The Phantasy Star games are immortal classics, if you can get 1000 points on the Japanese PSN and have a PS3 there is the PS2 collection there with English Language roms emulated. The first two are heavy on the 80's standard and feature a lot of turn-based combat and grinding compared to storybits, but what story there is, is huge and got emotional right from the start of the first game in great ways. The last two games are from the 90's and deeper in story and chatter, taking inspiration from how RPGs changed and modernized with the 16 bit consoles but so much more colourful and touching than what the competition had - I say this as a lover of sci-fi of course.
When it comes to Star Ocean, the fourth game Star Ocean: The Last Hope ("International" and only one disc with the option for original Japanese language and 2D portraits and tasteful UI designs) has a lot of regrettable anime cliche's in it being a bad victim of its time, but in the end it's hard sci-fi from start to finish along with great game systems, scenarios and progression, combat, crafting, exploration, alternate ending systems, music, environments, a list that goes on. It's easier to recommend to people than Tales of Graces F with regards to writing and characters. It's a strong reason for me to replace my dead and sold-for-parts PS3, as one can skip terrible character-building "WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS" screaming-at-the-screen cutscenes and focus on unlocking the mystery while having tolerable voices and art.
Xenogears is a bag of mixed nuts that quickly trips and fall over its own dick in the balance of storyblabber to gameplay, more religious mystery than sci-fi, did not go well with me but I'm happy I went through it just to learn what it had in store.
Xenoblade is "WHOA", hoping Xenoblade Chronicles X becomes Whoa^2.
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