Honorable mention imo would be Megaman Battle Network Legacy Collection since both new and old players who love the series would have a chance to netbattle each other while having ten games in one cartridge for full enjoyment.
Great list, David! I am glad you reviewed Loop 8. It was on sale for Black Friday and you saved me shelling out $15 for that game. By the way, Star Ocean R being number one? YES!!!!!!!
Star Ocean The Second Story is definitely my game of the year as I loved it back in 1999 and loving this remaster even more with all the quality of life updates. Surprised you listed Monochrome Mobius Rights and Wrongs. I got it about a month ago and looking forward to playing that one. Loops 8 I guess is 2021's Monark. I guess they were trying for something different but unfortunately it didn't work
Just finished Octopath Traveler 2 and wow! Unbelievable game. The stories, the combat and the music was amazing. The music is the best I’ve heard in any game!
Yeah, probably a scheduling thing. Chained Echoes and Midnight Suns are great Dec22 games while Dragon Quest Monsters and Decapolice are unknown Dec23 games. Then of course there's Baldur's Gate.
Love the inclusion of Searching for Friends at the beginning. Just finished ff6 pixel remaster and smrpg recently and kind of on an rpg kick right now so hopefully i see some more stuff to pick up
Solid list. Monochrome Mobius slipped through my cracks but I'll be keeping an eye out for it now. Its been a great year for jrpgs considering we got FFXVI and DQ Infinity Stash, solid remakes, 3 solid NA Falcom releases, and an amazing indie scene and a top 5 lost only scratches the surface of excellence. Hope you had a good turkey day.
Great list! Of the games I played this year: I loved Octopath Traveler 2, but I would have liked if they made it shorter. While I forgive the game for not having character interactions that go far enough this time, they need to make the characters actually interact with each other if they make a third game. I didn't finish Sea of Stars, but I thought it was overrated. I played Super Mario RPG for the first time and while I found that while it was a good game, I don't think it's unanimously better in all aspects compared to other Mario RPGs. I think it depends on things like if someone originally grew up playing that era of games or if they like a more Square style JRPG rather than what the other Mario RPGs are like.
Star Ocean Second Story R absolutely deserves top spot for best game of the year. It shows how to do a full on remake RIGHT! I had very limited experience in playing the older versions of the game, but even if you don't know a thing about the previous releases, Second Story R is a top tier game. Honestly, it should be used as a template for all future remakes going forward. Hopefully AAA companies will be willing to put the time & budget into a remake of that scale, rather than just shoving out a quickie like so many companies love to do for a quick buck.
I appreciate your honesty in regards to the neptunia game even though you were paid to review it. As long as you never try to sell me "raid shadow legends" you will keep being my favorite review person. Namaste
I don’t often platinum games BUT I finished the plat in Star Ocean Second Story R the same day you posted this. Your channel has been my first stop for all things Star Ocean lately and this remake did a lot to bring me back into the franchise, but the love from creators like yourself played a huge role too so this is a thank you from a stranger on the internet! Also much love to Sea of Stars and Octopath II, this year has been phenomenal
Star Ocean 2 is my favorite JRPG of the year so far but Dragon Quest Monsters Dark Price is coming out soon and I have been dying for a new Western release of that series for years. There have been a lot of really good remasters this year like the 6 Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster games, Super Mario RPG and Star Ocean 2 R.
2023 has been a great year for JRPG fans like you and me; between Fire Emblem Engage, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters, Octopath Traveler 2, Sea of Stars, and most recently Super Mario RPG and especially Star Ocean The Second Story R And I hope next year's lineup will end up even better
From what I've seen, 2024 has some bangers coming out. My big one for 2023 was Star Ocean: Second Story R, 2024 it's going to be Eiyuden Chronicles: 100 Heroes. And of course there's the Suikoden 1&2 remasters coming out as well, though I don't think an official release date has been announced for Suikoden 1&2 Remaster yet.
I hope Octopath Traveler 2 gets more love and gets past the 2 million sales mark as it is the definition of a sequel done right. The Xbox release in 2024 is on Game Pass so not sure how well that will impact the sales. I have no idea how the 1st game was released on Xbox and not Playstation, and I do believe that kept the PS4/PS5 versions of OT2 from selling better. Let's get more love for this so that they can push things further with a third installment!
I was so worried when Star Ocean didnt appear till number 2, then it popped up as number 1. Such a classic gem brought to modern age gaming, let's hope this is the gold standard of remakes from here on out
to me, Baldur's Gate 3 has been THE RPG for its freedom and flexibility. Larian Studio really emphasizes the "role play" in "role-playing games". I'm on my 4th playthrough and rushed to finish SO2R just to do my tactician playthrough
This was a fun list. Hoping to try out some of these. By the way, a little while back, the stamina system on Ever Crisis was completely revamped. Now it's way too generous and there's no chance of ever running out. Definitely how it should have been in the first place.
Thank you for the video! Your top five aside from number 2 are my favorite games of this year. I’m not sure how I missed the boat on that game. I’m glad I watched though because this adds a new game for me to play this holiday. Love your content!
My top 5. 1. Final Fantasy XVI (best game ever for me) 2. Octopath Traveler II (I now ask: how the heck does III top this????) 3. Baldur's Gate 3 (D&D on a video screen, what else can I say?) 4. Star Ocean 2: The Second Story R (never played the original) 5. Super Mario RPG Remake (never played the original)
I can't agree with putting remakes above original IPs, this age of reboots and remakes needs to come to an end. Fresh, new and original journeys should be applauded over safe retreadings
Baldur's Gate 2 is one of my favorite games of all time but 3 was kinda meh. Largely due to modding, there's not nearly as much variety or freedom in modding as there is in BG2 or Skyrim. Maybe if they release a dev tool like BG2 or Skyrim did, but I doubt they will since they don't want "bad people" making "toxic masculine" mods, such as, god forbid, mods that make the female characters more attractive. But I do agree that there's nothing too exciting on this list. Mario and Star Ocean are rehash of games I've already played, was never into Octopath, and Monochrome Mobius is so niche that most people won't even look at it, let alone try it.
I really enjoyed Loop8 for what it was. I think if more people played it without looping being a factor they would enjoy it for its slice of life sim vibes. I beat the game on my first loop meaning I didnt loop at all so there were no repeat conversations and figuring out how to min/max my stat growths to be able to be strong enough to defeat the boss in the time frame was really fun and rewarding. I would have thrown the game out the window had I needed to loop but that wasnt the case for my experience and it made for a wonderful slice of life hybrid VN/JRPG. I only spent 20 dollars on it so that was also a big factor in my enjoyment for it lmao. Great video as always~
My worst RPG of the year is WrestleQuest. The game was average at first, then they added the speed upgrade and it went to above average, but there's a cutscene, about 45 hours into the game, that 100% causes a crash on my Switch. And it's been months later, and each time I've gone back after an update, the cutscene crash still happens. I can not progress the game at all and finish the game. For me, I'll take a bad game over an unplayable one any day of the week, because it's a much worse feeling to invest time into something and have it turn out to be completely fucking pointless, rather than just bad. As for the game itself, it was just way too long and way too slow. I'm most of the way through SMRPG, and the game is short, but everything is so fast paced and none of the humor wears out its welcome, and WrestleQuest as a whole just feels, a massive slog, from movement to battles to storyline progression, it just takes so long for things to advance, and could've used from a lot of trimming of unecessary plot lines and characters. There's no reason to add another new character in Japan 40ish hours in the game when the two main parties have still yet to come together.
Trails Into Reverie edges out Sea of Stars for me. Like a Dragon Gaiden and Final Fantasy Theatrhythm are also in the conversation depending on how far you're willing to stretch the definition of RPG. Pretty sure 2024 has already been decided for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Trails Through Daybreak (which already has an excellent fan translation) and FF7 Rebirth will also kick ass.
So many releases this year, my backlog grew a ton. Spent most of this year getting through the Trails games, finally finishing Crossbell,CS3/4 and Reverie. Currently playing through Fate/Samurai Remnant, which is surprisingly very good.
TFW Reverie is nowhere in sight 🙈 I’ve played Zero, Azure, CS 1-3, and am now on 4, then going into Reverie - all back-to-back-to-back these last four months. I really hope it’s not a bad omen for Reverie!
Ugh, I bought myself SO2R for Christmas (to be opened then) due in part to your excitement for it, but I'm afraid to watch any video about it completely (but always watch some!). Haha. I played the original a billion times, plus the PSP version at least once through, yet I'm incredibly eager to tear up at the greatness that is SO2(R). Once I play a bit, I'll probably go back and watch all of your videos on it. :D (Yeah, probably no story spoilers exist for me, but still!)
Honorable mention goes to Fire emblem engage. I really enjoyed how much customization there was with the emblem rings. The story is dumb but in a good way, it's set up scenarios that I ended up enjoying a lot
The story in Engage was childish, but I really enjoyed it. It was just very relaxing with adorable characters. Not everything has to be "mature" like 3H in order to be good.
Man, I am pleasantly surprised Monochrome Mobius ranked so high! I feel like a lot of people are gonna sleep on it. Star Ocean The Second Story R was an absolute joy. 24 years after coming out, it's one of the best games of its generation once again! Also, I completely forgot Loop 8 came out this year xD
Monochrome mobius I need to check out then. It looked unpolished from what I saw but good to know it really good. My favorites this year Trails to azure Star ocean 2 Octopath traveler 2 Fate stay remnant Eternights My dissapointments Final fantasy 16 Loop8
while I do put Octopath Traveler 2 as my favourite RPG of this year, Star Ocean 2 was honestly breathtaking, as someone that hadnt played any Star Ocean beforehand, my god how much fun I had with this one. Since it was announced, I was a little bit worried because it looked too good to be true, but holy jesus, I played the PS5 version, but ended up buying the switch version too for portable gaming of this amazing game (and I also have OT2 on the Switch, which is where I played it, and the PS5, for my next playthrough with 60 fps). Funnily enough, I am already playing the first Star Ocean and I have bought the rest except the last one in the PS5.
Does Xenoblade 3 Future Redeemed count? If not then Octopath Traveler 2. Currently on the final chapter and it's fantastic. Or Trails into Reverie if that counts even though it released in Japan 3 years ago.
just a question you played these games for the gameplay and story, or you played it for graphics and quality? because Sister vs Sister has good story and very emotional as for Monochrome Mobius is come out last year
See, I don't actually agree with Redemption Reapers. I really liked it and I was quite surprised I got through the combat 😂 I also really liked the lead Sarah 🥰
i wish that i was able to get into sea of stars. it’s one of the two rpgs i was most looking forward to this year-the other being the ps5 port of chained echoes-but the demo just didn’t do it for me. i’m not a fan of timing gimmicks in combat and the story just didn’t pull me in… sad that xvi didn’t make the list, but i expected it knowing that you’re not a fan of arpgs 😂; definitely one of my favorite games of the year, flaws and all.
I tried evercrisis since launch, although I disagree about the stamina sink I don't play as much as is probably required. What kills it for me is the 6-10 pop ups when logging in. @davidvinc have you ever played vandal hearts? I can't recall ever seeing you mention it. I'm a huge shadow hearts fan.
Great list, very similar to mine. It really saddens me to see Neptunia up here, I used to love that series, but I get it. The first three games I loved and several thereafter were still good to passable. Maybe I've just out grown them, but I feel like they are really lacking on the innovation front. Sad statement when the last Nep game I liked was Top Nep and that's an on rails shooter... Just wish they'd spend some capital and development time and really put a lot of effort into one title instead of making several low-budget entries. Would love to see an HD-2D Nep game with some quality sprites.
I hope by first three games you mean the Rebirth versions. The originals were genuine trash. Rebirth 1-3 and VII were genuinely good as was Cyberdimension (good not great). The rest has been around average. Sisters v Sisters definitely doesn't belong here.
Just pre-order it, this game is completely unknown to be released and so soon. Where is the marketing? It is a pity that this game will not be under the radar by players, if no one knows about it? Thanks David, pls chk what you can find about this game.
You’ve gotta get out of the mindset that if a developer makes a hard game it’s solely because of fromsoft. Cmon the 90’s had shit like ghost and goblins and a million arcade games DESIGNED to eat your quarters from sheer difficulty
Glad to see you liked the SO2SS remake so much! Felt like I was banging on a pot for years for people to play the PS1/PSP versions. Was super pissed when they brought over the SO1 port to the west but not also the port of SO2 (PS4 gen port). R more than made up for that blunder.
Funny, I would have thought you'd at least wait until DQM before making this list. Still a great list. As for Another Crusade, I stand by what I said before. It does start off overly frustrating, but once I got used to the mechanics and everything, it did become a lot more enjoyable. It wasn't perfect, but it's a lot better than first impressions led me to believe.
Glad you mentioned monochrome möbius as it has under the radar for pretty much most people , but not for me up there with star ocean and super Mario rpg , I’m waiting for the physical for star ocean 😄😄
I saw your #1 pick coming a mile away. That aside, this year has been excellent for gamers, AAA or indies alike. And I really hope next year gives us more of what we want.
whats a shame is that even the bad games, I see the vision and the potential but they just do not nail the landing. The neptunia games are really hit or miss for me, inconsistency the house down.
monochrome möbius is a prequel to the Utawarerumono series which is a series of games. The first one was in 2002 which actually a tactical visual novel eroge by Leaf for Windows only. The strong point is the plot which after that went on to for all ages and did came out a fair bit of sequel. I do like the plot as it's pretty interesting and usually it's a tactical game (other than Utawarerumono Zan which is an action RPG or a hack and slash, I never played it so I am not so sure actually) which I am pretty surprise by Monochrome mobius to be a turned based game. Yeah I definitely like this series. So far all the good game is pretty good to me as well especially Star Ocean 2R and Octopath Traveller 2 which I think I already played more than a few hundred hours on those 2. I don't have a switch so I can't say about Mario RPG and personally not a fan of Mario games as well. I want to try out Sea of stars but I still have quite a lot of backlog games to go through. Planning to get it when it's on sales.
Thank you for calling out FFVII:Ever Crisis as a bad game. As somebody who was disappointed by the twist in FFVII: Remake, this felt like it was going to be that middle ground where they could give a true remake whilst also having a "remake" with a change of direction. Not only is this a gatcha game in the worst sense but it manages to simulatenously cut out sections AND add filler, which feels like them saving on assets/development. But it is also designed like many gatchas where it's episodic & you lose any sense of immersion in the game by design, then it further & abruptly pulled out of it by gatcha bullshit. That to me is always the WORST part about gatcha, it's not that there's monetisation or even the balance (within reasons) but how they fuck with an immersive experience or take away RPG elements & experience and put them behind that gatcha model.
Great list. I haven't played that Moebius game but is on my radar. I am very surprised that Baten Kaitos HD remaster wasn't on this list. Why Moebius over that?
This end of the year I bought 3 RPG remakes: Live a Live, Baten Kaitos and Mario RPG! You seemed not to like Live a Live and I get it now... 😂... But it at least took me a tad less than 30 hours to finnish, the ideal lenght if you ask me... I'm eager to play Mario RPG now! 🎉
Not seeing Trails to Azure, the brilliant finisher of the (so far) best Trails of Arc,stings a bit, but then again it's hard to take out another game from the top five. A honourable mention would have been nice though! No complaints with the flop five.
I'd slap One Piece Odyssey in the good games somewhere. Never seen the show but had a blast with that game! Also, I'm gonna have to check out this Monochrome Mobius. I somehow missed that one.
@@davidvincWas too busy hurling when I saw the video. It was under the best tactical RPGs and not the absolute best, but for such a horrible game to make it onto such a list is an abomination. See for yourself ruclips.net/video/KjEOZ6lgcKA/видео.html
Great selection, but I do miss at least an honorable mention to Baldur's Gate 3. I usually prefer JRPGs too, but Baldur's Gate is just fantastic, I'm convinced any JRPG fan who gives it a try will love it too, it's not just hype. Turn based combat, deep customization, amazing characters, great story, it's all there and all top quality.
I agree with your top 5, maybe not the order though due to it feels odd for a remake to be the best. Also, I think there are two issues in my eyes with Star Ocean 2 remake, white edges on characters and I actually wish we still had a bit of leveling of the skills (maybe just a bit more damage). For the "worst" if not for you I would not even know of four of them. I was really hoping Ever Crisis would have been Switch, PS4, etc... and been free for the story. Anything mobile can die if it is not a simple puzzle game that I can spend less than a minute or so on.
Sorry about the editing issues with the first upload, that should all be fixed now, please enjoy and I hope you all have a fantastic long weekend!
Time to watch it a second time...
@@tekguru8 thank you for that, it helps me out a ton!!
Honorable mention imo would be Megaman Battle Network Legacy Collection since both new and old players who love the series would have a chance to netbattle each other while having ten games in one cartridge for full enjoyment.
Seriously. The fact that the BN collection sold as well as it did should tell capcom that we still want more megaman
Too bad the ZX games weren't added as a pre-order bonus.
Very honorable mention. I wish all collections were as meaty as that.
@@XVa-uj8mum? Zero Collection?
A starforce collection next would be fantastic
I decided to give the Star Ocean 2 remake a shot a while ago, needless to say the series now has a new fan
My favorite JRPG this year no question about it was Octopath Travaler 2!
Great list, David! I am glad you reviewed Loop 8. It was on sale for Black Friday and you saved me shelling out $15 for that game.
By the way, Star Ocean R being number one? YES!!!!!!!
Star Ocean The Second Story is definitely my game of the year as I loved it back in 1999 and loving this remaster even more with all the quality of life updates. Surprised you listed Monochrome Mobius Rights and Wrongs. I got it about a month ago and looking forward to playing that one. Loops 8 I guess is 2021's Monark. I guess they were trying for something different but unfortunately it didn't work
Just finished Octopath Traveler 2 and wow! Unbelievable game. The stories, the combat and the music was amazing. The music is the best I’ve heard in any game!
my limited funds makes me decerning. i got both SO2R and octopath traveler 2.. my money was not wasted
We may not have Thanksgiving over here but im grateful I found you david
I was hoping to see chained echoes such an underrated rpg . Great list. ❤
Yeah, probably a scheduling thing. Chained Echoes and Midnight Suns are great Dec22 games while Dragon Quest Monsters and Decapolice are unknown Dec23 games. Then of course there's Baldur's Gate.
Love the inclusion of Searching for Friends at the beginning. Just finished ff6 pixel remaster and smrpg recently and kind of on an rpg kick right now so hopefully i see some more stuff to pick up
The wait was worth it cause god dang I've never seen Grumpy David slamming so hard on the bottom 5 games! 😂 Great way to start the weekend!
Watching this and thinking of what game to buy this Steam autumn sale. Thanks for this David 🙏
Hope you enjoy it!
I've been so busy/stressed with school, I haven't kept up on jrpgs. Thank you David for highlightning these games!
Solid list. Monochrome Mobius slipped through my cracks but I'll be keeping an eye out for it now. Its been a great year for jrpgs considering we got FFXVI and DQ Infinity Stash, solid remakes, 3 solid NA Falcom releases, and an amazing indie scene and a top 5 lost only scratches the surface of excellence. Hope you had a good turkey day.
I had a great Thanksgiving. Thank you! and I really do hope that you enjoy monochrome Mobius :)
Great list! Of the games I played this year: I loved Octopath Traveler 2, but I would have liked if they made it shorter. While I forgive the game for not having character interactions that go far enough this time, they need to make the characters actually interact with each other if they make a third game. I didn't finish Sea of Stars, but I thought it was overrated. I played Super Mario RPG for the first time and while I found that while it was a good game, I don't think it's unanimously better in all aspects compared to other Mario RPGs. I think it depends on things like if someone originally grew up playing that era of games or if they like a more Square style JRPG rather than what the other Mario RPGs are like.
Poor Loop 8... I remember getting so pumped for the game, but alas! Great video David, quality as always my man!
I also somehow come across your videos over the years I’m so glad you still make videos are one of my favorite genres of games
Thanks for fixing the video. Going to rewatch now. Love the channel.
Awesome, thank you!
Star Ocean Second Story R absolutely deserves top spot for best game of the year. It shows how to do a full on remake RIGHT! I had very limited experience in playing the older versions of the game, but even if you don't know a thing about the previous releases, Second Story R is a top tier game. Honestly, it should be used as a template for all future remakes going forward. Hopefully AAA companies will be willing to put the time & budget into a remake of that scale, rather than just shoving out a quickie like so many companies love to do for a quick buck.
I appreciate your honesty in regards to the neptunia game even though you were paid to review it. As long as you never try to sell me "raid shadow legends" you will keep being my favorite review person. Namaste
I don’t often platinum games BUT I finished the plat in Star Ocean Second Story R the same day you posted this. Your channel has been my first stop for all things Star Ocean lately and this remake did a lot to bring me back into the franchise, but the love from creators like yourself played a huge role too so this is a thank you from a stranger on the internet! Also much love to Sea of Stars and Octopath II, this year has been phenomenal
I’m so glad I could be of help to you!!
Star Ocean 2 is my favorite JRPG of the year so far but Dragon Quest Monsters Dark Price is coming out soon and I have been dying for a new Western release of that series for years.
There have been a lot of really good remasters this year like the 6 Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster games, Super Mario RPG and Star Ocean 2 R.
2023 has been a great year for JRPG fans like you and me; between Fire Emblem Engage, the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters, Octopath Traveler 2, Sea of Stars, and most recently Super Mario RPG and especially Star Ocean The Second Story R
And I hope next year's lineup will end up even better
From what I've seen, 2024 has some bangers coming out. My big one for 2023 was Star Ocean: Second Story R, 2024 it's going to be Eiyuden Chronicles: 100 Heroes.
And of course there's the Suikoden 1&2 remasters coming out as well, though I don't think an official release date has been announced for Suikoden 1&2 Remaster yet.
I hope Octopath Traveler 2 gets more love and gets past the 2 million sales mark as it is the definition of a sequel done right. The Xbox release in 2024 is on Game Pass so not sure how well that will impact the sales. I have no idea how the 1st game was released on Xbox and not Playstation, and I do believe that kept the PS4/PS5 versions of OT2 from selling better. Let's get more love for this so that they can push things further with a third installment!
I was so worried when Star Ocean didnt appear till number 2, then it popped up as number 1. Such a classic gem brought to modern age gaming, let's hope this is the gold standard of remakes from here on out
For me Trails into Reverie is the GOTY xD But very nice list! I did not like Sea of Stars that much, it was fun, but quite slow to play.
to me, Baldur's Gate 3 has been THE RPG for its freedom and flexibility. Larian Studio really emphasizes the "role play" in "role-playing games". I'm on my 4th playthrough and rushed to finish SO2R just to do my tactician playthrough
This was a fun list. Hoping to try out some of these.
By the way, a little while back, the stamina system on Ever Crisis was completely revamped. Now it's way too generous and there's no chance of ever running out. Definitely how it should have been in the first place.
First I've heard of the Utawarerumono games. Look solid and right up my alley. Thanks for the introduction!
Thank you for the video! Your top five aside from number 2 are my favorite games of this year. I’m not sure how I missed the boat on that game. I’m glad I watched though because this adds a new game for me to play this holiday. Love your content!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video as usual David!!! Thankful for your voice in this space.
No, Thank you for listening!
My top 5.
1. Final Fantasy XVI (best game ever for me)
2. Octopath Traveler II (I now ask: how the heck does III top this????)
3. Baldur's Gate 3 (D&D on a video screen, what else can I say?)
4. Star Ocean 2: The Second Story R (never played the original)
5. Super Mario RPG Remake (never played the original)
I can't agree with putting remakes above original IPs, this age of reboots and remakes needs to come to an end. Fresh, new and original journeys should be applauded over safe retreadings
What's up muscles?
good list my man! You just earned a new sub
Thanks for the sub!
Baldur's gate 3 takes the cake for me, but I can understand that it cater a bit more to the D&D type players than the J-rpg lovers (I'll take both xD)
It's mine as well. I really love that game.
Baldur's Gate 2 is one of my favorite games of all time but 3 was kinda meh. Largely due to modding, there's not nearly as much variety or freedom in modding as there is in BG2 or Skyrim. Maybe if they release a dev tool like BG2 or Skyrim did, but I doubt they will since they don't want "bad people" making "toxic masculine" mods, such as, god forbid, mods that make the female characters more attractive.
But I do agree that there's nothing too exciting on this list. Mario and Star Ocean are rehash of games I've already played, was never into Octopath, and Monochrome Mobius is so niche that most people won't even look at it, let alone try it.
I really enjoyed Loop8 for what it was. I think if more people played it without looping being a factor they would enjoy it for its slice of life sim vibes. I beat the game on my first loop meaning I didnt loop at all so there were no repeat conversations and figuring out how to min/max my stat growths to be able to be strong enough to defeat the boss in the time frame was really fun and rewarding. I would have thrown the game out the window had I needed to loop but that wasnt the case for my experience and it made for a wonderful slice of life hybrid VN/JRPG. I only spent 20 dollars on it so that was also a big factor in my enjoyment for it lmao. Great video as always~
My worst RPG of the year is WrestleQuest. The game was average at first, then they added the speed upgrade and it went to above average, but there's a cutscene, about 45 hours into the game, that 100% causes a crash on my Switch. And it's been months later, and each time I've gone back after an update, the cutscene crash still happens. I can not progress the game at all and finish the game. For me, I'll take a bad game over an unplayable one any day of the week, because it's a much worse feeling to invest time into something and have it turn out to be completely fucking pointless, rather than just bad.
As for the game itself, it was just way too long and way too slow. I'm most of the way through SMRPG, and the game is short, but everything is so fast paced and none of the humor wears out its welcome, and WrestleQuest as a whole just feels, a massive slog, from movement to battles to storyline progression, it just takes so long for things to advance, and could've used from a lot of trimming of unecessary plot lines and characters. There's no reason to add another new character in Japan 40ish hours in the game when the two main parties have still yet to come together.
Trails Into Reverie edges out Sea of Stars for me. Like a Dragon Gaiden and Final Fantasy Theatrhythm are also in the conversation depending on how far you're willing to stretch the definition of RPG.
Pretty sure 2024 has already been decided for Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Trails Through Daybreak (which already has an excellent fan translation) and FF7 Rebirth will also kick ass.
So many releases this year, my backlog grew a ton.
Spent most of this year getting through the Trails games, finally finishing Crossbell,CS3/4 and Reverie.
Currently playing through Fate/Samurai Remnant, which is surprisingly very good.
Great list! I've really been enjoying the SO2 remake and will be playing the SMRPG one right after.
TFW Reverie is nowhere in sight 🙈 I’ve played Zero, Azure, CS 1-3, and am now on 4, then going into Reverie - all back-to-back-to-back these last four months. I really hope it’s not a bad omen for Reverie!
Ugh, I bought myself SO2R for Christmas (to be opened then) due in part to your excitement for it, but I'm afraid to watch any video about it completely (but always watch some!). Haha. I played the original a billion times, plus the PSP version at least once through, yet I'm incredibly eager to tear up at the greatness that is SO2(R). Once I play a bit, I'll probably go back and watch all of your videos on it. :D (Yeah, probably no story spoilers exist for me, but still!)
@3:27 Nice David. That's the best I've heard you pronounce Utawarerumono so far.
Hahaha! I must be getting better
My top 5 i played:
1. Trails into Reverie
2. Star Ocean 2
3. FF XVI
4. Sea of stars
5. Super Mario RPG
Honorable mention goes to Fire emblem engage. I really enjoyed how much customization there was with the emblem rings. The story is dumb but in a good way, it's set up scenarios that I ended up enjoying a lot
The story in Engage was childish, but I really enjoyed it. It was just very relaxing with adorable characters. Not everything has to be "mature" like 3H in order to be good.
I was about to comment “NO CHAINED ECHOES?”, but turns out it’s a December 2022 game
Man, I am pleasantly surprised Monochrome Mobius ranked so high! I feel like a lot of people are gonna sleep on it.
Star Ocean The Second Story R was an absolute joy. 24 years after coming out, it's one of the best games of its generation once again!
Also, I completely forgot Loop 8 came out this year xD
Monochrome mobius I need to check out then. It looked unpolished from what I saw but good to know it really good.
My favorites this year
Trails to azure
Star ocean 2
Octopath traveler 2
Fate stay remnant
Eternights
My dissapointments
Final fantasy 16
Loop8
Love the honest reviews, keep it up
while I do put Octopath Traveler 2 as my favourite RPG of this year, Star Ocean 2 was honestly breathtaking, as someone that hadnt played any Star Ocean beforehand, my god how much fun I had with this one. Since it was announced, I was a little bit worried because it looked too good to be true, but holy jesus, I played the PS5 version, but ended up buying the switch version too for portable gaming of this amazing game (and I also have OT2 on the Switch, which is where I played it, and the PS5, for my next playthrough with 60 fps).
Funnily enough, I am already playing the first Star Ocean and I have bought the rest except the last one in the PS5.
Does Xenoblade 3 Future Redeemed count? If not then Octopath Traveler 2. Currently on the final chapter and it's fantastic. Or Trails into Reverie if that counts even though it released in Japan 3 years ago.
Would put Trails to Azure on top - and since I'm actually a fan of souls combat, I would add Eternights there too
just a question you played these games for the gameplay and story, or you played it for graphics and quality? because Sister vs Sister has good story and very emotional
as for Monochrome Mobius is come out last year
Thanks for your honesty despite being provided free copies of a game
See, I don't actually agree with Redemption Reapers. I really liked it and I was quite surprised I got through the combat 😂 I also really liked the lead Sarah 🥰
Great picks! Sad that Loop8 turn out so poorly. It had such promise.
Easily the worst of the year!!! Complete trash!
i wish that i was able to get into sea of stars. it’s one of the two rpgs i was most looking forward to this year-the other being the ps5 port of chained echoes-but the demo just didn’t do it for me. i’m not a fan of timing gimmicks in combat and the story just didn’t pull me in…
sad that xvi didn’t make the list, but i expected it knowing that you’re not a fan of arpgs 😂; definitely one of my favorite games of the year, flaws and all.
im glad to see monochrome mobius make this list, such a good game. but just so you know david it is available for PC not just ps4 and 5 :)
100% Star Ocean 2 was one of the best 40 hours of gaming I had all year,
Man, much as I love a good souls-like, I gotta agree with you on that one. We don’t all need to be doing the same thing, do we?
I tried evercrisis since launch, although I disagree about the stamina sink I don't play as much as is probably required. What kills it for me is the 6-10 pop ups when logging in.
@davidvinc have you ever played vandal hearts? I can't recall ever seeing you mention it. I'm a huge shadow hearts fan.
Your commentary is always gold lol
Damn, Star Ocean Second Story R is really THAT good? Imma have to pick that one up ASAP.
Haven’t watched yet ,at work, where is the one in the thumbnail from?
Loop 8 :)
Great list, very similar to mine. It really saddens me to see Neptunia up here, I used to love that series, but I get it. The first three games I loved and several thereafter were still good to passable. Maybe I've just out grown them, but I feel like they are really lacking on the innovation front. Sad statement when the last Nep game I liked was Top Nep and that's an on rails shooter... Just wish they'd spend some capital and development time and really put a lot of effort into one title instead of making several low-budget entries. Would love to see an HD-2D Nep game with some quality sprites.
I hope by first three games you mean the Rebirth versions. The originals were genuine trash. Rebirth 1-3 and VII were genuinely good as was Cyberdimension (good not great). The rest has been around average. Sisters v Sisters definitely doesn't belong here.
SO2SSR deserves that top spot. I don't think I've ever been this happy with a remake. Gold standard stuff.
I think Chained Echoes deserves a spot in top 5 depending on whether or not you are counting December games from 2022
1 thing i hate a lot about Loop8 was the best waifu was also my Babushka.
I was on the fence about sea of stars. Gonna go buy it now.
Gensei Suikoden Plus for Switch releases November 30
Really?
On the Switch EShop
I may just have to cover this in the news tomorrow!! Thanks for letting me know!
Yes tx it is available for pre-order. I will today, tx for sharing.
Just pre-order it, this game is completely unknown to be released and so soon. Where is the marketing? It is a pity that this game will not be under the radar by players, if no one knows about it? Thanks David, pls chk what you can find about this game.
You’ve gotta get out of the mindset that if a developer makes a hard game it’s solely because of fromsoft. Cmon the 90’s had shit like ghost and goblins and a million arcade games DESIGNED to eat your quarters from sheer difficulty
We're in the renaissance of RPGs. After all, you focused on JRPGs, we got some great CRPGs recently too!
Glad to see you liked the SO2SS remake so much! Felt like I was banging on a pot for years for people to play the PS1/PSP versions. Was super pissed when they brought over the SO1 port to the west but not also the port of SO2 (PS4 gen port). R more than made up for that blunder.
Funny, I would have thought you'd at least wait until DQM before making this list. Still a great list. As for Another Crusade, I stand by what I said before. It does start off overly frustrating, but once I got used to the mechanics and everything, it did become a lot more enjoyable. It wasn't perfect, but it's a lot better than first impressions led me to believe.
Glad you mentioned monochrome möbius as it has under the radar for pretty much most people , but not for me up there with star ocean and super Mario rpg , I’m waiting for the physical for star ocean 😄😄
Love from Belgium 🇧🇪 ❤
I saw your #1 pick coming a mile away. That aside, this year has been excellent for gamers, AAA or indies alike. And I really hope next year gives us more of what we want.
whats a shame is that even the bad games, I see the vision and the potential but they just do not nail the landing. The neptunia games are really hit or miss for me, inconsistency the house down.
monochrome möbius is a prequel to the Utawarerumono series which is a series of games. The first one was in 2002 which actually a tactical visual novel eroge by Leaf for Windows only. The strong point is the plot which after that went on to for all ages and did came out a fair bit of sequel. I do like the plot as it's pretty interesting and usually it's a tactical game (other than Utawarerumono Zan which is an action RPG or a hack and slash, I never played it so I am not so sure actually) which I am pretty surprise by Monochrome mobius to be a turned based game. Yeah I definitely like this series. So far all the good game is pretty good to me as well especially Star Ocean 2R and Octopath Traveller 2 which I think I already played more than a few hundred hours on those 2. I don't have a switch so I can't say about Mario RPG and personally not a fan of Mario games as well. I want to try out Sea of stars but I still have quite a lot of backlog games to go through. Planning to get it when it's on sales.
Thank you for calling out FFVII:Ever Crisis as a bad game. As somebody who was disappointed by the twist in FFVII: Remake, this felt like it was going to be that middle ground where they could give a true remake whilst also having a "remake" with a change of direction. Not only is this a gatcha game in the worst sense but it manages to simulatenously cut out sections AND add filler, which feels like them saving on assets/development. But it is also designed like many gatchas where it's episodic & you lose any sense of immersion in the game by design, then it further & abruptly pulled out of it by gatcha bullshit. That to me is always the WORST part about gatcha, it's not that there's monetisation or even the balance (within reasons) but how they fuck with an immersive experience or take away RPG elements & experience and put them behind that gatcha model.
I’d add Fire Emblem Engage to the best list. It was a big improvement and return to form after Three Houses.
Woo I actually liked redemption reapers and even finished it with a platinum. I know it's your opinion David but personally I actually did like it.
I never had any interest in Redemption Reapers but knowing it's tactical I thought at first maybe I'll pick it up. But tactical soulslike? Hell no!
Great list. I haven't played that Moebius game but is on my radar. I am very surprised that Baten Kaitos HD remaster wasn't on this list. Why Moebius over that?
This end of the year I bought 3 RPG remakes: Live a Live, Baten Kaitos and Mario RPG! You seemed not to like Live a Live and I get it now... 😂... But it at least took me a tad less than 30 hours to finnish, the ideal lenght if you ask me...
I'm eager to play Mario RPG now! 🎉
Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs Forgotten is on PC too, not just PS4/PS5.
Not seeing Trails to Azure, the brilliant finisher of the (so far) best Trails of Arc,stings a bit, but then again it's hard to take out another game from the top five. A honourable mention would have been nice though!
No complaints with the flop five.
Yeah, I've been catching up on Trails this year (Zero, Azure, CS3, now on CS4) and Azure was a highlight for sure.
Renne is best girl.
I'd slap One Piece Odyssey in the good games somewhere. Never seen the show but had a blast with that game! Also, I'm gonna have to check out this Monochrome Mobius. I somehow missed that one.
One piece odyssey playtime? Help me
@@Yongui-pi3fc I think it took me about 60-80 hours to beat and like 120 to get the platinum trophy. I take my time tho with games like this
@@blairmcmackin8857 I see sorry to bother you but can you give me some side stuff to do while I play the game? I enjoy side content so much
Someone put Fragrant Story on a list of best 3DS games. I'm glad I have your guidance for games and know what I'm buying for Christmas.
Holy cow! For real!?!! I hope you called them out lol
@@davidvincWas too busy hurling when I saw the video. It was under the best tactical RPGs and not the absolute best, but for such a horrible game to make it onto such a list is an abomination. See for yourself ruclips.net/video/KjEOZ6lgcKA/видео.html
@@davidvincI hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving.
Great selection, but I do miss at least an honorable mention to Baldur's Gate 3. I usually prefer JRPGs too, but Baldur's Gate is just fantastic, I'm convinced any JRPG fan who gives it a try will love it too, it's not just hype. Turn based combat, deep customization, amazing characters, great story, it's all there and all top quality.
you sold me your first 2 "bad" games so hard 😮
Which game is the girl on the thumbnail from?
I agree with both of those lists we got some great games and some stinkers except redemption reapers i enjoyed it 😊😊😊
Ps. Ever crisis was also fine since u can play it without spending money after some more recent updates 😅😊
I agree with your top 5, maybe not the order though due to it feels odd for a remake to be the best. Also, I think there are two issues in my eyes with Star Ocean 2 remake, white edges on characters and I actually wish we still had a bit of leveling of the skills (maybe just a bit more damage).
For the "worst" if not for you I would not even know of four of them. I was really hoping Ever Crisis would have been Switch, PS4, etc... and been free for the story. Anything mobile can die if it is not a simple puzzle game that I can spend less than a minute or so on.
Not that it made it a "great" game per se, but I am pretty sure Redemption Reapers had difficulty options.
I can think of two redeeming factors to Loop8, but they’re both in the thumbnail.
Edit: and no, not nearly enough to redeem Loop8.
You're going to make me max out my GameStop card aren't you? 🥰😉
Baten kaitos is amazing! Cant believe i never played it
Octopath traveler 2 was not launched for xbox. Next year it will