A) That's true, but it's not like you're sitting there waiting for something to do. You're busy all the time, and if you sit back and watch, you're going to die. B) Yes and no. The paths are the same, but the mobs and rules are different enough that it's nothing like, say, Towers and Trolls, where the only difference between the three playthroughs you have to do are the HP and speed of the mobs.
Thanks for naming Hunted: Demon's Forge: I have it as it looked really nice, but somehow didn't play more than an hour (I think another game just came along that I ended up playing). Will get back to it! My turn: Of Orcs and Men: really nice! Definitely a good game with a great story and awesome dialogue.
I don't see very many people talk about the Front Mission series. The first and third games are stellar SRPGs with an amazing amount of mech customization and decent story. The second game is a side scrolling RPG. It's not as impressive as 1 and 3 but it's still worth a play through. I can't recall very many giant mech games but FM1-3 are definitely on top of that list.
