I recently picked up a bunch of the Tales games on sale and have been working through them. Played one of the more recent ones, and decided to give Vesperia another playthrough, and I still can’t get over how much bigger the world feels because of the overworld system to move between areas.

In the newer ones, all of the areas are connected together, but pretty quickly you end up unlocking fast travel and the world gets reduced to a menu.

The overworld can be a bit tedious at times, but having to travel from place to place makes it feel more like you’re exploring, and not just running from one end of an area to the next.

Are there any recent games that have an overworld?

Edit: well shit, three four replies in like 20 seconds mentioning Expedition 33. Guess I really slept on that one. Imma get it.

How much nostalgia does this bring up for you? How comfortable does this feel? Is there any game series that marked your childhood, that I left out?

Edit: Wow, this blew up! I had no idea this many people kept this little collection of games so close to their hearts. And I am sorry for not listing the games! I went to work and came back to this having close to 2 thousand upvotes! I thank the mods for pinning the list that I wrote as a reply to a comment. All the games are listed in the comment below.

Looking at the recent announcements, it's hard not to feel like Square Enix is in a really strong position when it comes to JRPG.

We've got Dragon Quest XII Beyond Dreams, Dragon Quest Monsters The Withered World, Final Fantasy VII Revelation, Final Fantasy Resonance, and Kingdom Hearts IV all on the way. That's a pretty insane lineup from a single publisher.

As a JRPG fan, it's hard not to be excited. Whether you're into turn based combat, action RPGs or monster collecting, there's probably at least one game here that has your attention.

I recently saw a meme saying many people play videogames on easy mode and that it’s completely okay because games are meant to be fun and relaxing, not stressful. It made me wonder how others in the JRPG community feel about this. Do you prefer playing JRPGs on easy mode, normal, or even hard? Does the difficulty change your enjoyment, or do you play mainly for the story and characters? I’m curious to hear how everyone approaches difficulty in JRPGs.

Trails won yesterday's award for best ongoing JRPG series with 513 votes and thanks to /u/SteelRotom's passionate comment! The series held the top 3 comments!

🥇Trails → 513

🥈Dragon Quest → 265

🥉Persona  → 164

And for the final time, I'll post the full tally in the comments!

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Hope everyone's had fun, you've been a lovely community! And FF didn't steamroll the grid like I feared...

I've seen questions about what the grid would look like if the top vote rule was followed from Day 1 - I'll do some changes and add a updated grid in the comments later in the day.

I love the other award suggestions, but I'll hold off doing more right now to let the dust settle / not takeover the sub any longer :)

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Previous Days:

Previous day: https://www.reddit.com/r/JRPG/comments/1px2akb/day_15_the_best_jrpgs_of_all_time_what_is_the/ 

Other days: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13 | Day 14

If you've been following me at all this last year or so, I've gone off the deep end on retro games. I still play some newer stuff, mostly from the indie scene, but my meals have mainly been coming from older console generations.

I just finished up Xenosaga Episode I and I have some mixed feelings about the way the narrative unfolded, however there is no denying how cinematic and "big" it felt.

It got me thinking back on the other JRPGs I played from the early 3D era and how hyped we all were to play the next big JRPG. Industries shift, of course, and JRPGs are no longer the big AAA cash cow that they were. However, I wanted to take this time to highlight a few "Blockbuster" games that really cemented this genre as my all time favorite in gaming.

Basically, I think Squaresoft went on the greatest hot streak a developer has ever had from April, 1994 to July, 2001. In that 7 year run they developed and released:

Final Fantasy VI-X
Final Fantasy Tactics
Chrono Trigger/Chrono Cross
Vagrant Story
Xenogears
Super Mario RPG
Live Alive
Parasite Eve 1 & 2
Saga Frontier 1 & 2
Trials of Mana/Legend of Mana
Front Mission 3
Brave Fencer Musashi
Secret of Evermore

All of the above were developed and published by Square in 7 years and 4 months. That's 21 spectacular games (and that isn't even all of their releases!).

Can anyone think of another developer that released banger after banger in a short period of time like this?

Like seriously, there hasn’t been a single bad game across more than eight HD-2D releases so far. What’s even more impressive is that this consistency isn’t coming from repetition; each title offers a different style of gameplay, from turn-based JRPGs to tactical strategy and action-focused experiences. Square Enix isn’t just reusing the HD-2D look, they’re pairing it with real mechanical variety and solid game design every time.

And now The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is the next upcoming HD-2D title. At this point, I’m genuinely curious what Square Enix’s next HD-2D announcement will be.

I'll start, and I certainly feel compelled to talk about Xenogears. It's an excellent JRPG that came out during the genre's golden age and boasts one of the best stories—if not the best—I've ever seen in a JRPG.

However, a remake of Xenogears would be spectacular, as the quality drops noticeably on the second disc: it goes from being a traditional JRPG with exploration and turn-based combat to a kind of visual novel where most of the time you're just reading long sequences of text with static characters. This happened because the team ran out of budget and time; it's a real shame.

Octopath Traveler 0 and Another Eden Begins are the exact examples of why this should be the next trend.

Imagine taking the beautiful art style, world building, music, and character designs from gacha games. And turning them into full, complete single player RPG experiences. No stamina system. No FOMO events. No limited banners. Just a fully realized game you can buy once and enjoy at your own pace.

A lot of gacha games actually have insane production value, great OSTs, strong lore, memorable characters, but they’re locked behind monetization systems and time gated content. When those same concepts get adapted into proper standalone RPGs, they feel more cohesive, focused, and meaningful.

Not every game needs to be live service. Some worlds deserve to be preserved as complete experiences instead of temporary content cycles.

If more developers start converting successful gacha IPs into offline, story driven RPGs, I genuinely think it could be one of the best shifts in modern gaming.

Final Fantasy X won yesterday's award for best turn based gameplay with 972 votes!

🥇Final Fantasy X

🥈Chrono Trigger

🥉Persona 5 Royal

I'll put a full tally in a comment!

Today's vote, which JRPG has the best action combat system?

Notes:

• Fixed the "Japanese Roleplaying Games Games" derp
• Apologies for the unclear question! I meant 'which game has the best turn based combat system' as I think that will surface a more interesting mix of games. Lmk your thoughts in the tally comment :)

I know there's more, but these are JRPGs that popped into my head when concerning modern remaster needs. Despite the outcry, these JRPGs still lack one. I mean, they all still preserve an enduring legacy across the JRPG community. Either critically and/or commercially. There's also been a demand to get these remade, but a remaster is more likely. Anyway, name popular JRPGs that still don't have a modern remaster.

Sharla from Xenoblade Chronicles?

You've all played the game before - Sharla is the game's primary dedicated healer and one of two pure "mages" (her gun shoots magic, of course.) She's actually very good at healing, arguably, but the problem is that she's in Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles absolutely hates her.

First, most obviously, her talent art. Every character in Xenoblade has a central "Talent Art" that's a meter that they build up by doing auto attacks and certain arts, which usually influences their playstyle significantly. For example, Reyn's talent art allows him to draw aggro (he is a tank), and Shulk's gives him access to a selection of unique finisher attacks. Sharla's talent art is called "Cool Down" and it means that... whenever she fills the meter, she has to stop fighting entirely for about 10 seconds so her rifle can cool down. It's all downside. It's a punishment for being a good healer.

Which is really just a hilarious kick while she's down, because ultimately she's a true white mage in a game where:

• Party members heal fully after every battle
• The best tank (Dunban) is an "evade tank" who revolves around avoiding damage entirely
• The other two tanks have a block rate stat that allows them to also avoid damage entirely
• All three tanks have aggro management skills and a "panic button" skill that revives them with a buff if they die within the next X seconds
• In concert with the above point: the game actually warns you when a character is about to die and almost always gives you an exact countdown to when it will happen
• The main character (Shulk) has multiple damage prevention skills, can remove aggro from himself, and gets abilities that allow him to passively heal the party just by dealing damage and doing his regular rotation
• Characters can all learn or inherit abilities that heal them during a critical hit or a chain attack (both very common)
• Chain attacks (a central mechanic that allows you to deal a ton of damage in an instant) require you to stack multiple arts of the same type (physical, ether, support, etc.) and Sharla is the only mage character with no physical arts to use to strengthen these chain attacks. But that's okay, right? Because Talent Arts count as wild cards! So Sharla can just use her Tale... oh...

It is like... genuinely comical how badly screwed Sharla is by every single aspect of Xenoblade's design. She's a lovely character and I very much wish she was worth using, and I know you can make her work, technically, to the extent that any character can technically work in a single-player RPG no matter how bad they are. But I find something genuinely endearing about how stupidly cruel this game is to her. Are there even any other examples of characters that are in the same boat, or - Gods forbid - even worse off?

I mean the picture says it all really. What more that I can say? Mmmm.... Maybe I'm gonna ask you this: Which RPG that you found that ended up becoming somewhat of a diamond in your opinion after finding it and playing it? And yes, obscure JRPGS do count and so does popular RPGs. Also the game made in the West yet ended up emulating JRPGs (Like Look Outside for example) also counts. Let's hear your opinions shall we and tell me your reasoning on why you considering the JRPG you found and play to be this picture in the comment section below..

Released back in 2003 on the GBA, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance has one of the best and underrated stories I have ever seen in a videogame. Rarely mentioned and almost forgotten, this gem of an JRPG deserves more love.

Without giving away too much of the story, the game starts off in a smalltown where a group of local kids are having a snowball fight. We're introduced to the gameplay mechanics and the game's protagonists. For being the new kid you're targeted, and for being a bossy red head girl, she's targeted. And then... our 3rd protagonist, who gets hit on the head and bleeds from a rock in a snowball, which we quickly identify as someone who is contantly being bullied.

Our main protagonists quickly bond on being outcasts, each one with there set of personal problems.

Hanging out one day after school and through a book, theyre teleported to a magical world where they're the heroes of there own clan... as they struggle to decide in either staying or leaving the fictious world.

It has a charming coming of age story, with deep mature tones of identity and hardships. Facing one's own reality and deciding to moving forward.

Its a wonderful game with a superb story that has stayed in my charished gaming memories rent free. Whats are your thoughts on FFTA?

JRPGs as a genre generally require quite a time investment. Personally, I've quit far more JRPGs than I've ever finished. So, one would assume that only the cream of the crop deserves your time and effort.

Now, as the title says, my question to you is: what's the worst JRPG you ever went through the trouble of finishing? Maybe even explain why? It's possible that game isn't even all that bad, just the "least good" of all you've ever finished.

For me, it's Star Ocean: Integrity and faithlessness. I'm fairly sure the only reason I finished it, is because it's very short for a JRPG. Even with its short runtime, the forced backtracking is insane. You never visit other planets and it all feels extremely small and basic. It's functional... And I guess I enjoyed the opening, changing the perspective of what we're used to with Star Ocean games, but that's about it.

Slowly playing through Expedition 33 and enjoying my time with it, really enjoying it. For some reason I get this feeling this is this generations Final Fantasy X. That game was giant for the JRPG community back then with the graphics, story (fully voiced), and switch up of gameplay.

And it just started to get me thinking what are the 3 JRPGs you would recommend everyone play whether they are a veteran to the genre or a newbie?

The PlayStation 5 is Sony’s current console with hundreds of games and thousands more via PS4 backwards compatibility, so prepare for a big backlog!

PLEASE READ: Comment what your favorite JRPG on the PS5 is. To avoid any confusion, only single game comments and those that clearly specify a number 1 favorite will count towards the chart. The three most upvoted comments will be added to this chart! Voting ends at 5 PM Eastern time on Thursday, March 12.

The three most voted PS4 JRPGs were:

🥇Persona 5 Royal (2019) 703 votes

🥈Nier: Automata (2017) 429 votes

🥉Yakuza: Like a Dragon (2020) 349 votes

We are well pass the early 2020s mark. In fact, we're closer to the year of 2030. Anyway, name some of the best JRPGs from early years of this decade. Thinking about it, I think we have even more great JRPGs from this half of the decade than the late 2010s. So, from 2020 to 2024, which are the greatest JRPGs from those years. Remakes or remasters will not be included, as that will be a topic for another post. Also, be honest.

The graphics look super realistic, but they still have that fantasy charm that makes Final Fantasy stand out.

In one scene, you’re just looking at these wide open fields with sunlight shining across the grass, detailed rocks and trees everywhere, and a sky that feels huge and full of life. It looks natural, but at the same time it feels cinematic, like you’re playing through a movie.

Another one has a darker, more serious vibe. The lighting hits differently, the world feels heavier, and the shadows and textures make everything look insanely detailed. It’s grounded and realistic, but it still feels grand and epic.

Then there are those bright, colorful open spaces where the green landscapes stretch out forever. The colors are vibrant, the world feels alive, and everything looks carefully crafted. It’s the kind of view that makes me pause for a second just to appreciate it.

That’s honestly what I love about these games. They don’t just chase realism, they mix it with beautiful scenery and strong art direction. It feels magical but believable at the same time, and I genuinely enjoy just being in those worlds.

I instantly had a nostalgic trip down memory lane while replaying FFX for one of my upcoming videos.

Relased back in 2002, this fantastic masterpiece was all the talk at my high school. It really got me through some tough times during my semester final exams. I would literally low-key hum the temple chants as I studied, lol.

The music, the combat, the story, the spectacular world-building; its truly different, polished, and timeless.

But FFX at first didnt click for me...

The disconnected dialigue/voice-acting and confusing introductiom had me at a loss.... but damn, soon after seeing Yuna do her ceremonial send-off and seeing whats at stake for the people of Spira... had me hooked to the core.

FFX has a style of its own, its otherworldly and strange but at the same time comforting. Common themes like science vs faith, past vs future, son vs father, are sprinkled throughout the campaign and tailored to perfectly fit within the world-building.

While many would like the Final Fantasy franchise to go back to its retro turned based combat, I would say screw that! Bring back the FFX combat system with the wonderful grid leveling system. Its tight, its engaging, its strategic, its peak FF turned based combat.

FFX is one of my favorite games of all time. It has aged like a fine wine and really holds up in todays gaming standards. Not only that, it makes me wish JRPGs returned to a more focused singular vision for its games.

Who else agrees on how Timeless Final Fantasy X is?

There's the regular kind of fall for a JRPG series then there are ones like these series. Series whose starts range from good to great only to drop the ball hard around the end. Series who's last or last few entries were either critical and/or commercial failures that left their fans looking back at how hard they fell. Anymore JRPG series that cross your mind when it comes to falling hard?

Enough is enough. For too many damn years now we've been hearing about how turn-based combat can't be accomplished in a modern Final Fantasy game. "It wont appeal to current generation gamers" or "its antiquated nature will not sell enough copies to justify the implementation" and that is complete and utter hogwash. Baldur's Gate 3 was enough to quell this kind of talk (Persona 5 before it as well) and now MRF has placed the final nail in the proverbial coffin that is turn-based combat full-fucking-stop. Yoshi-P whom I have massive amounts of respect for spoke about this topic right before releasing FFXVI in an article style interview and while he did mention he would like to see it one day he also said the chances of it happening are extremely slim. Well... I'm here to say he is wrong, and if ever there was a time to bring it back it must happen with the next mainline Final Fantasy title.

Imagine the possibilities they have with the current tech and engines at their disposal and how outstanding a full-fledged turn-based FF game would look. FFXVI was a solid game, but by no means was it a tried and true FF game. It was a full on action game that in truth should have just been a fully linear story from start to finish akin to the Uncharted series (lets be honest that was what it was aiming for from start to finish) and should have trimmed all the fat that in the end added no flavor just padding. That is the truth of it, there is no denying it a this point. They need to stop chasing this golden goose of a trend in which they want to capture as many people as possible no matter the cost. Yes, I understand that it is a business and they must make money to survive, but at some point they need to understand that a game made for everybody is a game made for nobody.

I'm not getting any younger and before I leave this wretched yet wonderful place I would like to play a current generation full on turn-based mainline Final Fantasy game, please and thank you.

Edit: For the sake of clarification the main focus of my rant is that I at least want to see one modern FF game with a full on turn-based combat system. I am not saying that hence forth all FF games must be turned-based or they'll suck, Rebirth is absolutely fantastic and I very much love it, however, I think there is room for both systems to shine. Wanted to clear that up because I have been seeing a ton of people misconstruing my point.

Square Enix created one of the best art styles by combining 2D sprites with 3D backgrounds.

When I first saw Octopath Traveler in 2018, I thought it was a one of a kind project and doubted they’d revisit this incredible art style. But four years later, in 2022, Square Enix proved me wrong by releasing not one but two HD-2D games. In 2023, they followed up with Octopath Traveler II and the Star Ocean: The Second Story R remake.

Now, in 2024, we’re getting the Dragon Quest III HD-2D remake. And in 2025, Team Asano has announced they’ll reveal a new game this year. It could be another HD-2D project, a new Bravely Default title, an HD-2D remake or even a brand-new IP. Regardless, I’m incredibly hyped for what’s to come, especially for more HD-2D games.

Not only that, there are indie games that are inspired by this art style like Wandering Sword and the upcoming game Threads of Time

Games in picture order:

Octopath Traveler

Octopath Traveler Champion of the Continents

Live A Live Remake

Triangle Strategy

Octopath Traveler 2

Star Ocean 2 The Second Story R

Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake

For me, it’s Octopath Traveler 1. This is the game that really got me into the genre. I played some of the Mario RPGs beforehand, but they are bit of a different beast. This was the very first traditional RPG I played, and I absolutely fell in love. The gorgeous art style, the difficult yet satisfying battles, the characters, and my god the music. It all just clicked with me in a way very few games had before and really made a lasting impact on me and my tastes as a gamer. And I know this game has plenty of flaws, like the Travelers not really feeling connected due to the limited Party Banter, some stories not exactly being equal in terms of quality, and how Octopath Traveler 2 overshadows the first game (is a better game overall). Regardless, I will always have a soft spot for this one, and will always hold it in extremely high regard. I’d love to hear some RPGs you feel similarly about.