Strategy RPGs (SRPG)

[Scrooge]

Can anyone recommend, or post your favorite SRPGs for Consoles? (Strategy RPG, non-RTS)

Games like; Final Fantasy Tactics, Shining Force 3, Tactics Ogre, Fire Emblem, etc.

I don't mind old graphics as I grew up with a NES/SNES and them early 90s PC games, gameplay is what matters most after all.

**Legend: PSX = Playstation, PS2 = Playstation 2, Saturn = Sega Saturn, NDS = Nintendo DS, PSP - Playstation Portable, N64 = Nintendo 64, GBA = Gameboy Advance, NGC = Gamecube

Final Fantasy Tactics - PSX/PSP
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance - GBA
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance 2 - NDS
Tactics Ogre - PSX
Shining Force 3 (SC2/SC3/Premium w/Eng Trans Patch) - Saturn
Disgaea 1 and 2 - PS2
La Pucelle Tactics - PS2
Vandal Hearts 1 and 2 - PSX
Ogre Battle 64 - N64
Gladius - Xbox/NGC (Nintendo Gamecube)
Arc the Lad series - PSX
Jagged Alliance - NDS
Suikoden Tactics - PS2
X-COM - PSX/PC

[hateshadow]

Check out
Pool of Radiance (also known as the game that lasts forever because enemies are like 1000 times stronger than you and your characters always miss)

or in the same vein
Icewind Dale

[Scratch&Sniff]

fallout: Brotherhood of steel i think its called, aka fallout tatics

[Pyrocat]

Disgaea

[Hobby]

Age of Empires is a strategy game...Starcraft...but i guess not technically "role playing".

[Scrooge]

I've tried Disgaea several times before, though I didn't find it appealing.

Vandal Hearts was one of my most favorites on the PSX! If you've never played the game, I highly recommend it! Final Fantasy Tactics also, the GBA version was ok but not as much fun as the real deal.

I guess I should've said "SRPGs for Consoles," not RTS types for PC.

[Harrison]

I played Disgaea and I liked it.

In contrast to what I just said, though. I felt no reason to go back to it. It was...stupid. I LOVED the gameplay, but the fucking retarded storyline kept me out.

[fischsemmel]

Hope I'm listing the right kinds of games here. I've never really heard the term "Strategy RPG" before... so I'm just listing strategy games that aren't modern-day-based.

FFT is like my favorite strategy game ever. The version for the PSP is pretty nice imo too... some graphics glitches (spellcast animations are at about 1/2 speed) are annoying, but the gameplay is otherwise much the same but with some improvements (rafa and malak are more useful, etc). Also the multiplayer stuff is fun, and there is a bunch of new gear.

Master of Orion 1 and 2 are freaking fantastic sci-fi, turn-based, strategy games. Moo1 is very old, you have to appreciate games that old to really enjoy it, but moo2 is modern enough that you can jump right in and not feel like you have to unlearn new games in order to understand it.

Heroes of Might and Magic 1-3 are not unlike MOO, but in a fantasy setting instead of scifi. Also freaking amazing.


Also, it's not totally/truly a strategy rpg... but Tecmo's Deception and the games that follow it (there are 3 or so others) are awesome. Kinda action/shootery... but you place traps around castles that you've lured bad guys (well actually you're the bad guy...) to, capture their souls, and sacrifice them to the devil. Quite amusing stuff with some strategy required in the later games to get great combos of traps.

[Brad_mo123]

Vandal Hearts & Vandal Hearts 2 for Playstation 1. They are very much like Final Fantasy tactics. Vandal Hearts 2 has a little better graphics than 2 and is very much the same game as 1 except a different story of course so if you care about graphics at all I would suggest Vandal Hearts 2.

[Krimsin]

Ogre Battle 64

/thraed

[dcapotos]

Not sure if this one qualifies, but it's a great game: X-Com

[RocketMoose]

Ogre Battle 64

/thraed

100% agree

[Cars]

I've tried Disgaea several times before, though I didn't find it appealing.

Vandal Hearts was one of my most favorites on the PSX! If you've never played the game, I highly recommend it! Final Fantasy Tactics also, the GBA version was ok but not as much fun as the real deal.

I guess I should've said "SRPGs for Consoles," not RTS types for PC.

Man if I could get my hands on a an original copy of Vandal Hearts for Playstation I would shit myself. 2 other games I would reccomend and they dont even have bad graphics; Ark The Lad (seriously amazing - Playstation 2), and Gladius for the original X-box. Gladius has the worst storyline but awesome gameplay and can be really challenging.

[Scrooge]

Vandal Hearts & Vandal Hearts 2 for Playstation 1. They are very much like Final Fantasy tactics. Vandal Hearts 2 has a little better graphics than 2 and is very much the same game as 1 except a different story of course so if you care about graphics at all I would suggest Vandal Hearts 2.

The thing that turned off the fun for me in Vandal Hearts 2 was the "simultaneous" action between you and the enemy, I couldn't get used to that.

I'm also a big fan of the HOMM series, but there haven't been any games that come close to it. I've tried that "Kings Bounty," but it's just a poorly made clone of HOMM.

I've played quite alot of SRPGs through emulation, despite having a chipped PS2 still, and Shining Force 3 is just amazing, its an amazing game for Sega Saturn. It's like Final Fantasy Tactics but spread out over 3 scenarios (same game but different storylines and characters which interweave in every scenario. I just wish there were more games like it.

Has anyone tried La Pucelle Tactics for PSX, or Suikoden Tactics?

[Fourthmeal]

-Ogre Battle on SNES/64
-X-Com i think would qualify. I found the learning curve a bit steep, but I'm an idiot.
-Gladius, to echo Cars a few posts above, was a pretty fun game on the original xbox.

[ithaqua]

utawarerumono is pretty good, bit more focus on the story then the srpg part i guess, but a nice timekiller~

[Crover_CT99]

I've played quite alot of SRPGs through emulation, despite having a chipped PS2 still, and Shining Force 3 is just amazing, its an amazing game for Sega Saturn. It's like Final Fantasy Tactics but spread out over 3 scenarios (same game but different storylines and characters which interweave in every scenario. I just wish there were more games like it.

I will never forgive Sega for not porting the entire SF3 trilogy to the US. I have the imports, but I don't speak/read Japanese so it was never as fulfilling as it could be. I'm curious though, was there a port I wasn't aware of?

Just as well, if you haven't played Shining Force 1, 2, or Shining Force CD - those are great too.

I recently played a bit of the Jagged Alliance series, which seemed very cool. I haven't had time recently to really dive into them, but the whole series is available on gog.com (Good Old Games) for cheap.

[Scrooge]

I will never forgive Sega for not porting the entire SF3 trilogy to the US. I have the imports, but I don't speak/read Japanese so it was never as fulfilling as it could be. I'm curious though, was there a port I wasn't aware of?

Well, therein lies the beauty of emulation; the other scenarios along with the premium disc were all fan-translated into English, through the use of patches!

http://sf3trans.shiningforcecentral.com/emulation/

What's more is, you can start the second scenario by loading the last save you made in the first scenario, and likewise with the third scenario being able to load from the second scenario! This makes it so you have one continuous storyline throughout all three scenarios. Whatever choices you've made in one scenario, will affect the outcome of the next scenario.

[Crover_CT99]

Yeeeessss! in my best Cartman voice.

Thanks dude.

[Scrooge]

I'm going to start a list of console SRPGs in the first post, and update it as more of you reply, this way we don't get dupe posts and contribute our own reviews of games to the list!

[fischsemmel]

Oh yeah, I totally forgot about X-Com. Wow, I love that game.

It is quite nasty though. Even on easy difficulties, you're going to lose units (or maybe your whole team) on your first few missions unless you save every turn (maybe multiple times per turn) and aren't afraid to load up a save until you get everything just right.

[KilyenaMage]

Want to add Civilization 5 to this thread. You need a relatively beefy comp to run it....and while it's not really an RPG, it's easily the best/deepest strategy game I've played.

The sheer number of options available are quite literally intimidating at first....yet the UI is fantastic. Every option is just TWO clicks away.

Give it a go if you have a comp that can run it. Even if you've never played or played and disliked previous Civ games, this one will likely change your mind.

[DetroitVelvetSmooth]

Not strictly strategy, but if you like the above types of games and don't mind a challenge : XCOM UFO Defence was maybe the best gaming experience I've ever had.

edit : Damn, mentioned! Bad post... but good game.

[DetroitVelvetSmooth]

Oh yeah, I totally forgot about X-Com. Wow, I love that game.

It is quite nasty though. Even on easy difficulties, you're going to lose units (or maybe your whole team) on your first few missions unless you save every turn (maybe multiple times per turn) and aren't afraid to load up a save until you get everything just right.

That's cheating bro. If you are careful and smart about who you use as cannon fodder and build up your units you can win with minimal saving. That said, you have to play this game with a mindset that its ok to lose. You are fighting spaceship-flying aliens after all.

[Hasbinbad]

Crystal Defenders for my phone, yo.

[Goobles]

Deus Ex takes the cake on all games and genres.

[Duma]

That's cheating bro. If you are careful and smart about who you use as cannon fodder and build up your units you can win with minimal saving. That said, you have to play this game with a mindset that its ok to lose. You are fighting spaceship-flying aliens after all.

The thing is even on easy any random alien with the weakest energy weapon can headshot your entire squad one after another from the far opposite side of the map pretty much any time it wants.

It's a great game but you're going to end up with some bruises from smashing your head into your desk.

And that is just Enemy Unknown. Terror from the Deep is even more ruthless.

[Omnimorph]

Want to add Civilization 5 to this thread. You need a relatively beefy comp to run it....and while it's not really an RPG, it's easily the best/deepest strategy game I've played.

The sheer number of options available are quite literally intimidating at first....yet the UI is fantastic. Every option is just TWO clicks away.

Give it a go if you have a comp that can run it. Even if you've never played or played and disliked previous Civ games, this one will likely change your mind.

Off topic : Civ 5 is great, BUT Civ 2 is the definitive strategy game. Before they brought in all this culture bullshit and snazzy graphics. That game was just flat out brilliance. Graphics weren't over elaborate, but decent enough. Mechanics of the game were flawless... loved it. Every civ since civ 2 has been slightly disappointing, but still a good game in their own right. Turn based strategies are a personal favourite of mine.

I liked the concept of final fantasy tactics, but the storyline was a bit weak. So i never really gave it much time.

[Scrooge]

I liked the concept of final fantasy tactics, but the storyline was a bit weak. So i never really gave it much time.

Really? I thought it was quite complex.

[Nebichan]

Can anyone recommend, or post your favorite SRPGs for Consoles? (Strategy RPG, non-RTS)

Disgaea 1 and 2 - PS2
La Pucelle Tactics - PS2


Disgaea and La Pucella come from Nippon Ichi. I do recommend you check out their other games, Makai Kingdom, Atelier Iris, ...

There's also Valkyrie Profile (DS), but it's rather high difficulty o_O

I love sjrpg <3

[moklianne]

on PSX (I still occasionally play them on my modded PSP):

Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete

Turn based fights. I've rarely seen a story as well thoughtout and intricate as in these in games before or since.

I played the remake they have on native PSP, but it was missing a lot of the story/features of the original. It just didn't play right. They did a great job with the graphics conversion though.

Arc the lad series on the PSX is great too. I started playing those about 6 months ago on my PSP, but got caught up in work, house, etc. I believe I beat the first or second one and thoroughly enjoyed it at the time.

[moklianne]

Off topic : Civ 5 is great, BUT Civ 2 is the definitive strategy game. Before they brought in all this culture bullshit and snazzy graphics. That game was just flat out brilliance. Graphics weren't over elaborate, but decent enough. Mechanics of the game were flawless... loved it. Every civ since civ 2 has been slightly disappointing, but still a good game in their own right.

Funny, exactly how I felt about the Civ 1, lol. Can't beat a game that fits on 2 floppies and you can easily forget that 8 hours just passed by.

[Vanech]

If you have not played Vandal Hearts, you should!

This is by far my favorite Konami title and I have a *lot* of love for most of the Suikoden series and the original Contra.

It has character development similar to Shining Force, where each member of your 'army' has their own personal back story and quirks that get revealed over the course of the game... (instead of FFT's method of randomly generated units with some unique characters to support them.)

You don't have the ability to change your units' jobs at will, but there are specific classes and you have the ability to pick a 'path' for each character after they've reached a certain level. (Also akin to Shining Force)

The soundtrack is good (I keep the ending theme in .mp3 format on my *data I cannot lose* flash drive!) and some of the sound effects are great.

The storyline isn't half bad, and there's more of an adult feel to the game than what is depicted in FFT.

VH is a fairly fast 'beat', but there's lots of hidden stuff to discover that you'll probably miss the first time through (unless you gamefaq it -.- )

[Lickum]

I've played Tactics Ogre for the PSX but recently picked up the remake for the PSP that just released and it is still very fun, I play it while I med.

Tactics Ogre : The knights of Lodis for the GBA was a good game as well.

Obviously FFT is FFTASTIC.

I have Ogre battle 64 on my Wii that I paid for but have not played yet, I DL'ed that one because I heard, in some opinions, that it is one of the best games for the N64.

Also, I've heard very very mixed reviews on Operation Darkness (I'm a sucker for Atlas games) on the 360. The learning curve and difficulty were in question.

And on a final note, Valkyria Chronicles for the PS3 and Valkyria Chronicles 2 for the PSP are both fabulous games.

[Omnimorph]

Funny, exactly how I felt about the Civ 1, lol. Can't beat a game that fits on 2 floppies and you can easily forget that 8 hours just passed by.

Actually yeah, i felt the same way when i first played Civ2, but then i got used to it and well, it became one of my all time favourite games. It improved on civ1 with more units, more techs, better graphics (without being extravagant... it is a turn based game set on a 2d map afterall) and had some interesting new features.

The Civs after made the game convoluted and put emphasis on things that never mattered in previous versions like graphics and battle animations. And the culture thing was just annoying.

And yeah, it was probably the first game i played where i could literally play it and lose track of time. I mean some of the saved games i had were like 10hrs of gameplay. And this was all on a game i got free with my computer when i bought it!

[epicentre]

I prolly wasted most of my gaming time on Shining Force (1,2,3) and (non-strategical) Phantasy Star 2, on the MegaDrive/Genesis.