JRPG Hangout

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Starting a topic focused on discussing JRPGs to include any JRPG franchise/series.

Can be with combat that’s turn-based, action-based, or a hybrid. Anything from Dragon Quest/Final Fantasy to Xenoblade Chronicles to Tales of… to RPG Maker etc. Cross-platform, cross-gen etc. To compare/contrast, posts can include coverage of western RPGs, table-top RPGs, strategy-RPGs, and RPG-adjacent action-adventure titles like Zelda.

Can also include posts about JRPG media such as books (e.g. Fight, Magic, Items; A Guide to Japanese Role-Playing games) or movies (e.g. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children; Tales of Vesperia: First Strike)

For related JRPG forum topics see:
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Recommendations - JRPG’s

JRPG Hangout

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I would like to live vicariously through everyone that wants to post in this Hangout. This is my favorite genre of games by far, I only have time for like one a year of these anymore it seems like.

I did fire up Chained Echoes last night for a few minutes, and it has a ton of promise. I’ve heard it’s a reasonable length as well, so maybe I can make this my one game this year.

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The next JRPG on my backlog will be Xenoblade Chronicles 3. I really enjoyed the first two so I’m excited.

The most recent JRPG I completed for the first time was Grandia II back in February. The game showed its age but the combat was glorious.

The most recent JRPG I gave up on was Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! I just got bored… bad choice after finishing Arceus.

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@peter

Time! Adulting and parenting truly challenge my JRPG playtime. So I get you.

That’s why I started saying, “An hour a day, chips away, at any JRPG I play.” My mantra. Helps me focus on epic JRPG playthroughs.

I started spreadsheet tracking my JRPG playtimes. Seeing metrics/feedback/progress helps! I have dates, start/end times, and a notes field to record what I did on a given day. And some cells add or average playtimes to see nice numbers.

It started on my bday when I got XC3 but already had XC1 backlogged and had a few others still in limbo. So I got to work…at playing!

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@tylerisrandom

NICE. My next JRPG is also XC3! Glad to know you enjoyed both the first two. I’m 70 hours into XC:DE now…and plan to jump straight into XC3 when finished. That said, I’m trying to enjoy my playtime and savor the huge game. I still have a ways to go.

The last JRPG I finished was Bravely Default II in December.

I also played through Arceus last year and quite enjoyed it’s catching mechanics and open-world exploration. I didn’t catch’em all, just enough to finish the main quest and roll credits. I haven’t played Let’s Go…but I did play through Pokémon Sword. It was okay, and I liked that it was “only” like 40 hours. We now have Pokémon Violet, so that’s on the backlog.

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All,

Which do you prefer to play JRPGs?

Which do you prefer to play JRPGs?
  • Handheld
  • Console/PC

0 voters

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I’m definitely a handheld guy for RPGs (J or otherwise) because I just don’t have the time to commit to sit down for a hundred hours and play a game in front of my TV in 6 months. However, I have 100 hours in train commuting in like two months. Switch IMO is perfect for big JRPGs as I can pick up and play whenever.

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I don’t really like playing on a little screen if I don’t have to. It’s fine for indies, platformers, shorter games, etc., but I want to see the big fellas on the TV. When my friends are playing Magic/D&D and I’m there, I generally play other things like Animal Crossing handheld. I want to focus on story/dialogue and whatnot when I’m playing an RPG, so it’s not something I’m going to mute and play while hanging out with people. Even when I’m home alone, my Switch is docked 99% of the time. I don’t have a commute, so that doesn’t factor in for me.

I do appreciate that the RPGs that are stuck on the Switch (Xenoblade, namely) can be portable if needed. I’ve used my Switch more than anything else in the past several years, but if an RPG is available on multiple platforms, I’m going to get it on PS for both collection consistency and trophies.

I have all of the Nintendo handhelds and PSP/Vita because that was necessary for so many games, like Pokemon, visual novels, etc. I just prefer console. It’s also kind of a comfort thing, as I have grips for most of my handhelds (including Switch) because they’re all so uncomfortable.

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Have you already played XC2?

Def don’t recommend skipping it, even if it is my least favorite (mostly mechanically).

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Most recent JRPG I played through was This Way Madness Lies, a Shakespearean Magical Girl mashup from the Cosmic Star Heroine folks. Decent combat, but despite loving the premise I found the characters and story pretttty dull.

During the winter Steam sale I finally picked up a copy of Resonance of Fate, which I played briefly way back on the PS3 and remember thinking was super fascinating mechanically. Excited to return to it this year!

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It depends on the game. Some lend themselves well to handheld, some I find more enjoyable on console and my TV. I would say that it depends on the type of actions activities featured in the game. So if I’m being honest, I can’t say one or the other.

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Other than XC1, I’ve played about 40 hours of XCX on Wii U, and I really like it… I’ve avoided the time sink of XC2 so far since I’ve heard that it was less well received than XC1 (Blade system is sim. to gacha mechanics?) and honestly I’m not a fan of the game’s “fan service.”

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Thanks for voting in the poll, everyone!

@georgeypoorgey
Yeah, I hear/read that a lot. The Switch (handhelds) lends itself well to the grind of RPGs. The portable/simple form factor makes JRPGs more accessible to many, which IMO is a huge win for the genre! The more people enjoy JRPGs, the more developers will make them. Result: more and hopefully better JRPGs to choose from.

@BMO
I can agree. While I like that playing JRPGs handheld is simple and approachable, some titles work better than others. If text/menus is tiny, it hurts on handheld. Or, for games like Xenoblade with grand vistas, I prefer them on grand display via my 55", so I go docked.

Escapism via JRPGs can feel more immersive when they’re played across a physically big screen, yet I think they can also be immersive on a small handheld because it’s more personal and, for lack of a better term, “in your face,” and it may be easier to play a 4 hour session in handheld since you can change your position/location more readily.

Overall, though, at least with Switch, player aren’t forced into either handheld/docked; both options are on the table! It makes JRPGs, which can otherwise be daunting to players, more accessible.

@Octjillery
Yes, I love Animal Crossing handheld (…certain games just lend themselves to it better IMO)! But I prefer AAA titles on the big screen with the big speakers for max. sight/sound.

Also, yes, small joy-cons cramp my hands, so I’ve got Hori Split Pad Pro for handheld and recommend them.

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@shinespark
There are so many JRPGs I’m ignorant of; that’s one I’ll have to look up. Yeah, it’s unfortunate when a JRPG falls down in one or more traits. Sometimes, for example, combat can be soooo good that it compensates for poor story or other, but sometimes not.

So Resonance of Fate is one you’re anticipating for 2023? Is it a remaster for Steam or a straight port?

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@peter

Thanks for putting Chained Echoes on my radar. At first glance, it looks/sounds good. Checking it out…might end up on my wishlist and backlog!

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This is tough, because there are benefits to both. JRPGs definitely feel best when you just immerse yourself into them for hours at a time, so I lean towards the Console/PC option. However, I really do appreciate being able to chip away at them in little bursts, which is something that I really liked about the Switch when I was binging the Xenoblade games.

I love the genre, but so many JRPGs are so big that I just never finish them. Off the top of my head, that has most recently happened to me with Dragon Quest XI, Bravely Default II, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Tales of Arise… It’s much more rare for me to fully beat a JRPG than it is for me to get distracted by the newest shiny thing and lose interest.

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@lingsdook

There are several JRPGs I didn’t finish b/c I got bored or couldn’t “git gud” or was distracted by the newest promise of epic adventuring. Or life happens (parenting/adulting). So I hear ya.

Finishing a loooong JRPG can be a challenge. So…a future poll can ask about this…

Related question: can a game be played on Steam via PC and then the same save file be continued on the Steamdeck (without jumping through hoops)??

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Yessir! If it’s a Steam game and has cloud saves you can totally switch between either. The only time it requires jumping through hoops is if you’re playing a game from the Epic store (or GoG, etc.), because that requires additional steps to set up and not every Epic store game supports cloud saves (many don’t I believe).

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@BMO
Great to know! So Steamdeck can kind of “switch” like Switch on a JRPG (if cloud saved) between PC and handheld.

So Tales of Arise on Steam, I could play (without owning a PS4/5) it on my gaming laptop and potentially also on a Steamdeck (were my wife to approve funds for yet another gaming rig).

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All,

What length of JRPG do you prefer?

What length of JRPG do you prefer?
  • “Short” 20-40 hours. Can likely finish. Then move on to the next adventure.
  • “Long” 60-100 hours. Savor the epic world; keep a good thing going.
  • “Any” Quantity doesn’t matter if quality is there.

0 voters

FOLLOW UP with your pick of a good example/favorite “short” JRPG and a “long” JRPG.

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