Hey everyone! I’ve been diving into JRPGs and really enjoying the loot mechanics, especially how in Disgaea, you can fill up a bonus meter for a chance at rare items every time you enter a level. I’m about to wrap up Axel Mode in Disgaea 2, and it’s got me thinking—what other RPGs have similar systems where players can discover new treasures every time they start a level? I’d love to hear your suggestions!
6 Answers
I think this mechanic tends to be more common in strategy RPGs. For instance, check out Luminous Arc on the DS or the Final Fantasy Tactics series. They reward you for clearing stages instead of just grinding enemies. Not sure if Monster Hunter counts, but it does have some aspects of loot from quests.
Have you looked into Soma Bringer? It also has a neat loot system, plus Stranger of Paradise offers extensive loot mechanics. Lots of options to keep you engaged!
In case you haven’t considered it, the .hack games might be right up your alley! They mimic an MMO experience, while still being single-player. It’s been a while since I played them, but the loot drops have a good variety.
The Xenoblade series is also worth mentioning, although its loot is mostly tied to battles and not necessarily stages. If you’re looking for something a bit different, give it a shot!
Just to clarify, if you’re thinking of ‘levels’ as in stages, Dragon Quest IX does this perfectly. Its post-game lets you explore randomly generated multi-floor dungeons with a treasure map, where different bosses and chests provide loot every time you repeat a dungeon. It’s a really well-implemented system! You’ll spend hours going back for those chests. I’ve logged a ton of time just exploring those dungeons!
If you’re into that tiered loot system like in Disgaea, you should check out Final Fantasy XII. It has these urns or pots scattered throughout levels, and the loot inside is random every time you find them. Also, Vagrant Story has enemies dropping random loot when you defeat them, which might scratch that itch. Demon Gaze games offer something similar with their gem system, especially in the second game where you can find random gems of varying ranks. And another one to consider is Stranger in Sword City; the loot system is quite unique there.
Thanks! I’m definitely looking to explore more RPGs that have this kind of loot system.
How does the loot system in Xenoblade work? I haven’t played those games before.