Hey look! Another jrpg topic!

[Bix96]

Since you already bought Fire Emblem you should go get Shin Megami Tensei IV for 3DS if you register them both on Nintendo's website you get $30 eshop credit and it just so happens that SMT: soul hackers and Etrian Odyssey IV are both on sale for $30. so you basically get two games for the price of one.

By the way forgot to add that these deals only last until the end of august so hurry if you think you're interested.

 

[ArkhamJester]

That's right folks it's another one of these posts! Alright so here is my situation, I've never really played a jrpg before. Don't ask me why though, I think it had something to do with me thinking turn based combat was boring when I was younger. However, I have always been curious and recently I went out and purchased fire emblem awakening. Hours into the game a sudden realization along the lines of WHY DIDN'T I DO THIS SOONER? hit me. So I've done a little research on some other games that may interest me such as Ni No Kuni and and Lost Odyssey. I've also considered picking up final fantasy 13 and 13-2 since I've never played an FF game, but the reception towards it seems mixed. It's a good start, but I think I'll need some help to find more good quality jrpgs.

I'm limited to this gen sadly unless there are some backwards compatible games out there. The consoles I have are the 360, ps3 and 3ds. So guys and girls what are some games that you would recommend?

You're in luck, the 3DS is backwards compatible and the PS3 has a PS1 and PS2 section in its store. My recomendations?

Persona 3 FES (PS2 section) the intro can take about 2 hours before your in complete control, but it is soooo worth it

Devil Survivor 1 and 2 (DS compatible on 3DS) 1 has the better story and tone but 2 is significantly less grindy, both are strategy RPGs and both are well worth it

Tales of Vesperia (360) Tales of Xillia (PS3) both have great characterization I would personally put the tales of games on par with Bioware. Be warned, just like Persona they are slow starters like the game will appear to be a cliche storm, but trustt me they always get good. Plus the Real time fighting game like combat is pretty sweet

Mario and Luigi Bowser's inside story (DS) the combat is turn based but with the ability to dodge damage, plus its genuinely funny as you alternate between Bowser and microscopic Mario Bros. To give you an idea,there is one point where Bowser is crushed beneath a castle and the Bros have to go to his crotch to load him with enough adrenaline that he not only survives, he temporarily grows to the size of the castle.

heres a couple more suggestions

Final Fantasy Tactics (PS1 classics) Final Fantasy 9 (PS1 Classics) Chrono Cross (PS1 classics) Chrono Trigger (PS1 classics) Breath of Fire 4 (PS1 Classics)
That should get you started.

 

[Guffe]

I'm limited to this gen sadly unless there are some backwards compatible games out there. The consoles I have are the 360, ps3 and 3ds. So guys and girls what are some games that you would recommend?

I only have Nintendo consoles which has a series called Tales of Symphonia
Well these do not excist in the xbox/ps world
BUT
There are other Tales of --- games out there on those consoles and my multiconsole friends tell me the Tales of --- games on these consoles are just as good
this means you go get the Tales of --- games to your consoles
RIGHT NOW!!!

 

[ArkhamJester]

I'm limited to this gen sadly unless there are some backwards compatible games out there. The consoles I have are the 360, ps3 and 3ds. So guys and girls what are some games that you would recommend?

I only have Nintendo consoles which has a series called Tales of Symphonia
Well these do not excist in the xbox/ps world
BUT
There are other Tales of --- games out there on those consoles and my multiconsole friends tell me the Tales of --- games on these consoles are just as good
this means you go get the Tales of --- games to your consoles
RIGHT NOW!!!

Actually Tales of Symphonia is getting a physical rerelease this year, don't ask me when I just know that it isn't out yet

 

[Funyahns]

Tons of great stuff. I am a fan of Ar Tonelico and Sakara Wars for PS2. Tons of good stuff out there especially if you are going to go back to psx era.

 

[RandV80]

Well I'd say first thing you should know, in the broader scope of the gaming community a lot of people will say JRPG's have tired and old mechanics. Personally (and I've been playing them for 20+ years) I say that's complete bullshit. While there are some common tropes in the genre, usually coming from the Japanese/anime influence, overall I'd say it's one of the most diverse genre's out there. There's a variety of different sub genre's and developers are always coming up with new ways of doing things.

Anyways since you started with Fire Emblem, a tactical JRPG, I'd say that playing Final Fantasy Tactics (PS1)is an absolute must. It's easily the best game of the tactical genre, and I don't think many would dispute that. Great story, great tactical battles, great character system, it's just pretty much perfect.

Second, I'm not sure if it would be available to you, but I always like recommending Dragon Quest VIII. This was a PS2 game from the people who made Ni No Kuni, and in Japan the Dragon Quest games were always as big as Final Fantasy. I like and recommend VIII in particular because I think it does the best job of blending all the classic JRPG elements with all the modern nicety's. Where as FFXIII would be unrecognizable from FFIII, with DQ8 you could 'demake' it for every past console generation right down to the NES and it would fit right and be considered a classic each step of the way.

Another series I'll second, perhaps my personal favourite is Suikoden. In a way it's a lot like the Fire Emblem series, except instead of a tactical RPG it's the traditional sort... with the occasional tactical battles. Rather than traveling the globe to save the world each game is set over a conflict between 2-3 nations, so like Fire Emblem it has more of a military campaign feel to it, with each subsequent release building off each other to varying degree's. Only bad apple in the bunch was Suikoden IV which as a cheap piece of shit, though they fixed it up with V but unfortunately that's where the series sort of stopped. But overall Suikoden II I'd put in my top 3 favourite JRPG's list, and III is just a few spots behind it.

 

[jebara]

Play Persona 4.
I don't want to hear another word from you, just go play Persona 4.

I wish I was was right there beside you so I can hit you with a rolled up newspaper every time your not playing Persona 4.

 

[gavinmcinns]

That's right folks it's another one of these posts! Alright so here is my situation, I've never really played a jrpg before. Don't ask me why though, I think it had something to do with me thinking turn based combat was boring when I was younger. However, I have always been curious and recently I went out and purchased fire emblem awakening. Hours into the game a sudden realization along the lines of WHY DIDN'T I DO THIS SOONER? hit me. So I've done a little research on some other games that may interest me such as Ni No Kuni and and Lost Odyssey. I've also considered picking up final fantasy 13 and 13-2 since I've never played an FF game, but the reception towards it seems mixed. It's a good start, but I think I'll need some help to find more good quality jrpgs.

I'm limited to this gen sadly unless there are some backwards compatible games out there. The consoles I have are the 360, ps3 and 3ds. So guys and girls what are some games that you would recommend?

Final Fantasy IX is the best jrpg ever made and at this rate it looks as if it's a permanent crown. No other ff pulls off the same level of exploration, equipment customization, and feeling of progression.

And for the love of god, slay those thoughts of picking up FF13. It isn't a game, it's a 40 hour cutscene for pubescent girls.

 

[LaoJim]

Strangely I enjoyed Final Fantasy XIII, speaking purely as a non-JRPG expert.

I haven't played many of the Final Fantasy games before, but when I was a poor student Final Fantasy X was one of the few games I bought at full price on the day of release. I loved Phantasy Star as a child and could justify the purchase on the basis that it would be a 100 hour game and great value for money. And I hated it. Didn't like the characters, the story, gameplay or the acting, but kept playing it every night thinking "Is it nearly over?" "Maybe one, two more sessions then it will be over and I can buy something else". I think I got to the final boss and then gave up.

Anyway ten years later I saw XIII on sale for 5 pounds so I thought why not? Whats odd about it is that even though everything people say about it is completely true (Crushingly linear? Yep. Baffeling Story? Yep. Annoying JPRG characters? Yep. Nearly plays itself? Yep) I somehow enjoyed it anyway (more than other rpgs like Eternal Sonata and Star Ocean). I'm not entirely sure why, perhaps because the battle system is a different experience, maybe because the cut-scenes are beautiful, maybe just trying to figure what the heck is going on, maybe as an Xbox owner I'm starved for good JRPGs, maybe after years of wandering around the Fallout and Skyrim worlds, I found it theraputic to be lead around by the neck for twenty hours. Its a few years old now so there's no reason you should pick up a cheap copy if you are interested in seeing where the series is at now.

 

[FinalHeart95]

My favorites and why:
Lost Odyssey has a pretty simple turn-based battle system. That said, the story is wonderful and the characters are almost entirely great (barring the one or two Scrappys). There are these side stories that you have to read, but they are definitely worth it and add a lot of depth to both the game and the characters. Best JRPG on the 360, IMO.

Final Fantasy IV is the game to play if you REALLY want to understand the direction of the series. It was the first game with a good story and cast of characters. It also introduced the ATB system (just google it) which was used until FFIX. Also, it has the largest party of any Final Fantasy, which is cool. Just note that, if you get the DS version, it's balls-crushingly hard.

Chrono Trigger is what I dub as "the JRPG that everyone likes." Seriously, just go play it. It's amazing. (DS remake)

Kingdom Hearts is a personal favorite. It's not turn-based at all, which is a bonus for some. The first game has iffy combat, but also the least mind-screwy story. And yes, the story does get insane, so be aware if you decide to continue past the first game. (3DS and DS games are available, as well as a collection on the PS3 which contains the first game and its sequel)

Further recommendations are The World Ends With You (DS), Tales of Vesperia (360), Fire Emblem: Awakening (3DS), and Ni no Kuni (PS3).

 

[Souplex]

We don't actually get many JRPG topics.
Fire Emblem is more Turn Based strategy than JRPG. It just happens to ahve been developed by a Japanese studio and have RPG elements.
If you like stuff for the DS, I recommend tracking down Infinite Space.
http://www.gametrailers.com/reviews/41zlod/infinite-space-review
Golden Sun is much more traditional JRPG fare if you're into that.

 

[Marik2]

Sweet love these threads, especially since I want to get into JRPGs more.

My recommendation would be Odin Sphere even though it is an action RPG. It has really good aesthetics and it is loosely based on Norse mythology.

 

[sextus the crazy]

Persona 3. Seriously, go buy Persona 3 on PSN. I've accidentally discovered Persona 3: Portable about a year ago and it was a completely new experience for me. Unique setting, unique story, unique everything! And then there was Persona 4: Golden on Vita. Now I consider Persona 3 and Persona 4 to be one of my favorite games of all time, and I never played JRPG before!

QFT. Megami Tensei games are the shit. Get you some.

 

[Caostotale]

I haven't done a ton of gaming this summer, but the bulk of it was split between playing two fabulous JRPGs: Grandia II and Suikoden V. The first of those was the slightly shaky PS2 port (i.e. it's supposed to be even better on the Dreamcast), but minor issues aside, the game was a blast. I really liked the game's storyline and the relatively small cast of characters gets wonderfully fleshed out through lots of well-written (and well-localized) dialogue scenes. I particularly liked how, whenever you stay at an inn, your group actually sits down to eat dinner and BS's about this and that, sometimes topics related to the adventure, sometimes not. It was certainly a nice touch that's never been too common in JRPGs. Alongside that, I liked how your characters would talk back to the various townsfolk instead of just listening to them prattle on in some one-sided conversation. All that aside, the game is still a ton of fun to play. The battle system is a sort of turn-based-meets-Tales-arena affair, where placement and move-timing means a lot towards gaining the upper hand in fights. It wasn't too hard, but for a non-hardcore player, some of the boss fights were pretty beastly. The bosses were not excessively numerous, but when they did show up they meant business and took quite some time to wrangle with. All in all, the game was awesome.

Suikoden V is likely not everybody's cup of tea, but I couldn't get enough of it and wished there was more to play even after clocking 75 hours into the main campaign and a few side-quests. The game's overall story arc was wonderfully satisfying to experience and I thoroughly enjoyed the game's massive cast of characters (a necessary element of any Suikoden title).

I can't make many modern console recommendations, but will simply say that JRPG fans should (a.) keep up with handhelds, since they boast the lion's share of good new titles (SMT IV, Fire Emblem, Persona titles) and (b.) keep a PS2 around, since that system saw a ridiculous variety of wonderful titles (five Atelier games, seven SMT titles, three FF titles, Dragon Quest VIII, four Suikoden titles, Nippon Ichi's crazy run of SRPGs that started with La Pucelle Tactics, Wild ARMS 3, Tales of the Abyss, Odin Sphere, full backwards compatibility with PS1 RPGs and so on). I'd go further and suggest grabbing up a Gamecube for the purposes of playing Skies of Arcadia, playing Baten Kaitos, and using one of those Gameboy Player attachments to play the best versions of the 16-bit Final Fantasy titles.

 

[NightHavoc]

Which one do I recommend? I'll let Hitler answer for me.

)

Not going to lie I lost it for a good 10 minutes when I watched the vid.... I'm not proud of it but there you go XD.
Wow guys ask and you shall receive eh? I can't believe that I've missed a whole armada of these games (damn my shallow minded childhood!) Looks like I have some ridiculously long gaming sessions ahead of me.

 

[busterkeatonrules]

Well, if you're considering Ni No Kuni, I assume you have a PS3. In which case I assume you have access to PSN, from which all my personal favourite JRPGs are readily available for mere pocket change!

For starters: Grandia. The original. An epic adventure, comical and light-hearted, but still more than capable of being genuinely suspenseful or sad when the situation calls for it. The characters are well written, tend to stay clear of the most worn-out stereotypes, and you will greatly enjoy exploring the massive and richly varied world with them. The graphics will look a bit odd to modern eyes, but give the game a chance and you'll be used to this within the first hour! (Incidentally, some of the cutscenes are done anime-style!)

Originality be damned, no recommendation-list of mine is complete without Final Fantasy IX! This and FF VI are pretty much tied for "Best FF Ever" (especially since the FF VII-buzz finally seems to be dying down after 17 years), but my money's on IX. This was the PENULTIMATE FF game - the last ever made with most of the original crew. They all wanted to commemorate this event by creating an epic game which would serve as a tribute to the entire preceding pantheon of Final Fantasies as well as a lasting monument to their talent. Everybody involved pulled out all the stops, most notably composer Nobuo Uematsu whose magnificent music had accompanied every single FF up to this point - here, he delivers what is widely regarded as his very finest work!

Spoiler: Examples:

Finally, another recurring recommendation: The Legend of Dragoon! This game has taken its share of flak for extreme lack of originality, which is not entirely unfounded - you know those cliches that seem to crop up somewhere in every single game of this kind? The stoic but kind-hearted swordsman, the vapid healer/love interest/childhood friend of the hero, the mysterious woman with an unknown past? The desert town, the fortress town, the snow town? The soap-operatic plot twists? Yup, Legend of Dragoon is pretty much put together entirely of those.

However, it is very WELL put together none the less, and if you give it a chance, you are pretty much sure to find SOMETHING to enjoy - the battle system is smooth and intuitive, the story is refreshingly fast-paced, the world is HUGE, and even though the playable characters are basically a lineup of every stereotype in the book, they do constitute a large and diverse group - and there is actual, tangible team spirit between them. They're a sympathetic and fun bunch.

Besides, if you're new to JRPGs, these cliches will likely seem somewhat fresher to you than they did to most of us! (And even if they don't: Most of the stuff which appears in LoD has often been done before - but it has very rarely been done BETTER!)

 

[Another]

If you want the newer stuff, I would side with many others here and say Tales of Xillia. I also found Tales of Vespria and Lost Odyssey to be good as well, although I Lost Odyssey can get depressing as fuck. If you are willing to backtrack to the ps1 days, Final Fantasy 7 and 9 are really good. They should be available on psn.

I would also suggest getting the Shim Megami Tensei games (4 is really good so far), Persona 3 and 4, and Etrian Odyssey 4. Eventually. If you are just getting into the genre, these games can be brutally difficult, perhaps turning some players away. But, if you are up for a challenge, they are some of the most rewarding jrpgs out there today.

Beyond those there are all sorts of options, some being less well known then others (the Atelier games come to mind), so you should check out as many as you can.

 

[Velocity Eleven]

definitely the Final Fantasy series, though I'm not sure why everyone loves 4 and 9 so much, I consider them to be two of the worst. I would say 5, 6, or 7

 

[Drummodino]

Persona 3. Seriously, go buy Persona 3 on PSN. I've accidentally discovered Persona 3: Portable about a year ago and it was a completely new experience for me. Unique setting, unique story, unique everything! And then there was Persona 4: Golden on Vita. Now I consider Persona 3 and Persona 4 to be one of my favorite games of all time, and I never played JRPG before!

Basically this. These games are amazing! I'm up to 55 hours of persona 4 golden and I still haven't finished the story.