Help me get into JRPGs bros

[Boog111]

You can't go wrong with any of the Suikoden games or any of the newer dragon quest games.

 

[Evaccaneer Doom]

Thanks so much for getting in depth, will be looking out for this

Forgot to mention one thing. One of the DS games is Dawn of Sorrow, which is a direct sequel to Aria of Sorrow, hence why I added the latter. I don’t think it’d be a catastrophically bad idea to go Dawn first but that’s something to know

 

[Segadude113]

Beyond The Yellow Brick Road for Nintendo DS is super linear but easy enough to finish.

 

[erknjerk610]

play resonance of fate
i think it has all the common things in the genre while also having a very unique combat. the story is gold and instead of magic they have guns which is fun.

i'm sold. this is going in the backlog

 

[dem6n dem6n]

Heres Wiz Khalifa sampling Schala's theme just to set in stone that Chrono Trigger is where it's at. Plus, it's like 15 hours.

Never Been 2 also samples Chrono Trigger, the first forest area in the game actually.

 

[Rocket2049]

i know a LOT of a good stuff was mentioned in thread already,
so i wanted to point out some relatively easy JRPGs i've encountered and think ANYONE can finish if they play games at all, that kinda easy.

first and foremost, Super Mario RPG (SNES, or switch remake)
this is prob the EASIEST JRPG i can think of, if anythings easier than this or simpler it's no longer an RPG
first off, the difficulty is almost non existent, i say almost because, the only way this game gets hard is being low level ON PURPOSE or discarding all equipment and heal items on purpose.
(and you level up very fast in this game, cap is 30 and you don't even need to be that high, you prob don't even need to be at 20)
and money maxes out easily, if not you can sell stuff (pure water from boos sells for 200 coins, you can only hold 999 at once, they are easily found and killled again if you need coins)
you'll never be broke long as you killed anything in your way, i've had max 999 coins and full inventory for most of the game, only ever going down when buying new gear, there isn't a lot of gear.
this game is basically a "story game" to me, it's fun and hilarious don't get me wrong everyone should play it one time in their life especially if they like mario,
paper mario and thousand year door aren't so hard either and use a lot mario RPG mechanics too.
i played the SNES version, in case you're wondering, i've played on switch also, it's a little easier (the SNES game is already "easy" so... it's hard to notice anyways) the slight difference is you can hold more items (or infinite if you put EASY MODE) and team skills, and fast travel, and just all around graphics and sound upgraded, you can also refight bosses which are much harder

Trials of mana (the 3d remake, not the SNES original)
this is a fun, short, and simple adventure to get through
the game goes through 6 different main characters, you pick 3 but the main 1st one is the "hero" so to speak, the game has 3 different end bosses based on that.
the games straight to the point, spam enemies to death, either just slapping them or throwing magic depending on the party. on normal difficulty the games easy to manage even ignoring enemy elements and weaknesses and all sorts of buffs entirely, healing a bit here and there is about all that matters.
the replay value is great, three different final boss fights (each final boss is shared by two characters), many changes in dialog and story based on party setup, a lot of class change choices each character has 4 final classes (you can see all of these in about 3 playthroughs using class reset items)
also theres the expert difficulty and "no future" difficulty, that last one brings the pain, you start from level 1 and on top being F**king hard, you have a timer on all boss fights. nothing required to do just there for the challenge lol.

Star ocean second story R (the newest version of Star Ocean 2)
so this is the... 3rd remake of star ocean 2? anyways if you're ever gonna play a star ocean game this will no doubt be the EASIEST ONE OF THE SERIES but why is it easy?
well for starters the combats completely overhauled to be spammy as hell, you can set more moves at once, the speed is much better, less waiting, grinding is cut down GREATLY, since you can see enemy encounters, and chain battles to rack up EXP faster, and even instant KO weak enemies while still gaining skill points and exp. (if you setup right even EARLY game you can power level by putting the controller down, just long your a higher level than the enemies)
and you basically can't miss a SINGLE THING because the game marks god damn EVERYTHING.
you only miss things if you just didn't check the map. missable dialog? marked with an hourglass,something star ocean is KNOWN for is high amount of missable content, this game definitely makes it easy to not miss anything (and even if you do, you got reasons to replay the game)
it's a very fun game, even hardcore RPG fans need to play it especially THIS version
and of course has difficulty settings, Earth (easy enough you can beat the entire game with only 2 party members with no effort) up to 4th difficulty Chaos (hard even with a maxed out party!!)

 

[DanVzare]

My first JRPG that sold me on the whole concept was Secret of Mana. Although it might be a bit too slow for you nowadays.
My second JRPG which sold me on them even more, and cemented SquareSoft as one of my all-time favourite companies at the time, was Super Mario RPG. There's a great remake of it now.
The third JRPG which ended up validating all of my belief that SquareSoft could do no wrong, was Kingdom Hearts. You can get the collection for dirt cheap.

I still greatly enjoy all three of those games, and whenever I play a new JRPG, I always hold them to the standards that those games set.

I could recommend more, but I'll leave that to everyone else. You should already know the popular games, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger (I still need to play that one), the Mana series, and so much more. They're all considered great games for a reason.
Also, for the record, a lot of people say that Final Fantasy VII is overrated, and people only liked it because of the time it came out, with it aging poorly in only a short amount of time. I personally played it after playing the original Kingdom Hearts (because Cloud was so awesome in that game), so around 2004 (I bought Kingdom Hearts secondhand), and I can safely say that it deserves all of the praise it gets.

 

[ISSO1407]

i'm sold. this is going in the backlog

Resonance of Fate is a VERY poor choice to ..get into JRPGs.. imo, the game is extremely experimental but the story is bland and generic, the same problem most of the PS360 RPGs had that aimed for the western market. The game itself is very overwhelming mechanically and anything but easy to get into. Worst of all, on top of that, IF you REALLY get into the game and want more, you successfully ruined the rest of your life since youll be chasing an imaginary dragon to the end of times since theres nothing else like it and likely never will be again. Play the Octopath Travelers or Expedition 33 if you want modern blueprints of what to expect of older JRPGs in mostly worse/tedious ways and lower resolution :D

 

[SpikeSlania]

Beginners to JRPGs probably should start with Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario to ease them in.

I definitely won't argue against Chrono Trigger and others since they are some of the greatest but not sure if they're the best starting point. Though action JRPGs like Secret of Mana have the added benefit of being able to play with someone else to help along with the journey so could also be a good starting point.

 

[nobitakun]

I'd advise against level grinding. Unless the game is from the 1980s or is bad, you won't need to level grind. At most, you'll need to use consumable resources and maybe try some spells that aren't strict damage or healing.

Absolutely not agree. If you don't like level grinding, that's respectable, but level grinding is not bad per se. Some games use level grinding to mark your pace in the game, and if executed correctly, it creates a better experience. If you just want to do a few battles and enjoy the whole story, I think you might try another genre in videogames, or watch a video in Youtube.

 

[ISSO1407]

Absolutely not agree. If you don't like level grinding, that's respectable, but level grinding is not bad per se. Some games use level grinding to mark your pace in the game, and if executed correctly, it creates a better experience. If you just want to do a few battles and enjoy the whole story, I think you might try another genre in videogames, or watch a video in Youtube.

Most rpgs arent balanced around grinding, just walk from a to b, do all random encounters and youre the ..correct.. level in most games since the 90s. Depends heavily on the game though. I avoid grinding and any kind of easy mode at all cost always though. A lot of rpgs already get completely ruined if you do all the optional content because it completely overlevels you and so you have the option of ruining the game with grind through side missions or missing tons of lore...

 

[Kamako]

I played Pokémon Red when I was younger. Loved it, then stopped playing JRPG's for over 10 years.

Final Fantasy X was the game that made me a lifetime JRPG fan.
I bounced off it to start with. Like most JRPG's, it has a slow start, but stick with it, and it rewards you immensely.

Also, if you enjoy anime and vibrant colours, I'd strongly recommend Persona 4 and/or 5. Excellent soundtracks, UI design and turn-based mechanics.

 

[Pandaprewmaster325]

a lot of people say that Final Fantasy VII is overrated, and people only liked it because of the time it came out, with it aging poorly in only a short amount of time. I personally played it after playing the original Kingdom Hearts (because Cloud was so awesome in that game), so around 2004 (I bought Kingdom Hearts secondhand), and I can safely say that it deserves all of the praise it gets.

This is so true

FF7 didn't feel clunky or janky at all smooth game and easy to understand i mean my only RPG experiences prior to FF7 was diablo 2 and system shock 2

And FF7 was vastly different , well thought out mechanics like the party gaining levels as a whole instead of just characters you bring with you , the graphics aged better than 8/9 and the gameplay is pretty fun with figuring out how materia works.

It seems many people just want to go against the flow yeah yeah we know FF7 this FF7 that but it's deserved , and going from a company prespective you will want your most sucessful title to stay afloat.

So yeah the hate of FF7 seems unjustified if it holds pretty well in 2025.



But really OP just don't play FF2 as your JRPG entry , otherwise you are in for a good run

 

[ISSO1407]

This is so true

FF7 didn't feel clunky or janky at all smooth game and easy to understand i mean my only RPG experiences prior to FF7 was diablo 2 and system shock 2

And FF7 was vastly different , well thought out mechanics like the party gaining levels as a whole instead of just characters you bring with you , the graphics aged better than 8/9 and the gameplay is pretty fun with figuring out how materia works.

It seems many people just want to go against the flow yeah yeah we know FF7 this FF7 that but it's deserved , and going from a company prespective you will want your most sucessful title to stay afloat.

So yeah the hate of FF7 seems unjustified if it holds pretty well in 2025.



But really OP just don't play FF2 as your JRPG entry , otherwise you are in for a good run

Its a very standard JRPG, which i like a lot, so i agree with that its a very nice game but the point of the game looking good i question harshly. Imo 7 looks dreadful, 8 can look okayish on higher resolution and 9 just looks pretty good since it nails the timeless anime look. 7 combines the worst of 8 and 9, terribly blocky first gen 3d that kind of tried to look realistic but also not and it didnt lean into the anime look enough to make it timeless.

 

[Pandaprewmaster325]

Its a very standard JRPG, which i like a lot, so i agree with that its a very nice game but the point of the game looking good i question harshly. Imo 7 looks dreadful, 8 can look okayish on higher resolution and 9 just looks pretty good since it nails the timeless anime look. 7 combines the worst of 8 and 9, terribly blocky first gen 3d that kind of tried to look realistic but also not and it didnt lean into the anime look enough to make it timeless.

Nah i meant battles , overworld hell yeah it's dogshit but battle models look way better than 8/9 battle models.

 

[Segadude113]

Paper Mario, Paper Mario The Thousand Year Door, Golden Sun and Golden Sun The Lost Age, Breath of Fire 1 and 2, Lufia 1 and 2, Illusion of Gaia, Lunar, Wild Arms, Legend of Dragoon...

 

[Hourai]

Absolutely not agree. If you don't like level grinding, that's respectable, but level grinding is not bad per se. Some games use level grinding to mark your pace in the game, and if executed correctly, it creates a better experience. If you just want to do a few battles and enjoy the whole story, I think you might try another genre in videogames, or watch a video in Youtube.

I think you misunderstand something. I'm not advocating for running from every random battle, or avoiding encounters entirely for on-field encounters. I've been playing JRPGs since the '90s, and very few of them have hard numbers checks above where you'd reasonably be expected to be at. Assuming they have number checks at all. I'm advocating for not spending hours making number go up, when any sort of walls are typically resolved by just playing smarter and using things other than damaging stuff. Dragon Quest and SMT are the most popular examples of this, since you're constantly using de/buffs in those games. But using items like somas and elixirs in a difficult fight also do a lot in getting past something you're having trouble with, even if it requires fighting the pack rat part of your brain at first.

 

[Segadude113]

I think you misunderstand something. I'm not advocating for running from every random battle, or avoiding encounters entirely for on-field encounters. I've been playing JRPGs since the '90s, and very few of them have hard numbers checks above where you'd reasonably be expected to be at. Assuming they have number checks at all. I'm advocating for not spending hours making number go up, when any sort of walls are typically resolved by just playing smarter and using things other than damaging stuff. Dragon Quest and SMT are the most popular examples of this, since you're constantly using de/buffs in those games. But using items like somas and elixirs in a difficult fight also do a lot in getting past something you're having trouble with, even if it requires fighting the pack rat part of your brain at first.

Yeah the 80s RPGs are way more grindy than 90s RPGs.

 

[nobitakun]

I think you misunderstand something. I'm not advocating for running from every random battle, or avoiding encounters entirely for on-field encounters. I've been playing JRPGs since the '90s, and very few of them have hard numbers checks above where you'd reasonably be expected to be at. Assuming they have number checks at all. I'm advocating for not spending hours making number go up, when any sort of walls are typically resolved by just playing smarter and using things other than damaging stuff. Dragon Quest and SMT are the most popular examples of this, since you're constantly using de/buffs in those games. But using items like somas and elixirs in a difficult fight also do a lot in getting past something you're having trouble with, even if it requires fighting the pack rat part of your brain at first.

I agree with that. But it also depends on how you want to play. For me there should be always the option to make battles easier just by grinding more, because the time spent should be rewarded. I despise those games that make useless to grind over and over because they keep on being difficult regardless on how much time you spend on it. I don't want to use complicated strategies based on thinking and thinking, I prefer to grind and finish everything easily. If the game makes it easy to grind, of course it's better for everyone :)

 

[Badseed]

Dragon Quest, any from mainline series. You have so many games, from classic NES to the Modern Remakes. Take your pick they are all good (and dont need to be played in order).

 

[Mini_Man.XW]

Pick one that your interested in and full send it

 

[Sonic Boomer]

An introduction JRPG needs to be clear, have as little grinding as possible and captivate you with a decent enough story, vibes and atmosphere.
My first JRPG as generic as it seems was actually Final Fantasy 7, I didn't understand anything and ended up playing it with cheats but was captivated by the story and quickly became a fan of the genre. It took me several years for RPG systems to "click" so I proceeded to use cheats with my PS1 action replay to smooth things I had a hard time with out.
Of course since you already finished all the yakuza's you've already managed to overcome this hurdle.

I suggest jumping straight into one of the following:
- Final Fantasy VII - ORIGINAL - the new ones are sequels not remakes - I recommend the PS4/Steam version because it has quality of life features that will help new players a great deal
- Dragon Quest VIII - 3DS - has extras after the ending that need to be finished too for the best ending but it's nothing complex
- Dragon Quest XI - this one has an entire second episode after the credits do not skip that
- Final Fantasy X - this one may not be the best FF but it is a very relatable game with wonderful characters and is very beginner friendly. It has an annoying minigame but win or lose at it you'll do fine with the maingame.
- Osteopath Traveler II - short, bite sized wonderful stories for each characters, very addictive simple to understand combat, amazing visuals, music and atmosphere. Yes you can just play II without having gone through I

I'd recommend more obscure stuff but I don't want to overwhelm you and some of those games have rather confusing systems for newcomers