It is hard to argue for a better video game genre than the RPG. No genre before or after has instilled such wonder and nostalgia in the video gamer. When playing the likes of racing or fighting games, one is enveloped by the momentary pleasure of winning a fight or driving as fast as you can to finish a race. The RPG though is quite the opposite of these genres. Anyone accustomed to RPG’s knows what they’re in store for before the game even starts; Endless hours of game play, always-evolving story lines, and perennial character development. The RPG is for the tortoise, not the hare, and would always prove to bring the most satisfaction to the gamer who was willing to let the parables of patience surround their being. In this list, we go through the 15 greatest RPG’s of all time with a focus on the games that were not just games, but timeless pieces of art.
15. Chrono Cross
Chrono Cross had massive shoes to fill coming after Chrono Trigger (arguably the greatest game ever made). Chrono Cross though boldly took the best elements of Chrono Trigger and made a game almost as great. The graphics were superb, the world was huge, and storyline was intricate to the point that the gamer was left wanting to revisit past scenes to understand what was happening in their future. The cinematic sequences were superb, bringing story lines to their apex. And who could forget the soundtrack? Who could forget the theme of “The Dream that Time Dreams”, and “Scars of Time”. Someone was listening to their Mendelson. Navigating the world by boat was another enchanting part of the game where at first all the lands came across tropical, but would certainly turn out to be much less serene upon entering them. Wait until you got to the final boss too. This was a battle for the ages on par with Lavos from the original Chrono Trigger.
14. Soul Blazer
With the amount of great RPGs that came out for the SNES during the 90′s it was easy to forget some classics. For a while it seemed like Squaresoft was making timeless RPGs once a month. One of these games that may have been forgotten was Soul Blazer. Anyone who has not played this game and is a fan of RPG’s should do themselves a favor and enjoy the adventure that is about to surround them. You will not be able to put down your SNES controller when playing this game. As you walk from land to land saving the accompanying towns by fighting your way through danger areas, you realize that you’re addicted to this RPG more than any other game you have ever played. The music is absolutely memorable. The music of every town will be in your head long after the duration of the game. The game play is flawless with smooth controlling. Soul Blazer, like Secret of Mana and Illusion of Gaia, was not a turn based RPG but a free moving RPG where you had complete control of your character. Any fan of those earlier games will see Soul Blazer as being just as timeless as those games.
13. Xenogears
Xenogears was a hallmark for the RPG medium. This Playstation classic had so many great elements to it that it needed to be included in this list. The storyline to Xenogears is absolutely magnificent. We are given performative parables and existential themes throughout the game that make playing it feel like reading some classic text of Greek or Roman literature. The deep subtleties in the storyline made Xenogears one of the most replayable RPGs of all time. One could even say that Xenogears was the “Ulysses” of the RPG medium. The massive amount of cut scenes go a long way to show how important it was for the creators of this game to establish a great storyline with questions that wouldn’t be answered until later on. The battle style of Xenogears is much like the Final Fantasy series with an “active time battle” system and attacks that ranged from weak to moderate to strong. There were also those special “Deathblow” moves you learned throughout the game that were most effective in their elemental setting. The heart of the game though is in the storyline. It’s one that will be revisited for some time to come.
12. Final Fantasy 7
Final Fantasy 7. Dubbed by many “The Best Final Fantasy Ever Made” or even “The Greatest Game Ever Made”, Final Fantasy 7 has received quite a following amongst its fans, and for good reason. While plenty of the people who have played and beaten 7 won’t agree with it being the greatest game ever made (myself included), they still think it’s a damn good game. It was quite revolutionary for the Final Fantasy series, what with it being the first 3D entry, and introducing the Materia system, an advanced way of giving characters abilities and magic. Think of it as being the Final Fantasy 3 of the 3D games. The story was surprisingly well done, although not as well done as some people tend to think. The graphics were decent, but I’ll let that slide, it was Square’s first 3D title. And like all truly great games, the soundtrack was simply mind-blowing, the pieces ‘Those Who Fight Further (Boss Theme)’ ‘Aeris’ Theme’ ‘Those Chosen By the Planet’ and of course, the legendary composition ‘One Winged Angel’ Sephiroth’s own theme.
11. Neverwinter Nights
Neverwinter Nights was one of the most innovative RPG’s to ever be released. This computer based RPG had a strictly 3rd person perspective throughout the whole game. Another interesting aspect of the game was how much control you initially had in creating your character. Much like Dungeons and Dragons, one could choose their player’s strength, race, gender and abilities. Beyond the unique 3rd person perspective and freedom of control when creating a player, was an incredibly long adventure that showed off fluid and incandescent graphics at every turn. The plot consists of four chapters where you had to recover four monsters who have the cure that plagues the Neverwinter city. The plot doesn’t simply end here though. The city gets attacked right when you’re curing it! The plot never seems to end in Neverwinter Nights which conspicuously makes it an RPG. The sheer length of the game and freedom in creating your own destiny makes Neverwinter Nights one of the best RPGs of all time.
10. Final Fantasy 1
Final Fantasy 1 was one of the first attempts at the traditional RPG format and for that alone it must be championed as a hallmark amongst modern gaming. The graphics were 8 bit, the sounds were 8-bit, but the story and scope of the game were timeless. In Final Fantasy 1 we are first introduced to the turn based fight sequence that made many a Dungeon and Dragon gamer a fan of this new video game medium. Being able to choose what weapon, magic, or defense you wanted to use without rushing made for more of a mental activity in battle than being quick with the thumbs. The RPG here in it’s introduction was more for the brain than the quick in finger muscles. The story line involves early Greek mythology involving an anthropometric Chaos who would need to be defeated for the establishment of order in general. As the light warriors as obvious contrasts to the peremptory “Chaos”, your negation of non-order was the task for all civilization. Certainly, a game with this task was more full of meaning than your traditional adventure game.
9. Baldur’s Gate
A game that starts off with a quote from Nietzsche’s “Beyond Good and Evil” has to be on top of any list. “He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster… when you gaze long into the abyss the abyss also gazes into you…” started off the game haunting the player in to always being aware of himself when battling infamous beasts throughout the game. Beyond this haunting introduction to the game is a plot that ranks as one of the best ever created for the RPG medium. The protagonist growing up with his friends as orphans meet a mage in the name of Gorion. As you grow up you find that there are designs of your life on the wall and your mentor in Gorion won’t tell you why. The plot keeps getting thick as leaving Candlekeep leads to more unknown secrets and fights with unknown bandits. This game is worth playing for the story along. While taking the elements of the D and D series to a new level, you’re a given over to a plot that is mysterious and inspiring.
8. Deus Ex
Recently, Old-Wizard hasn’t been a fan of the FPS medium. Our sarcastic (hopefully noticed!) “top 10 steps to making a successful FPS” outraged some and made other recognize the derivative flaws in the FPS medium. One game though that stands above the FPS medium as it is now is Deus Ex which combines the FPS format with RPG elements. You don’t just go around the game as some “badass” shooting stuff with hi-fi guns. You have detailed objectives throughout the game along with skill points that enhance the characters abilities. You could also customize your player to become a gun master or a more shifty character who could pick locks and play more of a detective role. These are the elements that are precisely missing from FPS of modern and old age I.e. sophistication. Among other advantages to Deus Ex that gives the player more of a sense of freedom that just destroying things is their power to manipulate guns by modifying their accuracy and range for example. There is actual dialogue in the game too that ascends above the trivial “We are here to destroy you” platitudes found in most other RPG’s. Deus Ex in a strong sense is the most innovative FPS ever released.
7. Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
Who thought that Star Wars would be successful in the RPG medium? Any doubters were soon proved wrong with the release of Knights of the Old Republic. The game was expansive and full of problem solving unseen in most adventure games. For better or worst, you were spending half the game backtracking to pick up items or solve problems in order to move on. This may have been irritating for some players but for others showed a depth needed to make a classic RPG. The game is derived in the Dungeons and Dragons combat system that has become a hallmark of the best RPGs old and new. You are in complete control of your destiny playing this game. Depending on what you say to your comrades and the actions you take, you will see whether you be on the light or dark side of the force. This way of character development always kept the player in edge recognizing himself through the game that was defining his player in these terms. With the success of Knight of the Old Republic came it’s sequel that continued the success of the series which was a difficult omission to make on this list.
6. Final Fantasy 2 (SNES)
The amount of amazing games in the Final Fantasy series is staggering. One could easily make a top ten greatest games of all time list and have five games from the Final Fantasy series on it. It’s easy for a Final Fantasy game to be overlooked with FF3 and FF7 being in the catalog. One of those overlooked games was FF2, a game that had an incredible storyline and improved on Final Fantasy 1 in ways that made it possible for FF3 to be as great of a game as it was. The story line was huge, and so were the powers that each character could attain throughout the game. FF2 took on a larger scope in terms of drama and magic than FF1. There was romance in FF2 and tragic deaths that put the gamer in more of a Ulysses role than any game before it. This idea would go on to spearhead the best games in the RPG medium from FF3 to Secret of Mana. FF2 cannot be disregarded for this fact.
5. Illusion of Gaia
Illusion of Gaia was a sleeper hit for the SNES. Not many people to this day know the power of this RPG. Deviating from the traditional RPG format, Illusion of Gaia had you in control of the main character who was able to shape shift to different forms throughout the game. The story was a sight to behold. Romance flourished, myths resurfaced, and lost fathers were found in the deep abyss of Babylonian Towers. It’s not a coincidence that the great RPGs of all time find their story lines referring to Greek and Roman myth. These ancient archetypes aren’t just the austere shape of history’s past, but the signification of a deeper symbolic order. Illusion of Gaia hit these themes throughout the game visiting the likes of Ancient China and ancient Mayan culture. As always with most RPGs the soundtrack would be sought after the game was finished by it’s quality. Games like these go over and above traditional gameplay. They create something bigger than the game itself.
4. Diablo
If you have never played Diablo and you call yourself an RPG fan, give up now. This game is simply amazing. Simple to learn, hard to master, this Action-RPG has garnered endless positive reviews from critics and fans alike. Most of the commands are done via the mouse, but as with most PC RPG games, spells and abilities can be assigned hot keys, and even short exclamations. The replayability of this game is simply awesome, thanks to the randomly generated levels, and the large variety of weapons and armour. Each map is unique compared to the last one. This randomness even extends to the monsters that you encounter. Upon beginning the game, you’re given the choice between three classes, The Warrior, who is (you guessed it right) a power melee fighter, who gains a slight increase in the attack speed with a melee weapon. The Rogue, who is essentially an archer, and receives a higher level of magic than warriors, though not nearly as well as (you guessed it right again!) The Sorcerer, a powerful master of the spooky arcane arts. This character gains a slight increase in the speed of casting a spell.
3. Secret of Mana
Secret of Mana gained a high place in our top 100 video games of all time list. There are no imperfections in this game. The character development is creative, the landscapes are detailed, and the music is arguably the greatest soundtrack to ever be developed for any video game. What make Secret of Mana stand apart from all other RPGs is it’s adventure style fighting much like Zelda Link to The Past. You had control of your players rather than having a turn-by-turn based RPG format. This was to the pleasure of the RPG player who wanted to have more control of the player but still retain the grandiosity of a game like FF3 for example. Beyond these feats, was the possibility of playing the game with three players making it an adventure to conquer among friends. The sense of satisfaction that would come over the gamers when this occurred was unprecedented and would be remembered for a long time to come. It’s not difficult to argue that Secret of Mana is the greatest game of all time, but then again, its within the RPG format where every game seems to be the greatest game of all time.
2. Final Fantasy 3
Final Fantasy 3 was the first time a gamer was overwhelmed with how large a video game could be, not just in terms of time it took to finish, but in terms of its thematic scope. All those characters, with their own story lines, the massive story line slowly and patiently evolving in the world with an ice age ending it for a time. One could go on and on describing the ambition of this game. FF3 was the hallmark of Squaresoft, a company that embodied creativity unlike any game developer before it. Their knowledge of the inner psychology of humanity was a first for the video game medium. You weren’t just playing a game when playing FF3. You were finding out more about yourself through the massive amount of characters that you would use who all defined different parts of the human psyche.
1. Chrono Trigger
The theme music for 600 AD is perhaps the most recognized RPG theme in RPG history. Hit up Youtube now and you will find variegated renditions, from the simple piano mimicry, to obscure oboe afflatuses. This is just the music though…There’s also the game…made by “Sqauresoft”, which means it’s impossible that it wasn’t a great game. The theme of Chrono Trigger was arguably the best, most thought out idea for any RPG ever made. Taking advantage of the idea of the chronology of actual world history, you were to adventure across every span of the world’s totality, even to the “end of time” which gave you goose bumps knowing you were on the brink of timelessness. The creators of this game must have been reading Hegel before and during the development in this game, as creating a game with the theme of personally following out the logic of history, was surely an ode to Hegel’s essential philosophical insights. Philosophy aside, this game was effulgent and munificent in its delivery. The entire game, you think that the last boss is Magus, until you beat him and realize that he becomes one of the members of your party. Its here you realize how much time you spent playing this game, and how much more time you will have to spend to get at the real ending. Like all great RPGs, this game had a series of fake endings, where you could play the game 15 hours and get a bad ending with the world being destroyed, to be completely unsatisfied in your “accomplishment” up to that point. The realization that you have more times to explore with their own massive story lines in these lands led to a feeling of grandiosity, the hallmark of all square soft games. Chrono Trigger is up there with Final Fantasy 3 and Secret of Mana as some of the best accomplishments in gaming history. It’s with this knowledge that one then wants to understand what was going on in the minds of the creators of these games. To make games like this required inspiration and muse not needed in modern game making that merely requires “sex appeal”. Video games did have a golden age. Chrono Trigger represents that golden age…
Wow this list is great for the most part, just missing Mario RPG and EARTHBOUND!! But I like how that overrated FFVII isn’t in the top 5 tho
cant tell you how much i love you for putting illusion of gaia up on that list. i would have been about 6 or so when i first played it, and its pretty much THE game that made me the nerd i am today.
I’m not trying to be a bitchy fanboy, but what about golden sun?
Where is Lufia II?!
Awesome list
I almost agree with this list, but I don’t even think FF7 should be up there. I believe FF10 deserves being up there more.
What? No Halo3?
Halo 3 is the best RPG game of all time , it smash box office records.
Let the hate mail begin
Lol! I love Alberto’s comment!
To be honest probably the best RPG is a Live Action Role Playing Game, but this discussion is about video games.
About the only thing Halo made you Role play as is a crappy badass dude who is only good for T-Bagging.
How about Earthbound?
I’ll never understand why Shining Force II never gets any love in these lists. Probably because it was a Sega game.
Why does no one put Star Ocean 2 on there top RPGS of all time? Just about everything was perfect (except for the shitty vocals).
I cant belive some of the games u have listed above ff7 seriously? lol i kno its ur opinion but honestly ff7 should be top 3
and Alberto what makes a rpg good is not how many copies it sells its more about the story line and overall gameplay to me.. and halo 3 doesent really stack up to ff7 or most rpgs on that list
list was pretty decent. but just cause ff7 is overrated doesnt mean it deserves to be behind never winters night, diablo and baulders gate…those dont deserve to be on there…sorry
Another vote for Earthbound. Also, you guys need to play Dragon Quest! At least, the first four which were released for the NES as Dragon Warrior. BTW Dragon Quest (1) predates Final Fantasy (1), FF was not the first “classic” RPG.
I think this is a very well made list, the only changes I would make are that the sequels of Diablo and Baldurs Gate are invariably superior to the originals
Golden Sun… best RPG game on Gameboy Advance.
When you talked about Secret of Mana, you said “the music is arguably the greatest soundtrack to ever be developed for any video game.” WHAT?! Surely you must be joking. I understand that the game had good music for its age, but to call it the greatest soundtrack of every game ever made shows that are an offensively poor judge of music.
No Mass Effect?! It should be at least #5…
Seriously how could you not think ff7 WAS, im sorry, IS THE BEST GAME OF ALL TIME! I mean, everyone I’ve talked to says it is! SO it has to be!!!!!!!!!! Plus games like diablo (and the sequel) aren’t still played today, whereas ff7 sits on some collecters shelf. WHAT IM TRYING TO SAY IS THAT FF7 IS THE BEST THING TO HIT THE EARTH SINCE THE METEOR THAT DESTROYED THE DINOSAURS!! ff7 was not the best game ever made, nor the best final fantasy. sephiroth and cloud were both just unrealistically BADASS. They remind me of the guidos from jersey shore. sephiroth would be the situation and cloud would be Ronnie. anyways the rest of the characters were LAAAMMEEEEE! except red13 who was the coolest imo. i also found that the 16 different kinds of bahamuts were a bit unnecessary
I think it’s really funny that the composer of this list is clearly a well thought and intelligent person, quoting numerous philosophers and giving detailed explanations for each of his picks…and then you have people with names like FF7ORDIE and ff74lief ( so they’re opinions can’t be bias) saying things like ZZZOMMGGG WHHY ISNT fF7 In uR ToP 1!?!?!?11. I too am a huge fan of FF7 and zeromage obviously is too, but to say that diablo and bauldur’s gate do not belong on the list does not earn one much credibility or respect for that matter.
I’m very disappointed. You have Baldur’s Gate up there, for which I applaud you, but not the superior Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn? That I could possible forgive, but to then completely forget the epic masterpiece that is Planescape: Torment? Bioware at it’s FINEST! Truely the greatest of their Infinity Engine games.
Great list. Ive played rpg’s since the first one came out in America. Dragon Warrior. Dragon Warrior should be on this list if for no other reason then that. It was the first. Beyond that though, it was also fantasticly addictive. I agree that earthbound should have a place on the list. The Elder Scrolls should also have a place on the list, either daggerfall or marrowind. No game has ever had as large a map as Daggerfall. In fact, Marrowind is probably larger than any RPG map aside from daggerfall. I agree that C.T. is number one though.
Wow! Thanks for putting Diablo on! Best RPG ever!!! <3
This list can go suck it.
Finally a list on this site I can completely agree with!
There are some big flaws in this list…
Baldur’s Gate possibly deserves to be up there, but, as Kniteli and JaySee point out, Baldur’s Gate II was far superior and is certainly one of the finest RPGs ever made. Baldur’s Gate was a good but flawed game, that laid the foundations for it’s excellent sequel.
So you put FFVII in at number 12. Ho hum. And people have responded saying that it’s overrated and it doesn’t deserve to be up there. Wow. You guys should know that I and all the other RPG fans respect you loads for sticking to less popular RPGs, and for rejecting FFVII despite it clearly being the best incarnation of a Final Fantasy, and the best RPG (Possibly game, but for OoT) made so far. Still, if we underate it that makes us all look cooler, and more knowledgable, right?
No Morrowijnd or Oblivion? That’s a bit controversial. No Planetscape Torment? Ooh, the fans won’t like that. No Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines? What, too fps for you? Pfft. I can forgive these ommissions, but…
…NO FALLOUT GAMES? NONE?!?! Arguably the finest series of RPGs ever made, and you included NONE of them?!!? I expect the nausea of having to see the third one included at the expense of the first two, but none? Sorry, friend, but that’s inexcusable.
The next two leave me in the minority, because they are unquestionably very popular, and yet I fail to see the quality in either. Diablo the fourth best RPG ever? Diablo as in the retreat and stand in doorways simulator? Diablo as in with sod all sound and music? Diablo as in no character development and practically no story? Diablo as in with character creation and upgrading far worse than the likes of BG, ID, or even the later FFs? Please folks, explain what I’m missing here!
But then this is topped, by your third best RPG ever! What the hell is the deal with Secret of Mana? It’s a hybrid of FF and LoZ, but it takes the worst from both camps! The fighting in SoM was the most horrible thing in the world; with about 80% of the important fights won or lost by the person who got the first hit in. Then to boot, there is no story, and no characters! The boy, the girl, the imp! They don’t even have names!?!?
@Keefy: I love how whenever FF7 isn’t number one on such and such a list, some 12 year old comes out and starts crying about it. Honestly, that game has no re-play value whatsoever. Not only that, but the first time I played it I got bored about 1/4 of the way through. I’m so sick of these RPGs that have to combine some technology into a fantasy world. Could that be anymore cliched? Why can’t they just make good old fashioned fantasy games anymore?
Diablo, a game you criticize, can be replayed ad-infinitum, thanks to its randomized maps. And I love how you point out how it has no story. What, are you saying FF7 on par with Tolkien or something? (Wait, you’ve probably never read a book by Tolkien, but know all about LoTR from watching the movies).
Also I couldn’t be happier about not seeing any fall out games on this list. It sounds to me like you see a game rated highly on IGN and decide its gotta be the best game ever made and you go out and buy it. Maybe you should pick up some old classic RPGs like FF3 and then criticize this list coming from a standpoint of knowledge about what you’re talking about.
Secret of Mana is epic just for the fact that it is a 3 player game. My friends and I beat it once every few years together and it gives us a couple of weeks of amazing fun. And Chrono Trigger being number one is beyond dispute.
Vintage Junkie: I couldn’t agree with you more. I love when people play video games for the “story”. I play games to have fun. If I want a story I’ll go read a book. (something most people don’t have the patience for anymore).
OMG FF7 IS THE BESTESTESTESTESTETS EVERS.
Anyways, Good list. I thoroughly enjoy that unlike most lists, you don’t forsake games like Baldur’s Gate because it has no blaring electric guitars. No Fallout games is a bit of a disappointment, and Morrowind was pretty damn good as well. But I couldn’t agree with your 1st choice more. Chrono Trigger shits all over FF7. I mean, FF7 was good the first time. I’ve never played it since. I end up going back to CT every few years, and still love it.
Well I can partialy agree on that Emerald Magus. Stories can become a huge advantage a game can have over its competitors however since the game industry seems attempt to dethrone other kinds of forms of entertainment.Indeed, the best way to experience a story is via a book. And yes, sadly not many people do that nowadays. Still, I think it’s not bad to have more story-heavy games. Especially those with an insane amount of replay value. I’m going to add Dragon Age to the ones I already mentioned in my previous post therefore. Imoen and Minsc are epic !!!!!
Terrible list that attempts to seem well thought out by being different. Placement of FF7 is fine, who cares. But then you have games like Deus Ex above it which shouldn’t even be on the list. Or Diablo which is clearly inferior to Diablo II and shouldn’t be in the top 5 regardless. And no mention of the elder scrolls series at all.
u do know if u look @ ever RPG from FF7 up they resembles FF7. FF7 made rpgs what they are 2day if FF7 wasnt made we would not be talking about rpgs and thats how it is weather you people relize it or not hheres a little side note 4 everone hateing on FF7 witch in my oppion cant be touched by any game ever made or that they will make….
Final Fantasy VII was both a critical and commercial success, and set several sales records. Within three days of its release in Japan, the game had sold 2.3 million copies.[5] This popularity inspired thousands of retailers in North America to break street dates in September to meet public demand for the title.[59] In the game’s debut weekend in North America, it sold 330,000 copies,[60] and had reached sales of 500,000 units in less than three weeks.[61] The momentum built in the game’s opening weeks continued for several months; Sony announced the game had sold one million copies on the continent by early December,[62] prompting business analyst Edward Williams from Monness, Crespi, Hardt & Co. to comment, “Sony redefined the role-playing game (RPG) category and expanded the conventional audience with the launch of Final Fantasy VII”.[62] Final Fantasy VII had sold over 9.8 million copies worldwide including Final Fantasy VII International as of December 2005,[63] making it the highest-selling Final Fantasy title.[64]
Although Square’s announcement that Final Fantasy VII would be produced for Sony rather than Nintendo and that it would not be based on the Final Fantasy SGI demo was initially met with discontent among gamers,[44][45] the game continues to maintain a strong following. It placed second in the “Top 100 Favorite Games of All Time” poll by Japanese magazine Famitsu during March 2006,[65] while users of the video game website GameFAQs voted Final Fantasy VII as the “Best Game Ever”[66] in November 2005 and in 2004,[67] and placed second in 2009.[68]
final fantasy 9 is in my opinion the greatest RPG ever made, its such a bueatiful game. i love the soundtrack , by far the best by nobeu utmastuo
What about The Elder Scrolls Series anyone of them is better than all these. The elder scrolls Morrowind was the best.
Chrono Trigger is so overrated. It’s a great game, but not anywhere near the best in its genre. FF3 is by far the best RPG ever made.
Hi all,
not very impressed with this list, but i’ve alwayz thought chrono cross/trigger were just the next japanamation game.. i gained some enjoyment from playing those 2.. and finishing them.. but i got a different vibe i guess, i thought they kinda sucked, well at least in comparison to my favorite 15 rpgs.. you’d find those 2 more likely in my favorite 250 rpgs (#249/#250). too much lik a final fantasy clone.. if they’re your #1 and #15 favorite rpgs lol.. your in desperate need of some serious gaming education… at any rate glad to see diablo 1.. but that rpg could be the best/most fun ever, so it’s more of a given.. diablo 2 shud be on there too.. what about the elder scroll series; arena, daggerfall, morrowind, and oblivion.. this series revolutionized RPG’s, at least one shud be included in any top rpg list. Xenogears is a bad game. flat out. I also found the number of final fantasy games listed was far overdone for a list this short, apparently they either sponsor you to write reviews lol, or more likely, you dont play enough games.. P.S. what about the dragon warrior series… noobs.
my 2 cents.
lol whoever said diablo 1 is inferior to diablo 2.. while i strongly appriciate both of those titles. i lean more the other direction. diablo 2 is (comparitivly) vast, larger selection of everything (towns monsters items NPC’s multiplayer abilities, etc the list is endless), and basicly the same game with a tonne more options.. all that being said. take the year 1996 into consideration, everything falls into place nicely doesnt it. nuff said
Ever heard of Ultima V, Ultima VI and Ultima VII? Duh.
y hasnt neone mentioned ff8? that’s my fav apart from CT which deserves its title as #1 and its kinda stupid of the ppl sayin FF games are up there to much as the FF series is hardly a series at all and more like the name of a group of RPG’s with in depth stories and almost always the most cutting edge graphics for there times of release on there respective consol’s
though it saddens me to see theres no fall out 1 or 2, with its realistically believable story line, long game play, tons of skills and perks that changes every way u play the game depending on how u choose them, completely different diaolog options depending on ur base stats (eg: threatin someone if high str., talk like a retart if not much int., a smooth talker with high chr.) lots of weapons that are also upgradable and karma lvl changes depending on ur choices during missions (like how at finishin number 1 the good way it made me sad so i play’d again the bad way and got my revenge, it was funny =D) its clearly a prime example of wat an rpg should hope to be (btw fallout 3 ruined the series honor, it didnt even hav a monty pythons refrence lol)
This list is TERRIBLE!! Final Fantasy VII at number 12? Are you retarded. So many games missing too.You sir, know nothing about video games.
Too many final fantasy games, the only final fantasy game that should be on it is VI. Also practically everyone knows that Baldur’s gate II and Diablo II were superior to their original counterparts. My biggest gripe though is the absence of Planescape: Torment, which should really top this list all things considered. It’s not a bad list tho, I’ve definietely seen worse.
Thanks for the reply Vintage Junkie. In future though, you may wish to not make sweeping and stupid statements about my age (I haven’t been 12 for a long time), manner of valuing games (if I just went on IGN, why would I be here?), and the literature I read (Yes I have read the majority of Tolkein’s works, not that it has bearing on this topic whatsoever). Really, being so wrong about such things tends to undermine the rest of your points, too. Alternatively, get cancer.
“I’m so sick of these RPGs that have to combine some technology into a fantasy world. Could that be anymore cliched? Why can’t they just make good old fashioned fantasy games anymore?”
Can I interest anyone in a slice of irony?
“that game has no re-play value whatsoever. Not only that, but the first time I played it I got bored about 1/4 of the way through.”
If you are infering that you stopped playing, then you can’t really talk about replayability, can you? Diablo’s dungeon’s were randomised, but as I said, Diablo ultimately boils down to moving into a room, getting followed, move out of the room to the nearest doorway. Ultimately, the layout is irrelevant, as long as there are rooms and doors.
“Also I couldn’t be happier about not seeing any fall out games on this list.”
Fallout. The series is called Fallout. Furthermore, why has the happiest moment of your life come as result of Fallout being omitted? Really, you could have spent the rest of that paragraph explaining your opinion, rather than the useless and incorrect speculation you went for.
“Secret of Mana is epic just for the fact that it is a 3 player game. My friends and I beat it once every few years together and it gives us a couple of weeks of amazing fun.”
Your only point that you actually bother to explain. That said, as a single player game it sucks balls.
“And Chrono Trigger being number one is beyond dispute.”
Consider it disputed.
Chrono Trigger is an excellent RPG, largely due to it’s multiple endings, great battle system, and lovely use of time travel for puzzles. That said, Chrono Trigger has it’s flaws, too. The characters in Chrono Trigger are very two-dimensional compaired to other RPGs (particularly FFs and KotORs), the story of Chrono Trigger is, imho, much less involving than FFVI, FFVII or FFX (and equally the soundtrack is poorer than these games). Chrono Trigger’s battle system is one of the finest of the J-RPGs that I have played (and is adapted to even better effect in FFIX), but it really doesn’t compare with the likes of Fallout 1+2 or Baldur’s Gate, where battles could remain extremely difficult even in spite of powerlevelling (BGII is king of this). Also, Chrono isn’t really a character at all, but simply a walking camera who almost never interacts with what is going on around him – other than to slash things with his sword.
So I would suggest that Chrono Trigger is, while a must-play RPG, not as good as many other titles in it’s genre.