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GAF, help me to decide what RPG to play this winter break

Brandon F

Well congratulations! You got yourself caught!
This is a series I`ve long been interested in but not sure where to start. Yakuza 1 seems to be a no brainer, but I don't have access to it or a PS2 presently. I wish there was a PSN port of this game and Yakuza 2. I have 4 & 5 on PS3 as part of prior PS+ free games previously, but I haven't played them because I figure Ill be missing out on the whole experience without 1 & 2.

Yakuza 1 remake just got announced for PS4 localization, so you could wait and start there.

While all Yakuza games are pretty self-contained(not really serialized) they do acknowledge the events, locations, and characters of prior games pretty heavily so it is best to play in order. But each game also features primers to watch that detail the events of earlier games to get you up to speed, so you could jump in anywhere really. But unless in a hurry, may as well hold off for Yakuza 1 PS4 next year.
 
Welp. A few months ago the Nintendo eShop started to reject my credit card for some reason so I had to rely on cards to buy there... just found out my debit card works there. I already bought Xenoblade Chronicles and I may buy more stuff now...

Still, Xenoblade is only winning for 5 votes, I'll wait until tomorrow to see what I'll play next.
 

StereoVsn

Member
Yakuza 1 didn't aged as well as the other games in the series. Yakuza 2 (in the PS2) is regarded as one of the best in the series and has aged much, much better.

Next year, in january, Yakuza 0 will launch on the PS4. It's a prequel to the entire series and a great starting point. Yakuza Kiwami is set for summer and it's a remake of Yakuza 1.

TL;DR: Start Yakuza 4. Check Yakuza 0 once it releases in january.

Everything is correct till the final advice. No, don't start Yakuza 4. Play the games you got and then get Yakuza 0 in January. Then you can get Yakuza 1 remake (Kiwami) in the summer, then (unfortunately) skip 2 (really a must play, my favorite in the series, even if you include spin offs and Zero) and go into 3, 4, 5 followed up by 6 in 2018.
 
I don't know if having a few music videos while the rest is a standard RPG with a neat Persona 4-esq hubworld and dungeons really makes something a musical.

I'm one of the not few people that don't have a favorable opinion of that game. Let's just leave it at that. Besides, the list of games I can choose from is already pretty big.
 

vaporeon

Member
You just poured your soul into Persona 5, so I feel like it's time for a change of pace. Definitely go for an ARPG.

If you are willing to get your hands on it, Xenoblade Chronicles.

I also want to suggest Tales of Symphonia or Tales of Xillia. I played Symphonia to take a break from Nocturne recently. Tales games are pretty lowkey and fun in my opinion so I use them as breathers, haha. They aren't difficult to complete, so easy ones to knock off the backlog.

Please finish Nocturne one day, OP!! ;_;
 
Bumping this thread because I want to read more opinions.

So far, everything is like this:

Xenoblade Chronicles: 18
Lost Odyssey: 11
Suikoden II: 10
Trails in the Sky: 8
Dragon Quest V, Ni no Kuni PS3, Nier: 5 (I'm adding a vote to DQV because someone said I had to play one of them, though (s)he didn't specify which one).
Xenoblade Chronicles X, Suikoden : 4
Pokémon Soul Silver, Mother 3, SMT III Nocturne : 3
Fallout 3: 2
Bravely Default, Mega Man Battle Network, SMT Digital Devil Saga, Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth : 2 (the people who voted for MMBN said 2 and 3 are the best ones though)
Dragon Quest IV, Rune Factory, The Last Story, Final Fantasy Tactics (WofL), Valkyria Chronicles, Infinite Undiscovery, Odin Sphere, Tales of Symphonia Chronicles: 1

I'm kind of surprised so far with the results, I was expecting more love for Mother 3 and Valkyria Chronicles.
 
The new chrono trigger content sucks, so from your list I'd go with dragon quest v. Even though the ds localisation is not great, it's still one of the greatest rpgs ever.

By breath of fire 3 not being there I'll assume that as you say, you've played it.
 

cireza

Banned
Lost Odyssey is free, go for it.

Otherwise this year, Tokyo Mirage Sessions was amazing. Even if you are not into this stuff, you should give it a try. I am not in this stuff at all, and was incredible impressed by how great the game is.
 

Lothar

Banned
I'm adding a vote to DQV because someone said I had to play one of them, though (s)he didn't specify which one).

Aha, my plan worked.

Also consider that the most played game is not necessarily the best choice. Xenoblade was a AAA title and is probably 50x more likely to have been played than a game that didn't come here like Mother 3. It depends on what you look for the most too. I'd be surprised if anyone who played both didn't think the story and emotion was better in Mother 3.
 
Aha, my plan worked.

Also consider that the most played game is not necessarily the best choice. Xenoblade was a AAA title and is probably 50x more likely to have been played than a game that didn't come here like Mother 3. It depends on what you look for the most too. I'd be surprised if anyone who played both didn't think the story and emotion was better in Mother 3.

Thanks for bumping the thread.

I'm well aware that the most popular choice while good, may not be the best one for me, but I promised I'd play the one with more votes. As a matter of fact, there are a bunch of games that I'd prefer to play over the others:

Dragon Quest V
Dragon Quest VII
Tales of Zestiria
Mother 3
Valkyria Chronicles
 
This is a series I`ve long been interested in but not sure where to start. Yakuza 1 seems to be a no brainer, but I don't have access to it or a PS2 presently. I wish there was a PSN port of this game and Yakuza 2. I have 4 & 5 on PS3 as part of prior PS+ free games previously, but I haven't played them because I figure Ill be missing out on the whole experience without 1 & 2.

Well, that's my cue :)

Yakuza Series Starter Guide | Welcome to Kamurocho

I honestly wish I could get this as my tag. Would've made doing this each and every time a whole lot easier.
 

SephLuis

Member
Thanks for bumping the thread.

I'm well aware that the most popular choice while good, may not be the best one for me, but I promised I'd play the one with more votes. As a matter of fact, there are a bunch of games that I'd prefer to play over the others:

Dragon Quest V
Dragon Quest VII
Tales of Zestiria
Mother 3
Valkyria Chronicles

If you prefer those, go for it. VC is a great SRPG and definitely a great choice. ToZ is a good game, even if it's one of the weakest in the series.

XCX wasn't for me, but I can understand the appeal.

Just remember, go for trails and yakuza once you have the time for it.
 

djtiesto

is beloved, despite what anyone might say
Dragon Quest 5, Mother 3, Suikoden 2 and Xenoblade Chronicles all sit within my top 10 RPGs of all time so you can't go wrong with any of them. The first 3 aren't terribly long but Xeno is, so having a long winter break to play it might prove much more beneficial than just playing in chunks.
 

Wichu

Member
Aha, my plan worked.

Also consider that the most played game is not necessarily the best choice. Xenoblade was a AAA title and is probably 50x more likely to have been played than a game that didn't come here like Mother 3. It depends on what you look for the most too. I'd be surprised if anyone who played both didn't think the story and emotion was better in Mother 3.

I've played both, and would still recommend Xenoblade overall.

It depends on what you want from the game.

Mother 3 is more about smaller-scale personal stories to evoke feeling rather than telling an impressive plot (and it definitely succeeds at that). Xenoblade is a sweeping epic fantasy about one man's quest for revenge. Mother 3's story is more interesting (if a bit abstract), but Xenoblade is good in a different way.

In terms of gameplay, Mother 3 is very much a traditional JRPG. Xenoblade feels more modern, with things like no consumable items or MP system, almost-instant HP recovery out of battle, no death penalty, and a positioning-based pseudo-real time battle system, that in total reward you for exploring and trying unique monster fights rather than punishing you for being underprepared or spending too long in a dungeon without healing up.

I preferred the visuals in Xenoblade - Mother 3 has charming pixel art, but Xenoblade's environments blew me away. Music-wise, Xenoblade was more fun to listen to, but I also think Mother 3's soundtrack added to the experience better rather than being just backgound music.

I think Xenoblade is better as a game, but Mother 3 is definitely an unforgettable experience that everyone should play.

EDIT: And yes, I am voting for Xenoblade. It's currently my favourite JRPG of all time.
 
Final Results. Aren't you nervous? I certainly am.

Xenoblade Chronicles: 21
Lost Odyssey: 12
Suikoden II: 11
Trails in the Sky: 8
Dragon Quest V: 7 (I'm adding a vote to DQV because someone said I had to play one of them, though (s)he didn't specify which one).
Ni no Kuni PS3, Nier: 5
Xenoblade Chronicles X, Suikoden, Mother 3: 4
Pokémon Soul Silver, SMT III Nocturne: 3
Fallout 3, Valkyria Chronicles: 2
Bravely Default, Mega Man Battle Network, SMT Digital Devil Saga, Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth : 2 (the people who voted for MMBN said 2 and 3 are the best ones though)
Dragon Quest IV, Rune Factory, The Last Story, Final Fantasy Tactics (WofL), Infinite Undiscovery, Odin Sphere, Tales of Symphonia Chronicles: 1

So, expect a LTTP thread about Xenoblade Cronicles soon, but not too soon; maybe in a week.

Thanks to everyone for your recommendations. Lost Odyssey, Suikoden II and Trails in the Sky are now up in my priority list when I beat Xenoblade Chronicles.


If you prefer those, go for it. VC is a great SRPG and definitely a great choice. ToZ is a good game, even if it's one of the weakest in the series.

XCX wasn't for me, but I can understand the appeal.

Just remember, go for trails and yakuza once you have the time for it.

I must confess: I've tried most of the games on the list for a couple of hours because when I get them/buy them, I like to try them and then I put them in the backlog. I know already how's the gameplay of XBX, and I didn't like it that much: It doesn't feel like real time combat nor turn based combat and it didn't click with me the last time I tried it like a year ago. If combat is similar in the original Xenoblade, you'll read me bitching about it in the LTTP thread. Please, be excited.
 

Dremorak

Banned
YES. Xenoblade Chronicles is absolutely the right choice. Now for the love of god, use the english voices :D

Best localisation from Japanese to English I've ever played. They used mostly stage actors and people who know how to act. One of the characters was even voiced by someone who ended up a doctors assistant on Dr Who, and is now in some period drama as the lead actress. (Dont let the first hour throw you off, the worst voice in the game pops up in the first 20 mins, and I think thats why a lot of people switch to Japanese voices early on. Esp later on when shit goes down, the main cast really puts in the work. And you can actually understand your parties' banter in the middle of battle (which IMO adds a lot to the main cast's likability)

In conclusion: I can't wait to read your LTTP thread :p I love Xenoblade LTTP threads.

Edit: Aaaaand now I'm listening to the soundtrack again. Thanks OP :p
 

SephLuis

Member
I must confess: I've tried most of the games on the list for a couple of hours because when I get them/buy them, I like to try them and then I put them in the backlog. I know already how's the gameplay of XBX, and I didn't like it that much: It doesn't feel like real time combat nor turn based combat and it didn't click with me the last time I tried it like a year ago. If combat is similar in the original Xenoblade, you'll read me bitching about it in the LTTP thread. Please, be excited.

It took me a while to read that people were recommending Xenoblade Chronicles and not XCX. XC is an excellent RPG, though it's battle system isn't one I managed to understand very well. At least I managed to finish XC, whereas XCX is stopped in the 20 hour mark I think.

Hopefully you can play TitS soon and post a LTTP thread about it too.

And, for the love of god, add Yakuza 0 or Yakuza 4 to your JRPG play list. Trust me on this one.
 

Dremorak

Banned
It took me a while to read that people were recommending Xenoblade Chronicles and not XCX. XC is an excellent RPG, though it's battle system isn't one I managed to understand very well. At least I managed to finish XC, whereas XCX is stopped in the 20 hour mark I think.

Hopefully you can play TitS soon and post a LTTP thread about it too.

And, for the love of god, add Yakuza 0 or Yakuza 4 to your JRPG play list. Trust me on this one.

The Yakuza games are considered JRPGs?? I always thought they were more like action game+ life sim or something?
 

skypunch

Banned
YES. Xenoblade Chronicles is absolutely the right choice. Now for the love of god, use the english voices :D

Best localisation from Japanese to English I've ever played. They used mostly stage actors and people who know how to act. One of the characters was even voiced by someone who ended up a doctors assistant on Dr Who, and is now in some period drama as the lead actress. (Dont let the first hour throw you off, the worst voice in the game pops up in the first 20 mins, and I think thats why a lot of people switch to Japanese voices early on. Esp later on when shit goes down, the main cast really puts in the work. And you can actually understand your parties' banter in the middle of battle (which IMO adds a lot to the main cast's likability)

In conclusion: I can't wait to read your LTTP thread :p I love Xenoblade LTTP threads.

Edit: Aaaaand now I'm listening to the soundtrack again. Thanks OP :p

X's dub is such a step down from the amazing British dub in Xenoblade. I get that it was set in an American city with Americans, but the stock standard American anime VA in X sounds so bland and uninspired in comparison.

None of the performances in X are memorable. It's just a really stock standard anime dub and I hate it. The British VA in Xenoblade felt like such a breath of fresh air and each voice actor injected a ton of personality and charm into their respective characters just from their voices alone and conveyed a ton of emotion that felt believable not at all hammy unlike most JRPGs with stock standard anime VA.

If the next Xeno game doesn't go back to using British VA and once again uses the same old stock anime VA (Matt Mercer, Laura Bailey, Yuri Lowenthal, etc...) I'm going to be disappointed.
 

Dremorak

Banned
X's dub is such a step down from the amazing British dub in Xenoblade. I get that it was set in an American city with Americans, but the stock standard American anime VA in X sounds so bland and uninspired in comparison.

None of the performances in X are memorable. It's just a really stock standard anime dub and I hate it. The British VA in Xenoblade felt like such a breath of fresh air and each voice actor injected a ton of personality and charm into their respective characters just from their voices alone and conveyed a ton of emotion that felt believable not at all hammy unlike most JRPGs with stock standard anime VA.

If the next Xeno game doesn't go back to using British VA and once again uses the same old stock anime VA (Matt Mercer, Laura Bailey, Yuri Lowenthal, etc...) I'm going to be disappointed.

I couldn't agree more :D (Although Matt Mercer on SMT4 just nailed every scene :D )

Lin weirdly enough ended up being one of the more well acted ones IMO even tho obviously her character design is weird.
 
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