Lost Odyssey will always have a special place in my heart. My mom was never a gamer, but she would watch my brother and me play. She got really into the story of Lost Odyssey and loved watching us play, always eager to find out what was going to happen next. She cheered the highs and cried during the lows. I still remember spending afternoons playing Lost Odyssey with my brother while my mom watched.
The thing I loved about Berseria is that they never took the big sis farm girl out of the brooding loner anti-hero. It's something that frustrates me about most revenge stories, where going through trauma makes the protagonist a completely different character by erasing their doubts and negative qualities. Plus I find it amusing how the anime contended for top anime ost after randomly slapping Zesteria and Berseria's openings into the anime.
Ah, Berseria. Violet came off as edgy teenager at first, but her brutality changed my mind. She has this one Break Soul ability where she just rips with vertical claw swipes while going berserk that still sticks out in my mind just because she had this bloodthirsty scream while doing it -- must have been brutal on the voice actress, but awesome work.
It's a dirty trick they used, showing you the sweetest and most well-meaning gal and then does all that, while constantly teasing a return to that girl we used to know... only to never actually give it to us. It's heartbreaking. It takes guts to make a story simply bitter rather than bittersweet.
For me unlike you guys surprisingly was my least favorite of the Tales game I have played. Don't know I just couldn't get attached to any of the party of it.And personally didn't care for the story at all. It is also one of the Tales games that I have actually finished and near the end really felt like it dragged on for too long.
Ys 8 made me fall in love with jrpg again. Getting stranded on an island with all kind of different terrain. Likeable characters and tropical setting made it easy to complete the game which doesn't really happen all that often these days for me.
I really enjoyed Y's 8 but got really nervous when the base kept getting attacked non stop. It was hours of fun and exploration but I don't know about the replay value. After finishing it I haven't really gone back at all.
It's definitely the unsung gem of the Tales of series. Only Abyss has a story I'd consider better, and because of both its age and the lack of English voiced skits I think Berseria just might take the crown for my favourite cast in the series. Only major issue I have is the area design is extremely bland and uninspired. If it looked even half as pretty as Arise did and had half the thought Symphonia's dungeons had put into them I'd consider it the perfect JRPG
@@ZeldaKid5000 For me gem is Tales of Graces.. loved a story where 3 friends grown up together from kids to adults.. and Sophie, I will never forget her face :)
Persona 5 Royal, Tales of Berseria, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Ao No Kiseki are my favourite parts of their franchise, so I'm happy and glad to see them! Just started Ys VIII, so maybe it'll make it in my personal list too. Also funnily the only two games I've played on Japanese made it in: Ao and Bersy (latter for PS3 because I didn't own a PS4 or PC at this point)
Ys 8 is the reason I even like ANY JRPG's now and Sunshine Coastline is definitely a great early song to hear that starts the adventure, so I recommend that game as well. Nier Automata's soundtrack is also my favorite video game soundtrack. Definitely worth listening to. And yeah, of the three Tales games I've played, I think Berseria had the best story. That's a good one to delve into.
I tried getting into Ys 8, but I just could not find it fun. Just felt like a slog. As for Berseria, I'm not a huge fan of it overall. It's better than Zestiria, but that isn't an accomplishment, and there are parts I do like (Velvet as a whole is a good example, being one of my favorite protagonists in the series), but overall, it felt like one of the weaker Tales games.
It's so nice to hear someone else say they like rex. I felt like I was the only one. His character arch is a little messier, but he shows so much growth and I love that it isn't just a straight upward slide. He really hits a lot of high and low points as the story goes, and it felt so real to me. Becoming more confident and then suddenly doubting yourself only to have others lift you back up again, is just so real.
I think a juxtaposition with Addam would have made Rex's growth even more brilliant. Where Addam showed distance and a bit of fear regarding the Aegis, Rex just embraced and accepted their true nature. Instead Torna ended up standalone and it put Jin at the center so we don't really delve into Addam's inner thoughts.
As he said, he's easily the most relatable of the trilogy's three MC's. Shulk and Noah are already capable, competent soldiers who are rather grown and their character development comes from their actions within the story. Rex meanwhile is a kid whose character development comes from not just his own actions but everything happening around him as he's essentially forced to grow up and become a man before he's even able to grasp what's going on until it's almost too late. It's much easier to relate to someone who's less skilled and experienced like Rex.
Rex is awesome, I just think some his dialogue didn't transfer amazingly into English. My only problems with him are those drawn out monologues and his messy wording.
Torna was so good that it released as a standalone game. Also a small correction on Lost Odyssey, you don’t need a disc to play it on modern consoles. It’s available digitally and quite frequently on sale. It’s a great game that anybody should play.
Pleasantly surprised that Opus Echoes of Starsong was included. Absolutely loved this masterpiece of narrative driven gameplay. The musical sountracks really made the experience one to remember. Not to mention the emotions after reaching the end of the story and the journey that the characters went through.
Lost Odyssey is such a good game. And the only reason I played it is because of a GameStop employee. I was buying another Xbox 360 RPG, and the guy behind the counter immediately tracked down one of the last, and used, copies of Lost Odyssey in the store and said "If you like RPGS, and if you haven't played it, you need to play this game. It's only $5 and worth so much more." With a sales pitch like that, how could I not go for it? Loved the game. Still have the disks.
I'm super glad to see XC2 getting some love, it isn't only my favorite jrpg but also my favorite game ever. I like the rest of the list but I'd replace a couple of the games in it with dragon quest XI, that game was a masterpiece.
The one thing that holds DQXI back for me is its OST. I put a lot of importance on that, and DQXIs was so grating that I had to use my own music when I went back to it for a second time.
@@TheKisekiNut I was lucky that I actually enjoyed the battle music haha. But the OST def leaves something to be desired. The Reverie soundtrack is taking boss battles up a notch simply by music alone
xc2 first game that ever made me cry edit; deff my fav jrpg ever edit edit;; i'm getting dqxiS today in the mail i'm excited to play it for the first time
I was surprised by the inclusion of Tales of Berseria, but absolutely welcome it! It feels like a lot of people skipped it because of Zesteria and that's a shame. The main crew were my favorite and their chemistry was really good. It's story and characters are leagues above Arise and Velvet's theme still hits as one of the best character themes in JRPGs. Happy it's getting the recognition it deserves.
Berseria was genuinely good as a standalone but it hits different if you played Zestiria since Berseria is a prequel to it. I also think some people, such like my brother, hated Velvet's character and led him to stop playing. I didn't have this issue at all, her character made sense in the context of what has happened to her and around her.
@@barongeoffrey75 Probably thinks she is too edgy. That's the most common complaint I see of Velvet. Don't really get it myself, she is a flawed and messed up person due to all of her trauma, I think that's so much more interesting than the goody two shoes MCs.
Fun list, and I loved a great many titles on this list! When I listen to you talk about your favorite JRPGs, it always becomes apparent to me that I've probably been playing JRPGs a little longer (early 90's) than you. My 10/10 definitely includes some classics: 1. Chrono Trigger - You've heard of it, and the hype is deserved. 2. Suikoden II - The game is a bonafide masterpiece and I hope you catch it's remaster next year! The first entry is required playing (imo), but it's an easy investment because the first title is a VERY short game, and fantastic anyway. 3. Xenogears - Best story in any JRPG in my opinion. You just need to experience it. 4. Breath of Fire IV - Another gem, with the added amazing idea that you control the game's primary antagonist in parallel chapter. It works REALLY well. 5. Lufia II - Kind of a lost gem with a simple albeit amazing story, and powerful ending. 6. Final Fantasy Tactics - you probably heard of it, god-tier story, and amazing SRPG.
@@sharebear421 its from the same era and arguably one of the best of all time, so curious as to why it wasn't included... no need to be so hostile buddy.
Just wanted to chime in that Ys VIII Lacrimosa of Dana is my most favorite game i ever played. The killer music (the MUSIC man, years after playing it i still listen to its ost daily) amazing story and characters, the suprising plot twists, one of best female heroines i have seen in gaming world (Dana forever!), the stellar combat. I cried far too long and far too hard when the game ended. No game before or after captured me like this one.
One thing i didn't expect to love about Fire Emblem Awakening was the skills... In most games, the skill activation on things like Luna, Sol and Astra zips by in the blink of an eye, but Awakening treats them as just as much of an event as a critical hit, giving them their own cut-in segment when they activate! I thought it would make the game move too slow for me like in POR, RD and 3 Houses, but i love playing with animations on, and even to this day, i never tire of wathing everything play out...
@@stephentrader9142isn’t PlayStation still just letting games like Killzone and Resistance die off tho doubt they’d do anything either that’s just how it is at times man.
Yo, wasn't expecting to see Echoes of Starsong mentioned, and you have my respect for that. It's one of my absolute favourite games I've played in a long while, that nobody else seems to have played. I don't see it mentioned *at all*. The characters, writing, and soundtrack is simply phenomenal. Really dig the art style as well. I bought it on a sale and went in without much expectations and really didn't expect to like it so much after finishing it. Might start another playthrough soon! Thank you for mentioning that game and making it more known than it is. The more people that experiences this game, the better. Such a well made and phenomenal game really.
The second you said Berseria i jumped out my chair and was yelling out my agreement. Idk why people nitpick it down when the story, buildup and setting was just so damn good. The battle system was also the perfect mix from other Tales games like Graces iirc (someone please correct me if I'm wrong). Berseria deserves more recognition.
The combat is the one thing I didn't really like much tbh (though same could be said for half the Tales games tbh), but other than that it's my favourite Tales game easily. Favourite story in gaming actually.
The game is a 10/10 to me just for the story. The combat system was just awful IMO but the story made up for it. Just wish the villains had more character development. They were there more to progress the plot rather than being a character.
@@chikipichi5280 hard agree on the villains, but I'm seeing others also say they didn't like the battle system. Mind telling me why you didn't? I actually thought it was fine if not, a good balance of button mashing reminiscent of Tales games where we had TP instead of BP and games like Graces that had more intricate combo systems
@@awastedcow In paper it sounds cool asf to make your own combos but I found that there was no point in it because I got through the whole game using only 2 combos I made for Velvet. Used her on every boss/enemy regardless of elemental disadvantage and was able to beat the game on hard. I wish the combat system had been more like Tales of Xillia which is my favorite combat in the series or Vesperia (once you unlock a majority of it since like the first 10 hrs of that game are painful 💀). In Xillia, I was able to cheese some bosses on hard with artes spam but it ultimately still forced me to have to switch characters and rely on partner attacks a lot. So I guess it's more of a complaint of the enemy design rather than the combat system since I still could've used another character or combo but the game never got hard enough for it even on hard. Felt like I was playing a Dynasty Warriors game.
XBC2, Nier Automata and Persona 5 Royal are literally my 3 favorite games of all time. May need to check out the rest on this list now since our tastes seem to align so much haha
NieR: Automata is my favorite game of all time. I love everything about, and i even bought multiple physical copies so i could give them out to my friends haha
I love Final Fantasy 7 its still my favorite game of all time but Lost Odyssey Is one of the best game i have ever played also you can tell the original makers of Final Fantasy made it because it was the closet thing to being a Final Fantasy without actually being a Final Fantasy another great game was Eternal Sonata wow what a game.
The short story sections from Lost Odyssey were a highlight of the game for me, and while I normally despise QTEs, the ring feature felt great to pull of, it made farming xp fun.
Oh my gosh, I’ve never heard someone that described my love for XB2 as well as you did. I honestly love the feeling of getting a good blade in the gacha, and I found field skills really fun, and of course everything else is great. I love XB1 and XB3 probably just as much, but there’s just a small bit of me that leans towards XB2. They’re all perfect though😂
While many of these are must-plays imo, I'll say Ys 8 tells one of the most interesting and compelling narratives I've ever played. As someone who agrees all to often with you I also completely understand why you picked Berseria.
Lost Odyssey for me is also a must on any JRPG 10/10 list... I still vividly remember that one moment shortly after inserting Disc 2 of 4 when the main protag makes a very meaningful and very emotional discovery... one of the few moments when a story actually made me cry too, I don't mind admitting.
The one thing I really like about Berseria is kinda the same thing I like in Yakuza game: they dont picture evil like evil creature only existing to spread evil and enjoying this. I mean sure you have this trope of nice guy not actually being as nice as they pretend to be but the cast have very humans trait. Take Eizen for instance, the guy is a pirate, he knows that very well but when he's being asked why he doesnt want to steal from people in cities, he just answer that he's a pirate not a bandit (even though it's kind of the same thing). The guy is very knowledgeable and like arts as well as some insects and just want to do his things. Rokuro seeks strenght and would never back down from a fight, he's a thirsty for battle but he's also able to be a reliable friend who helps other and genuinely care about others. Everything isnt so black and white and if you played Zestiria before, you will understand some reference but it will also serve as a great "counterbalance" considering Zestiria is very naive and rather "cliche" in its story telling (it's not bad but it's not something new per say).
Thank you for including Lost Odyssey! I bought a 360 back then to play Dragon Age: Origins and only later noticed that the 360 didn't have many (...any) jrpgs (my main genre at the time). I didn't have money for the ps3, I was still in highschool, so I went for the only jrpg on the 360 - and it was made by Sakaguchi, too! Lost Odyssey is without a doubt one of the best GAMES (not just jrpgs, games in general) I've ever played. I own two sets of dics in case they break. It's one of the diamonds in my game collection. A port to steam would be super welcome though, of course. The 1000 years of dreams absolutely made me bawl my eyes out on more than one occasion and Kaim as a character, and the world/worldbuilding are so unique, it's fascinating! Anyone who can get their hands on a copy (or even if not 🏴☠️) should play this ♡
Sophie 2 got THE best turn based battle system ever. Sad thing that battle system is stuck in an Atelier game (no offense, i love Atelier games) but I'd love to have a different RPG with similar battle system to Sophie 2.
omg, so happy to see Sophie 2 getting some recognitions. I feel like it got over shadowed by Ryza 3 which was definitely not the better of the series imo.
@@Lochness-du9ct Sure, but Ryza 3 wasn't even announced until almost 7 months after Sophie 2 came out, and Ryza 2 came over a year prior to Sophie 2. There was no real hype around it to take away from Sophie 2. You probably don't see people talking about Sophie 2 often because compared to other games in the series like Meruru or the Dusk trilogy, it is not very good (and neither is Ryza 3).
Ryza 3 felt more like fatigue from Gust. A great game, but loads of issues and a bit too drawn out. Ryza 2 for me is the best in the trilogy, and that doesn't measure up to Sophie 2.
The thousand years of dreams in lost odyssey were so good. Truly beautifully written and profound short stories (at least I thought so back when I read them in 2008)
had a hard time on p5r with okamura too. and recently finished atelier sophie 2. was blown away by the graphics, seamless battle transitions, the instantaneous battle inputs, stable 60fps at 720p and handheld, some aspects better than ryza even! but the story not so much even if you have played the 1st sophie, but its a solid good game otherwise, and its a shame no one talks about this game.
One I would recommend that is SO Ungodly Underated is "Skies of Arcadia". The game is so creative, immersive, and fun it took me back to my childhood. It's for the gamecube and dreamcast (but i just emulate it with dolphin (recommended way to play). Pitch: You like "trails combat", but it's too complex for a sane person. You like FF7 vibes but the wait turn based FF format is too slow. You like Airships in RPG's but feel they don't do anything really. You like cool worldbuilding. You want to feel attached to characters in your party. Skies of Arcadia Legends is your game.
i had never heard of Opus: Echo of Starsong before and that went on my wishlist IMMEDIATELY, wow--what a stunning looking game and the fact that it lost to 13 Sentinels--one of my top fave games ever--means I have to check it out haha!
Bro you are MISSING OUT. Echoes of Starsong is phenomenal, and will make you cry. I don't want to make it seem like I'm exaggerating, but it's one of my favourite game that I've experienced in my life. I really really loved that game.
It was extremely close between Aegis Rim and Opus. But I had to give it to Opus just because I still remember several moments in its story vividly even now.
as a newer FE fan, awakening was undoubtedly the one that got me hooked into the series. the characters the soundtrack the story the gameplay, I just had so much fun with it. it'll always have such a special place in my heart
You chose a lot of great games on this list. Xenoblade is my favorite video game series. All of them are unique and great in different ways. Xenoblade 1 on wii (wii u) made my jaw drop and left me in wonder. Xenoblade 2 has a ton of originality with blades and battles, and Xenoblade 3 was probably most emotional for me and likely my favorite over all cast, but it's hard to say cause all the casts are just so good, all incredible games which I love.
Dude lowkey I loved Magilou, she was like witty and so energetic but she was also so full of shi its hilarious. I loved Beserias cutscenes its nuts, there was one that they were arguing about beetles and it was so hilarious, they seem more like a family if anything. And ofcourse there is Trails, Tales, and Atelier all in one list. Kiseki you are a true man of culture. And wow on the first one man, definitely threw a wrench on what I thought would be the number 1 on this list, good stuff man
The best part about Magilou is that she's got such razor-sharp insights that you can never really trust whether she's full of shit or not at any given time. You can't write her off even if you're sure she's just messing with you, because she might not be. And the line between those two is exactly where she prefers to live her life.
I'm surprised at how close this list is to my personal top 10, which includes persona 5, xenoblade2 , ys8, and lost odyssey. And while Atelier Sophie 2 and Berseria didn't make my list, they are definitely the top tier in the series in terms of storytelling and characters.
I bought the very first trail games, trails in the sky, and even tho the games are really old I loved it. It was a simple turn based JRPG but it did everything correctly for me. Cant wait to reach trails of azure after this video !
Some really good picks here, some I've played, some I want to play, and some I've finished. I really need to finish Beseria though, I was pretty much in it for Magilou, because I genuinely smiled whenever she opened her mouth.
Damn this list is so almost exactly what my top 10 list is. Always feels good when you find/love a content creator who shares your taste, you get some great recommendations! ❤
Lost Odyssey is a 10/10 I can second wholeheartedly. I LOVED this game, and it was considered 'niche' You were spot on in your deduction that it unfortunately came out on the wrong console and during the wrong time. It is indeed a timeless classic. If anyone sees this comment and gets the opportunity to try it on - you won't be disappointed; you'll be blown away.
I really appreciate that for the most part you don't show end-game, or even mid-game footage when you do these reviews. A lot of reviews I have to scroll the video offscreen and just listen to the review, because they're loaded with footage of the best or most suprising parts of a game.
I fist-pumped when Tales of Berseria came up. I'm really hard to please, but that game's story and characters were perhaps the finest I've come across in a JRPG. It blows my mind that someone took the Zesteria setting (Zesteria itself was a massive disappointment for me) and made such an amazing game set in it.
@@Fogship The storyline doesn't have much in the way of twists and surprises, the villain is purely vengeful/evil, the protagonist is a nice guy but lacks depth, Rose has no hesitation whatsoever about commiting murder for pay and is presented as a good person without any evidence of investigating to ensure she is killing fiends, the elemental fusion system where two characters merge is OP, the party members you are not controlling essentially commit suicide in every boss fight even on the easiest difficulty with the most defensive automated settings, the petrification (stone) status condition has no item that cures it despite three or more boss fights with that condition getting used constantly, Rose kills someone instead of Sorey which could have been a really interesting and introspective moment for Sorey, a village leader decides to punish a warlord by giving him immortality and superpowers which is S-tier idiocy, the camera gets stuck against walls and such for perhaps the worst camera in a Tales game ever, the lore violates itself by saying hellions cannot be killed by normal means then a group of mercenaries kill a dog-like hellion in the dark town with the mansion (third town/city you visit), some of the cutscenes are badly directed, the seraph dressed in purple has an interesting setup and potential as either a proper villain or a pitiable minion but pretty much all of the writing concerning that character drops the ball, the Rose/Zaveid battle on the bridge is the worst-balanced fight I've ever seen in a Tales game, the story is so bland with such a boring villain that i genuinely believed the villain wasn't the real villain and the plot would become something completely different but it never happened, a likable character with fun party chemistry is removed early from the party due to supposed real-world issues, Sorey and Mikleo promise to held Edna find a way to save her brother but they take zero steps to investigate the problem or find solutions then essentially go "oh well, let's kill him there's no other way," and there are a litany of other issues. I can link you to a series of videos which go into far more depth and are more comprehensive if you would like. Edna is amazing, though, and Lailah has her moments. Zaveid is decent sometimes, too.
@@Mr._Matt wah thank you for the explaination. I agree in some points, tho i still kinda like the game. Its a massive change from the previous tales series in terms of gameplay. So sure there will be lots of flaws. But i kinda like the prota and relationship other team member tho. Maybe im just bias towards sorey 😂
@@Fogship Hey, it's cool. I like some things which have issues, and I don't completely hate Zesteria. Edna is one of my favorite characters I've seen in the whole franchise thus far. :D
@@Mr._Matt While I agree that Zestiria is a disappointment, I think you've gone a bit too shallow with your analysis. Heldalf is portrayed more like the hero of the story than Sorey is from his introduction until very near the end of the game. I do generally agree with most of the rest though, except the weird hardline stance that one of the most reasonable characters in the game is a bad person because they kill, in a game essentially about the notion of bringing death as a method of reducing suffering. I love Alisha, and it made me mad that she left the party, because she's easily the most enjoyable character in the game. Edna's fun, Alisha's the best. The entire rest of the cast just sucks, and that's a big deal for a series whose primary appeal is spending time with extremely likeable characters. I liked Zestiria for what it was, but it's definitely in my bottom two Tales games, currently working on completing my 7th title in the series. Solid 6/10 though. I would rather play it than stare at a wall silently for the same amount of time.
Just started Sophie 2 after playing the Ryza trilogy and gotta say I'm loving this game... Though I won't put it higher than Ryza 2 that's for sure... Edit: Also TALES OF BERSERIA and XENOBLADE 2!? This list is GOATED!
@@cooltwittertag irrelevant, no idea how you took this personally. This is a list of the persons idea of 10/10 games, not the "10 Best JRPGS". I like his list, period take your grumpy ass somewhere else.
Always brings a smile to my face to see xb2 love! Your admiration for Ys 8 really makes me want to try it out. Will have to look up whether its a good place to start with the series.
It is. Ys games are all stand alone stories. It's the best game in the series imo, but it makes ys 9 feel like a disappointment (it isn't horrible - ys8 was just too good).
20:26 I played the game back in July and I have to say loved it. Dana was my favourite character in the game, I found her story to be interesting and tragic(also last night I was playing trails into reverie and was going through my equipment and cosmetics and got a wonderful surprise when I found a ride along version of Dana). I think the moment that sold me on Dana was the times you saw her story from before the end of her people(which again I have to be honest was very sad since I liked most of the characters from her past), I remember walking around and thinking to myself as the hidden story continued “this is what true despair must look like” and I think it did capture that detail brilliantly because as the end came for the characters I was curious to see which characters would go next. Dana is probably my favourite JRPG character and I have no shame in admitting that
About Automata - I think those two mods make it even better: * NAIOM - fixes that slowed down camera movement in game and makes it snappy! Also you could enable Shift key for dodging. Must have for everyone who plays on PC with keyboard and mouse! * Automata LodMod - improves level of detail (objects would not appear too close to camera) and shadows. Now the game would look even better on PC! No color changes or something like that!
Great list, I wholeheartedly agree with the rating of the games on your list that I played. What I find interesting is the distinct lack of older games. Only one of your top 10 was released before 2010. Do you just prefer newer RPGs to old ones, or have you just not played the old classics from the 90s, such as Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana or the classic Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games?
I started playing JRPGs more devoutly during my teens, so the 360 era. I much prefer more modern releases because of that. I have played some older titles, but I much prefer newer games.
lost odysey, ff10, ff12, resonance of fate, atelier rorona, tales of vesperia, tales of grace, persona 3 and 4 but i prefer new one , neptunia, sword art online, modern atelier, cold steel
@@vkobevk Finished 6 Tales games, currently playing Graces right now actually but haven't finished. Vesperia's currently ranking 7th. It's the only tales game I've played that I'd consider actively bad. But even it has its good points. Hate Yuri. Hate Karol. Dislike Estelle. Dislike Patty. Repede is not a character. 3 out of 8 is a failing grade in the character department. And the story is so much nothing.. like, I'm sorry if you haven't realized it yet, but the plot gets resolved by Yuri just staying out of it at the very beginning. Like, the ending to Vesperia happens on its own if none of the rest of the story happens at all. To make matters worse, most of the individual characters' narratives get resolved if Yuri doesn't butt in too... most of them FOR THE BETTER. Genuinely, the only arguably positive impact of our narrative happening at all is that Yuri convinces Estelle to not be ok with sacrificing her own life for the benefit of the entire world. That's it. That's the only non-negative impact our main character has. God Vesperia is so god damn stupid... it wouldn't be so bad if it didn't also have the worst combat of any tales game, atrocious combat balancing, and the most frustrating party pop-in/pop-out frequence imaginable. At times it feels like you cant take 5 steps without a cutscene ruining your party setup so that Yuri can be a toxic douchebag some more. Hate is too weak a word for utterly unplayable garbage like Vesperia. In case you're curious. Arise and Berseria are fighting for top spot on the list. I prefer Arise but if someone said Berseria's the best I wouldn't disagree with them about it. Symphonia 3rd, followed by Symphonia 2, and then Zestiria and Vesperia. Currently, I'm comfortable putting Graces above Vesperia because there's nothing it could do from this point to be worse than it, but I'm still in the intro sequence so it seems unfair to judge against the actual good Tales games.
For people looking for an amazing JRPG to play, I have to give my warmest approval and recommendation for Eternal Sonata. That brilliant game has stood at my forefront for amazing JRPGS for 15 years. An absolutely stunning game with gorgeous visuals, engaging combat and exploration, great lore and well-written characters. Absolutely delightful musical score, and a game that glides along with a narrative that propels the game forward while simultaneously being a miyazaki slow-burn film that revels and soaks in the awe of the natural world and atmosphere. It's a complete crime this game hasn't been ported over to PC still after all these years. It's truly a shock to believe this game released on the xbox 360 when it looks even better than anime games that come out today. It's a story about Fredric Chopin's journey in his final hours of life as he explores an alternate world and meets a young child who has set out to do some good for the world before succumbing to her terminal condition. Where together among with others who join them in their path, discovery a conspiracy to decimate the country. Some people say the game is heavy-handed with its various messages, and honestly I can agree with that. There's even times where the game would talk down to the player imo (not that I felt talked down to, but rather if you share certain band camps or lines of thought, the game isn't totally respectful or understanding of how you'd have that view) and explain on end about things and issues reflected unto real life. I did not have a problem with this, but I understand that some people will. The game also sometimes will take a break and have a Lost Odyssey Thousand Years of Dreams sequence, where it snaps back to a slice of Chopin and his families life, and give you history about them and play suitable compositioned music he (and maybe his sister?) put together. Great game and it gains one of my deepest recommends. Absolutely beautiful story I have never forgotten and I pensively await some sort of remaster or port. (I however have never played the version of the game that adds two new playable characters, so I cannot attest to how the story and gameplay switches up to their additions, but i'm a staunch supporter of the combat and i've enjoyed the story a great deal. So I expect it to be quite good!)
Video game graphics haven't meaningfully improved in the past 15ish years. So I don't find it hard to believe. My mother mistook Mass Effect 2 for a television show when I was playing it at home as a kid. That's when I realized, there's literally no point in "better" graphics from here on out.
Personally I find Trails in the sky SC to be the best game Falcom ever made (or any other game company for that matter), but Azure is a very close second, the series as a whole deserves all the love it can possibly get
I can't agree more. Even though it was the first one I bought, Trails in the Sky was the last one I played, after Cold Steel, Reverie, Zero/Azure and even Kuro. Estelle Bright is the best JRPG protagonist and I will die on this hill. Her development felt real, her reactions to everything going on around her felt human and not just to keep the plot moving forward. Anyway, Trails in the Sky and SC are my favorite JRPGs of all time. It's sad knowing there won't be more in that style.
Bought an Series X a few months ago and got Lost Odyssey for free digitally thanks to when I played it back on 360 long ago. Still have the discs too along with Blue Dragon, Vesperia, Fable series, Witcher 2 and New Vegas.
Awesome to see the XC2 love. This was my introduction to the series as it looked interesting in the switch launch trailer. Man what a surprise and wild ride. Became one of my fav games of all time. It is also my fav of the 3. Nier Automata was another one I went in blind and was another wild, top-tier experience. Such an amazing game.
Re: Ys 8, Sunshine Coastline just carries you through battles, and don't forget about that moment atop of Mount Gendarmes. You've been served another masterful ost while climbing the mountain, beat the flying monster atop of it, only to turn around and realize the other half of the island is literally from another time. That sense of discovery and exploration, paired with that masterful music, was just chef's kiss.
Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon are both available on the digital Xbox store and can be played on the Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S; the original discs are not needed and Microsoft has done a great job ensuring these games stay alive on their consoles.
My friend, gotta be honest: You picking Xeno 2 into first place over the other 2 just made my day! This game, imo, is Persona 5 level of quality for those who can discover it' beauty ❤
Ive been wanting to try xenoblade games. Rn im addicted to mondter hunter rise. And then on my ps4 im playingatelier ryza 3 now that i got armored core 6 true ending. I have xeno2 amiibos and i think i should grab xeno2 next time.
Saaaame, Xeno 2 is my fav of the 4 Xenoblade games, maybe it's because it's the game that got me into the Series but Xeno 2 just has a huge spot in my heart, and all in all the Xeno Series is my top game series ever created.
Blue dragon and lost odyssey are both available on Microsoft store on xbox. They are both often on sale and I have them both without discs working fine.
I also liked Awakening but the whole social aspect was not my cup of tea (in a tactic rpg). My number one is path of radiance. Again very much praise for Ys 8... I tried 9 and didn't like the gameplay, setting and characters but I loved Origins. Maybe I'll try Dana but I think it will feel closer to 9 than to origins. I expected more oldschool games on this list! It is suprisingly modern :)
For me, the best way to explain why I think Awakening is the best Fire Emblem game is that it's the one I turn to whenever I'm looking for something in the series. I'm happy to play and replay it over and over again because it's just that fun, even if it might not necessarily be the best of the series in terms of mechanics or plot. Stands out especially when I have no desire to return to either of the Switch games. I also find that it's one of the few Fire Emblem games that really managed to do a good job of making the characters feel like people. Sure, they have their archetypes they fit into, but the game does a good job of making them more than just that and giving them their own lives and hobbies. Especially with Robin, who I find to be the only successful Avatar as a good blend of blank slate for relatability and a character in their own right capable of driving a plot. And I really find a similar thing for Xenoblade 2. The games are a bit too monolithic for me to replay consistently, but 2's probably my favorite because I found it that fun. It's a shame so many people aren't willing to give it a chance because of things like the gacha-esque Blade summoning or generally more anime-ish aesthetic since it is a really, really good game. Like you said, the combat is great and just keeps getting better and the story is engaging the whole time. Even while it can be silly from time to time, I found that kind of nice as a bit of a breather from some of the heavier beats that came around the end of chapters and such. It's great. As ever, thanks for the video!
The game deserved the shaming. It is a bad game. Star Ocean is a game leagues above it from the same era which was actually enjoyable. While Lost Odyssey was a terrible game.
@@lanceknightmare The one with the weird kid and one of the most cliche jrpg plot device that I hate "removing a party member forever and transforming him into the "final" antagonistv. At least if it was Star Ocean 3 I would have agree a little bit more with you. Only good thing that I would say about Star Ocean 4 it's the graphic were really beautiful (except the character design) and the combat system was quite solid.
You have some absolute bangers on this list. Haven't played Royal but vanilla Persona is a 10 already. Lost Odyssey is easily an underappreciated 10. Currently Playing Xenoblade 1 and Nier replicant just so I can better understand and appreciate Xenoblade 2 and b Automata more when I do finally play them. Ngl your love for Ys makes me wanna add Ys 8 to my long list of games I'm currently playing lol
I liked xbc1 a lot more than 2 I don’t think you really need to play one before or after the other to understand stuff. 3 kinds forced both to mesh but yeah haha
Thank you so much for this vid! I'm glad this popped up in my feed. So many of these games have been on my wishlist, but I was never sure if it's worth buying them. I'll probably start with Opus. The background music was giving me chills throughout your whole summary of the game.
Opus is amazing. Not a traditional JRPG, but absolutely amazing story. One of those games that I know fans of the genre can enjoy, so I wanted to include it or Aegis Rim.
Im rather surprised that you didnt include any of the dq games in the list, but it was an absolutely banger list nonetheless! Big ups for including berseria in the list, and so high into it as well! 😊
To be fair I haven't played DQ V or the like as I'm more a modern player who occasionally dabbles in older titles. DQXI is amazing, but it's OST held it back. And I place a lot of importance on music.
Tales of Berseria's story is absolutely amazing the way it sets the stage in the first 25 min or so. Without spoiling the plot I'll just say that an event happens to the protaganist that turns her from a sweet loving carefree girl to pure anger and rage and even though by the time it happens you would've only been playing for 25-30 min you feel the rage as well (at least I did) and you want answers and you want revenge. This was my first dive into a "tales of" game it cemented the series for me and because of Berseria I followed by playing Zesteria, Symphonia, and Vesperia, and while all of those others are amazing as well, no story is as gripping right off the bat as Berseria is. The combat may get a little dull over time but the story keep it going for me, along with the cast of character's who are with you on your journey. Easy 9.5/10 for me.
I've been a JRPG gamer since Phantasy Star on Sega Master System. The Xbox360 had some absolute gems that really did need more exposure to Japanese players (who mostly wrote off any non-Japanese system and, to some extent, still do). Lost Odyssey was truly top tier, but nods given, too, to Blue Dragon and Eternal Sonata, both of which make it onto my own list.
I actually really enjoyed infinite undiscovery which was largely overlooked and got poor reviews, I thought it was great. I don't take reviews as gospel though, I still remember ign giving shadow hearts 5.5 out of 10 saying it wasn't worth your time and it's one of my favourite games of all time. Eternal sonata and lost odyssey were amazing, I wasn't as sold on blue dragon but it was ok.
Nice list. Im happy to see Berseria made it on the list. I love the new Tales of Arise but Berseria hit me different man. The story, characters, normin and references from Zestiria I love it. For Persona, I prefer P4 over P5 because I love characters interaction in P4 more.
Yikes, you need to play far more retro JRPGs, not one of these is better than either Lunar on Sega CD. You seem to really love and are knowledgable about them, do yourself a favor and revisit the classics. With that said I love to see Lost Odyssey get a well deserved shoutout, truly a shame it was buried on the 360. Just picked up Ys XIII on a Steam sale for $14. With the recent PC patch among a ton of improvements making it by far the Definitive Edition you can now play co-op via couch or Steam link ( Play Together or whatever it is called ). Have always wanted to play it but even more so now with co-op.
Completely agree with: YS VIII Lacrimosa of Dana, Tales of Berseria, and Nier Automata. Every JRPG lover especially who appreciate great story/narrative must play them, definitely. They're not console specific too, we can easily play them on PC.
I've play Tales of Berseria and Nier: automata and I absolutely love both of their stories and characters! I know nothing about YS 8 but seems like we have similar taste in storytelling so I would take your word on this one and play YS I hope is as good as the other 2
Great, I feel like those three are the peak of narrative for their respective franchise, in my opinion. Ys games strong points are usually in the great action or gameplay, but Ys 8 story really fascinate me, I can't put it into words. Dana is the most memorable heroine in the entire Ys series that I've played. hopefully you'll like it.
For Tales series, I give the crown to the latest ARISE! PS: As a HUG Tales fan I started playing Tales game from its VERY BEGINNING (both Tales of Destiny 1 and Tales of phantasia on PS in early 1990s), and has played MOST of them since.
The other best option Xenoblade would be X, but since he hasn't played it made sense it's not there. I still agree 2 is the best one in the general sense, it has the best on everything, story, music, characters and gameplay, the only downside it's the tutorials but that's it honestly, Xenoblade 2 is deserving of the title masterpiece.
Really love to see Atelier Sophie 2 here, it's my favorite in the franchise and one of my favorite games of all time. I'm not the kind of person who cries much when playing games, so if a game manages to get me to shed a tear, that's pretty special. However, I never expected an Atelier game of all games to get me to cry, but Sophie 2's ending managed to do that. Beyond that, I also love both the combat an synthesis systems, the characters are superb, and the game is beautiful both in terms of visuals and audio.
I still remember the emotion I was feeling after I finished YS8. Especially I just come across the opening theme of that game. This is absolutely a masterpiece.
![[FULL] RETROSPECTIVE : Final Fantasy Tactics](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RUBmYqs1jZ0/mqdefault.jpg)
![[FULL] RETROSPECTIVE : Final Fantasy Tactics](/img/tr.png)
Lost Odyssey will always have a special place in my heart. My mom was never a gamer, but she would watch my brother and me play. She got really into the story of Lost Odyssey and loved watching us play, always eager to find out what was going to happen next. She cheered the highs and cried during the lows. I still remember spending afternoons playing Lost Odyssey with my brother while my mom watched.
It might have done better if it was released on PS3. I really want a pc port.
RIP sorry for your loss
That’s so cute. My brother and I did that. I wished my mom cared too :)
Lost odyssey was amazing, Jensen is one of the greatest supporting characters of all time, the voice actor was perfect in their delivery with him.
That's beautiful I have a similar emotional tie towards final fantasy 8
The thing I loved about Berseria is that they never took the big sis farm girl out of the brooding loner anti-hero. It's something that frustrates me about most revenge stories, where going through trauma makes the protagonist a completely different character by erasing their doubts and negative qualities.
Plus I find it amusing how the anime contended for top anime ost after randomly slapping Zesteria and Berseria's openings into the anime.
Ah, Berseria. Violet came off as edgy teenager at first, but her brutality changed my mind. She has this one Break Soul ability where she just rips with vertical claw swipes while going berserk that still sticks out in my mind just because she had this bloodthirsty scream while doing it -- must have been brutal on the voice actress, but awesome work.
@@BlueShellshock rina sato did a bloody brilliant job
I need more Velvet.
It's a dirty trick they used, showing you the sweetest and most well-meaning gal and then does all that, while constantly teasing a return to that girl we used to know... only to never actually give it to us. It's heartbreaking. It takes guts to make a story simply bitter rather than bittersweet.
For me unlike you guys surprisingly was my least favorite of the Tales game I have played.
Don't know I just couldn't get attached to any of the party of it.And personally didn't care for the story at all.
It is also one of the Tales games that I have actually finished and near the end really felt like it dragged on for too long.
Correction: you dont need the disc to play Lost Odyssey in back compatibility. They sell it right on the Xbox digital game store
This is absolutely correct. I still have my physical copy but brought it digitally so it's easier to access. Especially since it's multi-disc too.
@@ReaveIdonoI did the same thing. Great game worth supporting with a second digital copy.
@@stupidrak Agreed
Fantastic game
True
Ys 8 made me fall in love with jrpg again. Getting stranded on an island with all kind of different terrain. Likeable characters and tropical setting made it easy to complete the game which doesn't really happen all that often these days for me.
I really enjoyed Y's 8 but got really nervous when the base kept getting attacked non stop. It was hours of fun and exploration but I don't know about the replay value. After finishing it I haven't really gone back at all.
Love the fact that you've included Tales of Berseria. Amazing game that deserves a lot of recognition.
It's definitely the unsung gem of the Tales of series. Only Abyss has a story I'd consider better, and because of both its age and the lack of English voiced skits I think Berseria just might take the crown for my favourite cast in the series.
Only major issue I have is the area design is extremely bland and uninspired. If it looked even half as pretty as Arise did and had half the thought Symphonia's dungeons had put into them I'd consider it the perfect JRPG
@@ZeldaKid5000 For me gem is Tales of Graces.. loved a story where 3 friends grown up together from kids to adults.. and Sophie, I will never forget her face :)
Loved graces f but never beat final boss in future arc
Persona 5 Royal, Tales of Berseria, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Ao No Kiseki are my favourite parts of their franchise, so I'm happy and glad to see them!
Just started Ys VIII, so maybe it'll make it in my personal list too.
Also funnily the only two games I've played on Japanese made it in: Ao and Bersy (latter for PS3 because I didn't own a PS4 or PC at this point)
Ys 8 is the reason I even like ANY JRPG's now and Sunshine Coastline is definitely a great early song to hear that starts the adventure, so I recommend that game as well.
Nier Automata's soundtrack is also my favorite video game soundtrack. Definitely worth listening to.
And yeah, of the three Tales games I've played, I think Berseria had the best story. That's a good one to delve into.
Same. Tokyo Xanadu got me to dip my toes back into JRPGs after many years, and Ys 8 made me ready to take a full dive back into the genre.
I tried getting into Ys 8, but I just could not find it fun. Just felt like a slog.
As for Berseria, I'm not a huge fan of it overall. It's better than Zestiria, but that isn't an accomplishment, and there are parts I do like (Velvet as a whole is a good example, being one of my favorite protagonists in the series), but overall, it felt like one of the weaker Tales games.
It's so nice to hear someone else say they like rex. I felt like I was the only one. His character arch is a little messier, but he shows so much growth and I love that it isn't just a straight upward slide. He really hits a lot of high and low points as the story goes, and it felt so real to me. Becoming more confident and then suddenly doubting yourself only to have others lift you back up again, is just so real.
I think a juxtaposition with Addam would have made Rex's growth even more brilliant. Where Addam showed distance and a bit of fear regarding the Aegis, Rex just embraced and accepted their true nature. Instead Torna ended up standalone and it put Jin at the center so we don't really delve into Addam's inner thoughts.
As he said, he's easily the most relatable of the trilogy's three MC's. Shulk and Noah are already capable, competent soldiers who are rather grown and their character development comes from their actions within the story. Rex meanwhile is a kid whose character development comes from not just his own actions but everything happening around him as he's essentially forced to grow up and become a man before he's even able to grasp what's going on until it's almost too late. It's much easier to relate to someone who's less skilled and experienced like Rex.
Rex gang Rex gang. Never heard any doubter in my life! Rex gang supreme!! FRFR on God!
Rex is awesome, I just think some his dialogue didn't transfer amazingly into English. My only problems with him are those drawn out monologues and his messy wording.
the majority of fans played it in english and that's why "everyone" hated rex. and the male mc va is very important in a 100+ hour game
Torna was so good that it released as a standalone game.
Also a small correction on Lost Odyssey, you don’t need a disc to play it on modern consoles. It’s available digitally and quite frequently on sale. It’s a great game that anybody should play.
Pleasantly surprised that Opus Echoes of Starsong was included. Absolutely loved this masterpiece of narrative driven gameplay. The musical sountracks really made the experience one to remember. Not to mention the emotions after reaching the end of the story and the journey that the characters went through.
Lost Odyssey is such a good game. And the only reason I played it is because of a GameStop employee. I was buying another Xbox 360 RPG, and the guy behind the counter immediately tracked down one of the last, and used, copies of Lost Odyssey in the store and said "If you like RPGS, and if you haven't played it, you need to play this game. It's only $5 and worth so much more." With a sales pitch like that, how could I not go for it? Loved the game. Still have the disks.
I'm super glad to see XC2 getting some love, it isn't only my favorite jrpg but also my favorite game ever. I like the rest of the list but I'd replace a couple of the games in it with dragon quest XI, that game was a masterpiece.
The one thing that holds DQXI back for me is its OST. I put a lot of importance on that, and DQXIs was so grating that I had to use my own music when I went back to it for a second time.
@@TheKisekiNut I was lucky that I actually enjoyed the battle music haha. But the OST def leaves something to be desired. The Reverie soundtrack is taking boss battles up a notch simply by music alone
xc2 first game that ever made me cry
edit; deff my fav jrpg ever
edit edit;; i'm getting dqxiS today in the mail i'm excited to play it for the first time
I was surprised by the inclusion of Tales of Berseria, but absolutely welcome it! It feels like a lot of people skipped it because of Zesteria and that's a shame. The main crew were my favorite and their chemistry was really good. It's story and characters are leagues above Arise and Velvet's theme still hits as one of the best character themes in JRPGs. Happy it's getting the recognition it deserves.
Sometimes I wish Berseria was where they had advanced to Arise level combat, but Berseria's story is definitely a 10/10 from me.
Berseria was genuinely good as a standalone but it hits different if you played Zestiria since Berseria is a prequel to it. I also think some people, such like my brother, hated Velvet's character and led him to stop playing. I didn't have this issue at all, her character made sense in the context of what has happened to her and around her.
@@DavidVidot-xm5ql what did your brother dislike in Velvet ?
Yea, I liked the story, but the gameplay was not it lol.
@@barongeoffrey75 Probably thinks she is too edgy. That's the most common complaint I see of Velvet. Don't really get it myself, she is a flawed and messed up person due to all of her trauma, I think that's so much more interesting than the goody two shoes MCs.
Loving all the love Lost Odyssey is getting these days! It's such an incredible game and its the "true" final fantasy XIII to me.
Fun list, and I loved a great many titles on this list! When I listen to you talk about your favorite JRPGs, it always becomes apparent to me that I've probably been playing JRPGs a little longer (early 90's) than you. My 10/10 definitely includes some classics:
1. Chrono Trigger - You've heard of it, and the hype is deserved.
2. Suikoden II - The game is a bonafide masterpiece and I hope you catch it's remaster next year! The first entry is required playing (imo), but it's an easy investment because the first title is a VERY short game, and fantastic anyway.
3. Xenogears - Best story in any JRPG in my opinion. You just need to experience it.
4. Breath of Fire IV - Another gem, with the added amazing idea that you control the game's primary antagonist in parallel chapter. It works REALLY well.
5. Lufia II - Kind of a lost gem with a simple albeit amazing story, and powerful ending.
6. Final Fantasy Tactics - you probably heard of it, god-tier story, and amazing SRPG.
Not sure how FF6 isn't on a list with the above.
@@anab0lic Oh good call. Forgot it! It's my favorite mainline Final Fantasy (though Tactics is actually my favorite of all time).
@@anab0licbecause it’s someone else’s list? Make your own if you want it to be in there. Wouldn’t be in my top 10 either
@@sharebear421 its from the same era and arguably one of the best of all time, so curious as to why it wasn't included... no need to be so hostile buddy.
Wow. I felt like I'm the only one that every talks about Lufia 2. It's my 2nd favorite JRPG of all time. Only eclipsed by Wild Arms 2.
Just wanted to chime in that Ys VIII Lacrimosa of Dana is my most favorite game i ever played. The killer music (the MUSIC man, years after playing it i still listen to its ost daily) amazing story and characters, the suprising plot twists, one of best female heroines i have seen in gaming world (Dana forever!), the stellar combat. I cried far too long and far too hard when the game ended. No game before or after captured me like this one.
Just wanted to say that your comment was the tipping point for me after watching the video. It's on sale on steam right now and I'm going in!
Yes! It starts a little slow but my god the end just hits you like a truck.
Just finished it last night. Damn what a game. Now it has left a void in me, and I'm not sure where I can find another game like this.
One thing i didn't expect to love about Fire Emblem Awakening was the skills...
In most games, the skill activation on things like Luna, Sol and Astra zips by in the blink of an eye, but Awakening treats them as just as much of an event as a critical hit, giving them their own
cut-in segment when they activate! I thought it would make the game move too slow for me like in POR, RD and 3 Houses, but i love playing with animations on, and even to this day, i never tire of wathing everything play out...
Lost Odyssey is such a hidden gem, so so SO heavily slept on
Nowadays it is, I remember when it first came out and had a lot of buzz among RPG fans
Lost odyssey came out on wrong system
@@stephentrader9142isn’t PlayStation still just letting games like Killzone and Resistance die off tho doubt they’d do anything either that’s just how it is at times man.
It was terrible. There is a reason the game is slept on.
Yo, wasn't expecting to see Echoes of Starsong mentioned, and you have my respect for that. It's one of my absolute favourite games I've played in a long while, that nobody else seems to have played. I don't see it mentioned *at all*. The characters, writing, and soundtrack is simply phenomenal. Really dig the art style as well. I bought it on a sale and went in without much expectations and really didn't expect to like it so much after finishing it. Might start another playthrough soon!
Thank you for mentioning that game and making it more known than it is. The more people that experiences this game, the better. Such a well made and phenomenal game really.
A masterpiece! I'm sure they'll do a similar job with Prism Peak.
I've been going through it slowly and I think I'm about halfway; not super hot on it though.
@@gameboy8877 It is definitely not for everyone. I'm a sucker for sappy love stories so...
The second you said Berseria i jumped out my chair and was yelling out my agreement.
Idk why people nitpick it down when the story, buildup and setting was just so damn good. The battle system was also the perfect mix from other Tales games like Graces iirc (someone please correct me if I'm wrong).
Berseria deserves more recognition.
The combat is the one thing I didn't really like much tbh (though same could be said for half the Tales games tbh), but other than that it's my favourite Tales game easily. Favourite story in gaming actually.
I agree about Berseria being a 10/10. It's my favorite Tales game and has the best cast of characters.
The game is a 10/10 to me just for the story. The combat system was just awful IMO but the story made up for it. Just wish the villains had more character development. They were there more to progress the plot rather than being a character.
@@chikipichi5280 hard agree on the villains, but I'm seeing others also say they didn't like the battle system. Mind telling me why you didn't?
I actually thought it was fine if not, a good balance of button mashing reminiscent of Tales games where we had TP instead of BP and games like Graces that had more intricate combo systems
@@awastedcow In paper it sounds cool asf to make your own combos but I found that there was no point in it because I got through the whole game using only 2 combos I made for Velvet. Used her on every boss/enemy regardless of elemental disadvantage and was able to beat the game on hard. I wish the combat system had been more like Tales of Xillia which is my favorite combat in the series or Vesperia (once you unlock a majority of it since like the first 10 hrs of that game are painful 💀). In Xillia, I was able to cheese some bosses on hard with artes spam but it ultimately still forced me to have to switch characters and rely on partner attacks a lot.
So I guess it's more of a complaint of the enemy design rather than the combat system since I still could've used another character or combo but the game never got hard enough for it even on hard. Felt like I was playing a Dynasty Warriors game.
XBC2, Nier Automata and Persona 5 Royal are literally my 3 favorite games of all time. May need to check out the rest on this list now since our tastes seem to align so much haha
You hit it on the head with the Ys Lacrimosa of Dana. That game alone revived my love for the action RPG genre.
NieR: Automata is my favorite game of all time. I love everything about, and i even bought multiple physical copies so i could give them out to my friends haha
I need a friend like u 😂 I’m saving to buy Nier on ps4 now, always wanna try it
Berseria and Xenoblade 2! Absolute bangers. Totally agree with this list. Ys 8 and Awakening such bangers too
I love Final Fantasy 7 its still my favorite game of all time but Lost Odyssey Is one of the best game i have ever played also you can tell the original makers of Final Fantasy made it because it was the closet thing to being a Final Fantasy without actually being a Final Fantasy another great game was Eternal Sonata wow what a game.
The short story sections from Lost Odyssey were a highlight of the game for me, and while I normally despise QTEs, the ring feature felt great to pull of, it made farming xp fun.
Oh my gosh, I’ve never heard someone that described my love for XB2 as well as you did. I honestly love the feeling of getting a good blade in the gacha, and I found field skills really fun, and of course everything else is great. I love XB1 and XB3 probably just as much, but there’s just a small bit of me that leans towards XB2. They’re all perfect though😂
While many of these are must-plays imo, I'll say Ys 8 tells one of the most interesting and compelling narratives I've ever played. As someone who agrees all to often with you I also completely understand why you picked Berseria.
Thank you for this list this is Brilliant! I absolutely loved Tales of Berseria, 100% agree on its 10/10 status.
he just includes 2 of my top 5 games ever. :D
Lost Odyssey is quite playable using Xenia on PC, in case you were wondering. 360 emulation is still a bit wonky but at least this one works.
Very interesting to see 13 sentinels lose to something I've never heard of. I will absolutely check it out.
You say interesting i say heresy
as soon as he mentioned decisions are based on dice rolls I was checked out.
Lost Odyssey for me is also a must on any JRPG 10/10 list... I still vividly remember that one moment shortly after inserting Disc 2 of 4 when the main protag makes a very meaningful and very emotional discovery... one of the few moments when a story actually made me cry too, I don't mind admitting.
The one thing I really like about Berseria is kinda the same thing I like in Yakuza game: they dont picture evil like evil creature only existing to spread evil and enjoying this. I mean sure you have this trope of nice guy not actually being as nice as they pretend to be but the cast have very humans trait. Take Eizen for instance, the guy is a pirate, he knows that very well but when he's being asked why he doesnt want to steal from people in cities, he just answer that he's a pirate not a bandit (even though it's kind of the same thing). The guy is very knowledgeable and like arts as well as some insects and just want to do his things. Rokuro seeks strenght and would never back down from a fight, he's a thirsty for battle but he's also able to be a reliable friend who helps other and genuinely care about others. Everything isnt so black and white and if you played Zestiria before, you will understand some reference but it will also serve as a great "counterbalance" considering Zestiria is very naive and rather "cliche" in its story telling (it's not bad but it's not something new per say).
Thank you for including Lost Odyssey! I bought a 360 back then to play Dragon Age: Origins and only later noticed that the 360 didn't have many (...any) jrpgs (my main genre at the time). I didn't have money for the ps3, I was still in highschool, so I went for the only jrpg on the 360 - and it was made by Sakaguchi, too! Lost Odyssey is without a doubt one of the best GAMES (not just jrpgs, games in general) I've ever played. I own two sets of dics in case they break. It's one of the diamonds in my game collection. A port to steam would be super welcome though, of course.
The 1000 years of dreams absolutely made me bawl my eyes out on more than one occasion and Kaim as a character, and the world/worldbuilding are so unique, it's fascinating!
Anyone who can get their hands on a copy (or even if not 🏴☠️) should play this ♡
Sophie 2 got THE best turn based battle system ever.
Sad thing that battle system is stuck in an Atelier game (no offense, i love Atelier games) but I'd love to have a different RPG with similar battle system to Sophie 2.
I want to nominate Atelier ryza. Exploring the world, the characters and the feeling of closure of the trilogy made me love the game
omg, so happy to see Sophie 2 getting some recognitions. I feel like it got over shadowed by Ryza 3 which was definitely not the better of the series imo.
I haven't played ryza 3, but for the mysterious saga Firis is my favorite. Actually every entry in the mysterious saga has its own thing.
How could it get overshadowed by Ryza 3 when it released over a year prior? That doesn't make sense.
@@Rulutieh release date isn’t everything, you still see more talks and hypes around the Ryza series even before the release
@@Lochness-du9ct Sure, but Ryza 3 wasn't even announced until almost 7 months after Sophie 2 came out, and Ryza 2 came over a year prior to Sophie 2. There was no real hype around it to take away from Sophie 2.
You probably don't see people talking about Sophie 2 often because compared to other games in the series like Meruru or the Dusk trilogy, it is not very good (and neither is Ryza 3).
Ryza 3 felt more like fatigue from Gust. A great game, but loads of issues and a bit too drawn out. Ryza 2 for me is the best in the trilogy, and that doesn't measure up to Sophie 2.
The thousand years of dreams in lost odyssey were so good. Truly beautifully written and profound short stories (at least I thought so back when I read them in 2008)
had a hard time on p5r with okamura too. and recently finished atelier sophie 2. was blown away by the graphics, seamless battle transitions, the instantaneous battle inputs, stable 60fps at 720p and handheld, some aspects better than ryza even! but the story not so much even if you have played the 1st sophie, but its a solid good game otherwise, and its a shame no one talks about this game.
One I would recommend that is SO Ungodly Underated is "Skies of Arcadia". The game is so creative, immersive, and fun it took me back to my childhood. It's for the gamecube and dreamcast (but i just emulate it with dolphin (recommended way to play). Pitch: You like "trails combat", but it's too complex for a sane person. You like FF7 vibes but the wait turn based FF format is too slow. You like Airships in RPG's but feel they don't do anything really. You like cool worldbuilding. You want to feel attached to characters in your party. Skies of Arcadia Legends is your game.
Skies of Arcadia is incredible, definitely one of my favorites!
i had never heard of Opus: Echo of Starsong before and that went on my wishlist IMMEDIATELY, wow--what a stunning looking game and the fact that it lost to 13 Sentinels--one of my top fave games ever--means I have to check it out haha!
Bro you are MISSING OUT. Echoes of Starsong is phenomenal, and will make you cry. I don't want to make it seem like I'm exaggerating, but it's one of my favourite game that I've experienced in my life. I really really loved that game.
It was extremely close between Aegis Rim and Opus. But I had to give it to Opus just because I still remember several moments in its story vividly even now.
as a newer FE fan, awakening was undoubtedly the one that got me hooked into the series. the characters the soundtrack the story the gameplay, I just had so much fun with it. it'll always have such a special place in my heart
You chose a lot of great games on this list. Xenoblade is my favorite video game series. All of them are unique and great in different ways. Xenoblade 1 on wii (wii u) made my jaw drop and left me in wonder. Xenoblade 2 has a ton of originality with blades and battles, and Xenoblade 3 was probably most emotional for me and likely my favorite over all cast, but it's hard to say cause all the casts are just so good, all incredible games which I love.
very happy to have this list to go off of! I'm glad to say i've played or at least already planned to play all these games soon!
Dude lowkey I loved Magilou, she was like witty and so energetic but she was also so full of shi its hilarious. I loved Beserias cutscenes its nuts, there was one that they were arguing about beetles and it was so hilarious, they seem more like a family if anything. And ofcourse there is Trails, Tales, and Atelier all in one list. Kiseki you are a true man of culture. And wow on the first one man, definitely threw a wrench on what I thought would be the number 1 on this list, good stuff man
Magilou is the best 'I'm here to give you exposition' character a game has ever had, imo.
@@seluhir8820 lol right she's such an awesome character
Magilou is one of the greatest video game characters ever and the voice actress did an incredible job.
Like a Dove!
Loved Magilou and Velvet, Absolute Best 2 characters...
The best part about Magilou is that she's got such razor-sharp insights that you can never really trust whether she's full of shit or not at any given time. You can't write her off even if you're sure she's just messing with you, because she might not be. And the line between those two is exactly where she prefers to live her life.
Solid list! Especially Trails to Azure. My goodness I was so hooked into that game. It was like its own page turner barn burner story!
I'm surprised at how close this list is to my personal top 10, which includes persona 5, xenoblade2 , ys8, and lost odyssey. And while Atelier Sophie 2 and Berseria didn't make my list, they are definitely the top tier in the series in terms of storytelling and characters.
what's your top 10? top 10 games you ever played or JRPG?
I bought the very first trail games, trails in the sky, and even tho the games are really old I loved it. It was a simple turn based JRPG but it did everything correctly for me. Cant wait to reach trails of azure after this video !
Great list. I think in the Kiseki category, there are potentially 4 games that could easily take that title for me.
Easily. Azure wins out for me, always. But there are at least 3 more Trails titles I could use for this list.
Some really good picks here, some I've played, some I want to play, and some I've finished. I really need to finish Beseria though, I was pretty much in it for Magilou, because I genuinely smiled whenever she opened her mouth.
Magilou is and was such a treat. Loved her, just as I liked Velvet too.
Damn this list is so almost exactly what my top 10 list is. Always feels good when you find/love a content creator who shares your taste, you get some great recommendations! ❤
The algorithm really blessed this vid. Happy to see the Trails mention
Lost Odyssey is a 10/10 I can second wholeheartedly. I LOVED this game, and it was considered 'niche'
You were spot on in your deduction that it unfortunately came out on the wrong console and during the wrong time. It is indeed a timeless classic. If anyone sees this comment and gets the opportunity to try it on - you won't be disappointed; you'll be blown away.
I really appreciate that for the most part you don't show end-game, or even mid-game footage when you do these reviews. A lot of reviews I have to scroll the video offscreen and just listen to the review, because they're loaded with footage of the best or most suprising parts of a game.
I fist-pumped when Tales of Berseria came up. I'm really hard to please, but that game's story and characters were perhaps the finest I've come across in a JRPG. It blows my mind that someone took the Zesteria setting (Zesteria itself was a massive disappointment for me) and made such an amazing game set in it.
why zesteria is a disappointment?
@@Fogship The storyline doesn't have much in the way of twists and surprises, the villain is purely vengeful/evil, the protagonist is a nice guy but lacks depth, Rose has no hesitation whatsoever about commiting murder for pay and is presented as a good person without any evidence of investigating to ensure she is killing fiends, the elemental fusion system where two characters merge is OP, the party members you are not controlling essentially commit suicide in every boss fight even on the easiest difficulty with the most defensive automated settings, the petrification (stone) status condition has no item that cures it despite three or more boss fights with that condition getting used constantly, Rose kills someone instead of Sorey which could have been a really interesting and introspective moment for Sorey, a village leader decides to punish a warlord by giving him immortality and superpowers which is S-tier idiocy, the camera gets stuck against walls and such for perhaps the worst camera in a Tales game ever, the lore violates itself by saying hellions cannot be killed by normal means then a group of mercenaries kill a dog-like hellion in the dark town with the mansion (third town/city you visit), some of the cutscenes are badly directed, the seraph dressed in purple has an interesting setup and potential as either a proper villain or a pitiable minion but pretty much all of the writing concerning that character drops the ball, the Rose/Zaveid battle on the bridge is the worst-balanced fight I've ever seen in a Tales game, the story is so bland with such a boring villain that i genuinely believed the villain wasn't the real villain and the plot would become something completely different but it never happened, a likable character with fun party chemistry is removed early from the party due to supposed real-world issues, Sorey and Mikleo promise to held Edna find a way to save her brother but they take zero steps to investigate the problem or find solutions then essentially go "oh well, let's kill him there's no other way," and there are a litany of other issues. I can link you to a series of videos which go into far more depth and are more comprehensive if you would like. Edna is amazing, though, and Lailah has her moments. Zaveid is decent sometimes, too.
@@Mr._Matt wah thank you for the explaination. I agree in some points, tho i still kinda like the game. Its a massive change from the previous tales series in terms of gameplay. So sure there will be lots of flaws. But i kinda like the prota and relationship other team member tho. Maybe im just bias towards sorey 😂
@@Fogship Hey, it's cool. I like some things which have issues, and I don't completely hate Zesteria. Edna is one of my favorite characters I've seen in the whole franchise thus far. :D
@@Mr._Matt While I agree that Zestiria is a disappointment, I think you've gone a bit too shallow with your analysis. Heldalf is portrayed more like the hero of the story than Sorey is from his introduction until very near the end of the game. I do generally agree with most of the rest though, except the weird hardline stance that one of the most reasonable characters in the game is a bad person because they kill, in a game essentially about the notion of bringing death as a method of reducing suffering. I love Alisha, and it made me mad that she left the party, because she's easily the most enjoyable character in the game. Edna's fun, Alisha's the best. The entire rest of the cast just sucks, and that's a big deal for a series whose primary appeal is spending time with extremely likeable characters.
I liked Zestiria for what it was, but it's definitely in my bottom two Tales games, currently working on completing my 7th title in the series. Solid 6/10 though. I would rather play it than stare at a wall silently for the same amount of time.
Just started Sophie 2 after playing the Ryza trilogy and gotta say I'm loving this game... Though I won't put it higher than Ryza 2 that's for sure...
Edit: Also TALES OF BERSERIA and XENOBLADE 2!? This list is GOATED!
I love this non-cookie cutter list. A lot of RUclipsrs seem to copy and paste the same list more or less. I love most of these games too.
you ever think some games are popular for a reason and that doesnt make them cookie cutter opinions?
Facts, cookie cutter lists containing the same games constantly suck
@@cooltwittertag irrelevant, no idea how you took this personally. This is a list of the persons idea of 10/10 games, not the "10 Best JRPGS". I like his list, period take your grumpy ass somewhere else.
Massive video dude! So glad to see Ys VIII, FE: Awakening, and Xenoblade 2 on this list, I love those 3 games so much.
Always brings a smile to my face to see xb2 love!
Your admiration for Ys 8 really makes me want to try it out. Will have to look up whether its a good place to start with the series.
It is. Ys games are all stand alone stories. It's the best game in the series imo, but it makes ys 9 feel like a disappointment (it isn't horrible - ys8 was just too good).
@@westenevayy thanks for the info. Looking forward to playing it then.
Lost Odyssey is what I point to as proof that we can have beautiful HD traditional turn-based RPGs, and not everything has to be action combat.
20:26 I played the game back in July and I have to say loved it. Dana was my favourite character in the game, I found her story to be interesting and tragic(also last night I was playing trails into reverie and was going through my equipment and cosmetics and got a wonderful surprise when I found a ride along version of Dana). I think the moment that sold me on Dana was the times you saw her story from before the end of her people(which again I have to be honest was very sad since I liked most of the characters from her past), I remember walking around and thinking to myself as the hidden story continued “this is what true despair must look like” and I think it did capture that detail brilliantly because as the end came for the characters I was curious to see which characters would go next. Dana is probably my favourite JRPG character and I have no shame in admitting that
About Automata - I think those two mods make it even better:
* NAIOM - fixes that slowed down camera movement in game and makes it snappy! Also you could enable Shift key for dodging. Must have for everyone who plays on PC with keyboard and mouse!
* Automata LodMod - improves level of detail (objects would not appear too close to camera) and shadows. Now the game would look even better on PC! No color changes or something like that!
Great list, I wholeheartedly agree with the rating of the games on your list that I played. What I find interesting is the distinct lack of older games. Only one of your top 10 was released before 2010. Do you just prefer newer RPGs to old ones, or have you just not played the old classics from the 90s, such as Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana or the classic Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games?
Breath of fire 4 my fav
I started playing JRPGs more devoutly during my teens, so the 360 era. I much prefer more modern releases because of that. I have played some older titles, but I much prefer newer games.
lost odysey, ff10, ff12, resonance of fate, atelier rorona, tales of vesperia, tales of grace, persona 3 and 4
but i prefer new one , neptunia, sword art online, modern atelier, cold steel
@@vkobevk Finished 6 Tales games, currently playing Graces right now actually but haven't finished. Vesperia's currently ranking 7th. It's the only tales game I've played that I'd consider actively bad. But even it has its good points. Hate Yuri. Hate Karol. Dislike Estelle. Dislike Patty. Repede is not a character. 3 out of 8 is a failing grade in the character department. And the story is so much nothing.. like, I'm sorry if you haven't realized it yet, but the plot gets resolved by Yuri just staying out of it at the very beginning. Like, the ending to Vesperia happens on its own if none of the rest of the story happens at all. To make matters worse, most of the individual characters' narratives get resolved if Yuri doesn't butt in too... most of them FOR THE BETTER. Genuinely, the only arguably positive impact of our narrative happening at all is that Yuri convinces Estelle to not be ok with sacrificing her own life for the benefit of the entire world. That's it. That's the only non-negative impact our main character has. God Vesperia is so god damn stupid... it wouldn't be so bad if it didn't also have the worst combat of any tales game, atrocious combat balancing, and the most frustrating party pop-in/pop-out frequence imaginable. At times it feels like you cant take 5 steps without a cutscene ruining your party setup so that Yuri can be a toxic douchebag some more. Hate is too weak a word for utterly unplayable garbage like Vesperia.
In case you're curious. Arise and Berseria are fighting for top spot on the list. I prefer Arise but if someone said Berseria's the best I wouldn't disagree with them about it. Symphonia 3rd, followed by Symphonia 2, and then Zestiria and Vesperia. Currently, I'm comfortable putting Graces above Vesperia because there's nothing it could do from this point to be worse than it, but I'm still in the intro sequence so it seems unfair to judge against the actual good Tales games.
@@dontmisunderstand6041 i know modern tales, but like i said i prefer neptunia, atelier, sword art online and cold steel
For people looking for an amazing JRPG to play, I have to give my warmest approval and recommendation for Eternal Sonata. That brilliant game has stood at my forefront for amazing JRPGS for 15 years. An absolutely stunning game with gorgeous visuals, engaging combat and exploration, great lore and well-written characters. Absolutely delightful musical score, and a game that glides along with a narrative that propels the game forward while simultaneously being a miyazaki slow-burn film that revels and soaks in the awe of the natural world and atmosphere.
It's a complete crime this game hasn't been ported over to PC still after all these years. It's truly a shock to believe this game released on the xbox 360 when it looks even better than anime games that come out today.
It's a story about Fredric Chopin's journey in his final hours of life as he explores an alternate world and meets a young child who has set out to do some good for the world before succumbing to her terminal condition. Where together among with others who join them in their path, discovery a conspiracy to decimate the country.
Some people say the game is heavy-handed with its various messages, and honestly I can agree with that. There's even times where the game would talk down to the player imo (not that I felt talked down to, but rather if you share certain band camps or lines of thought, the game isn't totally respectful or understanding of how you'd have that view) and explain on end about things and issues reflected unto real life.
I did not have a problem with this, but I understand that some people will.
The game also sometimes will take a break and have a Lost Odyssey Thousand Years of Dreams sequence, where it snaps back to a slice of Chopin and his families life, and give you history about them and play suitable compositioned music he (and maybe his sister?) put together.
Great game and it gains one of my deepest recommends. Absolutely beautiful story I have never forgotten and I pensively await some sort of remaster or port.
(I however have never played the version of the game that adds two new playable characters, so I cannot attest to how the story and gameplay switches up to their additions, but i'm a staunch supporter of the combat and i've enjoyed the story a great deal. So I expect it to be quite good!)
Video game graphics haven't meaningfully improved in the past 15ish years. So I don't find it hard to believe. My mother mistook Mass Effect 2 for a television show when I was playing it at home as a kid. That's when I realized, there's literally no point in "better" graphics from here on out.
Personally I find Trails in the sky SC to be the best game Falcom ever made (or any other game company for that matter), but Azure is a very close second, the series as a whole deserves all the love it can possibly get
I can't agree more. Even though it was the first one I bought, Trails in the Sky was the last one I played, after Cold Steel, Reverie, Zero/Azure and even Kuro. Estelle Bright is the best JRPG protagonist and I will die on this hill. Her development felt real, her reactions to everything going on around her felt human and not just to keep the plot moving forward. Anyway, Trails in the Sky and SC are my favorite JRPGs of all time. It's sad knowing there won't be more in that style.
The story in the SC was absolutely weak. The FC was definitely way better objectively in those regards.
SC has the best final dungeon I've ever experienced
Bought an Series X a few months ago and got Lost Odyssey for free digitally thanks to when I played it back on 360 long ago. Still have the discs too along with Blue Dragon, Vesperia, Fable series, Witcher 2 and New Vegas.
Awesome to see the XC2 love. This was my introduction to the series as it looked interesting in the switch launch trailer. Man what a surprise and wild ride. Became one of my fav games of all time. It is also my fav of the 3.
Nier Automata was another one I went in blind and was another wild, top-tier experience. Such an amazing game.
Re: Ys 8, Sunshine Coastline just carries you through battles, and don't forget about that moment atop of Mount Gendarmes. You've been served another masterful ost while climbing the mountain, beat the flying monster atop of it, only to turn around and realize the other half of the island is literally from another time. That sense of discovery and exploration, paired with that masterful music, was just chef's kiss.
Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon are both available on the digital Xbox store and can be played on the Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S; the original discs are not needed and Microsoft has done a great job ensuring these games stay alive on their consoles.
Lost odyssey is backwards compatible on the Xbox one and Series S/X, but you don't need the discs to play it, you can purchase it digitally.
My friend, gotta be honest: You picking Xeno 2 into first place over the other 2 just made my day! This game, imo, is Persona 5 level of quality for those who can discover it' beauty ❤
Ive been wanting to try xenoblade games. Rn im addicted to mondter hunter rise. And then on my ps4 im playingatelier ryza 3 now that i got armored core 6 true ending.
I have xeno2 amiibos and i think i should grab xeno2 next time.
Saaaame, Xeno 2 is my fav of the 4 Xenoblade games, maybe it's because it's the game that got me into the Series but Xeno 2 just has a huge spot in my heart, and all in all the Xeno Series is my top game series ever created.
@@ChaosNoahV4? Definitive, xeno 2, xeno 3 and..?
@@ussfrhni8085 Xeno X, the one from the wii u
Xenoblade 2 is peak Xenoblade
Blue dragon and lost odyssey are both available on Microsoft store on xbox. They are both often on sale and I have them both without discs working fine.
I also liked Awakening but the whole social aspect was not my cup of tea (in a tactic rpg). My number one is path of radiance. Again very much praise for Ys 8... I tried 9 and didn't like the gameplay, setting and characters but I loved Origins. Maybe I'll try Dana but I think it will feel closer to 9 than to origins. I expected more oldschool games on this list! It is suprisingly modern :)
Path of Radiance is the actual correct answer. Awakening is a pair-up steamroll fest that I find unreplayable.
You giving Atelier Sophie 2 a mention made me give you a sub, one of my favorite games of all time!
For me, the best way to explain why I think Awakening is the best Fire Emblem game is that it's the one I turn to whenever I'm looking for something in the series. I'm happy to play and replay it over and over again because it's just that fun, even if it might not necessarily be the best of the series in terms of mechanics or plot. Stands out especially when I have no desire to return to either of the Switch games. I also find that it's one of the few Fire Emblem games that really managed to do a good job of making the characters feel like people. Sure, they have their archetypes they fit into, but the game does a good job of making them more than just that and giving them their own lives and hobbies. Especially with Robin, who I find to be the only successful Avatar as a good blend of blank slate for relatability and a character in their own right capable of driving a plot.
And I really find a similar thing for Xenoblade 2. The games are a bit too monolithic for me to replay consistently, but 2's probably my favorite because I found it that fun. It's a shame so many people aren't willing to give it a chance because of things like the gacha-esque Blade summoning or generally more anime-ish aesthetic since it is a really, really good game. Like you said, the combat is great and just keeps getting better and the story is engaging the whole time. Even while it can be silly from time to time, I found that kind of nice as a bit of a breather from some of the heavier beats that came around the end of chapters and such. It's great.
As ever, thanks for the video!
Small correction: Lost Odyssey is available digitally on all modern Xbox consoles, so no disc needed
The metacritic score of "Lost Odyssey" is so unfair. It was in the Xbox 360/PS3 era when JRPG games were often "shamed" by reviewer.
The game deserved the shaming. It is a bad game. Star Ocean is a game leagues above it from the same era which was actually enjoyable. While Lost Odyssey was a terrible game.
@@lanceknightmare We are talking about which Star Ocean ? Star Ocean 4 ? 😅
@@Terranigma23 Star Ocean the last hope is the one I played. Definitely was worth the several playthroughs.
@@lanceknightmare The one with the weird kid and one of the most cliche jrpg plot device that I hate "removing a party member forever and transforming him into the "final" antagonistv. At least if it was Star Ocean 3 I would have agree a little bit more with you. Only good thing that I would say about Star Ocean 4 it's the graphic were really beautiful (except the character design) and the combat system was quite solid.
@@Terranigma23 How about the gem that is Final Fantasy 13-2? Closest thing to a perfect game I have found.
My 1st Ys game was 8. And I was sold. I need to get back to 9. P5R is soooo good too. This list was just excellent I cant find any faults man.
You have some absolute bangers on this list. Haven't played Royal but vanilla Persona is a 10 already. Lost Odyssey is easily an underappreciated 10. Currently Playing Xenoblade 1 and Nier replicant just so I can better understand and appreciate Xenoblade 2 and b Automata more when I do finally play them. Ngl your love for Ys makes me wanna add Ys 8 to my long list of games I'm currently playing lol
Lost Odyssey is straight @ss..
@@Synanova nah
@@robertusmaximus42 Uh yeah..
I liked xbc1 a lot more than 2 I don’t think you really need to play one before or after the other to understand stuff. 3 kinds forced both to mesh but yeah haha
@@SynanovaLost Odyssey is fire. I think that's a you problem.
Thank you so much for this vid! I'm glad this popped up in my feed. So many of these games have been on my wishlist, but I was never sure if it's worth buying them. I'll probably start with Opus. The background music was giving me chills throughout your whole summary of the game.
Opus is amazing. Not a traditional JRPG, but absolutely amazing story. One of those games that I know fans of the genre can enjoy, so I wanted to include it or Aegis Rim.
I miss lost odyssey :( it was such a good game
Im rather surprised that you didnt include any of the dq games in the list, but it was an absolutely banger list nonetheless! Big ups for including berseria in the list, and so high into it as well! 😊
To be fair I haven't played DQ V or the like as I'm more a modern player who occasionally dabbles in older titles. DQXI is amazing, but it's OST held it back. And I place a lot of importance on music.
@@TheKisekiNutfair point! I understand playing more modern jrpgs, but have you played chrono trigger? I feel it’s undeniable
@@TheKisekiNut you NEED to play Radiant Historia, easily a 10/10
Tales of Berseria's story is absolutely amazing the way it sets the stage in the first 25 min or so. Without spoiling the plot I'll just say that an event happens to the protaganist that turns her from a sweet loving carefree girl to pure anger and rage and even though by the time it happens you would've only been playing for 25-30 min you feel the rage as well (at least I did) and you want answers and you want revenge. This was my first dive into a "tales of" game it cemented the series for me and because of Berseria I followed by playing Zesteria, Symphonia, and Vesperia, and while all of those others are amazing as well, no story is as gripping right off the bat as Berseria is. The combat may get a little dull over time but the story keep it going for me, along with the cast of character's who are with you on your journey. Easy 9.5/10 for me.
I've been a JRPG gamer since Phantasy Star on Sega Master System. The Xbox360 had some absolute gems that really did need more exposure to Japanese players (who mostly wrote off any non-Japanese system and, to some extent, still do). Lost Odyssey was truly top tier, but nods given, too, to Blue Dragon and Eternal Sonata, both of which make it onto my own list.
I actually really enjoyed infinite undiscovery which was largely overlooked and got poor reviews, I thought it was great. I don't take reviews as gospel though, I still remember ign giving shadow hearts 5.5 out of 10 saying it wasn't worth your time and it's one of my favourite games of all time.
Eternal sonata and lost odyssey were amazing, I wasn't as sold on blue dragon but it was ok.
Nice list. Im happy to see Berseria made it on the list. I love the new Tales of Arise but Berseria hit me different man. The story, characters, normin and references from Zestiria I love it. For Persona, I prefer P4 over P5 because I love characters interaction in P4 more.
Correction about Lost Odyssey, it’s actually on the Xbox store. I was able to play through it on my Series S and yeah, it’s a great game
Yikes, you need to play far more retro JRPGs, not one of these is better than either Lunar on Sega CD. You seem to really love and are knowledgable about them, do yourself a favor and revisit the classics.
With that said I love to see Lost Odyssey get a well deserved shoutout, truly a shame it was buried on the 360. Just picked up Ys XIII on a Steam sale for $14. With the recent PC patch among a ton of improvements making it by far the Definitive Edition you can now play co-op via couch or Steam link ( Play Together or whatever it is called ). Have always wanted to play it but even more so now with co-op.
Lost Odyssey is really one of the best RPGs, Mistwalker, we need more games from you 😄
I didn't really like Berseria's gameplay, but its story really kept me hooked. All the party members were awesome
Completely agree with: YS VIII Lacrimosa of Dana, Tales of Berseria, and Nier Automata. Every JRPG lover especially who appreciate great story/narrative must play them, definitely. They're not console specific too, we can easily play them on PC.
I've play Tales of Berseria and Nier: automata and I absolutely love both of their stories and characters!
I know nothing about YS 8 but seems like we have similar taste in storytelling so I would take your word on this one and play YS I hope is as good as the other 2
Great, I feel like those three are the peak of narrative for their respective franchise, in my opinion.
Ys games strong points are usually in the great action or gameplay, but Ys 8 story really fascinate me, I can't put it into words. Dana is the most memorable heroine in the entire Ys series that I've played. hopefully you'll like it.
Great list. Especially agree with Xenoblade 2. Amazing game, highly recommend it.
Amazing game, a shit gacha system for the blades.
I still hate that part of the game, I wasted so many hours trying to get COS-MOS.
@@bladecodeAll it took me was to buy the expansion pass to get more rare cores and I managed to get both KOS-MOS and TEL-ELOS
I can't believe how much I agree with you on everything you said about Xenoblade. from the first letter to the very last of that particular segment.
For Tales series, I give the crown to the latest ARISE! PS: As a HUG Tales fan I started playing Tales game from its VERY BEGINNING (both Tales of Destiny 1 and Tales of phantasia on PS in early 1990s), and has played MOST of them since.
I love Symphonia, but every Tales game ive played after that I disliked. It never got there again for me.
I agree that Arise has also knocked Symphonia out of the top spot of Tales games for me.
@@febrizey Symphonia is my 3rd place spot for now. Berseria and Arise are both fantastic if you haven't tried them.
I don’t know if it’s been said.. but Lost Odyssey can be played on Series X as well without discs. It’s currently 24.99 digitally.
unfortunate you never played chrono trigger :/
or earthbound- or any final fantasy
Overrated
@@LucaBrack-pc9hfor dragon quest
and millions of other jrpgs :)
wait why do you guys think he didnt play them...
Berseria is my favorite game of the Tales series! The cast is great, the story is awesome and the areas are diverse and look really good.
Good list. I agree with most of these. However, picking Xenoblade 2 from the trilogy is … certainly a choice one could make. I’ll leave it at that.
The other best option Xenoblade would be X, but since he hasn't played it made sense it's not there. I still agree 2 is the best one in the general sense, it has the best on everything, story, music, characters and gameplay, the only downside it's the tutorials but that's it honestly, Xenoblade 2 is deserving of the title masterpiece.
My personal pick would be XB3, although I could understand why someone would favor the insane depth of XB2’s stellar combat system
@@andr0zzsenpaisame, xenoblade 2 just feels like the most complete one in isolation, and it's such an optimistic story I can't help but love it
Xenoblade 2 the best for me.3 was close.the music and gameplay of 2 just too good😊
The only right choice
Really love to see Atelier Sophie 2 here, it's my favorite in the franchise and one of my favorite games of all time. I'm not the kind of person who cries much when playing games, so if a game manages to get me to shed a tear, that's pretty special. However, I never expected an Atelier game of all games to get me to cry, but Sophie 2's ending managed to do that. Beyond that, I also love both the combat an synthesis systems, the characters are superb, and the game is beautiful both in terms of visuals and audio.
*has time stamps* 🙂
*only puts numbers on time stamps* 💀🤦🏼♂
Seriously, the lack of common sense with some uploaders.... wow.
I still remember the emotion I was feeling after I finished YS8. Especially I just come across the opening theme of that game. This is absolutely a masterpiece.