@@femtrooper It is hard to let go of games XD there is always the hope that you get to the end and something amazing will happen, that will make it all worth it.
Trials of Mana is a remake of an old SNES game we never received in the west. Seiken Densetsu 3, which originally came out in 1995. So feeling like a 20 year old game makes sense, cause the original was almost 30 years ago now. Back then on SNES it was super innovative. There was a fan translation of the original I tried way back when.
@@femtrooper I think the original is the better version. I played an emulation of it several years back and loved it. I bought the remake and wasn't able to get past an hour. I think the voice acting threw me.
@@femtrooperit's available on switch in the collection of mana. People claim the original is better but they are almost beat for beat the exact same game just one is updated to 3D with voice acting. Literally very little else changes
@@geoffreychauvin1474 the problem in the remake is the technical presentation, on SNES' pixels and limited audio, that content feels great, innovative and surprising. However, with the remake's technology, they should have made more details in the story and more graphic and music diversity. It feels like an outdated PS2 game.
@@canalultimateattack3169 graphics don't define a game for me, they never have. They are a part of an overall package. You also wield the ps2 comparison around like that's some sort of insult. It's clear you didn't grow up appreciating that era of gaming, because the ps2 era is the peak of gaming creativity and everything has been downhill since with very few exceptions. Once gaming met a mainstream audience all creativity and passion vanished
I’ve been replaying Golden sun series, it’s crazy how good it is, I def think there’s more mid rpgs in general because they can be very similar in gameplay and plot
It’s crazy the number of people who can’t differentiate between someone’s else’s option and their own. How dare you not feel the same way about every game as every person who watches this video!
I love watching videos like this as I probably have some/most of these games on the backlog waiting to be played and it does help narrow down my choices of what to play/buy next and there’s a couple in here that have definitely caught me eye 😊
Trials of Mana story is nothing to write home about but it looked great and had fun gameplay. I want to replay with another team and play the next one that's coming.
I don’t think there is anything wrong with games being just okay. Most things in life isn’t perfect or amazing. Most things in life also don’t completely suck. So do we hate them, no? Haha, I just like this list because I feel like so many people on the internet are very much hate it or love it on everything when a middling game is still enjoyable. We should start enjoying the 6/10 or 7/10 of the world. When we embrace those, then the rare 10/10 feels so much better. 😊
Usually if I find an RPG boring, it means I'm stopping before I make it to the 5 hour mark. Recently started playing Skies Of Arcadia and wow. Just an incredible game so far. Blew everything I've been playing out of the water.
I couldn't get into FF16. The devs stated they've watched Game of Thrones and it makes me wonder if they "get it." If you would like to play a JRPG with a great story then give Vagrant Story a go. It's so good. Also, I'd love a remake or a remaster of it. The soundtrack is so amazing 😊😊😊
If I stop having fun with the game I like to drop them entirely. That way I look at the game in a positive way. It’s like “I had fun and then I didn’t so I moved on” so I don’t feel the “It’s mid” anymore, I used to but not anymore or not as much. It’s either fun or not. There’s soooo much friggin’ games to play that I don’t feel like I have to finish anything anymore plus by playing games for about 30 years I can easily predict how the game is going to go.
I really want to have that ability! I have such a hard time letting go of games, even when I am not enjoying them. It happens with books to. If I start something I want to finish it, but some thing are just not so easy to "finish".
@@Summer_and_Rain I get that, I really do. I was like that. But I got to a point where I just said to myself: “Wait a minute, it is not my job to finish games or anything like that, I’m not getting paid. I’m not a reviewer or a journalist. I don’t have to finish let alone complete anything if I don’t feel like it. Why don’t I behave like I did when I was a kid? And that’s to value my time.” And sure, there are games that are going to inspire me to complete them and think about them, talk about them or even write about them, but that’s because I want to do it for those games not because I have to do it. And it doesen’t mean that the game I fully complete is better than the game I like for a short period then drop. Both can be valued for their own merits. Playing games and having fun is not exact science that you can easily put a number on something and decide what is “better” or “worse”. Well this my opinion at least.
@@ivosimac510 I like your opinion :) I will take the time to rethink why I don't want to let go, to see if I am read to chance. Thanks for the inside :)
Ff16 feels so much like the antithesis of what most Final Fantasy players wanted. It didn't even really go back to its roots. The original had a huge twist at the end, with its time loop scenario. Sixteen felt like it was just going through the motions to be a generic action rpg. Its saving grace was its music which is all phenomenal. On a side note, several of your picks for mid RPGs are remakes or remasters of games that are over twenty years old. Not having nostalgia for them is going to give you a different mindset. Honestly trials of mana is the only one I really disagree with on your list, because it shows square Enix was listening when fans talked about wanting better for Mana remakes. Also the original version is also available on switch in the collection of mana. Playing both the difference is night and day and the care put into the remake shows.
I whole heartedly agree with Final Fantasy 16. I also felt that it just drags on and on, but then there are those moments where it melts my eyes with the action that is happening during boss fights. I will also say I did not like the combat and how it felt like I was just mashing square the whole time.
ff16 was phenomenal in a lot of ways. writing, combat, animations, the music. if it had been trimmed by 15 hours and dumped the quantity of side quests in favor of more quality ones, it would have been my favorite final fantasy straight up. 10/10 experience. 7/10 actual video game.
These are very fair picks. When it comes to RPGs I expect them to usually be a significant time investment so I am extra cautious about getting them (as in Sword/Shield was so weak I wouldn't consider Scarlet/Violet). I suppose I liked XVI more than a lot of people but I also waited for the DLC and other updates and went in with muted expectations so I was highly impressed!
I do enjoy it a lot, but it is mainly when I am out doing my own thing or doing stuff with Arven or the gym leaders. I did not enjoy being forced to put up with Nemona or team star.
Very well done video Paige, I like your final fantasy 16 take. Honestly I didn't pick it up at all because I thought I would have experienced it exactly like you did. I'm playing FF7 Rebirth now though and I love it! You can tell the devs just had a blast making it and I prefer that style of FF game much more.
@@femtrooper Same here! But instead of just remaking older games I'd also love to see a brand new game with a great story, characters etc. I'm not sure if that's even possible anymore.
It’s funny that I tried to dig into the scarlet/violet (again) while getting a notification from TH-cam Femtrooper. I also finished Mana remake recently and it was fun, but I didn’t try to replay the other 3 characters, once was enough for me. And it’s the first time seeing you with your hair straightened ❤ love it! As a hairdresser I feel the urge to make our straight hair wavy and vice versa. Thanks for the video 🎉❤
You know what, fair enough. Not everything is going to jive with everyone. I know I have my share of very popular games that I either don't care for or just didn't really like all that much. Heck, I often whine about all the stuff I do like that's seemingly despised by most of the Japanese RPG community. If nothing else, it sounds like you at least finish the games instead of just playing them for an hour or two like many other channels seem to do. That's already very commendable. Well now, let's see, of what's listed here, I've played: "Bugs Fable", "Trials of Mana", "Tales of Symphonia", "Granblue Fantasy Relink", and "Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure". I mostly enjoyed all of them, some more than others obviously. Though I do have "Final Fantasy 16" in my backlog so verdicts out on that at some point. That said, if I may go on a slight tangent...I didn't realize just how much I'm really starting to hate the term "mid".
I think the only one on this list that I was like "nah, this aint it girl" was Tales of Symphonia. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, you've always been very lukewarm towards the series as a whole and I guess for whatever reason the series just isn't for you. That being said, I just could not disagree more on the story becoming boring, I think the story remains consistently good for the entire run. I think Symphonia has a wonderful cast of characters that are consistently engaging for the entire run, the game has multiple twists and turns that keeps thing engaging, it handles its thematic storytelling very well making a deeper narrative than most JRPGs at the time and overall I just think it's a consistently great game in every category that counts. Oh well, just not your thing at the end of the day, can't fault you for that.
@@femtrooper I am gonna be real, if you play Tales of the Abyss and you're still "ehh" towards the series, then I dunno what to tell you lol. Abyss is quite literally one of my favorite games of all time, easily top 3, if you're still not feeling it, then the series is just not your vibe and it would probably be better to just not bother with it anymore.
Crazy thing is I mostly agree with your FF XVI take but I still very much enjoyed the game. Something about the main story, characters, and combat just hit, but definitely a lot of room for improvement.
Prof Noctis on twitter had a discussion months ago about how everyone has that game that's probably a 7/10 in reality but a 10/10 personally. Like he loves ff15 but acknowledges it's flaws. For me I love DQ7 and Beyond the Beyond, but I absolutely recognize the flaws and get why people don't like them.
I really think FFXVI is highly under appreciated. Please play this in PSVR2! The immersion is unreal!! It is like you are being transported into a Medieval/fantasy world. The music enhances the immersive experience so well, it moves me to tears. I want more of this kind of experience or this iteration of FFXVI. Absolutely a 10 out of 10 experience to me.
Trials of Mana is one of my favorite games. I can understand why it may not be for everyone though. I really appreciate that you aren't on the hype train for Granblue Fantasy. I honestly never wanted to play the game. Nothing I saw drew me in. It just seems all propped up by hype.
Silva Saga 2 on SNES. I enjoyed it but I'm not rushing to replay it. It's worth one playthrough. The music is decent. The battle system is DQ-ish. The mercenary system gives it a twist, but ultimately lessens the difficulty.
I get what you mean with FFXVI. I think that the core story is superbly written and the combat itself was really engaging. On the flip side of both of those things though, there were also many parts where the pacing of the narrative came to a grinding halt because of a needless fetch quest that was "necessary" to progress the plot along. As for gameplay, the way the level up/crafting mechanics were implemented made it as though this was only an RPG in concept more than execution. But my biggest problem was the gameplay loop-pretty much every single chapter ended on a high note that made me want to experience what was coming next... Only for the following chapter to start of as though it said "oh hey, you know that exciting thing you just witnessed? Well, forget about that for the next hour or two, in the meantime we gotta pad out the runtime of this game with blatant filler. We'll come back to the good stuff afterwards." In the end then, FFXVI had way too many highs for me to end up disliking it, but all the low points dragged it down enough that I can only say it's okay but not great.
I agree with you 100% on FFXVI. The game felt like the devs fed A Storm of Swords to an AI to write the story. Crafting was basically pointless, and they had us ping pong throughout the map for the most useless stuff. It's a real shame because I'm a big fan of what that business unit did with the MMO. Recently I finished YS VIII Lacrimosa of Dana and found it to be really nice. It reminded me a lot of FFX and Ps2 era games in a good way. Simple visuals, but interesting story and fun gameplay.
I agree crafting was pointless, but thought the story was incredible. There’s a few pacing issues, but none of them bothered me other than post-Bahamut. I think that was the only time I was doing the fetchy stuff for the main story. I think people are exaggerating how much of that there is because that happened near the end, and they remember that best. With that said, that post-Bahamut part was BRUTAL until near the end of the game, so I get it. Definitely brought the game down from a 10 for me, but I’ll never forget that game’s highs. Bahamut was insane
I feel like it's because Square is trying to make Final Fantasy appeal to the masses now. Ever since they said they're switching to action based combat to reach a wider audience and not because they wanted to try something different I knew stuff like this was coming because they will not stop there to reach a wider audience.
@@NicktheLP the story had the elements it needed to be really good for me but there was just something missing. Lots of key info was obfuscated behind tomes and the other lore character, vs just letting the player experience it themselves.
Understandable, for me it all depends on the mood going into games. That’s probably why I really enjoyed Soul Hackers 2 (Smt nerd I know) Not just jrpgs. I think mid jrpgs for me would be Pokémon Sword, Scarlet, final fantasy 4, 9, 10 and Xenoblade chronicles 3. I honestly would love to go back and play FF9. I just know at the time I felt annoyed by mandatory character switching when I tried building a team and I wasn’t ready for unfamiliar characters. I like the explanations for what is considered mid. It’s not fully positive, not fully negative. Hearing about bug fables while still recommending it is cool in my opinion.
Everyone has there opinions but I absolutely loved Final Fantasy 16. Gave me everything I wanted out of a video game. FF Mode gave me a challenging NG+ mode too. DLC rocked and curious what they do next with the series. Everything isn’t for Everyone and that’s okay.
Ffxvi was so beautiful, I agree with the take on side quest they were boring but the combat was so good it made them bearable at least and then the story was phenomenal
FF16 is definitely a mixed bag, but for me it managed to become something special despite it's shortcomings. It gets much better on final fantasy mode as you go through it Zantetsuken-ing everything and avoiding side quests.
i think I already replied to your post on Twitter that I enjoyed Granblue a whole lot, but I really respect that you're honest about how you feel about these games! One that I tried recently and thought was unfortunately just mid was the GBA port of Breath of Fire. It's a weird one because it has Super Nintendo graphics and sound but it felt like it was trying to be an NES JRPG. A lot of fetch quests, crazy high encounter rate, weird pacing issues, etc. But honestly, actual NES-era JRPGs like Dragon Warrior and Phantasy Star were way better in my opinion! I tried really hard to like Breath of Fire but it just wasn't working for me. I heard 3 and 4 are way better.
Wow, this was an interesting list! I appreciate you being able to convey your feelings so well on such a neutral/normal set of games you've encountered. I didn't love FF16 myself, but I felt it was decent? But I guess that's what could be seen as it being mid, and that makes sense!
I agree with most of this list! I would love to see a top 10 favourite games of all time from you! With your knowledge and experience playing so many games throughout the years i think it would be interesting
Great insight with each of the titles, you picked for the video. RPGs are tough to bop around and get a feel for, when they take way way too long to get into. I will confess Dragon Quest XIS, is one i could not get through, I tried, but the leveling system, progression, even making new gear was neat. But after awhile, it does feel exhausting, I just wanted to progress the story Persona 5. I did enjoy the game, but the day/night cycle was super limited in the original, I did not play Royal. I made it to their summer break. But I felt I needed a break from the game itself Also the soundtrack felt super limited for a weird reason. It sounds amazing, but it looped so much, until a boss battle, or stealth section. Btw love the new hairstyle, you look amazing always
My hot take for a game that people loved that was mid was Monster Hunter Stories 2. It has so much hype behind it, but it just gets so samey with the battles and nests. And maybe the story picks up later, but for the first half of the game it's just... fine.
Yes!!!! FF16, I’m only 2 chapters away from finishing it but yes it feels like it’s missing something but couldn’t put my finger on it but you hit the nail on the head. I recently played 15 for the first time and that seemed a better experience
Agree with most of this list, but I wouldn’t rate Trials of Mana as “Mid”. Being very critical of most JRPGs, I would definitely say this was one of the most fun games I’ve played for the Switch. However, one game that I think that is “Mid” is Bravely Default. For whatever reason, I just couldn’t get into that game, even though I had high hopes, being a Square Enix JRPG. Looking for something else to replicate the Octopath Traveler I & II experience. For the most part, great review, glad it was done.
Also for me, I'd probably give the example of Eternal Sonata. That is one beautiful game, and the story is quite nice enough, even though the characters didn't exactly compel me. What completely wrecked the game for me though and dragged it down is the cutscenes that can't be skipped. Some you can, but many you can't, including the final ones which go on for about 45 minutes. That really annoyed the hell out of me.
I hate when games make the cutscenes unskippable. It is like they think "we want the player see the story"... if your story is good I'll watch it dammit! And that's even not taking in heart that it might not be the first time I watch the cutscene (failed in the boss, power cut, replay the game a second time, etc)
@@DaakkuuYRS Exactly! Plus I#'m always a big fan of options too. If you're playing the game a second time you perhaps don't want to see the story again, so why wouldn't you skip it? But perhaps worse than this is that weird especially Japanese thing where you CAN skip the cutscene, but you only skip one, and it's followed immediately by another, sometimes several in a row. If you want to skip a cutscene surely ALL of it?
I was happy for a short rpg with Grandblue Fantasy, but I didn’t expect it to be THAT short 🤣 seemed like a waste of such beautiful visual and a colorful cast of characters. Still fun though!
Great video and great list. While I played a lot of the games on your list and really like them, I understand everything you're saying and you're making really valid points. Love your discription of how Granblue Fantasy felt like for you - on point! :)
I absolutely agree with you regarding Final Fantasy XVI. I'm very picky when it comes to the Final Fantasy games and I actually love them when they are actual medieval fantasy games and not near future like fantasy games like what VII and XV are to me at least. So when I heard that Final Fantasy XVI was both going back to it's medieval fantasy roots AND! the game was being helmed by Yoshi P aka the man who pretty much turned Final Fantasy XIV into what it is today I was absolutely stoked to play it so then I finally got it and I got bored with it within the first 5-10 hours, I gave it a fair go but the game has way too many cinematics and not enough gameplay to keep me invested so I eventually tapped out. Also, I just want to say you look absolutely fantastic with your hair straightened!
I really liked the story and it definitely made me want to either read the manga or watch the anime! I just wish a bit more money had gone into the game.
Vay, for Sega CD. It started out so strong, but what such a tedious experience by the end. The 90’s Working Design games are the stuff of legends, but this game was just… OK.
I thought the reasons you wouldn't like violet would be the graphics, performance issues or lack of voice acting and maybe bugs if you experienced it... Never expected that answer, the direction they are going now is more refreshing and hits different with all the quality of life improvments. Not saying you gotta like it but the game your critiquing it to be would get you the same boring old adventure I've been running from lol You'd probably end up disliking that version of the game too I'm sure. Personally for me, scarlet got me back into pokemon after being burnt out of the series,i loved it. The co-op,playing with friends and family, it wasnt the best coop in the world but it was finally there! And the innovations with having all your hms in a ride pokemon and you're able to customize your pokemon all from the menu even accessing poke boxes, easily leveling new pokemon so you can easily switch out your team without being under leveled. And I actually liked the story this time around. The game itself just overall felt like my adventure rather than fetching errands or being in some weird plot like s&m. Anyway, apologizes for the rant! Just loved the game,Have a good day
FF16 I was so happy to finally finish that game. Epic tear jerking moments to main story compulsory fetch quests- speak to that person ping pong - was BORING. IF trimmed it could be paced wayyy better. I wanted to fall in love but was MID. Spot on.
It actually kinda bums me out that Granblue's main story is that short -- I feel like the wait for that game was ETERNAL! I was expecting a super giant story (and I'm not a big "post-game" guy). But honestly, it's sort of a relief. Sounds like it won't be for me, so I can focus on the one million OTHER games I need to play...😅
Final Fantasy XII and FF X (which I'm almost thinking is a bad game) are my picks, but I'm willing to give XII another shot and I'm currently mixed with Tales of Berseria. That intro was incredible; I benched it around where I think you get Eleanor as a party member I'll give it another shot before the year is out but at the moment I'm hesitant.
I'd like to see a 8 worst JRPGs video, or maybe an updated version of your top 10 JRPGs from 2 years ago. Just to see if anythings changed, Earthbound probably still number 1 :)
Yes, Earthbound is still number one! I would like to do an updated Top 10 JRPGs list though! I’m due! I did a games I hated list a few months ago so I may hold off on that for a but I looooove lists so expect more from me!
Straight hair, first time seeing that, looks good, love your PlayStation shirt. Sadly I've never played a single jrpg, just action RPGs like X-Men legends and legacy of Goku. I recently bought Dragon Quest 11 last year, so hoping to get to that soon.
@@femtrooper that to me makes it even more appealing haha the reason why I heard it was mid though is because of the story. I just want a good turned based JRPG and don’t even care at this point lol
I agree with the FF16 review. Such great moments but a lot of boring main quests. My nostalgia for how they integrated the summons in this game is what kept me going. I might check out Gran Fantasy Blue just for the art style, looks pretty cool.
Don't exactly know what is considered a JRPG. For me I have too many games so "mid" is like I don't finish it. However I plan to finish games I have this next few years. Yakuza 0, kind of interesting, just a bit overwhelming with how crazy it is. Final Fantasy VII Remake, never understood FF games but the graphics were cool but it felt boring with the story. Tales of Arise is different but it's like a side game so not paying attention to it, haha. Er, That's it really. Started Judgement and that's amazing! Also, love your hair, Femtrooper!
Average rpgs I played in the last couple of years would be: -Baten Kaitos -Tales of Legendia -Granblue Fantasy Relink -Astria Ascending -Mato Anomalies -FF7 Rebirth -Octopath Traveller -Cristales -The Alliance Alive Most had 1 or 2 features that were so off putting that made me drop the game and play something else.
I enjoyed Final Fantasy 16 as an action game with a skill tree, but if you consider it an RPG, you also have to consider the new DOOM and God of War games RPGs as well.
I'd say the current Pokemon mainline games are the epitome of mid to be perfectly frank. I thought it might be an age thing (as I'm in my fifties) but I'm glad to hear others say similar. They just feel pretty generic now with uninspired locations and stories. I absolutely agree with your assessment of FF XVI too - I've tried several times to play the game and have yet to finish it. I get bored as it drags every single time. To me it does feel overblown but worse it feels very much a cobbled together mish-mash of leftover FF games which of course reflects how it was actually created. It's not at all compelling. It's better than XIII but it's a mess though. After your last video, I've been doing some spring cleaning and I stumbled across a PS2 JRPG I'd forgotten about and enjoyed - Steambot Chronicles. A late release for the PS2 that didn't really do well but I find it a fun little enjoyable game that's well worth having a absh at if you aren't aware of it. Lastly, as for having to give a precursor for your opinion shouldn't be needed. If anyone gets mad at your opinion that's a THEM problem, not a YOU problem. I know why you're doing it, but you shouldn't need to.
I feel the same about scarlet/ violet and trails of mana!! I actually love trails of mana but the story is definitely mid. I’m hoping visions of mana is going to provide an awesome story. It looks like it will. Sick shirt btw!! 👽👍🏼
I loved FFXVI, and the story was intense. I miss parties, maps to explore. Still love it, but it's not what I thought was FF. Perhaps if it didn't have the FF label it might have been a better experience.
Final Fantasy 16 drove me nuts with those side quests. The game was amazing from the start but it definitely got mid after that. Granblue Fantasy Relink is such a beautiful game. I was just there for the single player mode and it was so short would have loved more. Trials of Mana was ok too. I played it because of Visions of Mana coming. Looking forward to that game.
The funny thing is, I watched Granblue Fantasy anime and at first it seemed reasonable with how much it informs people who never played the mobile game and then the last 1 or 2 episodes are shoving in so many characters from the game that it felt like the writers were just doing it for the sake of it. I might have some idea of what's going on in Relink but maybe I won't, I do want to very least actually beat a JRPG this time around, I remember Kingdom Hearts 3 and KOTOR 2 being so sub par that both killed my interest in RPGs of any kind. I personally don't mind games being mid, I did like how you acknowledge that mid is better than being garbage, some people online act like being mid is worse than being garbage and honestly, bad games aren't nearly as memorable as bad movies except stuff like Rogue Warrior and the Bouncer.
For some reason Eternal Sonata jumped right in my head when I read the title of this video haha. I actually enjoyed the game, but it did feel very "mid" tier. I need to finish ReLink myself. I love games like that for the after story stuff to really try and min max a character, but I honestly don't think I will with ReLink. Just no time and there are too many other games I need to check off!
Stellar Blade mid. Game is solid like 7-8 out of 10. Its charming and polished with great combat. Although it does seem anytime a cutscene starts I kinda zone out and start looking at my phone.
Ugh....it shouldn't anger anyone. One person's opinion doesn't affect theirs. I'm totally with you on this. It's all subjective and having different opinions isn't bad. I stopped playing Pokemon years ago because each game is the exact same (in my opinion) and they have barely improved since blue/red. So I'm with you on the last couple of gens being meh. Final Fantasy 16 looks so meh to me as well. I haven't played it as I don't have a PS5. But even if I did I'm not sure I'd play it as it barely looks like an RPG. Seiken Densetsu 3 is perfect. And they took away the best part of it (couch co op) for Trials of Mana. Granblue Fantasy has just not appealed to me in the slightest. And you saying this just solidifies my thoughts on it. They are about to bring out all 3 of the Rhapsody games in a bundle I think? Great video, love your shirt.
FF16's issue imo is that it has an identity crisis -- RPG with shallow equipment system, action combat without enforcing a lot of requirements to explore a skill tree -- heatwave as a projectile counter, for instance. I watched a lot of streams where people didn't even know you could counter a projectile; yet, they'd sit there complaining about how shallow the combat is. Would've benefitted from having a harder mode from the start instead of requiring a normal playthrough to unlock; some sort of integrated way to force you to learn some skills. This is what i think FF7Rebirth tried to address with dynamic difficulty. They also definitely ran out of budget due to mismanagement. VERY clear in the end when you have what should be a mainline quest be ushered into a side quest. Very sad wasted opportunity. Loved the world, wanted to love the whole package.
Doubling onto this point here about the duality of side quests in SE games: If you do every side quest in FF7Rebirth because you are the completionist who wants to platinium, it WILL BURN YOU OUT. If you go into FF16 with the mindset that you should skip side quests, then you are going to miss something crucial near the end. It's like SE wants to teach you how to hate their games.
I absolutely love Granblue Fantasy Relink due to the combat and beautiful visuals but I did wish it had more exploration. It’s more of an action adventure game than an rpg if anything. I loved reading the journals and watching all of the characters’ individual chapters that had narration for whichever character you pick. I liked the simplicity of the story and it was refreshing playing a game that wasn’t overly long. With that said it’s always nice to see different opinions on games because at the end of the day it is subjective. I was disappointed about final fantasy 16. I was excited for it but unfortunately it didn’t click with me
Hey Paige, thanks for the video! yeah there a ton of mid games, you can still have fun but they leave me wanting more! like for me two game I beat are Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk and Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society I am happy to have play them, but the story was weird and the end boss was just unfair.
I really hope Square doesn’t do future mainline Final Fantasy games like FF16. I’d love for them to go in the direction of FF7 Rebirth instead. That game imo is modern Final Fantasy perfected. The combat is a hybrid system with features from classic FF titles like elemental weaknesses, buffs/debuffs, status ailments and party member management. I absolutely love it and it’s my favorite combat system in any video game. FF16 on the other hand is just a watered down DMC 5. It lacks rpg elements and all these features from classic FF titles. Like in FF16 you can use fire to fight a Bomb enemy. In any other FF game that bomb will absorb the fire damage but in this game elements are meaningless But yeah rant over 😅. Just wanted to get my feelings across on how disappointing FF16 was. I really enjoyed this video and I’m a new subscriber to your channel 👍🏾
Hey, thanks!!! I really hope the next mainline game also goes the direction of Remake and Rebirth! I love those games. There is so much heart and emotion to them. Fingers crossed!!!
That's interesting about ff16. I remember some hype because the ff14 team was working on it, the game with really tedious main quests and very cool boss battles.
I am wondering if I will feel the same way when I get around to Final Fantasy XVI and GanBlue Fantasy. I've been hesitant to start the former because the way I see it, I am giving whoever made the game the gift of my time and money. Okay, Square Enix has my money already, but time can be more valuable. I am not going to be playing it anytime soon. Once I am finished with CS IV, it is off to FF 7 Remake and hopefully Rebirth.
I'm a huge fan of the Breath of Fire series from Capcom, but most of the games are totally mid. I think some people consider the ps1 games to be a little bit higher tier, but none of them could break through like the FFs and some of the Atlus rpgs. Still, I love 'em. Great vid, got my thinkin'.
Ff16 felt like a chore. Tales of arise is too painful. Scarlet nexus also gets tedious. I am trying to get thru like a dragon… it is very different than what I’m used to. Great idea for a vid
haha i have a switch game case, and i have games placed in order of how much i loved them. and there are definitely a few mid games that arent that great or super well received, but have a special place in my heart lol. fun video!
It’s unfortunate to hear the Trials of Mana remake wasn’t hitting because Seiken Densetsu 3 was the only Mana game I enjoyed; but I haven’t played the remake yet. The ultimate Mid ass game for me would have to be Albert Odyssey on the Saturn. Not a BAD game, and I did get through it. But there was nothing special at all about it (other than the fact that the airship is a goldfish and you can drift in it 😂)
I definitely agree about Granblue Fantasy Relink. It was beautiful to look at, I enjoyed the game for what it was. The battle system wasn’t my favorite and I don’t have any interest in multiplayer or after game content that doesn’t have a lot of purpose. I also agree that it felt like I missing something being thrust into the middle of an adventure. Still fun game, but definitely mid for me as well.
Well we all have different opinions. The hardest rpg back in days was sega in the sega genesis. That guy said final fantasy 7 is mid because of the sega genesis rpg. Anyway good video femtrooper. I trade and sell games I like or trade
I am not saying this to offend, just stating my opinion. Heres my hot take list of mid games: FF16, FF15, Cross Code, Trails Series, War Groove, Pokemon Shining/Brilliant remakes and the Tales series.
Short Jrpgs are a deal breaker for me, which is why I still won't play Mario Rpg or Grand Blue Fantasy. I really need to invest my time into it. I was playing Star Ocean 2 remake and was enjoying it but then ended at 40 hours, thinking there was more, felt a bit unfinished, I need my jrpgs to be at least 90 hours and above, just like you I need for the characters to develop, the story to progress and the world to explore
Give Mario RPG a chance actually. Reason being is that there doesn’t need to be a lot of character development since you already know who they are (Mario, Peach, etc).
![เปิด อาณาจักร หมื่นล้าน "สาระตั้ม" l [Nickynachat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3XE0nPF4YkQ/mqdefault.jpg)
What really impresses me is that you beat most of these mid games even if you’re not having fun
Yeah, maybe that’s my toxic trait lol
@@femtrooper It is hard to let go of games XD there is always the hope that you get to the end and something amazing will happen, that will make it all worth it.
I like this list. Not everyone has to like everything! Keep the content coming!
Haha thanks!!! I’m always honest even if it triggers people LOL
Trials of Mana is a remake of an old SNES game we never received in the west. Seiken Densetsu 3, which originally came out in 1995. So feeling like a 20 year old game makes sense, cause the original was almost 30 years ago now. Back then on SNES it was super innovative. There was a fan translation of the original I tried way back when.
I would like to play the original actually.
@@femtrooper I think the original is the better version. I played an emulation of it several years back and loved it. I bought the remake and wasn't able to get past an hour. I think the voice acting threw me.
@@femtrooperit's available on switch in the collection of mana. People claim the original is better but they are almost beat for beat the exact same game just one is updated to 3D with voice acting. Literally very little else changes
@@geoffreychauvin1474 the problem in the remake is the technical presentation, on SNES' pixels and limited audio, that content feels great, innovative and surprising. However, with the remake's technology, they should have made more details in the story and more graphic and music diversity. It feels like an outdated PS2 game.
@@canalultimateattack3169 graphics don't define a game for me, they never have. They are a part of an overall package. You also wield the ps2 comparison around like that's some sort of insult. It's clear you didn't grow up appreciating that era of gaming, because the ps2 era is the peak of gaming creativity and everything has been downhill since with very few exceptions. Once gaming met a mainstream audience all creativity and passion vanished
I’ve been replaying Golden sun series, it’s crazy how good it is, I def think there’s more mid rpgs in general because they can be very similar in gameplay and plot
I need to check out Golden Sun!
@@femtrooper Highly highly recommend
It’s crazy the number of people who can’t differentiate between someone’s else’s option and their own. How dare you not feel the same way about every game as every person who watches this video!
Haha, yeah, like to actually get mad??? Like wow who cares.
I love watching videos like this as I probably have some/most of these games on the backlog waiting to be played and it does help narrow down my choices of what to play/buy next and there’s a couple in here that have definitely caught me eye 😊
Aw thanks!
Trials of Mana story is nothing to write home about but it looked great and had fun gameplay. I want to replay with another team and play the next one that's coming.
Yeah, I’m excited for Visions of Mana!
I don’t think there is anything wrong with games being just okay. Most things in life isn’t perfect or amazing. Most things in life also don’t completely suck. So do we hate them, no? Haha, I just like this list because I feel like so many people on the internet are very much hate it or love it on everything when a middling game is still enjoyable. We should start enjoying the 6/10 or 7/10 of the world. When we embrace those, then the rare 10/10 feels so much better. 😊
That’s just it, I don’t hate these games. They just aren’t my favs.
Usually if I find an RPG boring, it means I'm stopping before I make it to the 5 hour mark. Recently started playing Skies Of Arcadia and wow. Just an incredible game so far. Blew everything I've been playing out of the water.
I’d love to try it!
I think your content is at its best when your bring in this critical analysis lens. Really enjoyed this.
Thank you so much!!!
I couldn't get into FF16. The devs stated they've watched Game of Thrones and it makes me wonder if they "get it." If you would like to play a JRPG with a great story then give Vagrant Story a go. It's so good. Also, I'd love a remake or a remaster of it. The soundtrack is so amazing 😊😊😊
I’d love to try that one!
If I stop having fun with the game I like to drop them entirely. That way I look at the game in a positive way. It’s like “I had fun and then I didn’t so I moved on” so I don’t feel the “It’s mid” anymore, I used to but not anymore or not as much. It’s either fun or not. There’s soooo much friggin’ games to play that I don’t feel like I have to finish anything anymore plus by playing games for about 30 years I can easily predict how the game is going to go.
True!
I really want to have that ability! I have such a hard time letting go of games, even when I am not enjoying them. It happens with books to. If I start something I want to finish it, but some thing are just not so easy to "finish".
@@Summer_and_Rain I get that, I really do. I was like that. But I got to a point where I just said to myself: “Wait a minute, it is not my job to finish games or anything like that, I’m not getting paid. I’m not a reviewer or a journalist. I don’t have to finish let alone complete anything if I don’t feel like it. Why don’t I behave like I did when I was a kid? And that’s to value my time.”
And sure, there are games that are going to inspire me to complete them and think about them, talk about them or even write about them, but that’s because I want to do it for those games not because I have to do it. And it doesen’t mean that the game I fully complete is better than the game I like for a short period then drop. Both can be valued for their own merits. Playing games and having fun is not exact science that you can easily put a number on something and decide what is “better” or “worse”. Well this my opinion at least.
@@ivosimac510 I like your opinion :) I will take the time to rethink why I don't want to let go, to see if I am read to chance. Thanks for the inside :)
Ff16 feels so much like the antithesis of what most Final Fantasy players wanted. It didn't even really go back to its roots. The original had a huge twist at the end, with its time loop scenario. Sixteen felt like it was just going through the motions to be a generic action rpg. Its saving grace was its music which is all phenomenal. On a side note, several of your picks for mid RPGs are remakes or remasters of games that are over twenty years old. Not having nostalgia for them is going to give you a different mindset. Honestly trials of mana is the only one I really disagree with on your list, because it shows square Enix was listening when fans talked about wanting better for Mana remakes. Also the original version is also available on switch in the collection of mana. Playing both the difference is night and day and the care put into the remake shows.
It really did feel like a generic action RPG. Disappointing.
I whole heartedly agree with Final Fantasy 16. I also felt that it just drags on and on, but then there are those moments where it melts my eyes with the action that is happening during boss fights. I will also say I did not like the combat and how it felt like I was just mashing square the whole time.
Yeah, it was a major slog!
It was far better than 15 and 13 and 12
ff16 was phenomenal in a lot of ways. writing, combat, animations, the music.
if it had been trimmed by 15 hours and dumped the quantity of side quests in favor of more quality ones, it would have been my favorite final fantasy straight up.
10/10 experience. 7/10 actual video game.
Yes, if some stuff was cut it would have been a lot better!
Great list. I always say it's important for people to understand that not every game is going to land for everyone the same.
Totally!
These are very fair picks. When it comes to RPGs I expect them to usually be a significant time investment so I am extra cautious about getting them (as in Sword/Shield was so weak I wouldn't consider Scarlet/Violet). I suppose I liked XVI more than a lot of people but I also waited for the DLC and other updates and went in with muted expectations so I was highly impressed!
Thank you!
The story in Sword and Shield is pretty boring.
Pokemon scarlet/violet I’m with you on. Even all the bugs aside, it didn’t grab me like the others usually do.
Absolutely!!!
I do enjoy it a lot, but it is mainly when I am out doing my own thing or doing stuff with Arven or the gym leaders. I did not enjoy being forced to put up with Nemona or team star.
Very well done video Paige, I like your final fantasy 16 take. Honestly I didn't pick it up at all because I thought I would have experienced it exactly like you did. I'm playing FF7 Rebirth now though and I love it! You can tell the devs just had a blast making it and I prefer that style of FF game much more.
Rebirth is AMAZING! It’s what Final Fantasy is all about! I also prefer that style much more. I wish we got more games like it in the FF series!
@@femtrooper Same here! But instead of just remaking older games I'd also love to see a brand new game with a great story, characters etc. I'm not sure if that's even possible anymore.
It’s funny that I tried to dig into the scarlet/violet (again) while getting a notification from TH-cam Femtrooper. I also finished Mana remake recently and it was fun, but I didn’t try to replay the other 3 characters, once was enough for me.
And it’s the first time seeing you with your hair straightened ❤ love it! As a hairdresser I feel the urge to make our straight hair wavy and vice versa.
Thanks for the video 🎉❤
Of course! :)
You know what, fair enough. Not everything is going to jive with everyone. I know I have my share of very popular games that I either don't care for or just didn't really like all that much. Heck, I often whine about all the stuff I do like that's seemingly despised by most of the Japanese RPG community.
If nothing else, it sounds like you at least finish the games instead of just playing them for an hour or two like many other channels seem to do. That's already very commendable.
Well now, let's see, of what's listed here, I've played: "Bugs Fable", "Trials of Mana", "Tales of Symphonia", "Granblue Fantasy Relink", and "Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure". I mostly enjoyed all of them, some more than others obviously. Though I do have "Final Fantasy 16" in my backlog so verdicts out on that at some point.
That said, if I may go on a slight tangent...I didn't realize just how much I'm really starting to hate the term "mid".
Yes, I rarely talk about games I have never finished. I try and make sure I see those end credits and beat as many games as I can!
I think the only one on this list that I was like "nah, this aint it girl" was Tales of Symphonia. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, you've always been very lukewarm towards the series as a whole and I guess for whatever reason the series just isn't for you. That being said, I just could not disagree more on the story becoming boring, I think the story remains consistently good for the entire run. I think Symphonia has a wonderful cast of characters that are consistently engaging for the entire run, the game has multiple twists and turns that keeps thing engaging, it handles its thematic storytelling very well making a deeper narrative than most JRPGs at the time and overall I just think it's a consistently great game in every category that counts. Oh well, just not your thing at the end of the day, can't fault you for that.
Yeah, I can’t seem to connect with the series BUT I’m optimistic that one will hit!
@@femtrooper I am gonna be real, if you play Tales of the Abyss and you're still "ehh" towards the series, then I dunno what to tell you lol. Abyss is quite literally one of my favorite games of all time, easily top 3, if you're still not feeling it, then the series is just not your vibe and it would probably be better to just not bother with it anymore.
Crazy thing is I mostly agree with your FF XVI take but I still very much enjoyed the game. Something about the main story, characters, and combat just hit, but definitely a lot of room for improvement.
Prof Noctis on twitter had a discussion months ago about how everyone has that game that's probably a 7/10 in reality but a 10/10 personally. Like he loves ff15 but acknowledges it's flaws. For me I love DQ7 and Beyond the Beyond, but I absolutely recognize the flaws and get why people don't like them.
Totally! I don’t hate it I just don’t love it either
I really think FFXVI is highly under appreciated. Please play this in PSVR2! The immersion is unreal!! It is like you are being transported into a Medieval/fantasy world. The music enhances the immersive experience so well, it moves me to tears. I want more of this kind of experience or this iteration of FFXVI. Absolutely a 10 out of 10 experience to me.
That’s awesome! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Trials of Mana is one of my favorite games. I can understand why it may not be for everyone though. I really appreciate that you aren't on the hype train for Granblue Fantasy. I honestly never wanted to play the game. Nothing I saw drew me in. It just seems all propped up by hype.
It’s beautiful but needed more.
I agree with Trials. I always imagined what the game was like when I was in high school. And then I play it and it's just alright.
Totally!
I do love FF16, but it's cause I didn't play much of the older FF games, since I wasn't a hardcore fan, so it's understandable.
Good point!!!
@@femtrooper Yeah, when it comes to JRPGs, I mostly play like Tales of, Atelier and Neptunia, lol
Silva Saga 2 on SNES. I enjoyed it but I'm not rushing to replay it. It's worth one playthrough. The music is decent. The battle system is DQ-ish. The mercenary system gives it a twist, but ultimately lessens the difficulty.
I don’t know that one, I’ll have to check it out!
I get what you mean with FFXVI. I think that the core story is superbly written and the combat itself was really engaging. On the flip side of both of those things though, there were also many parts where the pacing of the narrative came to a grinding halt because of a needless fetch quest that was "necessary" to progress the plot along. As for gameplay, the way the level up/crafting mechanics were implemented made it as though this was only an RPG in concept more than execution.
But my biggest problem was the gameplay loop-pretty much every single chapter ended on a high note that made me want to experience what was coming next... Only for the following chapter to start of as though it said "oh hey, you know that exciting thing you just witnessed? Well, forget about that for the next hour or two, in the meantime we gotta pad out the runtime of this game with blatant filler. We'll come back to the good stuff afterwards."
In the end then, FFXVI had way too many highs for me to end up disliking it, but all the low points dragged it down enough that I can only say it's okay but not great.
Me too! I don’t hate it but I just don’t love it.
I agree with you 100% on FFXVI. The game felt like the devs fed A Storm of Swords to an AI to write the story. Crafting was basically pointless, and they had us ping pong throughout the map for the most useless stuff. It's a real shame because I'm a big fan of what that business unit did with the MMO.
Recently I finished YS VIII Lacrimosa of Dana and found it to be really nice. It reminded me a lot of FFX and Ps2 era games in a good way. Simple visuals, but interesting story and fun gameplay.
I agree crafting was pointless, but thought the story was incredible. There’s a few pacing issues, but none of them bothered me other than post-Bahamut. I think that was the only time I was doing the fetchy stuff for the main story. I think people are exaggerating how much of that there is because that happened near the end, and they remember that best. With that said, that post-Bahamut part was BRUTAL until near the end of the game, so I get it. Definitely brought the game down from a 10 for me, but I’ll never forget that game’s highs. Bahamut was insane
I can’t wait to try Ys VIII soon!!!
I feel like it's because Square is trying to make Final Fantasy appeal to the masses now. Ever since they said they're switching to action based combat to reach a wider audience and not because they wanted to try something different I knew stuff like this was coming because they will not stop there to reach a wider audience.
@@NicktheLP the story had the elements it needed to be really good for me but there was just something missing. Lots of key info was obfuscated behind tomes and the other lore character, vs just letting the player experience it themselves.
I'm surprised how much I agree with this List.
Yay!
I enjoyed your take. Something dosent have to be life changing to enjoy.
Definitely!!!
That was way cut down from what wanted to say. Just simply you have a new fan.
Understandable, for me it all depends on the mood going into games. That’s probably why I really enjoyed Soul Hackers 2 (Smt nerd I know) Not just jrpgs. I think mid jrpgs for me would be Pokémon Sword, Scarlet, final fantasy 4, 9, 10 and Xenoblade chronicles 3.
I honestly would love to go back and play FF9. I just know at the time I felt annoyed by mandatory character switching when I tried building a team and I wasn’t ready for unfamiliar characters.
I like the explanations for what is considered mid. It’s not fully positive, not fully negative. Hearing about bug fables while still recommending it is cool in my opinion.
Yay! Yeah, give Bug Fables a try still!
Everyone has there opinions but I absolutely loved Final Fantasy 16. Gave me everything I wanted out of a video game. FF Mode gave me a challenging NG+ mode too. DLC rocked and curious what they do next with the series. Everything isn’t for Everyone and that’s okay.
That’s awesome you loved it!
Ffxvi was so beautiful, I agree with the take on side quest they were boring but the combat was so good it made them bearable at least and then the story was phenomenal
Yes, it is still a good game but just not one of my favourite FFs.
I Dig your standard curly hair, but I also love the straight hair!
Thank you!!!
I actually agree with all of these lol. Except 16 I thought it was probably an 8/10 rather than a 7/10 😂
Fair enough!
At first I was mad that you came for Symphonia because I love it so, but then I thought about it and you're right, it's good, not great.
Haha, sounds good to me!
Xenoblade series as a whole. They're solid games, but the flaws really stick out and prevent me from loving them the way I did Xenogears and Xenosaga.
Interesting!!!
I am struggling with the first game, so it is kind of nice to hear you say that :)
What did you not like with them?
That series is too overwhelming that i canr even attempt it and that before the flaws
How dare you 😭
FF16 is definitely a mixed bag, but for me it managed to become something special despite it's shortcomings.
It gets much better on final fantasy mode as you go through it Zantetsuken-ing everything and avoiding side quests.
Yeah, it’s definitely still a good game just not my favourite FF.
i think I already replied to your post on Twitter that I enjoyed Granblue a whole lot, but I really respect that you're honest about how you feel about these games!
One that I tried recently and thought was unfortunately just mid was the GBA port of Breath of Fire. It's a weird one because it has Super Nintendo graphics and sound but it felt like it was trying to be an NES JRPG. A lot of fetch quests, crazy high encounter rate, weird pacing issues, etc. But honestly, actual NES-era JRPGs like Dragon Warrior and Phantasy Star were way better in my opinion!
I tried really hard to like Breath of Fire but it just wasn't working for me. I heard 3 and 4 are way better.
One day I’ll try the Breath of Fire series!
Wow, this was an interesting list! I appreciate you being able to convey your feelings so well on such a neutral/normal set of games you've encountered. I didn't love FF16 myself, but I felt it was decent? But I guess that's what could be seen as it being mid, and that makes sense!
Yeah, it’s not a bad game at all just didn’t do it for me and not a favourite.
I agree with most of this list! I would love to see a top 10 favourite games of all time from you! With your knowledge and experience playing so many games throughout the years i think it would be interesting
I’m due for it 100%!
Great insight with each of the titles, you picked for the video. RPGs are tough to bop around and get a feel for, when they take way way too long to get into.
I will confess Dragon Quest XIS, is one i could not get through, I tried, but the leveling system, progression, even making new gear was neat. But after awhile, it does feel exhausting, I just wanted to progress the story
Persona 5. I did enjoy the game, but the day/night cycle was super limited in the original, I did not play Royal. I made it to their summer break. But I felt I needed a break from the game itself
Also the soundtrack felt super limited for a weird reason. It sounds amazing, but it looped so much, until a boss battle, or stealth section.
Btw love the new hairstyle, you look amazing always
Thank you! :)
@@femtrooper you're welcome
My hot take for a game that people loved that was mid was Monster Hunter Stories 2. It has so much hype behind it, but it just gets so samey with the battles and nests. And maybe the story picks up later, but for the first half of the game it's just... fine.
That’s one I want to try but it’s not a rush for me…haha
Yes!!!! FF16, I’m only 2 chapters away from finishing it but yes it feels like it’s missing something but couldn’t put my finger on it but you hit the nail on the head. I recently played 15 for the first time and that seemed a better experience
Yeah, it’s just kinda a slog.
@@femtrooper The version of CID I really liked but then they kill him off halfway 🙄
Agree with most of this list, but I wouldn’t rate Trials of Mana as “Mid”.
Being very critical of most JRPGs, I would definitely say this was one of the most fun games I’ve played for the Switch. However, one game that I think that is “Mid” is Bravely Default. For whatever reason, I just couldn’t get into that game, even though I had high hopes, being a Square Enix JRPG. Looking for something else to replicate the Octopath Traveler I & II experience.
For the most part, great review, glad it was done.
Thanks!
Oh groovy I love what you're done with your hair 🙂
Thanks!
funny how FFXVI in this and also has a character called Mid.
🤣🤣🤣
*We Don't Acknowledge Mid* 💀
Also for me, I'd probably give the example of Eternal Sonata. That is one beautiful game, and the story is quite nice enough, even though the characters didn't exactly compel me. What completely wrecked the game for me though and dragged it down is the cutscenes that can't be skipped. Some you can, but many you can't, including the final ones which go on for about 45 minutes. That really annoyed the hell out of me.
I hate when games make the cutscenes unskippable. It is like they think "we want the player see the story"... if your story is good I'll watch it dammit! And that's even not taking in heart that it might not be the first time I watch the cutscene (failed in the boss, power cut, replay the game a second time, etc)
@@DaakkuuYRS Exactly! Plus I#'m always a big fan of options too. If you're playing the game a second time you perhaps don't want to see the story again, so why wouldn't you skip it? But perhaps worse than this is that weird especially Japanese thing where you CAN skip the cutscene, but you only skip one, and it's followed immediately by another, sometimes several in a row. If you want to skip a cutscene surely ALL of it?
I would love to check that game out still - just to see what I think!
Oh no, not my beloved FF16 LOL. Totally get it though, super valid criticisms and you are 100% entitled to your opinion. Thanks for the video :)
Haha thanks for understanding!!! That’s the fun of it!
I was happy for a short rpg with Grandblue Fantasy, but I didn’t expect it to be THAT short 🤣 seemed like a waste of such beautiful visual and a colorful cast of characters. Still fun though!
Agreed! Still fun but I wanted more from it!
I completely disagree with final fantasy 16 being mid it was fantastic and amazing I absolutely loved every second of it.
Honestly, that’s great!!! I wanted to love it more!
It is subjective but it was such a fresh or breath air as a jrpg with a more believable romance, characters, ambitions and story all drew me in.
GO PLAY! Octopath traveler 2 it’s easily the best JRPG on the switch and maybe a top5 best game on the switch imo
I must! It’s on my list to buy!
Great video and great list.
While I played a lot of the games on your list and really like them, I understand everything you're saying and you're making really valid points. Love your discription of how Granblue Fantasy felt like for you - on point! :)
LOL yay!!! This is what it’s all about. Just enjoying what you like!
I absolutely agree with you regarding Final Fantasy XVI.
I'm very picky when it comes to the Final Fantasy games and I actually love them when they are actual medieval fantasy games and not near future like fantasy games like what VII and XV are to me at least.
So when I heard that Final Fantasy XVI was both going back to it's medieval fantasy roots AND! the game was being helmed by Yoshi P aka the man who pretty much turned Final Fantasy XIV into what it is today I was absolutely stoked to play it so then I finally got it and I got bored with it within the first 5-10 hours, I gave it a fair go but the game has way too many cinematics and not enough gameplay to keep me invested so I eventually tapped out.
Also, I just want to say you look absolutely fantastic with your hair straightened!
Thank you so much!
i watched the anime of adventure of dai as a kid but the nostalgia wasnt high enough for a full price game, i will give it a try when price drops.
I really liked the story and it definitely made me want to either read the manga or watch the anime! I just wish a bit more money had gone into the game.
Love this video idea
I was also thinking about getting bug fables so I’m glad I watched this now😂
Do a response! Would love to see your list! :)
Vay, for Sega CD. It started out so strong, but what such a tedious experience by the end. The 90’s Working Design games are the stuff of legends, but this game was just… OK.
I hate when a game starts of strong and then just fizzles out. Sucks!
I thought the reasons you wouldn't like violet would be the graphics, performance issues or lack of voice acting and maybe bugs if you experienced it... Never expected that answer, the direction they are going now is more refreshing and hits different with all the quality of life improvments. Not saying you gotta like it but the game your critiquing it to be would get you the same boring old adventure I've been running from lol You'd probably end up disliking that version of the game too I'm sure.
Personally for me, scarlet got me back into pokemon after being burnt out of the series,i loved it. The co-op,playing with friends and family, it wasnt the best coop in the world but it was finally there! And the innovations with having all your hms in a ride pokemon and you're able to customize your pokemon all from the menu even accessing poke boxes, easily leveling new pokemon so you can easily switch out your team without being under leveled. And I actually liked the story this time around. The game itself just overall felt like my adventure rather than fetching errands or being in some weird plot like s&m. Anyway, apologizes for the rant! Just loved the game,Have a good day
Haha so true because the graphics and the bugs were brutal but I can get past that if I’m having fun…Violet was just meh for me. Oh well!
FF16 I was so happy to finally finish that game. Epic tear jerking moments to main story compulsory fetch quests- speak to that person ping pong - was BORING. IF trimmed it could be paced wayyy better. I wanted to fall in love but was MID. Spot on.
Yes! That’s exactly it!
This is a good list right here! Although I thoroughly enjoyed Scarlet and Violet, I do agree that they are a little bit on the 'mid' side of JRPGs.
All the changes were not doing it for me which was unfortunate cause I looooove Pokémon! Hoping I like the next one.
@@femtrooper Let's hope so!
It actually kinda bums me out that Granblue's main story is that short -- I feel like the wait for that game was ETERNAL! I was expecting a super giant story (and I'm not a big "post-game" guy). But honestly, it's sort of a relief. Sounds like it won't be for me, so I can focus on the one million OTHER games I need to play...😅
Yeah, it’s still good but the length kinda hurt it IMO. But it’s still a nice little JRPG if you wanna tackle that backlog!
Final Fantasy XII and FF X (which I'm almost thinking is a bad game) are my picks, but I'm willing to give XII another shot and I'm currently mixed with Tales of Berseria. That intro was incredible; I benched it around where I think you get Eleanor as a party member I'll give it another shot before the year is out but at the moment I'm hesitant.
Can’t wait to try FFXII and Berseria actually! We’ll see what I think!
Rpgs are like pizza. When it's great, it's wonderful, when it's just okay, it's still pizza!
Haha I love this!
I'd like to see a 8 worst JRPGs video, or maybe an updated version of your top 10 JRPGs from 2 years ago. Just to see if anythings changed, Earthbound probably still number 1 :)
Yes, Earthbound is still number one! I would like to do an updated Top 10 JRPGs list though! I’m due! I did a games I hated list a few months ago so I may hold off on that for a but I looooove lists so expect more from me!
Straight hair, first time seeing that, looks good, love your PlayStation shirt. Sadly I've never played a single jrpg, just action RPGs like X-Men legends and legacy of Goku. I recently bought Dragon Quest 11 last year, so hoping to get to that soon.
DQXI is amazing!
People say bravely default 2 is pretty mid, but I wanna try it just for the gameplay. Still waiting on a sale 3 years later lol
Heard that game was actually pretty cool but HARD!
@@femtrooper that to me makes it even more appealing haha the reason why I heard it was mid though is because of the story. I just want a good turned based JRPG and don’t even care at this point lol
I agree with the FF16 review. Such great moments but a lot of boring main quests. My nostalgia for how they integrated the summons in this game is what kept me going. I might check out Gran Fantasy Blue just for the art style, looks pretty cool.
Yeah, it’s a GORGEOUS game!
Don't exactly know what is considered a JRPG. For me I have too many games so "mid" is like I don't finish it. However I plan to finish games I have this next few years. Yakuza 0, kind of interesting, just a bit overwhelming with how crazy it is. Final Fantasy VII Remake, never understood FF games but the graphics were cool but it felt boring with the story. Tales of Arise is different but it's like a side game so not paying attention to it, haha. Er, That's it really. Started Judgement and that's amazing! Also, love your hair, Femtrooper!
Thanks!!! :)
Average rpgs I played in the last couple of years would be:
-Baten Kaitos
-Tales of Legendia
-Granblue Fantasy Relink
-Astria Ascending
-Mato Anomalies
-FF7 Rebirth
-Octopath Traveller
-Cristales
-The Alliance Alive
Most had 1 or 2 features that were so off putting that made me drop the game and play something else.
Totally get it!
I enjoyed Final Fantasy 16 as an action game with a skill tree, but if you consider it an RPG, you also have to consider the new DOOM and God of War games RPGs as well.
Yeah, it’s so subjective.
I'd say the current Pokemon mainline games are the epitome of mid to be perfectly frank. I thought it might be an age thing (as I'm in my fifties) but I'm glad to hear others say similar. They just feel pretty generic now with uninspired locations and stories.
I absolutely agree with your assessment of FF XVI too - I've tried several times to play the game and have yet to finish it. I get bored as it drags every single time. To me it does feel overblown but worse it feels very much a cobbled together mish-mash of leftover FF games which of course reflects how it was actually created. It's not at all compelling. It's better than XIII but it's a mess though.
After your last video, I've been doing some spring cleaning and I stumbled across a PS2 JRPG I'd forgotten about and enjoyed - Steambot Chronicles. A late release for the PS2 that didn't really do well but I find it a fun little enjoyable game that's well worth having a absh at if you aren't aware of it.
Lastly, as for having to give a precursor for your opinion shouldn't be needed. If anyone gets mad at your opinion that's a THEM problem, not a YOU problem. I know why you're doing it, but you shouldn't need to.
Yeah, FFXVI was a slog and the new Pokémon games just aren’t the same. It’s a real shame!!!
I feel the same about scarlet/ violet and trails of mana!! I actually love trails of mana but the story is definitely mid. I’m hoping visions of mana is going to provide an awesome story. It looks like it will. Sick shirt btw!! 👽👍🏼
Thanks! I hope Visions of Mana is awesome too!
I loved FFXVI, and the story was intense. I miss parties, maps to explore. Still love it, but it's not what I thought was FF. Perhaps if it didn't have the FF label it might have been a better experience.
That’s a good point.
This is how I felt about Monochrome Mobius
Oooooo, that’s one I’ve been keeping my eye on. Haha
@@femtrooper ngl, I'm kinda glad it's over.
Final Fantasy 16 drove me nuts with those side quests. The game was amazing from the start but it definitely got mid after that. Granblue Fantasy Relink is such a beautiful game. I was just there for the single player mode and it was so short would have loved more. Trials of Mana was ok too. I played it because of Visions of Mana coming. Looking forward to that game.
I really hope Visions of Mana is awesome!
The funny thing is, I watched Granblue Fantasy anime and at first it seemed reasonable with how much it informs people who never played the mobile game and then the last 1 or 2 episodes are shoving in so many characters from the game that it felt like the writers were just doing it for the sake of it. I might have some idea of what's going on in Relink but maybe I won't, I do want to very least actually beat a JRPG this time around, I remember Kingdom Hearts 3 and KOTOR 2 being so sub par that both killed my interest in RPGs of any kind.
I personally don't mind games being mid, I did like how you acknowledge that mid is better than being garbage, some people online act like being mid is worse than being garbage and honestly, bad games aren't nearly as memorable as bad movies except stuff like Rogue Warrior and the Bouncer.
Mid is still very much ok!
@@femtrooper
I'd take mid over terrible when it comes to games.
For some reason Eternal Sonata jumped right in my head when I read the title of this video haha. I actually enjoyed the game, but it did feel very "mid" tier. I need to finish ReLink myself. I love games like that for the after story stuff to really try and min max a character, but I honestly don't think I will with ReLink. Just no time and there are too many other games I need to check off!
Yeah, Eternal Sonata is one I want to try but it does look average haha
Stellar Blade mid. Game is solid like 7-8 out of 10. Its charming and polished with great combat. Although it does seem anytime a cutscene starts I kinda zone out and start looking at my phone.
Fair enough!
I'm grateful to you for make this videos you are a very nice honest mom 👩
Thank you!
You are a cool person 😎
Ugh....it shouldn't anger anyone. One person's opinion doesn't affect theirs. I'm totally with you on this. It's all subjective and having different opinions isn't bad.
I stopped playing Pokemon years ago because each game is the exact same (in my opinion) and they have barely improved since blue/red. So I'm with you on the last couple of gens being meh.
Final Fantasy 16 looks so meh to me as well. I haven't played it as I don't have a PS5. But even if I did I'm not sure I'd play it as it barely looks like an RPG.
Seiken Densetsu 3 is perfect. And they took away the best part of it (couch co op) for Trials of Mana.
Granblue Fantasy has just not appealed to me in the slightest. And you saying this just solidifies my thoughts on it.
They are about to bring out all 3 of the Rhapsody games in a bundle I think?
Great video, love your shirt.
Thank you so much!!! Appreciate it! :)
FF16's issue imo is that it has an identity crisis -- RPG with shallow equipment system, action combat without enforcing a lot of requirements to explore a skill tree -- heatwave as a projectile counter, for instance. I watched a lot of streams where people didn't even know you could counter a projectile; yet, they'd sit there complaining about how shallow the combat is. Would've benefitted from having a harder mode from the start instead of requiring a normal playthrough to unlock; some sort of integrated way to force you to learn some skills. This is what i think FF7Rebirth tried to address with dynamic difficulty. They also definitely ran out of budget due to mismanagement. VERY clear in the end when you have what should be a mainline quest be ushered into a side quest. Very sad wasted opportunity. Loved the world, wanted to love the whole package.
Doubling onto this point here about the duality of side quests in SE games: If you do every side quest in FF7Rebirth because you are the completionist who wants to platinium, it WILL BURN YOU OUT. If you go into FF16 with the mindset that you should skip side quests, then you are going to miss something crucial near the end. It's like SE wants to teach you how to hate their games.
Yeah, good points!
I absolutely love Granblue Fantasy Relink due to the combat and beautiful visuals but I did wish it had more exploration. It’s more of an action adventure game than an rpg if anything. I loved reading the journals and watching all of the characters’ individual chapters that had narration for whichever character you pick. I liked the simplicity of the story and it was refreshing playing a game that wasn’t overly long.
With that said it’s always nice to see different opinions on games because at the end of the day it is subjective. I was disappointed about final fantasy 16. I was excited for it but unfortunately it didn’t click with me
Yeah, I love differing opinions!
Hey Paige, thanks for the video! yeah there a ton of mid games, you can still have fun but they leave me wanting more! like for me two game I beat are Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk and Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society I am happy to have play them, but the story was weird and the end boss was just unfair.
It happens! Not every game is perfection but that’s okay!
I really hope Square doesn’t do future mainline Final Fantasy games like FF16. I’d love for them to go in the direction of FF7 Rebirth instead. That game imo is modern Final Fantasy perfected. The combat is a hybrid system with features from classic FF titles like elemental weaknesses, buffs/debuffs, status ailments and party member management. I absolutely love it and it’s my favorite combat system in any video game. FF16 on the other hand is just a watered down DMC 5. It lacks rpg elements and all these features from classic FF titles. Like in FF16 you can use fire to fight a Bomb enemy. In any other FF game that bomb will absorb the fire damage but in this game elements are meaningless
But yeah rant over 😅. Just wanted to get my feelings across on how disappointing FF16 was. I really enjoyed this video and I’m a new subscriber to your channel 👍🏾
Hey, thanks!!! I really hope the next mainline game also goes the direction of Remake and Rebirth! I love those games. There is so much heart and emotion to them. Fingers crossed!!!
Have you ever played Breath of Fire 3 or 4? Curious how you'd feel about those jrpgs
No, but I’d love to try them!
We like what we like - loved your list - great vid 😊❤
Thank you!
That's interesting about ff16. I remember some hype because the ff14 team was working on it, the game with really tedious main quests and very cool boss battles.
Yeah, it feels like a MMO sometimes so the 14 team making it checks out. Just not for me.
Most RPGs are mid. This is coming from someone who’s favorite genre is RPGs. When they hit though they are some of the best games of all time.
Good point. The good ones are GOOD.
I am wondering if I will feel the same way when I get around to Final Fantasy XVI and GanBlue Fantasy. I've been hesitant to start the former because the way I see it, I am giving whoever made the game the gift of my time and money. Okay, Square Enix has my money already, but time can be more valuable. I am not going to be playing it anytime soon. Once I am finished with CS IV, it is off to FF 7 Remake and hopefully Rebirth.
If you’re a fan of FF, you should play it! I love the series so I always have to try the newest one.
I'm a huge fan of the Breath of Fire series from Capcom, but most of the games are totally mid. I think some people consider the ps1 games to be a little bit higher tier, but none of them could break through like the FFs and some of the Atlus rpgs. Still, I love 'em. Great vid, got my thinkin'.
I do want to try them!
Ff16 felt like a chore. Tales of arise is too painful. Scarlet nexus also gets tedious. I am trying to get thru like a dragon… it is very different than what I’m used to. Great idea for a vid
Thanks! I love Like a Dragon but I know it’s not for everyone.
haha i have a switch game case, and i have games placed in order of how much i loved them. and there are definitely a few mid games that arent that great or super well received, but have a special place in my heart lol. fun video!
Thanks!
It’s unfortunate to hear the Trials of Mana remake wasn’t hitting because Seiken Densetsu 3 was the only Mana game I enjoyed; but I haven’t played the remake yet.
The ultimate Mid ass game for me would have to be Albert Odyssey on the Saturn. Not a BAD game, and I did get through it. But there was nothing special at all about it (other than the fact that the airship is a goldfish and you can drift in it 😂)
Trials of Mana is still good but just not a favourite for me haha but yeah, I should maybe play the original!
@@femtrooper I haven’t played the original since I was like 13, but it was a blast; especially with friends!
I definitely agree about Granblue Fantasy Relink. It was beautiful to look at, I enjoyed the game for what it was. The battle system wasn’t my favorite and I don’t have any interest in multiplayer or after game content that doesn’t have a lot of purpose. I also agree that it felt like I missing something being thrust into the middle of an adventure. Still fun game, but definitely mid for me as well.
Totally! It felt weird just being thrown in.
Well we all have different opinions. The hardest rpg back in days was sega in the sega genesis. That guy said final fantasy 7 is mid because of the sega genesis rpg. Anyway good video femtrooper. I trade and sell games I like or trade
Thanks!
I am not saying this to offend, just stating my opinion. Heres my hot take list of mid games: FF16, FF15, Cross Code, Trails Series, War Groove, Pokemon Shining/Brilliant remakes and the Tales series.
Not offensive at all!
Short Jrpgs are a deal breaker for me, which is why I still won't play Mario Rpg or Grand Blue Fantasy. I really need to invest my time into it. I was playing Star Ocean 2 remake and was enjoying it but then ended at 40 hours, thinking there was more, felt a bit unfinished, I need my jrpgs to be at least 90 hours and above, just like you I need for the characters to develop, the story to progress and the world to explore
Give Mario RPG a chance actually. Reason being is that there doesn’t need to be a lot of character development since you already know who they are (Mario, Peach, etc).