SRPGs (or TRPGs) you've known and loved.

[Exhuminator]

So Arc,the Lad has got me in a SRPG mood. Figured I'd ask the community about what they think of this sub-genre.

Some people call it SRPG, some people call it TRPG. Whatever you wanna call it is cool.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tactical_ ... aying_game

Which SRPGs have you beat? Which SRPGs did you love? If you were only going to recommend one SRPG above all others, what would it be? (If you can't make your mind up then list your top 3.) If you think SRPGs stink and are for losers, tell us why!

SRPGs I've beaten*

Fallout Tactics
Faselei!
Final Fantasy Tactics
Front Mission 1 (DS), 3, 4, 5
Metal Gear AC!D 1, 2
Onimusha Tactics
Shining Force
Valkyria Chronicles 1, 2

Out of all those I believe Fallout Tactics was my favorite. I just love its post-apocalyptic setting and variety of weapons (EMP shotgun shells!), with complex battle mechanics and highly varied terrain. But Front Mission DS is a close second... I'm crazy about big ol' robots and geopolitical-military thrillers, and that's the whole Front Mission series in general. Front Mission DS had an amazing aesthetic and wonderful characters, it was a good time. And the DS version's alternative campaign was actually challenging.

The WORST SRPG I've played:

I don't even wanna talk about it. It makes me wanna piss myself in anger.

*I'm sure I've beaten more than this, just what I remember off the top of my head. And I definitely tried out more SRPGs/TRPGs than that, just haven't beat all of them.

[ElkinFencer10]

Oh goodness...The ones I remember having beaten are:

Fallout Tactics
Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem
Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword (just "Fire Emblem" in the West)
Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon
Fire Emblem: Awakening
Fire Emblem: Fates (all 3 versions)
Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart
Project X Zone
Valkyria Chronicles
Valkyria Chronicles II
Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love
XCOM: Enemy Unknown
XCOM 2


I might have beaten a few more but can't remember. Of course, because I'm me, I'm obligated to say Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart on the Vita is my one biggest recommendation. Honestly, though, I'd have to say Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance on the Gamecube. Fire Emblem is my favorite Nintendo franchise, and that's my favorite entry in the Fire Emblem series. It's just a solid game all around.

As for the one I would definitely NOT recommend, probably Valkyria Chronicles II. It was a good game, but I found it extremely underwhelming and disappointing. It definitely doesn't even remotely life up to the first game.

[MrPopo]

Oh man, let's see, of all the ones I've beaten...

Shining Force
Shining Force II
Shining Force III Scenario 1
Shining Force Gaiden 2: The Sword of Hajya
Fire Emblem Seisen no Keifu
Fire Emblem 7
Fire Emblem Sacred Stones
Fire Emblem Path of Radiance
Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn
Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon
Fire Emblem the DS one after Shadow Dragon
Fire Emblem Awakening
Fire Emblem Fates
Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Luminous Arc
Bahamut Lagoon
Front Mission
Front Mission 3
Front Mission 4
That SNES Tenchi Muyo game
Ogre Battle
Ogre Battle 64
Sakura Wars: So Long My Love
SMT: Devil Survivor
SMT: Devil Survivor 2
Valkyria Chronicles
Valkyria Chronicles 2
Valkyria Chronicles 3
Yggdra Union
Disgaea 3

I'm going to say Shining Force II is my favorite. It's approachable while still being difficult, and the battles are never too long. It also has a bit more RPG in its SRPG, with towns you wander around and constant gear upgrades as you get from one town to the next.

The one I would not recommend on that list is Luminous Arc. It's a mediocre FFT knockoff.

[TheSSNintendo]

Vandal Hearts is a good, underrated gem.

[laurenhiya21]

What I've beaten:
Fire Emblem: Awakening

And that's it. Unfortunately SRPGs are a little bit intimidating for me. I just haven't played too many since I've been abysmally awful at the few that I have played. I do want to try some good SPRGs, but it's been a bit troublesome to figure out what's actually playable for me, and what's soul-crushingly brutal (Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones ugh).

However, I am trying to find something in the genre that I can actually play. I don't want to just write off a whole genre just because I couldn't play a few of them, since I'm sure there's something in there that I might like.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Oh man. I have played through a buttload of these. I was heavy into SRPGs about a decade ago, but my time and patience is lacking these days. Some of the classics I remember finishing: most classic Shining Force games, most Ogre Battle games, a smattering of Fire Emblem and Langrisser games, Front Mission, Just Breed, Final Fantasy Tactics, Bahamut Lagoon, FEDA: The Emblem of Justice, Crystal Warriors, Guardian War, Blazing Heroes, and Dragon Force.

Others I'd like to one day beat (or try for the first time!): Bokosuka Wars, 19: Neunzehn, Fushigi no Umi Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, Energy Breaker, Jyutei Senki, Royal Stone, Front Mission 3, Kartia: The Word of Fate, Dragon Force II: Kamisarishi Daichi ni, Sakura Taisen, Terra Phantastica, and Dragon Knight 4.

There are also some modern ones I've tried, and would like to try, but I mainly stick to the retro stuff.

Favorite titles? Cliché pick, but the first few Shining Force games are fantastic. They're nice and straightforward and if you've never played a SRPG it's easy to transfer from JRPGs into these games. I'm also partial to Dragon Force, which is beautiful and truly worthy of the "epic" label.

Worst??? Well, there are some modern SRPGs - primarily by companies like Compile Heart, Idea Factory, and NIS - that I attempted once and had to shelf after a few hours. So many just feel bloated, tedious, and haphazard. Spectral Force Genesis and Record of Agarest War Zero come to mind. Ouch.

[Exhuminator]

As for the one I would definitely NOT recommend, probably Valkyria Chronicles II. It was a good game, but I found it extremely underwhelming and disappointing. It definitely doesn't even remotely life up to the first game.

Aww man, poor VC2. Well I enjoyed that one quite a lot. Granted, I played it before Valkyria Chronicles. I can see how as a sequel it would be a bit of let down if you'd already played the original. But the gameplay's all there!

I'm going to say Shining Force II is my favorite.

I'm guessing it's a fair bit better than the original Shining Force then. The original was alright, but it didn't get me excited to play the sequel.

Also surprised you haven't played Tactics Ogre. I thought that would have been on your list. Any reason why not?

I don't want to just write off a whole genre just because I couldn't play a few of them, since I'm sure there's something in there that I might like.

You might want to consider this:

Its battles are done in a tactical grid style, but the difficulty is toned down, and it's full of charm. But stay away from the DS version.

If you want something a little more serious, get this for your Vita:

Front Mission 3

FM3 is not very difficult, has a great story, and is a ton of fun to play.

Vandal Hearts is a good, underrated gem.

Alright I got the PSN version on my PSP now. Is the sequel any good?

Energy Breaker

That's one I've been interested in for a while too. So glad it's got a full English translation now. Actually I've got it on my phone along with some other SFC SRPGs. I like it's graphic style:



Very clean and tight isometric pixel work.

[MrPopo]

I'm going to say Shining Force II is my favorite.

I'm guessing it's a fair bit better than the original Shining Force then. The original was alright, but it didn't get me excited to play the sequel.

Also surprised you haven't played Tactics Ogre. I thought that would have been on your list. Any reason why not?

Shining Force II is much better than Shining Force. It's sort of like the iteration you see between Final Fantasy 1 and Final Fantasy 3; you still have a similar skeleton, but 3 just adds so much on top of it and fleshes stuff out more.

Re: Tactics Ogre. The FFT/TO style has never really clicked with me. My first was FFTA which I emulated and eventually beat, but at some point I was just playing to finish. I've made several attempts at Tactics Ogre: Knight of Lodis but rarely get more than a few maps in. As I mentioned I did Luminous Arc mostly because it was an Atlus USA published game and at the time I was picking up basically everything they localized, and I forced myself to beat it. I do have Tactics Ogre, I just don't know when I'm going to get around to it. FFT I broke in half after the first battle, so I was able to gloss over pretty much any frustrations I might have had with the style.

[Exhuminator]

I've just started playing Vixen 357 on MD, which was recently translated. Pretty cool mech game with nice and skippable battle scenes

Another recent English translation of a mech SFC SRPG that flew under a lot of radars:







http://www.romhacking.net/translations/2418/

[Xeogred]

Which GBA Fire Emblem is that? I don't read Moon. Whatever GBA one I played I enjoyed, but the rock paper scissors gameplay is a bit laughable.

Not too big on this genre, but when they're a homerun for me I can't praise them enough. I would consider beating Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together (SNES version) to be one of my greatest gaming feats of all time and I think it absolutely destroys FFT with three really varied branching story paths, it's way bigger and doesn't wet the bed and fall apart in the end like FFT, and I just like the class system way more than the job system. Cooler graphics and aesthetics to me too. What I really dislike about FFT is that most battles limit you to 3-5 units, but in TO you always get to use 10.

Beat FFT twice. That second one was one of reassurance. "What am I missing?" I'm still not sure. It's okay, but I'd rather play literally any of the main FF games instead. Especially now that I love FFV and can get my job system fix done right there, not sure why I'd ever bother with FFT again. I don't consider it Matsuno's gem.

Knight of Lodis is great too. Certainly 200x better than FFTA.

Arc the Lad 1-2 I can't praise enough. A nuclear explosion of fun in your face.

Shining Force 1 was cool. What I played of 2 was definitely an improvement.

I should love Front Mission since I love mecha/sci-fi, but it never clicks.

I played about 50 hours of Disgaea 2 and then dropped the controller, realizing that it's probably the most endless non-MMO game I've ever seen conceived. I have the strategy guide which has a page worth of an equation on the highest level of HP you can reach (think it was 65 billion), after re-birthing your character (level 9999+) a few times over. Then you could go into any given item or weapon that generates a dungeon, you clear this dungeon to level up the item. But some items could literally have 100 some floors, which would equate to several hours worth of game time... just to level up a weapon. I lost my marbles. That was enough Disgaea for me.

Arc the Lad 2 and Tactics Ogre LUCT are my favorites.