Top 100 RPGs of All Time #20-1

This is it. IGN released the last entries of their Top 100 RPGs of All Time List today. The entire list of all 100 has now been revealed. This last installment is showing you the top 20 RPGs of all time, according to IGN.

[Relientk77]

Glad to see

Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy VII on here

[Ranma1]

FF10 is my first FF and my number 1 RPG

[Relientk77]

Definitely an amazing game, I love Final Fantasy VI, VII, VIII, IX, and X. They are actually all on this list too.

Final Fantasy IX and X are my favs

[Blastoise]

I think Knights of the old republic was better than mass effect though.

Also glad to see Dark Souls was relatively high, a truly great game.

[Deputydon]

Personally I think Dark Souls should be in the top ten, preferably even the top five.

This list is great for two reasons though, #1 and #2 are arguably the greatest RPG's of all time. I would put CT ahead of FF6 personally, but I've never seen a major gaming site put CT or FF6 over FF7, thank God it finally happened.

I would also argue that Xenogears should be A LOT higher. #47th best RPG of all time? It's in my personal top ten, but once again I'd be okay with a top 20 at least, but 47? Sigh.

EDIT: Also, I didn't look through the whole list thanks to IGN's love for money from ads, so they put articles like this one game a page, but I don't remember seeing Chrono Cross in the top 50 at all, which is a disappointment. I'd also say that Castlevania: Symphony of the Night should easily be in the top 20.

[gamejediben]

The thing about Xenogears is that it was unfinished after the first disc. It was an amazing RPG but still an incomplete masterpiece. Thats why its at #47.

Oh and Chrono Cross is at #61 which isn't bad but I'd have personally put it above games like tales of Destiny or Dragon Quest V.

[Irishguy95]

Yeah the second disk of Xenogears really brings it down. No matter how much you like it(as do I). The second disk pulls it's quality down in alot of ways, including pacing and well...the fact that it's a game, not a book. Or at least it shoulda been. The first disk is a masterpiece though/

Wow...20 pages/ **** you Ign. **** you.

[knifefight]

What hurts even more is that the development team had the best *intentions* to add more to that game -- in the second disc -- and flesh out all those parts you just end up reading about, but they ran out of time and ran out of budget. The publisherman said the game had to be out the door, so they had to rush and do what they could with a suddenly limited amount of time and money >_<

[Deputydon]

@Knifefight, if I remember correctly, a lot of the dev team was shifted over to the FF7 team in the beginning of development, so once FF7 was complete and finally allowed the dev team to go full force again, it was too late to finish such a long, detailed game.

But still, even in it's incomplete state, the game is a masterpiece. And if there is one game that I'd like to see a remake of, even if they kept the PS1 quality graphics, it would be Xenogears, just to see how the dev team really wanted the game on that 2nd disc.

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

I'm disappointed that Summon Night Swordcraft Story didn't make the list at all.

[doogiebear]

Anyone who's owned Persona 4 would say it should be #1. Giving it to FF again is an easy cop out. Persona is considered by many to be the greatest. If only more people had played it.

[HarryMasonHerpderp]

Never played Persona 4 before, waiting for P4 golden on the Vita. Needless to say you have raised my expectations up for it now!

[3-4-5]

A lot of people aren't interested in dating and playing highschool kids.

That isn't what makes an RPG great. hence every jrpg that doesn't involve dating being rated higher on the list.

[HarryMasonHerpderp]

@Relientk77

If I could live in a Final Fantasy game it would be IX.
Just putting that out there! lol
Amazing game.

[Relientk77]

Me too, the world in Final Fantasy IX is simply vast and beautiful. Actually I think I'm gonna play Final Fantasy IX today

:)

[Aceman18]

FF6 was and will always be my favorite make in the series and im glad they recognized it as one of the best rpgs around.

[JC_Denton]

EV3N MOAR GLAD 2 SEE THEM BEHINND SKYRIM!! MY BFF (HES A TOTAL G33K AND PLAYS CALL OF DUTY ALL THE TIME) SHOWED ME SKYRIM AND IT'S THE BEST GAME EVUR!

IGN should have to change the G in their name to S (for shit, that is).

[HiddenMission]

FF7 is one of my favs of course

[Relientk77]

Actually I am suprised at how low they put Final Fantasy VII

[majiebeast]

Dark souls in top 20 is a bit much there are other games that should be in that spot but hey this is ign who didnt even put mgs 4 in the top 20 ps3 games.

[Deputydon]

Coming from someone that has put hours upon hours upon hours into Chrono Trigger, Xenogears, Final Fantasy 6, Demon's Souls, and Dark Souls, I'd argue that Dark Souls should be much, much higher on the list.

I have so many hours on the game it's incredible. I have more total hours between multiple characters than most Skyrim fanatics. I have two with 120+ hours, four characters with 70+ hours each, three with 50+ hours, two with 40+.

It's addictive, it's fun, it's got stellar online, it's got atmosphere, it's got incredibly tight controls.

Even what little music the game has, it's perfect.

[Irishguy95]

Agreed, Dark souls is my fav game this gen....so far.

[kwyjibo]

Planescape: Torment is at number 13.

Mass Effect at number 9.

Let's not pretend that IGN have any idea about RPGs. It's essentially a random walk through 100 random games that they've phoned in, because list articles are easy.

You don't actually have to invest any time in doing in depth research or offer fresh insight. You just take a pack of playing cards and give them a good shuffle.

There's about as much depth, and less entertainment, than a buzzfeed top 10 fat person fails slideshow. lol! He's stuck in a well!

[Xperia_ion]

Yeah, IGN failed hard on this countdown.

[Imalwaysright]

Planescape Torment at number 13 is a huge fail. Its arguably the game with the best storyline in the entire industry and for that reason alone it warrants at least a top 3 spot on any best RPG list. Huge fail.

[cozeh]

FFVI deserved winner. 7/OoT shouldve been closer I thought. Seeing WoW in there just made me sad.

[wishingW3L]

IDK, I think Chrono Trigger should have been #1 and FF6 #2 while FF4 shouldn't even be in the top 10 if FF7 isn't in there. Pokemon red/blue is a joke to be in top 5m it should be top 20 at most.

[specialguest]

I can accept FF6 as winner. The game was the pinnacle of RPG at the end of the 16bit era. It had one of the richest content with lots of side quest, customizing the menu look, tons of weapons/armor, hauntingly memorable music, deep character back story, and very strong character development for its time. It was solid 10 in my opinion for an RPG. I couldn't find one thing about the game that bothered me as an RPG fan from that time.

[Aceman18]

absoultely agree with you 10000000% for me its the best rpg ever made.

[omarzy]

Switch Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 6. Anyone know if Grandia is in there somewhere? Shame on IGN if it isn't. Shame on them for not putting Grandia is the top 5. FF7 should be in the top 5 as well.

[gamerben]

no way, chrono trigger is a good game but I don't even think it deserves to be #2

[Megaton]

Not bad. I agree with about half of their top 10, including their #1.

[WildArmed]

Same, I went through their top 5, I gotta say I agreed more often than not.

[Blastoise]

Skyrim #7?

You have got to be kidding me.

[Megaton]

Yeah, sorely out of place on that list, IMO.

[Eyeco]

Skyrim #7 Vagrant story #94 and Chrono Cross #61

WOW ign WOW

[DEATHxTHExKIDx]

FFVI as #1 genius I always favored that one over every other final fantasy.

[solar]

Agreed. I had a hunch FFVI or FFVII would be #1 on the list. As a huge fan of VI and not a fan of VII, i was a bit happy. I need to dl an emulator and play FFVI again. My fave RPG of all.

[Aceman18]

playing VI on my vita and it looks wonderful

[Dasteru]

For anyone who doesn't want to click through 20 pages and give IGN more hits.

20: Everquest
19: System Shock 2
18: Dark Souls
17: Earthbound
16: Diablo
15: Secret of Mana
14: FF Tactics
13: Planescape: Torment
12: Kotor
11: FF VII
10: Fallout 3
9: Mass Effect
8: WoW
7: Skyrim
6: Diablo 2
5: FF IV
4: PKMN Red/Blue
3: Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn
2: Chrono Trigger
1: FF VI

[MightyPatapon]

Final Fantasy VII is easily the game that popularized role-playing games all over the world.

VII should have been #1.

[Imalwaysright]

Fallout 3 above Fallout 2! If this is a joke its not a very good one.

[taquito]

baldurs gate
baldurs gate 2 SoA
Dark Souls-pc version
The Witcher 2 pc version
oblivion-pc version
demons souls-ps3
neverwinter nights 2
icewind dale 1
icewind dale 2
temple of elemental evil
ffxii
ffviii
ffvii
chrono trigger
skyrim
kotor
mass effect -pc version
dragon age origins-pc version

something like that for me

[gamerben]

western rpg fan huh? lol

[TheDivine]

Idk about 20 as i havent played too many but
Lost Odyssey
FFX
Tales of Vesperia
Xenoblade
Kotor
Twewy
Paper Mario (gamecube)
Dragon Age Origins
The Witcher 2
Fallout 3\New Vegas
Demons Souls\DkS
Kingdom Hearts
Jade Empire
Fable
All are favorites of mine. Most are recent but damn good. The ff6-9, chrono trigger\cross, xenogears, and p3/4 are prob worthy but i havent beaten them yet. Twewy is one of my recent favorites along with The Last Story. Both are top tier and totally refreshing. They dont fit in with the normal wrpg/jrpg genre.

[ExCest]

Persona should have been there.

Skyrim is too glitchy for my taste.

fallout 3 is pretty fun.

[goldwyncq]

I found it insulting that Skyrim made it into top 10 but not FFVII.

[AIndoria]

Final Fantasy VIII, Valkyria Chronices and Persona 3, so Fxcking underrated. :( Seriously ,I feel like if I could, I'd make EVERYONE play them.

[gamerben]

i thought ffviii was a good game, but I can totally see why some people wouldn't like it.

I haven't played the others, unfortunately.

[3-4-5]

DQ 5 at # 80 or so....from what I've heard of the story it seems it should be higher ( closer to #1 ) on the list.

It is the True inspiration for Pokemon Red/blue and they had that in top 10.

1996 is probably the best year for Games, Movies, Music EVER!

So many good games, not just RPG's, music of all genres including video game, and Movies were released that year it's amazing really.

I'm going to get hate for this but there were way too many Generic PC Rpg's way to high on the list.

They all played well but were super ugly.

[Sizzon]

Vagrant Story, Legend of the Dragoon, TES IV: Oblivion, Demon's Souls and Lost Oddysey are some great RPG's also :)

[rhap]

It's funny how they consider Diablo or Dark Souls RPG games, not to mention FPS with a few RPG elements like ME. They should put Frogger in it as well since you ROLE PLAY a frog trying to cross the street with action RPG elements like dodging and taking different routes.

IGN, amazing. I bet if you put everyone involved in this list together they haven't played 30 out of the 100 games in there, just the mainstream Bioware and Blizzard crap.

[DestinyHeroDoomlord]

Gotta catch'em all! I dont like r/b that much but they did start it all. "rhap.... get a life"

[GrahamGolden]

that how jrpg one time dominate everything...out there lol 20 from these titles 10+ where JP

to bad today they care more about money than quality.

skyrim dont deserve to be in the top 10..game full of bugs and glitch...if a elder scrolls should be at the top 10 that would be morrowind.

and world of warcrap 8 ? lol

[XB1_PS4]

This is my personal list.. I'm pretty biased based on what I played most, and when I played them.
1. FF VII
2. Chrono Trigger
3. FF VI
4. FF X
5. Breath of fire (First RPG I ever played.)

[mobijoker]

My top 5 would be:
FF6
KoTOR
Baldur's Gate
Dragon Age Origins
Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer
Those who haven't played Mask of the Betrayer because of the buggy mess that
was NWN2,I urge you to try this.....Certainly the best expansion ever and would have been one of the best games ever if it saw a separate release....
To me its truly the pinnacle of D&D games....

[Captain Tuttle]

Skyrim, while a great game, is rated WAY too high.

[x5exotic]

FF12 is the best for me

[chukamachine]

All boring games.

Next.

[Sephiroushin]

FF VI and chrono Trigger deserves their position ... but some others on the best 10 who's crazy idea was that! A pokemon game, World of Warcraft, Skyrim, Fallout 3 o.O ... but they're very popular I see what they did there!

[C0MPUT3R]

Final Fantasy VI is God. I love that game.

[goldwyncq]

They put EarthBound but not it's sequel, Mother 3?! Only a few gamers have played it, but still, that's one of the best, if not the best Nintendo RPG in existence.

[George Sears]

Where is Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne. They add Personas but no love for the main series? That's whack.

(If on the list then I have no idea where)

[R_aVe_N]

That list is all kinds of messed up

[Acquiesc3]

That list is overall horrible, but thank God they atleast got #1 right. FF6 all the way.

[knifefight]

I'm the LAST person in the world to ever defend IGN, but let's be straight here: *anyone's* list of a top 100 somethingorother will look great to some, OK to others, and terrible to even more people. It's just the nature of the beast.

They put their picks out there and that's what up. They're the opinions of the authors so, eh, it is what it is. There is no right or wrong opinion on it, really.

...But yes, I can also condone an FF6 #1. ^^;;

[Jirachi]

#1 is final fantasy VI
now i feel bad everytime i said "you can't spell ignorant without IGN" Final fantasy VI is my favorite rpg and my favorite game ever.

[ajax17]

Fuck that JRPG shit! Fallout 3 is the BEST!

[MonopolyRSV]

Skyrim LOL

[JC_Denton]

IGN: When in doubt, google search the best RPGS "evur" and use the info you collect to make an article. God that website is a shit stain on the gaming world.

[Snake45]

What are Skyrim and Fallout 3 doing in there? I know Bethesda is pretty much the most overrated game developer at the moment, but still...

Hopefully this ridiculous Skyrim craze will be over soon and Skyrim won't touch any top 20 list with a ten foot pole. Don't get me wrong, it's a good game. Good. Not one of the best RPG's ever.

Fallout 3 baffles me even more. It doesn't even have the fad-factor that Skyrim is riding on. Besides, New Vegas is way better.

[StonedGazers]

My all time RPG has to be Rings of Power on the Sega Megadrive, that was the game that made me fall in love with the RPG genre

[linkratos]

Almost seems like they tried to force modern games into the top 10. Just strikes me as odd that the top 5 is pretty much what everyone expected, while 6-10 are questionable (not saying which games don't belong).

[shutUpAndTakeMyMoney]

Best Rpg this gen came from a pc dev imo.. CDPR <3

[crazysammy]

Wow IGN has some pretty loose restrictions for the term RPG... but like they say, you cant spell ignorance without IGN!

[3-4-5]

Looks like I need to go play FF 6 at some point.

what is it available on besides SNES ?

I would love a 3DS version.

Also I need to get Chrono DS asap as well.