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Message: <blockquote data-quote="dragonlordofpoondari" data-source="post: 4603391" data-attributes="member: 42088">Go for the eyes, Boo, go for the eyes! Rrrar! *squeek*Great thread! Here are some of my opinions ...*****PC GAMES*****Baldur's Gate wins. Part 2 is a direct continuation of the story in Part 1, btw. It is BG2, though, that has such a mindbending story arc. Oh, and I can't wait for Dragon Age to come out (the spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate). My hopes are riding high ...(THIS IS A SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE: PLAY FALLOUT 3 RIGHT AWAY)All 3 Fallout games are wonderful all around. I enjoy Fallout 3 the most for the gameplay and the worldbuilding/realism more than the story, which is still engaging.* It has one minor flaw that I can't bring up w/o spoiling anything. I would advise anyone who plays it to keep a lot of save files (that is to say, don't just re-write over the same save file).Oblivion is great for the same sandboxy reasons, plus it has a great story. I LOVED playing through Oblivion. It is by far my favorite 3D RPG experience ... maybe my favorite computer RPG experience overall. I hear its expansions are even better than the original (similar to NWN2 Mask of the Betrayer outshining NWN2), and I fully intend to play them at some point. I think it was Shivering Isles that got all the attention. One problem: the skill system is a bit silly. Thank goodness Fallout 3 fixed all that nonsense.Icewind Dale 1 and 2 was not the greatest in terms of story, but it scratched the itch after I finished BG. Good games, but not great.Planescape scratched a similar itch and is pretty good from what I played of it. Unfortunately I got sidetracked after about 30 hours and forgot to back up my saves when I formatted my drive. I should probably attempt it again based on all these reccomendations.Arcanum is another game that I lost interest in about half way through. Meh. I'll investigate the fanfixes and give it another shot one day ...I am another guy fully impressed with the writers at BioWare. I respectfully disagree with ProfessorCirno's criticisms of Bioware. These guys are master storytellers, and they're doing the most intersting work I've seen in the treatment of ethics and how they shape the game. Their characters are memorable and complex; they are a far cry from flat, one-dimensional portrayals. I would encourage anyone who likes a good story to play KOTOR 1 and Mass Effect.The Deus Ex series also deals with ethical choices in a great way. If you haven't played the first Deus Ex game on PC, you really owe it to yourself to check it out one day. Especially recommended if you consider yourself Shadowrun, Dark Matter, or Delta Green fan.System Shock, System Shock 2, and Bioshock are all amazing games! Highly recommended.*****SNES GAMES*****To be honest, FF2/4 has a much more moving story than FF3/6 or FF7, but the gameplay is weakest in FF2. Really good story. It's loaded with heroic sacrifice in the face of crushing odds; just the sort of stuff that brings me to tears. The writers brazenly killed off characters left and right. Of course, the graphics are also really primitive in FF2, even by SNES standards. The Nintendo DS did a nice graphical upgrade of FF2/4, though. FF3/6 and FF7 have great stories too, and more engaging gameplay IMO. Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana are both wonderful. Really, they are beautiful games. Link to the Past is another masterpiece, although many like to say that this isn't an RPG. Even if it's not, it is a perfect game with a good story and compelling gameplay. The best in the series, IMO. I also agree about the original Harvest Moon. It was lovely and poetic.(For those with action platformer love in their heart, try the Japan only releases of Magical Pop'n and DoReMi Fantasy)*****PSX GAMES*****Suikoden 1 and 2, Xenogears (can't believe no one has mentioned Xenogears yet), and let's not forget the amazing Alundra. Alundra is kind of a mix between a mature RPG (grittier in theme) and an action puzzler in the tradition of the best Zelda games. It is the spiritual successor to Sega's Landstalker duology. I already discussed FF7 above.  Of course, if you're into medieval fantasy-themed games that play like Castlevania, I'd recommend the Japan only released action platformer called The Adventures of Little Ralph (Chippoke Ralph No Daibouken). It is so much danged FUN I can hardly contain myself! Keep in mind that the hard mode setting has additional ending stages that reveal the whole story. I also agree that FF9 is a gift from the gods.*****PS2 GAMES*****FF12 is awesome as well. Really great game. I haven't played FF10 but I've heard good things. DragonQuest VIII is another all around great game, but a bit cartoonish and with some silly monsters. I like it better than the earlier DragonQuest or Dragon Warrior games, which resemble FF1 a little too closely for me to enjoy. Wild Arms series is decent. Shadow of Collosus, ICO, God of War 1 and 2 are evocative masterpieces. Ar Tonelico 1 and 2 (to be released in Jan) make for a naughty and sexy romp, but still they still manage to develop the characters' emotions in an impressive way; they feature nice storylines too. Persona 3 and 4 are supposed to be pretty great. Any comments on those two (or any of the Digital Devil Saga)? Oh, and how did I almost forget the gorgeous storybook-like Odin Sphere? Best olde schoole feeling game on the console and dripping with gorgeousity and smarts. Holy crapola is Odin Sphere good. Oh, and another underrated masterpiece is Okami. This has now released across a few platforms, I believe ...*****NINTENDO DS*****I hear that Etrian Odyssey 1 and 2 and Golden Sun 1 and 2 are all good, but I have yet to play any of these. Anyone enjoy them? The World Ends With You is another Square title that is reputed to be great.A great source for reviews is the metareview site: <a href="http://www.gamerankings.com" target="_blank">Game Rankings - Video Game Reviews, Release Dates, Cheat Codes</a>*see discussion below</blockquote>

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