Yeah it's cliche, but i still am dropping down this list to show ya where i come from on RPG's. There are many more i recommend playing but these are the cream of the crop in my opinion. Yes this might get FF heavy but it's a well regarded series for a reason and you know it.
I sunk so many hours into this game and beat more times then i can count, hell still wishing for an update of this game with actual anime cutscenes. This game even did the whole Aeris death thing before Final Fantasy 7 was ever even conceived, man Alis' death is pretty epic. The game had a great story line that had you traveling all over the Algo Star System and tied up the story of Phantasy Star. Great characters, awesome spell combination attacks, epic story, and anime still cutscenes makes this my favorite RPG of all time.
One of the forefathers of the SRPG genre Shining Force was another game i spent hours and hours playing. The story is pretty weak and generic, but the gameplay at the time was something you didn't see on a console. It's pretty simple compared to the madness Atlus churns out now but it was still a blast trying to figure out your super team and leveling them to the max. Plus who didn't like Kain as a villian or even Dark Sol. Again, updated remake on the PS3 please with full anime cutscenes!
I loved the original but Covenant really improved over it's predecessor and managed to be both funny and gripping. With it's crazy judgement ring system that gave everything from battles to buying stuff a skill element to the absolute nuts but touching storyline this game was balanced perfectly in my opinion. Plenty of side-quests, a cool noir/horror vibe, some crazy creature designs, and a super crazy ending that actually makes ya think. I again sank many hours into this game, doing everything you can possibly do and beating the game several times. It would be nice if this game was easy to find though, sadly i had to sell my copy at one time to afford rent. (damn college poorness).
Billed as a return to form FFIX went for the nostalgia factor hard and to me succeeded. Zidane was a plucky hero that broke away from the emo-kids of the other games and brought something fresh to the role. Plus who could not love Vivi, pimp black mage you always wanted in your party and could easily identify with his identity crises storyline. The battle system was the classic JRPG style but everyone had their own job, none of this everyone can do everything nonsense that makes choosing characters not matter. The story is good but what really brought it together for me was the characters, even Steiner had a particular charm to him. Also was was still at a time when FF games had side quests and an airship!
More of an action RPG this game was freaking sweet. Cyberpunk/Sci-fi is still an unused genre even now so this game feels very fresh. The story was okay, it had some interesting twists and turns with some great side characters. What really drew me into this game was the job system where you took on jobs for Johnsons to earn money. Whether breaking into a building or surfing cyberspace to steal files the game actually had quite a bit to do. Plenty of sidequests, character customization, and variety put this as another game i want a damn remake of! Come on peeps, we need a good Shadowrun game on a current generation console
Throw in the FF license and complicate the battle system to the max and you have the other SRPG i wasted many an hour playin in my youth. Super political with a storyline you need cliff notes to keep track of and crazy customization that you could easily lose a day working on. At the time it was such a weird departure from the normal FF series and scratched the itch i had since Shining Force disappeared off the face of the earth. Also...hidden characters including Cloud and the most awesome Cid in any of the games!
This game was a lot of firsts for the final fantasy series. First on the PS2, first with voice acting, first to ditch the level up system, and first to ditch the world map for linearity. While some of it didn't work i felt the story line was one of the best of the series (besides the two FF's above it). It got a bit confusing but, once everything is revealed the story touches on some interesting issues. I spent 196 hours doing everything you could possibly do in this game, including getting everyone's stats up to 255 by going around the sphere grid and replacing every stat boost with a 4. (yeah, pretty lame i know). A solid entry and the last traditional FF in my opinion.
Surprised? I was too when i got this game and discovered it was a traditional JRPG in the face of all these newfangled ones like Fallout or FFXII. While the game choked on the Unreal Engine and had a slow start once it got going it was awesomely engaging. I know it's lame to say you gotta wait till the 3rd disk but when you do get there, oh damn does it great crazy. Plus it has an airship! when is the last time you got to fly one of those in this day and age? Again had an ending that eschewed tradition oddly and made ya think, plus sidequests that were actually fun. Excellent game that deserves better then it got.
I know i'm choosing sequels a lot but these games have significantly improved on their predecessors and KH2 is no exception. Striking the right balance between platforming and combat this crazy franchise combo really hit it's stride here. Oddly engaging despite having Disney thrown in the mix once you get past the first few hours this game does not let go. it definitely is a slow burn but it gets hella fun with some pretty epic set pieces. Plus it's always interesting to see what Disney World you'll go to next or awesome Quicktime Event you'll be involved in. Another game i sunk many hours into and am dying to see how it all wraps up.
While the normal battle system was generic JRPG as well as the story the rest of this game was anything but. From the super addicting recruiting system to awesome rock paper scissors army battles this game was definitely a gem. It was really about finding people to recruit for me, though the story drew me in when it got personal (why Grimo why!?). I loved building up my army and seeing how my castle would grow. Awesome game and definitely worth playing if you can find a copy, i suggest just downloading it from PSN much easier.
