Before I begin, I think it goes without saying that when I implore developers to bring back certain role-playing franchises, I don't want to see action games . I want an effing RPG. And you can mess with the turn-based if you must , but it better still retain some semblance of turn-based strategy. Oh, and want these on a console , damnit.
Suikoden
Where the hell is my Suikoden VI ? I'm probably not alone when I say this ranks second on my all-time favorite RPG franchise list (only behind Final Fantasy ); Konami always gave us great stories and characters, and those 108 Stars of Destiny…my God, how addictive was that? I just couldn't rest until I got 'em all! Plus, while it was always turn-based, they tweaked a bit in the latter installments; for instance, in Suikoden V , your position during encounters had an impact. Then there were those larger strategy-based, war-like segments that shook things up a bit.
If there's one RPG I want to see return from the ashes, it's this one.
Secret of Mana/Legend of Mana
Most really don't put the PlayStation's Legend of Mana in the same category as Secret of Mana , the classic RPG on the SNES. Indeed, the two gameplay styles were completely different. That being said, I'd like to see anything with "Mana" in the title. I'm not entirely sure how developers would approach the gameplay just because Secret and Legend were so vastly different; maybe they could try a hybrid mechanic of some sort, like the one in Final Fantasy XII . Role-playing fanatics have been begging for a new Mana for a very long time now, and I think it's long past time Square Enix delivered. Announce one and watch the fans return…
Chrono Trigger/Chrono Cross
Two of the greatest RPGs of all time; where's more Chrono ? There was a rumor for several years that said "Chrono Break" was in the works but that project never materialized and since that time, we've heard nothing about another Chrono entry. One of the most appealing elements of Chrono Cross was the huge cast of characters, most all of which were playable, and many of which required you to be a crafty recruiter. And I loved the colorful, gorgeous atmosphere and well-written story. And oh yeah, make sure we get to time travel. I want that back.
Legend of Legaia
I really don't like fighting games, but the idea of selecting various attacks to form special combos in an RPG really got me. The second one, Legaia 2: Duel Saga was one of my favorite RPGs of the PS2 generation; it was just so much fun to find new Arts, and the traditional world design was just fantastic. I don't remember the storylines in either title being all that memorable, but they weren't bad and besides, I never ever got tired of random encounters in that game. And yeah, I cheated a little once…I looked up the combinations for the Super and Miracle Arts so I'd know them ahead of time. So sue me.
Vagrant Story
I really don't know why they don't try another title, as this was an action/RPG that actually might translate well to today's faster-paced environment. I really thought I wouldn't like the "action" part of this game but they did it so damn well – and I could still pause combat, which is crucial in my eyes – that I was instantly hooked. The story and writing was also spectacular and if I remember correctly, this was one of the first games that gave the player a lot of incentive to re-play the adventure. Didn't your character advancement transfer over to the new game+? And then you could just keep powering up? At any rate, this game ruled .
Wild ARMs
This is the only series on the list that sort of went downhill; it started great a good 15 years ago. The original Wild ARMs was one of the first great RPGs on the PlayStation (along with Suikoden ). I really liked the second and third ones, too, but things started to degrade after that. There were different developers involved and the series really lost its sense of identity. I kind of liked the Western theme in WA3 and I was also a big fan of assembling a party early, and sticking with that same group throughout. It really made you care about the characters, you know? Given the right team, I think another Wild ARMs could be great.
I'm sure there are many others but these are the most pressing, I'd say. 🙂
What do you mean what are they doing they got like five big name titles coming next year they're pretty busy.
Wild Arms 3 was my 1st and only turned-based rpg I haven't played any since then I should probably try to go back and play some of the other ones.
Hey you know what Ben since the PSVita is coming out this would be a perfect opportunity to bring some of those back for the handheld….. OR a console version… Either one is fine I guess.
Last edited by GuyverLT on 6/25/2011 10:55:47 AM
You can play PSX Classics on the PSP and Vita. The PSP has quite a few rpgs on its own as well. If you mean 'made for Vita' then yah I hope so too.
=<.<=
I was talking about like… you know brand new turned-based rgs.
Those games would be perfect for the handheld.
I mean what are they dong in terms of RPG, Capcom doing pure shooters, or ok beat em up games.
"Lot of rumors that the new dragon quest will end up on the wii u.'
Its no rumor, but a mistranslation, but at this point DQX is obviously for the Wii.
In regards to the Wii U though, SE obviously looking to expand FF to the plaform which leads me to think that SE intends to take the franchise multiplaform in a big way.
I really enjoyed the first two Lufia games for the SNES (I think the rest of the series were gameboy exclusives, so I never tried them). They both had good stories, lovely graphics (for their time, of course), plenty of side quests, and really solid gameplay.
My only issue was that the battle system could be a little (or sometimes VERY) annoying at times. Instead of a Final Fantasy-esque ATB system where you would pick a characters action and then they would do it, you had to pick your entire party's actions at the beginning of the round and then they (and the enemies) would go in order of their speed.
But with turn-based being all but abandoned, I'm sure that would be a moot point. Still, I'd love to see more stories set in that world with today's tech.
Yes! Legend of Legaia and Wild Arms 2 were my first 2 RPG loves and I want them back!
" LoD isn't a "franchise." 🙂 "
Maybe i failed to understand something but Vagrant story should not be in you re list then.
Anyway , i agree will all you re choice but i ll rather see another breath of fire then most of those .
Can't forget Breath of Fire, Earthbound, Shining Force and Lufia(a true installment, not the ds one). Mother 3 was a good game, but somehow it didn't capture the feeling of the originals. Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter was an amazingly underrated game by many. Shining Force Feather looked like it finally got the series back on track but it will never see a release here it looks like and poor Lufia has been left to fend for itself for far too long. These were all best seller franchises. I mean, we're getting game like Parasite Eve: 3rd B-day which are good but not rpgs or the Lufia remake or Golden Sun: Dark Dawn reviving those classic frnachises mostly to success. Publishers need to stop being wimps and take a chance. If they gave us more of what we want like these series, a lot more people would be apt to buy their other games out of loyalty. SE is a perfect example of their fans becoming true sceptics and making it so they can't make money like they used because we just don't trust them anymore. Getting the rights back and producing some of these amazing franchises talked about in this article would go a long way towards restoring the faith.
i just want suikoden 2 to come to psn DANG IT!!! lol. i would love to see a new one, and a new xenosaga. i would also love to see a new chrono.
I want Suikoden, Xenogears, and Grandia to return! ^_^
The way the Xenogears story went, you could easily make that a series based on the various timelines described in brief in the game. (Sophia and co. for example)
Here is my list, plus a couple non series:
Arc the Lad
Breath of Fire
Cosmic Fantasy – TG16 CD (Seriously One of the Best !!!)
Dragon Slayer – TG16 CD (More of an ARPG)
Fire Emblem (SRPG)
Grandia
Legend of Legaia
Lufia
Lunar
Persona
Phantasy Star
SaGa Frontier
Secret of Mana
Shining Force (SRPG)
Star Ocean
Suikoden
Tales of …
Vandal Hearts
Wild Arms
Xenosaga
These need to get "Back to the Basics", Not Today's Garbage:
⢠Dragon Warrior/Quest
⢠Final Fantasy
Not a Series – But I Loved'm !!!:
⢠Mystaria – Saturn (SRPG)
⢠Vay – Sega CD (SRPG)
I need more Star Ocean and Valkyrie Profile in my life.