The First part might had come across as negative, but that's only because I mostly talked about games that I didn't like, this post will certainly be much more positive because I will only talk about games that I really like and some that I love, in fact one game here is in my top 3 game of all time and Tier S is the biggest tier here so let's get started.
A tier
Vanguard Bandits
Remember when I talked about how I don't like mech games but that a mech game would be higher on a tierlist ?This is the game I was refering to, in all honesty this doesn't feel like a mech game, they could have switched mechs for magical swords and the plot would be the same, so I don't even consider this an mech game, I have beaten this game not only once but three times, which rarety when talking about JRPGs, this doesn't mean I like it more then games that I have played only once but are on S tier but more to the fact this game is really short, only about 15 hours in a first playthrough with animations turned on, to 8 hours in a second playthrough with animations turned off (A feature exclusive to the NA version thanks to Working desings).
The gameplay is good, it can be challenging at first but it's beginner friendly, in fact this was the first SRPG that I felt in love with, and made me realize that I do in fact like SRPG is just that I don't like ones desing for Grind like FFT and Tatics ogree.
Chrono Cross
I have a funny relationship with this game, I first played it in 2020 around July I believe, and I didn't like in fact I probably would Rate it around C Tier, I had a hard time understanding the story, part of that was because my English wasn't so good back then, I didn't like the battle system and how it would take a while to set up character skills if you want to change your party, how a lot of the game felt repetitive because you would revisit places in a different world, I found the regular battle theme to be annoying and got old really fast.But one day 3 years later in July of 2023 I replayed the game, I don't know why I did that but I am glad I did because I grew to like it, while my some of my criticism I originally had were still true, much of it was because I had miss placed expeditions, I was hoping Chrono Cross to be a traditional JRPG experience, something that it wasn't, when I replayed it, I enjoyed it for what it was, not for what I wanted it to be.
I begun to have fun playing around with the battle system, I had fun with different parties and comparing the difference between the worlds rather than being annoyed that I had to revisit the same place again.
So for those people who are mad at me for rating X game low, remeber that I might replay it some day and like it more than I did before.
Jade Cocoon
My bad this and Parasite Eve 2 should be on B not A but it's too late now.I don't remember much about it TBH, besides that I played in 2020, and had fun with it, the story is alright but it feels undercooked, it didn't have time to developed properly, but it at least wasn't boring to watch, more importantly I had fun trying to play around with different creatures and their abilities, and I enjoy exploration in this game, specially because I like Tank controls and found really funny how this and Parasite EVE 2 are the only JRPG that have it.
Breath of Fire 4
I think this just might be the prettiest PS1 games, along side SaGa frontier 2, I like everything this game has to offer, I remember liking the character, and enjoying the battle system and switching character midway in battle and having to do combos, the only reason why is not on S tier is because it doesn't an WOW factor like the games on S have, and the plot is just good.Linda³ Again
I was first introduced to this game when it didn't have a fan translation yet, it was one of those games that a lot of people really want to have a fan translation, but I didn't undertand the hype behind yet.When the fan translation came out, I played this game and... It's a really good game, sure the gameplay is primitive and felt like something from the SNES era, which it is because this is a remaster of a PC engine game, having to collect animal for your arc is fun, what made this game really good is the story and how bizzarre it's, but I couldn't stop myself from guessing what is going to happen next.
Vandal Hearts
"How can you possibily rate it higher than FFT"While it similary to FFT it starts as a good Political drama and it ends in a fantasy slop, the politcal drama is well made and easy to undertand unlike FFT, but on the gameplay side, I prefer the Fire Emblem like desing of it, where you can't grind and have to win the map with your current equipment and team no matter what, for me it's much more fun to make strategy around your current resourses than Grinding to make a team for the map like in FFT and Tatics Ogre.
Parasite Eve 2
I love the PS1 Resident Evil game so it comes as no suprise that I like this game too, I love the story on paper but I just don't like how this games executes it, NeoArc and the new characters are really good when you read them on the wikia but when you play the game, it's easy to see why so many players dismiss this games plot and honestly I can't blame them, but I still like this game and shooting down wierd monsters.Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure
This might be one of the easiest game I have ever played on easy mode the game gives you so much EXP, that on the first battle the main character goes to level 1 to 3, and the game is just a Press X to win, on Hard the game still really easy, but at least you will have to think a little bit on Boss fights, with that said the gameplay is just ok.The reason why this game is so high is because it's the only game here that achived one thing that no other game here made me do, laugh and cry.
For me this is the funiest game on the PS1, no other game made me laugh as hard as this one, but also the ending made me almost cry, which only another game that I beat for the first time this year made a cry baby, that game being Trails to Azure, I won't go in depth as to why because in both cases it's heavy spoliers both cases being the ending scene and I want you to play these games your self.
S Tier
Final Fantasy VII
I know it's a popular take to say this game is overrated and that Final Fantasy VI was better and people only like because of the CGI, BLA BLA BLA.But there's a reason why it's so popular and why so many people enjoy it and became JRPG fans, it's just a smove experience to play, while the game is 40 hours long it felt like the game was only 10 hours long for how good the pacing is, it's a well crafted experience that feals just right , it's never too dificult but never too easy (On your first time playing it anyway) the characters are good and fits their roles really well and I like all of them (But I love Cid the most), my biggest issue about it, is that I don't serphirot, but that doesn't change the fact that FF7 is a Great game.
Valkyrie Profile
When I tried to play this game for the first time I didn't get far.When I tried to played for the second time I got stuck and couldn't get far either.
When I tried this game for the third time I felt in love with.
I only went back to it because I played Valkyrie Profile 2 and loved it, a game that I origianally had played the first dungeon and didn't like that much, went back to it 6 months later for some reason,I felt in Love with, sometimes I don't undertand myself , what kind of person try to play a game 3 times, having different opinons every attemp, or they give a game that they thought it was mediocre a second change and felt in love with, if it wasn't for my percistance this game would be in C tier and a lot of people would be mad at me.
But anyway I love how this game has a lot of mechanics that are "Casual Filters" like limited time and Limited Durability weapons, yet when you give this game an honest chance and undertand those mechanics you felt in love with them, I find fun to organise my limtied time in the chapter, carefully chosing which party member will I send to vahalla, at first I thought the battle sistem was complicated and involved precise timing, but in reality it can be a lot more easier if you set the right team and find a good rhythm.
I love watching the tragic stories of my parties members and how they died, the mainplot is just OK TBH, and the A ending requiremts could be easier, but I still love this game.
Parasite Eve
The Battle system is unsual for a JRPG but I love it, while many Action games desing their games around dodging enemy attacks few of them make dodging as fun and as simple as PE, the story is something that I never saw before or since and I wish more game made something that bland modern setting and JRPG plot lines, I love every character in this game, they are belivable except Aya becuase she is extrat ordinary aweasome.Koudelka
A lot of people when talk about this game as a "good story bad gameplay" type of games, but personaly I love the battle system, it's really simple and some might say it's a very basic , and while it's true the fact that my characters level up every 2 to 3 battles make the gameplay so statisfying to play, what other JRPG you have a really low encounter rate but every battles gives a significant ammount of EXP ?I wish more games were like that it would certanlly make them much better games, if Koudelka wasn't like that it would make a very boring JRPG with slow battles, not only that but the game gives you complet freadom on how to build your characters, when you level up the game gives you the choice to what stats you want to level up, and differently from SMT where only 1 stats matter, in Kouldeka EVERY stat matter, execpt physical attack on a mage or Magic on a Physical DPS but that's to be expected.
I have played this game 3 different times and in 2 of these playthrought I made sure to grind my characters to level 99, because of how fun building your characters is.
About the story, I love it too, every character start the game not trusting each other, each having a very different background , this makes for very fun dinamics between them, becuase they have to work toughter to survive, I also find interesting how the canon ending is the bad ending when you lose against the final boss battle, this also means that if you grind to level 99 like I did you can softlock yourself out of the canon ending LMAO.
Suikoden 1 and 2
What can I say about this game that wasn't being said before?I love them I even love Suikoden 1 more than most players, I the gameplay may be easy and simple but it doesn't distract from the expirence, and it's fun to use different parties when possible, not only that but trying to get all of the stars of destiny is really fun, the stories deals with heavy topics with such maturity and gracefulness that only very few other games do.
Final Fantasy IX
It's the best PS1 JRPG, and one of my favorite games of all time, sure it might no be as funny as Rhapsody but it still hava it's light hearted comedy moments, more importantly, it has a lot of serious moments that, all of them being welll executed, it's magical journey.The battle system might be slow but I really like it's simplicity and how to use the skill set of my party, how the parties members are very different from each other skill set and stat wise,not to meantion how bosses never overstay their welcome, it's also the most beatfull 3D PS1 JRPG, shame it's the least popular of the PS1 FF trilogy.
Racing Lagoon
"Isn't this a racing game"Yes but it's also a JRPG, it alongside the ChoroQ games (Which I forgot to put here OPS) are the few games that mix JRPGS with Racing games, and I just love it, the art style is so wierd that I can't help but love how unsual it is, the same thing can be said about the story, at times it's meme worthy but when it gets serious, it becomes a great plot about Trauma , loss and friendship, definvily the best racing game story ever made and it's not even close.
The Driving itself can be hard to get used to but when you learn it, It's very good, but not as good as GT 2 or Ridge Racer 4, almost forgot the amezing OST but that's Standard for a Square game.
SaGa Frontier
I know a lot of people don't like this game and I can see why, the SaGa series breacks all JRPG standards to create the most unique JRPG series to ever exist, no other JRPG series is like it, this game is no different at times can be really hard and diffult to undertand, but as someone that loves uniquiness and creativety above all else can't help myself but love this game.This game isn't about complex character plot lines or well crafted world building, but rather a bunch of wild ideas, wraped around one of the hardest JRPG evermade, for those seaking a JRPG that's not like anything else.
SaGa Frontier 2
It's also a SaGa game, however it's the most "Normal" SaGa game having a some what linear plot line, While it doesn't have a deep story like FF, what it offear is a story that tells about a world and it's events around the 13th century, under 2 very differnt perpectives, while some will view it's writing as simple and dry, other will see as concised and functional , which mean that it's a JRPG that doesn't have too much text, it has just enough text to move the story along.The gameplay of it like any SaGa game is very different from most JRPGs, and it can be hard to undertand, doesn't help but the fact that this is the hardest game on this list, the final boss is one of the hardest JRPG final bosses and mechanics, like limited weapon duarabilty along side a economy that gives you little to no money, make this a very unforgiving experience, but I love how this game is structured, how it's world function and how SaGa it all is, it also helps that this game as a amezing OS and stuning art style.
Post automatically merged:
I manege to run out of space on the second part and I don’t few like making a 3
There’s only one game left and it’s Tier Ring Saga.
TRS is Fire Emblem on the PS1, it’s even made by the same creator.
This game has the best part about every Fire emblem game that came before it, not only that but it has a well written story, a big but likable cast of characters my favorite being holmes , most maps on this game are well designed, with some VERY big exceptions like the 2 maps that spam 50 Dragons in a single map.
Another cool thing about it is that it has a lot of quirk things that it can be fun to mess around with, Like the fact that it has party member that was a pirate leader and an enemy boss of that map, when he join your party his growth fucking sucks (like 10% or below on everything) but he can steal almost anything from the enemies because of his skills if you have a good RNG.
On the beginning of part one I asked myself if those games are any good and if the PS1 is the Golden age of JRPG, and my answer is yes, there are arguments to be made if this or the PS2 era are the JRPG Golden age but both have great game either way.
JRPG differently from many Genre from the PS1 Era aged surprising well, and there’s still a lot of good games to play there that I can easily recommencement.
But which ones do I recommencement the most ?
If I was to recommend to someone that wasn’t familiar to the PS1 library.
I would Recommend the Final Fantasy and Suikoden First, They both have remaster than can be easily bought on online stores, and QOLF, but even the OG PS1 version on emulator is good choice too, these games aren’t hard and with the exception of Suikoden 1 they have well designed menus.
The only issue for modern players is that they might need a guide specially if they want to do side content.
If they want more PS1 Goodness I would recommend them Parasite Eve, Breath of Fire 3 and 4 , Grandia, Rhapsody.
If they want even more it would depend but if they like games like Paper Mario I would actually have no issue recommending The Legend of Dragon or Vagarant story, if the like Mech games I would recommend Front Mission 3.
If they like Horror game I would recommend Koudelka.
If they like Fire Emblem I would recommend Tier Ring Saga.
I like the SaGa series but I would have a hard time recommending it to most people unless they are ready for and know what they are getting themselves into, same can be said about Chrono Cross and Linda cube.
Before ending this retrospective Feel free to make your own PS1 JRPG tier list here the link for it:
Also sorry If I made any Gramatical mistakes it's AM and I am really tired
