The Shrine

<div style='font: 9pt Modern; text-align: left; '>My last save the other night has me sitting pretty in the ol' Delphinus while I fly around the Maw of Tartas, so I think I'm getting pretty entrenched into the second half of Skies of Arcadia. This game has been so freaking good, though, that I'm already starting to think about what my next RPG for Dreamcast should be. And, since I got a good tip the last time I asked for a game recommendation (Test Drive Le Mans is pretty freaking sweet,) I figgered I'd ask you folks again.

Keep in mind, though, these few things when you answer, my friends:<ul><li>I can really only handle one new RPG at a time these days, especially since I have to get into FFIX again now that I've got a JAM! box and I don't have to bother my fiance when she wants to watch TV.
<li>Getting online with my DC right now is on the difficult/impossible side. To do so, I'd have to use my roommate's dialup account and pay him for any charges I accrue, which would suck. (Essentially, those of you who are about to say PSO had better make damn sure that it's a worthwhile solo experience before you do.)
<li>Obviously, I already have SoA, and I got partway through Evolution, which I also own, before I got annoyed at the big flower boss who kept killing me and stopped. (I wasn't that crazy about the game anyway, though.)
</ul>

Anyway, feel free to make any RPG recommendations you wish (that are intelligent and well-meant, that is.) Thank you and happy trucking.</div>

<div style='font: bold 11pt Modern; text-align: left; '>the only other DC RPG i know is Grandia 2 which is a pretty good game (very short and easy though).</div>

<div style='font: 12pt Modern; text-align: left; '>Another vote for Grandia 2. I'm not very far into it, but it's pretty fun.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt Modern; text-align: left; '>First beat FFIX then get Grandia 2, it is almost as good as Skies.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt Modern; text-align: left; '>Though I didn't really like it...maybe I'll give it another go...

Shenmue...(though I doubt you don't already own it)...

Personally, I'd just wait patiently for a couple of more weeks till Black & White or Half-Life....but that's just me.

Btw - PSO is a worthwhile experience(single player)...I still have yet to play it online....

KO-</div>

<div style='font: 10pt bookman, Modern; text-align: left; '>I played the original Grandia, and while I thought it was fun, it didn't thrill the crap out of me, and I haven't heard raves about the sequel (and therefore are not that thrilled about that either.) If G2 is <b>that</b> good, though, I may try it out.

Also, as far as games in a couple months go, I was thinking of picking up Metro3D's two new offerings, Armada 2 & Dark Angel: Vampire Apocalypse. What's Black & White?</div>

<div style='font: 12pt Modern; text-align: left; '>For one thing it came out about the same time as Skies. Grandia 2's pixelated CG just can't compare to Skies' crisp graphics. Grandia 2 also suffers in the character department. If Skies managed to capture the 'innocent girl' character stereotype without being stupid, and the 'cheerful/spunky girl' without being annoying, then Grandia 2 has managed to do the opposite with Elena and Millenia.

Also, Grandia 2 is very short (25 hours ish) and that doesn't go well with the hardcore RPGers. Why do you think Square allow the timer to go to 999 hours in Final Fantasy 8 when there's no possible way you can spend that much time in that game unless you're trying to get 99 Holy Wars?

I tend to agree with Esque that the only worthwhile characters on your side is Ryudo and Mareg. Aira and Melfice picked up the slack reasonably well though, IMO.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt Arial, Modern; text-align: left; '>Gameplay wise, Shenmue could've been better. It's not bad, but I don't think you should choose it over Grandia 2, as I did.</div>

<div style='font: 9pt Modern; text-align: left; '>It's a God Sim of sorts....picture any japanese monster raising game 'meets' Populous 'meets' Sim City...supposedly it'll have online head to head action too....(please don't be delayed...)

Anyway, Grandia 2 is a traditional RPG...average...that word couldn't be more true...average...But it's probably worth it to own(unless you can play 40+ hours in a rental)...

PSO is, for the most part...shallow. But there are plenty of secrets/items/character types/difficulty and variety....Plus the online side of things...

Shenmue was a pretty cool game...a lot to see and do...you'll probably play it twice... There were some flaws(drags a fair amount...)...

I can't recommend any above the other...they are all good for different reasons. Personally, I couldn't imagine not having any one of them...

The only thing I can say is I've played PSO the most....

KO-</div>

<div style='font: 12pt Garamond, Modern; text-align: left; '>Grandia 2 is excellent, if even easier to beat than SoA (which I thought would be impossible).</div>

<div style='font: 12pt Modern; text-align: left; '>Well, you certainly have enough SP by the end of the game to charge a Lunar Healing every other turn, so it'd still take a lot of skill to actually die, but now you can't just use Pirate's Wrath whenever you charged up 21 SP.

It's an intersting concept, having to gauge a univesal bar for powerful attacks and heals, but in the end it just didn't work. Even if there isn't the do-all-items, people'd just end up charging so that you've 39 SP for a Pirate's Wrath + emergency Lunar Healing.</div>

<div style='font: bold 11pt Modern; text-align: left; '>Grandia 2
- most simple and basic RPG story
- main female character extremely annoying
- best battle system for a traditional RPG I've ever seen (this does not include tactical RPGS like FFT)
- If you kill all the enemies when you see them and power up the books like I did than this is one of the easiest RPGs.
- Very short 25-30 hours on average.

ShenmueShenmueShenmue
- Very repetitive and could becoming boring (almost all the battles are in the third/last disc). Basically, the first two disc is like all other RPGs when you are in town and not allowed to go to a dungeon or world map. You keep talking to people until you trigger an event.
- Very good battle system when you can fight.
- Graphics are beautiful.
- Don't remember how long it was but I started pleading for it to end.
- Ending spoiler in Spoiler Message (not really a spoiler if you know that there should be a ShenmueShenmueShenmue 2)

PSO
- Good graphics.
- Good battle system.
- Story doesn't matter.
- Will get unbearably repetitive if you don't go online with it.
- Offline still lasted me longer than Grandia 2's 30 hours.

<b>Spoiler Message:<b>
<span style="background: black; color: black;">Shenmue has no ending, basically it tells you to get Shenmue 2 for disc 4.</span></div>