Top 10 Most Accessible RPGs

5. Mass Effect Trilogy

This space RPG is the second western RPG to make it on this list. It is an epic space opera with well-done voice acting, amazing graphics (for its time) and a very varied/ well developed cast of characters to interact with. The ME games are so well developed that you could believe that it is all really taking place far across the galaxy and that you are commander Shepard saving the galaxy from the reapers. To me Mass Effect embodies what an RPG is and should be. It offers the player choice, choices that are not just good or bad all the time but choices that are believable. It makes you care about your crew, and their faith, it makes you feel responsible, feel the weight of your decisions, and all in a neatly put together package. ME is also one of the most accessible games on this list, as it marries 3rd person shooting with RPG mechanics quite well. Which is why this series is one of the last generation’s must play games, so grab a controller or your keyboard and mouse and strap yourself in for a one of the best adventures you’ll ever experience in your life.

So far I have only been singing praises about this game, and so many of you may be wondering why it’s not in first position instead of 5th. Well that’s simple really. It has annoying flaws. First of which is the fact that the game is published by one of the most notorious publishers in the industry, EA. For those of us that have been playing video games for some time we know EA as a company that buys up pretty great IPs and then buries them in a huge pile of DLC, and Mass Effect is no different. Part 2 and 3 of the trilogy were both given Major DLC, some of which were already shipped in the game and later unlocked for those that paid for them. This is a naughty practice that only the worst practice. It is something that hurt ME for me and the main reason why it’s 5th on this list; were it not for that, this game would have easily made my top 3.

These games are available for:

PS3: link

PC: link

Xbox 360: link

4. The World Ends With You

Neko Sakuraba is just your trendy, moody Japanese bloke who happens to live in Shibua, the most fashionable part of Japan. Neko starts his adventure without any knowledge of how he got to Shibua or who he really is other than his name. He’s a lost boy, with no memory. Hmm…. isn’t this the plot for a lot of games and anime? In some ways it is, while in others it is not. You see even though this plot point has been used on numerous occasions for this type of medium it was perfected by TWEWY. This story of Neko quickly develops, and changes in so many different ways that you’ll have a to take a few moments while playing to stop, pause the game and say; “WTF”. This is all because the plot is so well done. The characters are also quite interesting and to top it all off, the art style. I know. Many of you are probably saying, “but Q art style has very little to do with the overall product”, however I’m afraid that I’ll have to disagree and I’ll explain why. You see this game uses a graffiti styled art style for everything, from the characters to the monsters, and it all works well with the mood that the developers were trying to set. Adding the amazing soundtrack to that wonderfully crafted story and you have a gem that should not be missed.

The World Ends With You doesn’t have much of what I’d call flaws. It’s a wonderful experience and I think that every reading this should give it a try if they can. It placed 4th on the list because it is a game that has a unique battle system that I personally didn’t take too long to learn, but I know that many others may not feel the same way.

This game is available for:

DS/3DS: link

Android: link

3. Persona 3 & 4

Notice I left out two. This is because I have not actually played the first, or second Persona games and you don’t need to either. This is because these games are not a part of a series, but are actually standalone experiences that exist in the same world with similar mechanics. These games borrow heavily for the influence of anime. This is very apparent when you look at the character design, the cut scenes and the style of stories that you get in a persona game. Now other than its anime side of things the P games are also very deep dungeon crawlers that can become pretty overwhelming for those that are not familiar with this kind of gameplay. The games are split into two styles of gameplay. One being a sort of school sim with dating sim elements and the other being the dungeon crawling. What scares most people away from these games is the dungeon crawling, but if one can manage to get past that they will be in for quite the treat in the form of a really great story. The Persona characters are all well designed and also manage to display various types of personality traits as the games progress. This helps the characters seem a lot more alive.

this game is available for:

PS Vita: P3 link, P4 link

PS3: P3 link, P4 link

2. Xenoblade Chronicles

Xenoblade Chronicles is by far one of the best games I have ever played. I could leave it at that and that would be enough, but it would be an injustice to such a great title to not elaborate some more about it. Xenoblade is an epic quest that takes place on the corpse of two giant dead creatures locked in an eternal battle. These creatures are so large that they house entire cities, ecosystems and more, and if you can see it you can reach it. That is what sets this title apart from many others. It’s basically freedom to do whatever you desire, with the only limitation being your ability to combat foes of higher levels. Heck in some situations you can run around a strong monster and retrieve a rare item before they can attack, and even if you die the game is generous with its resporn points. It lets you keep what progress you had made to that point and puts you as close to where you passed away as possible. This is very helpful when you have a really tough boss to beat and have yet figured out the right way to win.

So Q don’t you just keep wailing on an enemy until it kicks the bucket?

The short answer is no. Xenoblade Chronicles has a very intricate engaging battle system that demands focus on the part of the player to be successful at the game. You see each ability has its own buffs that are reliant on position of the attacker in relations to his or her target. Add to that the relationship between other characters attacks and the effects of the main character’s weapon and you have a very intricate but rewarding battle system. The music in this game is also a highlight. It perfectly fits the themes that the developers have created in such a way that you may find yourself humming the songs from the game long after you’ve completed it. The world of this game is one that draws you in and keeps you entranced throughout your entire length of play, and that is probably the only thing that I can fault this wonderful title for. It’s just so big that the most light hearted among us may sit this ride out, but for those that dare to venture into a world like no other then dust off that Wii or get a new 3DS and prepare for the adventure of a lifetime.

This Game is available for:

Wii: link

New 3DS: link

1. Golden sun (series)

The Golden Sun series is by far the best RPG series that I have personally ever played. The first 2 games were released for the Game Boy Advance, and in my opinion they pushed that little system to its limits. Then a few years later the 3rd instalment came to the DS, however of the 3 games that is the one that I have yet to complete, and not because of a lack of will to play it but basically because I don’t know where my copy of the game is (boy do I wish they were available on the eshop for the 3DS, all 3, I’d buy them all in a heartbeat).

So what’s so great about Golden sun?

For me it’s a lot of little things that all come together to make it a perfect package, so let’s break it all down one by one. First is size. As I mentioned before these games were first developed and released for Nintendo handheld systems. The first 2 pushed their platform to its limits making them two of if not the best looking GBA games ever. Other than their graphical appeal these games did the impossible. It’s gotta be witchcraft because I honestly don’t know how it was all possible. You see the game was huge, and I mean huge. You’ve got a huge world to explore that was gradually opened up to you as you progressed and eventually completely all yours to explore to your heart’s content, and boy did I explore it. How the developers were able to do such a thing on such a platform while making it look so good still baffles me. Another thing about these games is that they are literally ageless. What I mean when I say that is that no matter how many times I’ve played them, they seem to remain the same. The summons still look awesome, the world is vast and the characters and animations charming. GS has managed to be an RPG that is both challenging and bite sized at the same time. It never seems like too much or too little, kinda like Baby Bear’s porridge. The music in these games are great, the sound effects superb, the story is the right kind of deep. Add to that some of the best puzzles ever and a monster collection system that would give Pokémon a run for its money and you have GS in a nutshell. Ok so I could go into more detail about every bit of these games that I like to try to convince you that they are number 1, but if I were to do that I would spoil too much of what I consider to be the best experience I have ever had in gaming. Oh and by the way of the 3 games my personal favorite is the second; Golden Sun: The Lost Age.

These games are available for:

DS lite: link

DS/3DS: link

Wii U: link

Each of the games on this list is amazing in its own right and no matter my arrangement of them on the list it does not make anyone of them greater than the others. All the numbers serve to do is arrange them in the order that I prefer. I’m sure some of you would have them rearranged or maybe even scrap my list completely for 10 other games entirely, so with that I end my Top 10 RPG list, and leave the continuation of this conversation up to you.

if you’d like to hear more of my thoughts on this topic, then I suggest you listen to the Buttonsmashers podcast.