SMT V is incredible, all 167 hours I spent with it were well spent. The story isn't as fleshed out as maybe IV or IV A, but the story is still worth experiencing. And if anyone ever wants a challenge, the Demi-fiend DLC is worth it.
I LOVE soul hackers 2, and Ringo is one of my favorite protagonists in a game. The theme song is still in my daily playlists. I’m so glad to hear another person who really enjoyed it in contrast to its popular reception
That's great to hear, because I also love that game. I agree about Ringo being one of the best protagonists as well, her curiosity and the joy she finds in learning, her discovering how to build bonds with others, and her impish sense of humor make her very endearing.
you are not alone. I enjoyed not only the lore and characters but the combat mechanics too. I feel like it overall needed a little bit of extra work around the edges to be a masterpiece, more context for the companions and expanding the story characters a alittle bit, sometimes it felt a bit rushed. But a very positive feeling after finishing the game.
The fact that a lot of this list is Atlus game's show why I like the company: it does great things with the SMT/Persona series. -Nocturne and SMT V are amazing, gameplay-wise, and have some of teh best ambience-story telling; -Persona games are always filled with great characters, with amazing writing (for the most part) and great turn-based combat. Not to mention the multiple social elements and minigames, which are all really well done as well. -Soul Hackers 2 was just a amazing surprise. People expected a new Persona game, but we got a true continuation of the Devil Summoner series, with more adult themes and characters, and the fact they have a fully voiced protagonist that is so well written in Ringo, should be praised. I just wish Atlus continue this trend, and keep creating great protagonists on their future games.
I started playing it about 2 weeks or so ago and I’ve already sunk over 40 hours into it and showing 82% complete. I hadn’t truly felt love for a Final Fantasy game since X. XII slowly grew on me but honestly the series felt like it took a step back with each iteration after X (VII remake aside but I don’t really count that as it is a remake) I have to say after I played the demo for XVI I knew it was one I had to play despite swearing off new games in the series after being burned by XV. I’m glad I gave it a shot as I’ve been loving every minute of it and fully intend to get the dlc soon as well
I love JRPGs. No game can be perfect, but omg Nier comes close. The flow of combat, the dialog and the over the top music. When I first played the game I just could not believe what I was experiencing. The Winter skies are grey where I live, winter is still here. But the bright happy artwork of Grandblue Relink is a pure joy. This is another game that is as close to perfect as you can get imo. Some of the voices in Relink are annoying lol. But it's such a joy to play. The combat is just perfect. This is a golden age for JRPG fans I think. Very nice list Slam.
I really like this list! Some games here left a big impact on me, some others I already have in my library, just haven't had the time to get to them. So I bought some of the others you recommended as I feel they must be worth it. Thanks!
I strongly agree with you about all of the Atlus games here, and all of the other games listed I either have in my backlog or am interested in purchasing. SMT and all of the spinoffs under that umbrella are my favorite things in gaming. What some people don't get about SMT V's storytelling is that it is a horror narrative. They complain about things coming out of nowhere and not being thoroughly explained, but to explain them in detail would remove the impact of the fear of the unknown. There are a lot of complex things going on in that story that isn't spelled out for players, but can be found by searching that involve deep themes which seem to be inspired by H.P. Lovecraft and Friedrich Nietzsche. SMT III: Nocturne is a masterpiece and it is my absolute favorite game of all time. SMT V is also a direct sequel to that game, so people would know more of what is going on in the story if they had played Nocturne and got the canon ending. It's not a coincidence that Atlus released the HD remaster of Nocturne earlier in the year before SMT V was released in 2021, it was so players could play these connected games to get the full story of what is happening and why in SMT V. Have you played any of other PS2 SMT games or the 3DS SMT games? Many of those would appeal to people who like the games on your list. SMT goes way back to the days of the Famicom and for more retro games with a similar vibe, check out Sweet Home, Shiryou Sensen: War of the Dead, Koudelka, and the Shadow Hearts series. For other dark and mature games in a JRPG style, I would recommend Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi and the Fear & Hunger series. Those who like Western RPGs should check out The 7th Circle series, which combines 1st person dungeon crawling with survival horror.
Chained Echoes gets pretty damn dark. there's a scene where a character talks about how his sister was nearly raped to death. also god damn why is it so hard to find a list of M-rated games so I can make my own list lol
@@slam-zany I've been playing Voice of Cards (the first game with the dragon) this weekend and I figured surely it's M-rated since a NPC model has her entire damn ass out and was extremely excited to find a M-rated JRPG on my own... but nope, it's T (great game tho)
Nice list, I platiniumed Automata back when it was released and it was just amazing......I have already got Replicant and I plan on playing it soon....and FFXVI is on the list somewhere down the road.....
I love “SMT” and “Persona” but and was really looking forward to “Soul Hackers 2” but just feel like it fell short compared to “SMT 5” and “Persona 5 & 3 Reload”. The visuals and character designs are awesome in “SH2” though!
I see these are games that are available on modern platforms because i was about to ask why didn’t you include Digital Devil Saga 1 & 2 and Koudelka/Shafow Hearts? lol
Xenosaga-it’s technically pg-13 but only because they censored some scenes and it pushes the rating it got hard. Xenogears too-no way that’d be pg-13 today. Not even sure how it was then
Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth looks so good! It definitely has my attention, however, I’ve never played a Yakuza/Like a Dragon game before. Do I need to play the others to fully enjoy this game? Are there any essential games that I should play before this and others I can skip? Too many good games to play and not nearly enough time so I have to pick and choose my battles
You’ll be ok to just play the previous like a dragon game which is what I did. I had a friend just look up a few recaps before playing. Either way I wouldn’t miss this one, it’s great!
@@slam-zany Awesome! Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll put this and the last Like a Dragon on the list. I just finished P5R on my Switch, first Persona game I’ve ever actually finished despite getting and playing all the main line games since the vanilla release of P3. I’m now over 80% through FFXVI on my PS5, that game amazed me how good it was especially since I hated XV, and I want to get P3R but waiting to see if the Aigis edition gets a price drop on Amazon before pulling the trigger (besides money is tight at the moment which is bad for new releases but good for my backlog) probably going to move on to Tales of Arise after FFXVI while on Switch I’m still going through the P5 spinoff games. Debating on doing a FEMC play through of P3P afterward or P4G as I have both on Switch from the last eshop sale
@@slam-zany I figured that was the case :) either way nice to see more JRPG creators! No problem. I like your stuff so I am going to watch whenever I see your videos in my feed.
I completed soul hackers. Things I liked: Weapon Ugrade system was nice and always felt worth your time. Cons: Dungeons were trash. For me the combat didn't put a fun enough spin on the SMT genre. Story was ok in place, still overall a very lackluster experience, it's a shame because I think with more care and attention it could have been big.
Love Infinite Wealth but Ichiban is so damned naive it's painful (I guess that's part of the goofiness of it) I just wish he wouldn't turn into a ten year old whenever anything 'adult' starts happening.
i've yet to finish smtv. I grinded out all the little shit heads you know the collectibles and then I was like nah I don't want to play this game anymore. I'll finish it one of these days.
I get so disappointed never seeing “ Fear & Hunger 2 “ on these lists 😢 Maybe by technicality it’s not a true ‘J’RPG, but It’s truly one of a kind & possibly the only one with a dismemberment system… More people need to experience the masterfully crafted horrors of the F&H world.
Final Fantasy XVI is not the first M rated Final Fantasy game ever made. That honor belongs to Final Fantasy Type 0. And Automata is pronounced Ah-tom-ah-ta.
@@Bobwilliams5567 do you actually know if he meant only the mainline games, or is that just an assumption on your part. My take is based on what he actually said. Automata factually only has one proper pronunciation. He's just saying it wrong. It's okay to make mistakes. And it's also okay to point them out. People don't learn otherwise.
@@Bobwilliams5567 it's still a mistake in the video itself. And the mispronunciation of automata is widespread. Is it actually wrong to learn how to pronounce a word correctly?
@@Bobwilliams5567 I'm not seeing how that comment is nicer than this one. They both just bluntly stated a fact(or two). You just happened to also be caught in the mispronunciation train of "Nier Automata" and now you're associating NexusNine correcting Slam and yourself with being "mean". He even said "it's okay to make mistakes". The guy was just educating, so there's really no need to take it so personal.
they do have many dark themes and scenes actually, like obviously there are more mature games out there but for a jrpg series, persona tends to be quite dark and mature sometimes
I just started Infinite Wealth and it’s easily one of the best JRPGs I’ve ever played. It’s hilarious fun 😂
SMT V is incredible, all 167 hours I spent with it were well spent. The story isn't as fleshed out as maybe IV or IV A, but the story is still worth experiencing. And if anyone ever wants a challenge, the Demi-fiend DLC is worth it.
I agree 100%!
I LOVE soul hackers 2, and Ringo is one of my favorite protagonists in a game. The theme song is still in my daily playlists. I’m so glad to hear another person who really enjoyed it in contrast to its popular reception
That's great to hear, because I also love that game. I agree about Ringo being one of the best protagonists as well, her curiosity and the joy she finds in learning, her discovering how to build bonds with others, and her impish sense of humor make her very endearing.
you are not alone. I enjoyed not only the lore and characters but the combat mechanics too. I feel like it overall needed a little bit of extra work around the edges to be a masterpiece, more context for the companions and expanding the story characters a alittle bit, sometimes it felt a bit rushed. But a very positive feeling after finishing the game.
The fact that a lot of this list is Atlus game's show why I like the company: it does great things with the SMT/Persona series.
-Nocturne and SMT V are amazing, gameplay-wise, and have some of teh best ambience-story telling;
-Persona games are always filled with great characters, with amazing writing (for the most part) and great turn-based combat. Not to mention the multiple social elements and minigames, which are all really well done as well.
-Soul Hackers 2 was just a amazing surprise. People expected a new Persona game, but we got a true continuation of the Devil Summoner series, with more adult themes and characters, and the fact they have a fully voiced protagonist that is so well written in Ringo, should be praised. I just wish Atlus continue this trend, and keep creating great protagonists on their future games.
I fucking love FFXVI so much, really under appreciated imo.
I started playing it about 2 weeks or so ago and I’ve already sunk over 40 hours into it and showing 82% complete. I hadn’t truly felt love for a Final Fantasy game since X. XII slowly grew on me but honestly the series felt like it took a step back with each iteration after X (VII remake aside but I don’t really count that as it is a remake) I have to say after I played the demo for XVI I knew it was one I had to play despite swearing off new games in the series after being burned by XV. I’m glad I gave it a shot as I’ve been loving every minute of it and fully intend to get the dlc soon as well
Just got SMT3 and am loving it so far!
I love JRPGs. No game can be perfect, but omg Nier comes close. The flow of combat, the dialog and the over the top music. When I first played the game I just could not believe what I was experiencing.
The Winter skies are grey where I live, winter is still here. But the bright happy artwork of Grandblue Relink is a pure joy. This is another game that is as close to perfect as you can get imo. Some of the voices in Relink are annoying lol. But it's such a joy to play. The combat is just perfect.
This is a golden age for JRPG fans I think. Very nice list Slam.
I second everything you said about Nier Replicant. Also, I’m a huge fan of SMT V. F* the haters
I really like this list! Some games here left a big impact on me, some others I already have in my library, just haven't had the time to get to them. So I bought some of the others you recommended as I feel they must be worth it. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed the video!
I strongly agree with you about all of the Atlus games here, and all of the other games listed I either have in my backlog or am interested in purchasing. SMT and all of the spinoffs under that umbrella are my favorite things in gaming. What some people don't get about SMT V's storytelling is that it is a horror narrative. They complain about things coming out of nowhere and not being thoroughly explained, but to explain them in detail would remove the impact of the fear of the unknown. There are a lot of complex things going on in that story that isn't spelled out for players, but can be found by searching that involve deep themes which seem to be inspired by H.P. Lovecraft and Friedrich Nietzsche.
SMT III: Nocturne is a masterpiece and it is my absolute favorite game of all time. SMT V is also a direct sequel to that game, so people would know more of what is going on in the story if they had played Nocturne and got the canon ending. It's not a coincidence that Atlus released the HD remaster of Nocturne earlier in the year before SMT V was released in 2021, it was so players could play these connected games to get the full story of what is happening and why in SMT V.
Have you played any of other PS2 SMT games or the 3DS SMT games? Many of those would appeal to people who like the games on your list. SMT goes way back to the days of the Famicom and for more retro games with a similar vibe, check out Sweet Home, Shiryou Sensen: War of the Dead, Koudelka, and the Shadow Hearts series. For other dark and mature games in a JRPG style, I would recommend Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi and the Fear & Hunger series. Those who like Western RPGs should check out The 7th Circle series, which combines 1st person dungeon crawling with survival horror.
Thank you for the recommendations. I’m a huge SMT fan as well!
Chained Echoes gets pretty damn dark. there's a scene where a character talks about how his sister was nearly raped to death. also god damn why is it so hard to find a list of M-rated games so I can make my own list lol
Yes indeed that game does get really dark for sure.
@@slam-zany I've been playing Voice of Cards (the first game with the dragon) this weekend and I figured surely it's M-rated since a NPC model has her entire damn ass out and was extremely excited to find a M-rated JRPG on my own... but nope, it's T (great game tho)
Nice list, I platiniumed Automata back when it was released and it was just amazing......I have already got Replicant and I plan on playing it soon....and FFXVI is on the list somewhere down the road.....
Very solid list! Actually quite a few of my favorite games which is a first for me in a video. Definitely subscribing. Have a good one!
Great list man. Lots of Atlus and I’m here for it.
With the announcement of SMT V Vengeance we should get a more fleshed our story
I’m very much looking forward to Vengeance!
I love “SMT” and “Persona” but and was really looking forward to “Soul Hackers 2” but just feel like it fell short compared to “SMT 5” and “Persona 5 & 3 Reload”. The visuals and character designs are awesome in “SH2” though!
I see these are games that are available on modern platforms because i was about to ask why didn’t you include Digital Devil Saga 1 & 2 and Koudelka/Shafow Hearts? lol
When I watched this I realized I have 8 out of 10 of these and I’m getting infinite wealth next week now I’m even more hyped to play it
Xenosaga-it’s technically pg-13 but only because they censored some scenes and it pushes the rating it got hard. Xenogears too-no way that’d be pg-13 today. Not even sure how it was then
Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth looks so good! It definitely has my attention, however, I’ve never played a Yakuza/Like a Dragon game before. Do I need to play the others to fully enjoy this game? Are there any essential games that I should play before this and others I can skip? Too many good games to play and not nearly enough time so I have to pick and choose my battles
You’ll be ok to just play the previous like a dragon game which is what I did. I had a friend just look up a few recaps before playing. Either way I wouldn’t miss this one, it’s great!
@@slam-zany Awesome! Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll put this and the last Like a Dragon on the list. I just finished P5R on my Switch, first Persona game I’ve ever actually finished despite getting and playing all the main line games since the vanilla release of P3. I’m now over 80% through FFXVI on my PS5, that game amazed me how good it was especially since I hated XV, and I want to get P3R but waiting to see if the Aigis edition gets a price drop on Amazon before pulling the trigger (besides money is tight at the moment which is bad for new releases but good for my backlog) probably going to move on to Tales of Arise after FFXVI while on Switch I’m still going through the P5 spinoff games. Debating on doing a FEMC play through of P3P afterward or P4G as I have both on Switch from the last eshop sale
Great video! I agree with absolutely everything you said on SMT V & Soul Hackers
You gained a SUBSCRIBER!
I think it'd be fun if you added the esrb description with each game
great video but a correction. FF Type-0 is the first M rated FF game.
Thank you! I know I meant of the mainline games but forgot to say that haha. Thanks for watching!!
@@slam-zany I figured that was the case :) either way nice to see more JRPG creators! No problem. I like your stuff so I am going to watch whenever I see your videos in my feed.
How different mechanically are Persona and SMT games. Am looking to start SMT soon
Uhm, in order to play infinite wealth do I need to play anything else in the franchise? I’m definitely interested.
I would just play or get a recap on the previous Like a Dragon game. This is a direct sequel to that one so that should be all you really need.
FF 16 is not the only mature rated final fantasy game, we have FF Type-0
Thank you for clarifying that. I meant of the mainline Final Fantasy games. Type-0 is a really fun one though.
and Stranger of Paradise
I completed soul hackers.
Things I liked: Weapon Ugrade system was nice and always felt worth your time.
Cons: Dungeons were trash.
For me the combat didn't put a fun enough spin on the SMT genre.
Story was ok in place, still overall a very lackluster experience, it's a shame because I think with more care and attention it could have been big.
Love Infinite Wealth but Ichiban is so damned naive it's painful (I guess that's part of the goofiness of it) I just wish he wouldn't turn into a ten year old whenever anything 'adult' starts happening.
I love that about him though.
Digital devil saga ,One of best mature jrpg
i've yet to finish smtv. I grinded out all the little shit heads you know the collectibles and then I was like nah I don't want to play this game anymore. I'll finish it one of these days.
I get so disappointed never seeing “ Fear & Hunger 2 “ on these lists 😢 Maybe by technicality it’s not a true ‘J’RPG, but It’s truly one of a kind & possibly the only one with a dismemberment system… More people need to experience the masterfully crafted horrors of the F&H world.
2 that really should be here but I’m guessing they are too old is the shadow hearts series and parasite Eve 1
who invited chained echoes
Blud Thinks He's On The Team
Wow. No SHADOW HEARTS...
BEST RPG I've ever played for story. The mix of folklore and history, the personal horror elements and the sanity system are all PEAK!
LOST ODYSSEY
Many variations of persona and not even a mention of the trails games...
I must confess-I’ve put off playing nier automata simply because it looks like fan service lmao
bro not even lying soul hacker 2 is a hot garbage imo
Final Fantasy XVI is not the first M rated Final Fantasy game ever made. That honor belongs to Final Fantasy Type 0.
And Automata is pronounced Ah-tom-ah-ta.
He clearly meant of the mainline games. As for Automata I’ve heard it both ways. Tomato Tomahto.
@@Bobwilliams5567 do you actually know if he meant only the mainline games, or is that just an assumption on your part. My take is based on what he actually said.
Automata factually only has one proper pronunciation. He's just saying it wrong.
It's okay to make mistakes. And it's also okay to point them out. People don't learn otherwise.
@@NexusNinehe says he meant mainline games in a reply to a much nicer comment above so….
@@Bobwilliams5567 it's still a mistake in the video itself. And the mispronunciation of automata is widespread. Is it actually wrong to learn how to pronounce a word correctly?
@@Bobwilliams5567 I'm not seeing how that comment is nicer than this one. They both just bluntly stated a fact(or two). You just happened to also be caught in the mispronunciation train of "Nier Automata" and now you're associating NexusNine correcting Slam and yourself with being "mean". He even said "it's okay to make mistakes". The guy was just educating, so there's really no need to take it so personal.
The only game here that's actually have a mature story are shin megami tensi 5, the others are just trying to be edgy in cringe way
Persona games mature?
lol nice meme
its games for edgy teenagers who likes games about school-life
they do have many dark themes and scenes actually, like obviously there are more mature games out there but for a jrpg series, persona tends to be quite dark and mature sometimes
@@kostasspirou1010I played Persona 4 Golden when it came out, its not dark.
Nier isn't even a JRPG to begin with. Persona 4 should have been on the list (and higher ranked) in place of 3.