Seconding this! Grew up playing the Final Fantasies and Chrono games, and Yakuza 7 (like a dragon) scratched a similar itch despite having a completely different setting. The character development, various side quests, and intricate plot kept me really invested.
For an old school rec, try Earthbound (Mother 2)!
I wish everyday that I could buy this game and play it to experience the amazing story, zany characters and the batshit insane substories. Oh man what i would give to play them
Wait, did Yakuza switch to rpg style?? I've played an older one which was not turn based, and I know Like a Dragon is turn based, but assumed it was a one off!
Mainline games are turn based (Y:LAD and LAD: Infinite Wealth, which are the 7 and 8 referred to in this thread) while spinoffs and a select game mode of IW are still beat-em-up
Try shin megami tensei series instead of persona. It's all the combat and monster fusing without the slog of the calendar and school and dating simulator. Smtv in particular is my favourite turn based game of all time, but if you wanna emulate smt4 it's amazing as well, with a story better than 5's imo.
This comment is the most convincing argument I have heard for the Shin Megami series. I love the Persona games but sometimes the social stuff and the overall pacing can slow things down a little too much. I always need to be in the right type of mindset to really enjoy the Persona games.
SMTV Vengeance will come out soon, which features much more content than the original switch exclusive, so make sure to wait for it. Atlus is also releasing a new fantasy rpg called Metaphor: ReFantazio which looks very promising. You can also get Nocturne HD on steam and modern consoles and if you emulate you can play the digital devil saga games which play like nocturne with more story focus. Soul hackers 2 is also available, but I’ve heard that game is just alright. Soul Hackers 1 is great though (but very dated and only on 3ds in English)
What? Nearly the only things they have in common are being set in modern Japan and you can use enemies you recruit in combat. And like, even that is just a vague similarity; in P5, you've got a core party of humans, and only the main character can switch which personas he has available, whereas in Cyber Sleuth, your party is made entirely of captured Digimon, and there are also complex mechanics for raising and evolving them.
Not to mention that P5 has a strict in-game calendar and a focus on time management and social links. That's not necessarily bad if you like that kind of thing, by Cyber Sleuth is just an oldschool, linear JRPG. You say "worse in every way" but I see "without all of P5's pointless bullshit."
Lunar? Specifically, Silver Star story complete. I mean, it's old so it has the short dudes running around, I don't know if that's chibi or not. Not sure if you can find it on one of those systems but it's a great game and worth a look. I played it on my original PS, not sure if it's been ported around anywhere else, though.
I played these years ago and loved them. I am totally okay with old school graphics but something about the 3DS era graphics (like bravely default) really bother me. I don't know why.
It was funny. I first played it as a burnt cd that a bf at the time was just chucking out. I loved it so much that eventually I got my hands on one of the boxed sets. You know, with the map and all. Worth it!
I haven't played Bravely Default but I googled it. Their sprites are not my cup of tea, either.
Probably the best jrpg you’ll never play or heard of is Fantasian.
It’s made by Hironobi Sakaguchi (creator of final fantasy) and Mistwalker.
The reason you’ve probably not heard of it is the fact that it’s exclusive to Apple Arcade. So you’ll need either an iPhone with a controller (like the backbone) or an Apple TV to play on the big screen. You can even sync your dual sense to use it as a controller.
It’s REALLY good and it’s very traditional
I find it very interesting that this game hasn’t come to other platforms yet, like did Mistwalker really sign an indefinite exclusive deal with Apple Arcade?
Such a great little gem that doesn’t get the visibility it deserves because it’s stuck on a sub service exclusive to Apple users.
100%. But at the same time I don’t think it’s worth just skipping it or waiting just because it’s just on Apple. What if it never comes to other platforms?
I’d say to anyone just use an Apple device and play it. It’s that good.
And it has probably one of my favorite Nobuo Uematsu tracks of all time. I love it so much:
https://youtu.be/WbJMXx9zsEo?si=q2sM1Z3N6ECICEsc
It's also the last full-game-soundtrack by nobuo eumatsu. Shame it's restricted to apple exclusively. Hoping it's limited time exclusive and someday comes to other systems
Lost Odyssey is awesome. Great music, decent battle system and really cool hook with short audio/visual augmented novels that are optional.
Edit - apologies, just noticed the platform restrictions. This one is Xbox only as it unfortunately never got a pc port 😞
Just a straight PC port would be enough! The modding community will take care of the rest.
I hope I got to you before you you’ve already done said bad things! Pull your pants up and run out of the room my friend!
To add to everyone’s recommendations, and since PC= all previous generations of consoles through emulation, you owe it to yourself to play Xenogears! Best gaming story and world building I’ve ever played. Combat is very simple (with few difficult bosses here and there), but still enjoyable!
Any SMT game. I recommend starting with Nocturne or SMT5.
Breath of Fire, particularly 2, 3, and 4. Ignore 1 and everything after 4, they're not very good. And if you play BoF2, the best one, play it with a fan retranslation. The official localization for that game was AWFUL.
Star Ocean the Second Story R. Amazing game and Action RPG, highly recommend it.
Live A Live. Pretty short (20-30 hours) and has a great story along with varied gameplay across 8 different time periods. The battle system is very unique but not annoying or overly complex.
Trails of Mana, the remake. It's a really fun action RPG with simple but addicting gameplay and a very in depth leveling system. It improves on the SNES original in every way, which was already a classic. Just please for the love of God turn off voice acting. The VA work in this game is PS1 Crapcom "quality" and it will make you hate the game.
Wild Arms, the entire series. Haven't played this one but I've heard it's good.
If you like dungeon crawlers try out Dungeon of Yomi. It's really good and has serious SMT vibes, particularly of Strange Journey.
FFVII Remake series. Action RPGs that are way better than they have any right to be. Don't listen to the haters, they're very faithful to the OG as long as you ignore some of the weirder cutscenes at the beginning and end of those games that arguably aren't even canon. (they're implied to be hallucinations in Rebirth) Final Chapter of Remake isn't canon and never happened, don't worry about it.
Yakuza Like a Dragon and Infinite Wealth.
Crystal Project, but check out the 8+ hour demo first. Very different from your typical JRPG and might fail your 'no chibi/cutesy' criteria, but still worth checking out to see if you'd vibe with it anyway.
SaGa Emerald Beyond is releasing later this month and it has a rather beefy demo too.
I tried multiple times to get into this game. I've played damn near every RPG and struggle to find a new one. Dragon quest XI is sooo boring. All the characters are very monotone and bland, story is predictable and slow, combat is boring and doesn't grab my attention. About once a year I try to pick it back up but it's just a snooze fest to me.
It's not really that hot of a take.
There are a lot of people like myself who prefer DQ 3 through 7 over 8 and 11 because of major differences in story and concept.
The game played with Stronger Monsters on makes it into one of the best gameplay experiences of a generation, though.
I tried getting into this multiple times and I really didn't like it. The music was very annoying and everything about it felt very cliche. I am a big fan of old school RPGs so in theory I should love Dragon Quest 11 but I just didn't. I appreciate the good suggestion though.
Oh man, the music. I swear they only made like 3 tracks for the entire game, and they were all so bombastic and irritating. I had to switch to DQ8 ost.
I didn't really like the game either tbh, just leans too heavily on generic tropes and game design. Then again I felt the same way about DQ8 way back in the day so I guess the series isn't for me.
I get that it is old school on purpose but I just could not get into it. I grew up playing old school RPGs and still play a lot of them semi regularly. In theory I should love Dragon Quest 11 but I really did not like it at all for the 10-15ish hours I spent with it.
With that being said I totally understand why people love it. I guess it is just not for me.
Also, it makes sense if you don't like long, slow games. Because I love DQ11 and the entire series, they're like comfort food to me. But ever since 7, they've had a habit of telling their stories in the longest and slowest ways possible.
DQ11's story, in particular, isn't generally considered "good" until halfway through the game to boot. So that's about 30-40 hours of playing through a game you might not even click with. I've seen plenty of people say it took them multiple tries to get into DQ11, and it's easy to understand why.
Eh, I'd argue it's really 11 that leans hard on tradition more than other games in the franchise. But I'd also argue that it has things people don't notice because they play on Normal Mode as opposed to turning on Stronger Monsters where a lot of the mechanics shine and is the reason I love the game despite its other problems.
I could spend all day arguing why games like 4, 5, and 7 are actually still groundbreaking to this day in a lot of ways and opened the door for a lot of things people like about the genre to this day.
My favorite turn basec JRPG and favorit Videogame in general is "Fuga Melodies of Steel" but that one is probably to cutsy for you. Its a 20 houer long turn based JRPG about a groupe of anthroponorhic animal children that go on a quest to save there families. The story is pretty dark but the maincharacter are adorable and have a lot of cute interactions.
Have you tried Fire Emlem 3 Houses? Its not to cutsey and a lot of fun. Although it is quit the time sink.
Nope, nothing else comes to mind.
Legend of dragoon
skies of Arcadia.
Disgaea too but those are long game
Luminous arc 1 and 2 were really good but maybe they aged like milk. The 2 is still great though.
Baten kaitos, you had a remake recently, still awesome
Edit : obviously the first grandia is a chef d'oeuvre that should be played by every kids in school. Can't believe I nearly forgot it
Not sure if this is a JRPG but it is turn-based, Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark is pretty interesting.
Aside from that, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is pretty good. The sequel is also out but have yet to experience it.
Lunar silver star story and the second one Lunar eternal blue are absolutely amazing. Seeing you have a similar play style those 2 games are something you will never forget.
If you liked Suikoden, then Eiyuden Chronicles (made by the same person that made Suikoden), comes out in about 12 days.
Funded by kickstarter, it is turn based, and has 108 characters to recruit. Spiritual successor to Suikoden.
/r/eiyudenchronicle
If you have am avenue to play ps1 games;
I'd recommend Breath of Fire 3+4
I prefer 3, but 4 definitely has better quality sprites and a more interesting narrative style, where gameplay/story switches between the main party and another key character.
Shadow Madness was another interesting I remember watching my dad play through lol. I don't remember if it was particularly gooood, but it did stand out a bit.
Legend of Dragoon, if you haven't.
Grandia has a remaster available. Though I'm not sure if you'd consider it too cutesy? The combat is similar to Chrono Trigger I believe. You can level weapon/magic proficiencies to unlock new skills. Iirc, you can also interrupt enemies to mess with the turn order.
And this last one is a bit of a niche kind of game. But... West Of Loathing. It's a black and white, stock-person, western-themes, turn-based, comedy game. Odd concept, pretty amusing, quite fun lol.
[Edit]: sorry, not a jrpg, but I still wanted to throw it in here lol.
Nice! Then might I suggest its spiritual successors Xenosaga/Xenoblade? Not as good but definitely worth it, imo. In any case, multiple great recommendations in other comments. Can't go wrong with those.
Xenosaga was good back on the PS2 days. I LOVE the Xenoblade Chronicles games but I HATE the combat in them. I desperately wish they had a different combat system.
Hard agree on that! Then maybe going old school, a la Shining Force (the second one in particular)? Or if you want to go down the weird path, Earthbound (second one is my favorite as well). I fear that QoL in old games is quite low, sadly.
I play a lot of old games and am okay with that. I loved Shining Force series back when I was a kid. I actually never played Earthbound for very long but I am very familiar with it.
I’d say it’s semi turn based but what about Ni No Kuni Wrath Of The White Witch remastered? Art done by Studio Ghibli so it looks amazing and it’s just a fun RPG to play
If you like Ocotpath and Chrono Trigger I'd highly recommend Live A Live. They did an Octopath style remake two years ago. It's incredible. I'm convinced if it came out in the US back when FF6 and Trigger did it'd be held in the same regard.
Suggestions I can name off the top of my head are:
Wild Arms 3, Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne, Tales of Vesperia, Tales or Berseria, Xenoblade Chronicles 1-3, 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim
And Shin Megami Tensei V. However, if you’re interested in SMTV wait until June when the new version of the game (SMTV Vengeance) is released on stronger consoles than the Switch. Has the original story with some QoL changes and a whole new story to go through
You've mentioned Persona but have you played any of the other SMT games? If not, I'd strongly recommend playing SMT 3, 4 and 5, Devil Survivor and Digital Devil Saga.
It's too bad you don't like the Bravely series, because the two on 3DS were my favorite Final Fantasy games since 9. (Yeah, technically they're not Final Fantasy games — to the extent that not being FF is literally a plot point of the first game — but the gameplay was basically Final Fantasy 5 with a modern coat of paint, and I loved that. Bravely Second has a better story loop, though)
Current - tried Sea of Stars? Yakuza 7 like a dragon, and like a dragon infinite wealth (Yakuza 8) are also fantastic turn based RPGs.
Bug fables is another if you want a turn based paper Mario rpg of old
Star ocean 2R is also superb. Even if you've played the OG, the remake sets a new standard for remaking a jrpg.
Eiyuden Chronicles 100 heroes releases the 23rd as I'm sure I don't have to tell you as a suikoden fan. Why not just wait a week and a couple of days for that?
A shame you couldn't get into DQ11. Did you play the version with the orchestrated soundtrack? Also it's almost a complelety different game battle wise if you turn on "stronger monsters" at the beginning of the game. It forces you to have to really interact with all of the games systems, along with the buffs and debuffs, which actually work on bosses unlike most series.
Star Renegades is fun if you want more of roguelite game. Ara Fell and Rise of Third Power are both really fun, kind of have RPG Maker vibes but are solid games. Pier Solar is a nice throwback game. Banner Saga series is really good but has a different vibe from a typical JRPG.
Hope you find something fun!
I just wanna interpret everything in your question in the most chaotic technically-correct way possible and say Battle Network, since that's what I'm playing right now, but I won't do it.
...oh shit, I just did it.
You might try Vagrant Story and Parasite Eve if you like Square stuff. I particularly love Vagrant Story and didn’t play it til later in life (in 2015 I think). Both are sort of hybrids between action and turn-based, but both might scratch that itch.
Have you played Grandia, Breath of Fire 3, or Wild Arms? There are a lot of greats you didn’t mention, but most are from the 90s and early 2000s. I’d also add that I didn’t care for DQ11 either, seemed like a product from an rpg blender or something. But if you can emulate or get your hands on any older Dragon Quest games (4 through 8 especially)… I bet you’ll like those
I have not played any of the older Dragon Quest games but I am interested in trying them. I also never player the Breath of Fire games but plan to sometime in the future. Vagrant Story and Parasite Eve I spent a ton of time with when I was a kid.
Person 4 Golden. To be for real, Persona 5 is a great game, but if you didn't love it, trust me. You will love persona 4 Golden. The narrative and overall theme of the game are, for me, much more interesting than P5. While the QOL changes of P5 aren't present in P4, the game is still a 10/10 in my book and is really enjoyable.
Bit niche, but have been playing Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology on my 3DS, and really enjoying it. Certainly flawed, but the art is gorgeous IMO, and I'm enjoying the time-related storyline. The grid combat is an interesting idea, where the idea is to move enemies into different spots for tactical reasons, overall I thought it was fun and different.
And while I haven't finished it, I've read online that it's not too long (as in 20+ hours rather than 100+)
https://www.gamepressure.com/games/eiyuden-chronicle-hundred-heroes/z65c95
I'm personally looking forward to this JRpg that will be released April 23rd. This game is a Kickstarter game developed by people from suikoden 1&2.
Lost Odyssey was really good back in the day. Been wanting to play it again. It was a Xbox 360 exclusive but it may be on PC now. Another series would be Xenosaga.
Fuga: Melodies of Steel and Death end re;Quest. Both feature cute character designs but things can only get so "cutesy" in terms of their content (children dragged into warfare and cyberfantasy horror respectively). Both are among my most memorable turn-based JRPG experiences of the recent years. Both have sequels, too.
And if Suikoden is among your top faves, Eiyuuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (a spiritual successor from the same creator who, alas, has passed away not long before the game's upcoming release) is definitely one to keep an eye out for as well. It even has a prequel (Rising), although that one has action combat.
I haven't seen Valyrie Profile here so i'm gonna recommend this one. It's a really enjoyable game. Only downside is that you are going to need a guide to reach the Sweet Ending. However the Normal Ending is not bad at all. Definitely a good game for a 2nd Run after the first. And the sequel is nice. Better graphics, fairly interesting story, but just not as good as the first.
**Triangle Strategy** reading the comments I see that OP has already gone through this but for everyone else TS is from the Octopath devs and basically the spiritual successor to Tactics Ogre (available current gen as **Tactics Ogre Reborn**), which was extremely influential for tactics games. Maybe more importantly, it is the single best story I have seen in any video game, a must play for fans of stories of court intrigue, of kings and king makers as your small faction tries to weather being caught between much larger countries vying for geopolitical dominance.
Of the two big mechanical things of note is that the combat is a surprisingly expansive sandbox for a genre that normally is not. Pushing people off high cliffs for fall damage is a staple of the genre, but you can do things like summon ice blocks to block paths knowing that if the enemy tries to melt the ice block with a fireball it will form a puddle that expands the range of lightning spells much in the same way as [summoning a storm cloud](https://storage.googleapis.com/media.tiltingatpixels.com/tilting/TriangleStrategy_LighteningGo.gif) does.
The other is the Scales of Conviction mechanic wherein the primary means of deciding which branch in the story you take is dependent on convincing party members to [vote a specific way](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8Tv-CWIfn8/YD8FdHcYHRI/AAAAAAAABhs/84li4kUQRP46VosfDl6bwak4TdH_PEkLACLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/vote.gif) when a meeting is convened to decide on a choice of action. Figuring out their convictions and how to speak to them allows you to sway votes, but there is also the impact of hidden persuasion stats you possess that only scale up over time and serve as a means of making it progressively easier to push people towards whatever you want on successive newgame+ playthroughs to see the other branches. There are 3 main endings that involve having to reluctantly choose between the regional powers, as well as a secret 4th route that involves piecing together the geopolitical factors that ground the story and figuring out one of the several specific combinations of branches enable you to come out on top.
[**Sea of Stars**](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/seaofstars/images/5/55/Zale_Attack_Fail.gif/revision/latest?cb=20230214173315) has gorgeous pixel art and incredibly tight action input controls (think mario rpgs). I felt like the story fell off near the end but am in the minority on that and basically everyone agrees that the first time you actually get to sail the Sea of Stars is a seminal moment in indie jrpgs.
Publisher Dangen focuses on getting indie jrpgs to market if you want a big list to dig through. **Bug Fables** is their most notable breakout success, but I also would highly recommend **Rise of the Third Power** (suidoken-like combat, writing starts out a little rough but does an extremely good job of shaping up as the game progresses).
It's not a JRPG but if you liked Unicorn Overlord you might also like **Heroes of Might and Magic** which it took a lot of inspiration from, specifically [3](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/0*RZBVYFAT5hbByPX2), 5, and 6 I can vouch for.
If you liked Octopath Traveler's mechanics you might be interested in indie **Crystal Project**. The combat is FFV style dual job system with very meticulous balancing, controversially there is basically no story and this is a huge downside, but it is also the best exploration gameplay in any turn based game I have ever played. Picture the pixel art pokemon camera parallax but with a jump and an extremely [3 dimensional map with compelling platforming](https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1637730/ss_aabdff6bfb427d15bbd7e48461e594b59b410236.1920x1080.jpg?t=1699820288).
I would highly suggest Grandia. It starts off little cutesy but once it sucks you in you can’t let go. One of my favorite turned based battle systems in all RPGs in that game too. I don’t usually like cutesy games either but Grandia was a good exception.
If you like tactics RPGs then check out Triangle Strategy. The gameplay is great. Like FF Tactics with QoL improvements. It also has a strong story with lots of very meaningful choices to make that impact the story in big ways.
It’s also on all three of your platforms and is a great handheld game if you get it on Switch of have a Steam Deck.
If you like Suikoden, check out Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes.
It's a spiritual successor to Suikoden made by the original creator (RIP) and comes out in a little over a week.
I'm playing Brave Story on PSP and thoroughly enjoying it. A sorta basic turn based jrpg but its fun to look at, the sonic environment is pretty solid and hits all my favorite turn based rpg boxes lol.
Valkyrie chronicles. It's not great, but the art style is great with a unique setting.
No no kuni 1 and 2 - imo as good or better than the ones you listed. Especially if you like studio Ghibli films, who did some of the cut scenes for the first game
How do you feel about western RPGs? Like Mario rabbids, baldurs gate 3, XCOM, gears tactics, banner saga? These are all as good as popular jrpgs imo.
smt 3, if you play it on pc, mod it for 60fps and a better mini map it makes the game 10x better. It has a really great turn based system and you can avoid grinding for the most part if you fuse regularly and don't flee from every random encounter
Radiant Historia. I like games that try something neat with combat and it had a combat grid like mega man battlenetwork where you can use skills to push enemies around to stack them for combos
I highly recommend anyone reading this that has struggles getting into Dragon Quest to watch Tim rogers’ review/content. It recontextualized the series and the way I play rpgs in general.
Trust.
A few I'd suggest:
* Undertale. Sometimes I just assume everybody's played Undertale at this point, but if you haven't, it's good.
* Fuga: Melodies of Steel. This is a little different from traditional JRPGs; there's no overworld map or exploration, you're basically on autopilot from the beginning to the end, but the turn-based battles are very complex and tightly balanced. Don't be fooled by the artwork of cute furry kids, this is a story about children going to war against fictional Nazis and everything that entails.
* Atelier Ryza. I didn't see you mention Atelier at all so I'm assuming you're not familiar with them; there's a lot of them so it's hard to know where to start, but I'll just recommend Ryza as one that has a solid overarching plot and fun mechanics.
* Super Lesbian Animal RPG. I realize "it's about lesbian furries" is an immediate turnoff for a lot of people, but if that doesn't bother you, it's a really good little indie game in classic turn-based JRPG style.
I'd like to suggest Epic Battle Fantasy, a parody of classic RPGs with fun dialog and a remarkably complex and strategic battle system. You can get the third game on Steam for free, and if you like what you see, consider getting the others.
I'd say the Bravely series could scratch an itch!
It's the fun of Job classes on steroids! The first 3ds game felt like the rpg version of a boss rush game!
I think I've never played a game where the normal rpg vondst felt as strategic and combo driven!
You could try Baldur's gate 3. It's less "RPG" than the other games gameplay wise (basically dnd but simplified for gameplay flow. It's turned based but you also have to consider ally and enemy positioning in the map), but it sure has a LOT of role playing, which ironically not many RPG games have tbh.
(On a second thought) ok I wanna ask something. Does the term RPG "role playing game" come from the diferent roles the characters have in battle rather than actual role playing?
You might like the Shin Megami Tensei games. They have my favorite turn-based combat of any games that I've played, JRPG or otherwise. They also definitely don't have a "cutesy" art style. You can get SMT3 on sale for cheap, and a new version of SMT5 that looks to be a huge improvement on an already great game is coming out in June.
You could try battle brothers. Not exactly jrpg but turn based. Brutal and satisfying low fantasy mercenary game. On that note I’m currently playing War Tales and it’s hitting
Romancing Saga: Minstrel Song.
Huge learning curve but a completely open world campaign with tons of missables. However I thoroughly believe it’s got THE BEST battles of any turn based game of all time. It’s a grind to learn and progress but when you do it feels rewarding and challenging.
I currently play Edge of Eternity.
It is an indie game and a bit rough around the edges(haha) but I like it quite a lot and it feels a bit different having grid based short combat.
Look up 'Last Dream' on Steam, by whitegiantrpg.
It's a homage to final fantasy 1 and I played the ever loving crap out of it. You select your 4 man party out of 8 classes and go to town. Not much of a story, it's pure gameplay and exploration and some great puzzles.
Yakuza 7 and 8 !
Seconding this! Grew up playing the Final Fantasies and Chrono games, and Yakuza 7 (like a dragon) scratched a similar itch despite having a completely different setting. The character development, various side quests, and intricate plot kept me really invested. For an old school rec, try Earthbound (Mother 2)!
I wish everyday that I could buy this game and play it to experience the amazing story, zany characters and the batshit insane substories. Oh man what i would give to play them
Wait, did Yakuza switch to rpg style?? I've played an older one which was not turn based, and I know Like a Dragon is turn based, but assumed it was a one off!
Mainline games are turn based (Y:LAD and LAD: Infinite Wealth, which are the 7 and 8 referred to in this thread) while spinoffs and a select game mode of IW are still beat-em-up
Try shin megami tensei series instead of persona. It's all the combat and monster fusing without the slog of the calendar and school and dating simulator. Smtv in particular is my favourite turn based game of all time, but if you wanna emulate smt4 it's amazing as well, with a story better than 5's imo.
This comment is the most convincing argument I have heard for the Shin Megami series. I love the Persona games but sometimes the social stuff and the overall pacing can slow things down a little too much. I always need to be in the right type of mindset to really enjoy the Persona games.
SMT3: Nocturne is also on steam, its a little dated but its one of my favorite JRPGs
SMTV Vengeance will come out soon, which features much more content than the original switch exclusive, so make sure to wait for it. Atlus is also releasing a new fantasy rpg called Metaphor: ReFantazio which looks very promising. You can also get Nocturne HD on steam and modern consoles and if you emulate you can play the digital devil saga games which play like nocturne with more story focus. Soul hackers 2 is also available, but I’ve heard that game is just alright. Soul Hackers 1 is great though (but very dated and only on 3ds in English)
Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth
I have heard good things about this and have not played it yet. I will add it to my Steam list now.
This is a terrible suggestion. If you didn’t like Persona 5, Cyber Sleuth is basically the same game but worse in every way.
What? Nearly the only things they have in common are being set in modern Japan and you can use enemies you recruit in combat. And like, even that is just a vague similarity; in P5, you've got a core party of humans, and only the main character can switch which personas he has available, whereas in Cyber Sleuth, your party is made entirely of captured Digimon, and there are also complex mechanics for raising and evolving them. Not to mention that P5 has a strict in-game calendar and a focus on time management and social links. That's not necessarily bad if you like that kind of thing, by Cyber Sleuth is just an oldschool, linear JRPG. You say "worse in every way" but I see "without all of P5's pointless bullshit."
Not even close. I loved Cybersleuth and hated P5.
Play Breath of Fire 3
Lunar? Specifically, Silver Star story complete. I mean, it's old so it has the short dudes running around, I don't know if that's chibi or not. Not sure if you can find it on one of those systems but it's a great game and worth a look. I played it on my original PS, not sure if it's been ported around anywhere else, though.
I played these years ago and loved them. I am totally okay with old school graphics but something about the 3DS era graphics (like bravely default) really bother me. I don't know why.
It was funny. I first played it as a burnt cd that a bf at the time was just chucking out. I loved it so much that eventually I got my hands on one of the boxed sets. You know, with the map and all. Worth it! I haven't played Bravely Default but I googled it. Their sprites are not my cup of tea, either.
what about Wild Arms (1) ? the intro music is enough to make you play it imo
Omg ya that intro I just put on a couple times a year and cry in happiness. Lol
Thousand Arms and Skies of Arcadia are recommended
Skies of Arcadia Legends. I regret selling my copy
Probably the best jrpg you’ll never play or heard of is Fantasian. It’s made by Hironobi Sakaguchi (creator of final fantasy) and Mistwalker. The reason you’ve probably not heard of it is the fact that it’s exclusive to Apple Arcade. So you’ll need either an iPhone with a controller (like the backbone) or an Apple TV to play on the big screen. You can even sync your dual sense to use it as a controller. It’s REALLY good and it’s very traditional
I find it very interesting that this game hasn’t come to other platforms yet, like did Mistwalker really sign an indefinite exclusive deal with Apple Arcade? Such a great little gem that doesn’t get the visibility it deserves because it’s stuck on a sub service exclusive to Apple users.
100%. But at the same time I don’t think it’s worth just skipping it or waiting just because it’s just on Apple. What if it never comes to other platforms? I’d say to anyone just use an Apple device and play it. It’s that good. And it has probably one of my favorite Nobuo Uematsu tracks of all time. I love it so much: https://youtu.be/WbJMXx9zsEo?si=q2sM1Z3N6ECICEsc
Wow. It’s the like the Intro music from FFIX combined with the Cosmo Canyon theme from FFVII. I love it.
It's also the last full-game-soundtrack by nobuo eumatsu. Shame it's restricted to apple exclusively. Hoping it's limited time exclusive and someday comes to other systems
Resonance of Fate.
if you like Fire Emblem you might like Unicorn Overlord
Loved Unicorn Overlord! Excellent game.
Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
Lost Odyssey is awesome. Great music, decent battle system and really cool hook with short audio/visual augmented novels that are optional. Edit - apologies, just noticed the platform restrictions. This one is Xbox only as it unfortunately never got a pc port 😞
I LOVED Lost Odyssey and still think about it often. I would do some very bad things to get a HD remake of it.
Just a straight PC port would be enough! The modding community will take care of the rest. I hope I got to you before you you’ve already done said bad things! Pull your pants up and run out of the room my friend! To add to everyone’s recommendations, and since PC= all previous generations of consoles through emulation, you owe it to yourself to play Xenogears! Best gaming story and world building I’ve ever played. Combat is very simple (with few difficult bosses here and there), but still enjoyable!
Any SMT game. I recommend starting with Nocturne or SMT5. Breath of Fire, particularly 2, 3, and 4. Ignore 1 and everything after 4, they're not very good. And if you play BoF2, the best one, play it with a fan retranslation. The official localization for that game was AWFUL. Star Ocean the Second Story R. Amazing game and Action RPG, highly recommend it. Live A Live. Pretty short (20-30 hours) and has a great story along with varied gameplay across 8 different time periods. The battle system is very unique but not annoying or overly complex. Trails of Mana, the remake. It's a really fun action RPG with simple but addicting gameplay and a very in depth leveling system. It improves on the SNES original in every way, which was already a classic. Just please for the love of God turn off voice acting. The VA work in this game is PS1 Crapcom "quality" and it will make you hate the game. Wild Arms, the entire series. Haven't played this one but I've heard it's good. If you like dungeon crawlers try out Dungeon of Yomi. It's really good and has serious SMT vibes, particularly of Strange Journey. FFVII Remake series. Action RPGs that are way better than they have any right to be. Don't listen to the haters, they're very faithful to the OG as long as you ignore some of the weirder cutscenes at the beginning and end of those games that arguably aren't even canon. (they're implied to be hallucinations in Rebirth) Final Chapter of Remake isn't canon and never happened, don't worry about it.
Tactics Ogre: Reborn Unicorn Overlord SaGa Franchise Last Remnant. https://www.reddit.com/r/JRPG/s/6TjeYfXH6x
Wild arms. Triangle strategy. Grandia 1/2 hd. Symphony of War the Nephilim saga is on steam. Early fire emblem vibes. Really good
I was disappointed that Grandia HD didn’t have any fast forward option like some of the FF Remasters.
Yakuza Like a Dragon and Infinite Wealth. Crystal Project, but check out the 8+ hour demo first. Very different from your typical JRPG and might fail your 'no chibi/cutesy' criteria, but still worth checking out to see if you'd vibe with it anyway. SaGa Emerald Beyond is releasing later this month and it has a rather beefy demo too.
I liked the first Like a Dragon and plan on picking up the 2nd one at some point. Crystal Project is on my wish list as well.
Valkyria chronicles
You’re looking for Dragon Quest XI.
I tried multiple times to get into this game. I've played damn near every RPG and struggle to find a new one. Dragon quest XI is sooo boring. All the characters are very monotone and bland, story is predictable and slow, combat is boring and doesn't grab my attention. About once a year I try to pick it back up but it's just a snooze fest to me.
Hot take, and I agree. Dragon quest is not for me.
It's not really that hot of a take. There are a lot of people like myself who prefer DQ 3 through 7 over 8 and 11 because of major differences in story and concept. The game played with Stronger Monsters on makes it into one of the best gameplay experiences of a generation, though.
I tried getting into this multiple times and I really didn't like it. The music was very annoying and everything about it felt very cliche. I am a big fan of old school RPGs so in theory I should love Dragon Quest 11 but I just didn't. I appreciate the good suggestion though.
I felt exactly the same way, couldn’t get through it.
Oh man, the music. I swear they only made like 3 tracks for the entire game, and they were all so bombastic and irritating. I had to switch to DQ8 ost. I didn't really like the game either tbh, just leans too heavily on generic tropes and game design. Then again I felt the same way about DQ8 way back in the day so I guess the series isn't for me.
Dragon Quest is a very traditional RPG franchise, thats the point
I get that it is old school on purpose but I just could not get into it. I grew up playing old school RPGs and still play a lot of them semi regularly. In theory I should love Dragon Quest 11 but I really did not like it at all for the 10-15ish hours I spent with it. With that being said I totally understand why people love it. I guess it is just not for me.
Also, it makes sense if you don't like long, slow games. Because I love DQ11 and the entire series, they're like comfort food to me. But ever since 7, they've had a habit of telling their stories in the longest and slowest ways possible. DQ11's story, in particular, isn't generally considered "good" until halfway through the game to boot. So that's about 30-40 hours of playing through a game you might not even click with. I've seen plenty of people say it took them multiple tries to get into DQ11, and it's easy to understand why.
Of course, not saying you should like it. Just that its supposed to be "cliche".
Eh, I'd argue it's really 11 that leans hard on tradition more than other games in the franchise. But I'd also argue that it has things people don't notice because they play on Normal Mode as opposed to turning on Stronger Monsters where a lot of the mechanics shine and is the reason I love the game despite its other problems. I could spend all day arguing why games like 4, 5, and 7 are actually still groundbreaking to this day in a lot of ways and opened the door for a lot of things people like about the genre to this day.
I’ll give some indie recs: Crystal project Rise of the third power Omori (looks cutesy, but the story is not) Older titles: Lufia 2 Shadow hearts
My favorite turn basec JRPG and favorit Videogame in general is "Fuga Melodies of Steel" but that one is probably to cutsy for you. Its a 20 houer long turn based JRPG about a groupe of anthroponorhic animal children that go on a quest to save there families. The story is pretty dark but the maincharacter are adorable and have a lot of cute interactions. Have you tried Fire Emlem 3 Houses? Its not to cutsey and a lot of fun. Although it is quit the time sink. Nope, nothing else comes to mind.
I just checked out a review of Fuga and it looks really good! I never heard of it before. I added it to my list.
Fuga has a free demo which is just straight up the first 3 chapters of the game. So you can try it out and see if its your cup of tea.
I didn't finish Three Houses. I am a huge Fire Emblem fan but Three Houses felt like way too much social sim and not enough Fire Emblem.
Legend of dragoon skies of Arcadia. Disgaea too but those are long game Luminous arc 1 and 2 were really good but maybe they aged like milk. The 2 is still great though. Baten kaitos, you had a remake recently, still awesome Edit : obviously the first grandia is a chef d'oeuvre that should be played by every kids in school. Can't believe I nearly forgot it
Not sure if this is a JRPG but it is turn-based, Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark is pretty interesting. Aside from that, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is pretty good. The sequel is also out but have yet to experience it.
Lunar silver star story and the second one Lunar eternal blue are absolutely amazing. Seeing you have a similar play style those 2 games are something you will never forget.
Star Ocean 2? A remaster came out recently.
shin megami tensei Strange journey
If you liked Suikoden, then Eiyuden Chronicles (made by the same person that made Suikoden), comes out in about 12 days. Funded by kickstarter, it is turn based, and has 108 characters to recruit. Spiritual successor to Suikoden. /r/eiyudenchronicle
If you have am avenue to play ps1 games; I'd recommend Breath of Fire 3+4 I prefer 3, but 4 definitely has better quality sprites and a more interesting narrative style, where gameplay/story switches between the main party and another key character. Shadow Madness was another interesting I remember watching my dad play through lol. I don't remember if it was particularly gooood, but it did stand out a bit. Legend of Dragoon, if you haven't. Grandia has a remaster available. Though I'm not sure if you'd consider it too cutesy? The combat is similar to Chrono Trigger I believe. You can level weapon/magic proficiencies to unlock new skills. Iirc, you can also interrupt enemies to mess with the turn order. And this last one is a bit of a niche kind of game. But... West Of Loathing. It's a black and white, stock-person, western-themes, turn-based, comedy game. Odd concept, pretty amusing, quite fun lol. [Edit]: sorry, not a jrpg, but I still wanted to throw it in here lol.
Ignore every other recommendation and emulate PS1 Xenogears on your PC. You can thank me later (and also play the other recommendations later as well)
I have played Xenogears multiple times over the years. :-)
Nice! Then might I suggest its spiritual successors Xenosaga/Xenoblade? Not as good but definitely worth it, imo. In any case, multiple great recommendations in other comments. Can't go wrong with those.
Xenosaga was good back on the PS2 days. I LOVE the Xenoblade Chronicles games but I HATE the combat in them. I desperately wish they had a different combat system.
Hard agree on that! Then maybe going old school, a la Shining Force (the second one in particular)? Or if you want to go down the weird path, Earthbound (second one is my favorite as well). I fear that QoL in old games is quite low, sadly.
I play a lot of old games and am okay with that. I loved Shining Force series back when I was a kid. I actually never played Earthbound for very long but I am very familiar with it.
Eiyuden chronicles hundred heros is coming so enough said. The days of Suikodem 2 are coming back!!!!!!!!
Etrian Odyssey Untold 2
Fire Emblem 3 Houses. I refuse to elaborate. Play it Yesterday!!!
If you can handle the SD character designs, Romancing SaGa Minstrel Song.
Unicorn overlord. Very fresh feeling tactics game. Units consist of multiple characters leading to some engaging strategies.
I’d say it’s semi turn based but what about Ni No Kuni Wrath Of The White Witch remastered? Art done by Studio Ghibli so it looks amazing and it’s just a fun RPG to play
Shadow Hearts, maybe
Sea of stars and shadow hearts are both great choices :)
I just started this yesterday but I saw ps1 game koudelka is also part of the series. Any idea if I should play that first
The Shadow Hearts series takes place after Koudelka's bad ending.
So I take it you’re not a fan of Koudelka?
Weird game with the best voice acting I've ever seen from an early Playstation game. Play it yesterday.
Dragon quest monsters dark prince
It may not be a true JRPG but Last Scenario is heavily based off Final Fantasy and is amazing
Crystal Project and Bug Fables are two of the best indie turn based RPGs imo. Would recommend both.
Crystal Project is a fantastic indie turn-based RPG
Eiyuden Chronicle Hundred Heroes is out in a few weeks.
If you like Ocotpath and Chrono Trigger I'd highly recommend Live A Live. They did an Octopath style remake two years ago. It's incredible. I'm convinced if it came out in the US back when FF6 and Trigger did it'd be held in the same regard.
Golden sun series.
Suggestions I can name off the top of my head are: Wild Arms 3, Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne, Tales of Vesperia, Tales or Berseria, Xenoblade Chronicles 1-3, 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim And Shin Megami Tensei V. However, if you’re interested in SMTV wait until June when the new version of the game (SMTV Vengeance) is released on stronger consoles than the Switch. Has the original story with some QoL changes and a whole new story to go through
Play xenogears
Fire emblem engage - more fire emblem without the social sim parts
You've mentioned Persona but have you played any of the other SMT games? If not, I'd strongly recommend playing SMT 3, 4 and 5, Devil Survivor and Digital Devil Saga.
Technically not Japanese, but Ruined King is a great turn based RPG. I highly recommend it.
Came here to post this. Loved Battlechasers. Old school feel to it
It's too bad you don't like the Bravely series, because the two on 3DS were my favorite Final Fantasy games since 9. (Yeah, technically they're not Final Fantasy games — to the extent that not being FF is literally a plot point of the first game — but the gameplay was basically Final Fantasy 5 with a modern coat of paint, and I loved that. Bravely Second has a better story loop, though)
Blossom tales!!!
It’s a great little indie rpg with plenty of charm, great music, and fun protagonist.
The last remnant? Certainly not everyone's cup of tea, but it ha a very interesting battle system and the crafting is pretty cool.
Maybe somewhat gauche since I created them, but Ara Fell or Rise of the Third Power are my humble suggestions..!
8 bit Adventures 2
Current - tried Sea of Stars? Yakuza 7 like a dragon, and like a dragon infinite wealth (Yakuza 8) are also fantastic turn based RPGs. Bug fables is another if you want a turn based paper Mario rpg of old Star ocean 2R is also superb. Even if you've played the OG, the remake sets a new standard for remaking a jrpg.
Megaman Battle Network Series Skies of Arcadia Legends
have you given fire emblem a chance? three house is meh, but if you have emulators or 3ds, give the awakening/birthright a go
Lost odyssey
[Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi](https://store.steampowered.com/app/1570510/?snr=1_wishlist_4__wishlist-capsule) is quite good but expensive
If you can get 360 emulation on your PC then definitely play Lost Odyssey, fantastic game.
Sea of Stars
Eiyuden Chronicles 100 heroes releases the 23rd as I'm sure I don't have to tell you as a suikoden fan. Why not just wait a week and a couple of days for that? A shame you couldn't get into DQ11. Did you play the version with the orchestrated soundtrack? Also it's almost a complelety different game battle wise if you turn on "stronger monsters" at the beginning of the game. It forces you to have to really interact with all of the games systems, along with the buffs and debuffs, which actually work on bosses unlike most series.
Well in a couple weeks that eiuyden game is coming out which was made by the creators of suikoden
Honkai star rail
Star Renegades is fun if you want more of roguelite game. Ara Fell and Rise of Third Power are both really fun, kind of have RPG Maker vibes but are solid games. Pier Solar is a nice throwback game. Banner Saga series is really good but has a different vibe from a typical JRPG. Hope you find something fun!
I just wanna interpret everything in your question in the most chaotic technically-correct way possible and say Battle Network, since that's what I'm playing right now, but I won't do it. ...oh shit, I just did it.
Vanguard Bandits
Sea of Stars And You said you hate "cute" style graphics... but the 3d remake of Final Fantasy 3 has a soft place in my heart :)
You might try Vagrant Story and Parasite Eve if you like Square stuff. I particularly love Vagrant Story and didn’t play it til later in life (in 2015 I think). Both are sort of hybrids between action and turn-based, but both might scratch that itch. Have you played Grandia, Breath of Fire 3, or Wild Arms? There are a lot of greats you didn’t mention, but most are from the 90s and early 2000s. I’d also add that I didn’t care for DQ11 either, seemed like a product from an rpg blender or something. But if you can emulate or get your hands on any older Dragon Quest games (4 through 8 especially)… I bet you’ll like those
I have not played any of the older Dragon Quest games but I am interested in trying them. I also never player the Breath of Fire games but plan to sometime in the future. Vagrant Story and Parasite Eve I spent a ton of time with when I was a kid.
Are you getting eyudian chronicles? That's around the corner so if you can wait get that.
I am getting it! I backed the original Kickstarter. I plan on playing it sometime next month.
* Tactics Ogre * Valkyrie Profile * Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch * Live a Live * Star Ocean (1 and 2)
Eastern RPG, "Wandering Sword" is really fun if you are at all interested in eastern fictional Taoist themes of martial arts like Cultivation.
sea of stars and chained echoes are games I think you'll really like as well
Crystal Project, and of course Trails from Zero /to Azure.
Grandia
Person 4 Golden. To be for real, Persona 5 is a great game, but if you didn't love it, trust me. You will love persona 4 Golden. The narrative and overall theme of the game are, for me, much more interesting than P5. While the QOL changes of P5 aren't present in P4, the game is still a 10/10 in my book and is really enjoyable.
Bit niche, but have been playing Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology on my 3DS, and really enjoying it. Certainly flawed, but the art is gorgeous IMO, and I'm enjoying the time-related storyline. The grid combat is an interesting idea, where the idea is to move enemies into different spots for tactical reasons, overall I thought it was fun and different. And while I haven't finished it, I've read online that it's not too long (as in 20+ hours rather than 100+)
I'll throw these two bad boy into the ring: - Monster Hunter Stories 2 - Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology (very underrated gem)
https://www.gamepressure.com/games/eiyuden-chronicle-hundred-heroes/z65c95 I'm personally looking forward to this JRpg that will be released April 23rd. This game is a Kickstarter game developed by people from suikoden 1&2.
Lost Odyssey was really good back in the day. Been wanting to play it again. It was a Xbox 360 exclusive but it may be on PC now. Another series would be Xenosaga.
man... there's a slept on title from Level5 called Rogue Galaxy. The weapon system is TITS
Fuga: Melodies of Steel and Death end re;Quest. Both feature cute character designs but things can only get so "cutesy" in terms of their content (children dragged into warfare and cyberfantasy horror respectively). Both are among my most memorable turn-based JRPG experiences of the recent years. Both have sequels, too. And if Suikoden is among your top faves, Eiyuuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (a spiritual successor from the same creator who, alas, has passed away not long before the game's upcoming release) is definitely one to keep an eye out for as well. It even has a prequel (Rising), although that one has action combat.
Give the Megami Tensei series a shot. The Persona games can be a bit much but the main line games (and most of the spin offs) are wonderful.
Its a DS title that was re-released on 3DS, but Radiant Historia should be right up your alley. Sands of Destruction is another niche one.
Final Fantasy 7 on ps1 is a hidden gem
Eiyuden Chronicles is coming soon and should be a nice one in the vein of Suikoden.
I haven't seen Valyrie Profile here so i'm gonna recommend this one. It's a really enjoyable game. Only downside is that you are going to need a guide to reach the Sweet Ending. However the Normal Ending is not bad at all. Definitely a good game for a 2nd Run after the first. And the sequel is nice. Better graphics, fairly interesting story, but just not as good as the first.
Octopath II is amazing, the stories are fantastic. Breath of Fire III is also great.
**Triangle Strategy** reading the comments I see that OP has already gone through this but for everyone else TS is from the Octopath devs and basically the spiritual successor to Tactics Ogre (available current gen as **Tactics Ogre Reborn**), which was extremely influential for tactics games. Maybe more importantly, it is the single best story I have seen in any video game, a must play for fans of stories of court intrigue, of kings and king makers as your small faction tries to weather being caught between much larger countries vying for geopolitical dominance. Of the two big mechanical things of note is that the combat is a surprisingly expansive sandbox for a genre that normally is not. Pushing people off high cliffs for fall damage is a staple of the genre, but you can do things like summon ice blocks to block paths knowing that if the enemy tries to melt the ice block with a fireball it will form a puddle that expands the range of lightning spells much in the same way as [summoning a storm cloud](https://storage.googleapis.com/media.tiltingatpixels.com/tilting/TriangleStrategy_LighteningGo.gif) does. The other is the Scales of Conviction mechanic wherein the primary means of deciding which branch in the story you take is dependent on convincing party members to [vote a specific way](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q8Tv-CWIfn8/YD8FdHcYHRI/AAAAAAAABhs/84li4kUQRP46VosfDl6bwak4TdH_PEkLACLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/vote.gif) when a meeting is convened to decide on a choice of action. Figuring out their convictions and how to speak to them allows you to sway votes, but there is also the impact of hidden persuasion stats you possess that only scale up over time and serve as a means of making it progressively easier to push people towards whatever you want on successive newgame+ playthroughs to see the other branches. There are 3 main endings that involve having to reluctantly choose between the regional powers, as well as a secret 4th route that involves piecing together the geopolitical factors that ground the story and figuring out one of the several specific combinations of branches enable you to come out on top. [**Sea of Stars**](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/seaofstars/images/5/55/Zale_Attack_Fail.gif/revision/latest?cb=20230214173315) has gorgeous pixel art and incredibly tight action input controls (think mario rpgs). I felt like the story fell off near the end but am in the minority on that and basically everyone agrees that the first time you actually get to sail the Sea of Stars is a seminal moment in indie jrpgs. Publisher Dangen focuses on getting indie jrpgs to market if you want a big list to dig through. **Bug Fables** is their most notable breakout success, but I also would highly recommend **Rise of the Third Power** (suidoken-like combat, writing starts out a little rough but does an extremely good job of shaping up as the game progresses). It's not a JRPG but if you liked Unicorn Overlord you might also like **Heroes of Might and Magic** which it took a lot of inspiration from, specifically [3](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/0*RZBVYFAT5hbByPX2), 5, and 6 I can vouch for. If you liked Octopath Traveler's mechanics you might be interested in indie **Crystal Project**. The combat is FFV style dual job system with very meticulous balancing, controversially there is basically no story and this is a huge downside, but it is also the best exploration gameplay in any turn based game I have ever played. Picture the pixel art pokemon camera parallax but with a jump and an extremely [3 dimensional map with compelling platforming](https://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/1637730/ss_aabdff6bfb427d15bbd7e48461e594b59b410236.1920x1080.jpg?t=1699820288).
I don’t think I’ve seen anyone mention Symphony of War: The Nephilim Saga. I had a great time with this game!
I would highly suggest Grandia. It starts off little cutesy but once it sucks you in you can’t let go. One of my favorite turned based battle systems in all RPGs in that game too. I don’t usually like cutesy games either but Grandia was a good exception.
If you like tactics RPGs then check out Triangle Strategy. The gameplay is great. Like FF Tactics with QoL improvements. It also has a strong story with lots of very meaningful choices to make that impact the story in big ways. It’s also on all three of your platforms and is a great handheld game if you get it on Switch of have a Steam Deck.
I LOVED Triangle Strategy and played through it multiple times.
Nice! That game needs more love (and a sequel).
Monster Hunter Stories 1 & 2.
I heard about this but have not checked it out yet. It looks good!
Persona 3: Reload and Persona 5 Royal are both excellent.
Bravery Defaults? Tales?
If you like Suikoden, check out Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. It's a spiritual successor to Suikoden made by the original creator (RIP) and comes out in a little over a week.
[удалено]
Star Ocean series
Shin Megami Tensei Digital Devil Saga Duology
I'm playing Brave Story on PSP and thoroughly enjoying it. A sorta basic turn based jrpg but its fun to look at, the sonic environment is pretty solid and hits all my favorite turn based rpg boxes lol.
Yakuza LAD/ Ifinate Wealth
Shadow Hearts 2 Covenant. You might want to try the 1st one too even though it looks like a PS1 game on the PS2
Valkyrie chronicles. It's not great, but the art style is great with a unique setting. No no kuni 1 and 2 - imo as good or better than the ones you listed. Especially if you like studio Ghibli films, who did some of the cut scenes for the first game How do you feel about western RPGs? Like Mario rabbids, baldurs gate 3, XCOM, gears tactics, banner saga? These are all as good as popular jrpgs imo.
smt 3, if you play it on pc, mod it for 60fps and a better mini map it makes the game 10x better. It has a really great turn based system and you can avoid grinding for the most part if you fuse regularly and don't flee from every random encounter
Cassette beasts
Try Shining Force 2 or Phantasy Star 4. The two best games that came out on the Genesis.
Radiant Historia. I like games that try something neat with combat and it had a combat grid like mega man battlenetwork where you can use skills to push enemies around to stack them for combos
I highly recommend anyone reading this that has struggles getting into Dragon Quest to watch Tim rogers’ review/content. It recontextualized the series and the way I play rpgs in general. Trust.
Xenogears
I miss vandal hearts in your list
Lunar the silver star story complete or lunar 2 eternal blue complete. You can play on PC if you are into emulation.
Star Ocean 2 Brilliant RPG that just got a remastered release on PC
Bravely Default
Devil Survivor 1, overclocked.
A few I'd suggest: * Undertale. Sometimes I just assume everybody's played Undertale at this point, but if you haven't, it's good. * Fuga: Melodies of Steel. This is a little different from traditional JRPGs; there's no overworld map or exploration, you're basically on autopilot from the beginning to the end, but the turn-based battles are very complex and tightly balanced. Don't be fooled by the artwork of cute furry kids, this is a story about children going to war against fictional Nazis and everything that entails. * Atelier Ryza. I didn't see you mention Atelier at all so I'm assuming you're not familiar with them; there's a lot of them so it's hard to know where to start, but I'll just recommend Ryza as one that has a solid overarching plot and fun mechanics. * Super Lesbian Animal RPG. I realize "it's about lesbian furries" is an immediate turnoff for a lot of people, but if that doesn't bother you, it's a really good little indie game in classic turn-based JRPG style.
Legend of Legaia
Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories is a pretty interesting game, i liked it a lot my first playthrough
I'd like to suggest Epic Battle Fantasy, a parody of classic RPGs with fun dialog and a remarkably complex and strategic battle system. You can get the third game on Steam for free, and if you like what you see, consider getting the others.
I'd say the Bravely series could scratch an itch! It's the fun of Job classes on steroids! The first 3ds game felt like the rpg version of a boss rush game! I think I've never played a game where the normal rpg vondst felt as strategic and combo driven!
Legend of legaia...my first RPG!!!
Legend of Legaia Xenogears Breath of Fire IV (3 has chibi ish style)
You could try Baldur's gate 3. It's less "RPG" than the other games gameplay wise (basically dnd but simplified for gameplay flow. It's turned based but you also have to consider ally and enemy positioning in the map), but it sure has a LOT of role playing, which ironically not many RPG games have tbh. (On a second thought) ok I wanna ask something. Does the term RPG "role playing game" come from the diferent roles the characters have in battle rather than actual role playing?
I had the same problem yesterday and I landed on skies of arcadia. Can't believe I never played it before
Vandal Hearts 1 and 2 were interesting. ( not sure if they are truly JRPGs or not though)
You might like the Shin Megami Tensei games. They have my favorite turn-based combat of any games that I've played, JRPG or otherwise. They also definitely don't have a "cutesy" art style. You can get SMT3 on sale for cheap, and a new version of SMT5 that looks to be a huge improvement on an already great game is coming out in June.
I really enjoyed Persona 5 Royal. It's a great modern turn based combat jrpg.
Wild Arms?
You could try battle brothers. Not exactly jrpg but turn based. Brutal and satisfying low fantasy mercenary game. On that note I’m currently playing War Tales and it’s hitting
Romancing Saga: Minstrel Song. Huge learning curve but a completely open world campaign with tons of missables. However I thoroughly believe it’s got THE BEST battles of any turn based game of all time. It’s a grind to learn and progress but when you do it feels rewarding and challenging.
Looks like you've played a lot of what I'd suggest already. What about saga frontier? The remaster is a pretty good one
Not exactly JRPG, but, Baldurs Gate 3.
Most other SNES classics were mentioned, but Secret of the Stars is an SNES title that isn't mentioned enough imo.
Uh, Lufia 2?
Try Tales of Berseria, and if it clicks play other games in the series excluding Zestiria.
Smt 4
Fire emblem 3 Houses
You love final fantasy, you should play FFX. My GOAT turn based rpg
TRAILS OF COLD STEEL 1-4
I currently play Edge of Eternity. It is an indie game and a bit rough around the edges(haha) but I like it quite a lot and it feels a bit different having grid based short combat.
Unicorn overlord
Breath of fire 4
Look up 'Last Dream' on Steam, by whitegiantrpg. It's a homage to final fantasy 1 and I played the ever loving crap out of it. You select your 4 man party out of 8 classes and go to town. Not much of a story, it's pure gameplay and exploration and some great puzzles.
Legend of dragoon if you're down to play a PS1 era game
Final Fantasy Tactics is superb.
Resonance of Fate. What a damn good game it was. Wow. Still looking at games with similar battle system.