What are some good JRPGs?
I've come to realize that it's probably the genre of game I've played the least of, like only the pokemon games and a bit of Dragon Warrior 1-3, and I've been wanting to try out some more.
I remember them being a lot of grinding and repetitiveness, which I guess means I must have been playing them wrong, because Dragon Warrior 3 for me was just grinding in the woods to buy the best gear in a town then walking to the next one. So I need to give them a second chance I think.
Specifically I've been wondering about some games I've heard of but never played, Phantasy Star, Final Fantasy and Skies of Arcadia, the last of which my knowledge of is limited to the level in Sonic Racing based off of it, but it looks cool.
Play the ones everyone always talks about for starters.
FF7
Xenogears
Chrono Trigger
>>341703278
>FF7
What about the first six games? Shouldn't I play them before playing the seventh game?
>>341703435
>not sure if bait
But no, they are not related to each other. Some are sequels but are clearly titled as such
>>341703752
Huh, that's kinda weird, but it works I guess.
How are the new remakes of the Dragon Warrior (Quest? What's the difference? My gameboy games are all Warrior) for the DS? Are they worth playing or should I just emulate the older versions?
>>341703079
Valkyrie Profile
Etrian Odyssey
Shin Megami Tensei
Growlanser
Riviera: The Promised Land
Rogue Galaxy
Secret of Mana
>>341704531
>Shin Megami Tensei
That's the game with this chick right?
Or am I thinking of something different, kinda want to play that game just because she make my dick hard.
>>341704837
No, that's Danganronpa, which is not a RPG. SMT has lots of literal semen demons if that's your thing.
Skies of Arcadia is incredible.
The DC version is rough because the random encounter rate is borderline sadistic, but the gamecube version's music is all fucky.
Pick your poison I guess. In either case the game overcomes those issues with grace, and leaves you with a feeling of adventure I've not seen topped.
>>341705006
>which is not a RPG
Fuck.
Persona is an SMT spinoff right?
What's the one game that got a PC port recently? Disgaea? That one is an RPG right? I know basically nothing about Japanese games other than Metal Gear.
>>341705367
Persona is an Megaten spinoff, correct.
The first Disgaea has a port, that's an SRPG.
>>341704103
They are good.
>>341705720
>SRPG
Like Fallout 1 and 2 or something?
>>341705797
Are they worth playing as the remakes or should I emulate the old ones though?
>>341705873
Simulation RPG. It's vaguely similar to games like Heroes of Might and Magic and Xcom but simpler.
>>341705873
Eh, in my opinion the DS remakes are really good and overall improve the game.
>>341706494
I heard some of them have some bad visual downgrades and some censorship bullshit though.
>>341706702
That's the 3DS version of VIII.
>>341705873
So what is this a summer thing where people think fallout is a strategy rpg?
Fallout is closer to bauldurs gate or Icewind dale, which are generally called CRPGS
An SRPG would be disgaea, FFT, or Orge Battle.
>>341706980
Everyone knows Fallout, and a lot of people who aren't interested/don't know about Japanese video games still probably know Baldur's Gate.
Those other games you listed, not so much.
so I just started Persona 3 and I have some questions
How often should I be traveling to Tartarus? Should I just go every day that I'm not tired or should I spend most of my days trying to improve my academics/charm/courage and further my social links?
also when I've tried fusing some of my personas it says I don't yet have the social link required for the resultant persona but asks if I want to make it anyway will I just not be able to use that persona until I get whatever social link or should I just fuse them anyway?
>>341707412
Try to go as far as you can every month. There will be barriers to stop your progress but these will disappear after you beat the next full moon boss. If you're playing on normal difficulty you'll level up enough just with that.
>>341703079
Many people like JRPGs for very different reasons. Some people enjoy grinding and repetitiveness, some people like pressing A to win, some people play games for the story/characters, etc. I personally abhor grinding and like the puzzle-like battles that JRPG gameplay offers so my favourites include games like Radiant Historia and Growlanser IV. I would also highly recommend those games to anyone looking for a JRPG.
If you're really so new to japanese games, just try a few games of different styles and branch out based on what you like or dislike. It sounds like you don't enjoy the Dragon Quest style of JRPGs so try something with more substantial story or more tactical gameplay.
>Phantasy Star, Final Fantasy and Skies of Arcadia
Those are fine places to start. In particular I'd say Phantasy Star IV and FFX would be good choices due to decent gameplay and story. As mentioned elsewhere in this thread the SMT series is also notable.
Another sensible approach would be to specify what you like about western RPGs and look for JRPGs with similar elements.
>>341705873
SRPG stands for "simulation RPG" but is interchangeable with TRPG, meaning tactical RPG. It's a subgenre of JRPGs where you control you characters movement across a given map and typically involves more tactical depth than the average JRPG. It could be compared to western games like Battle for Wesnoth and Jagged Alliance 2, however SRPGs are typically more simple and more focused on characters than strategy.
Don't play Disgaea, that series has awful balance and level design. Instead, a good place to start is Fire Emblem (Fire Emblem 7 on the GBA is a good place to start even if it's far from the best). Other good SRPGs include Front Mission, Langrisser, SMT Devil Survivor, and Tactics Ogre.
There's also the ARPG subgenre of JRPGs which encompasses any sort of action adventure game with a stat system that's made in Japan. E.g. Dark Souls and Ys.
I hope you find something you like.
>>341703079
As seemingly one of the few people who enjoy WRPGS and JRPGS equally, I highly recommend Skies of Arcadia. I literally have not seen a game do what that game has done better, being the sense of adventure and the desire to continue playing further.
Did you like the Dragon Quest (early translations said "warrior", same games though) titles though? If so, Dragon Quest 5 has arguably the best story of them all, but if you were turned off by the gameplay then it's not a series for you.
As another anon mentioned, Fire Emblem (first GBA one released in US, known as "Fire Emblem") is a great start, as you pretty much cannot grind except at really specific points, and even then it's risky and not at all expected. Most maps require thought-out strategy and utilizing your units effectively. That said, it's not terribly difficult for a newcomer, and is a good place to start.
Kek OP you're such a cutie holy shit.
Here are my recommendations for you:
Final Fantasy VII
Xenoblade Chronicles
Dragon Quest VIII
Persona 4
Tales of Vesperia
Mother 3
>>341703079
Baten Kaitos on the Gamecube if you haven't already. Both are excellent. Play Origins second.
>>341707371
>in a thread about JRPGs
>calls fallout an SRPG
>doesn't know what Final Fantasy Tactics is
I think you might be in the wrong place friend.
>>341709010
Oh I forgot to mention the SaGa series, you might like that if you dislike how most JRPGs are very linear (though I don't).
>>341705236
>tfw Skies will never get a sequel
>>341705236
I second this post. Upgrading your ship and being able to sail to new areas was always as exhilarating as it was terrifying.
>>341707371
FFT is final fantasy tactics. you should really play it if you haven't.
>>341710664
its for the best.
Play this. NOW.
Maybe don't play it right away, but you should try The World Ends With You sometime. It plays weird, everything about it screams "Hot Topic-meets-anime", but it still works well enough and there are few games like it.
>>341710798
You're probably right.
Though as much as I don't like the Remastering trend that companies are going through right now, this would be the one game I would buy the fuck out if it were remastered.
Phantasy Star IV has fantastic pacing, music, and art. It's not grindy or overly long, and it has a cool combo system (that isn't really explained in-game) as well as a preset and programmable list of party combat battle turns. Cut scenes are delivered like comic panels, which make an effective form of storytelling for a 16-bit system. It's pretty simple, but what it does it does very well.
It's really strange reading inquiries from a person who is genuinely clueless about JRPGs on /v/, or just the internet in a broader context.
After seeing the extremely typical fanboi shitflinging in the mid-2000s like FF6 vs FF7, SMT vs FF, JRPG vs WRPG...you'd think that anyone who even has a smidgen of interest in gaming would at least have some sort of idea what's in store for him when getting into a JRPG.
And to answer the OP, when you get done playing the well-known titles, get Lost Odyssey for the 360.
>>341711182
yeah, me too. fixing both the battle encounter and the music would be a god sent.
OP,
Disregard all posts that haven't mentioned these RPG's
>Final Fantasy TACTICS
>Final Fantasy 6 / 7 / 9 (Disregard the rest until you've played the rest on this list. These ARE the foundation)
>Final Fantasy
>Xenogears
>Earthbound
>Mother 3
>Chrono Trigger
>Persona 4
>Suikoden 1 & 2
>Dragon Quest 8
Post >yfw Moonstone Cannon
>>341711932
>>341711918
Honorable Mention
>FINAL FANTASY TACTICS ADVANCE
>>341711182
>>341711596
Do we even know who owns it now? Tell me now if it's never going to happen because I could get hype if there was a possibility.Aika is cute
>>341706343
>SRPG
>Simulation
What?
The S in SRPG is Strategy.
>>341711932
i knew from that moment, nothing could stop me.
>>341711932
>>341712185
http://www.p4rgaming.com/sega-ceo-we-cant-make-a-skies-of-arcadia-sequel-because-wed-probably-let-you-down/
At least they're honest?
>>341712185
sega i guess. vyse and gang were in valkyria chronicles and that sega racing game.
>>341705236
>borderline sadistic
I once had three encounters in a single fucking frame of movement. To make matters worse, it was in an area that had enemies that would frequently cast Eterni. Thank fuck for Delta Shield.
>>341712240
That's a common misconception but it's actually simulation, as in battle simulation.
>>341712338
>taking p4r seriously
>>341712338
You know that's a joke site right?
>>341712338
Every devs been saying this about sequels nowadays (Kamiya about Okami and Nomura about TWEWY).
Are companies just admitting they're complete shit now?
>>341712739
>>341712798
>>341712819
Just fuck my shit up, then
FF I, III-VII-IX
Tales of Phantasia (PSX version of Tales of Phantasia X for the PSP, must know Japanese though)
Tales of Destiy: Director's Cut if you can into Nip
Tales of Eternia, Symphonia, Rebirth (Jap only), Abyss, Vesperia, Graces for combat only.
Dragon Quest in general
Shin Megami Tensei in general
Chrono Trigger
Chrono Cross maybe
Maybe Persona 1 and 2 Innocent Sin and Eternal Punishment. They're not mindblowing, but I had fun. I wouldn't recommend 3 and 4 though. You'll get better RPG mechanics and dungeon crawling in other games, and if you want a social/high school sim/waifus, actual VNs are better. But hey, you might like them anyway, though I don't know why anyone does.
Super Mario RPG
Paper Mario and Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door
Mario and Luigi series
I'm sure I'm forgetting some other obvious choices, but that's good enough for now. I still need to play Skies of Arcadia myself.
>>341712338
I wasn't asking for a sequel, I was asking for a remaster. Gamecube encounter rates with DC soundtrack.
>>341712656
>It's 6 loopers
>they all run away
>you have to wait for the animations while they all just leave and you get nothing
>attaked again 2 seconds later
>it's a bunch of loopers
>>341703079
I would recommend Skies of Arcadia to anyone in a heartbeat, but I'm biased since it's my favorite game of all time. The story is admittedly cliche, standard "collect the crystals to save the world from the big bad empire", but it takes those conventions and does it really well.
As multiple people have mentioned, the feel of exploration is unmatched, there's a good magic system with using each moonstone to level up different kinds of magic. Although I mentioned the story being cliche, the characters are so good, that it makes the story refreshing. Ship combat is also really fun.
Of course, there's still flaws in both versions of the game. DC has the outrageous encounter rate, and GCN's music is kinda second-rate. My main complaint with both versions is how the low cost of some skills breaks the game and makes battling somewhat trivial. Delta Shield costing 2 SP and being able to obtain it so early in the game makes a lot of battles a walk through the park. Though sometimes, it's borderline necessary, such as in the Piastol fights in the GCN version.
Beyond that, I'd recommend it wholeheartedly. Also, as >>341710810 said, play The World Ends With You. I'd consider it my favorite game on the DS.
>>341713598
>All that
>Once everything's done, Vyse just goes "Wow, that was easy :^)"
pic related
>>341703079
OP you're on the right track. Play Skies of Arcadia.
>>341714318
>>341713598
I could never get over the dynamic boss theme. When you were winning it was triumphant, when it was close it was thrilling, and when you were losing it was terrifying. I've never seen a game do that as well. That or my nostalgia goggles for this game are 3" thick.
I just emulated the GCN version a year or so ago and still loved it.
>>341711918
Listen to this man, he speaks the truth
Also throw in Wild ARMs for good measure.
>>341711918
real talk what makes final fantasy and even suikoden more significant to you than dq that you have listed 3 (not counting tactics) and 2 games respectively vs 1
>>341703079
Some which I like:
Dragon Quest VIII
Xenoblade Chronicles
Pretty much every SMT game. Raidou or Persona 3-4 are good for starting the series.
Trails in the Sky/Trails of Cold Steel. Very heavy on the text side, but these are among my favorite games.
Shadow Hearts. Very good games, though I think 3 has a bit weaker story.
Final Fantasy atleast up to XII. I haven't played the new ones, but I might at some point. V and IX are my favorites.
Tales of Abyss, Xillia and Symphonia.
Dark Chronicle
Bravely Default/Second
Fire Emblem
Resonance of Fate
Ni No Kuni
so I see a good few people in this thread listing DQVIII and then a load of games from other series such as final fantasy and smt. Do you guys think that VIII is the only good dq or have u not played any of the others?
>>341711918
Come on m8, that's a great list, but why Persona 4? Should have said Persona 2 or no Persona at all.
>>341715307
VIII is the only I've played to the end. I did give IX a shot, but didn't like it as much.
>>341715326
Any Persona that isn't Persona 1 is great. But Persona 2 isn't beginner-friendly because it's gameplay is even more repetitive and boring than P3 and P4.
>>341715447
You're certainly right that VIII is a better game than IX although the game is similar enought that i'd be surprised if someone liked viii but then didn't like ix unless they were completely done with dragon quest mechanics. How about the others?
>>341715307
I've played 4,5,9 and a few spin offs if I don't like any of them should I just give up on the series?
>>341715506
>Dissing Persona 1
It's the best one though.
>>341715948
Honestly yes. If you were to try one more it should probably be DQVIII or a dragon quest monsters game (although I assume those are the spinoffs you mention). I don't really know how you couldn't like any dragon quest games :( but I guess we have to accept we are all different.
>>341716074
My biggest issue was how I felt the game forcefully made me feel like grinding was my only option (for 5 anyway which I always try to play and get bored of quickly.) it's one of the biggest disappointments that i have because i love jrpg's and it is pretty much the mother of jrpg's
>>341716201
The DQ games certainly do have an element of grind to them. I don't think it's too bad though, the only times I had to grind in DQV was with bianca vs the ghosts and then a lot later with some metal slimes (probably less than 2 hours grinding across the whole game, but you could certainly argue even 2 hours is much). One thing dragon quest does is that it sometimes assumes you have the best equipment going into a boss fight which can make it tough if you missed that chest with the great weapon in it earlier in the dungeon or you haven't upgrade your equipment in a while. I'm a little bit surprised you have such a problem with grinding when you love jrpgs because in almost all of them there comes a point where you have to do a bit of grinding.
>All these JRPGs mentioned
>some of them even really obscure
>somehow no mention of Star Ocean in the entire thread
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time is the best game of all-time!
I recommend it.
>>341714623
>I could never get over the dynamic boss theme. When you were winning it was triumphant, when it was close it was thrilling, and when you were losing it was terrifying. I've never seen a game do that as well. That or my nostalgia goggles for this game are 3" thick.
Nah anon, it still holds up. I remember getting my shit pushed in constantly by that stupid blob monster in the sewer because I refused to use items. That feeling when I finally started beating the shit out of it after losing a few times and the music switched over was indescribable.
And then I died to the executioner because I wasn't expecting a back to back boss fight.
>>341716552
Haven't seen one obscure jrpg mentioned desu (obscure to your average gamer on the street sure but actually obscure to anyone with interest in the genre, no).
Good job bringing up star ocean though a great series, 2nd best sci fi behind phantasy star
>>341716552
It's a series I keep thinking about trying, but keep getting turned off when most people say 1 and 2 are the only good ones. Still should play them at least, I guess.
>>341703079
All the other ones these guys mention, but if you can get your hands on this game, prepare to have a blast
>dem graphics
>dat style
>dat music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1ADLhUD7yk
>dem characters
>dat story
>dat kickass metroidvania exploration gameplay
>dat fucking amazing and original combat system
>dat addictive as fuck sphere and rune system to come up with epic stacking buffs like 25% chance to heal, healing increased by 200%, x4
>dat fucking amazing einherjar system where you level/gear up einherjar as party members then release them to be reborn and are given items to permanently buff characters
>dat incredible replayability
>dat endgame dungeon that will take you like 40 hours
>dat amazing feeling when you find ways to powerlevel
>dem OP as fuck weapons you get when you go out of your way to get leona and arngrim to level 40 before they are taken from your party early on
The game is just fantastic, it truly was overlooked because it came out so late on the PS2, but honestly I think its one of if not THE best looking PS2 game out there, and is arguably one of the best RPGs on the system
>>341716703
I haven't played 2 yet but valkyrie profile 1 is really great for sure, underrated series that everyone should check out. It's a little bit annoying that you basicly have to use a guide to get the best ending on your first playthrough but still really cool game.
>>341709658
I haven't played SoA but as far as sense of adventure goes I vote Grandia.
>>341716703
All that shit and the only thing I remember is Alicia's thighs.
>>341703079
>the world ends with you
>knights in the nightmare
>mother 3
>skies of arcadia
>suikoden 2
>valkyria profile
>etrian odyssey
>shin megami tensei
>infinite space
>persona 3&4
>tales of the abyss
>bravely default
>fire emblem path of radiance + radiant dawn
>jeanne d'arc
>tactics ogre let us cling together
>ni no kuni
>earthbound
that should keep you busy
>>341716703
I'm at the volcano right now.
Chapter 1 and 2 are like an hour long. But Chapter 3 is like a quadrillion hours of filler. It's fucking weird.
>>341703079
Skies is fucking amazing, but make sure you play the GC version instead. Fixes all the issues in the DC version.
>>341716796
I actually never played 1 at all, I know their stories interlock a bit, but really VP2 was one of my 10/10's all by itself, its such a fucking shame its been completely ignored, it's one of Tri-Ace's absolute best games and shows they can make really great games, it was heartbreaking seeing it be so overlooked, I think it being completely overlooked contributed a lot to how shitty SO4 was and why they put in such an overwhelming level of otaku pandering into their future games
>>341711932
>>341716464
my friends usually make fun of me for that exact thing, it's one of my favourite things about the SMT games is that your approach can often make up for levels and gear.
>>341716898
They were indeed delicious thighs, but honestly Alicia and Silmeria were great characters, it was a very unique and interesting dynamic between them, its nice seeing female protagonists before the SJW cancer started to infect female protagonist writing, and Alicia actually comes off pretty genuine and likable
>>341716959
It is a pretty strange game sometimes, I think the chapters were written for where the main plot was currently at, but they decided during that where they wanted to open up the gameplay and give you more things to do instead of just following a linear path in one direction
I always recommend Lunar to newbies. It's just a clean well executed straightforward adventure.
Play the Playstation version.
>>341716702
Those people are literally retarded; disregard everything they say.
For some reason, Star Ocean 2 fans especially suffer from the biggest special snowflake syndrome ever.
I don't get the rationale behind it at all. Maybe it's nostalgia and some sort of "I was first" kinda thing.
2 is a great game but 3 is simply a clear evolution of the series. You can argue about which game has the best story all fucking day but the gameplay is simply better in 3 because movement and combat are in full 3D with no restrictions. I don't understand how anyone could ever try to argue it's not better.
4 is the only game in the series that everyone agrees is actually bad. The combat is mostly fine but massively dumbed-down compared to 3. The story and characters are shameful.
>>341718042
Well I'll play them eventually I'm sure. Maybe next year, because I'm nearing the end of my 2 year JRPGathon. How's Star Ocean 5? I haven't heard much about that one.
And while I'm here, how's the Lufia and Grandia series?
>>341718195
I've only played Grandia 1 and 2. 1 is one of the GOATs. 2 is OK. Afaik, it's also the last game the team that worked Lunar and Grandia ever did after losing a lawsuit with a publisher or something.
>>341716552
>>341716703
>tfw discovered the Star Ocean Valkyrie Profile connection
>>341716464
>I'm a little bit surprised you have such a problem with grinding when you love jrpgs because in almost all of them there comes a point where you have to do a bit of grinding.
That's not true at all. Many JRPGs can be beat without any grinding whatsoever.
>>341717757
Lunar is one of my all time favorites. The story is a literal 10/10.
>>341718534
I've been playing games for 22 years and JRPGs probably at least 20 and I somehow either haven't heard or Lunar, or I've heard of it, but I know only the name. I'll have to look into it.
>>341718195
SO5 is supposed to be like SO3, so it's probably really great. I've even pre-ordered the Collector's Edition.
Grandia 1 and 2 are really great. The first one is a jolly adventure and the second one is dark and depressing.
They have next to no extra content besides what you get in the story.
>>341703435
Each FF installment is a standalone story. Some elements reappear without a direct relation to each game's story.
>>341718195
Lufia 1 is trash, don't bother. Lufia 2 is really excellent though. It's one of the only RPGs I've seen that does puzzles well plus the way they handle obsolete equipment is great. Haven't played the rest.
>>341703079
Skies is great. There aren't many jrpg's like that. It has a real sense of adventure and wonder, whereas a lot of JRPG's take themselves so seriously that they end up being pathetic. Similar games to it are Luna 1 and 2 and the original Grandia.
Chrono Trigger actually lives up to the hype. It is wonderfully paced, has decent writing, good combat and fantastic music.
Earthbound and Mother 3 i would recommend, they're quirky and fun with good characters and interesting premises.
Final Fantasy reached its peak around 6 and 7. Don't bother with any of the ones after it. People will try to tell you 9 goes "back to its roots" but that's just what squaresoft was saying as a marketing ploy because they fucked up so hard with ff8.
Panzer Dragoon Saga is great. There's no filler, it's like 15 hours long, you don't have to grind at all and it has a very unique battle system and fucking brilliant music.
Paper Mario on gamecube is brilliant, it has a fantastic battle system and it was ripped off completely for that south park game recently - but Paper Mario is much more entertaining. The writing is completely self deprecating so if you get turned off by the regular mario stuff try it out because it's very tongue in cheek and creative.
Xenogears while good during disc 1 COMPLETELY shits the bed during disc 2. They ran out of money and disc 2 is literally just storyboards and text... with a few boss battles. They tried to wrap the game up quickly and it's an utter clusterfuck of nonsense writing and pseudo intellectual psychological/religious dribble.
The Dragon Quest series is hit and miss. They're 90% grinding but some of them are still good. Avoid the ones on the DS though because they destroyed the localisation by adding in fake scottish accents that were never in the originals.
I would avoid the following games because they're just generic anime garbage - Suikoden series, Golden Sun series, Persona series (anything by Atlus desu)
>>341711932
>>341705797
Incorrect. The 30 year old NES versions have better translations.
http://legendsoflocalization.com/lets-talk-aboot-those-dragon-quest-iv-accents/
>>341719896
But what about all the new stuff they added? I think it's worth it.
>>341704837
Avoid both. SMT mainline never evolves, which is why a spin-off became the successor.
Danganronpa appeals to a niche audience and has little to offer anyone else.
>>341719478
>Anything by Atlus
>Etrian Odyssey
>SMT Nocturne
>Radiant Historia
>Bad, let alone "generic anime"
>>341720440
Well, most people see Persona 3 and 4, assume everything by Atlus is exactly like that, and write it all of. Bit dumb, really.
>>341711932
>>341719478
Nah m8, FF8, 9, 10, 12 are all still great. 11 too.
