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

[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.