Sci-fi RPGs that can do without magic or telekinesis

For me, it's got to be this list:

1. Star Ocean

2. Xenogears and Xenosaga

3. Wild Arms, even though it's a western and not a sci-fi game

4. Mass Effect

The reason is because I feel that scientists and technicians are the real polar-opposites of mages, not psychics. Literally, sci-fi and modern-war shooters are the new norm compared to Japanese RPGs last-generation, and I feel that those sci-fi JRPGs should become squad-based shooters without magic or telekinesis.

Mass Effect, on the other hand, is okay, because it's more squad-based shooter than RPG,even though it could do without the biotics.

I actually think ALL RPG's can do without that sort of stuff.

Yeah I feel as though alot of developers just add the idea of magic into their games to create a more varied class system. However very few games actually use the magic to weave into their storylines in a good way. So yes, I agree that it can be fairly pointless.

Biotics = telekinesis, though. They were pretty much ME's version of magic.

Biotics is not magic at all. If you research through ME1 gameplay, people obtained biotic capability due to exposure to Element Zero.

Being exposed to a radioactive element =/= magic.

Then those exposed received technological implants to help focus and control the capability.

Magic in and of itself is an innate ability, not a technological one.

An RPG without those things? It can be done but I like them. I always start off as a caster if it is available.

Biotics are a huge part of Mass Effect lore and to discard it wouldn't make much sense.the_ChEeSe_mAn2

So what? Biotics is too fantasy-like for a sci-fi game. As for what Almighty-Mints said, he's right. Telekinesis is often added in a sci-fi game as an excuse to add variety, even though I don't see what's wrong with a scientist being the sci-fi equivalent of the mage in a sci-fi RPG, and not a psychic.

I mean, look at Otacon and Cortana. While they lack combat-skills similar to Solid Snake and Master Chief, they're the brains to Snake and Chief's brawn, similar to a wizard with a knight in fantasy. Because of this, Otacon, Cortana, and most other scientists and AIscan be just as much useful to the main protagonists in sci-fi, as any wizard would to knights in fantasy.

Asari have biotics naturally without exposure to eezo. That seems pretty magic to me.

Not knocking the game mechanic at all; biotics are awesome (Jack!), but your argument there is a tad flawed. I'd still consider them to be magic, in that they make very little sense in scientific terms. Mass effect fields, okay, I'll buy that, but generating them to flay people alive with your mind? Nah, magic. Magic in a scientific shirt, but still magic.

Cool magic :)

None, that would just make games shallow.

None, that would just make games shallow.

wiouds

I'm pretty sure since magic has been a part of the RPG formula since the pen-and-paper days, it should stay that way. I gotta have my battle-mage :)

[QUOTE="wiouds"]

None, that would just make games shallow.