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The 26 Best RPGs

• By GamePro Staff
• November 05, 2008 17:09 PM PST
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#13: Final Fantasy XII

This conclusive Final Fantasy game for the PlayStation 2 is considered by many RPG fans to be a series pinnacle of storytelling, combat customization, and graphical beauty. Taking place in the world of Ivalice, gamers were treated to a rich tale of magic, war, and revolution with one of the most memorable video game casts yet. Not only did Final Fantasy XII introduce the Active Time Battle and Gambit systems, but it also changed a tried and true RPG standard by eliminating random battles entirely. It sold like crazy in Japan, with over 1 million copies in its first week (as well as a coveted perfect score from Famitsu Magazine), and the U.S. sales quickly established FFXII as the tenth best-selling PS2 game in history. Final Fantasy XII is still one of the best titles around, with a style that challenges even the most modern, high-tech video games today.

#12: Earthbound

Plenty of SNES gamers who could get beyond the game's graphics received a real treat when they first fired up Earthbound. What seemed to be the simple story of a boy saving the world turned out to be an RPG that played off of US culture and RPG clichs. Between calling your deadbeat dad, swinging a baseball bat at hippies, or taking on your next door neighbor in a battle to save the world, Earthbound wasn't your average RPG. It's a shame the US didn't appreciate it back in its day, since the GBA sequel still hasn't arrived stateside.

#11: Mass Effect

Bioware is a company that knows how to make quality RPG titles and Mass Effect is one of their best efforts to date. A deep and satisfying adventure set in a sprawling universe, Mass Effect had a little something for everyone. A complex story with far reaching consequences, compelling action sequences, tons of "phat lootz," characters you actually came to care about and a deep dialogue tree were just some of the reasons why Mass Effect was hailed by critics and gamers alike.

#10: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

There are two things gamers have always wanted to do when it comes to Star Wars. The first is to swing a motion-controlled lightsaber, and the second is to choose between light and dark side. While we still haven't quite seen the former done justice, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is exactly what fans wanted out of the latter. With a style and story better than the last three movies, and a real-time role-playing system that wisely buries its D20 roots under layers of lightsabers and blasters, KOTOR is a Star Wars fan's wet dream. Declaration: Knights of the Old Republic is the best RPG of the last generation.

#9: The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

It was more than just the advent of 3D technology that took Mario, Link and Samus out of the 2D realm. All three starred in titles that were the very definition of 2D perfection during the SNES era. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past was far more epic than the two previous 8-bit iterations, in both size and story. No longer limited in speaking to shopkeepers, old men, and hungry monsters, A Link to the Past featured an amazing cast of characters and an engaging story to complement the refined fighting and exploration style of the first. It's a testament to the game's perfection that Nintendo has by and large kept 2D Zelda titles away from consoles since A Link to the Past perfected it. Unless you count Four Swords, but really, who does that?

#8: Xenogears

With giant robots, kung fu fighting and a religiously charged plot backed by some impressive 3D sequences, Xenogears quickly went from sleeper hit RPG to an international bestseller on the PlayStation. Even if you didn't fully comprehend the complex story's several philosophical references, being able to shift from your 2D sprite to a fully 3D Gear was exciting in its own right. So deep was the customization and maintenance required for your Gear, and so rewarding were the results of adding parts and upgrades, the combat of Xenogears was almost another game within a game.

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