Summary
The PS3 launched in 2006, and hype for the console could not be higher. The PS2 is still the best-selling console of all time, which has an impressive library of games, from action titles to traditional RPGs. Unfortunately, it took a lot longer for the PS3 to find its footing in the RPG genre in particular.
Eventually, the system caught up to the popularity of the Xbox 360. Some of the best RPGs throughout its history includeDiablo 3,Fallout: New Vegas,Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch, and the list goes on. For fun, let’s take a look back at the first few years of the PS3’s RPG output.
1Disgaea 3: Absence Of Justice
Metacritic Score: 78
Disgaeais the type of series that is beloved by a niche group of RPG fanatics. However, some entries fall through the cracks more than others, andDisgaea 3: Absence of Justiceis one of those examples. It’s not a bad entry inthis long-running tactical RPG juggernaut, but it also didn’t move the needle forward beyond launching on a new platform, aka the PS3.
The game stars Mao, the son of the current Overlord of the Underworld. He hates being treated as a princely demon and hates school even more, which is the big theme of this game. So, he causes a riot, and others follow his rebellious nature to overthrow his school.
Enchanted Armswas first released in 2006 for the Xbox 360 before it got a PS3 port in 2007. It wasdeveloped by FromSoftware, which is wild to think about today as it wasn’t that challenging or dark in terms of tone, unlike their current Soulslikes. It has a lot in common with other RPGs, like the school setting was reminiscent ofFinal Fantasy 8and the first city looked a lot like Luca fromFinal Fantasy 10.
The gameplay was a mix between traditional turn-based RPGs and tactical ones. Characters could move around on a grid in battle, and specials had a range that took up square space as well. It paid homage to the greats, but it was bland at its core, from the gameplay elements to the story as told in reviews.
Eternal Sonatais one of thewildest RPG conceptsof all time. Frédéric Chopin is one of those musical geniuses on the level of Mozart that people still respect to this day. This game centered on Chopin in his last days of being bedridden.
The game then cuts to Chopin waking up in an anime-like world filled with magic and monsters. He’s like the observer of a typical RPG plot going down before him. The colorful visuals, odd concept, and tight albeit familiar battle system helped it stand out among the few JRPGs available on the PS3 early on. What would the real Chopin think of this?
4Folklore
Metacritic Score: 75
Folklorewas another PS3 exclusive and one that also tried to base itself on European lore, just likeBladestorm: The Hundred Years' War. The story’s presentation was a bit odd as it featured comic-like cutscenes, in-game cutscenes, and dialogue boxes with portraits. It can best be described as a more action-packed version ofPokemon.
Players would acquire monsters in dungeons, and then they could map those monsters to face buttons like X or Square to be stand-ins for a variety of attacks. A recent game did this as well,Little Noah: Scion of Paradise, which was a 2D roguelike that fans of this game may enjoy.Folkloredid indeed have fans at the time, as there weren’t many RPGs to play in 2007, but unfortunately for those fans, there was never a sequel.
5Penny Arcade Adventures: On The Rain-Slick Precipice Of Darkness
Metacritic Score: N/A
Penny Arcade, in the late 2000s, wanted to branch out more as a brand beyond comics. They were doubling down on the convention scene, for example, but they also lent their rights to a series of episodic RPGs.Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darknessis the first episode in what would unfold into a four-part series.
Tycho and Gabe, the main characters of the comic strip, get roped into fighting robots, thugs, and other RPG trope villains after doing yard work one day. Battles were turn-based, but there was an active element to attacks and defenses akin to theSuper Mario RPGgames. The gameplay was a good nod to classics, and it managed to retain the humor of the comic strips.
This series began on the PSP withUntold Legends: Brotherhood of the Bladein 2005. It was a dungeon crawlerlooter RPG likeDiablothat wasn’t a bad budget clone. It got a sequel a year later on PSP,Untold Legends: The Warrior’s Code, which was met with a less enthusiastic audience. Months later, the PS3 would get an entry that would end the franchise withUntold Legends: Dark Kingdom.
Players could choose between a Mage, Warrior, or Scout to dive into dungeons with. Like all entries in this short-lived series, it was a competent RPG, but it didn’t have that fresh feeling to keep players glued to the screen for hours on end. It would be a long time until PS3 fans got a really good looter RPG viaDiablo 3in 2013.
