JRPG recommendations for PS3/4

[bartholen_v1legacy]

After getting back to the FFX remaster and enjoying just grinding levels surprisingly much, I've been thinking of getting more JRPGs into my library. Thing is, I don't really know that many, and there's rather little buzz around the genre these days unless your franchise's initials are FF. So what JRPGs for the Playstation 3 and 4 would you recommend. I'll give some guidelines to what I like:

- Traditional turn-based combat. The hybrid model in Ni No Kuni was serviceable at best, and for real time combat I can just play Dark Souls. The Valkyria Chronicles remaster piqued my interest though.
- The story doesn't need to be amazing if the gameplay can make up for it (IMO FFX falls into this category). I mostly hate JRPG and anime cliches, so if the cast includes shrieky girls, furries and/or a naive protagonist I'm likely to get turned off by them.
- Preferably not games that are grindfests.
- Lots of content: long story, lots of secret and side bosses, weapons, optional areas and such.

Gimme gimme gimme.

 

[meiam]

It's gonna be hard to say, but the criteria you gave eliminate almost all the JRPG on PS3 and literally all the one on PS4. The console JRPG genre is pretty much dead, the only two franchise still doing it are the Atelier and the tale of, who are both extremely anime cliche soaked. I'm not kidding, I'm literally looking at the list of JRPG, most of which I already played since its a depressingly low number, and there all either anime cliche or active combat system (most often both).

Your best bet are going to be portable port (like "I am setsuna" which got okay review) and straight up classic PS1 and PS2 game from PSN.

So yeah, portable port are gonna be:

I am setsuan like I said, traditional and heavily inspired by chromo trigger (which if you haven't played go play it, the gameplay is a bit shallow but everything make up for it)

Digimon cyber sleuth, which has super boring dungeon and pretty shallow combat, boring cliche/anime inspired story but if your into digimon has a bunch of them.

Natural doctrine which is a bit more of tactics

Legend of heroes, anime inspired, but at least it's turn based

And that's kinda it, turn based console JRPG died last console generation and even on there own (just console JRPG or Turn based JRPG) they're on the artificial respirator.

If your willing to go a bit more flexible, tale of grace F has really bad story but easily the best combat system of any Tale of, Odin sphere is beautiful and has pretty good gameplay and story and dragon dogma's has kick ass gameplay.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

An well, how about about D...

Dark Souls.

...Oh. Umm, I'm not too knowledged on JRPGs, but there was a cute little game port called Rainbow Moon that has a demo for you to try. Quite old school feeling.

There is a game called Disgaea 5, which isn't my thing, but there is a demo to see if it appeals to you, it looked very JRPG.

There is also the Banner Saga 1 and 2 which aren't Japanese, but they have a deep, involving story and great turn based combat.

Salt and Sanctuary is a 2D Dark Souls homage, a little easier due to the missing dimension, but no cake-walk.

Hmm, all out for now.

 

[ScrabbitRabbit]

The PS3/4 requirement makes it tough to think of anything. All the modern JRPGs that I can think of ("modern" meaning "last ten years" here) that otherwise fit your criteria are all on handhelds. Bar Lost Odyssey which is an Xbox 360 exclusive and indies which all tend to be on PC and fairly short for the genre. I think the Wii has a few, too, but the famous, obvious JRPGs (Xenoblade) are hybrid combat systems.

These two are PS2 games available on PS3's PSN:

I guess there's PS2 classics. Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne/Lucifer's Call has an anime-esque look but its plot doesn't really fit the stereotypical cliches. There might be some grinding depending on how you play but I never really did very much of it and the combat system is fantastic, allowing you to manipulate turn order by exploiting enemy weaknesses and actually making status buffs important. You build your party by recruiting enemies you encounter so it's got a bit of a monster catching thing going on. The dungeon design is fantastic, too. Lots of diverse areas filled with traps and puzzles.

There's Digital Devil Saga, too, but it has some inconsistent voice acting and, while it doesn't have the kind of anime cliches you referenced, it does feel a lot like an edgy 90s anime. The combat is very similar to Nocturne's without the monster catching elements. Nocturne has a reputation for being very difficult, but I thought this game was much, much harder largely due to not being able to control my party composition as much to exploit the enemy. It's still a fun game, good combat, story has some interesting parts (mostly in the second game). Dungeon design tends to be really good but the dungeons are maybe a bit too long.

I'd recommend Persona 3 and 4, too, but they're more stereo-typically anime even if they do it well. Might be worth a look anyway.

But yeah, basically, if you want traditional turn based JRPGs you want a 3DS. It and the DS have a pretty decent library.

 

[stroopwafel]

There's Digital Devil Saga, too, but it has some inconsistent voice acting and, while it doesn't have the kind of anime cliches you referenced, it does feel a lot like an edgy 90s anime. The combat is very similar to Nocturne's without the monster catching elements. Nocturne has a reputation for being very difficult, but I thought this game was much, much harder largely due to not being able to control my party composition as much to exploit the enemy. It's still a fun game, good combat, story has some interesting parts (mostly in the second game). Dungeon design tends to be really good but the dungeons are maybe a bit too long.

I second DDS it's sooooo much better than Persona in my opinion. Really cool story, kick-ass atmosphere and really enjoyable battle system. I always thought DDS was the most accessible as you don't have to manage the strength and weaknesses of your demon party. From all the Megami Tensei games DDS is by and far my favorite. My only issue with the second game is how it overindulges in this kind of weird transcedental hindu mythology when you near the end. I know mythology and folklore is part and parcel of every SMT game but here it felt a bit too much. Still, these are exceptional JRPGs though. Espescially the first one.

I agree that JRPGs are pretty much dead on consoles ever since the PS3 era. However there are some really good classics on the PSN store.

 

[balladbird]

A JRPG that has either the first and third request or the second and third request would be easy enough, I think... sadly, asking for a JRPG that's both turn-based and light on anime tropes/aesthetics is like asking Odysseus to navigate between Scylla and Charybdis. DX

Sadly, finding something that honored all three of your requests proved impossible, but here are a few that I could find that did as close as possible for the PS4:

Digimon Cyber Sleuth- A surprisingly dark and mature story, given the source material. Turn based with an insane amount of customization, and a surprisingly long campaign. There were tiny details in the game design I despised, such as the game frequently giving you dialogue options, yet none of those options mattering in any way whatsoever, but on the whole I enjoyed this game immensely, and it's the closest I can find to a JRPG that fulfills all three of your criteria

Atelier Sophie- A borderline recommendation. Turn based combat, and satisfying item crafting. That said, lots of anime and a bit of moe, though thankfully devoid of the tasteless fanservice that normally accompanies the genre.

Omega Quintet- Another borderline recommendation. I was surprised by the quality of the game, as it's from the makers of the Hyperdimension Neptunia games, a series that runs the gambit from "nigh unplayable" to "average" but there was actually a lot of content to be gleaned from it, and it was surprisingly grounded and self-aware. All that said, it's a game about an Idol Group saving the world... a premise so utterly Japanese that it probably tastes like wasabi, so it may push too hard on point 2 to be appealing to you.

Valkyria Chronicles remastered: You mentioned considering this game, so I figured I'd throw my voice in support of it. The combat is designed to look like active time, but is actually just turn based in disguise... a fact that turned some people off, but sounds right down your alley. Story and gameplay are both solid and deep, and the remaster comes with all the extra DLC for a very low price. Definitely worth the value if you've never played the game before. Plus, the collector's tin looks sexy on my shelf.

Hope I helped a bit

 

[Fox12]

Valkyria Chronicles just got a limited edition ps4 collectors remaster with the DLC for about thirty bucks, so if you were ever interested in the game then nows the time to nab it. It's an absolute steal. It has a weird turnbased/real time hybrid system that I find extremely satisfying. The story is entertaining, but mostly serviceable. I liked the characters, and protagonists from Skies of Arcadia are included in your army. It does feature some anime cliches. The watercolor art style is phenomenal.

Spoiler

Nier is a possible point of interest. It was quite a hidden gem. The story is PHENOMENAL, but you have to stick with it for a while. If you've never played a Yoko Taro game before then this might be the perfect time to start, since the sequel will be released soon. The gameplay is serviceable, and it's in real time, but you would be doing yourself a disservice by ignoring it. It's extremely subversive of the typical JRPG. No cliche's at all, and if there are any then they're typically a set up for something subversive later. The new game is being developed by Platinum, the creators of Bayonetta, and it has the writers and musicians from the original, so they've built quite a dream team for the sequel. I would keep my eyes out for both if I were you.

Spoiler

The PS3/4 requirement makes it tough to think of anything. All the modern JRPGs that I can think of ("modern" meaning "last ten years" here) that otherwise fit your criteria are all on handhelds. Bar Lost Odyssey which is an Xbox 360 exclusive and indies which all tend to be on PC and fairly short for the genre. I think the Wii has a few, too, but the famous, obvious JRPGs (Xenoblade) are hybrid combat systems.

These two are PS2 games available on PS3's PSN:

I guess there's PS2 classics. Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne/Lucifer's Call has an anime-esque look but its plot doesn't really fit the stereotypical cliches. There might be some grinding depending on how you play but I never really did very much of it and the combat system is fantastic, allowing you to manipulate turn order by exploiting enemy weaknesses and actually making status buffs important. You build your party by recruiting enemies you encounter so it's got a bit of a monster catching thing going on. The dungeon design is fantastic, too. Lots of diverse areas filled with traps and puzzles.

There's Digital Devil Saga, too, but it has some inconsistent voice acting and, while it doesn't have the kind of anime cliches you referenced, it does feel a lot like an edgy 90s anime. The combat is very similar to Nocturne's without the monster catching elements. Nocturne has a reputation for being very difficult, but I thought this game was much, much harder largely due to not being able to control my party composition as much to exploit the enemy. It's still a fun game, good combat, story has some interesting parts (mostly in the second game). Dungeon design tends to be really good but the dungeons are maybe a bit too long.

I'd recommend Persona 3 and 4, too, but they're more stereo-typically anime even if they do it well. Might be worth a look anyway.

But yeah, basically, if you want traditional turn based JRPGs you want a 3DS. It and the DS have a pretty decent library.

You absolutely must play the Persona, SMT, and Digital Devil Saga games. There's enough content to keep you occupied forever, and it's all top quality. It fits all of your criteria. These games may have been released on the PS2, but they're on the PSN store. If you missed any of them then grab them now. I haven't seen such a blisteringly creative list of games come out of one company since Fromsoft.

 

[ArcadianDrew]

Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel

It's been a long time since a JRPG had hooked me quite as much as ToCS has. It's a long game, with about 80 hours of content if you really explore the world. Combat system is turn based with ways to manipulate the turn order and characters are completely customisable (though they all have inherent strengths and weaknesses with there own unique moves). It's set in a military academy and plays out like the cast are at school (reminiscent of Persona 3) with field trips making up the exploration of the world for some variety.

I will say it's a slow burner (really slow) but the story does pick up pace, however, for me it's the characters that really shine. Whilst they are tropes it's the way they have been written, behaving in ways that stays true to their character and growth that never feels forced or sudden, plus the localisation is really good (Xseed/NIS America).

As I said, I was a little jaded by JRPGs, but this one seems to do things you don't quite expect, especially in the writing department. I think it's well worth the consideration.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

The Disgaea games are good JRPGs. Can be grindy as hell but only if you want to. And there's an exorbitant amount of content.