Top 5 Best RPGs of Q4 2017
These are bound to take up your time.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Best RPGs of Q4 2017
The Switch’s first year has been an impressive one to say the least, with multiple highly ambitious titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey. Nintendo wasn’t content to let the year go by without releasing one more big title, however, and that comes with Xenoblade Chronicles 2, a huge RPG that’s bound to soak up tons of your time.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a brand new entry in the series that takes place separately from past games, set in the world of Alrest where humanity lives on the backs of gigantic living titans. Xenoblade 2 is a complex game in every regard, from its long sweeping story right down to its multi-faceted gameplay systems. The cast of characters in the title start out as fairly standard genre tropes, but expand into much more well-rounded characters across the lengthy adventure. Meanwhile, combat has been much more streamlined from past games, giving you the ability to switch between three different Blades while in battle, who each come with their own weapon and set of arts.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 certainly isn’t a game for those just looking for a quick, easy to get into adventure. It takes time to learn its myriad systems, but once you do there’s one incredibly journey to be had with this massive JRPG.
.hack//G.U. Last Recode
Best RPGs of Q4 2017
The .hack games released back on the PS2 were fairly niche titles that had an interesting premise, set within an MMO known as the world where you have to discover what mysterious phenomenon is putting players into comas in real life. The series was ambitious for its time, but just didn’t catch on in the West as it did in Japan. That doesn’t change the fact that all three of the G.U. games are quality JRPGs that don’t require knowledge on any other part in the series.
You play as Haseo, a newbie player that makes a name for himself as the the PKK (Player-killer killer), essentially someone that stops other players from player-killing. Combat in .hack plays out much like it would in a Tales game, with a real-time battle system that allows you to use a number of skills along with regular attacks. Part of the appeal of the series is just how thorough the games are with their world-building, telling you about events happening in the real world while also fleshing out the history and lore of The World.
Last Recode gives you the three original G.U. games remastered, along with a brand new fourth volume that takes place after the end of Redemption, the third volume. That’s three good RPGs given new life, along with a brand new experience – not a bad deal for a remastered package.
Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth
Best RPGs of Q4 2017
The Etrian Odyssey games have been some of the best RPGs available on 3DS, especially for those looking for a lengthy dungeon-crawling experience. In series tradition you can build your party virtually from scratch, choosing one of four races for each of your characters and then customizing their looks, hair color, and even voice acting. From there you’ll also select a class to customize each character even more, and build your ideal party.
Etrian Odyssey V doesn’t overhaul anything about the series, but it does refine it to an even better degree. The core gameplay loop still revolves around exploring dungeons and drawing your own maps, but the entire interface for doing this has been streamlined and improved. That combined with some smart environmental puzzles make the experience much more enjoyable overall. At the same time, combat is still challenging, allowing for multiple strategic options when making it through a dungeon.
Etrian Odyssey is still a fairly hardcore series, but if you’ve had any interest in trying it out, Etrian Odyssey V is the best title to start with.
South Park: The Fractured But Whole
Best RPGs of Q4 2017
South Park: The Stick of Truth was easily the best South Park game ever made, but it has some stiff competition now that Ubisoft has released The Fractured But Whole. This time around, the kids switch out their fantasy game for trying to start a superhero franchise, with Coon and Friends.
Fractured improves on much of what Stick of Truth did, providing more options for roaming around South Park, a larger number of buddies to join your party, and a significantly different combat system. Instead of a traditional turn-based style, combat plays out on a tactical grid with your characters and the enemies each taking turns based on speed. Positioning and area-of-effect for each of your attacks is key, and while the combat system certainly doesn’t require intense strategy, it’s much more challenging than the Stick of Truth.
Of course, all of that trademark rude and offensive South Park humor is still there, and whether you like that really comes down to if you’re a fan of the show. Still, if you have even a passing interest in South Park, Fractured is a much stronger RPG than its predecessor, and its unique brand of humor makes the game easy to get into.
Pokemon Ultra Sun and Moon
Best RPGs of Q4 2017
The Pokemon games are no strangers to reissues and expansions, and now one year after the originals we’re getting Ultra Sun and Moon on 3DS. These updated versions tell an alternate storyline set in the same tropical region of Alola. The games introduce a host of new characters, Pokemon forms, Ultra Beasts, and even new gameplay features.
In addition to new sidequests and segments scattered throughout the world, you can use new features like Mantine Surf that allows you to glide over the waters of Alola on a Mantine, or Alola Photo Club that lets you take pictures with your Pokemon in various poses. The story puts a big emphasis on Necrozma, and there’s even a new villainous organization featured in the post game, with Team Rainbow Rocket.
Of course, keep in mind that the core of the two games is still very similar to Pokemon Sun and Moon, just with some alterations and changes. If you’ve been itching for more Pokemon or you never got the chance to pick up Sun and Moon, then Ultra Sun and Moon is the perfect handheld RPG for you.
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