5. Disgaea 2
Well, what to say about Disgaea 2 without first mentioning the original, which will also be on the list... In my opinion I think Disgaea 2 was still a good game but simply not as good as the original, not drastically I mean I certainly don't HATE Disgaea 2, I mean if I did then why would it be on this list? Anyway, one reason I sort of saw it as a game not as good as the original (I just used the word as like 3 times in that sentence didn't I?) is because I was so ready to see the continued adventures of Laharl and friends and to see what happens after the ending and to see which ending was the one that counts and all that good stuff to just start off a new adventure with all new characters and not get my answers as to what happens after the "real" ending until Prinny came out, which by the way was after Disgaea 3. But I got over that since the characters are likable and the story is interesting. However, my main complaint is the grinding is a little... awkword... lemmie evaluate, you see you can sort of go through the first few levels without having to grind, then you reach a point that after each level (or board or whatever) you need to grind a bit, but the previous level doesn't give you enough XP and the Item worlds are either too hard or too easy, and trust me when it gets really hard to grind at the BEGINING of the game it get's really frustrating.
4. Disgaea
Ok so here it is, the original, I told you it was on the list and it's right under Disgaea 2 on the list. Obviously, like I said before I like the original more, but it always brings that thought in my head... "so if their like 1,000 and something years old and they look like kids... is 1,000 years like 10 for them or like how do they age?" but whatever let's not over analyze things like that. Anyway, I think the characters in this game are likable, the story may be kinda... well cliche in ways but it's like a good cliche, kinda like Gurren Lagann, it doesn't take itself too seriously so you don't feel like you need to look away from the screen every cutscene and jump up in fear if someone comes in and then pretend like you weren't playing it because your embarassed because it feels like watching an old Pokemon movie, it feels kinda like the writer knows that it's like that and constantly makes fun of his own writing, which is in a way, kinda fun to watch. Also, in my opinion the voice acting was pretty damn good in this game and was just as good (if not better) than the Japanese voice acting, even though everyone seems to think that the English voice actors are terrible. Also I don't think I mentioned the gameplay have I? Well it's kinda like a game of chess mixed with a turn based strategy game, which maybe doesn't sound awesome but trust me it is, it's kind of a way to put a spin on turn based combat to make it less like just clicking and more strategic, and the grinding issue in Disgaea 2 doesn't exist here, it seems like when you need to do some grinding you just go to an item world and you can find one that isn't too hard and isn't too easy.
3. Persona 3
I know what your all thinking, you want to kill me for this not being number 1, and I am sure it won't help at all when you see what number 2 is... but honestly it took me like 20 minutes of just thinking so that I could place this game and the number 2 game in order of preference. Ok so enough apolgizing, let me get to how awesome this game is. Well, for starters the anime cutscenes are probably among my favorite video game cutscenes ever, and the combat isn't just turn based, it has the whole "weaknesses" element of gameplay which sort of makes you think and plan out your moves instead of just click 10 times, and the "dungeons" are fun to adventure around in, and not to mention the enemy encounters aren't just random, you see the enemies in the dungeon and you can choose to either just run like hell and hope it doesn't catch up with you, or maybe you could attack it first and get the upper hand, or it could get the upper hand by attacking you first, and so that your grinding doesn't get too boring they have little challenges called Elizabeth Requests so while you, say look for 3 of some item dropped only by certain enemies, while you look for said enemy for the reward you can kill everything in sight, so with a goal set it kind of makes the expirience less boring. Also, the story is really interesting and the "sim" aspects of the game make it really fun as well, but sadly in the (for now) Japan only remake of Persona 3 on the psp took out all of the sim aspects, which I hope was just for space and not on purpose.
2. .Hack//G.U.
Ok, like I said I bet if I had more than 1 reader I would get alot of angry comments of people saying that they want to kill me for making this number 2 and making Persona 3 number 3... but honestly if I could just have 2 number 2's then I would but I can't I had to put them in order of preference and honestly I like .Hack//G.U. a little bit more, I'm not sure if it's because I like the combat system more, or because I played G.U. recently and it's been a while since I played Persona 3, or because I like the "your playing a game about a kid playing an online game but the game your really playing isn't online like the one he is..." yeah sounds confusing but you get it once you play, and even if turn based combat does have a twist on it to make it less boring I still prefer real time combat in RPGs like in G.U. and I also like it how practically everytime you need to majorly grind you get a little e-mail from someone that says something like "Hey I found a new area that will be perfect for grinding at our specific level" and that's just awesome. I seriously love this game and when I look at all of the hours I spent on Volume 1, I realize that I'm probably not even half way done with it, and I have 2 other volumes to go.
1. Kingdom Hearts 2
Yeah, I said I didn't count the original Kingdom Hearts so... obviously that meant I had Kingdom Hearts 2 on this list, and being the amazingly awesome game it is I just had to put it on this list. Also, I am always proud to say this with a smile on my face, I pre-ordered this game 2 years before it came out and got the very last copy, and this was at Gamecrazy where it isn't "first come, first serve" or at least it wasn't like that for major releases so I was actually on a list and just so happened that my number was the exact same number of copies they got the day it came out. Also, it was probably the most anticipated game of not only that year but probably my whole life, then again there was Brawl... but whatever I don't even need to explain the game mechanics, or how awesome the story is, or how great the story is, because honestly I can't explain all of it without going on for like 3 paragraphs and it would just be a waste of everyones time because I am pretty damn sure that like 98% of people who own or have ever owned or know anyone who has a ps2 have played this game, so you all know how fun it is hitting enemies with a giant key in Disney themed worlds allied with Final Fantasy characters.
