1. Fire Emblem
If I owe my love of RPGs (and video games in general) to a single game, it’s Fire Emblem. The combination of fantasy setting and in-depth tactical gameplay was unlike anything I had ever seen before, and I fell in love with the robust cast of characters and well-developed setting of Elibe. It sparked in me an eternal love of strategy RPGs that continues to this day and showed me that games could tell a gripping narrative and offer a deep, mechanically rich experience unlike anything else. Twenty years and as many playthroughs later, Fire Emblem is still as magical to me as the first time I popped the cartridge into my Game Boy Advance.
2. Xanadu Next
Xanadu Next was quite a surprise to me when it launched on Steam in 2016. While I had dabbled in the Ys series, I was largely unfamiliar with Falcom’s action RPG pedigree. The narrative takes a backseat, washing the player up on Harlech Island and leaving you free to explore the vast, interconnected dungeons beneath the island in search of Castle Strangerock. At the time, it was so rare to play something that didn’t hold my hand, and figuring out the game’s puzzles and dungeon layout was incredibly satisfying. The Ys and Trails series may be Falcom’s most popular works, but Xanadu Next is what made me a Falcom fan for life.
3. Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City
I was pretty resistant to first-person dungeon crawlers for a long time. The limited presentation didn’t appeal to me, and the reputation of steep difficulty put me off the entire subgenre. It wasn’t until I picked up the Etrian Odyssey series, particularly Etrian Odyssey III, that I changed my tune. The methodical process of mapping out my dungeon progress step-by-step became cathartic, and kitting out and developing my party was incredibly addicting. What the game lacked in battle animations, it more than made up for with its impeccable Yuzo Koshiro soundtrack and delightfully low-poly environments. I’ve since become a huge fan of classic dungeon crawlers, but I would have never discovered that love without Etrian Odyssey III.
4. Grandia II
Grandia II is my platonic ideal of a traditional JRPG. It has a lovable cast of characters who go on a globetrotting adventure against the forces of evil, an addictive battle system that never gets old even after dozens of hours, and a charming, detailed world with a rocking soundtrack. Ryudo in particular is one of my favorite RPG protagonists, and watching him grow from being a cocky, wisecracking loner into a compassionate and responsible person who values the people around him and the world he lives in resonates with me deeply. Ryudo’s story encourages players to stand up to authority and dogma to do what is right, a lesson that has only become more valuable over time.
5. Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island
Turn-based roguelikes are one of my favorite genres, and nothing scratches that “just one more run” itch better than Shiren 6. I love how they integrated character side stories into the core dungeon crawl and then packed the game full of additional content. There are dungeons with special rulesets, dungeons that change Shiren’s abilities, and the ultimate 99-floor challenge dungeon that I’m still attempting runs on many months later. Shiren 6 is the perfect thing to play when I’m between games or just have a spare hour to kill, and I know I’m going to keep returning to it for the foreseeable future.
Non-RPG 1: Ape Escape 3
When I’m burnt out on 50-hour-long RPGs, I love to kick back and relax in the colorful and vibrant world of a 3D platformer. Ape Escape is my favorite platformer series because it takes the core idea of collecting things and turns it on its head. Instead of just running around picking up coins or Jiggies or Wumpa fruits, you need to hunt down monkeys with a mind and personality all their own. Ape Escape 3 is the best iteration on this genius idea, because it introduces transformations that let you don various costumes that grant new abilities to help you nab all those pesky apes. You really can’t beat dressing up as a cowboy, ninja, or sentai hero and chasing down goofy monkeys.
Non-RPG 2: Ridge Racer Type-4
Nothing beats the simple, immediate fun of an arcade racer, and the pinnacle of racing games for me is Ridge Racer Type-4. It oozes style, from the slick and clean user interface to the incredible jazzy soundtrack. The easy to learn but hard to master drifting mechanics are so tight and satisfying when you can reliably pull them off, and the environments and cars strike the perfect balance of low-poly yet detailed. Even if you aren’t into racing games, it is a must-play and captures the essence of what made the PlayStation so special at the turn of the millennium.
