Just wondering if there were any rpg games I probably haven't played.
My favourite is mass effect 2 reason for it is that it improved on everything from the first game quick loading times story had a good beginning good middle the end was a good all in all.
1. It's hard to recommend RPGs when you haven't mentioned more than 1 (well...2).
2. I'm not sure Mass Effect 2 is a game that has many comparable games. I mean...I guess other Bioware games but like...other 3rd person cover shooters with great stories? Other RPGs that play so little like an RPG? No idea. Fallout 4 maybe?
But if you just want a general recommendation for the genre, my go to JRPGs are Golden Sun1/2, Final Fantasy IV, Chrono Trigger, Mother 3 , Xenoblade and Radiant Historia.
Final Fantasy IV is basically the beginning of great JRPGs, a classic, Golden Sun 1/2 are the best traditional, turn based JRPGs for my tastes (granted, I haven't played some of the best ones like Suikoden 2 or whatever), Chrono Trigger everyone loves, Xenoblade is a masterpiece that combines JRPG storytelling with more western RPG gameplay in the best ways, Mother 3 has the best traditional narrative in video games, Radiant Historia is for people who loved Chrono Trigger, but without being a copy of Chrono Trigger and doing cool new things.
unfortunately I've played very few western RPGs outside of Mass Effect. I love Elder Scrolls IV and V but they are flawed and buggy.
If you like western RPGs I would suggest:
Elder Scrolls 4 Oblivion
The Quest (by Redshift games, you can find it on Steam)
Elder Scrolls 2 Daggerfall (if you are into retrogaming and Dosbox, the game is now available for free)
Hand of fate (this one is rather different than anything else and it's very good)
If you like western RPGs where you are all alone in a completely hostile world with no friendly npcs, no towns, just enemies and puzzles I have played Legend of Grimrock 2 and it was good, but I don't like this type of RPGs that much I prefer an action game at this point
If you like JRPGs I like Final fantasy 7, Paper Mario (the one for the Nintendo 64 is the best one amongst the ones I played) and if it's ok for you to face insanely difficult games try some Shin Megami Tensei game too. I am very fascinated by Lucifer call but I find it way too difficult I really can't play it, but I really would like a lot to be able to go further.
I used to be a ripple user like you, then I took The Arrow in the knee
RPG is really such a broad category these days. The classic WRPG/CRPG like Wizardry, which is in the vein of The Elder Scrolls (Daggerfall, Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim) have really split off and fused with action games to a degree. So we have classic CRPG, retro CRPG, mostly the Black Isle games. Fallout 1 & 2 (if you have not played these, and like top-down turn based WRPGs you are missing something amazing), Planescape: Torment, and the old Black Isle/Bioware games like Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale etc. But then the modern Bioware games, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, even Jade Empire have become very action oriented and toned down the RPG aspects heavily. I happen to gravely dislike modern Fallout....it's basically just Elder Scrolls set in the Fallout universe but it misses so much of what made the first two wonderful.
But then there's SRPGS: Fire Emblem, Disgaea, Devil Survivor, the new Mario + Rabbids, etc.
Then JRPGs (turn based, fixed parties, more narrative driven)...which then have Retro JRPGS (old isometric Final Fantasy, Mana, Chrono Trigger (a classic), and modern games in that style like Bravely Default and the upcoming Octopath Traveler, and then the "modern" JRPGs like SMT, Persona, Dragon Quest, Tokyo Mirage, modern FF.
And then there's ARPGs (ActionRPG) like Diablo, Musou/Warriors can kind of qualify, etc.
There's a lot of sub-genres to dial into. I don't think you'll find anything quite like Mass Effect though. The first was a somewhat hollow attempt at a dynamically generated open world RPG. The second and third were almost action-adventure third-person-shooter games that happened to have some RPG elements (EA did a lot of changing there to make it more shooter like.) The closest thing I can think of is the Deus Ex reboot series (Human Revolution, Mankind Divided). Those are arguably better games, and better at being RPGs than Mass Effect 2 but use a lot of similar mechanics. The original Deus Ex (PC only) is the best of call in many ways, BUT the gameplay is VERY dated and doesn't hold up well today.
@NEStalgia
Wow, very detailed explanation about RPG definition'
Btw, how do I explain about RPG genre for my Primary school students ?
Can I tell it's look like Adventure games with some Missions to do ?
@Anti-Matter Hmm....it would be kind of a different description I suppose depending on the sub-genre.
I suppose, broadly, an RPG is a game that features some form of long adventure and almost always involves collecting better items, ingredients, armor, and weapons as you go. But one of the core elements that makes an RPG is the accrual of experience points for combat victories that allow you to upgrade your character and typically unlock new abilities. That element might be hard to explain to elementary students.
It's a tricky genre to define. What makes the sub-genres (ARPG, CRPG, MMORPG, JRPG, SRPG) different is mostly the combat system and the means of acquiring items, quests, and party formation. Most RPGs are story driven but some genres are not, dungeon crawlers generally have little to no story.
But there are elements they all have in common. They almost always are lengthy, are always adventures that take you to multiple new places, be it new cities, or new dungeons. They all involve a system for acquiring and using items, and they all involve a system for raising your character's abilities through leveling up. And mostly always involve lots of reading and lots of numbers
But that reads like a game design document. How is that explained to kids? Well maybe we can distill it to Pokemon (which is technically a monster-collection RPG, and is technically a descendant of SMT.) It's a big adventure to a lot of different places, where you fight lots of battles and get points when you win that make you stronger and unlock new abilities, and you also get money to buy food and items to heal you and make you stronger.
That's probably the most child-like way to think of it I can manage, I'm afraid.
Edit: Oh, and I would be remiss if I didn't mention Monster Hunter. It's a strange RPG in that they don't have much of a story. However, if you're looking for RPG progression, crafting, and tightly animated boss battles with wild creatures in either single or multiplayer, MonHan's your jam.
Well of course Morrowind established the open world RPG genre (I guess you could count Daggerfall or some of the early JRPGs with overworlds, but the former was randomly generated and they were all flat). That genre has spun off and sort of formed its own open world action-adventure-crafter-shooter amalgamation, but none of those games have really captured the explorative and immersive feel of Bethesda games.
The term 'immersive sim' has been coined for games like Bethesda RPGs and Deus Ex, but the level design is just so different with an open world. The Elder Scrolls are unique in that they're first-person open world RPGs with a huge focus on particular level design. That sort of AAA dungeon crawler atmosphere makes them feel like a Metroid Prime game more than anything else really.
If you're looking for recommendations, Skyrim is obviously the easiest to get into. Fallout 4 makes a lot of improvements and has some great new ideas, but I feel like the world and progression suffered a bit. And of course there's the whole back catalogue; Oblivion, Morrowind, Fallout 3, and New Vegas (not developed by Bethesda, but using the same engine, systems, and assets from Fallout 3).
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