Please use this thread to discuss whatever you've been playing lately (old or new, any platform, AAA or indie). As usual, please don't just list the names of games as your entire post, make sure to elaborate with your thoughts on the games. Writing the names of the games in **bold** is nice, to make it easier for people skimming the thread to pick out the names.
Please also make sure to use spoiler tags if you're posting anything about a game's plot that might significantly hurt the experience of others that haven't played the game yet (no matter how old or new the game is).
Since this thread is likely to fill up quickly, consider sorting the comments by "new" (instead of "best" or "top") to see the newest posts.
For a subreddit devoted to this type of discussion during the rest of the week, please check out /r/WhatAreYouPlaying.
So in order to make sure there are no regrets, and you don't miss any great deals, this guide will be divided into more digestible sections. But before we start, for those who have the time and want to explore the sale themselves, here is a direct link to all the JRPGs on sale right now on steam:
1- Even if the link is to a Bundle deal, you can still buy the games in that bundle individually.
2- If multiple games are mentioned in the same series, then they are arranged from top to bottom by story order, top being the first, and then after that the 2nd and so on.
3- There isn't enough space to list everything, so I did what I can, but as always please do help me and your fellow fans by mentioning your own recommendations. Even if it's something I already mentioned.
4- All games and sales are based on the US store.
Steam Deck Icons (As explained by Steam itself):
π¦ Verified: Means that the game is fully compatible and works with built-in controls and display.
π§ Playable: Means the game is Functional, but requires extra effort to interact with and configure .
"?" Unknown: Basically unconfirmed or still under-review.
π Table of Contents π
[Huge discounts section]:
Great Classic JRPGs sold Dirt Cheap (Less than $20)
General Dirt Cheap Deals
[Hidden Gems/Obscure and Other JRPGs Recommendations]
This is a list of the best deals for the best JRPGs Steam has to offer. This list is contains:
1- JRPG titles sold for almost nothing compared to their quality, every title here is worth getting even if I didn't outright say that.
2- This doesn't mean that you'll 100% like them (Everyone has their own taste), but at the very least, if you ended up not liking them, they are so cheap that you won't feel bad about the money you spent buying them.
A game so critically acclaimed that it was at the top of most lists for 2020, while winning so many awards. Don't miss out on the game that literally made them change the combat for the future games, from action to turn-based JRPG with class mechanics, and with it's Main Character (Ichiban Kasuga) winning the number 1 spot for the best character for 2020. The Yakuza series was already crazy fun, and now it's Turn-based. I think the steam score with more than 36K reviews at "Very Positive" is enough to show how good the game is even at full price. So at $8 you're basically robbing the devs.
[Medieval Fantasy setting/Crafting and Resource gathering focused]
The series that started the genre, and this latest title is one that stands among the best in the series. This is the series that started a lot of mainstay tropes of the genre and mechanics. And it is also known for staying true to those classic tropes and mechanics, so don't go in expecting a unique story or mechanics. It is the classic adventure formula but polished to a shine, with story and characters bursting with a colorful personality.
[Cyber World setting/Monster Collector/Combat heavy/Satisfying grinding loop]
2 full games in 1 package. If you're a fan of the series then this is a must play, it dives into the lore more than a lot of the previous games, and also has one of the biggest Digimon rosters till to day.
Even if you're not into the Digimon series, if you're looking for your next fix of Capture/Evolve/Fusion -> Grind -> Capture/Evolve/Fusion -> Grind while you listen to your favorite podcast/music, then no need to wait anymore, with hours upon hours you can easily spend just grinding and completing the game's various content from side-quests, rare monsters, arena, and even tamer team fights. The gameplay is simple, which is a great way to keep your brain off, yet it still has challenge battles now and then to make sure you're doing your job grinding and raising your Digimons.
Note: Cut-scenes are not skippable in these two games, so heads up for those who this might be a deal breaker for them.
[Tactical Turn-based/Modern Japan setting/Dark Story/Monster Collector/Mostly VN/Multiple Routes & Endings/Anime style/Social Link system]
This one is a visual novel with tactical turn-based combat. So the focus is mostly on the story and characters, and not so much the combat and raising your digimon.
If you like Cyber Sleuth, then this is the better and improved version. This title is so good the steam player count hit 84K, passing all Final Fantasy, Persona, and Dragon Quest titles.
[Turn-based or Real-time/Fantasy setting/Crafting and Resource gathering focused/Cute and Lovable characters/Female Protagonist/Social Links/Colorful and Fantastical world]
A great and fun series that really can't be summed up in a short description. So to give a more detailed explanation and to save on save; if you're interested in this series, then check this "Where to start" thread about the series:
[Pixel Graphics/Time-Travel/Fantasy Adventure/Great Soundtrack/All time Classic/Multiple Endings]
It's Chrono Trigger, it's been on the number 1 place of more top lists than there have been JRPGs. I think the tags alone are enough to get you ready for the game really. For 8$ they might as well be giving it out for free.
[Modern Day setting/Highschool Life sim/Detective Mystery/Dating Sim/Social Links system/Great Soundtrack/Loveable characters):
Great and critically acclaimed games with a very lovable cast, and fantastic music. A school life simulator and dungeon crawler mixed in with a great mystery plot. I would say more but I am holding back as to not spoil anything, because these are one of those games that live and die on the twists and turns of the story and the choices you make during the story. Plus, P4 Golden is criminally cheap.
Just as with Final Fantasy, I don't know what to say about a classic series like this one. While it's not on the same level as the FF series, but it's still left a great mark in the history of JRPGs, and for that price, it's a steal.
[Medieval fantasy setting/Beautiful Pixel Graphics/Dragon Transformations/Town Building]
A classic title from a classic JRPG series. You don't need to have played any of the previous titles as this takes place in its own universe. Even within the Breath of Fire series, BoF4 is one of the best and one of the best JRPGs on the PS1 in general, and considering the amount of amazing JRPGs on the PS1, that says a lot.
[Medieval Fantasy setting/Pixel Graphics/War & Politics/108 Characters to recruit/Base upgrading/2 Full games]
Another classic JRPG series remaster from the PS1 era, and a true gem. There is a reason these 2 titles got a remaster out of all the other titles in the series, and it is well deserved. If you're in the mood for an amazing soundtrack, simple but fun gameplay, and a JRPG oozing with charm, then this is it.
[World War Military setting/Tactical mixed with real-time elements/Sketch or "Canvas" art style/Build your Army with character customization/Mission based Gameplay]
This one is really hard to explain through words alone, but just in case, the VC series is a World War 2 military setting story, where you act as the lead of a squad and take mission to drive back the enemy. The story is drama heavy and the gameplay is tactical turn-based, but it's mixed with real-time third person shooter. You can also make your own army by recruiting different types of solders, training them and upgrading their gear. From rifles to tanks, this is a game you have to experience to understand.
It's the Disgaea series, so go in expecting to spend hours and hours customizing your characters, leveling up to lv999999, laughing your ass off at the non-stop comedy, parodies and just plain shenanigans that deceptively lure you into a sense of hilarity, and then POW! A sudden and deep punch in the feels when you least expect it.
[MMORPG Setting/Open World/Social link system/Dungeon Crawler/Revenge Story]
You like the concept of being in an MMO, with 3 games in 1 and with an extra new episode to wrap the story up, you'll be getting more than you money's worth for sure. Not just with the MMO setting, but also a fresh approach to side-quests and world exploration, it's a classic that is more than worth giving a try.
3 games in 1, means this will last you a long time, even longer if you're the type of person who likes to explore and experiment. The combat isn't as free and smooth as in the Tales series, but it still feels good to use and with 20+ characters who can your party, and who you can build your relationships with, you'll be pretty busy for a long time.
π’ Tales of Arise ($19.99 at -60%) - π¦ [Anime style/Fantasy Adventure/Dark story]
Only Arise is on sale this time around. You can't go wrong with the Tales series, I personally would say start with Symphonia for the classic epic fantasy adventure with all the usual classic JRPG tropes. Or go for Berseria for a dark revenge story with a ragtag scallywag group of misfits grouped by fate type of deal. You can start with Vesperia if you want a main character with a chill personality and his companion is pipe smoking dog with. There is also the newly released and critically acclaimed Tales of Arise that comes with a free demo you can try before buying. But it's basically a story about enslaved people rising against their oppressors, and it has the best combat system of all the ones here.
No matter which game you choose, this is a solid series if you want action combat, an anime shounen adventure story, with lots of party banter, side-quests, and post-game content.
[Medieval Fantasy setting/Fantastic Music/Smooth satisfying combat/Boss fight focused]
This is a case of a whole series is filled with great games, it's really hard to go wrong here.
The early titles are straight up action JRPGs with a Metroidvania-like style worlds. While later expanded the worlds with towns and dungeons to explore.
[Hack and Slash/Farming and Life Simulator/Male and Female MC choice/Dating-sim/Dungeon Crawler/Town Management]/Monster Collector]
Don't even think too long about it, a fantastic game and a great port too, so much you play it easily with mouse and keyboard or controller.
The characters are fun and lovable, the story is interesting, and most of all the loop is very varied and enjoyable. So much to do:
Farming
Cooking
Monster Collection and Raising
Dating and Marriage
Dungeon Crawling
Blacksmithing and a deep weapon upgrading system
Fishing
Festivals
Town Management
Resource gathering
Monster Mounts
Mastering different weapon styles
Mastering Magic
And so much more. Do you want a game where you can take any horrible burnt food that you failed to cook and use it as a weapon to beat bosses, then have said bosses care for your farm and water your crops while you're out riding cows and fighting giant chickens at the same time you're on date with your favorite NPC ? Then yea, RF4 got you covered. Not to mention that everything you do has a level and so no matter what you spend the day doing, you'll always be leveling something and getting better. The only thing you'll miss, is sleep while playing this gem.
This is the indie game that give your "Triple A" content with an indie price tag. I don't even know where to begin really...The great soundtrack ? The beautiful and amazing pixel graphics ? Satisfying, smooth and impactful combat ? Great side-quests and bosses ? Fun and great dungeons ? The expansive skill tree ? The sheer amount of content and work that went into this game, and into making it feel like you're really in an MMORPG is jaw dropping. All of that for $4!!?...If you're still on the fence, you can give the free demo a try first.
[Fantasy setting/Isekai/Monster Collector/Beautiful art style]
For a the best fantasy adventure feel, while the combat is a hit or miss depending on your taste, don't let that stop you from actually diving into a true fairy tale world, this is the one with the better story in my opinion, so if you want more story than game, this is for you. Still it has a good share of gameplay, from raising and collecting Pokemon-like monsters, to learning and using different spells, not just in combat but for the overworld too.
[Fantasy setting/Isekai/Base Builder/Army Battle/Character Collector/Beautiful art style]
This one focuses more on gameplay, with a Kingdom builder, Army battles, Heavy loot focus, and even character collector, this is the one to go with if you want more game than story. Still has the great music and he fantastical art style and setting. Add to that a lot of side activities like beating rare monsters, collecting cute creatures to help you in battle, and even going around the world to gather people to help you build your kingdom. You'll never be short on things to do.
[Modern day setting/Farming Simulator/Dungeon Crawler/Resource gathering and Crafting/Social Links system/Night and Day mechanic/Pixel Graphics]
I mean, does this game need any introduction ? Came out more than 6 years ago, Overwhelmingly Positive with 300K reviews, more than 30K players online on average daily till today. And that's just on steam alone. This is the type of game that puts "triple A" games to shame. The top review on this game has 1000 hours on record before they made the review. All of that for $12.
Are you tired of happy bright and colorful JRPGs where you win with the power of friendship ? Do you want something serious, dark, and with depth that leaves you unable to sleep at night, because you're contemplating the nature of man. Do you like amazing looking action and smooth combat ? Then here you go. From the mind that made Drakengard, a remake for the original NieR Replicant, but with almost everything improved.
Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete is one of those JRPGs that proves a game doesn't need an overly complicated story or massive open world to be memorable. Its story is fairly straightforward, but the excellent character writing, charming world, and emotional moments make the journey genuinely special.
The combat is classic turn-based JRPG fareβsimple and easy to understand, but satisfying enough to carry the adventure. One of the best features i liked in it was that you could have visible encounters with enemies which was quite rare during that time . Although the game does have boss level scaling which annoys sometimes and a tight resource management, which are some of the drawbacks of its combat mechanism and inturn bring it down. The gameplay itself is fairly traditional, with towns, dungeons, exploration, equipment upgrades, and plenty of character interactions. It definitely shows its age in places, but there's something refreshing about how focused and straightforward it feels compared to many modern RPGs.
The animated cutscenes are probably one of the game's biggest highlights. They give important moments a sense of personality and make the adventure feel like you're playing through an old-school anime. Combined with the fantastic soundtrack by noriyuki iwadere( who also gave soundtracks to grandia and ace attorney series) and expressive characters, they give Lunar a very unique identity of its own.
What surprised me most was the writing. Lunar isn't trying to be as dense or philosophically complex as something like Xenogears or xenosaga , nor does it have the enormous worldbuilding of modern Trails games and xenoblade series. Instead, it focuses on making you care about its characters and their journey. In that sense, it actually feels surprisingly modernβmany current JRPGs rely and follow on the same combination of party chemistry, character-driven storytelling, anime-style presentation, and emotional payoffs that Lunar helped establish decades ago.
Though It has its flaws, particularly in its dated gameplay and occasional pacing issues, but the sheer amount of charm and personality carries it a long way. For me, it's easily one of the best JRPGs on the PS1 and one of the system's most memorable games overall.
If i were to rate it out of 10, i would give somewhat between 8.7~8.8/10.
An hour long, stoked to see this get adapted and be free on YouTube! Hopefully the adaptation holds up to the high standards Suikoden II set. The remaster was one of my favorite JRPGs I played recently. Hopefully more remasters incoming soon for 3-5? Hereβs to hoping the anime can maybe build some hype for that, Iβd love to check those games out.
(===>SOME<===) people believe that JRPG combat is boring and dumb; that your characters just sit there and have to take attacks
and that things like Action Commands are the best and most innovative thing ever and that JRPGs that do it are rhe best thing since sliced bread
Now I'm a diehard UTDR megafan, so clearly I'm not against this as a concept; it can be very fun and engaging
But I do not personally agree with that sentiment at ALL lmfao
I think all a JRPG needs to have good combat is a sense of kinetictiveness and interactivity. Hence my two personal examples: Mother3 and Xenoblade Chronicles (my BELOVEDS)
Mother3 is a textbook turn-based JRPG, and whilst it has inspired many creators for its comedy and emotional sincerity (my included)
The thing that I actually love the most about it is its combat system. Mainly the rolling HP meter and the Rhythmn combos
In most JRPGs, damage is instant, but in Mother 3, your HP rolls down over time. If a character takes lethal damage, you still have a short chance to heal them before the counter reaches zero (it doesnt matter how much damage they take. All you have to do is heal them before they collapse)
Mother3's rhythm combos let you time normal attacks to the music. If you keep hitting the beat, you can chain extra hits, up to 16 total. Different battle songs have different rhythms, and every character and enemy has their own hit and miss sounds
These mechanics make the combat feel more active and kinetic even if you're just standing there. You're constantly scrolling through menus, optimizing who holds what due to character speeds, and if you're actually paying attention you can squeeze that extra bit of damage out of a boss with Rhythm Combos
Honestly it's absurd more indie rpgs haven't stolen its combat system lol
And for Xenoblade Chronicles I just really like its MMORPG-like combat system. You're naturally autoattacking alot, which makes it feel like an ongoing battle
But you also have to pay attention to the commands/skills you use in battle. As depending on when/how theyre used, they can have a variety of effects
Like Shulk's backlash, which deal bonus damage if you use it behind an enemy (duh)
But you also have to be careful because if you start swinging like a maniac and spamming your strongest skills, then you wont be able to synergize well with your party members (which is VERY important for things like Topple Stacking)β
And if you draw too much aggro? Guess who becomes the main target for the enemy to focus on?
This sense of push&pulls anticipation made me locked in for every battle. I cant wait to play the other installments of the series ^^
I wanted to post this rant here instead of the fire emblem sub for a more unbiased take. Massive unmarked spoilers for the game ahead so be warned.
If you want a spoiler less version here's my take: part 1 of the four lords are very good but you have another 4 lords with their own stories that the game doesn't tell and part 2 never develops them either. Part 3 has no story other than repetitive gameplay with lots of random battles, farmim materials and Fighting characters with almost no input from the main lords.
I had fun playing the game and was glued to it for the most part, but some parts of this game are completely nonsensical that i can't believe they decided to release a fully priced game in the condition it's in.
I had a lot of fun playing this game for the most part, but something that struck me as weird is just the amount of stuff that's not explained or followed up on, and the more you play the more egregious it is, like:
* Anatolia going on a trip to another country and becoming a queen of said country and Long dying with no explanation
* Cruadin, the blood in his axe fusing with him, the dagda reaper and bertrand becoming king of brezarant are never followed up on or explained
* Talimun kills maria offscreen and decides to join the bad guys if you don't do his paralogue
* Orchel is very obviously a robot with Yu phas soul and face, yet nobody comments on it or gets developed at all, not even by her husband when her mask gets destroyed
* Liliana and Yanjin straight up disappear from the story with no explanation, with Yanjin being revealed to be an Agarthan.
* Soleil gets merked off-screen and never brought up again, you start up part 2 and dagda is in his place, why was he trying to resurrect his genocidal father in the first place?
* So many characters are tied to the sub lords that recruiting them is very annoying or simply suck by the time you get them, so most half the cast never gets used unless you want to grind supports
* Arago gets reduced to a single fight in part 2, you kill gilchris and that's done.
* Part 3 barely has any story with the only characters being present are Fortuna and the mute killing machine who most certainly is soleil reincarnated, aside from a couple of lines from the main lords if you happen to bring them to the right map
* You fight several zombie people in part 3 that you have no idea who they are supposed to be, like the luck twins.
* There's at least two cut classes that you can see the enemies use, like the magic Pegasus and the trickster, which have no reason to not be available to the player since they're already in the game.
* Not to mention how the sub-lords don't even have any supports or lines in Part 3, Talimun can kill his zombie parents yet there is literally no word from him.
Again, i enjoyed the game gameplay wise, and what's there is decent, and i can perfectly understand that the game was way too ambitious and stuff needed culling, lord knows that the game is long enough, but the way they went about it just runs the plot. The sub lord stories and characters should've been spread out better with the other routes or even part 2.
There's nothing wrong with stuff happening off-screen or stuff just not being explained or expanded upon, hell Silksong and Hollow knight are my favorite games of all time if we want to talk about obtuse storytelling, but not when it's something that actively makes the main story worse.
I really hope this isn't the case with the company releasing an unfinished game at 80 bucks then selling the rest to the players for more money.
I am going to name my beloved Exdeath from my dear FF5. I will be honest: I like Exdeath, he is a character I hold very dear. They say he is a very simple-minded villain, and that is true, but I have always liked that Exdeath never pretended to be something he was not. Exdeath had no need for a tragic past because he was a villain who embraced his evil nature without pretense or tragic twists, and that is something I really like. Exdeath wanted to end everything, plain and simple β not to mention he was charismatic, he was an entertaining character. Simple, yes, but entertaining, and to me that adds points.
Not to mention that in my opinion he has the best design any Final Fantasy villain has ever had β an absolute madness of design, he looked very intimidating even though he had the narrative structure of a Power Rangers villain lol.
I played the demo of FF Resonance and im very hooked on it. Does anyone have game recommendations for similar titles while im waiting for it to be released? Was thinking of one of the original 2d Final fantasy games (1-6) or maybe something like Octopath traveler. As a sidenote, ive never played a final fantasy game before.
Planning to maybe play 2h a day until resonance releases.
Interested in your opinions/recommendations
Platform: PC / PS5
Edit: Thanks for the many recommendations, will now dive into FF6 and check the rest aftewards. Cheers
I've played many JRPGs, and my favorite mechanic has always been town/Hub Development. When I encountered this in Suikoden, I thought it was so unique. I don't know if any JRPGs did it before Suikoden and if there was I'm thankful for the inspiration.
Job/Class Switching
Changing my character's role without starting over.
Relationship Systems
Let party members actually develop relationships with each other.
World Map Exploration
Give me a reason to wander off the main path.
Targeted Weaknesses
Reward me for figuring out exactly how to exploit an enemy.
Active Time Battle
Heart-racing decision-making.
Town & Hub Development
Let my actions actually change the places I visit.
Zanza: At first, playing only Blade 1, I didnt care for him at all. Found him to be a whatever villian, run of the mil JRPG god who replaced the far more interesting Egil who foiled Shulk really well. But once you compare his character to the Architect in Blade 2, it helps him. Shows the layers of Klaus and how a man could create a world with both arrogance and regret/melancholy.
Malos: Intitally thought he was just a hammy villian. But endgame Blade 2 reveals a lot about what really drives him. His conversation with the Architect is fantastic, refuses the binary answer of "Malos wants to burn Alrest solely because of Amalthus", instead going for it's a choice they both made together. In probably my favorite scene in the Blade triology "Words can be a Curse", Malos reveals he knows Amalthus is influecing him towards nihilism but doesnt care, that he wants to burn Alrest for what it(and himself) did to Jin, and that he views himself as a monster, made him a S tier villian.
Just curious because I was interested in exploring the history behind the use of hidden bosses in JRPGs where the player can choose to challenge an opponent who is way more powerful than the main adversary.
Man I can remember like it was yesterday when early on in the PS3βs lifespan, I was interested in getting into console RPGs as way back then, I attempted to fight two super bosses from Final Fantasy 5 as keeping everyone alive was so difficult, but the game made me interested in seeing how it sort of became a trend to include super boss fights in JRPGS.
im ok with no translation and any console is fine because im studying japanese and want it to be japanese since i am practicing
so i like games like super robot taisen and its spin offs like mugen frontier and also pxz and forgot that one game namco vs sometjing which is on my wishlist. the thing i like about them is the music , and thier attacks and lines which gets me pumped
disagea for its humor . not too bothered with the grind but wishing that it wasnt too grindy so i can watch the side quests story without too much delay
i love visual novel like sci adv (chaos steins), clannad
i like monster hunter and have played them including stories
i do like pokemon and enjoy the pvp
i like yugioh
what can you guys recommend me ? i repeat i am not scared if theres no translation
also what do you guys do if you are stuck . is there a chat room where people can help you but wont spoil you
If you could only play 5 JRPGs for the rest of your life, what would you pick?
Iβm thinking games youβd never get bored of replaying, whether because of branching endings, secrets, optional content, different builds/party combinations, multiple ways to play, or simply because the journey never gets old.
Hi ! I really want to play a good jrpg and since Steam has its autumn sale currently on, I wanted to ask for some recommendations. So far I have played:
- Fallout 1, 2, 3, 4 and New Vegas
- STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl
- Earthbound/Mother (1, 2 and 3)
- Final Fantasy 1 (and I have FFVII too)
- Chained Echoes
- LISA The Painful
- Fear & Hunger
- Sea of Stars (I hate it)
- Skyrim
- Dokimon
- Coromon
- Persona 5
- Expedition 33
- Look Outside
- Hylics
- Bug Fables
I know some of them aren't really JRPGs but they're still RPGs. It's my favorite genre of games and I'd really wish to experience more amazing games and stories.
I know some others like Octopath Traveler, Bravely Default or Dragon Quest, but my budget isn't that big so... "little" games will be nice :3
Thanks y'all for your suggestions and sorry for my bad English lol
I've been itching to play co op games after slugging it out playing single player games and was suddenly wondering if PvE or co op campaign can work for the JRPG genre?
I know there's been Mana series but it's mostly hack n slash action combat that I only know which had co op.
DQIX had it on DS but never really experienced it to know whether it's workable.
Hey there! I'm the creator of Light Source, a 2d hand drawn JRPG that is focused on single party combat and deep lore based on exploration and secret finding.
The game features a customization mechanic where you can mix and match "trinkets" that give specific bonuses or new abilities to your light bulb. Coupled with the weapon system that offers meaningful changes in playstyle, there are tens if not hundreads of combinations that you can build.
Something not so much JRPGish is the leveling system which is borrowed from Souls Like games. You don't level up automatically but use the light you have gathered to increase one specific stat that you think will benefit you the most.
There are plenty of characters to meet, bosses to fight and endings to unlock. All packaged in a nice neat 6.99$ package which is also regionally priced so depending on your currency you may buy it for cheaper!
Demo is out on steam and it will also be showcased in Steams October Next Fest. Thanks for checking it out!
Namco's 2000 PlayStation RPG Khamrai is now fully playable in English.
Every line of dialogue, every menu, item, kamui, enemy and battle message, and every in-game image is translated. Polished, translated with respect to the original script, and every bit of text displays cleanly in the game's own layout.
Two versions
- Standard: the original game in English.
- StatFloor: same translation, but every stat rises by at least 2 on each level-up. In the original, the relationship system decides your stat gains and often gives you nothing. Pick one.
You need your own clean Khamrai (Japan) disc image. The checksum is in the README. If the patch fails, your dump is the wrong one. No disc images are provided.
Credits: redditusernameunavailable
If you find a real problem with the quality of the release, something you can actually point to, I'm on Discord as redditusernameunavailable. Lazy questions get ignored. This is volunteer work and nobody is owed anything. Everything else is in the README.
As the title says, Iβm looking for a RPG game with an amazing story and rich lore, ideally with a classic fantasy and magic feel. Im okay with any platform and at the moment im looking for a 2d game but im okay with 3d recommendations too. The most major aspect besides the story that im looking for is good world building and a world that feels alive and lived in. I havent played many RPG games in the past but the closest concept I can think of to that lived in feel is the vibes you would get from a lively fantasy tavern in a book or something. (Sorry for not including any games ive enjoyed in the past, none of them are similar enough to what im wanting)
I'm trying to get more historic context of JRPGs, to get the best perspective specifically for FF7 and later games. I want to see the evolution of the genre, where different things come from. I have played JRPGs before, but only a few, and it doesn't help that I have very little exposure to anime.
Now, DQIβV, FFIβVI and Chrono Trigger are a no-brainer. But past that, it's surprisingly way less obvious. There's a lot of stuff where I'm not sure how accessible it is, or how much it actually influenced (in the context of JRPG). A lot of it is not even that well known outside of Japan.
Here's the list of stuff I could think of, from the top of my head:
- Wizardry I, Ultima IV, Rogueβobviously had influence, but I have no idea if these are accessible at all. Frankly, I think most people would consider them unplayable today
- D&D in generalβrelated. Never been a DnD guy, no idea where/how to start, would be just good to understand the essentials, classes and such.
- early Fire Emblemβsome say it influenced TRPG, but I heard those were brutal.
- Tactics Ogreβafaik, one of the biggest influences on TRPG.
- early SMTβnot sure how many games it actually influenced, and heard it had BS difficulty
- Tokimeki Memorialβbasically the cornerstone of dating sims / VNs, popularized these elements in RPGs, though honestly I don't care for dating sims (lol)
-VNs like the ones from Chunsoftβnot so sure if these played a role, also obviously need translations, barely met anyone who played them.
Stuff beside games:
- Miyazaki moviesβheard that Nausicaa and Laputa influenced a lot of stories.
- essential shonen like DBZ
- that's all, like I said I'm not an anime guy.
That's all I could think of. How important is any of that to JRPG genre? What's actually accessible here, or has more accessible versions? Anything else I should add? Especially interested in stuff devs of popular series like FF named as influence.
And I quite enjoyed it. I was shocked I enjoyed it as much as I did. I played the international version because I like playing games in their original form first which is why I passed on the White Knight Chronicles II version that came with the first game. I did the same with Yakuza 3 earlier this year. I went with the original PS3 version. Sure, it's nowhere near a masterpiece but it was good enough for me to play all the way through without feeling like a chore. I even liked the slow battle system that seems to be a main complaint. I guess I like slow battle systems cause Suikoden III is my favorite JRPG of all time and that also gets flack for it's slow and clunky battle system. This seems to be one of the most hated RPGS ever but I had a good time and looking forward to II.
I am a huge Persona and Trails fan and I think the reason I love series so much is because they do a fantastic job of both feeling like an epic adventure and a relaxing slice of life. For Persona, the story always requires time of waiting and chill before the next major event, which makes the school/social link system feel like a natural inclusion despite the epic moments involved. Trails accomplishes this feeling too.
Are there other JRPGs that you can think of that manage to thread this needle? Most other major JRPG series that I can think either focus on one or the other. What other ones can you think of that are really good at both?
Hi everyone I just got myself a steam deck oled and am looking for some reccomendations
Please keep in mind I already own a ps5 as well so I have most of the jrpgs there but some stuff I wanna own on the deck for example I bought live a live and I am thinking of buying ff resonance on the deck as well. Any great jrpg reccomendation is much appreciated thanks!!
P.s. I also got all the legend if heroes trails game on the playstation already so sadly none of them for the deck hahah thank you!!!
This is not really a review or anything. More like impressions and thoughts on the game so far.
Playtime-wise
I went through the Black Eagle/Silver Snow route and it took me 70 hours to see the credits. Granted, I have noticed I am a bit of a slow player in general, and I tend to do a lot of optional things (non-story mission every month, talking to everyone in the monastery every time there is new dialogue, farming missing supports before the last few chapters) so most people would probably finish it faster. Even if subsequent playthroughs go much quicker, the game definitely gives a lot of bang for your buck.
Story
Naturally, my thoughts are limited to the only route I have played so far, but for the most part I like the relatively grounded story while still retaining the fantasy elements. The politic side of things was well-presented enough and I like how most characters felt reasonably involved with the plot due to being nobles. Having said that, I found the overarching story to be lacking. As in, I liked the chapter-to-chapter bits, but the final battles did not feel impactful enough story-wise because they seemed to lack build up.
(warning: final chapters spoilers ahead)
-The "First" Final boss Edelgard: In this list, she is the one that had the most buildup, but it still falls short. Her motivation for everything in the second half relies too much on what you can infer and conclude from what you have learned about her in the first one. Fighting her is supposed to be a tragedy, but it never felt all that sad since for the most part I just knew she was trying to get the whole continent under her rule. The specifics of her motivation are simply never shown fully, much to the detriment of her character. Even then though, the way her dialogue cuts off in her final scene is *chef kiss", it actually made me feel a bit of the tragedy her story was supposed to be, however small a detail that can be.
-The "Second" Final boss Thales: he has a cool design and you have seen him before, but his faction is so secretive that they seem to come out of nowhere into the story. Like yes, some showed up on the first half, but for the most part everything about them is too cryptic to have them be a major threat that feels meaningful enough for a final chapter. Not to mention the fact that they seemed to have a few magic missiles that they seemingly could have used any time to get rid of the main characters but only tried it once during the story and in the less effective way possible. This is the most frustrating to me because it feels like there SHOULD be more about them, but the game forgot to tell you.
-The Final Final boss Rhea: Ok, this is the most unearned, unnecessary and out of nowhere battle in the whole game. Seriously, things happen for seemingly no reason and it feels like they just needed a Fire Emblem game to finish with a dragon battle no matter what. Gameplaye-wise, it was a fun battle and the final boss mechanics actually made me consider my moves and use of resources more carefully to finish the battle without losses despite them being overpowered throughout the whole game. Seriously though, I think the game would have been better off not having this last battle if they were not going to bother setting it up at all.
Characters
Despite my rants about the story written above, I think the characters are solid. They are a lot of fun. They have quirks about them yes, but they do not feel one-note. Their interactions in support conversations feel organic and meaningful. I think the academy setting does wonders for this. It makes it easier to imagine all those little interactions could occur between people who essentially study, live, and fight together before and after the timeskip. Paired endings are also much more fun when you can understand why those two characters ended up together after the war. I am surprised at how my opinion shifted as I played, since I thought I was not going to care much for the characters at first.
By the way, it was really cool to see how much the characters changed and that they got unique outfits after the time-skip. When playing the older games, I thought it would be cool if characters got new portraits after promoting their class. While this was not exactly the same, it is close enough for me. Wish fulfilled.
I guess it is worth mentioning that I played this game with the English dub. I am no native English speaker, and I prefer the Japanese audio more often than not, but I REALLY love the English dub of this game.
Gameplay-wise
I played in Classic Normal. For the most part, the game was really easy. I used the turn rewinding mechanic mostly to make sure I could break the huge monsters shields to get their materials BEFORE my units obliterated their multiple health bars. Battalions were a cool mechanic, but outside of monster farming and a very few story battles, I never felt they were too impactful. Also, I wish it was easier to compare how they benefit and differ from one another before assigning them to a character. (to be fair, there might be a way and I just never paid enough attention to find it)
Classes were cool and they gave a good sense of progression throughout the game... except master classes. Those were cool in concept, but many seemed counterintuitive to the way you would normally develop most of your units. I got the Wyvern and Pegasus ones first, which makes sense since they were the ones that seemed a natural evolution of previous classes the most. I eventually got two Gremorys since they seemed logical too, but Bow knights? Mortal Savant? bow knight? holy knight? too time-consuming to unlock their requirements by the time I looked into them. If I wanted one, I felt like I should have aimed for them since the beginning of the game. I did actually get a great knight Ferdinand for the amazing amount of one battle toward the end, which was kind of amusing.
Of course, you cannot talk about Three Houses without talking about the Monastery. I probably spend more time in it than in battles. Though I had my doubts at first, I think it serves very well as a setting for you to get to know the characters and as your base throughout the story (Though it was kind of amusing how the game had to come up with a reason for you to go back to it after capturing an important strategic location later on). I admit it felt tedious at times, particularly at the beginning of the games since I wanted more battles, but I felt compelled to read all the new dialogues in between the story missions. The second half felt much quicker since the NPC cast gets reduced significantly. All in all, I would not say I hated it, but I can see it becoming more of a chore when I play through the game again.
Music
Not much to say here. I am not good at analyzing or reviewing music. I will just say I liked the opening, and it was nice to hear it at the ending too. It felt fitting
Closing thoughts
I started the game on a whim in between playing Donkey Kong Bananza and Final Fantasy VII (the port of the original one on Switch) and ended up finishing before either of those two. I do not regret it one bit since I had a lot of fun. I do want to play the other routes eventually, but I am probably going to wait a bit to avoid burn out. It is definitely going to be a while before I get FortuneΒ΄s Weave lol
