Top Ten RPGs of the Last Five Years

Title is self explanatory you douches.

10. Devil Survivor

Probably my favorite tactical RPG since Final Fantasy Tactics. Multiple paths, good music and the classic MegaTen concept of competing ideologies as opposed to good vs evil. Fun game with great replayability.

9. Mother 3

This masterpiece of a game was never even released in English. That didn't stop a fiercely devoted fan-base from translating the game and distributing the rom. It's a shame that Nintendo (or whoever) decided not to release this game in the United States. It's more than a shame, it's a ridiculously stupid move. Regardless, this game stands as Itoi's magnum opus.

8. Mass Effect

One of the first and finest examples of action RPGS. Not hack and slash action, but psuedo-shooter RPG. Bioware combined their brilliant flair for dialogue with a third-person shooter combat scheme to create one of 2007's best games. There was also a somewhat weak planet exploration feature that slowed the game somewhat. Aside from the planet exporation, the game was top notch.

7. Final Fantasy XII

It's Final friggen Fantasy people. While not quite as epic as X, the twelfth installment of the series stood as a solid entry into the series. The combat mechanic was completely reworked and saw the elimination of random battles for the first time in an FF game. Square borrowed the system put forth in the Knights of the Old Republic games and tweaking it to perfection. A decent, if unfocused, story and a beautiful world engrossed the player.

6. Lost Odyssey

I think this game went under the radar for most people. That's truly tragic because this game is really good. The storyline focuses on the lives of several immortals and their struggle against one of their compatriots. The game is very reminiscent of Final Fantasy X, both visually and in overall feel of the game. For the most part it is a traditional role playing game, random battles and leveling up. The best feature about this game is the visual stories detailing Kaim, the main characters, thousand year life. To say these stories are well amazing is a HUGE understatement. Tears welled up in my eyes while reading one of the stories. The sights and sounds of these stories work with the writing to create a HELL of an experience. If the rest of the game were as well written as these tales this game might have been number one.

5. Fallout 3

Some people will say this game is just derivative of Oblivion, that it's just that game with guns. SO. FUCKING. WHAT. That doesn't mean it's bad. In fact the game works much more effectively than Oblivion. It has an amazing scale, achieving both the emptiness and danger one might expect from a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Plenty is available to be done in the Capital Wasteland, hours upon hours of entertainment.

4. Dragon Age: Origins

This is my 2009 game of the year by a huge margin. I don't even know where to start with this game. I love the action centric combat scheme. I understand that it's a Baldur's Gate-light system, but I don't care. The characters are for the most part great. The choices aren't black and white, which means you how things play out is up to you. Prepare for some unexpected results to your choices, for instance party members turning against you and attempting to kill you. The idea of playing through multiple origin stories may be gimmicky, but it makes you feel much more drawn into the land of Ferelden. Characters from each origin story pepper the game, meaning you will always encounter somebody from your past in the course of a playthrough. I LOVE THIS GAME.

3. Suikoden V

This series is one of my favorite of all time. I remember picking up Suikoden I way back when it came out in the 90s. Since then I've been addicted to Suikoden. The games blend eastern and western lore in a delightful blend of cultures. The fifth incarnation proves to be the best since Suikoden II. The series is famed for it's 108 recruitable party members, and this game doesn't disappoint. Many of the games characters are easy to get attached to for a variety of reasons, either design or personality. The most oddly appealing warrior from the second game, Georg Prime, returns as a featured player in the events of this game. I went marathon on this treasure when I got it and completed in a week back when it came out, which I rarely do with games.

2. The World Ends With You

AWESOME. Have posted previously about this so I'll keep is short. It's all about the style, the tone, the music... it's amazing. The World Ends With You is so good you feel hip playing it, no matter that you are dangerously uncool.

1. Persona 4

Let's give it up for one of the greatest RPGs, and in fact one of the greatest GAMES, of the past five years. Persona 4 has the Shin Megami Tensei pedigree attached to its name which it easily lives up to. Anything I've said about actually feeling something for the characters is tripled for this game. You end up feeling like one of the gang, and when you finally finish this experience you are sad that it's over. The dungeon crawling aspect of RPGs is perfected here. The idea of a friendship/dating simulator would seem silly in any other game, but it's completely natural in P4. The murder mystery storyline is unique and engrossing. The enemies and bosses fit the situations. Persona 4 is just wonderful to play and really is more of an experience than a game.

Honorable Mentions - Jade Empire, Kingdom Hearts II, Suikoden Tierkreis

World ~ Atlus

Lately I've been getting back into a game I purchased a few months ago, Persona 4.

It's the fourth game in the Persona series and moreso it's part of of the overarching Megami Tensei series. I started playing it when it first came out, but I got busy with other stuf and it sort of fell to the side. Now I've decided to pick it up and finish my run through.

As I've started playing it I've realized how much I love this game. It's murder mystery story is alright if a little bit weak. It's the characters that is the games strength. Chie, Yosuke, Kanji, Rise, Nanako, and Yukiko... they're all so real. You really get a sense that these characters are real people. There are plenty of moments where you get to see slices of real life with believable conversations. It's unique for a video game. It's not constant epic speeches regardless of the situation. It's people, real people. These "S-Links" are a vital part of the game mechanics but it never feels forced. It feels natural.

In anticipation of inevitably finishing the game I was inspired to purchase two more games. Revitalizing my love of the Persona series with the fourth edition I was felt it necessary to pick up the third. Persona 3 FES is the definitive collection of that game featuring both the original game and the epilogue chapter.

It runs on basically the exact same system as Persona 4, so I look forward to jumping right into it after I finish my current game. I managed to pick it up for a decent price as well.

Along the same line as this would be my second recent purchase, Devil Summoner 2: Raidou Kuzonoha vs King Abaddon. Queer name right? The book was actually not bad... okay stole a line from Family Guy there. I've played very little of the rest of the Megami Tensei series, but from the little I've got into this game I'm liking it. The combat system is a really fun and active style. The devils in this game are equivilant to the personas in that series. It takes place in a sweet 1920s or 1930s style Japan. It seems like I'm going to enjoy it, maybe not as much as the Persona series overall. Plus I got it packed with this awesome Jack Frost as Raidou plush.

Yeah. Friggin awesome. He's currently the guardian of my room.
Atlus has made some great decisions when they release these games stateside. First, they give us the goods. Persona 4 came with a soundtrack CD that had some decent tunes. Second, they bring us the games. Persona series 1-4 (except the first part of 2), Digital Devil Saga, NOCTURNE, Devil Summoner and Survivor. Third, they do it for the FANS! They know who loves their games and they cater to that crowd. Fourth, quality over quantity. Hell quality over mainstream appeal.
So thanks Atlus. I am covered for months with these games I just picked up. They are also certain to be quality gaming sessions.

Other Worlds

I've decided that this blog will mostly be my travel blog. I'll update with pictures and quips from the road and my life. Not that I'm on the road a lot, but I think that blogging when I am is very modern. While mobile blogging is sort of like twittering I still think it has some relevance. I twitter a lot. But that doesn't mean I can't maintain a blog anymore.
On occassion I will still write some longer blog posts here. Predominantely, however, it will be my mobile posts. You can see it in the pictures I've posted so far.

That aside here's a list of games that I'm currently in the middle of playing:
Persona 2: Innocent Sin - I'm sort of stuck after the appearance of Xibalba right now. Though mostly that's because my F keys don't work and I don't feel like fixing them.

Suikoden Tierkreis: Chugging along nicely. Just got all 108 stars and quickly headed towards the ending.

Rune Factory: Stopped playing for the moment because I can't get into a good groove with it. I intend to pick it back up though.

Football Manager 2009: Finally moved on to the newest one. Love the match engine. Managing Real Betis as a woman manager. A very nice challenge.

Persona 4: Haven't picked it up in a while for some reason. A great game. Perhaps one of the best for the PS2.