@killered3 How come you didn't like Trigger?

I agree about Cross, I couldn't get into it but at the time I was just coming through FF VIII and IX and they were at such a high level I felt that Cross was a step back.

No. 17 Chrono Trigger (SNES/PS1)

'Trigger is a revolutionary moment in the RPG genre. It helped introduce many of the ideas we take for granted. Granted it wasn't the first game to use them but as far as the games I've played, it was the first game to combine so many factors that make modern RPGs what they are today: multiple endings, non-random battles (you can actually see the baddies on screen, a massive step for JRPGs at the time) and a combination of both main quests and side quests related to the actual plot of the game. The influence of this game can be felt across both cultural divides.

Now that's out the way, let's get down to the basics. This game is a blast to play and that's what matters most. Who cares about gaming revolutions if they're not fun? 'Triggers 2D graphics looked great back then and probably do so now and the map was varied, featuring different enemy types and a fun, intuitive battle system. I later learned it was taken from FF IV but hey, not everything has to be original. The game probably falters a little by modern standards where the world isn't large enough and everything feels a little...small. But hey, I re-played this about 5 or 6 years ago and had more fun with it then FF XIII and any number of modern JRPGs.

The original Fable was fun but far too small compared to where they went with Fable 2 but I liked both. Fable 3 was just a step too far in the wrong direction. It probably killed the series.

I really like KOTOR 2 and I'm a massive RPG gamer so just making the top 20 is huge but for me personally, it lacks the heart, joy and outright inventiveness of some of the RPGs I'm about to rank, many of which are Japanese.

No.18 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 (PC)

I was saddened recently to find that my digital copy of KOTOR II just wouldn't work on windows 10. I'm not sure if there's a fix but it means I haven't played through this game for almost 4 years. That's ok for now because the memories of my several playthroughs are still strong and KOTOR II has stood the test of time. First off, from a technical point of view, it still compares favourable to more advanced, modern RPGs. It looks ok and the world exploration is something you can delve into quite well following the opening 3-4 hours.

That's where things go a bit downhill for me...the opening segments of the game. It's essentially one fetch quest after another in a repetitive, in door environment with little to do. Games and especially RPGs have really evolved since then with more varied opening levels and more intriguing game play. KOTOR II in those first few hours feels every bit as old as it is. Having said all that, when the game gets going and you have your party and the action opens up, this really is one not just for Star Wars fans but for anyone who enjoys a good sci-fi game. Heck, from a story standpoint, it's the best Star Wars property (films, books, comics included) since Empire.

@RSM-HQ: Private? What do you mean? (remember, I don't really post here that much lol)

Anyway, I wanted to post my list bit by bit so we could discuss the games on offer ,rather than just posting the whole list at once.

@killered3: I will however say, that even now, JRPGs just look so damn good .I love that whole art style. I'm no expert but I guess it'd be manga?

Especially the era in which JRPGs reached their peak on the PS2, they looked gorgeous.

I loved ME2 for the way it made us care about the characters and how every main mission meant something because it was the only way you could build your team. I'm not someone who gets emotional but at the end of my playthrough when certain characters didn't make it, I was genuinely sad. Anyway, I'll leave that for my list bio.

No. 19 Fable 2 (XB360)

The Fable series used to get a lot of press, some good, some bad...no that's a lie, a lot bad. Each game was hyped to the moon and then feelings soured upon release. Fable 2 however, for my money anyway, lived up to a lot of the hype. It wasn't as large and intuitive as promised and the world wasn't quite as interactive as Molyneux made it out to be but the script was as sharp as any, continuously funny and the combat seemed simple on the surface but could be inventive when you put real effort in.

The top it all off, the moral choices could physically change your character and I'm just a sucker for that. The aesthetics are some of the standout in the genre and the cartoony edge made some of the darker elements even more intriguing. Add to the the ability to work and create relationships and you do do get a deep world. Plus everything is wrapped in a package so charming that all these years later, it has stayed with me and I actually played through the whole game for a 3rd time last year.

@killered3: I feel like JRPGs have really, really fallen behind western RPGs in recent years, in everything from combat, to moral ambiguity, to story telling and technical ability. The peak of the JRPG was from the mid 90s to around the early 00s...as you'll see from my list lol