What are the best RPGs where you start out as a nobody slowly drawn into an epic saga?

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Jul 6, 2017

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10 Games Considered

Best RPGs where you start out as a nobody slowly drawn into an epic saga	Price	Platforms	Genre
-- Secret of Mana	$8.99	-	-
-- Chrono Trigger	$22.97	Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo DS, Wii, PlayStation, PlayStation 3 (Digital Only), PlayStation Portable, iOS, Android, Windows	Role-Playing
-- EarthBound	-	-	-
-- Undertale	$9.99	Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Linux, macOS	Role-Playing
-- LISA	$9.99	-	-

Secret of Mana

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Top Pro

Has stood the test of time

Twenty some odd years later and Secret of Mana is still considered one of the best action role playing game experiences there is. See More

Top Con

Graphically, almost a direct port

Square Enix has done nothing to polish the graphics in this port which for the price point is a little disheartening. The black borders on both sides of the screen are also disappointing. To see Square do so little to accommodate HD devices and their swath of screen sizes, it makes one wonder how they get away charging the prices they do. See More

Top Pro

Unique ring command system allows for easy menu selection

The ring command system used for selecting equipment and other options is still as innovative today as it was back in 1993. A first at it's time, the ring command system allowed for users to select their weapons and equipment easily without having to leave the main game screen, making for selecting quite easy. See More

Top Pro

Considered one of the best stories in RPG's young and old

While the outline of the story is the normal RPG fare, where a young boy is tasked with saving the world, the characters and their journey still holds up as one of the best ever written. See More

Top Pro

Shift in gameplay for Squaresoft/SquareEnix made RPGs

Secret of Mana features a top down real time battle system akin to other action role playing games such as Legend of Zelda that at the time was a large shift from the turn based fare that Square created. Even today Square Enix does not foray too often into the action role playing genre, making for a unique experience when it comes to Square created titles. See More

Top Pro

Colorful 16bit era graphics

Secret of Mana was created at the height of the 16bit SNES era and utilized some of the most colorful and stylized fantasy role playing game graphics. While it would have been nice to see Square polish them up a bit for HD devices, they still hold up, especially in a market that has many games designed with bit graphics as a current trend. See More

Chrono Trigger

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Top Pro

Likable characters

The character list ranges from the strong, silent hero to the talkative tomboy, even to the robot learning to cope with humans from the future. The character development is very well paced and adds a great deal of depth to the story. See More

Top Con

Very expensive for a game - SNES version only

If you want an original copy of the game, they will run you somewhere around $150. See More

Specs

Genre:Role-Playing

Top Pro

Minimal grinding

Instead, more time is spent advancing the story. Dungeons are more about exploration and boss fights. Chrono Trigger keeps stupid fetch quests to a minimum. There are side quests, but they have a plot. See More

Top Con

Insane loading times - PlayStation version only

The PlayStation version of the game has ridiculously long loading times, making the game nearly unplayable for many people. See More

Top Pro

A great deal of replayability thanks to multiple endings

Chrono Trigger offers 19 different endings, which means you can play through this game at least that many times. See More

Top Pro

A definitive version of the game is available on the Nintendo DS

Chrono Trigger has 3 versions. The definitive version is the Nintendo DS version - it has the most endings, and character development has been added, you can also find this version on the Nintendo Shop for download. See More

Top Pro

Captivating storyline

It begins when you meet a strange girl named Marle, and you knock each other down on accident. She gets lost in a mysterious portal, and Crono jumps in to save her without knowing what's on the other side. And so, your adventure begins. See More

Top Pro

No random encounters

Battles are either scripted parts of the story, or the result of hitting a trigger, like an ambush point or a visible enemy. See More

Top Pro

Quality art and music

In its time, Chrono Trigger was the graphic titan. Its animations for abilities are simply beautiful, and the characters and environments are incredibly detailed. The soundtrack for the game is great as well, which serves to draw you even deeper into the story. See More

Undertale

Top Pro

Unpredictable gameplay

Various ways too tackle the game that depends solely on the choices you make. See More

Top Con

Art could be better

Much of the game is plain looking with simple graphics, and some with downright bad looking graphics. While it can be appreciated this was all created by one person, the graphics could use some polish in order to really make the game shine. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Overwhelmingly Positive

Genre:Role-Playing

Top Pro

Amazing characters

The characters in the game are written well, each with their own personality. One may be too nice, and will lower their hit points when you attack, just to not offend you. Another may have personal goals of validation from their friends and family. This well fleshed out world works thanks to the characters contained within, making for an enjoyable story filled with humor. See More

Top Pro

Incredible soundtrack

Just like the simple but pleasant graphics in the game, the music matches this with a lo-fi score that is very fitting. See More

Top Pro

Full of interesting easter eggs

There are many secret mechanics to be discovered in the game. It may take a couple of playthroughs to discover them all, but when found it will make for a mind bending discovery. How the game appears is not how the game is actually being played. See More

Top Pro

True choices

Choices have lasting consequences. See More

LISA

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Specs

Steam Rating:Overwhelmingly Positive

Suikoden II

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Pokémon Sun and Moon

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Top Pro

You can catch pokémon not available on Alola through the new Island Scan system

Every day, you are able to accrue 100 points from scanning QR codes which can be found either on the internet or in real life. Each scan gives you 10 points, and they don't carry over to the next day. However, you can spend 100 points to scan the islands, allowing you to find a rare pokémon that isn't normally caught in the Alola Isles. See More

Top Con

Many hacked pokémon in online trades

This is a common issue in pokémon games. They aren't dangerous to your save file or your 3DS, but if you want to be competitive you should steer clear of them. See More

Top Pro

All new Alolan Pokémon forms

Several of the classic pokémon have new forms in this game, giving them new types (this dictates what type of abilities the pokémon will be able to use, and it's strengths/weaknesses) and designs. A few examples are Sandshrew, Vulpix, Raichu, and Grimer. See More

Top Pro

Awesome competitive scene

Not many people would guess that Pokémon has a very much alive and thriving competitive scene. The most common battle type is VGC doubles, in which both players bring a total of 6 pokémon, but only use 4 (chosen before the game) to battle. See More

Mother 3

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Secret of Evermore

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Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past

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