I'm in a gaming rut.

So as the title states, I am in a gaming rut. I love playing games in my free time or when I just need forget my surroundings. But as of late I haven't been able to find a game that holds my attention. I need something new. I've never really liked rpg's but Im willing to give some a chance. My last experience with an rpg was Final Fantasy VII but I hated that game (Yes I know, blasphemy!!!) I think what I hated about it was the random battles. The fact that I couldn't control who I would fight irritated the hell out of me so I gave up on the game. But now I am here to ask the cheap ass gamer community to recommed some good rpg's for a rpg . So if you guys can recommend some good rpg's (that preferably don't have random battles) and that don't take long to finish, I would be ever so grateful. My current consoles are so I don't have a problem going last gen. PS. Id rather they be eastern developed as the western ones remind me alot of fps's.

You lost me at tittle states, but perhaps you can go super old school and try out the Phantasy Star Series with Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection (360). You also get some Shining Force and of course the Streets of Rage trilogy.

[quote name='Isma23'] and that don't take long to finish, .[/QUOTE]

That is the main kink. Most J-RPGs are not going to be on the short side.

Just take a break and do other things. I get sick of gaming from time to time and just focus on other hobbies for a couple of months and get back into it when the next big game I want to play comes out etc.

If you have a DS I HIGHLY recommend getting Chrono Trigger, that game doesn't have random battles and is fairly short for an RPG (15-20 hours). Chrono Cross for PS1 also wouldn't be a bad option (although the story is a bit convoluted in that game) but it also doesn't have random combat and that game is about 30 hours.

So you only have last gen consoles? Why don't you upgrade and try some of the great games that have come out since 2007? Both 360 and PS3 have some really great games; I'm partial to the PS3 (I have a Wii as well) and I honestly haven't had this much fun gaming since the SNES.

If you want some advice for good games, check out my game collection in my profile, just about every one of those games is good (especially the PS3 titles).

[quote name='jh6269']So you only have last gen consoles?[/QUOTE]

... He said he had a 360. And on the note of the 360 you might want to check out Tales of Vesperia, kind of a long game, and if you don't really dig Anime you might not be totally into the plot, but combat is really fun and battles aren't random.

If you had an SNES, I'd definitely recommend Lufia 2 and Secret of Mana. Neither have random encounters either.

Wow thanks guys. I will sure check some of those recommendations out. At this point Im willing to play a good rpg whether it's anime influenced or not. As long as it's fun Ill try it. Ill definitely check the DS games out (I forgot I had one.) Unfortunately I game my old Snes and most of my games to my cousin last year for christmas. Maybe Ill ask her to lend it to me And if not, I probably will take a break from gaming for a minute. Maybe I'll get a whole new sense of appreciation once I get back to it.

[quote name='icebeast']... He said he had a 360. And on the note of the 360 you might want to check out Tales of Vesperia, kind of a long game, and if you don't really dig Anime you might not be totally into the plot, but combat is really fun and battles aren't random.[/QUOTE]

Oh ya another good thing about Tales of Vesperia is it lets you change the difficulty at any time, so if you have trouble on a boss you can just drop the difficulty. And if you want a really casual RPG experience you can just leave it on the easy setting for the entire game.

[quote name='icebeast']... He said he had a 360. And on the note of the 360 you might want to check out Tales of Vesperia, kind of a long game, and if you don't really dig Anime you might not be totally into the plot, but combat is really fun and battles aren't random.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I couldn't tell if it was original XBOX or the 360...

Some grand J-RPGs that will hold your attention, for that I have a hefty handful for you. They will be long, but they will be great; of that I can assure you. I've gone ahead and numbered them in the order I think you'd like to play the series.

1) Tales of Vesperia - XBOX 360
2) Tales of Symphonia - GameCube
3) Tales of the Abyss - PlayStation 2

1) Persona 3 FES - PlayStation 2
2) Persona 4 - PlayStation 2


Here's a recommendation for you if you're looking to get into something new, yet still RPG-wise. It's very similar to Harvest Moon, seeing as it is made by the same creators, but it is Harvest Moon meets RPG:

1) Rune Factory 3 - Nintendo DS
2) Rune Factory - Nintendo DS
3) Rune Factory Frontier - Wii (sequel to the first Rune Factory, you can play it someday if you get a Wii)
4) Rune Factory 2 - Nintendo DS

I say start with the third one, which is coming out this Novermber, only because they don't really link up story-wise and this looks to be the best so far The Persona series is like that too, in that the stories don't truly link that much. If you can't find one, it is perfectly fine to start with the next. The Tales games are entirely separate, so no worries there.


And all of these games don't have random battles, you can pick and choose them as you see fit! I guarantee to you that the Tales of, Persona, and Rune Factory series will have you back in the swing of things in no time!


Edit: Sorry mate, I see you don't have a DS on you. It's all good though, maybe some other day.

He does have a DS. Check his other post.

You will love Final Fantasy XII.

Really.

Final Fantasy XII is pretty damn long, though. So are Tales of Symphonia and the Rune Factories.

Seconding the Chrono Trigger rec. Also, the best non-port RPG on the DS is The World Ends With You. It's really unique and has a lot of great things about it, though the gameplay can get pretty hectic.

Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is also great, but I can't remember how long it is.

[quote name='blueshinra']Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door is also great, but I can't remember how long it is.[/QUOTE]

Yes, I LOVED this game, also any of the Mario & Luigi games for the DS would also be great. As far as the length of Thousand Years Door I think it was maybe 30-40 hours.

On the topic of FFXII let me warn you that my opinion is kind of bias because I don't like that game, but if you aren't the biggest fan of WRPGs then I'm not sure if FFXII is right for you, the game struck me as a twisted combination of JRPG and WRPG that somehow managed to forget to include most of the things that make WRPGs unique and fun (namely plot choices and a large number of varied side missions throughout the game).

Yeah, I think Thousand Years Door took me around 35 hours or so.

I didn't like FFXII either. Gambit system sucked.

Seriously, check out Baten Kaitos for the GC! It's an amazing game, there are 2 of them and they are relatively cheap now .. The best thing is you don't HAVE to battle, you can avoid fights if you don't feel like fighting. That is the first rpg I ever actually WANTED to play, and now I'm into other bigger rpg's.

Also have you ever checked out Paper mario? cute game.

I don't see the issue with a game being long. If you love it, that's just more bang for your buck. People should complete the games they start instead of creating a huge backlog. I bought Person 3 Portable a few months ago and have not bought anything else until yesterday.

As for Final Fantasy XII, it's a very well made game with some aspects that you may love or hate. You do get to "choose" what enemies to face since there are no random battles, and enemies inhabiting environments you pass through can be clearly seen and avoided. The battle system relies on your ability to construct an adaptable series of tactics prior to battle -- for example, X party member heals anyone the moment their health drops under X percent. Think Dragon Age's tactics except much more useful and streamlined. It's very cool and if you play the game properly, there's a lot of satisfaction to be had watching an efficient working party take things down (I know a lot of people who disliked the combat because they tried to micromanage every battle through the menu). There's also a ridiculous amount of extra bosses for you to hunt down for powerful loot, and a lot of them are pretty challenging.

The presentation is top notch and it goes back to a more medieval type fantasy that's reminiscent of older titles. The art direction is superb, the world feels very real, and the game runs and looks great. The soundtrack is definitely one of the best out there as well.

As for the narrative, it's pretty well executed. Some people felt that the focus being taken away from the younger main character wasn't right, but no one wrote a bible on how to tell a great story. The characters are a lot of fun and the plot itself is similar to that of Star Wars, so you're in for a good time.

It's fun, well paced, adventurous and it's quite different from the types of JRPGs you apparently aren't a fan of. It's also cheap as dirt now and offers 40+ hours of gameplay.

Bad things about the game (and they aren't nearly all that bad) would possibly be the license board -- just seemed a bit sloppy and as you advanced your characters, they became less unique. And as is typical in almost every long RPG, you'll find times where the pace of combat can drag a bit.

I have not played it for a long time, but I can't remember any glaring flaws that would keep me from recommending it.

[quote name='panzerfaust'] Final Fantasy XII Truth [/QUOTE]


Don't forget that this game's story also paid a good homage to the Star Wars lore (the good trilogy, not the new one).

I mentioned that in what I just posted

Hey guys. First I'd like to thank you all for all these great recommendations. You have all been a great deal of help So I've been checking some game play/review videos and so far Tales of Vesperia, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, and Chrono Trigger have piqued my interest. I tend to gravitate towards dark games (Dead Space, Bioshock, Silent Hill) and these three rpg's offer something that most of my games don't have, ALOT OF COLOR!!! I'm seriously considering Tales of Vesperia even though it does seem to be on the long side. If work and school didn't monopolize most of my time, the length of a game wouldn't be an issue but I probably have an hour or two at the most a week to play. So a game that will take 70-90 hrs to finish will take me forever. Well I'm off to hunt these games down and Ill make my decision then. Ill keep you posted.

Tales of Symphonia for the Gamecube is a lot of fun.

Paper Mario as stated for the Cube is fun also.

If you like shooters and rpgs, you could always try the Mass Effect series although the 2nd game is less rpg and more shooter.