Top Ten RPGs

RPGs! They've been around in one form or another for a very long time. Not just in the video games medium, but board games, live action, and in the bedroom.

But we're not here to talk about all of that. We're here to count down the best of the best in the genre! So, without further ado let's begin!

10.

Yeah, you wouldn't expect Mario to be anywhere near this discussion, but here we are. Super Mario RPG Legend of the Seven Stars came out late in the Super Nintendo's life and was made by none other than Square Soft. The people responsible for Final Fantasy and several other classics around that time period. This was the closest we ever gotten to Mario and Final Fantasy being together.

Super Mario RPG takes everything that's good about the franchise and adapts it into the RPG genre without needing to give Mario any lines. Hell, I'd say he has more personality in this than he did in previous games before the move to 3D.

You get several new characters to join your party and can even play as Princess Peach and Bowser as a new threat opposes our hero from Bowser's castle.

Square recycles the beginning of the first FF in a way by having the “rescue the princess” deal at the beginning of the game. Instead of it being the whole game. Hi, Paper Mario. Want to read more? Just check out my review on the site.

9.

To me, Skyrim is Bethesda's answer to Morrowind. Morrowind suffered from a slow start and limited technology, whereas Skyrim starts right off with nearly being executed and attacked by a fucking dragon!

The world looks beautiful and voice acting is consistent throughout instead of just being used in a few parts. Like most Elder Scroll games you can either follow the main story or spend hours on end doing whatever the hell you want.

Skyrim was my introduction to the series and was a lot of fun to play. I never had good sense of direction when it came to these games, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it. While I've always been more of a fan of the JRPG and BioWare way of doing things, I appreciate the alternative Bethesda offers with their RPGs.

The first-person view mode really makes it easy to get sucked into the world (though you can play it in third-person, but that isn't nearly as good) and the lack of VA for your custom characters allows you to use your imagination to decide what they sound like.

Skyrim is the game I recommend if you're looking to get into the series, though to be fair I haven't played Oblivion yet so that opinion could change in the future.

8.

Why is this up here? Story. That's why. The battle system isn't the greatest ever, but I can easily overlook that for the story, characters, and lore.

This was the first BioWare game I've ever played and I was so hooked on this game that I couldn't stop. I just had to keep playing and find out more about the player character's past and it blew my fucking mind when the reveal happened! I also love having my choice of blasters and lightsaber after you become a Jedi.

I like the characters. There is a nice variety of them available and chances are if you don't like 1 or 2 then maybe you'll like 3 or 4 and sort your party accordingly.

KoTOR possesses the biggest twist in Star Wars since “Luke, I am your father!” in The Empire Strikes Back, and like with Xenogears it isn't an ass pull. There are plenty of hints along the ways that makes sense when you get there. Maybe too many hints. Either way, this is definitely worth checking out if you're a huge Star Wars nut.

7.

Another game where the story does it for me, and I find the gameplay quite enjoyable. Dragon Age II introduced us to Hawke, and as we all know sarcastic Hawke is best Hawke.

While it doesn't have as many maps as the first game, Dragon Age II has a compelling story that isn't a generic good versus evil plot and refines a lot of the spell casting from the first game. Playing as a mage seems to be the game's prefer way to play with all the added stuff you get as a result, but it's still plenty of fun playing as a warrior, too. You can even be a blood mage!

More games need a sarcasm button. A choice to be sarcastic and make jokes is always a good option to have. Normally in these type of games you get a saint, neutral, and evil option. Here? The neutral is replaced with a fun option.

Voice acting in the game is top notch and there's a lot of customization. Any game that lets you play as a ginger is all right in my book.

6.

A story about a man with blue hair who fights bad guys. This was my introduction to the franchise and I have to admit the only entry in the series I actually played.

Breath of Fire IV stars a blue haired man named Ryu who can turn into a dragon fighting amnesia. Oh yeah, this is another JRPG that does the amnesia storyline. I forgot. JRPGs are starting to give me amnesia.

He's found in a crater by Princess Nina and Cray who are searching for Nina's older sister and is convinced to help them beginning our adventure.

Each character has a field skill that allows them to solve puzzles and break obstacles outside of battle in hostile environments. There's also a master system where characters can be customized according to who they're an apprentice to that was introduced back in Breath of Fire III.

What the game did introduce was a combo system which allowed you to mix spells and skills together to cause more damage to an enemy. Outside of that it's what you'd come to expect from a JRPG. And it has the cutest little robot with a cape I've ever seen.

5.

Xenogears. The game that manages to take all the usual JRPG tropes and just make them work. Fei's amnesia, him being the chosen one, all of it ties together so neatly that I can only hope this was the first amnesia story for a lot of people as it's something too many JRPGs throw in their games.

The mixture of human and robot fighting as well as the story and characterization makes this one of the best RPGs I've ever had the honor of playing. I don't know why it took me so long to get to it. I only played the demo before my review last week.

Characters who stand out are of course Fei, Elly, Citan, Bart, Margie, and Miang. They all play off each other rather well and makes the story that much more enjoyable.

The animation isn't half bad, either. Some of the gameplay elements can be a little on the annoying side, but not so much that it becomes a hassle to play.

The story is full of so many good twists and turns that they don't just pull out of their ass my head still feels like it's twisting around. A must have for any RPG fan.

4.

One of the first RPGs I played after Final Fantasy VII. Legend of Legaia takes place in a world clouded in mist where monsters reside. I wonder if Steven King had anything to do with this.

The game stars Vahn, Noa, and Gala, three strangers who band together to awaken ten Genesis trees to vanquish the evil mist once and for all. But when I was a kid I just called them blue hair, pink hair, and brown hair. I was bad with names.

The battle system is unique in the fact you have to push in several different commands to launch a single attack. Can be a little jarring at first, but helps the game to stand out all the same. I always used to enjoy it and all the different monsters you battled as you progress.

There are objects in the game called Seru which when bound with a human gives them more power and you can equip all three of your mains with them by the end of the game. I just love the premise and had a blast following the story as a kid.

3.

This is an example of a game I couldn't put down once I started playing. The story dragged me in at the very beginning and I kept playing until at least disc two.

The first disc could be a whole game in and of itself. Not like how FFVII and VIII were kind of short. These discs are laid out pretty well and gives the story more chances to flesh itself out.

While not a Square related game, there were a few developers that jumped ship and joined in on the programming when it was being made.

There are plenty of nods to Final Fantasy so I can see why somebody would think this belonged to them. Dragoons were introduced in Final Fantasy after all.

I love all the different dragoons and their transformers. They made a great addition to the battle system when you unlock them later in disc one.

After Final Fantasy when I think RPG, this is one of the first games that come to mind.

2.

While Mass Effect 2 refines a lot of the problems with the gameplay, I always find myself coming back to Mass Effect 1.

I love the story, the characters, and the more JRPG feel you get through the gameplay. Mass Effect gave us a new science fiction experience and introduced so many great alien species like the Asari, Turian, and so much more.

You have your choice of gender, class, and backstory that affects the way people interact with you and while the love options aren't as many as the sequels, they're a lot more fleshed out and the love scene you get near the end is a lot more rewarding.

And the thing that made people flip their shit and helped the game's sells in the first place. Any press is good press. If you haven't checked this game out I definitely recommend it.

You all know what time it is. The number one greatest RPG of all time goes to...

1.

I am nothing if not consistent. I already talked a great deal about the characters in this game so let's touch on the actual gameplay.

I love the battle system and the ability to switch party members mid-fight so you can shake things up and use any character you wish. The Sphere grid allows for a lot of customization. You can even make Yuna a black mage if you really, really want to.

Summons are important for more than just battling. They're crucial to the plot and your journey across Spira and there are a lot of good returns as well as new summons like Valefor. The music, like all things Final Fantasy, is great, and the Hymn of the Fayth is even relevant to the plot instead of just being pretty background noise. Something a lot of other FF games didn't do.

It's also the first major FF game to have voice acting. They stumble here and there, but it's not bad at all for a first attempt. There are a lot of good puzzles through the Cloister of Trials. Long story short, I love FFX and can't recommend it enough.

And that finishes the Top Ten Best RPGs. Thanks for reading and I'll see you again next time.