"On-Rails" RPGs

[Sagacious-T]

Thought this was kind of an interesting subject..

People get upset over how on-rails FF13 was, but this really isn't new with RPGs.

Most RPGs grew out of the on-rails system, but look at stuff like Shining Force or various other SRPGs that are simply a list of battles to play through. Mass Effect 2 is also heavily on rails, but you have the freedom to pick which track you want to ride. It also mixes in good story/characters and some social choices. Hell most RPGs are just a series of events and flags that lead you in a straight line with some optional side-quests. Some divert the path temporarily but they all end in the same place.

Personally I don't mind an RPG that is on rails. If FFXIII had some social/town areas thrown in, and a storyline (and pace) that was as good as the first 10 to 20 hours of the game, it would have been a really solid game overall.

[Annubis]

Linear doesn't mean bad.
I don't blame FFXIII on that. I've played many great jRPG that were 100% linear.

I blame it on a couple of other things though.

[macirex]

When I read the title of your post I dunno why but I though of time crisis with swords and each enemy dropping money to buy stuff between levels...

[Sagacious-T]

When I read the title of your post I dunno why but I though of time crisis with swords and each enemy dropping money to buy stuff between levels...

Haha kind of like that Dragon quest game but not sucking?

[xXMelancholiaXx]

Panzer Dragoon Saga.

[macirex]

Panzer Dragoon Saga.

Never played one. It´s a sad thing to miss the classics...

[Cyril]

If we're looking for exceptions to this I'll mention Growlanser 2. Langrisser, as well.

But I actually agree with Thoren this time. There's nothing wrong with a title being "on-rails."

[xXMelancholiaXx]

Panzer Dragoon Saga.

Never played one. It´s a sad thing to miss the classics...

It's the only example of an "on rails" RPG I can think of. The rest of the games that people are mentioning are merely linear. In Panzer Dragoon Saga and pretty every Panzer Dragoon game the game moves you forwards and only forward. The only choices you have are whether you want to go left, right, up, down to avoid attacks or to go to different routes. It does vary depending on the stage but for the most part you really ARE on rails.

[Lard]

Grandia 1 is on rails.

Great game.

[Raze]

I think on rails and linear are two different things, or at least onrails is linear taken to a extreme. You can have town a > dungeon a > town b > dungeon b and still have lots of exploration. When I hear on rails I think dumbed down almost literal straight line gameplay where your dungeons are one long hallway with maybe one or two dead end turns with a chest here and there.

As for how I feel on it, linearity doesn't matter too much.

For my definition of on rails it's a big negative. But I can still enjoy a game if it has a involving battle system. On the other end, I can stand a mediocre battle system if there's a well made world to explore. Of course, ideally I want exploration and a good battle system.

[Hathen]

I don't mind linearity (Or even on rails, really- I play plenty of SRPGs and those are pretty much on rails) as long as it's done well. I'm pretty sure that's how everyone feels.

[Hoshino_Kid]

I personally prefer "on-rails" over open world. I get lost in open world games and get overwhelmed by it (like FFXII).

[ShadowLaguna]

Dragon Quest Swords was the first game to ruin linearity for me. Final Fantasy XIII then overkilled it.

[Jonathan Ingram]

Panzer Dragoon Saga.

Nothing in this game is on-rails. Is it linear? - Totally. Is it on rails? - Nope. You are totally free to go wherever you want(within the boundaries of a location, of course) and this concerns both the on-foot sections of the game and when you`re riding a dragon. Many of the locations can be revisited. There are sidequests. Also, throughout the game your dragon gains abilities that allow you to access previously inaccessible areas. The battle system is typical turn-based fare(although with a few interesting twists).

I replayed PDS a few weeks ago and I don`t remember a single section of the game that`s on-rails in the way the actual on-rails games like Panzer Dragoon, Panzer Dragoon Zwei and Panzer Dragoon Orta are.

[xXMelancholiaXx]

Panzer Dragoon Saga.

Nothing in this game is on-rails. Is it linear? - Totally. Is it on rails? - Nope. You are totally free to go wherever you want(within the boundaries of a location, of course) and this concerns both the on-foot sections of the game and when you`re riding a dragon. Many of the locations can be revisited. There are sidequests. Also, throughout the game your dragon gains abilities that allow you to access previously inaccessible areas. The battle system is typical turn-based fare(although with a few interesting twists).

I replayed PDS a few weeks ago and I don`t remember a single section of the game that`s on-rails in the way the actual on-rails games like Panzer Dragoon, Panzer Dragoon Zwei and Panzer Dragoon Orta are.

Woops! Nevermind. I must have been thinking of one of the others. >_<