This one's actually pretty good. So you know what? I'm saving this from oblivion, that's what.
1. What is your favorite RPG and why?
Xenogears. It would be wholly inaccurate to describe this game as a "flawless masterpiece" -- even its biggest supporters (myself being one of them) rarely go that far. It has a very slaughtered second disc due to time and budget constraints, its gameplay is above-average but not stellar overall and there are frequent points in which the story turns quite confusing due to a high usage of cryptic terms and behind-the-scenes plotting by antagonists your party won't even bump into for a few dozen hours.
That said, what's not to love? The best plot seen in gaming, a fully fleshed-out cast each with their own strengths, weaknesses and plot arcs (although some definitely get a shorter end of the stick here than others), some of the most memorable villains in storytelling hands-down, a riveting musical score by fan favorite Yasunori Mitsuda, and hell, let's address those flaws I just mentioned...
The second disc remains mesmerizing for those who can appreciate it since the storyline really kicks into high gear during all that talking, the gameplay is given enough spice through dual battle systems, the ability to jump and more that it never gets terribly old and all those cryptic behind-the-scenes terms and scenes turn from "augh" to "amazing" on subsequent runs.
2. What subgenre is your favorite and why?
JRPG, I suppose. So many of my favorite games belong to this one. That said, so very few over the past several years have told stories intriguing and mature enough that I care. It's been a downward slope for the most part. End of the day? I'm okay with that, I guess.
3. Does "RPG" do enough to describe a game in the genre?
Yes, it does.
4. If you had to chance, would you change the name to something else?
Nah.
5. Would creating more defined subgenres help or hurt the appeal?
I think this is the kind of thing that's going to happen naturally. It's fine as-is.
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Sir Chris Police ~Ace Detective in Homicide~
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