Buyer's Guide to Dreamcast RPGs
Of course, that's bad news for Dreamcast owners. However, considering the console's retail price has dropped to under $100, this is would be a perfect time to pick one up if you don't have one already. The Dreamcast has a massive library of quality games and currently is the only game console with online support.
But which RPGs should you invest in? Here is a look at five of the top Dreamcast titles on the market.
Evolution: The World of Sacred Device: While Evolution may be hampered by a mediocre story and a low quality translation, this underrated game is actually one of my favorite Dreamcast RPGs. Exploring the game's randomly created dungeons is a blast, thanks largely to the gorgeous scenery and the deep, intuitive battle system. As long as you don't expect too much out of the game, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Evolution 2: Far Off Promise: There isn't much of a difference between Evolution and it's sequel, Far Off Promise. The same likable characters from the first game return, except with one addition. Also, even though the dungeons and battle system have been tweaked a little (no more randomly-created dungeons), the game plays basically the same. The story is also all new, but alas, it's just as uninspired as the original. Still, if you liked the first Evolution, you should give this one a spin.
Grandia II: Sporting tremendous graphics and some of the voice acting ever seen in the genre, Grandia II gets my vote as the best of the Dreamcast RPGs. However, I do have some issues with the plot and the characters. To me the story felt like it was about 20 hours worth of good material stretched to fit a 30-40 hour game, and the characters, with the possible exception of Ryudo, just weren't as well-developed or likable as in past Game Arts creations.
Shenmue: There simply isn't another game on the market that looks even half as good as Shenmue. Gameplay, however, is another story. Too much of the game involves just talking to various people, going from Point A to Point B in search of information. The Dragon's Lair style system of fighting with timed button presses is dull, and the Virtua Fighter style of battle just doesn't happen enough. I couldn't bring myself to play all the way through Shenmue, and I recommend you rent first to see if this methodical mystery game is for you.
Skies of Arcadia: Even though I'm only about 20 hours into Skies as I write this, I must admit that the game is growing on me despite its slow start. The story and characters are pretty much your typical RPG fare, but the ship-to-ship combat is a truly marvelous innovation. The one thing that really bothers me is the game's high encounter rate; it makes exploration somewhat annoying and hard to enjoy. Still one of the better Dreamcast RPGs I've played.
This list is by no means exclusive. Astute gamers will no doubt notice the lack of Sega's online RPG Phantasy Star Online, which this gamer has yet to try and thus cannot yet recommend.
Also absent from the list are action/RPGs Silver and Elemental Gimmick Gear, as well as dungeon crawler Time Stalkers. It is strongly recommended that you stay far away from these games. However, if you're curious, please rent first. You'll thank me later.
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