Top 5 RPG's of all times

I tried playing Xenogears on a ps emu.. But couldn't get the sound to work during the cutscenes :( kinda sucked. Anyway for my list. This is kinda hard, actually, but I'll try to pick those that meant something to me, and my view on gaming. Also, I'm counting in a PC RPG, does that count? :)

Also, this might be a long reply.. I feel a list would say nothing, without my own personal explanation about why they are there, and how they mean something to me.

Edit: Hehe, got a little longer than I planned >_<
Maybe I needed this, and this was a good oppurtunity to work with myself, about the games, and what they meant to me.

Here's the short list:
1st: Chrono Trigger
2nd: FF7
3rd: Suikoden 2
4th: IWD
5th: Suikoden

Also mind you, I'm only a secondary english speaker, and tired (maybe poisoned by my family!! Oo) so blame the spelling, and gramar errors on that :)

---1st Place: Chrono Trigger---

There are no words to describe this game.. It's totally awesome. If there is something like a perfect game, this must be it.

The story, the gameplay, the graphics, music, you name it, everything fits together and creates one of the most touching, involving games ever made.

I played this game after FF7 and the suikoden games, if I remember correct, but still it tops my list.

---2nd place: Final Fantasy VII---

Probably the first RPG I ever played (unless it was Suikoden, can't remember. And mind you, as a somewhat young, non-us guy, this isn't all that weird :D) and showed me a type of gameplay, and worlds beyond that of FPS's and actiongames. Being a PNP player, the same feeling of immersion and type of style, came all over me.

This game was something special. Even in its simplesness in characters and dialogues, there was something beneath that. Something you only got your finger on, and made this game, together with all the other good elements, a masterpiece.

I've played all the other FF games, and they were all good, but that was all after FF7, which is the game I remember, connects feelings to, and love. The first minute I played it, I was hooked.

---3rd place: Suikoden II---

The first game was great. It was better than great. How its sequel could beat it, is beyond understanding. While other 3D rpgs might have looked better (cough!), Suikoden II had something special - and to me - much more important; content!

There were tons of things to do, improve/explore your castle (the cooking contest is a personal favourite!), and even with so many characters, the game succeeeded to bring them to life, through customization and subleme things (the message box, where you get random messages from pretty much all characters). Mix that with a great, involving, mature story (with deeper thoughts and acts from involvants).

Suikoden II is a prime example how the gamemakers have overestimated 3D graphics (Alundra, a beutiful 2D zelda-like game, compared to its sequel Alundra 2, which looks so crappy I could puke, is an good example. And what if Suikoden 3 were made in beutiful, advanced 2D instead? How different things could've been..)

With the best from the 1st part, and improvements to its weak spots, even though it was alittle to short, for my liking, Suikoden II mainly is on my list, cuz it's the game I had most fun playing. And isn't that what it's all about?

---4th place: Icewind Dale---

I played Baldurs gate before I ever got my hands on Icewind dale actually, loved it, and it truly is a masterpiece, but Icewind Dale is superior to it, according to me anyway. Even though Baldurs gate was big, free, you could go pretty much everywhere, and do what you want, Icewind Dale had something BG lacked.

I don't know what really, maybe it was the character creation. Instead of making just one character (ya I know bout the multi "exploit" where you can play a whole party, made by yourself, but it's just not the same >_<) in IWD you created your whole party, from an excellent list of portraits/sounds. You really felt for your party, and recognized yourelf with them.

Maybe it was the world, more static and linear than Bg, but so much more attractive, with crypts that had awesome hinting/story behind them and its dwellers, an ruined elf stronghold with interactable ghosts (and a crazy, squirellkilling lich to the boot!) and tragic story about their past life. Ofcourse I'm talking about the Severed Hand! Vale of shadows, Dorns Deep, Dragons eye.. All these places I remember, and loved to venture in. I do not think there is a game I've ever played, that I can recite like IWD.

I do know one thing that made IWD great, and the winner over BG. Its rewarding and noticeable feeling of accomplishment, and advancements. When your characters advanced in level (little by little) it made you happy, and you noticed it. It fit in the world and gameplay, in a perfect way. Advancing from the start, to endgame, in IWD, was a beutiful journey. Also the world was packed with random, interesting magic items (without throwing them on you like candy), all highly well done, with a story behind them, and ack, getting them, for me cannot be described in words. :)

Also with the expansions Heart of Winter (which introduced the Heart of Fury mode, which allowed replay with the same chars), Trials of the Luremaster, the journey was even prolonged, which makes it an important game in my life.

---5th place: Suikoden---

Made before (I think?) FF7, Suikoden didn't have the same good graphics, and lived in the much more popular and hyped shadow for awhile. I remember reading an review when Suikoden when it was released, and they were like "meh", cuz of FF7's coming release.

It was a great game though. Very great. And many saw that, first when it released, or playing it at a later time in life. Suikoden introduced lots of new things, and concepts to an rpg, and wasn't much about monster bashing, or fighting ancient evil. It was about politics, and relations. Priorities, and the means to succeess.

With a somewhat dark, and mature theme, behind the colorful, anime graphics, this game got to me. Introducing new (or forgotten)and differetly done things, than other rpg's, tons of characters, your own castle, politicdriven story, hugescaled battles, duels, Suikoden was clearly an original, and showed that it's worth to dare to do something differently.

The graphics were nice, and the music differently (also has one of my favourite songs ever in it, often bypassed in haste, as it's in just one place in the game, I belive; An old Irish song, Dragon Knights), and also the game that come to give the masterpiece Suikoden II eventually. Also, this game has probably one of the best, rewarding endings I've ever seen (even though S2's was good, I expected more).

I thought FFVII looked like crap, too. :/

1. Final Fantasy VI
2. Super Mario RPG
3. Dragon Warrior IV
4. Legend of Zelda:Wind Waker
5. Final Fantasy IX

Tommy: lol did you just have 4 different mood swings in that PM?
:D :( :@ :<3