Needing help with finding an old RPG game for either PS2 or Original Xbox

Hello, everyone. Sorry, I'm actually pretty new here and just learned of this site today. I tried posting on Reddit but... well, I need to build Karma and whatnot and... yeah. So I'll copy and paste what I tried to post there onto here. Will also try to post this in IGN and see if anybody there might know of it.

I honestly do not remember very much about this game. I've been looking for it for quite a few years now. I'm hoping maybe someone here might know of it.

The game, I believe has almost a real-time battle strategy, where you fight alongside 2 or maybe 3 allies aside from the MC. I remember this Village and talking about protecting it, then, from there, I had to go and fight... I guess, some kind of Dracula dude. I think someone might've gotten kidnapped or he was too dangerous to be left alone. I think this is one of those games where it's not very popular. I guess you can think of this kind of game similar to Growlanser: Heritage of War.

I really do not remember much about this game but played it as a kid back in the 2000's era. Roughly 2005-2007. Any help would be highly appreciative and I'd be happy to simply end my search once I find it. I swear it was on PS2 but I could be wrong and it might be the original Xbox.

was it cute anime style graphics or more realistic and dark graphics? And does it have like the random encounters?

I do not know much about ps2 role playing games but one role playing game series which is on playstation is Suikoden but i guess it is probably not Suikoden 3, 4 or 5.

Maybe a game like Koudelka on PlayStation 1 is a bit like the game you are looking for.

Koudelka was a Ps1 game which was a role playing game in a sort of dark environment.

If its jrpg its probably shadow hearts or shadow hearts covenant. Its on PS2.

@simonthekid7:Honestly, I never seen this game but it looks like a good game, too. I'm sorry for taking so long to reply, I thought maybe people disregarded this and I had giving up, thinking this thread would've gone deeper into the search before anyone finds it. But that's not the game. When I did more thinking, I remember the gameplay. Your allies fights with you but doesn't send you to the battle scene, instead, wherever you are, it is the battle scene. The game starts in the village, I think you're waking up but then you have to defend the village. I remember seeing a mage-like character and from there, I had to go to this castle. I thought maybe Legend of Legaia was it but the one I remember never had any world map. Thank you for taking the time for me. Part of me thinks it's a bit on the realistic side of things but have that anime feel. Maybe Anime Portraits?

@sakaixx: I can confirm those aren't it, either. The game I remember is more in the medieval side of things. I mean, it started in a Village. I do remember a Mage in that game, aside from the MC. I do think it's JRPG but I could be wrong, too. Ah. The game I played was in North America if that's important. I noticed this when looking through the game list but I just couldn't find it. Thank you for taking the time for me and sorry for taking forever getting back to you. I had thought this thread was a lost cause.

@simonthekid7: Oops! Sorry, Suikoden series are my favorite so it's definitely not it. Lol.

I feel l should reword this from my recent post on Reddit(Posted 3 times and still no luck)

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Platform(s): PS1, PS2, or Original Xbox (Pretty sure it's PS2)

Genre: RPG(?) or JRPG(?)

Estimated year of release: I truly believe it was between 2000 to 2009

Graphics/art style: I believe with a somewhat natural real life style but in 2D colors with 3D objects. Similar to the original Final Fantasy 9 graphic

Notable characters: Hardly any details that I can remember. If anything, I'll go along with young man, probably 16 to 18 years old

Notable gameplay mechanics: Nothing absolute. Just ideas. I believe this one is real time, you don't transfer over to the "battle screen", instead, you're already fighting in the normal screen. Also, the gameplay is above character, where you can see the map, itself, but a bit tilted downward where you can still see everyone's body

Other details: I posted this before but figured I'll try again as this is really bugging me. I don't think this game is really popular, though. MAYBE on the same level as Suikoden V popular, if not less. But new information came to me that I had forgotten to mention in my last post I created but I'll explain everything I possibly can

The game, I believe, started in the village within the wood. I don't remember the intro. I know it wasn't 2D arts, except maybe for the Character Portraits. I believe I started out as a young sword wielder who has no idea what he's doing. Probably a silent protagonist but I could be wrong on this. I remember I fought inside of the Village from monsters, then I had to go and see... someone in the wood? I believe he was fighting alone to keep the village safe from the outside and had to help him. I think that's how I learned how to fight there. Or at least some kind of special ability

I believe the Mayor and Hero's party got to talking about some kind of legend of this... Dracula kind of guy and then I traveled to this Castle. I feel like I witnessed a kidnapping at the start of the castle. Maybe the Hero's Lover or potential lover?

I really don't believe this game is turn base, either. But I know I had to go to some kind of Castle filled with monsters. I had to solve puzzles or maybe teleport around. I believe three characters were together after the village. The Hero, a mage, and maybe a hunter or a healer? It could be a 3-men battle system or a 4-men battle system. Your allies follows you around and even engage against monsters with you. I remember seeing enemies shooting out magic orbs or magic circle at me while I tried to run out of the room. I think this Mage was dressed all in black. Maybe the inside of his coat/cape was red? I feel like they actually say Mana in the game but I could be wrong due to working with others via RPG Maker community.

The start of this Castle, I feel like there was some kind of fence or... one of those poles with red ropes tied to it. It was almost like a maze with this fence, except, you can pretty much see where you're going.

Honestly, the only thing I remember is the village(barely), the forest, and that castle. I remember I gave up because the game was too hard for me at the time. (I was only in my early teen, like 10 or 11. I'm 29 now.).

One thing I know for sure is... It's been a pain in the a** trying to remember and search for this game for the past 5 years now. But anyhow, I really hope someone can figure it out for me. I don't know if it was made in Japan or wherever but I do know I played this in English in North America.

@manny_tearson: Radiata stories? Summoner 2?

@sargentd: Neither. Radiata Stories is a good game, though. Never played Summoner 2. Neither matches the description of starting from the village to defending it and then finding this evildoer. Lol. But thank you for trying.

@manny_tearson: no way its as popular as Suikoden V. People actually play or heard of Suikoden and quite few of us love the series here.

Considering you think it may be on Xbox as well and features real time combat + overhead view, I am guessing its probably not JRPG.

My guess is Baldur Gate: Dark Alliance or Champions of Norrath. Or if it is a JRPG, probably YS Ark of Naphistism or Shining Force. Or probably just Valkyrie Profile Silmeria. Or DQ8.

Evergrace? An early PS2 rpg.

@sakaixx: Woah, seriously?! Most people I know doesn't even know anything about Suikoden, so much so, they treated it like it's the first time they ever heard of it. I fell in love with it back when I was a kid. Haha.

I only mentioned Xbox to try and expand the horizon a bit but I actually played the PS2 the most. Unfortunately, none of those games are what I'm looking for.

Honestly, I'm starting to wonder if what I remembered was heavily altered due to playing various games during my time. Perhaps, I got a little too influenced with Growlanser: Heritage of War. The only game I saw that was "close" to what I remembered was Legend of Legaia. But that battle mechanic feels a bit off to me. I swear I remember characters following the Hero and having to dodge a bit (there's no jumping) from attacks getting shot at me. Reason for remembering this is because I had to start all over again and got frustrated that I just ran straight to the top floor of the castle without fighting after spending hours of exploring.

In any case, (in case you don't know how else to help) thank you for trying. I know I'm probably a complicated case for this one.

@simonthekid7: Sorry, that's not the game, either. But thank you for your continuous help. That game started in a different area from what I remembered and doesn't look like it'd be inside of a village to defend it.

That said, I worry I may be misremembering this game, though, I do wonder if maybe you know of any other game similar to Growlanser: Heritage of War's Battle strategy? And if maybe it'd start in a village, as well?