I want a JRPG.

For a while now I've been craving a long, juicy JRPG to sink my teeth into. Problem is, I'm pretty particular about my JRPGs, and have no interested in sieving through a sea of garbage to find the kind of game I'm looking for. That's why I'm turning to you -- the people who have already done that. (Yes, I'm talking to you, JRPG nuts who know all about the Megami Tenseis and the Atelier Whatevers.) You're my only hope.

Here's what I'm looking for:

1. Something with a real-time battle system. It can be turn-based, but if it is, it needs to have some real-time elements. (By the way: I do not count the Final Fantasy-style "active battle bar" or whatever it's called as a real-time element, even though it is.)
2. Something with plenty of optional content. I'm talking side-quests, collectibles, mini-games, hidden dungeons, secret boss fights et cetera.
3. Preferably (though certainly not necessarily) something for a portable platform.
4. Preferably no random battles.
5. Absolutely no randomly generated dungeons.
6. Good music and/or graphics. If it isn't aesthetically pleasing, I'm not interested.
7. It needs to have been released in Europe, or else be region free.

To bad about the randomly generated dungeons part, otherwise this might've entertained for the better half of its 100 hours: 
  

I've heard good things about Eternal Sonata, I think it fills most of your requirements, but I'm not completely sure. Tales of Vesperia is fantastic by the way.

• FFXII

The Sims (not Japanese but meets pretty much all you asked for). Disgaea 3. For the most part isn't randomly generated. The new Valkyria Chronicles psp game. The #6 is the one I have the problem with as I don't tend to pay attention to music in games as much, and I can tolerate any type of graphics.

have you got Devil Survivor ? It fits almost all the criteria, and as far as I've seen, it'll keep you occupied for a long time
you should also get FF3 for the DS, or 4 for that matter. they're both phenomenal games EVEN IF THEY*RE STATIC AND SLOW!

do the requirements really matter that much? why dont you just let us suggest some really good rpgs that would be worth your while regardless of whether they filled that criteria?

" have you got Devil Survivor ? "

Kingdom Hearts ticks all those boxes.

"Kingdom Hearts ticks all those boxes. "

"Shadow Hearts 1 and 2. "

" @GunslingerPanda said:

"Kingdom Hearts ticks all those boxes. "

Perhaps, but I'd recommend cutting your wrists while reading bad internet fanfiction over playing KH.  Results in much the same experience. "

" @rubberluffy: I'd recommend the first over the sequel. "

" Also for turn-based with real time input there's not many better than the Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi games, unless you're really put off by their kiddy visuals. Can't recall them having much in the way of fun side content though. "

" do the requirements really matter that much? why dont you just let us suggest some really good rpgs that would be worth your while regardless of whether they filled that criteria? "

" @GunslingerPanda said:

"Kingdom Hearts ticks all those boxes. "

Perhaps, but I'd recommend cutting your wrists while reading bad internet fanfiction over playing KH.  Results in much the same experience. "

Just play Lost Odyssey.

"Just play Lost Odyssey. "

@WinterSnowblind said:

" @GunslingerPanda said:

"Kingdom Hearts ticks all those boxes. "

Perhaps, but I'd recommend cutting your wrists while reading bad internet fanfiction over playing KH.  Results in much the same experience. "

Pretty much. I've played some Kingdom Hearts. It's an ugly, clunky, annoying mess of a game. "

Grandia if you dont mind sprites on 3D planes.

" How they hell did Dark Cloud and its sequel get mentioned straight away? Two of the worst perpetrators of awful random dungeoning. "

" @Icemael said: 

@WinterSnowblind said:

" @GunslingerPanda said:

"Kingdom Hearts ticks all those boxes. "

Perhaps, but I'd recommend cutting your wrists while reading bad internet fanfiction over playing KH.  Results in much the same experience. "

Pretty much. I've played some Kingdom Hearts. It's an ugly, clunky, annoying mess of a game. "

Some Kingdom Hearts, you can't judge a game from the 5 minutes your spent with it. You should try playing it more, it seems it would be an RPG you would like. "

" @NekuSakuraba said:

" @Icemael said: 

@WinterSnowblind said:

" @GunslingerPanda said:

"Kingdom Hearts ticks all those boxes. "

Perhaps, but I'd recommend cutting your wrists while reading bad internet fanfiction over playing KH.  Results in much the same experience. "

Pretty much. I've played some Kingdom Hearts. It's an ugly, clunky, annoying mess of a game. "

Some Kingdom Hearts, you can't judge a game from the 5 minutes your spent with it. You should try playing it more, it seems it would be an RPG you would like. "

I played it for between 30 minutes and an hour. More than enough to judge the camera, the controls, the graphics, the voice acting et cetera. Unless it becomes an entirely different game after the first hour, I really have no interest in playing more. "

I agree with a lot of the suggestions mentioned here, I'm also interested in resonance of fate for myself, I never heard any one talk about it so I never picked it up.

Star Ocean 4 (or Star Ocean: The Last Hope here in NA). Combat's realtime, I think most dungeons are not randomly generated, there's a lot of side-questing, battles can be seen coming, aren't random (and can be avoided), and is reasonably ok looking.

lost oddysey

"

          Shadow Hearts 1 and 2. "

" Star Ocean 4 (or Star Ocean: The Last Hope here in NA). Combat's realtime, I think most dungeons are not randomly generated, there's a lot of side-questing, battles can be seen coming, aren't random (and can be avoided), and is reasonably ok looking. "

Eternal Sonata.
 
You're welcome.

Final Fantasy 4

@NekuSakuraba: I understand you loved Kingdom Hearts (I thoroughly enjoyed it too). But when a man says the game didn't capture his interest you really have to let it go...

"

• FFXII

"

1. Something with a real-time battle system. It can be turn-based, but if it is, it needs to have some real-time elements. (By the way: I do not count the Final Fantasy-style "active battle bar" or whatever it's called as a real-time element, even though it is.) - Check
2. Something with plenty of optional content. I'm talking side-quests, collectibles, mini-games, hidden dungeons, secret boss fights et cetera. - Check
3. Preferably (though certainly not necessarily) something for a portable platform. - Non-portable.
4. Preferably no random battles. - You can liturally walk away from then in seconds, or combine hexes to turn them off all together.
5. Absolutely no randomly generated dungeons. - Check
6. Good music and/or graphics. If it isn't aesthetically pleasing, I'm not interested. - Check. The music in this game is amazing.
7. It needs to have been released in Europe, or else be region free.  - Check (PAL version)