Finally, some articles are starting to appear here! First up, the latest addition: 'The 2008 Impromptu RPG Awards!', and then right down at the bottom of this now vast page, the 'Greatest Gaming Moments'

The 2008 Impromptu RPG Awards!

So here we have a completely unannounced set of awards based on what I feel are the pinnacles of the RPG market. This isn’t a set of awards that apply just to 2008, I was really only trying to make the title sound a little more significant… Basically, if it’s an RPG, it is eligible. Like I said, these are my opinions, so I fully expect disagreements, and welcome your take on the categories.

Best RPG

        The World Ends With You (DS)

     There are literally hundreds of fantastic RPGs out there, and more than likely, there will be many hundreds more. Therefore, it takes something rather special to make it into the top spot of this category. That the game in question isn’t exactly old may seem a little contrite, but I assure you that Square-Enix and Jupiter’s handheld RPG is more than worthy of the title. It may be common knowledge that this game was developed by the team responsible for Kingdom Hearts, but if there is any justice in the world, the next Kingdom Hearts games will feature a ‘From the makers of The World Ends With You’ tagline emblazoned across them.

 

The tale of Neku Sakuraba’s journey through the other side of Shibuya is like a book that you can’t put down. Split into 21 chapters, each representing a day for Neku and his current partner, the expertly written story never has a chance to rest, and is constantly drip-feeding new revelations, and revealing new facets to the ever developing game that Neku has unwittingly been made a part of. Of course, with such a story-centric game, giving away major spoilers really is a complete no-no, although the brilliance of the story makes this rather difficult. In the same way you’d tell friends of a fantastic film you’ve just seen, or a book you’ve just read, you’ll yearn to regale your friends with the events that have unfolded in your Shibuya. I can’t do that though, this is a game that needs to be savoured at your own pace, and a game that provides a gripping story for upwards of 20 hours, with literally no lulls is a game that is very worthy of mention indeed.

 

But it isn’t just the story that allows this RPG to stand head and shoulders above many an offering in the RPG market, oh no. A hugely involving battle system, a fantastically stylised take on Japan’s Shibuya, characters that you’ll almost feel are real, and a mesmerising soundtrack all combine to create one of the most engrossing RPGs around. That this game is available only on a handheld, yet still manages to wholly suck you in is further proof of not only the game’s accessibility, but also its expert craftsmanship.

 

The World Ends With You is a game that really should be experienced by any self respecting fan of role playing games. ‘Unputdownable’ really does apply to this game. Just make sure you apply a touch screen protector before play…

 

 

 

Runners Up

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (PS2)

Eternal Sonata (X360)

Terranigma (SNES)

 

Best Console for RPGs

        Nintendo DS

       The DS began life as a receptacle for minigames. Fortunately, the console wasn’t to be typecast and has since developed into one of the greatest systems ever for hardcore and casual gamers. One of the areas in which the DS really does excel is in the RPG market. While the DS’ predecessor, the GBA, became a home for many a port of beloved SNES titles, the DS has gone one step further and not only become a home for some several updates and remakes (such as FFIII and IV, Chrono Trigger, Dragon Quest IV – VI), but it has also welcomed no end of new IPs to the handheld RPG fold, including the ever brilliant The World Ends With You, the pleasingly old-school Etrian Odyssey series and the tactical Luminous Arc series to name but a few…

 

Even as the DS nears it’s fourth birthday however, it shows no signs of slowing down. Namco-Bandai’s fantastic Tales series seems to have found a natural home on the system, with the third title, Tales of Hearts, soon to ship for the system (sadly these games seem unlikely to be published outside of Japan). One of the X360’s greatest RPGs, Blue Dragon, is soon to see a spin-off heading the touch screen way too, and with further remakes of Chrono Trigger, and the fourth, fifth and sixth entries in the Dragon Quest series (which will be a first for the European market), not to mention the ninth, it seems the DS really is a role-playing force to be reckoned with, and it’ll take something pretty spectacular indeed to topple this giant from it’s throne.

Runners Up

PlayStation 2

SNES

PlayStation

 

And in terms of potential, what with Star Ocean 4, Tales of Vesperia, Infinite Undiscovery, FFXIII and more, the Xbox 360 really deserves an honourable mention…

Greatest Protagonist

      Kaim Argonar, Lost Odyssey (X360)

      There’s many a petulant adolescent out there in the RPG world for you to slip into the shoes of, especially in the JRPG pool. We need something a little different for this award. Brooding, also, seems to be one of the favourite pastimes of many an RPG hero, however, so rarely is this personality trait so richly deserved as it is with Kaim Argonar, the protagonist of Mistwalker’s epic Lost Odyssey.

 

Kaim is a man who lived for roughly a thousand years. He is an Immortal, and as such has seen many a friend, foe and loved one die throughout his existence. His amnesiac status at the beginning of the game only increases the weight on the shoulders of this man. Well aware that all is not right in his world, frequent dreams throughout the game open up more and more memories for Kaim, that serve only to increase the vast history for him to ponder. It seems as though Kaim doesn’t really have a great amount to be happy about, being shifted from one post to another, his Immortal status merely a merit for those that would employ and abuse him (rather than the herald of immense power). As he uncovers more and more of his past, the player not only feels for Kaim, he feels with him. Kaim’s memories may be depressing for much of the game, but they are never less than enthralling. Despite the many other characters vying for the player’s attention in this astounding RPG, Kaim is easily the centrepiece, a man who is not carrying on because he has to, but merely because he can where others can’t.

 

Runners Up

The Nameless One, Planescape Torment (PC)

Neku Sakuraba, The World Ends With You (DS)

Luke Fon Fabre, Tales of the Abyss (PS2)

 

Best RPG Series

     Tales Series (SNES, PS, PS2, GC, Wii, X360, GBC, GBA, DS, PSP, PC, Mobile)

      Being named the best RPG series is a truly incredible feat indeed, especially with the sheer number of long running series out there. While Square-Enix’ Final Fantasy series might seem like the obvious choice given its immense size and scope, it can often feel bloated, especially with the increasing amount of spin-offs and remakes. Instead this Award goes elsewhere, though it remains in Japan…

 

Namco-Bandai please stand up, as you have the honour of having your Tales series named as the greatest RPG series out there. By Extra Life at least.

 

So just why does this series win this particular award? Sure, there are some games that aren’t quite as brilliant as others in the series, and yeah, maybe each game does stick somewhat to a tried and tested RPG template, but this only proves that when done correctly, the archetypal JRPG can be one of the best experiences around. When it is done consistently throughout a series, that offers incredible stories, great characters, soundtracks, battle systems, atmosphere and longevity, you’ve got a pretty long laundry list of things that make ‘make role-playing good’.

 

Beginning in 1995 with Tales of Phantasia on the SNES, the series introduced epic role-playing alongside and action oriented battle system highly reminiscent of the 2D fighting games. Since then, the series has seen the release (or current development) of ten other games in the main series, and several side stories that have proved to be a worthy diversion to the main series. Like Final Fantasy, each game in the Tales series is separate, though to long standing fans of the series, links between several games can be uncovered. While each game has stuck fairly rigidly to a similar template, this is a template that covers many of the most important areas of the fantasy role playing game. Namely a deeply engrossing story, likeable characters (and antagonists!), a hugely addictive battle experience all wrapped up in magical graphics and sound.

 

Long term players of role playing games will attest that a great storyline is key to the enjoyment of many RPGS. The Tales series goes one step further than just a great main storyline: In many of the games, snippets of story (in keeping with the main theme or heading off on a tangent) known as ‘Skits’ crop up. These not only add to the general storyline tat occurs during the many cutscenes, they also draw the player closer to each of the game’s characters, and further engross them in a world that becomes increasingly believable and coherent as the game develops.

 

Each of the Tales games has a style that will immediately appeal to fans of Japanese Manga and Anime, and those who enjoy a good fantasy yarn. So far, in my opinion at least, the series has yet to offer up a dud (don’t let me down Vesperia, Symphonia II, Hearts…), which for a series pushing on 13 years old is an epic feat in itself, and something not to be ignored. While many of the games have not bee made available to the US, much less Europe, this shouldn’t be a reason to cast aside this incredible series. Every game in the series is superbly playable, even with a language barrier. Do yourself a favour, pick up the GBA version of Tales of Phantasia if you haven’t already, take it back to 1995 where this astounding series began, and then enjoy yourself as you play through each and every one of the available Tales, and for more on this excellent series, keep an eye out for the fanzine that *will* one day be finished, concerning the series in it’s entirety!

Runners Up

Dragon Quest

Shin Megami Tensei

The Elder Scrolls

Most Atmospheric

     Shin Megami Tensei: Lucifer’s Call (aka Nocturne) (PS2)

      Lucifer’s Call is an RPG that begins at the end of the world, not exactly the standard starting point for an RPG, where traditionally you would probably save that world. Your character is essentially born from this apocalypse, which turns the world’s inhabitants into Demons and the land itself inside out. Now on the inside of the world, you set about to make the best of this ruined planet.

 

One of the greatest things about this game is that it takes place in a twisted vision of Japan. Districts and landmarks still exist, though they are teeming with Demons, and scarred with ravines and collapses after the force of the apocalypse. An ethereal light soaks the world from the centre of the planet, known as Kagutsuchi, and the world remains in an eery, permanent twilight. Because most of the inhabitants of the world are now terrifying, or terrified demons, the fact that many areas are deserted actually feels natural in this game, rather than simply poor design. Being able to explore the now empty shells of hospitals, subways and cityscapes, all that once teemed with life and lends an incredibly lonely atmosphere to the proceedings, which is complemented perfectly by the haunting soundtrack.

 

As you continue your journey through this dystopia, you’ll often run across groups of Demons who have formed communities, for better or worse. This rudimentary civilisation only adds to the tangible sense that this is a living breathing world, however messed up it is, and is a welcome change to RPG worlds that often teeter on the brink of the destruction, rather than wallow in it.

Runners Up

Secret of Evermore (SNES)

Illusion of Gaia (SNES)

Contact (DS)

Best Soundtrack

      The World Ends With You (DS)

      Fix! This already won the Best RPG award, so perhaps it is only right that its many features also figure elsewhere in these awards. Again, I won’t be spoiling the rich tale on offer, so wikipedia it if you must.

 

The World Ends With You takes place in modern day Shibuya, a bustling city overrun with people obsessed with shopping for the latest fashion trends, eating at the best restaurants and generally making a whole lot of noise whilst they go about it. Neku Sakuraba would much rather not listen to this cacophony of insignificant ramblings that have no bearing on his life, so on go the ‘phones, and thus the played delves into one of the best soundtracks in gaming.

 

We’re not talking an expertly composed orchestration of epic music, but rather a collection of every day J-Pop, J-Rock, Rap, Hip Hop. That may not like much until you hear it – almost every track in the game is catchy and warrants numerous listens, if not the purchase of the soundtrack additionally. Furthermore, the reason for the soundtrack’s success lies in the busy, hectic location of the game in Tokyo’s Shibuya, and the use of music at certain points. There is separate exploration and battle music, and specific tracks are used during major story sections, and increase the sense of urgency that accompanies the game from start to finish. What’s more, is you can visit shops around the game and purchase CDs of the game’s soundtrack to listen to at your leisure.

 

Sure, there are better standalone soundtracks out there, but perhaps none that fit with their game quite so well. The World Ends With You doesn’t just feature a soundtrack, it showcases another facet of Neku’s world, and rather than be something to keep you company as you keep playing, the soundtrack here works simply to draw you deeper into underground Shibuya.

Runners Up

Eternal Sonata (X360)

Shin Megami Tensei: Lucifer’s Call (PS2)

Terranigma (SNES)

Best Single Track

     Terra’s Theme, Final Fantasy VI (SNES, PS, GBA)

      Picking one song from all of the RPGs I’ve played is a difficult task indeed (let alone all of the RPGs that exist out there), especially as I class the audio of an RPG as one of the most important facets in creating a memorable, exciting and atmospheric game, meaning I often take particular care to listen thoroughly to any game soundtrack. That means I’ve lots of music running through my head, however, there is one track that stands out whenever I think of the best music I’ve ever listened to in an RPG. This is a song that never fails to send shivers down my spine when I listen to it, it is: Terra’s Theme from Squaresoft’s SNES masterpiece, Final Fantasy VI.

 

Terra’s Theme is the overworld theme from Final Fantasy VI, the music that plays whenever your party ventures out onto the world map. This particular piece of music is impressively epic, yet at the same time feels incredibly lonely as your chosen character wanders the map in search of the next location. This music does a brilliant job of translating the vast scale of your quest into aural pleasure, it is the kind of music that you’ll sit and listen to, several times over, before continuing on with the game.

There is only one other game, in my opinion, that rivals Terra's Theme - The Overworld and Underworld themes of Terranigma (maybe there's something in the name?), though this one comes out just on top. Strange to think that the most inspiring of all RPG music comes from a game that was release before the use of a fully orchestrated soundtrack. The sound limitations of the SNES hardware (in comparison to today's standards, tthe SNES certainly was a very capable machine) seemed only to push composer Nobuo Uematsu further in creating the most spine-tingling music to grace an RPG.

Runners Up

Overworld Theme, Terranigma (SNES)

Mechabots Army Charges, Blue Dragon (X360)

Calling, The World Ends With You (DS)

Mystic Forest, Tales of Phantasia (SNES)

Overworld Theme, Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria (PS2)

Still of the Night, Secret of Mana (SNES)

 

There were too many to choose from, and so there are more runners up here that deserve a mention.

Most Anticipated RPG

      Tales of Vesperia (X360)

      By now you are probably well aware that I class the Tales series as the best RPG series that money can buy. It stands to reason then that an upcoming game in the series is going to get me salivating uncontrollably. Or just waiting uncontrollably, that’s probably a nicer image.

 

The Tales series is soon to be entering the current generation of consoles with the Xbox 360 release of Tales of Vesperia, and looking very good it is too! Anime styled visuals have been synonymous with the series but this entry into the series not only makes even the lush Tales of the Abyss look dated, it also puts many other anime styled games to shame too. Fantastic animation combined with excellent artwork from long-time Tales artist Kosuke Fujishima, and the best cel-shading I’ve seen yet all combine to make what is by far the prettiest RPG yet. Of course, the storyline, characters and battle system are going to be the main draw, as is the case in most RPGs, but with such a good looking game, the visual aspects are hard to ignore.

 

Tales of Vesperia concerns a world reliant on a technology known as Blastia, which is used for a variety of every day functions, as well as military purposes such as protection of the populace from marauding monsters. Because of these monsters, Tales of Vesperia’s protagonist, Yuri Lowell, is practically held prisoner in his home town, and he longs to see the outside world. He gets his chance of course, but not without finding himself in trouble and on the run, as well as sparking a chain of events that lead him and his companions on a journey that will allow Yuri to live his dream of seeing the world, for better or worse.

 

One of the greatest components of the Tales games is the frenetic real time battle system, which has undergone yet more subtle changes for Vesperia, this time entitled “Evolved Flex-Range Linear Motion Battle System” (or EFR-LMBS). Half the fun really is seeing what name they’ll come up with next. Due out in early August 2008 for Japan and America, we’ll have to wait til ‘TBA’ 2009 in Europe. It’s going to be a long wait.

Runners Up

Chrono Trigger DS

Tales of Hearts (DS)

Star Ocean 4 (X360, PS3)

Best Battle System

      Tales of Symphonia (GC, PS2)

      In comes the Tales series again! This time with a battle system that has been consistently fantastic from the first game in the series to the latest.

 

Action RPGs can often be hit and miss, in the sense that the battle system (something you’ll be using a lot) can easily devolve into mindless button mashing, often using the same button for 40+ hours. Fortunately for the Tales series, this is not the case. Yeah, you can just hammer a standard attack button if you want, but that would be to completely miss the point. You see, the Tales battle system plays more like a fighting game, in that you many attacks at your disposal, in the form of standard and special moves, all of which can be combined with more of your own repertoire, or from the weapons of your comrades. The standard attack can be used in a variety of ways, to slash and stab, throw your foe up into the air, or send them crashing back down to down to the ground. Special attacks are learned throughout the games, becoming more and more powerful, and can even be mastered to unlock new variants of a move.

 

With Tales of Symphonia, Namco’s Tales Studio nailed a 3D fighting system. Of course, in later games there have been nips and tucks here and there, but Symphonia provided a rock-solid framework for future 3D Tales games to build upon. The system is extremely fast paced, but not to the extent where fighting becomes confusing. Making several attacks is smooth and simple, and combining Lloyd Irving’s various dual sword attacks not only feels satisfying, but looks great to boot, especially when efficient guarding and attacking racks up the combos. Despite the excellence of chief character Lloyd being an excellent character to play as, Tales games let you play as anyone in your current party should you wish to try different battle tactics. Each character makes use of a different weapon, and feels fresh enough to warrant extended play sessions with a single character. Maybe you’ll want to harness the immense power of single blade wielding Kratos Aurion, or maybe you’d rather take control of the young but talented Genis Sage who is adept not only with his Kendama, but also a nifty array of magical attacks. There are nine characters to play as in all, and while you won’t have access to all of them throughout the game, the sheer fun in simply taking on endless battles with anyone of them is a testament to the solidity of the battle system. While many other action RPGs, or even turn based ones may eventually put the ‘grind’ in level grinding, in Tales of Symphonia this didn’t occur after over 100hrs of gameplay. The GameCube may have been somewhat starved in the RPG department, but this game was a most welcome trump card.

Runners Up

Terranigma (SNES)

Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga 1 + 2 (PS2)

FFXII (PS2)

Best Tactical RPG

      Yggdra Union (GBA, PSP)

      I’m well aware that I haven’t covered any of the more strategic RPGs in this Awards thingy yet, the more fool me really, as I’ve plenty of them, and many are excellent additions to my games library. My way of rectifying this is giving the SRPG/TRPG a little category all of its own, and the winner of this award for me, is Sting’s absolutely sublime Yggdra Union.

 

Yggdra Union is the 2^nd entry into Sting’s Department of Heaven TRPGS (the first being Riviera: The Promised Land (GBA/PSP), and the third, the upcoming DS game, Knights in the Nightmare – although this is apparently Chapter IV of the series, with III yet to be developed…) and is a game that largely concerns teamwork and camaraderie. There are no single heroes (though Milanor certainly seems up the task) as battles are fought as a team and follow the well worn ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors’ approach whereby, for example, Axes are great against Spears, but fall flat against Swords, while Swords don’t fare particularly well against Spears. That in itself is simple enough and has been done plenty of times before (notably in the excellent Fire Emblem series), but there is much more to a battle in Yggdra Union than a spot of Janken…

 

Levels play out on a grid system that is placed over the world map. This means that the grid isn’t a wide open grid in the way you might be used to in Nippon Ichi’s Disgaea’s, La Pucelle’s and Makai Kingdoms, but rather a set of paths that wind through mountains, sprawl through forests, trudge through swamps and so on. On the surface it would appear that you always have to face your adversary head on, such is the nature of the grid layout, however another stroke of genius comes from whether or not you are currently moving a male or female character. Male characters can form ‘unions’ with nearby units in an ‘X’ formation, so that characters who are not right next to your current character can still join in on an attack if they fall within the ‘X’ that appears from the centre of your current character, which allows for a maximum of five parties. Female character work in a similar way but allow for a ‘+’ formation. Later on in the game, you can even recruit further groups by way of a smaller ‘X’ or ‘+’ from the initial catchment area. The huge amount of possibilities, combined with the often limited amount of move you can take in a given battle lend immense strategic possibilities to the game, to the extent where it is not uncommon to mull over the many ways in which you can attack nearby opponents, and which approach will prove to be the most fruitful, which leads nicely on to the card system inherent to the Yggdra Union battle system.

 

Yeah, cards! Normally I’m not too fond of card battle systems, as they often seem crowbarred into a game for the sake of it (cards are popular, I’m told), but in Yggdra Union, they are an essential part of the strategy. Cards have several facets to them, including the amount of spaces the player can move, what type of weapon can be used with the card, a power rating (higher power means heavier hits in battle), and finally a skill, that can be used should the aggression meter in a given battle reach 100%. In a further twist, cards can be levelled up after use to create an even more potent set of attacks in subsequent battles.

 

At first, second, and probably even third glance, Yggdra Union looks complicated. The sheer amount of possibilities in battle could easily threaten to overwhelm the game and turn it into nothing more than overblown nonsense. However, kudos must go to Sting, who have not only managed to keep things relatively simple considering all that is going on, but by slowly drip feeding new dimensions into the battle system, have ensured that by the time you earn a new battle tactic, you’ll have mastered the previous aspect to the extent where you can confidently exploit it in battle whilst you work on understanding the latest addition. With a constant update of new things to do and learn, Yggdra Union doesn’t get a chance to become boring, and the thirty or so hours that make up the exciting and always interesting story, will simply fly by.

Runners Up

Disgaea: Hour of Darkness (PS2, PSP, DS)

Luminous Arc (DS)

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2 (DS) – This may cause some contention, but I’ve had far more fun with this than the original Final Fantasy Tactics on PS1/PSP…

 

And, that’s the main ten categories of this obviously high standing, major awards ceremony done with. It’ll be at E3 next year, honest. Now though, there are a few more areas to look at that cover many other RPGs I’ve played. Just a little mention so you don’t think I’ve forgotten some of the all time greats!

Best RPG on…

 

NES

        Faxanadu: A Side-Scrolling RPG from released in Japan in 1987, 1990 for Europe. Playwrs guided a nameless warrior through various locations of the World Tree in search of the water source which has been poisoned, putting the tree and its inhabitants in grave. Faxanadu was a pretty difficult RPG for me when I was 7 years old, but the memories of playing this game have stuck with me longer than anything else I played on the NES.

 

 

SNES

       Terranigma: Enix’s final game in their Creation Trilogy on the SNES, Terranigma was easily the most epic and fully featured RPG of the lot (the earlier games were Soulblazer and Illusion of Time). An Action RPG, Terranigma told the story of young Ark, a boy from a village inside the Earth who ventured outside of his village after opening a forbidden door in the village and causing a calamity. Soon enough, Ark is sent out of the underworld and to the surface, charged with resurrecting life, from plants to humans, and leading the growth of the world. One of the last SNES games, released in late 1995 in Japan, and late 1996 in Europe (America never saw a release), this game is not only incredibly rare these days, it genuinely is one the best action RPGs money can buy.

 

 

N64

       Aidyn Chronicles:  There certainly wasn’t much to choose from in terms of RPGs on the N64 (and yes, I know Paper Mario was one of them, but it was perfected on the GC). Aidyn Chronicles might sound like a strange choice, it certainly wasn’t critically acclaimed, nor did it sell particularly well. Might not sound like a recipe for RPG success, but bear in mind that the N64 wasn’t exactly known for great RPGs, and this one in particular came out in late 2001 when many gamers were stuck into their PS2s. Aidyn Chronicles was a vast game. A huge world was ripe for exploration, and while the graphics weren’t amazing, developers H20 still did a good job of creating great variety, even if the locations were generic grassy valleys, snowy mountains, dank caves and dusty deserts. The strategic battle system wasn’t too dissimilar from Nippon Ichi’s Phantom Brave in the sense that you could move your characters within the confines of a movement circle each move. Again, this now another rare RPG.

 

 

GC

        Tales of Symphonia: I think we’ve already mentioned this game in the ‘Best Series’ and ‘Best Battle System’ awards. A huge, epic adventure, brilliant characters, English voice acting that isn’t actually too bad (!), fantastic graphics and sound, and of course that simply amazing combat. I saw this game still going for £20 in Gamestation last week in Boston, if anyone is in the vicinity, it has been there a while…

 

 

Wii

       Check back 2009! Somewhat disappointingly, the only RPG I’ve played on the Wii so far Breath of Fire II, downloaded from the Virtual Console. America and Japan already have Baroque and Opoona (in fact I’m sure Japan has several more), but here in Blighty these are still to come. I’m looking forward to Opoona, but right now I just can’t comment. Bah.

 

GB

       Final Fantasy Adventure: AKA Seiken Densetsu, this is the original Mana game, that was released under the Final Fantasy name in the US (as were the GB SaGa games), and the similarities between this and its SNES successors are very apparent, and not just through the inclusion of familiar foes such as Rabites. This was quite a vast adventure, and was totally gripping from start to finish as you fought to become powerful enough to take on Dark Lord (that’s his name, not title). Enjoyable action and some pretty tough puzzles were wrapped up in graphics that were excellent for the GameBoy, and a soundtrack that you might find familiar if you play the more recent remake of the game, Sword of Mana, on the GBA.

 

 

GBC

       Dragon Warrior Monsters:  This was my first experience with the Dragon Quest series, though I wasn’t fully aware of this when I bought it, mainly so that I could play something that wasn’t Pokemon, but still get a similar experience (I didn’t go in for the current trends). Arguably, I picked up the better game. Dragon Warrior Monsters is a monster catching RPG where you’ll explore the world you’ve been suddenly dropped into after your sister was taken captive by monsters. In order to get her back you’ll need a team of monsters worthy of battling through to find her, and here is where the catching comes into play. You’ll be able to find and recruit many familiar monsters from the Dragon Quest series, and in a trump card over Pokemon, use three monsters in battle at once. Elsewhere you can mate you monsters (as long as you have males and females you hear!) and breed yet more powerful monsters to train up. This series is continuing today, with Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker, on the DS.

 

 

GBA

       Golden Sun/Golden Sun The Lost Age: This one was a little difficult to choose, as there are so many great RPGs on the GBA, but it must be said that many of them are ports of older SNES games. Golden Sun however (and I’m covering the 2 games in series here) was an original IP for the handheld by Camelot, and featured beautiful graphics, an engaging story that allowed you to play as the ‘good’ guys and the ‘bad’ guys, although this division wasn’t quite as clear cut as it seems when you take control of the anti-heroes in the sequel. Gameplay mixed in many puzzles in the numerous dungeons that could usually be solved with the use of Psynergy, the name given to the magic of the world. Psynergy could be used by finding Djinn throughout the world. Collecting Djinn opened up more skills and powers, and you could also turn Djinn ‘On’ or ‘Off’ to create different effects. Psynergy also came into major play in the turn based battles of the game, which still stand some as of the most exciting turn based battles you can have, thanks to great in-fight animation.

 

 

DS

       The World Ends With You:  See ‘Best RPG Award’, and apologies to the many other excellent RPGs on Nintendo’s touch screen handheld!

 

 

SMS

       Wonder Boy in Monster World: Perhaps more of a platformer than an RPG, you still can’t deny the RPG elements, from the town exploration to the dungeon delving, monster slaying and the accumulation of gold to buy better weaponry and armour, as well as NPCs that occasionally join the player on his quest. Wonder Boy in Monster World was also a particularly good looking game, and is one my main reasons to bust out the Master System every now and again!

 

 

SM

       Shining Force 2: Exceptional turn-based strategy sequel from Sega, and a significant step up from the already excellent original game. Shining Force 2 tells the tale of Bowie, who creates a mighty Force to reseal the Devil King after he his freed following the opening of a door to Arc Valley, home of evil. Through a long series of tactical battles, you’ll eventually send the demons back from whence they came! Sales plug here, I’ve got a spare copy of Shining Force 2 if anyone wants to buy a PAL version of the game - £15, boxed and with instructions!

 

 

Saturn

       Shining The Holy Ark: A truly fantastic first person role player from Sega’s Shining series that sets in motion certain events that occur during Shining Force III. In Shining The Holy Ark you control a party of three adventurers chasing down a Rodi, a rogue Ninja who has escaped to some nearby mines. Upon finding Rodi, disaster strikes and all characters are injured and on the brink of death. Fortunately four strange spirits are at hand and heal the characters, however, you leader, Forte, is possessed by an evil spirit and escapes. Meanwhile, your previous mark, Rodi, is now controlled by a good spirit which begins the quest proper. Shining the Holy Ark truly is an epic quest, and not only plays incredibly well, but looks fantastic too, even today which is all the more surprising considering the Saturn’s not so great 3D capabilities. All self respecting role players should at least give this game a try.

 

 

Dreamcast

       Skies of Arcadia: If you like Pirates and you like JRPGs, chances are you’ll probably love Skies of Arcadia. Set in a sprawling, floating world where the seas are the skies and the lands are floating chunks of rock, Skies of Arcadia forms an epic quest to hunt down six Moon Crystals, that are vital source of power to the vast Gigas. Whoever possesses the Crystals potentially rules the world, such is the Gigas’ power, and a young Silvite named Fina recruits the aid of Vyse and Aika to help her find the Crystals before the power hungry Valuan Empire gets them first. Skies of Arcadia features not only standard turn based battles whilst exploring dungeons and ruins, but also vast, strategic Ship battles that take place in the skies. Perhaps a little hard to find on the Dreamcast these days, Skies of Arcadia is also available on the GameCube.

 

 

PS1

      Tales of Destiny: Another Tales game makes into the ‘best’ category, although this one somehow only got 4.9/10 on Gamespot. I’m assuming the got the ‘4’ and the ‘9’ the wrong way around, because the first Tales game to be released on the PlayStation is a spectacular title indeed! Following closely the template laid out by Tales of Phantasia on the SNES, Destiny improves the battle system and features 2D graphics to die for. The quest is also very lengthy and even features two distinct halves, beginning with stowaway Stahn Aileron who boards the wrong airship at the wrong time and is soon stranded in a snowy location after crash landing an escape pod. After being rescued, he sets out once again and eventually bumps into Rutee and Mary, and is shortly afterwards captured by Leon. The group are sent on a quest to recover the Eye of Atamoni, a relic that holds great power that has recently been stolen from its home at Straylize Temple. Eventually the group recover the Eye and also meet other characters along the way. All seems well until the Eye goes missing again, and the heroes must reform and set out to out an end to the impending disaster once and for all.

 

Tales of Destiny is not only my favourite PS1 RPG, it goes a long way to being one of my favourite RPGs ever. Sure, the story does feature many typical RPG contrivances that you’ve probably seen before, but everything here is done so well, with excellent characters, a fun story and a great world to explore. Of course, the trademark Tales battle system is also here too, and while is starts off a little slowly, by the halfway makr you’ll have a great many battle options at your disposal. Tales of Destiny is yet another example of how the Tales series continues to be the best RPG series around. 

 

PS2

       Star Ocean Till The End Of Time: Here we have the 4^th entry into the Star Ocean series (though it is named as the third, with the GameBoy Color game Star Ocean: Blue Sphere being a continuation of the second game), yet for many in the UK it was likely the first time they had had a chance to play a game from this great series. Star Ocean combines traditional fantasy role playing with space exploration, and even goes a little further beyond that. Fayt Linegod and the motley crew he meets after becoming stranded on an undeveloped planet will eventually become the saviours of their known universe after interference from elsewhere. Star Ocean Till The End Of Time is an action RPG in a similar vein to the Tales games featuring a fun battles system that utilises short and long range attacks that are used based on your character’s proximity to the targeted foe. If you are looking for a great storyline and an RPG that might just last you Till The End Of Time, then this would be a great game to go for. This huge quest also features an extensive invention system that you can exploit to create amazing items, and also allows for the collection of Battle Trophies based on your fighting performance. Some of the best hours you can get out of your PS2 lie within this game.

 

 

PSP

       PoPoLoCrois: The PSP’s RPG library is mainly built up of ports of PS1 RPGs (and even a GBA game here and there), and while PoPoLoCrois isn’t a completely original game (there are five games in the series in Japan), the PSP edition of PoPoLoCrois is created from two of the games in the series to create a unique release on Sony’s handheld.

 

PoPoLoCrois is a charming RPG concerning ten year old Pietro’s initial quest to save his mother’s soul from the world of darkness, though later on in the game, Pietro, now 15 as he resolves to prevent an evil force from destroying the world. On PSP, this game looks great, and the slightly tactical turn based battle system is also great fun. The game feels a little more retro than many of the other RPGs I’ve played on the PSP (despite many of them coming from the same era), and perhaps this explains partly why I like this particular RPG so much. It’s none too expensive either, and is currently the only reason I keep my PSP out! 

 

Xbox

       The Elder Scrolls III Morrowind:  Well, it was either this or Sudeki, and the day Sudeki wins an RPG award from me will be a dark day indeed! Bethesda’s third entry into their monstrously huge RPG series kept me glued to my Xbox for well over 200 hours. True, the game may have had a fog so thick you could swing an axe and lose sight of it, but the sheer amount of depth and choice on offer here was unparalleled (more so even that Oblivion). Taking place on the island nation of Vvardenfell, you are a prisoner released at the Emperor’s behest and after a short five minute tutorial you are free. Literally. You can completely ignore the main quest (chuck the items you’ve been given in the lake if you wish) and you have the entire, vast island almost completely available to explore at your leisure. Even after 200 hours there are quests I never saw, or things I only saw once. The variety in the topography on offer clearly separates certain nations, such as the swampy Seyda Neen, the dusty Aldruhn, the bizarre Sadrith Mora and the choking atmosphere of the Ghostgate, where resident bad guy Dagoth Ur has set up home. Try and see it all if you will, there is probably a lifetime’s amount of content on offer here.

 

 

Xbox 360

        Blue Dragon:  While the original Xbox didn’t really prove to be much of a home for RPGs, the Xbox 360 has proved to be much more welcoming. Already we have several JRPGs, and a decent amount of Western role players too. The winner of best X360 RPG this year however is Mistwalker’s debut RPG, Blue Dragon. Of course, ‘debut’ doesn’t really mean muc here, as the game was developed by many old hands at the genre, including Hironobu Sakaguchi (of Final Fantasy creation fame), orchestrated by composer Nobuo Uematsu (who has been lauded here already with the FFVI overworld theme), and with characters designed by Akira Toriyama (who you may well know from the Dragon Ball manga/anime series, and the incredible Dragon Quest series)

 

Blue Dragon is somewhat traditional in it’s approach to role playing, with a simple battle system and a clear cut story of a battle between good and evil. This simplicity is what makes Blue Dragon such an enjoyable prospect. While many other RPGs seemingly battle to become the most convoluted title out there, Blue Dragon takes pride in the fact that while it looks better than most RPGs, the actual gameplay could easily have featured in any number of NES or SNES RPGs. Almost as if Sakaguchi wanted to literally start afresh, like 1987 fresh, but with a contemporary lick of paint. An absolutely fantastic RPG and one of those games you’re pretty much guaranteed to see through to the end. 

 

PC

       Planescape Torment:  There is a review of this already on this website, so I won’t go too deeply into the game, needless to say that if you want a thoroughly deep RPG experience that revolves more around conversation and story than taking a weapon to a skull (though this still features prominently) then this is your game. Taking up the mantle of the immortal Nameless One, you inability to die lends many inventive ways to solve puzzle, involving tearing open your guts, cracking open your skull, using yourself as bait and so on. Darkly humorous from start to finish, the story is utterly compelling and is the sort of game you’ll sit playing a day easily (and I mean 24hrs) and completely lose track of time. It had better work in Vista!

 

 

 

 

And that’s it. That sort of makes up for not having done anything to the website in a couple of months (almost a dissertation’s worth here)! Sorry, I’ve got no RPGs for my Game Gear or Neo Geo Pocket Colour, and while I’m sure Faselei! Is my best Strategy game on the system, I’ve not yet played the game for more than an hour…

 

Add your complaints about all the games I missed out on the latest blog (which should be #18 if it isn’t there already!). Maybe there’ll be something similar in 2009, but I doubt it.

 

Greatest Gaming Moments!



I've played a lot of games in my time, and there have been some good and some bad games. The following articles are about my favourite game experiences (well, my favourite at the start of 2008), which will of course change over time. In fact, since writing these, I have played other games that I reckon deserve a place in here, so things could well change!

Greatest Gaming Moment #10
*oink*

Greatest Gaming Moment #9
'It's a me...'

Greatest Gaming Moment #8
'Dah da da da du du du, dah da da da du du da'

Greatest Gaming Moment #7
'You died'

Greatest Gaming Moment #6
'Awooooo'

Greatest Gaming Moment #5
'Pure'

Greatest Gaming Moment #4
'Choice'

Greatest Gaming Moment #3
'Legendary'

Greatest Gaming Moment #2
'Towering'

Greatest Gaming Moment #1
'Magical'