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Top 100 RPGs of All Time - MephistoZX - 07-24-2017
Hello, hello. Recently publications like IGN and Game Informer have been running their top 100 RPGs of all time lists. I, a fan of lists as well as RPGs, have also put one together. So, I did and the list is below with a few comments about each game on it. Note, that these are not my personal favorite RPGs in a list, just a list of what I believe to be the best RPGs ever made. For example my personal favorite game Illusion of Gaia is #30. Feel free to comment or post a list of your own. Because... everyone else's is wrong and your own is the true one, of course.
1 Final Fantasy 6
One of the most influential and beloved games ever. So many classic moments such as the opera scene, Zozo, and walking through the World of Ruin.
2 Suikoden 2
The best RPG villain of all time and a great storyline.
3 Bloodborne
The first time through this game is fantastic. You have no idea what is going on around you and it's so much more sinister than you can imagine.
4 Shadow Hearts
Criminally underrated. Unique battle system, amazing atmosphere, and a great dark storyline that take historical fiction to the next level.
5 Chrono Trigger
Full of color and life, simply one of the best all around RPG experiences ever.
6 Nier
The storyline seems to be the typical affair, and then the game turns it around on you, and boasts one of the most unique twists ever. Also, has an amazing soundtrack.
7 Terranigma
Also very underrated, the story takes turns and deals with themes that most games don't reach for. Great battle system.
8 Dark Souls
Great lore/world and an amazing combat system. Tough, like games of yore, but intensely satisfying.
9 Final Fantasy 7
A very good game, and while most believe it to be overrated, it was still the reason for the RPG renaissance
10 Xenogears
The themes of religion, philosophy, and death make this story one of the most convoluted but also one of the most beautiful and original.
11 Earthbound
The game just feels good. It's RPG chicken noodle soup. It's funny, full of life and the whole journey is unforgettable.
12 Ys 7
One of the best action RPGs ever. Great soundtrack, fast and fun battles, and a good storyline.
13 Diablo 2
One of the best dungeon RPGs ever. Great loot system, infinitely replayable.
14 Final Fantasy 9
A great fantasy setting and great characters with a fun (but slow) battle system. One of the most satisfying video game endings ever.
15 Shadow Hearts Covenant
The sequel to Shadow Hearts had a more widespread appeal, and a tweaked battle system, interesting (real world) locales.
16 Nier Automata
Full of intense story moments and an amazing soundtrack. This game has the most unique ending ever made.
17 Ys 3: Oath
A great action RPG that is many gamers favorite in the series. The soundtrack, battle system, and revamped storyline (from the original SNES game) make this game amazing.
18 Final Fantasy Tactics
One of the best tactical battle systems with a dark political storyline.
19 Fallout 3
A first person shooter RPG that offers a lot playtime and a lot to see and do.
20 Lunar
Classic fantasy style and a classic soundtrack with its trademark humor. One of the best "classic" RPGs.
21 Skies of Arcadia
The whole sky pirate thing was an amazing setting. A lot of fun to play.
22 Radiant Historia
One of the DS's best games, with a time-traveling story that can compare with Chrono Trigger but offers a lot of different choices.
23 Persona 4 Golden
Great monster collection and a Scooby Doo whodunit story line. Very fun.
24 Grandia 2
One of the best battle systems ever made, complete with a grand storyline which gets surprisingly dark at places.
25 Lost Odyssey
Great graphics and a deep story. The vignettes were masterfully written.
26 Dragon Quest 8
One of the best Dragon Quest games. The whole presentation and faster battle system combined with the story make it stand out over its brothers.
27 Mother 3
Funny, tragic, and wonderful storyline.
28 Secret of Mana
Great battle/magic system, music, and flow.
29 Suikoden 5
The best version of the Suikoden battle system with a great storyline. Starts a bit slow.
30 Illusion of Gaia
One of the few RPGs to use a real world setting, although it's more in the creation of the modern world, similar to Terranigma. Great characters and fun puzzles.
31 Dark Souls 3
Great battle system made even better. Amazing atmosphere and locations.
32 Xenosaga 1
One of the best space RPGs. The story is just getting started but is full of epic moments.
33 Star Ocean Second Story
Traversing a few different planets and a lot of item creation/invention systems, this game has a lot to offer.
34 Dark Cloud 2
One of the best RPG mechanics I have found is this game's camera invention system. Great graphics and fun to play.
35 Demon's Souls
A completely unique multiplayer elements was introduced. The atmosphere of many of the locations is unmatched.
36 Rune Factory Oceans
The best farm/sim RPG. Fun characters, several unique systems, and a good story.
37 Tales of the Abyss
The best tales game tells the story of an unlikable main character that has actual great progression and becomes something more.
38 Vandal Hearts 2
One of the best and darkest storylines in a strategy RPG. Unique take on the typical SRPG battle system.
39 Radiata Stories
Truly branching paths make this game actually force you to choose sides.
40 Star Wars KOTOR
A wide amount of freedom and fun characters in this western RPG.
41 Ogre Battle
A great strategy RPG system and play mechanics. Fun units, and good plot.
42 Dragon Age Origins
Great story, graphics, and characters.
43 Front Mission 3
This strategy RPG is one of the most fun and challenging mech games I have played.
44 Phantasy Star IV
A classic with a unique plot.
45 Pokemon Blue
The originator. Great monster collecting and fun battle system.
46 Shin Megami Tensei IV
The evolution of this series at its climax. Great end of days setting and monster collection.
47 Persona 3
One of the darkest stories of the persona series, with a lot of twists. The introduction of the now famous Link system.
48 Rune Factory 3
The best of the DS Rune Factory games, with great farming and a lot of things to do.
49 Secret of Evermore
A great take on the Mana formula, this game has good progression and great enemies/bosses.
50 Magna Carta 2
A very interesting story and fun battle system.
51 Shadowrun
Very open-ended in places. One of the best cyberpunk games made.
52 Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse
This sort-of-sequel to SMT4 features a lot of refinements to the gameplay and has a good story.
53 Legend of Heroes Trails in the Sky
A modern take on classic RPGs. Fun characters and story.
54 Ar Tornelico
This game takes regular RPG mechanics and introduces a "singing" system which levels up as you get to know the female protagonist. Very fun.
55 Xenosaga 3
The end of the trilogy goes out with a bang. Very good ending.
56 Tales of Vesperia
One of the better Tales' series protagonists. Good story.
57 Front Mission 4
Great mechs, customization, and story.
58 Legend of Legaia
A unique fighting game RPG with a long epic quest.
59 Dark Souls 2
Although inferior to the rest of the games in the series, it still offers an epic journey and good combat.
60 Grandia
Great, almost innocent, story and fun characters.
61 Super Mario RPG
A isometric RPG that takes the classic character and adds a turn-based RPG battle system and a great soundtrack. Fun journey.
62 Shin Megami Tensei Digital Devil Saga
One of darkest games in the SMT series that deals with cannibalism. Great battles and soundtrack.
63 Soul Blazer
An action RPG which adds in a "save the town/people" mechanic which was very unique.
64 Tactics Ogre
Deep political storyline and hard but fun tactical battles.
65 Legend of Heroes Trails of Cold Steel
Great battle system and a deep story.
66 Planescape Torment
One of the most unique WRPGs with a classic storyline.
67 Pandora's Tower
Very underrated. This game has you making your way through a tower trying to save a woman who has a disease. Very different take on tower/dungeon style RPGs.
68 Shining Force
A classic grid based battle system that is still fun to play.
69 Breath of Fire 2
One of the best storylines in the Breath of Fire series. Good characters, several twists, and good battle system.
70 Legend of Dragoon
Really good graphics and cutscenes and a good storyline.
71 Parasite Eve
A modern RPG, sort of like an RPG/Resident Evil mashup with a unique storyline.
72 Dot Hack
A cyber RPG dealing with a fictional world in which you are playing a game and controlling your avatar. Some slow progression but good story and characters.
73 Final Fantasy 12
The battle system is almost MMO based, and the Hunts are a lot of fun, combined with a lot of political intrigue.
74 Breath of Fire 3
Long, epic storyline and hard puzzles.
75 Harvest Moon Magical Melody
The best harvest moon game. Fun farming, characters, and a lot of tasks to accomplish.
76 Suikoden
The first of the series offered several different battle systems and tons of characters to recruit.
77 Lunar 2
The followup to the original had more of the same greatness and an amazing ending.
78 Shin Megami Tensei Strange Journey
Neat take on the SMT formula in which the crew of a ship are trapped and have to escape an anomoly and save the world. Great dungeon combat.
79 Crusader of Centy
Cool little action RPG. It can be hard, but very fun to play.
80 Baten Kaitos Origins
Unique card-based battle system and a great story and art.
81 Dark Cloud
A take on the save the town formula that Soul Blazer started. Lots to do and save.
82 Final Fantasy 4
Good story and a classic combat system. Great music.
83 Xenoblade Chronicles
Interesting take on a MMO battle style and one of the better modern storylines.
84 Ys 4: Celcetra
Another great Ys action RPG. Good story and combat.
85 Rune Factory 4
This game in the series has you overcoming a curse as well as the typical farming and other quests.
86 Chrono Cross
Unique level up mechanic, good villain, and great music.
87 Final Fantasy
A classic game that is very difficult but still fun.
88 Lufia 2
Tough puzzles, good story and characters. This prequel to the original did everything better.
89 Paper Mario
Fun writing and an interesting buddy mechnanic.
90 Alundra
Very tough puzzle action RPG. Good story.
91 Ys 6: Nephitism
Tough but fair. Great action and music.
92 Breath of Fire
An RPG in the classic turn based style, with a long quest and unique characters.
93 Baten Kaitos
The originator in the series, with a good story and neat locales.
94 Final Fantasy 5
One of the best implementations of the Job System in a final fantasy game. Good story.
95 Ys 1+2
Great story and unique combat system based on bump mechanics.
96 Tales of Symphonia
A long epic quest that takes several turns and ultimately makes the play go through a true maturity.
97 Final Fantasy 8
Sci-Fi Fantasy RPG romance story. Unique, but some of the characters are irritating.
98 Harvest Moon 64
One of the best takes on the formula. More simple than others, but great characters and events.
99 Uncharted Waters: New Horizons
Totally unique seafaring/trading RPG. Many different possibilities including Discovery, trading, exploring, pirating, or just following the story line of one of six characters.
100 Pokemon Pearl
A natural progression of the series with a better story and more Pokemon to collect. Fun.
RE: Top 100 RPGs of All Time - MephistoZX - 07-24-2017
Honorable mentions:
101 Dragon Quest 7
102 Shin Megami Tensei Soul Hackers
103 Tales of Destiny
104 Legend of Mana
105 Star Ocean 3
106 Panzer Dragoon Saga
107 Atelier Iris
108 Growlanser Generations
109 Tales of Xillia 2
110 Dragon Quest 4
111 Paper Mario: TYD
112 Harvest Moon
113 Robotrek
114 The Last Story
115 Enchanted Arms
116 Persona 2 EP/IS
117 Phantasy Star 2
118 Ogre Battle 64
119 Alpha Protocol
120 Brainlord
121 Final Fantasy 10
122 Wild Arms
123 Dragon Quest
124 Tokyo Mirage Sessions
125 Star Ocean Last Hope
126 Lufia
127 Icewind Dale
128 Bravely Default
129 Harvest Moon New Beginning
130 Golden Sun
131 Final Fantasy 15
132 Lucienne's Quest
133 Breath of Fire 4
135 Okage
136 Suikoden 3
137 Diablo 3
138 Final Fantasy 3
139 Xenosaga 2
140 Disgaea
141 Albert Odyssey
RE: Top 100 RPGs of All Time - Scarlet - 07-24-2017
Tough choices.
My top 3 would have to be:
Jade Cocoon
Chrono Cross
Final Fantasy VIII
Maybe not the most innovative games but I like their story lines and I can listen to their soundtracks all day. (And I do). I would also like to mention while not my "favorite" I have put over 400 hours into the Dark Souls series, and while they are very fun and highly compelling I don't see them as RPGs. The same with the Drakengard series, I've put many hours into them but I don't see them as RPGs. (Drakengard being the Papa to Neir/Neir Automata).
Persona 3 gets an honorable mention, love the story, love the connections, soundtrack is fantastic and the movies are great! (Only anime TheFemale will watch subtitled) However, due to the nature of all the game mechanics and how if you want to see everything you have to "play the game perfectly" I wouldn't say it's the best in terms of a game play.
RE: Top 100 RPGs of All Time - MephistoZX - 07-27-2017
I know a lot of people don't see Dark Souls as RPGs, and I kinda agree, but it's classified everywhere as Action RPG and was even a finalist in the RPG of the year Game Awards. So, to not include it feels kinda wrong I guess.
RE: Top 100 RPGs of All Time - Jason - 07-28-2017
I think this is an excellent list, and very comprehensive. A lot of very good, and sometimes overlooked, games on here.
As for the Dark Souls business, I personally feel like if you can include Dark Souls then you might as well include any game that has similar gameplay... Fallout 3, Zelda games, that kinda stuff.
Not that I'm saying it's wrong to do so, but it seems to be a blurry line to me. Ya know?
RE: Top 100 RPGs of All Time - Scarlet - 07-28-2017
(07-28-2017, 10:11 AM)Jason Wrote: I think this is an excellent list, and very comprehensive. A lot of very good, and sometimes overlooked, games on here.
As for the Dark Souls business, I personally feel like if you can include Dark Souls then you might as well include any game that has similar gameplay... Fallout 3, Zelda games, that kinda stuff.
Not that I'm saying it's wrong to do so, but it seems to be a blurry line to me. Ya know?
The only reason they include Dark Souls is because you manually allocate your stat points, most lists do include the fallout games.
RE: Top 100 RPGs of All Time - Ragnatz - 08-04-2017
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne isn't on your list. Thus I am forced to invalidate your entire opinion. :p
RE: Top 100 RPGs of All Time - MephistoZX - 08-08-2017
Haha, I never actually finished Nocturne, so it's hard for me to comment on (though I did watch the ending via your LP). I know it's kind of weird considering I've beaten basically every other SMT game except II.
RE: Top 100 RPGs of All Time - tharob007 - 12-10-2017
Chrono Cross and Final fantasy VI are a tie for first for me. Both are damn near perfect and both have legendary soundtracks, which is one of the most important things to me personally