Side Scrolling RPGs?

[Opa Opa]

I'm looking more for the kind that don't have levels, open world kind of.

Like Simon's Quest or Faxanadu?

[pepharytheworm]

Here's anther similiar thread that may help.

http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopi ... lling+RPGs

[Bradtemple87]

Another vote for YS and Popful Mail

[saturnfan]

I would say go for Odin Sphere, it is awesome.

[brunoafh]

I would say go for Odin Sphere, it is awesome.

For some reason I could not get into Odin Sphere. I went into it fully expecting to love it, and ending up really disliking the battle system and the flow of the game. Absolutely loved the visuals and art style though.

[MrPopo]

The battle system is pretty unrefined, especially when you get to later chapters. If you liked the art style I'd recommend Muramasa; they dialed back the RPG elements a bit but created a really fun battle system.

[Xeogred]

I've been wanting to play Muramasa since I ran out of steam with Odin Sphere myself, I'd be interested to see how they differ. The seed/grinding Odin Sphere was so damn repetitive after awhile. And at first you think it's great to play as more characters, but wait... you're going through half of the same stages you already completed... again and again and again. Oh another new character? Repeat again and again and again. I enjoyed it for awhile but definitely probably only got halfway into it before I had seen it all.

[Bradtemple87]

I have also been wondering if Muramasa is worth the time. I know it looks gorgeous!

[o.pwuaioc]

Not that I'm a fan (actually despised the game), but does Paper Mario count?

[MrPopo]

Muramasa's combat is really fun. It's smooth but isn't just button mashing; that quickly gets you killed. There's a lot of tradeoffs regarding your weapon selection. There's two kinds of swords (fast and slow) and every sword has a special ability. Some special abilities are worth using a lower power sword. There are ingredients to collect or buy (for pretty cheap) that are used to make food, which restores health and some have buffs. Imagine a completely streamlined version of Odin Sphere's cooking system. There are no repeat bosses, but there are repeat stages (aesthetically). One character goes from west to east, the other east to west. The stage layouts themselves are different between each character. There are also challenge levels available after each boss. These consist of waves of enemies, usually with a theme, and if you survive them you get some nice gear.