Tough RPGs

[Bablefish]

I am talking about any RPG that either wants to throw it away or regret you ever bought the damn game in the first place. I admit I have not played a lot of RPGs and that is less than 10, but I certainly played some tough ones.


Phantasy Star SMS
I admit this is a good game, but what gave me those severe pain behind the eyes kind of headaches was those mazes, they just kept on going back on themselves. I finally gave up on the last maze, I just could not do it and have never gone back. Btw Phantasy Star 3 is easy compared to the original.

Zelda Oracle of Seasons GBC
I just started to play this game for the very first time, and I bought it new. I just gave up because I just could not figure this one out. The mazes, the tasks it just drove me crazy. Even more so now and that is with a walk through I got from gamefaqs.com. I say this is the hardest RPG ever made, my fingers actually get sore by navigating those complicated mazes, I should say over complicated mazes. I played FF7 and it wasn't this hard. Then the seasons angle to the game, I can't tell you as much as a headache they have been.

[Iron Lizard]

Vay wasn't tough. It just bored me to death.

I hate to say it Dragon Quest 8 is also doing the same. All I do in that game is powerup. I am starting to really get bored of it.

[j_factor]

Ultima: Runes of Virtue 2. The game combines super tough dungeons with an auto-save system. Thus it's very easy to get yourself trapped. If you're ever halfway through a dungeon with very little HP left, you're screwed. You can't load your last save because it saved to your current position.

[Knuckle Duster]

Dragon Quest 8 is like most oldschool non-cinematic RPGs, in that you need patience to get slowly engrossed in the experience. It's the best 'Old' console style game in quite some time, lots of hidden stuff too.

The only RPGs I ever get fed up with are the modernized 'stupid' cookie cutter titles with the piss-poor voice work or a story fit to lobotomize a 12 year old who believes in dragon balls.

Games that 'everybody was praising, yet sucked so bad that I got angry':

Rogue Galaxy ("OMFG you mean my protagonist luke skywalker can turn into a super saiyan because of his hidden deus-ex-machina serving origins?")

Baroque (Worst game nobody should care about that got ported and remade all over the place.)

Blue Dragon (Bland, Stereotypical, Not fun)

Eternal Sonata (Shallow gameplay was like a kick in the junk, the game would have been fantastic.)

Xenosaga II (1 was awesome, 2 was slow, broken, crap.)

Final Fantasy X-2 (Fuck right off)

Any RPG that relies on multiple games for total completion (Pokemon trading) is bullshit from the get go.

Also: "Post 777, WHAT DO I WIN? NOTHING?! AHH CRAP!"

[QuickSciFi]

I don't think one should play these pioneering games with the same mindset as, say, Skies of Arcadia or Grandia II. Phantasy Star for the SMS or Shining in the Darkness, or even Sword of Vermilion, these games produce a certain appeal that the newer ones don't have. For starters, the simplicity alone allows you to grasp the storyline and obvious role-playing notion with much ease. I enjoy these games as much as the newer RPGs, just differently. However, to discard them as "difficult" with respect to current RPGs is simply the same take as dismissing 2D retro platforming games as too difficult with
respect to current 3D platformers. It's the same analogy I usually get from current gen gamers who are opposed to retro: "Retro games are too difficult," or "I can't get passed Chemical Plant Zone in Sonic 2, this game sucks."

BTW: In retro RPGs like these, if it's getting "too difficult", is usually because you want to rush into things. Getting power-ups/level-ups is the essence in many of these games. You must acquire experience before you tackle those boss fights.

[5233]

I think Evolution for Dreamcast had some good moments and a colorful cast, but ended up being very repetitive. I think the NGPC version was actually much better.

The 7th Saga is a pretty tough RPG but also one that I never got into.
And how about Drakkhen?

[Iron Lizard]

I gave Dragon Quest 8 two weeks of my time and still bored the hell out of me. It has a nice peaceful, pleasant, almost old school Disney feel to it but it is boring . Sorry. I said it it. BORING.

I forgot about Skies of Arcadia. It was great but the amount of battle scenes made me want to drink. I hear they fixed that on GC.

[FoxHound]

Zelda Oracle of Seasons GBC
I just started to play this game for the very first time, and I bought it new. I just gave up because I just could not figure this one out. The mazes, the tasks it just drove me crazy. Even more so now and that is with a walk through I got from gamefaqs.com. I say this is the hardest RPG ever made, my fingers actually get sore by navigating those complicated mazes, I should say over complicated mazes. I played FF7 and it wasn't this hard. Then the seasons angle to the game, I can't tell you as much as a headache they have been.

I agree. I am stuck on that game as well. got to heal the sick Gorgon..

@knuckleduster

I like Eternal Sonata, but there is something about it that doesnt make it perfect

[Karakasa-Obake]

The only RPGs I ever had much trouble with were one where they didn't tell you what to do next. Especially if said RPG is huge and the only means of transportation is walking.

[Holy Emperor92]

Final Fantasy XII, I threw it in my closet 2 years ago and have never bothered with it again and don't plan to. I just love spending hours sitting there watching my characters "attack, take damage, attack, take damage, heal, repeat" while I have no intereaction with it at all but decide to watch just incase something out of the ordinary happens.

It wasn't "tough" as in its really, really difficult (that goes to the first Dragon Warriors and Phantasy Star 2), it was just tough for me to adapt to the gameplay and having to spend hours upon hours to complete the thing when I could be playing something else that I could actually enjoy.


I also liked Rogue Galaxy... but I can agree that it was a giant mess.

[Knuckle Duster]

And how about Drakkhen?

I did everything in that game, and enjoyed it as much as anyone could. My friend got nerd rage whenever he seen it. "WHAT A TERRIBLE FUCKING GAME! LET ME PLAY BATTLETOADS!"

It was unique for a SNES title, and wasn't 'hard' other than testing your patience.

Tragically, the sequel 'Dragon View' was 1000 times better, and 1000 times harder to find IMO.

@knuckleduster

I like Eternal Sonata, but there is something about it that doesnt make it perfect

It's way too linear. Even for a generic 'linear RPG' it's too confining with really nothing to 'find' or 'do' other than push the plot forward.

[kool kitty89]

However, to discard them as "difficult" with respect to current RPGs is simply the same take as dismissing 2D retro platforming games as too difficult with
respect to current 3D platformers. It's the same analogy I usually get from current gen gamers who are opposed to retro: "Retro games are too difficult," or "I can't get passed Chemical Plant Zone in Sonic 2, this game sucks."

I see the comparison, but I prefer 3D platformers for the simple reason of the gameplay, I've never been as good at 2D platformers or found them as much fun (mainly for that reason). Though getting into Sega stuff I'm finding I like Sonic a lot more than I did 2D Mario growing up, well excpet Yoshi's Island. (I grew up with N and PC, so I did have a tad of Sega as PC ports and at freinds' prior to them going 3rd party) Still, I'm a bit partial to 3D blast and others like BUG! which are only psudo 3D platformers.

Dragon Quest 8 is like most oldschool non-cinematic RPGs, in that you need patience to get slowly engrossed in the experience. It's the best 'Old' console style game in quite some time, lots of hidden stuff too.

The only RPGs I ever get fed up with are the modernized 'stupid' cookie cutter titles with the piss-poor voice work or a story fit to lobotomize a 12 year old who believes in dragon balls.

Games that 'everybody was praising, yet sucked so bad that I got angry':

Rogue Galaxy ("OMFG you mean my protagonist luke skywalker can turn into a super saiyan because of his hidden deus-ex-machina serving origins?")

Baroque (Worst game nobody should care about that got ported and remade all over the place.)

I'm not a huge RPG guy, don't hate them, just don't play then that much. (mainly I get a bit too engrossed and end up spending too much time, knd of short term addition)
Baroque: I've seen this (in fact my brother's borrowing the Wii version currently), it looked like a decent action-RPG, of course looks can be deceiving.

The original pokemon games were fun, as long as you didn't care about completing the game. Just playing it, "beating it" (elite 4) and battling/trading with friends for fun. (not to collect them all)

[ThugsRook]

Phantasy Star SMS
I admit this is a good game, but what gave me those severe pain behind the eyes kind of headaches was those mazes, they just kept on going back on themselves. I finally gave up on the last maze, I just could not do it and have never gone back.

i had to draw myself a map for the Baya Malay Tower. not just to get thru it, i wanted to make sure i found everything.

[gamevet]

Albert Odyssey (Saturn version): It was bad enough that the game would crash during battle load screens, but I have a strange feeling my save file must have glitched somewhere. Shortly after getting the airship into flight, it crashes. I'd saved the game and went back to play it several times, but could never find the person I was supposed to talk to. I've looked through gamefaqs and whatever other sources there are and it appears that the one key element I'm supposed to find, isn't there.

I'd start Albert Odyssey over again, but I just don't think I'll have the patience to go through what I've already played.

[GriskaGyoran]

Time Stalkers-Dreamcast

While the game is actually easy, understanding it and trying to come up with strategies is the hardest things I have done for any RPG. If you wing it it is easy, if you ttry to play by the games rules its hard.