow is my all time favorite Vania at the moment as t lets you collect the souls of your enemies, therefore making the customisation of your character that much more in depth. The variety of weapons is great also and the game is not as liner as some RPGs i have listed which is awesome. And there are vampires. Yay!
Fallout 3: Having played oblivion and not liking it (flinches at the oblivion fan boys as they ready their weapons with +50 blunt damage) I was a bit sceptical when it came to fallout. But Oh my god it is a fantastic game. If i were to pick a favorite RPG i think fallout would just come above Fable. For a start again real time battle system. But as are probably well aware i am an avid First person shooter fan. And believe me FPS coupled with RPG may sound a little strange but Fallout 3 has got it to a tee and i love it.
So back to my original question. What makes a good RPG? (in my opinion) Having typed all that out i have come up with these elements:
Real time battle system: I like it because you think on your feet and you have to do it fast before you die. Also I’m one of these all guns blazing types.
Variety and customisation: I like my character to be unique to me and far from generic as possible
Reasonable Learning curve: Most RPGs have this these days. Ease the player into the game there for making the experience far more enjoyable.
As you can see im quite picky when it comes to RPGs. But once they are done right i cannot put them down.
