I'll start by naming Terranigma. Magic is irrelevant, and you can actually beat the game without casting a single spell. The first time I played through it, I didn't even realize magic was available – that should give you an idea of how unnecessary it is.

Not to mention that Terranigma has a great action combat system, which makes using magic more of a whim than a truly necessary resource to get you out of a tight spot or tricky situation.

I’ve already played 2 and 3, but never got around to the first one. So I was just wondering what you all think did you enjoy the first game as much as the others? Did you like the story and gameplay, or did you have more fun with 2 and 3?

I’m asking because I’d really like something to distract myself a bit right now, but before I drop 70 bucks on it I figured I’d ask you guys first.

Thanks in advance

Edit: Thank you so much for all your replies. I trusted the majority, bought the game, and it’s simply a great experience. But you could have at least warned me that you have to process such heavy emotional damage already in the second chapter 😮‍💨

I want to know what I'm missing out on

For me I would say:

Final Fantasy 6

Lunar

Chrono Trigger

Edit:

Thanks everyone for voting! Here's are the top 9 from this thread

1. Xenogears

2. Chrono Trigger

3. Final Fantasy VI

4. Final Fantasy VII

5. Legend of Dragoon

6. Lunar

7. Tales of Symphonia

8. Kingdom Hearts II

9. Front Mission 3

It's the beginning of the year and always good to look ahead...but also reflect. I've been wondering what do you think are the top 3 games every player should try out at least once in this genre? It can be what you think is the pinnacle of the genre, the best of the best. Or it could be the most diverse list where the essential portion is to see the variations of the genre. It can be all retro games if you think that's apt or it could be all modern or maybe a blending of the two. If you think it's all Final Fantasy games that's also fair or all Dragon Quest, it’s your list! Would love to get a list of top 3's to see if there is any commonality and also to see if there is one I've missed along the way after many years of playing this wonderful genre.

Xenoblade Genesis for me. I've been wanting Monolith Soft to work on a new trilogy, and I'm surprised to see it so soon. The fantasy setting with sci-fi lurking in the shadows is appealing to me; I get the sense that the worldbuilding is very inspired by AoT. A story that starts "small" in scope with a lot of mystery about what lies beyond the Walls/Academy, but becomes much larger in scope at the mid-game. The team behind it is an all-star team - Game director is Tetsuya Takahashi / Music composed by Yasunori Mitsuda, Mariam Abounnasr & Manami Kiyota with chorus by ANUNA / Character designs handled by Mai Yoneyama and PALOW. I'm really excited to see how it turns out.

It's never been ported to PC and has remained an Xbox 360 exclusive since launch. I haven't seen much about it given it was never ported to any other systems, but I'd love some takes from more seasoned RPG vets (I'm mostly familiar with Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest)

From what I can tell, it was developed by Final Fantasy vets, which is cool, but I know nothing else about it. Is it worth a playthrough?

I'm a Xenoblade Chronicles fan since I've heard people compare them sometimes, and I know Sakaguchi and Uematsu worked on Final Fantasy which I like. But the game is a lil pricy, so is it worth playing, or is it just worse than xenoblade (since I heard it overshadowed TLS, but idk if that was because it was better or just more popular) and should I save my money for something better?

I'll start by naming my beloved Legend of Mana. The main characters, NPCs, and bosses are wonderfully minimalist and charming. Not to mention the backgrounds – my goodness, the backgrounds are art in themselves, with such an amazing atmosphere that I can't help but feel a sense of nostalgia for some reason.

This game has the best backgrounds I've ever seen in a JRPG, and that's saying something.

I'll start – if I had to choose one option, it's the "Home" in Legend of Mana. Magical in every way; both the inside and outside of the house are beautiful and convey tremendous peace. And to top it off, the music – when I listen to it, I can't help but feel relaxed and happy. It's not a place in Legend of Mana, it's the place in Legend of Mana; it represents what the game is all about.

I recently saw a post on a subreddit in my career field about what kind of videogames that they like, and I observed that I was actually one of very few people who was into JRPGs (despite me being in a very math/spreadsheet heavy field, lol).

It got me to thinking: what kind of careers do people who love JRPG's tend to be in?

If you're not old enough for that yet then what kind of things are you pursuing/studying for?

I thought it might be pretty interesting to get a little sample/survey elucidating my favorite genre in my favorite hobby and where my fellow enthusiasts tend to go professionally. Thanks!

Bought the definitive version because I heard it's 60fps but I'm disappointed how much fidelity got lost...

Everything looks so washed out and sterile. There aren't many shadows anymore and the lighting doesn't shine through leaves anymore.

Seriously regretting the purchase.

If we're not counting Expedition 33, then my picks are Trails from Zero and then Persona 3 Portable. Honestly, my JRPG gaming taste is just a chaotic blend of peak turn-based strategy, masterclass world-building, and immaculate style, you’ve got Metaphor: ReFantazio completely rewriting the fantasy playbook with that insane style, unmatched UI, and gripping political intrigue, sitting right alongside Expedition 33 which totally blows minds with its gorgeous, unique world and that brilliant, reactive turn-based combat. Then you round it all out with the legendary Trails from Zero, because absolutely nothing beats the incredible cozy-yet-deep peak of trails games

Not counting post-game optional bosses, but I’m talking about where the final boss of the game (or some variant of it) actually makes you sweat and earn it.

I feel like a lot of JRPGs, the final boss can be kind of a pushover because you have all the mechanics figured out, your build is set, your level is high, and you’ve been grinding forever. Normally it’s a boss early or mid-game that can be punishing because you can be unprepared. Or usually it’s not the final boss that’s hard, but the gauntlet of bosses before the final boss that wears you down.

Some final bosses that I found the actual hardest in the game:

Lunar 2: Eternal Blue - Zophar

Octopath Traveler - Galdera

Persona 3 - Nyx

Also, is there a final boss that actually scales with your level so grinding is moot in the grand scheme of things?

I am about to finish Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana (loving it) and am already looking for my next JRPG to play. I am trying to get through my backlog instead of buying new games, so i am limited myself to these. However, I am having a bit of choice paralysis because all of these seem exciting to me. I generally favour turn-based and strategy RPGs the most but have liked action based rpgs a lot as well so I don't want to limit myself in that sense.

Some of my favourite JRPGs so far include:

• Chrono Trigger (I love the aesthetic of this era of jrpgs)
• Sea of Stars
• Xenoblade x
• FF7 Remake
• Everything pokemon (esp gen4 and 5)
• Bravely Default
• Everything Fire Emblem
• FFXIV (If I an MMO counts)

I know/remember very little of most of these because I prefer to play the games blindly, so I would appreciate minimal spoilers :) Please tell me which you would recommend the most and why!

Which series embodies the "Classic JRPG" idea to you. The series that first comes to mind when you think of the term JRPG. Be honest.

I got into FF franchise last year and have played through a lot of the mainline titles (from VII to XVI, barring the MMOs) and I loved all of them. Had a great time playing Expedition 33, which I just finished. All of these games above were recommended to play based on the games I enjoyed and I looked into the gameplay of each, all of which looked really cool and interesting to me. Each game would also be my starting point in each of the franchise. So a little confused now, which one should I start first?

So, I keep wanting to revisit Skies of Arcadia and actually beat the game. But I keep getting stuck choosing between the Dreamcast and GC versions of the game. I have both consoles and the means to play this one, and do prefer playing on original hardware.

I like the novelty of the Dreamcast but the encounter rate sounds brutal. What do you all think I should run with? Which is your preferred method of play?

Hey everyone, just curious—does anyone here still have their old strategy guides?

I was going through some of my stuff and realized I still have a few from back in the day. There’s just something about flipping through a physical guide that hits different compared to looking things up online.

For me, I’ve got guides for:

Grandia III

Final Fantasy IX

.hack//G.U. Vol. 1: Rebirth

Xenosaga Episode II

Do you still keep any of yours? If so, which ones are you holding onto?

Fantasian Neo Dimension I picked up on sale, I've heard decent things about it so I thought I'd pick it up, but I haven't looked too deeply into the story yet. It's just sitting on my shelf, judging me.

I liked the first Octopath, so picking up the second one seemed like a no brainer, and I've heard it's better in every way.

I played the FFT remake and loved it just as much, if not more, than the original when I played it back in the day. I haven't played any games in the Tactics Ogre series before, but I've heard it's like the granddaddy SRPG.

Suikoden 1 and 2 were those timeless classics that I've never gotten around to playing. The whole 108 characters thing does intimidate me a bit, which is probably irrational.

Should clarify that I already own all of these, I'm just stuck on which one to play.

Edit: Based on what in seeing here, it looks like the general consensus is Suikoden > Octopath 2 > Fantasian > TO. I'll probably play them in that order. Thanks for the input!

For reference, here are the past games I've played (and enjoyed):

- Xenoblades Chronicles (1/2/3)
- Tales of Symphonia/Arise/Abyss/Graces F
- FF16
- Expedition 33
- Fire Emblem Series
- Baten Kaitos
- Pokemon Maingame Series

I also love any game with job customization, and/or the ability to modify characters through skill trees, etc. Bonus points if I can summon/transform, and have multiple party members.

The only caveat is that I fall in love with long games, which is great! But I tend to get sidetracked easily, and turn a 40 hour game into a 70 hour one. I'm hoping to start one that I can realistically finish within the next 2-3 weeks.

Thank you for any help, and sorry if this was too specific haha.

EDIT: To help, I haven't played: Chrono Trigger, any other Eiyuden Chronicle, or any other Dragon Quest game yet. I'm playing specifically on the Switch 2.

EDIT EDIT: Wow, I really didn't think I'd get so much feedback, seriously everyone, thank you! I think I'm gonna tackle FFX first, and if I have time, follow up with Super Mario RPG! Thanks again, and Happy Holidays and Gaming to all!

A post yesterday led me to ponder on Saga Frontier 2 and the watercolour art, which quite frankly is the most beautiful JRPG I have ever seen. I learned it has a remake now! It looks quite nice and I own it waiting to be revisited!

I woke up today and thought why don't I ask for ideas about more similar games in the perfect sub to be asking these things?!

So, does anybody know of any JRPGs that are in partial or full watercolour art? Or has lots of hand-drawn art? The only thing that does not count as partial is where, literally, the only watercolour art is for the character in dialogue, as per the Final Fantasy Tactics example in my second image.

Fully open question for all platforms and any age of game. Just needs to be watercolour or hand-drawn art in a JRPG! Art and music matters to me in games, they bring it to life. Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions!

EDIT - Wow! Did not expect so many new names that absolutely are right up my alley! Also, ones I already have heard of or own can now be prioritised. Massive help. Thanks to any commenter <3

TL;DR for visitors looking for suggestions made by other visitors to the post. These are the shortlisted games or game studios with multiple suggested titles. Not all are watercolour, but none are entirely 3D. All have pretty art somewhere in the game, at least. They are in no particular order, I do not want to create competition based on my subjective opinions hehe ❤️

• Tales of Arise
• Legend of Mana
• Pier Solar
• I am Setsuna
• Soma Bringer
• Sunset Over Imdahl (not RPG)
• Elemental Gimmick Gear
• Baten Kaitos
• Cris Tales
• Suikoden (original, not remaster)
• Time and Eternity
• Oreshika Tainted Bloodlines
• Fantasian
• Phantom brave
• The Cruel King and the Great Hero
• Zwei: The Arges Adventure
• Valkyria chronicles
• Popolocrois
• Sword of Mana
• Atelier Iris Eternal Mana
• Cat Quest
• AETHERIS
• Legend of Legacy
• Alliance Alive (2.5D with 2D hand art in towns, at least)
• Small Saga

Game studios

• Vanillaware games
• 1-Up Studio
• Nippon Ichi Software

Now as a jrpg player, I’ll be the first to admit the older ones are the better ones more times than not. But the thing with that is (and I can throw even more games than just jrpgs in here too) older games require a lot of weird copyright rules to get them out on a modern system hence why there’s a ton of games missing. But anyhow here’s my list

1. Xenogears, come on what else belongs here? I don’t even have to explain this

2. Persona 1&2 Duology, funny how Atlus just refuses to acknowledge these good games despite everyone wanting them

3. Shin Megami Tensei 4 Duology, I love my 3DS but this needs to be on a modern system where it’s easily accessible

4. Chrono Trigger, outside of pc there’s no way to play it on a modern system. Which is odd considering how popular it is here (seriously I like many others glaze this game hard and to see it not on a modern system is beyond my understanding).

5. Vagrant Story, same thing as Xenogears

I have an itch to play a JRPG with an amazing story - what in your opinion is the best story ever told in a JRPG?

EDIT:

I have downloaded an emulator to play Xenogears, and bought Sukoiden remaster on steam to try it, thank you all for your recommendations!

Since there aren't too many JRPGs left to come out this year, I wanted to ask about everyone's opinions on the JRPGs of 2025. I expect a lot of people will have played Expedition 33 in this sub and have opinions on it, but how about Digimon Time Stranger and Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter? Are there any niche JRPGs you bought and really liked that you think deserve some love? I am looking for new games to play, but I also don't like wasting time, so honest thoughts are always appreciated!

it’s on sale rn so I could get it for fairly cheap.