Recommended Games!

[Mirsa]

There is a freeware game called Exit Fate that is built on the same graphics engine as Suikoden 2, and very highly inspired by Suikoden.  75 recruitable characters, your own castle, a very deep and twisting plot.  It ranks in the top 10 RPGs i have ever played, and thats pretty remarkable for a free game that didnt come from a major studio.  I highly recommend anyone who prefers PS1 era RPGs to check this one out.

[HwitVlf]

That looks really neat! It's gotten stellar reviews from lots of people. HERE's a link to the author's site.

[duredure]

Added to my pc game list to play someday 
This game could be great if was ported to android or even psp/nds

...There's so many amazing games for pc waiting for me: might and magic 10 dark legacy released last year, mount and blade warband game of thrones mod, this exit fate, last ranker..


Thanks for sharing XD

Btw HwitVlf u said u know almost every strategy game for psx. Do u remember or played Koldelka?

[HwitVlf]

I have played Koudelka and didn't like it. It's grid based, but the battle maps are really small and there isn't any strategy involved. The story was just mediocre. I believe I read that it had problems in development and that is was released unfinished. That what it feels like; the beginning shell of a game without any complexity to flesh it out. Overall I'd rate it about 3/10.

[Mirsa]

HwitVlf if you had to do a top 10 of PS through PS3 strategy games, what would your ranking be?  Its hard for me to put in order, but it would look something like

Brigandine
Tactics Ogre
Vandal Hearts 1
Vanguard Bandits
Ogre Battle
Growlanser 2/3 (pretty much the same game)
Final Fantasy Tactics

I just recently stumbled into XCOM and was pretty obsessed.  I have probably close to 1000 hours logged in Civilzation IV, and it has that feel to it at the beginning where there is just such an overwhelming amount of things you need to work on and invest in, and striking that balance is crucial.  It suffers the same late game fate as Civilization too, in that once you navigate through the early challenge and get ahead, its pretty much cruise control and you can lose motivation to finish.

I can't say enough good things about Exit Fate.  Since it's freeware, the author was able to use video game soundtracks from other games (Uses Suikoden V, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Xenogears songs heavily.)  I am a musician and I really enjoy video game music from games I have played, and hearing certain songs used in a new emotional setting was pretty exciting.  Exit Fate actually inspired me to work on my own RPG Maker game.  I will finish it (one day) and post it here.  I have about 120 hours in, a really cool plot, and an amazing soundtrack (mostly borrowed from Romancing SaGa, Suikoden, Brigandine LOF, etc.)  I just need to really tinker with the event scripting and work out any potential bugs, which is time consuming as a first timer.

[HwitVlf]

Wow, Ps1- PS3 is a big range. Many games are good in different ways so it's a little hard to compare. But probably something like this:

Vandal Hearts (sorry, just a tad more than Brig )
Brigandine
Azure Dreams
Final Fantasy Tactics
Arc the Lad 2
Hogs of War (it's really turn based strategy without the grid)
Vanguard Bandits
Front Mission 5
Tactics Ogre
Stella Deus
La Pucelle
Rhapsody (It was simple, but unusual and I liked that)

[Mirsa]

Azure Dreams that high?  Thats been on my watch list for a long time, will most certainly have to pick that up.

Glad to see you list Vanguard Bandits too.  That's such an enjoyable game, with exactly the right amount of customization, and a lot of optional challenges (winning what seems like unwinnable battles early on.)  I havent explored all the endings and different paths yet, so that one is due for a revisit soon.

The deathblows in VH1 with the insane amounts of blood are still awesome.  Ditto on the unwinnable fight challenges.  When you get ambushed in that city by the entire Crimson Guard, winning that fight instead of escaping is incredibly gratifying.  Probably similar to saving Ridley in Suikoden 2 when he gets ambushed outside of Radat.

[HwitVlf]

I love games where you have a chance to "win what seems like unwinnable battles". Finding a strategy to overcome impossible odds should be a component in every strategy game in my opinion. 

Azure Dreams wouldn't necessarily appeal to everyone. It has two gameplay modes, one where you fight your way up a tower and the other where you walk around your village and interact with its citizens. The tower mode is challenging because your progress is only limited by how brave you're willing to be. If you keep going, you might find a great item but you might also get in over your head and lose it all.  The town sequences offer a nice change of pace and have some charming characters. It doesn't have the same complexity as a game like FF tactics, but I thought it had more character and was more endearing overall.

[duredure]

I played azure dreams in 90's for psx and for gb. Was a good game too and similiar to monster seed.
I'm playing at this moment civilization revolution for ps3. I finished in main history and was easy and fun. Now I'm playing sceneries at king dificult the atack of huns. Think something hard...every country want kill u...everytime they demand tecnology or war against u. But this make me play the game even more because is fun XD

[Mirsa]

HwitVlf that sounds a lot like the Lost Dungeon in Lufia II.  That dungeon alone makes an already awesome game legendary.  Emu's make it a lot easier with the ability to save, but man in the SNES days you were really something if you could beast it out.

Duredure, if you like the feel of Civ Rev, I would suggest Civ IV.  Its a lot more complicated with a tough learning curve but the lower difficulties make it an enjoyable game as you learn.  I have insane amounts of hours logged into Civ IV, and I can beat most Monarch level difficulty games easily, but Emperor difficulty I would need a decent civilization and a workable starting location.  Past that I'd get crushed.  The craziest thing is that even after all this playing time, each new round I pick up new ideas and new efficiencies.