Gonna try a PS1 RPG!

I need to get into rpg's, and i'm gonna try some top tier ones. I've never played a rpg before.

I decided not to put vagrant story on the list, it costs like $35.

FF8 or FF9

Chrono Cross

Which is more newbie friendly/better aged? Chrono Cross is really looking interesting, plus the GS score of 10...

ff8 sucks. FF7 and 9, legend of Legia, and Xenogears is also awesome.  _AbBaNdOn

Well, I think the best place to start would be with the Final Fantasy Chronicles (FF IV and Chrono Trigger)or Anthology(FF V and VI).  Mind you, this is more old school than the PSone RPG's but they are also some of the best ever.  Then I'd work my way to Xenogears, Chrono Cross, FF VII, VIII, IX and Tactics.

If you can find them, the Persona and Lunar games were really well done as well.  That is assuming you find yourself enjoying these games of course.  Don't listen to these people that tell you one game sucks over another.  If you have the interest in it, I say try it as pretty much all the RPG's mentioned in this thread are worth their money to someone who enjoys RPGs. 

What a tough decission. Both FFVIII and Chrono Cross are excellent. I'd choose Chrono Cross, here's why:

1)CC is newer than FFVIII (in fact is one of the lastest PS RPGs), so it was developed when the PS1 was at its maximum.

2)Both stories are excellent, but I think CC's is better (more unique, the time-travelling is spectacular). But, you must tolerate silent-heros. If you don't, this game isn't for you

3) The battle system of FFVIII is a love it or hate it (I loved it, a lot of people hated it), on the other hand, CC's is less "controversial", and still it's interesting

Whathever you choose, I don't recommend FFIX. I found it boooooring (You can like it, but compared with those two monsters, FFIX isn't worth it).

Also, I suggest to try the PSX's best RPG: Suikoden II. But it's very difficult to find, and certainly you won't find it for $35 

Chrono Cross is great beacuse it's beginner friendly and also challenging enough for those who look for it.

FFVIII is my favorite RPG though.

Either one is a solid buy.

What a tough decission. Both FFVIII and Chrono Cross are excellent. I'd choose Chrono Cross, here's why:

1)CC is newer than FFVIII (in fact is one of the lastest PS RPGs), so it was developed when the PS1 was at its maximum.

2)Both stories are excellent, but I think CC's is better (more unique, the time-travelling is spectacular). But, you must tolerate silent-heros. If you don't, this game isn't for you

3) The battle system of FFVIII is a love it or hate it (I loved it, a lot of people hated it), on the other hand, CC's is less "controversial", and still it's interesting

Whathever you choose, I don't recommend FFIX. I found it boooooring (You can like it, but compared with those two monsters, FFIX isn't worth it).

Also, I suggest to try the PSX's best RPG: Suikoden II. But it's very difficult to find, and certainly you won't find it for $35

nravasi

I need to get into rpg's, and i'm gonna try some top tier ones. I've never played a rpg before.

I decided not to put vagrant story on the list, it costs like $35.

FF8 or FF9

Chrono Cross

Which is more newbie friendly/better aged? Chrono Cross is really looking interesting, plus the GS score of 10...

gotcha455

Many PS1 RPGs are going to be more on the pricey side since many are harder to find. That said here is a list of many PS1 RPGs that you may want to try provided you are able to find them and are willing to pay for them.

Alundra
Arc the Lad Collection
Breath of Fire III
Breath of Fire IV
Chrono Cross
Any of the PS1 Final Fantasy Games
Front Mission 3
Grandia
Kartia
Koudelka
The Legend of Dragoon
Legend of Legaia
Legend of Mana
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete
Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
Persona
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
Rhapsody: A Muscial Adventure
SaGa Frontier
SaGa Frontier II
Star Ocean: The Second Story
Suikoden
Suikoden II
Tales of Destiny
Tales of Destiny II
Thousand Arms
Vagrant Story
Valkyrie Profile
Vandal Hearts
Vanguard Bandits
Wild ARMs
Wild ARMs 2
Xenogears

I am currently playing Chrono Cross for the first time. A little background on where Im coming from. The first JRPG Ive played since the original Dragon Warrior was FFXII, after which I played DQ VIII, so I am far from an RPG fanatic (or expert).

Chrono Cross is very engaging. The cutscenes are great even in this day and age (they are a little grainy and show their age though and I would imagine the game as a whole would look abismal on an HDTV). The in game graphics are, well, PS1 graphics, but after the first few hours you stop thinking about it. I like the spell/element system. It seems like a novel take on the magic concept, however I dont have extensive experience to really compare it to. The story seems really cool, It would have been cool if there was at least voicework in the cutscenes, but again being a PS1 game, this is easy to look past, especially because the music is pretty cool. The lack of random battles is a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it. Being able to avoid enemies leads you to sometimes do just that, and it seems to me that this may result in you eventually being underpowered if you are not careful. It also makes general fighting seem more like grinding than just cutting your way through enemies on the way to your objective.

There are a few things about the leveling system that I dont fully understand yet/like (im only about 11hrs in and am too lazy to read the instruction book-shame on me). It seems that you have no clue how many exp points you need to your next level or how many you get for beating different foes (At least in DQ VIII you could go to a save spot to figure out how much you needed to the next level). Also, there are certain times when you get stat bonuses but you didnt technically level up. Can someone else explain?????

Ultimately, I think this game holds up exceptionally well and it appears to be much cheaper than FFVII, so I recommend it. I found it used, in almost mint condition, at a local game store for $10, and I think it goes for under $20 on ebay regularly.

I am currently playing Chrono Cross for the first time. A little background on where Im coming from. The first JRPG Ive played since the original Dragon Warrior was FFXII, after which I played DQ VIII, so I am far from an RPG fanatic (or expert).

Chrono Cross is very engaging. The cutscenes are great even in this day and age (they are a little grainy and show their age though and I would imagine the game as a whole would look abismal on an HDTV). The in game graphics are, well, PS1 graphics, but after the first few hours you stop thinking about it. I like the spell/element system. It seems like a novel take on the magic concept, however I dont have extensive experience to really compare it to. The story seems really cool, It would have been cool if there was at least voicework in the cutscenes, but again being a PS1 game, this is easy to look past, especially because the music is pretty cool. The lack of random battles is a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it. Being able to avoid enemies leads you to sometimes do just that, and it seems to me that this may result in you eventually being underpowered if you are not careful. It also makes general fighting seem more like grinding than just cutting your way through enemies on the way to your objective.

There are a few things about the leveling system that I dont fully understand yet/like (im only about 11hrs in and am too lazy to read the instruction book-shame on me). It seems that you have no clue how many exp points you need to your next level or how many you get for beating different foes (At least in DQ VIII you could go to a save spot to figure out how much you needed to the next level). Also, there are certain times when you get stat bonuses but you didnt technically level up. Can someone else explain?????

Ultimately, I think this game holds up exceptionally well and it appears to be much cheaper than FFVII, so I recommend it. I found it used, in almost mint condition, at a local game store for $10, and I think it goes for under $20 on ebay regularly.

Working_Stiff

[QUOTE="Working_Stiff"]

I am currently playing Chrono Cross for the first time. A little background on where Im coming from. The first JRPG Ive played since the original Dragon Warrior was FFXII, after which I played DQ VIII, so I am far from an RPG fanatic (or expert).

Chrono Cross is very engaging. The cutscenes are great even in this day and age (they are a little grainy and show their age though and I would imagine the game as a whole would look abismal on an HDTV). The in game graphics are, well, PS1 graphics, but after the first few hours you stop thinking about it. I like the spell/element system. It seems like a novel take on the magic concept, however I dont have extensive experience to really compare it to. The story seems really cool, It would have been cool if there was at least voicework in the cutscenes, but again being a PS1 game, this is easy to look past, especially because the music is pretty cool. The lack of random battles is a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it. Being able to avoid enemies leads you to sometimes do just that, and it seems to me that this may result in you eventually being underpowered if you are not careful. It also makes general fighting seem more like grinding than just cutting your way through enemies on the way to your objective.

There are a few things about the leveling system that I dont fully understand yet/like (im only about 11hrs in and am too lazy to read the instruction book-shame on me). It seems that you have no clue how many exp points you need to your next level or how many you get for beating different foes (At least in DQ VIII you could go to a save spot to figure out how much you needed to the next level). Also, there are certain times when you get stat bonuses but you didnt technically level up. Can someone else explain?????

Ultimately, I think this game holds up exceptionally well and it appears to be much cheaper than FFVII, so I recommend it. I found it used, in almost mint condition, at a local game store for $10, and I think it goes for under $20 on ebay regularly.

nravasi

Do characters that aren't in your party level up as well? It seems that if your in a boss fight and someone who is in your party dies, they don't level up, but I can't tell for sure.

[QUOTE="nravasi"][QUOTE="Working_Stiff"]

I am currently playing Chrono Cross for the first time. A little background on where Im coming from. The first JRPG Ive played since the original Dragon Warrior was FFXII, after which I played DQ VIII, so I am far from an RPG fanatic (or expert).

Chrono Cross is very engaging. The cutscenes are great even in this day and age (they are a little grainy and show their age though and I would imagine the game as a whole would look abismal on an HDTV). The in game graphics are, well, PS1 graphics, but after the first few hours you stop thinking about it. I like the spell/element system. It seems like a novel take on the magic concept, however I dont have extensive experience to really compare it to. The story seems really cool, It would have been cool if there was at least voicework in the cutscenes, but again being a PS1 game, this is easy to look past, especially because the music is pretty cool. The lack of random battles is a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it. Being able to avoid enemies leads you to sometimes do just that, and it seems to me that this may result in you eventually being underpowered if you are not careful. It also makes general fighting seem more like grinding than just cutting your way through enemies on the way to your objective.

There are a few things about the leveling system that I dont fully understand yet/like (im only about 11hrs in and am too lazy to read the instruction book-shame on me). It seems that you have no clue how many exp points you need to your next level or how many you get for beating different foes (At least in DQ VIII you could go to a save spot to figure out how much you needed to the next level). Also, there are certain times when you get stat bonuses but you didnt technically level up. Can someone else explain?????

Ultimately, I think this game holds up exceptionally well and it appears to be much cheaper than FFVII, so I recommend it. I found it used, in almost mint condition, at a local game store for $10, and I think it goes for under $20 on ebay regularly.

Working_Stiff

Do characters that aren't in your party level up as well? It seems that if your in a boss fight and someone who is in your party dies, they don't level up, but I can't tell for sure.

That's odd. Look at his post everyone? I don't see him mention FF7 anywhere on there. So why is it that you all put it on your list? FF7 is a boring piece of garbage and should not even have a final fantasy title (yes, i have played through the entire thing, so don't tell me otherwise)

His question is: Which is more newbie friendly out of final fantasy 8, final fantasy 9, or chrono cross?

The answer is Final Fantasy 9. Chrono Cross has a more complex attack system. Final Fantasy 8 has a ridiculously complex summon/levelling/weapon/magic/stats/junction system.

Final Fantasy 9 is a very basic, very straight forward, very easy to learn game and doesn't leave a ton of customization room, so your characters will develop properly no matter what. It has an extremely easy to understand skill system. Every item has skills on it. Equip the item to learn the skill over time. Once the skill is mastered, take that item off and put a different one on.DahlVaughnni

If the original poster wants to use his brain just a little more than that, I'd recommend a different game:  FF 8.
8's a great game, imo one of the best RPG's ever made,  and isn't so challenging that it would blow your mind. 
Recommending 9 might even weaken the opinion of an rpg noob towards rpg's because it is so simple.  We don't want to scare him off. lol
Crono Cross is a great 2nd choice.  Again, it's harder than 9, but it's also a much deeper, more worthwhile experience.

Definitly go for Chrono Cross its an amazing game.  FF7 8 and 9 are all great choices to, along with tactics.

You could also try vagrant story, vandal hearts, and legend of the dragoon

[QUOTE="Working_Stiff"][QUOTE="nravasi"][QUOTE="Working_Stiff"]

I am currently playing Chrono Cross for the first time. A little background on where Im coming from. The first JRPG Ive played since the original Dragon Warrior was FFXII, after which I played DQ VIII, so I am far from an RPG fanatic (or expert).

Chrono Cross is very engaging. The cutscenes are great even in this day and age (they are a little grainy and show their age though and I would imagine the game as a whole would look abismal on an HDTV). The in game graphics are, well, PS1 graphics, but after the first few hours you stop thinking about it. I like the spell/element system. It seems like a novel take on the magic concept, however I dont have extensive experience to really compare it to. The story seems really cool, It would have been cool if there was at least voicework in the cutscenes, but again being a PS1 game, this is easy to look past, especially because the music is pretty cool. The lack of random battles is a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it. Being able to avoid enemies leads you to sometimes do just that, and it seems to me that this may result in you eventually being underpowered if you are not careful. It also makes general fighting seem more like grinding than just cutting your way through enemies on the way to your objective.

There are a few things about the leveling system that I dont fully understand yet/like (im only about 11hrs in and am too lazy to read the instruction book-shame on me). It seems that you have no clue how many exp points you need to your next level or how many you get for beating different foes (At least in DQ VIII you could go to a save spot to figure out how much you needed to the next level). Also, there are certain times when you get stat bonuses but you didnt technically level up. Can someone else explain?????

Ultimately, I think this game holds up exceptionally well and it appears to be much cheaper than FFVII, so I recommend it. I found it used, in almost mint condition, at a local game store for $10, and I think it goes for under $20 on ebay regularly.

Serge-Chrono

Do characters that aren't in your party level up as well? It seems that if your in a boss fight and someone who is in your party dies, they don't level up, but I can't tell for sure.

I also found that if guys stayed out of your party long enough, they would just sort of train themselves. They randomly get better stats. IDK if anyone else notcied it

ff8 had stupid characters, stupid character designs(it was the first to use more realistic looking characters compared to the deformed uber graphics of 7), the fact that monsters kept up with our level was stupid(anti-grinder), and the stupid piece of crap doesnt do a very good job of letting you know where to go next. Twice i tried to play it. Twice i got to like the second disk and you have those flashbacks of the orphanage or whatever and then your suppose to fly off and go find mother or whatever the boss monster is called. Except they dont tell you where to go and there is nothing on your map. They dont even mention where she was last seen or anything. Im NOT saying i couldnt have found out how to continue with the game im saying I DIDNT WANT TO at that point. Games shouldnt require faqs and walkthroughs. They should be able to lead you from point to point through the main story pretty damn easily. _AbBaNdOn

Since we've talking PS1 games and aging well as compared to the eye candy that's in some of the games today then not well.  But it's not the graphics that make those great rpg's.  Yes for their time they were the graphic eye candy but once you got past that it was the story that grabbed you and made you want to play and play.  Of your list I would say FF 8 to get a good opinion of what makes an rpg as complex as they are.  FF 9 was good but I just didn't enjoy it as much as 8.

Ones not on your list though would be Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy Tactics.  Those are two of my all time favorite games as both are deep, involoving story lines and you can spend weeks playing.  I know the cost of them isn't cheap but you are talking about games that date back close to 10 years now.  Those games were considered the some of the best of their time and that makes the classics so the price will get pushed higher for them but they are worth getting if you can get a good price on them. 

Since we've talking PS1 games and aging well as compared to the eye candy that's in some of the games today then not well.  But it's not the graphics that make those great rpg's.  Yes for their time they were the graphic eye candy but once you got past that it was the story that grabbed you and made you want to play and play.  Of your list I would say FF 8 to get a good opinion of what makes an rpg as complex as they are.  FF 9 was good but I just didn't enjoy it as much as 8.

Ones not on your list though would be Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy Tactics.  Those are two of my all time favorite games as both are deep, involoving story lines and you can spend weeks playing.  I know the cost of them isn't cheap but you are talking about games that date back close to 10 years now.  Those games were considered the some of the best of their time and that makes the classics so the price will get pushed higher for them but they are worth getting if you can get a good price on them. 

LDouglasLJr

Yo, you've got the best point so far, if you really want a good RPG for the OG ps then it does'nt matter bout graphics at all, these games were almost purely made for enjoyment through their very innovative gamplay that almost not other game incorporated into their system at that time period and the deep and rich storylines and engulf you until the very end with very good plots, character development, and the added twists. I think thats what makes a real goood true RPG. Props to you Douglas Jr.

Take Chrono Cross and Legend of The Dragoons - how i loved this game :) very nice and long,have great story, 4 CDS's !!

Take Chrono Cross and Legend of The Dragoons - how i loved this game :) very nice and long,have great story, 4 CDS's !!

 

Sargey123

Chrono Cross - the best, no need to talk about it

Xenogears - if CC wouldnt exist, Xenogears would be the best game that Square made

Final Fantasy VIII - the best in the series for me. why ? its storyline was the best in development, you never get away from the story ( unless you want to search out for secret weapons, items etc.), unlike some people tell ( maybe its about age, or capabilities ), because it was easiest rpg, some people didnt like it because it was easy, but who cares. the characters were real,  at least they were like real people from my around. and has the best soundtrack after Chrono Cross

Legend Of Dragoon, GREAT RPG and cheap. :) Probably have to order it though.buttface1

lol i have that old school game. never got far into it though, i didn't like it really. 

Chrono Cross is decent but compared to Chrono Trigger it sucks (not even close). It got perfect 10? If this game deserves a 10 then CT must have 30. If only they havent screwed the PSX port...

THE Game is Grandia. FFVII is the biggest piece of crap compared to Grandia. But Square (and not only them) went beyond the 32-bit era with that stupid archaic random encounter system. Thats the saddest thing.

Lunar is good too (the battle system is average though) and the first one is better than the sequel (story-wise :)).

[QUOTE="LDouglasLJr"]

Since we've talking PS1 games and aging well as compared to the eye candy that's in some of the games today then not well. But it's not the graphics that make those great rpg's. Yes for their time they were the graphic eye candy but once you got past that it was the story that grabbed you and made you want to play and play. Of your list I would say FF 8 to get a good opinion of what makes an rpg as complex as they are. FF 9 was good but I just didn't enjoy it as much as 8.

Ones not on your list though would be Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy Tactics. Those are two of my all time favorite games as both are deep, involoving story lines and you can spend weeks playing. I know the cost of them isn't cheap but you are talking about games that date back close to 10 years now. Those games were considered the some of the best of their time and that makes the classics so the price will get pushed higher for them but they are worth getting if you can get a good price on them.

llcoolray

Yo, you've got the best point so far, if you really want a good RPG for the OG ps then it does'nt matter bout graphics at all, these games were almost purely made for enjoyment through their very innovative gamplay that almost not other game incorporated into their system at that time period and the deep and rich storylines and engulf you until the very end with very good plots, character development, and the added twists. I think thats what makes a real goood true RPG. Props to you Douglas Jr.

Hey llcoolray thanks for the props, appericate it.  You've got it right there as well, the graphics should be secondary to the gameplay and so many people seem to forget that today and just look for how beautiful the graphics are and then complain how bad the game is.

 Also like others have said Legend of The Dragoons is also a game that has a great engaging story line.  I had totally forgotten about that one until going through my game collection the other night.  How about another one from the past. Brave Fencer Musashi, I know it was always compared to Zelda which wasn't fair in my opinion but it was a lot of fun to play.

THE Game is Grandia. FFVII is the biggest piece of crap compared to Grandia.

Fang_SK

This is correct. Even as a Japanese Sega Saturn release, Grandia pwned that piece of doo doo pie.  

[QUOTE="llcoolray"][QUOTE="LDouglasLJr"]

Since we've talking PS1 games and aging well as compared to the eye candy that's in some of the games today then not well. But it's not the graphics that make those great rpg's. Yes for their time they were the graphic eye candy but once you got past that it was the story that grabbed you and made you want to play and play. Of your list I would say FF 8 to get a good opinion of what makes an rpg as complex as they are. FF 9 was good but I just didn't enjoy it as much as 8.

Ones not on your list though would be Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy Tactics. Those are two of my all time favorite games as both are deep, involoving story lines and you can spend weeks playing. I know the cost of them isn't cheap but you are talking about games that date back close to 10 years now. Those games were considered the some of the best of their time and that makes the classics so the price will get pushed higher for them but they are worth getting if you can get a good price on them.

LDouglasLJr

Yo, you've got the best point so far, if you really want a good RPG for the OG ps then it does'nt matter bout graphics at all, these games were almost purely made for enjoyment through their very innovative gamplay that almost not other game incorporated into their system at that time period and the deep and rich storylines and engulf you until the very end with very good plots, character development, and the added twists. I think thats what makes a real goood true RPG. Props to you Douglas Jr.

Hey llcoolray thanks for the props, appericate it.  You've got it right there as well, the graphics should be secondary to the gameplay and so many people seem to forget that today and just look for how beautiful the graphics are and then complain how bad the game is.

For sho brother, even though I bought a 360 for half the reason of graphics and the other gameplay, I still think about back in the day of how I loved games no matter what they really looked like, which I still do, I just hope that squarenix can hit the nail on the head with FFXIII in the area of storyline and gameplay (especailly replay value, if you are a reall FF fan you play them more than once). But yeah like you said Legend of the Dragoon is another good one to try out.

[QUOTE="LDouglasLJr"][QUOTE="llcoolray"][QUOTE="LDouglasLJr"]

Since we've talking PS1 games and aging well as compared to the eye candy that's in some of the games today then not well. But it's not the graphics that make those great rpg's. Yes for their time they were the graphic eye candy but once you got past that it was the story that grabbed you and made you want to play and play. Of your list I would say FF 8 to get a good opinion of what makes an rpg as complex as they are. FF 9 was good but I just didn't enjoy it as much as 8.

Ones not on your list though would be Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy Tactics. Those are two of my all time favorite games as both are deep, involoving story lines and you can spend weeks playing. I know the cost of them isn't cheap but you are talking about games that date back close to 10 years now. Those games were considered the some of the best of their time and that makes the classics so the price will get pushed higher for them but they are worth getting if you can get a good price on them.

llcoolray

Yo, you've got the best point so far, if you really want a good RPG for the OG ps then it does'nt matter bout graphics at all, these games were almost purely made for enjoyment through their very innovative gamplay that almost not other game incorporated into their system at that time period and the deep and rich storylines and engulf you until the very end with very good plots, character development, and the added twists. I think thats what makes a real goood true RPG. Props to you Douglas Jr.

Hey llcoolray thanks for the props, appericate it. You've got it right there as well, the graphics should be secondary to the gameplay and so many people seem to forget that today and just look for how beautiful the graphics are and then complain how bad the game is.

For sho brother, even though I bought a 360 for half the reason of graphics and the other gameplay, I still think about back in the day of how I loved games no matter what they really looked like, which I still do, I just hope that squarenix can hit the nail on the head with FFXIII in the area of storyline and gameplay (especailly replay value, if you are a reall FF fan you play them more than once). But yeah like you said Legend of the Dragoon is another good one to try out.

Yeah I agree the graphics on the newer system are totally sweet without a doubt.  I just wish they could combine those sweet graphics and some killer stories with original ideas to back them up now that would just make my day.  I agree that I hope Squarenix gets it right with FF XIII, I truely hope it's not a let down on any of the parts.  I also hope the remakes of FF I & II for the PSP are a good as I hope as well as Final Fantasy Tatics.  FF:T is a game I think I probably played more then FF VII.  Yeah VII had better graphics then FF T but the control and story of FF T really had me from the begining and there was just so much you could do with all the options in it.  I would love to see a true sequel to it at some point in time.