STATUS

Hero's Realm - It's one of the longer RPGs out there and something of a classic. There are a few LPs of it (I've still to finish my own of it... >.<; ) but it's quite well-made and the battles are interesting enough that when you do have to grind (not often) it's not a hassle. Think early Final Fantasy cross Dragon Quest and a few other RPGs from that era. You create your own parties (multiple - you get 4, one per chapter and it all comes together in the last chapter) with one main hero and three class chosen characters. It's a lot of fun and quite well-balanced.

If you don't mind demos then I could recommend two by the same person - Racelia and Stories of Innocence. Both are character-driven and have great plots. The battles are different and interesting (though there are some small issues here and there, being still developed. Nothing game crashing). The world building is really well-done too and the mapping is top-notch at transporting you to another world and making it seem real.

Another longer demo is Notes on The Second Mellynd War. There's a new XP version being worked on but the old 2k3 version is still available. Again, it's plot/character heavy with an interesting battle mechanic and reasonably balanced.

- Dhux's Scar is a more mature game with a lot of religious overtones. It's very interesting in content, dealing with a certain mechanic that determines what ending you get. The characters are interesting and well-rounded, too. The one issue you might not like is that it's a little hard battle-wise, but this isn't a game where you have to grind for hours because it's quite time-based so... It's a very interesting game, though. Full.

- Dungeoneer: Beautiful Escape. Now, I'm not sure about recommending this one because it's a very dark, very mature game. Frankly, I recommend it to everyone who asks for a rec, but be warned that there's a lot in it that is very controversial. It has elements of dating simulation, but twisted, and it's definitely okay if you can't finish the game once you realise what it's about. It's very telling of the nature of a person in how they react to it because it puts the player in a very dark place. On to much lighter recs then. XD Full.

- Leo and Leah - this is cute, cuddly and fun. You play a lion cub who's girlfriend has been kidnapped. It's very bright and chirpy with a few puzzle elements thrown in, though some of them are a little hard. It's a neat game, though, and well-worth checking out if you feel like something sweet to cheer you up. Full.

- Romancing Walker is a dating-sim RPG and has terribad Engrish but is considered a classic game by a lot of older RMers. It's about a boy who goes on a journey with a bunch of likable lasses and your choices get you either closer to the girls or not. It's actually decently done and the girls are quite well-fleshed out which is odd for a game of its like. It's also epic RPG with world-saving plot and the battles aren't too hard, which is neat. Also, a lot of work went into it by the creator to make custom graphics like battle animations and cutscenes. It's quite well done and well balanced and a lot of fun to play. Full.

- Sunset Over Imdahl was the first RM game to be fully parallaxed. It follows the tale of a lad who travels through time to find out what destroyed his home city during a siege. It's not too long with a lot of custom assets and a great story. It really paints the picture of a city at siege and the mystery is well-told too. The one annoying part is a bat-catch minigame, but with enough determination and luck/skills you can get past it. The game is a gem and everyone should play it at least once. Full.

- Ara Fell is a demo, yes, but a long one. It's also quite well-known by most people who've been in the community for years as being a beautiful piece of art when it comes to using mapping to fullest advantage. It has a lot of interesting systems, in and out of battle, and the story is well done too. And hey, you get to play a cute, pink-haired, vampire-slaying heroine. Demo.

- Love and War tells the story of a young man just starting to make his way out in the world. It's a character-driven game and does a lot of great things with both plot and battle system. The battles are a bit grindy in some areas but the way you level up and get stronger is a bit different and interesting, so it's not too bad. The main draw are the character interactions and the plot. The game is pretty old but has had a re-release not too long ago with fully updated/remade maps and fixes. There's currently two chapters of a planned three complete, but they're split as episodes so you'll have to download both to get the full experience. It's really worth checking out, though.

- Pirates: The Legend of the Silver Crescent - So there was this guy named Carius quite a while back who did amazing things with RM2k. Like, seriously amazing eventing. A lot of people used to try to make side-scrollers in 2k/3 which always fell apart. So he went and made this game and made the rest of us seem incompetent. It's a side-scrolling shooter and it's amazing. You play a pirate ship of penguins who have to cannon enemies as you sail across the screen. It's a piece of technical marvel, but also a graphical marvel, too. Yeah, he had graphic talents too, the rear end in a top hat. :< As well as the side-scrolling (as though that weren't enough) there's also minigames. So yeah, pirate penguins trying to find treasure while miraculously working in freakin 2k3. (Which means no scripting, just events.) This is the game I shove in peoples' faces when they complain that something can't be done without scripts. ;p (Oh, the title leads to the download link since unlike the others, it's not on RMN.)

- Paradise Blue - Almost everything is custom created by Ocean and it's a very light, fun game set on a tropical island. It uses a class system and while you can grind, there are only a certain amount of enemies in the whole game so... there's that. XD It's got some neat systems in it, and the story is nicely done. It doesn't take itself too seriously and it's just a fun little game to play. One of my personal favourites. Full.

- Channel Changer - A rather long demo that includes the first three episodes of the game. It's an interesting plot that takes a lot of elements from games like Chrono Trigger. The main story follows friends who get sent into different worlds and have to find their way back home. The twist is that the worlds are actually based on TV show genres, so there's sci-fi, western, fantasy and the like. It's an interesting little game with some neat systems and while there are some issues, it's not a bad play. Demo

- Everlasting Journey is a funny, crazy romp in a world where things are just madness. The characters and plot are just plain mental but you'll have a lot of fun (and not a few chuckles/laughs) as you play. The battles can be a little hard in some places but the battle system is decent enough that it doesn't overwhelm you. There's a lot of jokes in this game and it has a lot of effort put in to both the graphical and writing departments. If you're having a bad day give it a try to cheer you up.


A playlist of games that you could check out if you want more of the same kinds as above.