I'm looking to round out my collection of PlayStation 3 and Vita JRPGs. It can be any subgenre of RPG including action, open world, traditional roguelilke, or roguelite. They can also be "RPG-adjacent" like dungeon crawlers as long as they have RPG elements. I would like them to please be physical games with on disc or card English options or have a fan patch (I am capable of legally dumping and backing up my games). I'll also Play "Asia-English" games as well. I would also like to know if the Wizardry Perfect Pack for PS3 and Japanese physical version of Valkyria Revolution have in game Englsh options or fan patches. I have the PS4 version of the latter but want the handheld version to take with me. Thank you.

I am already aware of Phantasy Star Nova, Chaos Rings, Tales of Innocence R, and Digimon Story and Cyber Sleuth and Hacker's Memory. Thank you!

^((edit: This apparently also works for RPG Maker VX, but this guide was written for RPG Maker VX Ace as it's the only one I've had experience with. Theoretically the process should be similar for VX games)^)

A lot of indie JRPGs are made with RPG Maker VX Ace but a problem is that the native fullscreen mode (alt-enter) can make the games run at a low, choppy framerate. So you're stuck with either running the game windowed or playing with distracting framerate. There are some programs to deal with this like Sandburst, Sizer, or Borderless Gaming, but they either didn't work for me or had some issues that made them not ideal. This is mainly due to me having an old PC, so if you have a newer PC you might not need this guide.

After a lot of experimentation and searching through several different forum archives, I have figured out a foolproof workaround for this that makes the fullscreen perfect. Hopefully my efforts can help others. It involves editing the game's Scripts.rvdata2 to add in a custom script for a better fullscreen. Many RPG Maker games already have this script added, but for those that don't, it turns out it's very simple to add it yourself.

Software you'll need (only for setting it up initially, you don't need anything running alongside the game):

• RPG Maker VX Ace, the tool that's used for making the RPGs. There is a free demo on RPG Maker's site that works fine for this, and on both their site and Steam the full version is currently on a 90% off sale. (edit: if your game uses VX, you'll probably need RPG Maker VX instead, which also has a suitable free demo on their site. Steam link)

• Optional: DXGL (free, open source)

Instructions:

1 - Create a txt file in the main game directory (the one that has Game.exe) and write RPGVXAce 1.00 in it. That's it, just that one line. Rename this text file to Game.rvproj2 with no .txt extension. (edit: For VX, it'd probably be RPGVX 1.00 and Game.rvproj respectively)

2 - Open RPG Maker, go to File -> Open Project, navigate to the game folder, and open the rvproj2 file you made. If it doesn't work, you can try one of these:

• If the Game.exe is named something else (example: MyCoolRPG.exe) you might need to rename the rvproj2 file to the same thing as well (MyCoolRPG.rvproj2)

• If you don't have a bunch of folders in the main game folder like Audio, Data, System, etc you might need to unpack the game files so you can edit them - I don't have information about how to do this but it seems to be possible if you search online. However, every game I've played does have these files already unpacked.

3 - In RPG Maker, go to Tools -> Script Editor.

4 - Right click at the beginning of the list of scripts and click "insert" to add a new blank script. You can name it whatever you want in the box in the lower left.

5 - Paste in the Fullscreen++ script from here: https://forums.rpgmakerweb.com/index.php?threads/fullscreen.14081/ Direct link: https://pastebin.com/raw/kc1hzBek

• This is what your screen should look like in RPG Maker VX Ace: https://i.imgur.com/jKCG09L.png

6 - Close the script editor and go to File -> Save Project (note this will overwrite the game's Data/Scripts.rvdata2 file, so make a backup of it if you want - though if all you added was this script, there should be no adverse effects)

7 - This should be enough to play the game in smooth 60fps fullscreen. Press F5 in game to make it fullscreen and F6 to toggle through some scaling options.

8 - This is an optional step. If the graphics have weird blocky or non-pixel-perfect scaling in fullscreen, this may be because you are running at a low or nonstandard resolution like 1280x720 or 1366x768 (usually seen only for laptop or budget screens today). DXGL can fix this issue. In DXGL, click "Add" and navigate to the Game.exe. This will put it in a mode that lets you edit settings just for that game.

9 - Go to the Effects tab in DXGL and change "Blt Scaling Filter" from "Nearest" to "Bilinear." You can click Apply and close DXGL now. This will make the graphics look identical to how it looks when you alt-enter it.

• This is what your DXGL setting should look like: https://i.imgur.com/IGVqxTP.png

• Here's a before and after from some guy in the 4chan archives that was key to me figuring this out.

Pardon me for suddenly posting, but I didn’t know who to ask about the labeling because while I own several of the games on PC, I just came across one called Memories of Celceta, and I didn’t know which game this was.

Basically I was just hoping that I could have a meaningful discussion on the games as I am considering owning the Celceta game as again, while I own several of the Ys games on PC, I don’t know if Celceta in particular is a side story to the franchise, like what numbered installment it falls under as I don’t know if it’s a remake of say the fifth game or something else.

Having just finished Metaphor: Refantazio fairly recently and having enough time past it to reflect on it - and since I’m waiting on some patches for the only other game I want to play this year (STALKER 2) - I think that is my year wrapped up! Wrote one of these retrospectives last year and had fun sharing this/seeing other people’s similar posts, so figured I’d do it again…especially since a couple other people had shared theirs.

I felt like this year has been a little…weird, maybe, in terms of gaming. For my personal tastes and habits at least - probably compounded by my very chaotic year in my personal life as well. While JRPG quality was very good especially in comparison to last year, overall game quality (in terms of what I’ve played at least) has been great but not phenomenal. I played multiple games that blew me away to some extent last year, while this year I’d say only one got within that realm. Of course that could be just due the games I played this year, and I have a good feeling I would’ve loved FF7 Rebirth if I had a PS5.

I’m including every game I played in any amount, whether it was a new game, a replay, or an older game - though I will note some games I barely touched. I will also list non-JRPG games with a shorter description. Also, to be clear, my scores are based on my personal enjoyment and I’m not trying to speak in objective terms whatsoever.

Without further ado:

#My 2024 JRPGs:

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth: 9.5/10.

Overall a very enjoyable game, a great sequel mechanically but not a particularly great sequel in terms of narrative. From what I know of the series it’s not the worst narrative overall, but it is certainly very weak compared to the previous game which was incredible. But that’s not to say that LAD’s narrative is anywhere free of criticism anyway (>!Nanba betrayal arc, Mirror Face!<). In some ways I’ve warmed up to its story, in others I’ve cooled on it. But other than that there’s a lot to love. The class system is much improved, I do enjoy most of the new characters a lot, most of the character writing is good (Saeko and Ichiban being a bit of an exception, separately AND together), the increased banter is great, and Kiryu’s side of the game was extremely engaging from a narrative standpoint and easily the most emotionally effecting thing I experienced from gaming this year. The side games are wonderful. I can’t deny that it is the most enjoyable JRPG and game this year, flaws and all. I will say this: it is odd to me how much the effectiveness of the narrative relies on your fairly extensive knowledge of Kiryu’s games considering how good of a standalone narrative the previous game is. Kiryu’s side of the story is simply much more compelling than Ichiban’s, and if you aren’t very familiar with previous Yakuza games I feel like this game would not hit nearly as hard, which is a shame. [Here’s a post I wrote about the game after finishing it] (https://www.reddit.com/r/JRPG/s/UQN1QihLks).

Romancing Saga 2: Revenge of the Seven: 9/10.

Wow. What can I say. I was not expecting a second Saga game this year, nor was I expecting it to be one of the best ever made. Just a super impressive effort overall and it deserves all the success it got. Just pure, fun, open-ended, turn-based JRPG goodness. The QOL is great, the systems/mechanics are incredibly engaging and fun, the combat isn’t as good as Scarlet Grace and Emerald Beyond but is otherwise pretty dang fun. And while the story/writing isn’t particularly compelling, the added backstory for the Seven Heroes was actually fairly interesting (if not particularly groundbreaking)! An overall great turn-based JRPG I could recommend to just about anyone. Following this game is gonna be tough for Saga. Completed.

Metaphor: Refantazio: 9/10.

Though I haven’t played a ton of them, it’s definitely my favorite Atlus JRPG. A very modern feeling turn-based JRPG, with an entertaining world and narrative. I will say I don’t feel like it particularly excels in any one thing, but most things are executed very nicely. Also: I found the narrative to be maybe a touch overrated, very good for sure and mostly effective but nothing overly special - though it kept me guessing until the end! I have to wonder if its narrative is lauded not because its that incredible, but because people are so starved for a good narrative in a JRPG that when one comes out and is overall consistent and satisfying, people go crazy for it? I will say the ending was very satisfying with a very effective epilogue that was just a joy, even if the ending did “Return of the King” me a bit in how many times I felt like it should’ve just ended. Ultimately not a game I think I’ll really remember fondly for years to come, just a great game for 2024 (and thats more than good enough).

The great: I really enjoyed the class system and found myself swapping archetypes/characters often to fit the dungeon/boss. In other JRPGs I usually stick with one crew, but this is one of the few where I felt like I was using every character consistently and most classes which was pretty awesome. The generous auto saves and being able to retry combat at any time is also very very welcome.

The ok: The protagonist is…fine, not particularly interesting. I appreciate that he’s not silent but he doesn’t have much personality at all, even through the endgame. Also, why bother not letting reserve characters gain equal EXP from the start? What does that add to the game at all? Also, this is on me for doing everything, but I kinda felt like the game was at least one main dungeon or like 30 hours too long. The last couple months dragged a bit for me.

The bad: The overworld combat/ambush mechanics are way overtuned and straight up bad IMO. RS2:ROTS balanced it much better. It’s an interesting concept, just not well executed IMHO. The consequences for an ambush are just way too harsh for how unresponsive and stilted it feels, especially considering that all it takes is one hit to get ambushed - this is especially apparent when up against groups of enemies. Considering everything else in the game is as good as it is, having something that bad really stands out. And it is bad, like legitimately I don’t know if I’ve experienced any other gameplay mechanic that felt as straight up bad as that stuff does in recent memory. It also ends up making encounter balance feel…odd. I just felt like I was skipping combat constantly, either through the two turn stun window when I get advantage or by getting decimated in an ambush and deciding it’s not really worth continuing the combat, either by escaping or just dying. If I only have maybe 10% of combat encounters where I go back and forth between enemies, is there really a point to regular encounters? It is big reason why I don’t feel like I can give it more than a 9. Completed.

Final Fantasy XVI: 8.5/10.

A decent surprise, this one. I really didn’t know what to expect out of this game and came way feeling pretty good about it…until I kinda burnt out on it. It has REALLY high highs and some lows that kind of bog it down. In terms of individual elements, it has a lot of my favorite things from games this year - Clive is a great FF protagonist, many of the side characters are wonderful, the world building is entertaining, it looks beautiful, It has probably my favorite music of the year, and I enjoyed the narrative of what I played and would say it probably has my favorite story of what I’ve played this year. Lots of great moments, too. I’d rank it in the upper third of FF narratives, pending how I feel after/if I finish it, and tbh it’s in the upper level of that rank too. The most effecting stuff is in the first part for sure but I felt like the rest of what I played was pretty engaging too because of how much I enjoyed the characters. I will say the pacing in the last quarter is rough and what ultimately led me to put it down (hopefully temporarily), which is a shame because I do want to see how it ends. And while I do like the gameplay enough, the spectacle only goes so far and I find the combat to be a bit shallow and repetitive. Also, I don’t really feel like I’m missing out on not having a traditional “party” since you’re almost always supported by one character or another, I do have a “what if” feeling…what if it were more like the FF7 remakes in terms of gameplay/structure? Could this have been one of the better FFs ever? Idk, but this one is pretty good. And I hope to finish it! I was like at the last 10% or so when I got distracted by Metaphor, I’m gonna try to get back to it now.

Fire Emblem: Awakening (Project Thabes hack): 8.5/10.

Replayed this on a whim and i found that I enjoyed it on a second playthrough more than the first. Perhaps some of that is the Project Thabes reworking, but overall it was a fun game if not particularly fantastic. Also with some distance on it (and after the release of two FE games with way worse narratives), I find the story to be done well enough to be entertaining. Completed.

Unicorn Overlord 8.5/10.

A beautiful game and a fantastic iteration on the Ogre Battle formula. Retooling and reconfiguring units and armies is super fun…until it isn’t and just becomes exhausting. Stopped within the last 20% or so cuz the novelty wore off and the story/writing wasn’t interesting at all enough to keep me going either, won’t be going back to it.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name 8.5/10.

Putting this in the JRPG column is a stretch but I’m including it because the other LAD is here and, well, it’s my list and I can do what I want lol. A really great “gaiden” through and through, long enough to keep you interested but short enough to not wear out its welcome. A great appetizer before Infinite Wealth, I finished this and was PUMPED for the next game. The Arena is awesome. Returning to Yakuza 7 locations at that level of fidelity was super awesome and felt very nostalgic, and the story was honestly pretty good and made me excited to see how it would carry over into IW…but...after getting thru IW it’s so obvious this game was written after that game. Oh well, that’s a IW problem I guess. Completed.

Fire Emblem: Code of the Black Knights (romhack): 8/10.

Overall a fun and very ambitious romhack - tons of reactivity/variability, split paths, and endings, which I always enjoy. Fun character classes, decent characters, overall a good time. Writing is amateurish at times, but I forgive it to a point due to how ambitious it tries to be in terms of variability. I like it more than some mainline FEs. Completed.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes 8/10.

I feel like I’m more forgiving of this game than the average person on this subreddit - but I also didn’t go into it expecting a successor to Suikoden 2. I wanted a game that was within the quality of the Suikoden series and I got it. Definitely was disappointed in the narrative, but it’s still not the worst in the series so that’s fine. Very much a throwback JRPG, for better and for worse - for me the “better” outweighed the “worse”. YMMV. Definitely gets by on the novelty of being a Suikoden-like, if they do a sequel and it’s more of the same then that won’t be enough. Completed.

Saga: Emerald Beyond 7.5/10.

I wanted to love this game, but I just couldn’t. The battle system is as good as ever, I love the changes and additions. The level of reactivity and variance between playthroughs for the same characters is super impressive. But I just can’t vibe with the gameplay loop as it’s even more abstracted from your typical JRPG structure than Scarlet Grace was. Playing RS2:ROTS later in the year which is close to everything I wanted out of a modern Saga game only solidified this. RS2:ROTS gameplay in a Emerald Beyond world would be incredible. Completed one Mio and Ameya playthrough each, got most of the way through Siugnas before stopping, doubt I’ll go back to it.

Dragon’s Dogma 2 7.5/10.

This game is quite the whiplash. Presents really well and then just really falls off a cliff in every area once the novelty wears off. Pretty much nothing about it really holds up to scrutiny. And I’m not saying the game is bad - I stand by my rating - just that it really isn’t doing anything that compelling. After about 15 hours i asked myself why I was playing and couldn’t really give myself a proper answer, though I definitely was having fun enough of the time unlike another game I’ll talk about later. And I’m sorry but the Dragon’s Plague shit is dumb, even after they patched it. Quit after ~15 hours, doubt I’ll return.

Octopath Traveler 2 with the New Dawn mod 7/10.

I’ll be brief because I talked about this game in my list last year, but I did try this mod this year. It did fix the difficulty but it didn’t fix the numerous other things about this game I didn’t care for. I wonder if I had experienced the game with this mod first how I’d feel about it overall, but I’ll never know! Put maybe 10 hours into this playthrough.

Vision of Mana 7/10.

Nothing about this game compelled me at any point in any way, straight up. For whatever reason I liked Trials of Mana Remake way more, and I’m not sure why despite this clearly being more polished. It’s a shame, really. I got about ~15 hours in before I realized I wasn’t really having fun at any point and nothing was keeping me there, so, off I went. Not a bad game, there are just too many good games out there to spend it on this one. Won’t be returning. TBH I wouldn’t say I regret buying it since hey, at least I gave it a chance, but…it’s pretty close.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising 6/10.

Speaking of regretting a purchase…I think I got this for $5 on a sale and idk if I would recommend it to anyone for anything more than that lol. Aggressively mediocre in every aspect, though it does look nice enough! And I do like the characters enough, too. I think I beat it in 14 hours and still felt like I dragged myself through it. I will say it was worth it enough for me since I played it the week before Hundred Heroes came out, and it got me slightly hyped on it, but really there wasn’t even that much crossover. Wouldn’t really recommend it to anyone, but I can’t say I was disappointed cuz I wasn’t expecting much. Completed.

#Other games of 2023:

Brief mention to Baldur’s Gate 3 (9.5/10) as I started a “resist” Dark Urge run on a very impulsive whim, I rate it the same as I did last year but after time has passed I feel much better about it overall. Still can’t justify a 10/10 since there are enough flaws for me personally but it’s really an incredible achievement through and through. This is what I’ve been getting back to now that I’m done with Metaphor, though I’m a little hesitant cuz I don’t know when the new patch will drop and I don’t want to lose all my mods…

Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire 9.5/10.

Another second playthrough that I tried on a whim, got pretty far before getting distracted. Incredible game, two things keep it from being 10/10 to me - 1) Story isn’t as strong as POE 1, 2) Not a fan of RTWP combat, even though this is the best I’ve ever seen it, and its turn based system is way too clunky in comparison. Otherwise though it’s as near perfect of a CRPG as you’re gonna get IMHO, only behind Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous which is my personal GOAT.

Silent Hill 2 Remake 9/10.

Bloober Team really knocked this out of the park. Improves on the original in every single way. Combat is the only thing holding this back IMO, it’s good but not that good for how much of it is in game. But it’s a fairly minor nitpick.

Fallout 2 9/10.

Another replay, still my favorite Fallout game.

Solasta: Crown of the Magister 8/10.

Gave this one a try again, and I do like its implementation of DnD 5e a lot. Buuuut I just kinda lost interest after awhile. Good if you want more 5e and are burnt out on BG3. The custom campaigns seem really cool, and I’m interested in the sequel.

Fallout: London 8/10.

An incredible achievement for a mod, simply incredible. Once that novelty wears off it’s ultimately just a janky modern Fallout game, of slightly lesser quality than any 1st Person Fallouts outside of Fallout 76. But hey, that’s still a damn good game. Probably put 40ish hours into it, not sure if I’ll get back to it but probably not.

#Games I didn’t put much time into:

Grim Dawn: Gave this game another chance after bouncing off of it on release, and it’s pretty good but still didn’t really make it that far. Tbh…I still enjoyed Diablo 3 and 4 more, what can I say.

Sword of Convallaria: It’s a gacha game that tried to pretend it’s not. Here’s a post I wrote about how I felt about it after trying to get into it - not a review, but “early impressions”.

#Highlights

Games Played (not included the two I barely played): 20.

Games Completed: 9.

Biggest Surprise: Romancing Saga 2: ROTS (mainly cuz it was a shock announcement)

Biggest Disappointment: Saga: Emerald Beyond (mainly cuz I wasn’t really disappointed by much else, and the disappointment was very mild to be fair)

Game I Was Hoping To Play But Didn’t: Dragon Age: Veilguard (wanted to finish my Inquisition playthrough I started four years ago, but, well, that’s didn’t happen…)

Most Anticipated 2025 Game: FF7: Rebirth PC release and Avowed.

Top 3 Games In Order: Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Metaphor: Refantazio, Romancing Saga 2: ROTS

No news in English but Artisan Studios the 16th of December filled for bankruptcy. It's been 3 months they stopped to pay employees. Their next title (Lost Hellden) future is still unknown. It might never get released.

Source: https://www.mediapart.fr/journal/economie-et-social/181224/c-est-une-descente-aux-enfers-la-crise-du-jeu-video-rattrape-un-petit-studio-de-montpellier

From what I've seen, I don't completely understand how the game is so revered. This is not trying to be a hate post or anything, I'm just trying to understand and see if it's for me. I've heard people say the 5 kingdoms pretty much all have the same gameplay/formula and the story isn't very good so essentially all you're relying on is a battle system where you're doing the same thing for 80 hours without much variation in gameplay at all.

I want to get the game and like it because Odin Sphere was really good from what I played and as an artist, I LOVE the artstyle to pieces. Also, because everyone is raving about this game everywhere.

I'm just worried about repetitiveness and if the story will get grating. I need something to be motivating me to move forward in a game and without a story reason or even environments to explore, I worry it will get tiring after 80 hours. I don't require an amazing story for every game but for something that long I want to be engaged or at least have other systems outside of purely battles to be interested in.

Sorry if it sounds like I'm trying to put down the game, I swear I'm not.

Looks even better now.

https://youtu.be/kJv5PinN0GU?si=7ETzvfA8asvSZqLG

Posting this here for a more balanced view than the games sub. This was my first Atlus game, I have stayed clear of Persona as the life sim stuff really isn’t for me, nor the school setting. So I was mega excited to play Metaphor and get some of that Persona goodness without the parts that put me off. It’s a mixed bag for me.

The characters are great, all believable and charming. The only one I didn’t care for was Eupha, she was she a bit too cutesy for my tastes but nothing inherently bad about her. I was a bit shocked with the follower quests though. I don’t know how you take such likeable cast of characters and make such mid level follower stories. You can get a maximum of 14 followers and while they are all amazing characters, only 3-4 have good stories. Some of them fall flat and feel generic, others have awful pacing. Hulkenberg as an example, she deals with her main quarry in quest 6/8 and then spends the next 2 quest lamenting on her failings as a knight, her own insecurities and while it’s not bad, that’s exactly what we spent quest 1-5 doing. I felt we dealt with Rhodanthe way too quickly. Heismay, Alonzo, Briggita, Basillio all had fairly good story lines, but the rest left a lot to be desired.

Character design, menu design were all stunning, I really get all the hype around Persona and its menus. As silly as it is to say they are works of art and I never tired of them.

I don’t get the hype for the music. it had a few good tracks, the one that plays when their is a sad moment was pretty good and the Akademia one I really liked. The battle theme wasn’t bad just not to my liking it really grated on me. To say it’s a bad soundtrack would be disingenuous. it’s just very average to me, minus the battle theme, which is unique, it could have been the OST to a Y’s or Tales of game and I wouldn’t have known any different.

The story is good, nothing special just good. It’s really on those nose about racism’s and social injustice, as well as the abuse of power, but that’s by design I suppose. The big twist about the Prince and MC felt ripped straight out of Kingdom Hearts, very akin to a Nobody and a Heartless. Also the twist was a little too predictable. I didn’t guess the exact twist but I got pretty close. I was thinking along the lines of MC being the real prince and the “prince” being a decoy used by the king to keep his real son safe. So even though I didn’t guess it, I got fairly close. I had that in mind from the moment the royal gauntlet runner reacts to us. Louis was a fantastic villain, again slightly blemished by the revenge angle they tried to spin at the end. He didn’t need it, I much preferred him being a man convicted to his ideals at any cost. Up until the revenge reason, he was a more realised version of Vayne Solidor from FF12 and I was here for it. Doesn’t ruin his character but it does detract.

The combat was fantastic, nothing more really to say. It didn’t do anything revolutionary, but I appreciated the MP management of early to mid game dungeons. You get so OP towards the end you don’t really have to manage it as much. I know the mage trick but I wanted to play the game as true to the developers intentions as possible.

As someone with very little free time as I get older, I pick and chose which games I do side content for. I feel I don’t have that choice in Metaphor. If you don’t do the side stuff you seem to be very, very underleveld and geared for the next story beat on the calendar. The alternative is to not do the side content and just grind and at that point why wouldn’t you just do the side content? I was playing on normal so maybe if the game is played on easy this Is viable? However, that makes the game easy and that not what I want, I just don’t want to be so underleveld I have to do the content. I am sure there are som weird and wonderful builds and team compositions that would allow you to skip the side content and still blitz the game, it’s just dosent seem very doable in a casual sense.

All in all I would say it’s a solid 8/10 game. I am a little baffled at the level of praise it has been receiving, being called a masterpiece and game of the year is a stretch for me. I think if the same game had FF, Y’s, DQ, Tales of, attached to its name it wouldn’t be getting this level of praise. It does everything well, but nothing amazing. I think it’s got amazing potential to be a great new series for Atlus and as a first entry into a new IP it has done very well whilst not pushing the genre forward. Enjoyed my time with it and look forward to where the series could go.

I probably played most popular JRPGs, definatly those which exists for PC.
Obviously, some were good, some were bad, some I thought were overhyped, some were underhyped, etc..
I'm not going to go into the full list of games I played and write my opinions on them as this will take forever.

But here is my question: Do you think any JRP from the last couple of years or so is a "hidden gem"? Something that is really good, but hardly no one is talking about?

For me, for example, one of the most hidden gems is Troubleshooter: Abandoned Children (I know, it's korean, not japanese, but I think in this case it's close enough), which is a great game (it got it's problems, obviously, but it's still very good), but it seems like nobody is playing anywhere.

Edit: if you are going to downvote this post, at least bother to write why. Downvoting for the hell of it is just bullying

I'm looking for JRPGs on Switch or PS5 that are fairly simple to understand in Japanese but WITHOUT furigana. Ideally I wanted to play Paper Mario TTYD if anyone knows whether you can play it without furigana.

I've played through FF7, 8, and almost finished with 9 in Japanese but I'm still having trouble grasping the structure of complex sentences. I had played Super Mario RPG before FF9, and found that it was alot easier to understand BUT I got alot less kanji retention out of it due to furigana and I'm sure anyone who's tried to use Google lens translations with furigana probably knows it royally messes up translations often because of the extra characters.

Also not 100% sure if DQ is a whole lot simpler than FF if anyone is able to shed some light on that. I know DQ is more aimed at kids but I feel like the dialogue could be fairly similar. Definitely open to any suggestions of games that are in the same ballpark as SMRPG or atleast simpler than FF but without furigana or with a toggle option. Also ideally looking for non-voiced games as I need time to break down text and look up new vocab and haven't gotten much of anything out of the voiced games I've tried.

I know it's a pretty specific ask but would greatly appreciate anything that fits the bill and most certainly play it

I’d love to play one of these on the go, so it has to be the switch version of any of them, I have DQ3 on ps5 but I am barely able to play on my Ps5 anymore, I also have heard that Romancing Saga 2 is great. Never played it before so it would be a fresh experience. And I want Ys cause i love Adol and the series. I know there’s supposed to be a new super improved version or something coming out in the future but I’d still love to play this new one

Someone who might have played one of these (or all) that can help out? Specially if you can tell me about their performance, and overall how fun was the game you tried on switch

I always loved this style of jrpg where the view is isometric. It makes 2D game felt having 3D depth but also only showing what devs wants you to see.

Best example of isometric JRPG is of course capcom titles like Breath of Fire 3 and 4, Trails in the Sky/Crossbell titles, Super Mario RPG and others. Tactical JRPG use this view a lot as well like Disgaea, FFT, Tactics Ogre and the recent Triangle Strategy.

Is there any more recent isometric jrpg from 2013 and up? I think one recent example is of course, Sea of Stars but I do hope there is more other than it. I am on PS5, PC and Switch. Been craving for more of these.

I just came across this game while browsing the store. I’m an old school JRPG fan and am intrigued by what I’ve read and who made it. Anyone tried on Xbox? Is it a good port? How would you compare the story and characters to Lost Odyssey? Better or worse?

I recently started Final Fantasy: The Four Heroes of Light on my DS and its been a blast, the combat and class system both feel like a very close if a little experimental Bravely Default and I haven't had any complain, outside of one minor thing: You can't choose your target for attacks or healing spells.

Early on is not a problem as nothing really resists anything but later on when enemies get resistances you can see yourself hitting those instead of the enemy weak to it right next to it, healing is less of a problem as the game always goes for the lowest HP ally so you can always tell who is getring healed.

But overall if you could choose the target for the attack this game would be so much better, any other game you guys think this applies to?

Recently beat Trials of Mana and I was left a little wanting, the combat was good and the areas varied but the game had really nothing else to sink my teeth into.

Then I'm about 70% of the way through Xenoblade Chronicles DE.
This is the game that made me make this post. I want to play a game that has at least one element, combat or story, as well done as this game does in several areas.
The issue being, while I like the game and I can see why others like it, it's just not hitting that masterpiece or even great status feeling of play for me.
The game is extremely well made on all accounts but the battle system and the story and the exploration loop, well, none of them were my exact taste.
I do see and respect all the qualities of this game, it has a lot of the building blocks that make a stand out RPG, but it just made me want to play something else even more. It reminded me that I very much do want to play a JRPG, just not this one exactly.

I'd appreciate recommends from any era and any console

JRPG's I've already played (That I can remember and expect would be recommended):

-Xenogears
-Dragon Quest series (most mainline titles, shoutout to DQ VIII)
-FF series (All mainline titles but the most recent two, FF7 forever)
-Tales of series (Vesperia of course)
-Trails series (Estelle is an underknown protag)
-Breath of Fire series (BoF 2 is king)
-Persona series (5 had that great art direction constantly)
-Nier series (Automata edges out for me)
-SaGa (I barely checked out one admittedly)
-Fire Emblem series(I have an issue in getting so interested in them I don't finish them, only finished the first one with Ike)
-Atalier series (Only tried a few, I'm open to any heavy hitting entries, Ryzas combat was too easy for me)
-Disgaea series (Being purely about min maxing was not my flavor)
-Octopath Traveler series (For being narratively driven games I found it a little shallow on fleshing things out)
-Mana series (People really sleep on Legend of Mana)
-Valkyrie series (I wish tri ace made like 30 more games)
-Star Ocean series (SO2 trumps SO3 in every facet)
-Radiata Stories (Clunky combat but they really made one solid overall RPG)
-SMT series (Barely and I'm not that interested)
-Rogue Galaxy (It's good but something about it burnt me out)

No I am not going to criticize the Fabula Nova series as I know that has been done so much, but basically I was having a moment of observation to look at the history behind the modern Final Fantasy games in general to try to understand Square Enix’s plans for the PS3 generation itself.

Like I am not saying whether the focus on a single universe in the PS3 generation was good or bad, but basically I was just taking a simple moment of observation to understand what made Square Enix so interested in expanding the universe of Final Fantasy 13 as I found it to be interesting that they attempted to give that particular universe a huge amount of focus.

For instance, when looking at the PS2 generation of Final Fantasy games, there were 3 separate stories as all 3 games were completely stand alone, aside from Final Fantasy 10 being the first one to have a direct sequel.

If I sound like I am ragging on the Fabula Nova saga, I do apologize as my point was that again, I was just taking a moment of observation to look at the history of the games as lately I had been a bit curious to see what got Square Enix so interested in expanding on the universe of Final Fantasy 13 itself as there were 3 single player games of the franchise on the PS3. But what I find kind of unusual is how the 3 games were directly connected to one particular universe as I wanted to get a better understanding of why that move happened instead of telling different stories in the franchise back then.

I played FFIX, VII, X and XII growing up. Fantastic stories with XII starting to show signs of the direction future games were heading.

Why do the stories of the older FF games, in particular those mentioned, seem to be told with so much more care? The emotions in 7, 9, and 10 are unparalleled since. Is there an actual reason why? Are they saving great stories for FF18 and 20?

https://x.com/OCTOPATH_PR/status/1870272978220658961

Great news! I thought the first game was ok but the 2nd game was fantastic and my favorite JRPG of last year.

https://preview.redd.it/eam2jkaaq38e1.png?width=1080&format=png&auto=webp&s=c10c7d20cd4986ee6f7638f9a2ab4750e1f47709

I've always loved video games, I've played a lot of them in various genres, but as I get older (way past 30s), I feel like I only want to play JRPGs. Do you feel the same, or try to conciliate with other genres?

I've always loved this genre since the days of the PS1, and it's on this system that I still want to play many of the JRPGs I have pending. I'm also discovering the SNES library and I'm simply amazed. I'm still trying to discover more modern titles, though.

As I sometimes go a few days or weeks without playing because, well, life and work... Everytime I come back to my pending saves, it always feels fresh. I honestly could spend the rest of my life playing this genre.

Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to open up this discussion. Share what you're playing too, I welcome suggestions. I'm wrapping up Super Mario RPG, and this is my list for the new year: Pokemon Gold or Silver, Shadowrun, Vagrant Story, Legend of Dragoon, Final Fantasy VI, and/or any other good suggestion I may pick up around here.

Merry Christmas to all of you!

I'm playing Record of Agarest War for the PS3 and I'm in the Boundry Plane. To be honest I just want to finish it up the most easiest way possible (I don't care if it ruins the fun, I'm just trying to 100%) so I'm wondering what characters I should use, what moves are recommended, levels, stats, etc. I'm currently using all heros plus Ellis.

Surprising for it to appear just after the Sky FC remake and Ys X news, but here's the Steam and PS Store links, the Steam link also mentions an English dub.

EDIT: I'd forgotten that this was on the EpicDB leak from earlier this year and also the Geofront team made an article about this new version.

I've been playing FF7 for the very first time, and one of the more immediately apparent things I've noticed with the game is how quick the pacing is.

Having just left Midgar and (so far at least) the game has wasted absolutely 0 time in moving me from point A to B. Character interactions are brisk and to the point; no conversation has felt drawn out or filled with fluff. I dont believe the characterization of the main cast and antagonists have suffered because of this either. I have a relatively solid grasp of who the characters are and what they're feeling after dialogue exchanges.

Maybe it's because most of the JRPGs I've played are from Falcom and Atlus, but the pacing here is such a breath of fresh air. The only other FF game I've played besides 7 is 10, albeit only the first first hour or two, but the pacing there was brisk as well. It would've been easy enough to begin the games with unneeded lore dumps or excessive exposition, but that didn't happen. I think less is more in this instance. It's worked really well for the game so far. I hope it continues to stay as well-paced as it is now.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3399630/The_Curse_of_Mount_Madre/

A traditional turn-based JRPG with a wild west twist.

The Curse of Mount Madre is an indie JRPG developed by me, Kevin Musto. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, this treasure hunting adventure launches on PC, via Steam, on January 20, 2025.

I’ve been a fan of JRPGs my whole life and I’ve always wanted to make one… and so I did! The game was influenced by genre classics like Wild Arms, Grandia, Ys, and even the limited footage that exists of Earthbound 64.

About

Liberty Valley—a small frontier town in the middle of the Badlands is where this tale takes place.

A coming of age adventure that follows two orphaned boys that team up with a veteran treasure hunter to uncover the secrets that lurk beneath the depths of the Mount Madre mines, in pursuit of infinite wealth.

Key Features

• Traditional Turn-Based Combat – Play as Cal Sawyer, Wesley Nash, Jasper Vance, and Billie Dawson, in four character party battles.

• Deep Dungeon Exploration – Venture into the treacherous Mount Madre Mines to fight enemies, solve puzzles, platform, and find treasure.

• Liberty Valley – Explore a bustling hub town with a wide array of colourful NPCs to meet.

• Full English Voice Acting – Every cutscene in the game is voiced by a cast of talented actors.

• Original Music – Your journey will be accompanied by catchy tunes reminiscent of the PS1 era.

Please consider wishlisting the game on Steam!

More specifically, in reference to the combat, which is more often than not a dealbreaker to me. Vesperia's story was great but I hated the gameplay to the point where I came close to dropping in multiple times. On the other hand, Arise's story didn't strike me in any way but the gameplay felt a lot more enjoyable, so I played quite a bit of it.

I keep seeing Berseria recommended to me and it always go on sale, so I've thought about it a few times. However, I don't want to end up having to slog through another combat system I hate, so I've always ignored it - I've always been worried the combat system would lean closer to Vesperia than Arise.

Can anyone here clear my mind? Because, like I said, I loved Arise's combat. Maybe I'm wrong and Berseria's not as similar to Vesperia as I fear. So, to anyone who's played both - or all three - what's Berseria like in terms of gameplay?

So I recently got a PlayStation 5 and was pleasantly surprised to see two games I didn't expect on the PS store. Arc the Lad Twilight of the Spirits, which I had on PS2 but never beat and Star Ocean First Departure which I've read about but never got to play.

I don't know which one I should get and I'm trying to budget( I'm not broke just practicing discipline.) which one do y'all think I should get?

Note: I haven't owned a console since PS2.

Any recommendations on these?

EDIT: PURCHASED STAR OCEAN FIRST DEPARTURE.

Hey everyone, my girlfriend got me an emulation handheld, but since she isnt that savy with them, she got me a v6 or x6 (one of the no brand ones), and from what ive seen, it caps out at snes and gba.

WIth that in mind, what are the "no brainer" jrpgs for those systems and below? Thank you in advance!

I love when my JRPGs have a chill base or room that i can go to between story quests etc to just hang out in and maybe play a jukebox or something. What games do you guys think have good player rooms or bases? I always loved taking to the other characters at base in shining force games. I also loved my little apartment under the bridge in Radiata Stories. Had a blast customizing my own room in Phantasy Star Universe. What rooms or bases do you all like to chill in ? Id love to hear about games from old to new!

Here comes the Winter Steam sale again. It will end on January 2.

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 ($9.99 at -50%) - 🟦

🟢 Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth ($34.99 at -50%) - 🟦

[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 18K reviews at "Overwhelmingly Positive" is enough to show how good the game is even at full price. So at $12 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.

🟢 Atelier Series (Prices range from $17 to $35)

[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]

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.

🟢 Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition ($9.99 at -80%) - 🟧

[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 ($14.99 at -75%) - 🟧

[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 ($14.99 at -75%) - 🟦

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

This one is also a great title, where you collect characters to come and upgrade your homebase, and each character/digimon will open a business or an activity. You can also collect resources and upgrade your base yourself. The story is not the focus as you can tell, but it's all about raising your 2 partner digimons from a baby all the way up the evolution tree into Ultimates, and after their current lifetime ends, they die and go back to being a baby where you repeat the loop again. They will evolve into different digimons depending on how you raise them and what you focus their training on. A really fun open-world game with lots of things to do.

🟢 Persona 3 Portable ($15.99 at -20%) - 🟦

🟢 Persona 3 Reloaded (Remake) ($34.99 at -50%) - 🟦

🟢 Persona 4 Golden ($11.99 at -40%) - 🟦

🟢 Persona 5 Royal ($23.99 at -60%) - 🟦

[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 ($52.49 at -25%) - 🟧

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

🟢 Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance ($41.99 at -30%) - ?

[Post-Apocalyptic setting/Monster Collector/Remaster/Dark story/Choices Matter]

Adding these as they all fit here.

🟢 Final Fantasy 3 (3D Remake) ($6.39 at -60%) - 🟧

🟢 Final Fantasy 4 (3D Remake) ($6.39 at -60%) - 🟧

🟢 Final Fantasy 7 ($4.79 at -60%) - 🟧

🟢 Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII - Reunion ($24.99 at -50%) - 🟦

🟢 Final Fantasy 8 ($4.79 at -60%) - ?

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

🟢 Final Fantasy 9 ($8.39 at -60%) - ?

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

🟢 Final Fantasy 12 Zodiac Age ($19.99 at -60%) - 🟦

🟢 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 ($13.99 at -60%) - 🟦

🟢 Final Fantasy 16 ($37.49 at -25%) - ?

🟢 Final Fantasy Type-0 HD ($11.99 at -60%) - ?

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

🟢 Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin ($19.99 at -50%) - ?

[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.

🟢 Monster Sanctuary ($4.99 at -75%) - 🟦

[Fantasy setting/Monster Collector/Metroidvania/Pixel Graphics]

This is a solid JRPG, everything is polished and balanced to make sure you are having fun collecting new monsters and customizing your team through evolution/skill trees/gear and making the best in-sync party you can from the very start till the end. If you're looking for your next "Gameplay heavy and light on story" JRPG, then this is it.

🟢 Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling ($7.99 at -60%) - 🟦

[Paper Mario-like/Comedy/Adventure]

Probably one of the few games in this that I have yet to play, but I think the steam score and all the awards the game got, speak for themselves.

This Paper Mario style JRPG saw the gap Nintendo left, and knew what JRPG fans are waiting for, so instead of waiting for Nintendo, they decided to patch in that gap in JRPG history on their own. With praise from everywhere and Overwhelmingly Positive score on steam. why not give it a try ?

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

🟢 Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song- Remastered ($14.99 at -40%) - 🟦

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

🟢 Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven (Remake) ($37.49 at -20%) - 🟧

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

🟢 SaGa Frontier Remastered ($12.49 at -60%) - 🟦

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

🟢 SaGa Emerald Beyond ($29.99 at -40%) - 🟧

[Turn-based/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 $48)

[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] [Fantasy setting/Great Soundtrack/Slow Start/Story and World building heavy]

As usual, I have never heard of this series before, but a friend told me it's a hidden gem, so might as well give it a try if you have the chance. Just be aware that it's a very, and I mean very, slow burn. If you're not into games that take their time to build up story and world of the game, and slowly raise the stakes as you learn more about the world and it's characters, this is probably not for you.

​

╔.★. .════════════════════════════╗

#      ✨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 -81%)

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 ($3.99 at -80%) - 🟦

🟢 Disgaea 2 ($3.99 at -80%) - 🟧

🟢 Disgaea 4 Complete+ ($11.99 at -70%) - 🟦

🟢 Disgaea 5 ($9.99 at -75%) - 🟦

🟢 Disgaea 6 ($29.99 at -50%) - 🟧

🟢 Disgaea 7 ($44.99 at -25%) - 🟦

[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)] (https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/16227/Disgaea_Dood_Bundle/) ($58.09 -67%)

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 Symphonia ($4.99 at -75%) - 🟦 [Anime style/Local Co-Op/Fantasy Adventure]**

🟢 Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition ($9.99 at -80%) - 🟦 [Anime style/Local Co-Op/Fantasy Adventure]**

🟢 Tales of Zestiria ($19.99 at -60%%) - 🟧 [Anime style/Fantasy Adventure]**

🟢 Tales of Berseria ($4.99 at -90%) - ? [Anime style/Local Co-Op/Fantasy Adventure/Female Protagonist/Villain Main Character/Dark story]**

🟢 Tales of Arise ($14.79 at -63%) - 🟦 [Anime style/Fantasy Adventure/Dark story]

You can't go wrong with any of these, 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%) - ?

🟢 Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA ($13.99 at -65%) - 🟦

🟢 Ys IX: Monstrum Nox ($29.99 at -50%) - 🟦

[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 ($15.99 at -60%) - 🟦

🟢 Rune Factory 5 ($15.99 at -60%) - 🟧

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

🟢 CrossCode ($5.99 at -70%) - 🟧

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

This is the indie game that puts "Triple A" games to shame. 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 10$ ? O_o...If you're still on the fence, you can give the free demo a try first.

🟢 Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale ($3.99 at -80%) - ? [Capitalism/Item Shop sim/Dungeon Crawler/Crafting/Anime art style/Female Protagonist]

Father left you with a crushing debt, and the loan shark is here to collect. But wait! The loan shark turns out to be a cute fairy, and tells you that she will help you get back on your feet by managing your item shop, so you can pay your debt. Otherwise she'll take your store/house and kick you out.

Craft items, hire mercenaries to crawl through dungeons, collect loot, fuse loot, or simply sell it in your shop, earn money, expand, craft some more, hire better mercenaries to crawl through bigger and more dangerous dungeons, and repeat. It’s way more fun than it sounds, and even though it's really old, it's still one of the best, if not thee best game in the item shop simulation genre. With charming characters that you'll get to know more about as you grow your shop, different mercenaries each with their own stories, a cute business rival, to all the weird customers you'll be meeting. This is a game worth having.

🟢 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 ($8.99 at -40%) - 🟦

[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 ($6.99 at -65%) - ?

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

🟢 Aselia the Eternal -The Spirit of Eternity Sword- ($4.49 at -70%) - ?

🟢 Seinarukana -The Spirit of Eternity Sword 2- ($8.99 at -70%) - ?

[Fantasy setting/Great World Building/Fan-service/Comedy/War & Politics/Isekai/Mystery]

🟢 Agarest Series Complete Set (4 games) ($9.97 at -71%)

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

Zero & Mariage - 🟦

1 & 2 - ?

🟢 Conception PLUS: Maidens of the Twelve Stars ($11.99 at -80%) - ?

🟢 Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars ($5.99 at -50%) - ?

🟢 Conception Bundle (1 and 2) ($16.18 at -78%)

[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 ($7.99 at -80%) - 🟦

[Dark Fantasy setting/Dragons/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 ($10.78 at -80%) - (The Stick of Truth 🟦 / The Fractured but Whole 🟧)

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

🟢 The Caligula Effect: Overdose ($9.99 at -80%) - ?

🟢 The Caligula Effect 2 ($24.99 at -50%) - 🟧

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

🟢 The Alliance Alive HD Remastered ($7.99 at -80%) - 🟦

[Fantasy setting/Expansive Skill Tree/Character customization/NPC collector/SaGa-like]

🟢 Indivisible ($2.99 at -85%) - 🟦

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

🟢 Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1 ($5.23 at -65%) - 🟦

🟢 Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2: Sisters Generation ($5.23 at -65%) - 🟦

🟢 Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 3 ($5.23 at -65%) - 🟧

🟢 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 ($9.99 at -50%) - 🟧

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

🟢 Trillion: God of Destruction ($4.99 at -50%) - ?

[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 ($19.79 at -67%) - 🟦

[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 ($8.99 at -85%) - 🟧

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

🟢 Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk ($9.99 at -80%) - 🟧

🟢 Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society ($29.99 at -40%) - 🟦

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

╔.★. .════════════════════════════╗

#                  ✨Action✨

╚════════════════════════════. .★.╝

🟢 Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment (1st game) ($4.99 at -75%) - 🟧

🟢 Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Realization Delux Edition (2nd game) ($7.49 at -85%) - 🟧

[MMORPG Setting/Online Multiplayer/Dating sim/Tierd Loot/Dungeon Crawlers/Boss Raids/Kill & Fetch Quests heavy]

🟢 Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection Vol. 1 ($19.99 at -50%) - 🟦

🟢 Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection Vol. 2 ($19.99 at -50%) - 🟦

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

🟢 Legend of Mana ($11.99 at -60%) - ?

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

🟢 Trials of Mana ($19.99 at -60%) - 🟦

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

🟢 Visions of Mana ($41.99 at -30%) - 🟧

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

🟢 NEO: The World Ends with You ($23.99 at -60%) - 🟧

[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 Last Hope ($6.29 at -70%) - ?

🟢 Star Ocean The Divine Force ($23.99 at -60%) - ?

🟢 Star Ocean The Second Story R ($32.49 at -35%) - 🟦

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

🟢 Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot ($14.99 at -75%) - ?

[Sci-fi setting/Semi-Open World (huge zones)/Anime story adaptation/Beautiful animations]

🟢 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.]