XBox's quintessential RPG?

[Manhattan Sports Club]

Now I generally like the original Xbox, though not always for the same reasons as everyone else, but there are certainly some good games on it. Most people saw it as an FPS/dudebro console, but in terms of RPGs, which rank as the best? The most frequently touted are:

-Arx Fatalis
-Beyond Good and Evil
-The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind
-Fable
-Jade Empire
-Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 1 & 2
-Sudeki

From what I've played, Sudeki is the worst of the bunch. Fable is decent if taken as just a fairly linear, western action-RPG take on Zelda rather than the massively 'free, open-ended' quest it was falsely advertised as. Beyond Good and Evil certainly beats it in every regard, though. It has the same length and action-RPG feel but is infinitely better in every aspect. Morrowind didn't look like my cup of tea but people were generally very fond of it. I only played a little of SW:KotOR but it had promise and I'm looking to get a copy in hopes that it will fill the void for a solid WRPG on the system that actually lives up to the praise. Never played JE. Can't say anything about Arx Fatalis either but it also cited as an underdog. I won't even mention X-Men Legends. That thing was totally a product of its time, a revamped Baldr's Gate: Dark Alliance and sold because of the hype and license backing it. There are probably others that I haven't mentioned, so let me know what I'm forgotting.

[BlastProcessing402]

Now I generally like the original Xbox, though not always for the same reasons as everyone else, but there are certainly some good games on it. Most people saw it as an FPS/dudebro console, but in terms of RPGs, which rank as the best? The most frequently touted are:

-Arx Fatalis
-Beyond Good and Evil
-The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind
-Fable
-Jade Empire
-Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 1 & 2
-Sudeki

From what I've played, Sudeki is the worst of the bunch. Fable is decent if taken as just a fairly linear, western action-RPG take on Zelda rather than the massively 'free, open-ended' quest it was falsely advertised as. Beyond Good and Evil certainly beats it in every regard, though. It has the same length and action-RPG feel but is infinitely better in every aspect. Morrowind didn't look like my cup of tea but people were generally very fond of it. I only played a little of SW:KotOR but it had promise and I'm looking to get a copy in hopes that it will fill the void for a solid WRPG on the system that actually lives up to the praise. Never played JE. Can't say anything about Arx Fatalis either but it also cited as an underdog. I won't even mention X-Men Legends. That thing was totally a product of its time, a revamped Baldr's Gate: Dark Alliance and sold because of the hype and license backing it. There are probably others that I haven't mentioned, so let me know what I'm forgotting.

I wouldn't really consider BG&E as RPG, nor Fable. There might be RPG elements, but they're more adventureish games than RPGish.

Jade Empire, I tried a demo, didn't care for it at all, despite it being from Bioware, who generally make good RPG's. Or rather used to before EA bought them, but this is from well before that. I can't recall what exactly I didn't like about the demo, as this is like a decade ago.

KOTOR games, defintely the best games I played on the Xbox period, not just the best RPG's. However if you have a decent gaming PC it may be worth your while to look into those ports instead, and install some mods/upgrades. Lots of people bitch about content cut from the 2nd game and supposedly a fan patch on PC helps at least partly make up for it, but honestly I enjoyed the game just fine as it was.

Morrowind, lots of people think it's the best RPG ever, but I am not one of these people. I've tried to get into it a few times but just haven't been able to. I also have some similar issues with it's successors, Oblivion and Skyrim, but not nearly to the same degree. I'm sure it's me, not them. Fallout 3 & NV are practically the same thing in a different setting, and I love those to death. I will say, if you intend to pick this up on Xbox, look for the GOTY edition.

The rest you list I haven't played.

[Cornelius]

I'm a total xbox outsider, never owned one while current, never finished a game on the system, but played some here and there and enjoyed some Halo parties a few times. By no means a hater.

So I'm either the best person or the worst person to comment here, not sure. From my perspective, though, I think you'd have to go with Fable. It isn't a true RPG, maybe, but isn't that kinda apropos for the system? We are looking for quintessential, not necessarily 'best'.

The better games you list (BG&E, KOTOR) were better on PC than on Xbox. Heck, wasn't BG&E better on Gamecube?

[Rickstilwell1]

I would just say Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II. But that's available on PS2 as well so it doesn't really count.

[kupomogli]

You have to g o through such a hassle just to play the game offline, so it's better on other consoles you can find it on, but Phantasy Star Online imo.

[Daria]

I liked Sudeki, but yeah... it was kind of a guilty pleasure.
Morrowind was an amazing experience for the time, but I've tried many times to go back and it's just painful to play now.
I think the KOTOR games aged well, so going to nominate those for the best of the system. Most people prefer the original, but I loved the characters in KOTOR 2.
Never heard anyone call Beyond Good and Evil an RPG before, and wasn't the better version released on Gamecube?
Fable is RPG enough for me! Best of the series, someday I need to go back and play the platinum edition, or the HD rerelease.
Baldur's Gate was a gauntlet/Diablo clone... but for that type of gameplay I LOVED Bard's Tale. Hilarious.

There's also Lord of the Rings: The Third Age which was a straight-up turn-based Final Fantasy clone. Like everyone else, I didn't play it though.

Edit: There's also Metal Dungeon, again haven't played it.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

We're talking original Xbox here right? Why is this in modern gaming...? The Xbox has been retro for years now.

Anyway, I love the Xbox. It's about the only retro console that looks good natively on an HDTV. For the past several years, I've been actively collecting games I want for it, so I know the RPG lineup well.

The truth of the matter is that there really isn't a quintessential RPG for Xbox. For GameCube you could argue Skies of Arcadia or Tales of Symphonia and PS2 has way too many contenders from Final Fantasy X to Tales of the Abyss to Persona 4, but on the Xbox, the best you're gonna find are action RPGs.

Sudeki is worth a look, as is the Japan-only Tenerezza, but that game requires Japanese knowledge and tolerance for cuteness. A lot of people will tell you KOTOR is the best RPG, but neither game really ever clicked with me. same with Jade Empire. It wasn't until Mass Effect that BioWare won me over.

You might also want to check out Arx Fatalis, an obscure dungeon crawler that takes place in a world without a sun and everyone's moved underground. Finding a copy might be difficult though. In many years of hunting, I've only ever come across a single copy of the game, which is in my collection. It's not a common game at all.

[Daria]

As far as I know Arx Fatalis is like the one XboX RPG I'm missing, not that I look real hard. There really isn't much on the system at all.

Edit: I lied. I'm also missing Enclave.

[Gentlegamer]

Make mine Morrowind!

[LaughingMAN.S9]

I don't know about the rest of you but I think dreamfall deserves at least an honorable mention, even tho it's considered more of a pc series.


Anyway my vote is obviously kotor, fable I never beat, good game tho

[PrimordialHelios]

I wouldn't really consider BG&E as RPG, nor Fable. There might be RPG elements, but they're more adventureish games than RPGish.

Jade Empire, I tried a demo, didn't care for it at all, despite it being from Bioware, who generally make good RPG's. Or rather used to before EA bought them, but this is from well before that. I can't recall what exactly I didn't like about the demo, as this is like a decade ago.

KOTOR games, defintely the best games I played on the Xbox period, not just the best RPG's. However if you have a decent gaming PC it may be worth your while to look into those ports instead, and install some mods/upgrades. Lots of people bitch about content cut from the 2nd game and supposedly a fan patch on PC helps at least partly make up for it, but honestly I enjoyed the game just fine as it was.

Morrowind, lots of people think it's the best RPG ever, but I am not one of these people. I've tried to get into it a few times but just haven't been able to. I also have some similar issues with it's successors, Oblivion and Skyrim, but not nearly to the same degree. I'm sure it's me, not them. Fallout 3 & NV are practically the same thing in a different setting, and I love those to death. I will say, if you intend to pick this up on Xbox, look for the GOTY edition.

The rest you list I haven't played.

You really don't need a gaming PC for KOTOR (for the first one at least). I can run it at 60 FPS with everything turned all the way up on low end PC from 2006. It's nice to finally be able to play a game at 60 FPS, lol

[Cookie]

I would have to vote Morrowind, I love how fun it is to just wander around and all that jazz. Skyrim in my opinion abandoned this element. It seems too objective based, maybe that's just me.

I would also suggest getting the "game of the year" edition if you're going to pick up this game. You get both expansions with it.

[PrimordialHelios]

I would have to vote Morrowind, I love how fun it is to just wander around and all that jazz. Skyrim in my opinion abandoned this element. It seems too objective based, maybe that's just me.

I would also suggest getting the "game of the year" edition if you're going to pick up this game. You get both expansions with it.

Yes, Morrowind is, in my opinion, one of the best RPGs EVER. I've had so much fun with that game.

[Steve W]

You have to g o through such a hassle just to play the game offline, so it's better on other consoles you can find it on, but Phantasy Star Online imo.
I own the Xbox version, but have never played it due to Microsoft insisting that players have to have an Xbox Live account even to play single-player games offline. I ended up buying the GameCube version of it and pumping hundreds of hours into it (I had a character over level 120 until my 3rd party memory card became corrupted). I rarely play RPGs, but Phantasy Star Online was my absolute favorite of all time. Too bad they never managed to satisfactorily follow it up.

[lendelin]

There are a few more exclusive titles on my shelf:

Kingdom under Fire Heroes
Kingdom under Fire the Crusaders
Magic The Gathering Battlegrounds
Pirates of the Caribbean
Dungeons and Dragons Heroes
Nightcaster
Nightcaster II
Blackstone Magic and Steel
Memorick's Adventures Knights Apprentice (not sure if it is a RPG)

...and there are other multi-platform RPGs like The Hobbit and Future Tactics.

I played only a long time ago Pirates of the Caribbean because of its unusual RPG-setting on land and sea. Interesting sea battles, solid game concept and execution. Nothing to write home about, but also nothing bad to complain about.

Certainly, the first Fable and the two Knights of the Old Republic are way better. I still have to try (just out of curiosity) Jade Empire, Arx Fatalis and Enclave.

[Daria]

I played only a long time ago Pirates of the Caribbean because of its unusual RPG-setting on land and sea. Interesting sea battles, solid game concept and execution. Nothing to write home about, but also nothing bad to complain about.

Fun Fact: Pirates of the Caribeean was original intended to be Sea Dogs 3, but they acquired the Disney license somehow and renamed it shortly before release.

I was under the impression that the Kingdom Under Fire games were like Dynasty Warrior clones.

[Daltone]

Ok, so this is an old thread, but still - how have so few people played Jade Empire?

[PrimordialHelios]

Ok, so this is an old thread, but still - how have so few people played Jade Empire?

I've just never even heard of it, to be honest. I don't know anybody who has, so maybe people just forgot about it in favor of things like Halo.

[lendelin]

Fun Fact: Pirates of the Caribeean was original intended to be Sea Dogs 3, but they acquired the Disney license somehow and renamed it shortly before release.

I was under the impression that the Kingdom Under Fire games were like Dynasty Warrior clones.

You're absolutely right, dumb mistake, it was very late and I was really tired when I typed it. :) Of course, the Kingdom under Fire games are Dynasty Warriors clones but for some strange reason I like to have them for multiple systems right after my RPG sections (while I don't have Dynasty Warriors at all).

[lendelin]

Ok, so this is an old thread, but still - how have so few people played Jade Empire?

Jade Empire flew under the radar from the getgo. If I remember correctly the reason was one which is very often the case when it comes to underrated games -- a release shortly before or after a great game which gets all the attention. Jade Empire was released shortly after another Bioware game, namely Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic. Compared to this game it fell short, and so it was very soon forgotten and not very often played. Now in hindsight I hear very often that this game is much better than its image and worthwhile playing.

I have to give it a try.

Correction: I couldn't stand to look at the typo in the word 'corectly'. I had to 'corect' it. :)

[FieryReign]

I've played through Jade Empire. Don't remember too much about the story. But I liked it because of its Chinese martial arts backdrops, love me some chop-socky fu. It could get boring at times. Combat system was unique, almost realtime. Too many dialog choices when talking to npcs. Don't know why so many games have these things, just give me some info and let me be on my way. Not trying to conversate with a screen image.

Played Morrowind for about 20 minutes before realizing the game was too huge for me and was in way over my head. Baldurs Gate was pretty good on the ps2, I imagine the xbox is the same. That's a hack n slash action rpg, gold and armor collectathon though.

[Daltone]

Ok, sweeping statement (that I will probably regret later) time - Jade Empire is the best of Bioware's console RPGs.

Ok, so it is not a patch on BG2, but it refines some of the mechanics from KOTOR, has enjoyable combat and some memorable characters (particularly John Cleese and his blunderbuss).

It's such a shame that Bioware closed in 2007 after releasing Mass Effect.. That is what happened, right? All the shit since then must be a different developer..

[BlastProcessing402]

You really don't need a gaming PC for KOTOR (for the first one at least). I can run it at 60 FPS with everything turned all the way up on low end PC from 2006. It's nice to finally be able to play a game at 60 FPS, lol

How low end? Do at least have a graphics card (even an old one) instead of onboard intel graphics on a laptop? Even today I'm sure you can buy a PC that won't give a satisfying experience on even a game that old, 'sall I meant. Decent, not high end.

[Daria]

Ok, sweeping statement (that I will probably regret later) time - Jade Empire is the best of Bioware's console RPGs.

Ok, so it is not a patch on BG2, but it refines some of the mechanics from KOTOR, has enjoyable combat and some memorable characters (particularly John Cleese and his blunderbuss).

It's such a shame that Bioware closed in 2007 after releasing Mass Effect.. That is what happened, right? All the shit since then must be a different developer..

EA bought them out and then did their thing. The Bioware that is now is certainly not the same company anymore.

Although I did really like DragonAge and (DLC aside) thought it felt like a true Bioware title.

[Daria]

Ok, so this is an old thread, but still - how have so few people played Jade Empire?

I just played it for the first time in November. Despite having an Xbox, loving RPGs, and having access to the game (my dad loves it) just didn't want to try it. The setting and combat didn't appeal to me. Basically, I was being a stubborn idiot. The game's amazing. Easily one of my favorites for the system now. My one complaint is that it's way too short with not enough areas to explore. Basically I didn't want the game to end.

[lendelin]

I just played it for the first time in November. Despite having an Xbox, loving RPGs, and having access to the game (my dad loves it) just didn't want to try it. The setting and combat didn't appeal to me. Basically, I was being a stubborn idiot. The game's amazing. Easily one of my favorites for the system now. My one complaint is that it's way too short with not enough areas to explore. Basically I didn't want the game to end.

Is it really so good? I have to give it a go. I didn't show my old Xbox any love in the last couple of months, and I was very busy lately playing for the first time Lunar Silver Star Story complete for the PS1.

My Jade Empire ist still sealed after all those years. Time to break the seal.