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USgamer's Top 25 RPG Countdown Begins!
AXE OF THE BLOOD GOD | Kat and Nadia talk about Ys 8's localization woes before diving into number 25 on their list of the best 25 RPGs to date.
Article
by
Kat Bailey,
06/25/2018.
Axe of the Blood God is our weekly RPG podcast hosted by Kat Bailey and Nadia Oxford. You can find the previous episodes here.
E3 2018 is officially done and dusted, and that means that Nadia and I can finally get to more pressing business: choosing our definitive list of the 25 best RPGs in gaming history [download link here]!
As I note in the podcast, the original impetus for this project was Game Informer and IGN posting their Top 100 RPG lists at roughly the same time last year. It made me want to put together my own list, but trying to sum up these grand hundred hour experiences in a few paragraphs felt hollow to me. So decided to give every entry its own segment in Axe of the Blood God instead!
Over the next few months, Nadia and I will be counting down our list of the top 25 RPGs in gaming history. We will talk about its history, why it stands out, some of its best moments, and of course, why it still holds up today. We'll also be doing a companion essay on the site, so keep an eye out for that as well.
Lists like these are always a little dumb and arbitrary, but they do help to put things into context a little bit. Plus it's an excuse to talk about some of our very favorite games! I hope you'll join us as we undertake this journey through RPG history.
Where to find us (Subscribe, rate, and review!)
Show Description
It's finally time! Kat and Nadia commence Axe of the Blood God's countdown of the Best 25 RPGs with an in-depth discussion of number 25 on our list! We discuss its history, what makes it stand out, some of its best moments, and ultimately why it holds up. Don't miss out! Plus we're joined by GameXplain's Ash Paulsen to talk about Ys VIII's Switch port and its ongoing localization woes.
Music from Axe of the Blood God is courtesy of Lena Chappelle, who has also contributed the themes to Active Time Babble and Roleplayers' Realm. I also use music from the RPG Music Pack over at rpgmaker.net. Check it out!
This article may contain links to online retail stores. If you click on one and buy the product we may receive a small commission. For more information, go here.
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I liked the GBA version well enough, but only when I replayed the game a few months back did I really appreciate what makes FF5 great: it is just so impeccably balanced, and that makes combat fun. I don't like grinding generally, but it's much more enjoyable here than in any other FF I can think of. The time investment in jobs has an excellent payoff, the game gives you lots of interesting options (such as picking 3 of the legendary weapons at a time), and it's just... fun.
Come join in and gives some money to Child's Play while you're at it!
Please troll everyone and make FFXIII #1.
Please troll everyone and make FFXIII #1.
Personally I wouldn't call it the 2nd best FF. My list would go something like: 6, 4, 1, 11, 7, with 5 coming in at #6. But really, there's so many great Final Fantasy games, it can be hard to make a list, with all the SNES and PS1 FFs being fantastic, and many of the others still being very good as well.
anyone have a guess as to the other ff showing up? my guess and vote is for ff12, but who knows!
As for FFV, I definitely agree the job system was incredible, but that grind was just too much. Too bad because it sounds like I missed out on some hilarious writing.
Any chance of doing a tease of the next game on the list at the end of the podcasts? Maybe a little snippet of music?
Kat, you're moving too fast. I just got to stage 50 and realized despite getting most of the SR points, I did not fulfill the secret part of the game because I have two units who have over 90 kills. Looks like I'm attempting playthrough 2.
Unfortunately, that day and date PC port was very much not that...
As a GameXplain fan it was an awesome surprise to see Ash as a guest.Edited June 2018 by TheRiverMarquis
FF V’s job system added new dimensions to the RPG genre that we now take for granted. It provided players more freedom in developing and advancing their characters. FF V’s story may not have been as intricate as other installments of that era, but I think its influence is every bit as pronounced.Edited June 2018 by Gamer-Law
(not being entirely serious here)
Also, please don't do a Rock Paper Shotgun and make Dark Souls #1. It's a great game, but I don't think it should be classified as an RPG.
Here is the part I am slightly (and maybe not really?) ashamed of: I don't have time to grind. I'm getting too old for that shit so once I got to the final dungeon and I felt like I wanted to unlock certain class skills I went ahead and trekked down to the usual grinding spot (you know the one, with the floating knight statues) and just turned on a 5x or 10x ABP earned cheat. I know, fuck me right? I don't care, I'd rather the computer simulate me doing this mundane fight 5 or 10 times over than me having to sit through each one myself. We live in the age of technology, embrace letting computers take over the boring part! Anyway that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it, other than that little bit of grinding at the very end of the game I didn't cheat ot game the system. FF5 itself is a great game and a lot of fun but grinding doesn't have to be a part of that anymore.
*Kat and Nadia aren’t included with those dinosaurs
I don't necessarily prefer it to the open party customization offered by later games. The typical approach to RPG parties, "collect all your buds and then they just hang out with you forever and ever," frees the player up to experiment and sort of mold their game experience to their liking, which is nice. But I think there's also something to be said for having to regularly alter your approach to combat to suit the classes the game gives you to work with.
I also liked it from a narrative standpoint, because it kept things lively when story events could alter the composition of your party, whether due to yet another of Kain's endless string of betrayals, characters' need to accomplish goals separate from those of the party, or just straight-up deaths.
And then you go after the 'some of best modern games are turn-based' fan email. You dismissively state I can't think of a modern turn-based game that is great. Then your co-host mentions Persona 5, which is a game of which you are a fan. Then you change the argument by changing "best" to "popular" in the next sentence and continue to run down the email. Why have that email on the show in the first place?
*deep breath*
Ok, you knew that was coming, so I have no more to say on that, and I am excited about the rest of the list! Great work, guys.