Any JRPG recommendations?

WarpSkip

WarpSkip

Moon
Joined
Sep 22, 2024
Location
United States
Hey all,

I've been fiending for a new JRPG lately, looking for any and all recommendations.

Quick list of my favorites to give some data:
-Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)
-Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 (SNES)
-Kingdom Hearts 2 (PS2)
-Persona 4 (PS2)
-Bravely Default (3DS)
-Final Fantasy X (PS2)
 
WarpSkip said:
Hey all,

I've been fiending for a new JRPG lately, looking for any and all recommendations.

Quick list of my favorites to give some data:
-Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)
-Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 (SNES)
-Kingdom Hearts 2 (PS2)
-Persona 4 (PS2)
-Bravely Default (3DS)
-Final Fantasy X (PS2)
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Hi there! First off, what systems do you have ready access to?
 
WarpSkip said:
Aha, good point. I probably should have included that.

I have access to:
-Above average PC (For emulation purposes)
-Xbox 360
-PS2
-Gamecube
-GBA
-3DS
-Wii U
-Vita
-Switch
-PS5
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OK! So! What do you generally like as far as stuff in JRPG goes? Like, are you more into story? Are you more into character customization? Dungeon crawling? Is a first person dungeon crawler OK? Do you want things like romanceable characters in your game? Are you looking for a greater challenge or something more casual and fun? Sorry for asking so many q's but like, jrpgs are one of my favorite genres and I can yap about them all day but I need some focus too!
 
Revelations said:
OK! So! What do you generally like as far as stuff in JRPG goes? Like, are you more into story? Are you more into character customization? Dungeon crawling? Is a first person dungeon crawler OK? Do you want things like romanceable characters in your game? Are you looking for a greater challenge or something more casual and fun? Sorry for asking so many q's but like, jrpgs are one of my favorite genres and I can yap about them all day but I need some focus too!
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Honestly, I mostly prefer my stories to be enjoyable and the soundtrack to be equally as awesome. Gameplay is pretty similiar for a lot of turn-based stuff imo and unless the gameplay is really obtuse I will generally mesh just fine. Difficulty is not really a huge factor to me, I don't mind a decent challenge at all.

Please feel free to just run with it! I am very open to trying stuff and really do appreciate hearing about new things.
 
You may like Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age and Bravely Default 2, both on the Nintendo Switch.
 
If you liked Persona 4, you should definitely give the other contemporary Persona games a try (i.e., Persona 3 and 5). Persona 3 Reload is currently out in a bunch of different systems, so give it a shot in whichever is most convenient for you. I can't speak to Episode Aigis' quality since I didn't buy it (and don't necessarily plan to).

A bunch of other Atlus titles could be up your alley too. Devil Survivor: Overclocked and Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker are a mix between the usual SMT demon fusion shenanigans and a tactical, grid RPG like what Fire Emblem does.

Not a JRPG by definition, but has many JRPG elements (turn-based, somewhat RNG-based) but Library of Ruina is a great title too.

In spite of outing myself as a trash gamer, Conception 2: Children of the Seven Stars is also a pretty decent game. It's very much a dungeon-crawler with heavy dating sim elements.

There's a lot more JRPGs I've played, but those are the ones I can remember off the top of my head.
 
WarpSkip said:
Honestly, I mostly prefer my stories to be enjoyable and the soundtrack to be equally as awesome. Gameplay is pretty similiar for a lot of turn-based stuff imo and unless the gameplay is really obtuse I will generally mesh just fine. Difficulty is not really a huge factor to me, I don't mind a decent challenge at all.

Please feel free to just run with it! I am very open to trying stuff and really do appreciate hearing about new things.
Click to expand...
OK! So I will proceed to list some games, most of them are on more modern systems.

Etrian Odyssey (Series) These are a series of first person dungeon crawlers with grid based maps. Story minimal but present. Gimmicks of the series are you pick and choose what classes your custom made characters are and level their skills as they level... And you have to draw the dungeon maps in game. This is not as bad as it sounds. Games tend to be on the more challenging side but not ultra difficult. 1-3 are on PC (And on sale at the moment), while 4, Untold 1 (A remake of EO 1 with a larger story focus), Untold 2 (the same for the 2nd game), 5, and Nexus, are all on 3ds only at the moment. Also has some of my favorite soundtracks in JRPGs.

Shin Megam Tensei: If you've played Persona, SMT is the origin series of persona. Focuses more on dungeons, battling, and stuff over story but story is present. An HD version of 3, and a version of SMT V are both on PC. SMT IV and its sequel Apocalypse are also great, but 3ds only for now. They have a first person dungeon crawler on the (3)DS called Strange Journey too. Gimmick is you recruit demons to fight along side you. Less like pokemon since you often fuse demons to get newer, stronger, demons.

Yakuza/Like a Dragon: Starting with Yakuza 7, the series shifted to a turn based JRPG style. 7 is a soft reboot of the series and prior knowledge of the series is not necessary but greatly helps when the game tosses nostalgia stuff at you. Characters are all primarily adults and it takes place in japan. (On PC and PS5)

Tactics Ogre: Reborn. SInce you like older school Fire Emblem, TOR is an older game that's been remastered. It's a strategy RPG with a heavy focus on political stuff in its story. Made by the same dude who spearheaded Final Fantasy Tactics. On PC.

Crystal Project: Not a JRPG by region but by style. Think Open world JRPG with job classes. On PC.

Trails in the Sky: A long running series of very story focused JRPGs that are all connected. Start with This series if you want to get into it.

Astlibra: This is an indie JRPG style game made by a single developer over like 10 years. It's so fucking wild and hard to describe but it's one of my favorite indie games. Starts out slow but shit hits the fan.

Visions of Mana: A relatively new game in the Mana series by Square Enix. Just came out, should be on all major consoles. Very fun party based action JRPG with a job system.

SaGa Frontier Remastered: It's a remaster of the PS1 Saga Frontier game, with some modern touchups. The SaGa series is really hard to describe but this game is a good way to try uot the series - you follow a series of characters like a dude turned into a tokusatsu superhero or a haughty mage trying to master all forms of magic.
 
raison detre said:
Not a JRPG by definition, but has many JRPG elements (turn-based, somewhat RNG-based) but Library of Ruina is a great title too.
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I just wanna note that despite my love of Project-Moon games, this one strongly benefits from playing its prequel (Lobotomy Corporation) first, and uh, that game is either a love it or absolutely hate it sort of game.
 
Revelations said:
I just wanna note that despite my love of Project-Moon games, this one strongly benefits from playing its prequel (Lobotomy Corporation) first, and uh, that game is either a love it or absolutely hate it sort of game.
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I agree that having the context from LobCorp does benefit your enjoyment of the story by a great degree (praise Ayin), but it's not totally necessary. You could always read a synopsis or watch a playthrough of the former to understand some of the story beats, but PM games do a good job of filling in the blanks for people who didn't play the prequels. Still peak storytelling imo, but you're right.

You definitely need a dose or two of Enkephalin to play LobCorp without losing your mind.
 
raison detre said:
I agree that having the context from LobCorp does benefit your enjoyment of the story by a great degree (praise Ayin), but it's not totally necessary. You could always read a synopsis or watch a playthrough of the former to understand some of the story beats, but PM games do a good job of filling in the blanks for people who didn't play the prequels. Still peak storytelling imo, but you're right.

You definitely need a dose or two of Enkephalin to play LobCorp without losing your mind.
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Yeah admittedly it's not necessary and it might be my stockholm syndrome of playing Lobcorp and raging several times over at it until I got mindbroken by it but I wouldn't discount LobCorp entirely. Just know that it's incredibly divisive if anyone gets into the game. It really does have a cliff as a difficult scale.
 
Revelations said:
Yeah admittedly it's not necessary and it might be my stockholm syndrome of playing Lobcorp and raging several times over at it until I got mindbroken by it but I wouldn't discount LobCorp entirely. Just know that it's incredibly divisive if anyone gets into the game. It really does have a cliff as a difficult scale.
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For sure. It's one of those games in recent years that is something of a 'masochism simulator' that can be a hard sell for people who aren't hardcore, but it's absolutely a good recommendation.
 
Vyce said:
You may like Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age and Bravely Default 2, both on the Nintendo Switch.
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I actually have played DQ11 as well, I was a huge fan of it as well! I tried to get into BD2, got stuck grinding that card game for one of the asterisks and ended up shelving the game after a few hours of failing at it. I might have to revisit it though!
 
WarpSkip said:
I tried to get into BD2, got stuck grinding that card game for one of the asterisks and ended up shelving the game after a few hours of failing at it. I might have to revisit it though!
Click to expand...

Oh yeah...the Gambler Asterisk. That was an annoyance indeed (took me about an hour to win that card game just to fight Shirley), but it's worth it.
 
raison detre said:
If you liked Persona 4, you should definitely give the other contemporary Persona games a try (i.e., Persona 3 and 5). Persona 3 Reload is currently out in a bunch of different systems, so give it a shot in whichever is most convenient for you. I can't speak to Episode Aigis' quality since I didn't buy it (and don't necessarily plan to).

A bunch of other Atlus titles could be up your alley too. Devil Survivor: Overclocked and Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker are a mix between the usual SMT demon fusion shenanigans and a tactical, grid RPG like what Fire Emblem does.

Not a JRPG by definition, but has many JRPG elements (turn-based, somewhat RNG-based) but Library of Ruina is a great title too.

In spite of outing myself as a trash gamer, Conception 2: Children of the Seven Stars is also a pretty decent game. It's very much a dungeon-crawler with heavy dating sim elements.

There's a lot more JRPGs I've played, but those are the ones I can remember off the top of my head.
Click to expand...
So I actually have played both Persona 3&5 as well, I liked both of them quite a bit but only listed 4 as my favorite! All three are fantastic games.

I will most definitely have to check out the Devil Survivor games, I had no clue they were more tactical games. I love the fusion mechanics from SMT, so that paired with an FE type game would be awesome.

Thanks for the recs!
 
Revelations said:
OK! So I will proceed to list some games, most of them are on more modern systems.

Etrian Odyssey (Series) These are a series of first person dungeon crawlers with grid based maps. Story minimal but present. Gimmicks of the series are you pick and choose what classes your custom made characters are and level their skills as they level... And you have to draw the dungeon maps in game. This is not as bad as it sounds. Games tend to be on the more challenging side but not ultra difficult. 1-3 are on PC (And on sale at the moment), while 4, Untold 1 (A remake of EO 1 with a larger story focus), Untold 2 (the same for the 2nd game), 5, and Nexus, are all on 3ds only at the moment. Also has some of my favorite soundtracks in JRPGs.

Shin Megam Tensei: If you've played Persona, SMT is the origin series of persona. Focuses more on dungeons, battling, and stuff over story but story is present. An HD version of 3, and a version of SMT V are both on PC. SMT IV and its sequel Apocalypse are also great, but 3ds only for now. They have a first person dungeon crawler on the (3)DS called Strange Journey too. Gimmick is you recruit demons to fight along side you. Less like pokemon since you often fuse demons to get newer, stronger, demons.

Yakuza/Like a Dragon: Starting with Yakuza 7, the series shifted to a turn based JRPG style. 7 is a soft reboot of the series and prior knowledge of the series is not necessary but greatly helps when the game tosses nostalgia stuff at you. Characters are all primarily adults and it takes place in japan. (On PC and PS5)

Tactics Ogre: Reborn. SInce you like older school Fire Emblem, TOR is an older game that's been remastered. It's a strategy RPG with a heavy focus on political stuff in its story. Made by the same dude who spearheaded Final Fantasy Tactics. On PC.

Crystal Project: Not a JRPG by region but by style. Think Open world JRPG with job classes. On PC.

Trails in the Sky: A long running series of very story focused JRPGs that are all connected. Start with This series if you want to get into it.

Astlibra: This is an indie JRPG style game made by a single developer over like 10 years. It's so fucking wild and hard to describe but it's one of my favorite indie games. Starts out slow but shit hits the fan.

Visions of Mana: A relatively new game in the Mana series by Square Enix. Just came out, should be on all major consoles. Very fun party based action JRPG with a job system.

SaGa Frontier Remastered: It's a remaster of the PS1 Saga Frontier game, with some modern touchups. The SaGa series is really hard to describe but this game is a good way to try uot the series - you follow a series of characters like a dude turned into a tokusatsu superhero or a haughty mage trying to master all forms of magic.
Click to expand...
I have heard a lot about the Etrian Odyssey games! I hear they actually lend a lot of mechanics to the Persona Q games, which I have played. I will have to give one of these a shot!

I'll have to check out some more of these recs though! I have played the action-style Yakuza games and enjoy them quite a bit, but want to try the RPG entries. SaGa has also been on my radar so maybe it's time I give that series a try. I appreciate the shout on which you recommend to start with, that's actually been a huge hurdle for me up to now. Tactics Ogre is definitley one that I have been eyeing as well for some time, but heard some mixed things from some friends that spooked me off it.
 
Vyce said:
Oh yeah...the Gambler Asterisk. That was an annoyance indeed (took me about an hour to win that card game just to fight Shirley), but it's worth it.
Click to expand...
Honestly the card game wasn't even that bad I just got really unlucky a few times in a row and tilted off the game. I'll definitely reinstall it on my Switch and see if I can't try once more.
 
WarpSkip said:
Honestly the card game wasn't even that bad I just got really unlucky a few times in a row and tilted off the game. I'll definitely reinstall it on my Switch and see if I can't try once more.
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I had to do some grinding on the NPCs to get some good cards so I could take on Shirley. (Fortunately, you only have to defeat her once to get the Asterisk, though I do advise you be healed up before making the attempt.)
 
WarpSkip said:
I have heard a lot about the Etrian Odyssey games! I hear they actually lend a lot of mechanics to the Persona Q games, which I have played. I will have to give one of these a shot!

I'll have to check out some more of these recs though! I have played the action-style Yakuza games and enjoy them quite a bit, but want to try the RPG entries. SaGa has also been on my radar so maybe it's time I give that series a try. I appreciate the shout on which you recommend to start with, that's actually been a huge hurdle for me up to now. Tactics Ogre is definitley one that I have been eyeing as well for some time, but heard some mixed things from some friends that spooked me off it.
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If it helps any, Tactics Ogre was basically GOTY for most of my RPG loving friends the year it came out, and while not my goty of that year, it was high up there.

Persona Q is basically Etrian Odyssey with a Persona skin on it. A good chunk of the mechanics and concepts are the same.
 
Revelations said:
If it helps any, Tactics Ogre was basically GOTY for most of my RPG loving friends the year it came out, and while not my goty of that year, it was high up there.

Persona Q is basically Etrian Odyssey with a Persona skin on it. A good chunk of the mechanics and concepts are the same.
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That does give me a lot of faith, most of my RPG friends actually don't really like Fire Emblem or other SRPGs so I feel like their opinion on that genre only carries so much weight.

And hell yeah, I am definitely going to dive into that series then. I enjoyed the Persona Q games quite a bit, even if not as much as the main series.
 
WarpSkip said:
That does give me a lot of faith, most of my RPG friends actually don't really like Fire Emblem or other SRPGs so I feel like their opinion on that genre only carries so much weight.
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You need to get friends with better tastes!

If you also do like FE, someone else recommended the Devil Survivor duology and I recommend them too! SRPGs with an SMT flair basically.
 
I reccomend this game to literally everyone I write with but... Tales of Symphonia is personally the game that means the most to me, and I think if you are able to get past the slightly dated combat, you'll experience a truly wonderful story that will stick with you a good while, the characters are so wonderfully written and play off each-other well-- can't recommend it enough.

I will also reccomend the Trails series-- I think starting from Sky is the best, I'm currently not even finished with the series yet since I started last year but playing through Trails in the Sky, Azure, and working through Cold Steel... it's safe to say-- I've never experienced a JRPG that is more 'connected' than this one. If you enjoy a large build-up to a strong overarching epic plot and great characters then I reccomend Trails-- you can start with Cold Steel but Sky is the best experience if you don't mind dated graphics and such and care more about the story!

Also uh... Fire Emblem Three Houses is a personal favorite of mine but that's just me!
 
Those all sound like solid entries! Fire Emblem is also a personal favorite of mine and I fully relate to having a friend group that isn't into the genre at all. I'll go ahead and list some more.

Most of them can be emulated on low or mid-range PCs, with decent enough results :

-EarthBound (3DS Mod FTW)
-Skies of Arcadia : Legends (GCN, Emulation)
-Shadow Hearts (PS2, Emulation)
-The Legend Of Dragoon (PS5/Emulation)
-Golden Sun Trilogy (GBA, DS)
-Radiant Historia (DS, 3DS has a good Remake)
-Final Fantasy IV (DS, Switch, PC)
-Eternal Sonata (PS3 for QoL improvements)
-Mario RPG / Mario & Luigi Series (GBA, DS, 3DS, Switch)
-Star Ocean : Till The End Of Time (PS2, PC, PS5)*
-Star Ocean : The Second Story R (PS4,PS5, PC, Switch)
-Chrono Trigger (SNES, DS, PC, Emulation)
-Lost Dimension (PS3, Vita, PC)
-I Am Setsuna (PC, Switch, PS4)
-Tales Of Arise (PS4, PS5, PC)
-Stella Glow (3DS, Emulation)
-Disgaea 4 Complete + (PS4, PC, Switch)
-Octopath Traveler / OTP II (PC, Switch, PS4)

*The game has an infamous plot twist right at the end that changes the player's perspective of the whole series, so tread carefully, and maybe save it for last.

Devil Survivor I can vouch for as being some of the most underrated SRPG on their systems, go with Overclocked and Record Breaker for them (both on 3DS) since they are just new and improved versions of the DS games with great voice acting and more plot.

Same goes for Trails, if you are a story guy then those games are perfect for you, and the universe is very well built and developed to boot.

There have been a bunch of other great mentions, but those are the games that come to mind whenever I think 'JRPG' and great music alike (Yoko Shimomura & Motoi Sakuraba, plus Yasunori Mitsuda for Chrono Trigger).

Also @Mint, @song and I will be the first to tell you that Yasunori Nishiki, the composer for Octopath Traveler, wites absolute magma when it comes to OSTs.


View: https://youtu.be/f3F_xd5R_4I?si=YWacwa8rYIzD7KzD



View: https://youtu.be/QbsIXAIn5aE?si=mts9o1kP4pHRGEnp

Not to mention the series' combat system closely resembles Bravely Default's, having dedicated roles for the party to fill in and the Boost mechanic allowing you to power up attacks up to 4 times once stockpiled.
 
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