What RPG would you recommend to a newbie?

[retrogrrrl]

Yo, gamers!

Check it, I'm not an RPG player by any means. Most I played in terms of RPG is The Legend of Dragoon & Persona 4. Very briefly I tried my hand with Final Fantasy 8, however I feel like the only one that sunk its fang proper was Legend of Dragoon, and Persona 4's social aspect was far more compelling to me than the actual combat -- even though I had my fun with it.

So, I'm looking to experience more RPG titles and see which one sticks to me. My preferred type of games should be anything below the PS2 era. If it's a classic, even better. Something that is beginner friendly, to get me started in the funky fantastical but foreign world of RPGs.

Feel free to comment any suggestions, I'll look into 'em.

Comments

[althea_valara]

I'm a Square Enix fangirl, so my recommendations are influenced by that.

Chrono Trigger is a masterpiece and is still held up as one of the best RPGs ever made. It's got a great story, well-written characters, and memorable scenes. The gameplay is flexible and fun - the characters can "team up" with each other for strong attacks, and the attacks differ depending on who you team up with. That said, I can think of several things that may trip up a newer RPG player, which I will put under a spoiler cut:

Spoilers for Chrono Trigger gameplay

1. There's some treasure chests that are "locked by a mysterious force" - they can't be opened until later in the game. This might frustrate a first timer.
2. If you're not used to RPGs, then you probably don't know one of the things about them is that you need to talk to most people you meet. You'll often discover clues as to where to go next, or more story lore. I've played Chrono Trigger enough now that I basically know the story and where to head when, but I do recall my first time getting a bit lost. Talking to folks will help you figure out where to go.
3. There is one area where you need to climb a snowy mountain, and I find it VERY difficult to do, so that might frustrate you. Then again, I've watched streamers climb it on the first try, so you might not have any issues either?

About the only drawback to Chrono Trigger is that the playable character doesn't have much personality, so it can be hard to get real attached to him. But the story is really good! It's well worth giving it a try.

If you want excellent gameplay: Try Final Fantasy V. It's got a really flexible job system. For instance, say you start out with White Mage as one of your jobs. You'll earn Ability Points from battles, and those points will unlock the use of !White magic - first with level 1 spells, then increasing to... level 5, I think? as you get more ability points. Then, once you've learned !White, you can switch jobs to, say, Black Mage, and set !White as an ability. So now you have a black mage that can also cast white magic spells! With 22 jobs to play as and each having different abilities to learn, you can mix and match jobs/abilites to suit your needs. It's incredibly powerful, and makes the game easily replayable (hello, Four Job Fiesta). The story is a bit on the lighter side but it's still a decent story, and I find the characters quite memorable in this game.

If you want an excellent story with great characterization, try Final Fantasy VI. Each of the characters has a backstory and small character arc, and the story is really fantastic. It's also got some of the best music from the franchise, including the opera Maria & Draco. There's a reason why the Big Bad of the game is my third favorite Final Fantasy boss, but to explain why would be a spoiler. Unlike FFV where any character can become any job, in FFVI the characters are locked into their jobs, but that's not necessarily a bad thing! It adds to their characterization, as each has unique gameplay. This is a masterpiece of a game and well worth playing.

I'm also very fond of the last PS1 game in the franchise, Final Fantasy IX. It may seem lighthearted at first, but it covers some really deep topics. Gameplay is interesting - you basically learn abilities from equipment, and then have Ability Points you can use to set which abilities you need. If FFIX has flaws, it's that it is easy to overlook an optional (but recommended!) character and also easy to miss the Chocobo Forest, which will cause headaches later in the game.

Both PS2 games (FFX and FFXII - XI is an MMO on PC only these days) are solid entries, though FFX is rather linear, and some people may find the main character annoying. But FFX was my first FF game, and it still holds up as a good game. I really like the gameplay - it's turn based, but you can swap characters in and out, and depending on the character's speed, that may change whose turn is next. Swapping in a faster character may mean postponing the bosses' next move, which is NICE. I was quite taken with the character of Yuna and her story and what she went through.

FFXII is great if you like political stories, or characters with yummy voices (most of the VAs in the game are great, but I especially love Gideon Emery's work as Balthier). The gameplay is unique - you basically write little logic commands for your party, like, "If an Ally has less than 70% HP, toss a Potion on them". It can be very powerful system, but it can also mean you sitting there watching the game play itself. But I love the characters in this game, even the "playable character" Vaan.

As for Final Fantasy VIII - I love it, but it's a unique entry in the series. The gameplay can be a bit to wrap your head around, and it seems like people either love or hate the story. I would not recommend it as a starter RPG.

I'm also a rare Final Fantasy fan who thinks the original version of Final Fantasy VII was NOT the best entry in the franchise. Okay, great characters in it! but it suffers from a poor translation and an unreliable narrator. I really didn't understand what happened in the game until I played the other games in the Compilation and watched Advent Children. I do think FFVII Remake is a much more solid game, but that's a fairly recent release, so probably not of interest to you.

[retrogrrrl]

I must confess that I forgot to mention FFX as one of my very few RPG experiences, though I frankly stayed playing Blitzball for like... eh, hours. What can I say, as a non-RPG lover I thought Blitzball was a fantastic break -- but I just completely forgot the rest of the game because of it LOL. Same thing with FFVIII, triple triad got my ass entertained for HOURS. On that same note, FF7 is... not my favorite either! I love the characters, I loved Advent Children, but I find far more enjoyment watchin' it than playing it. And I do remember that poor translation, hilarious as it may be it could just jeopardize everythin' (this guy are sick!!). Final Fantasy IX though! I definitely got that recommended by my brother, so it's gotten two very well-earned votes now.

Speaking of which, Chrono Trigger gets another point, too. My brother insisted on that one and not Chrono Cross because, in his own words, it's a clusterfuck for a beginner -- same with FFX 'cause of the weird Sphere grid system that got my siblings workin' on it for a long ass time. I think I remember the game more through that grid than I do the actual atmosphere LOL.

All in all, thank you very much for these suggestions! I've got a good road map to go through.