Topic: 2012: Year of the RPG

@Nukeprime64, what about magic don't you like? Is it because it's usually a little more complex to use, or is it for some other reason? Not trying to troll, just genuinely curious (I myself usually prefer a more physical type character as well, although I will use magic when necessary).

Taking your dislike for turn based battles into account (and assuming you probably also dislike random battles, as do I, lol), I'm going to go ahead and recommend KH3D. The KH series is about as action as it gets when it comes to RPGs, there are no random battles, and you don't get bogged down with a complex magic system (I'll usually just map "cure" to the quick action menu, and that's about it for the most part). If you want a more traditional experience with a modern sentimentality, I'd suggest Tales of the Abyss. It's a traditional JRPG through and through, but all monsters can be seen on the world map (meaning you can avoid confrontation if you really want to), and the battles are in real time (not as fluent as something like KH, but still much more "exciting" than the usual RPG fare). It is really magic heavy story wise (so if your objection is more religious based, I can understand your hesitation), but you can ignore it mostly in battle if you keep Tear and Jade in your party as much as possible (the main magic users in the game, they'll do all the fancy work while you take a more action based attack style). Hope my suggestions were helpful

Is Phantasy Star Online 2 coming out this year for PC? If so, then yes, 2012 is the year of the RPG.

@RR539: Thanks for the reccomendation, I may check that one out.

I hope sprite based RPGs like Chrono Trigger and Radiant Historia don't die. Easily two of the best games I've ever played. It'd be real cool to see an RPG in the same vein, but with high res hand-drawn sprites and backgrounds.

Not as long as NIS is around, I'll wager.

@Radixxs, TotA isn't sprite based (it's polygonal), and it does have some more modern sentiments (like real time battles), but despite all that, it still has a more classic vibe to it in terms of overworld navigation and the feel of the story. If you do decide to check it out, I hope you enjoy it. Again, it's available on 3DS and PS2 (although I believe it's harder than h*ll to find on PS2, especially in Europe, where it wasn't released). EU does have the 3DS version though, but I heard the 3DS version might be hard to nab as well (I've heard the series has a quite the history of limited releases).

As for sprite based RPGs, I haven't played much outside of the Mario RPGs, but I have enjoyed them. I've also played Final Fantasy IV on GBA and really enjoyed it, as well.

This year, I'd love to see that Final Fantasy V remake I've been waiting for since Square started doing the DS Final Fantasy remakes! FF V & VI are the only "old school" Final Fantasy games yet to get a remake. So, while Theaterhythm may wind up being ok, it's a far cry from the Final Fantasy for 3DS I've been waiting for! Hope we get an announcement of mainstream Final Fantasy returning to a Nintendo console at E3.

Sprite base suck. 7up all way beat to easly.
_{But seriously, Fire Emblem Awakening looks great, Pokémon + Nobunaga could be good, who isn't anticipating Paper Mario and Theatrhythm could very well feel like more than just a rhythm game with FF characters.}

Im gonna be honest BattleToad... your avatar scares me...

Now you can add Project X Zone to your list

@RR529: It's complicated, but I'll try and break it down for you.

Technology has logic to it, magic does not.

Magic usually takes forever to learn or requires you to go on a pointless quest. Why even bother?

Everything that magic is supposed to be able to do, technology usually can do it better and faster providing it's at the right level. E.g. why use a hokus pokus fire spell when a lit arrow or flame-thrower will do the job.

The whole 'magic is evil, sell your soul to the devil' thing that really puts me off.

I am a man of science and an inventor.

Finally technology actually works whereas magic doesn't.

So, yeah, I prefer a little less fantasy and a bit more physics in my RPGs.

Technology has logic to it, magic does not.

Video game technology has about as much logic as magic.

Magic usually takes forever to learn or requires you to go on a pointless quest. Why even bother?

I can't think of a single game that works that way. Also, even if that were true, going on a quest to earn a magic spell is the polar opposite of "pointless." It quite clearly has a point. You earn the magic spell.

Everything that magic is supposed to be able to do, technology usually can do it better and faster providing it's at the right level. E.g. why use a hokus pokus fire spell when a lit arrow or flame-thrower will do the job.

What?

The whole 'magic is evil, sell your soul to the devil' thing that really puts me off.

Seriously what?

I am a man of science and an inventor.

Holy crap. I just got it. You're talking about the real world, and not video games.

I suggest you look up the concept of "fantasy." Nuker. By the very definition of it it's not meant to be realistic.

@Waltz: He kinda has a point, though, at least to me — i think it'd be neat to see some more RPGs based in reality/possible realities (or things that can be explained via quick-and-dirty pseudosciences) instead of the same-old magic, magic, magic. I know RPGs began with fantasy as opposed to science fiction, but that doesn't mean they can't be an RPG without using magic somehow. either way, he's got his personal tastes in terms of story and setting, and he's entitled to them. :3

as for what i'm looking forward to, Paper Mario 3D and Heroes of Ruin (though the latter mainly out of curiosity; i may change my mind as it nears release). Still kinda waffling about SMT:DS2, Pokemon bores me. I'd probably be all about KH:DDD (due to the TWEWY characters showing up) if it wasn't for the fact that i've never played any of the other games before :3

I understand that, for sure. What confused me was his implication that he doesn't like RPGs because magic doesn't work in real life. That seemed like a very strange rationale to me. I don't like platformers as a rule, but that's not because jumping on people's heads is not a very efficient way of getting them out of the way in real life.

I'm not sure "realism" in the sense of "the closer to real life = the better" is a necessarily good way to gauge a game's value as entertainment.

@Waltz: he doesn't like some RPGs because of their use of magic, and then he's got his own reasons for disliking magic in general. if they used technology instead of magic, he'd probably like them. he was asked why he dislikes magic, and was kind enough to explain his feelings.

I don't like some types of sandwiches because of their use of mayonnaise; if the mayo isn't present, I'd probably like them. If asked, I'd explain that I think mayo smells absolutely foul, and that's why I dislike it. You may find my rationale to be odd as well, but whether you find a good egg salad sandwich to be the most divine foodstuff ever or not, that won't change my mind, nor should it open me up to being picked apart over it. it is what it is.

Can I nominate Super Mario RPG? I guess I'm a few years behind.

This year actually has more than one good RPG, so I'd say it wins out over those ones. I mean really: Xenoblade, The Last Story, Tales of Graces f, Ni No Kuni, Final Fantasy XIII-2, and even Growlanser 4, with the likeliness of Persona 2: Eterna Punishment hitting at the end of the year. At the very least, it's the year of the RPGs in America.

Edit: I suppose I should also throw Mass Effect 3 in for argument's sake. Then there's games I'm not too sure about like Kingdom of Alamur: The Reckoning, Heroes of Ruin, Torchlight 2, and Diablo III.

Edit 2:

In Japan, yes. I'm not sure if it'll make it over here in time to be 2012's GOTY, though.

Isn't trails of the sky 6 coming out this year. Its supposed to be in space this time around.

So while were on the subject of rpgs I have a question. Is there a reason why nearly every genre had adopted DD games as a viable release platform expect JRPG makers. It baffles me that square hasn't made a classic ff style game and put it on xbla/psn.

But yeah so far the bestrpg ive played was mass effect barring the last five minutes or so. ( even then that wasn't that bad)

Because they can make more money selling nostalgia for a premium.

@Nukerprime64, OK, thanks for clarifying! You're not the only person I've heard of that has those kinds of feelings (since magic isn't a real phenomenon, it makes it harder to connect to the game, and care about what's going on. Not a believable system, so not a believable game world).

Thank you for that bout of intellectual input @blackdragon, I appreciate it . That being said, I never said that I hate all RPGs with magic I just stated why I don't like the concept of it. I also never said that it had to be ultra realistic either, pseudo-science, silly science or even no logic at all will do just fine, that's my kind of fiction. It's like someone who doesn't like the hunting of animals in real life, they probably aren't going to do it in a game even if it is 'fantasy'. Monsters, evil kings, ancient times and fantastic worlds are all fine by me as long as it's not magic heavy and I don't have to point a silly little wand at people in order to get what I want. Final statement: yes, I hate magic, real or fake.

Why is it that every time I state my opinion It almost always starts an argument?