Any games with similar pixel art quality?

[HeathenSW]

I thought that Triangle Strategy would be it, but it's kinda poorer in comparison. Character wise I mean - the details on everything but chars Triangle Strategy nailed.

[PyroMail.com]

You may want to have a look on Octopath Traveler.

[Doomvora]

Originally posted by PyroMail.com:

You may want to have a look on Octopath Traveler.

This is the correct answer.

[Overeagerdragon]

The Disgaeas BEFORE 6 had some great pixelartwork before NIS decided they had to go with 3dmodeling in 6 and onward. It's a style you need to like though because it's a bit more weeb than you might be used to and stuff gets crazy rather quick.

[Meowish]

Not sure what you mean by pixel art quality and how TT is being the "poorer" one. Both are HD-2D genre when it comes to artwork. OT, OT:COTC and OT2 are HD-2D but they aren't TRPG. If you only want that type of art style, then games like Dragon Quest ROTO Trilogy is there... Square-Enix had been pushing that art style a lot since their success with OT series. (Most Square Enix games are HD-2D, including the famous FF7)

And like what others said, Disgaea Series had been doing HD-2D before that art style is even popular and hyped by the release of OT. (Even the later 3D ones are considered HD-2D style, they are not really 3D real time rendered)

If you like the ARPG (Action RPG) genre, then YS Origin is HD-2D as well. A lot of Falcom's games are HD-2D, starting somewhere around the Legend of Heroes 3 (白き魔女 Shiroki Majo).
Recettear is sort of HD-2D ARPG too, with more CG refined sprites.

It's not always an Isometric view type of game that can be considered HD-2D. The very 1st games with this HD-2D concept is the DRPG (Dungeon Crawler), like Wizardry series or Doom... Modern representatives are "Etrian Odyssey HD" series and the Labyrinth series.

If you want a "pretty looking" HD-2D style RPG, then the new Star Ocean series might be your cup of tea.

Ofcourse, the one that introduced this HD-2D to world wide and coined the genre name is none other than Ragnarok Online...

But if you mean CG based TRPG with almost exactly the same game play as SoC... You may want to try out Langrisser M instead. It's not the 8 bit style dot-pixel art, so it's definitely "better" in the anime style artwork.
https://steamcommunity.com/id/wondermeow/screenshots/?appid=sc_714449&sort=newestfirst

[DAOWAce]

Final Fantasy Tactics.

Though, I guess we should assume anyone who's playing this has had FFT as one of their favorite games, so, yeah..

But in the off chance someone hasn't: FFT demolishes this game and most other tactics RPGs.. and doesn't ask for real money beyond the initial purchase. There's also fan mods for emulated versions.

[Doomvora]

Tactics Ogre is also a decent one.

[Overeagerdragon]

Originally posted by DAOWAce:

Final Fantasy Tactics.

Though, I guess we should assume anyone who's playing this has had FFT as one of their favorite games, so, yeah..

But in the off chance someone hasn't: FFT demolishes this game and most other tactics RPGs.. and doesn't ask for real money beyond the initial purchase. There's also fan mods for emulated versions.

Pretty much why I didn't mention it xD
Seems everyone and theire grandmother who play and like games like these have played FFT and/or FFTa2 at some point in their life.

Originally posted by Doomvora:

Tactics Ogre is also a decent one.

Didn't mention this one because somehow it doesn't feel as "crisp" as FFT or SoC. Maybe because all the special abilities feel like they're all just reskins in a different colour to depict their element and the more fancy stuff comes relatively late in the game. Not to mention that it's core mechanics are VERY hit or miss for most people... seems like it's a "love it or hate it" kind of game

[Meowish]

Originally posted by DAOWAce:

Final Fantasy Tactics.

Though, I guess we should assume anyone who's playing this has had FFT as one of their favorite games, so, yeah..

But in the off chance someone hasn't: FFT demolishes this game and most other tactics RPGs.. and doesn't ask for real money beyond the initial purchase. There's also fan mods for emulated versions.

Not sure why everyone credit Square when it comes to Japanese Origin games. They maybe the father of JRPG and ended the proto-rpg era, but they didn't create all the genres out there.

Though FFT maybe the 1st Japanese Tactical games that reached the Western Market and triggered the birth of the Xcom series. It's not the origin of the genre. Other game companies like Falcom and SEGA, and especially KOEI (who are the ones that made one of the 1st Japanese Strategy games like the 3 Kingdoms series and Nobunaga series -- Also the now-still-famous Fire Emblem Series)... For the more "modern" record of an "SLG" (the old genre name of SRPG/TRPG) in Japan will be Falcom's Vantage Master Online (It's free to play on their website[www.falcom.co.jp]) and the later famous "VM Japan" (which can also be considered a HD-2D, and it's only released within Japan back then). Falcom, though unknown in the West, is the gaming pioneer in Japan that have created/Invented a lot of Game Genres (including the ARPG). So whatever Falcom did back then, everyone follows. But SLG never really get into the major, not everyone is a chess lover and not every country have a chess culture, making the genre hard to sell at a lot of places back in the old days, with FFT being the 1st to succeed outside Japan and Taiwan.

SoC here is almost a 80% copy-cat of "Langrisser M" by game play and monetization, another Legendary SLG series back in the old days that lived up to nowadays. Considering Farland series and the rest have retired and there's no real successor to FFT, it's probably the longest lived and on-going TRPG series since the PC95 (floppy disk) era. Other than that, the SLG actually blooms more outside Japan and become a major favorite of the Chinese (especially Taiwanese) developers where there are tons of SLG being produced there over the past few decades. (Some of them are here on Steam)

Well... problem here is we aren't sure about what the OP really wanted. Whether it's a HD-2D game regardless the genre, or a TRPG with a better CG graphic.

P/S: Oh yeah, though we may want to credit Japan for the emerge of SLG then the SRPG... the origin of the whole thing is actually in the west.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/622830/Battle_Chess/
If Interplay hadn't go around suing everyone who tried to use the name "Battle Chess" it could've become the proper "Genre Name" of TRPGs.

[Overeagerdragon]

Originally posted by Meowish:

Originally posted by DAOWAce:

Final Fantasy Tactics.

Though, I guess we should assume anyone who's playing this has had FFT as one of their favorite games, so, yeah..

But in the off chance someone hasn't: FFT demolishes this game and most other tactics RPGs.. and doesn't ask for real money beyond the initial purchase. There's also fan mods for emulated versions.

Not sure why everyone credit Square when it comes to Japanese Origin games. They maybe the father of JRPG and ended the proto-rpg era, but they didn't create all the genres out there.

Though FFT maybe the 1st Japanese Tactical games that reached the Western Market and triggered the birth of the Xcom series. It's not the origin of the genre. Other game companies like Falcom and SEGA, and especially KOEI (who are the ones that made one of the 1st Japanese Strategy games like the 3 Kingdoms series and Nobunaga series)... For the more "modern" record of an "SLG" (the old genre name of SRPG/TRPG) in Japan will be Falcom's Vantage Master Online (It's free to play on their website[www.falcom.co.jp]) and the later famous "VM Japan" (which can also be considered a HD-2D, and it's only released within Japan back then). Falcom, though unknown in the West, is the gaming pioneer in Japan that have created/Invented a lot of Game Genres (including the ARPG). So whatever Falcom did back then, everyone follows. But SLG never really get into the major, no everyone is a chess lover and not every country have a chess culture, making the genre hard to sell at a lot of places back in the old days, with FFT being the 1st to succeed outside Japan and Taiwan.

SoC here is almost a 80% copy-cat of "Langrisser M" by game play and monetization, another Legendary SLG series back in the old days that lived up to nowadays. Considering Farland series and the rest have retired and there's no real successor to FFT, it's probably the longest lived and on-going TRPG series since the PC95 (floppy disk) era. Other than that, the SLG actually blooms more outside Japan and become a major favorite of the Chinese (especially Taiwanese) developers where there are tons of SLG being produced there over the past few decades. (Some of them are here on Steam)

Well... problem here is we aren't sure about what the OP really wanted. Whether it's a HD-2D game regardless the genre, or a TRPG with a better CG graphic. :awkwardsmile:

In fairness Square isn't known for their TRPG's in the first place... just the classic (turnbased) JRPG's and because they have a gazillion of them on their record it's what most ppl associate them (JRPG's) with... forgetting that there's companies like NIS, Gust and others that focus specifically on the subgenre of TRPG. Heck FFT wasn't even an inspired product to begin with if you see they just copied Fire Emblem style of combat and slapped the FF5 jobsystem onto it (ofc they spruced up the GFX to fit with that era or gaming)

EDIT: I remember Battle Chess... fun days back on my 286 when Windows wasn't even a popular concept and DOS ruled xD

[HeathenSW]

Originally posted by PyroMail.com:

You may want to have a look on Octopath Traveler.

Oh I completely missed that one. Looks real good, thanks a lot, will try it!

Originally posted by Meowish:

Not sure what you mean by pixel art quality and how TT is being the "poorer" one. Both are HD-2D genre when it comes to artwork. OT, OT:COTC and OT2 are HD-2D but they aren't TRPG. If you only want that type of art style, then games like Dragon Quest ROTO Trilogy is there... Square-Enix had been pushing that art style a lot since their success with OT series. (Most Square Enix games are HD-2D, including the famous FF7)

And like what others said, Disgaea Series had been doing HD-2D before that art style is even popular and hyped by the release of OT. (Even the later 3D ones are considered HD-2D style, they are not really 3D real time rendered)

If you like the ARPG (Action RPG) genre, then YS Origin is HD-2D as well. A lot of Falcom's games are HD-2D, starting somewhere around the Legend of Heroes 3 (白き魔女 Shiroki Majo).
Recettear is sort of HD-2D ARPG too, with more CG refined sprites.

It's not always an Isometric view type of game that can be considered HD-2D. The very 1st games with this HD-2D concept is the DRPG (Dungeon Crawler), like Wizardry series or Doom... Modern representatives are "Etrian Odyssey HD" series and the Labyrinth series.

If you want a "pretty looking" HD-2D style RPG, then the new Star Ocean series might be your cup of tea.

Ofcourse, the one that introduced this HD-2D to world wide and coined the genre name is none other than Ragnarok Online... :winkycat:

But if you mean CG based TRPG with almost exactly the same game play as SoC... You may want to try out Langrisser M instead. It's not the 8 bit style dot-pixel art, so it's definitely "better" in the anime style artwork.
https://steamcommunity.com/id/wondermeow/screenshots/?appid=sc_714449&sort=newestfirst

Problem is - I just love beautiful pixel art and am fond of tactics :D I guess just a set in stone class type for characters, 'chess-like' gameplay, decent story and good pixel art. Ogre Battle 64 and Unicorn Overlord style games (squad vs squad battles basically, not 1v1 battles) were amazing as well.

Also jesus, I didn't know a lot of these kind of games, judging from the titles people are throwing in this topic. Recettear was lovely, but too "real time" to my liking.

FFT and similar games while being decent graphically and just what I want from the general gameplay - were not for me, since they are confusing with all the class changes and things like "you have to change into one class for 2 levels, then change into another for 13 levels, then change into the third for 1 level, then change into the first one for the rest of the game, untill that one level, when you use that one item to change into uber class" to be able to have fun in the endgame. I guess I made a mistake reading some guides before actually playing, since the constant dread that I'd need to keep that quantum mechanics in mind was too much for me and it blurred character identity real hard. Same reasone why I had to drop Himeko Sutori and Fell Seal. Doesn't mean that I do not respect FFT or Tactics Ogre (I watched playthroughs and the stories there were nice), but class juggling is just too much.

This one does not have it. Triangle Strategy does not have it. Disgaea does not have it (it has tons of different grinding instead). From what I can tell Octopath does not have it. Ogre Battle 64 had this, but not to a big extend so it was tolerable. Unicorn Overlord does not have it I heard.

I have to now look at Langrisser M. I remember playing the two remade ones a couple of years back and they were decent, didn't know that there's a mobile version.

[Meowish]

Originally posted by HeathenSW:

Also jesus, I didn't know a lot of these kind of games, judging from the titles people are throwing in this topic.

Those mentioned are mainly Japanese based. There are actually a ton of Western produced TRPGs that can be both fun or funny. To name a few: Xcom(the very first of its kind in the west), Black Guards series, Druidstone, Freedom Force series, Mordheim, Pest Control, Ghost Control Inc, Sink Again, Super dungeon tactics... etc etc

Also, before the Eastern (Japanese/Chinese) TRPG even have Online MMO version, there's already one in the West. Dofus. And Square Enix loved the idea and teamed up with Ankama (the devs of Dofus) and made Wakfu. One giant open world with Tactic style combats.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/215080/WAKFU/

Ankama later release a Lite version of Wakfu that's more fine tuned for mobile players, called Waven.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2343650/Waven/

They put sooo much love in that there's actually an Anime series about Wakfu.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jct9cXZdHwA

Originally posted by HeathenSW:

This one does not have it. Triangle Strategy does not have it. Disgaea does not have it (it has tons of different grinding instead). From what I can tell Octopath does not have it. Ogre Battle 64 had this, but not to a big extend so it was tolerable. Unicorn Overlord does not have it I heard.

Disgaea series are not the only TRPGs from NIS, there's Phantom Brave and the Makai series as well. All with that grind design.

Well, speaking of Grind... There's actually an "advanced" version of super grindy TRPG disguised to look like those Action RPG... The remake of the Neptunia series are just that. You control the characters like an Action RPG during combat, but it acts on TRPG rules. There's another TRPG from the West that lets you do ARPG style control like Lara Croft (Tomb Raider) but on the TRPG rules, can't seem to recall the name though... had something to do with orcs or goblin...

Also, Octopath series do have job change system, and comes with achievement for completing them all.

Originally posted by HeathenSW:

I have to now look at Langrisser M. I remember playing the two remade ones a couple of years back and they were decent, didn't know that there's a mobile version.

The Mobile version is current the main Langrisser franchise. It included all the past Langrisser Series (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Rebirth) and with its own 3 story worlds to explore. Well, what you get in SoC here is there in L and a lot more, just in different presentation.