30. Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire
Ruby and Sapphire were the Generation III of the series. Although the plot is pretty identical to the previous, defeating gyms, beating the Elite 4 and the champion while disrupting the plans of an evil organization, the game implemented some big changes to the gameplay. Introduction of Skills, attributes that add advantages to the battle, among other things. Nature, that affects how statistics develop at level up and Double Battles, two Pokémon at once to double gloat at victory.
The game introduced 135 new Pokémon in the new region of Hoenn and you can capture 202 in total. You can only acquire Pokémon from Generation I by trading.
29. Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core
The game is a prequel to Final Fantasy VII and tells the story of Zack Fair, a Shinra SOLDIER Class-A, in the Wutai vs Midgar war, until everything spirals into a messy turn of events. Cloud flashbacks in FFVII are portrayed in rich detail in the game, which expands the plot and the motivations of all the characters involved, including a gray long-haired hero with a sword the size of the Red Sea. The story of Crisis Core ends where that of FFVII begins.
Combat mechanics is a turn-based RPG disguised as an action game. We must choose the command to be performed, attack, magic, abilities, or items and it will be released. The combat has a slot feature called DMW (Digital Mind Wave). Each one rotates numbers from 1 to 7, with its portrait. When the three 7s line-ups, Zack gains a level and when the portraits are identical, the drawn character performs a special attack.
28. Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
Ni no Kuni, which means the second country in Japanese, tells the story of Oliver, a young boy with a pure heart who, according to an ancient prophecy, is destined to save a universe parallel to his reality, a second universe, the Ni no Kuni. To aid him in his quest, you have the companionship of Drippy, a fairy that’s in no way like Tinkerbell and the Wizard’s Companion, that has all the details of the world, familiars, and spells.
In battle, you act in turn-based combat while moving around. You can control Oliver or one of three familiars, that you can change at any moment during the battle, or your party members and their familiars. When not controlling one of them, AI takes over. All the usuals command available, such as attacks, spells, and defense.
27. Final Fantasy IV
The fourth game of the series gives us the role of Cecil Harvey, a dark knight, and captain of Baron’s Red Wing. After stealing the Water Crystal, Cecil and his knights question their morals and the king’s orders and for that, he is punished for disloyalty. Sent on a mission to the village of Mist to regain the king’s trust, he ends up getting involved in a life-changing adventure that will define the destiny of the world.
It was the first time the battle system used Active-Time Battle mechanics. The battle accepts up to five members, each with their skills and fighting styles. You no longer need to buy spells or techniques because you learn new ones when you level up.
26. Xenogears
The game has a futuristic scenario. Kislev and Aveh are two potentials that have been fighting in a war for so long that no one remembers why. They use Gears, giant combat robots, as tools of war. You play Fei Wong, an 18-year-old who was sheltered by a remote village after being found mysteriously. One day, Gears attack the village, disturbing its peace and setting Fei on his adventure.
And believe me, the adventure is incredible, addressing elements as complex as his spiritual successor, Xenosaga. The battle system is by turn and uses a mechanics of combos that consume points similar to Chrono Cross. Depending on the order of combos, you unleash skills. You can also control Gears in giant robot battles and recycle your enemies.
25. Divinity: Original Sin
Divinity: Original Sin is one of those games that are a love letter for D&D. It was also Kickstarter’s success in his time. You create and control two characters, Source Hunters, which aims to end any threat linked to The Source, a power that once beneficial, had been corrupted. Your first mission is a simple investigation that unfolds in quests, mysteries, and bigger bosses.
Inspired strongly by Baldur’s Gate, the battle system has an isometric vision and is by turn. You control up to four members and although some enter your party with pre-defined skills, you have the freedom to customize each level. The battle is strategic, you can use elements from the terrain and change the “weather” to help you in battle. But be careful, everything that affects enemies can also affect your allies.
24. Breath of Fire II
Back with my favorite franchise, now with the second release! Breath of Fire II uses the same formula and mechanics as the first game, but with incredible improvements, both graphically and gameplay-lly. You know the drill, Ryu, a blue-haired boy, is our protagonist and he has dragon powers.
The story takes place hundreds of years after the original game. Ryu lives with his father and little sister in a village in the shadow of a mountain on which a dragon fell asleep years before. One afternoon, Ryu goes out in search of his sister and finds her sleeping next to the dragon. She explains to him that when she does that, she can dream about her mother and advises Ryu to do the same. The boy does it and when he wakes up, his family is gone and nobody in the village remembers him. Fast forwarding, Ryu is all grown up and working as a bounty hunter, and his true adventure starts.
The battle is turn-based and simple. Attack to kill spells to destroy or heal and dragon transformation to obliterate. Each character has their strengths and learns new moves leveling up.
23. Drakengard
This game is set in the dark fantasy in the world of Midgard, in which the Union and the Empire are at war. The player controls Caim, a knight whose sister is elected to an important religious position and should be treated as a goddess. Attacked by the Empire and on the verge of death, Caim forms a pact with a female dragon to gain strength to save his sister – losing his voice in the process. The game addresses delicate topics and explores themes that other games would not dare. Also, it’s the spiritual predecessor of the Nier’s series.
The game has two types of gameplay. Terrestrial, where you face hordes of enemies on an enormous battlefield with 60+ weapons while completing objectives. The other is aerial, flying with your dragon in a free movement gameplay style, shooting fireballs, leveling up, and being badass.
22. Suikoden III
The plot takes place around 16 years after the last story (Suikoden II) and brings us, three heroes, that is, we can see the story from 3 points of view, (Hugo, Chris, and Geddoe), allowing events to be seen from various sides. We then have three factions fighting in Suikoden III, each with its divisions and politics. Hugo, of the ‘Karaya’ clan, is a Grasslander, Chris Lightfellow is a knight of the trading nation of Zexen, and Geddoe, a member of the Harmony defense force. The game also has a big political context in the plot and the possibility to recruit up to 108 characters.
The battle, although by turn, has a unique system. You use up to six members in three pairs of two. You give order to the front member while the back member attacks alone. This encourages you to make different combinations of pairs and find out which character is best in each position.
21. Final Fantasy XII
The plot centers on Vaan, an orphan who dreams of becoming a sky pirate. He lives in the Rabanastre, capital of Dalmasca, a small kingdom that’s attached to the Empire of Archadia. Through small and naive adventures, the boy ends up getting involved with a rebel group that wants to rescue Dalmasca’s sovereignty. While Vaan is constantly remembered as the least relevant protagonist of the franchise, his companions help to create an interesting dynamic.
The battle system is the first one that shows the enemies on the field and removes random encounters. When you approach, you can decide which command to use and a bar fills up until their execution, like ATB. You can give manual commands or create Gambits, a kind of artificial intelligence for your party. Besides EXP, you get LP to unlock licenses that allow you to use new equipment and magic.
