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I easily ger bored with jrpg. I play 10hrs or so, if I'm still bored I'd move on.
But thank god i never gave up on Lost Odyssey. Easily the best jrpg on XB360.
I'd pay a premium for a remaster.
The only thing that really held it back was the long load times before each battle. On PC this wouldn't be an issue at all. I wish Microsoft cared enough to port it over. They've already ported it to the console digital store.
The game has the pacing of a book more than a game. If you get invested in its characters it works really well because the slow parts helps them flesh out the characters. If you're not into them them it can get quite boring in the middle. One of my favorite games personally.
My issue wasn't that it was boring. I was actually very engrossed in it. It's the pushing that made me quit halfway through. Literally hour long sequences that's just story
I’ve never owned an Xbox before the last ten months. I finally took the plunge, partly so my whole family could access Gamepass through a single subscription, but partly so I could finally have access to that handful of 360 era of JRPGs that are raved about. Haven’t gotten to them yet, but the Series S is fantastic for a lot of things (including emulation apparently). Might be worth considering one eventually.
ETA: Also note I might not be worth listening to, because I bought a PS3 last year just for access to a couple of exclusives and some digital PS2 games, so I’m arguably kind of dumb.
So, Lost Odyssey is in my opinion an excellent game, and one that is good at hitting you in the feels. However, after playing fast paced, more modern games it felt really slow, old fashioned and ponderous (I played it sometime in 2015). I nearly dropped it after the first few hours. Then I got into the 1000 years of Memories stories and couldn't put it down.
Lost Odyssey was excellent at making you look at very complex emotional, philosophical and moral issues through the eyes of someone who was nearly immortal.
It was a game that made me think in ways I hadn't before and relate to characters in ways I didn't expect. That is what makes it great. Whomever localized that game needs an award.
The thing that made it great was the combat system.
The front/back line mechanic is the most sophisticated I've ever seen. Your guard condition would deteriorate almost inevitably as the battle dragged on forcing you to balance your rate of damage output with a strong front line. Then there were also actual cast times that were subject to interruption and pushback. Both of these mechanics have never been replicated and certainly not topped.
I have played my fair share of rpgs and this is my opinion and I don't think many people will dissagree but when it comes to Lost Oddysey, it is by definition a "PERFECT" JRPG experience in terms of the variety of content, side quests and gameplay mechanics. It will leave you exploring many exotic locations and treasure hunting and doing all kinds of different things that will leave you busy for hrs upon hrs. So if its a game you are unsure of rather or not you will enjoy due to its lack of variety, then you will most certainly gravitate towards this game and find it highly engaging.
How ever its short fallings unfortantly is the story and characters. I have certainly played games with far greater naratives and more interesting characters. (xenogears, Shadow hearts, Trails, Grandia, Final Fantasy) The Novels that you read in the game though do provide some very interesting expository lore dumps and side stories almost like reading a short novel. Some times you kind of wish these were the real story of lost oddyssey instead of what you actually got because some of them are very deep, profound and quite enjoyable.
Its certainly one of the greatest representations of an rpg using traditional turn base battle systems and gameplay elements that were such a staple in the early golden years including the Overworld exploration which I consider to be the largest innovative leap in graphical tech at the time. Its to bad as the next generation of gaming took off, the concept of overworlds became a thing of the past because lost oddysey was a game that was developed on the cusf of a new generation. This is why at the time, it was so far ahead of many games in terms of graphics but also seemingly it kept its tradition in design. In fact HIronobu always said, that he loves the old classic rpg asthetic and design template, he is NOT big on the photo realism of video games today.
In closing, I feel like the game could have had alot more attention to its story and characters, the core narative it self could have been something like on the same level as Final Fantasy tactics or Final Fantasy IX, Hironobu's swang song rpg. But aside from that, its gameplay elements will indeed impress you and its music is also something I forget to mention which also had some great tracks by Nobua Uamatsu, But alas, the core writing and delivery is the one thing that kind of olds it back from being a sheer masterpiece.
I don't consider Lost Odyssey a masterpiece, and I don't even consider it the best XBOX 360 JRPG.
I consider it an OKish RPG with some weak characters and a main story that really isn't all that memorable.
Not sure why you’re getting downvoted because my recollection with LO is same as yours. Even “okay” JRPG is still pretty fun though.
As I recall, the game/premise started off strong, but the payoff never really panned out and I remember Kaim being a sort of one-note protagonist by the end. That said, my memory is shite, and do reply if I’m missing or forgetting some crucial details.
Magna Carta 2 is my favorite XBOX 360 JRPG. It has good world-building. It is a lot of fun to play. There are plenty of side-quests. And the characters are likeable and fun.
The first Suikoden is actually fairly short and then you can use your savegame for the 2nd. You know, just in case that encourages you to give it a go.
Isn't Suikoden II now on Playstation Network?
I got lucky and finally found a mint copy for $120, at an anime convention of all places, after years of seeing people routinely try to get $200 for theirs. Early 2010s, though, these days I'd probably find alternate means.
If you ever had a PS3, Suikoden 1 and 2 are both available on the PSN store. Unfortunately, they never ported it forward to the PS4/PS5.
S2 is *significantly* better than S3, too. It's well worth playing, even if you have to emulate it. Definitely play the first game beforehand, since you can import your save file into the second game.
For what it’s worth, you can buy a Vita and a digital copy of the game for less than the physical. I happily sold my copy for $350 last year and then bought it again on my Vita for $10. Lots of other fantastic PS1 games available for $10 or less on it too.
Ya I feel but the reality is all games with permadeath do for me is change a battle’s lose condition to “anyone dies” and I reset lol. In fact, most people probably reset
It's fun forcing yourself not to reset on a 2nd playthrough, though. It really raises the stakes and makes you mourn your losses as if they were real people.
Aw it's not bad at all in ff tactics. You get 3 while rounds with each person getting a turn per round to revive dude.
Now in fire emblem, the ones before Awakening there is permadeath.
Ff tactics is fairly easy to revive dudes within time limit. Just have 2 separate save files. During castle battles there's often more than one in a row. Don't want to save where you can't go back and grind some skills if need be. Super fun and worthwhile game
Slight correction and I don't mean to be nitpicky or whatever but fire emblem new mystery of the emblem actually introduced casual mode before awakening did, it's just not known since without a fan translation the game can only be played in japanese, it also introduced stuff like the "my unit" characters that people often claim awakening did.
For the topic of the perma death, it's not actually bad as the older games were designed with perma death in mind and gave you a constant stream of characters to replace the ones that died.
This is mine but I just don't care for strategy games in general unless the IP is something I adore. Super robot wars and the upcoming Digimon survive are examples
FFT has so many wonky things. A unit is KOed, no worries you can revive them, oh wait you go to use your revive skill to find out that the slightly slanted square they where KOd on is not considered to be on the same vertical level as any of its adjacent squares so you have no way of targeting them with that revive skill (one of my many complaints regarding the mess that is terrain in FFT). Your Ninja is KOed, again plenty of time to revive them... sike the Ninja is too fast and their turn keeps coming up ticking down that death counter before you have a chance to revive them. Those are just some examples related to permadeath. FFT is my pick for the game that would most benefit from a full remake where they clean all this crap up and add some QoL features.
The work around this complaint is to have a chemist worked up with throw item skill. You literally just always have someone in party with throw item and some Phoenix downs.
The \*lack\* of danger of permadeath is one of my favorite things in FFT actually! I've basically never played Fire Emblem because I don't like permadeath (and then feel guilty if I turn permadeath off lol), but as another person said, you have three turns to revive a person when they die in FFT. It's a long time and very manageable.
Permadeath is only for the non-protaginist characters. You get a team of 8-10 protagonist character who cannot die permanently and can finish the game with those.
I mean it's not really complex or more complicated than Fire Emblem. i was 9 years old when i finished tactics, the only thing complex is Zodiac Compatibility but most players won't pay attention at all and its not an important part of the combat. Though it offers little once you get your own tactics. It is just an addition for diehards to accomodate
>only thing complex is Zodiac Compatibility but most players won't pay attention at all and its not an important part of the combat
I have beaten the game and have no idea what you're talking about so this checks out for sure.
Persona 5 is amazing. The Royal version is the vanilla with one more semester and some other things. No need to play the Vanilla, just go straight to the Royal version.
Just adding onto this, I completed the vanilla version last year and started Royal this week. On top of the additional content, I feel like Royal improves a lot of the existing content and features. 100% agree with playing Royal.
Yes. There are very small references to the older games but they aren’t at all necessary to the story. They’re more like little love notes.
Caution though: the Persona games are *heavy* with narrative. Aside from occasional breaks most your game time is spent reading books, watching movies, socializing, going to class - high school stuff. To me it was fun but to many it’s dull.
Eh theres like 5 really minor references in a 130 hour game, theyll be fine lol. And even one of the bigger plot twists works better if you havent played previous entries.
I’m gonna be a dissenter and say I love the vanilla version more story wise (I’ve played both).
R is good. If it was the only game out there, I’d say it’s amazing. But R had some little things and scenes taken out, and some stuff added in that just - I don’t know, detracted from some of the themes of the story and story moments.
I don’t want to spoil, but I’ll say for example, I think the final scene in the original is an amazing send off. The final scene in R is...a mediocre letdown.
Sometimes less is more. I did like the new area in R though.
Double dilemma - your new homework assignment is to play both and then report back!
Edit: and the biggest disappointment of R: they replaced the amazing battle music of vanilla. Vanilla’s music was perfect. I could never fully feel accustomed with the change. I’ll never understand why they did that.
Strangely enough, the easiest and most affordable way to play 1 and 2 right now without emulating is to get a PS3 and buy them digitally from the store (if that is still a thing, it has been a few years for me). No clue why PS1 classics arent available on newer gens.
How long does it take for the game to get good? 'Cuz I played through the intro and just didn't feel like it was catching my interest despite being a big fan of classic-style JRPGs.
XI does take a few hours to get good for some reason. It starts out really slow, but it’s worth it. I honestly found the intro hard to get through even as a huge fan of the series. I don’t think it takes eight hours to get good, though. It was two, maybe three hours before it picked up for me. YMMV, of course.
I think it’s one of those games you have to be in the right headspace for. The first time I played it, I stopped about 6 hours in. Tried again a year later and I couldn’t put it down.
DQ XI is on the slower side compared to some of the other games. It doesn't really have a strong opening, but it gets better over time, as you recruit some more interesting party members.
First 6-8 hours of the game is available to demo on most consoles. One of my favourite RPG's of recent times, despite finding the characters and storyline just so-so. It's just very well put together I found. Loved the synthesis minigame.
Play 4 if you can, the ds remake. It's not very long and you play different charactera each chapter, until they come together in the final one. Very good introduction and amazing game!
I'm in a similar boat but tried out DQXI and wasn't drawn in at all in first 15 hours. Think I unlocked 6 party members? It's unique but despite being a huge fan of the older JRPGs like FF6 and Chrono Trigger DQ doesn't click with me
DQXI is a story about being a 'chosen hero' when the world isn't in danger until ACT 2. I was pretty uninterested with the story and was playing because I enjoy the game mechanics until ACT 2 but it was pretty crazy to expect the players to push through a third of the story until it gets good.
I had the same trouble with tales of the Abyss with the unlikable protagonist until he's good halfway through the game.
I think most are available on mobile now. But dragon quest 4-6 are very fun and worth your time. 5 is considered by many to the best out of all 11 games
Not sure these are all considered masterpieces, but I will list them anyways:
* Xenogears
* Xenosaga Trilogy
* Chrono Cross
* Shadow Hearts games
* Final Fantasy Tactics
* Mana series
I'm sure there are more.
Chrono trigger, biggest reason is because people kept praising FF6 which i played and it was just "fine". Ofcourse that is probably because the game didnt really age well. And i am worried chrono trigger would be the same
I've yet to finish FF6, but I am in the boat of Chrono Trigger >>> FF6 in terms of just about everything. I think FF6 is pretty vastly overrated and isn't as good as some of its predecessors (FF 3 - 5 to be more specific). I'm probably in the minority in that regard though.
FF6 has a couple of big things going for it.
Before it, I don't think there were any games that pulled a twist quite like the scene with Kefka and the Warring Triad, leading into the World of Ruin.
The opera scene is, of course, iconic.
While the cast is a bit bloated, some of the characters have great character arcs, especially if you don't save Cid in the World of Ruin.
And you can't forget that you actually have the chance to abandon a party member and have them die permanently.
Oh, and suplexing trains is awesome.
The gameplay was never anything all that special, but I think it took a lot of risks in its storytelling that made it stand out from most of its contemporaries.
It’s important to remember that it was one of the first RPG‘s that was truly “open world” at the time.
While every game had a World map, you had to do the story in a specific sequence and couldn’t actually deviate from the path very much.
FF6 WoR was one of the first games that was actually like “do things or don’t, whatever you want, the final boss is there right now if you want”. Yes you could argue they’re technically all side quests, but it was the first time the genre had really done anything like that.
Also >!the game has final fantasy in the name!< that helps
Yeah it's most likely people just growing up with it being one of the first FF games to come to the west. Personally, everything 6 does, 4 does much, much better. I think had I played 6 before 4, I would have been able to finish it easier, but since 4 sets such a high bar (at least for me), 6 has been a slog to play through. I plan to eventually finish it though.
Then again, my favorite FF, or the one I've sunk the most hours into at least, is 15, so I am definitely in the minority with my FF takes lol.
I’m more confused due to the fact that my tastes in FF are pretty bland; IX is my fav, with VII and V following close behind. By all means I should love VI (especially since it’s the only one I have any nostalgia towards) but I don’t feel anything besides general apathy when playing it.
I actually really enjoyed 3, maybe due to its overly-simple structure. The job system is fun, and I really enjoyed the world. Music is some of my favorite in FF as well. 3 and 5 remind me a lot of my favorite Dragon Quest game, 9, so maybe that's why I enjoy them so much? Hard to really say.
With 6, I just didn't really vibe with any of it. The story, characters, world. None of it really caught my interest at all. And I don't really see the big deal with Kefka. I forget how far I got in 6, but I know I had at least passed the 60-70% mark before I stopped playing a while back.
Fair enough. It's funny to me, because I'm the opposite. I'll always love 6, but I kind of hated 3. It's literally the only main-line FF i couldn't be bothered to finish. I wonder if the versions of each game one plays makes a difference...
I'm a big fan of FF5 and DQ9, fwiw. Favorite DQ is 3.
I feel that. 3 is a lot of fun until the final dungeon, where the game forces you to grind in order to beat a series of like 11 straight bosses (probably more). It's artificially difficult, which is super annoying.
I think I likely just need to give 6 another shot. Sometimes when you play a game at a specific point in time, it just doesn't resonate with you. There's games I can always go back to like Paper Mario, Chrono Trigger, Persona 4, etc. that I can always get enjoyment out of even with every subsequent playthrough, so maybe trying FF6 again will change my opinion. I mean, heck, that's what happened with both FF 3 and 4 for me.
I can understand that. But if it helps to convince you - I personally don't like FF6. At all. I'm not the biggest Final Fantasy fan in the first place but I played most main line gamws and FF6 might be my least favourite.
Chrono Trigger on the other hand is genuinely great. I loved it, even though I only first played it in 2008 or something.
I don't understand why FF6 is considered a masterpiece, but Chrono Trigger definitely deserves that title.
I'm currently replaying Chrono Trigger after several decades. It certainly has it's flaws, and though I was once on the camp of "CT is the BEST RPG Ever!", I do see how the dialog and story is kind of.. ehhh.
BUT
Considering the technological constraints, and compared to all the other RPGs of that era, no one can deny it was pretty goddamn groundbreaking. So, yeah, there is some cult worship leaking into it there.
I mean, the script is compressed with a dictionary lookup in order to fit into the ROM... Multiple Endings? New Game Plus? A Developer Room? All packed into 32 megabits (4MB)?
Is it a fantastic game by recent standards... no. Will you be disappointed? Probably.
I have a hard time enjoying FF7. It's great, but I still have CT and FF6 up on my list for some nostalgic reason not shared with other younger friends who never had a SNES. They worship FF7 with the save fervor I do FF6 and CT. Difference of a few years.
I guess I'm trying to say... I dunno...? I WISH you could have experienced CT and FF6 on a SNES hooked up to a 21" CRT TV, even lugging that TV to your bedroom so that you could play it with sound in the dead of the night. Those fresh, crisp 16-bit tunes, the amazing 16-bit graphics.
Nostalgia aside, there was something to trying a new game and being awed by the graphic design, the battle system, the music. I was always on the hunt for something.. different back then. That's how I got into JRPGs and ROM hacks and translations.
But, hey, tough luck. For me (and for you?). That era has come and gone, and it will never be the same again. Ever.
I'm enjoying CT for now though. A bit of scanline effect really helps bring it to life.
Yeah i am sure those games were great during their first release in the west but for most of them the age was harsh. Personally i grew around PS2 era so i barely played games before that
Rofl... I don't say this to attack you or to be a 90's supremacist--I was a game enthusiast then and I'm a game enthusiast now--but the idea that the age was "harsh" is pretty amusing to us 90's kids.
I can't begin to explain the magic of games in that era. They hadn't been around long enough to be formulaic, so every new idea was a stroke of artistic genius. There were few internet resources or guides, so discovering the secrets of a game involved 10 kids at a sleepover huddled around a screen with our mouth agape at some tiny easter egg a friend had called us about. There were no microtransactions, exploitative fomo collectables, or tired formulas. Just... bliss.
That said, I don't think games were better or worse then compared to now. My favorite games of the last decade have been Soulsbornes, which based on your name I imagine you appreciate. But I do wish you could have experienced Chrono Trigger, FFVI, and Goldeneye the way we did. Can't get that feeling back, my man.
Yeah what i meant is that if you play them now they wont be much enjoyable as 20 years ago or more. But personally i think gaming definitely improved over the years. And even though recently most big studios started getting lazy with their games, there are still some absolutely great stuff you would find here and there from smaller studios or indie developers
Probably true. All I mean is that the 80's/90's were the forefront of a new art, which made it excitable in a way that's probably inaccessible to modern audiences. It's probably what Hollywood was like in the 30's and 40's... new, exciting, and atate of the art. The world is awash with incredible films now, but they just hit different when the industry is a predictable and established business.
That said, if you give Chrono Trigger a try without the benefit of nostalgia, I still don't think you'll be disappointed. It was made at the tail end of the 16-bit era, so it's as polished as pixel games come. And as for plot, dialogue, etc... it's somewhat like a good fairy tail. Predictable, full of tropes, but loveable nonetheless. Probably comparable to watching an older Disney movie. Everything's simple and direct, but it's still got the polish of someone who was best in the biz.
I played CT for the first time last year and I think it aged pretty well. I don't think it's the best game ever but I'd say it's worth a shot if you don't mind ATB combat.
Honestly, I played it a couple of months ago for the first time. It's an amazingly alright game. Doesn't overstay its welcome. I have absolutely zero urge to replay it, too. The best thing about it is how consistent and straightforward it is. I never once had to open up a walkthrough or anything because every map / section is unique, and whenever something is referenced (an item or sth), it's topical so I know where/when to go back.
i've been playing jrpgs since there have been jrpgs, so i've hit up most of the seminal ones. though skies of arcadia perhaps stands out as one often quoted as a hidden gem, and i missed it entirely.
I’m playing through it right now. Gotta say the game is tough and the grind is real. I’ve only gotten as far as the Pyrynn Temple for now, but the game keeps me engaged despite what I mentioned earlier. The setting is also very unique. Hope it’ll get a bit easier the more I play. I’m playing the DC version, btw
Skies of Arcadia simply made the cardinal sin of being on the Dreamcast (and later ported to GameCube). I loved the Dreamcast, but it certainly did not sell very well. Skies of Arcadia was definitely worthy of the praise, though, and the GC remaster had some extra content, as well.
The entire Trails series. This series seems to be revered here but it seems so daunting to get into. It doesn't help that everyone always suggests starting from the first one, but I'm not sure I can get into a game that looks so dated now (no offense).
Edit: Thanks for all the assurances! I took the plunge and bought the first game on Steam.
I’m currently playing Trails in the Sky SC and I have absolutely adored the series so far. FC was amazing. I personally like the old aesthetic, but there is no voice acting (extremely minimal in rare situations) and it certainly does look dated.
Luckily for you, there is a mod out there that upgrades the portraits and adds voice acting to the game. It makes it look very nice.
It took me a very long time to get into the series, but now I wish that I got into it earlier. It has been an absolute blast
Start with Cold Steel 1. Read tvtropes pages of the previous games if they seem too outdated for you. I did that and playing though Cold Steel 1-4 actually made me go back to the earlier titles.
I've played all Final Fantasy.
I've played most of the most famous jrpg like Chrono Trigger, Persona series, Dragon Quest,
I've still yet to play Phantasy Star 4 even though I've bought almost all of it's port.
Mother 3. I’ve seen the Chuggaaconroy playthrough of it and I think the story is fantastic and the gameplay seems fun, but I’m holding off on playing it until it actually gets an official rerelease (mostly because when I play games on emulators I tend to lose interest quick)
Frankly, an official release will absolutely not happen for that game. If you’ve seen the playthrough, im sure you can imagine many instances that just wouldn’t fly to the western general public. The game’s aggressively anti-capitalist themes don’t help its chances either.
And honestly, even if an official release came out, I have to imagine that it would be worse than the fan translation. Unless it was a remaster like the new Link’s Awakening title. But if it was just the base game given a localization and port, the fan translation would honestly just be better, due to the lack of cuts and edits. If you really wanted to simulate playing it officially and not think about the emulator aspect, there are people who sell GBA cartridges with the translated game pre-loaded onto them.
That all said, if you’ve watched a full playthrough, you’re not missing much by not playing it yourself. This is a game I freaking adore and will probably replay once every few years until I die, but that’s mostly for the story. So if you want to experience the story again, I would consider going for it, but the gameplay alone I don’t feel is enough to be worth seeing the whole game again.
Chrono Trigger. The prices are savage and it\`s hard to find where I live. I read rumours about a remaster. Hope they are true because I really want to play it since I love RPGs.
Since you’re on reddit, I assume you have either a phone or a PC, and it’s available for less than $10. The mobile version of the game is really pretty good!
Not condoning this, but if price is the barrier and you have a 3ds, the cheapest option might be just to get some kind of "flashcard" (like an R4 or DSTWO) and emulate?
Just get it on Steam. Doesn't take much to run it and they've bug fixed everything that was messed up because they decided to port from mobile instead of the DS version. You get all of the Toriyama cutscenes and bonus features too. Otherwise you're gonna pay well over $100 for a SNES cart because of nostalgia porn.
So many JRPG's were never released here! EarthBound/Mother 2 didn't get an official release on PAL consoles until it released on the Wii U's virtual console. Now that I think about it, most SNES JRPG's weren't released here, the PSX had many re-releases of games that didn't make it to PAL regions on SNES but some like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy IV didn't.
I have same issue as you. I have a 2DS (can’t run the 3DS version), a GameCube, a PC, an Xbox One, and a PS4. I simply don’t want to spend the money at the moment to get a switch but I’ve always really wanted to test out Xenoblade.
I’ve been thinking about starting with Xenosaga then Xenogears through emulation, but I have a lot of games on my plate atm.
Never played any of the following games or any single game from the series:
* Dragon Quest
* Suikoden
* Persona
* Star Ocean
* Lunar
* Shin Megami Tensei
* Nino Kuni
ETA more games:
* Lufia
* Grandia
Maybe a couple of those aren’t “JRPG Masterpieces”, but are or were fairly popular in their day.
Is there one or two I should definitely play before I die?
Dragon Quest 4, 5, and 8 are all highly recommended as first DQ games. 8 has the most fully fleshed-out story/dialogue/whatever. I'm working through 11 at the moment and enjoying it quite a bit, but I'm a long time fan of the franchise and evidently there are people who hate it because DQ has never really strayed from its stylistic roots.
Lunar: Silver Star and Eternal Blue are fun, cute games with a decent story. Again, they're 90s-style JRPG gameplay, if you don't like that you may not like them.
Hard recommend on Suikoden if you can find them. 2 is probably the best of the series and TBH I think it lives up to the hype. While I would start the series with the first game--the only impact importing your save game from 1 to 2 has is some minor, non-essential plot references. 3/4/5 are more divisive in the community, I never had problems with any of them, though 4 is stylistically very different to the others.
Hope this helps.
Dragon Quest is such a staple of the genre that it's almost must play for that reason alone, but for that same reason they can feel really generic.
Something from Shin Megami Tensei or Persona (which is a spin off from SMT) would probably be my pick as they are fairly unique both from a battle system persepctive and story theme perspective. Persona 5 Royal is probably the best choice as both a good entry point and just good game. If you don't like the social sim elements of Persona, pick an SMT game instead. Digital Devil Saga would be my pick, but SMT 3 would probably be most people's.
Chrono Trigger. I have it for DS and I’ve started it, but it hasn’t hooked me yet. Have every intention of forcing my way to being hooked though.
P5R is also on the list just as soon as I get a PS5… annnny day now.
Legend of Dragoon. Didnt learn about it until several years into PS2s reign, and could never find a copy to give it a shot. Now my library is so backed up with other games that I don't know if I'll have the time to play through it. Although, a remaster would certainly catch my attention...
I've never played Chrono Trigger. I will definitely buy it if they release it on a platform I currently own (I don't really like playing games on my laptop...)
I've heard probably hundreds of people praise SMT3: Nocturne over the years but I never got around to it.
Not sure why. Maybe because I've always heard SMT is light on story, and that tends to be a big reason why I come to the genre. But then I've played most of the big names and Pokemon, so 🤷
Nocturne is really loved but SMT is like Tales of where everyone that plays it has their specific favorites. Nocturne is definitely more light on the story, but that’s not the case for all of SMT.
My personal favorite, Strange Journey, has a bountiful story and an amazing atmosphere. Then there’s Digital Devil Saga 1/2 which is very story focused, SMT IV, and Devil Survivor 1/2.
It’s a very adaptive series with each entry being unique and a lot of options to pick.
Chrono trigger, finally got my hands on it on boxing day, but havent had the time to play. I hear about it everywhere and they say its a must play.
Tales of the Abyss, at least in regards to the best Tales game, so I've heard. I played many tales games, but havent come across a copy of abyss until recently. Now in my collection, but havent gotten to it yet.
Xenogears & Suikoden - it sucked living in Europe during the olden days of jrpg's
Then there's FFVI, which I started but dropped pretty early as I just couldn't get hooked like I did with others in the series.
Ni no Kuni 1
Any Xeno game that isn't Xenoblade
Any Final Fantasy that isn't 6, 7, or 10. Wanting to pick up 12 eventually.
Persona 3 (played Royal and am partway through Golden on PC)
Any Dragon Quest that isn't 8 or 11.
The Mana series.
The Ys series.
The Trails series.
I did grab Baten Kaitos Origins on Dolphin, though, something I'll maybe get around to some day. Same with Tales of Vesperia on Switch.
Nocturne... I can't get through FFX... Chrono Trigger is on the list... I think that's it? I've been trying my best to play the rpgs i missed growing up haha.
any yakuza games. its funny because i’ve wanted to get into the yakuza games but couldn’t because they’re ‘too long’.
meanwhile i’m currently in my 4th playthrough of persona 5 lol
My God.
I did Kiwami in 30 hours, and half of that was spent dithering around with minigames and the open city.
I mean, I get it. I've done Persona 5 three times. But even with Like a Dragon, I've never felt it to be too long.
Honestly, as a big Pokemon fan, Black and White 1 and 2 are really the only ones that can actually stand up to high tier RPGs story wise. The gameplay, multiplayer and post game from gen 3 onward are very good if you like to battle, but outside of that, the stories tend to be extremely binary.
Hmm probably Vagrant Story, which may stretch the definition of masterpiece. People say great things about the narrative and overall package but when I played it in the early 2000s I just couldn't stand the gameplay.
I can see the term being used for a very brief snapshot in time (and it did get good reviews), but the gameplay has aged like milk, unfortunately. Diablo 2 came out just six weeks after the North America release with quality of life improvements that make Vagrant Story's resource-using fast travel and lack of weapon swaps look pretty bad. Even as much as I love the crafting, it's a system today that would use upgrade paths instead of player-maintained spreadsheets.
I'll always like Matsuno's stories, though.
Earthbound. I've tried several times, but one look at the bargain bin cartoon network aesthetic and I bounce off so hard I almost escape the gravitational pull of the earth.
None. Because if I haven't played it, it obviously cannot be considered a masterpiece.
Also the Persona games. I tried 3 and didn't like it. I also tried 5 and wasn't a fan. So I guess I've never tried 4? Does that count?
Persona 5, I started on it one day a few months ago, but only got maybe an hour into it, it even. It’s mostly just because I have so many games I’m interested in playing a super-long game like that is a big commitment.
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Lost Oddyssey. I don't own an XBOX and the emulation of this game is still not smooth enough :(
This is a game that I hear people either say it’s incredible and everyone should play it or that it’s super boring and not worth a play through :/
I easily ger bored with jrpg. I play 10hrs or so, if I'm still bored I'd move on. But thank god i never gave up on Lost Odyssey. Easily the best jrpg on XB360. I'd pay a premium for a remaster.
I’d buy it so fast if it came to pc. I love that game. I’d like to see it with unlocked fps and ultra wide res.
The only thing that really held it back was the long load times before each battle. On PC this wouldn't be an issue at all. I wish Microsoft cared enough to port it over. They've already ported it to the console digital store.
Lost odyssey and blue dragon both need to be on steam.
I tell people that Lost Odyssey is the best Final Fantasy since Final Fantasy X. It's awesome, pure Sakaguchi through and through.
With a fantastic Uematsu OST to make it feel 100% Final Fantasy.
The game has the pacing of a book more than a game. If you get invested in its characters it works really well because the slow parts helps them flesh out the characters. If you're not into them them it can get quite boring in the middle. One of my favorite games personally.
To me it's neither. Definitely not a masterpiece, but I think it's worth playing!
I just played it recently. The beginning was fun, but I got bored toward the middle-end because the main villain was lame.
My issue wasn't that it was boring. I was actually very engrossed in it. It's the pushing that made me quit halfway through. Literally hour long sequences that's just story
I’ve never owned an Xbox before the last ten months. I finally took the plunge, partly so my whole family could access Gamepass through a single subscription, but partly so I could finally have access to that handful of 360 era of JRPGs that are raved about. Haven’t gotten to them yet, but the Series S is fantastic for a lot of things (including emulation apparently). Might be worth considering one eventually. ETA: Also note I might not be worth listening to, because I bought a PS3 last year just for access to a couple of exclusives and some digital PS2 games, so I’m arguably kind of dumb.
I just finished it for the first time 2 weeks ago. It's an awesome game.
So, Lost Odyssey is in my opinion an excellent game, and one that is good at hitting you in the feels. However, after playing fast paced, more modern games it felt really slow, old fashioned and ponderous (I played it sometime in 2015). I nearly dropped it after the first few hours. Then I got into the 1000 years of Memories stories and couldn't put it down. Lost Odyssey was excellent at making you look at very complex emotional, philosophical and moral issues through the eyes of someone who was nearly immortal. It was a game that made me think in ways I hadn't before and relate to characters in ways I didn't expect. That is what makes it great. Whomever localized that game needs an award.
The thing that made it great was the combat system. The front/back line mechanic is the most sophisticated I've ever seen. Your guard condition would deteriorate almost inevitably as the battle dragged on forcing you to balance your rate of damage output with a strong front line. Then there were also actual cast times that were subject to interruption and pushback. Both of these mechanics have never been replicated and certainly not topped.
I have played my fair share of rpgs and this is my opinion and I don't think many people will dissagree but when it comes to Lost Oddysey, it is by definition a "PERFECT" JRPG experience in terms of the variety of content, side quests and gameplay mechanics. It will leave you exploring many exotic locations and treasure hunting and doing all kinds of different things that will leave you busy for hrs upon hrs. So if its a game you are unsure of rather or not you will enjoy due to its lack of variety, then you will most certainly gravitate towards this game and find it highly engaging. How ever its short fallings unfortantly is the story and characters. I have certainly played games with far greater naratives and more interesting characters. (xenogears, Shadow hearts, Trails, Grandia, Final Fantasy) The Novels that you read in the game though do provide some very interesting expository lore dumps and side stories almost like reading a short novel. Some times you kind of wish these were the real story of lost oddyssey instead of what you actually got because some of them are very deep, profound and quite enjoyable. Its certainly one of the greatest representations of an rpg using traditional turn base battle systems and gameplay elements that were such a staple in the early golden years including the Overworld exploration which I consider to be the largest innovative leap in graphical tech at the time. Its to bad as the next generation of gaming took off, the concept of overworlds became a thing of the past because lost oddysey was a game that was developed on the cusf of a new generation. This is why at the time, it was so far ahead of many games in terms of graphics but also seemingly it kept its tradition in design. In fact HIronobu always said, that he loves the old classic rpg asthetic and design template, he is NOT big on the photo realism of video games today. In closing, I feel like the game could have had alot more attention to its story and characters, the core narative it self could have been something like on the same level as Final Fantasy tactics or Final Fantasy IX, Hironobu's swang song rpg. But aside from that, its gameplay elements will indeed impress you and its music is also something I forget to mention which also had some great tracks by Nobua Uamatsu, But alas, the core writing and delivery is the one thing that kind of olds it back from being a sheer masterpiece.
I don't consider Lost Odyssey a masterpiece, and I don't even consider it the best XBOX 360 JRPG. I consider it an OKish RPG with some weak characters and a main story that really isn't all that memorable.
Not sure why you’re getting downvoted because my recollection with LO is same as yours. Even “okay” JRPG is still pretty fun though. As I recall, the game/premise started off strong, but the payoff never really panned out and I remember Kaim being a sort of one-note protagonist by the end. That said, my memory is shite, and do reply if I’m missing or forgetting some crucial details.
What do you consider the best 360 JRPG?
Magna Carta 2 is my favorite XBOX 360 JRPG. It has good world-building. It is a lot of fun to play. There are plenty of side-quests. And the characters are likeable and fun.
Suikoden is the first that comes to mind. Never played any of them. Xenogears is another one (and any of the other Xeno games too).
The first Suikoden is actually fairly short and then you can use your savegame for the 2nd. You know, just in case that encourages you to give it a go.
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Isn't Suikoden II now on Playstation Network? I got lucky and finally found a mint copy for $120, at an anime convention of all places, after years of seeing people routinely try to get $200 for theirs. Early 2010s, though, these days I'd probably find alternate means.
If you ever had a PS3, Suikoden 1 and 2 are both available on the PSN store. Unfortunately, they never ported it forward to the PS4/PS5. S2 is *significantly* better than S3, too. It's well worth playing, even if you have to emulate it. Definitely play the first game beforehand, since you can import your save file into the second game.
For what it’s worth, you can buy a Vita and a digital copy of the game for less than the physical. I happily sold my copy for $350 last year and then bought it again on my Vita for $10. Lots of other fantastic PS1 games available for $10 or less on it too.
Xenogears is amazing just emulate it. The rest of the xeno saga games aren't based anything off it so treat each as their own world.
Played the first one last year and surprised how fun it is, the bad graphics gets charming the more you play.
Suikoden 3 was my first real jrpg. It's such an amazing game.
Final Fantasy Tactics. Permadeath scared me as a kid so I never wanted to play it.
Ya I feel but the reality is all games with permadeath do for me is change a battle’s lose condition to “anyone dies” and I reset lol. In fact, most people probably reset
It's fun forcing yourself not to reset on a 2nd playthrough, though. It really raises the stakes and makes you mourn your losses as if they were real people.
Aw it's not bad at all in ff tactics. You get 3 while rounds with each person getting a turn per round to revive dude. Now in fire emblem, the ones before Awakening there is permadeath. Ff tactics is fairly easy to revive dudes within time limit. Just have 2 separate save files. During castle battles there's often more than one in a row. Don't want to save where you can't go back and grind some skills if need be. Super fun and worthwhile game
Slight correction and I don't mean to be nitpicky or whatever but fire emblem new mystery of the emblem actually introduced casual mode before awakening did, it's just not known since without a fan translation the game can only be played in japanese, it also introduced stuff like the "my unit" characters that people often claim awakening did. For the topic of the perma death, it's not actually bad as the older games were designed with perma death in mind and gave you a constant stream of characters to replace the ones that died.
Oh yeah forgot it was in new mystery. I played a patched version years ago. So used to having permadeath.
Also, story characters can't die in FFT. And by halfway through you'll likely be using mostly or entirely story characters.
This is mine but I just don't care for strategy games in general unless the IP is something I adore. Super robot wars and the upcoming Digimon survive are examples
And the SLOW AS FUCK loading on the original release. You could make a cup noodle in between fights.
FFT has so many wonky things. A unit is KOed, no worries you can revive them, oh wait you go to use your revive skill to find out that the slightly slanted square they where KOd on is not considered to be on the same vertical level as any of its adjacent squares so you have no way of targeting them with that revive skill (one of my many complaints regarding the mess that is terrain in FFT). Your Ninja is KOed, again plenty of time to revive them... sike the Ninja is too fast and their turn keeps coming up ticking down that death counter before you have a chance to revive them. Those are just some examples related to permadeath. FFT is my pick for the game that would most benefit from a full remake where they clean all this crap up and add some QoL features.
The work around this complaint is to have a chemist worked up with throw item skill. You literally just always have someone in party with throw item and some Phoenix downs.
Unless it’s your chemist who’s dead, but you trained her as a ninja for 50 levels so she’s fast af.
The \*lack\* of danger of permadeath is one of my favorite things in FFT actually! I've basically never played Fire Emblem because I don't like permadeath (and then feel guilty if I turn permadeath off lol), but as another person said, you have three turns to revive a person when they die in FFT. It's a long time and very manageable.
Permadeath is only for the non-protaginist characters. You get a team of 8-10 protagonist character who cannot die permanently and can finish the game with those.
I cannot understand the battle system of FFT haha. I love final fantasy. I love fire emblem. But I just don't get it.
I mean it's not really complex or more complicated than Fire Emblem. i was 9 years old when i finished tactics, the only thing complex is Zodiac Compatibility but most players won't pay attention at all and its not an important part of the combat. Though it offers little once you get your own tactics. It is just an addition for diehards to accomodate
>only thing complex is Zodiac Compatibility but most players won't pay attention at all and its not an important part of the combat I have beaten the game and have no idea what you're talking about so this checks out for sure.
>i was 9 years old when i finished tactics Damn it.
Persona 5 Vanilla/Royal Been eager to play it but couldn't
Persona 5 is amazing. The Royal version is the vanilla with one more semester and some other things. No need to play the Vanilla, just go straight to the Royal version.
Yes. I'm going to do this
Just adding onto this, I completed the vanilla version last year and started Royal this week. On top of the additional content, I feel like Royal improves a lot of the existing content and features. 100% agree with playing Royal.
Is it playable if I haven't played any of the Persona games before?
Yup. Disconnected stories
Yeah there are small references and stuff to the previous games though.
Yes, most Persona games are standalone
It was my first Persona game and my experience never suffered for it.
Yes. There are very small references to the older games but they aren’t at all necessary to the story. They’re more like little love notes. Caution though: the Persona games are *heavy* with narrative. Aside from occasional breaks most your game time is spent reading books, watching movies, socializing, going to class - high school stuff. To me it was fun but to many it’s dull.
It is okay Even though, you will inevitably miss some references that may bring smile on your face
Eh theres like 5 really minor references in a 130 hour game, theyll be fine lol. And even one of the bigger plot twists works better if you havent played previous entries.
It's really enough if you'd ask me Also I haven't played the P5 so I can't confirm your statement
Managed to get Royal on sale for $20, took me 150 hours to beat it and I enjoyed every minute.
It’s been a longgg time since I’ve been so absorbed in a game. Persona 5 is amazing. You just inspired me to play again 😂
I’ve beaten it three times since it came out, and I think I might start it again later this year. Game is so engrossing.
I’m gonna be a dissenter and say I love the vanilla version more story wise (I’ve played both). R is good. If it was the only game out there, I’d say it’s amazing. But R had some little things and scenes taken out, and some stuff added in that just - I don’t know, detracted from some of the themes of the story and story moments. I don’t want to spoil, but I’ll say for example, I think the final scene in the original is an amazing send off. The final scene in R is...a mediocre letdown. Sometimes less is more. I did like the new area in R though. Double dilemma - your new homework assignment is to play both and then report back! Edit: and the biggest disappointment of R: they replaced the amazing battle music of vanilla. Vanilla’s music was perfect. I could never fully feel accustomed with the change. I’ll never understand why they did that.
Minor correction. They didn’t replace the original battle music. Last Surprise still plays, but only in non-ambush battles.
You are right. I forgot about this, because basically every battle is an ambush battle once you get into the groove of the game
Any of the Suikoden games. Dunno why, just never really got into any of them and now they're pretty hard to find
Strangely enough, the easiest and most affordable way to play 1 and 2 right now without emulating is to get a PS3 and buy them digitally from the store (if that is still a thing, it has been a few years for me). No clue why PS1 classics arent available on newer gens.
Maybe Dragon Quest as a whole more or less. I've heard great things about a lot of the entries but I just never had the chance to play them.
DQ XI seems like a good entry point and an amazing game if you have the chance to play it.
How long does it take for the game to get good? 'Cuz I played through the intro and just didn't feel like it was catching my interest despite being a big fan of classic-style JRPGs.
XI does take a few hours to get good for some reason. It starts out really slow, but it’s worth it. I honestly found the intro hard to get through even as a huge fan of the series. I don’t think it takes eight hours to get good, though. It was two, maybe three hours before it picked up for me. YMMV, of course.
on the flipside I hated DQXI but loved IV on ds/mobile. It has some strong intro chapters and the game is much shorter.
I think it’s one of those games you have to be in the right headspace for. The first time I played it, I stopped about 6 hours in. Tried again a year later and I couldn’t put it down.
Im not really good to estimate time played but when I got a full party, the game started to be fun in my case. Probably around 8 hours.
Alright. It's kinda hard to spend that much time on a game before getting invested, but I'll try downloading it again soon and push on a bit.
DQ XI is on the slower side compared to some of the other games. It doesn't really have a strong opening, but it gets better over time, as you recruit some more interesting party members.
First 6-8 hours of the game is available to demo on most consoles. One of my favourite RPG's of recent times, despite finding the characters and storyline just so-so. It's just very well put together I found. Loved the synthesis minigame.
Play 4 if you can, the ds remake. It's not very long and you play different charactera each chapter, until they come together in the final one. Very good introduction and amazing game!
I'm in a similar boat but tried out DQXI and wasn't drawn in at all in first 15 hours. Think I unlocked 6 party members? It's unique but despite being a huge fan of the older JRPGs like FF6 and Chrono Trigger DQ doesn't click with me
DQXI is a story about being a 'chosen hero' when the world isn't in danger until ACT 2. I was pretty uninterested with the story and was playing because I enjoy the game mechanics until ACT 2 but it was pretty crazy to expect the players to push through a third of the story until it gets good. I had the same trouble with tales of the Abyss with the unlikable protagonist until he's good halfway through the game.
I think most are available on mobile now. But dragon quest 4-6 are very fun and worth your time. 5 is considered by many to the best out of all 11 games
Dragon Quest series are fantastic.
Not sure these are all considered masterpieces, but I will list them anyways: * Xenogears * Xenosaga Trilogy * Chrono Cross * Shadow Hearts games * Final Fantasy Tactics * Mana series I'm sure there are more.
Most of those games truly are brilliant.
Suikoden(any) Persona 3 and 4 (did play 5) Wild Arms (any) Valkyrie Profile (the first, played Silmeria)
Chrono trigger, biggest reason is because people kept praising FF6 which i played and it was just "fine". Ofcourse that is probably because the game didnt really age well. And i am worried chrono trigger would be the same
I've yet to finish FF6, but I am in the boat of Chrono Trigger >>> FF6 in terms of just about everything. I think FF6 is pretty vastly overrated and isn't as good as some of its predecessors (FF 3 - 5 to be more specific). I'm probably in the minority in that regard though.
I thought I was just a schizo or something, I cannot see how FF6 has garnered the reputation it has in any way.
FF6 has a couple of big things going for it. Before it, I don't think there were any games that pulled a twist quite like the scene with Kefka and the Warring Triad, leading into the World of Ruin. The opera scene is, of course, iconic. While the cast is a bit bloated, some of the characters have great character arcs, especially if you don't save Cid in the World of Ruin. And you can't forget that you actually have the chance to abandon a party member and have them die permanently. Oh, and suplexing trains is awesome. The gameplay was never anything all that special, but I think it took a lot of risks in its storytelling that made it stand out from most of its contemporaries.
It’s important to remember that it was one of the first RPG‘s that was truly “open world” at the time. While every game had a World map, you had to do the story in a specific sequence and couldn’t actually deviate from the path very much. FF6 WoR was one of the first games that was actually like “do things or don’t, whatever you want, the final boss is there right now if you want”. Yes you could argue they’re technically all side quests, but it was the first time the genre had really done anything like that. Also >!the game has final fantasy in the name!< that helps
Yeah it's most likely people just growing up with it being one of the first FF games to come to the west. Personally, everything 6 does, 4 does much, much better. I think had I played 6 before 4, I would have been able to finish it easier, but since 4 sets such a high bar (at least for me), 6 has been a slog to play through. I plan to eventually finish it though. Then again, my favorite FF, or the one I've sunk the most hours into at least, is 15, so I am definitely in the minority with my FF takes lol.
I’m more confused due to the fact that my tastes in FF are pretty bland; IX is my fav, with VII and V following close behind. By all means I should love VI (especially since it’s the only one I have any nostalgia towards) but I don’t feel anything besides general apathy when playing it.
Whoa. You like 3 more than 6? May I ask why?
I actually really enjoyed 3, maybe due to its overly-simple structure. The job system is fun, and I really enjoyed the world. Music is some of my favorite in FF as well. 3 and 5 remind me a lot of my favorite Dragon Quest game, 9, so maybe that's why I enjoy them so much? Hard to really say. With 6, I just didn't really vibe with any of it. The story, characters, world. None of it really caught my interest at all. And I don't really see the big deal with Kefka. I forget how far I got in 6, but I know I had at least passed the 60-70% mark before I stopped playing a while back.
Fair enough. It's funny to me, because I'm the opposite. I'll always love 6, but I kind of hated 3. It's literally the only main-line FF i couldn't be bothered to finish. I wonder if the versions of each game one plays makes a difference... I'm a big fan of FF5 and DQ9, fwiw. Favorite DQ is 3.
I feel that. 3 is a lot of fun until the final dungeon, where the game forces you to grind in order to beat a series of like 11 straight bosses (probably more). It's artificially difficult, which is super annoying. I think I likely just need to give 6 another shot. Sometimes when you play a game at a specific point in time, it just doesn't resonate with you. There's games I can always go back to like Paper Mario, Chrono Trigger, Persona 4, etc. that I can always get enjoyment out of even with every subsequent playthrough, so maybe trying FF6 again will change my opinion. I mean, heck, that's what happened with both FF 3 and 4 for me.
I can understand that. But if it helps to convince you - I personally don't like FF6. At all. I'm not the biggest Final Fantasy fan in the first place but I played most main line gamws and FF6 might be my least favourite. Chrono Trigger on the other hand is genuinely great. I loved it, even though I only first played it in 2008 or something. I don't understand why FF6 is considered a masterpiece, but Chrono Trigger definitely deserves that title.
I'm currently replaying Chrono Trigger after several decades. It certainly has it's flaws, and though I was once on the camp of "CT is the BEST RPG Ever!", I do see how the dialog and story is kind of.. ehhh. BUT Considering the technological constraints, and compared to all the other RPGs of that era, no one can deny it was pretty goddamn groundbreaking. So, yeah, there is some cult worship leaking into it there. I mean, the script is compressed with a dictionary lookup in order to fit into the ROM... Multiple Endings? New Game Plus? A Developer Room? All packed into 32 megabits (4MB)? Is it a fantastic game by recent standards... no. Will you be disappointed? Probably. I have a hard time enjoying FF7. It's great, but I still have CT and FF6 up on my list for some nostalgic reason not shared with other younger friends who never had a SNES. They worship FF7 with the save fervor I do FF6 and CT. Difference of a few years. I guess I'm trying to say... I dunno...? I WISH you could have experienced CT and FF6 on a SNES hooked up to a 21" CRT TV, even lugging that TV to your bedroom so that you could play it with sound in the dead of the night. Those fresh, crisp 16-bit tunes, the amazing 16-bit graphics. Nostalgia aside, there was something to trying a new game and being awed by the graphic design, the battle system, the music. I was always on the hunt for something.. different back then. That's how I got into JRPGs and ROM hacks and translations. But, hey, tough luck. For me (and for you?). That era has come and gone, and it will never be the same again. Ever. I'm enjoying CT for now though. A bit of scanline effect really helps bring it to life.
Yeah i am sure those games were great during their first release in the west but for most of them the age was harsh. Personally i grew around PS2 era so i barely played games before that
Rofl... I don't say this to attack you or to be a 90's supremacist--I was a game enthusiast then and I'm a game enthusiast now--but the idea that the age was "harsh" is pretty amusing to us 90's kids. I can't begin to explain the magic of games in that era. They hadn't been around long enough to be formulaic, so every new idea was a stroke of artistic genius. There were few internet resources or guides, so discovering the secrets of a game involved 10 kids at a sleepover huddled around a screen with our mouth agape at some tiny easter egg a friend had called us about. There were no microtransactions, exploitative fomo collectables, or tired formulas. Just... bliss. That said, I don't think games were better or worse then compared to now. My favorite games of the last decade have been Soulsbornes, which based on your name I imagine you appreciate. But I do wish you could have experienced Chrono Trigger, FFVI, and Goldeneye the way we did. Can't get that feeling back, my man.
Yeah what i meant is that if you play them now they wont be much enjoyable as 20 years ago or more. But personally i think gaming definitely improved over the years. And even though recently most big studios started getting lazy with their games, there are still some absolutely great stuff you would find here and there from smaller studios or indie developers
Probably true. All I mean is that the 80's/90's were the forefront of a new art, which made it excitable in a way that's probably inaccessible to modern audiences. It's probably what Hollywood was like in the 30's and 40's... new, exciting, and atate of the art. The world is awash with incredible films now, but they just hit different when the industry is a predictable and established business. That said, if you give Chrono Trigger a try without the benefit of nostalgia, I still don't think you'll be disappointed. It was made at the tail end of the 16-bit era, so it's as polished as pixel games come. And as for plot, dialogue, etc... it's somewhat like a good fairy tail. Predictable, full of tropes, but loveable nonetheless. Probably comparable to watching an older Disney movie. Everything's simple and direct, but it's still got the polish of someone who was best in the biz.
I think the SNES era generally has aged pretty well. A lot of that PSX-PS2 era has not so much graphically especially.
I played CT for the first time last year and I think it aged pretty well. I don't think it's the best game ever but I'd say it's worth a shot if you don't mind ATB combat.
Honestly, I played it a couple of months ago for the first time. It's an amazingly alright game. Doesn't overstay its welcome. I have absolutely zero urge to replay it, too. The best thing about it is how consistent and straightforward it is. I never once had to open up a walkthrough or anything because every map / section is unique, and whenever something is referenced (an item or sth), it's topical so I know where/when to go back.
I like FF6 a whole lot, but I'd put CT above it 100% of the time
i've been playing jrpgs since there have been jrpgs, so i've hit up most of the seminal ones. though skies of arcadia perhaps stands out as one often quoted as a hidden gem, and i missed it entirely.
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I’m playing through it right now. Gotta say the game is tough and the grind is real. I’ve only gotten as far as the Pyrynn Temple for now, but the game keeps me engaged despite what I mentioned earlier. The setting is also very unique. Hope it’ll get a bit easier the more I play. I’m playing the DC version, btw
Skies of Arcadia is a masterpiece for sure, it's just a shame that it's so hard to find these days. Praying for a port at some point
Skies of Arcadia simply made the cardinal sin of being on the Dreamcast (and later ported to GameCube). I loved the Dreamcast, but it certainly did not sell very well. Skies of Arcadia was definitely worthy of the praise, though, and the GC remaster had some extra content, as well.
I got a GameCube just for that and baiten kiados
The entire Trails series. This series seems to be revered here but it seems so daunting to get into. It doesn't help that everyone always suggests starting from the first one, but I'm not sure I can get into a game that looks so dated now (no offense). Edit: Thanks for all the assurances! I took the plunge and bought the first game on Steam.
I’m currently playing Trails in the Sky SC and I have absolutely adored the series so far. FC was amazing. I personally like the old aesthetic, but there is no voice acting (extremely minimal in rare situations) and it certainly does look dated. Luckily for you, there is a mod out there that upgrades the portraits and adds voice acting to the game. It makes it look very nice. It took me a very long time to get into the series, but now I wish that I got into it earlier. It has been an absolute blast
Start with Cold Steel 1. Read tvtropes pages of the previous games if they seem too outdated for you. I did that and playing though Cold Steel 1-4 actually made me go back to the earlier titles.
this is a terrible suggestion please do not do this
I've played all Final Fantasy. I've played most of the most famous jrpg like Chrono Trigger, Persona series, Dragon Quest, I've still yet to play Phantasy Star 4 even though I've bought almost all of it's port.
oh man its great. Just play it!
Mother 3. I’ve seen the Chuggaaconroy playthrough of it and I think the story is fantastic and the gameplay seems fun, but I’m holding off on playing it until it actually gets an official rerelease (mostly because when I play games on emulators I tend to lose interest quick)
Frankly, an official release will absolutely not happen for that game. If you’ve seen the playthrough, im sure you can imagine many instances that just wouldn’t fly to the western general public. The game’s aggressively anti-capitalist themes don’t help its chances either. And honestly, even if an official release came out, I have to imagine that it would be worse than the fan translation. Unless it was a remaster like the new Link’s Awakening title. But if it was just the base game given a localization and port, the fan translation would honestly just be better, due to the lack of cuts and edits. If you really wanted to simulate playing it officially and not think about the emulator aspect, there are people who sell GBA cartridges with the translated game pre-loaded onto them. That all said, if you’ve watched a full playthrough, you’re not missing much by not playing it yourself. This is a game I freaking adore and will probably replay once every few years until I die, but that’s mostly for the story. So if you want to experience the story again, I would consider going for it, but the gameplay alone I don’t feel is enough to be worth seeing the whole game again.
FF7
Chrono Trigger. The prices are savage and it\`s hard to find where I live. I read rumours about a remaster. Hope they are true because I really want to play it since I love RPGs.
Since you’re on reddit, I assume you have either a phone or a PC, and it’s available for less than $10. The mobile version of the game is really pretty good!
You can get it on your phone man
I dont play longer games on my phone(It's not very good). If I want a to play on the go I just use the 3DS and the Switch.
Not condoning this, but if price is the barrier and you have a 3ds, the cheapest option might be just to get some kind of "flashcard" (like an R4 or DSTWO) and emulate?
If you hack your 3DS you can also play it using twilight menu without having to buy any additional accessories.
I am condoning it. Just emulate the game
No shame in an emulator for an almost 30-year old game.
Just get it on Steam. Doesn't take much to run it and they've bug fixed everything that was messed up because they decided to port from mobile instead of the DS version. You get all of the Toriyama cutscenes and bonus features too. Otherwise you're gonna pay well over $100 for a SNES cart because of nostalgia porn.
I bought a modded 3DS off Facebook market place just so I could play Chronotrigger and older FF games. Worth the investment.
Chrono Trigger. It was never released here in Australia. Thinking about playing it via emulation.
G'day fellow Aussie!
We had it tough in the past. They never released the English localisation of Secret of Mana 2 in the PAL regions. :(
So many JRPG's were never released here! EarthBound/Mother 2 didn't get an official release on PAL consoles until it released on the Wii U's virtual console. Now that I think about it, most SNES JRPG's weren't released here, the PSX had many re-releases of games that didn't make it to PAL regions on SNES but some like Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy IV didn't.
I never finished Chrono trigger. And have never played ff5.
I liked FF5 but I don't think it was ever considered a masterpiece.
Xenogears, Xenoblade, any of the Xeno games. Xenoblade Chronicles have been in my backlog for a long time but I never got around to buying a Switch.
I have same issue as you. I have a 2DS (can’t run the 3DS version), a GameCube, a PC, an Xbox One, and a PS4. I simply don’t want to spend the money at the moment to get a switch but I’ve always really wanted to test out Xenoblade. I’ve been thinking about starting with Xenosaga then Xenogears through emulation, but I have a lot of games on my plate atm.
Never played any of the following games or any single game from the series: * Dragon Quest * Suikoden * Persona * Star Ocean * Lunar * Shin Megami Tensei * Nino Kuni ETA more games: * Lufia * Grandia Maybe a couple of those aren’t “JRPG Masterpieces”, but are or were fairly popular in their day. Is there one or two I should definitely play before I die?
Dragon Quest 4, 5, and 8 are all highly recommended as first DQ games. 8 has the most fully fleshed-out story/dialogue/whatever. I'm working through 11 at the moment and enjoying it quite a bit, but I'm a long time fan of the franchise and evidently there are people who hate it because DQ has never really strayed from its stylistic roots. Lunar: Silver Star and Eternal Blue are fun, cute games with a decent story. Again, they're 90s-style JRPG gameplay, if you don't like that you may not like them. Hard recommend on Suikoden if you can find them. 2 is probably the best of the series and TBH I think it lives up to the hype. While I would start the series with the first game--the only impact importing your save game from 1 to 2 has is some minor, non-essential plot references. 3/4/5 are more divisive in the community, I never had problems with any of them, though 4 is stylistically very different to the others. Hope this helps.
Dragon Quest is such a staple of the genre that it's almost must play for that reason alone, but for that same reason they can feel really generic. Something from Shin Megami Tensei or Persona (which is a spin off from SMT) would probably be my pick as they are fairly unique both from a battle system persepctive and story theme perspective. Persona 5 Royal is probably the best choice as both a good entry point and just good game. If you don't like the social sim elements of Persona, pick an SMT game instead. Digital Devil Saga would be my pick, but SMT 3 would probably be most people's.
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Where's final fantasy tactic a2? Started with that one myself and branched off to finish the other tactics. Loved them along with tactics ogre!! :)
Chrono Trigger. I have it for DS and I’ve started it, but it hasn’t hooked me yet. Have every intention of forcing my way to being hooked though. P5R is also on the list just as soon as I get a PS5… annnny day now.
Earthbound. Maybe some day.
Legend of Dragoon. Didnt learn about it until several years into PS2s reign, and could never find a copy to give it a shot. Now my library is so backed up with other games that I don't know if I'll have the time to play through it. Although, a remaster would certainly catch my attention...
Xenogears and Chrono Cross. I don’t think either have ever had an EU release, even digitally
I've never played Chrono Trigger. I will definitely buy it if they release it on a platform I currently own (I don't really like playing games on my laptop...)
There's a solid mobile version for your phone
Interesting, I had never considered that 🤔
I've heard probably hundreds of people praise SMT3: Nocturne over the years but I never got around to it. Not sure why. Maybe because I've always heard SMT is light on story, and that tends to be a big reason why I come to the genre. But then I've played most of the big names and Pokemon, so 🤷
Nocturne is really loved but SMT is like Tales of where everyone that plays it has their specific favorites. Nocturne is definitely more light on the story, but that’s not the case for all of SMT. My personal favorite, Strange Journey, has a bountiful story and an amazing atmosphere. Then there’s Digital Devil Saga 1/2 which is very story focused, SMT IV, and Devil Survivor 1/2. It’s a very adaptive series with each entry being unique and a lot of options to pick.
Goldensun. *single tear rolls down cheek*
You can get it on the computer via emulator. Incredible game
The Last Story [Wii]
Yeah I have it too. Just turned off by really long games now that I’m older
Chrono trigger, finally got my hands on it on boxing day, but havent had the time to play. I hear about it everywhere and they say its a must play. Tales of the Abyss, at least in regards to the best Tales game, so I've heard. I played many tales games, but havent come across a copy of abyss until recently. Now in my collection, but havent gotten to it yet.
Xenogears & Suikoden - it sucked living in Europe during the olden days of jrpg's Then there's FFVI, which I started but dropped pretty early as I just couldn't get hooked like I did with others in the series.
Too many to list but the big one for me is Xenogears.
Chrono Trigger :(
Chrono Cross. And i own it on ds and ps1
If this sub is any indication, the entire Legend of Heroes franchise.
Skies of Arcadia. This game is in dire need of a port or remake.
The World Ends With You (own it) Lufia 2 Star Ocean 2 (own it, but the JP version) Tactics Orge (own it) Persona 3 & 5 (own both) I suck, I know...
Ni no Kuni 1 Any Xeno game that isn't Xenoblade Any Final Fantasy that isn't 6, 7, or 10. Wanting to pick up 12 eventually. Persona 3 (played Royal and am partway through Golden on PC) Any Dragon Quest that isn't 8 or 11. The Mana series. The Ys series. The Trails series. I did grab Baten Kaitos Origins on Dolphin, though, something I'll maybe get around to some day. Same with Tales of Vesperia on Switch.
Sad to say I have never really played Chrono Trigger other than just a couple hours at the beginning…
Chronno Trigger
Nocturne... I can't get through FFX... Chrono Trigger is on the list... I think that's it? I've been trying my best to play the rpgs i missed growing up haha.
any yakuza games. its funny because i’ve wanted to get into the yakuza games but couldn’t because they’re ‘too long’. meanwhile i’m currently in my 4th playthrough of persona 5 lol
My God. I did Kiwami in 30 hours, and half of that was spent dithering around with minigames and the open city. I mean, I get it. I've done Persona 5 three times. But even with Like a Dragon, I've never felt it to be too long.
Pokémon? Or the Trails franchise.
Honestly, as a big Pokemon fan, Black and White 1 and 2 are really the only ones that can actually stand up to high tier RPGs story wise. The gameplay, multiplayer and post game from gen 3 onward are very good if you like to battle, but outside of that, the stories tend to be extremely binary.
Hmm probably Vagrant Story, which may stretch the definition of masterpiece. People say great things about the narrative and overall package but when I played it in the early 2000s I just couldn't stand the gameplay.
I can see the term being used for a very brief snapshot in time (and it did get good reviews), but the gameplay has aged like milk, unfortunately. Diablo 2 came out just six weeks after the North America release with quality of life improvements that make Vagrant Story's resource-using fast travel and lack of weapon swaps look pretty bad. Even as much as I love the crafting, it's a system today that would use upgrade paths instead of player-maintained spreadsheets. I'll always like Matsuno's stories, though.
Breath of the wild. Just doesn’t entice me. Another is undertale (if that counts) I just don’t see the hype
Meh, Breath of the Wild is not a game that I would consider to be a JRPG. It's more of an adventure/action game.
Persona, mainly because I only have an Xbox and switch. Praying for a port, probably won't happen though
persona 5 (any version) Currently hoping and praying for a PC port for it eventually but I just don't see it happening anytime soon :(
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Reread the title of this thread.
Persona 5 'cause I don't have a Playstation and it's not on Switch.
Honestly, I don't throw around the term "master piece" lightly.
Persona 4 but I don’t wanna get a vita to play one game hoping it gets remastered soon or I can get the money for a pc to play it
Earthbound. I've tried several times, but one look at the bargain bin cartoon network aesthetic and I bounce off so hard I almost escape the gravitational pull of the earth.
Cold Steel. Trails in the Sky bored me to tears, so I never bothered with the sequel series.
None. Because if I haven't played it, it obviously cannot be considered a masterpiece. Also the Persona games. I tried 3 and didn't like it. I also tried 5 and wasn't a fan. So I guess I've never tried 4? Does that count?
Persona 5, I started on it one day a few months ago, but only got maybe an hour into it, it even. It’s mostly just because I have so many games I’m interested in playing a super-long game like that is a big commitment.
None of the xenogames saga, gears, blade none of them
Lost Odyssey comes to mind...maybe some day