So brave, thanks for giving Ys IX the praise it deserves! For my personal list it would be number 2 behind SMT V, but well, it is a true masterpiece and it is so underrated, some people talk about Lost Judgment, NEO: The World Ends With You, Tales of Arise, Scarlet Nexus, SMT V, even in general channels. But Ys IX is there like it didn't exist, it is so unfair. I will never stop recommending it.
Well, Ys *is* a bit more on the Action-Adventure side of things, even if it had fairly strong RPG aspects ever since SEVEN (not to mention way longer playtime).
@@khoanguyentranang1802 You don't really need to play any others before it to understand the story, though you won't get any of the references then. It's chronologically the latest game in the series, but while they share some characters, most are selfcontained stories. Note that there's two major shifts in gameplay, first when they switched from the original bump combat due to lack of controller buttons when they originally released to something more like other action games, then again with Ys SEVEN, where they started having 3-man parties with multiple playable characters and distinct weapon types. Both of these apply to all games released after that point, including remakes. (Except for some reason re-releases of 1 and 2).
@@khoanguyentranang1802 There's some references to past games but you don't really have to play them for it. It works as a standalone, just like every other game in the series (except Ys 1 and 2). That said, I recommend playing 8 first. The whole series is great tbh but the best ones imo are Origin, 8 and 9
@@khoanguyentranang1802 I would say pick your Ys games carefully. Ignore reviews. Ys 9 looks like it plays similarly to Ys 8, from a short bit of demo I played. Ys 8 is God damn boring. Ys 7, I haven't played. If you like time wasting RPG elements slowing down action then go for 8, and maybe 9. If you like action adventure with a couple of puzzle and RPG elements thrown in, very much like Zelda with a new cast, better story and a more rocky sound track then Ys Origin and Ys Oath in Felghana. I love Ys Origin. Personally my favourite Ys (and an all time top game for me) and Felghana I believe is a remake of an old one, maybe 3 but I am really enjoying it. Memories of Celceta is similar in style but something just felt missing to me. The character switching maybe caused that. I found it more of a pain in the arse than some smart strategy mechanic. Ys Ark of Napishtim looked great, I had high hopes but it was too hard for me, I was impressed with what I saw though. Back to Ys 8 as everyone seems to think that is the series best. In my opinion one of the worst Ys games. Awful cast of characters, slow, slow story, bad pacing, worst map system I've ever seen in a game where the map is of importance, no charm, grind isn't as fun as Origin and Felghana. Upgrade system was a big annoyance. Over long process. Go blacksmith need different stuff, go to shop, swap this for that, swap another thing to get necessary stuff,, back to blacksmith to forge. In Origin you find item in dungeon, warp to base, upgrade. Origin has some real cool bosses too. There are some other big annoyances but don't want to put any spoilers here. If you like action stripping from your action games then get Ys8. I have played Origin, Felghana Napishtim, 1 Celceta, 8. I own Ys 2 but not played it yet. Ys 9, I played a few minutes of the demo and got bored. In simple the birds eye view ones are good. The 3D ones are shit.
Yeah I agree Ys IX Monstrum Nox is my favorite jrpg this year too. I haven’t played enough to make a top10 but my top 3 is 1. Ys IX 2. Scarlet Nexus 3. Tales of Arise. For non rpgs I really enjoyed Super Mario 3D world + bowsers fury, The Medium, Forza horizon 5 and Pokémon Snap this year. A lot of great games came out this year!
Not really. But due to delays accumulated since the arrival of the holy Covid, video games in general (and many industries) weren't that amazing in 2021.
@@FiveFingerOutfit I'm not speaking for myself. It is not even an opinion, just facts. The pandemy wrecked a lot of development and the releases have been limited until mid-2020. It will start to catch up in 2022.
Gracias amigo Erick. Apenas este año encontré tu canal que me hizo descubrir joyitas del JRPG que desconocía. Estaré al pendiente igualmente de tus videos el siguiente año ¡Feliz navidad y año nuevo!
Ys IX and SMT V are also my favorite JRPGs of the year as well as my favorite games of the year in any genre. I've played them both all the way through multiple times this year and loved every minute of them. Both are now among my all-time favorites and I look forward to playing them for years to come. I've been very curious about Persona 5 Strikers, but I still have yet to play Persona 5 so I will have to wait until I have before checking out the sequel. Tales of Arise also looks promising and I will probably get the PC version within the next month or two.
Yeahhhh! Ys IX was a really great experience to me, it deserved the best rpg of the year, freaking love its story and Balduq(also the kid on rooftop who always cheering for monstrums!)
2021 was soo good to the JRPG fans that is hard to make a top 10: Atelier Ryza 2, Bravely Default II, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Mary Skelter Finale, The Caligula Effect 2, etc are pretty good contenders too. And the remaster catalog was pretty good too: SMT3, RF4 Special, Soul Nomad & The World Eaters. I just wish Konami would stop being useless and make Suikoden remaster or remake a reality. (5 > 2 > 3 mostly)
how do you have the time for that game? I only get time to play 1 game a year and it can't be more than 20 hours runtime. This year I chose psychonauts 2.
This video just reminds me that I haven't played hardly any jrpgs lately. All I played the entire year were demos of Scarlet Nexus and DQ XI. I did play a few rpgs this year, but they were mostly more western style like running through Skyrim and Dragons Dogma again.
Ys 9 takes it for me too. I played it on my PS5 once it released and it ran really nicely. That story was near perfect for me. Those characters will forever be on my mind. I enjoyed Alphen and Shionne story as well. I also enjoyed Kasane. Nonetheless it was a great year for JRPGs
Ya 2021 was a good year for jrpgs even if some people claim it was a bad year and that's the only reason Arise won rpg of the year. While not many rpgs (western or jrpg) released this year (at least in comparison to previous years...and also not considering ports) the jrpgs released were all solid to great, even excellent....for wrpg fans the year may have sucked though since the only one i can think of is Cyberpunk (which wound up being a fiasco due to technical issues) and it only qualifies as 2021 if we go by Game Awards standards....if we go for games actually released from Jan 2021 from now i can't really name a wrpg off the top of my head lol. Personally last year as good as this was probably 2018 with Valkyria Chronicles 4, Octopath Traveler, and Dragon Quest 11 (my goty for that year) and then there was 2017 which was also a great year (Tales of Berseria, Persona 5, Ys 8, Tokyo Xanadu, Valkyria Revolution (may be debatable for some people but i liked it), and Akiba's Beat (another one debatable for some peopel that i liked mainly due to the classic Tales combat system and the story being mostly solid/characters fun)). And i haven't even played all the jrpgs that released this year either: still have Nier Replicant, Bravely Default 2, and Neo the World Ends with You that i'll be getting tomorrow for Christmas (granted will have to delay playing Neo as i'm not done the first game) and along with those 3 i haven't played Ryza 2 or SMT5...granted i don't really have interest in either right now so if i play them it'll be a few years from now after they go on sale. Probably a couple I'm forgetting as well. Next year looks solid with Elden Ring, Star Ocean 6 (let's hope it's much better than the last couple), Granblue Fantasy Re:Link (probably game i'm most hyped for now that it has a release confirmed for next year), and Triangle Strategy as the 4 I'm most hyped for right now. There's Trails from Zero as well but already played the fan sub, same with Azue, so not nearly as excited as I am for new games (excited for Nayuta and Reverie though and Kuro after them). Probably forgetting a few other games as well and there's likely gonna be at least 1 or 2 that come out of nowhere as well. Also have a few non jrpgs i'm excited for such as Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak (i consider it an action game, not rpg tbh) and DNF Duel....maybe Zelda BotW2 as well if it announces a release for next year. And considering i generally only play 5 to 10 games per year nowadays due to either important real life shit to worry about or just wanting to do some other activity for fun (walk, watch TV/Youbube, read, etc) splitting my play time to usually about 10 to 15 hours per week nowadays, sometimes less (hell there are some times in the year i go an entire month or 2 not playing any games at all) so the amount of games i play each year is fairly small as i generally take 1 to 2 months to beat each game nowadays (week or 2 for very short 20 hour or less games (generally indie like Ender Lillies for example). As for my personal jrpg and game of the year of the year it was Tales of Arise followed by Scarlet Nexus and then a very close, nearly tied for 2nd, Ys 8.
YS 9 is great game. But..SMT V, Caligula Effect 2 and Astria Ascending for me. This year was generally a success at jrpg. Lots of interesting and fun titles. My wallet cries :)
I wish people would go for more gothic dark fantasy in this anime cel shaded graphics with a story like tales of aries upbeat even in a war and strife less like code vein but maybe more like breath of the wild with more ff15 story telling
For me the best two jrpgs are tales of arise and Scarlet nexus, with the First with a Great technical combat system and the second with a more funny and innovative combat system...Hope these two games Will be followed by their producers
This is a sweet list. 👍 I’ve got 9 of these games in the backlog. Sadly my PS4 died on me a week ago so now I’m screwed. 😭 Thank god I got a bunch of these for the Nintendo Switch. I need my JRPG fix so I don’t go crazy. 😵💫
Actually finished Ys 9 today. Although SMT 5 is still my GotY, Ys 9 was incredibly good too. I just loved this fast paced combat, the story was amazing and had some mindblowing twists and the cast was so damn good, it made me actually sad to leave them now behind. Can't wait for Ys 10!
Even though it is quite a ways off, Ys X is the game I'm looking forward to the most and I can't wait to see what it has in store for us. With as much as I love the entire Ys series, VIII and IX seem to be the peak for me as well as for many others and I wonder if Ys X will be even better than those.
Included Ys ix ‘Spoiler’ . . I see Doll in the ending in her N E W form.. i cried. damnnnn the game really played around with my feeling at the ending, i kept asking ‘where is doll’ again and again but when i see her achieved her dream to feel the world like every human feel… i felt so happy that i cried damn… they are the best casts in rpg i’ve ever played!
My GOTY is Neo: The World Ends With You, but I also loved Persona 5 Strikers, Scarlet Nexus, Monster Hunter Stories 2, Tales of Arise, and Shin Megami Tensei V. As for Ys IX...I just bought it earlier today, but I'm still in the middle of Ys VIII (just started Chapter 5 at the time of this comment), so it'll be awhile before I get to play Ys IX. But after hearing your description of the story, I had to have it!
Just started Ys IX. Quite enjoyable so far. It might even have the legs to see me finish my first Ys game! I played Celceta a bit on the Vita back in the day and I played a fair bit of VIII, but I never finished. This one seems a bit more focused, so I might actually finish. Playing on nightmare and they make jumping back in so quick, I don't even mind all the dying (yet:) Smt V was fantastic. I don't know if it edges out III, though. I think I prefer the story, characters, atmosphere and music from III. Put all of the quality of life and battle improvements in III, and I'd be a happy camper. Looking forward to replaying it with the remastered version. Arise was solid. Characters actually had some depth to them. I thought the combat was fun for a bit, but it fell off a bit hard for me. The skill tree things also felt underwhelming like they didn't do much that was interesting. Maybe I missed something. I'll likely give it another playthrough at some point. Scarlet Nexus was also pretty solid. The premise was interesting but it seemed to get tropey/normal pretty quickly. I wish they would have leaned harder into the weird. Combat was pretty fun but got a bit stale near the end. Enemy variety might have been a part of that as it just felt like I was doing the same thing over and over. Stories 2 has been great to play through with the whole family. Haven't quite finished yet, but we'll get there. Took a break to play Sword and Shield together. That has been great, too. We've also played a bit of Monster Sanctuary and Rise is under the tree. Too many games! Not a bad problem :)
If Altus would do a remake of SMT IV or DDS that would be nice. As for SMT V it gameplay and exploration surpasses the previous games, but story, atmosphere and extra side content (like an optional heavenly Labyrinth, puzzles events, optional bosses that are as hard as the super bosses, mini games) that was a complete missed. SMT III exploration and dungeons was the boring thing in the game, so I'm happy that Altus improved this!
2021 turned out to be one of the best years for RPGs. Monster Hunter Rise is my GoTY, but I don't consider it an RPG, it's a %100 action game. But Monster Hunter stories 2 is a pure JRPG and the RPG of the year for me. "Ruined King" was a sleeper hit I think any RPG fan should try, a maure stand alone story, great turn based combat system and you don't need to now anything about league of legends to enjoy it. The heavy hitters all delivered on the hype, SMT V (my # 2 rpg), Ys 9, Tales of Arise and Persona Strikers. Atelier Ryza 2 and Scarlet Nexus were also great. Yes my love of the Monster Hunter franchise is what pushed it to the top over SMT V, but it wouldn't have on this alone. It's a great game with one of the best turn based combat systems I've ever played. It also has a nearly unique feature for turn based game, an online multiplayer mode just as good as the single player mode.
Totally agreed, Ys IX was the best JRPG of 2021 for me too. The setting, character development and gameplay was so good, I didn't care about somewhat outdated graphics. I would put Tales of Arise in 2 and Persona 5 Strikers in 3!
This year was a Falcom year for me. Started Cold Steel 1 in december 2020 and I spent this entire year playing the Sky trilogy, crossbell games and then I continued and finished the other 3 cold steel games. Reverie is not out till 2023 so after that, it was Ys IX, ys origin, Ys memories of Celceta and tonight I'm booting up Oath in Felghana for the first time. Falcom is great man. I truly fell in love with their games this year ❤
I'm waiting for the official western release of the Crossbell arc before i start CS3. Definitely a series you need to mostly play in (in-universe) chronological order. If you like the newer Ys titles (i.e. anything with the party system), Tokyo Xanadu may be worth a look, too. You'll even get to benefit from your fishing training in ToCS. Might find the guy holding the rod familiar, too...
@@Llortnerof thanks for the tip. Xanadu is next on the list! I played geofronts zero and azure translation before continuing cold steel and I can say that was the best decision I could've made. If I just played all cold steel games back to back, I wouldve missed out on a lot of references and character knowledge
I started Cold Steel 1 this christmas. I already have 52 hours on it lmao. I tried Trails in the Sky last year but didn't get into it. I'm surprised how deep CS1 has hooked me. I jumped the gun and bought the entire series (including the Sky titles) on steam just because of how much I'm enjoying CS. And now I've renewed interest in Sky. 2021 was Falcom year for me too, played a ton of Ys
I have been waiting this video, it was amazing as always. This is my top 5. 5.Cris Tales 4.Ys ix 3. Tales of arise 2. Fuga melodies of steel 1. Shin megami tensei V (my favorite). I havent played nier replicant but i think i would like it.
SMT V and Tales of Arise my tip faves this year. Scarlet Nexus and Monster Hunter Rise and MH Stories 2 as well as Bravely Default 2 were great. Ys 9 too ofc
Gotta admit, I wasn't expecting Persona 5 Strikers to be on your list, but I will say that it's a great game nonetheless and hope others check it out soon.
For anyone wondering if you need to play P5R before playing P5S, you do not. If you've played P5 you are set. The game doesn't reference _any_ of the bonus content from P5R.
@@chrisona29 Scarlet Nexus. And for me she was okay minus, more like boring but doesn't do any harm (like all characters in the game aside from interesting one)
When I first saw P5 Strikers I thought "Oh, they're just trying to milk the franchise again by making a short game.". Boy I was wrong and thoroughly enjoyed the game. Maybe the devs are trying to experiment for what they can do to P6.
I just watched your whole series. Well, whole series starting at the end of PS1 era anyway. Great videos! I like your commentary and you show enough gameplay to be useful. I would: Add a timestamp with a game list(and system) in your description section(or pin a comment) so when people want to look at a particular game they can find it easy. Also, i would love for you to do this list and EXCLUDE the portable systems. I play at home on my couch after work. I have zero use for a tiny screen, underpowered, portable game system. Why hunch over a 4 inch screen when I can play a home console on a 50" TV? I know some years would be challenging because of what is available, but I would like to see a list as I mostly agree with your opinions on games it seems. As a quick example, Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness. I completely understand how it would not make a top ten list across all systems, but I think if you remove the portable stuff it would find it's way on there. I have no intention of participating in the PSP/PSVita/Game Boy line up, so a top ten list of just major consoles would be very welcomed.
honestly....i played like 5 hours of ys 9 and i really couldn't get into it....i loved ys 8 and its a masterpiece for me but i dont know i didnt enjoy it but someday im gonna force myself to beat it because i love ys series
Iam saddened to say fuga melodies of steel didn't even cover the development cost of the game I bought it on my series X and ps5 to help out its a great game
@@Walamonga1313 Fair enough, Ys8 and Cold Steel are fantastic! I just feel Ys9 is a better single game as Cold Steel more requires the whole arc to put it all together you know. Also, imo, the ability to wall run and warm and such was just so much fun!
What happened to Bravely Default 2? It was definitely better than Scarlet Nexus... :p I always like your lists, even when I don't entirely agree with them.
SMTV is the most anticipated game for me and didn't disappoint. I would play YS IX but have to complete VIII first. Monster Hunter Stories 2 has many much improved features such as quick kill, being able fight along side rider, hunter, etc. I managed to pick up Trials of Mana from eshop sales the combat better than Shining Resonance refrain. Looking forward to upcoming year, I'm after RF5 and anything else on my wishlist.
Thumbs up to preferring the story with her grizzled dad. Him being this old broken down man who is pushed to action works so well when put against the backdrop of an old broken down world. It makes the character so much more powerful.
Ys IX?! Are you for real? Will be harder in the future to take you seriously xD but its your opinion and please always be you, which is your charm. Ys was a fun experience, but hardly the best ever, even for 2021 standards. I think Tales of Arise deserves it most. Fugen for biggest surprise for sure.
I really would like to try Ys IX, but I have played Ys VIII, I liked it but sadly I haven't finished it... It was this type of game that was pretty cool but then I kinda lost interest on it. I tried to get back into it but I forgot everything because I played longtime ago. A bit scared to feel maybe the same way with Ys IX..? I never comment your videos but I love your contents! Have you ever tried Final Fantasy XIV? I know it's a MMO but this is such a great game with really deep story!
I haven't played blue reflection 2 but the first one was really good. I wish I still had a PS4 cause it was like a mix of persona and hyperdimension Neptunia and the Atelier series all in one. It was very weird but still an absolutely beautiful and fun game ❤️
I cannot agree about Scarlet Nexus’ plot. It gets so convoluted and bloated, not to mention the repeated gameplay loop made me hate finish the game so I wouldn’t have to see it again. I’ve never had a game turn my opinion so fast as with SN.
There are still a couple of game on that list I have yet to play. I have never played a Disgaea or SMT game before and Fuga also looks very interesting. I´m playing Voice of Cards and Poison Control at the moment. There are too many games and not enough time.
I was curious if you want to do a video on the Nintendo 3ds eshop sale, I was able to get all 6 Shin Megami Tensei games, 5 Etrian games, Persona Q 1 and 2, Stella Glow, Radiant Historia, Conception 2 and 7th Dragon 3 for less then 150 bucks. They are having eshop sale on those games plus many other including sonic the hedgehog until January 5th.
I love Disgaea, the auto battle made the game feel less fulfilling. Since it's very very very very easy to grind. Nonetheless I like the game and will give a like for mentioning the game.
I swear this guy's whole channel is a fucking beast. Like absolutely if you want an opinion on RPG games this is the guy you're looking for!
For me its Tales of Arise. Best remake/port is Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX. Monster Rancher is a hidden rpg gem from the past.
the remake suppossedly is pretty bad i heard, a console pprt of the mobile release without any effort to adjust it for console
@@gd3710 i dont know. I played it and it was fun.
Tales of Arise team here !
I wish you all a Merry Christmas from Belgium!
So brave, thanks for giving Ys IX the praise it deserves! For my personal list it would be number 2 behind SMT V, but well, it is a true masterpiece and it is so underrated, some people talk about Lost Judgment, NEO: The World Ends With You, Tales of Arise, Scarlet Nexus, SMT V, even in general channels. But Ys IX is there like it didn't exist, it is so unfair. I will never stop recommending it.
Well, Ys *is* a bit more on the Action-Adventure side of things, even if it had fairly strong RPG aspects ever since SEVEN (not to mention way longer playtime).
If I don't play any other Ys games, can I still play Ys IX? if not, which Ys game should I play before playing Ys IX?
@@khoanguyentranang1802 You don't really need to play any others before it to understand the story, though you won't get any of the references then. It's chronologically the latest game in the series, but while they share some characters, most are selfcontained stories.
Note that there's two major shifts in gameplay, first when they switched from the original bump combat due to lack of controller buttons when they originally released to something more like other action games, then again with Ys SEVEN, where they started having 3-man parties with multiple playable characters and distinct weapon types. Both of these apply to all games released after that point, including remakes. (Except for some reason re-releases of 1 and 2).
@@khoanguyentranang1802 There's some references to past games but you don't really have to play them for it. It works as a standalone, just like every other game in the series (except Ys 1 and 2). That said, I recommend playing 8 first. The whole series is great tbh but the best ones imo are Origin, 8 and 9
@@khoanguyentranang1802 I would say pick your Ys games carefully.
Ignore reviews.
Ys 9 looks like it plays similarly to Ys 8, from a short bit of demo I played. Ys 8 is God damn boring.
Ys 7, I haven't played. If you like time wasting RPG elements slowing down action then go for 8, and maybe 9. If you like action adventure with a couple of puzzle and RPG elements thrown in, very much like Zelda with a new cast, better story and a more rocky sound track then Ys Origin and Ys Oath in Felghana. I love Ys Origin. Personally my favourite Ys (and an all time top game for me) and Felghana I believe is a remake of an old one, maybe 3 but I am really enjoying it. Memories of Celceta is similar in style but something just felt missing to me. The character switching maybe caused that. I found it more of a pain in the arse than some smart strategy mechanic. Ys Ark of Napishtim looked great, I had high hopes but it was too hard for me, I was impressed with what I saw though.
Back to Ys 8 as everyone seems to think that is the series best. In my opinion one of the worst Ys games. Awful cast of characters, slow, slow story, bad pacing, worst map system I've ever seen in a game where the map is of importance, no charm, grind isn't as fun as Origin and Felghana. Upgrade system was a big annoyance. Over long process. Go blacksmith need different stuff, go to shop, swap this for that, swap another thing to get necessary stuff,, back to blacksmith to forge. In Origin you find item in dungeon, warp to base, upgrade. Origin has some real cool bosses too. There are some other big annoyances but don't want to put any spoilers here.
If you like action stripping from your action games then get Ys8.
I have played
Origin,
Felghana
Napishtim,
1
Celceta,
8.
I own Ys 2 but not played it yet.
Ys 9, I played a few minutes of the demo and got bored.
In simple the birds eye view ones are good. The 3D ones are shit.
Intergrade and SMTV were my Jprgs Of The Year!
Tales of Arise is my game of the year and also my favorite game of all time.
Yeah I agree Ys IX Monstrum Nox is my favorite jrpg this year too. I haven’t played enough to make a top10 but my top 3 is 1. Ys IX 2. Scarlet Nexus 3. Tales of Arise. For non rpgs I really enjoyed Super Mario 3D world + bowsers fury, The Medium, Forza horizon 5 and Pokémon Snap this year. A lot of great games came out this year!
My game of the year is SMT V and xenoblade chronicles lol
There wasn't even a xenoblade game released this year.
Tales of Arise team! 😊
Meh it was ok
Yup
I was a little unimpressed by it, it was okay, thought it could’ve been a lot better
I was waiting for this one! Nice video as always bro! Merry Christmas everyone!
A great year for the JRPG!
Not really. But due to delays accumulated since the arrival of the holy Covid, video games in general (and many industries) weren't that amazing in 2021.
@@fastsnake this year is so much better than 2020, but 2017 remains the best of recent years
@@fastsnake speak for yourself.
@@FiveFingerOutfit I'm not speaking for myself. It is not even an opinion, just facts. The pandemy wrecked a lot of development and the releases have been limited until mid-2020. It will start to catch up in 2022.
It's a great year for sure, not excellent, but great!
Gracias amigo Erick. Apenas este año encontré tu canal que me hizo descubrir joyitas del JRPG que desconocía. Estaré al pendiente igualmente de tus videos el siguiente año ¡Feliz navidad y año nuevo!
Tiene todo un fadom hispano detrás de él, es un grande
I'm glad I found your channel in 2021 JRPGs are my favorite Genre and I'm glad you have such a passion for them keep it up
Great list! Merry Christmas to you and everyone, and have a happy 2022!!
Persona 5 strikers, Scarlett nexus and smt 5 are my favorites this year
Can't wait for the JRPGs for 2022
Ys IX and SMT V are also my favorite JRPGs of the year as well as my favorite games of the year in any genre. I've played them both all the way through multiple times this year and loved every minute of them. Both are now among my all-time favorites and I look forward to playing them for years to come.
I've been very curious about Persona 5 Strikers, but I still have yet to play Persona 5 so I will have to wait until I have before checking out the sequel. Tales of Arise also looks promising and I will probably get the PC version within the next month or two.
Erick: "Why are there 2 Adols?"
Me automatically: "You're saying there's a multiverse?"
I've been playing Ys IX for a while now, close to the end, I think it's probably my game of the year
Yeahhhh! Ys IX was a really great experience to me, it deserved the best rpg of the year, freaking love its story and Balduq(also the kid on rooftop who always cheering for monstrums!)
I love that you included Fuga! Also, love your #1 pick. Great minds think alike as they say 👊😎
Another excellent list! Thank you!
Definitely agree with Ys IX Monstrum Nox!!!
Persona 5 Strikers is my GOTY, not just from JRPGs, but in general.
Gotta try ys9 for sure, but smt5 got me addicted soooo bad, man is this game amazing
yeah smt5 is my best jrpg this year too. i like ys ix but smt5 is better by far.
Too addictive!!!
Can't for Trails from Zero to release next year most likely during the fall. Also looking forward to Granblue Fantasy and Triangle Strategy.
Eyudien Chronicle ❤
Sea of stars is gonna be another indie sleeper hit rpg it seems, lol.
2021 was soo good to the JRPG fans that is hard to make a top 10: Atelier Ryza 2, Bravely Default II, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Mary Skelter Finale, The Caligula Effect 2, etc are pretty good contenders too.
And the remaster catalog was pretty good too: SMT3, RF4 Special, Soul Nomad & The World Eaters.
I just wish Konami would stop being useless and make Suikoden remaster or remake a reality. (5 > 2 > 3 mostly)
Ys 9 at number 1, as it should be. My personal GOTY, and am actually in the process of replaying it right now (nearing the end of chapter 8).
how do you have the time for that game? I only get time to play 1 game a year and it can't be more than 20 hours runtime. This year I chose psychonauts 2.
@@sparklesparklesparkle6318 wtf is that question?? xD
@@laddermaker3657 I work 60 hour weeks I don't even get time to watch youtube videos how the heck does this guy have the time to play JRPGs?
@@sparklesparklesparkle6318 because he is not working 60h a week.
@@sparklesparklesparkle6318 You could try working one of those night shifts that allow you to game
This video just reminds me that I haven't played hardly any jrpgs lately. All I played the entire year were demos of Scarlet Nexus and DQ XI. I did play a few rpgs this year, but they were mostly more western style like running through Skyrim and Dragons Dogma again.
Ys IX is a masterpiece and my GOTY as well! Great top 10
Ys 9 takes it for me too. I played it on my PS5 once it released and it ran really nicely. That story was near perfect for me. Those characters will forever be on my mind. I enjoyed Alphen and Shionne story as well. I also enjoyed Kasane. Nonetheless it was a great year for JRPGs
Ya 2021 was a good year for jrpgs even if some people claim it was a bad year and that's the only reason Arise won rpg of the year. While not many rpgs (western or jrpg) released this year (at least in comparison to previous years...and also not considering ports) the jrpgs released were all solid to great, even excellent....for wrpg fans the year may have sucked though since the only one i can think of is Cyberpunk (which wound up being a fiasco due to technical issues) and it only qualifies as 2021 if we go by Game Awards standards....if we go for games actually released from Jan 2021 from now i can't really name a wrpg off the top of my head lol. Personally last year as good as this was probably 2018 with Valkyria Chronicles 4, Octopath Traveler, and Dragon Quest 11 (my goty for that year) and then there was 2017 which was also a great year (Tales of Berseria, Persona 5, Ys 8, Tokyo Xanadu, Valkyria Revolution (may be debatable for some people but i liked it), and Akiba's Beat (another one debatable for some peopel that i liked mainly due to the classic Tales combat system and the story being mostly solid/characters fun)).
And i haven't even played all the jrpgs that released this year either: still have Nier Replicant, Bravely Default 2, and Neo the World Ends with You that i'll be getting tomorrow for Christmas (granted will have to delay playing Neo as i'm not done the first game) and along with those 3 i haven't played Ryza 2 or SMT5...granted i don't really have interest in either right now so if i play them it'll be a few years from now after they go on sale. Probably a couple I'm forgetting as well.
Next year looks solid with Elden Ring, Star Ocean 6 (let's hope it's much better than the last couple), Granblue Fantasy Re:Link (probably game i'm most hyped for now that it has a release confirmed for next year), and Triangle Strategy as the 4 I'm most hyped for right now. There's Trails from Zero as well but already played the fan sub, same with Azue, so not nearly as excited as I am for new games (excited for Nayuta and Reverie though and Kuro after them). Probably forgetting a few other games as well and there's likely gonna be at least 1 or 2 that come out of nowhere as well. Also have a few non jrpgs i'm excited for such as Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak (i consider it an action game, not rpg tbh) and DNF Duel....maybe Zelda BotW2 as well if it announces a release for next year.
And considering i generally only play 5 to 10 games per year nowadays due to either important real life shit to worry about or just wanting to do some other activity for fun (walk, watch TV/Youbube, read, etc) splitting my play time to usually about 10 to 15 hours per week nowadays, sometimes less (hell there are some times in the year i go an entire month or 2 not playing any games at all) so the amount of games i play each year is fairly small as i generally take 1 to 2 months to beat each game nowadays (week or 2 for very short 20 hour or less games (generally indie like Ender Lillies for example).
As for my personal jrpg and game of the year of the year it was Tales of Arise followed by Scarlet Nexus and then a very close, nearly tied for 2nd, Ys 8.
Are you insane or what?
@@ifrit1937 ok
I think ys8 still had a better plotline and story imo
@@donaldzuramp4404 Better music too
Good list, i see i missed Blue Reflection: Second Light so i have to check it out :)
YS 9 is great game. But..SMT V, Caligula Effect 2 and Astria Ascending for me. This year was generally a success at jrpg. Lots of interesting and fun titles. My wallet cries :)
I'm starting Caligula 2 today! Really looking forward go it
I wish people would go for more gothic dark fantasy in this anime cel shaded graphics with a story like tales of aries upbeat even in a war and strife less like code vein but maybe more like breath of the wild with more ff15 story telling
Merry Xmas erick!
Ys 9 is one of the best jrpg of the last video game era.
You know what would be amazing? A Switch port of Radiant Historia
For me the best two jrpgs are tales of arise and Scarlet nexus, with the First with a Great technical combat system and the second with a more funny and innovative combat system...Hope these two games Will be followed by their producers
This is a sweet list. 👍 I’ve got 9 of these games in the backlog. Sadly my PS4 died on me a week ago so now I’m screwed. 😭 Thank god I got a bunch of these for the Nintendo Switch. I need my JRPG fix so I don’t go crazy. 😵💫
Actually finished Ys 9 today.
Although SMT 5 is still my GotY, Ys 9 was incredibly good too. I just loved this fast paced combat, the story was amazing and had some mindblowing twists and the cast was so damn good, it made me actually sad to leave them now behind. Can't wait for Ys 10!
The ending of Ys 9 me shed a tear. I’m so happy for all those characters
@@MichaelMashpotato I just hope we see them again one day. Especially Credo, I was a bit of a fan of him.
Even though it is quite a ways off, Ys X is the game I'm looking forward to the most and I can't wait to see what it has in store for us. With as much as I love the entire Ys series, VIII and IX seem to be the peak for me as well as for many others and I wonder if Ys X will be even better than those.
Included Ys ix ‘Spoiler’
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I see Doll in the ending in her N E W form.. i cried. damnnnn the game really played around with my feeling at the ending, i kept asking ‘where is doll’ again and again but when i see her achieved her dream to feel the world like every human feel… i felt so happy that i cried damn… they are the best casts in rpg i’ve ever played!
My GOTY is Neo: The World Ends With You, but I also loved Persona 5 Strikers, Scarlet Nexus, Monster Hunter Stories 2, Tales of Arise, and Shin Megami Tensei V.
As for Ys IX...I just bought it earlier today, but I'm still in the middle of Ys VIII (just started Chapter 5 at the time of this comment), so it'll be awhile before I get to play Ys IX. But after hearing your description of the story, I had to have it!
best rpg and game of this year for me is tales of arise
but i really knew that best rpg of year for erick would be ys ix 😂 who else knew??
for me it was kinda obvious.
Mine is smt v
I own the whole Ys series I think on Steam but have yet to play any of them. 9 games is a big hill to climb with the backlog I already have lol.
The early entries are quite short so that will help. I just started the series I’ve finished a couple.
Just started Ys IX. Quite enjoyable so far. It might even have the legs to see me finish my first Ys game! I played Celceta a bit on the Vita back in the day and I played a fair bit of VIII, but I never finished. This one seems a bit more focused, so I might actually finish. Playing on nightmare and they make jumping back in so quick, I don't even mind all the dying (yet:)
Smt V was fantastic. I don't know if it edges out III, though. I think I prefer the story, characters, atmosphere and music from III. Put all of the quality of life and battle improvements in III, and I'd be a happy camper. Looking forward to replaying it with the remastered version.
Arise was solid. Characters actually had some depth to them. I thought the combat was fun for a bit, but it fell off a bit hard for me. The skill tree things also felt underwhelming like they didn't do much that was interesting. Maybe I missed something. I'll likely give it another playthrough at some point.
Scarlet Nexus was also pretty solid. The premise was interesting but it seemed to get tropey/normal pretty quickly. I wish they would have leaned harder into the weird. Combat was pretty fun but got a bit stale near the end. Enemy variety might have been a part of that as it just felt like I was doing the same thing over and over.
Stories 2 has been great to play through with the whole family. Haven't quite finished yet, but we'll get there. Took a break to play Sword and Shield together. That has been great, too. We've also played a bit of Monster Sanctuary and Rise is under the tree. Too many games! Not a bad problem :)
If Altus would do a remake of SMT IV or DDS that would be nice. As for SMT V it gameplay and exploration surpasses the previous games, but story, atmosphere and extra side content (like an optional heavenly Labyrinth, puzzles events, optional bosses that are as hard as the super bosses, mini games) that was a complete missed. SMT III exploration and dungeons was the boring thing in the game, so I'm happy that Altus improved this!
SMT 5 my game of the year I love it need to check out Ys 9 tho
2021 turned out to be one of the best years for RPGs. Monster Hunter Rise is my GoTY, but I don't consider it an RPG, it's a %100 action game. But Monster Hunter stories 2 is a pure JRPG and the RPG of the year for me. "Ruined King" was a sleeper hit I think any RPG fan should try, a maure stand alone story, great turn based combat system and you don't need to now anything about league of legends to enjoy it. The heavy hitters all delivered on the hype, SMT V (my # 2 rpg), Ys 9, Tales of Arise and Persona Strikers. Atelier Ryza 2 and Scarlet Nexus were also great.
Yes my love of the Monster Hunter franchise is what pushed it to the top over SMT V, but it wouldn't have on this alone. It's a great game with one of the best turn based combat systems I've ever played. It also has a nearly unique feature for turn based game, an online multiplayer mode just as good as the single player mode.
Totally agreed, Ys IX was the best JRPG of 2021 for me too. The setting, character development and gameplay was so good, I didn't care about somewhat outdated graphics.
I would put Tales of Arise in 2 and Persona 5 Strikers in 3!
This year was a Falcom year for me. Started Cold Steel 1 in december 2020 and I spent this entire year playing the Sky trilogy, crossbell games and then I continued and finished the other 3 cold steel games. Reverie is not out till 2023 so after that, it was Ys IX, ys origin, Ys memories of Celceta and tonight I'm booting up Oath in Felghana for the first time. Falcom is great man. I truly fell in love with their games this year ❤
I'm waiting for the official western release of the Crossbell arc before i start CS3. Definitely a series you need to mostly play in (in-universe) chronological order.
If you like the newer Ys titles (i.e. anything with the party system), Tokyo Xanadu may be worth a look, too. You'll even get to benefit from your fishing training in ToCS. Might find the guy holding the rod familiar, too...
@@Llortnerof thanks for the tip. Xanadu is next on the list! I played geofronts zero and azure translation before continuing cold steel and I can say that was the best decision I could've made. If I just played all cold steel games back to back, I wouldve missed out on a lot of references and character knowledge
I started Cold Steel 1 this christmas. I already have 52 hours on it lmao. I tried Trails in the Sky last year but didn't get into it. I'm surprised how deep CS1 has hooked me. I jumped the gun and bought the entire series (including the Sky titles) on steam just because of how much I'm enjoying CS. And now I've renewed interest in Sky. 2021 was Falcom year for me too, played a ton of Ys
Gotta get smtV and I've never played the ys series. Mhst2 was my fave of what I played this year
I agree Ys 9 is fantastic. It’s my favorite series and 8 was superb, but 9 cast and ending is wow.
I have been waiting this video, it was amazing as always.
This is my top 5.
5.Cris Tales
4.Ys ix
3. Tales of arise
2. Fuga melodies of steel
1. Shin megami tensei V (my favorite).
I havent played nier replicant but i think i would like it.
SMT V and Tales of Arise my tip faves this year. Scarlet Nexus and Monster Hunter Rise and MH Stories 2 as well as Bravely Default 2 were great. Ys 9 too ofc
Dude I love your channel you talk about rpgs that’s what I love
Gotta admit, I wasn't expecting Persona 5 Strikers to be on your list, but I will say that it's a great game nonetheless and hope others check it out soon.
I prefer SMT V a tiny bit over Ys 9, but Ys 9 was also incredible and would easily be my number 2 this year.
GDI Erik I haven't even finished Lacrimosa of Dana yet and you're doing the hard sell on Nyx to me 😭
For anyone wondering if you need to play P5R before playing P5S, you do not. If you've played P5 you are set. The game doesn't reference _any_ of the bonus content from P5R.
Best girl on preview 🤗
where is she from?
@@chrisona29 Scarlet Nexus. And for me she was okay minus, more like boring but doesn't do any harm (like all characters in the game aside from interesting one)
это ведь не Нахобино 🤔
What is happening?!!! Erick says he likes disgaea and doesn't find fanservice obnoxious.
Finally, he's becoming one of us
When I first saw P5 Strikers I thought "Oh, they're just trying to milk the franchise again by making a short game.". Boy I was wrong and thoroughly enjoyed the game. Maybe the devs are trying to experiment for what they can do to P6.
I watched 30 seconds of this video and immediately purchased soul nomad. I had no idea it was on steam.
I just watched your whole series. Well, whole series starting at the end of PS1 era anyway. Great videos! I like your commentary and you show enough gameplay to be useful.
I would:
Add a timestamp with a game list(and system) in your description section(or pin a comment) so when people want to look at a particular game they can find it easy.
Also, i would love for you to do this list and EXCLUDE the portable systems. I play at home on my couch after work. I have zero use for a tiny screen, underpowered, portable game system. Why hunch over a 4 inch screen when I can play a home console on a 50" TV? I know some years would be challenging because of what is available, but I would like to see a list as I mostly agree with your opinions on games it seems.
As a quick example, Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness. I completely understand how it would not make a top ten list across all systems, but I think if you remove the portable stuff it would find it's way on there. I have no intention of participating in the PSP/PSVita/Game Boy line up, so a top ten list of just major consoles would be very welcomed.
honestly....i played like 5 hours of ys 9 and i really couldn't get into it....i loved ys 8 and its a masterpiece for me but i dont know i didnt enjoy it but someday im gonna force myself to beat it because i love ys series
5 hours is not nearly enough, the game really opens up later on and its amazing.
i don't know if it really was five hours but i was in the early of chapter 3
I got hooked since starting. Loved it till the end. GOTY for me
The only difference on my list is bravely default 2 but I have to agree with the majority of this. Nicely done sir
Iam saddened to say fuga melodies of steel didn't even cover the development cost of the game I bought it on my series X and ps5 to help out its a great game
Revived witch was released 2021 ,i hope i highly recommend this jrpg when i finish it.
Merry christmass
I heard “Persona 5 Strikers” will be a PS Plus game for January!
Also heck yeah! Ys 9 was a fantastic game! Potentially the best single game from all of Nihon Falcom imo
Really? I thought it was good but so far Cold Steel and Ys 8 are my almost untouchable top
@@Walamonga1313 Fair enough, Ys8 and Cold Steel are fantastic! I just feel Ys9 is a better single game as Cold Steel more requires the whole arc to put it all together you know. Also, imo, the ability to wall run and warm and such was just so much fun!
Loved Ys IX, Scarlet Nexus, Tales of Arise, Nier Replicant, and P5 Strikers.
What happened to Bravely Default 2? It was definitely better than Scarlet Nexus... :p
I always like your lists, even when I don't entirely agree with them.
Nice. I actually have six on that list.
SMTV is the most anticipated game for me and didn't disappoint. I would play YS IX but have to complete VIII first. Monster Hunter Stories 2 has many much improved features such as quick kill, being able fight along side rider, hunter, etc. I managed to pick up Trials of Mana from eshop sales the combat better than Shining Resonance refrain. Looking forward to upcoming year, I'm after RF5 and anything else on my wishlist.
Thumbs up to preferring the story with her grizzled dad. Him being this old broken down man who is pushed to action works so well when put against the backdrop of an old broken down world. It makes the character so much more powerful.
Scarlet nexus is definitely my GOTY, just bought Tales of Aries, gonna see how that compares
So how is it
What I like in scarlet nexus is that depending on if you choose the boy or girl, the story will change
Just started tales of arise my expectations are very low due to what I have heard but I’m excited
Really loved Scarlet Nexus. So good to see a new IP come out and smash it with a fun and fresh game
Do I spy an Arashi in the thumbnail?
I started the ys series at memories of celceta and I'm enjoying it a lot!
Is this the top ten or the best ten? Why not both?! Happy Holidays, Erick.
Ys IX?! Are you for real? Will be harder in the future to take you seriously xD but its your opinion and please always be you, which is your charm. Ys was a fun experience, but hardly the best ever, even for 2021 standards. I think Tales of Arise deserves it most. Fugen for biggest surprise for sure.
My Top 5:
1. Shin Megami Tensei V
2. Bravely Default 2
3. Tales of Arise
4. Alphadia Genesis 2
5. Voice of Cards
no Bravely Default 2? Haven’t played it but I was surprised at the omission
good list only change i would do its taking off blue reflection and putting neo twewy
I really would like to try Ys IX, but I have played Ys VIII, I liked it but sadly I haven't finished it... It was this type of game that was pretty cool but then I kinda lost interest on it. I tried to get back into it but I forgot everything because I played longtime ago. A bit scared to feel maybe the same way with Ys IX..?
I never comment your videos but I love your contents! Have you ever tried Final Fantasy XIV? I know it's a MMO but this is such a great game with really deep story!
I haven't played blue reflection 2 but the first one was really good. I wish I still had a PS4 cause it was like a mix of persona and hyperdimension Neptunia and the Atelier series all in one. It was very weird but still an absolutely beautiful and fun game ❤️
YS IX was my GOTY and my favourite JRPG this year
Is Neo The World Ends With You a good JRPG? Im Curious cause its on sale on ps4 right now
I cannot agree about Scarlet Nexus’ plot. It gets so convoluted and bloated, not to mention the repeated gameplay loop made me hate finish the game so I wouldn’t have to see it again. I’ve never had a game turn my opinion so fast as with SN.
The music playing at the end of the video, is that from Ys 9 or from another game?
There are still a couple of game on that list I have yet to play. I have never played a Disgaea or SMT game before and Fuga also looks very interesting.
I´m playing Voice of Cards and Poison Control at the moment. There are too many games and not enough time.
Hi Erick! Is there a way to get NIX INFERNO spanish version?
SMT V turned me into a new smt fan.
Just ordered Stranhe Journey. Reminds me of Eterian odysessy.
Merry Christmas sir.... Tales of arise for me... 🥰
I was curious if you want to do a video on the Nintendo 3ds eshop sale, I was able to get all 6 Shin Megami Tensei games, 5 Etrian games, Persona Q 1 and 2, Stella Glow, Radiant Historia, Conception 2 and 7th Dragon 3 for less then 150 bucks. They are having eshop sale on those games plus many other including sonic the hedgehog until January 5th.
Stella glow is such a hidden gem, one of the best games the former studio Imageepoch has ever done. But that’s just me.
No Lost Judgment. Still very interesting list, will defo pick these games when I find good deals on them
Would you consider ys 9 better than 8?
I love Disgaea, the auto battle made the game feel less fulfilling. Since it's very very very very easy to grind. Nonetheless I like the game and will give a like for mentioning the game.
Neo twewy robbed hard
Have you played bravely default II?