Help me figure out which bullshit JRPG I want to play

Kazin said:

OH, THE 7TH DRAGON SERIES, SPECIFICALLY THE PSP AND 3DS GAMES, GAER, OMG

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Kazin. My friend. No. Did you see the mention of no Squick? I am incredibly, ludicrously, sensitive to that. If anyone (NPC, Party, Member, Boss) looks like this:

I am not playing it ever.

Regulus said:

I am Setsuna, maybe?

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Mediocre through and through. Pretty artwork though...

Nich said:

Gonna second Tokyo Mirage Sessions if you haven't played that. Kylie would third me, if she were here.

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Juno said:

I will also give a vote for Tokyo Mirage Sessions.

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I really don't like the Idols set up. I don't like the Jpop etc. And the way the game handles battles is not great.

narcodis said:

And, Lost Sphear! Even though I find the Tokyo RPG Factory games to be pretty hollow, they're still a nice chewy JRPG at the end of the day. Definitely fits the "bullshit JRPG" criteria.

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Same as Setsuna.

MetManMas said:

I'll second Octo's recommendation, Kemco's stuff is likely the closest you're gonna get to what you're looking for unless some random obscure localized jRPG pops up on NESflix or SNESflix.



I'd also be interested in this list, though I will say I prefer my jRPGs less stupid and am more open to non-standard stuff like sci-fi.

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Kemco is right out. I have a friend who reviews iPhone games as a living and my lordt we got to see the Kemco JRPG factory farms up real close. Exception: friend recommends Asdivine Hearts and only that one. I will prolly get that.

Ixo said:

Does this include the two Blue Dragon games on the DS?

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Ixo, I thought we were friends. : (
(They are really not good games.)


I guess naming my thread "Bullshit JRPGs" was a bit of a mistake. I would like to play good JRPGs. There seems to be a dearth of them these days. So many have elements that I'll not be able to ignore (see that 7th Dragon pic up there). I had noted awhile back that since 2010ish JRPGs either got really gross (pandering to otaku gross) or they are taking them in directions I'm not super fond of (genre blending or rather that it's only genre blending). I say this as one of my favourite "JRPGs" is FFXIV, which is a JRPG with an MMO action-battle system.

My best bet is to get a Steam Link thing going on so I can play through the rest of the TiTS series. Cold Steel 3 apparently gets really gross (for me), and the whole JRPGs set in school has never been my bag.

Now, I did play through Ara Fell, and I'm prolly gonna make a thread because it was a nice little snack of a JRPG. I blew through it so fast that it really sets in how much I miss what was once my favourite genre.

Another recommendation from my JRPG buddies (hey @Aeana) is Operencia: The Stolen Sun. Based on Hungarian mythology too!


Other friend said the Switch port is fine wrt performance (other than a bit of loading time) but I might check out a few vids before deciding where I play it.

I should probably say that PS4 is fine, and further PC games if I can get Steam Link working alright.

And I do want to absolutely say that I appreciate everyone's efforts here! I promise I'm not trying to be a shit. It did get me Ara Fell! I guess I didn't realise how few Switch JRPGs there were.

Out of curiosity, have you played the original Xenoblade Chronicles? I'm wrapping up the Switch remaster at the moment and it's an utterly fantastic experience. Really surprised to play a JRPG from the Wii era that not only has surprisingly great cutscene direction, but also has an overall really enjoyable story. A lot more mature of an experience than I expected. This game would have felt at home in the SNES & PS1 era, but I'm glad that it happened later on.

Been playing it a lot in handheld too and it's really solid there too (although the resolution drops, it still runs great and it's never extreme).

EDIT: My bad, I skimmed past the turnbased requirement. Still recommended if you're ever in the mood for something not turnbased.

I did play it on Wii and I want to get the Switch remake. It’s a good game with a batshit nonsensical story just like how the Takahashi do.

The price is just a bit too dear for me at the moment.

Just.......um........don't.......experiment with Sharla's armor options....cause nearly all of them are bullshit

Yeah I did play it on Wii. I remember. She’s basically the absolute edge of tolerance for me

It's SOOOOOO annoying how Sharla can't find a piece of armor that doesn't cover her whole chest and/or her butt.

She's a good character otherwise!

WildcatJF said:

It's SOOOOOO annoying how Sharla can't find a piece of armor that doesn't cover her whole chest and/or her butt

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The times we live in, friend.

I’ve been playing Ys VIII on switch which is a lot of fun, but, yeah, it’d be nice if Dana and all her friends would put on some damn clothes.

If studios offered "Sweatpants and sweatshirt" as DLC armor I would be out a LOT of money.

WildcatJF said:

It's SOOOOOO annoying how Sharla can't find a piece of armor that doesn't cover her whole chest and/or her butt.

She's a good character otherwise!

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yeah, it's really ridiculous that it's like that.

sucks because it feels like everyone else has pretty decent variety clothes wise.

something something unexamined misogyny in video games something something have to appeal to gross dudes something something

I'll try a few more Switch RPG recs. None are optimal but one might catch your eye!

Child of Light has a strong fairy tale aesthetic and one of the most fun turn-based battle systems I've experienced. I'm told it's similar to Grandia but haven't played Grandia yet. (Grandia is on Switch, come to think of it.) The dialogue all rhymes which annoys some people sometimes. It's short-ish, around 5-10 hours probably, and published by Ubisoft of all companies which is a bit of a bummer these days.

Cosmic Star Heroine wants to be is like Chrono Trigger meets cyberpunk meets Phantasy Star meets a willfully obtuse battle system. I found the writing a bit stiff and had technical problems with the Vita version that made me quit a few hours in, but I was intrigued enough to buy it again for the Switch when it was on sale for like $2 not long ago.

Brave Dungeon is a port of a 3DS RPG that is pretty bullshit but fun bullshit if you're up for turn-based dungeon-delving. It has an all-female-cast with Anime(tm) character designs but nothing too repellant, maybe. Think off-brand Touhou. It's short and the story is almost nonexistent so it's really just good for dungeon crawling.

Fell Seal is a pure SRPG, basically a knock-off of Final Fantasy Tactics. Everything about it is solid. It has a cool, no-nonsense female protagonist which IMO is always a plus. It feels more polished than the Mercenaries Saga games that are also available on the system. Other than the fact that it's an SRPG it really shouldn't pose any issues.

I got CSH when it was that cheap too, so I'll prolly give it a go next.

q 3 said:

Child of Light has a strong fairy tale aesthetic and one of the most fun turn-based battle systems I've experienced. I'm told it's similar to Grandia but haven't played Grandia yet. (Grandia is on Switch, come to think of it.) The dialogue all rhymes which annoys some people sometimes. It's short-ish, around 5-10 hours probably, and published by Ubisoft of all companies which is a bit of a bummer these days.

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Oh man, I didn't even think of Child of Light for this but yes it's a great game. I played it on WiiU and assume it's the same (if not better) on Switch.

On 3DS, maybe Crimson Shroud, Dragon Quest VII or Strange Journey. I feel like Strange Journey fits every criteria, but you might have played it already on DS.

Gaer said:

I really don't like the Idols set up. I don't like the Jpop etc. And the way the game handles battles is not great.

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My apologies. I meant no offense here. It was the last JRPG I played that I really enjoyed but I can see where that was stupid of me.

Why are you apologizing? I should be the one to apologize considering 95% of the thread I’m like “ew no” to people trying to help!

I can see where people are getting enjoyment out of it. I’ve watched my cousin play it off and on and while I might give it a try it’s just a lot of things I’m not too keen about.

If I’d have known that Operencia was on the table as a consideration, I’d have recommended it. It’s exceptional, but it’s far more Wizardry than Dragon Quest

Gaer said:

I guess naming my thread "Bullshit JRPGs" was a bit of a mistake. I would like to play good JRPGs. There seems to be a dearth of them these days. So many have elements that I'll not be able to ignore (see that 7th Dragon pic up there). I had noted awhile back that since 2010ish JRPGs either got really gross (pandering to otaku gross) or they are taking them in directions I'm not super fond of (genre blending or rather that it's only genre blending). I say this as one of my favourite "JRPGs" is FFXIV, which is a JRPG with an MMO action-battle system.

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I think this is part of an under-recognized trend of the 2010s. Looking back, I feel that the number of entries -- above a certain minimum profile -- in most legacy genres was cut down significantly. If you pull up the wikipedia page of any major publisher, for example, the number of releases for the 2010s is far smaller than the 2000s (and in the 2000s there would have been more of these "major publishers"). Then there's the industry's trend for sameness (identifying factors from other developer's successful games, and copying them). In the PS2 generation, that might have still worked in the favor for turn based JRPGSs since FF7 (and the FF series) was still being identified as one of the most important successes to learn from. Afterwards, it was dungeon crawlers and active combat that was being identified.

Gaer,

I have traveled here across space, time and dimension to tell you to play Luxaren Allure.

It was made by my friend unity, is completely free, has adorable characters, badass heroines, a robust battle system, and lots and lots of girl romance.

(Don't be scared off by the yuri tag, the game is rated PG-13 at best and there's nothing in the game meant to appeal to gross dudes.)

Destiny Connect on the Switch (or PS4 or whatever) might be worth a look?

It has a few things that breech the criteria - it's a contemporary/near-future setting so it's not swords n' shit, and the battle parties are only 3 characters - but from what I've played so far it seems to otherwise match most of the criteria (though obviously can't speak about false endings and the like but they don't seem likely from what I've played)

It also has a fairly unique art style for a JRPG out of Japan (especially for one made by Nippon Ichi Software). And don't let that name scare you too much - from what I've played so far this is quite wholesome:


Though you do need a tolerance for children being the main members of you party - not only is the protagonist a tween girl, but in addition to her friends you also end up partying with and/or interacting with tween versions of their parents thanks to time travel.

Anyway can't give a full recommendation since I've only put a bit of time into it but it might be worth a look at least.

Gaer said:

Kazin. My friend. No. Did you see the mention of no Squick? I am incredibly, ludicrously, sensitive to that. If anyone (NPC, Party, Member, Boss) looks like this:

I am not playing it ever.

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I saw this post last night and I still can't remember who that even is. You usually don't fight humans in those games, and the instances when you do... well, from what I remember, they're not her. I wonder if she's in the postgame or something. Of course, that's 2020-II and while I enjoyed that one, I liked the first and third games better, so maybe I'm just forgetting... not that any of this will convince you to play 7th Dragon, anyway.

Elminage Gothic? It's Wizardry. You might not want this since you've ruled out Etrian Odyssey as being a "hybrid" (which puzzles me). Unlike EO4, there's no outrageously stupid character art. The interface looks so slapdash that I believe it was on purpose to suggest how hardcore this is. I don't know about hardcore. I only know I liked it a lot. There's a 3DS port, although I can't vouch for that one.

If you play Cosmic Star Heroine, choose Super-Spy difficulty or you'll walk over everything. That will still happen once you assemble a full quartet, but it's genuinely strategic when you're forced to work with less. It looks like Chrono Trigger, but it doesn't play like it. The combat design brings up several interesting ideas (how to make Guard interesting, how to encourage team synergy, how to encourage planning 3-4 turns ahead in every circumstance) that sadly stop mattering once you figure out what breaks it, because all enemies past a certain point effectively only differ by sprite.

Beautiful mapping / tilesets, though. And the Snatcher-like cutscenes.

I think that suggesting that a player begin CSH on Super-Spy without ever having played it before is very bad advice; they are likely to just bounce off the tutorial battle.

Piling on, CSH sings when you roll with its options - if you pick one party and game-breaking strategy and push forward with it, you'll breeze through the game, but if you frequently experiment with new party builds and equipment, you'll experience more variety and challenge. I think this is the right way to play it (unless you want to chump it or speedrun it), especially because you have a ton of party members to choose from. Plus you can change difficulty at any time so there's really no reason to kick it off on the hardest setting.

I liked CSH a lot so consider this a +1 rec!

I've never been interested in Zeboyd Games RPGs based on their writing and tone, so on that precedent Cosmic Star Heroine was out of the running for me, but to be honest the kneejerk dealbreaker always was in seeing the contrast between the playable women and men as visual designs, where the former are these conventionally attractive, fantasy-tinged amalgams of Phantasy Star portrait art and whatever else genre and era-evocative influences, while the men look like self-inserts of potentially the developers, or the presumed audience.

As a well-dressed chrome dancing robot myself, I agree with your way out in left field assumptions.

Thanks for getting snappy with me because I read a video game differently than you. That's one of the pictures that assessment was based on, and also how the game is promoted in what I presume are the earliest party members you meet, and so the most prominent: fancy white and blue haired women; "realistically" mundane beardy nerd with that skillset as their game mechanics superpower, and another plain-looking guy in a way the women aren't. It's a contrast.

Alright, I'll bite, and then I'm done, because I realize this is getting afield of this thread's goals.

CSH felt to me that the developers were making a conscious choice to have more female speaking role characters in their game, but perhaps they didn't think much about the typical game industry standards of having male characters look weird/cool while having female characters look conventionally attractive. Of course the game could do better by having female-identifying characters with a wider variety of body types. But it feels bizarre to me to judge a game completely on a knee-jerk like that, especially since it succeeds where a lot of other games, especially within the JRPG genre, fail completely. It feels like moving the goalposts.

I played CSH on the second-highest difficulty and found it challenging, though more in the way that SaGa games make me feel like I have no idea whether I'm playing it correctly. It doesn't actually play like a SaGa game, it just has a lot of moving parts that don't always fit together in ways that I could easily grasp.

Another possibility: try the second Octopath demo and play either H'aanit or Ophelia's intro chapter. I found Primose's story to be probably the single worst part of the game, but you can skip her completely and still see 85% of the content which is easily 40+ hours of solid JRPGing.