Last time we spent all week focusing on just the Final Fantasy series, and it was quite a lot to focus on. If you thought that was daunting though, just wait!
Final Fantasy debates are usually a touchy subject, but while the results may be upsetting to some, I have to say that everything went better than I expected from start to finish. The focus stayed on your opinions -- or on other opinions you agreed with -- instead of the typical disagreements we see so often with this series. And the insight! Wow, the insight was great, and it was a pleasure to read all the walls of text that so many of you felt so strongly about. Job well done! Here are the results:
- Final Fantasy VI (42 votes) -- Winner!!!
- Final Fantasy VII (26 votes) -- Silver Medal!!
- Final Fantasy IX (15 votes) -- Bronze Medal!
- Final Fantasy Tactics (13 votes)
- Final Fantasy VIII -- (9 votes)
- Final Fantasy X -- (7 votes)
- Final Fantasy IV -- (5 votes)
- Final Fantasy X-2 -- (4 votes)
- Final Fantasy V -- (3 votes)
- Final Fantasy XII -- (2 votes)
- Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII -- (2 votes)
- The Final Fantasy Legend -- (2 votes)
I had expected FFVI to grab the top with FFVII hot on its Chocobo heels, but FFVI really shined. What surprised me is that FFT didn't sneak into the third place spot, although FFIX definitely has a lot of love. I also thought FFX would rise above FFVIII, but the Dtoid Army has spoken!
Now that we've gotten the Final Fantasy series out of the way, it's time to crack your knuckles and get down to business. If you thought we'd conquer the topic of "Best RPG EVAR?!" in a single weak week, then you're sadly mistaken. Remember that insanely large multiple month Street Fighter character debate tournament we did last year that tons of you loved, while some patiently waited for it to pass onto other topics? Well I'm diving into another huge tournament, and it's up to you to decide the size, as well as the winner.
Even though the amount of top tier RPG games would make it easy to do so, I don't plan on making it excessively long. All you need to do this week is list all of the non-Final Fantasy game RPGs that you truly love. Not the okay or good ones. The great ones. The only rule: it cannot be an online RPG. It can be multiplayer, but not an MMO or any other online variant of the RPG genre. Basically, console or handheld only, unless you spot any exceptions.
I'll take all the suggestions into consideration, make some brackets that seem fair including the most loved Final Fantasy games, as well as the new suggestions, and try to make it not unreasonably long. This tournament is entirely in your hands. Take this week off as a chance to do some serious thinking on what you would choose as your absolute favorite RPG if forced to make that decision. Because that'll be soon!
Contest:
10:30 PM on 01.26.2010
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Good luck!
inb4 Earthbound.
;) Very interested in seeing what the mass consensus will end up being this week.
But, uh... uh... uhm... Baldur's Gate 2?
It was a difficult choice, between Persona 4, Mass Effect, Fallout 2, FFVI and so many others... though, Baldur's Gate II was the one game I have never, ever gotten one bit sick of a decade of playing it over, and over, and over again. I get the feeling tomorrow FFVI will be my favourite RPG ever, or Persona 4, or basically anything else.
Ugh. I can't stay here anymore... I can't. It's like... ugh. I feel like I've betrayed my other beloved RPGs.
But I stand by my position... for now.
Oblivion (Heavily, heavily modded)
Those are the only RPGs I really love. I've never been that into RPGs, Western or Japanese, but I'm a huge fan of those 2 games. Problem is, Morrowind is plain broken without unofficial patches and optimizers and I hate vanilla Oblivion.
Mass Effect comes close too. I can't not mention it. Really looking forward to ME2.
Grandia
Valkyrie Profile
Star Ocean 1+2
Rogue Galaxy
Dark Cloud 1+2
Legend of Dragoon
Breath of Fire 1-4
Lost Odyssey
Disgaea
Golden Sun 1+2
Pokemon Gold/Silver
Kingdom Hearts 1+2
Tales of Eternia/Symphonia/Phantasia/Destiny/Legendia
Chrono Trigger
Chrono Cross
Mass Effect 1+2
Alundra
Secret of Mana
Legend of Mana
All of the Mario Rpg's
Lunar: Silver Star
Skies of Arcadia
OMFG MY HEAD
HURTS.
I forgot to type it. :[
Suikoden/Suikoden 2
Grandia
Lunar: The Silver Star
Secret of Mana
...Lost Odyssey
Fine. Shadow Hearts 1. Terribly underrated and unknown by large and its sequel continues the story of the first in such a way that they are my top top RPGs on the PS2. Period.
And Star Ocean II. The real one. Before they redid the art and made Rena into a super moe 12 year old.
Tales of Symphonia
Persona 4
Earthbound
Mother 3
Pokemon Silver (Pokemans franchise in general I guess, but that generation has a big nostalgia factor for me)
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
I think that's it... I'm sad that I missed the Final Fantasy competition, otherwise FF9 would be the top of my list.
Panzer Dragoon Saga
Shadowrun (Genesis)
Phantasy Star 4
Dragon Force
Skies of Arcadia
Gothic 1 & 2
Tales of Phantasia
Daggerfall
System Shock 1 & 2
Might & Magic (entire series)
Fallout 1 & 2
Alright.
Shadow Hearts 1
Shadow Hearts 2
Chrono Trigger
Xenogears
Dragon Quest 8
Dragon Quest 5
Dragon Quest 6
Tales of Phantasia
Pokemon [all of them]
Golden Sun [both]
Fallout 1
Fallout 2
Morrowind [heavily modded]
Fallout 3 [heavily modded]
Earthbound
Secret of Mana
Metal Max Returns
Star Ocean
Suikoden V
Wait for it....
SEIKEN DENSETSU 3! That games has so much to offer I cannot describe how amazing it really is.
Maybe do 16 games, but do 2 debates (2 brackets, aka, 4 games) per week? That could work...
No Lufia 2?
I officially hate destructoid.
Final Fantasy 6-Earthbound
Link to the Past- Secret of Mana
Fallout 3- Final Fantasy 7
Mass Effect- Knights of the Old Republic
Obviously there a bunch missing, but I think the merits of each contender is worthy of careful scrutiny.
Legend of Dragoon.
Dragon Quest VIII
Legend of Zelda all of them
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the seven stars
Warcraft 3(the campaigns)
Kingdom Hearts 1/2
Shadow of Colossus
Skies of Arcadia (Legends, even!)
Dragon Warrior 3
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
I could mention a slew of games that were great to play at least once through, but those three I could keep coming back to forever. Hell, I watched someone play through 80 hours of Nocturne without ever getting bored. And that creeps me out, as I usually get bored watching people play games after a half hour or so.
mass effect
mass effect 2
dragons age
chrono trigger
world ends with you
earthbound
pretty solid I'd say
Chrono Trigger
Suikoden 1
My favorites of all time!
Those are all jrpgs though. Should there be 2 categories?
Mario RPG series and Paper Mario series.
Lost Odyssey.
Mother 3 (although I have not finished it).
Dragon Quest 1 (first RPG is played).
Barkley Shut Up and Jam Gaiden.
Radiata Stories
Mass Effect
The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Fallout 3 (I didn't like this game but it really was well made)
Lost Odyssey
Star Ocean 3
Xenogears
I wish I could say Shin Megami Tensei, one of it's many spin-offs, or Mother but I still haven't played any of them. :/
Also high five to Gamadaya for mentioning Mass Effect. It'll start a shitstorm but whatever. We need more epic Western RPGs. Preferably non medieval based. I've got no boner for space marines either but ME is too damn good.
One of the best RPGs I have ever played.
Seiken Densetsu 3
Tales of Phantasia
Chrono Trigger
1) Mario RPG
2) Shining force
3) Demons souls
4) Chrono Trigger
5) Paper mario and the thousand year door
6) Fallout 3
*i keep seeing zelda games on the other comments, and if zelda counts then Metroid should damn well count too, so consider this a vote for metroid! (and zelda)
Earthbound
Secret of Mana
Morrowind (thanks to mods)
and Lufia 2.
Lufia 2 is often overlooked, but it had so many great features to it. A very solid game.
Also, both Knights Of The Old Republic.
(Also, not a vote, but this reminds me I need to play Disgaea).
Baldur's Gate 1+2
Deus Ex
Diablo 1+2
Icewind Dale 1+2
Neverwinter Nights
System Shock 2
KOTOR
Gothic 2
Legend of Dragoon
Morrowind
Oblivion
Mass Effect
Dragon Age Origins
Fable 1+2 (shuddup I enjoyed them)
Kingdom Hearts 1+2
Dark Cloud 1+2
Oh god there's more, but i cannae go on..
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Fallout 3
Mass Effect
Mass Effect 2
Disgaea 3
Jeanne d'Arc
Lost Odyssey
Dragon Age: Origins
With me, for the most part, it's strategy and Western RPGs FTW.
By far my favorite non-FF RPG. Incredibly underrated, especially compared to it's way overrated younger brother Valkyria Chronicles.
just bought it and im loving it. cant wait for persona 4 to hit the psp this summer.
"Also high five to Gamadaya for mentioning Mass Effect. It'll start a shitstorm but whatever. We need more epic Western RPGs. Preferably non medieval based. I've got no boner for space marines either but ME is too damn good."
This. So hard. I effin' love Mass Effect, and it wouldn't hurt if there were some more WRPGs (or WRPGs in general) like it.
*Chrono Trigger, obviously.
*Super Mario RPG
*Earthbound
*Pokemon Silver/Gold
*Golden Sun
*Dragon Quest/Dragon Warrior