Good RPGs where the final third of the game is the best?

[El Presidente]

Does such a thing even exist?

 

[Vic]

why would you, as a game developer, hide the best at the end?

 

[Skinwalker]

Vampire: the Masquerade - Bloodlines.

 

[Hagashager]

Deus Ex? Area 51's pretty decent.

Kotor? I do like the Unknown Planet, my favorite world in the game.

 

[Lady Error]

Last third of PS:T is pretty decent, better than the beginning.

Last third of Grimoire is also great, similar to Wizardry 7. Though both are great throughout, more or less.

 

[Modron]

Does such a thing even exist?

Not really there are games that are consistently good throughout but really the only ones that have better endgames than the first two thirds of the game are things like ToEE I guess because the start was slow.

 

[scytheavatar]

Basically every Persona game, since the entire series is famous for its slow burn storytelling where 70%-80% of it is nothing happening. And shit only happens in the final third.

 

[Falksi]

Avernum: Escape From the Pit. Things all come together rather nicely.

Persona 3's last act is the most satisfying one for sure.

Final Fantasy X only starts getting good during it's last 3rd.

Nier Gestalt is another game which doesn't really get going until you've finished the first ending too.

 

[Skinwalker]

If we count Lothric Castle and Archdragon Peak as the final one third of Dark Souls 3, then these are amazing endgame levels, considering how rushed and unpolished the final third of most video game tends to be.

FromSoftware did the exact opposite: created a very unique, very atmospheric, and very fun large endgame area, and then hid it behind multiple layers of misdirection. I can't imagine how many people would have actually reached Nameless King, if most people didn't play it with Fextralife guides and in-game multiplayer messages enabled to tell them exactly how to solve the puzzle.

 

[NecroLord]

Early-mid RPG has always been the sweet spot, I think.
Most tend to lose steam near the final third stage and you probably are way overpowered.
Temple of Elemental Evil is probably a good choice. Really slow and annoying start in Hommlet, but you end up slaughtering the denizens of The Temple. That's where the real meat and bone of the game is.

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

Baldur's Gate 1 & 2 are good candidates. BG1 has 7 chapters, and the PC doesn't get to the city of Baldur's Gate until Chapter 5. It's an excellent city to explore. The and the plot picks up momentum, especially after returning to Candlekeep. The catacombs are great fun, and then it's a sprint to the end. At this point, the PC has lots of sweet loot and a fully developed party. With TotSC installed, you even get Level 5 mage spells.

While it's difficult to top Chapter 2 of BG2, the Underdark is a cool place to explore with lots of challenging enemies, loot, and things to do. The PC gets a shot at killing Drizz't, pillages Bhodi's lair, and Suldenesselar is a good map. Then there is the Abyss, which puts a nice bow on the game.

 

[Vic]

Starfield starts getting good after ~150 hours and really hits the sweetspot at around 200 hours and several NG+

 

[Salah ad-Din]

KotOR 2.

 

[NecroLord]

Arcanum stays consistently strong and allows you to do pretty much whatever you want until you get "banished" to the Void in the endgame.
Uncover mysteries, talk to the dwarves and elves, etc.

 

[Modron]

Starfield starts getting good after ~150 hours and really hits the sweetspot at around 200 hours and several NG+

Can't even meme right replace several with seven NG+s.

 

[NecroLord]

Starfield starts getting good after ~150 hours and really hits the sweetspot at around 200 hours and several NG+

If you want to go that route, then so does Skyrim.

 

[Vic]

MMOs too as the real content is locked behind years of leveling

 

[Devastator]

It seems like towards the ends of many games, there's a common trend... Leaving us wondering if it's the game or just our own fatigue. Here are a few examples of great games:

• In Fallout 1, trekking to the Military Base felt like a chore. I probably should have been integrated into the world much better.
• Fallout 2's Enclave bunker starts off well but quickly becomes dull. I also have mixed feelings about Navarro.
• Baldur's Gate 1 conclusion has pretty tedious elements, like the hide and seek to reach the palace, and the Thieves Guild maze is just not engaging.
• Once you leave The Underdark in Baldur's Gate 2, the game feels WAY too linear.

But other good games seem to become visibly less interesting... possibly due to running out of time and/or money:

• Near the end of NWN2, its DLC, and DA:O, a feeling of fatigue sets in. Thankfully, I can't even remember why.
• Area 51 in Deus Ex felt pretty uninteresting.
• System Shock 2's Body of the Many felt super boring.

With newer games it's even worse. For example, DX: MD's ending was absurdly abrupt; just disgusting.

Reflecting on the Souls series, DS3 and Bloodborne maintain their appeal consistently. I found Elden Ring notably boring in its final third. Even defeating Malenia didn't feel as rewarding, which is puzzling. Strangely, I found the hardest Chalice Dungeons in Bloodborne less tedious (where the toughest Amygdala variant can one shot you).

So, no; I can't think of a single RPG that I played that was better in the last third.

 

[AlwaysBrotoMen]

final fantasy 6
Suikoden 2

 

[Vic]

final fantasy 6

that's one of the few JRPGs I played but you can't be serious right? I had to drop it because it became way too grindy after the apocalypse and I kept getting my ass kicked in kefka's tower

 

[Dadd]

Tales of Destiny 2

 

[Vic]

Tales of Destiny 2

another stupid shit take. I don't know about this particular game but tales games in general always drag the ending out way too long. you think it's gonna end but then wham here's another 10 hours of gameplay

 

[Vic]

Starfield starts getting good after ~150 hours and really hits the sweetspot at around 200 hours and several NG+

Can't even meme right replace several with seven NG+s.

seven? those are rookie numbers

 

[Dadd]

another stupid shit take. I don't know about this particular game

interesting

 

[Vic]

another stupid shit take. I don't know about this particular game

interesting

good comment. It's just unbelievable seeing a tales game recommended in this thread.

prove me wrong or stfu