jRPGs that might appeal to wRPG fans

[PorkyThePaladin]

So I am someone who has not played more than a few jRPGs in my life and generally haven't been motivated to play more due to things like random encounters, anime looking characters, the typical combat in them (ala Final Fantasy), and other staples of the genre as I understand it with my limited knowledge. The only jRPGs I've ever played are Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy X, and Anachronox (probably debatable whether it's a jRPG or not). I did enjoy Anachronox, but mostly for non-jRPG aspects like western humor and adventure type gameplay.

Anyways, I was wondering, since there are so many jRPG games out there, are there ones among them that might appeal to people who usually play western RPGs? Games with perhaps less linear or more mature storylines, interesting combat systems (yes, I already know about Dark Souls games, so besides those), deep settings and worlds, or some other outstanding aspect.

The recent top 70 list was pretty barren in this regard, but the Codex isn't exactly the most tolerant place, so I was hoping for a more nuanced reply.

 

[I'm Big Into Anal]

have to admit im kind of interested as well; purely for research purposes mind you

 

[Siveon]

King's Field would be a good contender, I think. Dungeons akin to those in Wizardry, but you only control one guy in real time just like in Ultima Underworld. No animu art either, seems like a perfect fit I'll say. If you want to be stingy, it is by From Software, who also made the sort of spiritual successor: Demon/Dark Souls. But you didn't mention it so I'm mentioning it.

 

[Zetor]

There are plenty of turn-based blobbers / dungeon crawlers that are as close as you can get to a Wizardry game... more than you can find in the West, actually. Their designers are still stuck in the Wiz1-3 / Bard's Tale era for some reason, but the games are still enjoyable. Etrian Odyssey, Dark Spire, Generation XTH series are probably the best examples here (warning: EO can be a little too cutesy and anime, and XTH has teenage protagonists). In EO you even have to create your own maps as you're crawling the dungeons, how hardcore is that?!

SRPGs are also a good choice; combat plays similarly to gold box games / nuXCOM (or Odium / Gorky17, if you played that). Tactics Ogre:LUCT, Final Fantasy Tactics, etc etc. TO even has some C&C, if you're into that stuff. Whatever you do, don't play Disgaea.

 

[SCO]

Valkyria Chronicles u fags. Embrace the inner weeaboo and cry during the beach sequence for your lost snobbery and self-respect.

 

[TheGreatOne]

Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together (+3 other games in the series) and Final Fantasty Tactics: Tactical RPG with branching alignment based storyline that focuses on war&ethics (there are moral choices/dilemmas)
Shin Megami Tensei-series: Wizardry inspired games that have cyberpunk and mythological elements, deep&tactical battle systems based on collecting together and fusing different demons that have elemental and other strengths&weakenesses, darker than other JRPGs and feature alignments and some C&C. Nocturne is probably the most challenging turn based RPG made during the last 20 years and very grimdark, has 5 different endings. Strange Journey is a more classic grid based wizardry clone and a more Western art style than most recent titles in the series. It has a quite dark athmosphere, the whole world gets swallowed in darkness in the game over screen etc. Devil Survivor 1&2 have very bad anime art and boring dialogue, but they feature a very deep grid based tactical battle system and have very challenging and well designed encounters. Also have some social elements, you need to level up your relationship with your partners to make them stronger, and since the game runs on a timer you can fail to save people and have them die permanently.
Earlier titles in the series don't look as animu either.
The Dark Spire: Wizardry.
Elminage Gothic: Wizardry, not as dark visually as Dark Spire, but not as animu as Etrian Odyssey/Labyrinth of Touhou 2 either.

There are other games with more Western art styles and/or nonlinearity, but you should start with Tactics Ogre and Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne/Devil Survior 2.

The recent top 70 list was pretty barren in this regard, but the Codex isn't exactly the most tolerant place, so I was hoping for a more nuanced reply.

The earlier list had a JRPG list http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=8869

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Eh, how of these games run on a PC sans emulator?

 

[Zetor]

I consider Strange Journey a very good jrpg, but not that good of a Wizardry-like... the dungeons just aren't that interesting. SMT games are all about mastering the pokemon breeding demon fusion system and capturing / fusing the right demons to make it past the tough boss battles. Devil Survivor 1-2 are probably my favorites, they combine the pokemon thing with SRPG combat really well.

Eh, how of these games run on a PC sans emulator?

Pretty much only Generation XTH: Code Hazard, Elminage Gothic, and Valkyrie Chronicles (the first one needs to be imported or removed from inventory, the second two are on steam).

However, emulating something like a DS / PSX / PSP isn't particularly difficult...

 

[Crooked Bee]

Check out the old thread too

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/index.php?threads/jrpgs-more-appealing-to-the-western-eyez.85292/

 

[laclongquan]

Chronos Trigger and Chrono Cross.
or prettier would be
Parasite Eve 2 (not 1)

 

[Jasede]

King's Field would be a good contender, I think. Dungeons akin to those in Wizardry, but you only control one guy in real time just like in Ultima Underworld. No animu art either, seems like a perfect fit I'll say. If you want to be stingy, it is by From Software, who also made the sort of spiritual successor: Demon/Dark Souls. But you didn't mention it so I'm mentioning it.

How is King's Field a jRPG? There's nothing jRPG about it. Just because it was made in japan doesn't make it a jRPG.

I mean, I do get your point- since it basically is a western RPG, it's a good pick. But if we want to talk about traditional jRPGs we should orient ourselves with games that are considered that - like Final Fantasy 6 or Chrono Trigger.

 

[Crooked Bee]

On the Codex, everything is an RPG unless it's made in Japan in which case it's a JRPG.

 

[Jasede]

halo best rpg you play the role of master chefe

 

[zeitgeist]

Dragon's Dogma, FFXII, Tactics Ogre (and pretty much anything with either Ogre or Tactics in the name), Front Mission series, Vagrant Story, Chrono Trigger, Metal Max, Romancing SaGa 3, ROTK series (strategy, but has significant RPG elements).

Those not only have some western game design conventions (mixed with typical jRPG/tactical jRPG/action jRPG ones) but also borrow from and/or attempt to give their take on European history or mythology, western pop culture, etc. in either visual style (especially character design and architecture), plot elements or both, and could generally be of interest even to someone who doesn't like typical anime style jRPGs.

 

[Siveon]

King's Field would be a good contender, I think. Dungeons akin to those in Wizardry, but you only control one guy in real time just like in Ultima Underworld. No animu art either, seems like a perfect fit I'll say. If you want to be stingy, it is by From Software, who also made the sort of spiritual successor: Demon/Dark Souls. But you didn't mention it so I'm mentioning it.

How is King's Field a jRPG? There's nothing jRPG about it. Just because it was made in japan doesn't make it a jRPG.

I mean, I do get your point- since it basically is a western RPG, it's a good pick. But if we want to talk about traditional jRPGs we should orient ourselves with games that are considered that - like Final Fantasy 6 or Chrono Trigger.

Well I didn't know we were talking about traditional jRPGs to begin with, but you do have a point.

Well, in that sense, I'd recommend Live-A-Live, and second recommendations for Front Mission, Metal Max, Romancing SaGa (1,3 & the remake), pretty much anything SMT related that isn't Demikids or Persona, the "Tactics" series, and Fire Emblem (4 & 5 particularly but the series is alright until Awakening went full weeb).

Also, ERYFKRAD, there is a King's Field 1 remake on PC that uses this level editor From made in Japan a while back. A couple of decent fan made mods there too, not the entire series itself but there you go.

 

[oddech_wymarlych_swiatow]

SMT anytime.

Earthbound
Wizardry: Tales of the Forsaken Land

 

[SCO]

Thinking of this maybe it's time to replay xenogears dat late 90's weeaboo pretentiousness.... nothing like it. Spot a jung reference inbuilt into the plot every hour. Also synth ballads, gnosticism, soylent green and evangelion (extremely weeaboo thou)

Also if you're interested in actually good games with innovative gameplay systems and can look beyond horrible weeaboo artstyle (but not so much narrative funny enough), you could try gungnir.

Devil survivor is a very interesting srpg-blobber-pokemon-dating-simulator mix, not precisely groundbreaking, but i can't recall offhand a game which divided turns into combat (blobber) and movement (tactical movement and some spells) phases.

Oh and nocturne of course.
Ignore the guy recommending PE2 over 1. He's only saying that because PE2 has a 'naked' shower FMV and he is a pervert with skewed priorities. Mind you the gameplay is repetitive and plot is dumb too, but at least it's endearing dumb.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

pogeymans

dead serious

Spoiler

Considering the stuff that passes for RPG these days, I don't see much reason to laugh at pogeymans.

Turn based combat(newer ones have 2 vs 2 and 3 vs 3 battles)
Full party creation
Huge customization (unless you're a tourneyfag, in which case there are like 5 "community approved" party builds)
Stats matter (but trainer guy has no stats)
No romances (only raw, animal sex among monsters)
No bullshit epic story (there may be a crime syndicate or two in your way, but what matters is: are you a bad enough dude to beat the champion?)
No cutscenes
No fake choices (You sure as fuck are a bad enough dude. Take this monster and go hurt things for XP and money)
No grindan (unless you're lazy and want to win by sheer level difference)
No decline (the best, most complex title is always the latest one)
Very few bugs (the discovered ones are famous because of that)
Beauty contests where you can even win ribbons for your pretty princess of a fire breathing dragon, holy shit


fake edit: Hey, it even fulfills Serious_Business requirements for oldschool goodness.

Shitty interfaces, generic settings, repetitive gameplay, grindan and loot, excel sheets, levelling up, fake-difficulty based on character skill and not player skill, etc

 

[Rpgsaurus Rex]

Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together (+3 other games in the series) and Final Fantasty Tactics: Tactical RPG with branching alignment based storyline that focuses on war&ethics (there are moral choices/dilemmas)

FFT has branching? I'm p sure it's totally linear with some optional side stuff. Also best game evar. Also, OP. Don't play LUCT remake, rather pick PSX or SNES one (and don't ever use Petrify, ever, it ruins the game). These two are gold and you absolutely must play them.

There's also the Fire Emblem series (start with the GBA game that's called just that).

Also, OP. If you're here mostly for branching stories, characters and interesting worlds you might want to try a visual novel instead but YMMV.

 

[TheGreatOne]

FFT has branching? I'm p sure it's totally linear with some optional side stuff.

TO has, just lumped it together since they're otherwise similar in plot&gameplay

 

[Rpgsaurus Rex]

Don't play LUCT remake, rather pick PSX or SNES one

Can you elaborate on this? What's wrong with LUCT PSP?

I've had quite a few gripes (fluff skills, dumb crafting, same old "AI") but the #1 dealbreaker for me was having to manually grind up every new class from level ~1-3, including all unique class NPCs that joined you. The alternative: stick to the same dudes for the whole game. This works, sure (just pick 5 archers, lol), but what's the point. One of the coolest things in an SRPG is experimenting with different classes and skills, IMHO. Ragequit at Chapter 2.

 

[Crooked Bee]

If you're looking for branching and C&C, you might want to try Oriental Blue (fan translation: http://aerie.wingdreams.net/?p=237).

It looks like a standard JRPG but apparently it has some insane C&C like a town that you have a quest to protect getting destroyed if you don't do it (but the game will go on) or you can lose a "boss" fight but the game will again go on, reacting to that and changing the plot etc. I only played it a bit, though I do intend to go back to it as soon as I have the time. It's sorta like Age of Decadence: The JRPG, basically, except without the CYOA stuff.

 

[Dev_Anj]

Eh, how of these games run on a PC sans emulator?

I'm more interested to know how many of them can be obtained legally through places other than second hand stores. I haven't tried a single JRPG yet besides a badly done Pokemon fan game, and if I was to ever dip my feet into this genre, getting the more obscure and interesting stuff to be legally widely available would be nice. I mean, I don't mind pirating few games but I don't want to be branded as a thief just for trying some old, rarely found game.

Since this sort of thing seems to pop up often in this forum ( a user posted a thread with quite a few replies in it and a similar topic above), why not make it a pinned topic? The list could have entries decided by the staff and some of the more active posters who can also behave and argue their points well.

 

[Amn Nom]

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen. It was designed in a way to appeal with a Western audience. Main reason I think Capcom are such fucking idiots for not localizing Dragon's Dogma online and not bringing it to PC.

As for proper JRPGs you either want SRPGs or Dungeon Crawlers. I would start with Fire Emblem 4,7,8, or 9 or Tactics Ogre/Final Fantasy Tactics for SRPGs. Avoid Disgaea and other Nichi games, they are built around grinding for ages. Dungeon crawlers are everywhere, the most popular from my experience is Etrian Odyssey 4, the visuals are a complete weaboo fest so if you can't tolerate then avoid. Not my genre so I'm sure someone else can inform you of lesser known ones.

 

[Modron]

No mention of Sengoku Rance...


Add 1 more for the Front Missions, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Earthbound.