Now I decided to make a new list to see what are the best Japanese RPGs out there. Now I haven't played them all, but I played enough to justify a Top Ten List. But In order to help those who are the "tl;dr" type, I'll help you guys out by giving a few sentences that describe why the game deserved to be on my list. Here we go!
I don't know what to say about P4 after I posted my last RPG list. It had what most games would love. A fantastic mystery full of twist, character which you can all relate to, a happier theme than Persona 3 because of the events of P3, and just a fun traditional gameplay that is stripped down to the core only to be found to be the most user friendly turn based system ever made in JRPG history. The game had it all. Which is why it's still the greatest JRPG ever made.
The black sheep of the ps1 era FF's. While beating the game, I realized how much I wanted to play the earlier Final Fantasy such as the first and the third, but couldn't because how boring and tedious they were. But FFIX goes back to traditional roots and won me over. It made me care about all the characters available (except for Amaranth). Although Zidane made the game more lighthearted, the whole game is anything but lighthearted. It's a very dark game which makes you feel for the characters involved. The soundtrack is very memorable while bringing emotions to each and every scene. You can feel the agony Garnet is feeling, you can feel the romance, you can feel the loneliness that Vivi brings. It's just a great game overall. I know I'll get a lot of heat saying it but FFIX is the best FF ever made. But it's not the best JRPG ever made...
FFX stepped it up a notch by adding voice acting which in turn both helped and destroyed the credibility of the game. I think most people didn't like that game only because of the characterization of the characters. The voice acting was not top notch, but added an element of emotions that other FF didn't have. But because of this, most characters seemed more whiny than others (ie. Tidus). But reflecting on pass Final Fantasy's, the script of VII, VIII, and IX, is just as whiny as FFX. But, FFX just had VA to emphasize it. Other than that, it's a very fast paced game with a rich universe that revolves around culture. It just screams amazing even when you defeat the simplest fiend as it deteriorates into a bunch of pyrefiles heading to the farplane. Although many may hate FFX, it deserves a spot on the All-Time Greatest JRPGs ever made.
FFVII is adored by almost all FF fans and while I thought it was to be overrated, I can't understate how revolutionary and amazing every element of the game had affected the JRPG business. It had a great plot, memorable events, lovable characters, and an amazing world to explore. I'd say, how they developed Cloud won me over as a depressed wanna-be with a heart full of shame to a badass hero with a "I FIGHT FOR MY FRIENDS" mentality.
This game should have won me over with a dark story revolving high school students trying to save the world. Though it was innovative with it's gameplay mechanics, Persona 4 just took what Persona 3 FES had and just made it better. It's what you expect from a sequel. But that being said, Persona 3 is still a very great game with a lot of flaws. While the social links were more interesting, there was a sense of grinding that you had to do in order to reach the top. It felt like it was pushing it with the excessive height of the dungeons. Still, it's a great RPG and I totally would recommend it just for the plot itself.
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