Words & Games: 10 of My Favorite RPG’s
It’s no secret that I enjoy gaming.
Throughout my short tenure on this planet, I’ve always struggled with balancing time between recreational activities, primarily amongst them, gaming. I’m not perhaps, an evangelist when it comes to my opinions regarding interactive media/video gaming, but I do think that the current advent of console gaming can be (relevantly) paralleled to – for what I imagine was, then – the innovation of moving celluloid during the early 20th century. This is, of course, my attempt to intellectually, if-artistically, deconstruct and critique something which as brought me joy and enrichment.
At its simplest, video gaming isn’t dissimilar to other forms of passive-yet-engaging recreation, somewhere amidst the twilight between solving a crossword and watching a movie. Unlike literature or film, however, therein lies a certain kind of power, if you will, about having the ability to alter what happens onscreen. Think of your favorite movie or book, then imagine if you could reread or watch it, but instead of some hypothetical Jimmy meeting Sally, maybe he chooses to forgo their relationship altogether, or perhaps next time, he won’t find interest in women at all. To take it even further, some games can give you license to create your own character(s), fundamentally atomizing every player’s experience to their own customized, tailor-suited preferences.
RPG’s, colloquial for Role Playing Games, can be (and are) many different things when it comes to classification. There are also sub-genres within its broad delineation such as action, strategy, etc., then even more sub-types beyond that (for instance, “turn-based” as just a descriptor to denote a style of combat, or “first-person” to describe a game’s modality, etc.). In addition to the aforementioned, there really isn’t a strict consensus as to what constitutes an RPG. Some argue The Legend of Zelda series does or doesn’t fall under the umbrella; some say the games are merely but of an adventure collection, but with RPG elements. I don’t have a dog in the fight over labeling, but I thought I’d at least mention how diverse and broad the subject of defining what an RPG really is.
My list, however, is more or less straight-forward (and regarding RPG’s, maybe even par for the course). I haven’t played a few number of games which made critically acclaimed lists, for example, the universally beloved Witcher III, or certain computer-gaming classics like Ultima Online, World of Warcraft, or the-now defunct Everquest (though in my defense, I did manage to play Runescape back in its heyday, as at the time, I had just enough computer to run it).
In any case, here are just 10 great RPG’s I enjoyed throughout the years, in no particular order (outside number 1):
#1. Chrono Trigger
1995, developed by Squaresoft
It’s a crime how Chrono Trigger has been treated by publisher and developer, Squaresoft (now Square-Enix) following its 1995 release. Without hesitation, I can say this might be the greatest turn-based RPG ever, perhaps my favorite piece of interactive media. What can be written about this original SNES classic that hasn’t been a thousand times? There’s its music, characters, story, entertaining gameplay, campy yet earnest aesthetics and themes, battle mechanics, 16-bit sprite art, on and on. I like to think this game will forever be unclouded by nostalgia or childhood sentiment; Chrono Trigger withstands the test of time, transcending other games to maintain emotional relevance. Yes, there is a silent protagonist, sure, the game isn’t exactly difficult in the right way, and okay, it’s almost 30 years old with definite signs of age, but...I think some what makes the game imperfect feel special. I can’t quite explain why. This is a type of game to replay when you want comfort, like a warm blanket, bowl of soup on a rainy day, an especial kind of escape. If you haven’t played it, there’s no writeup that can do this game justice. Just go, and if you have already...it’s better than you remember (and why, we have desperately needed another release).
#2. Final Fantasy VIII
1999, developed by Squaresoft
Okay, so this might be a Square-heavy list, but that’s for good reason: Squaresoft had nothing short of a legendary run throughout the 1990’s, something akin to say, Amblin films during the 80’s, or books under City Lights in the 50’s. Outsiders might gawk at the number 8 of this entry, but to be clear, each Final Fantasy game serves as its own story (for the most part), maintaining certain series benchmarks that fans have come to familiarize themselves with. Final Fantasy VIII holds a special place in my heart for many reasons, chiefly among them being, its association to my adolescence amidst the end of the 1990’s (in addition to being a pretty spectacular game by its own right). The game served as a somewhat radical departure from the tried-and-true turn-based formula, introducing a complex-at-first “Junction” system; fully-formed, realistic-looking characters (as opposed cartoonish depictions), a hodgepodge of science-fantasy aesthetics, and a world of which, directly scales to your characters’ levels (making the game harder by leveling-up, as opposed the inverse for just about every RPG before it). Squall and Rinoa’s love story still leaves in me an impression, and I will forever be in love with this game’s world, music, and feel.
#3. Mass Effect 2
2010, developed by Bioware
Quite a shift from my first two entries, but make no mistake: Mass Effect 2 is a certifiable classic in every sense of the word. From its Blade Runner-meets-Star Wars aesthetic and presentation, to the in-depth character decisions at your disposable, cyberpunk-worthy 80’s synth score, gameplay loop and more, this game grabs you from its startup then doesn’t let go. With its recent Legendary Edition re-polishing and rerelease, there’s never been a better time to boot it up and create your own Commander Sheppard. What makes Mass Effect 2 so good is absolutely within its pudding, completely self-evidentiary to the point that I’d say you could skip playing the 1st game if you wanted to get into the series. Want to be a renegade-maverick and punk everybody who stands in your way? Do it, it can be done. Create a main character with a complicated romantic history, sleeps their way throughout the crew? Do it. With a game giving such freedom to choose many things – your character’s looks, personality, actions, crew, alignment and even ending – no playthrough will look similar, but everyone will get to experience the same plot, something of which in my book, is a feat itself. To anyone who has played this: Miranda and Kasumi were my crew of choice.
#4. Star Ocean: The Second Story
1999, developed by tri-Ace/Enix
Informally classified by fans as isekai – a term used to denote a specific plot-circumstance involving technologically-advanced space farers being stranded on a less developed planet, i.e. a niche science-fiction subgenre directly spurred by Star Trek – and “space opera,” Star Ocean: The Second Story is a truly unique and oddly beautiful game. The plot, at its most distilled, centers around one of either two protagonists you can choose, Claude or Rena, and how their seemingly innocent, though bizarre encounter, begins to unfold a world far greater than they ever expected. There’s of course, aliens, robots, spaceships (given who you picked or how long you progressed), but then there’s magic (aka heraldry, aka “symbology”), mythological castles, Arthurian-esque monsters and more, adding to the game’s unique flavor. Though for all that it does exceptionally well, Star Ocean 2 is not without its faults; the voice acting is nothing short of atrocious (though charming, in an obvious, lovingly-ironic, fan-way), difficulty spikes can be brutal for the casual player, “Private Actions” (a somewhat secretive mechanic to further customize characters or their relationships) are needlessly stoic, missable; and finally, some of the writing lends itself to gendered tropes present within similar manga and/or anime of the period (i.e. ascribing overly-childlike innocence to women as to make them good-hearted or trustworthy, etc.). In short: this is a classic-RPG-enthusiast’s type game and not for everybody, but…this game will forever encapsulate a part of my heart as crystalline.
#5. Earthbound or Mother 2: Gīgu no Gyakushū
1994, developed by APE & HAL Laboratory
Back to the Super Nintendo. Imagine if you could retroactively blend Stranger Things with Final Fantasy into RPG, but make the tone a dark comedy. Oddly, Earthbound feels ahead and of-its time, distincting itself by festering with discernable flavor – from locales to story, music, jokes – though it conversely dates itself with some antiquated RPG mechanics (text actions within battles and in general, rather limited animation). This was one of the first RPG’s I played when it came out on the SNES, where it left quite an impression afterwards; Earthbound is an anomaly of the pack, a dark horse relative both to its mother console, and as an RPG in contrast to other games that followed. Once more, as in Chrono Trigger, we are tasked to lead our silent protagonist, Ness, on a strange journey involving UFO’s, cults, psychedelic-spiritual trips, arcane species that protect the planet, and so much more. The plot’s tonality alone deserves a mention, which starts out with a tongue-in-cheek, campy vibe similar to The Blob, then ends as a horror ripped straight from John Carpenter and David Cronenberg’s worst nightmares.
#6. Bloodborne
2015, developed by FromSoftware
It was going to be a toss-up between the recent Elden Ring and this. As per a previous blurb regarding Bloodborne: “My previous favorite FromSoftware title. A departure from their now-formulaic Medieval high-fantasy, Bloodborne is both a traditional Dark Souls game in spirit, as well a Lovecraftian-inspired action-horror. Its lore is heady, esoteric, the atmosphere horrific and equally oblique, music a tour de force of orchestral bedlam, and everything else within the creative design of Bloodborne’s world is an impressive display of artful-distillation. Instead of shields we’re treated to flintlocks and a host of Elizabethan-firearms'; D&D-worthy armaments are exchanged for hunter weapons with unique “trick” forms, each offering a distinct playstyle for which build you decide. Chainmail and grieves are trench coats and trousers, knights to fend instead are replaced by lycanthropes, Eldritch-esque otherworldly beings or other equally immeasurable baddies. Of course, there’s perhaps my favorite introduction to the tried Dark Souls formula: “Chalice Dungeons.” With sarcophagus-ritual materials and chalices upon an altar in the hub, players can take the optional route to create miniature and unique dungeons to explore, each one procedurally generated as to offer a different experience (though sadly, the way it was programmed meant that a max of roughly 2000-some dungeons were creatable, meaning the implicit endlessness of such tomb-prospecting was be limited, in addition to a certain glitch that further hindered your ability to explore). Bloodborne is a class act, a continuation of niche titles which never arose to greatness (i.e. Nightmare Creatures), and one of the only RPG’s to embrace horror.”
#7. Lunar: Eternal Blue
1994/1998, developed by Game Arts & Studio Alex
This is about as niche as one gets when discussing turn-based JRPG’s, though Lunar: Eternal Blue did manage to find itself a cult following, both following its release and in-time. Lunar is a one of a kind game in the truest sense, a kind of game that feels dusty, as if you’ve discovered a long-lost, hidden artifact at a second-hand shop; it’s hard to explain, but that’s a brief summation of how it feels (and felt) to play. Something Lunar did to stand out was including hand drawn FMV’s (full-motion videos), with a style reminiscent of Studio Ghibli, though a little more earnest in-nature, texturized unapologetically campy and childlike like Saturday morning cartoons. The story follows an-appropriately named Hiro, who, alongside a cute (and talking) cat-like-baby-dragon-thingy, Ruby, and his grandfather, Gwyn, find the presence of mysterious girl named Lucia, where they begin to unravel an epic involving celestial powers, good vs. evil, you name it. Lunar doesn’t reinvent the wheel with just about anything it does, although what does land feels so special, capturing your heart with its spirit. It doesn’t matter the plot is pretty A to B, it won’t matter the voice acting rivals Star Ocean as some of the worst imaginable, and no, the random spikes in difficulty from a breeze to kicking in your teeth in 30 seconds won’t devalue this game: there’s an rarified earnestness about Lunar: Eternal Blue, something hidden but lost, beautiful and poetic, a fuzzy childhood dream come to life; Lunar challenges your heart, not mind.
#8. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
2006, developed by Bethesda Game Studios
The first, 1st-person RPG to make this list, and a personal favorite regarding its formula. I didn’t have the pleasure of playing Oblivion upon its initial release, and that was because I didn’t own a gaming computer nor an Xbox 360. Yes, I did enjoy some playtime as courtesy by a friend, but it wasn’t till 2007 that I was able to dive in on the Playstation 3 (which, admittedly was an objectively inferior version, bug-prone, etc.). For sure, Oblivion’s sequel, Skyrim, improved a lot of core mechanics, graphics, but for some reason – call it simply rose-colored nostalgia – my mind thinks of this when I imagine replaying the series. The amount of freedom granted in terms of crafting, apothecary, spells, building your character, was rivaled only by its series predecessor, Morrowind. If you could think of a build or hack within the game’s confines, chances are that it was not only possible, but powerful. Of course, yes, the voice acting holds a stately status for being cannon-fodder with memes, but that’s all part of Oblivion’s charm. When I exit the sewers in-search of my character’s build, the giddiness of when I first played still resonates. For me, it’s either Morrowind or Oblivion as contending for being the series’ staple.
#9. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
2017, developed by Nintendo
Above every entry on this list, I believe Breath of the Wild will be remembered as one of the most visionary, beautiful, and innovative games ever been made. It doesn’t get any more Hero’s Journey than The Legend of Zelda, something of which the series has never strayed. Our courageous Link, yet another silent protagonist, perpetually gets tasked purge some proverbial evil, be it Ganondorf or otherwise. The series namesake, princess Zelda herself, usually provides us a guiding force or damsel in distress, of who we need to save. Therein lies the gist of The Legend of Zelda, a series more focused on atmosphere and gameplay than story; what makes Breath of the Wild special is apparent from the moment you see the title screen: beautifully rendered cel-shaded art, a goosebump (and tear) inducing score, what ridiculously delicious and rewarding gameplay loop, exploring its massive world to your heart’s content—there’s an endless list of praise here. Just like Chrono Trigger, if you have the chance, I say don’t read about it, but play it. Breath of the Wild is that good, rivaling series predecessor and classic Ocarina of Time as the interactive media equivalent to Citizen Kane.
#10. Final Fantasy XIII
2009/2010, developed by Square-Enix
My most controversial pick. Despite an abundance of flaws, I still love this game without reservation. If Final Fantasy VIII came out during a particularly formative period of my life, then Final Fantasy XIII was congruent with my own personal metamorphosis, of which, is why my specific obsession, inundation, fascination, gravitation to this game. Nothing about Final Fantasy XIII’s premise or artistic direction should have gripped me in, though nevertheless, I was engrossed the moment it found me. Lightning was my hero, the first mainline series protagonist since Terra Branford who was powerful, and...female (not accounting X-II, though I similarly love that too). She wasn’t just it on her own, but Lightning compelled me on a personal level, something I hadn’t connected since Squall and Rinoa…yes I know, it sounds cornball, but that’s the honest truth. What solidifies Final Fantasy XIII for me in the compendium of great RPG’s is underneath its shiny veneer and high-budget production. There’s this spirit to it that feels...alive, and…yes, that’s how I’ll describe it. No doubt, a lot within Final Fantasy XIII can be off-putting: Vanille-just the entirety of her character (animations, voice acting, over-the-top infantilization), Snow-a facade to what corporate execs thinks looks cool, the spectacularly cringe-inducing beats throughout, Lightning’s proclivity for coming off like a Mary Sue, or the extended on-rails linearity until 2/3rd’s through (of which, you’ll either love or hate this game...no in between). In short, this can be hard on the stomach – at certain points – though, it’s a little difficult for me to explain, there’s just...if-irreverent and intangible beauty about this game, like a song you can’t stop listening to, but don’t know why.
