Best rpg's
A lot goes into “what makes an RPG” so obviously I am not going to touch that with a ten foot pole (being a DnD paper child myself… hehehe). But what I will say is that what is missing from modern games in general is what RPG’s had in stride when I was growing up, and that is a brain workout! You had to think and evolve from challenge to challenge or you wouldn’t succeed. (Sorry Skyrim lovers, being able to do the same thing every single fight for 100+ hours does not make you the greatest RPG of all time…) What I will have here is a list of some of the best RPG’s (according to what I define them to be…) and what made them so great!
Might and Magic vii
I had to start where my love for video games all began, Might and Magic. When people were talking about Morrowind I was playing a real man’s game- Might and Magic. Might and Magic VII has to be one of my all-time favorite RPG’s, with the ability to be any combination of champions serving either the light or the dark, favoring the elves or man or yourself- this game is what made games like Oblivion possible (the best of the Elder Scrolls by far…) Might and Magic’s VI-VIII have to be played by anyone who loves RPG’s, must be played! Complete party creation in VI and VII with a party of four with two NPC’s you can take with you, the possibilities are endless. In VIII you only get to create your main character but will have the option to add up to four other NPC’s into your party to have a total of five controllable champions- oh and did I mention that you can PLAY AS DRAGONS? Yeah, forget brainlessly flying around in the sky on a dragon for no reason until you get bored with awful animations (cough* Skyrim…) you can actually have them in your party in Might and Magic VIII.
After playing VII and owning your own freaking castle and being able to upgrade it as well as get magic golems to guard your castle when you were gone, my dreams for the future of video games were through the roof when I was done playing. Was the next installment going to allow you to wage war and conquer other castles? Was it going to add large scale battles into the mix with you either taking the role as a king or a tyrant? Maybe even allowing you to just form guilds and have guild wars? Regardless my mind was abuzz with what I thought video games had in store. Little did I know that IX would be a watered down piece of trash that would end up sinking the company, and that almost every RPG from this point on would turn into a linear piece of crap movie having you
cut wood outside of your homemade cabin… Little did I know that games like Red Dead Redemption would be on the horizon that would be hailed as some of the greatest RPG experiences of a life time, when you could only play one very linear way in an apparently open world (oh sure, you could SORT OF play as the bad guy for very small periods of time before being quickly gunned down by lawmen who just happen to always be following you within arm’s length waiting for you to make that one mistake)… Little did I know that Skryrim would also be on the horizon with its wood cutting and single set of armor and single weapon choices that you would basically use over and over again for 100+ hours that would also be hailed as a masterpiece of its time…(thank you dragon armor…) If you want to remember what MIGHT have been, you have to go back and play Might and Magic VII… You have to address each new foe differently, as some might have magic resistances or physical resistances. You will have to deal with creatures
that can make your people go insane with but a spell, and hunger as your people need food in order to travel and rest. This game was dripping with detail that you cannot even find in DLC of games today. One of the best true role playing experiences of all time, Might and Magic’s are classics.
NOTE: Might and Magic X just came out on steam and Uplay and is a must play! Keep the series alive and well! The game has some problems, I wouldn’t put it up there with the free world roaming games of VI-VIII but is better than IX and I-V and they are only asking like 20$ for the game! Seriously go support this game- it is 20-40 hours guaranteed to finish for a single play through- that’s less than a buck an hour if you don’t even play it more than once- GET THIS GAME!
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can find some at amazon.com (VI, VII, VIII , IX, X )but you can also get copies of the games at sites such as gog.com for extremely cheap, you can get Might and Magic’s I-VI for a mere $10 here
You can get a copy of Might and Magic’s VII-IX for a mere $6 a piece here: VII, VIII, IX
It is also available on Steam: Might and Magic X plus VI if you get the deluxe version for $30: VI + X
OVERALL VALUE: WORTH IT (for amazon set) and GREAT VALUE (no excuse value for gog and steam)
After playing VII and owning your own freaking castle and being able to upgrade it as well as get magic golems to guard your castle when you were gone, my dreams for the future of video games were through the roof when I was done playing. Was the next installment going to allow you to wage war and conquer other castles? Was it going to add large scale battles into the mix with you either taking the role as a king or a tyrant? Maybe even allowing you to just form guilds and have guild wars? Regardless my mind was abuzz with what I thought video games had in store. Little did I know that IX would be a watered down piece of trash that would end up sinking the company, and that almost every RPG from this point on would turn into a linear piece of crap movie having you
cut wood outside of your homemade cabin… Little did I know that games like Red Dead Redemption would be on the horizon that would be hailed as some of the greatest RPG experiences of a life time, when you could only play one very linear way in an apparently open world (oh sure, you could SORT OF play as the bad guy for very small periods of time before being quickly gunned down by lawmen who just happen to always be following you within arm’s length waiting for you to make that one mistake)… Little did I know that Skryrim would also be on the horizon with its wood cutting and single set of armor and single weapon choices that you would basically use over and over again for 100+ hours that would also be hailed as a masterpiece of its time…(thank you dragon armor…) If you want to remember what MIGHT have been, you have to go back and play Might and Magic VII… You have to address each new foe differently, as some might have magic resistances or physical resistances. You will have to deal with creatures
that can make your people go insane with but a spell, and hunger as your people need food in order to travel and rest. This game was dripping with detail that you cannot even find in DLC of games today. One of the best true role playing experiences of all time, Might and Magic’s are classics.
NOTE: Might and Magic X just came out on steam and Uplay and is a must play! Keep the series alive and well! The game has some problems, I wouldn’t put it up there with the free world roaming games of VI-VIII but is better than IX and I-V and they are only asking like 20$ for the game! Seriously go support this game- it is 20-40 hours guaranteed to finish for a single play through- that’s less than a buck an hour if you don’t even play it more than once- GET THIS GAME!
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can find some at amazon.com (VI, VII, VIII , IX, X )but you can also get copies of the games at sites such as gog.com for extremely cheap, you can get Might and Magic’s I-VI for a mere $10 here
You can get a copy of Might and Magic’s VII-IX for a mere $6 a piece here: VII, VIII, IX
It is also available on Steam: Might and Magic X plus VI if you get the deluxe version for $30: VI + X
OVERALL VALUE: WORTH IT (for amazon set) and GREAT VALUE (no excuse value for gog and steam)
disgaea
Disgaea is one of the greatest SRPG’s of all time. You can spend 200+ hours in this game and not even begin to scratch the surface of its original content. The series did progressively go downhill from the first installment, but the first does not disappoint. The storyline was linear but was powerful enough to make you laugh until you wet yourself (“BLUUUUUUUUEEEEEE! YEEEEEEELLLLLOOOOOWWWW! NOOOOOOOOOO!!”- you’ll get the reference once you play, HILARIOUS!) scenes that will most likely make you cry, and oh don’t forget the scene where the famous line “I could make an addictive video game that will cause all of earths teenagers to lose mass amounts of sleep”- which you will most likely hit at 3am. This game is fantastic, and
anyone who enjoys SRPG’s needs to pick up a copy of this game today. The story follows a young prince Laharl and his quest to become supreme overlord of the netherworld (since his father has been killed the position is now up for grabs) and will take you from the netherworld, to heaven, even to earth as you battle to obtain your birthright. Fantastic game that you can get for a great price you shouldn’t miss out on this title.
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can find copies of this game on amazon.com used for $10 and is on steam for $15
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE
anyone who enjoys SRPG’s needs to pick up a copy of this game today. The story follows a young prince Laharl and his quest to become supreme overlord of the netherworld (since his father has been killed the position is now up for grabs) and will take you from the netherworld, to heaven, even to earth as you battle to obtain your birthright. Fantastic game that you can get for a great price you shouldn’t miss out on this title.
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can find copies of this game on amazon.com used for $10 and is on steam for $15
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE
final fantasy Vii + final fantasy tactics
First off, why would I put these together?
1. Not only were they made by the same company (duh) they were largely made by a single community in the company.
2. Cloud (the main protagonist from FFVII also makes an appearance in FFT, once again confirming the bond that these two games had.)
3. These are the two best games that SQUARESOFT (or ENIX) have ever produced, period.
Looking around at RPG’s today I have to say I am very surprised (frankly I find it laughable and absurd) the amount of people who
now claim that FFVII is not a good game. It almost became a fad to say it, and now there is a stigma against people who actually still OPENLY love the game. It is almost like homosexuality, where at one point it was clear to everyone that it was unnatural, now everyone not only claims it to be natural but if you happen to still openly say “I don’t think that’s natural” you are attacked
without mercy. So your options are to throw up your hands and surrender and say “yeah FFVII sucks… and homosexuality is natural...yeah… whistle*” or to actually be a man and admit that these two game were and still are landmarks for videogames in the genre. FFVII is a linear (but not a freaking movie, screw FFXIII that crap sucked) story based RPG that takes aspects of RPG’s (such as
leveling up, magic, equipment, bosses, etc) but removes the ability to “be anyone” aspect of RPG’s for a story driving game. This does not work, and continues to not work if you hate the story (for me that was Red Dead Redemption) and the grand majority of people still find the story to be amazing. There isn’t random acts of knifing and/or camping in corners and/or spawning enemy terrorists that spawn with hundreds of grenades (where did they get the money to afford so many grenades we will never know… You would think if they had money for grenades they would get a better gun then an AK, but I digress…) so the people with ADHD might not be able to follow, but everyone else who can read to at least a 5th grade knowledge (you know books, the things where you read words and turn pages…) would find this story intriguing. Bottom line is this game is freaking awesome and I am man enough to say it.
FFT on the other hand is one of the greatest SRPG’s of all time, with detail that rivals any modern attempt at a SRPG this game doesn’t stop there. The sound track in this game is one of the best in gaming history, and it pays dividends. The class based system in the game allows you to be anything you can imagine and allows for amazing customization. Story based as well this has to be one of my favorite stories in all of gaming, simple but beautiful. If you haven’t given Final Fantasy a try yet these are where you want to start. Both the games are still popular enough to keep great walkthroughs and guides up, I would recommend using them as both games do have things that you can permanently miss out on.
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can get both for less than $10 bucks at the Playstation store (links here: FFVII , FFT) and get used hard copies at amazon.com for around the same price. FFVII is now on steam for $17
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE
1. Not only were they made by the same company (duh) they were largely made by a single community in the company.
2. Cloud (the main protagonist from FFVII also makes an appearance in FFT, once again confirming the bond that these two games had.)
3. These are the two best games that SQUARESOFT (or ENIX) have ever produced, period.
Looking around at RPG’s today I have to say I am very surprised (frankly I find it laughable and absurd) the amount of people who
now claim that FFVII is not a good game. It almost became a fad to say it, and now there is a stigma against people who actually still OPENLY love the game. It is almost like homosexuality, where at one point it was clear to everyone that it was unnatural, now everyone not only claims it to be natural but if you happen to still openly say “I don’t think that’s natural” you are attacked
without mercy. So your options are to throw up your hands and surrender and say “yeah FFVII sucks… and homosexuality is natural...yeah… whistle*” or to actually be a man and admit that these two game were and still are landmarks for videogames in the genre. FFVII is a linear (but not a freaking movie, screw FFXIII that crap sucked) story based RPG that takes aspects of RPG’s (such as
leveling up, magic, equipment, bosses, etc) but removes the ability to “be anyone” aspect of RPG’s for a story driving game. This does not work, and continues to not work if you hate the story (for me that was Red Dead Redemption) and the grand majority of people still find the story to be amazing. There isn’t random acts of knifing and/or camping in corners and/or spawning enemy terrorists that spawn with hundreds of grenades (where did they get the money to afford so many grenades we will never know… You would think if they had money for grenades they would get a better gun then an AK, but I digress…) so the people with ADHD might not be able to follow, but everyone else who can read to at least a 5th grade knowledge (you know books, the things where you read words and turn pages…) would find this story intriguing. Bottom line is this game is freaking awesome and I am man enough to say it.
FFT on the other hand is one of the greatest SRPG’s of all time, with detail that rivals any modern attempt at a SRPG this game doesn’t stop there. The sound track in this game is one of the best in gaming history, and it pays dividends. The class based system in the game allows you to be anything you can imagine and allows for amazing customization. Story based as well this has to be one of my favorite stories in all of gaming, simple but beautiful. If you haven’t given Final Fantasy a try yet these are where you want to start. Both the games are still popular enough to keep great walkthroughs and guides up, I would recommend using them as both games do have things that you can permanently miss out on.
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can get both for less than $10 bucks at the Playstation store (links here: FFVII , FFT) and get used hard copies at amazon.com for around the same price. FFVII is now on steam for $17
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE
grandia ii
This game simply is my favorite story driven linear RPG of all time (yeah even greater than FFVII) and the reasons are many so I’ll list some of them.
1. No random battles- who else hated this? I do…Running around in circles for hours trying to level up waiting and waiting for a battle to start. Not in this game! Enemies can be seen while traveling and depending on how you meet them (from their back, face to face, or from your back) is how the battle starts (as either normal, ambush, or pre-emptive strike). The best way to enter battles in a linear story driven RPG period. Less hassle, more control to the player, this is amazing.
2. The battle system is the best to date- the battle system in this game is the best battle system in a linear RPG to date. The makers combined movement on a battlefield, act time, combos, critical hits, magic, special abilities and more- and they do it in a way that makes sense and feels great for the player. There has not been a battle system to this date that gives more power to the player and makes him feel more gratified for using his head than this system.
3. The graphics- don’t get me wrong, FFVII and others of is time had great graphics for its time period, but this was out at around the same time on the Dreamcast (that’s how I played it) and the graphics blew me away. This game to this day still looks awesome and is crisp enough for me to enjoy it. I can’t say anything about the PS2 version as I have not played that version, but the Dreamcast (when I take it out and dust it off) is truly awesome.
4. Protagonist who you can love AND understand- so often from Japanese linear RPG’s (Lightning from FFXII is a perfect example…)we get protagonists that you are SUPPOSED to love and grow to understand in a way that makes you love them and want them to succeed even more BUT instead get the opposite. Protagonists that will ditch teenage boys in the wilderness (thank you Lightning) or who steal other peoples identity because their own sucks (or even better, RIP OFF versions of Cloud, THANK YOU LOST ODYSSEY) and the list goes on. The protagonist of this story you grow to love, understand, and I found him frankly to be one of the most down to earth funny protagonists in video game history.
5. Grandia II is better than I and III- I say this only because you might have played one of them, III being the worst storyline in the history of games… Grandia is worth playing as it is a great game, but II improves on everything that the first was lacking. Only play
III if you are as in love with the battle system as I am, because the story is horrible. An example of how bad the story is from Grandia III: at one point in the game you fight your way to a guardian who is supposed to give you wisdom that will help you on your journey. When you reach said guardian he tells the girl travelling with you “remember, you are human!” (in fact this is the ONLY thing he says) she then says “I’m…. human?” (like WTF duh, why is this confusing you or a big deal?) Then the guardian dies and you continue on. The fact that she was (and still is…) human does not progress the game at all and does not even come back at the end for some twist… Nope, just a waste of freaking life, THANK YOU GUARDIAN! He might as well of listed everyone’s gender for you to, “remember, you are male!”… “I’m… a male?”… wtf….
If you are a fan of linear story drive RPG’s this is a must play. The only complaint I had about the entire game was that it used a rotating camera (you know, the kind where you click right trigger and left trigger to spin) that was too zoomed in in certain areas. If they had gone to a fixed camera, or at least allowed you to zoom out a little bit more this game would have been flawless.
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: the playstation version you can find used for $10 on amazon, the dreamcast version will cost you as much as $50 used. It is now on steam for $20
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE (PS2) and WORTH IT (Dreamcast)
1. No random battles- who else hated this? I do…Running around in circles for hours trying to level up waiting and waiting for a battle to start. Not in this game! Enemies can be seen while traveling and depending on how you meet them (from their back, face to face, or from your back) is how the battle starts (as either normal, ambush, or pre-emptive strike). The best way to enter battles in a linear story driven RPG period. Less hassle, more control to the player, this is amazing.
2. The battle system is the best to date- the battle system in this game is the best battle system in a linear RPG to date. The makers combined movement on a battlefield, act time, combos, critical hits, magic, special abilities and more- and they do it in a way that makes sense and feels great for the player. There has not been a battle system to this date that gives more power to the player and makes him feel more gratified for using his head than this system.
3. The graphics- don’t get me wrong, FFVII and others of is time had great graphics for its time period, but this was out at around the same time on the Dreamcast (that’s how I played it) and the graphics blew me away. This game to this day still looks awesome and is crisp enough for me to enjoy it. I can’t say anything about the PS2 version as I have not played that version, but the Dreamcast (when I take it out and dust it off) is truly awesome.
4. Protagonist who you can love AND understand- so often from Japanese linear RPG’s (Lightning from FFXII is a perfect example…)we get protagonists that you are SUPPOSED to love and grow to understand in a way that makes you love them and want them to succeed even more BUT instead get the opposite. Protagonists that will ditch teenage boys in the wilderness (thank you Lightning) or who steal other peoples identity because their own sucks (or even better, RIP OFF versions of Cloud, THANK YOU LOST ODYSSEY) and the list goes on. The protagonist of this story you grow to love, understand, and I found him frankly to be one of the most down to earth funny protagonists in video game history.
5. Grandia II is better than I and III- I say this only because you might have played one of them, III being the worst storyline in the history of games… Grandia is worth playing as it is a great game, but II improves on everything that the first was lacking. Only play
III if you are as in love with the battle system as I am, because the story is horrible. An example of how bad the story is from Grandia III: at one point in the game you fight your way to a guardian who is supposed to give you wisdom that will help you on your journey. When you reach said guardian he tells the girl travelling with you “remember, you are human!” (in fact this is the ONLY thing he says) she then says “I’m…. human?” (like WTF duh, why is this confusing you or a big deal?) Then the guardian dies and you continue on. The fact that she was (and still is…) human does not progress the game at all and does not even come back at the end for some twist… Nope, just a waste of freaking life, THANK YOU GUARDIAN! He might as well of listed everyone’s gender for you to, “remember, you are male!”… “I’m… a male?”… wtf….
If you are a fan of linear story drive RPG’s this is a must play. The only complaint I had about the entire game was that it used a rotating camera (you know, the kind where you click right trigger and left trigger to spin) that was too zoomed in in certain areas. If they had gone to a fixed camera, or at least allowed you to zoom out a little bit more this game would have been flawless.
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: the playstation version you can find used for $10 on amazon, the dreamcast version will cost you as much as $50 used. It is now on steam for $20
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE (PS2) and WORTH IT (Dreamcast)
shining force II
Is this game a story driven linear RPG? Is this game a SRPG? A combination of both? I really don’t know how to classify it, but it remains one of SEGA’s greatest hits. Having played I-III I found that II was my favorite due to multiple factors, one being that the game didn’t seem to transfer over to 3d very well (SF3) and has lost replay value due to it looking so bad (while SF2 still looks amazing since the game features hand drawn pictures) and the upgrades to game play, character development, and all around better game play made II better than I. Being able to command not just 1, or 2, or 3, or 6 (Bioware fans) you can control a whole freaking army of dudes. Not sure why gaming got smaller and not larger as time went on? This game rewards the player for smart behaviour as well as characters locked hidden potential-so don’t give up on some people just because they start off slow! Some of the weakest champions in turn can become some of the strongest champions with the help of something called the “Vigor Ball”, heh heh heh… This game is awesome, and I still from time to time have to go back and play this game due to there not being a close comparison to it. What this game does right it does REALLY well, and there is nothing else really like it to date. Worth playing this game and it is extremely cheap so there is no excuse for not giving these classic games a shot; they will not disappoint!
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can get downloadable version of this game for mere dollars at amazon.com, as well as the Sonic’s Greatest Collection for consoles which has it on the disc which you can easily get used for $10. It is also now on steam for $1
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE (no excuse value…)
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can get downloadable version of this game for mere dollars at amazon.com, as well as the Sonic’s Greatest Collection for consoles which has it on the disc which you can easily get used for $10. It is also now on steam for $1
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE (no excuse value…)
diablo ii
Diablo II expands on the great experience of the first and delivers one of the best ARPG experiences available on the PC. Diablo II has everything you want in a great ARPG while still allowing for single player use offline as well as mods (which are priceless) This game with its
expansion are longer that Diablo 3 in length (by far) and do not have a “pay to win” plugged into the game. If you have multiple computers at home networked together this game is a must as anyone can play it and it is enjoyable to play for RPG experts (as there is depth in the game that allows for deeper quests and game play) but simple enough that your wife can plug along. This game also goes down as one of the greatest COOP experiences people can experience with actual champions that feed off of each other and synergize off of each other
this game delivers a COOP experience that very few compete with. The fact that this game sells for extremely cheap (vs the 60 bucks of newer games, including Diablo 3) this game to this day is still a better buy than others. Other mods like the PLUGY 10.0 mod make the single player of this game just as enjoyable as the online at Battle.net. If you have not had the pleasure of Diablo II yet, don’t delay hours of excitement any longer, get this game today!
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can get this “Battle Chest” new for$20 at Walmart, Amazon.com, and a slew of other places.
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE
expansion are longer that Diablo 3 in length (by far) and do not have a “pay to win” plugged into the game. If you have multiple computers at home networked together this game is a must as anyone can play it and it is enjoyable to play for RPG experts (as there is depth in the game that allows for deeper quests and game play) but simple enough that your wife can plug along. This game also goes down as one of the greatest COOP experiences people can experience with actual champions that feed off of each other and synergize off of each other
this game delivers a COOP experience that very few compete with. The fact that this game sells for extremely cheap (vs the 60 bucks of newer games, including Diablo 3) this game to this day is still a better buy than others. Other mods like the PLUGY 10.0 mod make the single player of this game just as enjoyable as the online at Battle.net. If you have not had the pleasure of Diablo II yet, don’t delay hours of excitement any longer, get this game today!
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can get this “Battle Chest” new for$20 at Walmart, Amazon.com, and a slew of other places.
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE
age of wonders
A game for the pc that went under most people’s radars; this game is a classic. Age of Wonders II was changed too much from the original and lost much of its fan base which in turn caused the game to loose what little steam it did have. The game is set up like Heroes of Might and Magic with heroes and troops being able to move around a free world and conquer towns and take over gold mines etc etc. This game however is Heroes of Might and Magic on steroids as the depth of RPG elements in it are vastly expanded and your choices throughout the game will in turn impact who you will end up siding at the end of the game, as well as which races (dwarf, elf, Halfling, etc) you will take with you to the final stage. The battles themselves can have dozens of troops fighting each other with the environment actually affecting the flow of the battles (trees and house will stop arrows, etc) This game was and still is fantastic, it is a shame that number 2 did not live up to becoming its sequel and collapsed the game series because this game could have turned into a monster in the computer world. This game has great replay value and even allows for some decent multiplayer (though not set up as much to be a “one map game” this game was clearly built for the campaign- bringing your champions from stage to stage and progressing…) This game is definitely worth playing if you are fan of SRPG/ARPG hybrids as it offers much that cannot be found in any other game like it.
NOTE: Age of Wonders III just came out on Steam! Support this game as this is one of the greatest SRPG games of this generation- there are not many left!
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can get this game for as low as a $2 on amazon.com and $6 here on gog.com, disgustingly underpriced… Was also added to steam for $6 or the whole Age of Wonders franchise for $100
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE (no excuse value…)
NOTE: Age of Wonders III just came out on Steam! Support this game as this is one of the greatest SRPG games of this generation- there are not many left!
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can get this game for as low as a $2 on amazon.com and $6 here on gog.com, disgustingly underpriced… Was also added to steam for $6 or the whole Age of Wonders franchise for $100
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE (no excuse value…)
icewind dale ii
Why Icewind Dale II amidst all those game listed above in the Anthology Master Collection? Because it was my favorite, that’s why. A good friend of mine Paul would strongly disagree (and so would vast number of others) and say that BG2 is the greatest listed above. I will give my reasons for why I feel Icewind Dale is a superior game. (Even though they are all good games)
1. Complete party creation: now Paul (and I am sure many others) would bark up right away “THEY HAVE THAT IN BG2” and to that I say “have you ever done it?” The answer is no, but I have tried to make my own party in BG2 and it was horrible. First off you can only create a full party in multiplayer which means every time you load you have to assign control of your entire party over to yourself, which is time consuming and extremely annoying. Secondly you lose out on all the character specific quests in the game by doing this (which means XP which is limited in the BG games) as well as all the character specific items that only they can use as well as spells that only they can use (Jaheira can cast a raise dead spell as a fighter/druid called “Harpers Call” which can only be used by her… a priceless spell in these games) So bottom line is they make it basically impossible to actually do that in BG where as it is totally awesome in Icewind Dale II. Creating your whole party from start to finish is awesome fun and makes for amazing replay value as you can try out multiple party configurations. Complete party creation is a must in these styles of games as the “story driven” aspects will always be weaker, period.
2. Replay Value: as mentioned above the replay value is amazing in ID2, allowing you to try multiple party styles, races, classes, etc. BG2 everyone knows there is one party that is by far the best, which means 90% of the time you play as a Swashbuckler with a neutral good party (same characters every time) not to mention the same items every time (as you get the best sword for your paladin from the same dragon every play through as well as all the other godly items) which means each and every play through is exactly the same as your last play through with the items on your champions looking exactly the same as the last time you played. Boring. Loses replay value because of it.
3. No Annoying NPC’s: okay so you might like Minsc for the first couple hours, maybe a whole play through, maybe you still love him! But the fact is that people might find NPC’s annoying and whiny, or so pompous that it makes you want to kill yourself (ANOMEN MUST DIIIIIIIEEEEE) and if they are the BEST champions you HAVE to use them which means you have to deal with their ANNOYING AS ^%(*&%&^$ DIALOGUE over and over again… ID2 not an issue…
4. More Variation: now I really don’t think this is my imagination but it really feels like you travel more and face more variations of enemies in ID2. Most of BG2 takes place in a single city (much like Dragon Age 2, PUKE*) I like to feel like I am moving in an RPG, not just going in circles, and ID2 gives a better feel of adventure and movement and less going in circles.
Now that I said that let me say that they are ALL good games, I did enjoy playing BG and I think if you enjoy SRPG with an aerial viewpoint you would love all of them regardless. For my list though I have to give props to Icewind Dale II for being the greatest game on that list, for improving everything about the first while still delivering a stellar game.
NOTE: You can get a glitch free amazing copy of BGII with added playable champs and extra storyline on Steam for next to nothing- I think I got it on sale for like $5. No excuse value there and it is in full HD, crazy to play the game again as such- Paul would love this!
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can get this collection addition which has six games in it in total and get it for around $99 at amazon.com. You can just go for the Icewind Dale set which includes the two games and their expansions at amazon.com for around $10 bucks new as well as the Baldur’s Gate games package for around $10 as well. Getting the parts to the whole seems to be a cheaper deal but would include more hassle. If you're for the hassle, gog.com has a lot of these games for really good prices (Icewind Dale II, Baldur's Gate II). An Infinity Bundle is also available on Steam
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE (for individual game packages) and WORTH IT (for the master collection)
1. Complete party creation: now Paul (and I am sure many others) would bark up right away “THEY HAVE THAT IN BG2” and to that I say “have you ever done it?” The answer is no, but I have tried to make my own party in BG2 and it was horrible. First off you can only create a full party in multiplayer which means every time you load you have to assign control of your entire party over to yourself, which is time consuming and extremely annoying. Secondly you lose out on all the character specific quests in the game by doing this (which means XP which is limited in the BG games) as well as all the character specific items that only they can use as well as spells that only they can use (Jaheira can cast a raise dead spell as a fighter/druid called “Harpers Call” which can only be used by her… a priceless spell in these games) So bottom line is they make it basically impossible to actually do that in BG where as it is totally awesome in Icewind Dale II. Creating your whole party from start to finish is awesome fun and makes for amazing replay value as you can try out multiple party configurations. Complete party creation is a must in these styles of games as the “story driven” aspects will always be weaker, period.
2. Replay Value: as mentioned above the replay value is amazing in ID2, allowing you to try multiple party styles, races, classes, etc. BG2 everyone knows there is one party that is by far the best, which means 90% of the time you play as a Swashbuckler with a neutral good party (same characters every time) not to mention the same items every time (as you get the best sword for your paladin from the same dragon every play through as well as all the other godly items) which means each and every play through is exactly the same as your last play through with the items on your champions looking exactly the same as the last time you played. Boring. Loses replay value because of it.
3. No Annoying NPC’s: okay so you might like Minsc for the first couple hours, maybe a whole play through, maybe you still love him! But the fact is that people might find NPC’s annoying and whiny, or so pompous that it makes you want to kill yourself (ANOMEN MUST DIIIIIIIEEEEE) and if they are the BEST champions you HAVE to use them which means you have to deal with their ANNOYING AS ^%(*&%&^$ DIALOGUE over and over again… ID2 not an issue…
4. More Variation: now I really don’t think this is my imagination but it really feels like you travel more and face more variations of enemies in ID2. Most of BG2 takes place in a single city (much like Dragon Age 2, PUKE*) I like to feel like I am moving in an RPG, not just going in circles, and ID2 gives a better feel of adventure and movement and less going in circles.
Now that I said that let me say that they are ALL good games, I did enjoy playing BG and I think if you enjoy SRPG with an aerial viewpoint you would love all of them regardless. For my list though I have to give props to Icewind Dale II for being the greatest game on that list, for improving everything about the first while still delivering a stellar game.
NOTE: You can get a glitch free amazing copy of BGII with added playable champs and extra storyline on Steam for next to nothing- I think I got it on sale for like $5. No excuse value there and it is in full HD, crazy to play the game again as such- Paul would love this!
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can get this collection addition which has six games in it in total and get it for around $99 at amazon.com. You can just go for the Icewind Dale set which includes the two games and their expansions at amazon.com for around $10 bucks new as well as the Baldur’s Gate games package for around $10 as well. Getting the parts to the whole seems to be a cheaper deal but would include more hassle. If you're for the hassle, gog.com has a lot of these games for really good prices (Icewind Dale II, Baldur's Gate II). An Infinity Bundle is also available on Steam
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE (for individual game packages) and WORTH IT (for the master collection)
fallout 3 + elder scrolls iv: oblivion
Same as with the Squaresoft game, these Bethesda games are made by the same company, and basically the same group of people. New people were added to the group, taking out, etc in the making of Fallout New Vegas and Skyrim and it is why both of those games failed to be top tier games. Here is first a list of reasons why these games are better than their counter parts.
1. The graphics: We all know that the graphics in Skyrim as well as New Vegas are improved somewhat (Skyrim more so) but was it
all that necessary? Meaning this, I have tried to play Morrowind multiple multiple multiple times and the graphics are so bad it makes the GAMEPLAY almost impossible to play. So do the graphics of Oblivion and Fallout 3 make the game play difficult? No, not at all as I have gone back and played both these titles after the fact and found it to be in fact better. The graphics don’t have to be
the best thing on the planet, they need to compliment game play- if game play is terrible (Diablo 3) it doesn’t matter how good the graphics are where as if game play is awesome graphics only need to be good enough to not stifle. And the graphics in both of these games are still amazing, Fallout 3 gives the feel of a post nuclear fallout world perfectly, and Oblivion provides a beautiful world
that is worth exploring.
2. Game play is better- I will give some examples but there really are so many I cannot even name them all. For starters the arrows in
Oblivion had no “maximum distance” meaning if you could see something you could hit them. In Skyrim you had to be within the characters bubble of “being able to track you” (yeah that makes sense right?) before your arrows would hit them- EVEN IF you could clearly see them your arrows would just sail through them. That is of course not before alerting them to your presence, wow stupid. Another example from Oblivion would be that you could cast spells with a sword in hand, now I have to admit the quick change options they added in Skyrim was a great idea (if it was in Oblivion) but since you never needed to change your load out once in
Skyrim it was wasted and you needed to switch up your hands before you could cast healing spells on yourself. This made the battles seem less fluid and choppy as you had to freeze, change hands, heal, change back, charge in again- where in Oblivion you just took a step back and healed and ran back in. Likewise the added “slow motion death” animations were horrible to say the least, choppy and laggy- half the time it would zoom out and you couldn’t even see anything before being thrown back into first person again to continue the fight. Needless breaking up of the fight that looked terrible, there was no need for these “instant KO” animations (that can also be used on you for maximum pissed off affect- you can have full hp and one hit later, DEAD…. Dumb dumb dumb dumb duuuuuummmb!) The slow motion arrow deaths on the other hand MIGHT have been cool since they really wouldn’t chop up the battle too much as it would follow the path of the arrow- that is if they COULD EVER GET IT TO WORK! There were so many glitches surrounding this that I cannot even list them all, the most painful one being you paralyzing someone with your arrows before the arrow even hit them (yeah…. Awesome) and watch in slow motion as your arrow flies harmlessly over the persons head as they fall paralyzed on the ground unharmed…. Brilliant… An example from Fallout 3 would be the fact that you could snipe people from far away to great effect once you had the gear; being able to kill small parties before they could even figure out where you were and launch a counter attack- which was awesome! In Fallout New Vegas they added an AI script that figured out where you were as soon as you shoot your first bullet. Let me explain; you are sitting in the mountains in gray colored gear with the sun to your back with a SILENCED rifle and you zoom in (you have to zoom in because they are so far away you cannot even SEE them until you do so) and you take a shot- the entire group of bad guys will immediately turn to where you are and begin shooting up at you with pistols, rifles, missile launchers, whatever they happen to have. Garbage, absolute garbage! I would rather have the garbage in Skyrim (“hello, is anyone there?”- with an arrow in the eye) then to have this bull crap. Kills game play! OH man, and did I mention that you can’t SWING YOUR ()&(^( SWORD UNDER WATER IN SKYRIM! (&^*&(^!
3. End Game Play; end game play in both FO3 and ES4 are worlds better. In fact there IS NO end game in New Vegas, it simply ended the game… Really bad… In the Elder Scrolls a large part of the end game was completing side mission (unique ones), guild quest lines, as well as loot finding. In Skyrim those are all dead. The Guild quest lines are a joke (seriously less than half the size of Oblivion's)- you can become the Arch mage while not casting a single spell (yeah you can just use a dragon shout to get into the campus and then complete the storyline… weak weak weak!) and the worst part is that when you become the head masters in
Skyrim NOTHING CHANGES! You get to go back and do repeating RETARDED quests over and over again for worthless money? (and listen to the dread mother’s new AWFUL AWFUL voice which is raspy- why the HELL is a spirit's voice raspy? SHE IS DEAD!) In Oblivion it mattered! Once you became the arch mage you could create your own spells (ridiculously awesome) as well as the fact that if you then did the thief guilds quest line one of the quests was to steal the arch mage's staff- YOUR STAFF- and bring it back! It was so awesome to be able to just walk into your room and pick up your staff and walk out because of the work you had done as a mage. REWARDING GAME PLAY! Loot finding is non-existent in Skyrim as they added dragon bone gear (one of the dumbest ideas to date) that you can make yourself, and this is why it was a terrible idea. You have to invest precious points (which are far and in between in this game, if you max your level you can only get around a third of the potential skills or less) into your smith to be able to make the gear and you cannot uninvest skill points. This means a couple things, first off dragon gear has to be CLEARLY the best gear in the game period or there would be no point in investing into this skill tree, second you now know that whatever they add in DLC can NOT add items that are better than dragon gear because they will not let you uninvest skill points and if they did no one would ever invest in this skill tree again, and third since it is the best stuff in the game (and you basically can get it within the first 10 hours of game play, getting smith skill up to 100 isn’t difficult…) there is no point at ALL at looking at loot drops for THE REST OF THE GAME! So why keep playing? Killing dragons? It’s a joke it is so easy, I had 30+ dragons’ souls and there was no purpose for them other than unlocking shouts (which were all unlocked AND worthless with a capital W). I mean if they had given the ability to absorb dragon souls into SKILL POINTS, now that would have been something, but as it stood the freaking GIANTS were kicking the dragon’s buttocks- seriously, giants are OVER POWERED!
4. Evolving combat- I really don’t have to go into this very far, anyone with half a brain and some brain cells still kicking will not argue this point. In Skyrim I picked up a bow and an arrow and 50+ hours later I am asking myself why the HELL am I still playing this game! You don’t need to change your load out once, every single enemy in the game (including the final boss, which was killed by just standing back and shooting arrows at him while he watched, and then died…amazing) can be killed by any choice of weapons
you choose. A fire dragon? Sure you can kill that with fire… Frost dragon? Sure, frost magic why not… whatever you want to use be it magic, arrows, or hand to hand combat will work fine in every single situation in the game. No need to change. Now the reason they made the game that way was because they crippled you in the number of skill points they gave you which means you really only CAN use one choice of attack the whole blasted game; apparently to up the replay value- riiiiiight… so I want to go back through and do the same thing with the same equipment and just kill every enemy in the game in a NEW same way for 50+ hours? Seriously? Wake up… “well they wanted you to SPECIALIZE in something…” you know when you have that? WHEN YOU CAN HAVE PARTY CREATION AND YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE FREAKING PERSON! THHHHEEEN you can have one hand to hand, one thief, one mage, etc etc… If there is NO multiplayer (coop or online) and you are IT, they need to be able to have you excel at EVERYTHING like they did in Fallout 3 and Oblivion or else you will just be doing the same thing over and over again for 50+ hours (think Fable… It was no different)
5. This had gotten way too long and I could go on all day… Needless to say Oblivion and Fallout 3 were better games hands down…
Now why should you play these two games? Because they can do what I described above…They are some of the best (if not THE best) first person ARPG’s of all time. You want to be an ass and kill everyone you see? YOU CAN IN FALLOUT 3! NOT like in Red Dead Redemption, you can actually role play in these games! The RPG elements such as vitality, health, mana, leveling up, etc etc are not dumbed down for the general population (where now 80% of people graduating in New York alone cannot even read and write, hahaha… awesome…) but gratify the player for using his brain! You run across a wisp in Oblivion you can’t just use your sword on it; or if you run across an ogre you can’t just cast a spell on him-you have to think and adapt or you die. These two games, especially the Game of the Year versions are MUST PLAYS! The content you get for such a small amount of money is so worth the investment with very little risk involved! These games were GAME OF THE YEAR for a reason, not just because nothing else good came out (cough* RED DEAD!)
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can get Game of the Year Editions of both games (for consoles) for under $10 each on amazon.com or on steam for $20
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE (no excuse value for how much content you get…)
1. The graphics: We all know that the graphics in Skyrim as well as New Vegas are improved somewhat (Skyrim more so) but was it
all that necessary? Meaning this, I have tried to play Morrowind multiple multiple multiple times and the graphics are so bad it makes the GAMEPLAY almost impossible to play. So do the graphics of Oblivion and Fallout 3 make the game play difficult? No, not at all as I have gone back and played both these titles after the fact and found it to be in fact better. The graphics don’t have to be
the best thing on the planet, they need to compliment game play- if game play is terrible (Diablo 3) it doesn’t matter how good the graphics are where as if game play is awesome graphics only need to be good enough to not stifle. And the graphics in both of these games are still amazing, Fallout 3 gives the feel of a post nuclear fallout world perfectly, and Oblivion provides a beautiful world
that is worth exploring.
2. Game play is better- I will give some examples but there really are so many I cannot even name them all. For starters the arrows in
Oblivion had no “maximum distance” meaning if you could see something you could hit them. In Skyrim you had to be within the characters bubble of “being able to track you” (yeah that makes sense right?) before your arrows would hit them- EVEN IF you could clearly see them your arrows would just sail through them. That is of course not before alerting them to your presence, wow stupid. Another example from Oblivion would be that you could cast spells with a sword in hand, now I have to admit the quick change options they added in Skyrim was a great idea (if it was in Oblivion) but since you never needed to change your load out once in
Skyrim it was wasted and you needed to switch up your hands before you could cast healing spells on yourself. This made the battles seem less fluid and choppy as you had to freeze, change hands, heal, change back, charge in again- where in Oblivion you just took a step back and healed and ran back in. Likewise the added “slow motion death” animations were horrible to say the least, choppy and laggy- half the time it would zoom out and you couldn’t even see anything before being thrown back into first person again to continue the fight. Needless breaking up of the fight that looked terrible, there was no need for these “instant KO” animations (that can also be used on you for maximum pissed off affect- you can have full hp and one hit later, DEAD…. Dumb dumb dumb dumb duuuuuummmb!) The slow motion arrow deaths on the other hand MIGHT have been cool since they really wouldn’t chop up the battle too much as it would follow the path of the arrow- that is if they COULD EVER GET IT TO WORK! There were so many glitches surrounding this that I cannot even list them all, the most painful one being you paralyzing someone with your arrows before the arrow even hit them (yeah…. Awesome) and watch in slow motion as your arrow flies harmlessly over the persons head as they fall paralyzed on the ground unharmed…. Brilliant… An example from Fallout 3 would be the fact that you could snipe people from far away to great effect once you had the gear; being able to kill small parties before they could even figure out where you were and launch a counter attack- which was awesome! In Fallout New Vegas they added an AI script that figured out where you were as soon as you shoot your first bullet. Let me explain; you are sitting in the mountains in gray colored gear with the sun to your back with a SILENCED rifle and you zoom in (you have to zoom in because they are so far away you cannot even SEE them until you do so) and you take a shot- the entire group of bad guys will immediately turn to where you are and begin shooting up at you with pistols, rifles, missile launchers, whatever they happen to have. Garbage, absolute garbage! I would rather have the garbage in Skyrim (“hello, is anyone there?”- with an arrow in the eye) then to have this bull crap. Kills game play! OH man, and did I mention that you can’t SWING YOUR ()&(^( SWORD UNDER WATER IN SKYRIM! (&^*&(^!
3. End Game Play; end game play in both FO3 and ES4 are worlds better. In fact there IS NO end game in New Vegas, it simply ended the game… Really bad… In the Elder Scrolls a large part of the end game was completing side mission (unique ones), guild quest lines, as well as loot finding. In Skyrim those are all dead. The Guild quest lines are a joke (seriously less than half the size of Oblivion's)- you can become the Arch mage while not casting a single spell (yeah you can just use a dragon shout to get into the campus and then complete the storyline… weak weak weak!) and the worst part is that when you become the head masters in
Skyrim NOTHING CHANGES! You get to go back and do repeating RETARDED quests over and over again for worthless money? (and listen to the dread mother’s new AWFUL AWFUL voice which is raspy- why the HELL is a spirit's voice raspy? SHE IS DEAD!) In Oblivion it mattered! Once you became the arch mage you could create your own spells (ridiculously awesome) as well as the fact that if you then did the thief guilds quest line one of the quests was to steal the arch mage's staff- YOUR STAFF- and bring it back! It was so awesome to be able to just walk into your room and pick up your staff and walk out because of the work you had done as a mage. REWARDING GAME PLAY! Loot finding is non-existent in Skyrim as they added dragon bone gear (one of the dumbest ideas to date) that you can make yourself, and this is why it was a terrible idea. You have to invest precious points (which are far and in between in this game, if you max your level you can only get around a third of the potential skills or less) into your smith to be able to make the gear and you cannot uninvest skill points. This means a couple things, first off dragon gear has to be CLEARLY the best gear in the game period or there would be no point in investing into this skill tree, second you now know that whatever they add in DLC can NOT add items that are better than dragon gear because they will not let you uninvest skill points and if they did no one would ever invest in this skill tree again, and third since it is the best stuff in the game (and you basically can get it within the first 10 hours of game play, getting smith skill up to 100 isn’t difficult…) there is no point at ALL at looking at loot drops for THE REST OF THE GAME! So why keep playing? Killing dragons? It’s a joke it is so easy, I had 30+ dragons’ souls and there was no purpose for them other than unlocking shouts (which were all unlocked AND worthless with a capital W). I mean if they had given the ability to absorb dragon souls into SKILL POINTS, now that would have been something, but as it stood the freaking GIANTS were kicking the dragon’s buttocks- seriously, giants are OVER POWERED!
4. Evolving combat- I really don’t have to go into this very far, anyone with half a brain and some brain cells still kicking will not argue this point. In Skyrim I picked up a bow and an arrow and 50+ hours later I am asking myself why the HELL am I still playing this game! You don’t need to change your load out once, every single enemy in the game (including the final boss, which was killed by just standing back and shooting arrows at him while he watched, and then died…amazing) can be killed by any choice of weapons
you choose. A fire dragon? Sure you can kill that with fire… Frost dragon? Sure, frost magic why not… whatever you want to use be it magic, arrows, or hand to hand combat will work fine in every single situation in the game. No need to change. Now the reason they made the game that way was because they crippled you in the number of skill points they gave you which means you really only CAN use one choice of attack the whole blasted game; apparently to up the replay value- riiiiiight… so I want to go back through and do the same thing with the same equipment and just kill every enemy in the game in a NEW same way for 50+ hours? Seriously? Wake up… “well they wanted you to SPECIALIZE in something…” you know when you have that? WHEN YOU CAN HAVE PARTY CREATION AND YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE FREAKING PERSON! THHHHEEEN you can have one hand to hand, one thief, one mage, etc etc… If there is NO multiplayer (coop or online) and you are IT, they need to be able to have you excel at EVERYTHING like they did in Fallout 3 and Oblivion or else you will just be doing the same thing over and over again for 50+ hours (think Fable… It was no different)
5. This had gotten way too long and I could go on all day… Needless to say Oblivion and Fallout 3 were better games hands down…
Now why should you play these two games? Because they can do what I described above…They are some of the best (if not THE best) first person ARPG’s of all time. You want to be an ass and kill everyone you see? YOU CAN IN FALLOUT 3! NOT like in Red Dead Redemption, you can actually role play in these games! The RPG elements such as vitality, health, mana, leveling up, etc etc are not dumbed down for the general population (where now 80% of people graduating in New York alone cannot even read and write, hahaha… awesome…) but gratify the player for using his brain! You run across a wisp in Oblivion you can’t just use your sword on it; or if you run across an ogre you can’t just cast a spell on him-you have to think and adapt or you die. These two games, especially the Game of the Year versions are MUST PLAYS! The content you get for such a small amount of money is so worth the investment with very little risk involved! These games were GAME OF THE YEAR for a reason, not just because nothing else good came out (cough* RED DEAD!)
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can get Game of the Year Editions of both games (for consoles) for under $10 each on amazon.com or on steam for $20
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE (no excuse value for how much content you get…)
destiny of an emperor
I am probably going to be outdating myself hard with this old school rpg for the Nintendo as it was even a bit before my time- my brother Joshua was actually the first person to introduce me to this game. It is a linear game with RPG elements in it such as forming your party from defeated enemies, leveling up, equipping weapon, etc, while being based on the three kingdom period in China. (Those familiar with the “Dynasty Warriors” games or the “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” will be familiar with the time period) This game is actually the first installment, if you will, in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms games with the start of the game having you play as the hero of the time period “Liu Bei” and follow him on his quest to unite China. This is actually a great old school RPG that has some great hidden content on it that makes you explore every part of its world to actually put together the greatest army possible. If you are a fan of old school 2d RPG’s (like the first Final Fantasy) you will love this game as it adds more depth than you are used to in the typical 2d linear RPG’s of the time period. If you like the Romance of the Three Kingdoms game you have to play this as this is probably still the best installment in the series. If you haven’t heard of this game and you have an old NES, it’s worth dusting it off to give this game a try.
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE (if you are a fan of 2D RPG’s and/or of that time period in China) or $20 (if you are not a fan of 2D RPG’s)
ASKING: Obviously not for sale in many places anymore, you can still find used copies of it on amazon.com as well as ebay.com usually for around $10
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE (if you are a fan of 2D RPG’s and/or of that time period in China) or $20 (if you are not a fan of 2D RPG’s)
ASKING: Obviously not for sale in many places anymore, you can still find used copies of it on amazon.com as well as ebay.com usually for around $10
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE
star wars knights of the old republic i and II
You want to know why people love Bioware? You didn’t really get into the bird view party creation experiences of the Icewind Dales? (and all of their other similar games) These game will win you over, they are the best, THE BEST Star Wars games to date. Forget the new MMO, which was horrible, (as the old fans on these games KNEW it would be- forget the MMO lovers who would say any MMO is great and/or just compare it to other MMO’s, the MMO was flat and crap compared to these games…) these two games let you feel what it would be like to actually struggle with the concepts of the“light side” and the “dark side” as you progress as a Jedi. Being trained as a Jedi was fantastic, and the lore surrounding it was awesome. People have been waiting for a third installment to this series for years and years (and finally they got a cash grab attempt at an MMO, brilliant game CO’s and all…) and it is fine time that you play it today and find out why people loved it so much. The gameplay is much like that of Dragon Age, (duh, same CO trying to reproduce this game in a
different fashion) with you having a party of around 4 (while only creating one main character yourself) and you walk around the world in an“over the shoulder” perspective of whichever character you happen to be on. You can pause the game mid battle and issue commands to each character before continuing the fight again- where as if you don’t pause the game just continues in real time (just like DA) If you are a fan of light sabers and jedi’s and feel like the games of today are not cutting it- PLAY THESE GAME NOW! The first time you get to make your own light saber and actually augment it with light crystals (making your own light saber with the color of your choosing) you will be absolutely giddy! (And then you will have to of course try slashing something with it…) These games were game breaking in that they game break all new attempts at Star Wars games, they are just that good…
THESE GAMES ARE WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: you can get PC bundle packs that have both I and II for $15 and used console copies of these games for around $10 still, check amazon.com. It is now on steam for $12
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE
different fashion) with you having a party of around 4 (while only creating one main character yourself) and you walk around the world in an“over the shoulder” perspective of whichever character you happen to be on. You can pause the game mid battle and issue commands to each character before continuing the fight again- where as if you don’t pause the game just continues in real time (just like DA) If you are a fan of light sabers and jedi’s and feel like the games of today are not cutting it- PLAY THESE GAME NOW! The first time you get to make your own light saber and actually augment it with light crystals (making your own light saber with the color of your choosing) you will be absolutely giddy! (And then you will have to of course try slashing something with it…) These games were game breaking in that they game break all new attempts at Star Wars games, they are just that good…
THESE GAMES ARE WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: you can get PC bundle packs that have both I and II for $15 and used console copies of these games for around $10 still, check amazon.com. It is now on steam for $12
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE
dragon age origins ultimate edition
This game did more than deliver an amazing RPG experience of a lifetime, with a story driven OPEN WORLD that allows your choices to be real AND have impact. No, no, this game did much more than THAT, this game gave me hope. Let me explain! It had been years
since a great real RPG experience like this has been produced- big budget, large game in scope, great storyline, the RPG elements are NOT dumbed down for the “I have no brain crowd” (thank you COD…) and when this game came out not only promising all that but delivering it I was worried that the game would not be received well… BUT THE GAME WAS BEING CLEANED FROM THE SHELVES! People showed the game industry that there is a very real demand for games that let you use your brain and feel rewarded for doing it! They showed that there is an under represented majority of quite gamers who are thirsty for games just like this one. If you were a fan of the SWKOTR you have to play these games. Why the CO took the signs delivered in this game and then produced Dragon Age 2 the way they did (THE biggest let down of a lifetime, DA2 was the biggest pile of garbage you could have asked for) makes no sense whatsoever. You will still see people say “oh no, I loved Dragon Age 2 better!” being they dumbed down this game to an unreal extent, you cannot even equip items on your party members anymore… Yikes… So you will have the odd ADHD COD child who will say they liked the 2nd more, but the staggering numbers show an OVERWHELMING trend for the opposite. A game that does as well as Dragon Age 1 will get people to buy the 2nd based solely off of how well the first does, regardless of how good/bad the game looks to be. Once word of mouth spreads the numbers will either continue to rise or to fall off as word of mouth gets out that this game is trash. Just ask Blizzard how well this principle worked out for them with Diablo III; they didn’t even need to have a game that was longer than 10 hours and they sold 8 Million copies of it based entirely off of the first installments in the series. The game then had a 65%+ drop off rate of people playing the game within three months as word of mouth got out. This same trend happened with DA2, it was that bad and the vast vast vast majority responded. If you love to use your brain and love REAL RPG experiences, continue to show the game CO’s that we are here and love their games that deliver- go out today and buy this Ultimate Edition (which includes a MASSIVE expansion as well as every single add on the game had) that you can now get for an easy penny. This game is M for mature for a reason and has battles and armor that are seriously some of the best to date. Just an unbelievable experience
wrapped around an amazing story of Grey Wardens (a group of people sworn to stop the blight) who are trying to stop a blight (a surge of demons, dragons, undead and the like, coming from the world’s giant underbelly) and have to form an army to stop it and kill the arch demon (dragon) and send the blight back underground. This game is fantastic and storyline is one of the best original
concepts around. A must buy guys!
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can find used copies of the ultimate on consoles as well as pc for $20, try amazon.com or get on steam for $20. If you plan on playing the whole series do it on console or origin as steam does not have the third game and saves carrying over is a big deal.
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE
since a great real RPG experience like this has been produced- big budget, large game in scope, great storyline, the RPG elements are NOT dumbed down for the “I have no brain crowd” (thank you COD…) and when this game came out not only promising all that but delivering it I was worried that the game would not be received well… BUT THE GAME WAS BEING CLEANED FROM THE SHELVES! People showed the game industry that there is a very real demand for games that let you use your brain and feel rewarded for doing it! They showed that there is an under represented majority of quite gamers who are thirsty for games just like this one. If you were a fan of the SWKOTR you have to play these games. Why the CO took the signs delivered in this game and then produced Dragon Age 2 the way they did (THE biggest let down of a lifetime, DA2 was the biggest pile of garbage you could have asked for) makes no sense whatsoever. You will still see people say “oh no, I loved Dragon Age 2 better!” being they dumbed down this game to an unreal extent, you cannot even equip items on your party members anymore… Yikes… So you will have the odd ADHD COD child who will say they liked the 2nd more, but the staggering numbers show an OVERWHELMING trend for the opposite. A game that does as well as Dragon Age 1 will get people to buy the 2nd based solely off of how well the first does, regardless of how good/bad the game looks to be. Once word of mouth spreads the numbers will either continue to rise or to fall off as word of mouth gets out that this game is trash. Just ask Blizzard how well this principle worked out for them with Diablo III; they didn’t even need to have a game that was longer than 10 hours and they sold 8 Million copies of it based entirely off of the first installments in the series. The game then had a 65%+ drop off rate of people playing the game within three months as word of mouth got out. This same trend happened with DA2, it was that bad and the vast vast vast majority responded. If you love to use your brain and love REAL RPG experiences, continue to show the game CO’s that we are here and love their games that deliver- go out today and buy this Ultimate Edition (which includes a MASSIVE expansion as well as every single add on the game had) that you can now get for an easy penny. This game is M for mature for a reason and has battles and armor that are seriously some of the best to date. Just an unbelievable experience
wrapped around an amazing story of Grey Wardens (a group of people sworn to stop the blight) who are trying to stop a blight (a surge of demons, dragons, undead and the like, coming from the world’s giant underbelly) and have to form an army to stop it and kill the arch demon (dragon) and send the blight back underground. This game is fantastic and storyline is one of the best original
concepts around. A must buy guys!
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can find used copies of the ultimate on consoles as well as pc for $20, try amazon.com or get on steam for $20. If you plan on playing the whole series do it on console or origin as steam does not have the third game and saves carrying over is a big deal.
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE
the legend of dragoon
This game deserves to be placed up top with all the other greatest linear RPG experiences of all time. So many of these styles of games came (and continue to find their way into the market in some way/shape/form) but very precious few have what it takes to become legends. This is one such game. Lost Odyssey for example stole the battle system from this
game (and dumbed it down) and then went on to steal Cloud from FFVII as well as the sound track before putting its ugly face on shelves everywhere. The “hit box” command in RPG’s started and basically died with this game (reasons unknown) as they make battles that much more interesting, and in fact panic inducing- you crack under pressure? Your characters do not simple “attack”, they will attempt to do combos and you will have to click the appropriate button when the spinning square centers itself in the stationary square in the center of the
screen (sound familiar Lost Odyssey?)and can have many more than just 2 hits, getting upwards of 6 hit combos if you can hit the right buttons at the right time. Also the enemy can “counter” you at any time and you will then have to click a certain button to keep yourself going fast enough or he will deal damage to YOU on YOUR attack. Simply awesome… With time running out and two of your
party members out and you have low heath you go for the attack- can you perform under pressure and deliver the 6 hit combo to finish the enemy off? Man on man, I have never sweat more in a linear RPG than I have in these battles. This game is fantastic and must be played by linear RPG story driven RPG fans. The graphics themselves are still good enough to allow you to not get fumbled up during battle (I have this issue with FFVIII and timing the sword gun and such, the graphics actually hurt me as far as replay of that game…) as well as clearly see and understand what is going on and where to go. Sometimes with older linear RPG’s this can become an issue, not at all with this game. The camera angles are not an issue and the story is good enough to not become an issue as well. This game is so good it will have you scratching your head when you are finished asking yourself “why didn’t they make more games like this?” When you figure it out, let me know…
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can get a copy of this game for $6 at the playstation store here. As well as a hard copy used at amazon.com for $10
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE (no excuse value…)
game (and dumbed it down) and then went on to steal Cloud from FFVII as well as the sound track before putting its ugly face on shelves everywhere. The “hit box” command in RPG’s started and basically died with this game (reasons unknown) as they make battles that much more interesting, and in fact panic inducing- you crack under pressure? Your characters do not simple “attack”, they will attempt to do combos and you will have to click the appropriate button when the spinning square centers itself in the stationary square in the center of the
screen (sound familiar Lost Odyssey?)and can have many more than just 2 hits, getting upwards of 6 hit combos if you can hit the right buttons at the right time. Also the enemy can “counter” you at any time and you will then have to click a certain button to keep yourself going fast enough or he will deal damage to YOU on YOUR attack. Simply awesome… With time running out and two of your
party members out and you have low heath you go for the attack- can you perform under pressure and deliver the 6 hit combo to finish the enemy off? Man on man, I have never sweat more in a linear RPG than I have in these battles. This game is fantastic and must be played by linear RPG story driven RPG fans. The graphics themselves are still good enough to allow you to not get fumbled up during battle (I have this issue with FFVIII and timing the sword gun and such, the graphics actually hurt me as far as replay of that game…) as well as clearly see and understand what is going on and where to go. Sometimes with older linear RPG’s this can become an issue, not at all with this game. The camera angles are not an issue and the story is good enough to not become an issue as well. This game is so good it will have you scratching your head when you are finished asking yourself “why didn’t they make more games like this?” When you figure it out, let me know…
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can get a copy of this game for $6 at the playstation store here. As well as a hard copy used at amazon.com for $10
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE (no excuse value…)
mass effect
Like Dragon Age Origins, this game gave me hope. Not like Dragon Age did mind you, but hope none the less… Hope in this case that RPG’s still had a future in the FPS genre. This game is really M for mature, with mature themes such as having to decide who to rescue and who to let die in real time, this game was phenomenal. Something else this game did for console users that I have yet to see (which has to be the
freaking coolest thing I have ever seen on consoles to DATE) was making the achievements in this game actually worth something. Not only do you get some Gamerscore (worthless to most) you will gain permanent passive strengths for completing said achievements. Examples being you get an achievement for spending a lot of time with the soldier in your group and the achievement grants you a 10% reduction in overall damage… HOW FREAKING COOL! The achievements became an actual passive skill tree that you could then increase your overall power by doing said achievement- so freaking smart. This fact ALONE made the replay value of the first installment the best of the series HANDS DOWN. This game is set up
like a first person (over the shoulder, like Gears of War/ Army of Two) with active cover taking a large role (like Gears of War/Army of Two/Rainbow; Las Vegas, etc) and the RPG elements of this game are not dumbed down. They do get dumbed down at about the same proportion as Dragon Age Origins to Dragon Age 2 to this game Mass Effect to Mass Effect 2. The difference in this case being
that they turned it more into a FPS and less into an actual RPG, and they turned it into a decent FPS. This meant that they lost (in Mass Effect 2) a large group of the RPG fans (I have to admit I did enjoy the RPG mature feel of Mass Effect more than the FPS teenager feel of ME2), but they seemed to gain a decent size of FPS fans in the process, so the effect was not as visible as it was from DA to DA2. When they took the RPG out when creating DA2, the game became a “button masher”- and not even a decent button masher at that- so they lost almost their entire base and gained no new base. Mass Effect 3 tried to add a little bit more RPG in the
3rdinstallment back in (trying to rekindle their lost base that loved the 1stinstallment, while still keeping their new FPS base from the 2nd) which was almost like salt in the wound. The RPG that they DID add was very basic and just made the RPG gamer drop a few tears in “what could have been moments”. The third installment (even with the new extended ending) does not do the series justice in the slightest because of the terrible closing this game delivered. That being said, the game play AS WELL as the story in number 3
was WORLDS better than ME2 ever delivered, except for the ending. If ME3 had NOT had an ending and just said “to be continued” (stupid right?)- THAT would have been better than what it had. If the ending would have been better it would have trumped ME2 easily in every single fascist. It would have not however been a better RPG experience than the 1st, which clearly set the tone for the series. It is a shame that what made ME and DA great was abandoned in their sequels for cash grabs attempts at ADHD-button mashing-FPS piles of crap. These series could have been some of the best the world had ever seen. Now they will go on the shelves of “what could have been” as the Mass Effect trilogy will never be fixed and even if DA3 makes a MASSIVE MASSIVE turn around back to the original for DA3, the series will still be in the “what could have been”because DA2 is sitting FAT in the middle. If you are a fan of RPG’s which real mature content and rewarding game play then play Mass Effect, it will not disappoint. Mass Effect only had a couple issues that if fixed would have made for unreal sequels (that &%^&%$& MAKO!) instead they trashed things like the mako to replace it with even crappier mechanics like the planet scan, my oh my...Mass Effect 1 is clearly the best RPG M for Mature theme based game of the series; if you however are one of the ADHD COD children who have to have no brain activity and more bullets flying, then you might find 2 or even 3 to be better.
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE (for just Mass Effect) or $20 (for the trilogy)
ASKING: Since the collapse that was ME3 they are selling “the trilogy” in attempts to try and sell more copies of 3 by placing it with 1 (RPG fans will buy it for this one) and 2 (FPS COD fan boys will buy it for this one) If you haven’t tried the series and want to give the whole thing a go the trilogy can be bought for $20 now used. Mass Effect however is one of the greatest RPG experiences around and if you just wanted to get a copy of it you can easily pick one up for under $10.
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE (for just Mass Effect), WORTH IT (for the Trilogy Pack-I would wait until you could get it for $20 or
less…) If you plan on playing the whole series, get it on console or origin (for $15) as steam doesn't offer Mass Effect 3 which means you won't be able to carry over your saves
freaking coolest thing I have ever seen on consoles to DATE) was making the achievements in this game actually worth something. Not only do you get some Gamerscore (worthless to most) you will gain permanent passive strengths for completing said achievements. Examples being you get an achievement for spending a lot of time with the soldier in your group and the achievement grants you a 10% reduction in overall damage… HOW FREAKING COOL! The achievements became an actual passive skill tree that you could then increase your overall power by doing said achievement- so freaking smart. This fact ALONE made the replay value of the first installment the best of the series HANDS DOWN. This game is set up
like a first person (over the shoulder, like Gears of War/ Army of Two) with active cover taking a large role (like Gears of War/Army of Two/Rainbow; Las Vegas, etc) and the RPG elements of this game are not dumbed down. They do get dumbed down at about the same proportion as Dragon Age Origins to Dragon Age 2 to this game Mass Effect to Mass Effect 2. The difference in this case being
that they turned it more into a FPS and less into an actual RPG, and they turned it into a decent FPS. This meant that they lost (in Mass Effect 2) a large group of the RPG fans (I have to admit I did enjoy the RPG mature feel of Mass Effect more than the FPS teenager feel of ME2), but they seemed to gain a decent size of FPS fans in the process, so the effect was not as visible as it was from DA to DA2. When they took the RPG out when creating DA2, the game became a “button masher”- and not even a decent button masher at that- so they lost almost their entire base and gained no new base. Mass Effect 3 tried to add a little bit more RPG in the
3rdinstallment back in (trying to rekindle their lost base that loved the 1stinstallment, while still keeping their new FPS base from the 2nd) which was almost like salt in the wound. The RPG that they DID add was very basic and just made the RPG gamer drop a few tears in “what could have been moments”. The third installment (even with the new extended ending) does not do the series justice in the slightest because of the terrible closing this game delivered. That being said, the game play AS WELL as the story in number 3
was WORLDS better than ME2 ever delivered, except for the ending. If ME3 had NOT had an ending and just said “to be continued” (stupid right?)- THAT would have been better than what it had. If the ending would have been better it would have trumped ME2 easily in every single fascist. It would have not however been a better RPG experience than the 1st, which clearly set the tone for the series. It is a shame that what made ME and DA great was abandoned in their sequels for cash grabs attempts at ADHD-button mashing-FPS piles of crap. These series could have been some of the best the world had ever seen. Now they will go on the shelves of “what could have been” as the Mass Effect trilogy will never be fixed and even if DA3 makes a MASSIVE MASSIVE turn around back to the original for DA3, the series will still be in the “what could have been”because DA2 is sitting FAT in the middle. If you are a fan of RPG’s which real mature content and rewarding game play then play Mass Effect, it will not disappoint. Mass Effect only had a couple issues that if fixed would have made for unreal sequels (that &%^&%$& MAKO!) instead they trashed things like the mako to replace it with even crappier mechanics like the planet scan, my oh my...Mass Effect 1 is clearly the best RPG M for Mature theme based game of the series; if you however are one of the ADHD COD children who have to have no brain activity and more bullets flying, then you might find 2 or even 3 to be better.
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE (for just Mass Effect) or $20 (for the trilogy)
ASKING: Since the collapse that was ME3 they are selling “the trilogy” in attempts to try and sell more copies of 3 by placing it with 1 (RPG fans will buy it for this one) and 2 (FPS COD fan boys will buy it for this one) If you haven’t tried the series and want to give the whole thing a go the trilogy can be bought for $20 now used. Mass Effect however is one of the greatest RPG experiences around and if you just wanted to get a copy of it you can easily pick one up for under $10.
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE (for just Mass Effect), WORTH IT (for the Trilogy Pack-I would wait until you could get it for $20 or
less…) If you plan on playing the whole series, get it on console or origin (for $15) as steam doesn't offer Mass Effect 3 which means you won't be able to carry over your saves
Dragon Quest VIII
As with the other linear story driven RPG’s listed, this deserves to be placed as one of the greatest. The color and hand drawn word is honestly the best way that you can go, because as time goes on the graphics will continue to still be amazing and will not die down over time. Those familiar with the Dragon Ball anime series will appreciate the art work and its bright and beautiful world that it helped create in this game. You want to run around and explore this world because of how absolutely beautiful it is; it makes you feel good inside just by looking at the scenery (a feeling I have not had duplicated save by Elder Scrolls IV; Oblivion) and taking time to soak it in before continuing on. Getting lost in this game does not make you feel angry or confused because of this art work, but instead makes you feel gratified for having explored more of its world. The “monster team” in this game has to be one of the coolest if not THE coolest (and most gratifying) mini games in a linear RPG to date. You can go and challenge unique monsters scattered around the cast world, and once bested they will offer to join your “monster team” and fight for you… So much fun, so addictive to try and create different parties
(because your “monster teams” will be made up of 3 different monsters you have to subdue…) and use them in the world, I wish they had added components like this to other RPG’s like it. It was like Pokémon for people who have already gone through puberty; addictive and fun. The story in this is top tier, the combat is almost top tier, the equipment (and alchemy pot) is top tier, the hidden materials and side quests are top tier, the graphics are top tier, this game is top tier. The only thing I would have improved on is the battle system (sorry, Grandia II still had the best top tier battle system) and added a little bit more into it. At least to the level that FFVII had where material itself changed the battle system, this game needed a little bit more in
its pants when it came to its battle system or this game would have been flawless. If you are a fan of linear story driven RPG’s this is on the list of some of the greatest around; get it so you can play it and enjoy it!
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can get used console copies for $10 at amazon.com-don’t know why they haven’t added this to the playstation store yet as it would sell a multitude… It is also newly available on the DS (can be found on amazon.com for $35)
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE
(because your “monster teams” will be made up of 3 different monsters you have to subdue…) and use them in the world, I wish they had added components like this to other RPG’s like it. It was like Pokémon for people who have already gone through puberty; addictive and fun. The story in this is top tier, the combat is almost top tier, the equipment (and alchemy pot) is top tier, the hidden materials and side quests are top tier, the graphics are top tier, this game is top tier. The only thing I would have improved on is the battle system (sorry, Grandia II still had the best top tier battle system) and added a little bit more into it. At least to the level that FFVII had where material itself changed the battle system, this game needed a little bit more in
its pants when it came to its battle system or this game would have been flawless. If you are a fan of linear story driven RPG’s this is on the list of some of the greatest around; get it so you can play it and enjoy it!
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can get used console copies for $10 at amazon.com-don’t know why they haven’t added this to the playstation store yet as it would sell a multitude… It is also newly available on the DS (can be found on amazon.com for $35)
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE
kingdom hearts ii
When I played Kingdom Hearts the first installment I felt the gameplay was all right, not great but all right and I thought the storyline was alright, not great but alright… Bottom line is that after playing the first Kingdom Hearts I pretty much thought it was an alright game, and that if it wasn’t for the Disney characters (which I love) the game might have been so-so. With that in mind when they announced Kingdom Hearts II and that they were really focusing on improving the gameplay I didn’t really get my hopes up. When the game came out I figured “what the heck, I’ll give this series one more shot at my full price” (mostly because of a trailer I saw with THE BEAST in it that reminded me how much I still love Disney characters). Needless to say playing this game I was taken aback. Multiple times within the first couple hours of game play my wife heard me say things like, “wow, wasn’t expecting that…”, “wow, love the cinema scenes in this game…”, “wow, the combat is so much better than the first…”. “wow…”, “wow…”, “WOW!:” I couldn’t believe how much better this game actually was than the first! It wasn’t until I was about half way through it and was actually crying (yeah, screw you Disney) that I had to be honest with myself- this wasn’t just “better than Kingdom Hearts”- this was a freaking GREAT GAME! The storyline in this game is simple enough (and gentle enough) that a child would enjoy WATCHING you play, while an adult would still find it mature enough to find gripping. They meshed the story together in such an impressive way that I was actually extremely teed off when the ending of the game came (a giant cliff hanger like the first) and I realized I had to wait to find out how the story ended! I was even more teed off when I found out that Kingdom Hearts III was being postponed for FFXIII (which turned out to suck donkey parts) and is still not being worked on! This game is great and the combat system in it as unique as they come! This games combat is what Fable’s fails to be in so many ways- very similar in many ways but different in enough ways to make it challenging, fun, and not just a “cast one spell over and over again battle system”. In the battles you can combine yourself with your comrades to “super” yourself into different forms, and the forms do well against certain foes (and bosses) and do very poorly against others (or other bosses) so you are forced to actually use your brain and change up how you fight from fight to fight or you will die because you are changing into the wrong “super you” form. Amazing since Skyrim couldn’t even manage to give you this (something that is so fundamental in all RPG’s) simple but critical element that should be in the battle system of every RPG. This game has a sound track that would make FFVII and FFT proud to be part of the same CO, with graphics and a storyline that are equally as impressive! (and highly amusing since you get to play with and meet all your favorite Disney characters as well as all your favorite Final Fantasy characters… yeah you get Aaron from FFX and not Tidus, HILARIOUS… that is priceless in itself…) This game will not disappoint anyone who enjoys a linear story driven RPG, while this game is an absolute MUST for anyone you loves a linear story driven RPG, and you are retarded if you do not purchase this game TODAY if you love linear story driven RPG’s and also love Disney and Final Fantasy characters…
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: The game series is extremely confusing now. Kingdom Hearts 1 came out and then a couple of spinoff DS games. Then Kingdom Hearts 2 came out which you did not need to play the spinoff games to understand the series. Then Kingdom Hearts 1.5 came out which was Kingdom Hearts 1 remastered plus the extra DS games now in playstation format (3 games total). Then more DS games came out which were followed by Kingdom Hearts 2.5 which had Kingdom Hearts 2 remastered plus the DS games (3 games total). Then Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 and 2.5 remix came out that has all 6 games. Then 5 more DS games came out. Now Kingdom Hearts 3 is coming out (2019). I would assume in awhile they will have a 3.5 version with Kingdom Hearts 3 plus the 5 DS games and sometime after that create a Kingdom Hearts master disc that contains all 12 games.
OVERALL VALUE: CONFUSING VALUE. If you wait a couple years for the Kingdom Hearts master collection (which will most likely contain all 12 games in the series) I am sure the value will be phenomenal. As is stands, buying the Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 and 2.5 remix here, buying the DS games piecemeal, and finally picking up Kingdom Hearts 3 when it comes out on console is currently the best way to get the complete series.
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: The game series is extremely confusing now. Kingdom Hearts 1 came out and then a couple of spinoff DS games. Then Kingdom Hearts 2 came out which you did not need to play the spinoff games to understand the series. Then Kingdom Hearts 1.5 came out which was Kingdom Hearts 1 remastered plus the extra DS games now in playstation format (3 games total). Then more DS games came out which were followed by Kingdom Hearts 2.5 which had Kingdom Hearts 2 remastered plus the DS games (3 games total). Then Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 and 2.5 remix came out that has all 6 games. Then 5 more DS games came out. Now Kingdom Hearts 3 is coming out (2019). I would assume in awhile they will have a 3.5 version with Kingdom Hearts 3 plus the 5 DS games and sometime after that create a Kingdom Hearts master disc that contains all 12 games.
OVERALL VALUE: CONFUSING VALUE. If you wait a couple years for the Kingdom Hearts master collection (which will most likely contain all 12 games in the series) I am sure the value will be phenomenal. As is stands, buying the Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 and 2.5 remix here, buying the DS games piecemeal, and finally picking up Kingdom Hearts 3 when it comes out on console is currently the best way to get the complete series.
the bard's tale
This game makes fun of everything that is RPG and does it in such a clever way that you will be laughing from start to finish. This is actually an RPG, with you actually able to role play being evil, nice, or snarky. This game also has multiple endings with multiple bad bosses depending on what you choose; this game is hilarious. Why this game did not get a sequel is beyond me as the writers of this game were some of the best around (you think Borderlands is funny? HA! This game will make Borderlands look like an old folks home…) The game is based off of a Bard who gets pulled into a quest to save what he deems to be an extremely attractive “princess figure” for “other motives”, and I am not talking about gold… Absolutely hilarious storyline that makes fun of everything cliché about RPG’s, this game was made by people who love and understand RPG’s! Hidden loot and world exploration as your go about taking down the enemies, this game isn’t played for its difficulty as much as it is for its sheer enjoyment value, waiting to see which cliché RPG figure they will throw on its head this time. If you are a fan of RPG’s and have played a lot of them, you will appreciate the detail they put into the game and all of the references to other RPG’s that they take the time to add. They do keep a fantastic amount of RPG elements such as leveling up, unique skills, equipment, etc, but also take away from some of the more tedious aspects of RPG’s such as not needing to pick up gold (it automatically picks it up for you- as far as I know this is the FIRST game to ever actually do this) or sell old items (it will automatically equip your best item and sell the rest- awesome…) This game is not a chore to play in the least. If you have not played this game you owe it to yourself to give it a try, I guarantee you will finish this game…
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can get used console version of this game for under $5 at amazon.com; you can also find PC versions of this game now as well… Get it on steam for $10 or download it from gog.com for $10 click here
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE (no excuse value…)
THIS GAME IS WORTH: FULL PRICE
ASKING: You can get used console version of this game for under $5 at amazon.com; you can also find PC versions of this game now as well… Get it on steam for $10 or download it from gog.com for $10 click here
OVERALL VALUE: GREAT VALUE (no excuse value…)