Greatest Video Game Ever (Voting)

[Spark Of Spirit]

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - Not my cup of tea

Then it turns out that you have a shitty taste in tea.

Buggy tea isn't good tea. 

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Buggy tea isn't good tea. 

I'll take buggy tea with some actual flavor over downright bland tea (i.e. almost every JRPG ever).

Though in all seriousness, KOTOR isn't very buggy relative to most RPG's of that generation.

[Rynnec]

Buggy tea isn't good tea. 

I'll take buggy tea with some actual flavor over downright bland tea (i.e. almost every JRPG ever).

But most JRPG's have battle-systems that are actually fun. Unlike KOTOR's. 

Spoiler

The fact that I've only played the second KOTOR not withstanding.

[close]

[Spark Of Spirit]

I'm just going to chime in that River City Ransom is an excellent beat em up that deserves a sequel more than about any other NES era game.

Shenmue, Ykuza, Castle Crashers, The Warriors, Scott Pilgrim, Double Dragon Neon, and many other similar games really owe a lot to it.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

But most JRPG's have battle-systems that are actually fun. Unlike KOTOR's. 

You mean like how in JRPGs it's just you and your enemies standing around taking turns hitting each other one at a time?

Yeah....I think we have very different definitions of "fun" when it comes to battle systems.

[Rynnec]

But most JRPG's have battle-systems that are actually fun. Unlike KOTOR's. 

You mean like how in JRPGs it's just you and your enemies standing around taking turns hitting each other one at a time?

Yeah....I think we have very different definitions of "fun" when it comes to battle systems.

At least the battle animations actually make the attacks look like and sound like they're connecting blows, and can be fun to look at. KOTOR's animations make early FF look cutting edge.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

At least the battle animations actually make the attacks look like and sound like they're connecting blows, and can be fun to look at.

I was actually about to comment on that. It's called flash. It doesn't actually mean that there's any substance connected to it.

KOTOR's animations make early FF look cutting edge.

You see people shoot lasers and swing swords and light-sabers. How over-the-top do you need it to be?

[Avaitor]

Basing the quality of KOTOR solely from the sequel is almost like deciding that Star Wars isn't your thing when all you've seen is Phantom Menace.

I know someone who actually is guilty of this.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I never even played the sequel, is it really that much worse than the original?

[Avaitor]

I never even played the sequel, is it really that much worse than the original?

Okay, no, but it's not quite as good.

I just wanted to share the fact that I have a friend who actually said that.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I never even played the sequel, is it really that much worse than the original?

For what it's worth, I actually like the sequel, but it was obviously very rushed and wasn't nearly as well-constructed as the original game. As far as the original game goes, I suppose it's not to everyone's liking, but I enjoy how the game avoided so many of the tropes that make most other RPGs flat-out unplayable for me. The game didn't require you to grind to level-up at any point, it had a huge variety of weapons with different strengths and weaknesses (rather than just giving you a stronger version of the same sword at each new town or dungeon), a very well-balanced team of characters with different specialties, and a very strategic battle system with enemy AI that were at least smart enough to make you use some strategy from time-to-time. I also like how the game presented you with various resolutions to different problems that you encountered along the way, really upping it's replay value. And, of course I love how the story was never up it's own ass or pretentious (the plot-twist was also awesome and never felt like it was forced).

Overall, KOTOR is my favorite RPG, ever. Of course, that's fully admitting that I have a bias toward the genre since it doesn't really appeal to my play-style in the first place, but that's just what KOTOR is for me, the RPG for people who aren't really into RPGs, which may not sound like a good idea for a game, but for what it is I think it's brilliant, and most importantly just plain fun.

[Rynnec]

Despite what one may think given my posts, I actually do like KOTOR II. The characters and story were interesting, and I did like how it kind of deconstructed some of the themes of Star Wars.

Unfortunately, I hear Bioware or Lucasarts fucked all that up somehow.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Despite what one may think given my posts, I actually do like KOTOR II. The characters and story were interesting, and I did like how it kind of deconstructed some of the themes of Star Wars.

Also, for what it's worth, I should point out for people who don't know me that I don't actually have anything against JRPGs. I have something against ALL RPGs in general, Japanese, Western, or otherwise, so I'm an equal opportunity hater.

No, but seriously, I'm just not an RPG sort of guy. I merely exaggerated my bias to poke fun at the genre for the hell of it.

Unfortunately, I hear Bioware fucked all that up somehow.

Well, I'll tell you one thing for sure: I have no interest whatsoever in playing TOR. If BioWare ever makes a KOTOR 3 with the same general play-style of the first 2 games, I'll buy it in a heart-beat. I have no interest in MMO games, though.

[Spark Of Spirit]

After Dragon Age II, I'd be wary if I were you when it comes to BioWare these days. They seem to not have a clear direction.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I also might have to doubt that part about them being good at telling a story without sounding up their own ass after that whole Mass Effect 3 debacle. I can't see any other logical reason for why they ended Mass Effect 3 the way that they did, other than maybe they thought they were being brilliant by just making a shock ending that was a big "fuck you" to anyone who had invested a lot of time and effort into their characters from the first 2 games.

So many games the days (including RPGs) seem to feel the need to be some deep, provocative piece of art that makes you think about humanity and the world or some shit like that. Personally, I just love a really fun adventure story. That may be why I had such an affinity for Chrono Trigger, and why FF IX is the FF game that has appealed to me the most so far. It's also part of the reason for why I couldn't even bother to get past the first disc of FF VIII when I tried playing it so many years ago. I mean, I wasn't much of a fan of the gameplay to begin with, but that story just bored me to sleep before even the gameplay had a chance to.