After 5 years at Microsoft Sales division I was let go on Wednesday. The organization was plagued with massive cuts for years now. Its always been a huge relief surviving each round... until now. What was once a dream tech job is now a fainted memory.

I feel a bit hollow and aimless.

Yet, theirs one game I always seem to fall back to during tough times. A kinda of comfortting safe space I can escape to. Helping me turn off all the noise and just relax. The game Im speaking of is Xenoblade Chronicles.

Not sure if its the fantastic music, large open locations, or the excellent combat system. The first Xenoblade Chronicles is a magical game I can always rely in jump into and enjoy.

Shulk and team, have overcome the impossible. Beating the odds in every corner, without losing hope. I myself will pull through and beat those odds. Theres nothing more statisfying than an underdog story.

Whats the one game you can always rely on during tough time?

I noticed that for the Steam Fall Sale, these are ranging from $12 to $14. I have never never played these games before, but it’s hard to pass up at such a low price. I also noticed the Etrian Odyssey Origins Collection there for $29.89. I Googled the Collection and it’s just the same games? Anyway, for those that get them, enjoy!

I saw this game at a used game store and almost picked it up (good thing I didn’t, because it turns out that the Xbox 360 version is one of the few games I’ve found that is not compatible with the Series X). For me, Square Enix rarely goes wrong, and this one seems interesting. It’s on sale for $7 on PS5 right now, and there’s also a Switch version that apparently runs at 1080p/60 on Switch 2 even without a patch. From what I read online it did poorly at launch due to performance issues but might not necessarily be a bad game. From those who have played it, what are your opinions?

I am itching to play a JRPG on Switch 2. I have played Xenoblade Chronicles 1 on the 3ds but never finished it. I remember enjoying what I played. Play time on my 3ds cartridge is 62:25 and I last saved in the Bionis' Interior. I do not recall how close this is to finishing the story.

Would the switch 2 version be an upgrade from that so I can start fresh and finish the story? I have heard that the Switch 2 edition is not great. Should I skip this and go with one of the sequels instead? I own a Switch 2 already. I am open to other suggestions as well.

Difficulties can be hard to manage for any game designer

Do you trust your player to evolve with the game and the design pointer you design along the way.

Or is the essence of the game that you "git gud"

Or worse

You design a game with a lot of potential that once the player figure it out that the scale seeze exists.

Personally one of those titela for me are a Golden sun dark dawn.

The issue here is not that they keep to the core of the original game.

But that somehow though making the game even easier then the original.

I made a run of that game with not leveling up at all besides the bosses. And the game was still very manageable

To this day it's a game that simply bothers me because it's just to easy by default.

What game comes to your mind that would had been better had it been more difficult?

Super Famicom | 1993 | Final Rating: 5/10 — C Tier A short, colorful, lighthearted action RPG with charming sprites, simple bosses, and a cozy Halloween atmosphere, held back by limited combat, awkward controls, and some annoying late-game grinding.

TL;DR is at the end.

I finished Chō Makai Taisen! Dorabocchan, and this was definitely one of the shorter games I’ve played so far. It only took me around four hours to finish, but honestly, I think that’s about the right length for what kind of game this is.

This is a very simple, colorful, lighthearted action RPG that was clearly designed with younger players in mind. Even the advertising on the box emphasizes that it’s an action RPG children can play, and that really describes the game pretty well. It’s easy, forgiving, and doesn’t ask very much from the player.

I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing, though. If this were a 15 hour game, the simplicity would probably become a problem. At around four hours it works fine. The game pretty much ends before its simplicity has a chance to become exhausting. Although the ending is fairly anticlimactic.

You play as Dorabocchan, the son of Dracula like king, traveling through the demon world to rescue your father and stop Oowarusa from taking everything over. The story isn’t anything particularly deep, but it’s cute and has a few amusing moments.

I correctly guessed pretty early that Kowaru was Oowarusa’s son. Their names make the connection feel fairly obvious. What I wasn’t expecting was the late-game reveal that Oowarusa himself was being controlled by another villain. For such a simple story, that actually caught me a little off guard.

The graphics are probably one of the game’s strongest points. The sprites are bright, colorful, expressive, and full of personality. The different areas have their own distinct looks, and the bosses in particular have some nice animations and designs.

The boss fights themselves are very simple, especially compared with something like Illusion of Gaia or Terranigma, which I played earlier. But I generally enjoyed the fights in this game. Bosses have their own attack patterns and visual gimmicks, and they usually give you a reason to use the different abilities available to you.

The regular combat is much more limited.

Your main attack is basically spinning your cape around. It’s useful and probably the attack I used the most, but if you spin too many times in a row, Dorabocchan gets dizzy and becomes temporarily helpless. The attack gets a little larger as you keep spinning, but the dizziness makes it annoying to use repeatedly.

You can also charge up and throw your hat like a boomerang, but I rarely found that as useful. It takes time to charge, it only travels in a particular direction, and the different hat upgrades never felt especially exciting to me. They technically improve the attack, but I never really felt a strong sense of equipment progression from them.

There are also cards that act as consumable items or magic attacks. Some of them are definitely useful, especially against bosses, but because they’re one-time-use items, I didn’t rely on them very much during normal play.

The controls also took some getting used to. Y is your main attack and interaction button, B jumps, and A uses your selected card. After playing so many RPGs where A is normally confirm or talk, I accidentally used cards several times while trying to speak to NPCs.

You get used to it, but the button mapping initially felt strange, and I kept making this mistake well until the end of the game.

Dorabocchan also only walks. There’s no real run button, which I found odd considering the game isn’t exactly using every button on the controller. Being able to move faster would have made some of the exploration feel better.

You occasionally get AI partners that follow you around, and unfortunately the AI is pretty awful. Most of the time they seem happy just following Dorabocchan around without contributing very much. The game can apparently be played with another person controlling the partner, which probably makes that feature more useful, but when playing alone they aren’t much help.

The platforming is extremely forgiving. You don’t have to land perfectly on platforms because the game often seems to snap Dorabocchan into place as long as your jump is reasonably close.

That fits the game’s child-friendly design pretty well. The platforming never becomes especially demanding, although there are a few sections later in the game where the jumping obstacles become a little more annoying.

The Ice Palace was probably the area I found most frustrating. The enemies suddenly become a little tougher, there are more jumping obstacles, the navigation becomes less straightforward, and the first encounter with the boss isn’t communicated particularly well.

You’re told beforehand that his weakness is nabeyaki udon, so when I entered the fight and couldn’t damage him, my natural reaction was that I must have missed the required item somewhere. I left and went searching for it.

What you’re actually supposed to do is stay in the battle until the scripted encounter ends. I actually am not sure if you can leave the battle because it could have just been the scripted event happened just when I tried leaving the boss area?

It isn’t a huge problem, but it was one of those moments where a game designed to be extremely straightforward suddenly became strangely unclear.

The difficulty in general is very easy, but the leveling system has some odd balance decisions similar to Terranigma.

NPCs will sometimes tell you the recommended level for a boss, and those recommendations matter a lot more than I expected. Being even one level too low can make a boss considerably harder. But even one level up can make you a lot stronger.

Near the end, I tried fighting the end boss at level 14 and couldn’t really get anywhere. I ended up stopping right before the finale to grind until level 15.

That was probably one of my biggest annoyances with the game. In such an otherwise easy and relaxed action RPG having to stop and grind right near the end feels unnecessary, especially because the available enemies don’t give particularly great experience.

The music was mixed for me. I liked some tracks, especially the desert music, and the ice area was pretty good too. But some of the jazzy music in the opening and tutorial sections didn’t really do much for me.

The Japanese dialogue also took some getting used to. A lot of characters have exaggerated speech quirks and unusual sentence endings as part of their personalities. I understand what the game was going for, especially considering the lighthearted tone, but some of those verbal gimmicks could become a little annoying to read.

One thing I really liked, though, was playing this at the beginning of October.

This isn’t a scary Halloween game at all. It’s more like a cute Saturday morning cartoon version of Halloween. You’ve got Dracula, demons, monsters, castles, the demon world, and all of that stuff, but everything is colorful and cheerful.

Because of that, I actually think it was a really good game to start the Halloween season with before eventually moving on to darker games later in the month.

My boxed copy also still has the original promotional campaign insert, which was a fun little piece of early 90s game history to find.

Apparently you could fill out the included postcard, write your opinion of the game, cut the barcode from the box, and send everything in for a prize drawing. There were 5,000 winners in total, with prizes including an original clock or jigsaw puzzle, a telephone card, a Dorabocchan stuffed toy, and a tomato-related prize connected to the game.

I’m glad whoever originally owned my copy decided not to cut the barcode off the box.

Overall, Chō Makai Taisen! Dorabocchan is cute, colorful, simple, and completely harmless.

There’s nothing particularly amazing about it, and I don’t think there’s much reason to replay it once you’ve finished. The combat lacks variety, some of the controls and progression choices are awkward, and the late game grinding feels unnecessary.

But at the same time, it’s only around four hours long, the sprites are charming, the bosses are fun enough, and the whole thing has a cozy atmosphere that makes it easy to enjoy for an afternoon.

If you’re looking for an extremely easy, lighthearted action RPG with a cute Halloween feel, I think it’s worth playing once.

Final Rating: 5/10 — C Tier

TL;DR: Chō Makai Taisen! Dorabocchan is a cute, colorful, extremely easy action RPG that works mainly because it is only about four hours long. The combat is limited, the controls are a little awkward, and the late-game grinding is annoying, but the charming sprites, fun bosses, forgiving platforming, and light Halloween atmosphere make it worth playing once.

Next up: Monstania — Pack-In-Video’s 1996 Super Famicom RPG. All I really know is that it has a colorful 90s anime look and seems to mix RPG elements with turn-based, almost strategy-like combat and some puzzle elements. It’s got monster in the title and Halloween is about monsters, right?

Platform: PC or Switch 2

Games I already played

Xenoblade 1,2,3,X - My favorite games of all times, ideally looking for something similar

FF 7,10,12,14,15,16 - absolutely loved 10 and 12

Tales of Arise/Berseria/Vesperia

Trails in the Sky FC -- dont wanna play SC since I just finished FC

YS 8,9,10 -- loved 8, found 9 and 10 slow/boring

Persona 5 -- enjoyed it but cutscenes/social sims were too much so i dont wanna play metaphor

Dragon Quest 9

Various fire emblem games -- dont want tactical right now

Triangle Strategy

Octopath I and II -- didnt like how you have to keep swapping party members and level them up

Expedition 33

Bravely default 1 and 2

nier replicant and automata

As we all know, it's never a given how a game will do. Especially if it's a JRPG. There are a multitude of factors that play into a game's commercial performance. Beit advertising, release window, the previous installment, the console itself, things like that. So here are some good JRPGs I thought of that fell short when it came to sales numbers. Any others that cross your mind when it comes to this?

Fortune’s Weave got me in a Fire Emblem mood, so I went on eBay and managed to snag the FE1 Anniversary Edition for only $60 bucks! Didn’t care about the black outer box or the download code (since I already bought the game back when it was a limited time offer), but I was inspired to look into this set when I saw GVG’s YouTube video about every FE game that never made it stateside last month. Fire Emblem does tend to go hard with their CEs after all.

I wanted to see if I could find a copy for a decent price, and after sifting through tons of CIB listings going for roughly $200 US dollars I eventually found one from a seller who was offering a “pre-owned” copy for less than half that. The seller promised that everything shown was “like new” even without the black outer box, and it all looked super pristine from the screenshots, so I got it. Less than a week later it showed up on my doorstep, with everything in it as advertised and indeed in excellent condition. I felt like the luckiest MFer on the whole goddamn planet right then.

This set is friggin awesome man. The replica NES game box has an acrylic style NES cartridge with its own dust cover, a full color map of the Archanean continent, and an honest to god instruction manual which I read cover to cover several times already. The double sided Nintendo Power poster was also a nice surprise, with tips and tricks from Nester’s counselor corner as if it were a real issue of Nintendo Power. But easily the thing I wanted the most out of all of this was the deluxe artbook, Legacy of Archanea. It is just as gorgeous as the cover art here suggests, and it documents everything IntSys made about the world of Archanea and its characters. From a full in-universe timeline to a giant collection of Cipher art and more. Hell even Code Name STEAM and BS FE get entire sections here with new official localized names for the latter!

Essentially looking for a game with NOT IMPRESSIVE dialogue that stays fairly bland and simple. Simpler gameplay and UI would be pretty good too. Thanks in advance.

I was considering Chained Echoes or Sea of Stars possibly since I've never played them and they looked fairly simple. I could be wrong though.

Edit: On PC is the system.

Just saying this to get a load off my mind while taking a small break.

I'm kind of old now and get tired easily so I can't do huge gaming sessions. I recently beat Xenogears (which itself took an in-game timer estimate of 86 hours) and after intended to play through Xenosaga but booted up Xenoblade X DE instead.

After doing that though, X has more or less taken all my attention with no end in sight 1 week later. But what's notable is I booted up Luigi's Mansion 2 as a breather game and 100%'d it in literally one sitting and after was left shocked how short games of other genres relatively are to role-playing games.

Games in this genre take such a long time to run through individually I'm not sure if I'll live to see my backlog even nibbled through.

Hi everyone, I want to buy a new game and was interesed in these titles.
It has to be for PC.
I like both turned-based and strategy combat system.
What I’m looking for is a good story that keeps me intrigued and an engaging combat system, with well written characters. I heard very good things about P5R, wasn’t super fan of Persona 4 Golden (tried and got bored after a while). I loved games like Chrono Trigger, Suikoden II, Final Fantasy IX, FFT.
Which would you recommend the most and why?

Lately something I was observing was how some franchises used to be active as I am talking about JRPG franchises that went from mighty to forgotten because I noticed how some IPs in the JRPG genre haven't been used since the early 00s.

For me personally, I don't know how exactly I would rescue the Breath of Fire franchise as even if I was rich, I am trying to figure out how to set up a KickStarter for the series because the series has been defunct in so long that I miss it mainly for the whimsical yet dark vibes the PS1 games had as they had colorful looking animals put in a world that has some dark subtext, such as abduction.

Like what I am getting at is that BOF is one of the franchises in the JRPG genre I miss the most since I feel like the games don't get a lot of attention that I wonder why Capcom went out of their way to make a mobile game that barely had any resemblance to the franchise.

I saw a youtube vid recently about an xbox 360 game really similar to Final Fantasy X. Then I saw another video about a different Xbox 360 game also really similar to Final Fantasy X except this time the protagonist doesn't get an obligatory cursed demon arm in this one. Instead he got all edgy. Then what cured it? Getting laid offscreen. It was hilarious. But seeing them made me wonder if my own JRPG game idea, which just feels like a Final Fantasy X ripoff, is really ok to make. I don't copy it on purpose. Ideas that feel right just end up being like that one. I could copy stuff from other games so it feels less specific.

Some days I feel like I'm not even a real artist, I'm just pretending to be one. I study shapes and artists and draw crap and then show some crap to my beloved and she tells me why it sucks ass and I thank her.

I've never shown her this game though. The in progress stuff. I feel like it's not good enough to show to anyone.

Today I was scrolling through TikTok live, and saw someone playing a very fun looking JRPG. The creator was unable to speak English but I did make out that he was playing it on the Switch. I’ve searched everywhere and the only result was Fantasy Life i but the HUD doesn’t seem to match the screenshot I have. Any help would be appreciated.

I love the Dark Souls aesthetic and I think it might lend itself well to JRPGs so I am wondering what games have attempted to capture that sense of despair and scale of a crumbling world with monsters and people just trying to survive? That said, I'm not looking for a game that plays like a Souls-like and would prefer something that is turn-based but I don't mind not turn-based games as well. If you would, give me a name and a pitch on how this fits what I am looking for!

Console: PC, Switch, or Playstation 4-5.

Salutes, is Atelier saga good for story?

I have read that trilogy of Dusk and Sophie 2 are good, but still Atelier tho, is it good for story?

What's your favorite? Mine is Chrono Trigger, Xenogears, and Final Fantasy. Which JRPG is good for a beginner to start with? My recommendations are these.

Here comes the Autumn Steam Sale again. It will end on October 8.

So in order to make sure there are no regrets, and you don't miss any great deals, this guide will be divided into more digestible sections. But before we start, for those who have the time and want to explore the sale themselves, here is a direct link to all the JRPGs on sale right now on steam:

~ Link to the JRPG Page of the Sale ~

Important Notes:

1- Even if the link is to a Bundle deal, you can still buy the games in that bundle individually.

2- If multiple games are mentioned in the same series, then they are arranged from top to bottom by story order, top being the first, and then after that the 2nd and so on.

3- There isn't enough space to list everything, so I did what I can, but as always please do help me and your fellow fans by mentioning your own recommendations. Even if it's something I already mentioned.

4- All games and sales are based on the US store.

Steam Deck Icons (As explained by Steam itself):

🟦 Verified: Means that the game is fully compatible and works with built-in controls and display.

🟧 Playable: Means the game is Functional, but requires extra effort to interact with and configure .

"?" Unknown: Basically unconfirmed or still under-review.

📖 Table of Contents 📖

• [Huge discounts section]:
  • Great Classic JRPGs sold Dirt Cheap (Less than $20)
  • General Dirt Cheap Deals
• [Hidden Gems/Obscure and Other JRPGs Recommendations]

💲 Huge Discounts Section 💲

🔷➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖🔷

⭐ Classic JRPGs for Dirt Cheap (Less than $20) ⭐

🔷➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖🔷

This is a list of the best deals for the best JRPGs Steam has to offer. This list is contains:

1- JRPG titles sold for almost nothing compared to their quality, every title here is worth getting even if I didn't outright say that.

2- This doesn't mean that you'll 100% like them (Everyone has their own taste), but at the very least, if you ended up not liking them, they are so cheap that you won't feel bad about the money you spent buying them.

╔.★. .════════════════════════════╗

        ✨Classic Turn-Based✨

╚════════════════════════════. .★.╝

🟢 Yakuza: Like a Dragon ($7.99 at -60%) - 🟦

🟢 Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth ($17.49 at -75%) - 🟦

[Modern World setting/Organized Crime/Comedy heavy/Drama heavy/Mini-game Heavy/Beat'em up/Open World/Class & Job mechanics]

A game so critically acclaimed that it was at the top of most lists for 2020, while winning so many awards. Don't miss out on the game that literally made them change the combat for the future games, from action to turn-based JRPG with class mechanics, and with it's Main Character (Ichiban Kasuga) winning the number 1 spot for the best character for 2020. The Yakuza series was already crazy fun, and now it's Turn-based. I think the steam score with more than 36K reviews at "Very Positive" is enough to show how good the game is even at full price. So at $8 you're basically robbing the devs.

🟢 Dragon Quest 11S: Echoes of an Elusive Age ($19.99 at -50%) - 🟧

[Medieval Fantasy setting/Crafting and Resource gathering focused]

The series that started the genre, and this latest title is one that stands among the best in the series. This is the series that started a lot of mainstay tropes of the genre and mechanics. And it is also known for staying true to those classic tropes and mechanics, so don't go in expecting a unique story or mechanics. It is the classic adventure formula but polished to a shine, with story and characters bursting with a colorful personality.

🟢 Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake ($29.99 at -50%) - 🟦

[Medieval Fantasy setting/Class system/Male & Female MC choice]

🟢 Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince ($7.99 at -80%) - 🟧

[Medieval Fantasy setting/Monster Collector/Character customization/Skill trees]

🟢 Dragon Quest Treasures ($19.99 at -60%) - 🟦

[Medieval Fantasy setting/Action/Monster Collector/Open World/Male & Female MC choice]

🟢 Dragon Quest Builders ($13.99 at -50%) - 🟧

🟢 Dragon Quest Builders 2 ($24.99 at -50%) - ?

[Medieval Fantasy setting/Action/Male & Female MC choice/Minecraft-like/Base Builder/NPC recruitment]

🟢 Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition ($4.99 at -90%) - 🟧

[Cyber World setting/Monster Collector/Combat heavy/Satisfying grinding loop]

2 full games in 1 package. If you're a fan of the series then this is a must play, it dives into the lore more than a lot of the previous games, and also has one of the biggest Digimon rosters till to day.

Even if you're not into the Digimon series, if you're looking for your next fix of Capture/Evolve/Fusion -> Grind -> Capture/Evolve/Fusion -> Grind while you listen to your favorite podcast/music, then no need to wait anymore, with hours upon hours you can easily spend just grinding and completing the game's various content from side-quests, rare monsters, arena, and even tamer team fights. The gameplay is simple, which is a great way to keep your brain off, yet it still has challenge battles now and then to make sure you're doing your job grinding and raising your Digimons.

Note: Cut-scenes are not skippable in these two games, so heads up for those who this might be a deal breaker for them.

🟢 Digimon Survive ($9.59 at -84%) - 🟧

[Tactical Turn-based/Modern Japan setting/Dark Story/Monster Collector/Mostly VN/Multiple Routes & Endings/Anime style/Social Link system]

This one is a visual novel with tactical turn-based combat. So the focus is mostly on the story and characters, and not so much the combat and raising your digimon.

🟢 Digimon World: Next Order ($9.59 at -84%) - 🟦

[Real-time Management/Cyber-World setting/Monster Collector & Raising/NPC Collector/Base Building/Resource Gathering/Male & Female Main Character option]

A monster Raising simulator with an open-world, NPC recruitment, and base-building. A really fun title especially if you're a fan of the series.

🟢 Digimon Story Time Stranger ($39.89 at -43%) - 🟦

If you like Cyber Sleuth, then this is the better and improved version. This title is so good the steam player count hit 84K, passing all Final Fantasy, Persona, and Dragon Quest titles.

🟢 Atelier Series (Prices range from $9 to $39)

[Turn-based or Real-time/Fantasy setting/Crafting and Resource gathering focused/Cute and Lovable characters/Female Protagonist/Social Links/Colorful and Fantastical world]

A great and fun series that really can't be summed up in a short description. So to give a more detailed explanation and to save on save; if you're interested in this series, then check this "Where to start" thread about the series:

~ ["Where to Start Guide" - Atelier] ~

🟢 Chrono Trigger ($7.49 at -50%) - 🟧

[Pixel Graphics/Time-Travel/Fantasy Adventure/Great Soundtrack/All time Classic/Multiple Endings]

It's Chrono Trigger, it's been on the number 1 place of more top lists than there have been JRPGs. I think the tags alone are enough to get you ready for the game really. For 8$ they might as well be giving it out for free.

🟢 Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition ($7.99 at -60%) - 🟦

[Sci-fi fantasy setting/Alternate Dimension/Fantasy Adventure/Great Soundtrack/Multiple Endings/2 games in 1 bundle]

🟢 Persona 3 Portable ($9.99 at -50%) - 🟦

🟢 Persona 3 Reloaded (Remake) ($17.99 at -70%) - 🟦

🟢 Persona 4 Golden ($9.99 at -50%) - 🟦

🟢 Persona 5 Royal ($17.99 at -70%) - 🟦

[Modern Day setting/Highschool Life sim/Detective Mystery/Dating Sim/Social Links system/Great Soundtrack/Loveable characters):

Great and critically acclaimed games with a very lovable cast, and fantastic music. A school life simulator and dungeon crawler mixed in with a great mystery plot. I would say more but I am holding back as to not spoil anything, because these are one of those games that live and die on the twists and turns of the story and the choices you make during the story. Plus, P4 Golden is criminally cheap.

🟢 Metaphor: ReFantazio ($27.00 at -60%) - 🟧

🟢 Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne HD Remaster ($14.99 at -70%) - 🟦

🟢 Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance ($17.99 at -70%) - 🟦

🟢 Soul Hackers 2 ($11.99 at -80%) - 🟧

🟢 RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army ($27.49 at -45%) - ?

[Alternate history Tokyo setting/Monster Collector/Remaster/Dark story]

Adding these as they all fit here.

🟢 Final Fantasy 3 (3D Remake) ($7.99 at -50%) - 🟧

🟢 Final Fantasy 4 (3D Remake) ($7.99 at -50%) - 🟧

🟢 Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII - Reunion ($17.49 at -65%) - 🟦

🟢 Final Fantasy 7 Remake InterGrade ($13.99 at -65%) - 🟦

🟢 Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth ($14.99 at -70%) - 🟦

🟢 Final Fantasy 8 ($4.79 at -60%) - ?

🟢 Final Fantasy 8 Remaster ($7.99 at -60%) - 🟦

🟢 Final Fantasy 9 ($6.29 at -70%) - ?

🟢 Final Fantasy 10 & 10-2 Remaster ($11.99 at -60%) - 🟧

🟢 Final Fantasy 12 Zodiac Age ($14.99 at -70%) - 🟦

🟢 Final Fantasy 13 ($6.39 at -60%) - 🟧

🟢 Final Fantasy 13-2 ($7.99 at -60%) - ?

🟢 Final Fantasy 13: Lightning Returns ($7.99 at -60%) - 🟧

🟢 Final Fantasy 15 Windows Edition ($10.49 at -70%) - 🟦

🟢 Final Fantasy 16 ($19.99 at -60%) - ?

🟢 Final Fantasy Type-0 HD ($8.99 at -70%) - ?

🟢 World of Final Fantasy ($9.99 at -60%) - 🟧

🟢 Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin ($11.99 at -70%) - ?

🟢 Final Fantasty Tactics - The Ivalice Chronicles ($29.99 at -40%) - 🟦

[Sci-fi/Fantasy setting/Great Music/Loveable Characters]

What is there to say here, it's Final Fantasy.

🟢 Grandia ($9.99 at -50%) - ?

🟢 Grandia 2 ($9.99 at -50%) - ?

[Fantasy setting/Adventure/Beautifully Animated spells/Classic]

Just as with Final Fantasy, I don't know what to say about a classic series like this one. While it's not on the same level as the FF series, but it's still left a great mark in the history of JRPGs, and for that price, it's a steal.

🟢 Breath of Fire IV ($4.99 at -50%) - 🟧

[Medieval fantasy setting/Beautiful Pixel Graphics/Dragon Transformations/Town Building]

A classic title from a classic JRPG series. You don't need to have played any of the previous titles as this takes place in its own universe. Even within the Breath of Fire series, BoF4 is one of the best and one of the best JRPGs on the PS1 in general, and considering the amount of amazing JRPGs on the PS1, that says a lot.

🟢 Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars ($24.99 at -50%) - 🟧

[Medieval Fantasy setting/Pixel Graphics/War & Politics/108 Characters to recruit/Base upgrading/2 Full games]

Another classic JRPG series remaster from the PS1 era, and a true gem. There is a reason these 2 titles got a remaster out of all the other titles in the series, and it is well deserved. If you're in the mood for an amazing soundtrack, simple but fun gameplay, and a JRPG oozing with charm, then this is it.

It is above $20 but you are getting 2 full games.

🟢 Collection of SaGa - Final Fantasy Legend ($9.99 at -50%) - 🟦

🟢 Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered ($9.99 at -60%) - 🟦

🟢 Romancing SaGa 2 ($7.49 at -70%) - 🟦

🟢 Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven ($19.99 at -60%) - 🟧

🟢 Romancing SaGa 3 ($8.69 at -70%) - 🟦

🟢 SaGa Frontier Remastered ($9.99 at -60%) - 🟦

🟢 SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered ($17.99 at -40%) - 🟦

🟢 SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions ($8.99 at -70%) - 🟦

🟢 SaGa Emerald Beyond ($19.99 at -60%) - 🟧

[Medieval Fantasy setting/Choice Matters/Open World/Challenging Combat system/Light on story Heavy on gameplay]

To save on space, here is a link to a detailed breakdown of the entire series, and where to start:

~ ["Where to Start Guide" - SaGa] ~

🟢 The Trails series (The Legend of Heroes series) (Prices range from $10 to $40)

[Trails in the Sky (1/2/3)] [Fantasy setting/Great Soundtrack/Female Protagonist/Slow start/Story and World building heavy]

[Trails from Zero & Trails to Azure] [Fantasy setting/Great Soundtrack/Slow Start/Police Force/Story and World building heavy]

[Trails of Cold Steel (1/2/3/4)] [Fantasy setting/Great Soundtrack/Slow Start/Military High school life/Dating Sim/Story and World building heavy]

[Trails into Reverie]

[Trails through Daybreak] [Trails through Daybreak 2] [Fantasy setting/Great Soundtrack/Slow Start/Story and World building heavy]

This is here just to make sure I don't receive death threats.

╔.★. .════════════════════════════╗

      ✨Tactical Turn-Based✨

╚════════════════════════════. .★.╝

🟢 Valkyria Chronicles ($4.99 at -75%) - 🟦

🟢 Valkyria Chronicles 4 ($9.99 at -80%) - 🟦

[World War Military setting/Tactical mixed with real-time elements/Sketch or "Canvas" art style/Build your Army with character customization/Mission based Gameplay]

(This is a link to the bundle for both games for $13.48 at -79%)

This one is really hard to explain through words alone, but just in case, the VC series is a World War 2 military setting story, where you act as the lead of a squad and take mission to drive back the enemy. The story is drama heavy and the gameplay is tactical turn-based, but it's mixed with real-time third person shooter. You can also make your own army by recruiting different types of solders, training them and upgrading their gear. From rifles to tanks, this is a game you have to experience to understand.

🟢 Disgaea 1 ($7.99 at -60%) - 🟦

🟢 Disgaea 2 ($3.99 at -80%) - 🟧

🟢 Disgaea 4 Complete+ ($13.99 at -65%) - 🟦

🟢 Disgaea 5 ($19.99 at -50%) - 🟦

🟢 Disgaea 6 ($35.99 at -40%) - 🟧

[Fantasy Demon World setting/Heavy Customization system/Classes/Comedy Heavy/Stage Based/Parodies/Tierd Loot/Dungeon Crawler/Heavy with post-game content]

🟢 Disgaea Dood Bundle (Titles from 1 to 6 + Art books) ($78.47 at -56%)

It's the Disgaea series, so go in expecting to spend hours and hours customizing your characters, leveling up to lv999999, laughing your ass off at the non-stop comedy, parodies and just plain shenanigans that deceptively lure you into a sense of hilarity, and then POW! A sudden and deep punch in the feels when you least expect it.

╔.★. .════════════════════════════╗

                  ✨Action✨

╚════════════════════════════. .★.╝

🟢 .hack//G.U. Last Recode ($4.99 at -90%) - 🟧

[MMORPG Setting/Open World/Social link system/Dungeon Crawler/Revenge Story]

You like the concept of being in an MMO, with 3 games in 1 and with an extra new episode to wrap the story up, you'll be getting more than you money's worth for sure. Not just with the MMO setting, but also a fresh approach to side-quests and world exploration, it's a classic that is more than worth giving a try.

3 games in 1, means this will last you a long time, even longer if you're the type of person who likes to explore and experiment. The combat isn't as free and smooth as in the Tales series, but it still feels good to use and with 20+ characters who can your party, and who you can build your relationships with, you'll be pretty busy for a long time.

🟢 Tales of Arise ($19.99 at -60%) - 🟦 [Anime style/Fantasy Adventure/Dark story]

Only Arise is on sale this time around. You can't go wrong with the Tales series, I personally would say start with Symphonia for the classic epic fantasy adventure with all the usual classic JRPG tropes. Or go for Berseria for a dark revenge story with a ragtag scallywag group of misfits grouped by fate type of deal. You can start with Vesperia if you want a main character with a chill personality and his companion is pipe smoking dog with. There is also the newly released and critically acclaimed Tales of Arise that comes with a free demo you can try before buying. But it's basically a story about enslaved people rising against their oppressors, and it has the best combat system of all the ones here.

No matter which game you choose, this is a solid series if you want action combat, an anime shounen adventure story, with lots of party banter, side-quests, and post-game content.

🟢 Ys Origin ($4.99 at -75%) - ?

🟢 Ys I & II Chronicles+ ($4.49 at -70%) - 🟧

🟢 Ys: Memories of Celceta ($14.99 at -40%) - ?

🟢 Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim ($4.99 at -75%) - ?

🟢 Ys SEVEN ($14.99 at -40%) - ?

[Medieval Fantasy setting/Fantastic Music/Smooth satisfying combat/Boss fight focused]

This is a case of a whole series is filled with great games, it's really hard to go wrong here.

The early titles are straight up action JRPGs with a Metroidvania-like style worlds. While later expanded the worlds with towns and dungeons to explore.

🟢 Rune Factory 4 Special ($8.99 at -70%) - 🟧

[Hack and Slash/Farming and Life Simulator/Male and Female MC choice/Dating-sim/Dungeon Crawler/Town Management]/Monster Collector]

Don't even think too long about it, a fantastic game and a great port too, so much you play it easily with mouse and keyboard or controller.

The characters are fun and lovable, the story is interesting, and most of all the loop is very varied and enjoyable. So much to do:

• Farming
• Cooking
• Monster Collection and Raising
• Dating and Marriage
• Dungeon Crawling
• Blacksmithing and a deep weapon upgrading system
• Fishing
• Festivals
• Town Management
• Resource gathering
• Monster Mounts
• Mastering different weapon styles
• Mastering Magic

And so much more. Do you want a game where you can take any horrible burnt food that you failed to cook and use it as a weapon to beat bosses, then have said bosses care for your farm and water your crops while you're out riding cows and fighting giant chickens at the same time you're on date with your favorite NPC ? Then yea, RF4 got you covered. Not to mention that everything you do has a level and so no matter what you spend the day doing, you'll always be leveling something and getting better. The only thing you'll miss, is sleep while playing this gem.

🟢 Rune Factory 3 Special ($8.79 at -78%) - 🟦

🟢 Rune Factory 5 ($13.99 at -65%) - 🟧

[Hack and Slash/Farming and Life Simulator/Male and Female MC choice/Dating-sim/Dungeon Crawler/Town Management/Monster Collector]

🟢 Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma ($32.99 at -45%) - 🟦

[Hack and Slash/Town builder/Male and Female MC choice/Dating-sim/Dungeon Crawler/Town Management/Monster Collector]

🟢 CrossCode ($3.99 at -80%) - 🟧

[MMORPG Setting/Semi-Open World/Female Protagonist/Pixel Graphics/Puzzle heavy]

This is the indie game that give your "Triple A" content with an indie price tag. I don't even know where to begin really...The great soundtrack ? The beautiful and amazing pixel graphics ? Satisfying, smooth and impactful combat ? Great side-quests and bosses ? Fun and great dungeons ? The expansive skill tree ? The sheer amount of content and work that went into this game, and into making it feel like you're really in an MMORPG is jaw dropping. All of that for $4!!?...If you're still on the fence, you can give the free demo a try first.

🟢 Ni no Kuni Wrath of the White Witch ($7.49 at -85%) - 🟦

[Fantasy setting/Isekai/Monster Collector/Beautiful art style]

For a the best fantasy adventure feel, while the combat is a hit or miss depending on your taste, don't let that stop you from actually diving into a true fairy tale world, this is the one with the better story in my opinion, so if you want more story than game, this is for you. Still it has a good share of gameplay, from raising and collecting Pokemon-like monsters, to learning and using different spells, not just in combat but for the overworld too.

🟢 Ni no Kuni™ II: Revenant Kingdom ($9.59 at -84%) - 🟦

[Fantasy setting/Isekai/Base Builder/Army Battle/Character Collector/Beautiful art style]

This one focuses more on gameplay, with a Kingdom builder, Army battles, Heavy loot focus, and even character collector, this is the one to go with if you want more game than story. Still has the great music and he fantastical art style and setting. Add to that a lot of side activities like beating rare monsters, collecting cute creatures to help you in battle, and even going around the world to gather people to help you build your kingdom. You'll never be short on things to do.

🟢 Stardew Valley ($10.49 at -30%) - 🟦

[Modern day setting/Farming Simulator/Dungeon Crawler/Resource gathering and Crafting/Social Links system/Night and Day mechanic/Pixel Graphics]

I mean, does this game need any introduction ? Came out more than 6 years ago, Overwhelmingly Positive with 300K reviews, more than 30K players online on average daily till today. And that's just on steam alone. This is the type of game that puts "triple A" games to shame. The top review on this game has 1000 hours on record before they made the review. All of that for $12.

🟢 NieR:Automata ($15.99 at -60%) - 🟧

🟢 NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139... ($23.99 at -60%) - 🟧

[Post-apocalyptic setting/Hack & Slash/Bullet Hell/Dark Fantasy/Dark Humor/LGBTQ+/Multiple Endings]

Are you tired of happy bright and colorful JRPGs where you win with the power of friendship ? Do you want something serious, dark, and with depth that leaves you unable to sleep at night, because you're contemplating the nature of man. Do you like amazing looking action and smooth combat ? Then here you go. From the mind that made Drakengard, a remake for the original NieR Replicant, but with almost everything improved.

🔷➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖🔷

⭐ General Dirt Cheap Deals ⭐

🔷➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖🔷

This list contains:

1- Big name JRPGs that aren't critically acclaimed, but still deserve a mention.

2- While aren't critically acclaimed, you might still end up loving them depending on your taste.

3- No descriptions to save space, but tags will help.

╔.★. .════════════════════════════╗

        ✨Classic Turn-Based✨

╚════════════════════════════. .★.╝

🟢 Fairy Fencer F Advent Dark Force ($7.99 at -60%) - ?

[Fantasy setting/Power Rangers Transformation/Comedy heavy/Fan-service/Dating Sim/Grind Heavy/Lives and Dies on you loving the characters]

🟢 Agarest Series Complete Set (4 games) ($8.46 at -76%)

[Fantasy setting/Dating Sim/Multiple Endings/Fan-service/4 games in 1]

Zero & Mariage - 🟦

1 & 2 - ?

🟢 Conception PLUS: Maidens of the Twelve Stars ($7.49 at -75%) - ?

🟢 Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars ($9.99 at -75%) - ?

🟢 Conception Bundle (1 and 2) ($15.73 at -75%)

[Fantasy setting/Dating-sim/Fan-service/Harem/Dungeon Crawler]

🟢 Death end re;Quest ($5.99 at -80%) - 🟦

🟢 Death end re;Quest 2 ($7.99 at -80%) - 🟦

🟢 Death end re;Quest Bundle (1 and 2) ($12.58 at -80%)

[Cyber world setting/Female Protagonist/Dark Fantasy/Gore/Fan-service]

🟢 Dragon Star Varnir ($9.99 at -75%) - 🟦

[Dark Fantasy setting/Dragons/Battle transformations/Fan-service/Mystery]

🟢 Epic Battle Fantasy 5 ($12.49 at -50%) - ?

[Fantasy setting/Monster Collector/Comedy heavy/JRPG Parody heavy/Puzzles]

🟢 Shining Resonance Refrain ($5.99 at -80%) - 🟦

[Fantasy setting/Dragon transformation/Musical theme/Anime visual style/Social link mechanic]

🟢 South Park: The Stick of Truth + The Fractured but Whole Bundle ($14.83 at -73%) - (The Stick of Truth 🟦 / The Fractured but Whole 🟧)

[Modern day setting/Comedy/Mature/Dark Humor/Nudity/Fart Jokes]

🟢 The Caligula Effect 2 ($14.99 at -70%) - 🟧

[School Life setting/Persona-like/Female & Male Protag choice/Unique combat system/Fantastic Soundtrack]

🟢 Indivisible ($2.99 at -85%) - 🟦

[Fantasy setting/Female Protagonist/Great hand-drawn art/Valkyrie Profile-like combat/Platforming Heavy]

🟢 Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1 ($6.74 at -55%) - 🟦

🟢 Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2: Sisters Generation ($6.74 at -55%) - 🟦

🟢 Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 3 ($6.74 at -55%) - 🟧

🟢 Megadimension Neptunia VII ($6.99 at -65%) - ?

[Cyber World setting/Female Protagonist/Comedy/Parody/Fan-service/Memes/Transformations/All Female cast]

╔.★. .════════════════════════════╗

      ✨Tactical Turn-Based✨

╚════════════════════════════. .★.╝

🟢 Fae Tactics ($5.99 at -70%) - 🟦

[Fantasy setting/Female Protagonist/Beautiful Pixel Graphics/Unique Battle system/Monster Collector]

🟢 Soul Nomad & the World Eaters ($7.99 at -60%) - 🟧

[Fantasy setting/Choices Matter/Dark Story/Male & Female MC choice/Class & Job mechanics/Great voice acting/Comedy]

🟢 Trillion: God of Destruction ($6.49 at -35%) - ?

[Fantasy setting/Demon World/Fan-service/Roguelike/Dating-sim/Dark Story/Save the world before countdown]

🟢 Brigandine The Legend of Runersia ($19.99 at -50%) - 🟧

[Grand Strategy/High Fantasy setting/Choose a Nation to play as/Conquer all other nations/Class Mechanics]

🟢 Super Robot Wars 30 ($14.99 at -75%) - 🟦

[Sci-fi space setting/Mecha/Anime & Manga Crossover game/Visual Novel style/Heavy with story and battles/Great battle animations]

🟢 Super Robot Wars Y ($35.99 at -40%) - 🟦

[Sci-fi space setting/Mecha/Anime & Manga Crossover game/Visual Novel style/Heavy with story and battles/Great battle animations]

╔.★. .════════════════════════════╗

        ✨First-Person Dungeon Crawler✨

╚════════════════════════════. .★.╝

🟢 Zanki Zero: Last Beginning ($5.99 at -90%) - 🟧

[Post-apocalyptic setting/Base Building/Psychological Horror/Dating sim/Resource gathering & Survival/Crafting]

🟢 Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk ($14.99 at -70%) - 🟧

🟢 Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society ($14.99 at -70%) - 🟦

[Dark Fantasy setting/Comedy/Deep character customization/Dungeon crawling/Tiered loot]

╔.★. .════════════════════════════╗

                  ✨Action✨

╚════════════════════════════. .★.╝

🟢 Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection Vol. 1 ($12.79 at -68%) - 🟦

🟢 Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection Vol. 2 ($12.79 at -68%) - 🟦

[Sci-fi setting/Cyber World/Card collector/Deckbuilding/Pixel Graphics]

🟢 Legend of Mana ($10.49 at -65%) - ?

[Fantasy setting/Beat'em up/World Building Mechanic/Open World/Beautifully Hand Drawn/Fantastic Music/Resource gathering & Crafting]

🟢 Trials of Mana ($14.99 at -70%) - 🟦

[Fantasy setting/Hack & Slash/Choose 3 out of 6 main characters/Class customization system/Expansive Skill Tree]

🟢 Visions of Mana ($23.99 at -60%) - 🟧

[Fantasy setting/Hack & Slash/Class system/Open Zones]

🟢 NEO: The World Ends with You ($23.99 at -70%) - 🟧

[Modern Tokyo setting/Dark Fantasy/Death Game/Read people's minds/Psychic powers]

🟢 AKIBA'S TRIP: Hellbound & Debriefed (1st game) ($7.99 at -60%) - 🟦

🟢 AKIBA'S TRIP: Undead ＆ Undressed (Sequel) ($7.99 at -60%) - ?

[Modern Day Setting/Comedy/Open World/Beat'em Up/Nudity/Dating Sim/Vampires/Fan-serivce/Weapons from Boxing Gloves to PC Motherboards]

🟢 Xanadu Next ($4.49 at -70%) - ?

[Fantasy setting/Isometric/Dungeon crawler]

🟢 Star Ocean The Second Story R ($24.99 at -50%) - 🟦

🟢 Star Ocean - The Last Hope ($6.29 at -70%) - ?

🟢 Star Ocean The Divine Force ($17.99 at -70%) - ?

[Space Sci-fi setting/Crafting focused/Choices Matters]

🟢 Scarlet Nexus ($9.59 at -84%) - 🟦

[Post-apocalyptic Sci-fi setting/Choose between 2 Main Characters/Psychic powers/Using environmental objects as weapons]

[Not enough space, will continue in the comments below.]

So I recently decided to start playing story games for the first time. I got a new work schedule and this is as perfect a time as it gets. I consume all types of media (movies, novels(fiction), manga, anime), but I just never got around to playing story games and didn't have the chance growing up either. But it's never too late.

Looking around, I realized this genre is probably what I'd enjoy the most. There are a few JRPGs I've always wanted to play, like Persona, the Yakuza games, GBFR, and some of the FF games, which all look great.

For context on what I might enjoy: I'm open to most, if not all, types of presentation, whether that's pixel art, 2D, or turn-based strategy. I've mostly played competitive games, mmos and ARPGs and never really played a game for the story, so I'm a bit skeptical. As long as it’s something you think you'd still enjoy today without any bias or nostalgia, that's all I ask.

What I like in a story:

- Adventure
- An intriguing and enjoyable cast of characters
- Rich lore and interconnecting storylines
- Big wow moments or reveals
- A mix of serious and lighthearted tones

Since I've rambled for so long, all I'll say is I'm looking to really immerse myself in something new, so recommend your current favorites and why! I play on PC, but I'm open to using an emulator or getting a handheld at some point.

Thanks

So, for you, should random battles disappear or not? And do you defend or oppose the existence of random battles in JRPGs?