Oh boy, now it's on. We are getting down to the nitty gritty. We are down to the best of the best; six games are left with four alive for the championship. We will do our semis first, since we need to drop two more games down into the consolation finals, then move on from there. So, let's get to it.
Semifinal 1
(2) Suikoden II vs. (6) F-Zero GX
This is going to be very, very tough for me. On one hand, you have a game that I feel the need to evangelize at every turn because the company that publishes it refuses to make a new one. The other is a favorite of the internet JRPG crowd that very much deserves the praise it gets. I think I've made it pretty clear how much I love F-Zero GX, going so far as to call it my favorite racing game of all time. But at the same time, I don't really care for the genre. Suikoden II might not even break my top 10 RPGs of all time, but it's such a hard list to break into because I love the genre so much. Both are absolutely incredible, so what to do?
This has been the toughest decision so far, it's hard to compare two completely different genres but both of these games hit genre high points so well. F-Zero GX has great track design, fun characters and an incredible sense of speed. Suikoden II has an epic story, memorable characters and top-notch combat and exploration. I think the tiebreaker here is going to be depth. While F-Zero GX has far more depth than most racing games, I don't think it quite matches Suikoden II in this regard. There is so much to see in Suikoden II, and just about all of it is interesting. The characters to recruit, the sidequests, the minigames, all of it is amazing. F-Zero GX's story mode is horrendous, its competitor doesn't have anything nearly as bad. I guess I also have to consider the message Suikoden II is trying to convey, and it's something that is handled far better than in most games. A well-told story that explores the human cost of war this well is hard to find.
I guess when you break it down in terms of numbers, both games scored a 9.75. But while F-Zero is more a solid 9.75, Suikoden II is a borderline 10. This is far and away the closest matchup yet, I agonized about this more than I probably should have, but Suikoden II moves on.
(2) Suikoden II over (6) F-Zero GX
Semifinal 2
(1) Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne vs. (4) Sonic Mania
This semi was not nearly as close.
Look, I loved Sonic Mania, I think it was a great title with excellent graphics, sound and level design. I loved the reimagining of classic Sonic levels and I really love that this was largely created by fans, for fans. But Nocturne is just on a different level. Like Suikoden II, I'm not sure it quite hits my top 10 RPGs of all-time list. But the fact that it gets close is a testament to its greatness. And even if it doesn't make the overall list, it might sit at the top of a list of most unique RPGs. This was my first SMT title, so I really can't reference it against its own series. But even when compared to other dark, occult focused games or its close cousins in the Persona series, I'm not sure I've ever seen a game like this. It's bizarre, unsettling and features an art style like nothing else. It's atmospherically and tonally oppressive in the best way possible, while providing a difficult experience not often found in RPGs. Like Suikoden II, it's a borderline 10.
That's not to say that Sonic Mania isn't worth playing. It's definitely going to appeal to the average gamer more than Nocturne. It's certainly going to the better option for someone that isn't an RPG expert. It was my first game of the year for a reason and should appeal to Sonic fans and gamers in general. But for RPG die hards, you want to pick up Nocturne. For those who aren't well versed in the genre but interested in getting deeper into it, this is the kind of game you want to work towards.
(1) Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne over (4) Sonic Mania
Ok, so the finals are set, but we need to get the consolations out of the way first. These are going to go a little quicker, but we need to start with the consolation semis.
Consolation Semifinal 1
(4) Sonic Mania vs. (8) Phantasy Star IV: End of the Millenium
Sonic Mania got a tough draw once again. Phantasy Star IV was a victim of a strong year, hence the low seed. It's a great RPG with awesome characters and world building, one I think more people need to experience. Again, Sonic Mania is going to be a better choice for less experienced gamers. But PSIV was a deeper experience, one that I don't think got its due. Hell, I even decided to raise its score during the tournament. It moves on.
(8) Phantasy Star IV: End of the Millenium over (4) Sonic Mania
Consolation Semifinal 2
(6) F-Zero GX vs. (7) Final Fantasy VII Remake
I am a huge Final Fantasy VII fan. Huge. Despite all the hate it has received, I think the remake was an awesome title and it lived up to the original in many ways. Yet, it didn't quite match them. A lot of that was because the decision to break the game into multiple parts. I get why they did it, but I still hate it. They handled it fairly well...but I STILL hate it. F-Zero GX is such a phenomenal game, it does everything it has to do and does it so well that I think it has to move on. I definitely wouldn't put it ahead of the original FFVII. Maybe if the remake was the complete story, it might make a difference. But F-Zero has to win here.
(6) F-Zero GX over (7) Final Fantasy VII Remake
3rd Place Match
(6) F-Zero GX vs. (8) Phantasy Star IV: End of the Millenium
It just gets tougher and tougher. This is kind of similar to the matchup F-Zero just lost in the semis. And this one is just as challenging. However, there is a little bit more going in Captain Falcon's favor this time.
Like Suikoden II, Phantasy Star IV has a great story with memorable characters. I has awesome world building (one of the areas where it probably outshines even the two RPGs that will finish ahead of it) and was a revolutionary title. However, it has a lot more flaws to nit pick. And when you have two games of this quality, that's all you can do. PSIV has quite a few slog points. It has some weird pacing (though that is both a strength and a flaw) and a terrible final dungeon. You have minimal choice in who's in your party and, worst of all, the game doesn't tell you what items do or weapon stats. That is a huge issue for me in an RPG.
F-Zero GX has issues too, but there are just fewer things to pick on. The only two issues I really have with it are the lousy story mode and sometimes unfair difficulty. And honestly, you can just straight up not play the former. Is a racing game, even one this good, going to match the depth of an RPG? Probably not. But F-Zero GX gets kind of close with it's insane replayablility. It's by a hair, but I actually think it's going to be a win for F-Zero.
(6) F-Zero GX over (8) Phantasy Star IV: End of the Millenium
Championship Match
(1) Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne vs. (2) Suikoden II
Here we go, it's time for the battle of the best...actually it's not, because this is too big of a clash to not give its own post. In fact, I think I need to get these two in the ring. I had so much fun doing it last time that I think it's time for a 10-Round Fight. This is going to be an even bigger and badder battle, as these are two titans of the RPG genre. Which one will come out on top? Tune in to find out.
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