The best example of "choices matter" in an RPG I have seen in a long time was Triangle Strategy. The game often presents incredibly different options for dealing with situations that will influence the rest of the game. Not just the ending, but the entire path there, how people respond to you, and even often the resources you have that determine which characters you not only unlock but are viably able to be used (due to extremely limited upgrades and the game's difficulty requiring high synergy between characters unlocked by those upgrades).
One example is a map where you can use a "Defense System" which burns down the entire village's houses to slow down an enemy that is way stronger than you. But if you do that, those villagers have nowhere to live and cannot support you and you come across as a far more "win at any cost" person to future encounters. You can just fight them straight on, and the game rewards you heavily for it. But its not just a dialogue option you pick, its an active choice mid fight you have to make. You can even start out thinking you are hot shit and will easily be the hero who doesn't use it, only to get overwhelmed and have to make the hard choice to do so in the end.
Most people dismissed the game because some localizers injected some "all dialogue is gender neutral at all times" wokeness, but then missed that its also a game where you can openly discuss and argue with people that the Not-Jews not only deserve all the oppression they receive for their past actions, but that keeping them in a literal concentration camp is the correct choice and you won't be changing that.
It also shows the strength and flaws of democracy. As often the game will sit you down with a major choice and allows all your characters to "vote" in what you will go with. Some are hardlined based on their principles, some just don't care, others depend entirely on prior choices you've made effecting their outlook on both the war and you. The game element comes in that you must then argue with each one their case and try to convince them to come around to your side, which isn't always that easy to do.
So you can find that a choice you made hours ago and many chapters prior has just been the deciding factor in a character voting against You, forcing you into a path you didn't want and further influencing the game as it unfolds. Meaning your choice back then not only mattered immensely, but also your choice not to explore (expanding your knowledge of history, politics, and current news) left you too ignorant to argue your point properly.
I'll say, if you aren't a "New Game +++" type of guy buy it on discount. Its designed to be played at least 3-4 times to see the full spectrum of the major choices, so its probably sub 15 hours even on a first playthrough. Especially if you are really good at SRPGs.
I buy almost everything on discount anyway, but I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thanks for the warning.
I play some games a bunch, many others I never finish. I do like that style of tactics, though. Finished Final Fantasy Tactics back in the day, finished Fell Seal. I should got back to that, never played the DLC.
Its certainly the "hardest" of the Tactics type games I've ever played (not counting meme hard modes in games like Fire Emblem), simply because you cannot out level the enemies ever and your options are limited to what upgrades you picked out of a small list across a few guys. If you don't get how certain characters synergize and play carefully, you just get rolled.
The best example of "choices matter" in an RPG I have seen in a long time was Triangle Strategy. The game often presents incredibly different options for dealing with situations that will influence the rest of the game. Not just the ending, but the entire path there, how people respond to you, and even often the resources you have that determine which characters you not only unlock but are viably able to be used (due to extremely limited upgrades and the game's difficulty requiring high synergy between characters unlocked by those upgrades).
One example is a map where you can use a "Defense System" which burns down the entire village's houses to slow down an enemy that is way stronger than you. But if you do that, those villagers have nowhere to live and cannot support you and you come across as a far more "win at any cost" person to future encounters. You can just fight them straight on, and the game rewards you heavily for it. But its not just a dialogue option you pick, its an active choice mid fight you have to make. You can even start out thinking you are hot shit and will easily be the hero who doesn't use it, only to get overwhelmed and have to make the hard choice to do so in the end.
Most people dismissed the game because some localizers injected some "all dialogue is gender neutral at all times" wokeness, but then missed that its also a game where you can openly discuss and argue with people that the Not-Jews not only deserve all the oppression they receive for their past actions, but that keeping them in a literal concentration camp is the correct choice and you won't be changing that.
It also shows the strength and flaws of democracy. As often the game will sit you down with a major choice and allows all your characters to "vote" in what you will go with. Some are hardlined based on their principles, some just don't care, others depend entirely on prior choices you've made effecting their outlook on both the war and you. The game element comes in that you must then argue with each one their case and try to convince them to come around to your side, which isn't always that easy to do.
So you can find that a choice you made hours ago and many chapters prior has just been the deciding factor in a character voting against You, forcing you into a path you didn't want and further influencing the game as it unfolds. Meaning your choice back then not only mattered immensely, but also your choice not to explore (expanding your knowledge of history, politics, and current news) left you too ignorant to argue your point properly.
Alright, you just sold me on the game. Wishlisted.
I'll say, if you aren't a "New Game +++" type of guy buy it on discount. Its designed to be played at least 3-4 times to see the full spectrum of the major choices, so its probably sub 15 hours even on a first playthrough. Especially if you are really good at SRPGs.
I buy almost everything on discount anyway, but I'll definitely keep that in mind. Thanks for the warning.
I play some games a bunch, many others I never finish. I do like that style of tactics, though. Finished Final Fantasy Tactics back in the day, finished Fell Seal. I should got back to that, never played the DLC.
Its certainly the "hardest" of the Tactics type games I've ever played (not counting meme hard modes in games like Fire Emblem), simply because you cannot out level the enemies ever and your options are limited to what upgrades you picked out of a small list across a few guys. If you don't get how certain characters synergize and play carefully, you just get rolled.