Yeah, I know. The thread title is a mouthful, but I kinda wanted to encompass both into this singular thread. I don't mind suggestions for thread title improvements!
So with that out of the way: What are some of your favorite RPG games? Or even RPG series (Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest ect)? What game got you into RPGs?
Gonna be honest, this is going to be an easy way for me to possibly see some RPG games people love that I either never knew about or never thought to try out. So c'mon people, let's hear about them!
I'm going to start it out with the first RPG game I ever played. Hold on to your butts, this entire post is gonna be full of randomness and ramblings. Also, be aware that my tastes swing heavily to the JRPG style of RPGs. I love RPGs and their sub-genres as a whole, but I just prefer JRPG, especially old school style JRPG.
So before I get into this, let me state for the record: I don't consider The Legend of Zelda series as an RPG series. I know there are some crazy people who DO, but I'm not one of them. The Legend of Zelda is an action adventure series to me.
Yep. Super Mario RPG was my first RPG. It's not the one that really hooked me, and I didn't even play any of the other amazing SNES RPGs of the Era. I got it simply because it was Super Mario. My reaction was pretty much "Oh wow, this is kinda cool. I dig how this plays." The game-play was so foreign to young me at the time, turn based combat? In a Mario game? A party of characters? It planted the seed, as it were but I moved on and kept playing the games I normally played, like platformers or action adventure titles. Honestly, even now I don't remember much of the game as I haven't replayed it and we're going back a little over two decades here.
And that, that brings me to the game that completely hooked me into RPG and all it's wonderful sub-genres.
[IMG='width:288px;']https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51tkmb93AiL._SX342_.jpg[/IMG]
Yes indeed. For me, and I'm sure at least a few of you who at least check this thread, Final Fantasy VII was the game that hooked me. When the generation after SNES started, I stuck with Nintendo. So I asked for a Nintendo 64 for Christmas. I vaguely remembered the Colecovision my sister had when I was 2 or so years old but I grew up mainly on the NES, and then moved on to the SNES. So I was all about Mario 64 and the Nintendo 64! But my best friend and his brother, they decided to ask for a Sony Playstation.
And I still remember to this day the first sleep over I had at their place after they got it. Watching them play through the opening parts of the game, for the third time they said, because needing a memory card to save your game was a completely new thing still. The FMVs, the effects during battle. To this day, FF7 holds a special place just for nostalgia alone. I still replay it, every few years. Art and graphic style aside, it still holds up for me. While Super Mario RPG planted the seed, FF7 kicked open the door, it (and to a lesser extent Resident Evil 2, as my friend had also gotten that) was the game that made me want a Playstation. It took a couple years after launch, but I did manage to get one with FF7.
And after I finished FF7, my next RPG adventure turned out to be...
Yes, the second disc is a complete mess. Yes, the story tends to go non-sensical a bit -- but holy shit do I love this game. I first remember seeing it in a full page ad in EGM (Remember those?) RPG with Mechs! I was hyped with that alone. I'd already been working my first job by this point, so the Friday after it released, I was at the EB Games in the mall and picking it up. If FF7 kicked open the door to my love of RPGs, Xenogears cemented it. For all it's flaws, it was an experience I loved from start to finish. The characters, the combat, some of those amazing FMV moments, the plot twists. Loved it.
Okay, now that we've gotten those out of the way. Let's get into my favorite RPG games, since I imagine that's what most of this thread will be. If anyone responds. Well, at least I can count on Schnitzelfee to respond. Right? Right?
Alright, so let's start it off with probably my three favorite series. The ones that would make me buy the system their exclusive to, no questions asked because I love them so much. In no particular order!
PERSONA (if my Avatar wasn't enough of a hint)
That's RIGHT. My first Persona game was the first one released on PS1 way back when with it's utterly horrible localization. So if you're reading this Arty, HAH!
Okay, to be perfectly fair to Arty / Suikoder -- this was the only Persona / SMT style game I played until I really got into the series with Persona 3. And I do prefer 3, 4 and 5 over 1 and 2 by a large margin. So he's got me there. I never got into the Pokemon/Digimon craze so having to capture Demons and use them was something that was wholly new and really freaking cool to me.
[IMG='width:194px;']https://static-cdn.jtvnw.net/ttv-boxart/Shin%20Megami%20Tensei%3A%20Persona%203%20FES.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG='width:193px;']https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b0/Persona_5_cover_art.jpg/220px-Persona_5_cover_art.jpg[/IMG]
I love this series.I love how they they link Arcana archetypes to the characters. I especially love 3-5. While the base mechanics are the same, naturally, through out them each game just feels different. Persona 3 is the darker of three games. I mean sure, some people considered parts of it cringey, like the whole using a "gun" to shoot themselves in the head to summon the Persona.
But the game? It was great. it had that dark and dreary almost psychological thriller tone to it and that tone persisted for almost the entirety of the game. Sure, there were more light hearted moments sprinkled here and there, especially with the Social Link aspects, but it definitely was the more "downer" of the three modern Persona games, which makes me feel that was one of the reasons Persona 4 was the way it was.
If Persona 3 was the psychological thriller, Persona 4 was the Saturday Morning Scooby Doo murder mystery "And I would have gotten away with it, if it wasn't for you meddling kids!" That's not a knock on the game, mind you. Where as 3 had it's moments of levity among it's darker and overall bleaker tone, 4 has it's moments of a darker underside among it's more light hearted overall tone. It's still a great experience, and a must play if you enjoy turn based JRPGs imo.
That brings us to the latest, Persona 5. We went from the psychological thriller of Persona 3, to the Scooby Do Murder Mystery camp of Persona 4. So how do they do 5?
Let's just go full blown movie heist style.
P5 is definitely my favorite of the Persona games. It just oozes style, even down to the interface.
[IMG='width:634px;']http://cdn.gamer-network.net/2017/usgamer/persona-5_9.png[/IMG]
It's got my favorite overall cast of the series, I love the dungeon designs (minus the ones that just drag on too long even for me). I loved it so much I turned around and immediately played it a second time, start to finish. I hadn't done that in almost a decade. It's got that heist feel all throughout, even with doing little plannings and calling cards. All around just a great game, and was THE reason I wanted a PS4. (Yeah, I know it came out on PS3. Mine was already long dead and I thought it was stupid to buy an old gen system at that point.)
Now, favorite series number TWO
FIRE EMBLEM
Okay, yes. I know. Fire Emblem got waifu'd. It happened. It's there for the two biggest sellers of the series. Is it staying for the Switch version? We don't know at this point, but I'd bet yes.
So far I've played every Fire Emblem officially released here in the west. The GBA games, the Gamecube game, the DS games, the Wii game and of course the 3DS games. Hell, I even play the Fire Emblem mobile game. Fire Emblem is Fire Emblem to me because of the perma-death mechanic. It gives me that "Oh shit" feel almost every map. I love it. I love the tactical RPG games that use it.
[IMG='width:512px;']https://cdn02.nintendo-europe.com/media/images/10_share_images/games_15/virtual_console_wii_u_7/SI_WiiUVC_FireEmblem_image1600w.jpg[/IMG][IMG='width:487px;']http://fireemblemfates.nintendo.com/assets/images/chrome/facebook.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG='width:513px;']https://ksassets.timeincuk.net/wp/uploads/sites/54/2018/07/H2x1_NSwitch_FireEmblemThreeHouses_image1600w-920x460.jpg[/IMG]
I got a 3DS specifically for Fire Emblem. I wanted a Switch mainly for Fire Emblem and 1 other title. Yeah, Nintendo's got me by the balls just with Fire Emblem. If anyone reading this enjoys tactical type games, especially tactical RPGs, I implore you to try them out. Even if its on an emulator. Waifu bait shit aside in the newer titles, the game play remains solid.
SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI (+all the spin-offs!)
I KNOW. I know Persona started as a spin-off to SMT, but it's kinda become it's own thing, and generally if I HAD to choose, I picked a new Persona over a new SMT, but I LOVE both series. It has all the same game play as a Persona game, none of the Social link dating aspect, and as much dark, dreary shit as your empty little heart desires. I always suggest an SMT game to someone who is interested in Persona, but doesn't like the social link / dating aspects.
I haven't played a single SMT game I didn't like.
SMT III AKA Nocturne AKA Lucifer's Call for our Euro brethren. An amazing experience, and if you enjoy Persona or SMT and have never played it you should be ashamed of yourselves.
[IMG='width:219px;']https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f0/Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV.jpg/220px-Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV.jpg[/IMG][IMG='width:220px;']https://www.gamestop.com/common/images/lbox/125349b.jpg[/IMG]
SMT IV and it's sequel SMT IV Apocalypse. I won't quite understand how Nintendo managed to snag the SMT license as an exclusive moving forward, but despite being on weaker hardware when compared to the Vita or the consoles, the games are amazing and definitely play to the strengths of the system. Loved all 200+ hours between the two of them.
[IMG='width:215px;']https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81RPp0BY5FL._SL1471_.jpg[/IMG]
SMT: Strange Journey. Truly old school, dungeon crawling type. One of my favorite games on the DS. Sadly, I haven't had a chance to play the 3DS Remake / Remaster yet. I do have it, but it's been relegated to backlog hell.
[IMG='width:317px;']http://www.vgchartz.com/games/boxart/full_4534693AmericaFrontccc.jpg[/IMG]
SMT: Devil Summoner Soul Hackers
An old school dungeon crawling type SMT game with a cyberpunk style aesthetic? Oh god, yes. That's really all that needs to be said.
[IMG='width:284px;']http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NTczWDY0MA==/z/fjQAAOSw9fRZvAi-/$_1.JPG?set_id=880000500F[/IMG][IMG='width:281px;']https://www.gamestop.com/common/images/lbox/108333b1.jpg[/IMG]
SMT: Devil Survivor Series
Take SMT mix in Fire Emblem tactical style combat, and serve. Probably my favorite of all the SMT style spin-offs.
And there's even more SMT games that have been released here that I haven't even gotten to it. A Backlog is an eternal, and shameful thing.
Alright, I'm going to try to start wrapping this thing up, Here's a few more games or series I really enjoy.
Dragon Quest
If you like old school JRPGs, you've got to like Dragon Quest right?
Dragon Quest XI was AMAZING. PLAY IT. (I'm looking at you Derrick01 )
Final Fantasy
I actually liked FF15. So sue me.
Shadowrun (Harebrained Schemes)
Dragonfall and Hong Kong were the best of the three.
Front Mission
It still hurts how this series died. Give me some Front Mission HD remasters, Squeenix!
The Divinity Series
And I'm not just talking about Original Sin 1 and 2. Get some culture people!
Bless Larian.
Ys
They count, right?
The Elder Scrolls
Let's just not talk about how things have been going recently, shall we?
And I could keep going and going and going and going, but that would defeat the purpose of the thread and having people post their own favorites and such.
There's many more series and games I really enjoy, and many more I need to play.
Looking forward to seeing what some others post!
So with that out of the way: What are some of your favorite RPG games? Or even RPG series (Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest ect)? What game got you into RPGs?
Gonna be honest, this is going to be an easy way for me to possibly see some RPG games people love that I either never knew about or never thought to try out. So c'mon people, let's hear about them!
I'm going to start it out with the first RPG game I ever played. Hold on to your butts, this entire post is gonna be full of randomness and ramblings. Also, be aware that my tastes swing heavily to the JRPG style of RPGs. I love RPGs and their sub-genres as a whole, but I just prefer JRPG, especially old school style JRPG.

So before I get into this, let me state for the record: I don't consider The Legend of Zelda series as an RPG series. I know there are some crazy people who DO, but I'm not one of them. The Legend of Zelda is an action adventure series to me.
Yep. Super Mario RPG was my first RPG. It's not the one that really hooked me, and I didn't even play any of the other amazing SNES RPGs of the Era. I got it simply because it was Super Mario. My reaction was pretty much "Oh wow, this is kinda cool. I dig how this plays." The game-play was so foreign to young me at the time, turn based combat? In a Mario game? A party of characters? It planted the seed, as it were but I moved on and kept playing the games I normally played, like platformers or action adventure titles. Honestly, even now I don't remember much of the game as I haven't replayed it and we're going back a little over two decades here.
And that, that brings me to the game that completely hooked me into RPG and all it's wonderful sub-genres.
[IMG='width:288px;']https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51tkmb93AiL._SX342_.jpg[/IMG]
Yes indeed. For me, and I'm sure at least a few of you who at least check this thread, Final Fantasy VII was the game that hooked me. When the generation after SNES started, I stuck with Nintendo. So I asked for a Nintendo 64 for Christmas. I vaguely remembered the Colecovision my sister had when I was 2 or so years old but I grew up mainly on the NES, and then moved on to the SNES. So I was all about Mario 64 and the Nintendo 64! But my best friend and his brother, they decided to ask for a Sony Playstation.
And I still remember to this day the first sleep over I had at their place after they got it. Watching them play through the opening parts of the game, for the third time they said, because needing a memory card to save your game was a completely new thing still. The FMVs, the effects during battle. To this day, FF7 holds a special place just for nostalgia alone. I still replay it, every few years. Art and graphic style aside, it still holds up for me. While Super Mario RPG planted the seed, FF7 kicked open the door, it (and to a lesser extent Resident Evil 2, as my friend had also gotten that) was the game that made me want a Playstation. It took a couple years after launch, but I did manage to get one with FF7.
And after I finished FF7, my next RPG adventure turned out to be...

Yes, the second disc is a complete mess. Yes, the story tends to go non-sensical a bit -- but holy shit do I love this game. I first remember seeing it in a full page ad in EGM (Remember those?) RPG with Mechs! I was hyped with that alone. I'd already been working my first job by this point, so the Friday after it released, I was at the EB Games in the mall and picking it up. If FF7 kicked open the door to my love of RPGs, Xenogears cemented it. For all it's flaws, it was an experience I loved from start to finish. The characters, the combat, some of those amazing FMV moments, the plot twists. Loved it.
Okay, now that we've gotten those out of the way. Let's get into my favorite RPG games, since I imagine that's what most of this thread will be. If anyone responds. Well, at least I can count on Schnitzelfee to respond. Right? Right?
Alright, so let's start it off with probably my three favorite series. The ones that would make me buy the system their exclusive to, no questions asked because I love them so much. In no particular order!
PERSONA (if my Avatar wasn't enough of a hint)

That's RIGHT. My first Persona game was the first one released on PS1 way back when with it's utterly horrible localization. So if you're reading this Arty, HAH!
Okay, to be perfectly fair to Arty / Suikoder -- this was the only Persona / SMT style game I played until I really got into the series with Persona 3. And I do prefer 3, 4 and 5 over 1 and 2 by a large margin. So he's got me there. I never got into the Pokemon/Digimon craze so having to capture Demons and use them was something that was wholly new and really freaking cool to me.
[IMG='width:194px;']https://static-cdn.jtvnw.net/ttv-boxart/Shin%20Megami%20Tensei%3A%20Persona%203%20FES.jpg[/IMG]

I love this series.I love how they they link Arcana archetypes to the characters. I especially love 3-5. While the base mechanics are the same, naturally, through out them each game just feels different. Persona 3 is the darker of three games. I mean sure, some people considered parts of it cringey, like the whole using a "gun" to shoot themselves in the head to summon the Persona.

But the game? It was great. it had that dark and dreary almost psychological thriller tone to it and that tone persisted for almost the entirety of the game. Sure, there were more light hearted moments sprinkled here and there, especially with the Social Link aspects, but it definitely was the more "downer" of the three modern Persona games, which makes me feel that was one of the reasons Persona 4 was the way it was.
If Persona 3 was the psychological thriller, Persona 4 was the Saturday Morning Scooby Doo murder mystery "And I would have gotten away with it, if it wasn't for you meddling kids!" That's not a knock on the game, mind you. Where as 3 had it's moments of levity among it's darker and overall bleaker tone, 4 has it's moments of a darker underside among it's more light hearted overall tone. It's still a great experience, and a must play if you enjoy turn based JRPGs imo.

That brings us to the latest, Persona 5. We went from the psychological thriller of Persona 3, to the Scooby Do Murder Mystery camp of Persona 4. So how do they do 5?
Let's just go full blown movie heist style.

P5 is definitely my favorite of the Persona games. It just oozes style, even down to the interface.
[IMG='width:634px;']http://cdn.gamer-network.net/2017/usgamer/persona-5_9.png[/IMG]
It's got my favorite overall cast of the series, I love the dungeon designs (minus the ones that just drag on too long even for me). I loved it so much I turned around and immediately played it a second time, start to finish. I hadn't done that in almost a decade. It's got that heist feel all throughout, even with doing little plannings and calling cards. All around just a great game, and was THE reason I wanted a PS4. (Yeah, I know it came out on PS3. Mine was already long dead and I thought it was stupid to buy an old gen system at that point.)
Now, favorite series number TWO
FIRE EMBLEM
Okay, yes. I know. Fire Emblem got waifu'd. It happened. It's there for the two biggest sellers of the series. Is it staying for the Switch version? We don't know at this point, but I'd bet yes.
So far I've played every Fire Emblem officially released here in the west. The GBA games, the Gamecube game, the DS games, the Wii game and of course the 3DS games. Hell, I even play the Fire Emblem mobile game. Fire Emblem is Fire Emblem to me because of the perma-death mechanic. It gives me that "Oh shit" feel almost every map. I love it. I love the tactical RPG games that use it.
[IMG='width:512px;']https://cdn02.nintendo-europe.com/media/images/10_share_images/games_15/virtual_console_wii_u_7/SI_WiiUVC_FireEmblem_image1600w.jpg[/IMG][IMG='width:487px;']http://fireemblemfates.nintendo.com/assets/images/chrome/facebook.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG='width:513px;']https://ksassets.timeincuk.net/wp/uploads/sites/54/2018/07/H2x1_NSwitch_FireEmblemThreeHouses_image1600w-920x460.jpg[/IMG]
I got a 3DS specifically for Fire Emblem. I wanted a Switch mainly for Fire Emblem and 1 other title. Yeah, Nintendo's got me by the balls just with Fire Emblem. If anyone reading this enjoys tactical type games, especially tactical RPGs, I implore you to try them out. Even if its on an emulator. Waifu bait shit aside in the newer titles, the game play remains solid.
SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI (+all the spin-offs!)
I KNOW. I know Persona started as a spin-off to SMT, but it's kinda become it's own thing, and generally if I HAD to choose, I picked a new Persona over a new SMT, but I LOVE both series. It has all the same game play as a Persona game, none of the Social link dating aspect, and as much dark, dreary shit as your empty little heart desires. I always suggest an SMT game to someone who is interested in Persona, but doesn't like the social link / dating aspects.
I haven't played a single SMT game I didn't like.

SMT III AKA Nocturne AKA Lucifer's Call for our Euro brethren. An amazing experience, and if you enjoy Persona or SMT and have never played it you should be ashamed of yourselves.
[IMG='width:219px;']https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f0/Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV.jpg/220px-Shin_Megami_Tensei_IV.jpg[/IMG][IMG='width:220px;']https://www.gamestop.com/common/images/lbox/125349b.jpg[/IMG]
SMT IV and it's sequel SMT IV Apocalypse. I won't quite understand how Nintendo managed to snag the SMT license as an exclusive moving forward, but despite being on weaker hardware when compared to the Vita or the consoles, the games are amazing and definitely play to the strengths of the system. Loved all 200+ hours between the two of them.

SMT: Strange Journey. Truly old school, dungeon crawling type. One of my favorite games on the DS. Sadly, I haven't had a chance to play the 3DS Remake / Remaster yet. I do have it, but it's been relegated to backlog hell.
[IMG='width:317px;']http://www.vgchartz.com/games/boxart/full_4534693AmericaFrontccc.jpg[/IMG]
SMT: Devil Summoner Soul Hackers
An old school dungeon crawling type SMT game with a cyberpunk style aesthetic? Oh god, yes. That's really all that needs to be said.
[IMG='width:284px;']http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NTczWDY0MA==/z/fjQAAOSw9fRZvAi-/$_1.JPG?set_id=880000500F[/IMG][IMG='width:281px;']https://www.gamestop.com/common/images/lbox/108333b1.jpg[/IMG]
SMT: Devil Survivor Series
Take SMT mix in Fire Emblem tactical style combat, and serve. Probably my favorite of all the SMT style spin-offs.
And there's even more SMT games that have been released here that I haven't even gotten to it. A Backlog is an eternal, and shameful thing.
Alright, I'm going to try to start wrapping this thing up, Here's a few more games or series I really enjoy.
Dragon Quest
If you like old school JRPGs, you've got to like Dragon Quest right?

Dragon Quest XI was AMAZING. PLAY IT. (I'm looking at you Derrick01 )
Final Fantasy
I actually liked FF15. So sue me.
Shadowrun (Harebrained Schemes)
Dragonfall and Hong Kong were the best of the three.

Front Mission
It still hurts how this series died. Give me some Front Mission HD remasters, Squeenix!

The Divinity Series
And I'm not just talking about Original Sin 1 and 2. Get some culture people!
Bless Larian.

Ys
They count, right?

The Elder Scrolls
Let's just not talk about how things have been going recently, shall we?

And I could keep going and going and going and going, but that would defeat the purpose of the thread and having people post their own favorites and such.
There's many more series and games I really enjoy, and many more I need to play.
Looking forward to seeing what some others post!