In an effort to divert some discussion away from "Which game/console is best", I would like to ask people: What makes a good RPG?
In my opinion, a good RPG has to have at least good gameplay. I don't just mean "OMG, different type of turn-based battle", I also mean all the stuff in between. Sure, a game can have an amazing battle system, but without any sort of substance in between (say, shooting minigames in Zelda, or even some skills that don't involve battle ) I will quickly find the game to be boring.
Of course, other parts are important, like graphics and storyline, but for me gameplay is most important.
P.S. If you're going to reply saying, i think (insert word here) is important, at least explain why.
the best RPG's ive played is: star wars:knights of the old republic 1 and 2 you could fully customize ur equiptment ur actions affect the world around ya gripping story-and u find out ur a sith lord in KOTOR 1 who lost his memory become good or evil many ways to finish quests (save the person, kill them or just leave them with their problems which most of the time makes them die any way) Specialize in what jedi/sith u become and which force powers and lighsabre techniques u progress in train ur allies as jedi/sith (KOTOR 2) different story if ur male or female and a ton of other stuff the game is so big and so fun i recomend it 2 any 1 who has a X-box (no a 360) or a very good PC with a lot of RAM
Personally I think open area battles such as Kingdom Hearts more interesting, shame that KH is a bit bleh. Obviously a good plot and characters. Also you need a good veriaty of personalities, not just tough guys or timid women. The characters need some kind of back story to go with it too. All this makes you want to play more and know more. I don't mind little bits of grinding or secrets, but some actually need you to follow a guide from beginning to end or spend 48 straight hours grinding, like Final Fantasy 10. Mini games keep you entertained and add a little buzz to the game too. The RPG needs challenging bosses and extras.
I personaly enjoy a good economy in a game so its not just well i finished this quest and now i can buy everything. I prefer it to be dang I need to train awhiel to get money to buy the next set of equips from the store so i can beat the next quest.
I also like an open area gameplay where you can explore and find new things to play around with maby a hidden old crazy lady that unlocks a minigame
Open Combat Areas, great graphics, Lots of quests, lots of items, (armor, weapons, etc..) lots of different cities (large cities, and little cities) and different types of characters.
hmm...online,graphics,story,lots of playtime,customize armor/weapons,minigames,different,chars,able to distinguish charecters (much like a book)and usually i like something at the end that gives u 1337 powers or at least a bonus stage but does not have anything to do with the story line
what makes a good rpg? hmmmm in personal i like classics, like final fantasy or not so classics like paper mario, also some games are cool, like final fantasy and paper mario
so i would think like good music, good graphics many super powers, available characters, some and not so difficult bosses, and that i can be online, also, that you can decide your own ''desiny'' like if you wanna be on the good side or in the bad side
Hmm...toughie. I think it goes on a game-by-game basis, honestly.
My favorite RPG's would definitely be Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, and KOTOR, and their respective greatnesses are for completely different reasons.
For the two Chrono games, it was the excellent storylines combined with the amazing character development.
For KOTOR, the storyline and character development were essential, yes, but it was the sheer ability to control your character's personality that I loved so much. Light, dark, undecided...all could be chosen. Amazing game.
A good RPG should have an intense and relatively original story, unique characters that all develop through the game, an interesting battle system, and shouldn't be too dragged out. There's no shame in a shorter RPG. I think that's what made Final Fantasy 7 and 8 suck so bad.
Well, that's my opinion. Note that I didn't even mention graphics, because they mean absolutely nothing.
