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Looking for story-heavy console RPG
With preferably relatively simple gameplay mechanics.
You could say something that is the total opposite of Skyrim, though that's about the only open-world game I actually like.
I am looking for something that is quite meaty when it comes to story and characters, but doesn't bog me down in inventory screens and with character customization. In that regard, you could even play quite lose with the term "RPG". However, not as simple as Final Fantasy 13, that game just had way too much combat encounters without having an engaging combat system.
Things I played and like would be Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age 2, Final Fantasy X, Shadow of the Colossus, and if you start leaning more out of the RPG genre, Mirror's Edge and Bioshock 2.
I do have Witcher 2 on the list, but that's a bit too generic fantasy game for me right now. Any other suggestions?
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
Well, you can't go wrong with more Bioware; why not pick up KOTOR?
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
From your picks I take it you mean newer console RPGs?
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
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Originally Posted by
shadow_archmagi
why not pick up KOTOR?
Because it's not a console RPG? Okay, technically it's for the XBox but Yora's list included only Playstation titles. So I assume that's what she has.
You want plot-heavy? I suggest the following, in descending order of new-ness:
Persona 4
Persona 3
Xenogears
Final Fantasy VII
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy VI
These are just the most obvious recommendations. Pick any of them, you won't be disappointed.
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
KotOR is also great, but I played that a couple of times already.
PS1, 2, 3 and Xbox 360 are all fine.
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
Deus Ex: Human Revolution would be my advice if you're willing to go the hybrid route. Quite an interesting story and character which fair amounts of stealth thrown in (aside from the Boss Fights but we don't like to talk about them).
If you have access to a PS2, the first couple of Shadow Hearts games are very solid JRPGs. They're a bit old though so not sure how easy finding them would be.
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Originally Posted by
Craft (Cheese)
Why not Bastion?
Also this.
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
...Thinking about it though, why exactly would you say that Skyrim is mechanics-heavy while FF10 and Dragon Age 2 as mechanics-lite?
Though it might be our playstyles: I think the best way to play an Elder Scrolls game is to cheat your stats and gear up to the maximums at the very start of the game, then ignore all of the skills and loot and just wander around enjoying the world.
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
I liked the Game of Thrones RPG. It's a slow burn, but the pay-off is great. Also I thought it had one of the better real-time pause combat systems I've encountered. It's fairly low on character upgrading and inventory management as well. Which is good, because it's inventory kinda sucks. It's far from unbearable, but it's a bit of a drag until you get used to it's...eccentricities. Totally worth dealing with though, because the last chapter of that game is fairly brilliant.
Of Orcs and Men, by the same developer, seems to have even less in the way inventory management, owing to a very minimal quantity of loot, and the character development is fairly paired down. Every level you get one attribute point and can learn or upgrade one skill. Bada-boom. Story seems pretty nifty so far too, though I haven't finished it, and avoids all sorts of usual genre failures. After like six hours I don't think I've encountered even one prostitute, which may be a record for M-rated RPGs.
If you're willing to leave RPG totally behind, there's always Spec Ops: The Line. It's a straight up third person shooter mechanically, and not a particularly inspired one at that. It's not a bad cover shooter mind, and there's a couple of kinda cool mechanics in there, but that part of the game's nothing to write home about. The story however is, well, something else. I'm not kidding when I say I didn't think games would - or even could - do what Spec Ops does, let alone do it that well. Let's just leave it like this: it looks like a straight up dude-bro military shooter. This is entirely deliberate, and it really isn't.
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
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Originally Posted by
Craft (Cheese)
...Thinking about it though, why exactly would you say that Skyrim is mechanics-heavy while FF10 and Dragon Age 2 as mechanics-lite?
In Final Fantasy and DA2, you equip the character with one weapon, unlock special attacks, and then keep using both on the enemies until they die.
In Skyrim, you increase your skill ranks, combine and match indvidual armor pieces, and if you feel like it also have the whole mess of gathering crafting materials, training the crafting skills, and enchanting customized equipment, you have the homes where you stash the stuff you're not yet sure you'll never need again (but almost certainly wont), with multiple containers to keep track of what stuff you actually have stored, and the places need to be outfitted or they look like ass, and then there's sleeping, switching weapons in battle, going to the menus to take out other spells, constantly guzzling healing and mana potions, and all this unfun stuff.
From all the reviews and descriptions I've found, Bastion seems to be a Diablo-style Dungeon-Crawler. Not quite my type of game.
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
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Originally Posted by
Yora
From all the reviews and descriptions I've found, Bastion seems to be a Diablo-style Dungeon-Crawler. Not quite my type of game.
It depends on what you mean by "Diablo-style." The combat consists of clicking a lot (if you're playing the PC version), and it's in an isometric perspective, but that's where the similarities end. The loot treadmill and intricate character build system that Diablo runs off of is completely absent. The game doesn't really have traditional quests either, and the "dungeons" are most often outdoor areas.
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
Bastion is a great choice. It's quite simple, too. You mostly only need to worry about three buttons: Primary weapon, alternate weapon, and special attack. There's no inventory juggling at all. You've got a number of options for your weapons, but each is significantly different from the others, and you only swap them out between stages. Plus it's a really good game.
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
I'm a big fan of Grandia 2 and 3 (Xtreme as well, but to a much lesser degree, and the first to a much lesser degree than that), both in terms of engaging story and fun combat. Arc the Lad as well, but particularly Twilight of the Spirits. Not enough love for that game, but it was really well written.
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
Bastion isn't really an RPG though. I'm not saying it doesn't have a great story (it does), or that it's not awesome in general (it is). But it has less RPG elements than friggin' Legend of Zelda. It's an action game, really.
But if you don't mind that? Play it. You won't regret it.
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
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Originally Posted by
tensai_oni
Bastion isn't really an RPG though. I'm not saying it doesn't have a great story (it does), or that it's not awesome in general (it is). But it has less RPG elements than friggin' Legend of Zelda. It's an action game, really.
But if you don't mind that? Play it. You won't regret it.
Thinking that only RPGs can have really good stories is kind of a fallacy anyway.
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
However-many-ing Bastion. Amazing game. Great soundtrack. Everything about it is amazing. I want the narrator to follow me around all day and read the phone book at me.
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
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Originally Posted by
Yora
Dragon Age 2
Have you also played Origins? If not, I'd put that near the top of the list. It's much heavier on the RPG mechanics, but generally considered better than the second game in most respects.
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
Yes I did, but it has the "classic" complex mechanics and not really a good story. Not that DA2 has either, but I think that one at least gets more attention to the characters.
I think I'll have to look for a video for the first minutes of Bastion, I really have no idea what to expect of that one.
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
I'd say borderlands (2). It's simple (point, shoot, walk), it has a pretty immersive story (at least IMO) and probably the hardest parts are redeeming your tokens and comparing your weapons...
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
Actually, I may go with GTA 4. It delivers its story and characters far more richly and deftly than most "RPGs" out there. It's almost playing a movie, but without the negative connotations, since it's very sandboxy at the same time.
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
The Witcher (2)? Both available for XBox 360, and both featuring great characters, hard choices and an interesting world.
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
Yes, I know. :smallamused:
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Originally Posted by
Yora
I do have Witcher 2 on the list, but that's a bit too generic fantasy game for me right now. Any other suggestions?
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
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Originally Posted by
Socratov
I'd say borderlands (2). It's simple (point, shoot, walk), it has a pretty immersive story (at least IMO) and probably the hardest parts are redeeming your tokens and comparing your weapons...
I wasn't sure whether that one quite fits the OP's criteria, but now that I think about it I've actually been very impressed by BL2's story delivery so far (Handsome Jack = Best. Villain. Ever.).
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
But does it also a have plot, with multiple factions that reveal additional aspects of their backgrounds and motivations, or something like that? I am really looking mostly for games to play for the story primarily, with entertaining gameplay only as a pleasant bonus.
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
Xenosaga. If I remember, there's 3 of them. They're rather good. Just be prepared for really, really long and frequent cut scenes
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
Wait a second, I just realized we're nearly at the end of the page and no one's said "Planescape Torment.":smallconfused:
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Re: Looking for story-heavy console RPG
Probably thanks to that word that said "console" in the title. :smalltongue:
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Quote:
Originally Posted by
Sith_Happens
Wait a second, I just realized we're nearly at the end of the page and no one's said "Planescape Torment.":smallconfused:
The topic title is "Looking for story-heavy console RPG." Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think P:T has a console version.