Any good RPGs/JRPGs i'm missing?

[Spaz]

I obviously can't list every game I've played, but I'm not married to anything in particular. From Kingdom Hearts to Darksouls and almost every FInal Fantasy game ever made, I enjoy a wide variety of the Role-Playing genre. However, i don't have any games I would consider "favorites" on steam aside from some FF ports like FFIX. I mean, I'd be down for a port of Paper Mario TTYD I loved that game so much. FFXII port looks great but idk if I can justify paying 50 bucks for something I played and beat when I was like 13.

Any suggestions are welcomed however I will save some people the time and say I've looked at the Tales of and Legend Of Heroes series as they're highly recommended online, but they don't look like they'd be for me.

Thanks in advance!

[Radene]

Why do you think Legend of Heroes would not be for you? Turn-based combat?

Well, in that case, check out the Ys series or Tokyo Xanadu instead.

(But really, Trails in the Sky is amazing)

[Spaz]

Legend of heroes specifically looked really bland and meh. Looked like an extremely cookie cuter anime-type game. Probably not a bad game, but likely something I've experienced over and over and over. Tales of series looked the same, and Ys, Atelier series, Star Ocean series, Valkyria Chronicles, etc. Probably all solid games but extremely unoriginal(just my opinion). Maybe not, but I've watched several minutes of gameplay of all and didn't get any desire to play them from what I saw. But to be honest, browsing steam I felt that way about 80% of the games. I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover but I've had horrible experiences getting refunds through steam so it's really a gamble to even try them. If you noticed, all the game I mentioned are extremely different from one another while staying true to the genre. I don't know man!!! Like I said it's been an itch I haven't been able to scratch!!!! Lol. Thanks for the suggestions though, I'll still take them into consideration.

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

The Trails series's main draw is its extensively detailed worldbuilding, that spans nine games in three subseries so far, all within the same setting. The first game can be slow to get going but that's because it lays out a lot of details. Also, the setting isn't the usual medieval-fantasy swords-and-sorcery setting either, but has magitech/steampunk elements and much more of organized civilization.

The Ys series is an action RPG with simple and easy-to-learn controls yet also a strong reputation for well-polished challenge. The first two games use a "bump system" where you deal contact damage to enemies; it's very unusual but it's also a lot of fun. The later games use a more typical "push button to attack" control scheme.

The Atelier series's main attraction is an extensive crafting system, as the lead characters are all alchemists. Also, very cute character art. And barrel jokes.

Valkyria Chronicles is in more of a WW1/WW2-era Europe like setting, with I think some steampunk elements, as opposed to the usual swords-and-sorcery setting. Also, it features third-person-shooter gameplay combined with strategy. So it's definitely not the stereotypical JRPG fare.

The Tales series is known for its battle system, replacing turn-based battles with brawler-style real-time combat. The Summon Night Swordcraft Story games also share this strait.

(I don't know much about Star Ocean.)

I'm not saying you should like all or any of these. Just explaining what they are known for.

As for what you might want...mind if I ask you to describe the itch you're trying to scratch? I know how it feels to have something that doesn't quite scratch the itch...

[Spaz]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Quint the Alligator Snapper:

The Trails series's main draw is its extensively detailed worldbuilding, that spans nine games in three subseries so far, all within the same setting. The first game can be slow to get going but that's because it lays out a lot of details. Also, the setting isn't the usual medieval-fantasy swords-and-sorcery setting either, but has magitech/steampunk elements and much more of organized civilization.

The Ys series is an action RPG with simple and easy-to-learn controls yet also a strong reputation for well-polished challenge. The first two games use a "bump system" where you deal contact damage to enemies; it's very unusual but it's also a lot of fun. The later games use a more typical "push button to attack" control scheme.

The Atelier series's main attraction is an extensive crafting system, as the lead characters are all alchemists. Also, very cute character art. And barrel jokes.

Valkyria Chronicles is in more of a WW1/WW2-era Europe like setting, with I think some steampunk elements, as opposed to the usual swords-and-sorcery setting. Also, it features third-person-shooter gameplay combined with strategy. So it's definitely not the stereotypical JRPG fare.

The Tales series is known for its battle system, replacing turn-based battles with brawler-style real-time combat. The Summon Night Swordcraft Story games also share this strait.

(I don't know much about Star Ocean.)

I'm not saying you should like all or any of these. Just explaining what they are known for.

As for what you might want...mind if I ask you to describe the itch you're trying to scratch? I know how it feels to have something that doesn't quite scratch the itch...

Not really sure. The only reason I think i'm drawn to the older FF games is because of the impact they had on me as a child like my brain telling me "You enjoy this" so I do. I suppose I expect the games suggested above to be extremely similar to the point of non-enjoyment. One FF game that I can say that still stands out to this day is Crisis Core. My god, that game is so criminally underrated and blows the original FFVII out of the water in almost every aspect. I replayed it recently and I was so into it and enjoyed every second I spent playing it. The combat beats every other FF game I've ever played. Zack Fair is about the only FF protagonist that truly feels like he has earned the right to be called a hero. He goes through absolute hell to save the planet and ends up dying in the process. It was extremely emotional going through this long adventure, defeating the baddest of the baddies, saving countless lives including the beloved Cloud and losing your girl only to be ambushed by thousands and thousands of Shinra troops where Zack quite literally fights until his last breath. I wouldn't change a damn thing about that game. The materia system, the combat(this is the only FF game that's ever used this system), the level up system, the general ambiance of the game, the epic Eidolon fights....ugh it's just so good.

Not saying a game has to operate the same way at all, but it's like I get a dirt taste in my mouth when going back and playing some older FF games. I know they are great games, but over the years they have lost their luster. That's exactly how I'm imagining the games that have been suggested to me and seem to fit the part when watching gameplay videos of them. I don't doubt the stories are fantastic but that alone isn't enough to draw me in. I'm not even married to something like Crisis Core, it's just the most recent game i've played that gave me that feeling again.

I would try Chrono Trigger but that price has got to come way down, but again, looks like something i've already experienced a hundred times over. So maybe just something unique but still good?

Crafting in Atelier does actually sound pretty good. I'll have to check that out didn't know the games were centered around that.

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

I noticed that you mentioned FF7, and specifically Crisis Core. What exactly do you mean by the "older FFs"? Because the first nine games can be quite different kettles of fish.

The first three, maybe five games, have settings largely based on standard fantasy, and while the first game is a sort of "legendary heroes, go save the world" story, the stories in each basically get progressively more complex (with the exception of 2 which I think is noticeably more complex than 3 which is more like 1). The settings also became more complex and fleshed-out, deviating from standard fantasy. This process of setting customization really began to be a thing in 6, which has a very distinctive setting noticeably unlike standard fantasy, and incorporating a variety of steampunk elements amongst the fantasy elements (assuming I'm using these terms correctly). Additionally, 4-6 being on the SNES meant that the music took a leap forward in the variety of instruments that could be used, and the graphics took a leap forward in that the greater color variety and cartridge space meant that sprites could be more detailed, more expressive, and more customized for storytelling. Also, while 2 began story complexity, to be developed further in later games, 6 turned it into a full-fledged epic, setting the stage for 7.

7 is not just the series's first foray into full 3D, but also the first one to feature a setting with outright modern elements, albeit in the form of a dystopia. In a way, 7 is arguably the first "modern FF", with how far it is from swords-and-sorcery fantasy (whereas its competitor series Dragon Quest stuck with that), and how its setting is not just "a steampunk setting" or "a cyberpunk setting" or whatever but takes a mix of elements and makes its own thing, and it's also the first game with Tetsuya Nomura as character designer and that shows in the character designs inspired by visual kei[en.wikipedia.org] as well as its own distinctive take on the anime art style (even for cute characters), resulting in an aesthetic that's come to characterize that series and its protags since then. With the possible exception of 9, which is sort of a "neoclassical" entry in that it seems to pay homage to the earlier FF games, though still with some of the more modern touches.

So in short I'd like to know what you mean by "older FF", is it swords-and-sorcery or pretty (albeit maybe low-poly) boys in black?

[Spaz]

For anyone who still might care, I picked up Dragon Quest XI and am extremely pleased with it. I've never touched a Dragon Quest game before, but from what I've experienced so far, DQ11 is absolutely phenomenal. My only complaint is that, for a Square game especially, the score for this game is quite lacking. Certainly not a deal breaker as I can just turn the music vol down and play whatever I want, but I do feel like it takes away at least a bit from the whole experience. Any how, it's a pretty copy-paste story until you start getting into it. THE CHARACTERS MAKE THIS STORY. The English dub is surprisingly good as well. Almost every area you go to, the locals bear a different accent which makes the game extremely immersive. The protagonist(you, the Luminary) never speaks a line apart from a few well-places grunts. However, the way the other characters interact with you, you wouldn't be able to tell until you pay attention. The combat is classic turn-based with many options that are certainly strategic. However, what makes the combat for me is the absolutely breathtaking art and stunning animations. There are a wide variety of enemies and they each have their own character. I found myself optionally going into battle when I saw an unknown enemy. Other than the soundtrack, the execution on it is flawless and I don't know why I would have expected any less from a Squex game. I hope they bring more of the franchise to PC in the future.

[[SK] Kaldaien]

Have you played any strategy JRPGs? Because if not, you have missed a ton of those :P

There is no telling whether the sub-genre will appeal to you, I know I absolutely hated it at first but there are some real gems such as Suikoden.

Not on PC, of course, but if you have never been exposed to the genre at all it could be daunting and I think the only "strategy" JRPG you will find in any real capacity on PC is the Disgaea series, which is strategy in name only. It took that style of gameplay and just turned it into a level 999999999 grind fest :)

[Quint the Alligator Snapper]

Początkowo opublikowane przez SK Kaldaien:

Have you played any strategy JRPGs? Because if not, you have missed a ton of those :P

There is no telling whether the sub-genre will appeal to you, I know I absolutely hated it at first but there are some real gems such as Suikoden.

Not on PC, of course, but if you have never been exposed to the genre at all it could be daunting and I think the only "strategy" JRPG you will find in any real capacity on PC is the Disgaea series, which is strategy in name only. It took that style of gameplay and just turned it into a level 999999999 grind fest :)

What about Valkyria Chronicles?

And if Disgaea counts, what about Agarest War?

[Crazy Tiger]

There is also God Wars:
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1038810/GOD_WARS_The_Complete_Legend/