RPG Recommendations

[Akira_Tenshi]

If you are asking for RPG recommendations now you either do not own a PS3 or have somehow missed the hype surrounding Ni No Kuni.

[strallaalaa]

final fantasy 12 would of been a perfect ff title if they just didn't have the ability to use auto gambits on the main character that you control.

[Orophin]

I went back a few years and started playing Rogue Galaxy for PS2. It's a bit grindy if you want to do some side stuff like complete all the monster entries for each area, but it has active combat so it doesn't really put you to sleep, opposed to if it were turn based.

[Meatdawg]

I am just about to wrap up Ni No Kuni now. This was my bridge from Xenoblade to Beta starting. (Btw, if you don't have a wii or a wii-u you should look into emulating Xenoblade on your computer)

Ni No Kuni is fantastic. Sure it has its faults like every game but it is a breath of fresh air in a pretty stale genra. I still have my White Wizzards edition sealed and am debating if I should sell it on ebay or not.

You can also look into Fire Emblem Awaking but I will probably skip this as I still have a lot of post game stuff left in Ni No Kuni.

[Tonkra]

If you are asking for RPG recommendations now you either do not own a PS3 or have somehow missed the hype surrounding Ni No Kuni.

by the way is it really true, that Ni no kuni selled not that good in japan in comparison to other rpgs??!

[Meteorfist]

Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, Super Mario RPG. All pretty solid. Just bust out the SNES. hf

[MetaVale]

Last Remnant on PC: is incredibly graphics hungry. It looks fantastic though, but you can't really appreciate it without a decent card. Fantastic game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq9bO2cPT-U

Dark Souls: As incredible as Demons' Souls was, Dark Souls is roughly the same. The PC Port does have its issues with graphics(tearing and some other things), and really needs a controller to play properly. The PC version does have additional content that the PS3/Xbox didn't get.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnUGxY_b00Y

Demons Souls is also pretty damn good and a PS3 exclusive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnEzkbdTa0I


Rogue Galaxy: Fantastic, gorgeous looking game from Level 5 (same people that did Dark Cloud, also a really good series). Leveling in this game is damned important. 1 level makes a huge difference in what you can do(fuck the mimics in Jiraika when you first get there. So many deaths ><).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAPrY-5AtD4


Golden Sun & Golden Sun: The Lost Age: arguably the best RPGs on the gameboy advanced.

Golden Sun DS: It's not bad, I find it too easy. But still a decent story and is in line with it's predecessors.

Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinestrals (SNES): Very good RPG, they remade it as an ARPG on the DS. It's actually a prequel to Lufia, but even though it was released first they numbered it 2 (don't have a clue why they did that...)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKj0yspbKRM

Star Ocean:Till The End of Time(PS2): Really good, I wish I could get mine working again to beat it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pB3-jGNcDvg


Baiten Kaitos (Game Cube): Some companies have huge issues doing card based games. Sega fucked up with Phantasy Star Online 3 and its card system. Baiten Kaitos works really well, and the story is pretty good to boot. Cards are your attacks, certain cards can age and have different effects, but you're never left in a position where you can't progress if you don't have anything decent (it's just a little hard to progress is all).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HMczCElPaI


Witcher 1 & 2: Great action RPGs, I finally got back into the Witcher 2 after beating 1. I skimmed a lot in Witcher 1 just so I could play Witcher 2 that much sooner. Don't do that. You can miss out on a lot of little things, but these little things help the story and involve you in the world more (imo).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZcsNE6wCHI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEA_wUk5pUs


Bastion: Beautifully drawn backgrounds, characters and effects. The score behind it is fantastic. You can pick it up on steam for like $4.00 every so often. It's also controller friendly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxZydtRaZqo

Valkyria Chronicle (PS3): If you pick this up, get ALL the DLC. Should only be like another 10 bucks or so. Turn based strategy game in a 3D environment. Very, Very nice cell shaded graphics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-0RY4TTNwE
Similar to the Fire Emblem Series, in that Death of a character is permanent if the body is approached by an enemy or not rescued in time (unless it's a main character in which case the mission just ends in failure.) I love this game, but the later levels can take an hour or more. The DLC adds missions you can try for new weapons, and better experience then the Skirmish missions unlocked by completing main scenario missions (you can only replay scenario missions on a second playthrough after beating them). Also Vyse and Aika from Skies of Arcadia are recruitable characters and have decent stats.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-0RY4TTNwE



"Tales" Series: These are all pretty solid games, well worth looking into. I still think my favorites are Tales of Phantasia (first Tales game on the SNES) and Tales of Symphonia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGQl4MXdeHI



ICO/Shadows Of The Colossus (PS3 HD Remake): Escorting a princess out of a castle while getting attacked by shadows, and killing giant monsters by climbing them and stabbing them. Not much better then this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eo0k0q7X47w


White Knight Chronicles 1&2(PS3. Pick up 2 because it comes with 1): It's a tad cliche, but the online stuff and story isn't half bad, the fighting in it is pretty decent.
It also has a very decent Online Mode, and the community is pretty nice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOxu1UCDu-o

Nier(PS3): I like it. Another game by SE. It got a lot of hate for some reason but I found it to be fairly enjoyable. Graphics are good, it's an action RPG, about 100(or more, i forget) different mods you can put onto equipment for different stuff. And you get these mods by killing enemies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2nPvrOZVGc

Skies Of Arcadia: Legends( Game Cube): Sky Pirates and Ship Battles! You really can't ask for more. Pretty solid story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5PgLbU4NJo


I'm excluding the FF series because I'm assuming you've played most of them. A lot of the games suggested here are really, really good, so it's just a matter of picking what you like most. I've played a hell of a lot of them and included some vids in case you wanted some quick info on them. I suggest youtubing games you think you'd like. In the case of the SNES games, well, just look for the intro and you'll be able to see if its good or not.

As you can see, there aren't many Western games listed. Most are JapanaStudio or SE. They are a different style of game compared to D&D set rule games(which most western RPGS are) such as Baldurs Gate. They are, however, about a thousand times shorter then Baldurs Gate or BG 2. Baldurs Gate 2: Shadows of Amn has something around 2300 hours of gameplay. So it depends on how much time you want to sink into the game. If you have the time? Baldurs Gate all the way, HD Remake was just released on steam.

[GatoGrotto]

Play the Suikoden series, it's easily one of the greatest RPG series of all time (just my opinion). First two games are on the PS1 and are very expensive if you get them off ebay, so you'd be better off playing them via different means...*hint hint* <.< (not endorsing piracy). If you're a fan of JRPG then you won't be disappointed, I can guarantee that much.

[Zumi]

Its not an RPG but its a FPS with some RPG elements I would get Borderlands 2.

[Orophin]

Play the Suikoden series, it's easily one of the greatest RPG series of all time (just my opinion). First two games are on the PS1 and are very expensive if you get them off ebay, so you'd be better off playing them via different means...*hint hint* <.< (not endorsing piracy). If you're a fan of JRPG then you won't be disappointed, I can guarantee that much.

Suikoden is a great series. I've finished 1-3, never played 4 (apparently it's not worth doing so either) and am at the last area in 5. I really liked the story behind 5.

Last Remnant on PC: is incredibly graphics hungry. It looks fantastic though, but you can't really appreciate it without a decent card. Fantastic game.

Skies Of Arcadia: Legends( Game Cube): Sky Pirates and Ship Battles! You really can't ask for more. Pretty solid story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5PgLbU4NJo

Skies of Arcadia is another great game. I was glad when it got released on Gamecube since it used to be a Dreamcast exclusive.

The Last Remnant is a tricky one. Personally I think the story is horrible, but I REALLY liked the battle system. You could spend countless hours just fighting stuff in that game.

Its not an RPG but its a FPS with some RPG elements I would get Borderlands 2.

I've heard really good things about this one (even RPGamer gave it a few nods in their Game of the Year editorial) and want to give it a try at some point. I played the original and it was fun.