The Legend of Heroes is my jam. Incredible series of games... only drawback is that each game kinda begins in a way that seems a little generic. Everyone I recommend try the series always comes back with that response. Once the characters hit their stride, their investment in world events is what makes the world so immersive and compelling. Trails in the Sky is my favorite, but Trails of Cold Steel and the PSP trilogy are also absolutely outstanding JRPG stories.
Yup! Thing is, the characters need a jumping off point early on to establish themselves quickly and get the stories moving, so they always feel like tropes at first. But as the games continue you peel each one of them back layer by layer and they end up having more depth than most. Their character development also ends up going above and beyond as a result. Truly an incredible franchise.
@@bdfan4ever trails in the sky 1,2,3 (trilogy) then trails from zero and trails to azure (duology, no official translation but there is a fan translation for both) Then cold steel 1-4 (3 is coming to the west some point at the end of the year, with no news on 4 yet) You could probably get a way with playing cold steel 1+2 but I wouldn't play 3 without playing the others first or at least reading up on the stories of each game, as a lot of characters from sky/zero/azure start making notable appearance As a side note yes all these stories are connected, and the overall story isn't finished yet. So if you end up liking the games there will be more to come.
English Defender Of THICK THIGHS thank you for the advice! Kotaku have been champions of this series for awhile but I feel like it’s time to play them .
The Legend of Dragoon Parasite Eve Tales of Phantasia Eternal Sonata Valkyrie Profile Utawarerumono Final Fantasy Tactics Lost Odyssey Xenogears Trails in the Sky
Parasite Eve is based on a horror novel of the same name, which was released several years before the game. The story was written by an undergraduate who went on to achieve a PHD in Pharmacology. It's more unique than some people think and the book's characters are very different from the game. The plot is nearly the same in both versions.
I've played the 3 Trails in the Sky games on PC and 2 of the 4 Trails of Cold Steel as well. Simply incredible. I think Trails of Cold Steel comes this year to PS4. Trust me Playstation gamers, don't think, just buy, they are some of the best JRPGs I have ever played! :)
for me Grandia will always be No. 1 the story, characters and combat is where it shines, also Xenoblade Chronicles has a mindblowing story and pretty much any of Persona games
Grandia,KH , Tales of ..i Persona ;) .jest tyle gier,ktorych nigdy nie zapomnę .Do tego Eternal Sonata i Szopen ( wspaniała muzyka), Suikoden i Trails of cold Steel.Kazdy ma swoje top 10 :)
The stories in the Suikoden series are amazing. The cutscene in S4 where you recruit Izak to your cause is brief and sad, and adds nothing to the overall story, but it really brings home to you the feeling that each of the characters that appears in the game is a person, with their own story and their own life. It makes each one feel real, no matter how fictional they are.
I would just like to say that I greatly appreciate the content you've produced on this channel. There aren't many individuals out there that have the ability to review fan service games with dignity and respect, the way that you do. It's refreshing. You're genuine with your approach and you don't shy away from what doesn't appeal to you dispite your preferences. You're a credit to the niche genre that you cover, and I look forward to seeing how you grow in the future.
Man, great list. Not many gamers know about parasite eve or Legend of the Dragoon. Id cry if we ever see those gMes again. Either on a port, remaster, or spiritual successor. Jade Cocoon is another long lost JRPG series that needs to be brought back.
To say Xenogears is complicated is only SCRATCHING THE SURFACE! My God that game was so jam packed with so many issues of minor, huge, political, religious, philosophical, psychological and existential I have ever seen in a video game! Evangelion would be the beginner's guide to understanding the maelstrom of lore and history you have to get through in order to understand the story! There were so many subplots to this game they could have made a TV anime series out of it with over arching story plots to spare! The backstory of each character LITERALLY spans generations! I am not kidding! This game broke my damn brain when i played and beat it during my high school days. If you are confident enough to have the brain power needed to understand this game and play it with complete understanding then be my guest! I am not going near this game again unless i have a heavy need for Science Fiction.
I have a question: if you play though the whole Xenogears game, would all the lore and themes and issues make sense in the end? Or does it seem like the game took too much on their plate and left it with too many loose ends?
@@taedaetao641 I double dare you to NOT play even the minor, optional subquests. Every character grows in you almost at first glance. You CARE for their well being. When shit hits the fan you worry about them. That is just the surface, really. To answer your question properly, it makes sense, yes. Actually, you'll be left wanting for more.
TaeDaeTao I first played Xenogears when I was in elementary school and didn’t feel I understood the plot and connotations completely until I was an adult. I had to look through forums, blogs, watch videos, and even read a book (Perfect Works) to feel satisfied. And even now every time I go back and play through it I find something new and brilliant that I missed. There is no game like Xenogears and will probably never be one again.
@@taedaetao641 Most of things are mentioned and explained in the game, but not exactly everything. The "problem" is that there is so much that it's understandable if you come out confused. Nothing that a fun trip to the wiki can't solve, of course. If you like science fiction, that game must be played.
Xenogears is one of those games I almost have to replay at least once every 2-3 years or so. The story is full of complex relationships, depth of history, and more. It is one of the best science fiction stories ever put to paper. IMO, a remake is needed, a touch up of the dialogue and presentation (since the PSX doesn't do the game justice); they don't need to revamp it in an FF7 Remake style - it doesn't need graphics any more advanced than a high-res 3DS game, it simply needs to be touched up.
legend of heroes... games to just lose yourself in. games that make you want to stay, instead of wanting to get it over with to rush to another game. games that make you care about all of the characters. games with the best world building and writing in the industry. the guys at falcom deserve WAY more popularity for putting so much love and care into their titles. when you play them, you don't just experience the clean, polished, immersive titles. you feel the love!
When you see that EACH freaking npc has his own storyline and you can keep talking to them when the main plot advances.. the guys at falcom are insane. If you like this saga tokyo xanadu is not bad either. It's a bit more rushed but the world building is still top notch... and in the arcade you find the main characters of cold steel... and you see the trails of cold steel 3 trailer running in a shop...
Have you ever played Lunar: Silver Star Story? That one stuck with me forever. A simple almost generic story told soooo well. With great characters and great twists. One of my absolute favorites!
I really love this idea and I really love this list and its not necessarily because my favourite game of all time (xenogears) and my wife's favourite game of all time (Final Fantasy Tactics). I love that there is a lot of ps1 representation on this list because I will always consider the ps1 to have the best caliber of jrpg's out of any console system out there. I have actually beaten a few games on this list as well. I've beaten: Tales of Phantasia Xenogears Final Fantasy Tactics Legend of Dragoon Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky FC Parasite Eve It makes me excited to give the other entries in this list a try because the last game that gave me such a wonderful feeling was the first chapter in trails in the sky. There is just something in that game that made it enjoyable and addictive in such a surreal way. I look forward to seeing what the other entires in the legend of heroes series has to offer us.
I'm so relieved and gladdened to see someone loves STORIES in games as much as me! My game library is so small because I'm what others might call "picky" when it comes to games, but that's because I want to be enriched by story as well as gameplay, and walk away with something to remember!!
Me too. Look here for vagrant story modded. There is a Guy Who modified VS to make It more difficult, i'm currently playing It. IT IS AWESOME, and thats not all: he made this Rebalanced version of VS just to see what he could do. Later he Will release a more complete modified version.
Wild Arms 1 - It might be due to the time of my life when I played it first, but its story resonated strongly with me. The plot is pretty standard fare when it comes to RPG's, but I feel the way it tackles this, especially in the first act, really presents itself well.
@@uUuWolf16uUu When it comes to FF everyone has their own choice of best game. That just shows how good the franchise used to be. Sadly that cannot be said anymore. Oh and for me FF4 and FF5 tie for first place, with FF6 coming a close second.
@@kikkidock Grandia 2 deserves at least an honorary mention too IMO. From what I've read, the story is not as good as the first one (I have yet to try it), but it touches some interesting themes, it has a well rounded cast of main characters, great dialogue, and if you pay attention, even some seemingly generic NPCs have little subplots that actually reappear later in the game.
I am going to add Mother 3 for treating some really mature themes under its colorful and funny cover. This is a game that really makes you go through all the process of grief, makes you physically understand how abusive relationship works through the story of a cute little monkey, and makes you experience any really vivid bad trip. It's really impressive and the fact we don't have any legally available version in the West is quite sad.
Lost Odyssey is quite possibly the best JRPG I ever played...but damn did those loading times get tiresome...on top of the canned before battle animations...(where those skippable? I forget...)
@@nethermir2169 lol I have about 2 dozen RPG i need to get to on everything from Ps1 ,ps2 xbox, G-cube, Wii, ps3, 360 and PC!! Time!!! What o need is time!!!!! 😅
Tales of Phantasia was one of my 1st story based RPG. It changed my perspective on games. The OST, the "voice acting" the gameplay, the twists - it's top quality
This game is truly underrated because it released on the time ps1 launching. But despite it still on SNES, it's one of the most beautiful game on that console. They truly put SNES to the limit. And for me, the SNES version is still the best, especially the graphic and music.
Anyone can agree the twist of story and fei's true identity about id and grahf no one expected it. The moment you know about fei's true identity is a bad ass. No one even in anime series top that. Well that's base from my experience. Although I'm a fan also of final fantasy.
ToCS is my favorite JRPG series of all time. Glad to see it made this list. I would also recommend Tales of the Abyss and Golden Sun for 3ds and game boy advance respectively and if you haven't heard of it already, Nier Automata. Honorable mentions are Dragon Quest XI and Fire Emblem Awakening.
Xenogears was truly one of those games that stick with you because of how complex its story was. I think it hit hard particularly with me because of the religious and philosophical themes, as someone who grew up in a Catholic household. The music definitely pushed it along even more, as a bad score could really break a game for me. Also the giant robots. Definitely a plus. The Id versions of the Weltalls and Xenogears hit just the right spots for me. They are still my favorite designs in the giant mech genre.
I didn't know about Xenogears not coming out there, but I do recall Parasite Eve not releasing. I believe you guys did get Parasite Eve 2, but that games just a straight survival horror in the style of resident evil.
@@TarksGauntlet Not only that, but XG pretty much didn't come out in ANY PAL region, which made up a good deal of the world (more so than NTSC regions). Had it been released global, it probably could've hit that sales mark Takahashi was gunning for so Square would greenlight a series for him, and then he wouldn't have left the company lol.
I'm in Australia & have a physical copy of Xenogears. It will play on the very first ps1 series of machines. It says NTSC u/c whatever that is but it works.
The Chrono series. Chrono Trigger obviously, but more so Chrono Cross. Cross blew my mind story-wise. Its not easy to deal with time travel and multiple dimensions/timelines, much less together. The premise of skipping between the timeline where you are alive and the other where you died is already interesting. Mix that in with interesting realisations (like humanity being 'wrong', in a sense) and Trigger tiebacks, and I at least enjoyed it very much. More than anything else though, its a story and background with many, many layers and food for thought. Lastly, if you played Trigger but not Cross, I urge that you do; it also shines a new light on Trigger.
I clicked because of the game in the thumbnail. That choice said a lot of what I could expect. But u got my like and subscription right after the Legend of Dragoon. It feels like no one played that game. And while i type this comment I see the legendary Tales of Phantasia!!! Now i know i really wanna see what other videos you will bring. And obviously take a look in what you posted so far. We share a very similar taste. A very good taste might i add. I dont wanna finish this comment till i see all games... and i was kinda waiting for The Valkyrie Profile... and as expected there it is!!! Happy to see this one on this list too. Now i am hoping to see at least one of the follow... Grandia, Xenogears, Legend of Legaia... games that surpassed expectations for me. AND NOW MY SMILE GOES TO THE SKY BY SEEING THAT XENOGEARS IS RIGHT THERE!!!! 6 playthroughs and i still have tons of questions from the plot. Now I have to try yours number 1 on the list. How did that one escaped my rpg life!!! Thanks for that time travel.
Great list. I can definitely see why it would be put them in 10 places. Personally, I would add *Radiant Historia* in there. Devs clearly took inspiration from Yasumi Matsuno's works so expect a good deal of politics, and with one of the best time travel/parallel time usage I've seen. Not just the world and lore rules but rules of time travel are excellently thought out. And writing, which (I feel) is usually the weakest parts in most JRPGs, is excellent here. It's amazing coming from a handheld game.
I've heard this! Definitely want to check it out but never got the opportunity to. I've been finding it hard to find time for my handhelds lately, but the game is definitely on my radar!
@@TarksGauntlet hey tarks. I've completed the trails trilogy, trails from zero, and is currently on chapter 2 of trails to azure. I can definetly say that radiant historia was one of the best jrpgs i've ever played. (If you like time travelling and seeing what *could* have happened if things turned out differently, this is the game for you. By far the best time travel game i've ever played) (yes i know steins gate is amazing also but that's a visual novel) Also, just play it on an emulator.
Great, criminally underrated game, but I actually agree with its rank here. The gameplay (specially the pretty original addition system), the art and OST are fantastic, but the story is just decent and entertaining enough without being truly among the best. It has some interesting lore and concepts, but the script is too dull at times and there are some things that don't make too much sense here and there.
yes sony could have a ff killer man, they need to make a reimagining type remake or a new entry period...smh i wish it freakin sold because i can't think of any other reason why the snubbed it
SOMEONE REMEMBERS THIS GAAAAAAME Ah god I love Legend of the Dragoon. It's so aggressively okay but it shaped my love for games when I was *counts on fingers* An Age(tm). It was the last game I've legit cried for (LAVIIIIITZ) and the music still has a large influence on me. UNPH I LOve it so much it's actually unironically my favorite game even though I recognize it's not a 'great' game. It's a very /good/, very serviceable game. It's not bad, it just is. And I love it.
@@979329 100% def one of my very first/early "3d" rpgs after snes era that made me fall in love with jrpgs even more and it always felt like another great final fantasy entry to me and in many ways better than the ff games during that time, truly a gem and again would be sonys great alternative to ff...oddly xbox canned scalebounds visual style for some reason reminded me of it lol
@@979329 we do have project awakening coming which looks great and other awesome cy games jrpgs like granblue fantasy re link...also am hyped for square new studio that is making project rune or whatevr it is called...atlus also has triple a jrpg coming with project re fantasy, amazing devs at work on it and supposed to bring jrpgs back to the forefront
So happy to see Eternal Sonata in this, it's such an underrated game. I really loved playing it. One of the few games I started a New Game + right after finishing the first run. The characters, the story, the gameplay, the music. Everything is so refreshing.
Yes the video is in my recommended videos, yes I watched, and yes I agree with the list and appreciate the disclaimer that you're own limited knowledge limits the list. That allows people to add to the list with their own knowledge. My addition: Shadow Hearts/Shadow Hearts: Covenant
It’s really sad that I regularly search “JRPG” on TH-cam and somehow this channel has never come up. Luckily it randomly showed up on my home page today. Great content dude, subbed.
Only played the Cold Steel 1 and 2 games so far but call them my number one games ever. I would wish they remade the other substories for a modern console (PS4 or later PS5) or at least port them so that I could play them on that system. I was interested in the Utawaremono games but I'm not a fan of visual novels so I'm not sure if I ever play them even though I might regret it. To add a game worth playing for the story (and also gameplay) I'd like to mention Valkyrie Profile 1 & 2. They aren't direct sequels even though they are linked so that knowledge from the first game is useful. I haven't actually played the first game (only watched the story parts) but the second (which was my third jrpg at all) was really amazing. It's that kind of dramatic story that actually caused me to cry near the end. It's still in my top 3 games.
Have you played Ar Tonelico? I recently got into it, and I like it for a lot of the same reasons I like Trails. The world-building is fantastic, and there's so much detail to everything. Everything has a story and a background, and the setting itself is really unique and interesting. I definitely recommend you check it out if you haven't.
Regardless of your editing this was to the point and honestly really well put together. As someone who is fairly new to the JRPG genre in general this really put a lot of games i've missed out on, on my radar, despite some of them being rather hard to get due to not having certain systems to play them on / overall accessibility in general. A game that really made me fall in love with JRPG's however, though the story wasn't exactly it's main appeal was White Knight Chronicles 1 and 2, hopefully one day it will get remastered, cause honestly it was a gem. But anyways, great work as always Tarks !
Xenogears, by far to me is the best JRPG storywise. The plot is original and the battle system topnotch. Add to that the GIANT ROBOTS! Imagine that game with the graphics of today.
@Tarks This was a fun video and for those of us in THIS house we love and adore story so yea huge thank you. @Tarks any chance we can see you do a top 10 jrpg's for the PS4 (since we always do Sony console's in this house) just thought Id ask :). Again thank you for all the time you put into these high quality videos
Nice top, glad to see Lost Odyssey, it deserves it :) I would add : Dragon Quest V, you should try it eventually. Chrono Trigger Final Fantasy VI and X Fire Emblem : "Path Of Radiance" and "Radiant Dawn" Xenoblade Chronicles Grandia
Valkyrie Profile is my favorite rpj of all time. I think is a perfect game. The story, gameplay, graphics, the characters... GOD!!! Everything is perfect and memorable!!! Grest video my man
Lost odyssey was such a good game. So depressing though. But extremely good. The music was really good too if I remember correctly. I am playing my way through the atelier games. Story is sort of meh but for some reason I'm addicted. I tried trails of cold steel 1 but couldnt get into it. Does it really get better after the first hour? Maybe I started the wrong one first? Maybe I'll go back after I finish rorona. Also nice video. I enjoyed your list.
Eternal sonata was soooo underrated. What a shame it was amazing! Fights were surprisingly difficult at times btw but very fun and I must agree, the story was breathtaking and fascinating^^
Damn fine list, and kudos to the 1 per franchise rule, tho not I want to see you do the list without it to see your 3 favorite rpg jrpg franchises. Some of this you mentioned like Dragoon or Parasite Eve are CRIMINALLY unknown and underrated. Very fun list much debate. An that is what is best about each different fan's list :).
@@MAJICB0B yeah it is my 2nd favorite rpg of all time. Very underrated: one of the best music compositions, story is awesome, unique battle mechanics, and very cool visual aesthetics.
You on FFT: "The lengths they go to to see this through are dark, and nothing is off-limits. The betrayal and monstrosity displayed by some of these characters is quite reminiscent to me of Game of Thrones." Me: "The betrayal and monstrosity displayed by some of the characters in Game of Thrones is quite reminiscent to me of Final Fantasy Tactics."
Persona series and Nier Automata has some of the best stories out there, and full of philosophy that will keep you pondering at society, identity and existentialism. I take it you just haven't played it yet, coz if you already were and didn't include it, that's unforgivable. :)
Have played nier, I just thing it's an action adventure game first and foremost. The RPG elements aren't really deep enough for me to lump it full-on into that genre. That aside, I'd HIGHLY recommend it. Games a near masterpiece. As for persona, I haven't played most of them.
@@TarksGauntlet Nier's more of a action-adventure jrpg than old-school jrpg, but i thought this list was supposed to about the stories, not mechanics. But i still agree on most on the list, with few exceptions of the ones i haven't played yet. Go and play Persona series (or just try one), just a friendly suggestion from fellow gamer who also appreciates great stories. :)
I’m hoping you mean Persona 2, because that game’s story was the best. While they do have great storytelling, tbh I don’t believe any of them would make it higher than the top five. Especially not P5. Too many recycled elements to make a plotline that is no more than just entertaining imo.
@@soulscyther666 Persona's story telling as a series isn't very stable. Its the same Jungian concepts being recycled over and over ever since the start. Its a fun series but the story itself is recycled over and over. Definitely not in a top 10
@@prodigous21 that's because it's not supposed to be a sequel of sorts. They are stand alone stories just like each Final Fantasy. And it is because Jungian psychology is it's core theme, it won't be removed whether you liked it or not. See a lot of top 10 best jrpgs and i'm sure Persona will be on top 5. See EVERY best vita games videos, and you'll see P4G tops over other jrpgs even though that platform is a jrpg-filled haven and it was released on vita's early life. I loved Trails of Cold Steel (that made it in this vid) but it never won against P4G, in my opinion and reviewers as well. P3P was one of the best PSP games, P5 one of the best in PS4, loved worldwide even though PS4 is a dominantly filled with western games and jrpgs are not getting enough love on that platform.
Great video as always :) Tho you forgot Crossbell arc in the Legend of Heroes spot, its only fan translated for now, but its arguably better than ToCS, at the very least Trails of Zero and Trails of Ao introduced 90% of new features that appeared in ToCS, and oh man, tha story there, the moment it all clicks together at the end is just marvelous.
Gotchya :) Well I know you are busy but its well worth it, new translation of Zero will be coming out soon and after that they will update Ao's recent translation a bit too, or so the word goes, but both versions are good enough to play already. Zero has even got its evolution for ps vita translated, tho you have to have hacked vita to be able to play it in english :(
I gotta rep some of my old faves. The Breath of Fire series, but I guess more specifically III or IV. Excellent stories about the misuse or fear of greater power and the ramifications of higher beings meddling in the affairs of the world. And there's dragons, what's not to like? I really liked II, but I realize part of that is nostalgia and the story does meander a bit too much until the last third or so of the game. Lufia series, but mostly Lufia II on the SNES. Good gameplay, puzzles and great music. The story is kinda simple, but effective in how it endears characters to you. How often do main characters in RPGs actually get married and have kids? The ending is also something sorta special.. or maybe nostalgia just makes me sentimental for it. Selan is still one of my favorite RPG characters to this day. Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together. I only played the PSP version which has significant gameplay changes from the old SNES version its based on, but I feel like this remake does a better job of keeping you invested. Not only is it a nice chunky plot about religious and political intrigue or the costs of war, but a lens on morality in wartime while making you actively make choices that affect the plot. It also encourages you to go back and try different paths through a sort of 'chapter select' when you finish certain routes, so you don't have to completely replay a game if you wonder "what if I'd done this differently?".
Kotor would be hard to include in a list like this since the story telling is so different. That 1 big twist alone (you know the one) and the masterful execution in how it was pulled off without you noticing is worthy of loads of praise, but outside that, I gotta be honest, I don't remember a whole lot of the story any more lol. Probably due for a replay. It's been since I was a teenager I think.
Great list, man. Personally I liked Lufia II, although strictly speaking it's nothing special, just very emotional towards the end. I'm also biased since it was the first JRPG I ever played. And sorry but your murdering of the pronunciation of "Utawarerumono" kinda cracked me up. XD Also, it's pronounced "Ee-valice", not "Eye-valice". Okay, I'll stop being all pedantic and shit now.
Gonna be honest with you here Tarks... You have an extremely good taste in video games. Going through this list had me sitting at the edge of my seat. For a single moment there I thought somehow you managed to miss my absolute favorite series, but then here came the Kiseki bomb in the #1 spot exactly where it belongs. I always love watching your videos! Keep up the good work. :)
puts TRAILS series as number 1 90% of the comments talk about another JRPGs. lul surely people will likely to say every JRPG they grew up with is the only number one for them. just try Trails series preferably Trails in the sky trilogy ; you'll never look at JRPGs the same way again.
This game ruined JRPGSs for me its so good that no other game can compare,right now I am playing Vesperia even though Yuri isa great protagonist I just can not finish the game it feels so empty you know after Trails series type world building no other game can come close
@@jefferyslack9088 if you barely played the game , then you must keep going. it's a really slow burn at first but really rewarding. hell i couldnt even stand it at first that i postponed to play the game like 11 months or so then i came back beating the game and ended up loving the series. if you beat the game already and didnt like it, idk what to tell you, it must be not your cup of tea
Mana Khemia: Alchemist of Al-Revis (PS2). One of the most underrated games and it has a nice story. It's about MC trying to find a place where he belongs but it turns out he's not a human and *SPOILER* he himself is the last boss
My personal top 10, 10: Zelda faces of evil 9: Hotel Mario 8: Superman 64 7: Fallout 76 6: Mario is Missing 5: Sonic '06 4: Big Rigs, over the road racing 3: Zelda's Adventure 2: Fortnite 1: Fallout 77 Edit: Honourable mentions include; - Elder Scrolls Online - Bubsy 2 - Sega Bass Fishing - Sonic Adventure, Big's Story - 50 cent bulletproof
I kind of agree with you, but unfortunately i find the story a bit difficult to understand no matter how much i re-read the wiki, i dislike the strangely quiet main character with no personality, and there were too much playable characters, most of them had minimal contribution to the main storyline/ inadequately developed. Everything else is perfection tho, just like you said.
They hired a novelist for Lost Odyssey iirc. Also, my list would probably look something like -Shin Megami Tensei Devil Survivor, Nocturne and Digital Devil Saga -Tales of the Abyss -Persona 2 (both) -Xenogears -Chrono Trigger & Cross -Anything by Yasumi Matsuno -Breath of Fire IV -Legend of Mana -Fire Emblem Genealogy of the Holy War maybe
I'm currently playing Trails of cold steel....i'm 100 hours in with 2 chapters to go. I have Trails in the clouds 1 and 2 with intent to get 3 on steam when i'm ready for it. and with Trails of cold steel 3 pre ordered when it comes stateside in the fall......and now you tell me they are all connected in a marvel type way........ I hate you. Now, instead of moving on to Trails 2 i'm going to have to start trails in the sky instead.....damn you. damn you to hell. lol.
@@joshw7848 - well I'm 100 hours into 1, and I already got 2. So I'm for a penny, in for a pound at this point....besides 3 doesn't come out until the fall. Plus the remaster of 1&2 come out in a few weeks....
I keep hearing how awesome LoH series is. I bought Trails in the Sky 1 and Trails of Cold Steel 1 but never got past more than 10 hours in each game. I know it’s worth it to keep going but it’s just so hard to get past the outdated graphics and presentation. I will get back into it eventually especially after watching this video.
The Trails games are incredible. In a 14 month span I finished the Sky trilogy, Crossbell duology and Cold Steel I & II. Can't wait for Cold Steel III at the end of this year!
Man, I wish Sony would realize how bad people want another Legend of Dragoon. Hell, I'd go for full remaster of the original. Keep the game how its, just give it a new graphics engine, some voice acting. And no random encounters. Have all the enemies on the field. I hate random encounters. Lol.
While I don't think the voice acting was horrible, I do want it to be fully voiced. At least Zieg, Rose and Dart's voice actors were amazing. Melbu was also good. That "How dare you" line always get to me. I would love to play a prequel, actually. The whole Dragon Campaign business.
I'd love a fully remastered LOD can you imagine seeing dart and co transform and all the visuals of each dragon especially the divine dragon cutscene in 4k
The Legend of Heroes is phenomenal. The tie-in story between the different arcs/subseries of the 'Trails of' games is how they make such a complex story so enjoyable. Although you seem to have forgotten to mention the Trails to Zero duology that takes place alongside Trails of Cold Steel 1 & 2. Tho they are un-localized for the west, i would still stress that they are very important for the overall Trails storyline. For anyone curious about those 2 games tho, some great Fan translators have got you covered in fan-translating both games of the Trails to Zero duology (zero & azure) psp versions.
As much as I personally would fan girl over that, it's too risky. They would make it episodic plus a bunch of the usual BS business decisions that go into current day titles. It would be a way safer approach to leave that gem as is.
@@che9045 agreed completely. Im tired of them remaking my favorite old games into something completely new thats just worse. If they do anything just reskin it, tis all i want.
Utawarerumono, the first one, is my favorite game of all time. I really wish Atlus USA would just localize the remake so more people could play it, they did a fantastic job with Mask of Deception/Truth. You really should give the fan translation of the PC version a try; it can be rough around the edges at times, specially towards the end, but it’s better than nothing.
Zakku The remake is the exact same except with the Uta3 engine/gameplay and no h-scenes, although they technically still happen (Yuzuha getting pregnant and giving birth to a sequel is canon after all lol). Other than that the remake has redrawn backgrounds & CGs, which are gorgeous btw, and a remixed soundtrack. Personally, I prefer the PC original from an aesthetic point of view, I really dig the sprite work it had going for but that version can be a pain to get running properly on modern hardware and no voices can be a turn off for some people (although there is a voice patch but it’s buggy as hell from my experience) in that regard you could say the PSP/PS2 ports could be considered the best versions but neither of those are translated sadly.
Xenogears has an incredible story . The evolution of the characters and of the whole plot is astonishing. It is by far the best story ever written for JRPG. And What about a game that has a lot of different story and develops all characters except you (the heroe)? Yes i'am talking about legend of mana (PS1). I liked baten kaitos a lot too. A must play if you had not.
Yeah. If I didn't have a secondary use for some of this stuff I wouldn't buy it and would just stick myself with a blue yeti or something. That said, I really wish I had the time to treat some of this sound better but.. eh. What can you do right?
I just waited to see if Valkyrie Profile was on the list cause if it wasn't i was going to comment about it. It's by far my favorite game. The story is great, it's hard but not impossible, the combat system is great, there's a lot of characters and a good background for all of them and the OST man the OST makes you feel the game. If someone haven't played srsly just give a try.
You left out Zero/Ao (the Crossbell arc) in your video for The Legend of Heroes. 😭 That’s one of the best arcs! But I’m so happy you think the Legend of Heroes series is #1 story wise! I’ve always been a Final Fantasy fanboy, but after stumbling upon this gem of a series a few years back, I’m now hooked.
Too bad the ending is really terrible and unsatisfying Not anybodies fault though, the main writer got sick because the ending was written so the team had to wing it
Vandal Hearts 2 messed me up as a kid and I think it's the best/most mature story of any game of the era. You start as a kid who gets into a bad situation and has to flee town, time skip to being an adult and having to work as a mercenary to get by. Events unfold, you run into your childhood friends and the time has NOT been kind to them. You try and take the high road and blame their bad decisions and they shoot you down hard with you not knowing what they had to go through. You climb the ranks as a mercenary and then run into the princess you were playing with as a child, but because of your stations there is no happy reunion. You stare at each other in silence for a second, taking in everything the other must have gone through, then you kneel because you have to. Oh man the story is soooooooo gooooooooood.
I love every single one of these games, especially Lost Odyssey (the reason I got a 360), Xenogears, Eternal Sonata, & the Trails series. The only Trails/Sky I didn't play is the 3rd one ('cuz it never released physically). Xenogears is a tale amongst itself (aside from being a concept pitched for FF7). To imagine all 7 parts having been released is a tale so grand in scope it'd have likely taken over a decade to complete. Then it was re-imagined into the smaller Xenosaga trilogy. Great list.
The Legend of Heroes is my jam. Incredible series of games... only drawback is that each game kinda begins in a way that seems a little generic. Everyone I recommend try the series always comes back with that response. Once the characters hit their stride, their investment in world events is what makes the world so immersive and compelling. Trails in the Sky is my favorite, but Trails of Cold Steel and the PSP trilogy are also absolutely outstanding JRPG stories.
Yup! Thing is, the characters need a jumping off point early on to establish themselves quickly and get the stories moving, so they always feel like tropes at first. But as the games continue you peel each one of them back layer by layer and they end up having more depth than most. Their character development also ends up going above and beyond as a result. Truly an incredible franchise.
Chris P. Tenders where I start with those games?
@@bdfan4ever trails in the sky 1,2,3 (trilogy) then trails from zero and trails to azure (duology, no official translation but there is a fan translation for both)
Then cold steel 1-4 (3 is coming to the west some point at the end of the year, with no news on 4 yet)
You could probably get a way with playing cold steel 1+2 but I wouldn't play 3 without playing the others first or at least reading up on the stories of each game, as a lot of characters from sky/zero/azure start making notable appearance
As a side note yes all these stories are connected, and the overall story isn't finished yet. So if you end up liking the games there will be more to come.
English Defender Of THICK THIGHS thank you for the advice! Kotaku have been champions of this series for awhile but I feel like it’s time to play them .
Can’t get into Trails. I always fall asleep playing the game 😴
The Legend of Dragoon
Parasite Eve
Tales of Phantasia
Eternal Sonata
Valkyrie Profile
Utawarerumono
Final Fantasy Tactics
Lost Odyssey
Xenogears
Trails in the Sky
No suikoden 2?
@@m.arifbudiman5071 i just listed the games in the video
You da real MVP.
@@ThaMobstarr what can i say except youre welcome!
@@m.arifbudiman5071 ty
Parasite Eve is based on a horror novel of the same name, which was released several years before the game.
The story was written by an undergraduate who went on to achieve a PHD in Pharmacology.
It's more unique than some people think and the book's characters are very different from the game. The plot is nearly the same in both versions.
I saw a Lost Odyssey cover pic and knew this man's words were true
That's what made me watch the video as well. The list was pretty good.
ditto
Can u imagine if all these ps1 juggernauts got remade in 4k HD for ps5 lol. Im 100% sure the companies would make q killing
Honestly believe Lost Odyssey is near perfect
Never did finish Lost Odyssey. I do remember that some of his past stories were quite depressive. The way it was delivered and told had me really sad.
I've played the 3 Trails in the Sky games on PC and 2 of the 4 Trails of Cold Steel as well. Simply incredible. I think Trails of Cold Steel comes this year to PS4. Trust me Playstation gamers, don't think, just buy, they are some of the best JRPGs I have ever played! :)
How does Trails compare to Final Fantasy 8 or 10 in terms of story?
for me Grandia will always be No. 1 the story, characters and combat is where it shines, also Xenoblade Chronicles has a mindblowing story and pretty much any of Persona games
VelvetSky1102 you have great tastes
I would say the Shin Megami Tensei games deserves some recognition too, agree on Grandia thought.
Same with me... Grandia have the best story
Grandia,KH , Tales of ..i Persona ;) .jest tyle gier,ktorych nigdy nie zapomnę .Do tego Eternal Sonata i Szopen ( wspaniała muzyka), Suikoden i Trails of cold Steel.Kazdy ma swoje top 10 :)
Grandia 1&2
Legend of Dragoon was unfairly drowned out by Final Fantasy.
It deserved a sequel.
It is one of my all time favourite games.
Agreed! Legend of Dragoon is a great game and deserves a sequel.
I'll be honest, I legit prefer it over Final Fantasy 7, even though the story is more "safe" and predictable, the gameplay was such a blast...
@Shaman X K
Valkyrie profile sucks. It had nice graphics, but that's it.
Shadow Hearts: Covenant is a must play for anyone who love good stories JRPG
Amazing story
One that I wish they would remaster for current systems, really enjoyed Shadow Hearts: Covenant for storyline as well as gameplay. Complete package.
Its so hard to play nowdays :(
The stories in the Suikoden series are amazing. The cutscene in S4 where you recruit Izak to your cause is brief and sad, and adds nothing to the overall story, but it really brings home to you the feeling that each of the characters that appears in the game is a person, with their own story and their own life. It makes each one feel real, no matter how fictional they are.
Suikoden is the best series
I would just like to say that I greatly appreciate the content you've produced on this channel. There aren't many individuals out there that have the ability to review fan service games with dignity and respect, the way that you do. It's refreshing.
You're genuine with your approach and you don't shy away from what doesn't appeal to you dispite your preferences. You're a credit to the niche genre that you cover, and I look forward to seeing how you grow in the future.
I knew Trails was gonna be number one. Smh... nothing l play feels as good now. I've raised the bar way too high.
True now I have noting interesting to play other than more trails series and persona
Whew THIS so true even my tales games don't feel as good
Try to play one of shin megami tensei games. I recommend the third one, Nocturne.
if you include xenogears on your list your preferences of story games are undoubtly amazing
root for xenogears hd remaster :D
A remake would make it the best game of all time!
We're barely getting Xenosagearemastered. I would lose my shit if they remastered Xenogears
I'd rather have Xenosaga truly finished.
yeah together with the prequel of it ( lacaan and krelian story ) will be the greatest game of all time
If they remastered Xenogears (including doing the second disc properly), I would buy a PS4 JUST for that game.
Man, great list. Not many gamers know about parasite eve or Legend of the Dragoon. Id cry if we ever see those gMes again. Either on a port, remaster, or spiritual successor. Jade Cocoon is another long lost JRPG series that needs to be brought back.
Starts with Legend of Dragoon. That's an upvote before I even finish the video.
To say Xenogears is complicated is only SCRATCHING THE SURFACE! My God that game was so jam packed with so many issues of minor, huge, political, religious, philosophical, psychological and existential I have ever seen in a video game! Evangelion would be the beginner's guide to understanding the maelstrom of lore and history you have to get through in order to understand the story! There were so many subplots to this game they could have made a TV anime series out of it with over arching story plots to spare! The backstory of each character LITERALLY spans generations! I am not kidding! This game broke my damn brain when i played and beat it during my high school days. If you are confident enough to have the brain power needed to understand this game and play it with complete understanding then be my guest! I am not going near this game again unless i have a heavy need for Science Fiction.
I have a question: if you play though the whole Xenogears game, would all the lore and themes and issues make sense in the end? Or does it seem like the game took too much on their plate and left it with too many loose ends?
@@taedaetao641 I double dare you to NOT play even the minor, optional subquests.
Every character grows in you almost at first glance. You CARE for their well being.
When shit hits the fan you worry about them. That is just the surface, really.
To answer your question properly, it makes sense, yes.
Actually, you'll be left wanting for more.
TaeDaeTao I first played Xenogears when I was in elementary school and didn’t feel I understood the plot and connotations completely until I was an adult. I had to look through forums, blogs, watch videos, and even read a book (Perfect Works) to feel satisfied. And even now every time I go back and play through it I find something new and brilliant that I missed. There is no game like Xenogears and will probably never be one again.
@@taedaetao641 Most of things are mentioned and explained in the game, but not exactly everything. The "problem" is that there is so much that it's understandable if you come out confused. Nothing that a fun trip to the wiki can't solve, of course. If you like science fiction, that game must be played.
Xenogears is one of those games I almost have to replay at least once every 2-3 years or so. The story is full of complex relationships, depth of history, and more. It is one of the best science fiction stories ever put to paper. IMO, a remake is needed, a touch up of the dialogue and presentation (since the PSX doesn't do the game justice); they don't need to revamp it in an FF7 Remake style - it doesn't need graphics any more advanced than a high-res 3DS game, it simply needs to be touched up.
legend of heroes... games to just lose yourself in. games that make you want to stay, instead of wanting to get it over with to rush to another game. games that make you care about all of the characters. games with the best world building and writing in the industry. the guys at falcom deserve WAY more popularity for putting so much love and care into their titles. when you play them, you don't just experience the clean, polished, immersive titles. you feel the love!
When you see that EACH freaking npc has his own storyline and you can keep talking to them when the main plot advances.. the guys at falcom are insane. If you like this saga tokyo xanadu is not bad either. It's a bit more rushed but the world building is still top notch... and in the arcade you find the main characters of cold steel... and you see the trails of cold steel 3 trailer running in a shop...
Tokyo Xanadu and Ys of course, Ys 8 was a beatifull sad story ..Falcom is really insane ,i Love it :)
Have you ever played Lunar: Silver Star Story? That one stuck with me forever. A simple almost generic story told soooo well. With great characters and great twists. One of my absolute favorites!
I really love this idea and I really love this list and its not necessarily because my favourite game of all time (xenogears) and my wife's favourite game of all time (Final Fantasy Tactics). I love that there is a lot of ps1 representation on this list because I will always consider the ps1 to have the best caliber of jrpg's out of any console system out there. I have actually beaten a few games on this list as well.
I've beaten:
Tales of Phantasia
Xenogears
Final Fantasy Tactics
Legend of Dragoon
Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky FC
Parasite Eve
It makes me excited to give the other entries in this list a try because the last game that gave me such a wonderful feeling was the first chapter in trails in the sky. There is just something in that game that made it enjoyable and addictive in such a surreal way. I look forward to seeing what the other entires in the legend of heroes series has to offer us.
I am playing tales in the sky right now. And i totally agree with xenogears. Ff7 and 8 was worth it too. Xenosaga was great too.
@@jahway3625 Trails* in the sky.
In sc, you will meet us.
I'm so relieved and gladdened to see someone loves STORIES in games as much as me! My game library is so small because I'm what others might call "picky" when it comes to games, but that's because I want to be enriched by story as well as gameplay, and walk away with something to remember!!
What are your recommendations?
Im a simple man, i see legend of dragoon and vagrant story, i click like. Btw i strongly want to play a remake or remaster of these games
Me too. Look here for vagrant story modded. There is a Guy Who modified VS to make It more difficult, i'm currently playing It. IT IS AWESOME, and thats not all: he made this Rebalanced version of VS just to see what he could do. Later he Will release a more complete modified version.
Wild Arms 1 - It might be due to the time of my life when I played it first, but its story resonated strongly with me. The plot is pretty standard fare when it comes to RPG's, but I feel the way it tackles this, especially in the first act, really presents itself well.
FF9 is your favorite? a gentleman of class, i see
Uh... Sorry, FF6 disagrees.
@@uUuWolf16uUu honestly every final fantasy game before 13 was great. I'm more of a FF7 guy since it was my first game but every FF was great
FF10 is the best
@@uUuWolf16uUu When it comes to FF everyone has their own choice of best game. That just shows how good the franchise used to be. Sadly that cannot be said anymore. Oh and for me FF4 and FF5 tie for first place, with FF6 coming a close second.
@@whatthe9256 12 was also not that great :/ too MMORPGish. And 11 was really a mindless grind.
The moment I heard the OST for trails in the sky in this video.....my heart........... (cries out of happiness and a ton of other emotions)
What about Arc The Lad? Suikoden 2? Grandia?
THANK YOU
Grandia is way ahead of most games he mentioned. So is Suikoden 2. Both marked my life.
I love Ark The Lad too
They're waiting for you to create your own list.
@@kikkidock Grandia 2 deserves at least an honorary mention too IMO. From what I've read, the story is not as good as the first one (I have yet to try it), but it touches some interesting themes, it has a well rounded cast of main characters, great dialogue, and if you pay attention, even some seemingly generic NPCs have little subplots that actually reappear later in the game.
Love Grandia!
You get a like just for having Legend of the Dragoons on your list!
Oh Gosh ! I finally found one person that say,like me,Legend of Heroes is the best story of all JRPGS !
I am going to add Mother 3 for treating some really mature themes under its colorful and funny cover.
This is a game that really makes you go through all the process of grief, makes you physically understand how abusive relationship works through the story of a cute little monkey, and makes you experience any really vivid bad trip.
It's really impressive and the fact we don't have any legally available version in the West is quite sad.
Lost Odyssey is quite possibly the best JRPG I ever played...but damn did those loading times get tiresome...on top of the canned before battle animations...(where those skippable? I forget...)
BendApparatus if your phone can run emulators I suggest you play tons of PS1 JRPG classics.
@@nethermir2169 lol I have about 2 dozen RPG i need to get to on everything from Ps1 ,ps2 xbox, G-cube, Wii, ps3, 360 and PC!!
Time!!! What o need is time!!!!! 😅
Tales of Phantasia was one of my 1st story based RPG. It changed my perspective on games. The OST, the "voice acting" the gameplay, the twists - it's top quality
This game is truly underrated because it released on the time ps1 launching.
But despite it still on SNES, it's one of the most beautiful game on that console. They truly put SNES to the limit.
And for me, the SNES version is still the best, especially the graphic and music.
Xenogears fucking legend. Years passed still no storyline can compete with that epicness.
Agreed.
High five mate
Final Fantasy VII has a better story
Anyone can agree the twist of story and fei's true identity about id and grahf no one expected it. The moment you know about fei's true identity is a bad ass. No one even in anime series top that. Well that's base from my experience. Although I'm a fan also of final fantasy.
@@SuperLaiceps I found it more badass when Sephiroth stuck his masamune literally right through Aerith...no moment in any video game tops that.
ToCS is my favorite JRPG series of all time. Glad to see it made this list. I would also recommend Tales of the Abyss and Golden Sun for 3ds and game boy advance respectively and if you haven't heard of it already, Nier Automata. Honorable mentions are Dragon Quest XI and Fire Emblem Awakening.
I LOVE parasite Eve. Im always recommending it at work when we have it in stock
Xenogears was truly one of those games that stick with you because of how complex its story was. I think it hit hard particularly with me because of the religious and philosophical themes, as someone who grew up in a Catholic household. The music definitely pushed it along even more, as a bad score could really break a game for me. Also the giant robots. Definitely a plus. The Id versions of the Weltalls and Xenogears hit just the right spots for me. They are still my favorite designs in the giant mech genre.
My number 1 goes to Legend of Dragoon
Ahhh, it's a shame Xenogears and Parasite Eve never released over here in the UK. They both look awesome.
I didn't know about Xenogears not coming out there, but I do recall Parasite Eve not releasing. I believe you guys did get Parasite Eve 2, but that games just a straight survival horror in the style of resident evil.
You can play it easily now, just use an emulator
@@TarksGauntlet Not only that, but XG pretty much didn't come out in ANY PAL region, which made up a good deal of the world (more so than NTSC regions). Had it been released global, it probably could've hit that sales mark Takahashi was gunning for so Square would greenlight a series for him, and then he wouldn't have left the company lol.
I'm in Australia & have a physical copy of Xenogears. It will play on the very first ps1 series of machines. It says NTSC u/c whatever that is but it works.
@@littlediddle5740 well then it's an NTSC copy. The comment meant that there's no PAL release of it so the one you have is an import from NTSC region.
The Chrono series. Chrono Trigger obviously, but more so Chrono Cross. Cross blew my mind story-wise. Its not easy to deal with time travel and multiple dimensions/timelines, much less together. The premise of skipping between the timeline where you are alive and the other where you died is already interesting. Mix that in with interesting realisations (like humanity being 'wrong', in a sense) and Trigger tiebacks, and I at least enjoyed it very much. More than anything else though, its a story and background with many, many layers and food for thought. Lastly, if you played Trigger but not Cross, I urge that you do; it also shines a new light on Trigger.
@El Clark Square needs to remake both like how they remade FF7.
Saw the thumb and just checked if a Trails game is here. No list like this should ever exist without it.
Ahhh The Legend of Heroes. You’re a man of culture
I clicked because of the game in the thumbnail. That choice said a lot of what I could expect. But u got my like and subscription right after the Legend of Dragoon. It feels like no one played that game. And while i type this comment I see the legendary Tales of Phantasia!!! Now i know i really wanna see what other videos you will bring. And obviously take a look in what you posted so far. We share a very similar taste. A very good taste might i add. I dont wanna finish this comment till i see all games... and i was kinda waiting for The Valkyrie Profile... and as expected there it is!!! Happy to see this one on this list too. Now i am hoping to see at least one of the follow... Grandia, Xenogears, Legend of Legaia... games that surpassed expectations for me. AND NOW MY SMILE GOES TO THE SKY BY SEEING THAT XENOGEARS IS RIGHT THERE!!!! 6 playthroughs and i still have tons of questions from the plot. Now I have to try yours number 1 on the list. How did that one escaped my rpg life!!! Thanks for that time travel.
try out Tales of the Abyss, Valkyria Chronicles, or Nier: Automata these games to me are definitely a must if story is what you want.
Great list! Eternal Sonata and Lost Odyssey are easily the most memorable games of the last generation for me.
Great list. I can definitely see why it would be put them in 10 places.
Personally, I would add *Radiant Historia* in there. Devs clearly took inspiration from Yasumi Matsuno's works so expect a good deal of politics, and with one of the best time travel/parallel time usage I've seen.
Not just the world and lore rules but rules of time travel are excellently thought out.
And writing, which (I feel) is usually the weakest parts in most JRPGs, is excellent here.
It's amazing coming from a handheld game.
I've heard this! Definitely want to check it out but never got the opportunity to. I've been finding it hard to find time for my handhelds lately, but the game is definitely on my radar!
@@TarksGauntlet hey tarks.
I've completed the trails trilogy, trails from zero, and is currently on chapter 2 of trails to azure.
I can definetly say that radiant historia was one of the best jrpgs i've ever played. (If you like time travelling and seeing what *could* have happened if things turned out differently, this is the game for you. By far the best time travel game i've ever played) (yes i know steins gate is amazing also but that's a visual novel)
Also, just play it on an emulator.
Grałam w Radiant Historia. Pięknie napisana historia ;) różnych współistniejących światow
2:47 "After a blind date takes a turn for the crispy"
This made me chuckle. Excellent pun right there. Subbing.
Legend of Dragoon was amaaazing.
Great, criminally underrated game, but I actually agree with its rank here. The gameplay (specially the pretty original addition system), the art and OST are fantastic, but the story is just decent and entertaining enough without being truly among the best. It has some interesting lore and concepts, but the script is too dull at times and there are some things that don't make too much sense here and there.
yes sony could have a ff killer man, they need to make a reimagining type remake or a new entry period...smh i wish it freakin sold because i can't think of any other reason why the snubbed it
SOMEONE REMEMBERS THIS GAAAAAAME
Ah god I love Legend of the Dragoon. It's so aggressively okay but it shaped my love for games when I was *counts on fingers* An Age(tm). It was the last game I've legit cried for (LAVIIIIITZ) and the music still has a large influence on me. UNPH I LOve it so much it's actually unironically my favorite game even though I recognize it's not a 'great' game. It's a very /good/, very serviceable game. It's not bad, it just is. And I love it.
@@979329 100% def one of my very first/early "3d" rpgs after snes era that made me fall in love with jrpgs even more and it always felt like another great final fantasy entry to me and in many ways better than the ff games during that time, truly a gem and again would be sonys great alternative to ff...oddly xbox canned scalebounds visual style for some reason reminded me of it lol
@@979329 we do have project awakening coming which looks great and other awesome cy games jrpgs like granblue fantasy re link...also am hyped for square new studio that is making project rune or whatevr it is called...atlus also has triple a jrpg coming with project re fantasy, amazing devs at work on it and supposed to bring jrpgs back to the forefront
So happy to see Eternal Sonata in this, it's such an underrated game. I really loved playing it. One of the few games I started a New Game + right after finishing the first run. The characters, the story, the gameplay, the music. Everything is so refreshing.
Yes the video is in my recommended videos, yes I watched, and yes I agree with the list and appreciate the disclaimer that you're own limited knowledge limits the list. That allows people to add to the list with their own knowledge.
My addition: Shadow Hearts/Shadow Hearts: Covenant
It’s really sad that I regularly search “JRPG” on TH-cam and somehow this channel has never come up. Luckily it randomly showed up on my home page today. Great content dude, subbed.
Glad to hear it popped up at all haha. Hope you enjoy what you find, though be warned, not every corner of this channel is for everybody haha.
Missing Breath of Fire series and Suikoden too. Still all really good games good video!
Only played the Cold Steel 1 and 2 games so far but call them my number one games ever. I would wish they remade the other substories for a modern console (PS4 or later PS5) or at least port them so that I could play them on that system.
I was interested in the Utawaremono games but I'm not a fan of visual novels so I'm not sure if I ever play them even though I might regret it.
To add a game worth playing for the story (and also gameplay) I'd like to mention Valkyrie Profile 1 & 2. They aren't direct sequels even though they are linked so that knowledge from the first game is useful. I haven't actually played the first game (only watched the story parts) but the second (which was my third jrpg at all) was really amazing. It's that kind of dramatic story that actually caused me to cry near the end. It's still in my top 3 games.
I always love lists like this. I’m on disc 4 of Lost Odyssey right now, and holy shit that game is amazing.
Have you played Ar Tonelico?
I recently got into it, and I like it for a lot of the same reasons I like Trails. The world-building is fantastic, and there's so much detail to everything. Everything has a story and a background, and the setting itself is really unique and interesting. I definitely recommend you check it out if you haven't.
The music and selfmade language for that alone would be worth playing I say.
It was good ... But to easy. Still the ideas they had there were cool .
So glad you put legend of heroes #1
Obviously I 100% agree
Nice list bruh
Regardless of your editing this was to the point and honestly really well put together. As someone who is fairly new to the JRPG genre in general this really put a lot of games i've missed out on, on my radar, despite some of them being rather hard to get due to not having certain systems to play them on / overall accessibility in general.
A game that really made me fall in love with JRPG's however, though the story wasn't exactly it's main appeal was White Knight Chronicles 1 and 2, hopefully one day it will get remastered, cause honestly it was a gem. But anyways, great work as always Tarks !
Xenogears, by far to me is the best JRPG storywise. The plot is original and the battle system topnotch. Add to that the GIANT ROBOTS! Imagine that game with the graphics of today.
The only Xeno games I ever played were Xenosaga 1 and all the Xenoblade games. Is Xenogears anything like them?
@Tarks This was a fun video and for those of us in THIS house we love and adore story so yea huge thank you. @Tarks any chance we can see you do a top 10 jrpg's for the PS4 (since we always do Sony console's in this house) just thought Id ask :). Again thank you for all the time you put into these high quality videos
Nice top, glad to see Lost Odyssey, it deserves it :)
I would add :
Dragon Quest V, you should try it eventually.
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy VI and X
Fire Emblem : "Path Of Radiance" and "Radiant Dawn"
Xenoblade Chronicles
Grandia
Valkyrie Profile is my favorite rpj of all time. I think is a perfect game. The story, gameplay, graphics, the characters... GOD!!! Everything is perfect and memorable!!! Grest video my man
@Karcamo Gaming personally I’d watch it if it had an anime adaptation. I could easily see 200 eps (+filler) with this series.
Lost odyssey was such a good game. So depressing though. But extremely good. The music was really good too if I remember correctly. I am playing my way through the atelier games. Story is sort of meh but for some reason I'm addicted. I tried trails of cold steel 1 but couldnt get into it. Does it really get better after the first hour? Maybe I started the wrong one first? Maybe I'll go back after I finish rorona. Also nice video. I enjoyed your list.
You have to thanks Uematsu-san for that. God bless that man.
Eternal sonata was soooo underrated. What a shame it was amazing!
Fights were surprisingly difficult at times btw but very fun and I must agree, the story was breathtaking and fascinating^^
It pains me to know how many ppl don’t know about lost odyssey
I have a 360 and own one game for it.....
Damn fine list, and kudos to the 1 per franchise rule, tho not I want to see you do the list without it to see your 3 favorite rpg jrpg franchises. Some of this you mentioned like Dragoon or Parasite Eve are CRIMINALLY unknown and underrated. Very fun list much debate. An that is what is best about each different fan's list :).
Star Ocean the 2nd story
Legend of Legaia
Breath of Fire 3
Legend of Mana
Final Fantasy Tactics
Chrono Cross or Trigger
.....
Legend of Legaia is so underrated. Still one of my favorites to this day!
@@MAJICB0B yeah it is my 2nd favorite rpg of all time. Very underrated: one of the best music compositions, story is awesome, unique battle mechanics, and very cool visual aesthetics.
So much love of Legend of Mana! It and Radiata Stories are the only games that made me feel immersed into a fairy tale world.
Breath of Fire 4 was the best of them :)
Legend of Legaia:) im not alone- amazing game
You on FFT: "The lengths they go to to see this through are dark, and nothing is off-limits. The betrayal and monstrosity displayed by some of these characters is quite reminiscent to me of Game of Thrones."
Me: "The betrayal and monstrosity displayed by some of the characters in Game of Thrones is quite reminiscent to me of Final Fantasy Tactics."
Persona series and Nier Automata has some of the best stories out there, and full of philosophy that will keep you pondering at society, identity and existentialism. I take it you just haven't played it yet, coz if you already were and didn't include it, that's unforgivable. :)
Have played nier, I just thing it's an action adventure game first and foremost. The RPG elements aren't really deep enough for me to lump it full-on into that genre. That aside, I'd HIGHLY recommend it. Games a near masterpiece.
As for persona, I haven't played most of them.
@@TarksGauntlet Nier's more of a action-adventure jrpg than old-school jrpg, but i thought this list was supposed to about the stories, not mechanics. But i still agree on most on the list, with few exceptions of the ones i haven't played yet. Go and play Persona series (or just try one), just a friendly suggestion from fellow gamer who also appreciates great stories. :)
I’m hoping you mean Persona 2, because that game’s story was the best. While they do have great storytelling, tbh I don’t believe any of them would make it higher than the top five. Especially not P5. Too many recycled elements to make a plotline that is no more than just entertaining imo.
@@soulscyther666 Persona's story telling as a series isn't very stable. Its the same Jungian concepts being recycled over and over ever since the start. Its a fun series but the story itself is recycled over and over. Definitely not in a top 10
@@prodigous21 that's because it's not supposed to be a sequel of sorts. They are stand alone stories just like each Final Fantasy. And it is because Jungian psychology is it's core theme, it won't be removed whether you liked it or not. See a lot of top 10 best jrpgs and i'm sure Persona will be on top 5. See EVERY best vita games videos, and you'll see P4G tops over other jrpgs even though that platform is a jrpg-filled haven and it was released on vita's early life. I loved Trails of Cold Steel (that made it in this vid) but it never won against P4G, in my opinion and reviewers as well. P3P was one of the best PSP games, P5 one of the best in PS4, loved worldwide even though PS4 is a dominantly filled with western games and jrpgs are not getting enough love on that platform.
So happy Xenogears is on this list! You know your stuff man. Good video!
Great video man. I love these games!
Great video as always :) Tho you forgot Crossbell arc in the Legend of Heroes spot, its only fan translated for now, but its arguably better than ToCS, at the very least Trails of Zero and Trails of Ao introduced 90% of new features that appeared in ToCS, and oh man, tha story there, the moment it all clicks together at the end is just marvelous.
Didn't forget so much as I just didn't mention them as I haven't had the chance to play through them myself yet.
Gotchya :) Well I know you are busy but its well worth it, new translation of Zero will be coming out soon and after that they will update Ao's recent translation a bit too, or so the word goes, but both versions are good enough to play already. Zero has even got its evolution for ps vita translated, tho you have to have hacked vita to be able to play it in english :(
@@KaiSaeren I think my plan now is to finish sky 3. Then import zero and ao so I don't feel guilty playing the translation lol.
Haha, I did the same thing :D I bought the evo's tho.
I need eternal sonata and lost Odyssey for PC, played both on x360
I gotta rep some of my old faves.
The Breath of Fire series, but I guess more specifically III or IV. Excellent stories about the misuse or fear of greater power and the ramifications of higher beings meddling in the affairs of the world. And there's dragons, what's not to like? I really liked II, but I realize part of that is nostalgia and the story does meander a bit too much until the last third or so of the game.
Lufia series, but mostly Lufia II on the SNES. Good gameplay, puzzles and great music. The story is kinda simple, but effective in how it endears characters to you. How often do main characters in RPGs actually get married and have kids? The ending is also something sorta special.. or maybe nostalgia just makes me sentimental for it. Selan is still one of my favorite RPG characters to this day.
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together. I only played the PSP version which has significant gameplay changes from the old SNES version its based on, but I feel like this remake does a better job of keeping you invested. Not only is it a nice chunky plot about religious and political intrigue or the costs of war, but a lens on morality in wartime while making you actively make choices that affect the plot. It also encourages you to go back and try different paths through a sort of 'chapter select' when you finish certain routes, so you don't have to completely replay a game if you wonder "what if I'd done this differently?".
Can you make a list like this but only contain games for pc? That would be great.
Great list. I know it's not a JRPG, but where would KOTOR fit on the RPG list? That's one of my fave rpgs of all time, especially storywise.
Kotor would be hard to include in a list like this since the story telling is so different. That 1 big twist alone (you know the one) and the masterful execution in how it was pulled off without you noticing is worthy of loads of praise, but outside that, I gotta be honest, I don't remember a whole lot of the story any more lol. Probably due for a replay. It's been since I was a teenager I think.
Great list, man. Personally I liked Lufia II, although strictly speaking it's nothing special, just very emotional towards the end. I'm also biased since it was the first JRPG I ever played.
And sorry but your murdering of the pronunciation of "Utawarerumono" kinda cracked me up. XD
Also, it's pronounced "Ee-valice", not "Eye-valice". Okay, I'll stop being all pedantic and shit now.
So...his pronunciation of _Chopin_ didn't offend you? :P
Gonna be honest with you here Tarks... You have an extremely good taste in video games. Going through this list had me sitting at the edge of my seat. For a single moment there I thought somehow you managed to miss my absolute favorite series, but then here came the Kiseki bomb in the #1 spot exactly where it belongs. I always love watching your videos! Keep up the good work. :)
puts TRAILS series as number 1
90% of the comments talk about another JRPGs.
lul surely people will likely to say every JRPG they grew up with is the only number one for them.
just try Trails series preferably Trails in the sky trilogy ; you'll never look at JRPGs the same way again.
Agreed I just Finished Trails From Azure Yesterday and it became one of my favorite jrpg of all time
This game ruined JRPGSs for me its so good that no other game can compare,right now I am playing Vesperia even though Yuri isa great protagonist I just can not finish the game it feels so empty you know after Trails series type world building no other game can come close
@@hack5770 Seriously one of the best World building i have seen in games
@@manoloxx1179 Can you recommend any other world building games.
@@jefferyslack9088 if you barely played the game , then you must keep going. it's a really slow burn at first but really rewarding. hell i couldnt even stand it at first that i postponed to play the game like 11 months or so then i came back beating the game and ended up loving the series. if you beat the game already and didnt like it, idk what to tell you, it must be not your cup of tea
Mana Khemia: Alchemist of Al-Revis (PS2). One of the most underrated games and it has a nice story. It's about MC trying to find a place where he belongs but it turns out he's not a human and *SPOILER* he himself is the last boss
Tactics Ogre also has a great story based around politics and intrigue.
My personal top 10,
10: Zelda faces of evil
9: Hotel Mario
8: Superman 64
7: Fallout 76
6: Mario is Missing
5: Sonic '06
4: Big Rigs, over the road racing
3: Zelda's Adventure
2: Fortnite
1: Fallout 77
Edit:
Honourable mentions include;
- Elder Scrolls Online
- Bubsy 2
- Sega Bass Fishing
- Sonic Adventure, Big's Story
- 50 cent bulletproof
I can't believe Sega Bass Fishing only made the honorable mentions... smh.
@@TarksGauntlet if I had to continue the list it would be number 11
Chrono cross its a fucking legend, the best of the best, a Masterpiece in all aspects.
It's the GOAT
I kind of agree with you, but unfortunately i find the story a bit difficult to understand no matter how much i re-read the wiki, i dislike the strangely quiet main character with no personality, and there were too much playable characters, most of them had minimal contribution to the main storyline/ inadequately developed. Everything else is perfection tho, just like you said.
They hired a novelist for Lost Odyssey iirc. Also, my list would probably look something like
-Shin Megami Tensei Devil Survivor, Nocturne and Digital Devil Saga
-Tales of the Abyss
-Persona 2 (both)
-Xenogears
-Chrono Trigger & Cross
-Anything by Yasumi Matsuno
-Breath of Fire IV
-Legend of Mana
-Fire Emblem Genealogy of the Holy War
maybe
I'm currently playing Trails of cold steel....i'm 100 hours in with 2 chapters to go. I have Trails in the clouds 1 and 2 with intent to get 3 on steam when i'm ready for it. and with Trails of cold steel 3 pre ordered when it comes stateside in the fall......and now you tell me they are all connected in a marvel type way........ I hate you. Now, instead of moving on to Trails 2 i'm going to have to start trails in the sky instead.....damn you. damn you to hell. lol.
honestly, they are good games, but holy shit they are a bit of a slog, you can honestly skip 2 and just watch the anime on hulu and just play 3 lol
@@joshw7848 - well I'm 100 hours into 1, and I already got 2. So I'm for a penny, in for a pound at this point....besides 3 doesn't come out until the fall. Plus the remaster of 1&2 come out in a few weeks....
@@jdzspace33 ohhh I was talking about trails in the sky, cold steel 1 and 2 are both great and don't feel like a slog at all to me
@@joshw7848 oh, awesome.thanks
I keep hearing how awesome LoH series is. I bought Trails in the Sky 1 and Trails of Cold Steel 1 but never got past more than 10 hours in each game.
I know it’s worth it to keep going but it’s just so hard to get past the outdated graphics and presentation.
I will get back into it eventually especially after watching this video.
The Trails games are incredible. In a 14 month span I finished the Sky trilogy, Crossbell duology and Cold Steel I & II. Can't wait for Cold Steel III at the end of this year!
How did you access the Crossbell duology? Weren't they never localized?
@@thecognitiverambler8911 I played the fan translations on PC.
Man, I wish Sony would realize how bad people want another Legend of Dragoon. Hell, I'd go for full remaster of the original. Keep the game how its, just give it a new graphics engine, some voice acting. And no random encounters. Have all the enemies on the field. I hate random encounters. Lol.
While I don't think the voice acting was horrible, I do want it to be fully voiced.
At least Zieg, Rose and Dart's voice actors were amazing.
Melbu was also good. That "How dare you" line always get to me.
I would love to play a prequel, actually. The whole Dragon Campaign business.
I'd love a fully remastered LOD can you imagine seeing dart and co transform and all the visuals of each dragon especially the divine dragon cutscene in 4k
The Legend of Heroes is phenomenal. The tie-in story between the different arcs/subseries of the 'Trails of' games is how they make such a complex story so enjoyable. Although you seem to have forgotten to mention the Trails to Zero duology that takes place alongside Trails of Cold Steel 1 & 2. Tho they are un-localized for the west, i would still stress that they are very important for the overall Trails storyline. For anyone curious about those 2 games tho, some great Fan translators have got you covered in fan-translating both games of the Trails to Zero duology (zero & azure) psp versions.
Trying to do my part and spread the word lol.
th-cam.com/video/JpcqOF5q9Hs/w-d-xo.html&lc=Ugx7AeS7NmS45R6Wz6d4AaABAg
Legend of dragoon remake anyone?
PLEASE. Not known enough to happen though.
As much as I personally would fan girl over that, it's too risky. They would make it episodic plus a bunch of the usual BS business decisions that go into current day titles. It would be a way safer approach to leave that gem as is.
@@che9045 agreed completely. Im tired of them remaking my favorite old games into something completely new thats just worse. If they do anything just reskin it, tis all i want.
Utawarerumono, the first one, is my favorite game of all time. I really wish Atlus USA would just localize the remake so more people could play it, they did a fantastic job with Mask of Deception/Truth.
You really should give the fan translation of the PC version a try; it can be rough around the edges at times, specially towards the end, but it’s better than nothing.
Zakku The remake is the exact same except with the Uta3 engine/gameplay and no h-scenes, although they technically still happen (Yuzuha getting pregnant and giving birth to a sequel is canon after all lol). Other than that the remake has redrawn backgrounds & CGs, which are gorgeous btw, and a remixed soundtrack.
Personally, I prefer the PC original from an aesthetic point of view, I really dig the sprite work it had going for but that version can be a pain to get running properly on modern hardware and no voices can be a turn off for some people (although there is a voice patch but it’s buggy as hell from my experience) in that regard you could say the PSP/PS2 ports could be considered the best versions but neither of those are translated sadly.
Xenogears has an incredible story . The evolution of the characters and of the whole plot is astonishing. It is by far the best story ever written for JRPG.
And What about a game that has a lot of different story and develops all characters except you (the heroe)? Yes i'am talking about legend of mana (PS1).
I liked baten kaitos a lot too. A must play if you had not.
aaaaaaah you are also an audio engineer
was already wondering why this channel is so underrated and had well setup audio compared to others.
Yeah. If I didn't have a secondary use for some of this stuff I wouldn't buy it and would just stick myself with a blue yeti or something. That said, I really wish I had the time to treat some of this sound better but.. eh. What can you do right?
xenoblade chronicles and panzer dragoon saga 2 beautiful story.
Holy christ your list is so legit, instant subscriber. I been a fan of rpgs for 20+ years and i have to say you know your games!
Xenogears is on the list. I'm satisfied.
I just waited to see if Valkyrie Profile was on the list cause if it wasn't i was going to comment about it. It's by far my favorite game. The story is great, it's hard but not impossible, the combat system is great, there's a lot of characters and a good background for all of them and the OST man the OST makes you feel the game. If someone haven't played srsly just give a try.
Shadow Hearts (Covenant)
It's always SHC that no-one seems to have played. :(
You left out Zero/Ao (the Crossbell arc) in your video for The Legend of Heroes. 😭 That’s one of the best arcs! But I’m so happy you think the Legend of Heroes series is #1 story wise! I’ve always been a Final Fantasy fanboy, but after stumbling upon this gem of a series a few years back, I’m now hooked.
As in almost every best jrpg anything list: Shadow Hearts 2 (Covenant) is missing!
Have you played Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2? It is truly a unique experience.
Too bad the ending is really terrible and unsatisfying
Not anybodies fault though, the main writer got sick because the ending was written so the team had to wing it
PERSONA was missing here....
Also .Hack (series)
Only good persona are 2 and 3, smt would be waay better
Vandal Hearts 2 messed me up as a kid and I think it's the best/most mature story of any game of the era. You start as a kid who gets into a bad situation and has to flee town, time skip to being an adult and having to work as a mercenary to get by. Events unfold, you run into your childhood friends and the time has NOT been kind to them. You try and take the high road and blame their bad decisions and they shoot you down hard with you not knowing what they had to go through. You climb the ranks as a mercenary and then run into the princess you were playing with as a child, but because of your stations there is no happy reunion. You stare at each other in silence for a second, taking in everything the other must have gone through, then you kneel because you have to. Oh man the story is soooooooo gooooooooood.
You left out Star Ocean: Till The End of Time!
I never got near finishing it but loved that game I have to agree with u
I love every single one of these games, especially Lost Odyssey (the reason I got a 360), Xenogears, Eternal Sonata, & the Trails series. The only Trails/Sky I didn't play is the 3rd one ('cuz it never released physically). Xenogears is a tale amongst itself (aside from being a concept pitched for FF7). To imagine all 7 parts having been released is a tale so grand in scope it'd have likely taken over a decade to complete. Then it was re-imagined into the smaller Xenosaga trilogy. Great list.