Know any ‘Active Time World’ rpg (or any genre) games?

[Noon]

I’m making the term up cause I don’t know what it’s called, but I think of it as the whole game is on some kind of timeframe, it can be any kind or real time (like Zelda Majora’s Mask) or stop time (like atelier Ayesha) a lot of games have circulating time/calendars but they don’t bring the end game or game over closer. Some games come out of active time world when you complete the end or end like event (like atelier Firis) that works for me too.

A list of examples (games I really love too.)

Final Fantasy lightning Returns XIII
Nights of Azure 2
Zelda Majora’s Mask
Atelier Series some games
Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons series (kinda)
Dead Rising? (Haven’t played, I think it is?)
Breath of Fire Dragon Quarter
Valkyrie Profile

I’m pretty sure I seen some snes RPGs that have time/calenadars but I can’t remember what their names were.

Simulation and Survival games are usually active time world in a sense, but I was thinking of more story and world working with it, but any example is good

 

[Dyne]

Ephemeral Phantasia on PS2 is an rpg that does that kind of majora's mask/groundhog day type thing.

 

[Cu-Neo]

Well. Fallout 1 has time limit at the first part of the game because you have to find the water chip before everyone at the vault dies. Pandora tower on Wii has also a time limit mechanic because Elena has a curse that advances in real time (like the cases on Dead Rising) and you have to feed her meat to slow the curse. Of course the Persona games since 3 has objectives that You have to complete before a specific Date. And the Pikmin games because you have to find the ship parts before the last day arrives.

 

[ObscureJigglypuff]

From what i remember Mana Khemia have somewhat of a calendar.

 

[SkunkyBeaumont]

Simon's Quest for the NES. Depending on your time and game overs, you can get one of three endings.
Seiken Densetsu 3 has a calendar, every day effects the mechanics in different ways, but has no other baring.
Elder Scrolls Daggerfall has a pretty strict day limit on the main quest.
I'm pretty sure System Shock has a time limit to shut down the mining laser, and I think there is a time limit before Citadel Station enters the Earth's atmosphere.*

*No, these are actually both the same time limit. The Hazard changes from Shodan attacking earth with a mining laser to Shodan crashing the whole space station filled with a viral mutagen into the earth.

 

[Cris_Agev]

Mmm I'm not sure if I understood you but maybe the Rune Factory game applies here? If so I recommend RF4. Pretty well know game I think, there is a calendar and seasons, open world kinda, dungeon exploring, cooking, farming, romance/dating, action oriented combat, crafting, etc.

 

[otogirisou]

oreshika

 

[Noon]

Ephemeral Phantasia on PS2 is an rpg that does that kind of majora's mask/groundhog day type thing.

I’ve seen that game cover before but never knew what it was about interesting…

Well. Fallout 1 has time limit at the first part of the game because you have to find the water chip before everyone at the vault dies. Pandora tower on Wii has also a time limit mechanic because Elena has a curse that advances in real time (like the cases on Dead Rising) and you have to feed her meat to slow the curse. Of course the Persona games since 3 has objectives that You have to complete before a specific Date. And the Pikmin games because you have to find the ship parts before the last day arrives.

I’ve always wanted to try pandora’s tower! I guess the ATW component is something like breath of fire DQ’s system.

From what i remember Mana Khemia have somewhat of a calendar.

I dig Mana Khemia, I always consider it and Atelier game.

Simon's Quest for the NES. Depending on your time and game overs, you can get one of three endings.
Seiken Densetsu 3 has a calendar, every day effects the mechanics in different ways, but has no other baring.
Elder Scrolls Daggerfall has a pretty strict day limit on the main quest.
I'm pretty sure System Shock has a time limit to shut down the mining laser, and I think there is a time limit before Citadel Station enters the Earth's atmosphere.*

*No, these are actually both the same time limit. The Hazard changes from Shodan attacking earth with a mining laser to Shodan crashing the whole space station filled with a viral mutagen into the earth.

I don’t know that about Castlevania SQ pretty cool there’s such an early example, and I’ve got system shock remake in my psn cart maybe that’s push I need to buy it.

Mmm I'm not sure if I understood you but maybe the Rune Factory game applies here? If so I recommend RF4. Pretty well know game I think, there is a calendar and seasons, open world kinda, dungeon exploring, cooking, farming, romance/dating, action oriented combat, crafting, etc.

Sorry I think I confused it a bit at the end, basically either the game is on a timeline and you need to reach the end before the timeline expires, so your trying to find a way to Tetris fit all the main story, side story, extra quests and such in that timeframe.

I couldn’t remember if Harvest moon, story of seasons, or Rune factory needed to be complete within a timeframe or if it just cycled the calendar until you did, like Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles for example.

oreshika

That’s another name I hear a lot but never tried, I’ll have to check it out.

Another Sort of example is Left Alive, some of the side quests are set up so you have to reach them before a certain time or they’ll be dead when you reach them, just those side quests though.

These are a bunch of examples I never thought of, thanks!

 

[SkunkyBeaumont]

I’ve seen that game cover before but never knew what it was about interesting…

I’ve always wanted to try pandora’s tower? I guess the ATW component is something like breath of fire DQ’s system.

I dig Mana Khemia, I always consider and Atelier game.

I don’t know that about Castlevania SQ pretty cool there’s such an early example, and I’ve got system shock remake in my psn cart maybe that’s push I need to buy it.

Sorry I think I confused it a bit at the end, basically either the game is on a timeline and you need to reach the end before the timeline expires, so your trying to find a way to Tetris fit all the main story, side story, extra quests and such in that timeframe.

I couldn’t remember if Harvest moon, story of seasons, or Rune factory needed to be complete within a timeframe or if it just cycled the calendar until you did, like Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles for example.

That’s another name I hear a lot but never tried, I’ll have to check it out.

Another Sort of example is Left Alive, some of the side quests are set up so you have to reach them before a certain time or they’ll be dead when you reach them, just those side quests though.

These are a bunch of examples I never thought of, thanks!

Edit: I forgot Shadow of Destiny. PS2 game. Basically Majora's Mask with Temperal Paradox shenanigans.

 

[Noon]

Actually now that I think about it my previous explanations aren’t really complete,

there’s games that are designed so you can (more or less) try to get everything in one go, like Nights of Azure 2, and there’s games like Zelda Majora’s mask that while on an active timeframe, not designed to be fully cleared on a timeframe, more like a mid scale timeframe.

I guess there’s more of a gradient, some games have parts that are active time.

 

[SkunkyBeaumont]

Like Chrono Trigger with the new game plus?

 

[Noon]

Like Chrono Trigger with the new game plus?

I think that’s more branching paths, since you’re allowed to run around and do as much as you want in between the the main story events without a countdown to it, i think? (Don’t hate me retro game talk but I haven’t beaten Chrono trigger…)

 

[Cris_Agev]

Sorry I think I confused it a bit at the end, basically either the game is on a timeline and you need to reach the end before the timeline expires, so your trying to find a way to Tetris fit all the main story, side story, extra quests and such in that timeframe.

Ohh so you want a time limit, then RF4 won't do, iirc there is no end time.
I'll suggest Mizzurna Falls for PS1

It's not an rpg but and adventure game? Its like Silent hill 1 in terms of 3rd person and graphics, but there is no survival elements. Instead you have a little town to explore, on foot or car, where you must resolve a criminal case in 7 days. You have to talk to people, gather some clues sometimes to unlock dialogues or events, and everything is scripted to happen in a frame of time, meaning, if you fail to gather a clue or talk to a key character in a, for example, couple of days you may have lost the opportunity to watch events and get other clues, forever . So I think it resembles that parallelism with tetris, you have to put a lot of things right in a determined amount of time to catch the real culprit.

 

[SkunkyBeaumont]

That's not it at all. After you beat it, you unlock New Game Plus, keeping levels and non plot items for different endings.

Regardless, play Chrono Trigger. It might be the best game ever, even if it's responsible for inspiring John Romero to make Daikatana.

 

[Noon]

I just remembered shadow of destiny too!

Yeah a clearer explanation of ATW might be a timeline and events that either activate based on the timeline and/or have to be completed by the timeline (if you wanna play the game that way.)

I downloaded Mizzurna Falls a bit ago but haven’t tried it yet, non rpg is welcome too

Does anyone know if Shenmue is on a timeline? I know they have time calendar, but I didn’t know if the events were on timeline.

And it doesn’t have to be necessarily mandatory to clear in the timeline, but that’s it’s designed so you can fit all the events/whatnot in if you wanted, like in NOA2 or Atelier Games, you don’t have to do everything to get endings or something, but trying to fit everything is such a crazy mind bend and makes even simple cutscenes or fetch quests really dynamic when trying to find out how to reach them all in less time.

 

[SkunkyBeaumont]

I just remembered shadow of destiny too!

Yeah a clearer explanation of ATW might be a timeline and events that either activate based on the timeline and/or have to be completed by the timeline (if you wanna play the game that way.)

I downloaded Mizzurna Falls a bit ago but haven’t tried it yet, non rpg is welcome too

Does anyone know if Shenmue is on a timeline? I know they have time calendar, but I didn’t know if the events were on timeline.

And it doesn’t have to be necessarily mandatory to clear in the timeline, but that’s it’s designed so you can fit all the events/whatnot in if you wanted, like in NOA2 or Atelier Games, you don’t have to do everything to get endings or something, but trying to fit everything is such a crazy mind bend and makes even simple cutscenes or fetch quests really dynamic when trying to find out how to reach them all in less time.

Yes. 1 in game year, then the bad guy kicks your ass.

 

[Noon]

Yes. 1 in game year, then the bad guy kicks your ass.

Well at least he’s patient, you don’t get that a lot with bad guys.

 

[Clippy]

Pandora's Tower has a time limit to it. You have to regularly return to feed the cursed girl so that she doesn't turn into a demon iirc and there are several endings based on how far you get in the game before she succumbs to her curse.

Also, pretty much any dating sim out there heehee.

 

[chrismas]

The Last Express is an adventure game that progresses in real-time, independently of the player's actions. Blade Runner '97 is allegedly also like this, but I have no experience with it.

 

[SkunkyBeaumont]

The Last Express is an adventure game that progresses in real-time, independently of the player's actions. Blade Runner '97 is allegedly also like this, but I have no experience with it.

Blade Runner randomizes the who the replicant is too.