Just to reiterate, it is IMPORTANT that everyone who sees this link views and listens to it in full repeatedly.
Neo Rasa on
"You know how Batman hangs people over the edge of buildings and gets them to spill information. That's Neo Rasa's way of it, but instead of information, he just likes to see people suffer." ~Senor Fish
Drakengard II(the best action game on the system).
Primal(the best adventure game on the system).
Mark of Kri(the best "artistic" game on the system).
(but I do dislike your judgment of the Shadow Hearts series)
Edit: I also wanted to add, if you ever want to play the best Level 5 game ever made, pick up Rogue Galaxy. It blows DQ8 and Dark Cloud 1-2 out of the water.
Also, any comments on the 4 series I listed above (Jak, Ratchet, Kessen, and Rot3K would be highly appreciated) would be highly appreciated since they're all multi-game series that interest me that I have never played before. Rot3K has me particularly confused since I know there are a million different versions and I've heard that the gameplay style changes from sequel to sequel.
You're in luck! I happen to have placed three of those series, Jak, Kessen and RTK. I won't bother writing a summary of the Jak series though, since jclast has already written a pretty good one (that I agree on).
Kessen 1: I haven't played it but I haven't heard great things.
Kessen 2: I really enjoyed it, though it takes the RTK story and changes it a LOT (eg, Diao Chan is in love with Liu Bei). It's a very linear game, going from one battle to another (sometimes giving you a choice of what battle you want to fight). Before each battle, you usually get a choice of what strategy you'll employ and then you start the battle. In battle there are two modes, the field map and the battle map.
Kessen 3: It took Kessen back to Japan and added a lot more action elements. It's a really fun game too and is the only game I can think of that doesn't make Nobunaga look like an asshole. Unlike the previous ones, all the fighting occurs on the field map.
RTKVIII: It expanded on the what RTKVII started, you control a single character and bring him up through the ranks. I enjoyed it but since I played it after RTKIX, I got sick of the retarded AI.
RTKIX: I only played it on PC (with the fan-made english patch) but I loved it. It went back to the old formula, where you control an entire kingdom rather than just one person. Also different is that every battle occurs on the one map (previously, there'd be a world map and then a battle map). Surprisingly, the AI was actually pretty decent in it too.
RTKX: Like RTKIX I played it on PC and loved it. It's easily my favourite RTK game in fact. It brought back the RPG-ish elements from RTKVII/VIII and kind of mixed them with a couple of elements RTKIX had.
Other games I'd highly recommend that you don't have on your list:
Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence
Okami
Onimusha: Warlords
Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny
Onimusha 3: Demon Seige
God of War
God of War 2 (well it's nearly out)
Beyond Good & Evil
Haunting Ground
Shadow of Destiny/Memories (developed by the Silent Hill team, awesome game)
cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
edited February 2007
Like usual, I'll side with Samurai Western. Probably the most fun action game I've ever played.
Tons of replay value, alternate costumes, characters, and the ability to deflect bullets while dismembering endless hordes of cowboys like nothing else.
The berserker mode is poetry in motion.
If music games are at all your thing, find Frequency. Or Space Channel 5 Special Edition. They're my two favorites. (That don't require specialized controllers at least.)
Okay, my PS2 to-buy list roughly looks like this now (items roughly ordered from highest to lowest priority although in all actuality, I'll probably just pick up whatever games I happen to find first).
The Cheap ($20 and under):
God Hand
Kessen 2&3
Ratchet & Clank (I think I'll go with #3 and if I really like it, pick up #2)
Samurai Western (thought this game sounded fun and I saw it for cheap the other day)
Jak (Again, go with #3 and maybe pick up the others)
Mark of Kri
Sphinx & the Cursed Mummy (I think I'll go with the Gamecube version)
Primal
Shadow of Destiny (I consider buying this game every time I see it and have yet to make the plunge)
Ace Combat V
Sky Gunner
Onimusha 2
The Expensive ($20 and up):
Romance of the Three Kingdoms X
Gitaroo Man
Rez
with Okami to be added to the list when it reaches budget status (played my brother's copy a little and it was fun, but I can wait)
Well, even if I end up not buying a single upcoming PS2 game (I already own Persona 3) buying and playing all of those ought to keep me busy for a good year or two...
As for Shadow Hearts, the series just feels above average to me. Not necessarily bad, but after the first couple hours of "Cool, I have a new RPG!" wears off, I get bored of them and stop playing. Which is a shame because ever since I first heard about the original Shadow Hearts (and Koudelka), it's been a series that I've really wanted to like.
Shadow Hearts 1 had a very cool horror setting but the gameplay was weak. Shadow Hearts 2 ditched the cool setting for standard Japanese wackiness and made some improvements to the gameplay but the poor dungeon design combined with low difficulty (if your timing is decent, strategy is mostly unnecessary) made the whole affair feel tedious to me. Instead of being wacky and sometimes funny like Shadow Hearts 2, Shadow Hearts 3's plot was wacky and mostly stupid and though it did improve the gameplay noticeably, it was too little, too late.
If they had kept the mood of the first game and gone with black humor instead of wacky humor for the sequels and just tightened up the gameplay here & there (improve the dungeon designs, balance the skills, do more with the oh so cool Sanity Points, go with a moderate difficulty level instead of ridiculously easy), Shadow Hearts would be one of my favorite series. But sadly it was not to be. I will say this for the series though - Shadow Hearts 1 has one of the most awesome opening sequences in all of videogame history. Shadow Hearts 2 was most respectable in this regard as well.
On a more positive note, I think I'd love the gameplay in the God of War games, however Resident Evil 4 was really pushing my limits for tolerance of violence & from what I've heard God of War is even worse in this regard with some sex thrown in for good measure.
Okay, my PS2 to-buy list roughly looks like this now (items roughly ordered from highest to lowest priority although in all actuality, I'll probably just pick up whatever games I happen to find first).
snip
Where is ZoE2 on that list? Even if you're underwhelemed by ZoE1, believe me, ZoE2 is one of the most amazing gaming experiences you will ever have.
And Rez is absolute amazement, though you'll have a bit of trouble finding it in-store (even though it's been reprinted).
Thoughtless Muse on
0
cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
edited February 2007
Rez was reprinted? I never knew that...
But yeah, it's worth every penny. It's not very long or difficult(unless you want to beat it as the Morolian), but there's no experience like it.
Okay, my PS2 to-buy list roughly looks like this now (items roughly ordered from highest to lowest priority although in all actuality, I'll probably just pick up whatever games I happen to find first).
snip
Where is ZoE2 on that list? Even if you're underwhelemed by ZoE1, believe me, ZoE2 is one of the most amazing gaming experiences you will ever have.
And Rez is absolute amazement, though you'll have a bit of trouble finding it in-store (even though it's been reprinted).
Hm...looking at ebay, looks like I can pick up ZoE2 for $25-$30 which isn't bad. I'll probably pick it up sometime after I finish the first game.
And maybe Southern California is unusually well stocked, but I've seen Rez for $40 at a couple of different Gamestops in the area. When I do get it, I'll probably buy a used copy online to save money though.
But yeah, it's worth every penny. It's not very long or difficult(unless you want to beat it as the Morolian), but there's no experience like it.
The game just pulls you in.
Yeah. Around 8-9 or so months ago it got a reprint. I bought a brand new copy off ebay for $50 immediately after having waiting for such an opportunity for ages. Totally, totally worth it. After playing it for only a few minutes, I knew it was worth the full $100 it sold for prior to the reprint.
Thoughtless Muse on
0
cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
edited February 2007
Once in a blue moon Rez pops up used at random Game Stop/EBs for $39.99 used, I think. I found mine at an FYE in a random mall for $49.99 around two-three years ago.
(They also had Gitaroo Man.)
A local GS has ZoE2, which I'm really interested in... but I'm wondering if I should get the original first. I hate missing series connections.
A local GS has ZoE2, which I'm really interested in... but I'm wondering if I should get the original first. I hate missing series connections.
I'm not sure how big of a connection there is between the two games, but the first ZoE can be obtained for around $5 so it's not like it'll cost you much to pick it up.
Once in a blue moon Rez pops up used at random Game Stop/EBs for $39.99 used, I think. I found mine at an FYE in a random mall for $49.99 around two-three years ago.
(They also had Gitaroo Man.)
A local GS has ZoE2, which I'm really interested in... but I'm wondering if I should get the original first. I hate missing series connections.
Difficult to say if you should pass up ZoE1 entirely then, but it's not as though you need to have played the first game to enjoy the second, ala DDS2. Some story connections, but light is shed on most/all of which in ZoE2, and ZoE2 has a new main character and takes place several years after the original. I'd suggest you just play ZoE2 first to experience it's gameplay at it's perfect refinement, and play ZoE1 aftewards if you want all the backstory that it provides.
Once in a blue moon Rez pops up used at random Game Stop/EBs for $39.99 used, I think. I found mine at an FYE in a random mall for $49.99 around two-three years ago.
(They also had Gitaroo Man.)
A local GS has ZoE2, which I'm really interested in... but I'm wondering if I should get the original first. I hate missing series connections.
These are all reprints. GameQuest Direct made and sells new reprints of Rez, Gitaroo Man, and ZoE2. Gamestop is one of their biggest buyers. To not worry about having to re-add old or discontinued SKUS into their system and to also have more control over the price Gamestop opens these up once and ships them to the stores as "used" games. They've never been played unless they were bought and returned later on.
ZoE2 is freaking awesome and you should buy it immediately (though preferably from GameQuest Direct directly and not from a horrible company like Gamestop).
Neo Rasa on
"You know how Batman hangs people over the edge of buildings and gets them to spill information. That's Neo Rasa's way of it, but instead of information, he just likes to see people suffer." ~Senor Fish
ZOE2 fills in the gaps with a 'Previous Story' option in the menu. This starts a cinematic that shows the key plot points in ZOE1. And acquaints you with that game's whiny protagonist well enough to know you don't want to listen to that shit for several hours on end. Play the sequel. Especially since you have a backlog. There are better games more deserving of your time than ZOE1.
I'm going to side with whomever recommended Primal. It's one of the best adventure games I've ever played. The control scheme and graphics are slightly dated; but the music, characters, voice acting, art style, and plot are all top notch.
It's one of those games I'll pick up and run through every few years from here on out.
Grammaton Cleric on
0
Zen VulgarityWhat a lovely day for teaSecret British ThreadRegistered Userregular
Nope, the suggestions that have been given should keep me busy for quite some time. Thanks everybody. After I pick up Alien Shooter: Vengeance (stop laughing, it's a really cool shooter/RPG), I'm probably going to go with God Hand or Gitaroo Man.
Oh and I decided to go back and have another try at beating King's Field: The Ancient City thanks to someone mentioning it in this thread. I liked it before and I'm loving it this time. I'm thinking calling it just an RPG is a misnomer; despite having all your standard RPG features, it feels more like a horror game to me.
Posts
Just to reiterate, it is IMPORTANT that everyone who sees this link views and listens to it in full repeatedly.
Primal(the best adventure game on the system).
Mark of Kri(the best "artistic" game on the system).
(but I do dislike your judgment of the Shadow Hearts series)
Edit: I also wanted to add, if you ever want to play the best Level 5 game ever made, pick up Rogue Galaxy. It blows DQ8 and Dark Cloud 1-2 out of the water.
Kessen 1: I haven't played it but I haven't heard great things.
Kessen 2: I really enjoyed it, though it takes the RTK story and changes it a LOT (eg, Diao Chan is in love with Liu Bei). It's a very linear game, going from one battle to another (sometimes giving you a choice of what battle you want to fight). Before each battle, you usually get a choice of what strategy you'll employ and then you start the battle. In battle there are two modes, the field map and the battle map.
Kessen 3: It took Kessen back to Japan and added a lot more action elements. It's a really fun game too and is the only game I can think of that doesn't make Nobunaga look like an asshole. Unlike the previous ones, all the fighting occurs on the field map.
RTKVIII: It expanded on the what RTKVII started, you control a single character and bring him up through the ranks. I enjoyed it but since I played it after RTKIX, I got sick of the retarded AI.
RTKIX: I only played it on PC (with the fan-made english patch) but I loved it. It went back to the old formula, where you control an entire kingdom rather than just one person. Also different is that every battle occurs on the one map (previously, there'd be a world map and then a battle map). Surprisingly, the AI was actually pretty decent in it too.
RTKX: Like RTKIX I played it on PC and loved it. It's easily my favourite RTK game in fact. It brought back the RPG-ish elements from RTKVII/VIII and kind of mixed them with a couple of elements RTKIX had.
Other games I'd highly recommend that you don't have on your list:
Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence
Okami
Onimusha: Warlords
Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny
Onimusha 3: Demon Seige
God of War
God of War 2 (well it's nearly out)
Beyond Good & Evil
Haunting Ground
Shadow of Destiny/Memories (developed by the Silent Hill team, awesome game)
Tons of replay value, alternate costumes, characters, and the ability to deflect bullets while dismembering endless hordes of cowboys like nothing else.
The berserker mode is poetry in motion.
If music games are at all your thing, find Frequency. Or Space Channel 5 Special Edition. They're my two favorites. (That don't require specialized controllers at least.)
The Cheap ($20 and under):
God Hand
Kessen 2&3
Ratchet & Clank (I think I'll go with #3 and if I really like it, pick up #2)
Samurai Western (thought this game sounded fun and I saw it for cheap the other day)
Jak (Again, go with #3 and maybe pick up the others)
Mark of Kri
Sphinx & the Cursed Mummy (I think I'll go with the Gamecube version)
Primal
Shadow of Destiny (I consider buying this game every time I see it and have yet to make the plunge)
Ace Combat V
Sky Gunner
Onimusha 2
The Expensive ($20 and up):
Romance of the Three Kingdoms X
Gitaroo Man
Rez
with Okami to be added to the list when it reaches budget status (played my brother's copy a little and it was fun, but I can wait)
Well, even if I end up not buying a single upcoming PS2 game (I already own Persona 3) buying and playing all of those ought to keep me busy for a good year or two...
As for Shadow Hearts, the series just feels above average to me. Not necessarily bad, but after the first couple hours of "Cool, I have a new RPG!" wears off, I get bored of them and stop playing. Which is a shame because ever since I first heard about the original Shadow Hearts (and Koudelka), it's been a series that I've really wanted to like.
Shadow Hearts 1 had a very cool horror setting but the gameplay was weak. Shadow Hearts 2 ditched the cool setting for standard Japanese wackiness and made some improvements to the gameplay but the poor dungeon design combined with low difficulty (if your timing is decent, strategy is mostly unnecessary) made the whole affair feel tedious to me. Instead of being wacky and sometimes funny like Shadow Hearts 2, Shadow Hearts 3's plot was wacky and mostly stupid and though it did improve the gameplay noticeably, it was too little, too late.
If they had kept the mood of the first game and gone with black humor instead of wacky humor for the sequels and just tightened up the gameplay here & there (improve the dungeon designs, balance the skills, do more with the oh so cool Sanity Points, go with a moderate difficulty level instead of ridiculously easy), Shadow Hearts would be one of my favorite series. But sadly it was not to be. I will say this for the series though - Shadow Hearts 1 has one of the most awesome opening sequences in all of videogame history. Shadow Hearts 2 was most respectable in this regard as well.
On a more positive note, I think I'd love the gameplay in the God of War games, however Resident Evil 4 was really pushing my limits for tolerance of violence & from what I've heard God of War is even worse in this regard with some sex thrown in for good measure.
Zeboyd Games Development Blog
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire, Facebook : Zeboyd Games
Where is ZoE2 on that list? Even if you're underwhelemed by ZoE1, believe me, ZoE2 is one of the most amazing gaming experiences you will ever have.
And Rez is absolute amazement, though you'll have a bit of trouble finding it in-store (even though it's been reprinted).
But yeah, it's worth every penny. It's not very long or difficult(unless you want to beat it as the Morolian), but there's no experience like it.
The game just pulls you in.
Hm...looking at ebay, looks like I can pick up ZoE2 for $25-$30 which isn't bad. I'll probably pick it up sometime after I finish the first game.
And maybe Southern California is unusually well stocked, but I've seen Rez for $40 at a couple of different Gamestops in the area. When I do get it, I'll probably buy a used copy online to save money though.
Zeboyd Games Development Blog
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire, Facebook : Zeboyd Games
Yeah. Around 8-9 or so months ago it got a reprint. I bought a brand new copy off ebay for $50 immediately after having waiting for such an opportunity for ages. Totally, totally worth it. After playing it for only a few minutes, I knew it was worth the full $100 it sold for prior to the reprint.
(They also had Gitaroo Man.)
A local GS has ZoE2, which I'm really interested in... but I'm wondering if I should get the original first. I hate missing series connections.
I'm not sure how big of a connection there is between the two games, but the first ZoE can be obtained for around $5 so it's not like it'll cost you much to pick it up.
Zeboyd Games Development Blog
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire, Facebook : Zeboyd Games
Difficult to say if you should pass up ZoE1 entirely then, but it's not as though you need to have played the first game to enjoy the second, ala DDS2. Some story connections, but light is shed on most/all of which in ZoE2, and ZoE2 has a new main character and takes place several years after the original. I'd suggest you just play ZoE2 first to experience it's gameplay at it's perfect refinement, and play ZoE1 aftewards if you want all the backstory that it provides.
These are all reprints. GameQuest Direct made and sells new reprints of Rez, Gitaroo Man, and ZoE2. Gamestop is one of their biggest buyers. To not worry about having to re-add old or discontinued SKUS into their system and to also have more control over the price Gamestop opens these up once and ships them to the stores as "used" games. They've never been played unless they were bought and returned later on.
To repeat my post on the first page, if anyone still hasn't gotten Rez yet you have no excuse at all:
http://www.gamequestdirect.com/010086630008.html
ZoE2 is freaking awesome and you should buy it immediately (though preferably from GameQuest Direct directly and not from a horrible company like Gamestop).
You need God Hand
Oddly enough, Rez and Gitaroo Man aren't.
It's one of those games I'll pick up and run through every few years from here on out.
You need it.
Unless you, y'know, play casually.
Nope, the suggestions that have been given should keep me busy for quite some time. Thanks everybody. After I pick up Alien Shooter: Vengeance (stop laughing, it's a really cool shooter/RPG), I'm probably going to go with God Hand or Gitaroo Man.
Oh and I decided to go back and have another try at beating King's Field: The Ancient City thanks to someone mentioning it in this thread. I liked it before and I'm loving it this time. I'm thinking calling it just an RPG is a misnomer; despite having all your standard RPG features, it feels more like a horror game to me.
Zeboyd Games Development Blog
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire, Facebook : Zeboyd Games