Haha, I hear you, a few of the games David mentioned being able to beat in under 20 hours and I'm here going "Geez man, did you speedrun through them?" Some games can be beaten that quickly but are better if you take a little more time to really explore the game and what it offers.
@@martinde-serres8724 you also meet Kouldelka as well in Shadow Hearts. She is the voice that yuri has been hearing. And then you also have her son in your party.
@@AdamTheGameBoy I thought it was pretty interesting for a short, enjoyable experience. And any emulation of Grandia's battle system is a win in my book 🤷🏼♂️ To each their own I guess.
@@AdamTheGameBoy Child of light lets you enjoy a short game exactly cause it's short and light. Honestly most games in this list is in no way "short" if you delve into all their content. And, it's what most jrpg fans would do.
Almost done with Mother 3 and it's a great game! It's possible to find time. I have a 8 month old and run an Airbnb. Covid helps to find some time for sure...
I'm glad you included Hexyz Force in this list. It's leesr known, but still really good and I feel it deserves more attention. The two main stories can be finished in under 20 hours each. So maybe for the full experience of finishing both it would be around 30 hours or so.
Yes, a list that speaks to me! As much as I'd love to play RPGs like Persona 5, I look at that 100+ hr playtime and loooong intro and just can't find the heart to start. These RPGs listed are great, and I can't believe that Chrono Trigger was actually so short all along when it felt so long! Maybe all the secrets and endings throw me off, and how it's just paced so well so that there's no filler. I'd throw Vagrant Story in as my recommendation for a great short RPG, though I understand it's pushing the time limit slightly, being about 24 hours on average. Looking forward to the action RPG list!
Persona 5 is definitely not a game for busy adults . I bought the og version in 2018 on Black Friday 2018 but I didn’t thoroughly play and finish it til the COVID 19 pandemic
TheWhiteFang284 honestly I loved the entire game because unlike most jrpgs , it’s set in modern day society . Also a lot of people can relate to most of the characters ,the leveling up personal relationships with the supporting cast and main cast ,the gameplay (I just didn’t like that there’s a time limit to maxed out all the confidants), and the music is 🔥🔥
Damien Knox yes that was an annoying part in the game especially when you finished a palace within the first 2-5 days . But I guess that’s the reason why they had the confidants and Calendar to keep the player engage by using time management
I played Persona 5 and Royal. The original took me 144 hours and Royal took me 160 hours to beat. It was worth it and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I´m still feeling the new game+ itch at this very moment, but I have a full time job and a large backlog so I try to resist. I would highly recommend to give it a chance, just take your time.
Golden Sun for the gba was a classic that took about 15-20 hours to beat. I remember plying it while in the lobby of the hospital while my grandparents were going through their doc checkups. You see, they were slowly passing away both were in the late 90s, and with each doctor visit, the circle of life only became more evident. I was a teenager at the time, and Golden Sun was a great distraction for me at such a stressful state. Now I am married, kids, job etc, and all the stresses that come long with the average working class life. The simple mobile RPGs like Golden Sun still serve as a nice mental oasis when life gets a little overwhelming. I really appreciate these videos for busy folks, Iv'e seen some great games to research. You have done the public great service!
My oldest son is 5y and I read for him every single day. Sometimes I choose a game my kids may enjoy watching me playing instead of watching cartoons. Chrono Trigger, for example: I read everything aloud and make voices and let my son run about the places and even grind a bit by pressing X as he runs into regular battles. Simple and fast RPGs can so become bedtime stories, 1 hour each night, and gaming becomes quality time for parent and child. And then there's the pride of having my little kid recognize CT music and talk about the story and characters!
I LOVED shadow hearts. I saw it somewhere and put my mind on owning it, but I could never get my hands on it. When I got it I was blown out the water by the atmosphere, the battlesystem, the humour and the story 😀
I've gotten into the Kemco mobile RPG ports over the past few years. While they're very basic in their presentation, they're still really fun and some of them have much better stories than expected. They usually take 15-20 hours.
Kemco gets a bad rap but people need to understand what they are. They are super cheap (sometimes totally free) and are made for mobile devices. So don't expect DQ11 and you can enjoy them.
I appreciate the Dragon Quarter love in the video. I knew the game had been slammed critically but I went in with an open mind. After a few hours I couldn't put it down. Another great video. Thanks for taking my mind off all the craziness going on.
It is a great JRPG. I see the flaws that it has, but criticisms have more to do with the fans who love the previous entries so much that they wanted a different game rather than whether it was a good game or not. It happens quite often when it comes to JRPGs.
I came to the comments to say this. It is easily a top five PS2 game for me, but I only ever hear people say negative things about it (if anything is said at all). The only thing holding it back is the music.
Gotta give a lot of credit for this video man. Didn't find anything that suits me, but the video itself is just the perfectly designed top ten list. Having the timecodes in the comments was huge, and you saying on which platforms the game released directly after the title of the game is also just so useful. I could skip through the whole list, see if I owned the right platform and just continue directly to the next title if not. It boils down to the fact that this is one of the best designed top ten lists video I have come across on youtube. It's so pleasent to use.
The Megaman Battle Network series was always one of my favorite jrpgs, with a fantastic battle system, gorgeous graphics, an iconic soundtrack, and writing that told solid stories.
My friend you should check out One Step from Eden, it's a roguelite/like so there isn't an emphasis on story, but the combat is literally megaman battle network except theres 9 characters and a deckbuilding system like slay the spire. (or like any mmbn game except instead of over the course of a huge rpg gametime its done quickly after every fight)
I have great memories of playing Revelations TDS before starting high school. I would add to this list Cosmic Star Heroine and Child of Light -- both are excellent short games for the PS4
That would make you the first person I’ve come across to mention this title... was just thinking about it the other day, had a heckin good time with that one!
@@LeoRex13 I remember it was released around the same time as Xenoblade Chronicles - I ordered the special edition for both. Had really cool concept art books for both. I believe it had even more of a limited release than XC. I've never seen it mentioned anywhere. Would love to see it ported to Switch to see it brought to more people I think it would be pretty successful.
theguybrarian yeah I got all into the OP Rainfall thing back when , ended up liking Xenoblade significantly less than the other two... maybe I’m the outlier here? Pandoras tower I think was the third game. You try that one?
@@LeoRex13 I did buy Pandora's as well. Love it but I couldn't get into the motion controls (killed Skyward Sword for me as well). I think I beat the first dungeon but that is def another top tier Wii game that didn't get it's moment.
@@theguybrarian remember that one like a fever dream... not sure I ever finished it either. Beats out my strongest memory of Xenoblade though, which is the horrid sound my wii made when running it :(
There are some good RPGMAKER titles. Here are some of my recommendations: *Lunar Wish* *Everlong* *Laxius Power 1: Random Story* *Aveyond series* (Difficult) *Cassia*
Even so i dont always have the time to play such long games in a few settings. What i just love is the Standby Feature of the PSP, Vita and Switch. You can turn those systems off whenever you want and continue it right there. Even like in the middle of a battle. Sure you can close the DS and 3DS as well to trigger the Standby, but the Battery will drain faster than the other Systems will. Back when i still went to school, i had to travel by Train and Bus. There i used the PSP and DS a lot. And no matter where i was, i could always turn off the System and there was no need to find a Save Spot.
Thanks I had a lot of fun with Evermore! I got so nostalgic playing through, not just remembering my childhood through the game, but my late doggie too.
@@davidvinc i feel you. Honestly i forgot this game. And loved it so much. Crazy. Thanks for playing it. I thought of my dog too. Though it was a frenchie haha. He stand zero chance in that world hehe
Great idea for a gaming list especially in this genre. RPGs can take so much of your time and in many cases its hard to know how much. This will likely help people make better decisions for those short on time and that value is important.
Shoutout to you for mentioning Dragon Quarter and Suikoden 4. People don't really like these games, but I feel like they're some of the more underrated JRPGs out there.
I was somewhat surprised to see Chrono Trigger on this list. Maybe because I would grind the crap out of Nu in prehistoric times for that sweet, sweet AP and prehistoric trading items.
Oh shit, This is a god send for me. I've been following your series trying to find suggestions, but because of work and crap, I keep sorta... spacing out on my adventure. My latest attempt was Dragon Quest VII on 3DS which actually somewhat works despite how insanely long it is. Since it's all divided up in different smaller stories for each island, it's pretty easy to knock out an island in a night or so and continue on at your leisure. I'm actually enjoying it more than I did when I played it a few years ago and got burned out. And it's super high quality, becoming one of my favorite JRPGs ever.
I always come away from your videos with new games to play! Thanks! For other short recommendations? It’s technically an RPG (made in RPG Maker, but no combat), but very much in the horror genre: Corpse Party for PSP, 3DS, and PC usually wraps up in 10 hours. I think Parasite Eve can be finished in under 20 (I don’t know how much time the optional Chrysler Building would tack onto that if you chose to do it).
Oddly enough, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest wasn't released as Final Fantasy Mystic Quest in Europe. It was named Mystic Quest Legend, since Mystic Quest is Final Fantasy Adventure. Therefore, it's arguable if it counts as a Final Fantasy-game or not. I personally see Final Fantasy VII as the first Final Fantasy-game to be released in Europe.
Oh Lawd thanks. I was just playing Zelda OoT but after a bunch of Zeldas in a row I needed some detox so I started Xenoblade Chronicles and during the first 20 mins I was already overwhelmed . There's just so much to do. I needed more streamlined experience and here's some good ideas.
@Tattle Boad oh I know, I was really looking forward to playing it and I know I'll love it, but at the moment I can only do short and sweet and super streamlined or the exact opposite, a la Breath of the Wild, where I don't feel any pressure or feel split between advancing the storyline but also exploring and doing side quests.
Here's two short games that immediately springs to mind: Cosmic Star Heroine - A neat indie game with a surprisingly fleshed out setting I am Setsuna - A short but sweet JRPG that knows that sometimes limiting the scope of your project is the best way to go Also, about the Mario RPG vs. Paper Mario thing... I really like both, the early Paper Mario games and Mario RPG, so I think it's a draw :P
Fantastic list! I grew up on Sword of Hope as well. Played it again a couple years ago and it still holds up! Couple notes FF1 and DQ2 are also both on mobile DQ2 is also on the Switch
This is great, thanks ! I'm saving this video for when I'll actually have less time to play long game. And now I need to go back to the PC versions of persona 4 and the whole trails series.
- Lunar: Silver Star Story. The game is delightful and it takes about 25h hours to complete, which is the same lenght I usually spend with Chrono Trigger. Actually, for every game mentioned in this video and the modern rpgs one, I would add more 5 hours for my playing time. Chrono Trigger in 15h hours? Why such a rush?!
I remember getting stuck in Phantasy Star 4 as a kid, when you had to "Use" the psycho staff on a boss to weaken it. I had no clue that Weapons could be used in the item screen before. Changed my whole understanding of how to play RPG's lol
The only 2 games on this list I haven't played were the PSP duel story RPG and that alchemist crafting one you said at the beginning. And length or no, all of these are some of the best games I've ever played. Dragon Quarter is my favorite PS2 game. SaGa 2 is my favorite Gameboy game. Chrono Trigger is the best JRPG ever made. Ect. Good list
I got Revelations: the demon slayer for christmas from my aunt and uncle one year out of the blue. I had never heard of it and I wasn't super familiar with JRPGs either outside of maybe pokemon at the time. I still have my original cart to this day. I've only beaten it once, but now i might need to give it another playthrough.
I played the NES version of Dragon Warrior II last year, and was amazed by how good it was. I used a map but no savestates, and took screenshots of some of the NPC dialogue that I thought would be important clues. I'd definitely recommend watching SUMDeaner's speedruns after playing it yourself.
Nice list!! Was really awesome hearing someone do a mention of Sword of Hope 1 and 2 also. I feel like those two are so rarely mentioned by people. One other NES RPG that would be worth considering as relatively short and quite fun is Destiny of an Emperor. Just my opinion :)
Imagine my surprise when I logged into my work VPN and loaded up youtube on my other PC just to see this video in my feed. Thanks for putting this list together!
really good idea for a list. Defo would like more "Best Shorts" of other stuff if you can come up with the ideas for content. Great content as always, quickly becoming my new go to for RPG lists and it's awesome to see that whilst I work my way through your older stuff you're still creating more content! Take care and keep safe!
Cosmicstar heroin ist great too 15-20 h expirience , steamworld quest and battlechaser are also quite good and around the 20 h mark. Another great list david , keep up the good work , greeting from a dutch guy.
To add to this AWESOME list : > Earthbound Zero / Mother 1 > Koudelka > Mario & Luigi Series > Paper Mario Series > Parasite Eve Series > Shin Megami Tensei: Raidou Kuzonoha vs. The Soulless Army > Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna - The Golden Country Thanks for the epic suggestions !
My recommendations are the old Gameboy RPGs Final Fantasy Legend 1-3; you'll likely have to get them on emulator as they weren't released domestically, and even in foreign countries where they did get releases, they have not had remakes/ports in decades (except one Japan only release of FFL2). IMO, these games hold up quite well today, despite their simplicity. they're also in the 3-8 hour range.
One of my favs is Secret of Mana. If you do just the main story it only takes a little over 20 hours! I also agree that Super Mario RPG is by far the best mario RPG
So many quality games on your list. Very cool to see Sword of Hope listed. Phantasy Star 4 is amazing also. I remember getting stuck on DW2 so many times and restarting it thinking I missed something or skipped something... man that was frustrating.
Another great list, that you kept short and sweet, David. The Xenosaga trilogy, if I remember correctly was also comprised of short games, if I remember correctly. I am not sure about 3, but I remember 1 and 2 taking about 15-25 hours each.
Honorary Mention goes to SaGa Frontier. 7 characters. Each characters story is appx 5-20 hrs depending on how much grinding and side quests you do. Teat each charater as a single game since most of it gets recycled between characters.
You can easily make a case for this being more of an adventure game, but I reccomend West of Loathing. It's got clever puzzles, fun and speedy combat, and some of the most hilarious writing in any game I've played. It takes about 10 hours to finish.
Great list David, Probably would have rioted if you didnt include Chrono Trigger, lol. Glad you also included Super Mario RPG and Wild Arms 4. WA4 is probably my favourite in the series also no spoilers for anyone but the ending is a bit bitter sweet too. One correction though Koudelka was one of the first Horror RPGs in the west, also at 12 hours average one I would recommend along with the first Saga Frontier a single scenario could be completed in a afternoon. Not normally one to make a long post but RPGs.
Not a bad list. A few others I would recommend: 1) Parasite Eve 1 and 2. A cinematic approach and short runtime makes for a good casual playing RPG when you're budgeting your time. 2) Saga Frontier. While 100% completing the game is significantly longer than 20 hours, the game is split into 7 distinct character scenarios, each taking about 15-20 hours to complete. They're all standalone as well, so there's no need to grind them all out in sequence if you don't want to. 3) I am Setsuna. Inspired by Chrono Trigger, clocks in at about 20 hours, and has the distinction of being a game that came out in the last decade lol.
Most of the games on this list are over 20 hours even when we talk about first quick playthrough. Unfortunately it's hard to find short rpg on home console. I have only 2 examples: Tsugunai atonement PS2 - should take around 10-15 hours to finish Last rebellion PS3 - also between 10-15 hours to finish For short rpgs I recommend looking at some titles on handheld consoles like gb advance, psp or ds. Also android or ios on mobile phones. But if you want really short rpgs I recommend java games for old mobile phones. Some examples: Apotheosize - around 3 hours Black citadel - around 2 hours Blades and magic - around 1-2 hours Ninja prophecy - around 3-4 hours Elven chronicles - around 7-10 hours
Disco Elysium, Vampyr, The Outer worlds, Jade Empire, Vampire the Masquerade bloodlines, Mass effect series, Obsidian's South park games, the very first Fallout, The entire Fable series. A bit of a variety there, mostly more recent games and all on the home console except Disco Elysium and Fallout.
My 2 cents here is Cosmic Star Heroine. Short, sweet and well made RPG with a unique semi futuristic / semi 80s aesthetic for people bored of the usual RPG settings.
We actually got Koudelka on the playstation which is the first game in the Shadow Hearts series. So that would be the first horror RPG in that case lol
Great vid David. 25 hours is the sweetspot for me in a great rpg length these days. I can't wait to try Hexyz Force, and I think you've convinced me to give Dragon Quarter a try after all these years. Tbe one I'd recommend is Dragon Ball Z: attack of the Saiyans for the DS. Especially since us adult grew up with Dragon Ball Z, so it's a fun way to re-live the story.
Hexyz Force is relatively short, but I loved that game so much that I played it multiple times. I estimate I have about 100 hours of save files. That is because there are five endings that you can get.
There's a DS remake for both of those. I'm working on SaGa II (Legends II). I will say this now The leveling system is a bit different. Human/mutants at first do not get stat ups quite as often so you might be tempted to redo the game with robots and monsters only. The problem then is there's late game added content enemies that you'll want equipable weapons on human/mutants because monsters seem to not be able to touch them and robots are limited in weapon uses. Plus they gave the dolphins an actual good use. Taking a human/mutant against those has a REALLY high chance for stat ups. Something about this game where your chance to level up isn't based on what YOUR current stat is + the last weapon you used, it's based on what weapons and actions you took (so you can get multiple stat ups in a single fight) + their current level + the enemy level + the chain level to start the fight (you'll figure out what chains are pretty early). The dolphin isn't ridiculously hard, but it's innate level is high enough that it has a high chance to give a stat up for human/mutants. So my suggestion is have your human/mutants. Let a monster/robot carry you into Edo world... then train your humans/mutants
I've been looking for awhile. I cant find anything except romancing saga, am I doing something wrong? I checked on 3ds. I would seriously love to play. But I'm having a hard time finding it.
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Awesome. I don't know why JRPGs insist on being so long when 20 hours can still be an amazing adventure.
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[0:42] - 1) - Atelier Iris 2
[1:16] - 2) -
Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter
[1:56] - 3)
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Chrono Trigger
[2:34] - 4) -
Dragon Quest 2
[3:11] - 5) -
Final Fantasy
[3:50] - 6)
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Final Fantasy Legend 1 & 2
[4:31] - 7)
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Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest
[5:06] - 8) -
Hexyz Force
[5:42] - 9)
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Phantasy Star 4
[6:22] - 10) -
Revelations: The Demon Slayer
[7:07] - 11) -
Shadow Hearts
[7:45] - 12)
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Suikoden 1 & 4
[8:24] - 13)
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Super Mario RPG
[9:06] - 14)
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Sword of Hope 1 & 2
[9:47] - 15) - Wild Arms 4
Dr
thank you for listing them.
Have you played "Doom and Destiny" ? I personally love the game
lol Every single time an RPG says it’ll take 15-20 hours it takes me 50. (If I enjoy the NPC dialogue. I gotta talk to everyone!) 😅
Haha, I hear you, a few of the games David mentioned being able to beat in under 20 hours and I'm here going "Geez man, did you speedrun through them?" Some games can be beaten that quickly but are better if you take a little more time to really explore the game and what it offers.
Earthbound comes to mind.
With those times on Chrono Trigger he could Just as easy said tales of symphonia xD
I have it too. The curse of completionist (._.)
Me too!
Shadow Hearts is actually the sequel to Koudelka, a horror rpg on the ps1
I came here to say that 🤣
@@BaldyBarty Same here, Koudelka was awesome, still have my copy and still play it!
Damn the memories!
came here to say the same. glad to see it!
@@martinde-serres8724 you also meet Kouldelka as well in Shadow Hearts. She is the voice that yuri has been hearing. And then you also have her son in your party.
Phantasy Star 4, the gem that started my love for RPG games. Good to see it in the list. I'd recommend it as well.
Me to! A childhood classic for sure
david, you have great content. lots of the music in the background that u throw in once in a while brings me back nostalgia of the 90s.
2:55
"Humph!
What?!
Not another homosexual..."
HAHAHAHAHA loved it!
Lingered on that screen shot for a while. This won't help quash the rumours about David.
Again..? A-mother-fucking-gain.
What? Do you not want a puff puff?
@@Altitudes you're joking right lol
Child of Light... Like a 2D, Grandia-light. Technically not Japanese, but a great experience.
Yeah Child of Light was great
Yeah that was one of the first games I thought of for this list. 8ish hours of awesome gameplay!
Also amazingly bland, shallow and boring
@@AdamTheGameBoy I thought it was pretty interesting for a short, enjoyable experience.
And any emulation of Grandia's battle system is a win in my book 🤷🏼♂️
To each their own I guess.
@@AdamTheGameBoy Child of light lets you enjoy a short game exactly cause it's short and light.
Honestly most games in this list is in no way "short" if you delve into all their content. And, it's what most jrpg fans would do.
Mother 3 and (my personal favourite JRPG) Paper Mario: TTYD can both be beaten in around 20 hours in my experience.
For mother that's about average (I'm a really slow rpg gamer and made it in about that time!)
Don't forget the first Golden sun!
And it's a great one for beginners too because of all the puzzles!
Dragon's crown is good too in a way
Almost done with Mother 3 and it's a great game! It's possible to find time. I have a 8 month old and run an Airbnb. Covid helps to find some time for sure...
Parasite Eve can be finished in under 10 hours, too.
Thw Chrysler building can be finished in about the same amt. Of time :)
PE is my favorite 💕💕
Best horror jrpg
I'm glad you included Hexyz Force in this list. It's leesr known, but still really good and I feel it deserves more attention. The two main stories can be finished in under 20 hours each. So maybe for the full experience of finishing both it would be around 30 hours or so.
Yes, a list that speaks to me! As much as I'd love to play RPGs like Persona 5, I look at that 100+ hr playtime and loooong intro and just can't find the heart to start. These RPGs listed are great, and I can't believe that Chrono Trigger was actually so short all along when it felt so long! Maybe all the secrets and endings throw me off, and how it's just paced so well so that there's no filler.
I'd throw Vagrant Story in as my recommendation for a great short RPG, though I understand it's pushing the time limit slightly, being about 24 hours on average.
Looking forward to the action RPG list!
Persona 5 is definitely not a game for busy adults . I bought the og version in 2018 on Black Friday 2018 but I didn’t thoroughly play and finish it til the COVID 19 pandemic
TheWhiteFang284 honestly I loved the entire game because unlike most jrpgs , it’s set in modern day society . Also a lot of people can relate to most of the characters ,the leveling up personal relationships with the supporting cast and main cast ,the gameplay (I just didn’t like that there’s a time limit to maxed out all the confidants), and the music is 🔥🔥
I wish p5 had the option to let you skip to just controllable days ahead of time
Damien Knox yes that was an annoying part in the game especially when you finished a palace within the first 2-5 days . But I guess that’s the reason why they had the confidants and Calendar to keep the player engage by using time management
I played Persona 5 and Royal. The original took me 144 hours and Royal took me 160 hours to beat.
It was worth it and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I´m still feeling the new game+ itch at this very moment, but I have a full time job and a large backlog so I try to resist. I would highly recommend to give it a chance, just take your time.
Golden Sun for the gba was a classic that took about 15-20 hours to beat. I remember plying it while in the lobby of the hospital while my grandparents were going through their doc checkups. You see, they were slowly passing away both were in the late 90s, and with each doctor visit, the circle of life only became more evident. I was a teenager at the time, and Golden Sun was a great distraction for me at such a stressful state.
Now I am married, kids, job etc, and all the stresses that come long with the average working class life. The simple mobile RPGs like Golden Sun still serve as a nice mental oasis when life gets a little overwhelming. I really appreciate these videos for busy folks, Iv'e seen some great games to research. You have done the public great service!
My oldest son is 5y and I read for him every single day. Sometimes I choose a game my kids may enjoy watching me playing instead of watching cartoons. Chrono Trigger, for example: I read everything aloud and make voices and let my son run about the places and even grind a bit by pressing X as he runs into regular battles. Simple and fast RPGs can so become bedtime stories, 1 hour each night, and gaming becomes quality time for parent and child. And then there's the pride of having my little kid recognize CT music and talk about the story and characters!
awesome !
🤩I play with my 7 year old son, we enjoy it a lot.
I LOVED shadow hearts. I saw it somewhere and put my mind on owning it, but I could never get my hands on it. When I got it I was blown out the water by the atmosphere, the battlesystem, the humour and the story 😀
I've gotten into the Kemco mobile RPG ports over the past few years. While they're very basic in their presentation, they're still really fun and some of them have much better stories than expected. They usually take 15-20 hours.
Kemco gets a bad rap but people need to understand what they are. They are super cheap (sometimes totally free) and are made for mobile devices. So don't expect DQ11 and you can enjoy them.
I appreciate the Dragon Quarter love in the video. I knew the game had been slammed critically but I went in with an open mind. After a few hours I couldn't put it down.
Another great video. Thanks for taking my mind off all the craziness going on.
It is a great JRPG. I see the flaws that it has, but criticisms have more to do with the fans who love the previous entries so much that they wanted a different game rather than whether it was a good game or not. It happens quite often when it comes to JRPGs.
Glad to see Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter getting some love
It's better than most people gave it credit for.
Still, I'd love a new, true BoF game.
@@SomaKitsune Yep, and a new Suikoden game while we're at it.
I came to the comments to say this. It is easily a top five PS2 game for me, but I only ever hear people say negative things about it (if anything is said at all). The only thing holding it back is the music.
Yeah, it's so nice of him to appease that 0,001% of the BoF fanbase that likes this shitty game.
Mystic Quest, man my first RPG, it made me fall in love with RPGs, it was a gift; and after that that is all I wanted to pkay
Glad you included the Sword of Hope games. I'm 39 and I still play them from time to time. Excellent list!
Gotta give a lot of credit for this video man. Didn't find anything that suits me, but the video itself is just the perfectly designed top ten list. Having the timecodes in the comments was huge, and you saying on which platforms the game released directly after the title of the game is also just so useful. I could skip through the whole list, see if I owned the right platform and just continue directly to the next title if not.
It boils down to the fact that this is one of the best designed top ten lists video I have come across on youtube. It's so pleasent to use.
Wait uh-oh now I need to play all of these which is a combined 300 hours! Nooooo
This list is awesome! Nice to see Mystic Quest, one of my guilty pleasure, getting some love for once :)
The Megaman Battle Network series was always one of my favorite jrpgs, with a fantastic battle system, gorgeous graphics, an iconic soundtrack, and writing that told solid stories.
My friend you should check out One Step from Eden, it's a roguelite/like so there isn't an emphasis on story, but the combat is literally megaman battle network except theres 9 characters and a deckbuilding system like slay the spire. (or like any mmbn game except instead of over the course of a huge rpg gametime its done quickly after every fight)
@@riplix20, that sounds amazing! I'll definitely have to check that out! Thanks for the rec!
David: The Original Horror RPG.
Koudelka: Am I a joke to you?
A list i really needed ngl
Made me laugh when the bunny girl from Dragon Quest II called you a homosexual.
glad to see DQ2 get some love! A lot of people say that 2 is a black sheep, but I really appreciate it for what it is - Dragon Quest 1 but bigger
I have great memories of playing Revelations TDS before starting high school. I would add to this list Cosmic Star Heroine and Child of Light -- both are excellent short games for the PS4
The Last Story (Wii) is also a solid choice. Excellent list bud!
That would make you the first person I’ve come across to mention this title... was just thinking about it the other day, had a heckin good time with that one!
@@LeoRex13 I remember it was released around the same time as Xenoblade Chronicles - I ordered the special edition for both. Had really cool concept art books for both. I believe it had even more of a limited release than XC. I've never seen it mentioned anywhere. Would love to see it ported to Switch to see it brought to more people I think it would be pretty successful.
theguybrarian yeah I got all into the OP Rainfall thing back when , ended up liking Xenoblade significantly less than the other two... maybe I’m the outlier here? Pandoras tower I think was the third game. You try that one?
@@LeoRex13 I did buy Pandora's as well. Love it but I couldn't get into the motion controls (killed Skyward Sword for me as well). I think I beat the first dungeon but that is def another top tier Wii game that didn't get it's moment.
@@theguybrarian remember that one like a fever dream... not sure I ever finished it either. Beats out my strongest memory of Xenoblade though, which is the horrid sound my wii made when running it :(
There are some good RPGMAKER titles.
Here are some of my recommendations:
*Lunar Wish*
*Everlong*
*Laxius Power 1: Random Story*
*Aveyond series* (Difficult)
*Cassia*
Glad to see Atelier getting some love!
You're the best bro!
Even so i dont always have the time to play such long games in a few settings. What i just love is the Standby Feature of the PSP, Vita and Switch. You can turn those systems off whenever you want and continue it right there. Even like in the middle of a battle. Sure you can close the DS and 3DS as well to trigger the Standby, but the Battery will drain faster than the other Systems will. Back when i still went to school, i had to travel by Train and Bus. There i used the PSP and DS a lot. And no matter where i was, i could always turn off the System and there was no need to find a Save Spot.
Great video.. Big balls putting dragon quater in here lol. Love your evermore play through
Thanks I had a lot of fun with Evermore! I got so nostalgic playing through, not just remembering my childhood through the game, but my late doggie too.
@@davidvinc i feel you. Honestly i forgot this game. And loved it so much. Crazy. Thanks for playing it. I thought of my dog too. Though it was a frenchie haha. He stand zero chance in that world hehe
Great idea for a gaming list especially in this genre. RPGs can take so much of your time and in many cases its hard to know how much. This will likely help people make better decisions for those short on time and that value is important.
I am expecting games that only require little attention or something that I can easily put down after I played a certain game for atleast 5-15mins.
Hi miami
Brave Story for PSP was short and way better than expected! It’s based on a manga I think.
It's based on a series of novels. There is a manga adaptation, and it's pretty good, but it's not directly linked to the videogame.
Thank you for mentioning Dragon Quarter! That game has the potential to be life changing if you let it
Shoutout to you for mentioning Dragon Quarter and Suikoden 4. People don't really like these games, but I feel like they're some of the more underrated JRPGs out there.
I was somewhat surprised to see Chrono Trigger on this list. Maybe because I would grind the crap out of Nu in prehistoric times for that sweet, sweet AP and prehistoric trading items.
Oh shit, This is a god send for me. I've been following your series trying to find suggestions, but because of work and crap, I keep sorta... spacing out on my adventure. My latest attempt was Dragon Quest VII on 3DS which actually somewhat works despite how insanely long it is. Since it's all divided up in different smaller stories for each island, it's pretty easy to knock out an island in a night or so and continue on at your leisure. I'm actually enjoying it more than I did when I played it a few years ago and got burned out. And it's super high quality, becoming one of my favorite JRPGs ever.
I love your commentary! Such a hidden gem of a channel 💎
Very unique and interesting countdown video! Quality work as always man!
I always come away from your videos with new games to play! Thanks! For other short recommendations? It’s technically an RPG (made in RPG Maker, but no combat), but very much in the horror genre: Corpse Party for PSP, 3DS, and PC usually wraps up in 10 hours. I think Parasite Eve can be finished in under 20 (I don’t know how much time the optional Chrysler Building would tack onto that if you chose to do it).
Oddly enough, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest wasn't released as Final Fantasy Mystic Quest in Europe. It was named Mystic Quest Legend, since Mystic Quest is Final Fantasy Adventure. Therefore, it's arguable if it counts as a Final Fantasy-game or not. I personally see Final Fantasy VII as the first Final Fantasy-game to be released in Europe.
Oh Lawd thanks.
I was just playing Zelda OoT but after a bunch of Zeldas in a row I needed some detox so I started Xenoblade Chronicles and during the first 20 mins I was already overwhelmed . There's just so much to do. I needed more streamlined experience and here's some good ideas.
@Tattle Boad oh I know, I was really looking forward to playing it and I know I'll love it, but at the moment I can only do short and sweet and super streamlined or the exact opposite, a la Breath of the Wild, where I don't feel any pressure or feel split between advancing the storyline but also exploring and doing side quests.
Here's two short games that immediately springs to mind:
Cosmic Star Heroine - A neat indie game with a surprisingly fleshed out setting
I am Setsuna - A short but sweet JRPG that knows that sometimes limiting the scope of your project is the best way to go
Also, about the Mario RPG vs. Paper Mario thing... I really like both, the early Paper Mario games and Mario RPG, so I think it's a draw :P
For future follow up videos I recommend Earthlock and Battle Chasers Nightwar
Fantastic list!
I grew up on Sword of Hope as well. Played it again a couple years ago and it still holds up!
Couple notes
FF1 and DQ2 are also both on mobile
DQ2 is also on the Switch
Or for kids that what to get into the genre or me so I can take a break from long rpgs, man I 100% the OG Xenoblade Chronicles twice
Lol i played the fuck out of xenoblade x as a freshman in highschool
Thank you so much for this, I’ve needed a list like this for a while
This is great, thanks !
I'm saving this video for when I'll actually have less time to play long game.
And now I need to go back to the PC versions of persona 4 and the whole trails series.
Come by my series
Time to Hurry up and Save
I like to measure time to save and time yiu can expect to devote per play session
I also do requests
Loving the title of this video; it feels so personal and real
- Lunar: Silver Star Story. The game is delightful and it takes about 25h hours to complete, which is the same lenght I usually spend with Chrono Trigger. Actually, for every game mentioned in this video and the modern rpgs one, I would add more 5 hours for my playing time. Chrono Trigger in 15h hours? Why such a rush?!
I remember getting stuck in Phantasy Star 4 as a kid, when you had to "Use" the psycho staff on a boss to weaken it. I had no clue that Weapons could be used in the item screen before. Changed my whole understanding of how to play RPG's lol
The only 2 games on this list I haven't played were the PSP duel story RPG and that alchemist crafting one you said at the beginning. And length or no, all of these are some of the best games I've ever played. Dragon Quarter is my favorite PS2 game. SaGa 2 is my favorite Gameboy game. Chrono Trigger is the best JRPG ever made. Ect.
Good list
I got Revelations: the demon slayer for christmas from my aunt and uncle one year out of the blue. I had never heard of it and I wasn't super familiar with JRPGs either outside of maybe pokemon at the time. I still have my original cart to this day. I've only beaten it once, but now i might need to give it another playthrough.
the game gear version of this game was fantranslated some time ago. You could give it a try to have a slightly different experience.
This is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!
I played the NES version of Dragon Warrior II last year, and was amazed by how good it was. I used a map but no savestates, and took screenshots of some of the NPC dialogue that I thought would be important clues. I'd definitely recommend watching SUMDeaner's speedruns after playing it yourself.
Recently just subscribed to your channel... I'm having a blast watching all your "Lists Videos" and such. Keep it up man. Good stuff.
Very useful video. Just discovered your channel the other day and can't get enough!
Nayuta no Kiseki is pretty short but great.
Each .hack gu volume is around 15 hours so I would recommend .hack gu last recode too.
Vandal Hearts is a short strategy RPG. I agree that Super Mario RPG is the best one. I could never get into the combat of Paper Mario.
Nice list!! Was really awesome hearing someone do a mention of Sword of Hope 1 and 2 also. I feel like those two are so rarely mentioned by people.
One other NES RPG that would be worth considering as relatively short and quite fun is Destiny of an Emperor. Just my opinion :)
Super Mario RPG vs. Thousand Year Door? Not gonna lie, that’s a hard one David!
Thank you so much for this video! Phantasy star 4 is one of my favorites, and I'd recommend this game to anyone. Its good to see it get some love
the moment you said that “im an adult with my own family”
Me: Okay Follow his channel, he gets me too
#AdultGamer
handhelds become better with a family and a kid lol
Just found your channel a couple days ago and been binging it ever since. Absolutely love your channel bro!
Thank you so much for this list david! Extremely useful!
Imagine my surprise when I logged into my work VPN and loaded up youtube on my other PC just to see this video in my feed.
Thanks for putting this list together!
Great video and info. Loved to see this turn into a series.
really good idea for a list. Defo would like more "Best Shorts" of other stuff if you can come up with the ideas for content. Great content as always, quickly becoming my new go to for RPG lists and it's awesome to see that whilst I work my way through your older stuff you're still creating more content! Take care and keep safe!
I feel like Secret of Mana can be done in about 20 hours too. Love your videos BTW. You always talk about games I've never heard of.
I am happy to see Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter as well as Suikodens I and IV on this list. They are awesome games.
Thanks for the video! As an RPG streamer, I’m always looking for some shorter games as a break between the gigantic ones!
awesome list as always david as i look for rpgs your videos keep coming up and they dont disappoint
Cosmicstar heroin ist great too 15-20 h expirience , steamworld quest and battlechaser are also quite good and around the 20 h mark.
Another great list david , keep up the good work , greeting from a dutch guy.
Nice list! My favorite Mario RPG is Paper Mario TTYD but Super Mario RPG is my second pick and an incredible game nonetheless!
To add to this AWESOME list :
> Earthbound Zero / Mother 1
> Koudelka
> Mario & Luigi Series
> Paper Mario Series
> Parasite Eve Series
> Shin Megami Tensei: Raidou Kuzonoha vs. The Soulless Army
> Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna - The Golden Country
Thanks for the epic suggestions !
My recommendations are the old Gameboy RPGs Final Fantasy Legend 1-3; you'll likely have to get them on emulator as they weren't released domestically, and even in foreign countries where they did get releases, they have not had remakes/ports in decades (except one Japan only release of FFL2). IMO, these games hold up quite well today, despite their simplicity. they're also in the 3-8 hour range.
One of my favs is Secret of Mana. If you do just the main story it only takes a little over 20 hours! I also agree that Super Mario RPG is by far the best mario RPG
So many quality games on your list. Very cool to see Sword of Hope listed. Phantasy Star 4 is amazing also. I remember getting stuck on DW2 so many times and restarting it thinking I missed something or skipped something... man that was frustrating.
Loved taking a weekend to beat both Suikoden 1 & 2. My all time favourite JRPG series.
Another great list, that you kept short and sweet, David. The Xenosaga trilogy, if I remember correctly was also comprised of short games, if I remember correctly. I am not sure about 3, but I remember 1 and 2 taking about 15-25 hours each.
I think the first one was pretty short, however I hated the second installment and the 3rd, while a great game, was much longer.
@@davidvinc Yeah, I agree that the worst thing about 3 is that you need to endure 2 to understand anything...
Jade Cocoon for the playstation is also an underrated RPG, which can be finished in about 15hrs..
Shadow Hearts 2 stuck with me the most when I first owned a PS2. I recently rebought a PS2, it's what I'm playing after I get done with SMT Nocturne.
Honorary Mention goes to SaGa Frontier. 7 characters. Each characters story is appx 5-20 hrs depending on how much grinding and side quests you do. Teat each charater as a single game since most of it gets recycled between characters.
You can easily make a case for this being more of an adventure game, but I reccomend West of Loathing. It's got clever puzzles, fun and speedy combat, and some of the most hilarious writing in any game I've played. It takes about 10 hours to finish.
Nice list, I know all of them, exeptfor the Sword of Hope. Another short and awesome RPG is Parasite Eve.
We really need a new parasite eve game. Those games were amazing!
@@alondor8157 I abandoned the second one and the third wasn't really a jrpg anymore. But the first one was such a masterpiece!
Great list David,
Probably would have rioted if you didnt include Chrono Trigger, lol.
Glad you also included Super Mario RPG and Wild Arms 4.
WA4 is probably my favourite in the series also no spoilers for anyone but the ending is a bit bitter sweet too.
One correction though Koudelka was one of the first Horror RPGs in the west, also at 12 hours average one I would recommend along with the first Saga Frontier a single scenario could be completed in a afternoon.
Not normally one to make a long post but RPGs.
subscribed! looking forward to the short and sweet action rpgs!
Oh hey! Good list! Can't wait to get into them!
*AS I PLAY PERSONA 4 FOR THE 5TH TIME AND WILL DO 2 MORE PLAYTHROUGHS*
Not a bad list. A few others I would recommend:
1) Parasite Eve 1 and 2. A cinematic approach and short runtime makes for a good casual playing RPG when you're budgeting your time.
2) Saga Frontier. While 100% completing the game is significantly longer than 20 hours, the game is split into 7 distinct character scenarios, each taking about 15-20 hours to complete. They're all standalone as well, so there's no need to grind them all out in sequence if you don't want to.
3) I am Setsuna. Inspired by Chrono Trigger, clocks in at about 20 hours, and has the distinction of being a game that came out in the last decade lol.
Hahaha! As you can see, I’m not much for modern gaming.
Most of the games on this list are over 20 hours even when we talk about first quick playthrough. Unfortunately it's hard to find short rpg on home console. I have only 2 examples:
Tsugunai atonement PS2 - should take around 10-15 hours to finish
Last rebellion PS3 - also between 10-15 hours to finish
For short rpgs I recommend looking at some titles on handheld consoles like gb advance, psp or ds. Also android or ios on mobile phones.
But if you want really short rpgs I recommend java games for old mobile phones. Some examples:
Apotheosize - around 3 hours
Black citadel - around 2 hours
Blades and magic - around 1-2 hours
Ninja prophecy - around 3-4 hours
Elven chronicles - around 7-10 hours
Disco Elysium, Vampyr, The Outer worlds, Jade Empire, Vampire the Masquerade bloodlines, Mass effect series, Obsidian's South park games, the very first Fallout, The entire Fable series. A bit of a variety there, mostly more recent games and all on the home console except Disco Elysium and Fallout.
My 2 cents here is Cosmic Star Heroine. Short, sweet and well made RPG with a unique semi futuristic / semi 80s aesthetic for people bored of the usual RPG settings.
We actually got Koudelka on the playstation which is the first game in the Shadow Hearts series. So that would be the first horror RPG in that case lol
Great vid David. 25 hours is the sweetspot for me in a great rpg length these days. I can't wait to try Hexyz Force, and I think you've convinced me to give Dragon Quarter a try after all these years.
Tbe one I'd recommend is Dragon Ball Z: attack of the Saiyans for the DS. Especially since us adult grew up with Dragon Ball Z, so it's a fun way to re-live the story.
Ah yeah I remember Team Fourstar playing that.
Hexyz Force is relatively short, but I loved that game so much that I played it multiple times. I estimate I have about 100 hours of save files. That is because there are five endings that you can get.
I love the fact that Chrono Trigger has a DS port. It makes it so much easier to find the time to play too.
Yeah I'm hoping they add it to Switch for that same reason. I basically only get to game while commuting so need handhelds lol
Final fantasy legends series was amazing! The third one was also good. I would pay for a good remake of any of these.
There are remakes of the 2 and 3 in the DS, these were Japan exclusive, but have a fan translation, it is know as the SaGa series.
I’ve actually through those DS remakes, including the first on the wonderswan color on my channel.
There's a DS remake for both of those.
I'm working on SaGa II (Legends II). I will say this now
The leveling system is a bit different. Human/mutants at first do not get stat ups quite as often so you might be tempted to redo the game with robots and monsters only. The problem then is there's late game added content enemies that you'll want equipable weapons on human/mutants because monsters seem to not be able to touch them and robots are limited in weapon uses.
Plus they gave the dolphins an actual good use. Taking a human/mutant against those has a REALLY high chance for stat ups. Something about this game where your chance to level up isn't based on what YOUR current stat is + the last weapon you used, it's based on what weapons and actions you took (so you can get multiple stat ups in a single fight) + their current level + the enemy level + the chain level to start the fight (you'll figure out what chains are pretty early). The dolphin isn't ridiculously hard, but it's innate level is high enough that it has a high chance to give a stat up for human/mutants.
So my suggestion is have your human/mutants. Let a monster/robot carry you into Edo world... then train your humans/mutants
I've been looking for awhile. I cant find anything except romancing saga, am I doing something wrong? I checked on 3ds. I would seriously love to play. But I'm having a hard time finding it.
@@Pak_Flesot Try looking up SaGa 2: Hihou Densetsu: Goddess of Destiny roms
Ha! I bought Mystic Quest a few months ago for my beloved SNES! Totally worth it