Favorite lesser known rpgs

[Traab]

For any system really, im just curious what sort of non final fantasy type rpgs you guys like or liked back in the day. The ones that werent world famous, or you couldnt shout out in a crowded mall and have like 90% of the people in hearing range go, "Oh yeah, I know about that game!"

For me, its the original Legend of Legia. This game had a unique storyline, and I loved the starting point. The game basically is set in a grimdark world, where an evil mist covers most of it, and there are body snatching monsters out there waiting to finish off the few remaining outposts of humanity, who are basically living with a hunter/gatherer mindset because there is nothing else they can do. The combat system is unique, in that you can setup combos of moves, as you level up, you can attack more times per round, and if you use the right moves, you unlock combo attacks for extra damage.

It has an interesting magic system too. You capture those body snatching monsters, absorb their power, and now you can use their abilities to attack, defend, or heal. A bonus benefit is, the more you use that spell, the better it gets, including getting added effects. As an example, a heal spell starts off healing hp, then you level it up a few times and it cures poison and eventually all sorts of status effects.

[KillianHawkeye]

There was a kind of obscure game for the Playstation called Thousand Arms made by Atlus. It had voice acting and the graphics were all hand-drawn anime style over 3D cg backgrounds and environments.

The main character was some kind of mystic blacksmith who could infuse magic into weapons to make them stronger and give them elemental properties and stuff like that. Of course, the catch was that the energy he needed to do his blacksmithing was only obtainable by improving his intimacy level with particular ladies. (It all made sense at the time, I swear.) So the game is a pretty normal rpg on one side and a dating sim on the other side.

The game was funny, had a really good story, characters that were really colorful and kinda strange at times, and the setting was this awesome magic crossed with steam-punk place with airships and I think there was even a city built into a gigantic train. The dating sim side was pretty fun, too. There were a variety of girls and locations, and the actual dates amounted to a series of multiple choice questions (and sometimes you knew you were in trouble because there just weren't any good answers). :smallamused:

Oh yeah, I recall that there was one town where the NPCs were all self-aware that they were just video game characters. That's a great example of the kind of weird sense of humor this game had.

[Starbuck_II]

Have you heard of Dragon Force?

There are 6 countries you can play. There evil god Madruk is awakening .
You country soldiers with each general (building from 10 to 100 by getting medals) with 12 troop types.

[factotum]

Tricky one. Probably the least-known RPG I remember playing and enjoying is Evil Islands, done by Nival Interactive. It had the most unusual levelling system I've ever seen, in that it didn't have levels at all--your hit points and mana increased gradually as you earned experience, and you then spent said experience to buy skills. Wish more RPGs did stuff like that, it was interesting!

[Traab]

Huh, that IS an interesting setup fact. At first I had sudden flashbacks of those annoying beyond all belief games where you didnt level up as such, your stats increased based off of how you played the character. The more damage you took from melee the higher your hp and armor would go. The more spells you cast, the better your magic stat, etc etc etc. God I hated that, I had to constantly farm low level stuff so my back row casters could take a few shots and increase in hp and armor just to avoid current content one shotting them with an aoe or whatever. And since weapon skills were all separate, same for my melee types switching from say, an axe to a sword. Oh sure that new sword has a massive increase in damage per swing, but my skill is so low I will miss 9 times out of 10.

[The Glyphstone]

I'm still incredibly fond of the Exile/Avernum games, from Spiderweb Software. Retro/old-school RPG/adventure games with more hours of playtime each than I can count if you want to find all the hidden secrets and bonuses.

[Togath]

I rather like the Golden Sun games.. Though I'm not sure if they really qualify as obscure.

[Traab]

Another one I liked was Xenogears. Not Xenosaga, the earlier one for the ps1. It was a pretty badass game. My first time playing a fun game with mechs! lol The only reason I hate it is because I was never able to beat it. You see, there was this one section that turned into a 3d platform jumper and it was obscenely hard to do. I basically had to leap up a vertical shaft from sewer pipe to sewer pipe and if you messed up one leap due to lack of depth perception or twitchy controls, back to the start you go. It was bad enough my first copy of the game bugged out and froze just a bit earlier than that. But getting that far twice and not being able to move on? Ugh.

[Lostbutseeking]

I'm still incredibly fond of the Exile/Avernum games, from Spiderweb Software. Retro/old-school RPG/adventure games with more hours of playtime each than I can count if you want to find all the hidden secrets and bonuses.

Also the Geneforge series by the same. Especially Geneforge 4.

Exile 3 remains my favorite of Jeffs games, the sheer scale of it really stunned me.

For my old nostalgia - the original Lands of Lore was a game I truly loved.

[Crow]

Nothing has been quite the same to me as Betrayal At Krondor.

That game was fantastic.

[Knaight]

None of these are exactly poorly known, but they pass the crowded mall test (though I suspect Final Fantasy passes the crowded mall test).

Geneforge: This has been covered, but it's basically an RPG around a mage from an order that creates living things to the point of magical biotech, who ends up on an abandoned island full of the biotech - where some of the "biotech" turns out to be people.

Baten Kaitos: It's a reasonably typical RPG in a lot of ways. However, there's one plot twist that works quite well, the art is good, and the battle system is brilliant - it consists of deck building, where you try to make combinations of numbers in real time, while balancing this against element patterns, keeping stuff for later rounds, etc. It's a really engaging combat system, and pretty much what sells the game.

[Traab]

Nothing has been quite the same to me as Betrayal At Krondor.

That game was fantastic.

Never played that, read the book though. Heck, the whole series was pretty nice.

[Crow]

Never played that, read the book though. Heck, the whole series was pretty nice.

The game actually came before the book, and many actually regard the game as better than the book. One of the few titles than can claim either distinction.

I played the game a long time ago, but saw it recently on GOG, so I picked it up. :)

I've only read the first three books of the series, but I did like them quite a bit.

[The Glyphstone]

Also the Geneforge series by the same. Especially Geneforge 4.

Exile 3 remains my favorite of Jeffs games, the sheer scale of it really stunned me.

For my old nostalgia - the original Lands of Lore was a game I truly loved.

E3 was definitely the best. I loved the bright, colorful 2-D sprites and the vast scale of the game. The Avernum remakes have better graphics, but I think he over-simplified too much.

Not a big fan of Avadon, I haven't played Geneforge.

[erikun]

Grandia (Saturn/PS1), along with Grandia 2 (Dreamcast/PS2) and Grandia 3 (PS3) are some of my favorites. The stories and characters in each were very good, and most imporantly, different. Playing Grandia 2 didn't feel like you were playing Grandia 1, but just with a different map and improvements. The combat systems for the games were also really good, with rewarding planning (if you wanted to) and a fun MP/SP systems.

Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (SNES/PS1/PSP) and Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis (GBA) are also among my top picks. They're one of the strategy-RPG games, and done by the same people who put together Final Fantasy Tactics. Fights are fun and challenging, and by the nature of the game, generally quite meaningful rather than running into thousands of random short encounters for most RPGs. Besides the awesome music present is the games, the best thing about them is that choices you make can affect the direction of the story and even at times the reactions of units in your party.

Suikoden 5 (PS2) is another favorite, and what I think to be the best Suikoden game. Suikoden has always been about collecting together 108 characters (due to is being based on a chinese novel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Margin)) for an army and saving the land, but Sui5 really hit the right formula with making sure that all characters had a clear personality, story, and reasons for joining - a lot of previous games just had characters join up for little reason, it seemed to me. Plus, the long "introduction" was just great at getting me invested in the game. The biggest problem was the long loading times between screens, though.

Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii) is my newest favorite RPG, simply because it doesn't do so many things that typical RPGs are stuck doing repeatedly. Namely, no random battles. Creatures walk around on the map and actively attack as in more a WoW or Zelda style setting, and you're free to avoid them or just walk away and explore wherever you want at and time. And they aren't all hyper-aggressive either, with some - especially when you're higher level than them - acting passively and allowing you to wander. Exploration is rewarded, too, with items to collect and actual rewards for taking the time to journey around. Very good looking areas to explore, along with good characters and an okay story make me recommect this a lot.

Legend of Mana (PS1) is just gorgeous. Seriously, I love games that look amazing, especially in motion, and Legend of Mana and most Vanillaware games top my list. It also has a lot of things to do and a lot of places to just wander and explore. The biggest problem is that there is so much to do, and so much to potentially keep track of, that you might end up having no clue where to go next - this isn't a light warning, as it is very easy to end up lost and unable to progress without a guide. Still, definitely worth checking out.

And among the "Not highly recommended but still good" crowd, I'd like to mention Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals (SNES) as something that does have an interesting combat system, puzzles all over the place, and a story that got me emotionally invested. Secret of Mana (SNES) is another that was fun to play through once or twice, and did make me tear up at the end.

[Edit] Sadly, my experience with western RPGs is far more limited. I played Wizardry 7 a bit, and very much enjoyed interacting with the different races and working with them against the others. Ultima 4 impressed me with it's goal not being killing stuff and raiding dungeons, but by becoming a virtuous person. However, I never finished either of those games nor played many of the others, so can't offer much opinion on them.

[Traab]

Lunar and Lunar 2 the Eternal Blue is another good pair. I like the sequel better, if only because I dont know if it was a bug, sheer psychotic random luck, or what, but on the final boss fight of the first game I lost, but my little buddy kept bringing me back to life for another round. he did that like 20 times where I would get a single attack then die, be rezzed, single attack, etc etc etc. Kinda spoiled it for me. I liked the second one because it had an awesome start. You find this mystery tower, locate a girl at the top, and find out she is mind numbingly powerful. You leave the tower then BAM! She gets hammered by the big bad and loses almost all of her abilities.

Its like playing FF7 and up till the first reactor blows, you are level 99 with omnislash on tap. Then it blows up and you are normal again. Just to give you a taste of what sort of insanity you will eventually be capable of. The whole story is enjoyable, the combat is fun. It isnt some intricate game with tons of subtle nuanced abilities, it was just a fun game to play. It was a solid rpg that had all the elements that make for a good game and had them done well.

[Cespenar]

Probably Exile 2, awesome game. I liken that series to the Elder Scrolls series, actually, only in 2d rather than 3; but the former fills that gap with well written descriptions instead.

[Wookieetank]

Earthbound, game was just pure fun and very unique. Used to play through this gem once a year until I found a friend who had never gotten the chance to play it and gifted it.

Tales of Legendia, first tales game I played (and only one I've beat so far ><) and was very enjoyable. Still have Tales of the Abyss and Tales of Phantasia in my backlog.

The World Ends With You, probably one of the most unique combat systems I've come across. Will admit that it took me a while to get into the game due to how different it was, but ended up being the only game I played on my DS for like 3 months straight once I got the hang of the game.

Strange Journey, Devil Survivor 1 & 2 and Digital Devil Saga were all enjoyable for me, but I'm not sure how much they fall under the lesser known.

[Choyrt]

I'm about to embarrass myself here.

First off, I might be the only person known to enjoy Lionheart. I thought it was a really fun game, it used the SPECIAL system which was made for breaking, and it was hard as PISS.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9d/Lionheart_legacy_of_the_crusader_box_shot.jpg

Secondly, I might be the only person who even REMEMBERS Omikron (we didn't see it coming!). I knew this game was waaay ahead of its time, and lo and behold now we get games like Heavy Rain from the same studio.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/59/Omikron_-_The_Nomad_Soul_Coverart.jpg

Two other RPGs I loved to death are far better known: Vampire: The Masquerade and Arcanum.

[ScrambledBrains]

Since Traab already mentioned Legend of Legaia(And I would also recommend the PS2 sequel to it-It's not as good as the original, but I'd call it a servicable sequel anyway. :smallsmile:), I'm gonna mention another old school PS1 game I loved(And that, for some reason, Sony seems to refuse to want to release on PSN). That game...is Eternal Eyes.

Somewhat glitchy and poorly translated, but with an addictive battle system that was half Mons-based(All characters save your main are creatures found using a method I won't spoil.) and half grid-based, and a story line that manages to be very intruiging and doesn't bog down too often, as far as I can remember.

...Course, it's been a while since I played it, since I lost my disc for it, though not my PS1, so take this with a grain of salt, as the nostalgia filter may be working overtime.. :smalltongue:

[Traab]

Another great ps1 title is Star Ocean, The Second Story. Oh man that game was fun. It had so many hidden things in it that its easier to list the ones you are informed of during the game! Your character starts off with inherent abilities like dexterity or cooking or whatever. And those basic abilities translate later on into skills you can pick up. There is even an interesting skill called pickpocketing that, iirc, you can only get if your character has the right random starting ability and then picks up an item several towns into the game. This pickpocket skill is insane because it lets you wander up to every npc in the world and attempt to pick their pockets. The higher your skill, the better chance to succeed. You can only do it once per npc, if you fail, thats it, but in addition to the usual stuff like a little cash, random health potions and the like, you can actually grab some of the most powerful armor in the game. There is never a hint of this in the game itself, it takes a walkthrough to inform you.

There is just so much to it and it has so many details and hidden gems that will effect the ending of the game that you could play a dozen times and finish differently each time. It has a mix of sci fi and fantasy, and is just tons of fun. This is my favorite game in the entire series. *EDIT* I agree, the sequel to legend of legia was also quite good from what I remember, but honestly, its the original that has stuck with me all these years. :p

[Tengu_temp]

I wouldn't call Arcanum, Golden Sun, Xenogears, Earthbound or The World Ends With You, Suikoden obscure titles. And I'd say Betrayal at Krondor counts as obscure only because of its age, back in the day it was very well known and adored by players. Suikoden 5 is rather obscure, though, and it's also a pretty great game (though the battle mechanic is uninspired).

Does Omikron: The Nomad Soul even count as an RPG? It's a pretty great game, but I don't remember it having any RPG elements any more than Resident Evil does.

---

One game I really played a lot was Rage of Mages 2, an RPG/RTS hybrid with a pretty interesting setting, a system where you get better at various weapons/magic schools by using them, and nice 2d graphics that resemble illustration to Russian folk tales. The same studio later made Evil Islands, which was already mentioned in this thread.

Does Lufia 2 count as obscure? Because if so, then it was definitely a game I enjoyed a lot. I liked the focus on puzzles, and it had amusing and likable characters. Especially Guy and Dekar, who act like they're players in a tabletop RPG who want to have fun, but don't treat the whole thing entirely seriously.

[Traab]

I would count the others but maybe not suikoden, if only because its a series thats now what, 7-10 games long? More? It cant be THAT obscure of a title if its had that many sequels and spinoffs to it. :smalltongue:

[Tylorious]

I honestly suggest that you look up Cthulu saves the world and Breath of Death 7. These two games are relatively new but have old retro graphics and a hilarious story. They are pretty much parodies of Final Fantasy. Though they are just amazing.

[Olinser]

For any system really, im just curious what sort of non final fantasy type rpgs you guys like or liked back in the day. The ones that werent world famous, or you couldnt shout out in a crowded mall and have like 90% of the people in hearing range go, "Oh yeah, I know about that game!"

For me, its the original Legend of Legia. This game had a unique storyline, and I loved the starting point. The game basically is set in a grimdark world, where an evil mist covers most of it, and there are body snatching monsters out there waiting to finish off the few remaining outposts of humanity, who are basically living with a hunter/gatherer mindset because there is nothing else they can do. The combat system is unique, in that you can setup combos of moves, as you level up, you can attack more times per round, and if you use the right moves, you unlock combo attacks for extra damage.

It has an interesting magic system too. You capture those body snatching monsters, absorb their power, and now you can use their abilities to attack, defend, or heal. A bonus benefit is, the more you use that spell, the better it gets, including getting added effects. As an example, a heal spell starts off healing hp, then you level it up a few times and it cures poison and eventually all sorts of status effects.

I've never been a fan of the 'X ability gets more powerful as you use it' games.

Conceptually, the idea is good, your abilities get better without having to tack on things like pesky experience points or stat boosts.

Unfortunately, it almost always ends in 1 of 2 ways:

1) There is no point in using anything other than a small handful of skills because they are just plain better than anything else. Why would you waste time leveling 20 skills to level 5 when you could level 3 skills to level 10 and finish fights much faster?

2) The game constantly throws 'immune bosses' that absolutely require a specific skill that you never use to beat. Unfortunately, there is a REASON you never use the skill - it's much worse than other skills, and now it's massively under-leveled. So you have to go off and grind the skill up until you can beat the boss.

That, or if it is weapon/ammunition-based, they simply don't give you ammo for good weapons and force you to play a level using only the handgun, or something.

[Crow]

I've never been a fan of the 'X ability gets more powerful as you use it' games.

Conceptually, the idea is good, your abilities get better without having to tack on things like pesky experience points or stat boosts.

Unfortunately, it almost always ends in 1 of 2 ways:

1) There is no point in using anything other than a small handful of skills because they are just plain better than anything else. Why would you waste time leveling 20 skills to level 5 when you could level 3 skills to level 10 and finish fights much faster?

2) The game constantly throws 'immune bosses' that absolutely require a specific skill that you never use to beat. Unfortunately, there is a REASON you never use the skill - it's much worse than other skills, and now it's massively under-leveled. So you have to go off and grind the skill up until you can beat the boss.

That, or if it is weapon/ammunition-based, they simply don't give you ammo for good weapons and force you to play a level using only the handgun, or something.

That's not a problem with the skill system, that is a problem with the game design.

Betrayal at Krondor used a system of Use X - Raise X, and it never had any of those problems.

[Anarion]

Is Skies of Arcadia considered lesser known? It's been a while since Dreamcast/Gamecube releases. That game was incredible! Flying pirate ship battles, tons of exploration, a unique weapon elements/skills system, and a sweeping epic story.

[Traab]

I've never been a fan of the 'X ability gets more powerful as you use it' games.

Conceptually, the idea is good, your abilities get better without having to tack on things like pesky experience points or stat boosts.

Unfortunately, it almost always ends in 1 of 2 ways:

1) There is no point in using anything other than a small handful of skills because they are just plain better than anything else. Why would you waste time leveling 20 skills to level 5 when you could level 3 skills to level 10 and finish fights much faster?

2) The game constantly throws 'immune bosses' that absolutely require a specific skill that you never use to beat. Unfortunately, there is a REASON you never use the skill - it's much worse than other skills, and now it's massively under-leveled. So you have to go off and grind the skill up until you can beat the boss.

That, or if it is weapon/ammunition-based, they simply don't give you ammo for good weapons and force you to play a level using only the handgun, or something.

In legia it was different because the closest you got to that was bosses with "x" status effect you need to heal, and since you always used your heal spells they were pretty much always at the level you needed. Most of the offensive spells werent that awesome, though they did come in handy. Plus it generally went by fast. There was almost always a spot nearby you could burn all your mana then heal to full at within a few battles.

[Closet_Skeleton]

Does Warlords Battlecry count as an RPG? The first one that is, the third was a lot more plot light and I haven't played the second. It has a branching good/evil path that I'd consider possibly the best one in any video game, and a customisable general with lots of D&D style class and race choices but is otherwise an RTS in the Warcraft clone style (but came out years before Warcraft III had RPG elements and went further). Otherwise I've pretty much only played more mainstream RPGs and if I've played obscurer ones I either never finished it or only played a demo.

I don't think Golden Sun counts as osbcure, its platform is obscure for RPGs but I'd guess that it was the second most popular (after Fire Emblem) on its platform (most of the GBA's RPGs were ports of obscurer SNES ones like Breath of Fire and Shining Force).

Is Advent Rising an RPG? That game mostly sucked. It had skill progression and a little story branching but mostly just felt like any other generic action shovelware XBox exclusive.

I know Star Ocean: The Second Story, but only from the anime adaptation. Not having a games console for most of my childhood is probably responsible for me not playing RPGs.


I've never been a fan of the 'X ability gets more powerful as you use it' games.

Conceptually, the idea is good, your abilities get better without having to tack on things like pesky experience points or stat boosts.

Unfortunately, it almost always ends in 1 of 2 ways:


The Elder Scrolls (not an obscure RPG obviously) doesn't have either of those problems. The only immunities are elemental ones and the only elemental magics are based off the same skill and you can just buy potions for required skill sections. Your character only needs one out of the game's variety of damage dealing spells but I don't see why you'd consider that kind of character weapon specialisation a bad thing. The Elder Scroll's system has tons of problems but neither of those, which can just as easily be present in RPGs that use XP based leveling with skill points (eg like 3rd ed D&D).


Is Skies of Arcadia considered lesser known? It's been a while since Dreamcast/Gamecube releases.

Probably. The PS2 was such a juggernaut of the RPG industry that even the most popular Gamecube exclusives look obscure.

[Legato Endless]

Is Skies of Arcadia considered lesser known? It's been a while since Dreamcast/Gamecube releases. That game was incredible! Flying pirate ship battles, tons of exploration, a unique weapon elements/skills system, and a sweeping epic story.

Arcadia and Symphonia are the two best known Rpgs on the GameCube. But the GameCube having Rpgs at all is a surprise to some given how rare they were.

Hmm. maybe Radiant Historia?

The side quests are annoying, and it needed a lot of polish, but there's some fun in puzzling your way through the diverging timeline. This could be the paucity of a time travel Rpg a la Chrono Trigger blinding me.

[Closet_Skeleton]

Skies of Arcadia is obscure compared to Tales of Symphonia if only because it isn't part of a series. More recent Tales games have outsold Final Fantasy so are definitely not obscure.

[erikun]

I was counting "lesser known" as being able to walk up to most people owning a current system and if they'd recognize the name. Even though Grandia, Suikoden, and Secret of Mana may have been very popular when they came out, that doesn't mean many people now know about them.


I would count the others but maybe not suikoden, if only because its a series thats now what, 7-10 games long? More? It cant be THAT obscure of a title if its had that many sequels and spinoffs to it. :smalltongue:
Five main games, a pair of spinoffs (Tactics, Tierkreis) that never saw sequels, and a couple of visual novels.

That said, I don't think the length of a series is a good determination of how well-known it is. Are you familiar with Tecmo's Deception? (4 games) How about Monster Rancher, currently sitting at 10 games including spinoffs. How about the Saga Frontier series (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SaGa_(series)), currently with 10 core titles.

[Closet_Skeleton]

Monster Rancher's anime got to the west during the Pokemon craze, but I don't know if that makes the game it was based on less obscure or more so.

[NeoVid]

I still love Suikoden, and I'm sure I would have loved Suikoden 2 if I'd ever heard of anyone owning a copy.

[Remmirath]

First off, I might be the only person known to enjoy Lionheart. I thought it was a really fun game, it used the SPECIAL system which was made for breaking, and it was hard as PISS.


I really enjoyed Lionheart, actually. Yes, it certainly has its flaws, but overall it's a fun game. I like it more than many better known games.

I'm also fond of Arcanum, although I'd say it's better known than Lionheart and I'm not really sure how much of a lesser known RPG Lionheart is. I'm not typically very good at discerning how many other people know about things that I know about. I tend to assume other people know about the same things without evidence to the contrary. And then, sometimes people seem to be quite clueless about games I think of as being very well known, so I don't know.

[factotum]

I really enjoyed Lionheart, actually. Yes, it certainly has its flaws, but overall it's a fun game.

I think the main problem Lionheart had was that the first two-thirds were great, with the game giving you all sorts of non-combat options to get through each area--then it devolved into a plain old slugfest where you had no choice but to fight everything that moved. That unnecessary and unwelcome shifting of gears is what sticks in the memory, rather than all the good stuff that came before.

[Cespenar]

Oh, just remembered Knights of the Chalice (http://www.heroicfantasygames.com/Download.htm), a little known gem. A throwback to the old Dark Sun type of games, but with a polished UI and a modified D&D 3.5 engine. Has a downloadable demo as well.

[Wookieetank]

On a tangental (and non-video game) note, I quite enjoy Don't Rest Your Head and All Flesh Must Be Eaten as two of my go to systems for PnP RPGing.

[KillianHawkeye]

I still love Suikoden, and I'm sure I would have loved Suikoden 2 if I'd ever heard of anyone owning a copy.

Funny, Suikoden II is the only game in the series that I do own.



Another obscure PSX game that I loved was Squaresoft's action-rpg game Threads of Fate. It had a pretty decent story, but the characerization was the strong point. There were two playable characters. I think you chose which one you wanted to play at the beginning, so you had to play the game twice to get the whole story. The two stories played out in parallel, and each character had a few levels that were unique to them. The best part was that each character had completely different combat skills, so the two experiences were quite different.

Actually, that game kinda reminded me of Brave Fencer Musashi. I'm not sure if that game counts as being obscure or not, but I'm pretty sure the PS2 sequel does. Samurai Legend Musashi was a decent game, but it wasn't quite as good as the original.

[tensai_oni]

Does Warlords Battlecry count as an RPG?

It's an RTS, so no not really.

I like mid to late 90s dungeon crawlers. Dungeon Master II isn't too obscure, due to the first game's fame if nothing more. But does anyone remember Stonekeep? Anvil of Dawn? Hell yeah.

From jRPGs not mentioned in the thread yet - Live A Live. Plot-wise it's a series of chapters that take place all over history, each one with its own characters and even game mechanics but they're all tied in the end. The stories are not very original but are executed really well.

[Choyrt]

I really enjoyed Lionheart, actually. Yes, it certainly has its flaws, but overall it's a fun game. I like it more than many better known games.

Whoo-hoo! I am not alone!

[Ninja_Grand]

The World Ends With You, probably one of the most unique combat systems I've come across. Will admit that it took me a while to get into the game due to how different it was, but ended up being the only game I played on my DS for like 3 months straight once I got the hang of the game..
That game is the best thing ever made. The combat works on both screens, and it can be hard to get the hang of. But when you get the hang of it I hope you enjoy having your life taken by a game.

[DigoDragon]

Back in the SNES days, I used to play an import of the tactical RPG Front Mission. It was a rare sight then to find a non-fantasy RPG game. This one was a lot of fun: Build a team of mechs to field in combat across the countryside. Sort of like Battletech, but streamlined (no pesky heat issues).

[Wookieetank]

Back in the SNES days, I used to play an import of the tactical RPG Front Mission. It was a rare sight then to find a non-fantasy RPG game. This one was a lot of fun: Build a team of mechs to field in combat across the countryside. Sort of like Battletech, but streamlined (no pesky heat issues).

That game was loads of fun. Never beat it though despite a number of times of trying to. Kept getting to a part (been a while so I forget where) where I wouldn't have the money to properly upgrade to get through the next mission, and the money farming was terrible.

[Avilan the Grey]

I will disregard the OP's text, and go by the headline, since EVERY RPG I have played is a "non FF game", since I have never played any FF (or any other JRPG).

I must say Planescape: Torment and Arcanum. Yes, now they are often listed as Cult Classics, but at the time they sold very little, and even most of the Baldur's Gate or Fallout crowds never played them.

They are also very very good.

[DigoDragon]

That game was loads of fun. Never beat it though despite a number of times of trying to. Kept getting to a part (been a while so I forget where) where I wouldn't have the money to properly upgrade to get through the next mission, and the money farming was terrible.

It was interesting that money was always a problem, unlike most RPGs I've played where by mid/late game you're rolling in the bank. It certainly forced some real purchasing decisions.

I did beat the game once, mostly by using my poor under-equipped mechs as shields so the heavy firepower could last to the boss. >_>

[erikun]

Back in the SNES days, I used to play an import of the tactical RPG Front Mission. It was a rare sight then to find a non-fantasy RPG game. This one was a lot of fun: Build a team of mechs to field in combat across the countryside. Sort of like Battletech, but streamlined (no pesky heat issues).

That game was loads of fun. Never beat it though despite a number of times of trying to. Kept getting to a part (been a while so I forget where) where I wouldn't have the money to properly upgrade to get through the next mission, and the money farming was terrible.
I played through Front Mission 3 on the PS1. I don't think I ever noticed any problems with money in that game, although I tended to put together mechs in some rather unorthodox methods, or at least not what the game appearently had in mind when they designed it. (I kept using high HP/high load punching parts to carry around heavy shield and rocket launchers, rather than the lighter high load frames that were apparently intended to do so. Oops? :smallbiggrin:)

[DigoDragon]

I tended to put together mechs in some rather unorthodox methods, or at least not what the game appearently had in mind when they designed it.

If you ask me, that's the way you should think. :smallsmile:

[Tengu_temp]

I must say Planescape: Torment and Arcanum. Yes, now they are often listed as Cult Classics, but at the time they sold very little, and even most of the Baldur's Gate or Fallout crowds never played them.

They are also very very good.

Torment is one of the greatest RPGs ever, but I thought Arcanum is overrated and disappointing. Its concept is amazing, but the execution is very lacking.

Also, I wouldn't call either an obscure game, but I remember when they were new.

[Tylorious]

If you own a playstation 3 or ps vita, please check out dragon fantasy 1 and 2. They are flawless homages to final fantasy and earthbound with a little humor thrown in to keep it entertaining. You will not be dissapointed with these two games.

[Cespenar]

Torment is one of the greatest RPGs ever, but I thought Arcanum is overrated and disappointing. Its concept is amazing, but the execution is very lacking.

Also, I wouldn't call either an obscure game, but I remember when they were new.

True, in a sense. Torment, BG, Fallout, etc. are still pretty playable when you get down to it. Arcanum, you had to play it when it came out, in order to overlook all its bugs, UI, unbalanced combat system and stuff.

Still, if you do manage to overlook those, what lies under is pretty good. Honestly, it's the best candidate out there for a remake or an "enhanced edition", far more than BG1.

[Raimun]

Arcanum is awesome.

... And they are not bugs, they're features. Features, I say. Grumble-grumble... kids these days with their dragon ages and mass effects... out of my lawn... grumble-grumble...

[Svata]

Torment is still VERY playable, and I am actually playing through the game for the first time myself. Very fun game.

[tensai_oni]

True, in a sense. Torment, BG, Fallout, etc. are still pretty playable when you get down to it. Arcanum, you had to play it when it came out, in order to overlook all its bugs, UI, unbalanced combat system and stuff.

Still, if you do manage to overlook those, what lies under is pretty good. Honestly, it's the best candidate out there for a remake or an "enhanced edition", far more than BG1.

Arcanum wasn't good for its time. It sucked the year it was made too - it's uglier and has clunkier interface and mechanics than the first Fallout, and it came out after the second one.

[Hiro Protagonest]

I'm about to embarrass myself here.
...
Secondly, I might be the only person who even REMEMBERS Omikron (we didn't see it coming!). I knew this game was waaay ahead of its time, and lo and behold now we get games like Heavy Rain from the same studio.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/59/Omikron_-_The_Nomad_Soul_Coverart.jpg
Yes, yes you are.

But Jesse Cox played partway through it (he hasn't finished it, and between Saint's Row IV with Crendor and all the Coxtober stuff, it looks like it won't get done for a while), so that's some good publicity.

Torment is still VERY playable, and I am actually playing through the game for the first time myself. Very fun game.

Bleh, I tackled the starting area a couple times and then gave up. I am not going to wait for a game of my least favorite genre to get better.

[Otomodachi]

I've always liked Arcanum, I've beaten it dozens of times. Guess I'm a massochist?

Terranigma would probably count as obscure if you're from the USA and didn't find a way to play it, don't think it was released here. It's pretty fun, same folks that made Legend of Gaia, and it'll probably make you cry.

I also like Space Rangers 2 - Reboot. Never played the first one. You might call it a stretch calling it an RPG but... wellllll... it's a LOT of game in one.

[Avilan the Grey]

Torment is still VERY playable, and I am actually playing through the game for the first time myself. Very fun game.

Can't wait for the "Sequel" that actually is in the making now.

[MLai]

I don't know how obscure this is, but this game isn't part of a series (I don't count games on the PSP as sequels) and I want to make sure anybody who likes the combat system in games like X-com or Jagged Alliance play this game:
http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/kotaku/2009/09/valkyria_tease.jpgValkyria Chronicles on the PS3.
JRPG about a fantasy version of WW1, with gameplay reminiscent of turn-based tactics games. It's your plucky platoon and your father's prototype Little-Tank-That-Could, versus the overwhelming might of the pseudo-Prussian Empire.

[Tebryn]

I'd go with Live A Live, an SNES JRPG that goes through various film genres in an over arching story. Lot of fun though never managed to beat it. Also a game I've never seen anyone ever mention before.

[Tengu_temp]

Valkyria Chronicles is pretty damn awesome (one of the best games for PS3), not sure if it's obscure though.

And holy crap, I forgot about Live A Live. I liked different chapters more than others, but it's a rather unique, and very unknown game. Also, Buriki Daioh theme, and chapter in general, is great - though not as great as the space ship chapter. Who thought you can create an unnerving survival horror atmosphere with tiny 16-bit sprites?

[Hiro Protagonest]

I don't know how obscure this is, but this game isn't part of a series (I don't count games on the PSP as sequels) and I want to make sure anybody who likes the combat system in games like X-com or Jagged Alliance play this game:
http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/kotaku/2009/09/valkyria_tease.jpgValkyria Chronicles on the PS3.
JRPG about a fantasy version of WW1, with gameplay reminiscent of turn-based tactics games. It's your plucky platoon and your father's prototype Little-Tank-That-Could, versus the overwhelming might of the pseudo-Prussian Empire.

Already on my list of games to get when I buy a PS3 in a few years.

But that looks like a WWII tank, and I'm pretty sure I've heard people say it's like WWII, not WWI.

[MLai]

Already on my list of games to get when I buy a PS3 in a few years.
But that looks like a WWII tank, and I'm pretty sure I've heard people say it's like WWII, not WWI.
Well it is a fantasy alternate universe. The preponderance of trenches and the lack of planes makes me say it's WW1.
Maybe you can call it WW1 going onto WW2, like one big continuous war.
The protag's tank is an advanced prototype. Imagine a WW2 tank amongst WW1 tanks. That's why you can handle the enemy's numerical superiority.

[Tengu_temp]

But that looks like a WWII tank, and I'm pretty sure I've heard people say it's like WWII, not WWI.

Valkyria Chronicles is Gundam without mecha, and since Gundam is World War 2 with mecha, that makes is World War 2 with mecha without mecha.

[The Succubus]

Although not too obscure, Shadowhearts has a special place in my heart. Darkly humorous, a snarky protagonist and some very interesting mechanics. The ending is not a happy one.

It also has one of my crowning achievements in my gaming career - completing 12 passes of the Judgment Ring for Yuri's ultimate weapon. That took me most of a day to do. Oo

[Kesnit]

I'm still incredibly fond of the Exile/Avernum games, from Spiderweb Software. Retro/old-school RPG/adventure games with more hours of playtime each than I can count if you want to find all the hidden secrets and bonuses.

I picked up Avernum 4, 5, and 6 on Steam a while ago. I've only gotten to play 4, but it is a lot of fun.


Never played (Betrayal at Krondor), read the book though. Heck, the whole series was pretty nice.

I read a lot of the series. Eventually, though, it got to too many books and I gave up.


I honestly suggest that you look up Cthulu saves the world and Breath of Death 7. These two games are relatively new but have old retro graphics and a hilarious story. They are pretty much parodies of Final Fantasy. Though they are just amazing.

Cthulhu Saves the World is AWESOME! I laugh every time I play.


My vote for obscure game is an RPG/turn-based strategy game on the original Xbox called Gladius. Most of the game, you play as the leader of a gladiator school, traveling around, fighting in tournaments, and recruiting and training fighters. By the end of the game, however, you are fighting to save the world.

[Wolf_Haley]

Although not too obscure, Shadowhearts has a special place in my heart. Darkly humorous, a snarky protagonist and some very interesting mechanics. The ending is not a happy one.

It also has one of my crowning achievements in my gaming career - completing 12 passes of the Judgment Ring for Yuri's ultimate weapon. That took me most of a day to do. Oo
That series is extremely good, I love all three games.

not sure if ti counts as obscure but Bahamut Lagoon is one of my favorite newly discovered gems.

[Wookieetank]

That series is extremely good, I love all three games.

There's actually 4. Koudelka (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koudelka) was the first and on PS1. Was a fun game, and enjoyably creepy for an RPG, but the weapon degrading system made things difficult at times where they really shouldn't have been.