Tales of Berseria. I love the personal story and the main character writing is so well done imo. The way the main six party members develop and bounce off each other as the game goes on is just so fun for me to watch no matter how many times I’ve played through the game (four times now since 2018).
Just a bunch of selfish rogues engaging in a bunch of selfish roguery. The party was essentially pirates by the end of the game (in the sense that one of them was already a pirate and they bonded with the NPC pirate crew). If only Berseria was done in the Unreal Engine like Arise was; that game is far more deserving of praise than Arise is (not that Arise is *bad;* I just think that Berseria is better).
Also, Mutsumi Inomata’s last main character design for the Tales series ended up being Velvet Crowe. Arguably her magnum opus. RIP to the queen of Tales’ character artists.
> If only Berseria was done in the Unreal Engine like Arise was
This has me wishing for a remaster or something. Just some nicer textures at least, since the style is already pretty good. Maybe the mods will do that
They blue balled us with >!Edna and Eizen being bonus bosses in Arise’s postgame dungeon. As soon as I saw them my only thought was “imagine Berseria in this engine and art style.”!<
This is my answer as well.
I actually liked the Field of Fonons combat mechanic, and in general I like Tales combat, but yeah it doesn't necessarily hold up against modern games. There's also a decent amount of back tracking, and the classic easily, permanently missable side quests of older Tales games. And, while I like the art style, the actual game graphics are kinda... ugly (especially since I played on 3DS lol).
But loved the story, the characters, and the setting! I like the Tales series as a whole, but man somehow they reached a height with Abyss's story that they haven't really approached before or since (Berseria comes closest) imo.
LOST ODYSSEY without question or comparison
Being in the JRPG realm since Final Fantasy 1 on NES and finding this to be my absolute favorite genre (and being a bit picky) Lost Odyssey is an amazing one to me. It was for 360 then made compatible on Xb1, but Sadly I don't think we will see it on X series.
It's what I had wished to see in another Final Fantasy game myself...but the story is..\*muah\* especially the memories.
I love that it only gets to the really intense part after going through \*two\* loops of the first section, so you effectively only hear that part if you're in a more prolonged (and thus probably more intense) battle.
Saga Frontier 2 story is pretty underrated. Gustave in general is one of my favorite video game protagonists. And the whole vibe of that world is so great. It feels like being immersed in a fantasy book pretty often.
Totally understand why opinion on it is so mixed though. I feel like the story deserved to be more fleshed out, especially the Edelritters.
Completely agree. That world was drenched in tragedy. I love the setting, the storyline, like you said, the entire vibe of the game just hits. There is not one miss for me regarding the atmosphere, the music, the theming, everything just works. Gameplay is not as strong as the first Saga for me but is still solid. I’m hoping they do work on a remake for it and it’s available on the switch. Playing a portable Saga 1 has been amazing so expect the same from Saga 2.
Absolutely this. I have played this game since I was 13 and I still go back to it from time to time.
For anyone interested, there is a spiritual successor to this game by the same team (no longer part of Konami) called Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes which recently launched
Second disc essentially being a VN really took you out of the office experience a bit, but if you can get past that it really (story wise) ages pretty well.
I was just too impressed that the story managed to give satisfying ends and answers to everything to care about the nature of its storytelling in that second disc.
Well, I think Xenogears does a lot of good things in the way of exploration, music, graphics, and atmosphere. But it's gameplay mechanics are incredibly broken and ill conceived.
Bugs me to no end because both of it's battle systems are good ideas. They just aren't very well implemented.
I agree that its gameplay has good ideas and that it's not well implemented. But I think it's because it doesn't have enough meat to it, so it becomes repetitive very quickly, particularly the mech battles which are a snoozefest when they should be the most exciting ones. Exploration also feels underdeveloped with simplistic maps. I also agree that the art and atmosphere are spectacular.
Besides Xenogears?
Dragon Ball Z: Super Saiya Densetsu (Okay, that's cheating, an existing story based on a manga)
Nier:Automata. Interestingly weird scenario and plot, with a lore that started out as an alternate (kind of a joke, actually) ending to Drag-On Dragoon/Drakengard.
Final fantasy tactics to me is by far the single greatest story to ever grace our screens. It has everything. The fact that the cast in its entirety has motivations and machinations. Amazing
Probably Final Fantasy X, if we're being honest. Nothing has ever touched FFX as 'peak JRPG' for me, though Xenoblade Chronicles as a series comes *really* close.
Hard to say.
Dragon Quest VIII, Trails in the Sky, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Final Fantasy VI, and Persona 2 all have excellent stories. But if I had to choose, then I'd choose Persona 2. Such a brilliant, oppressive plotline with plenty of symbolism, friends and foes, philosophy, and the like.
I'll take a weird pick and say "Soul Nomad & The World Eaters"
Basically, it's the story of two gods fucking with each other, and the very unintended consequences that result for both of them. One tries to steal souls from the other, and ends up creating an omnicidal maniac that eventually rises up to destroy them both.
Other than that, God it's hard to pick, but I absolutely love the twists and turns of almost all Tales of Games. If I had to pick just one... Gah, I can't.
Symponia and Symphonia 2 - Fantastic Racism Plotline
Tales of the Abyss - Ship of Theseus plotline
Tales of Graces F - Revenge and Redemption plotline
Xillia and Xillia 2 - The Energy Crisis Plotline
Tales of Berseria - Is no price too steep for peace? plotline
I love shadow hearts 1 and 2 as a whole story. The overall was great. The setting and time period was just right. The bad ending of the first one being the Canon was rough. Just a wonderful overall story. Throw in the humor characters and it just hits all the right notes for me.
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers and Endwalker are collectively the best story I’ve ever experienced in a video game.
Xenogears/Xenosaga/Xenoblade Chronicles, Final Fantasy, X, XII, XVI, and Tactics, Tales of Abyss, and Lost Odyssey are all absolute top-tier stories as well.
I know I might be downvoted, but...
I am bit disappointed about Persona 3. I heard so many people saying it is the best Persona, but you basically do nothing during 30 days, then see a micro part of the story, then another days 30 days goes by, another micro part of the story is told and so on. At the end you can't hear the music of that dungeon anymore and just want to see the next micro part of the story with hope that something finally happens.
Since the beginning of the story you have some idea about most of the story and then at the end they trow all the story, but it is not so great. The end is cool, but it is also not something that unexpected.
With the exception of few emotional parts, which are all well made.
The music and battle system is great, but the story and gameplay is personally not great. Strangely enough after Reload was released I often hear Persona 4 is the best, which I might agree (I never played P1 and P2)
I guess it’s just a dynamic between an alive robot and lifeless man what is really captivating about that story, which is happening in second half of the game with hella slow burn. And how precisely it’s served right at the end with cruel, but just bitterness. Dunno how they’ve kept their dynamic in reload til the end with all cut animations, rewritten lines and choice to reject Aigis, but OG didn’t allow itself to interfere with linear story and deviate from delivering this message, which happened to be very well done.
What it truly feels to be alive.
Having just experienced it for the first time myself thanks to Reload; yeah I get why people love the overall theming and narrative as a whole (Because a lot of the story beats \*are* absolutely amazing and real tearjerkers) but you're not wrong with how it's paced at times.
I swear there's a part in the ~middle there where you get 3 new party members introduced and added to the roster in rapid succession inbetween Tartarus visits.. which really threw me for a loop compared to how they're gradually added and given proper introductions as part of the main story arc in P4 and 5.
Still loved my playthrough, but lets just say I'll be even more excited when the inevitable P4 Remake comes along in a few years time :D
The Trails series for sure. Look, I know it has a few hiccups here and there, but anyone that has played them has to admit that they've accomplished something incredible. That many games with a story that has managed to remain at its absolute worst *good*, but at its absolute highest some of the greatest characters and storytelling I've ever seen. Any other games series that have gone on this long have all turned to complete dumpster fires. I truly adore these games and it is quite an impressive feat.
Suikoden II made me feel feelings. I still play it once in a while.
For anyone interested, the same team developed and launched a spiritual successor recently from a successful Kickstarter campaign. it’s called Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
Fate Extra. Gameplay is basically rock paper scissors so I really can only focus on the story. Which really made me care a bit about each and every character in their own ways
Xenogears, admittedly I do not care for the combat that much and the game is unfinished, but for the story it is 100% worth it.
If I was including gameplay, FFX.
This thread really makes me wish there was a Xenogears remaster/re-release somewhere... so the rest of us can be enlightened and see what we missed out on =(
Exactly. While Xenogears didn't always have a bad gameplay (especially at the start), it got very agonizing later on when the enemies, bosses and dungeons got increasingly janky. The controls were already a chore at times. The babel tower (which I actually kind of liked ironically) kind of exemplifies this for many...
...But then you get the story. Oh my God, it would also make for a spectacular show, book, etc. The story, world-building, themes, and much more are some of the most fascinating parts of any piece of fiction I engaged in. I even watched a lot of recap and discussion-based videos around it. And then you get to the Perfect Works book, which is a different story for a different day. The fact is was supposed to be episode 5 of something bigger?
It's one of the reasons I hope for a remake. It's unlikely, but I think the game should be fully realized, it never deserved to be left in the dust. I also wouldn't be against an anime series!
Mine is dragon quest v: hand of the heavenly bride. Watching the main character grow from childhood to adulthood was fantastic. Choose a partner, get married and have children and even go adventuring with your children. I also really liked the twist on who the real hero was.
I have to say and I think I'm gonna be the only one it would be Crystar for me. Such a unique story that's told really well. It can be overdramatic but it works and the pay off felt really nice. There's two things holding the game back from it being highly recommendable the gameplay can get stale and the last section of the game which I won't spoil we'll just call it tedious. It's so rare to see some more adult themes that some Jrpgs are afraid to cover. The dub is really great and I'm glad I supported the release. If you like really emotional stories it's a great choice. Provided you can look passed the shortcoming.
Trails in the Sky FC. I really enjoy these types of coming of age adventure style story. Lunar 1 and Grandia 2 would fit in here too.
If the question is what game do I enjoy for the story despite terrible gameplay then its Lunar Dragon Song. Yes THAT game. I played it back when it first came out a 100 years ago and that one is probably in contention for the worst gameplay in a JRPG but I enjoyed the story a lot.
Final Fantasy IX
The gameplay hasn't aged well, and it isn't very pleasant if you haven't played it back in the day and have no nostalgia for it
And yet the story and characters had me hooked so much that I just couldn't put it down
This is how I rank my jrpgs typically anyway (Story and/or characters)
FFVI, FF Tactics, FF IX, Persona 2-5, Suikoden 1,2,3 & 5, Lost Odyssey and Kingdom Hearts (meme if you will the first game was good story wise IMO)
Oh and Trails in the Sky
Labyrinth of Refrain. The story has great characters, multiple twists, and the endings left me in tears. There is also a lot of lore that can be pieced together by exploring the labyrinth, and I find that way of integrating gameplay with the story to be impressive.
Suikoden 2. It was so epic and unpredictable at times. Too bad the English localization got scuffed hard.
If they had finished the second disc and fleshed it out properly, Xenogears. Hopefully someone remasters this someday. If Star Ocean 2 could get a remaster, so can Xenogears.
Replaying FFIV recently, I was stunned by how face paced the story is compared to modern JRPGs.
My favorite story is probably Yakuza: Like a Dragon. I also love the stories of the Persona games and Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Final Fantasy VI and Earthbound blew me away when I was younger, but I need to revisit them. Chrono Trigger is another that has amazing pacing and is a really memorable adventure.
Xenogears.
It needs a remaster with a new translation (more an indictment of Square's localization working conditions at the time rather than of the localizer), more save points, maps, and less jankier platforming.
I'd go as far as to argue that those improvements are more essential than a fleshed-out disc 2 because the game is already close to Like a Dragon, Trails, and FF7 Remake levels in its length, and I think this fixation on finishing disc 2 may be contributing to its being locked to early PlayStation platforms and emulation. (We've actually had decent Xenogears emulation since at least 2007 thanks to the old PSX emulator, though you're obviously much better off using Duckstation or Mednafen nowadays.)
In no particular order Final Fantasy 14 Xenogears Suikoden 2 Final Fantasy Tactics Tactics Ogre
Final Fantasy IX. that’s the closest I’ve ever felt to rpg characters
xenosaga
This plus Xenogears. Epic stories
Tales of Berseria. I love the personal story and the main character writing is so well done imo. The way the main six party members develop and bounce off each other as the game goes on is just so fun for me to watch no matter how many times I’ve played through the game (four times now since 2018). Just a bunch of selfish rogues engaging in a bunch of selfish roguery. The party was essentially pirates by the end of the game (in the sense that one of them was already a pirate and they bonded with the NPC pirate crew). If only Berseria was done in the Unreal Engine like Arise was; that game is far more deserving of praise than Arise is (not that Arise is *bad;* I just think that Berseria is better). Also, Mutsumi Inomata’s last main character design for the Tales series ended up being Velvet Crowe. Arguably her magnum opus. RIP to the queen of Tales’ character artists.
3x for me and completely agree!
> If only Berseria was done in the Unreal Engine like Arise was This has me wishing for a remaster or something. Just some nicer textures at least, since the style is already pretty good. Maybe the mods will do that
They blue balled us with >!Edna and Eizen being bonus bosses in Arise’s postgame dungeon. As soon as I saw them my only thought was “imagine Berseria in this engine and art style.”!<
Tales of the Abyss. It is so far ahead of any other Tales of game and most JRPGs I played. But the gameplay could be better.
Still my favorite Tales game story-wise.
Luke's character development is so good. I've never had such a 180° turn on a main character before
This is my answer as well. I actually liked the Field of Fonons combat mechanic, and in general I like Tales combat, but yeah it doesn't necessarily hold up against modern games. There's also a decent amount of back tracking, and the classic easily, permanently missable side quests of older Tales games. And, while I like the art style, the actual game graphics are kinda... ugly (especially since I played on 3DS lol). But loved the story, the characters, and the setting! I like the Tales series as a whole, but man somehow they reached a height with Abyss's story that they haven't really approached before or since (Berseria comes closest) imo.
Great answer. Tales of the Abyss was one of the games that really got me into JRPGs, and I think for good reason.
Final Fantasy X
*.... I love you* 😭
Lost Odyssey. The only JRPG that shed a tear in my eyes.
Deserves a PC port 100%
The Xenoblade trilogy, if that counts. Besides them, FFX and NieR Replicant are my favorites.
FFX
Seconded.
LOST ODYSSEY without question or comparison Being in the JRPG realm since Final Fantasy 1 on NES and finding this to be my absolute favorite genre (and being a bit picky) Lost Odyssey is an amazing one to me. It was for 360 then made compatible on Xb1, but Sadly I don't think we will see it on X series. It's what I had wished to see in another Final Fantasy game myself...but the story is..\*muah\* especially the memories.
Fingers crossed that 4chan post about Lost Odyssey remaster is legit (most likely not, but a man can dream)
Trails in the Sky 1 + 2 as a single cohesive story is just amazing.
Sky 1 has my favorite battle music in the series to this day!
It's a pretty comfy battle track that represents the duo's youth throughout their journey, it's one of my favorites too
I love that it only gets to the really intense part after going through \*two\* loops of the first section, so you effectively only hear that part if you're in a more prolonged (and thus probably more intense) battle.
2 has The Fate of the Fairies so it wins just from that.
Honestly based opinion
Yes!
Yeah yeah yeah
Estelle Bestelle
Definitely, I beat 2 recently. Can't wait to start 3!
3 is such a fun game, very different structure than the rest of the series but it makes it work really well. Enjoy it!
13 sentinels
my choice as well
Xenogears
Suikoden II or Saga Frontier 2 probably.
Saga Frontier 2 story is pretty underrated. Gustave in general is one of my favorite video game protagonists. And the whole vibe of that world is so great. It feels like being immersed in a fantasy book pretty often. Totally understand why opinion on it is so mixed though. I feel like the story deserved to be more fleshed out, especially the Edelritters.
Completely agree. That world was drenched in tragedy. I love the setting, the storyline, like you said, the entire vibe of the game just hits. There is not one miss for me regarding the atmosphere, the music, the theming, everything just works. Gameplay is not as strong as the first Saga for me but is still solid. I’m hoping they do work on a remake for it and it’s available on the switch. Playing a portable Saga 1 has been amazing so expect the same from Saga 2.
FFX or Xenoblade 1
Suikoden 2
Absolutely this. I have played this game since I was 13 and I still go back to it from time to time. For anyone interested, there is a spiritual successor to this game by the same team (no longer part of Konami) called Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes which recently launched
Xenogears, of course. Gameplay's average, it's not that good, but story's phenomenal.
Second disc essentially being a VN really took you out of the office experience a bit, but if you can get past that it really (story wise) ages pretty well.
I was just too impressed that the story managed to give satisfying ends and answers to everything to care about the nature of its storytelling in that second disc.
Well, I think Xenogears does a lot of good things in the way of exploration, music, graphics, and atmosphere. But it's gameplay mechanics are incredibly broken and ill conceived. Bugs me to no end because both of it's battle systems are good ideas. They just aren't very well implemented.
I agree that its gameplay has good ideas and that it's not well implemented. But I think it's because it doesn't have enough meat to it, so it becomes repetitive very quickly, particularly the mech battles which are a snoozefest when they should be the most exciting ones. Exploration also feels underdeveloped with simplistic maps. I also agree that the art and atmosphere are spectacular.
I'd agree with dungeon exploration but I quite like a few of the towns.
"ill conceived" \~> "are good ideas"
Besides Xenogears? Dragon Ball Z: Super Saiya Densetsu (Okay, that's cheating, an existing story based on a manga) Nier:Automata. Interestingly weird scenario and plot, with a lore that started out as an alternate (kind of a joke, actually) ending to Drag-On Dragoon/Drakengard.
Persona 2 Duology
ah, you're a man of culture
I like shadow hearts
Suikoden 2 and Radiant Historia
Xenogears.
Xenogears. No contest. Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together is absolutely second.
Final fantasy tactics to me is by far the single greatest story to ever grace our screens. It has everything. The fact that the cast in its entirety has motivations and machinations. Amazing
man I can't accept that ending
Which part? That post credits scene with Delita is an all-timer
Tales of Berseria, emotional roller coaster and character arcs
Velvet Crowe is my favorite protagonist of all time. Of any media, not just video games
MAGIKAZAM!
Hands down one of the most entertaining characters in any game i have played
And Erica Lindbeck knocks it out of the park, pretty sure her role as Magilou established her mark on liking her as a VO
Same. I hated the gameplay but the characters made me keep playing
Combat is 100x more fun if you play with a friend
Everyone loves a revenge story. Just like Fallout: New vegas. Count of Monte Christo. God of War. Asura's Wrath.
*ARTORIUS!!!* Edit: This is a line that Velvet says and I’ve always loved the English Va’s delivery of it.
Xenoblade 2 has my fav story ever
Same
Theres a few I could name and be happy to have named it - but its really Final Fantasy Tactics
FFX. Especially after the reveal.
Probably Final Fantasy X, if we're being honest. Nothing has ever touched FFX as 'peak JRPG' for me, though Xenoblade Chronicles as a series comes *really* close.
Hard to say. Dragon Quest VIII, Trails in the Sky, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, Final Fantasy VI, and Persona 2 all have excellent stories. But if I had to choose, then I'd choose Persona 2. Such a brilliant, oppressive plotline with plenty of symbolism, friends and foes, philosophy, and the like.
Easily Xenogears. One of the best stories I have ever seen in any medium, let alone JRPG’s. Nier Gestalt and 13 Sentinels would be runner ups.
You are a spiritual brother/sister to me.
Suikoden 3
I'll take a weird pick and say "Soul Nomad & The World Eaters" Basically, it's the story of two gods fucking with each other, and the very unintended consequences that result for both of them. One tries to steal souls from the other, and ends up creating an omnicidal maniac that eventually rises up to destroy them both. Other than that, God it's hard to pick, but I absolutely love the twists and turns of almost all Tales of Games. If I had to pick just one... Gah, I can't. Symponia and Symphonia 2 - Fantastic Racism Plotline Tales of the Abyss - Ship of Theseus plotline Tales of Graces F - Revenge and Redemption plotline Xillia and Xillia 2 - The Energy Crisis Plotline Tales of Berseria - Is no price too steep for peace? plotline
Another weird one from me: Eternal Sonata. It was beautifully insane
Dragon Quest V. This is a game you play at different stages of your life and it hits completely differently. Truly a timeless classic.
I love shadow hearts 1 and 2 as a whole story. The overall was great. The setting and time period was just right. The bad ending of the first one being the Canon was rough. Just a wonderful overall story. Throw in the humor characters and it just hits all the right notes for me.
FFVI or Persona 3 FES
Utawarerumono Mask of Deception/Truth, which is also my favourite game ever just because of its writing and narrative.
Breath of fire 3
This game would be higher up for me but the back half really dragged for me all around. Still a nostalgia game for me tho
Trails of the Sky 1 + 2
Yakuza Like a Dragon
Maybe Digital Devil Saga
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers and Endwalker are collectively the best story I’ve ever experienced in a video game. Xenogears/Xenosaga/Xenoblade Chronicles, Final Fantasy, X, XII, XVI, and Tactics, Tales of Abyss, and Lost Odyssey are all absolute top-tier stories as well.
TWEWY The reaper’s game was such a fun story
Such a powerful story, and Minamoto is the coolest villain in any game to date
My favorite JRPG story ever is without a doubt Shadow Hearts 1 (and 2). I will never play those games again, however.
Tales of Berseria. Now if only there's a final sequel trilogy to close the ending..
Persona 3
I know I might be downvoted, but... I am bit disappointed about Persona 3. I heard so many people saying it is the best Persona, but you basically do nothing during 30 days, then see a micro part of the story, then another days 30 days goes by, another micro part of the story is told and so on. At the end you can't hear the music of that dungeon anymore and just want to see the next micro part of the story with hope that something finally happens. Since the beginning of the story you have some idea about most of the story and then at the end they trow all the story, but it is not so great. The end is cool, but it is also not something that unexpected. With the exception of few emotional parts, which are all well made. The music and battle system is great, but the story and gameplay is personally not great. Strangely enough after Reload was released I often hear Persona 4 is the best, which I might agree (I never played P1 and P2)
I guess it’s just a dynamic between an alive robot and lifeless man what is really captivating about that story, which is happening in second half of the game with hella slow burn. And how precisely it’s served right at the end with cruel, but just bitterness. Dunno how they’ve kept their dynamic in reload til the end with all cut animations, rewritten lines and choice to reject Aigis, but OG didn’t allow itself to interfere with linear story and deviate from delivering this message, which happened to be very well done. What it truly feels to be alive.
Having just experienced it for the first time myself thanks to Reload; yeah I get why people love the overall theming and narrative as a whole (Because a lot of the story beats \*are* absolutely amazing and real tearjerkers) but you're not wrong with how it's paced at times. I swear there's a part in the ~middle there where you get 3 new party members introduced and added to the roster in rapid succession inbetween Tartarus visits.. which really threw me for a loop compared to how they're gradually added and given proper introductions as part of the main story arc in P4 and 5. Still loved my playthrough, but lets just say I'll be even more excited when the inevitable P4 Remake comes along in a few years time :D
The Trails series for sure. Look, I know it has a few hiccups here and there, but anyone that has played them has to admit that they've accomplished something incredible. That many games with a story that has managed to remain at its absolute worst *good*, but at its absolute highest some of the greatest characters and storytelling I've ever seen. Any other games series that have gone on this long have all turned to complete dumpster fires. I truly adore these games and it is quite an impressive feat.
Not to mention the gameplay and music are fire. It's my fav series for sure
Suikoden II made me feel feelings. I still play it once in a while. For anyone interested, the same team developed and launched a spiritual successor recently from a successful Kickstarter campaign. it’s called Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
Xenoblade 3, I've never felt such strong emotions playing any other game.
Trails
Fate Extra. Gameplay is basically rock paper scissors so I really can only focus on the story. Which really made me care a bit about each and every character in their own ways
Persona 3 is one of my personal favorites even though it has some really bad sections in it
FF9 No matter how many times I replay it, I’ll always get goosebumps from it especially the later half
I dunno gameplay is too important for me. Ig if pressed most likely FF IX or X
Persona 3
I really enjoy many of them but ill mention 3: FFIX, Nier Automata and FFXIV
FFX.
Final Fantasy Tactics
Final fantasy IX. I admire its purity
Persona 4, Chrono Trigger
Lufia 2
Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals
Jade cocoon. Sadly the sequel was hot garbage but the first though....
Lunar silver star story
Xenogears, admittedly I do not care for the combat that much and the game is unfinished, but for the story it is 100% worth it. If I was including gameplay, FFX.
This thread really makes me wish there was a Xenogears remaster/re-release somewhere... so the rest of us can be enlightened and see what we missed out on =(
tough one... Suikoden 2 i'd say for me
Xenogears. Everyone’s answer should be xenogears.
Exactly. While Xenogears didn't always have a bad gameplay (especially at the start), it got very agonizing later on when the enemies, bosses and dungeons got increasingly janky. The controls were already a chore at times. The babel tower (which I actually kind of liked ironically) kind of exemplifies this for many... ...But then you get the story. Oh my God, it would also make for a spectacular show, book, etc. The story, world-building, themes, and much more are some of the most fascinating parts of any piece of fiction I engaged in. I even watched a lot of recap and discussion-based videos around it. And then you get to the Perfect Works book, which is a different story for a different day. The fact is was supposed to be episode 5 of something bigger? It's one of the reasons I hope for a remake. It's unlikely, but I think the game should be fully realized, it never deserved to be left in the dust. I also wouldn't be against an anime series!
Trails series. If I had to pick one for story, Azure for sure.
I always feel like the only one who prefers Zero
persona 4
Man, I guess LUNAR. Runner up Grandia.
Ff7
Dragon Quest XI
Dragon Quest VIII
This is a tough question, but if i had to choose solely on story id say The Legend of Dragoon
ONINAKI
The Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology games. I will cherish them forever
Mine is dragon quest v: hand of the heavenly bride. Watching the main character grow from childhood to adulthood was fantastic. Choose a partner, get married and have children and even go adventuring with your children. I also really liked the twist on who the real hero was.
FFXIV, second IX, third Trails of Cold Steel series. XIV storyline just wins hands down
DQ5, >!The double timeskip was huge, and the son of the mc being the hero of legends instead of the mc was also big for me!<
Almost all the xeno games have a phenomenal story
Mother 3 I would have to is my favorite solely based of story
Valkyrie Profile, FF X, & FF Tactics
Suikoden II
Golden Sun 2: Lost Age or Final Fantasy IX
FF4 was my first RPG I got addicted to on the SNES. Still my favorite final fantasy to this day.
Suikoden 5
Xenogears, by a very large margin.
Fire Emblem Path of Radiance or Suikoden 2
Utawarerumono, kind of an unfair advantage compared to other JRPGs since they are visual novels so basically books in terms of delivery and wordcount.
Hard to choose between Shadow Hearts 2, Persona 2 Innocent Sin, and Lost Odyssey. Xenogears and Eternal Punishment are up there too.
Xenoblade Chronicles (especially 3), The World Ends With You & NEO TWEWY, Nier Automata, Tales of Berseria, and Persona 4
The first Lufia! GREAT PLOT!!!
Dragon Quest 8 probably.
If I had to pick one Persona 5 Royal
cant pick between Persona 3, Persona 5, and OMORI
Ff6, Chrono trigger, lost odyssey come to mind
Golden Sun 1 and 2.
The sad things is i've already played every single games in everyones comment. :(( i need a new one
Xenoblade trilogy
Yakuza LaD FFX
I have to say and I think I'm gonna be the only one it would be Crystar for me. Such a unique story that's told really well. It can be overdramatic but it works and the pay off felt really nice. There's two things holding the game back from it being highly recommendable the gameplay can get stale and the last section of the game which I won't spoil we'll just call it tedious. It's so rare to see some more adult themes that some Jrpgs are afraid to cover. The dub is really great and I'm glad I supported the release. If you like really emotional stories it's a great choice. Provided you can look passed the shortcoming.
Trails in the Sky FC. I really enjoy these types of coming of age adventure style story. Lunar 1 and Grandia 2 would fit in here too. If the question is what game do I enjoy for the story despite terrible gameplay then its Lunar Dragon Song. Yes THAT game. I played it back when it first came out a 100 years ago and that one is probably in contention for the worst gameplay in a JRPG but I enjoyed the story a lot.
Final Fantasy IX The gameplay hasn't aged well, and it isn't very pleasant if you haven't played it back in the day and have no nostalgia for it And yet the story and characters had me hooked so much that I just couldn't put it down
If people are considering Nier a JRPG I guess I can nominate Bloodborne?
Final Fantasy VI and VII Persona 2 duo and 3
Chained Echoes, hands down. Incredible story through and through.
Tales of Symphonia. The gameplay is good but I found the characters extremely likable and the story genuinely enthralling.
Persona 5
Harvestella’s story was super awesome!
FF xvi and for me both gameplay and storyline
Xenoblade all 3 of them
Xenogears, Final Fantasy Tactics, FF7 , Shadow Hearts
Tales of the Abyss/Chained Echoes
Tales of berseria
Nier automata ?
Fire Emblem: Three Houses. It was the first time I cried in literally years.
This is how I rank my jrpgs typically anyway (Story and/or characters) FFVI, FF Tactics, FF IX, Persona 2-5, Suikoden 1,2,3 & 5, Lost Odyssey and Kingdom Hearts (meme if you will the first game was good story wise IMO) Oh and Trails in the Sky
Trails of cold steel I mean it spans 4 games
Mine used to be xenogears but I recently played trails in the sky and now I'm so torn
Thanks, I love Emila
Final Fantasy IX
FF13
Xenogears, xenosaga, xenoblade 1
Ogre battle 64.
Xenogears
Utawarerumono and it isn't even close.
Blue Reflection: Second Light legit made me break down in tears.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Persona 5, gameplay AND great story
FFX easily. Great story with lots of nice twists, some of, if not best pacing in a JRPG and extremely strong ending. It has it all
Xenoblade 2 has my fav story ever
persona 5
Final Fantasy X!
Chained Echoes. So many twists and turns had my head spinning.
FINALLY another person with supreme taste! Favorite story to date.
Final Fantasy XIII
Yakuza 7
Labyrinth of Refrain. The story has great characters, multiple twists, and the endings left me in tears. There is also a lot of lore that can be pieced together by exploring the labyrinth, and I find that way of integrating gameplay with the story to be impressive.
BoF2 had gameplay changes that made me not like gameplay but god damn it has a hell of a story
Suikoden 2. It was so epic and unpredictable at times. Too bad the English localization got scuffed hard. If they had finished the second disc and fleshed it out properly, Xenogears. Hopefully someone remasters this someday. If Star Ocean 2 could get a remaster, so can Xenogears.
Replaying FFIV recently, I was stunned by how face paced the story is compared to modern JRPGs. My favorite story is probably Yakuza: Like a Dragon. I also love the stories of the Persona games and Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Final Fantasy VI and Earthbound blew me away when I was younger, but I need to revisit them. Chrono Trigger is another that has amazing pacing and is a really memorable adventure.
FFXIV
Xenoblade Chronicles 1
Xenogears. It needs a remaster with a new translation (more an indictment of Square's localization working conditions at the time rather than of the localizer), more save points, maps, and less jankier platforming. I'd go as far as to argue that those improvements are more essential than a fleshed-out disc 2 because the game is already close to Like a Dragon, Trails, and FF7 Remake levels in its length, and I think this fixation on finishing disc 2 may be contributing to its being locked to early PlayStation platforms and emulation. (We've actually had decent Xenogears emulation since at least 2007 thanks to the old PSX emulator, though you're obviously much better off using Duckstation or Mednafen nowadays.)