I can't believe it's against the law for Japan to make JRPGs now because of Expedition 33

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order

[Nintendo Switch 2019]

2.8/5

Slog

Multiplayer is the only value beyond the cast

Characters are paper thin Disney copy pastes

Colorfully sterile visuals

Hollow cash ploy with little redeeming elements

#gaming #teamninja

Record of Lodoss War -Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth-
[Playstation 4 2021]

3.9/5

Reverently carries the legacy of the series

Worthy overture to the anime

Exhilarating high fantasy

Delectably crunchy visuals bring a tactile bite to themes of nostalgia

Story relies on previous franchise knowledge

I am Setsuna

『いけにえと雪のセツナ』

[Nintendo Switch 2017]

2.8/5

Intentionally one note, unintentionally uninteresting

Inelegantly convoluted

A bland repetitive slog that lacks its own identity

Falls short of in all areas of derivation

#gaming #jrpg #squareenix

Enjoy the Diner
ファミレスを享受せよ
[Nintendo Switch 2023]

4.5/5

Hauntingly tranquil, mysteriously warm

Simultaneously comfortable and eerie

1st ending enhances the experience of the 2nd

Example of the expressive art games can be

Direct connection to the heart of the creator

#gaming #GekkanShicchitai

Meg’s Monster
メグのおばけ
[Nintendo Switch 2023]

4/5

Emotionally satisfying, but derivative

Lives up to its influences in heart

Plays with the format it was born of without subverting

2nd half excels beyond promises made in the 1st

Flaws do not pull the emotional gut punches

#gaming #jrpg #odencat

Dragon Quest II [iOS 2014]

4.5/5

A second helping of pure enchantment

2 parts of the same game

Delightful expansion of everything that made the first beloved

Winsome to see the world a generation from where you left it

Companions makes the experience less solitary

#gaming #jrpg #squareenix

Dragon Quest [iOS 2014]

4.5/5

Pure delight

Brimming with charm

Easy to see why this spawned a series that remains one of the peaks of Mt. JRPG today

A story clichéd, but as my first DQ, the experience enchanted

Playable one-handed, making it my traintime RPG of choice

#gaming #squareenix

Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers [Nintendo 3DS 2013]

4/5

90’s rave culture preserved in blue amber

Violently whisks Y2K zeitgeist with the occult to produce the demonic Cool Whip that made SMT famous

Challenge, intrigue, evil government plot, and a gun shaped computer

#gaming #jrpg #atlus

GOODBYE WORLD [Nintendo Switch 2022]

3.8/5

Classically addictive puzzle platformer wrapped in a story of game designers finding the hollow heart of industry

Unique and endearingly stylish presentation

Taps into the core of being a free falling artist

More than the sum of its parts

#gaming

Culdcept Revolt [Nintendo 3DS 2017]

4/5

Deep strategic card battles

That’s all and it’s enough

The hollow first act couldn't dispell my absorption into the board game at the center of the series

The story expands to fit the true to form JRPG mold, leaving you satisfied

#gaming #jrpg #NIS

Vagrant Story [Playstation 2000]

3.4/5

Deserves a remake more than FFIX

Tone is Shakespearean Metal Gear Solid

Story, artstyle, and drama resonate, but rusted mechanics turn it to a slog compared to it's modern counterparts

A slog I loved trudging through

#gaming #jrpg #squareenix

Breath of Fire IV [Sony Playstation 2000]

4.1/5

A true classic

A perfect mesh of playful/macabre story beats from a series at the height of its renown

Peak PS1 Capcom sprite animations flow fluidly across soft-glow dreamlike environments

Riddled with secrets wroth finding

#gaming #jrpg

Star Ocean: First Departure R [Nintendo Switch 2019]

3.7/5

Enchanting science fantasy adventure

Shallow character development that is widened by the amount of conditional scenes and party members

Lacking QoL improvements date the game to a PSP release.

#gaming #jrpg #arpg #squareenix #triace

Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale [Nintendo 3DS 2013]

4.6/5

Nostalgia turned whimsy of a childhood mystery.

Lush colors of Japan’s summer bloom into an experience rarely localized.

Simple engaging card battles, charming characters, and a movie length playtime.

#gaming #jrpg #Level-5

Crimson Shroud (クリムゾンシュラウド) [Nintendo 3DS 2012]

4.5/5

Swashbuckling tabletop RPG wrapped in the high fantasy of Ivalice. Challenging turnbased battles in which every decision is pivotal. The drama of each plot twist remains heightened due to the short playtime.

#gaming #Level-5 #JRPGs

Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology [Nintendo 3DS 2017]

3.3/5

Like a western indie RPG made in Japan. Innovative combat can't make up for cardboard characters and dull dialogue. The additions for this edition save the late game, but the stapled-on delivery pulls the impact.

#gaming #jrpg #atlus

Tactics Ogre: The Knight of Lodis [Gameboy Advance 2001] (JP タクティクスオウガ外伝 The Knight of Lodis)

4.4 / 5

Candy colored romance or tragedy depending on you. Everything you want from an #SRPG: great classes, awesome animations, optional characters, and multiple endings.

#gaming #jrpg #rpg #tacticsogre

Zone of the Enders: Fists of Mars [Gameboy Advance 2001]
(JP: Zone of the Enders: 2173 Testament)

3.4/5

Thoughtfully complex story, charming characters, challenging gameplay, limited by the era that produced it, but works well within those limits.

#zoneoftheenders #gaming #jrpg #srpg #rpg #konami