Most engrossing RPG?

[poloplayr]

I know we have a million and one threads abour RPGs, so I do apologie if this specific angle has already been covered elsewhere...but, I'm on the look for my next RPG (for a classic system) and was really dying to play a game which would completely suck me in to its world.

So, in short, what is the most engrossing RPG that you've ever played? One which sucks you into its magical world and makes you forget all your worries for a while. Would also be interesting to hear why you loved this game so much...

And please, let's not incluce WoW here :)

[Tempest]

I'm probably in the minority here but I was really sucked into:

Dragon Quest VIII
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy VIII
Fallout I & II

Tempest

[Nintega Grafx-16]

I'm probably in the minority here but I was really sucked into:

Final Fantasy VIII

ROFL FFVIII sucks.

I would say Lunar: SSSC and Lunar 2: EBC for PS1 are the RPGs that "engrossed" me the most.

[poloplayr]

I'm probably in the minority here but I was really sucked into:

Dragon Quest VIII
Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy VIII
Fallout I & II

Tempest

Can only agree on DQVIII and FFX, especially the latter. Something about that world and characters that just hit the sweet spot.

[Howie6925]

I would say Suikoden(1) and the kings Field Series for the ps1/2 have done that for me. Ultima online was the worst to suck me in though.

[old_skoolin_jim]

Would have to agree with Lunar: SSSC on PS1, but would disagree about the sequel... I feel it was butchered on PS1 and is truly a great experience on the Sega CD (believe it or not... the spells look better, plus the Magic EXP system is totally sweet).
I also LOOOOVED Grandia on PS1- such a great battle system and the story is just fantastic, even if some people claim it got an iffy translation.
Lastly, at the risk of sounding like a Nintendo fanboy, Earthbound is truly a great RPG that I replayed recently for the first time since oh, '96 or so... still holds up. Old-school, fun, quirky, unique, and a nice musical score to boot.
Good luck getting hold of them for a reasonable price!

[Blitzwing256]

A couple games fit the bill for me ,but definately final fantasy 8 with its unique world and incredibly inovative powerup system I literally can spend days just wandering around collecting items tweaking my gf's and even days more just playing the card game (especially the card queen quest) such a fresh difference from all the other final fantasy games I don't think the game will ever get old for me.

another game that sucks me in and does not let go is dragonwarrior 3, so much to do so much leveling up and item hunting and all the class tweaking, trully a legendary game that has only been beaten by ff8 in my world. honourable mentions also go to final fantasy tactics and suikoden tactics (rhapsody to you japanese nerds) although more strategy then rpg, both amazingly deep games.

[shopkins]

It was definitely Fallout 1 and 2 for me. Those games had me lost in thought at work or when I was driving, thinking about different scenarios I could try or things I could do when I got back to them. "Yeah, I'll plant the timebomb on that raider leader and then run like hell and shoot his henchmen when the come through the door. It's a perfect plan, as long as Ian doesn't UZI me in the back again."

Planescape: Torment had a more intriguing world and story, but the gameplay wasn't so great so I did get lost in the story of it but not so much the mechanics or the possibilities.

[Jisho23]

I still don't really get what engrossing means. Do you just mean addicting?

[Doonzmore]

Lunar 1
Batan Kaitos

[miaandjohnrule]

I still don't really get what engrossing means. Do you just mean addicting?

try google or a dictionary.

[tom]

Knights of Legend

[Eyedunno]

Most engrossing? Maybe FFVII - the story and materia system are both awesome. FFV is my favorite in the series though - nothing in the story feels superfluous and the job system is top-notch; it just didn't grab me quite as much as VII in terms of wondering what was going to happen next.

[Arkhan]

Knights of Legend

Damn! I thought I would be the first to say it! BASTARD!

My top engrossing RPGs of doom are:

Knights of Legend
Ultima V
Lunar series
Might and Magic: World of Xeen

[Jisho23]

try google or a dictionary.

Thanks for being a dick for no reason.

I doubt this game counts as classic yet (although some people have named PS2 games already) but VTM: Bloodlines had me hooked from the very beginning. I usually put down a game thats that buggy within the first 20 minutes, but Bloodlines was so overwhelmingly good in all other respects that I just didn't care.

Otherwise I can't think of any stuff offhand that people haven't already mentioned. The others I can think of are fairly obvious and come up in every RPG thread.

[Gavica]

Best 3 RPG's of all time.

1. Chronno Trigger (SNES)
2. Dragon Warrior (NES)
3. Warsong (Genesis)

[Black_Tiger]

No game of any genre has engrossed me the way that Tengai Makyou/Far east of Eden: Fuun Kabuki Den has. I know very little japanese and knew next to none the first time I completed it, but it hooked me in like no other game has on so many levels. The overall story is great, but more importantly the individual scenes all along the way are so exhilarating, heartbreaking, hilarious and always entertaining.

So much care was put into the storytelling that I feel that I have a deeper connection to Kabukiden's than most english languages RPGs. Kabukiden, is a Final fantasy style Tengai Makyou game. Just as Final Fantasy Tactics is a Tactics Ogre style Final Fantasy. At the time, the big RPG over here was Final Fantasy II. Kabukiden filled in the gaps of everything I'd ever wanted from PCE CD RPGs as well as expanded on FFII. You still get the little character sprites on-screen with text boxes of dialogue as in FFII, but the characters are much more animated in how they act everything out. At the same time each character has an animated framed portrait that changes expressions and is synced to real actual voice acting... all of which is also synced with the rolling text. Syllable by syllable. And that's just the in-game filler inbetween regular, numerous, but not-too-frequent top quality cinemas performed by top voice talent.

The cinemas themselves are Ghibli style all the way and they are portayed story and acting-wise as fully as they would be in a film. In other words, the "limited" 16-bit hardware doesn't hold anything back. This is all complimented with an amazing full length PSG soundtrack as well as a full length big-budget-film quality CD soundtrack, the kind of which pretty much died with the PC Engine.

No other RPG embodies straight "fun" like Kabukiden. The gameplay styles never get old and the variety of areas, as in unique looking places and unique interactions, are equal to about a dozen SNES RPGs.

Separate from everything else are several very unique twists that you'd only find in a handful of other games. I won't spoil them, but they alone make Kabukiden such an amazing engrossing experience.


One other similarly special game I'll mention that stands apart from all other RPG series, is Tengai Makyou The Apocalypse IV. It's no Kabukiden, but it's another game where you get to the point wile playing it, that there is literally no limit to what you'll think is possible to come and the game still doesn't disappoint. Once again even with the language barrier, the story was greater to me than pretty much any english RPG I've ever played.

[BiggerBoo]

I'm going to have to agree with Shopkins in saying that Fallout 1&2 are incredibly engrossing (and in ways you wouldn't always expect in an RPG, but maybe in an RTS) and I spent most of my sweaty adolescence playing and replaying the things.

Earthbound is my favorite RPG of all time, however, and is definitely great if you're looking for something bright and enchanting.

I'll probably be hazed for saying this, but another great one for PS, I've always found, is FFIX...it seems to be the unsung hero, but I love the characters (actually they're some of the only FF characters I can stand) and the gameplay - its battle system might not be nearly as highly in-depth as 8 or even 7, but it does make you feel like you're playing a kind of hybrid between the classic Final Fantasies. I played this one much more as a kid than any of the others, save for 3, maybe.

[Swamperon]

1. Chrono Trigger
2. Skies of Arcadia
3. Star Ocean: Second Story
4. Shining Force III

[arcadecup]

I am a final fantasy II (IV jp) slut.. Love the story.. i get sucked in everytime.

[HappehLemons]

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII,
I've put more hours in this game then I've ever put in any.

FFIII DS Remake.
Leveling up my monk to do 12 hit combos was epic :)

[JunkTheMagicDragon]

i never had an rpg consume my life the way morrowind did. i'd play it 6-8 hrs a day for weeks at a time. the world bethesda created was so alive and imaginative. exploring ruins and learning about the cultures that lived there was all part of the time-consuming fun.

[bartre]

for me, a few of my faves would be:
Star Ocean (the snes one)
Shin Megami Tensei
Final Fantasy 7,8,9

I know i'm probably gonna get hanged for it, but i tried to get into Final Fantasy IV, Chrono Trigger, and even Earthbound, but all of em just lost me, i couldn't get into em

[Nintega Grafx-16]

No game of any genre has engrossed me the way that Tengai Makyou/Far east of Eden: Fuun Kabuki Den has. I know very little japanese and knew next to none the first time I completed it, but it hooked me in like no other game has on so many levels. The overall story is great, but more importantly the individual scenes all along the way are so exhilarating, heartbreaking, hilarious and always entertaining.

So much care was put into the storytelling that I feel that I have a deeper connection to Kabukiden's than most english languages RPGs. Kabukiden, is a Final fantasy style Tengai Makyou game. Just as Final Fantasy Tactics is a Tactics Ogre style Final Fantasy. At the time, the big RPG over here was Final Fantasy II. Kabukiden filled in the gaps of everything I'd ever wanted from PCE CD RPGs as well as expanded on FFII. You still get the little character sprites on-screen with text boxes of dialogue as in FFII, but the characters are much more animated in how they act everything out. At the same time each character has an animated framed portrait that changes expressions and is synced to real actual voice acting... all of which is also synced with the rolling text. Syllable by syllable. And that's just the in-game filler inbetween regular, numerous, but not-too-frequent top quality cinemas performed by top voice talent.

The cinemas themselves are Ghibli style all the way and they are portayed story and acting-wise as fully as they would be in a film. In other words, the "limited" 16-bit hardware doesn't hold anything back. This is all complimented with an amazing full length PSG soundtrack as well as a full length big-budget-film quality CD soundtrack, the kind of which pretty much died with the PC Engine.

No other RPG embodies straight "fun" like Kabukiden. The gameplay styles never get old and the variety of areas, as in unique looking places and unique interactions, are equal to about a dozen SNES RPGs.

Separate from everything else are several very unique twists that you'd only find in a handful of other games. I won't spoil them, but they alone make Kabukiden such an amazing engrossing experience.


One other similarly special game I'll mention that stands apart from all other RPG series, is Tengai Makyou The Apocalypse IV. It's no Kabukiden, but it's another game where you get to the point wile playing it, that there is literally no limit to what you'll think is possible to come and the game still doesn't disappoint. Once again even with the language barrier, the story was greater to me than pretty much any english RPG I've ever played.


I'd agree with you if I can actually read and understand those damn games. Equal to SNES Final Fantasy games? That is just laughable. FFVI effortlessly DESTROYS any of the RPGs for TG-16/PC Engine.

[poloplayr]

No game of any genre has engrossed me the way that Tengai Makyou/Far east of Eden: Fuun Kabuki Den has. I know very little japanese and knew next to none the first time I completed it, but it hooked me in like no other game has on so many levels. The overall story is great, but more importantly the individual scenes all along the way are so exhilarating, heartbreaking, hilarious and always entertaining.

So much care was put into the storytelling that I feel that I have a deeper connection to Kabukiden's than most english languages RPGs. Kabukiden, is a Final fantasy style Tengai Makyou game. Just as Final Fantasy Tactics is a Tactics Ogre style Final Fantasy. At the time, the big RPG over here was Final Fantasy II. Kabukiden filled in the gaps of everything I'd ever wanted from PCE CD RPGs as well as expanded on FFII. You still get the little character sprites on-screen with text boxes of dialogue as in FFII, but the characters are much more animated in how they act everything out. At the same time each character has an animated framed portrait that changes expressions and is synced to real actual voice acting... all of which is also synced with the rolling text. Syllable by syllable. And that's just the in-game filler inbetween regular, numerous, but not-too-frequent top quality cinemas performed by top voice talent.

The cinemas themselves are Ghibli style all the way and they are portayed story and acting-wise as fully as they would be in a film. In other words, the "limited" 16-bit hardware doesn't hold anything back. This is all complimented with an amazing full length PSG soundtrack as well as a full length big-budget-film quality CD soundtrack, the kind of which pretty much died with the PC Engine.

No other RPG embodies straight "fun" like Kabukiden. The gameplay styles never get old and the variety of areas, as in unique looking places and unique interactions, are equal to about a dozen SNES RPGs.

Separate from everything else are several very unique twists that you'd only find in a handful of other games. I won't spoil them, but they alone make Kabukiden such an amazing engrossing experience.


One other similarly special game I'll mention that stands apart from all other RPG series, is Tengai Makyou The Apocalypse IV. It's no Kabukiden, but it's another game where you get to the point wile playing it, that there is literally no limit to what you'll think is possible to come and the game still doesn't disappoint. Once again even with the language barrier, the story was greater to me than pretty much any english RPG I've ever played.

Very very informative post. Will definitely check these out.

[Nintega Grafx-16]

Very very informative post. Will definitely check these out.

Good luck playing those games though. Even with a guide Tengai Makyo games are still a pain in the ass to play if you are Japanese illiterate like many people on this very forum.

[tom]

Best ever on console (computer version is better though):
http://www.videogamecollectors.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=193652&g2_serialNumber=2

I hate all those japanese cutie-style RPGs (who wants to fight looking like a 7 year old), they all look the same play the same, and worst of all, you kill the enemies, go to the next screen, should you return to the previous screen, the same enemies are alive again. what a screw.

[Nintega Grafx-16]

Best ever on console (best played on computer though):
http://www.videogamecollectors.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=193652&g2_serialNumber=2

I hate all those japanese cutie-style RPGs (who wants to fight looking like a baby), they all look the same play the same, and worst of all, you kill the enemies, go to the next screen, should you return to the previous screen, the same enemies are alive again. what a screw.

Someone has never played any of the Shin Megami Tensei games.

[tom]

Good luck playing those games though. Even with a guide Tengai Makyo games are still a pain in the ass to play if you are Japanese illiterate like many people on this very forum.


Just out of interest, how many of the 11742 members here do you know if they are illiterate of the Japanese language?

[Nintega Grafx-16]

Just out of interest, how many of the 11742 members here do you know if they are illiterate of the Japanese language?

Probably a good 90%.

[Arkhan]

I hate all those japanese cutie-style RPGs (who wants to fight looking like a 7 year old), they all look the same play the same, and worst of all, you kill the enemies, go to the next screen, should you return to the previous screen, the same enemies are alive again. what a screw.

to be fair here, ....the SSI GoldBox games had HOW MANY different ones?

Which all basically look/play the same :)

You got what...

Pool of Radiance, Curse, Secret, Pools of Darkness, ...
yeah theres alot. Thats <half the Forgotten Realms ones, none of the Dragonlance ones, and none of the Buck Rogers ones.... :D


but, they all kick righteous ass.

[mobiusclimber]

NES:
Dragon Warrior
Crystalis
Legend of Ghost Lion

GENESIS:
Phantasy Star II & IV
Landstalker
Shining in the Darkness
Shining Force II

TG16/CD:
Neutopia
Ys Book 1 & 2
Dragon Knight II
Aurora Quest (possibly impossible to beat w/o knowing Japanese)

SNES:
Final Fantasy III
YS V
Super Mario RPG

DREAMCAST:
Skies of Arcadia
Grandia II
D2 (such an odd amalgimation of styles/genres, but so fun)

PSX:
Grandia
Wild Arms
Dragon Warrior VII
Suikoden II
Final Fantasy VII

Gamecube:
Tales of Symphonia

PS2:
Shadow Hearts & SH Covenant
Sakura Wars
Ar Tonelico

DS:
Dragon Quest V

[FoxNtd]

Just out of interest, how many of the 11742 members here do you know if they are illiterate of the Japanese language?

Probably a good 90%.

Put me in the 10%, if it helps.


NES
GENESIS
TG16/CD
SNES

DREAMCAST
PSX
Gamecube
PS2
DS


Why no love for the Saturn? Having that gap there is so depressing. :(

I have a bunch for Saturn but I haven't played any of them yet. I'm seeing a lot of suggestions for Grandia and the Lunar games, which I have, so I'm looking forward to those. I wanted to mention Albert Odyssey. I heard it was very good, coming from those who did play it on Saturn. It'll be a while before I get around to playing it myself so I can't say much beyond that.

Oh, and Magic Knight Rayearth; my friend has the US region version and said it was pretty good. Anyone who's played these already have any comments for them?

[ScottK]

My top 5 rpg's (in order) would be:

Shining Force III (saturn)
Y's Book I & II (turboduo)
Cosmic Fantasy 2 (turboduo)
Dragon Slayer (turboduo)
Final Fantasy (nes)

I also get addicted to some action/rpg's like Alundra, Zelda, Illusion of Gaia, Neutopia, etc.

[c0ldb33r]

most immersive? probably FFVIII

It felt like you really were sitting there for hours mindlessly drawing magic from monsters. Classic. :)

[mobiusclimber]

Why no love for the Saturn? Having that gap there is so depressing. :(

I have a bunch for Saturn but I haven't played any of them yet. I'm seeing a lot of suggestions for Grandia and the Lunar games, which I have, so I'm looking forward to those. I wanted to mention Albert Odyssey. I heard it was very good, coming from those who did play it on Saturn. It'll be a while before I get around to playing it myself so I can't say much beyond that.

Oh, and Magic Knight Rayearth; my friend has the US region version and said it was pretty good. Anyone who's played these already have any comments for them?

Out of the RPGs I've played on the Saturn, I haven't really found one to be "engrossing" enough to warrant listing. Shining Force III is great, tho I think II is the pinnacle of the series. Shining the Holy Ark isn't nearly as good as Shining in the Darkness and, in fact, I gave up on it halfway thru. Shining Wisdom I only played a few minutes of. It didn't "wow" me tho. Albert Odyssey is, imo, ruined by WD humor...

Now that I think about it, Panzer Dragoon Saga is a very engrossing RPG for the Saturn, and I'm a bit surprised it slipped my mind. It's definitely not the awesome sauce most people make it out to be, but it IS very good. And certainly engrossing.

[ClubAmerica]

No rpg touches on human emotions like Mother 3. No whiny rpg hero has anything on the crap Lucas had to go through, and he's only a kid.
Other than that, Valkyrie Profile was fantastic for its characters and battle system.
Action rpgs like the Soul Blazer series and the Tales are also good.

[kupomogli]

Best 3 RPG's of all time.

Dragon Warrior (NES)


Starter list for worst RPGs of all time.

Dragon Warrior
Eternal Eyes

---

As for the topic at hand, Arc the Lad 2. Engrossing doesn't mean "best." Or else I'd list Tactics Ogre.

Arc the Lad 2 is a sequel of the original in the eyes of a hunter named Elc. The storyline is extremely good. It's got the the hunter's guild which is a side quest that you can partake in from the beginning of the game which is just as good as the main game itself with a huge amount of jobs. Every job has its own storyline sequences that builds on the world itself. The hunters guild even though a sidequest is probably atleast 40-50% of the game.

Like the Shining Force series, Arc the Lad 2 is a tactical RPG that also has a world map and different towns. Each portion of the world is split by different countries so sometimes you may not be able to travel outside of the current country you're in.

Characters can only use specific weapons but the more you use a certain weapon the better they get with them, weapons and armor gains levels and gets more powerful or innate abilities the more they're used(to a max level per weapon/armor,) and all spells and abilities will gain levels, which later in the game you can actually have characters learn certain spells and if atleast mastering the first level, the character will permanently keep that spell.

Monsters can be captured and used as party members, later on being able to change classes. Each monster class of a certain type will learn different abilities, so you can switch between classes to learn all the attacks.

Aside from hunters guild, you can check out the wanted board at each guild to see what enemies and what locations you can find them at, the forbidden ruins which most is already completed if you play the original game(boring) first, sealed ruins in almost every area, combine certain weapons and items into others, and go to the arena(which isn't boring like the one in the original.)

Last. If you complete Arc the Lad 2, do everything you can do, and enjoy the aspect of capturing monsters, you can play through Arc Arena. A completely seperate game which only works with a save from Arc the Lad 2. The unique thing about this game is that all monsters you capture in Arc the Lad 2 will be usable here. All items and exp you receive will carry back over to AtL2 along with whatever rare weapons or custom created monsters you won.

If you want to use characters in Arc Arena you have to finish all the battles with your monsters, then it will unlock the second half of the game which you can then use characters and have more difficult tournament battles.

[Black_Tiger]

Good luck playing those games though. Even with a guide Tengai Makyo games are still a pain in the ass to play if you are Japanese illiterate like many people on this very forum.

Actually they're not. I've been surprised by the number of people who contact me even just to thank me for making them. Occasionally someone gets stuck in a single spot, but that's why I mention in the walkthroughs to contact me for any reason.

The style of the gameplay in Tengai Makyou's in is very straightforward, unlike many 16-bit cart RPGs (or even cart-style 32-bit RPGs). There aren't any tedious "systems" to master and there isn't a superfluous number of skills/spells. The progression involves straightforward goals like: "clear a dungeon and kill the boss" or "go to a place and get an item". Every item even has an english description/name written in katakana. It still manages to maintain quality satisfying battles and questing by striking the perfect balance.

Overly complex systems in many cart RPGs of the time were just to make up for the repetition and were essentially filler. The "filler" in Kabukiden is pretty much every area and dungeon using unique graphics and giving you different things to do.

If you like RPGs and have beaten a few, then you can handle Kabukiden with my guide. I mean, I even drew out all the dungeons. The only thing that'll keep you from enjoying it is deciding beforehand not to.





I'd agree with you if I can actually read and understand those damn games. Equal to SNES Final Fantasy games? That is just laughable. FFVI effortlessly DESTROYS any of the RPGs for TG-16/PC Engine.

Please list all the PC Engine RPGs that you have completed so you can prove what you stated as fact. Although, to actually know what you're talking about, you'd have had to have played ALL "of the RPGs for TG-16/PC Engine". Which I'm certain isn't the case. I know you haven't beaten Kabukiden, because even the most jaded Snerd wouldn't make such a statement afterward.

[Tempest]

to be fair here, ....the SSI GoldBox games had HOW MANY different ones?

Which all basically look/play the same :)

You got what...

Pool of Radiance, Curse, Secret, Pools of Darkness, ...
yeah theres alot. Thats <half the Forgotten Realms ones, none of the Dragonlance ones, and none of the Buck Rogers ones.... :D


but, they all kick righteous ass.
I can't resist an opening like this. I've been playing through them all again on my Amiga:

Forgotten Realms
----------------
Pool of Radiance
Curse of the Azure Bonds
Secret of the Silver Blades
Pools of Darkness

Dragonlance
------------
Champions of Krynn
Deathknights of Krynn
Dark Queen of Krynn

Savage Frontier
---------------
Gateway to the Savage Frontier
Treasure of the Savage Frontier

Buck Rogers
-----------
Countdown to Doomsday
Matrix Cubed

Others
------
Pirates of Realmspace (Spelljammer)


I *think* that's all of them. It's been awhile.

Tempest

[Nintega Grafx-16]

Actually they're not. I've been surprised by the number of people who contact me even just to thank me for making them. Occasionally someone gets stuck in a single spot, but that's why I mention in the walkthroughs to contact me for any reason.

The style of the gameplay in Tengai Makyou's in is very straightforward, unlike many 16-bit cart RPGs (or even cart-style 32-bit RPGs). There aren't any tedious "systems" to master and there isn't a superfluous number of skills/spells. The progression involves straightforward goals like: "clear a dungeon and kill the boss" or "go to a place and get an item". Every item even has an english description/name written in katakana. It still manages to maintain quality satisfying battles and questing by striking the perfect balance.

Overly complex systems in many cart RPGs of the time were just to make up for the repetition and were essentially filler. The "filler" in Kabukiden is pretty much every area and dungeon using unique graphics and giving you different things to do.

If you like RPGs and have beaten a few, then you can handle Kabukiden with my guide. I mean, I even drew out all the dungeons. The only thing that'll keep you from enjoying it is deciding beforehand not to.

But aren't there puzzles that you need to know Japanese to solve? My friend Ninja Spirit from the PCEFX fourms told me about this one puzzle in Manjimaru that you need to read kanji very well to solve, or something like that.

[Black_Tiger]

But aren't there puzzles that you need to know Japanese to solve? My friend Ninja Spirit from the PCEFX fourms told me about this one puzzle in Manjimaru that you need to read kanji very well to solve, or something like that.

Yes, which I drew out in the walkthrough.

http://members.shaw.ca/justin_cheer/kiku.gif


If you can dial a phone number, you can do this one spot. Part of what I meant earlier about the TM/FEOE's being straightforward, is there are virtually no puzzles. That password s pretty much it. Otherwise there are only few times across the series of games that you have to match up 1 - 4 items with matching slots. Still easier than assembling a party, equipping a character or managing esper level bonuses for a character in FFVI.


Ninja Spirit is a huge Kabukiden fan. The only reason he didn't quite clear it is because his save file got erased.

[Rickstilwell1]

For me, I really got into Beyond the Beyond for PS1 before any other multi-character RPG having only played Dragon Warrior 1 before it. It was very addictive with that active battle system and I didn't mind having to fight so many enemies. I played through it 10 times so far and don't plan on stopping there.
I've tried different ways of completing the game. Using Gameshark for infinite stats, playing through with no cheats, trying to keep at least one of every item in the game and putting it in the storage chest including weaker weapons and armor, using a walk through walls cheat to keep Percy in most of the game, playing with the challenge of not getting any of the three extra characters, writing down a list of every monster I encountered in the game and actually trying to measure their usual HP (didn't get far on that guide).
The story of Beyond the Beyond might not be interesting enough for those who are used to the more detailed stories of Final Fantasy, but fans of Dragon Warrior / Quest would find this game enjoyable.

Suikoden as a whole series I also found quite engrossing especially with the character recruitment. Vandal-Hearts also interested me a lot so these two series really made me respect Konami as an RPG company and look forward to trying any other series they may have.

Also my first hack & slash game, Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance really got me immersed in the fun gameplay system. Because of that and being an X-Men fan I loved X-Men Legends I & II and Marvel Ultimate Alliance.

[PresidentLeever]

Fallout 2, mainly for reasons stated above but also because at the time I didn't have access to the detailed character and game guides of today so I was left to explore the game almost on my own, just occasionally trading info and tips with two classmates who played it around the same time. Definitely the way to play it first time through.
From a console gamers standpoint it might look a little anonymous but trust me, the game is full of interesting characters, well written dialogue and twisted humour. Plus the mechanics really lend themselves well to 'what if' experiments, as mentioned above.

Other ones that stood out to me:
Earthbound
FF7
Baldur's Gate
Ultima 7
Suikoden 1
PS4
Vagrant Story

[Nintega Grafx-16]

Please list all the PC Engine RPGs that you have completed so you can prove what you stated as fact. Although, to actually know what you're talking about, you'd have had to have played ALL "of the RPGs for TG-16/PC Engine". Which I'm certain isn't the case. I know you haven't beaten Kabukiden, because even the most jaded Snerd wouldn't make such a statement afterward.

I have beaten Ys I&II. That's it. You are right I never played the other PCE RPGs but it is a well known fact that most of the RPGs (the best ones actually) for PC Engine are in Japanese only. Most of the games don't even have translations or walkthroughs yet. Because of that I consider most of the RPGs for the system unbearable. This is why the SNES IMHO wins in the RPG category by default (until people finally discover the existance of PCE RPGs which I find highly unlikely).

[PresidentLeever]

most immersive? probably FFVIII

It felt like you really were sitting there for hours mindlessly drawing magic from monsters. Classic. :)

:D
To be fair the game probably wasn't meant to be played that way, but Square didn't exactly go out of their way to make players drop their old, OCD-ish RPG gaming habits that worked perfectly for the previous 7 games.

[Jisho23]

Now that I think about it, Panzer Dragoon Saga is a very engrossing RPG for the Saturn, and I'm a bit surprised it slipped my mind. It's definitely not the awesome sauce most people make it out to be, but it IS very good. And certainly engrossing.

Whenever I'm asked about RPGs, I usually don't even mention PDS. Frankly, in spite of it being really good, its an impossible game to actually recommend. Emulation is difficult (to my knowledge, a good Saturn emulator is either impossible to find or really sub par, and other pirating methods probably shouldn't be condoned anyway) and actually buying the game involves too much of a financial investment.

For similar reasons I tend to avoid suggesting games outside of this region.

While we are talking PC-Engine/Turbo-16, I guess "Dungeons and Dragons: Order of the Griffon" is a worthwhile rpg on the system worth mentioning.

[mobiusclimber]

If you just want to play the game, you can always buy it and resell it when you beat it. It's not a very long game. I got it w/ disc & manual (and the first two PDS games w/ disc and manual) for $75 shipped, and sold it for $100. It takes patience to find it at a decent price, but it's possible. It's well worth the effort, but not worth the price tag if you're going to keep it, imo.

[Jorpho]

The answer is Planescape: Torment.

That is all.

[Arkhan]

I can't resist an opening like this. I've been playing through them all again on my Amiga:

*LIST TRUNCATED TO SAVE FROM BLOATING THE FORUM WITH STUFF PEOPLE ALREADY READ :D*

I *think* that's all of them. It's been awhile.

Tempest

yeah!, but savage frontier is part of forgotten realms :D

you could also list Hilsfar though its not like those games, the EOB games, menzoberranzan, :D, DUNGEON HACK!

Such a huge list of games. They all kick ass really.

Even if they do all use the same engine and as a result play nearly the same.

an engrossing RPG I forgot about and didn't mention was Wizardry. Christ did I get into those games. Mapping out the dungeons and planning out all my characters.

:D Good stuff.

[Jisho23]

yeah!, but savage frontier is part of forgotten realms :D

you could also list Hilsfar though its not like those games, the EOB games, menzoberranzan, :D, DUNGEON HACK!

Such a huge list of games. They all kick ass really.

Even if they do all use the same engine and as a result play nearly the same.

an engrossing RPG I forgot about and didn't mention was Wizardry. Christ did I get into those games. Mapping out the dungeons and planning out all my characters.

:D Good stuff.

Ugh... Hillsfar...

Curse is probably my fav of the goldbox.

If we are gonna start talking first person dungeon crawls I do have to give props to Dungeon Master and (obviously, but for very different reasons) Ultima Underworld. Out east, they don't get much better than Shining in the Darkness.

[Haoie]

I spent 98 hours before finishing Dragon Quest VIII, despite its many shortcomings.

I rarely ever finish any RPGs, so that's got to be a freaking first for me. Also might count as the longest time I've taken to finish any 1 game [barring never completing it at all, the norm].

[tom]

to be fair here, ....the SSI GoldBox games had HOW MANY different ones?

Which all basically look/play the same :)

You got what...

Pool of Radiance, Curse, Secret, Pools of Darkness, ...
yeah theres alot. Thats <half the Forgotten Realms ones, none of the Dragonlance ones, and none of the Buck Rogers ones.... :D


but, they all kick righteous ass.

Yeah, having played them all (even the construction kit and the Dungeon Master's Assistant Volumes), they are all super excellent and poop on Japanese RPGs from a great height....and then some more

[tom]

I can't resist an opening like this. I've been playing through them all again on my Amiga:

Forgotten Realms
----------------
Pool of Radiance
Curse of the Azure Bonds
Secret of the Silver Blades
Pools of Darkness

Dragonlance
------------
Champions of Krynn
Deathknights of Krynn
Dark Queen of Krynn

Savage Frontier
---------------
Gateway to the Savage Frontier
Treasure of the Savage Frontier

Buck Rogers
-----------
Countdown to Doomsday
Matrix Cubed

Others
------
Pirates of Realmspace (Spelljammer)


I *think* that's all of them. It's been awhile.

Tempest

Here's one you forgotten (besides the construction kit), but hey, I never even played it (it being an online only US title):
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c173/thomasholzer/Neverwinter_Nights_1991_Coverart.png

[tom]

yeah!, but savage frontier is part of forgotten realms :D

you could also list Hilsfar though its not like those games, the EOB games, menzoberranzan, :D, DUNGEON HACK!

Such a huge list of games. They all kick ass really.

Even if they do all use the same engine and as a result play nearly the same.

an engrossing RPG I forgot about and didn't mention was Wizardry. Christ did I get into those games. Mapping out the dungeons and planning out all my characters.

:D Good stuff.

Hillsfar was actually very good, didn't care much for Heroes of the Lance nor Dragons of Flame or Dragon Stike. War of the Lance was good, but I classed it into SSIs wargame series, not D&D


Another SSI classic of course is Wizard's Crown, hugely enjoyable, and at the moment I am playing Phantasie, which is totally fun.

[FoxNtd]

Albert Odyssey is, imo, ruined by WD humor...

The original is completely immune to this problem. Only the US region version is affected. Any other comments for the game, though?


Yes, which I drew out in the walkthrough.

http://members.shaw.ca/justin_cheer/kiku.gif


As soon as I saw the "ke" subtitled as "ku", I had to provide the correction. I'll just list all the kana in that chart here:

キ - ki
ク - ku
ゴ - go
ロ - ro
ウ - u
エ - e
ラ - ra
イ - i

If you do not see the katakana above, come out of the dark ages and get Unicode font support on your system.

Also saddening to see tons of games being dismissed for not having localized releases here. My literacy is far from strong yet I happily dive into imports. I can't make a good point on this topic because I actually do study the language, culture, etc. So I suppose that means I'm biased towards it instead of away.

I suppose that in short, if I can experience a great game that isn't released here then I will go for it; I wouldn't let a language barrier stop me (especially since I'm tearing that barrier down... slowly...)

[Arkhan]

Hillsfar was actually very good, didn't care much for Heroes of the Lance nor Dragons of Flame or Dragon Stike. War of the Lance was good, but I classed it into SSIs wargame series, not D&D


Another SSI classic of course is Wizard's Crown, hugely enjoyable, and at the moment I am playing Phantasie, which is totally fun.


I used to play NWN on AOL when I was younger. It was good stuff, though I dont really count it because of the fact that it's a US only-online only-thing.

Random Fact: The characters on the cover of the NWN game were pack-in characters in a TSR DnD box set :D

Theres an offline solo version of NWN, and this cool online rehash whos name I forget. but it was fun, and my ranger tore shit up. Now I need to remember the name of that and play it again!

EDIT: http://www.forgottenworld.com/ <<< Awesome game.

as far as Wizards Crown, I liked Eternal Dagger alot more. :D



goldbox wise though, I too like Curse the most.

[j_factor]

I thought Final Fantasy Tactics was really engrossing, mainly for the battle system but the plot/characters drew me in too. Front Mission 3 has a similarly amazing battle system, but the plot is also impressively detailed, with two different full-length scenarios to play and in-game internet and email.

Saga Frontier is also worth a try. Although not for everybody, those that do get into it tend to really get into it. Shadowrun for Genesis is another one like that.


Out of the RPGs I've played on the Saturn, I haven't really found one to be "engrossing" enough to warrant listing. Shining Force III is great, tho I think II is the pinnacle of the series. Shining the Holy Ark isn't nearly as good as Shining in the Darkness and, in fact, I gave up on it halfway thru. Shining Wisdom I only played a few minutes of. It didn't "wow" me tho. Albert Odyssey is, imo, ruined by WD humor...

Now that I think about it, Panzer Dragoon Saga is a very engrossing RPG for the Saturn, and I'm a bit surprised it slipped my mind. It's definitely not the awesome sauce most people make it out to be, but it IS very good. And certainly engrossing.

Funny you don't mention Dragon Force. It's the Saturn's best RPG by far IMO. And back in the day, it really engrossed me. It's one of the games I've spent the most hours of my life playing. I also thoroughly enjoyed Dark Savior, but I can only recommend it to Landstalker fans.

[Aussie2B]

You know, a topic like this is only going to turn into a "name your favorite RPGs" topic. :P I, however, like playing with semantics, so I won't go down that road. My pick is Chrono Trigger, as stereotypical as that may be. I wouldn't say it's my top favorite RPG, but it's easily the game that I have the strongest emotional attachment to (and I'd say it's the best RPG ever made, which, no, doesn't mean it must be my favorite). I'm sure it's been over a decade since the last time I played through it, but that hasn't diminished my feelings for it at all. I still get that surge of emotion every time a track from the game comes up on my iPod. In fact, I'd say I kind of CAN'T play it at this point. The act of actually playing it brings it back down to the level of a game, but at this point it's more like it's been elevated to an "experience" in my mind. If that makes any sense. I could try to explain why I'm so attached to it, but, eh, there's enough gushing over Chrono Trigger online. I will say, however, that it's not quite the same to be some 14-year-old kid that recently discovered Chrono Trigger because everyone says it's best RPG ever, downloaded the ROM, and then agreed versus my experience of playing it in 1996, not knowing anything whatsoever about it when I bought it other than Nintendo Power saying it was good, and then feeling like I was the only one in the world who adored the game because no one I knew had heard of it (and this was before internet access and discussion was so widespread, obviously).

Hey, Black_Tiger, are you Dark_Fact? Your Tengai Makyo guides are magnificent. I haven't used them proper yet since I haven't made the time to sit down and play through the games (well, besides the hour or so of trying out), but I can recognize the quality of your work. In fact, a large part of the reason why I bought the games was because I knew I could enjoy them to the fullest by using your guides. Your ASCII work is just amazing too. I haven't seen any other text-based guides like them. I actually started a really ambitious ASCII project in one of my guides many years ago (that I still have yet to finish), and I thought I was the only one crazy enough to do something like that until I saw yours. :P I really enjoyed the reviews of PC Engine games and other stuff you used to have on GameFAQs as well.

[mobiusclimber]

The original is completely immune to this problem. Only the US region version is affected. Any other comments for the game, though?

Also saddening to see tons of games being dismissed for not having localized releases here. My literacy is far from strong yet I happily dive into imports. I can't make a good point on this topic because I actually do study the language, culture, etc. So I suppose that means I'm biased towards it instead of away.

I suppose that in short, if I can experience a great game that isn't released here then I will go for it; I wouldn't let a language barrier stop me (especially since I'm tearing that barrier down... slowly...)

The North American Saturn release of Albert Odyssey seemed like a typical RPG. It's been awhile since I played it, so I don't really remember the plot of it at all, but I just got really bored w/ it. The translation can make or break these kinds of games, and as I said, WD did the game no favors.

As for playing Japanese imports, I play them all the time w/o knowing any Japanese at all. If the game is simplistic enough I can get thru it even w/o a walkthru just using trial and error. And there are definitely some games out there whose world is interesting enough that it's worthwhile to do this (having cinematics in the game helps too since you can often glean just enough of the story from them to understand what's going on). Of course, some games (Ys V for instance) are just fun to play. No storyline is needed.


I thought Final Fantasy Tactics was really engrossing, mainly for the battle system but the plot/characters drew me in too. Front Mission 3 has a similarly amazing battle system, but the plot is also impressively detailed, with two different full-length scenarios to play and in-game internet and email.

Saga Frontier is also worth a try. Although not for everybody, those that do get into it tend to really get into it. Shadowrun for Genesis is another one like that.

Funny you don't mention Dragon Force. It's the Saturn's best RPG by far IMO. And back in the day, it really engrossed me. It's one of the games I've spent the most hours of my life playing. I also thoroughly enjoyed Dark Savior, but I can only recommend it to Landstalker fans.

I'll agree with FF Tactics, Front Mission 3 and Shadowrun. I think I've spent 300 hours combined on those three games. Dark Savior is also very good, but I wouldn't call it "engrossing."

Dragon Force I've only played a little bit of and I just can't really get into it. Maybe I need to look up a walkthru (since I don't have the manual) to figure out what it is I'm supposed to be doing in the game. The battle engine just doesn't feel right, almost like a mix between Langrisser and Dynasty Warriors or something. Add to that the immature and inappropriate WD translation. God I really hate their early work. Yes, all of it. ... Well ok Popful Mail was fine since that's the kind of game it is. So far Vay has been fine. And the games that don't have much in the way of story (Cadash comes to mind) don't really give them enough to cock up. But good lord do I wish they'd stop w/ the lame jokes.

But yeah, I put Dragon Force aside, but I'll probably try to get into it again at some point.

[Einzelherz]

for me, a few of my faves would be:
Star Ocean (the snes one)
Shin Megami Tensei
Final Fantasy 7,8,9

I know i'm probably gonna get hanged for it, but i tried to get into Final Fantasy IV, Chrono Trigger, and even Earthbound, but all of em just lost me, i couldn't get into em

GRAB A ROPE!


I can understand the difficulty going backwards. I've recently been playing Mother 3 and it was hard for me to get into before. Lately though, I hadn't played anything (more specifically, anything modern) and I think that helped me fall in.

For instance, I can't get into FF8. It's the only one I haven't really put effort into. I might be able to get into it as long as I stay away from "prettier" games. That won't be a problem though since I don't own and fancy newfangled consoles :)

[The 1 2 P]

Both Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic games are the most engrossing rpgs I've ever played. And I hate rpgs, but my inner Star Wars nerdiness compelled me to try them out. Both gave me 40+ hours of some of the most intricate storytelling I have ever experienced in a game.

I'm still waiting for a third game but it looks like thats never going to happen now that Bioware is fixated on making The Old Republic MMO. But you should definitly try them both out if you haven't already.

[mobiusclimber]

I know i'm probably gonna get hanged for it, but i tried to get into Final Fantasy IV, Chrono Trigger, and even Earthbound, but all of em just lost me, i couldn't get into em

I missed this the first time around, so glad someone else quoted it. I feel pretty much the same way.

FFIV - is good, but I can do w/o all the false party switching that goes on in it. Also, the "I'm a bad guy! No wait, now I'm a good guy! ... Haha fooled you, I'm really a bad guy! ... Wait, no I'm not" nonsense gets old after awhile. It's especially difficult to put up w/ if you'd played FFVI first, like I did. It's the same w/ me and Breath of Fire. I played BoF2 first and I feel it's far superior in almost every way. (I kinda like the dragon transformations in BoF better, but that's about it.)

Chrono Trigger - It's like they got halfway thru what would be a normal RPG and just ran out of ideas, so they made a ton of optional sidequests instead. I didn't find the story to be compelling, and certain spots were just infuriating. For instance, climbing the snowy mountain where you have to hide behind trees. My party would always push against the tree and go off to the side. Just figuring out what to do and then slogging thru it annoyed me. Plus the lack of random battles actually hurt it more than it helped, since you can't avoid most battles and they're always the same exact enemies.

Earthbound - is just too randomly weird for me. The whole thing feels like a bad Monty Python sketch that went on too long. I actually prefer the original game to the SNES sequel.

[Arkhan]

HE WHO HATES THE CHRONO TRIGGER, HATES LIFE ITSELF.



:D


I like Chrono Trigger because of how random alot of it is. You go from robots and cyberpunk future, to OMG DINOSAURS.....

and then back to high magic, and whatnot. It's good fun. :D



FFIV is either you love it or you hate it. There is no middle ground. You have to like the characters and the setting, or you're dewmed.

Musics top notch either way :D

[mobiusclimber]

There are three things I like about CT: the setting (ie all the time periods you visit), Lucca, and Ayla. I think the biggest thing I don't like is pretty much the first five hours of the game. It starts off totally cliched, moves on to more cliche and then on to another cliche. The church part is the worst part of the game as far as I'm concerned. The first time I played CT, that was as far as I got before shutting it off.

[Jorpho]

It starts off totally cliched, moves on to more cliche and then on to another cliche.Totally cliched? Chrono's hometown never burns down, nor do any of his relatives die during the course of the game. That passes for groundbreaking originality as far as JRPGs go. (Which is not to say that you can't have a perfectly enjoyable game where those things do happen; it's just that they happen all the freakin' time.)

I must admit that while I too found CT to be a work of genius the first time I played through it many years ago, now that I'm playing the DS <s>remake</s> re-release I find it has lost some of its charm. I will not discount the possibility that maybe it's just because the Lost Sanctuary bonus area was implemented rather poorly.

[Arkhan]

Dude, Square invented the cliche, lol.

[Eyedunno]

I'll make a long comment in response to a lot of previous comments. :P

Chrono Trigger is a damn good game, and I've played through the Japanese version to the point of maxing EVERYONE's stats and so on, but I do think it has weaknesses. The music, while excellent, is not up to snuff with the SNES-era Final Fantasy games, and I kind of don't like how stats boosts are acquired (in particular how you can come damn close to maxing everyone's speed on the first playthrough, but must play through so many times to max magic, which is nonetheless useful for everyone including Ayla). I still like it a lot, especially in terms of how open-ended it becomes, but it's hardly the best RPG I've ever played, and I wouldn't call it particularly engrossing either.

Mother 2 is also a good game. The huge world indeed sucks you in (so here I think "engrossing" works better to describe the game), but story-wise, let's face it, it's not that great (though the story works, for sure). Mother 3 is much better in terms of story (maybe even one of my favorite RPG stories ever), but I'd say it's a lesser game overall.

FFIV is the first JRPG I ever played, and is thus highly nostalgic for me. And were it not for "Clash on the Big Bridge," "Mambo de Chocobo," and a few other amazing FFV tunes, I would say that FFIV has my favorite music in the series as well. But yeah, a lot of story elements grow tiresome (though I love Golbeza and Rydia as characters). Plus it introduced Active Time Battle, which makes random battles SO MUCH less tedious than true turn-based JRPGs. I would go so far as to say that no turn-based JRPG can ever compete with the mid-period FF games, just on this count alone.

Having said that, that Tengai Makyou PCE game looks pretty cool. I watched a few videos on YouTube, and from those alone, I like the characterization. It's also pretty sweet and uber-Japanese that Oshichi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaoya_Oshichi) is a fire elemental summon. :) I'm definitely going to have to try it out, but being purely turn-based will still hurt it to some degree, I'm sure.

I still have to go with FFVII for the title of most engrossing.

[mobiusclimber]

Totally cliched? Chrono's hometown never burns down, nor do any of his relatives die during the course of the game. That passes for groundbreaking originality as far as JRPGs go. (Which is not to say that you can't have a perfectly enjoyable game where those things do happen; it's just that they happen all the freakin' time.)

You start off w/ your mother waking you up, which was a pretty big cliche at the time (well, having someone wake you up, anyway). But really the cliche that bothered me most was the whole "the nuns are evil" since so many other RPGs have "evil religions." But what really killed it is that there's absolutely no doubt what's going on. They make terrible puns about wanting to eat Chrono. XD It just really took me out of the game. I also really didn't like the fair at all, mostly b/c I'm OCD and wanted to do and win everything, but collecting silver points is so bloody slow, and there's absolutely NO fun games there (unless you consider beating up that robot to be fun, which it is the first time, but not so much the twentieth). Only to consistently lose in Spekkior's tent (or whatever his name is). In fact, I think the fair is pretty much indicative of the rest of the game. There's plenty of things to do, and it seems like it should be fun, but it just really isn't. It's tedious instead of being fun.

[Einzelherz]

Personally my RPG progression goes FF Legend 1, NES Final fantasy, then I got into FF6 on SNES. I played CT and the rest of the gameboy SaGa series in my youth so I'll have a special place for them.

I got to the moon in FF4 but never finished it. I think it was the going backwards problem. I played CT, FF6 and *then* tried to go to FF4. For me, at least, it's hard to progress backwards not only because of the visual aspect, but the stories tend to become more mature the later in the series that they are.

Of course for the FF franchise this appears to be more of a bell curve than a standard progression.


But really the cliche that bothered me most was the whole "the nuns are evil" since so many other RPGs have "evil religions." But what really killed it is that there's absolutely no doubt what's going on. They make terrible puns about wanting to eat Chrono.

At least for me, representing religion more than "go here when someone dies" was pretty progressive at the time. Yes they make terrible puns, the game is suppose to have some humor. Hell the frog is named Frog. This might be why you don't like Earthbound too.

[Jorpho]

I also really didn't like the fair at all, mostly b/c I'm OCD and wanted to do and win everything, but collecting silver points is so bloody slow, and there's absolutely NO fun games there (unless you consider beating up that robot to be fun, which it is the first time, but not so much the twentieth). Only to consistently lose in Spekkior's tent (or whatever his name is). In fact, I think the fair is pretty much indicative of the rest of the game. Yes, someone really botched things up when it came to the fair. But I do not think it is at all indicative of the rest of the game.

[maxlords]

Final Fantasy III (SNES,US)
Suikoden II (PSX)
The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion (360)
Star Control 2 (PC, 3D0)
Phantasy Star II, IV (Genesis)

Those are the ones that come to mind off the top of my head.

[mobiusclimber]

At least for me, representing religion more than "go here when someone dies" was pretty progressive at the time. Yes they make terrible puns, the game is suppose to have some humor. Hell the frog is named Frog. This might be why you don't like Earthbound too.

I think it really depends on what games you'd played before playing CT. Off the top of my head, Breath of Fire 2 also has an "evil religion" in it, and I know there were others earlier than that one.

[skaar]

I vote for this:

http://s11.bdbphotos.com/images/orig/c/s/csfnok6a0cbqscnc.jpg

When I was younger, I remember actually caring an awful lot about characters in FFIII SNES - I really really wanted to know what was going to happen next and kept playing through until the end.

Dragon Quest 8 also really sucked me in, even with the rather generic plot. I've found if I really like the characters in a game I'll play it through and love it.

Eternal Sonata was absolutely beautiful, just a pity about the ending. The whole world was absolutely gorgeous though, and I got sucked into that one too.

[Aussie2B]

I'd say the "evil religion" concept was still fairly novel at the time, at least from a Westerner's standpoint. Most of the Japanese RPGs coming out were on Nintendo systems, and we're all aware of how Nintendo pressured developers to self-censor anything religious. While Japanese developers were abusing the evil religion cliche since Dragon Quest II, Megami Tensei, and the like, we didn't see much of that kind of stuff in US localizations until the PlayStation era with stuff like Final Fantasy Tactics and Xenogears.