I know this game doesn't count as an RPG, but does anyone remember Shenmue? I played the first and second, and the third is being made or is halted in production.

Yeah maybe this tread should be "what happend too the great Jrpg"

I do hope that the referer between Star Ocean 4 and Finalfantasy XIII was not that seriously because imo you cant talk about them in 1 sentence , i accept that if you think Star Ocean 4 wasnt as good i will say Till The end of Time was better still it was a enjoyable game for me and i think it stayed fair too its basics for Tri . Thanks

And i dont often talk about final fanyasy XIII yether because i want too learn myself not too bash over games that didnt do too my expectations its not easy infact its easyer too bash than not too but i think im on the right track .

Yes since openworld RPG,s made thyere introduction things have change and yes in a positive way .

another thing if some things from the past where cool why cant we bring them back is it because whats in the past belongs too the past ? i find that a bit strange .

Star Ocean 4 is bad? Heh, that's my favorite game in that series. 1 was a mess, 2 was boring and felt too clunky, and 3 had the worst dungeon design ever, along with an extremely boring first half. It did get way better, but way too late. Though when it comes to the optional content, SO4 is a huge disappointment. Wandering Dungeon, anyone? Then again, Tri-Ace's idea of bonus content has always been "Level grind for an eternity and go through a seemingly endless, repetitive dungeon."

Thats exactly what i like , "Level grind for an eternity and go through a seemingly endless, repetitive dungeon."

There are some really great RPGs on the market right now, such as The Witcher 2.

For me the "golden age" was BEFORE 1997 with games like Betrayal at Krondor and Ultima 6 & 7. Betrayal at Krondor was the first really story and character-driven game I ever played.

100% Agreed. Unlocking some of the little secrets in FF7's world map is probably one of the best video gaming memories I'll ever have. Breeding up for gold Chocobos, anyone?


Graphics kill a lot of things, and a lot of games. They svck up budget and time, but they look great in trailers and screenshots, which are the only things you can market.
I actually miss the days when the cutscenes had 2 or 3x better graphics than the game engine.

Those days are gone.

I never really understood what made most JRPGs great in the first place personally. Chrono Trigger and FFT are the only ones I've replayed in the last few years and both have aged real well, while I haven't had a chance to replay Suikoden 1 or 2 in a long while. Where as CT, FFT and Suikoden I/II really grabbed me, most of the other JRPGs just never seemed to actually have much to stand on without the hype surrounding them. They were too linear for my tastes and the number-crunching, XP grinding nature of them lost me in most cases. This is not to say they haven't evolved gameplay-wise, but in a direction that is less to my tastes.

The WRPGs I recall playing have evolved gameplay wise in directions I enjoy and have indeed lost a lot of the hidden/background story telling in lieu of better graphics. Unfortunately, this causes them to suffer overall as they become more hybrid Action-RPGs as opposed to RPGs. Action RPGs aren't strictly horrible though, just under budget for what they want to accomplish. I enjoyed Deus Ex much more than DX:HR or IW (which would have benefited from the Project:Snowblind treatment instead), but still play all three. The Witcher I/II is a refreshing game in its medium and the choices, while essentially insignificant, were intended to carry emotional weight with the consequences. I do hope that the Shadowrun Reloaded (Got my Doc Wagon card on the way), Banner Saga (gonna stick my family's crest in for use) and Wasteland 2 are successful.

Here is your awesome http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/edge_minisite.asp?eidm=133&enmi=Deathwatch%20Collectors%20Edition. Not for the frail of mind or body. Seriously this thing has some heft.

Edit
I would very much like this avatar with a d20 instead of companion cube.

Gamgee, that is truly the only RPG one can rely on in these times filled with HERESY. May the Emperor of Mankind 's light shine and guide you through the Warp.

It is comforting to know that in these dark times there is still an old guard left. It is very rare to see a fellow Battlebrother, may his divine blessings guide your dice and blades. Hunt many xenos, and never give in to lesser substitutes. Let this righteous and holy battle http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_QP9qYaOq0 rouse you in these dark times.

Heh, not sure which old guard by which you mean. Dice chucking is by far the best RPG type you can get though.

Carry the Emperor's Will as your torch, with it destroy the shadows.

I think you meant to add a J in front of RPGs. Total War, Elder Scrolls and Call of Duty aren't JRPGs. Go play some if you like them, such as the Suikoden series.

I know exactly what you mean about older RPG's I miss them a lot they just don't make them like they use to. I ran into one little flash game a while back I think it's a real gem. It was called 'Mission In Space'. It's turned based. I wish whoever made that had a budget/desire to make a full scale game out of it.

The JRPG is not completely dead. Xenoblade Chronicles is a very good game. The fact that it is such a large game and is on the Wii is pretty impressive. You have to also conisder the SRPG market is also still alive and kicking with games like Disgaea and Record Of Agarest War. Valkyria Chronicles on the ps3 was pretty impressive as well. Of course Final Fantasy games continue being made, although I tend to like the newer ones less. Maybe it is because I am in my mid 30's and the SNES and ps1 FF are what I grew up with.

I almost forgot Lost Odyssey which was one of my favorite RPGs of this generation.

Golden Sun 1&2 on the GBA are pretty awesome.

"The games stopped being made" is the easiest answer. That's due to the change in audience and platforms. Good, complex, and well written RPG's are not worth it anymore because all the real money lies in first/third person shooters and actiongames in general.

I have to agree with you on this. Take New Vegas vs. Fallout 3, Fallout 3 sold more copies and made Game of the Year. Fallout 3 is a mediocre RPG and more of an action/adventure game. Plus, Fallout New Vegas was made by the original creators of Fallout 1&2. NV has a better story, more interesting characters, quests, consequences, choices etc.

NV is truly a role playing game and it sold less than Fallout 3 and didn't make game of the year.

whine whine whine omfg nostalgia making these games seem better than they actually were blah blah blah

heard it all before, tbh...

I'm not the one to complain and argue at what an RPG truly is, or what happened to great RPGs? There will be plenty of good RPGs to come. I accept change. Sitting around complaining about it won't do a thing.

Basically what happened was the video game companies traded in their smart, strategist, likes to figure out things customers with the stupid, dim witted, customers. There are more stupid, dim witted, people then there are smart people thus equals more money for the companies. The stupid customers complain about the game being to complex and the companies try to fix it by simplifying the next game. Which disgusts the smart customers and they stop buying the video game companies video games .Because there are no more smart people within the customer percentage then the video game companies ask the question "Why are we still making these complex games for dim witted people that makes them upset because it's too complex when we can spend less time making simple, buggy, games and it pleases our dumb customers" so the company proceeds to do so, thus the downfall of RPGs.

edit: I'm not trying to be offensive. I'm just being dead honest.

So your saying because a game isn't an 'RPG' by your standards then that makes whoever plays it a dimwit? Your very biased. I don't think the intelligence theory your introducing has anything to do with it. My friend had an IQ of 90 and he was very good at playing Morrowind and other RPG's in the golden age.

They're here in spades. Look at Skyrim.

It's a sad day when Skyrim gets classed as a great RPG,it's average at best.

White Knight Chronicles, Ni no Kuni, Dragons Dogma...

Great RPGs started before Final Fantasy VII...

Pick up Super Mario RPG, Disgaea, Contact, Final Fantasy II, IV, V and V, Valkyrie Profile, Xenogears, etc, etc.