PS1 RPGs worth playing today

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

[QUOTE="DerveCreaves"] Whoa really now? Describe a little review for me, as I have not played it yet.DerveCreaves

Well, here's my full review, but it's a bit long, so if you don't want to read it, here's a short little review:

Chrono Cross might rub people who were expecting another Chrono Trigger the wrong way, but it is a superb RPG in its own right. It has a really unique combat system that has way more depth than Chrono Trigger's (you have to get used to it, but once you do, it's very rewarding), it has breathtakingly gorgeous aesthetics (everything has a beautiful, lush tropical look and the game's atmosphere is heavily tied to the ocean; the same goes for the music), the story, tho a little hard to understand, is very interesting and eerie, there are alot of really interesting moments where the game throws something unexpected at you, you don't have to grind and the game really makes everything convenient for the player, etc. It's just a really beautiful game.

When did I say it has low music variety? :? I don't understand how you got that out of my post.

I didn't say the story is unorganized.

The battle system's learning curve is not that high. Just higher than Chrono Trigger's and that's because the battle system has more to it.

No, you don't have to grind. The game uses a "star level system," which means that your whole party levels up after every boss and the game insures that you are always at an appropriate level to progress, tho you can do regular fights to get small stat bonuses.

[QUOTE="DerveCreaves"][QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

Well, here's my full review, but it's a bit long, so if you don't want to read it, here's a short little review:

Chrono Cross might rub people who were expecting another Chrono Trigger the wrong way, but it is a superb RPG in its own right. It has a really unique combat system that has way more depth than Chrono Trigger's (you have to get used to it, but once you do, it's very rewarding), it has breathtakingly gorgeous aesthetics (everything has a beautiful, lush tropical look and the game's atmosphere is heavily tied to the ocean; the same goes for the music), the story, tho a little hard to understand, is very interesting and eerie, there are alot of really interesting moments where the game throws something unexpected at you, you don't have to grind and the game really makes everything convenient for the player, etc. It's just a really beautiful game.

GreySeal9

When did I say it has low music variety? :? I don't understand how you got that out of my post.

The battle system's learning curve is not that high. Just higher than Chrono Trigger's and that's because the battle system has more to it.

No, you don't have to grind. The game uses a "star level system," which means that your whole party levels up after every boss and the gave insures that you are always at an appropriate level to progress, tho you can do regular fights to get small stat bonuses.

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

[QUOTE="DerveCreaves"] So it has a curved Battle System that you have to get into from the start, a unorganized story and low music variety but you still consider it the best rpg you ever played? Huh, guess I have to try it then if that good. and you don't have to grind.........you dn't have to grind?????? Wha..............................................DerveCreaves

When did I say it has low music variety? :? I don't understand how you got that out of my post.

The battle system's learning curve is not that high. Just higher than Chrono Trigger's and that's because the battle system has more to it.

No, you don't have to grind. The game uses a "star level system," which means that your whole party levels up after every boss and the gave insures that you are always at an appropriate level to progress, tho you can do regular fights to get small stat bonuses.

It is mostly ocean-themed, but there are still alot of different kinds of locales.

And the music is very much ocean-themed, but there's still variety. Some of the music is more mellow while other tunes are really upbeat.

I don't think there is any other battle system out there like Chrono Cross's, but it's alot more like Xenogears than Chrono Trigger's. Still, it's really not like Xenogears either.

I would have to say Final Fantasy 9 for starters. Best JRPG to grace any system so you're good to go with that one. If you want some others I'd recommend Wild Arms, Suikoden, Arc the Lad, Legend of Dragoon, and Grandia.

[QUOTE="LittleMac19"]Chrono Chross is the best RPG on the PS1. I play it every Summer.GreySeal9

I agree, but I'd go as far as to say Chrono Cross is the best RPG I've ever played.

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

[QUOTE="LittleMac19"]

I agree, but I'd go as far as to say Chrono Cross is the best RPG I've ever played.

LittleMac19

I would have to say Final Fantasy 9 for starters. Best JRPG to grace any system so you're good to go with that one. If you want some others I'd recommend Wild Arms, Suikoden, Arc the Lad, Legend of Dragoon, and Grandia.

Ragnarok1051

The original Playstation had so many great RPGs. My reccomendations are as follows:

-Anything from Squaresoft: You really can't go wrong with Square. They released Final Fantasy 7 thru 9...which I can say all of them are awesome in their own right. Of corse 7 was my favorite, but 9 was really good too. Xenogears and Parasite Eve were awesome games, and Chrono Cross as other have said was one of the best games I ever played.

-Wild ARMs 2- I loved this game, and the original one was OK, but the sequel was definatly head and shoulders above it predecessor.

-Legend of Dragoon: I seen some people didn't enjoy this game, but I loved it so much that I lost it a while back and actually re bought it just to play thru it again.

-Legend of Legia: Also a wonderful game with a nice battle system and story. (the second one on ps2 sucked imo)

There are so many more that I can't think of at the moment. My absolute TWO best games to try though are:

-Chrono Cross

-Final Fantasy 7

TC,check this out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DvFe2Usv4A

So it has a curved Battle System that you have to get into from the start, a unorganized story and low music variety but you still consider it the best rpg you ever played?

Huh, guess I have to try it then if that good.

and you don't have to grind.........you dn't have to grind?????? Wha..............................................DerveCreaves

Say what you will about the game, but Chrono Cross quite easily has one of the best music soundtracks ever composed for any RPG... It covers many musical styles, from classical to rock, Eastern to Western, happy to sad, mellow to epic. Seriously, Chrono Cross is like the magnum opus of Yasunori Mitsuda's musical career.

As for the other things... Doesn't every game have a learning curve? And how did you get "unorganized story" from "difficult to understand"?

The way you interepret what people are saying is very bizarre... Maybe English isn't your first language? (Well, it's not mine either, for that matter.)

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

[QUOTE="LittleMac19"]Chrono Chross is the best RPG on the PS1. I play it every Summer.LittleMac19

I agree, but I'd go as far as to say Chrono Cross is the best RPG I've ever played.

Final Fantasy tactics oh and whathever you do, do NOT play the Legend of Dragoon rilpas

Why not? That was one of my favorite PS1 games.

[QUOTE="rilpas"]Final Fantasy tactics oh and whathever you do, do NOT play the Legend of Dragoon BPoole96

Why not? That was one of my favorite PS1 games.

The game is just so boring. The story is uninteresting and the combat relies way too much on defense.

I made it to the 3rd disc until I gave up on it

[QUOTE="BPoole96"]

[QUOTE="rilpas"]Final Fantasy tactics oh and whathever you do, do NOT play the Legend of Dragoon rilpas

Why not? That was one of my favorite PS1 games.

The game is just so boring. The story is uninteresting and the combat relies way too much on defense.

I made it to the 3rd disc until I gave up on it

The 3rd and fourth discs were the best one's though. I much preferred the combat in that where you actually had to time it probably opposed to other turn based RPGs where you just press attack and watch an animation. Some of the boss fights were really good such as Lloyd, the Virage's, the Divine Dragon, and the Final Boss which was very difficult.

The leveling system could have used some work and I felt that if it had gotten a sequel it could have been a strong series for Sony.

[QUOTE="rilpas"]

[QUOTE="BPoole96"]

Why not? That was one of my favorite PS1 games.

BPoole96

The game is just so boring. The story is uninteresting and the combat relies way too much on defense.

I made it to the 3rd disc until I gave up on it

The 3rd and fourth discs were the best one's though. I much preferred the combat in that where you actually had to time it probably opposed to other turn based RPGs where you just press attack and watch an animation. Some of the boss fights were really good such as Lloyd, the Virage's, the Divine Dragon, and the Final Boss which was very difficult.

The leveling system could have used some work and I felt that if it had gotten a sequel it could have been a strong series for Sony.

my real problem with the battle system is that it focuses on defense, when you use defense you receive healling and the damage you take that turn is reduced by half.

Meaning that I spent almost every boss battle defending over and over again, charging up the dragoon transformation, attacking when transformed, then go defend again when the transformation powered down, rinse and repeat.

after a while I just couldn't take it anymore

[QUOTE="rilpas"]Final Fantasy tactics oh and whathever you do, do NOT play the Legend of Dragoon Cloud_765

Yep, very cool game.

I enjoyed FFVII, but VIII not so much. Damn, i was put off FFIX because of the strange character design of the main protagonist.. but so many people speak of FFIX in a greatly positive light. I gotta give it a go soon enough. Eh, i'm a huge fan, yeah, but i gave up finding something similar to Xenogears a long time ago.Lucianu

Sometimes it seems as if I'm the only person on the planet who thinks that Final Fantasy 8 is excellent :P Anyway, I think that anything I could recommend has laready been mentioned but I'll put out an extra shout for both Breath of Fire games and the magnificent Alundra (NOT the sequel). Oh, and Wild Arms; that game is terrific.

I would really like to play Xenogears and Chrono Cross but they were never released in Europe (as far as I'm aware) and it doesn't look they'll be surfacing on the Euro PS Store anytime soon.

[QUOTE="Cloud_765"][QUOTE="rilpas"]Final Fantasy tactics oh and whathever you do, do NOT play the Legend of Dragoon Emerald_Warrior

Yep, very cool game.

The Legend of Dragoon is decent, but definitely nothing special. Its combat system seems kind of cool, but wears thin once the novelty of it runs out, and almost everything else about the game is sort of stiff and generic, especially the translation. The graphics are pretty, but they have nothing on that of Chrono Cross and Final Fantasy IX, which were released in the same year. Actually, they not even as good as Final Fantasy VIII's. And overall, the game just lacks exciting and memorable moments and is not paced in a particularly exciting way. I have the game and plan to finish it at some point, but I also put it down before completing it (I think I stopped playing around the same point Riplas did). I really don't understand the noise some people make about it. I've heard some people express anger about the GameSpot review, but I totally understand why they gave it the score they did. From what I played, I would have scored it a little higher, but the game clearly seemed like the work of JRPG amatuers. I'd give it a score in the lower part of the 7-range.

Sometimes it seems as if I'm the only person on the planet who thinks that Final Fantasy 8 is excellent :P Anyway, I think that anything I could recommend has laready been mentioned but I'll put out an extra shout for both Breath of Fire games and the magnificent Alundra (NOT the sequel). Oh, and Wild Arms; that game is terrific.

I would really like to play Xenogears and Chrono Cross but they were never released in Europe (as far as I'm aware) and it doesn't look they'll be surfacing on the Euro PS Store anytime soon.

Business_Fun

Why not just import them from the US?

Chrono Cross is simply superb and should be acquired by anybody who loves JRPGs.

[QUOTE="Emerald_Warrior"]

[QUOTE="Cloud_765"] Uhm, no, don't listen to this guy. Try out Legend of Dragoon. It's good. Maybe not your kinda thing, but definitely worth a try. Eikichi-Onizuka

Yep, very cool game.

I didn't bump the thread. I posted because it had a new post. The guy that posted before me must have deleted his post. GameSpot's weird that way, even though the post is deleted, it will still show up as a new post in the thread with the green icon.

Final Fantasy IX.

Breath of Fire III and IV.

IV can be bought on PSN for 5,99$ as for Breath of Fire III if you want a physical copy you'll have to look around. Someone else already mentionned Legend of Legaia (kudos to you, great title)

I'm in the middle of Legend of Legaia right now, and I'm enjoying the hell out of it. Good storyline that keeps the game moving. Nice amount of polish for a PS1 RPG (thought not quite FF level). But best of all is the unique battle systems which uses this cross-command menu that you can use to pull off combos which unlocks special moves. There's also a really cool magic system where you absorb enemy's abilities to gain magic spells. Both of these unique systems make you really want to keep grinding and seeking out more random-encounters so you can either discover new combos in the attack system or absorb new spells from enemies (while still gaining traditional experience points for level-ups), rather than random-encounters getting repetitive and boring. I love that game. I remember playing the demo from the official playstation magazine and then buying it when it came out. still never beat it though

I'm in the middle of Legend of Legaia right now, and I'm enjoying the hell out of it. Good storyline that keeps the game moving. Nice amount of polish for a PS1 RPG (thought not quite FF level). But best of all is the unique battle systems which uses this cross-command menu that you can use to pull off combos which unlocks special moves. There's also a really cool magic system where you absorb enemy's abilities to gain magic spells. Both of these unique systems make you really want to keep grinding and seeking out more random-encounters so you can either discover new combos in the attack system or absorb new spells from enemies (while still gaining traditional experience points for level-ups), rather than random-encounters getting repetitive and boring.

Cross battle-system I described:

Emerald_Warrior

[QUOTE="Emerald_Warrior"]

I'm in the middle of Legend of Legaia right now, and I'm enjoying the hell out of it. Good storyline that keeps the game moving. Nice amount of polish for a PS1 RPG (thought not quite FF level). But best of all is the unique battle systems which uses this cross-command menu that you can use to pull off combos which unlocks special moves. There's also a really cool magic system where you absorb enemy's abilities to gain magic spells. Both of these unique systems make you really want to keep grinding and seeking out more random-encounters so you can either discover new combos in the attack system or absorb new spells from enemies (while still gaining traditional experience points for level-ups), rather than random-encounters getting repetitive and boring.

Cross battle-system I described:

thebest31406

Care to elaborate why?

[QUOTE="thebest31406"][QUOTE="Emerald_Warrior"]

I'm in the middle of Legend of Legaia right now, and I'm enjoying the hell out of it. Good storyline that keeps the game moving. Nice amount of polish for a PS1 RPG (thought not quite FF level). But best of all is the unique battle systems which uses this cross-command menu that you can use to pull off combos which unlocks special moves. There's also a really cool magic system where you absorb enemy's abilities to gain magic spells. Both of these unique systems make you really want to keep grinding and seeking out more random-encounters so you can either discover new combos in the attack system or absorb new spells from enemies (while still gaining traditional experience points for level-ups), rather than random-encounters getting repetitive and boring.

Cross battle-system I described:

Emerald_Warrior

Care to elaborate why?

[QUOTE="Emerald_Warrior"]

[QUOTE="thebest31406"] Even back then I thought the game was trash.thebest31406

Care to elaborate why?

I like Legend of Legaia, but I don't know what Emerald is talking about as far as the random encounters are concerned. They are extremely frequent and the battles drag majorly (much more than your average JRPG). Yes, you can learn new moves in battles, but the battles do indeed get repetitive, especially when there are so many of them. I don't see how anyone can argue otherwise.

The story was decent, but it was mostly carried by the character Noa. Without her, the game wouldn't have had too much personality.

I really like the dark tone of the world tho.

[QUOTE="thebest31406"][QUOTE="Emerald_Warrior"]

Care to elaborate why?

GreySeal9

I like Legend of Legaia, but I don't know what Emerald is talking about as far as the random encounters are concerned. They are extremely frequent and the battles drag majorly (much more than your average JRPG). Yes, you can learn new moves in battles, but the battles do indeed get repetitive, especially when there are so many of them. I don't see how anyone can argue otherwise.

The story was decent, but it was mostly carried by the character Noa. Without her, the game wouldn't have had too much personality.

I really like the dark tone of the world tho.

[QUOTE="thebest31406"][QUOTE="Emerald_Warrior"] I guess I should do that. The whole seru/ra-seru scheme is cliche and boring. The characters are boring and cliche. The dialogue is for kids. The combat, while fun at first, is monotonous and dragged out. The side quests weren't very fun. I'm basically doing all of this from memory and it was so long since I've played it, though I'm surprised at what I do remember.GreySeal9

I like Legend of Legaia, but I don't know what Emerald is talking about as far as the random encounters are concerned. They are extremely frequent and the battles drag majorly (much more than your average JRPG). Yes, you can learn new moves in battles, but the battles do indeed get repetitive, especially when there are so many of them. I don't see how anyone can argue otherwise.

The story was decent, but it was mostly carried by the character Noa. Without her, the game wouldn't have had too much personality.

I really like the dark tone of the world tho.

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

[QUOTE="thebest31406"]

I like Legend of Legaia, but I don't know what Emerald is talking about as far as the random encounters are concerned. They are extremely frequent and the battles drag majorly (much more than your average JRPG). Yes, you can learn new moves in battles, but the battles do indeed get repetitive, especially when there are so many of them. I don't see how anyone can argue otherwise.

The story was decent, but it was mostly carried by the character Noa. Without her, the game wouldn't have had too much personality.

I really like the dark tone of the world tho.

thebest31406

I will say I have not played EVERY Rpg on PSX, but so far nope.TigerSuperman

[QUOTE="TigerSuperman"]I will say I have not played EVERY Rpg on PSX, but so far nope.Dudersaper

[QUOTE="Dudersaper"][QUOTE="TigerSuperman"]I will say I have not played EVERY Rpg on PSX, but so far nope.TigerSuperman

[QUOTE="TigerSuperman"][QUOTE="Dudersaper"]What is a good RPG in your book?Dudersaper

Well I'm sure you also ignore lots of flaws in crappy RPG's too, judging by your current FFXIII avy lol So I'm sure you could find some enjoyment in those PSX RPG's if you tried.Dudersaper

My Another48Hours radar is going off, guys.

My Another48Hours radar is going off, guys.

GreySeal9

I try not to engage Another48Hours because I think he's a headcase, but the bolded statement is just straight up bullsh!t that I feel like calling out:

Chrono Cross:Tons of characters, not much relevant to the plot, lots of pointless filler, empehasis on grinding.TigerSuperman

Chrono Cross's leveling system actually makes grinding unnecessary. There are not individual levels in the game, just "star levels". These are obtained after beating bosses and they apply to the entire party, enabling you to switch characters in and out without having to grind up the new additions to a sufficient level. Regular battles just provide stat bonuses and these stat bonuses eventually dry up and only replenish when you reach the next star level. By giving you a level each time you defeat a boss, the game makes sure that you are never underleveled (or overleveled), canceling out the need for level grinding. It might very well be possible to beat Chrono Cross without fighting regular enemies. The aforementioned stat bonuses are the main incentive for fighting regular enemies. In short, what you are saying is utterly false.

You seem to fancy yourself a critic (tho you are an extremely poor one; you lack the intelligence and mental flexibility to judge games in a balanced way), so it would help your credibility to actually know what you are talking about. If you think Chrono Cross has an emphasis on grinding, you simply haven't played the game and are talking out of your ass. Or maybe you're just not smart enough to figure out that don't have to grind in Chrono Cross.

[QUOTE="TigerSuperman"][QUOTE="Dudersaper"]Great way to dodge the question.thebest31406

He/She's an obvious troll. I'm gonna bet his/her first console was like a Ps2/Xbox/Gamecube AND he plays these games (not physical copies, roms) on his Psp. Everything seems too dated because he/she's used to better graphics, and he/she never played these games back in their day (doesn't understand the context of gaming in the 90's).

The games do have many, many flaws, but he/she seems to be forgetting they were made on the ps1 and in the mid-90's. And developers probably had less money to make them and still had to work with many system limitations.

Don't like it, don't play it and don't trash it. TigerTrollman, you didn't say almost anything positive about the games, so that's why I take it you're a 00's gamer. Also, that FFXIII avatar...well FFXIII isn't a good game. All the former FF games were (except FFX-2). They had better stories (dont forget the context when they came out), better characters and friendlier interface. At least those characters didn't look like some kind of bimbos, like some kids today.

I try not to engage Another48Hours because I think he's a headcase, but the bolded statement is just straight up bullsh!t that I feel like calling out:

[quote="TigerSuperman"]Chrono Cross:Tons of characters, not much relevant to the plot, lots of pointless filler, empehasis on grinding.GreySeal9

Chrono Cross's leveling system actually makes grinding unnecessary. There are not individual levels in the game, just "star levels". These are obtained after beating bosses and they apply to the entire party, enabling you to switch characters in and out without having to grind up the new additions to a sufficient level. Regular battles just provide stat bonuses and these stat bonuses eventually dry up and only replenish when you reach the next star level. By giving you a level each time you defeat a boss, the game makes sure that you are never underleveled (or overleveled), canceling out the need for level grinding. It might very well be possible to beat Chrono Cross without fighting regular enemies. The aforementioned stat bonuses are the main incentive for fighting regular enemies. In short, what you are saying is utterly false.

You seem to fancy yourself a critic (tho you are an extremely poor one; you lack the intelligence and mental flexibility to judge games in a balanced way), so it would help your credibility to actually know what you are talking about. If you think Chrono Cross has an emphasis on grinding, you simply haven't played the game and are talking out of your ass. Or maybe you're just not smart enough to figure out that don't have to grind in Chrono Cross.