# JRPG -Thread



## Mwoit (Jul 1, 2014)

If this exists already, please delete this thread.

Otherwise... let's chat JRPG! 

I've got goals to play:

- Secret of Mana (again) copp with my future flatmate
- Secret of Evermore 
- Earthbound

At the moment I'm playing:

- Tales of Symphonia HD (PS3)

And I'll probably pick up Tales of Xillia 2 when it's released in the UK.

Anyone else a fan?


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## Bloody_Inferno (Jul 1, 2014)

Your goals, do it in this order:

Secret of Mana
Earthbound
Secret of Evermore. 
...unless you enjoyed Mana so much you want more of it.  then your order is fine. 

My goal... get the latest Tales game and finish the mountain of JRPGs I've procrastinated over the years... Star Ocean The Last Hope being one of them...


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## Mwoit (Jul 1, 2014)

I'll start Secret of Evermore by myself since it's one player. Once that's done I can start Earthbound. I'll finish Mana whenever I have time with my flatmate, and that's not exactly a rushed thing since I've finished it loads.  I've got Tales of Symphonia HD and I totally forgot, Dawn Of A New World to complete since I never got round to playing that on the Wii. That's another 30 - 40 hours down the drain it seems!

I never got round to finishing Star Ocean, but I wasn't really into it. I might get round to it...

On a sidenote, it's not exactly a JRPG, but since I got my Wii U last month I need to finish Skyward Sword on the Wii before I can get into Wind Waker HD.

---

Not enough time for them all.


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## asher (Jul 1, 2014)

I need to finish Stick of Truth.


.... what? It's totally a JRPG, dressed up with South Park clothing and dialogue 

At some point I should really play Chrono Trigger.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Jul 1, 2014)

Mwoit said:


> Not enough time for them all.



Ain't that the truth. 

The games I still haven't finished:

Grandia (the first one... )
Valkyria Profile 2 (bought the game dirt cheap and did nothing but sit on my collection)
Odin Sphere (odd considering I finished Muramasa: The Demon Blade)
Samurai Legend Musashi (almost finished this one then forgot about it after Kingdom Hearts 2 came out)
Robotrek (Pokemon before Pokemon)
Every Breath Of Fire game on the SNES (oh man...)
Rudra No Hiho (bloody hell this was impossible )
Treasure Hunter G (such a great great game... no idea why I stopped it...)
Lagoon (old SNES game that was too mediocre for me to keep going)
Bahamut Lagoon ugh
Shadowrun wallbash
The Ys games on SNES
Every Star Ocean and Tales game I've ever touched (the first Star Ocean game was probably the very first JRPG game that started me not finishing games...)
Battle Of Olympus (I guess this counts as an JRPG?)

...too many. I guess I had a life to live and music to play. 




asher said:


> At some point I should really play Chrono Trigger.



Dude...

If there's one JRPG you have to play that doesn't say Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy on the box, this is it. 

While on the subject of Chrono Trigger:

It's great, but not that _great_ per se. It lacks character depth and it feels rather lightweight compared to the Final Fantasy series of it's time. Still, yes it is one of the top 10 JRPGs to play.


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## asher (Jul 1, 2014)

Oh, Shadowrun, I have that too. Mannnn I'm bad at playing games


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## Mwoit (Jul 1, 2014)

I listen to tons of JRPG soundtracks at work (turns out it's pretty good to have in the background) and the Chrono Trigger OST is absolutely killer.


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## Ralyks (Jul 1, 2014)

asher said:


> I need to finish Stick of Truth.
> 
> 
> .... what? It's totally a JRPG, dressed up with South Park clothing and dialogue
> ...


 

Agreed with all of the above. And Chrono Trigger, absolutely, one of the greatest RPGs ever made.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Jul 1, 2014)

asher said:


> Oh, Shadowrun, I have that too. Mannnn I'm bad at playing games


 
...and I just realised Shadowrun isn't a JRPG.  Carry on...


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## Sofos (Jul 3, 2014)

I need suggestions on the best JRPGs for Vita/PSP. Already have Persona 4 and 3, don't even bother saying Final Fantasy/Chrono Trigger lol. I like more light hearted (Such as P4G being more funny than P3's dark atmosphere)


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## Forrest_H (Jul 3, 2014)

asher said:


> At some point I should really play Chrono Trigger.



Yes, you do. I wasn't even born when it came out, but my uncle gave me a port for the DS, and dear lord I loved it. It was such a fun game. It was the only turn-based game I got into, and even at the age of 15, I was emotionally attached to the characters 

Go buy. Now.


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## Qweklain (Jul 6, 2014)

Bloody_Inferno said:


> The games I still haven't finished:
> 
> Grandia (the first one... ) What?!? The 1st one (like all of them) rocks!
> Valkyrie Profile 2 (bought the game dirt cheap and did nothing but sit on my collection)  I haven't played either one yet... =/
> ...


If I listed all the games I haven't played that I owned, I'd be on here for hours looking at my collection trying to remember all the names. I can probably name over 75%, but I am almost done with Xbox 360 completely, then I move on to PS3 (currently working on Tomb Raider Trilogy).

Now I have a PS4 coming (Destiny pre-order bundle, because white systems rock)... I just want to get back to playing my PS1 collection and replaying a bunch of N64, Sega Saturn, and if I can get an emulator working, some Dreamcast games. I also pre-ordered the collector's of The Order: 1886. I LOVE 3rd person shooters and the setting/premise of this game looks awesome. So many games!!!

Blinferno, check the quote as I added some stuff next to your game list. As for Chrono Trigger, it really is just a fantastic game. That soundtrack is so awesome I bought a copy from Japan.

Secret of Evermore is my favorite game of all time. Awesome story, battle, and leveling system. STRATEGY TIP: Take the time to level up certain magic. If you do, it turns the bosses into easy mode, kind of like Secret of Mana. I played 100% melee and the bosses took a while to kill in the later parts of the game, but with magic you will destroy them. There are a lot of hidden spells, but most of them you won't use. The main hidden spell that you will want to get is Fireball.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Jul 6, 2014)

^ My list wasn't everything either... I still haven't finished Ni No Kuni for one. And I'm dragging my feet with Dark Souls 2 (yes, for the record, the Dark Souls series are technically in fact JRPGs), with Lightning Returns. But my TV is playing up, which makes playing games too disorienting. 

A lot those games I mentioned were from the dying days of the SNES era. I even left out a a few of those too like Super Mario RPG (embarrassed to even add this) and Wonder Project J (obscure Enix game with a strong Pinocchio premise), Radical Dreamers (precursor to Chrono Cross: text based RPG that I hated ) and God knows all the PS1/2 games I've neglected. Not enough time...


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## Bloody_Inferno (Jul 6, 2014)

Sofos said:


> I need suggestions on the best JRPGs for Vita/PSP. Already have Persona 4 and 3, don't even bother saying Final Fantasy/Chrono Trigger lol. I like more light hearted (Such as P4G being more funny than P3's dark atmosphere)



Final Fantasy TACTICS. 










Ok seriously, I don't have a PSP/Vita so my experience is limited only to reissues. But from what I hear, this ticks all your criteria:







The Disgaea series are also filled with light hearted humour so they would be worth checking out as well.


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## Mr. Big Noodles (Jul 6, 2014)

I liked Secret of Evermore quite a bit more than Secret of Mana. It's a pretty quick game, and it has Mana's battle system, so everything flows pretty smoothly. It's not the best plot ever. The music is top notch, though. Jeremy Soule did a wonderful job on the soundtrack. Between the music and the graphics, it is an incredibly atmospheric game. Not Japanese, though; Nintendo of America developed the game with minimal input from Japan.

Terranigma is a good JRPG for the SNES. The only English release was in the European market. Illusion of Gaia is in the same 'lineage' as Terrangima. Both feel to me like a halfway point between Secret of Mana and Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.


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## Mwoit (Jul 7, 2014)

Bloody_Inferno said:


> ^ My list wasn't everything either... I still haven't finished *Ni No Kuni* for one. And I'm dragging my feet with Dark Souls 2 (yes, for the record, the Dark Souls series are technically in fact JRPGs), with Lightning Returns. But my TV is playing up, which makes playing games too disorienting.



... What!? No Ni No Kuni! Why are we even friends?!

Dark Souls 2 is class. I cheesed it as a mage and was way OP at the end (let's just say I destroyed the last boss) so I plan on getting back on it some time when I've forgotten things.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Jul 7, 2014)

Mr. Big Noodles said:


> Terranigma is a good JRPG for the SNES. The only English release was in the European market. Illusion of Gaia is in the same 'lineage' as Terrangima. Both feel to me like a halfway point between Secret of Mana and Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past.


 
 The Soul series is fantastic. Soul Blazer didn't age as well as it's successors, but it's still a solid game. And Illusion of Gaia and Terranigma are both fantastic (the latter being one of the finest to ever be released on the SNES). Everyone needs to play Terranigma at least once. Thank me later after building your home in France. 



Mwoit said:


> ... What!? No Ni No Kuni! Why are we even friends?!


 
 Of course you would get on my case with that. 

It got piled up with all the other recent games, and delayed even further due to my recent TV problems. Hell, I was gonna start Pandora's Tower but then my sister moved out with the Wii...

It's pretty easy anyway, got up to the Ice continent rather quickly, so I'll complete it eventually.


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## Qweklain (Jul 7, 2014)

How is Ni No Kuna? I didn't even add this to my list since two things I absolutely despise about JRPGs these days are relationship systems and over complicated pet systems. I like much more traditional styles of RPGs. Crafting systems are okay, as long as they are not ridiculous.

For example, Record of Agarest War... I hate the game (but I started it so I have to get that 1k achievements ), but the crafting system is pretty cool. Simple, yet expansive to get all the items.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Jul 8, 2014)

Qweklain said:


> How is Ni No Kun*i*? I didn't even add this to my list since two things I absolutely despise about JRPGs these days are relationship systems and over complicated pet systems.


 
Despite not finishing the game yet (I swear I will ), I'm gonna be as honest as I can here, because I have as much criticism as I have praise. I'll try to keep it spoiler free... 

I've played JRPGs my whole life since the NES (Zelda counts somewhat), and playing Secret Of Mana for the first time was, to me, the gateway to what the quintessential JRPGs are all about. I'm saying this because I would know how extremely trope driven JRPGs are. And of course with your track record of RPGs... you would too. 

Ni No Kuni celebrates on every JRPG archetype, does it very well and it's extremely unapologetic about it. Nothing new here, at all. And that's both a good and bad thing for me. 

It's awesome because it does everything that I've loved in the classic JRPGs I've grown up with: 

Young kid stumbles on an adventure, check.
Gain token female and odd fellow with tragic past, check.
Travel through lush landscapes: plains, forests, deserts, volcanoes, ice lands, then later get some aerial travel, check. 
Casinos, colosseums, ghost ships, check.
Capturing monsters and leveling them up by fighting, feeding and taching new moves, check (if you liked Pokemon)
...There's more that I didn't mention... I haven't finished it yet. 

That's all good, especially for those of this generation who want a gateway to JRPGs. Ni No Kuni is perfect for that. It's presented very well, the graphics are Studio Ghibli standards, and Joe Hisashi's score is exquisite. 

However for the JRPG junkies, the fact that there is literally NOTHING new going on here will come and hit you sooner or later. The levelling up system for both characters and "familiar" monsters are traditional and conservative. The pet system is pretty much a carbon copy of Pokemon but evoutions are exclusively triggered by items. And that borrows a similar tree system with classes in Seiken Densetsu 3 (Mana 2). 

Everything checked point I said above becomes a sort of "been there done that" chore. It all becomes a little too familiar where you start questioning your judgement against the blinding power of nostalgia, which is something this game champions. The story is predicable as hell and the pacing is pretty meh. You plough through cliche after cliche and by the latter stages, you wonder if the Studio Ghibli name is nothing more than a marketing sugarcoat. 

Really, Ni No Kuni is an amalgamation of a bunch of classic JRPG elements rolled into one. If you can get get over the fact that, yes, it does indulge in it's tropes too much for it's own good, then you'll enjoy a fun light hearted game. 

...I should finish this eh?


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## Qweklain (Jul 8, 2014)

Bloody_Inferno said:


> Despite not finishing the game yet (I swear I will ), I'm gonna be as honest as I can here, because I have as much criticism as I have praise. I'll try to keep it spoiler free...
> 
> I've played JRPGs my whole life since the NES (Zelda counts somewhat), and playing Secret Of Mana for the first time was, to me, the gateway to what the quintessential JRPGs are all about. I'm saying this because I would know how extremely trope driven JRPGs are. And of course with your track record of RPGs... you would too.
> 
> ...


Doesn't sound too bad. I didn't play much of Pokemon, but it was simple enough (at the first iterations of it). I personally like the simpler side of things. A lot of games completely turned me off because they strayed too far from the simple/familiar end. I may add it to my list, but I have so many games I may just give it a pass at this point.

For example, Tactical RGPS (FFT, Tactics Ogre, etc.) were fantastic, but when Disgaea came out and all that combination attacks and massiveness just got to be too much after the first. Then all the TRPGs became this way and now they are too boring/carbon-copy. Don't get me wrong, I like new things, new features, and all that jazz.

However, when you start straying too far I lose interest because that familiarity of what I fell in love with is gone, or it just becomes too complicated. I deal enough with complicated in my career, I don't want to play a game that portrays itself as traditional/modern, but is just over-bearing.


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## Mwoit (Jul 8, 2014)

Bloody_Inferno said:


> Despite not finishing the game yet (I swear I will ), I'm gonna be as honest as I can here, because I have as much criticism as I have praise. I'll try to keep it spoiler free...
> 
> I've played JRPGs my whole life since the NES (Zelda counts somewhat), and playing Secret Of Mana for the first time was, to me, the gateway to what the quintessential JRPGs are all about. I'm saying this because I would know how extremely trope driven JRPGs are. And of course with your track record of RPGs... you would too.
> 
> ...



This is all true. And the main thing that bothered me (and it's why I've not gone back to it) is that it's damn easy. If you end up with a certain monster or the perfect team, you can breeze through the game. And the fighting system isn't exactly full of depth. 

Other things that I didn't like about it is that there's not enough secret things or huge grand bosses. There is a post main quest sidequest chain that apparently which ends up in a weird weird way but I've not gotten that far due to my lack of motivation to do any more. I do like the bounty hunt but when it's just reskins of existing monsters or bosses... hurr.

Things that I did love were the open world and music. The music by Joe Hisaishi is grand and fits the mood quite well. It gives it that Ghibli polish. The music for exploring the open world makes me hard. I love open worlds since it gives that sense of freedom and excitement. I wanna discover wee pockets of adventure and cool shit. It reminded me of DQ8 which had the same feel.

---

In other news, on top of all my other games I've got to play on PC (South Park, replay DS2, ME3, Baldurs Gate 1 & 2 enhanced edition), I just ordered Professor Layton Azran and Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. Time to get the 3DS back into action!


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## InfinityCollision (Jul 8, 2014)

It's a rare JRPG (a rare game in general really) that actually has some depth and challenge to the system. I was talking to a friend the other day about how easy it is to completely break Xenoblade's battle system in half a dozen different ways.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Jan 2, 2015)

Thought I'd bump this up. 

After finally fixing my TV problems (ie, buying a new one), I FINALLY finished Lightning Returns. The game has a new game+ that makes you play for a few extra dresses and quests, but I dunno if I'll be revisiting this anytime soon. Still, albeit somewhat unsastisfying as the classics, I finally closed the FFXIII saga. 



asher said:


> I need to finish Stick of Truth.
> 
> .... what? It's totally a JRPG, dressed up with South Park clothing and dialogue


 
Been playing this a lot lately, in fact that I put Tales Of Symphonia Dawn Of The New World on hold for this. Bloody awesome. Clearly Parker and Stone are massive Earthbound/Mother fans and it shows. Also helps that they put a lot of love into this game. Plus the fact that I overpowered my character before being rewarded the Sir Douchebag title, gets my personal J-RPG seal of approval. 

Shame that Australia gets the censored version though...

EDIT: Speaking of Tales, the first Symphonia is officially the first Tales game I bothered to finish head to foot. I played the first Phantasia game back in the day and forgot it completely halfway through...


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## Sofos (Jan 2, 2015)

Any good ones for Android? I already have the FF games and Chaos Rings


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## Mwoit (Jan 2, 2015)

I'm blasting Tales of Xillia II with a mate. It's good.


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## Mwoit (Feb 3, 2015)

I got Earthbound (Mother 2) for the Wii U Virtual Console.







It is batshit mental.

And I love it.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Feb 4, 2015)

Bloody_Inferno said:


> I put Tales Of Symphonia Dawn Of The New World on hold...


 
Playing this now... and boy oh boy does it suck. Quite possibly the worst protagonist in any RPG ever made, all the previous main characters have been reduced to minor support. Granted that it predates FFXIII-2 in terms of capturing monsters and using them as allies (ala Robotrek and Pokemon), but I've felt that buffing up the monsters just felt more of a chore than the usual JRPG fare. Both games suffer this, but at least FFXIII-2 was more enjoyable. 

I will say that right after Symphonia, Dawn does have a great opening but the plot then takes a nosedive for the worse that it's hard to maintain insentive to go on. Such a shame, especially how good Symphonia was. 

Of course, I'm about 75% in so I will stomach all the faults to the bitter end... perfect ending and all. 

I can see why this was universally hated during it's initial release. But I'm one of the few that didn't mind the fact that all the original locations were reused and most of the music was just remixed. It is a sequel after all, and I like that kind of familiarity it gives.




Sofos said:


> Any good ones for Android? I already have the FF games and Chaos Rings


 
Some recommendations:

*Adventure Bar Story *
Different to your typical save the world premise, and does a very good job at it too. 

*Symphony Of The Origin*
More of the usual archtype J-RPG stylings, but the fun combat system makes up for it. 



Mwoit said:


> I got Earthbound (Mother 2) for the Wii U Virtual Console.
> 
> It is batshit mental.
> 
> And I love it.


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## Mwoit (Jun 3, 2015)

I am a huge sucker for DQVIII.

So when they reannounce it for 3DS...

Dragon Quest VIII 3D debut trailer - Looks better in motion

For lazy people:




B==============D


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## leftyguitarjoe (Jun 3, 2015)

My favorites:

Chrono Trigger (The only turn based game I've ever liked)
Dark Souls (2, Bloodborne, ect...)
Dragon's Dogma


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## Repner (Jun 4, 2015)

Right now im playing through Radiant Historia for the DS. Cant believe i left it this long. It plays in an old school JRPG style, and has a really cool and well done time travel / alternate timelines system. Really loving the political story as well.

Also alongside that, I've decided to do a playthrough of the entire Dragon Quest series, starting with the Super Famicom remakes of the first three.


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## Xaios (Jun 6, 2015)

I generally loathe JRPGs.

I loved Chrono Trigger.

That is all.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jun 14, 2015)

Mother (1) officially coming to the US.


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## Repner (Jun 15, 2015)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Mother (1) officially coming to the US.




Oh man. PLEASE let this come to Europe as well

EDIT: Not only was it a worldwide release, it was already released last night/this morning! Downloading it now! 

Mother 3 has to happen now.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jun 15, 2015)

The generation of the remakes/remasters.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake is happening.


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## Repner (Jun 17, 2015)

Star Ocean: Integrity And Faithlessness was shown as well.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Jun 18, 2015)

Now with all the awesome stuff and remakes coming out that will eventually make me broke with a surplus of games I'll certainly never complete...

Nomura Wants to Remake Final Fantasy V and VI

...go on Nomura san. Off you go then. And not like those dodgy ROM conversions that you did for PS1 yonks ago either.


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## Bloody_Inferno (Jun 18, 2015)

While we're on the subject of incomplete...

I'm 80% deep in Tales Of Xillia 2. The Xillia games, while not perfect, are just as solid as the rest the Tales lineup. General consensus is that most Tales games are consistently good (sans Symphonia 2). 

I plowed through the first game rather quickly and it was quite enjoyable, largely due to one of the better battle systems in any JRPG I've played.  It's extremely intricate, almost like a fighting game with plenty of surprises and unique movesets that it never felt like a chore. 2 just adds to the fun factor with the new main protagonist given 3 different weapons (and a story-based power excuse) thus adding even more options. 

Though Xillia 2 has it's problems, namely the Debt system. 

Early in the game, the plot brings your character into a serious amount of debt (20 millionin game currency) that you're forced to pay over the course of the game. So there's certain spots where capital is king and you're forced to do a few odd job sidequests to pay a quota just to force the story forward. This incidentally forces you to grind your party, I didn't realised that I pretty much maxed out my characters at where I am at the moment. Thankfully towards the end, the debt isn't mandatory to pay (though it reaps great rewards) and should you choose to pay, you can deposit any amount at any given time. 

Also because of the main character's fighting options, as well as being a permanent fixature of your party, this leads to all sorts of imbalance. Having every tool needed for every occasion, he becomes the sole greatest member of the group leaving all the other characters by the wayside. Which is a shame, as JRPGs often at least try to encourage you to play every member of the group (I certainly do). 

I'll finish this soon anyways. Both Xillia games have a decent story and enough unexpected twists to keep you hooked. Xillia 2 even expands on the plot giving all the supporting cast (all from the first game) their own side chapters and mini endings, as well as 3 possible main endings (1 bad and 2 good).


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## Mwoit (Jul 5, 2015)

Started Suikoden and Valkyria Chronicles.

Suikoden is the classic JRPG. I love it. Characters coming out of nowhere. Nothing explained. Great.

Valkyria Chronicles reminds me of Advance Wars. Characters are charming, the combat is pretty cool and in depth and the art style is gorgeous.


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## Repner (Jul 7, 2015)

Mwoit said:


> Started Suikoden and Valkyria Chronicles.
> 
> Suikoden is the classic JRPG. I love it. Characters coming out of nowhere. Nothing explained. Great.
> 
> Valkyria Chronicles reminds me of Advance Wars. Characters are charming, the combat is pretty cool and in depth and the art style is gorgeous.



Love Suikoden. I was considering doing another run through of the series (especially since now I don't need to use Swap Magic to run the third game since they finally bothered to do a European release. That also means I can finally start transferring Suikoden II saves to III). 


I've nearly finished Radiant Historia. Holy crap this game was amazing. Probably one of my favourite JRPGs now. Any JRPG fans who have a DS and haven't played this are seriously missing out. Do it!


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## Bloody_Inferno (Jul 22, 2016)

Thought I'd bump this from the dead as I've finished 2 massive games.

*Tales Of Zestiria*

After the gaming high I got from the 2 Xillia games back to back, I kept going with the Tales games. Though this time around being an anniversary celebration to the series, Zestiria harkens back to more classic medieval settings and themes. It's mostly familiar ground though the fields are more grand open world affair (while not Xenoblade level but still big for a Tales game) and a new take on the lore of dragons here. The story is simple and straight forward with the usual tropes and a main focus on adventure. It's the same song and dance but there's a lot going on to keep you interested. 

Perhaps the most unique take here is the battle system... which really is the crux of every JRPG. Using the classic Tales mechanic of linear motion battle system (it's actually a thing) and further elaborates it. Plenty of skills/arts as well as a nice instant 'tactic' maneuver so you have more control of your party than ever. Also like Xenoblade (and unlike most RPGs), battles physically takes place in the field you're in. 

The biggest gimmick for Zestiria is the new fusion system (Armatization). This is probably my favorite mechanic as it fuses 2 characters together into a new hybrid form that corresponds with one of the character's elements eg Fire: Large Sword, Water: Bow/Arrow etc, giving access to all sorts of new toys. 

All this comes with a major flaw though: there's no control of the camera.  Because every button is assigned to a unique action there was no room for camera adjustment during battles. This blows hard especially when you're in a narrow dungeon corridor and a crucial part of a battle forces you to look at a wall in the stupidest angle possible. Field cameras also behave arbitrarily (also known as the Ninja Gaiden syndrome), a bad distraction once again during dungeon navigation. 

It's not a perfect game by any stretch, and there's certainly not much new going on here at all. But it's a nice and comfy game if you're into the genre with a really cool battle system (despite it's major flaw). Only recommend if you're a Tales fan, otherwise, just watch the upcoming anime tie-in if you want to know the story. Lastly, to anyone who thought the Water Temple in Ocarina Of Time was frustrating, the Water Temple here will make you pull your hair out. 

The other game...

*Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel*

I've been aware of Nihon Falcom's Dragon Slayer canon (harkens back to old games like Faxanadu), and how Legend Of Heroes is a branch of that. But I barely played any of them (largely because of either PSP exclusive or general lack of localization interest). Though Legend Of Heroes games are getting more exposure lately thanks to Trails Of The Sky trilogy. Also the games are console/handheld inter-compatible. All I knew is that the series happens in the same universe that constantly reference each other, but you don't have to worry about them when you're starting a new series. 

With that in mind I started Cold Steel. 

If there is a manifestation of every anime ever accumulated into a JRPG, Cold Steel is that manifestation incarnate. Anime junkies can instantly cross off a check list and yell 'bingo' within the first 20 minutes. Add the fact that the game mostly is set in the character's school doesn't help the clichés piling down either. And that's before the JRPG tropes come in. 

Also the game is a linear and incredibly slow burn. There's no open field overworlds here. Just towns, long paths and dungeons. In it's place is a ton of exposition and dialogue. And so much of it that it feels largely like an infuriating visual novel (if that's not your thing). You spend most of the game in school, and being set in a school also gives the game excuses to throw you a ton of fetch quests, while optional, you miss out on some cool rewards if neglected and the game ranks you on how much of these quests and monster kills you do, and it all weighs you down heavily, with the story itself already at a pace of a dying man's crawl. 

That's a lot to complain about. And it really baffles me when I ask myself why I enjoyed the game so much...

Cold Steel actually reminds me of Final Fantasy XIII, but good. It commits the same sins of linearity and exposition, but FFXIII doesn't have a lot of traits of what makes Cold Steel fun to play. 

For one, the battle system isn't a retarded mess. Sure there's nothing new in the mix here, but it's familiar and you'll get used to it quickly. The link system also adds more strategic depth the stronger the bonds between characters become. 

Secondly, Cold Steel wants you to play more thanks to the plot and it's characters. Despite the slooow story, it's still engaging and you're eager to know more. The main character is far more tolerable than most JRPGs and acts as a beacon of reason when it comes to putting all the other characters in their place. And after the support cast get over their tropes, they show more depth and become rather likeable themselves. The bad guys aren't the usual Saturday morning scheming villains either and they get more dimensional as the story progresses. Certainly more fun than she-Cloud and co. And the finale throws something completely new into the mix and ends in one hell of a cliffhanger. 

Trails Of Cold Steel is certainly not for everyone, and obviously geared towards the hardcore JRPG gamers and to some extent, anime fans too. It certainly feels like a 'Season 1' anime with it's exposition and cliffhanger leading to the upcoming Part 2 of a trilogy (Falcom recently announced a Part 3). That said, despite it's many flaws, there's a lot of charm here that's worth the investment. Especially in a rather stagnating genre at this day and age.


TL/DR: 

*Tales Of Zestiria*: Play only if you're big on the Tales series, otherwise, just watch the anime and buy the amazing soundtrack. 

*Trails Of Cold Steel*: Anime in JRPG format but much more fun that it sounds. Basically Final Fantasy XIII but actually good.


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## Tenaba (Sep 6, 2016)

Anybody heard about Disgaea 2's port to Windows/OS X/Linux on January 30th, 2017? 

http://store.steampowered.com/app/495280/

It's a ways off from now, but I'm hyped as all hell. I played that game so often when I was young, so it's got a lot of memories It's also gonna have all the content from Dark Hero Days, all the DLC characters, the female-samurai bonus line, and a few extra characters too. Maximum excited for this.


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