We're honored to be a part of your top ranked TRPGs! So happy to hear that you enjoyed and game and hope you're looking forward to the spin-off - Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch!
I played through Lost Eidolons twice. 2nd play through was much more enjoyable because I was able to click through all of the dialog which got really tedious really fast the first time.
Some more TRPG recommendations: King's Bounty: The Legend, Blackguards, Aarklash: Legacy, The Banner Saga, Silent Storm,The Iron Oath, Legends of Eisenwald, Expeditions: Conquistador, Freedom Force, Disciples: Liberation, Mordheim: City of the Damned, Stirring Abyss, Tainted Grail: Conquest, Deep Sky Derelicts, Star Renegades, Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga, Fort Triumph, Vagrus: The Riven Realms, Ash of Gods: Redemption, Iratus: Lord of the Dead, Rogue Lords, Urtuk: The Desolation, Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones Druidstone: Secret of the Menhir Forest, Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia, Banner of the Maid.
@@jmmywyf4lyfI'm 1000% with you on that. I really loved the game, but if you have one unlucky day-session, your whole campaign is screwed. I had to stop because even though I was winning fights, just the most basic RNG destroyed me.
Troubleshooter is on sale currently. I guess time to watch that review. Great videos, keep it up with these list ones, the summarized review can help a lot when deciding to watch a review youve originally skipped on.
And if you enjoy Troubleshooter and Battle Brothers, I'd also highly recommend checking out Wander Hero, which combines these with Slay The Spire Deckbuilding and Peggle mechanics for melee combat (lol).
I love seeing these lists because it gives me a sense of what you actually like. I've watched all of your reviews and I don't think I could have come close to putting the games in order based on what you said about them in their videos. Would love to hear more about your feelings and impressions in reviews that go beyond just the bare facts!
Troubleshooter is one of my favorite games of any genre, it is even the one that got me to use the steam profile to sort and show my favorite games on steam after a decade of not using it at all, I was just that happy with it.
I'd recommend Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark as well. Very similar to FFT or Tactics Ogre, both mechanically and graphically. Loved the list! Lots of games I'd never even heard of, gave me a lot of different games to check out, so thank you for making this video.
Watching this back-to-back with the CRPGs video was wild. In that one I think you might have omitted maybe a single one of my faves. One this one, of my top five only BattleTech even got a mention and that was only as an aside on the Lamplighter's League entry! Of those not mentioned in the comments yet, other than all the Xcoms (Xenonauts 2 in particular is shaping up really well), Fell Seal and the Banner Saga trilogy are really worth a look. This is also not a genre short of Games Workshop entries, and even if you don't count Blood Bowl (you should!) it's definitely worth checking out the original Warhammer Quest (sadly now yanked from Steam). Dead State also probably lives here, though it's yet another in the genre of "indie that ends halfway through where it should have" common to the CRPG genre.
I finally got around to Midnight Suns + all the DLC and I couldn't put it down. Many late nights telling myself "just one more mission". The social side of the game definitely needs a bit of streamlining but there were some good systems and exploratory elements in there. It makes me wonder if it would've worked better like XCOM where you can quickly zoom in and out of rooms to do your socializing and research instead of having to run around everywhere. A sequel where you have to expand Avengers tower like that could fix a lot of issues.
From what I understand with what Jake Solomon was getting, this game isn't getting more updates. Its funny because I LOVED the social side of the game, honestly as a marvel fan its something I wish more games explored.
❤ Troubleshooters. Also recommend Dungeons of naheulbeuk, Fell seal: arbiters mark and urtuk the desolation. Troubleshooters is my second most played on steam over 700 hrs. Just behind pathfinder wotr.
This helped me find more good looking trpg, and also put more confidence in some titles that I was on the fence about. Thanks! I still have to watch the CRPG video, it has been on my watch later list.
Love this video and appreciate the detail and longer format! Just wanted to mention that The Last Train is a spectacular TRPG based on a unique historical event and with excellent plot, aesthetic and gameplay
Troubleshooters is on sale right now, just got the basegame+dlc for like $13. You've never steered me wrong with TRPGs. Showgunners was my best friend on an 8 hour flight. Cant wait! Thank you.
I never knew what a TRPG was until I played Triangle Strategy and from the moment the first battle started, I fell inlove and so I had to find out what was considered the best TRPG of all time. I found XCOM 2, and I can honestly say with absolute no shame or guilt that I have spent over 400 hours in the game, and I will probably spend 400 more...
Picked up Troubleshooter when I came across your review for it. Based on the Steam Year in Review, it basically sucked me in for a solid two months of play nearing about 300 hours. It genuinely is a fantastic TRPG and the Mastery system really set the bar high for the genre.
Showgunners surprised me so much. The demo was really confusing, but the full game just blew me away. It's not very deep or long, but everything that's in there feels very polished. And I do love the whole style and presentation.
14:00 I really enjoyed the writing in Midnight Suns. Not exciting per se, but I actually like how they show more personal aspects to the characters, and aren't afraid to give them flaws and conflicts. Making Blade a total weeaboo worked very well for me. It's a change of pace from the torytelling you might see in a movie, it feels naturalistic to me.
love how you define TRPG to CRPG. really prefer games that focus on customizing and tactical fights than storyline. 100000% agree with your number 1 pick.
I know it's not on PC (rumors say next year) but I would love a review of final fantasy tactics. The OG as well as the various sequels. I loved those games and while confusing as hell the story was also incredible.
Pleeeease try BATTLE BROTHERS already! Wartales is merely an attempt to imitate it - albeit a REALLY good attempt (and it's an iterative genre, so that's how it should evolve-by imitating the prior art and adding to it) And thanks for suggesting Troubleshooter - would have never found it otherwise.
yes ! The blend of turn-based and real-time is very original and the plot is pretty anime but not too much so (at least the 1st, I haven't played the 4th yet) + controlling a tank is cool
Super interested in seeing what you think of Phoenix Point. I had a riot during beta and early in release but I get a bit lost with the latest version I played. Possibly too many systems - I didn't see many of the little weird fiction text vignettes which I loved it being based on Call of Cthulhu ideas.
Bro I love these videos I think one game that will go up this list if it qualifies is Unicorn Overlord that demo is awesome! Anyway awesome video as always! 👏
Another option for a game like Fire Emblem on Steam is "Dark Deity". It's pretty much Fire Emblem. There is also "Symphony of War" if you are looking for more of an Ogre Battle style game. I recommend both to anyone into those games.
I really liked the Troubleshooter: Abandoned Children. The customization is crazy, and how much heart they put into constant updates was really impressive
I really want to like mutant year zero, it seems like it ticks all the boxes and is right up my alley. The puzzle nature of it just really hurts it for me though, I've tried it a few times and just keep getting stuck.
Troubleshooter was not on my radar; I'm going to have to watch your full review and look further into it. As someone who waited over 20 years for Jagged Alliance 3, I'm really happy to see it rated so highly. Honestly, while I'd have only rated it a B or B- at launch, the subsequent patches have really been both numerous and spectacular and bring it all the way up to an A-. It's still not quite as good as JA2, but it's (finally) a worthy successor to the franchise and I was genuinely shocked to realize that I've put over 500 hours into the game.
I got Troubleshooter after watching this video, expecting an anime XCOM 2. Holy shit, that game is a hidden gem. I've played it for about a couple of hours and I'm totally hooked.
All the way through I was thinking where is Troubleshooter. As well got into the top 4 I thought you must have forgotten you reviewed it. Colour me surprised to see it at number one. For me this one possibly pips Showgunners to the post. Although I finished that and this one is a bit of a long term project. So happy to see a game I enjoy so much and thought nobody really knew appear so high
I haven't played a single game on this list. I'll have to try out some of these. Maybe after 40K Rogue Trader I'll try those two 40k titles. Thanks for the great video as always!
Have you tried Disciples: Liberation? I personally liked that one quite a lot, although it was way different experience than older Disciples titles. And thanks for all your videos, as a huge fan of all kinds of RPG I really enjoy them.
Im so happy to see Troubleshooter at #1. As someone who loves this genre the game simply amazing. It offers so much in the uniqueness of the characters and the way it gives you the ability to build them in so many ways. Plus the developers themselves are awesome. The community manager is really nice and happily talks with the fanbase. Its simply a game where you can feel the passion from the staff just overflowing in the game.
I would be interested in your thoughts on TRPG game mechanics and the way they can be used: Action Point vs Move-Attack, factions take turns or individual initiative, set heroes or a group of mercenaries that you use, grid vs gridless etc. I have personal favorites, D:OS2 is perfect in every way while I dislike grids and move/action. It's weird how seemingly small things make such a huge impact in the genre
-Disgaea 2 and 4 / The best of the Disgaea series imo -The Last Spell / Very intense and great -Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark / Very much Final Fantasy Tactics -Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga / Great story and fun challenging Battles -X-Piratez / Crazy and yes (a bit lewd) mod for the original Xcom -Open Xcom Extended / the original Xcom with many improvements and mods
I have loved both XCOM games, so thank you for this, it gives me some new ones to check out. I also really enjoyed Phoenix Point, despite some problems with it.
@@jmmywyf4lyf The bit I've played of Phoenix Point so far i've enjoyed more than XCOM. I'm unsure why that it is but it maybe the base management in XCOM that's setting me back a bit.
@@jmmywyf4lyf Yea, I love it, but sometimes I forget to save for a few hours, and it's not the most stable game, so the occasional crash ends up costing me.
Kind of entertained to see King Arthur Knights Tale so far down your list when they quote you first on steam selling the expansion. Personally I really enjoyed that game and the really very different ways you could play with different party compositions and skill choices, but I can see why the difficulty spikes and slowish pace at times put some people off. Definitely recommend giving it another go though after all the balance adjustments.
I'm surprised about your love of Trouble Shooter. I really enjoyed it. Maybe not as much as you did, but definitely in my top half. I would have liked to see Battletech, since that is still one of my favorite TRPGs of all time.
I was waiting and waiting for Troubleshooter to appear, and after #2 I was like "wait where is it?", and it's #1! I've been thinking of getting it for a while now and this is the push I needed.
Aliens dark descent had me clenching my ass for the entire playthrough. Its so fun and makes you really feel like you are in danger. Especially when you have to do something ballsy and just barely make the plan work lol
Yes agreed! And it was sooo enjoyable coming back for New Game +, and bringing my Level 10 Marines in to get some much needed payback in those early stages! After spending time really learning those levels, felt great coming back and at least partially breezing through them 😂
you are a man of fine taste. troubleshooter is amazing. I own and have played all these games. The order is pretty much spot on. arbiter's mark the fell seal and the x com games are probably the only games that are missing that I can think of at the moment. as for as x-com 2 which is great no doubt. i would probably have listed it 2nd after troubleshooter. for context I have 519 hrs. in X-Com 2 and 822 hours in trouble shooter. Honorable mention I would add Gears tactics it's an interesting take with high production values on the genres but the replay value I don't think holds up very well.
You should check out the Disgaea series I'm surprised its not more well known in the gaming community. Considering your love for the mechanics of games like WOTR, Disgaea is a min-maxers dream.
Decided to check out Troubleshooters: abandoned children after watching this video and seeing it as your favorite title along with it being on sale at the time. (As well as being interested in quite a few others to compare, since quite a few games I really enjoy are on the list.) Really liking it so far, already have over 40 hrs into it and am genuienly engaged in the characters and story, even though it definitely sometimes feels a bit limited, mainly by budget constraints and the like. You can really feel the insane amount of passion and drive the devs had for the game and the genre as a whole. I really do hope it picks up in popularity, maybe with the sequel/ second season.
Hehe my first played trpg was x-com, the very first one DOS game, long time ago. Along the way I have enjoyed FFtactics and I enjoyed the first game in the Disgea series. I have purchased a lot of the games you reviewed mid list, and have yet to play them, so your insight may help inform my upcoming decision. Also thanks to you I will try to pick up Troubleshooter, showgunners, and wartales as soon as I can! I am looking forward to your Gears Tactics review, as I picked it up on sale and haven’t got around to it yet.
Was about to ask if you'd be looking at Unicorn Overlord from Vanillaware when it releases next month but then realized it's not coming on PC so you probably aren't going to cover it. Seems really interesting. Combination of tactics RPG + the gambits from FFXII.
Maybe controversial, but I'd put Aliens: Dark Descent as my GOTY for 2023. I found the iron man on the hardest difficulty challenge much more difficult than the same on XCOM2. So fun and so frustrating for the whole experience.
While I may not it as my all out GOTY, it would definitely be in the "Game that surprised me the most" pick or "Sleeper Hit". Bugs aside (and there were quite a few), I did really enjoy my time w it, on my 2nd playthrough now to wrap up achievements. Money well spent, hope it keeps getting supported
I see at least a couple of other folks have mentioned Dungeon of Naheulbeuk, would love to see your opinion of it. Is it the best TRPG out there? Definitely not. That said, it has some reasonably solid mechanics (though it has balance issues in places), it keeps its tongue in its cheek, and it's laugh out loud funny at some points. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
If you haven't you can try Disgaea, it can be super grindy when leveling up equipment but has a lot of class depth to it. The quirky tone and some rather unique mechanics make it stand out.
One title I’d recommend, especially since you mentioned a love of deep, rewarding systems is Library of Ruina. Its combat system is unlike nearly any other RPG. Filled to the brim with complex systems, stronger enemies have pages of passives and effects, tons of customization, etc. It also has a pretty good (and in my opinion great) story. It’s an indie game, and can be pretty rough around the edges, especially in terms of UI and the difficulty curve, but it’s absolutely worth it.
100% agree re Midnight Suns. The combat was just so good. Hopefully Firaxis next game takes the best of this and Xcom. I'd even enjoy another IP TPRG like Midnight Suns. Shame it didnt sell too well though.
I highly recommend Symphony of War! It's an amazing game that has been massively improved over time and scratches the same Fire Emblem / Advance Wars / FFT itch one has. Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam, too!
I see that you did an early look at it, but the TRPG Im most looking forward to right now is Cyber Knights. Looking forward to seeing where it eventually fits into this list.
As I massive fan of XCOM (EU/EW) and XCOM2, I would never play those games without the extensive overhaul mods. Long War and LWotC are such an improvement over the base game it makes the base games look trivial. Curious if you will touch upon those overhauls in a future XCOM review.
I have said it a few times, but I think it would be awesome to get reviews of the Spellforce series - lots of RTS games and generally all them good or better, otherwise thank you for your videos!
@@khal7702 sadly these dev does not seem to want to port there games to PC. But it’s a better version of a few he covered. And pretty sure he has consoles just sticks to PC focused. Though for a T/S RPG list it should really be reviewed. I think it will be one of the best ones in many many years.
You may like the switch game Valkyrie Chronicles 4. Like the fire emblem game on your list it’s got more conversation going on than would be ideal. But, mechanically, it does some interesting things. It plays a little like a cross between an action game and a tactical role playing game.
Have you played Expeditions: Conquistador? It's the first game in the Expeditions series but I'd say it's more like Wartales (thus a TRPG) than Expeditions: Rome (thus a cRPG). I presume your future list also includes The Banner Saga? I know many folk have requested the series and they're TRPGs.
Have you ever played any of the Heroes of Might and Magic games? For an older franchise it has still got a bit of a following, especially number 3. Even as far as fan made expansions.
I really liked this list. 23 games may not be that much compared to 55 crpgs, but I won't say that anything is missing, just not added yet :). I wonder what older games will be added when Mort revisits this list in like year or two. Fallout Tactics ? Banner Saga trilogy ? Septerra Core ? Silent Storm :D ?
That is a nice list of nice games. Regarding Othercide - I agree, but I would also say that this is one of the most underrated games on the list. I found it some time ago by accident and was suprised how good it was (not perfect, though). Suggested to some friends - and same with them ;-P I dont know if You tested, but if possible check Urtuk: Desolation. Not really a game for top 5 on your list, but very solid in terms of tactical fights, somewhat weak storywise (story is not mentionable, actually). Another game that should be on this list - actually somewhere high - would be BattleBrothers. Difficult, yet soooo good! One of those games where is easy is not really easy ;-P. Interesting but smaller title to check is the Pathway - very pixelart'ish and very good. I think You will love it, though... again... maybe not top of the list. You mentioned BattleTech - I guess there is a reason why BT didnt make it to the list, though it is very solid game, worth playing, and for me one of - lets say - best 10-15 tactical games I ever played. Another interesting title would be Solasta - being RPG game it is actually a tactical game in the first place, since battles are just best part of it. What I personally love about Solasta is that many times you start battles feeling that it will be a shamefull loss and then, after one enemy falls things start snowballing in your favour. You literally feel how tides of battle may change... but maybe it was just my feeling. Anyway, Solasta is bit underrated, though it has some problems. Regarding other titles - Mechanicus is superb, though I couldnt fully utilise this game, since Im not really a fan of using cards within gameplay... Tried winning without using cards... failed ;-P. Tactics Ogre - I tried to buy this game few times, but somehow I couldnt. Whenever I see those constantly-walking guys on the battlefield... I just... well... I start laughing so loud that I forget about buying it ;-P.
Not sure if you have "Cyber Knights: Flashpoint" on your list of games to take a look at already but it's a game developed by a small indie team set in a cyberpunk setting and has some interesting systems.
![Xenogears: Blind Playthrough [PS1] -- PART 101 -- The Hair](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/-yp4Fm_NiXQ/mqdefault.jpg)
We're honored to be a part of your top ranked TRPGs! So happy to hear that you enjoyed and game and hope you're looking forward to the spin-off - Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch!
Ah? I hadn't realized that there was a spin-off coming! I enjoyed the original game, so I'm wishlisting it!
I played through Lost Eidolons twice. 2nd play through was much more enjoyable because I was able to click through all of the dialog which got really tedious really fast the first time.
Lost Eidolons deserves to be on every list
Some more TRPG recommendations:
King's Bounty: The Legend, Blackguards, Aarklash: Legacy, The Banner Saga, Silent Storm,The Iron Oath, Legends of Eisenwald, Expeditions: Conquistador, Freedom Force,
Disciples: Liberation, Mordheim: City of the Damned, Stirring Abyss, Tainted Grail: Conquest, Deep Sky Derelicts, Star Renegades, Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga,
Fort Triumph, Vagrus: The Riven Realms, Ash of Gods: Redemption, Iratus: Lord of the Dead, Rogue Lords, Urtuk: The Desolation, Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones
Druidstone: Secret of the Menhir Forest, Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia, Banner of the Maid.
I have to recommend Battle Brothers if it's not already on your list of future reviews, it's just a terrific and wonderful take on the genre.
I consider it the spiritual predecessor of Wartales, and in many ways, it is superior (not in graphics, but in gameplay).
It’s amazing, hope they make another.
Yes battle brothers for sure!
@@jmmywyf4lyfI'm 1000% with you on that. I really loved the game, but if you have one unlucky day-session, your whole campaign is screwed. I had to stop because even though I was winning fights, just the most basic RNG destroyed me.
@@Orhan6125I even prefer the "graphics". Awesome art, as far as I'm concerned.
Troubleshooter is on sale currently. I guess time to watch that review. Great videos, keep it up with these list ones, the summarized review can help a lot when deciding to watch a review youve originally skipped on.
I picked up the complete (?) edition for $40 today on steam. I hadn't heard of Troubleshooter before so I'm going to give it a try.
And if you enjoy Troubleshooter and Battle Brothers, I'd also highly recommend checking out Wander Hero, which combines these with Slay The Spire Deckbuilding and Peggle mechanics for melee combat (lol).
Thank you for putting good time stamps! I mostly listen to your videos and then go back to watch the parts I have more interest in.
I love seeing these lists because it gives me a sense of what you actually like. I've watched all of your reviews and I don't think I could have come close to putting the games in order based on what you said about them in their videos. Would love to hear more about your feelings and impressions in reviews that go beyond just the bare facts!
Troubleshooter is one of my favorite games of any genre, it is even the one that got me to use the steam profile to sort and show my favorite games on steam after a decade of not using it at all, I was just that happy with it.
I hope you add Invisible Inc. to your TRPG playlist. Never heard of Troubleshooter, gonna go and grab it! Showgunners seems like fun as well.
Troubleshooter is awesome! Great video, Mortym!
I'd recommend Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark as well. Very similar to FFT or Tactics Ogre, both mechanically and graphically.
Loved the list! Lots of games I'd never even heard of, gave me a lot of different games to check out, so thank you for making this video.
I would add about WH40K Mechanicus, the audio atmosphere and soundtrack are a marvel, I really recommend it 😉
I was looking for this comment. the soundtrack of Mechanicus is amazing, and the khm... "voice acting" is also great, it really makes the atmosphere.
Troubleshooter is an incredible feat of character building and among the best tactical rpgs ever made, happy to see it get some recognition
Watching this back-to-back with the CRPGs video was wild. In that one I think you might have omitted maybe a single one of my faves. One this one, of my top five only BattleTech even got a mention and that was only as an aside on the Lamplighter's League entry!
Of those not mentioned in the comments yet, other than all the Xcoms (Xenonauts 2 in particular is shaping up really well), Fell Seal and the Banner Saga trilogy are really worth a look. This is also not a genre short of Games Workshop entries, and even if you don't count Blood Bowl (you should!) it's definitely worth checking out the original Warhammer Quest (sadly now yanked from Steam). Dead State also probably lives here, though it's yet another in the genre of "indie that ends halfway through where it should have" common to the CRPG genre.
I finally got around to Midnight Suns + all the DLC and I couldn't put it down. Many late nights telling myself "just one more mission". The social side of the game definitely needs a bit of streamlining but there were some good systems and exploratory elements in there. It makes me wonder if it would've worked better like XCOM where you can quickly zoom in and out of rooms to do your socializing and research instead of having to run around everywhere. A sequel where you have to expand Avengers tower like that could fix a lot of issues.
its a fantastic game, and its a shame it destroyed the developer.
@@Alex.Holland it didnt really destroyed them but didnt have the sales they expected
The best part about the socializing in MS is that you don't have to do it at all if that isn't your thing
From what I understand with what Jake Solomon was getting, this game isn't getting more updates. Its funny because I LOVED the social side of the game, honestly as a marvel fan its something I wish more games explored.
Can you use the DLC characters in the vanilla campaign? Or they have a separate campaign?
❤ Troubleshooters. Also recommend Dungeons of naheulbeuk, Fell seal: arbiters mark and urtuk the desolation.
Troubleshooters is my second most played on steam over 700 hrs. Just behind pathfinder wotr.
This helped me find more good looking trpg, and also put more confidence in some titles that I was on the fence about. Thanks! I still have to watch the CRPG video, it has been on my watch later list.
Thanks for the video. I was surprised, but pleased by your number 1 spot. Onward to 300k. All glory to the algorithm.
Getting really invested in your content man! We have really similar taste in games and you're one of the most consistent gaming UA-camrs.
TRPG my favorite genre till this day, since I first time played Vandal Hearts I and II, FF Tactics.
Love this video and appreciate the detail and longer format! Just wanted to mention that The Last Train is a spectacular TRPG based on a unique historical event and with excellent plot, aesthetic and gameplay
You mean Last Train Home? It's not an RPG really
Troubleshooters is on sale right now, just got the basegame+dlc for like $13.
You've never steered me wrong with TRPGs. Showgunners was my best friend on an 8 hour flight. Cant wait! Thank you.
I never knew what a TRPG was until I played Triangle Strategy and from the moment the first battle started, I fell inlove and so I had to find out what was considered the best TRPG of all time.
I found XCOM 2, and I can honestly say with absolute no shame or guilt that I have spent over 400 hours in the game, and I will probably spend 400 more...
Picked up Troubleshooter when I came across your review for it. Based on the Steam Year in Review, it basically sucked me in for a solid two months of play nearing about 300 hours. It genuinely is a fantastic TRPG and the Mastery system really set the bar high for the genre.
I clicked the video just to see where you'd put Troubleshooter. Was not disappointed. The game is simply phenomenal.
Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga was a lot of fun. I'd give that my recommendation! A bit of a mix between Fire Emblem and Advance Wars.
Showgunners surprised me so much. The demo was really confusing, but the full game just blew me away. It's not very deep or long, but everything that's in there feels very polished. And I do love the whole style and presentation.
14:00 I really enjoyed the writing in Midnight Suns. Not exciting per se, but I actually like how they show more personal aspects to the characters, and aren't afraid to give them flaws and conflicts. Making Blade a total weeaboo worked very well for me. It's a change of pace from the torytelling you might see in a movie, it feels naturalistic to me.
This list is a gold mine. Thanks so much man.
Good list! You inspired me to pick up Troubleshooter again, which I haven't played in over a year after only 10% 😄
love how you define TRPG to CRPG. really prefer games that focus on customizing and tactical fights than storyline. 100000% agree with your number 1 pick.
I know it's not on PC (rumors say next year) but I would love a review of final fantasy tactics. The OG as well as the various sequels. I loved those games and while confusing as hell the story was also incredible.
The best game ever for some
Pleeeease try BATTLE BROTHERS already! Wartales is merely an attempt to imitate it - albeit a REALLY good attempt (and it's an iterative genre, so that's how it should evolve-by imitating the prior art and adding to it)
And thanks for suggesting Troubleshooter - would have never found it otherwise.
Yep totally true.
You should add Septerra Core to that list of trpg's to review . That's a cool blast from the past .
This is out of the scope of the channel but from a gameplay purist angle, I think Battletech with mods is absolutely a tremendous TRPG experience.
Yes, btech is one of the best. I have about 1000h game time in it.
I am surprised no one has mentioned Valkyria Chronicles yet. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on the series.
yes ! The blend of turn-based and real-time is very original and the plot is pretty anime but not too much so (at least the 1st, I haven't played the 4th yet) + controlling a tank is cool
Super interested in seeing what you think of Phoenix Point.
I had a riot during beta and early in release but I get a bit lost with the latest version I played.
Possibly too many systems - I didn't see many of the little weird fiction text vignettes which I loved it being based on Call of Cthulhu ideas.
You should try Phoenix Point, which was a real love letter to XCOM with some interesting ideas.
Bro I love these videos I think one game that will go up this list if it qualifies is Unicorn Overlord that demo is awesome! Anyway awesome video as always! 👏
Another option for a game like Fire Emblem on Steam is "Dark Deity". It's pretty much Fire Emblem. There is also "Symphony of War" if you are looking for more of an Ogre Battle style game. I recommend both to anyone into those games.
I really liked the Troubleshooter: Abandoned Children. The customization is crazy, and how much heart they put into constant updates was really impressive
I really want to like mutant year zero, it seems like it ticks all the boxes and is right up my alley. The puzzle nature of it just really hurts it for me though, I've tried it a few times and just keep getting stuck.
Glad you recognized the gem that Troubleshooter is !
Troubleshooter was not on my radar; I'm going to have to watch your full review and look further into it. As someone who waited over 20 years for Jagged Alliance 3, I'm really happy to see it rated so highly. Honestly, while I'd have only rated it a B or B- at launch, the subsequent patches have really been both numerous and spectacular and bring it all the way up to an A-. It's still not quite as good as JA2, but it's (finally) a worthy successor to the franchise and I was genuinely shocked to realize that I've put over 500 hours into the game.
I got Troubleshooter after watching this video, expecting an anime XCOM 2. Holy shit, that game is a hidden gem. I've played it for about a couple of hours and I'm totally hooked.
All the way through I was thinking where is Troubleshooter. As well got into the top 4 I thought you must have forgotten you reviewed it.
Colour me surprised to see it at number one. For me this one possibly pips Showgunners to the post. Although I finished that and this one is a bit of a long term project.
So happy to see a game I enjoy so much and thought nobody really knew appear so high
I haven't played a single game on this list. I'll have to try out some of these. Maybe after 40K Rogue Trader I'll try those two 40k titles. Thanks for the great video as always!
Have you tried Disciples: Liberation? I personally liked that one quite a lot, although it was way different experience than older Disciples titles. And thanks for all your videos, as a huge fan of all kinds of RPG I really enjoy them.
Im so happy to see Troubleshooter at #1. As someone who loves this genre the game simply amazing. It offers so much in the uniqueness of the characters and the way it gives you the ability to build them in so many ways. Plus the developers themselves are awesome. The community manager is really nice and happily talks with the fanbase. Its simply a game where you can feel the passion from the staff just overflowing in the game.
I would be interested in your thoughts on TRPG game mechanics and the way they can be used: Action Point vs Move-Attack, factions take turns or individual initiative, set heroes or a group of mercenaries that you use, grid vs gridless etc. I have personal favorites, D:OS2 is perfect in every way while I dislike grids and move/action. It's weird how seemingly small things make such a huge impact in the genre
Good recommendations! I definitely need to check some of these out.
-Disgaea 2 and 4 / The best of the Disgaea series imo
-The Last Spell / Very intense and great
-Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark / Very much Final Fantasy Tactics
-Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga / Great story and fun challenging Battles
-X-Piratez / Crazy and yes (a bit lewd) mod for the original Xcom
-Open Xcom Extended / the original Xcom with many improvements and mods
I have loved both XCOM games, so thank you for this, it gives me some new ones to check out. I also really enjoyed Phoenix Point, despite some problems with it.
@@jmmywyf4lyf The bit I've played of Phoenix Point so far i've enjoyed more than XCOM. I'm unsure why that it is but it maybe the base management in XCOM that's setting me back a bit.
@@jmmywyf4lyf Yea, I love it, but sometimes I forget to save for a few hours, and it's not the most stable game, so the occasional crash ends up costing me.
Kind of entertained to see King Arthur Knights Tale so far down your list when they quote you first on steam selling the expansion. Personally I really enjoyed that game and the really very different ways you could play with different party compositions and skill choices, but I can see why the difficulty spikes and slowish pace at times put some people off. Definitely recommend giving it another go though after all the balance adjustments.
To their credit they did ask for my permission to do that
From the list my favorite is the Showgunners, it was fun with cool characters!
I'm surprised about your love of Trouble Shooter. I really enjoyed it. Maybe not as much as you did, but definitely in my top half. I would have liked to see Battletech, since that is still one of my favorite TRPGs of all time.
I was waiting and waiting for Troubleshooter to appear, and after #2 I was like "wait where is it?", and it's #1! I've been thinking of getting it for a while now and this is the push I needed.
Aliens dark descent had me clenching my ass for the entire playthrough. Its so fun and makes you really feel like you are in danger. Especially when you have to do something ballsy and just barely make the plan work lol
Yes agreed! And it was sooo enjoyable coming back for New Game +, and bringing my Level 10 Marines in to get some much needed payback in those early stages! After spending time really learning those levels, felt great coming back and at least partially breezing through them 😂
@@JJGaming2010 I lost 2 marines on the first mission due to facehuggers and the next time I came back with an rpg and nuked dem fuckers 😂
More RPGs to add to my wishlist and eventually get a chance to play one day.
Troubleshooter so high up?
I was on the fence but yeah. Now I got to buy it!
Damn Mort, I've got to respect the work rate!
I know your library is not that much yet, but maybe you can do this with jrpgs and arpgs too? I'm really enjoying it so far.
you are a man of fine taste. troubleshooter is amazing. I own and have played all these games. The order is pretty much spot on. arbiter's mark the fell seal and the x com games are probably the only games that are missing that I can think of at the moment. as for as x-com 2 which is great no doubt. i would probably have listed it 2nd after troubleshooter. for context I have 519 hrs. in X-Com 2 and 822 hours in trouble shooter. Honorable mention I would add Gears tactics it's an interesting take with high production values on the genres but the replay value I don't think holds up very well.
Any chance of you doing any more of the card based TRPG's like Children of the Zodiarc or Gloomhaven?
Not a high chance, but never say never
You should check out the Disgaea series I'm surprised its not more well known in the gaming community. Considering your love for the mechanics of games like WOTR, Disgaea is a min-maxers dream.
Decided to check out Troubleshooters: abandoned children after watching this video and seeing it as your favorite title along with it being on sale at the time. (As well as being interested in quite a few others to compare, since quite a few games I really enjoy are on the list.) Really liking it so far, already have over 40 hrs into it and am genuienly engaged in the characters and story, even though it definitely sometimes feels a bit limited, mainly by budget constraints and the like. You can really feel the insane amount of passion and drive the devs had for the game and the genre as a whole. I really do hope it picks up in popularity, maybe with the sequel/ second season.
Hehe my first played trpg was x-com, the very first one DOS game, long time ago. Along the way I have enjoyed FFtactics and I enjoyed the first game in the Disgea series. I have purchased a lot of the games you reviewed mid list, and have yet to play them, so your insight may help inform my upcoming decision. Also thanks to you I will try to pick up Troubleshooter, showgunners, and wartales as soon as I can! I am looking forward to your Gears Tactics review, as I picked it up on sale and haven’t got around to it yet.
Was about to ask if you'd be looking at Unicorn Overlord from Vanillaware when it releases next month but then realized it's not coming on PC so you probably aren't going to cover it. Seems really interesting. Combination of tactics RPG + the gambits from FFXII.
Maybe controversial, but I'd put Aliens: Dark Descent as my GOTY for 2023. I found the iron man on the hardest difficulty challenge much more difficult than the same on XCOM2. So fun and so frustrating for the whole experience.
While I may not it as my all out GOTY, it would definitely be in the "Game that surprised me the most" pick or "Sleeper Hit". Bugs aside (and there were quite a few), I did really enjoy my time w it, on my 2nd playthrough now to wrap up achievements. Money well spent, hope it keeps getting supported
Excellent list. Would add that I am of course still looking forward to having you review the Xcom games. Good vid
I see at least a couple of other folks have mentioned Dungeon of Naheulbeuk, would love to see your opinion of it. Is it the best TRPG out there? Definitely not. That said, it has some reasonably solid mechanics (though it has balance issues in places), it keeps its tongue in its cheek, and it's laugh out loud funny at some points. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
If you haven't you can try Disgaea, it can be super grindy when leveling up equipment but has a lot of class depth to it. The quirky tone and some rather unique mechanics make it stand out.
One title I’d recommend, especially since you mentioned a love of deep, rewarding systems is Library of Ruina. Its combat system is unlike nearly any other RPG. Filled to the brim with complex systems, stronger enemies have pages of passives and effects, tons of customization, etc. It also has a pretty good (and in my opinion great) story. It’s an indie game, and can be pretty rough around the edges, especially in terms of UI and the difficulty curve, but it’s absolutely worth it.
100% agree re Midnight Suns. The combat was just so good. Hopefully Firaxis next game takes the best of this and Xcom. I'd even enjoy another IP TPRG like Midnight Suns. Shame it didnt sell too well though.
Funny, I just finally wrapped up my Tactics Ogre playthrough and got around to starting Trouble Shooter.
I highly recommend Symphony of War! It's an amazing game that has been massively improved over time and scratches the same Fire Emblem / Advance Wars / FFT itch one has. Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam, too!
@mortisimalgaming will you ever be reviewing fell seal arbiters mark?
Maybe
I see that you did an early look at it, but the TRPG Im most looking forward to right now is Cyber Knights. Looking forward to seeing where it eventually fits into this list.
Would love to see the other HBS game's reviewed. Battletech and all the Shadowrun games.
I think he's reviewed all the Shadowrun games already. Watch his video from yesterday about his favourite cRPGs.
Great vid! I enjoyed a lot Gloomhaven. Should definitively be in such list imo!
As I massive fan of XCOM (EU/EW) and XCOM2, I would never play those games without the extensive overhaul mods. Long War and LWotC are such an improvement over the base game it makes the base games look trivial. Curious if you will touch upon those overhauls in a future XCOM review.
I have said it a few times, but I think it would be awesome to get reviews of the Spellforce series - lots of RTS games and generally all them good or better, otherwise thank you for your videos!
Strongly recommend adding Unicorn Overlord to that list. Yes stupid title, but check the demo out and you will be like ok I get it.
@@khal7702 sadly these dev does not seem to want to port there games to PC. But it’s a better version of a few he covered. And pretty sure he has consoles just sticks to PC focused. Though for a T/S RPG list it should really be reviewed. I think it will be one of the best ones in many many years.
You got a shout out from Timothy Cain!
>.> that's cool.
You may like the switch game Valkyrie Chronicles 4.
Like the fire emblem game on your list it’s got more conversation going on than would be ideal. But, mechanically, it does some interesting things.
It plays a little like a cross between an action game and a tactical role playing game.
King arthur got a big patch recently so i gotta replay it again. Keep doing what you do Mortym!
Troubleshooter deserve this first place. Its literally the modern hidden gem of TRPGS. The second game is in development now and I will wait fir it.
Aliens Dark Descent was fantastic. An evolution of that game would be fantastic.
I would love to see you review a few of the older fire emblem games, specifically 7,8,9,10. Those are some of the GOAT TRPGs afaic
Have you played Expeditions: Conquistador?
It's the first game in the Expeditions series but I'd say it's more like Wartales (thus a TRPG) than Expeditions: Rome (thus a cRPG).
I presume your future list also includes The Banner Saga? I know many folk have requested the series and they're TRPGs.
I only played Viking and Rome, but really liked them both.
Couldn’t agree more about troubleshooter. What an amazing game.
I know I am little bit late to the party, but please add to your list Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark
You should try Massive Chalice. It's small and relatively weird sometimes but worth a try.
Have you ever played any of the Heroes of Might and Magic games? For an older franchise it has still got a bit of a following, especially number 3. Even as far as fan made expansions.
no way i'm this early, always fantastic content, great for schleep! :)
Hope the studio behind lost eidolons makes another game like it and polishes the story + gameplay depth a bit (especially on classes/jobs)
I really liked this list. 23 games may not be that much compared to 55 crpgs, but I won't say that anything is missing, just not added yet :). I wonder what older games will be added when Mort revisits this list in like year or two. Fallout Tactics ? Banner Saga trilogy ? Septerra Core ? Silent Storm :D ?
I played most of those games with a few exceptions, and love them all, even the base management in midnight suns lol
Have you checked out The Banner Saga trilogy? Pretty great too!
That is a nice list of nice games. Regarding Othercide - I agree, but I would also say that this is one of the most underrated games on the list. I found it some time ago by accident and was suprised how good it was (not perfect, though). Suggested to some friends - and same with them ;-P
I dont know if You tested, but if possible check Urtuk: Desolation. Not really a game for top 5 on your list, but very solid in terms of tactical fights, somewhat weak storywise (story is not mentionable, actually). Another game that should be on this list - actually somewhere high - would be BattleBrothers. Difficult, yet soooo good! One of those games where is easy is not really easy ;-P. Interesting but smaller title to check is the Pathway - very pixelart'ish and very good. I think You will love it, though... again... maybe not top of the list. You mentioned BattleTech - I guess there is a reason why BT didnt make it to the list, though it is very solid game, worth playing, and for me one of - lets say - best 10-15 tactical games I ever played. Another interesting title would be Solasta - being RPG game it is actually a tactical game in the first place, since battles are just best part of it. What I personally love about Solasta is that many times you start battles feeling that it will be a shamefull loss and then, after one enemy falls things start snowballing in your favour. You literally feel how tides of battle may change... but maybe it was just my feeling. Anyway, Solasta is bit underrated, though it has some problems.
Regarding other titles - Mechanicus is superb, though I couldnt fully utilise this game, since Im not really a fan of using cards within gameplay... Tried winning without using cards... failed ;-P. Tactics Ogre - I tried to buy this game few times, but somehow I couldnt. Whenever I see those constantly-walking guys on the battlefield... I just... well... I start laughing so loud that I forget about buying it ;-P.
Not sure if you have "Cyber Knights: Flashpoint" on your list of games to take a look at already but it's a game developed by a small indie team set in a cyberpunk setting and has some interesting systems.