JRPGs with an absurd random encounter rate

[solnK!]

The first two Megaman Starforce games and the first Digimon Story/World DS

 

[Additional Damage]

And nobody mentioned XenogearsDoes anyone remember that senseless random battles during jumping?
Black Sigil, Breath of Fire 1 & 2, and Trials of Mana (YES, there are too many random encounters too).

 

[BRAN]

With Final Fantasy I a random encounter occurs every half step

 

[CheesyExplosive]

just escape!

 

[Dew Prism]

The only one I really remember being almost unbearable was Tales of Phantasia. It got so bad in dungeons that it almost seemed like a survival game, where you had to really watch your resources. And if you weren't looking at a guide and playing blind, figuring out the puzzles within the dungeons with those random encounters was a nightmare.

 

[Not_Red]

The fact people mentioned Persona and not SMT I directly is insane. In that game not only is the encounter rate crazy high to the point sometimes you move a single tile and you get into a different battle, but also you can get into multiple of them in a row. I remember fighting 3 random battles in a row multiple times hoping the enemies stopped appearing.

 

[Netra]

just escape!

In most of jrpg of fights when you are one or two levels higher it is faster to kill them all than to wait for the game to validate your escape and the escape animation.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

I have already mentioned elsewhere on the forums but it bears repeating, I guess: Magic School Lunar on Saturn, a game where you can't go three steps without something jumping you.

It's like virtual Buenos Aires XD

 

[PhaseJump]

Vay, Breath of Fire 2, Tengai Makyo Ziria.

I am currently grinding through the 3rd Cosmic Fantasy game, and the first two were bullshit for random encounters.

 

[Pearly]

Specifically the gamecube version of Megaman command mission was abysmal, even for the time it was insufferable.

 

[Nickakyoin]

In general I could say most of the Battle Network games can be really annoying in random encounters, but the one that bothered me the most was the first game since the level/dungeon design with that one is horrible. Isometric for the sake of being that. And as consequence it's a confusing mess.

And nobody mentioned XenogearsDoes anyone remember that senseless random battles during jumping?
Black Sigil, Breath of Fire 1 & 2, and Trials of Mana (YES, there are too many random encounters too).

I haven't played enough of that one to confirm it, however I did arrived that subterrean dungeon where you control mechas properly for the first time and it did felt a little rough, yeah. But still not as horrible as those 3 I've mentioned. And, yeah, also BOF 2 is pretty bad on random encounters.
...Trials of Mana (obviously the SNES original) has random encounters? Wut. But, you see the enemies on screen, how can they be random.

 

[Additional Damage]

Trials of Mana (obviously the SNES original) has random encounters?

I must have confused this game with another one, yes. I played so long ago, probably forgot

 

[Ibbie]

Dragon Quest VII..

 

[Nickakyoin]

Dragon Quest VII..

DQ VI was even worse lol. Thankfully we have more versions of DQ VII without that issue (both the 3DS remake and Reimagined don't have random encounters).

 

[MajesticSiN]

Thats every NES era rpg

 

[Badseed Badseed]

Every two steps

 

[Ikagura Ikagura]

I think there's that one obscure Ken game on the Famicom.

 

[Graves Ruinwalker]

I don't get the thought process of making these random encounters so frequent. Jrpgs in general encourage the player to explore the map, for treasure and secrets, but if they get bombarded by enemies all the time, it's like the game is punishing the player for exploring

The idea is that you grind for exp and money while travel to the planned destinations but this high encounter rate is in most jrpgs either time-filler and/or under-designed to had different other encounters which not always should end up in battles but in interactions too that could make it up .

Metal Max Returns had a high encounter-rate too but you always need money for refilling ammo and armor-plates , items to clear status-effects , Healing item , special ammo , protectors and the equipment is mostly very expensive . But this game is more about exploration , uncovering dungeons to get great stuff and key-items for optional and only one necessary story-progression . Every encounter is always a great treat and there some random-encounters of special enemies you hunt-down for their bounty or the items they drop . And you level up many other things besides the overall level of you character .

 

[Metroid_Hybrid]

A lot of good answers here, but the last one that I've beat 100% was 'Vay' for Sega CD. It was downright ridiculous!
BTW, this was a year or two before I was aware of this site and it's hacks, and played it using my legitimate, CIB copy..

(Also, after I unlock 'level 1' on this site, the "class" I'll use actually came from this game!)

 

[Dr.Kisaragi]

Beyond thr Beyond a notorious ps1 rpg random encounter

 

[Aziamuth]

Perhaps it's not the one with the highest, but for as perfect as it is, Digital Devil Saga 1 has so many random encounters that they sour the experience a bit

 

[Adrastia]

Beyond the Beyond. And since Samson is cursed for a good portion of the game he will barely attack, making him pretty much useless. Even low level bunny rabbits in the starting area were a pain.

 

[Taukyrie]

I'd honestly have to say SD Gundam Gaiden 2: Knights of the Round Table on the SNES.

I just finished streaming it on Twitch on Tuesday, and the amount of VIOLENCE I wanted to commit while traversing the dungeons due to how many enemy encounters there were was a sight to behold. It probably didn't help that I often got lost because at a point, each of the dungeons started to look the same.

I think the worst part is that you can get hit with an enemy encounter JUST FROM STANDING AROUND.

 

[Anoobis]

FF8 was usually pretty reasonable, but the Deep Sea Research Center was absurd. Not only were there random encounters nearly every step, but each screen had a number of forced encounters as well, leading to situations where you could be unlucky enough to come out of a battle and be sent directly into another battle.

 

[Metroid_Hybrid]

FF8 was usually pretty reasonable, but the Deep Sea Research Center was absurd. Not only were there random encounters nearly every step, but each screen had a number of forced encounters as well, leading to situations where you could be unlucky enough to come out of a battle and be sent directly into another battle.

That's what Diablo's 'Encounter-None' ability is for... maybe even specifically so..