PS2 RPG's with Minimal Cutscenes

[slip81]

I want a PS2 RPG to play (other than Atelier Iris 1 or 2, or Suikoden IV, or the Shin Megami titles) that doesn't have a lot of custscenes.

For the past few years I've tried to get into FFX, but just can't get through it, not because I didn't enjoy playing it, but because I couldn't play the friggin' thing, and the story isn't interesting enough to make me care about being yanked outta the game every 5 seconds.

I don't hate cutscenes, I just hate how it seems most modern RPG's have way to many of them.

I really wanna play Rogue Galaxy and DQVIII, but I've heard they were long, and I'm assuming it's due to excessive cutscenes.

So someone, please recommend me a good one where I get to play more than watch, and the reason I don't want Atelier Iris, Shin Megami or Suikoden IV is because I've played all those.

Also it can be any sub-genre, turn based, strategic, action, I don't care.

edit: i should also add that I don't mind a lot of dialogue (I loved Xenogears after all), cause with that I can read and advance at my own pace. I don't like having to sit through some long drawn out cinema where the characters speak the text to me slowly with no way to control it.

Sorry, this is a bit of a rant, I'm just desperate for something harkening back to the days of SNES and PSX in terms of flow.

[Richter Belmount]

xenosaga

[klausien]

You actually answered your own request. DQVIII is long because of the gameplay. It is an old school RPG with PS2 graphics. There are cutscenes, but they are far from excessive and run in the in-game engine. Plus, the voicework is stellar. Do not hesitate to get it.

[Cirrus]

You actually answered your own request. DQVIII is long because of the gameplay. It is an old school RPG with PS2 graphics. There are cutscenes, but they are far from excessive and run in the in-game engine. Plus, the voicework is stellar. Do not hesitate to get it.

He's right, the cutscenes aren't an issue at all. It's a very looong game, full of gameplay. I think it'll be right up your alley, plus, I've been seeing it relatively cheap at the used game stores around me.

[Snapple]

If you like action RPGs, Ys: Arc of Napishtim is very light on the cutscenes.

I also agree with DQ8. You should be very happy with the playing to cutscene ratio.

[roushimsx]

I really wanna play Rogue Galaxy and DQVIII, but I've heard they were long, and I'm assuming it's due to excessive cutscenes.


Rogue Galaxy has a lot of cutscenes, but the length is mostly from having so damn much that you can do/explore/fuck off with. I love the way they handle the cutscenes, too. You can pause them at any point (prerendered or not) and opt to skip or resume. Handy for subsequent playthroughs and for when you get unexpected phone calls/visitors.

edit - and dagum is Ys a barrel of fun. What cutscenes it has are pretty fucking painful though, so you might want to look into entering the code for the PC version's cutscenes and japanese dialog. They seriously went out of their way to make the US dub damn near unlistenable.

[Snapple]

Fortunately, the cutscenes in Ys are few and far between enough that I was able to overlook the dubbing. In fact, I don't even remember it that much. Maybe it was so bad that I blocked most of it out of my memory.

Fun game though. Very easy to pick up, and you're off on an adventure.

[Trebuken]

Baldur's Gate, Dark Alliance comes to mind.

[exit]

Wild Arms 3 didn't have many cut-scenes from what I remember and they were not that bad in WA4.

[Three-P]

Baldur's Gate, Dark Alliance comes to mind.

Same deal with its sequel.

Another RPG with few cutscenes would have to be Dark Cloud. It's an interesting game where you can remake the world and go through mazes that change each time you visit them. (DarK Cloud 2, however, you may want to avoid, due to the high number of cutscenes. It's not a bad game, despite the fact that it's got 500% more cutscenes than the original.)

[Trebuken]

I havent's played it, but maybe Growlanser Generations....one or more of those games could work...

[Technosis]

I couldn't beleive the amount of verbose cut scenes at the start of Okami.....25 solid minutes of jibberish.....

[roushimsx]

I couldn't beleive the amount of verbose cut scenes at the start of Okami.....25 solid minutes of jibberish.....

It goes downhill from there. That is quite possibly one of the slowest moving action/adventure/rpgs I've ever played, inside the cutscenes and out. I hear Suikoden IV is absolute murder with its glacial pace as well, but I've been fortunate enough to have never played it. Okami, though...god damn. What a great way to make 30-40 hours feel like 90-120.

[hezeuschrist]

Another vote for DQVIII, definitely a great game that's big on gameplay over watching.

And as far as I can remember, FFXII didn't seem to offend nearly as bad as pretty much any other title in the series (since FMV's were introduced at least). It has an amazing battle system that keeps you free from load times for great periods of time, and the cutscenes there are are superbly voice acted... but you may want to rent it, it may still be too much for you.

[slip81]

well I decided to try out DQVIII and won an auction off ebay for the game and guide.

So from what I've heard here and other places I'm really eager to get to it. I also think I'm gonna look into the new Ys and Balbur's Gate games, since I loved Diablo on the PC and well as the PC Baldur's Gates.

I'm sure I'll also try FFXII eventually when it comes down in price. Maybe my real bane is just with Squares version of the "cinematic RPG" as to date I haven't really liked FFVIII or X, which seem to both fit nicely into that category. Because I did enjoy Suikoden IV, though with that one the cutscens didn't seem quite as intrusive.

[FantasiaWHT]

Sega Classics Collection- Phantasy Star II, III, IV!

hehe

[klausien]

Sega Classics Collection- Phantasy Star II, III, IV!

hehe


NICE CALL. Cheap too. Worth every penny and then some.

[Three-P]

Sega Classics Collection- Phantasy Star II, III, IV!

hehe

Touche', my friend. I almost forgot about those three.

[agbulls]

It goes downhill from there. That is quite possibly one of the slowest moving action/adventure/rpgs I've ever played, inside the cutscenes and out. I hear Suikoden IV is absolute murder with its glacial pace as well, but I've been fortunate enough to have never played it. Okami, though...god damn. What a great way to make 30-40 hours feel like 90-120.

I was extremely bored at the begining of Okami. So much so that I brought it back and got something else. With my extremely limited amount of playtime--45 minutes of jibberish crap is a lifetime. Anyone else just find that voice irritating?

[FAN8228]

I ordered DQ VIII a few days ago. Hearing about how great it is now has me anxious and excited for it's arrival...lol.

[Trebuken]

I was extremely bored at the begining of Okami. So much so that I brought it back and got something else. With my extremely limited amount of playtime--45 minutes of jibberish crap is a lifetime. Anyone else just find that voice irritating?

I honestly thought my receiver was messed up. I checked all the cables and all the settings, and nothing; so kept playing anyways...figures it out later.

Okami is an awesome game, perhaps a little easy at times, but a great experience...

[hezeuschrist]

well I decided to try out DQVIII and won an auction off ebay for the game and guide.

So from what I've heard here and other places I'm really eager to get to it. I also think I'm gonna look into the new Ys and Balbur's Gate games, since I loved Diablo on the PC and well as the PC Baldur's Gates.

I'm sure I'll also try FFXII eventually when it comes down in price. Maybe my real bane is just with Squares version of the "cinematic RPG" as to date I haven't really liked FFVIII or X, which seem to both fit nicely into that category. Because I did enjoy Suikoden IV, though with that one the cutscens didn't seem quite as intrusive.

I don't know how you made it through Suikoden IV if you get annoyed by a game taking you out of it. The absolutely sloth-like text speed of the completely plastic characters...

Wait, that was Suikoden V. Don't play it. IV kinda sucked too, you should play III if you haven't yet through.

[FantasiaWHT]

Okami voices = Animal Crossing voices...

I turned the sound off =/ I otherwise enjoyed the game, though

[The Great Dane]

Even though you said no to Suikoden 4, I would like to suggest Suikoden 3 and 5. In my opinion, both are very good rpgs. They don't have many cutscenes, but what cutscenes are present are good ones. Neither is as good as Suikoden 1 and 2, but still good and much better than 4.