Non-Square RPGs

[TheNiteAngel]

So, obviously everyone here joined based on a common love of at least some part of the Final Fantasy series, but there are a lot of other RPGs out there, so what's your favorite non-Square RPG and why?

Mine is the Legend of Dragoon because of the long engaging story, the fun and interesting characters, and the unorthodox but refreshing battle system. So many people had a problem with additions, but once I got used to them, I loved the system. And who doesn't love that Dragoon armor, it's pretty sweet!

Drawbacks: Item limit was the biggest one for me. You can hold 255 weapons, which is enough to keep as many as you really want, but your item list is 32 slots. And its not like Healing Potion x99 is one slot. Each potion, angel's prayer (revive), and attack item is one slot. Not super crippling in terms of the game, but when grinding, I had to make trips back to towns more frequently than I'd have liked.

[Zargabaath]

Legend of Dragoon is pretty dope game. Wish though I could have selected what addition I wanted to use each attack, but it was still sweet - especially Albert's final. I found the item limit to be a small problem in the beginning but then I got used to so it was ok. Plus, I had played the Origins version of FFII that had a 32 item limit as well. I made sure to spread the items I had so I had a bit of everything, though the game was never insanely hard. Challenging? Yes, though I never wiped.


My favorite non-Square RPG is easily Shadow Hearts: Covenant. Second favorite RPG, first - Xenogears. Perhaps the only thing that wasn't amazing in SH:C was the music which was good but not superb. I loved the battle system, broken though as it is, the story, the characters, the alternate history setting, Joachim, the gay shop owners. It gets a lot of love from me.

[loaf]

Well I actually joined here cause of other friend's joining a long long time ago but........

I enjoy Legend of Dragoon a lot, I haven't finished it though...I really want to. So I can't really give much feedback. But I really like the combat.

Another is the Tales series. I've only played Phantasia though but I really love the combat system. Again I haven't gotten that far so I can't give that much feedback.

[TheNiteAngel]

My favorite non-Square RPG is easily Shadow Hearts: Covenant. Second favorite RPG, first - Xenogears. Perhaps the only thing that wasn't amazing in SH:C was the music which was good but not superb. I loved the battle system broken as it was, the story, the characters, the alternate history setting, Joachim, the gay shop owners. It gets a lot of love from me.

I've always been told by a couple of my good friends to check out the Shadow Hearts series, but I've never quite had the time to devote to it. Maybe I'll check into it this coming semester around the lighter course load.

[Superjord]

I loved Dark Cloud and Dark Chronicles, especially Chronicles because it had such an epic playtime and I enjoyed the challenge of having to keep my weapons from breaking. It was a good challenge, wacky awesome story and having to rebuild and repopulate towns and villages was a different experience for me too.

[Illusion]

I like the Mass Effect, Oblivion, and Fall Out games. Mass Effect is certainly not a traditional rpg, but it does still have the style and flavor to one. Oblivion and Fall Out are very much the same thing, being from the same company, but set in a different scenario. The apparent freedom that you have in those games is what I like the most, but they are very solid games in almost every other aspect too.

Persona is also a really good rpg, hopefully we'll see P5 out some time next year or the near future.

[Dodie16]

Outside the games that Square makes, I haven't played too many other RPGs, so my picks are pretty limited to just a handful of games. So, out of those select few, I would say that my favorite Non-Square RPG would be between either Earthbound, Mother 3 or Persona 3.

Earthbound was a game I played a bit when I was younger, but I watched my older brother play it a lot. I loved the interesting quirks of the game, like how some of the NPCs have some of the silliest stuff to say, or how you face enemies like the New Age Retro Hippie who uses an attack where he brushes his teeth.

Mother 3 I just finished up not too long ago, and it's got a quite a few quirks to it too, but I would say that it has a lot more tear-jerker moments. It is more focused on telling a story rather that the overall adventure of it's predecessor (Earthbound), but that's not to it's detriment, because the story told is quite good.

Persona 3 is the only game I've played out the Persona Series, but after getting finished with P3P, I want to play more of them. I like building up the characters' relationships (social links), and seeing the stories of each character as they grow and overcome the problems that they face. I also really really like the music in the game, and I never got tired of hearing the regular battle theme in the Male MC's part.

Oh man... Tough to decide between those games... I guess I'll just call it a 3 way tie.

[ZantetsukeN]

Dargon Age and Mass Effect would probably be my favourite outside of Squeenix. I've only just broadened my horizons with RPGs, but these are the two I like the most.

Earthbound is a personal favourite of mine too. Only started playing it last year. Obviously with very limited access to it in Europe it took a while to find, but I ended up loving it.

[Xanatos]

I played several good ones, Dragon Age Origins, TES IV: Oblivion, Deus Ex, Pokemon obviously, Legend of Dragoon...I honestly can't decide which one.

I have yet to beat Dragon Age Origins, I can't give you my final thought just yet. I love it's characters though, variety of decisions you can make and their impact on your companions, the story ain't that shabby either, some quests are certainly interesting. Difficulty is the only thing that bugs me, it goes overboard way too often.

Oblivion is a vast game, I never really cared to solve everything, it just seemed way too much effort for me. The leveling concept is interesting though, it reminds me of Final Fantasy II, shame though it's not really thought out well, it takes a minute or so to kill a wild animal on lv 1. but 10 minutes on lvl 20, that really bugged me. Other than that it was a superb game.

Timeless classic, a must play, Deus Ex was way ahead of it's time. Superb story, option to solve a mission in several ways gave this game a serious replay value, quite a few bugs are it's only problem I'm afraid.

Pokemon, which one that is. Second generation was by far my favorite, it truly evolved the game in almost every aspect, something it's successors failed to do, then again, why fix a wining formula.

As for Legend of Dragoon, I honestly don't remember much about this game, I know I enjoyed it, but it was a long time ago, which means I'll have to get it once more, if nothing else I'll run it through emulator.

[Taco-Calamitous]

While I loved Earthbound and Mother 3 as well for the same reasons Dodie mentioned, I will have to give the nod to The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind. This game ate my soul for weeks and weeks of game play. Probably more than any other RPG to date, except maybe Pokemon R&B (maybe that should be my favorite... eh.) I loved the very alien-feeling medieval fantasy world that Bethesda created with this game, and the interesting creatures that inhabited it. Admittedly it's boring as hell to watch, but if you're playing it, you get sucked in. At least if you're playing it circa 2002-03. I've gone back to play it, and it kinda aged poorly... Not too poorly, though. Anyhoo...

Wuv, Yer Mom

[TheNiteAngel]

I've heard a lot of good things from others as well on most of these games, but I haven't played a lot of the newer ones. However, I did play Earthbound. I used to play all the time on SNES till I was about 10, but I don't have the cartridge anymore. But I do have a ROM on my PC of the game for a SNES emulator. I played again last year and it's just as fun. I like that its unorthodox as far as RPGs go, having a story that's really neither futuristic or medieval fantasy. It's pretty much just everyday life with psychic kids on a mission. Maybe, I'll jump in again soon, but I think Shadow Hearts will be next after a few FFs. Just gotta pick up a copy.

[nickness89]

Fable games kick ass ... I also like Oblivion, and LOVE the Fallout games

Also, and I know it's not really RPG-ish, but I love the Resident Evil games, because they have a deep storyline that stretches over a base of years, and has a detailed history.

[FFGamer86]

Im a huge fan of Legend of Dragoon, beat that game straight through in 26 1/2 hours. I also like the Suikoden series.

[FF9isthebest]

Fallout3 and World of Warcraft currently. I love huge open ended worlds.

[smurphy]

My favourite RPG outside of Squaresoft would be FF XII(I regard Squaresoft and Square Enix to be completely different entities) but pedantics aside I would say either Dark Chronicle or Shin Megami Tensai: Persona 4. Dark Chronicle probably shouldnt be held in such high regard by me because I prefer turnbased action to realtime but it has everything a RPG should have. Diverse locations,great atmosphere, great array of sidequests and minigames, great soundtrack, great story and levels of unbelievable customisation. Persona 4 is one of the deepest games I have played. It is one of the few games with brilliant gameplay but even so the gameplay is pipped by the story. The social element(the option to have a girlfriend but not exclusively this) adds so much as well.

Honourable mentions go to The Legend of Dragoon, Pokemon Gold\Silver and Dragon Quest V(made by Enix before the merger). LoD would be higher if the difficulty curve didnt kick up so much halfway through. Pokemon is a great game but held back by the fact its on a handheld. And Dragon Quest has this charm which is hard to elaborate upon.

[FF9isthebest]

I dunno why people like Legend of Dragoon so much, I thought it sucked, there's a lot of really good rpgs out there besides a poor mans FF7...

Just my opinion tho, not meaning any disrespect.

[Gilgamesh~Enkidu]

I'm really digging Lost Odyssey at the moment. I can't remember if it's Square because I don't have the game on my person right now, but it /is/ from the creator of Final Fantasy. (as it states on the front of the box.)

I have to say; Shin Megami Tensei: Persona's 3 and 4 are just brilliant. I never got the chance to play P4, yet I know I've missed out on a great game.

I played P3 /multiple times./ No matter what, I just couldn't put the darn thing down!

[nickness89]

I just thought of another good one. Prototype if anyone's heard of it?

The freedom of going around the whole of Manhattan was awesome. I know it wasn't a fantasy kind of RPG, but it was awesome. Sort of a sandbox variation of Resident Evil.

[Gilgamesh~Enkidu]

I just thought of another good one. Prototype if anyone's heard of it?

I loved that game. I found it a little challenging. Fun all-round.

[nickness89]

I loved that game. I found it a little challenging. Fun all-round.

It is a legend of a game :')

Welcome by the way

[Gilgamesh~Enkidu]

It is a legend of a game :')

Welcome by the way

It is!

And thank you, old chum.

[Linus Li Lelouch]

Non-Square RPGs..


Xenosaga (all 3) - This game pretty much opened the way for me to explore more and more unexplained RPGs. Chaos and KOS-MOS are my favorite characters of the game SECOND only to JR.... He was pure badass

Shadow Hearts - Excellent game, one of my favorite Non-Square, Yuri is the best anti-hero ever.

AND!!!! of course the Shin Megami Tensei games, their all pretty awesomesauceness

Arc Rise Fantasia - Bought this for the Wii while looking for a new RPG to play and well I was not disappointed in this. Definitely brought a new perspective to the type's I usually play but it was definitely up there.

Shiren The Wanderer - Great game, a little on the akward side, but it still manages to keep me playing.

Resonance of Fate is also a top-notch RPG, one of a different engine, but they found a way to make it work.

Skies of Arcadia was also a pretty good RPG, one of my top favorites on the Gamecube.

Baten Kaitos
Lost Kingdoms

and many more....

[FFGamer86]

I dunno why people like Legend of Dragoon so much, I thought it sucked, there's a lot of really good rpgs out there besides a poor mans FF7...

Just my opinion tho, not meaning any disrespect.

Have you beaten Legend of Dragoon

It has probably one of the best storylines in an rpg ever. Love, death, conflict, and surprise. Can not get much better than this.

[Cecilx]

Surprised nobody here has mentioned Suikoden 1 & 2. Great stories, music, and tons of playable characters.

[Alex]

I have to say the Elder Scrolls series, it's a great way for me when I don't really feel for playing JRPG's for a while.
But don't get me wrong, I LOVE Final Fantasy!

[Calvan]

Mother2\Earthbound without a shadow of a doubt.
I've never completed it, but it's just such an amazing game...

[NeoArashi]

My my... I love a LOT of non-Square RPGs... guess I'll name them by series, lol

The legend of Heroes Series (4 games on the PSP)
Nostalgia (DS)
Blue Dragon (Xbox 360)
Golden Sun (GBA, the DS one was lame)
Eternal Sonata (Xbox 360)
Pokemon (GBA, Gamecube and DS)
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon (DS)
Digimon World (PS1, PS2, DS)
Wild Arms 3 (PS2)

Those are pretty much the RPGs that are not from Square that I like. Ic I can add other Square games that are not FF, then Add Radiata Stories and The Dragon Quest Series (Especially VI,VIII,IX and Monster Joker)

[mezzocarattere92]

Mine has to be Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. It has many of the the same elements in Final Fantasy games, such as great story with lots of twists and turns, good characters, and overall, good gameplay. I didn't like the combat system as much as most other RPG's but I liked it nonetheless. I also have to give the creators an ounce of respect since they chose to write there own music instead of using the regular Star Wars music by John Williams.

[Michael Swayne]

It is hard to say, because I mainly play Square Games. I think Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Raw Danger!, Xenosaga, and all Pokemon games are up there on my list.

The non-Square game I play the most is Pokemon. I have Sapphire, FireRed, and LeafGreen. I have to trade Pokemon with myself, because I have no friends nearby that play RPGs. It sucks, but I don't have to worry about people wanting their Pokemon back if they trade me.

[Horhay]

Wow, I forgot about a lot of the old RPGs I played as a kid until I read through this thread. Gotta play through them again at some point now. ^^

Pokemon is an obvious one for anyone born in the early 90s in the US (the fans that have been around since the games first came out). I must say though, the battle system of the series can get a little tiring after a while (That's the one thing that can make or break an RPG for me: if the battle system is bland, unless it has some other good qualities that can make up for it, chances are, I won't beat it. I came close to beating Red, but couldn't get past all of the Elite Four when I was a kid).

Suikoden was an amazing game. Absolutely loved the story. I always love games that involve mercenaries and rebels and kingdoms, and the battle system was enjoyable. Can't remember what happened to my copy of the game. I never played any of the other ones in the series.

The Breath of Fire series. I loved BoF II and III. Capcom did a real good job on the battle system. Didn't mind grinding much at all, from what I remember.

I played through a little bit of the Legend of Dragoon, but due to Christmas around the corner, and having no money to get presents due to me being a little kid, I gave my copy to my brother as a present. Didn't mind doing so, but I do wish to give it a proper play-through. Pretty fun game.

The Lunar series. Epic stories, epic characters, an all-around epic game. It can get difficult, even early on, but that's part of the fun. Battle system was enjoyable.

I played a little bit of Eternal Sonata, and plan to get a PS3 copy of it sometime in the near future. The battle system was inventive and fun, though I thought they went a little heavy with the political commentary. Just my opinion, though. Absolutely beautiful world, music, graphics, etc.

Just a few of the non-Square RPGs I've enjoyed. Hopefully my reasons will suffice. It's been a while since I've played through an RPG (been on an action/adventure binge lately with Jak & Daxter, Infamous, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, and the like).