10 Underrated JRPGs That You Must Play
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 16. 06. 2024
- 10 Underrated JRPGs That You Must Play
There are so many excellent JRPGs out there, that every now and then some real gems end up forgotten. And it's through no fault of their own, so that's why I want to share with you 10 JRPGs that I consider to be underrated.
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#underrated #underratedrpg #underappreciated #underratedgamer #underratedjrpg
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0:00 - Intro
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18:14 - 10 - Hry
Finally a mans speaks up for Sky the 3rd. Never understood the lukewarm feelings on the game that seem to be common in the fandom.
If nothing else, Sky the 3rd is not only our first (and still biggest) window into the Septian Church, but is a critical game for the seriesâ most tragic and sympathetic character: Renne. Sky the 3rd is directly responsible for taking me straight from 0 to âI will protect itâ on Renne. Without this gameâs no-holds-barred on the gruesome details of Renneâs past and her genuine interactions with the party this time around, I wouldnât have broken down in tears at her protecting Colin in Zero.
Sorry in advance for the long essay response, but I'd like to try and explain the "lukewarm feelings on the game", at least in my eyes.
The issue is that the game focuses far too much on being an epilogue to the Liberl arc, rather than being a more self-contained, deep-dive into Kevin's character and the Septian Church. The majority of the game is more focused on tying up loose ends in character backstories/motivations and giving us little data entries about miscellaneous events that rarely have anything to do with the main story; it's interesting to read about them, but the execution was off the mark. So many of the doors only exist as fluff and could be cut from the game without affecting our knowledge of the story in the slightest, like Moon Doors 1, 2 & 5; Star Doors 1, 3, 6, & 9, and all of the Sun Doors naturally. And even without those miscellaneous doors, some of the better doors, like Moon Doors 3 & 4, and Star Doors 2, 4, 8, 10, 13 & 14, should have been included in the last two games, Sky FC & Sky SC! Most notably, Star Door 2, which would've been PERFECT for explaining Kevin's salt-tipped arrow before we see him fire it off in Sky SC. And Moon Door 3 being included in Sky SC as a mandatory story segment where Kloe recounts her early years at Jenis Royal Academy to Estelle during some downtime (as well as her meeting with Lechter) would've added much-needed depth to her character back when Kloe was still uncertain on whether or not to inherit the throne from her grandmother. Anyway, the point is, there's a lot of content in Sky the 3rd, but very little of it actually adds to the narrative in any meaningful way. Plus, a lot of it feels out of place in a story that SHOULD be Kevin's, and Kevin's alone, but, like I said before, is instead focused on being an epilogue to the Liberl arc through tying up loose ends and whatnot.
This is important, because all of the content I mentioned above actively distracts you from Kevin's character story, instead of keeping you engaged and adding more layers to him (on top of eating up his precious screen-time!). You can't simply ignore this fact either, as skipping the Doors entirely would be... foolish, to say the least, especially knowing that great doors such as Star Door 15 exist (plus all of the crucial rewards you receive for completing them). So, your experience ends up being a very fragmented one because of this; one where you have to constantly go back and forth between slowly progressing the story, and backtracking to read through several doors that have little meaning in the grand scheme of things. And this fundamental issue with the pacing is probably why I, and many others, found ourselves burning out more than a few times while playing the game, which isn't helped by how pointlessly drawn out the mystery behind Phantasma is.
Now, as for Kevin's story itself, ON PAPER, a story about self-hatred, deception, and the inevitable redemption should've been one with the potential to resonate with audiences all over, as issues like these are getting more and more common by the day, but, IN EXECUTION, it was far less stellar. Possibly the most egregious example of this is the entirety of Chapter 7, which was supposed to be one of the heaviest segments in the game, and a pivotal turning point in Kevin's character arc, yet ended up hitting like a wet noodle due in large part to what I mentioned above about the Doors/focus of Sky the 3rd overshadowing his character as a whole. The game insists on making you feel for these... blobs of slime(?) that apparently share history with Kevin, yet NEVER EVER show/tell you ANYTHING beyond the BARE MINIMUM along with a single line about how sad Kevin feels about having to kill them again... And then they try to sell his redemption by having you traverse through a recreation of Gehenna, a segment of which lasts a mere 15-20 minutes depending on how fast you are; undeniably rushed for what should've been handled much more delicately. Self-hatred isn't an issue that's resolved so easily, and the fact that it happened like it did in Chapter 7 was insulting. Joshua took 2 games to come to terms with himself and face reality once more. Renne took 3(!) whole games to finally accept Estelle and Joshua's love for her. And you're telling me that all Kevin needed was a short backstory cutscene at the beginning of each chapter, a few pointed conversations sprinkled throughout the game, and a leisurely stroll through Gehenna?? Kevin honestly deserved so much more than what he was given.
Which brings me back to my main point: Rather than being so utterly focused on being an epilogue to the Liberl arc, it should've cut all of the excess and used the free space to give us a story focused SOLELY on Kevin and the Septian Church. Think about it: How interesting would it have been if, instead of Phantasma, they completely scrapped the concept and let us go through every stage of Kevin's life ourselves, giving us a first-hand experience of his childhood up until the present. Each phase of his life could be 1-2 Chapters long, with the Prologue being his early childhood living with his mother, Chapter 1 being his daily life after his chance encounter with Ries and Rufina, Chapters 2 & 3 being his initiation into the Gralsritter and his days as a fledgling Squire, Chapter 4 could be THE moment that broke him at Aster House, Chapters 5 & 6 could place us in his depressed mindset during the lowest point of his life after he becomes the Fifth Dominion, and take us on a globe-trot introducing us to all of the heretics that he'd slain while traveling all over the continent of Zemuria like that Owen guy from the Church that we still know very little about, even though his character is INTEGRAL to the ongoing drama over at Crossbell's Cathedral, and so on, which would make his story feel that much more personal. And while doing so, they could also give us an EXCLUSIVE look into the inner-workings of the Septian Church; probably not show us all of the other Dominions just to keep them a secret, but at least allow us to explore The Holy City of Arteria and demonstrate the leverage it has in politics and whatnot. Like, there was just SO MUCH potential when it came to having Kevin as the protagonist and seeing the world through his eyes that was wasted when they made whatever Sky the 3rd was...
Anyway, TL;DR - Trails in the Sky the 3rd has a plethora of issues and fundamental flaws that I tried my best to convey, like it getting its priorities mixed up (Paragraph 1), the off-kilter pacing that makes it a slog to play through (Paragraph 2), Kevin's rushed character arc crippled by the story's 'Tell, Don't Show' approach (Paragraph 3), and the wasted potential that Sky the 3rd had to become a truly personal story that cuts deep (Paragraph 4).
P.S. - Whew, that ended up being a lot longer of a response than I was expecting, but I didn't know how else to explain the "lukewarm feelings on the game" that you insisted were so common (although I personally don't think this is true at all, since everywhere I go nowadays I see people praising this game) without going into detail. I'd be glad if you, or anyone else, were to give me your thoughts on this, and maybe prove me wrong! Oh and, hopefully I didn't come off as being a belligerent hater or anything, because I think this game on its own is genuinely solid (all things considered), and, like you said, contains a CRUCIAL part of Renne's-a FAVORITE of mine's-story. And I think that in and of itself makes it more than worth the price of admission!
@@semblance6433 Thanks for the detailed response. Most people wouldn't have bothered to explain and simply insist that "game bad" lol. It's nice to see someone actually back themselves up for once. I only wish I had time atm to give you an equally long response.
As an aside, damn, I don't think I've ever heard anyone praise this game, you and I have had very different experiences XD
I never understood it either. Sky the 3rd is actually my favorite entry in the Sky Trilogy because of the huge focus on the church, fleshing out the characters that needed it the most, all the interesting lore and set up for future games, and making one of my favorite characters from SC the main character. I loved (almost) every moment (screw that sky bandit mini game with Gilbert lol) and was genuinely shocked when I came across people who were overly negative or felt it was all filler and did nothing for the overall story.
To me, it always felt more like an add-on to Sky SC instead of a whole new game. Like they simply put all of the stuff in it that didn't fit into the main game and added a crawl through a mysterious dungeon into the mix to tie all of the lose info dumps together. I liked getting more intel on the church and their handling of artifacts as well as the additional stories of all the characters, but as a standalone game it's simply not as good as the previous or following ones.
This is going to be a pretty late and unfocused follow-up, but I only recently came up with these concepts and just wanted to get them out there for anybody who cares:
First off, like I mentioned in paragraph 4 of my first post, to elaborate on the inner-workings of the Septian Church, Ein is a character who wouldâve been perfect to explore as Kevinâs mentor and best friend of Rufina Argent; sheâs a pivotal character in Kevinâs life, and the fact that Sky the 3rd only gave her 2 mins of screen time in the post-credits scene where they only talk about getting a new title for Kevin is... more than a little disappointing. There was potential to develop Ein as a mentor figure for Kevin throughout the game, one who would give him advice every now and then, recount her early years within the church and how she came to befriend Rufina, and so on and so forth, which would also serve to flesh out both her character and Rufinaâs too. I could also see her being a key player in Kevinâs character arc as one of the people who would help him realize his self-worth (being his teacher she would know Kevin best after Ries), and start him down the path of redemption. Continuing with that line of thought, they could also introduce us to characters like Toval and Barkhorn, who have deep ties with the church (and are pretty important characters in their own right) that receive next to no meaningful screen time to develop their characters when they actually show up/are mentioned in the Erebonia arc. (Note: I am aware that Tovalâs character is explored in the Carnelia novels and in a spin-off manga series, but Iâve always been of the opinion that if they can develop characters within the games themselves, then they should do so without forcing us to turn off our game and read a random manga series to know what they shouldâve told us in-game.)
I also want to add that Star Doors like Renneâs would still be able to work even if they got rid of the whole Phantasma pocket dimension gimmick, by running with my idea of playing through Kevinâs past up until the present day (After Sky SC and before Zero), due to the fact that Kevin actually took part in the operation to shut down the D.G. Cult back in 1200 or something. So, based on that fact, they couldâve used his perspective to give the player a first-hand account into the horrors of the D.G. Cult as Kevin and the other Gralsritters go around and storm each base, eventually stumbling onto Paradise (of course, by that point, Renne wouldâve already been saved by Loewe and Joshua, but the player would still be able to piece together the events that transpired at the location through context clues and a general investigation of the premises conducted by Kevin alongside Arios as he mentions in Trails to Azure having worked alongside him to shut down the D.G. Cult back in the day).
Annnnd that's about it. I've got a few more ideas for a complete remake of Sky the 3rd floating around deep in the recesses of my mind, but these were the only ones I felt were relevant enough to share underneath this post, as they related directly to my first post 4 months ago. So, uh, to whoever stumbles upon this addendum, I hope you found these concepts interesting, or at the very least plausible. Have a nice day!
Skies of Arcadia is one of my favorite JRPG but I feel it has been forgotten
Basically all game series from this develeoper are underrated in West (Phantasy Star, Shinobi, Streets of Rage, The House of The Dead, Dragon Force, Sakura Wars, Skies of Arcadia, Valkyria Chronicles, Shining). It's Sega America sabotage their games, for focus only on advertaising Sonic ?
â@@nr2676 dragon force was working designs. But i do agree, almost all rpgs on the sega consoles have been forgotten.
@@az_tinkerer_gamer Dragon Force was coop-developed with Overworks (former AM1) who made Skies of Arcadia, Shinobi games on PS2 and Sakura Wars 1-5.
Viewing Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn together as a duology, these games really are special. Many plot threads that are left dangling in Path of Radiance are addressed in Radiant Dawn, and Radiant Dawn does a good job at providing a more detailed look at the world of Tellius that was established in Path of Radiance. These games both excel in different areas. Radiant Dawn having a stronger overall soundtrack, graphics, gameplay, and a deeper story. Path of Radiance is easier to get into for newcomers, has a simpler but still strong story, and much better characterization than Radiant Dawn. Ike's origin story and character growth was simple but enjoyable, and others like Soren, Titania, and Jill to name a few are some of the most popular characters in the series today.
Overall, the Tellius Duology is quite beloved within the Fire Emblem community, and I wouldn't really call them underrated within the hardcore fanbase. It's just that these games haven't been exposed to a wider audience due to poor sales and being locked on older consoles. Come on IS, PoR and RD for Switch!
True+ The last chapters of Radiant Dawn are just epic with a massive number of characters and a chances to use lot of them (at the opposite of other games where an endgame team will rarely change)
We will never see a remake for both games for a long long time
@@therealjaystone2344 A remaster would be fine, right?
That and the physical game are just real expensive now.
@@thunderknight4149 I mean, if you're willing, you can play both for free with an emulator on your PC
Please if you like Ys and Trails, you need to play Tokyo Xanadu Ex. Im always happy when this game gets mentioned in your videos :))
I agree with you on Tokyo Xanadu, while I don't have the ex version (as I played it on the vita), I had such a great time with it (I also played it right after beating Ys VIII). It was such a feel good story too. I'm currently going through a New game plus route in Ys VIII then I'm going to do the same for Tokyo Xanadu.
One of the most consistent things I notice with a lot of these is being overshadowed by other games in their own series, or sharing surface-level attributes with something more popular. It's a good lesson to remember not to let expectations cloud judgement, but also highlights a mentality I just don't get: the "Well Game A does this better, why wouldn't I just play that?" not taking into account, ya know, I played Game A already, I want new twists and takes on something I liked! The old "two cakes" theory in action.
Also, it doesn't help that a lot of these came out in the "dark ages" of RPGS from the late 00s to the mid 10s, when the genre's popularity was at its lowest
I think people put too much weight on games with 'similar concepts'. So what, all games are influenced by others in various ways. It's just a very narrow way of thinking and discredits what each game does differently in their own ways.
@@TheKisekiNut Exactly! 100%
Because God forbid people be allowed to want something genuinely different as opposed to the same basic idea with a different coat of paint right after.
Ah, Trails the 3rd! It's funny because I had played and beaten the first two Sky games (which are my favorite in the entire series) btw, and I can remember how excitedly I fired up Trails the 3rd when it came out, and how my heart sank when I realized it would be a dungeon crawler. I was disappointed and frustrated - but only for a little while. Because, yes, while I LOVE the trails world, and everything they had built to that point, Sky the 3rd won me back over in almost no time flat. The cast is as wonderful as they ever are in 3rd, the gameplay is FANTASTIC, with tons of teambuilding options, and the OST is a complete banger like it always is.
And that's all before, as you say, the doors. Which just elevate the game to even further heights. I always say Sky FC is the series' foundation because, well, it's the first entry. But Sky the Third is the first game in the series where you REALLY get to glimpse outward to characters who would be HUGE players (Osborne, anyone)? So much good stuff in those doors.
I feel bad for the people who willingly don't blame it without at least trying the first few hours. They're missing out.
Sakura wars on ps4 is massively underrated
But this is not JRPG, it's mostly VN, that's why is not on the list.
You never fail to deliver a good argument and content. Also Sky 3rd was my first trails then back to Cold Steel until I went to the Sky trilogy that I didn't know existed
Speaking of Xanadu, Xanadu Next is a fine game as well, but it feels more western sprinkled with Falcom DNA. The Zwei games are also worth a look.
I've only played the demo thus far, but Astlibra Revision seems to be a hidden gem and a recommendation for Ys fans.
Recently I'm into Scarlet Nexus, that's a modern game which seems to be a bit overlooked as well.
And yes, don't skip Sky 3rd, Kevins story is great and the game is very important to Trails lore.
I agree, I can only assume that people that say sky 3 is skippable are ones that haven't played it, Kevin is a great protagonist when you unravel his story although I never liked his character design at first, by the end of the game I thought he was really well written and the 3rd game was awesome. Perhaps the majority of people that say it's skippable say so because you spend the majority of the game going through previously played through dungeons, however that wouldn't make sense because sky 2 has you doing the same thing and that is revered by most as the best in the sky arc. Sky 3 imo is definitely not skippable though, it sets up so many future scenarios and is a great game.
I have bought about all Falcom games on GOG. I will go through Xanadu Next soon. The zwei games are just fun. I go through them at this moment for a second time. There is also Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure. Although it's VERY basic, it's still a fun game. It's more aimed at kids, but who cares about that? đ
Great vid, Kiseki! I don't know how I'm going to manage all these games you've made me aware of haha.
I'm just starting on my Trails in the Sky journey and am half way through Trails in the Sky FC. My backlog is growing too long, and I love it : )
I've had so much fun completing tokyo xanadu a couple of years ago, while it wasnt anything new or complex I loved the setting, characters and mostly the OST (to this day "my blaze, my truth" is one of my favourite tracks in terms of JRPG), mechanics were simple enough and the jp voice acting as always superb. Honestly it is a shame that this Falcom entry is mostly underrated and overshadowed by other big names (Im looking at you Trail series), I remember picking it up randomly on sale at a very dirt cheap price, it provided many many hours of entertainment and it delivered a lot, I'll probably replay it again soon
The entire Sky cast being playable in Sky the 3rd never felt bloated to me, can't say the same thing about the later games of the Cold Steel arc...
Agreed, Sky 3rd felt like it was just fan service to see your fave characters again, didn't have the substance of the rest of the series, tho.
Eh, neither felt bloated in my opinion. Both feel epic but in different ways. But agree to disagree
I have a feeling there are plenty of issues you overlook in the Sky games but criticize in Cold Strel.
No such thing, it's either all or nothing. Every Arc has its fair share of large cast, along with what people want to call "bloated" which leads to CS being dogpiled on despite Sky having a cast that is of similar/equal size. It's ridiculous and shows the clear bias against CS.
@@toiletseat777 yes the issues i "overlook" such as outdated combat system that gets boring after 2 fights, long confusing dungeons with no maps, no fast travel, having to mod your own voices in, some doors in sky 3rd taking forever with little payoff, unused party members not leveling up after a chapter,...
But yeah assume all of that about me after 1 comment that's half about cold steel...
Got Tokyo Xanadu on my backlog, can't wait to play it, for now though I have to get through sakura wars. I've been playing this because you recommended it, too.
So, thanks dude đ
You've got two awesome games on the radar then!
Gotta agree with Sakuna of Rice and Ruin. That game really help me appreciate your personal growth. Going from the long way you grow the rice through after going further in the game the tilling and making the rice.
I'm glad that great games like these are being talked about. Tokyo Xanadu, Tokyo Mirage sessions and even the Blue Reflection series is a must play for Anime and gaming fans. We also got Blue Reflection Sun game. So don't forget about that. NeiR is another great game series. NeiR is also another great series to play. Fire Emblem is a another series I need to try. Looks kool.
The characters in Nier Replicant are a lot better than in Automata. While the combat is not Platinum tier, it is good. Every time I try to decide which game I love more, I default to Replicant, then debate myself for an hour before deciding on "I don't know."
Both of them shine in different ways. But the amount of times I've seen Replicant dogpiled on because it doesn't play as well as Automata is crazy. You'd think it was one of the worst action based games ever made.
Bruh.
â@@TheKisekiNutwhen you played rogue galaxy, you know it's not true.
Automatas characters have a lot more nuance and subtlety to them than replicants, and their lore is fascinating.
I'd wager anyone saying replicants characters are better hasn't read the lore of automata.
The games use their lore to expand on different things. Replicant has an incomplete story so its side materials explain its story more. Meanwhile it has tons of text segments to expand on its characters.
Automata has no text segments explaining its main characters. A2 only kind of gets one. All of automatas lore explains and expands on its characters.
Automatas story is entirely contained within the game though.
Automata can't really give the player text sections on 2B or 9S without giving massive spoilers that takes away from the reveal at the top of the tower.
The secrecy and unexplained strange familiarity between 2B and 9S is a big part of automatas setup and overall story, and is a very captivating dynamic.
Aside from having much more in depth lore on its characters and just outright darker and sadder side stories, automatas main cast is much more important than replicants.
The story revolves around 2B and 9S, and without their characters being written the exact specific way they are and put in the exact kind of relationship they have, automatas story just wouldn't work. Its very centralized on 2B and 9S.
Replicants story functions based on the effects its main cast has on the world/people around them. You could replace kaine with any number of different characters, and that character could fulfill kaines role just as easily. The main casts characters are not integral to the story since they are not narratively baked into the structure and purpose of the story as much as 2B and 9s are.
Kaines romantic feelings aren't even focused on, and get suddenly dropped on the player at route C with nothing to build that up.
Kaine and emil serve more functional roles in the story/plot rather than integral roles.
Integral roles of replicant are the protagonist and weiss.
Protagonist for his narrow minded view of his world and situation, and weiss for overall role in project gestalt and choice in rejecting that role.
Kaine and emil just feel replaceable. They're great characters, they're just not narratively important.
Replicant is more about the suffering the main cast inflicts onto others anyways. Whereas automata is more about the suffering that the main characters are put through.
Blue Reflection Second Light is one of my favorite games ever! I'm so happy people are talking about it!
honestly am actually of those people who wishes for a sequel to Tokyo Xanadu, the opening is still a banger too. I gave Blue Reflection a go but i couldnt get into it.
For Sky the 3rd, why would one wanna skip this? Also the reason why Kevin hasnt been utilized much after Sky 3rd was that he was literally forgotten even by the creator himself i believe. I heard in Reverie that when all the church members were revealed in a portrait Kevin wasnt there until a later patch added him in, poor Kevin đ. The door that hit the hardest is still Renne's.
Yes when I was first looking into Trails everyone said skip Sky 3rd. I didnât skip it thank god. It was my favorite of the arc. There is so much great story that fleshes out the world. I do not understand why people say skip it. That is the worst trails advice I see everywhere. Worst of all, people listen to it because its repeated so much.
PLAY SKY 3RD
@@drowningin I am glad I didn't listen to people saying skip the 3rd, however it is definetively not my favourite of the 3 games. I didn't really like the doors and I never found Kevin to be that interesting, not sure why to be honest. That said, replaying FC an SC I do miss the combat from 3rd. And I loved meeting the whole cast again and getting more backstory/seeing what they've been up to, I just didn't enjoy HOW we got those stories...
Oh yes! Sequel to Tokyo Xanadu is what I'd gladly go for. I genuinely enjoyed the original story with Ex+ addition. Would love to see these characters again.
As of Sky 3rd Kevin and Ries are my two favorite characters from the trilogy. In my opinion Kevin is one of the most complex characters in the series. I really felt in tune with him all the way. And was really happy to see him and Ries again in Crossbell duology đ
You'd be surprised, so many people have either asked or actually followed through and dodged it completely. Guess what, they don't understand why characters like Renne are so well liked because of it.
I did not skipped Sky the 3th, but at the other hand I did not really loved it. I loved Kevin and Rie as characters, and found their story very good. And without living through Stardoor 15 I guess people feel far less connected to Renne (one of my favorite female characters, together with Estelle, Rixia and Juna). However I really hated those dungeons. Especially that dungeon you had to work through to activate Stardoor 15. It was floor after floor after floor after floor after floor after floor (you get the picture). That very game mechanics made me enjoy the game a lot less (I also did not like that very last part of Cold Steel II for that reason, although it was luckily a very small part of the game)...
And I think almost anyone that has played Tokyo Xanadu eX+ would really, really LOVE to see a sequel. So far Falcom has given some slight hints, but nothing specific. Well - We can dream about it at least...
Hey there, thanks for the recommendations âš I did skip Sky the 3rd in the videos because it's litteraly the next game I'm going to play, but I've taken note of everything else otherwise đđżI was also wondering if you have played the Zweii The Ilvard Insurrection ? Because I would have definitely pictured it being part of the list as well.
Thanks for the video, looking forward to more of your content, I really enjoy it !
Thanks for the additional recommendations, I was already going to take a hard look at all Nihon Falcom's games as Trails from Zero was predictably excellent. Only downside is my JRPG backlog is by far the longest in my Steam Library.
One of my favorite underrated games is World of FF. difficulty was a tad easier than I prefer but it is literally one of my favorite FF games, and JRPGs in general
I trust your reviews the most because of you being fan of trails series, I know I am gonna get games which are most likely gonna be likeable to me too.
@thekisekinut sir... THANK YOU!! Your videos got me into the ys franchise when I first started playing video games.... Well today i got to meet brianna herself at a convention by my home.. I got to meet Dana herself and I could not be more grateful for it. I never would have meet her if you hadnt gotten me into ys 8!!
Tokyo Xanadu is indeed a masterpiece and i wish Falcom'd expand on it, though i'm pretty sure it doesn't have anything to do with the other Xanadu series. Ys seven is what's got me into Falcom games to begin with and it has some of my most favorite ost tracks in it too, it absolutely is worth playing and is a great starting point for getting into the series(Also, the only game with Dogi playable, sadly). As for Atelier, the trilogy(or saga now due to Sophie 2 release) i'd honestly recommend starting with Sophie since the games are connected and reference previous events a lot, all in all mysterious games are great, simple and without time limits...except first half of Firis...sigh, Koei truly did those games dirty with garbage pc ports with memory leaks, gamepad-related fps drop issues(yes, that's a thing) and the like.
I would definitely recommend playing the entire trilogy of Atelier, but its more the fact that Lydie and Suelle hardly gets mentioned even in Atelier circles, like it's been forgotten.
Sakuna is such a gem and was made by a team of like 2 people afaik. Truly worth supporting.
I'm with you, I always tell people to play trails in the sky the third, mainly because Kevin is one of the best characters and also because seeing how some characters stories thus far end is amazing
Man I really love Sakuna of Rice and Ruin. I love it so much that I wish that I could go back in time to before the first time I played it just to relive it anew.
It's excellent. Yeah, not a typical JRPG but I don't really care, it's a game that fans of the genre can enjoy.
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn is a game so close to my heart; first game I ever worked on; really happy to see it in your list!
Nice one with Tokyo Xanadu, more Trails & Ys fans really should try Tokyo Xanadu, because it feels like a perfect combination of Ys and Trails, but with a brand new story and characters, it's also a falcom's game which is a game that i should play
I really want Tokyo Xanadu to get sequels btw
Where would/should i start the trails series?
Im very curious since watching your videos and more, i havent played a single one yet but i have cold steel 1,2. Though it seems a bit tricky since some arent on consoles from what i understand. And i dont have a pcđ , so where is the best/most optimal startpoint for me?
I would love to give this series a shot/ get into this series as it looks really cool and intresting with the overarching stories and characters and suchđđ(I apologise in advanve since i had this comment on another/older video of yours aswell recentlyđ )
I feel like Stella Glow should be on a list like this as well, focused a lot on the characters and i kinda liked that you had to spend time with them outside of combat to get deeper bonds and more skills unlocked. With the main girls/witches having special levels in which you fight their insecurities to strengthen their quite powerful magic skills which could ultimately change the outcome of a battle
My only complaint with Replicant was the side quests were just tedious busy work (think I heard somewhere from developers it was intentional trolling) while Automata they added a lot to the lore and experience. From what Iâve heard a lot of people were turned off by Lydie and Suelle due to the dropped dub which is a shame because itâs one of the best games in the Atelier series.
The side quests being busywork in Replicant is mainly before the time skip when Nier is a boy. After, the side quests develop confusing and morally grey twists to them that almost feel like they're mocking versions of the first half of the game (which is very much a reoccurring motif of ignorance in the game)
I will admit that it's very committed to that idea to a significant degree that it isn't always fun especially the first half, but I respect the hell out of them designing it that way
Koei clearly didn't care about dubs after Firis. Not sure why, but evidently the cost wasn't worth it in their eyes.
So many of these I need to play. However home run straight away for Tokyo Xanadu! Utter belter of a game!!!
From this list, other than OBVIOUSLY playing "Trails in the Sky: The 3rd", I would be interested in playing "FE: Radiant Dawn" ONLY if it gets a remaster/remake with "modern features" because *I don't want to deal with "permanent death"* (HATE reseting over and over again just to not lose a single character to see all possible dialogue). As for the "Atelier" series, I want a *remaster/remake of "Atelier Iris 1: Eternal Mana" and especially "Atelier Iris 2: The Azoth of Destiny"* (PS2) because both are AWESOME and deserve to be played on modern hardware.
For Atelier, i think it's possible after they deal it with Salburg series Remake.
i've never seen a better story in any kind of media, like in star door 15 in Sky 3rd, it was heavy and boosted the related character to it on one of the top spots on fandom
Hi there. Leaving sub for 2 reasons :D first is most of the games in the list has pc versions which is great since im using pc mostly. Second is, how should i put it... english isnt my native lang but i can understand what ur saying and i like formats like that in general. Additionally i saw or rather heard u in at least two videos from David. Enough reason for me to join in, looking forward to see anything new.
Seeing uploads from your channel always makes me remember that Reverie is less than a month away and time instantly starts to crawl đ
So happy to see Radiant Dawn on this list!!!! Itâs my all time favorite game so itâs cool to see it get the love it deserves†The Tellius games are definitely peak FE imo.
I missed the notification about this video. Anyway, I will likely give Ys VII a try on the PC. I am mainly a console gamer which is why I may have missed it, but I had to get into PC gaming to play the Sky Trilogy. Speaking of which, I am glad Trails in the Sky the 3rd made it on your list. I don't know why people say to skip it, but there are a few impactful character arcs that carry through the Crossbell games that are not as impactful of one skips this one. Also, as you said, some of the stories behind the doors literally set up the later games in the series.
Have you covered videos slightly out of the Jrpg context? Crosscode was a big influence to my videos game tastes. It's phenomenal to play.
Great video btw. Sky3rd was up there... I liked it better than FC for instance.
Nah, this is a JRPG channel and I choose to keep it mostly centred around that, though I will mention games that aren't specifically JRPGs but I feel fans of the genre can enjoy (Aegis Rim, Opus etc.)
Was gonna sell tokyo mirage and atelier lydie and suelle, but your video made me reconsider. What a coincidence since they are kinda old games.
I had no idea Tokyo Xanadu was getting a Switch release! You, sir, have made my month! As far as the other games are concerned, you are absolutely spot on. Ys VII still looks good, especially on a handheld device as dated as the PSP. I have the Vita version, so my playthrough may look better because of that handheld upgrade. I'm not really sure, but it is an excellent addition to the series!
Aksys owns the translation rights to the game so let's hope they'll bring it over later.
Is Tokyo Xanadu EX+ in someway related to the trails series, lorewise? Looking at the footage it all feels so familiar.
Radiant dawn is my favourite fire emblem of all time so Iâm glad it got a mention. Hope it gets a remaster at some point
I definitely have had my eye on Tokyo Xanadu Ex+ for a while. You've talked it up enough that I put it on my list, ha ha. Basically just waiting for a sale. And I did pick up TMS way back when it released on the Wii U and I loved it. The only real complaint that I had was that Itsuki kinda has the personality of a plank of wood. It's another one that I've been waiting for a sale to pick up the rerelease on the Switch. And then the likes of Radiant Dawn, Ys Seven, and Sky 3rd are all in my backlog. I got distracted from Path of Radiance, a little burned out of Ys by the time I got to Seven, and am currently midway through SC. Kind of affirming to see half of the games on the list are ones already on my radar, ha ha.
Anyway, thanks for the video. Just as true that half of that half wouldn't be in my mind without your channel.
A tip - If you are looking for a sale of Tokyo Xanadu eX+ - It's on summer sale (12-6 until 3-7) now on GOG. It's âŹ11 at this moment. While that's not the bottom-line cheapest I have ever seen through the years, it's still way cheaper than normal and on Steam (âŹ54,99). I don't know if these are regional prices though, so you have to take a look for yourself...
That Atelier looks interesting like slice of life and a bit of action. You think you can talk more about it in another vid?
Love and agree with this list!
Lydie and Suelle was my first Atelier game. Those two were fantastic characters to get to know.
15:51 Don't forget that we got the Blue Reflection Sun game as well. Game is already out. And it's so worth playing. You can even get Ao Hoshizaki in the game. Plus you get to play as Kirara Kuno in her Reflector form this time. Plus many other cast of characters that make the game enjoyable. And a stellar soundtrack as well. This is another great game from Gust Koei Tecmo DMM Games. So please don't miss out on it.
I loved radiant dawn so much. But you must play path of radiance. Both are amazing and path of radiance really gives the beginning of radiant dawn such an interesting perspective.
The 3 Super Famicom Fire Emblem games have the most rich and dark story, but they are challenging and long (60-80 hours each for Geneology of the Holy War and Thracia 776).
@@michaelp4122 Thracia isn't really long. I've beat it in like 35 hours
Canât wait for fe4 remake
@@Haarwyvern Counting every time you died and had to restart? I think it took me 60 hours, but I spent some time in the colloseum levelling up my characters.
Geneology of the Holy War is the longest Fire Emblem game, and you should play that before playing Thracia.
@@therealjaystone2344 FE4 remake won't happen, it's too dark. Murder and rape are central themes to the plot, and without it the story wouldn't make sense (Some characters are offspring from raped characters).
The team who made FE 1-5 are a different group that the ones who made FE6+.
I think FE6 is the most likely to get a remake since it's the game with Roy and it's never been localized.
If anyone with Playstation Plus does want to give Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin a shot it's just been added to the game collection. Downloaded it the other day because you've recommended it before. There's also so many games on this list on my backlog. I've got the first Blue Reflection, but barely played it, and while I have all of the Trails in the Sky trilogy on Steam I've only played the first game but fully intend to play them all.
Gotta say, Sky the 3rd was my first glimpse of how crazy and fun builds/team comps could become in the series, and it was an awesome game. That build potential just got stronger at every new title, but it absolutely peaked with Hajimari, which is basically the ideal turn-based combat sandbox thing around.
Played Sky the 3rd Evolution with every voice line, and it was glorious.
From Cold Steel onwards the games have a severely decreased difficulty to the point of making the team building meaningless... that is if you play without mods, or on Abyss difficulty in Hajimari.
I first got into the Blue Reflection game series. And later I found out about the Atelier games cause of the Atelier related DLC Costumes and levels you can get in both Blue Reflection games. I first started the Atelier Escha & Logy Alchemist of the Dusk Sky Anime. Just like I love the Blue Reflection series, Atelier is another cute series fans of Blue Reflection and gaming would enjoy.
I likle Tokyo Xanadu a lot, game made me cry at the end
Love Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin. Bought a figure of Sakuna since I couldn't find the limited edition anymore.
Tokyo Xanadu was quite entertaining to me and ended up having, like, 3 endings, so it lasted longer than I thought it would. You can tell that the combat system is less refined in it than it is in Ys 8 and 9 (which makes sense, since the game came out before Ys 8), but I still prefer real-time combat over turn-based. I also really liked the setting. A walkable city with people you know all over the place is kinda my dream location to live. I got it when it was on sale and for people who like JRPG's with real-time combat, especially anything from Falcom, I recommend trying Tokyo Xanadu.
I'm one of the few fans of both smt and fe that didn't throw a fit and gave tms a chance and ended up liking it quite a lot.
This is a great list with several of my favorite jrpgs.
The reason why radiant dawn doesn't get talked about is that it really did not sell well(think it is one of the, if not the, lowest selling entries). Occupying that weird lull that happened in-between the first wave of hype that followed it western introduction during the gba era and the rebith of the franchise on the 3ds onwards that brought in most of the current fanbase. So, yeah. There were just so few fe fans that existed when it released(and further hurt by the translation error that caused the game to be way harder for people than it was meant to be).
That translation error was a real killer. I'm even more impressed I managed to beat it as a 15 year old back then with no prior SRPG experience, though I definitely lost a few characters on the way.
My favorite is Ys Seven and I look forward to other games to create with the same graphic and exciting boss battles like this game. It's very engaging and I can't get enough of it even though I already finished it twice.
I wish Ys games weren't so expensive physical. I want to give this franchise a shot, might have to get a steamdeck and go digital.
Thank you for giving some love to Ys Seven, Tokyo Xanadu, and Sky the 3rd. Man, Sky the 3rd really took me off guard in a good way. The game feels like a risky move in many aspects, but it rewards the player with amazing moments and a great payoff if you stick with it.
I want to see a Tokyo Xanadu sequel so bad. I feel Falcom can pull out something great with its current experience and technology.
And I need to say that I started playing Blue Reflection Second Light and I love it more than Atelier Sophie âșïžâ€ïž (wich was first honest try to get into the Atelier series I also enjoy playing it but Blue Reflection got my attention because itâs also a game from KT) and I love anything so far in this game from the combat to the character and the writing of the story and how the game even started â€ïž itâs a great game and I hope KT maybe will try to make a similar game in the near future because like I said I love ANY ASPECT of Blue Reflection and itâs still in some ways very different from the Atelier games wich I appreciate â€ïžâ€ïžâ€ïž
I have lydie and suelle on my ps4 disc backlogs. Eill start after im done with sophie2 switch ver.
I agree with BR second light. I got the platinum for both Blue Reflection games. Br isnt perfect, but it is definitely a good franchise with much potential. And i still underrated.
I luv gust games ngl, these games like project diva and animal crossing balances out the more intense game i play like sekiro, doom eternal/2016, soulsborne, sw fallen order, spiderman 2018, gow, and ace combat 7.
Tokyo Xanadu was a great game! I watched your review before I bought this game and this is how I know your channel. I have to admit I had an impression it is similar to Persona series and this is now I decided to buy this game
For me the impression Tokyo Xanadu is like how Trails and Ys next games will be. The game is fun too each chapter is like episode because of Opening.
It has similar elements, but I see so many call it a 'rip-off' of Persona, like Persona itself made the genre. Crazy really, but I enjoyed it.
At least I bought when it was on sales like less than $10, but I really had a good time with and it deserves way more than that. And if it has sequence I am willing to buy with full price
I enjoyed Tokyo Xanadu far more than I expected. Absolute gem of a game!
The "Doors" in Sky 3rd really hit hard...
I remember that Tokyo Mirage Sessions was first announced as SMT x Fire Emblem, I was so excited for it and while I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't what I'd thought it would be I still really liked it.
TMS is a fascinating contradiction of a game.
It's a bad crossover that fails to deliver or showcase most of the appeal of its source material (especially Fire Emblem), but its a good game in its own right, from the distinct presentation to the entertaining cast of characters and solid gameplay loop.
Yet while almost everyone is quick to call out its faliures, TMS really doesn't get enough credit for everything it does right...
@@finaldusk1821 pretty much, it doesn't feel like either of the games its supposed to be a crossover of but its still a great game!
I haven't played Second Light, but I'm surprised to hear that you have so much praise for the original. I can only say that it was...okay...
Though, it did have an AMAZING soundtrack.
Another great video. Definitely agree with Xanadu. Very underrated. If you like Trails, check it out.
The sky trilogy needs a remaster just so as many people as possible can play the whole series. I think replicant is better than automata but in my defense Kaine and Weiss are delightful, I'm nearing the end of ending A and am glad I went back to it.
I wish the enhanced/definitive versions of the Sky games on the PS Vita came out in the west. Those are the versions I might've actually enjoyed playing.
Ngl I miss the boss design and the way perfect guarding worked in Ys Seven. I'd say Ys seven is my favorite of the party system for ys games just for the combat alone. I liked having to time it or else you'd be stuck in place and take double damage or even having to use your entire party on the final fight and ending it with an Adol 1v1. The main thing that makes it tough for me to go back is having to manually charge your attack since its pretty slow in the begining lol
Akiba's Trip and Akiba's Beat is great JRPGs that you should play. Espically Akiba's Beat gives the whole Persona and Tokyo Xanadu feel to it. If you haven't checked out this series, please give it a go ahead. Really great series. So please try them. There very underrated as well. Really great series. Akiba's Trip also has an Anime that is worth watching.
Yeah i love the 3rd but kinda hate how the door system came to be it's like here's all the cut content from the previous games they need to go somewhere. Oh this could work so there is no direct connection between the 3rd and each the doors specially but as you said it does serve as an epilogue that was missing from the SC. My main point here is the story for the 3rd with kevin and ries is brilliant and it's worth playing at least once to see it since it's a redemption arc you rarely see.
Although i also skipped sky the 3rd years ago i still finished it before playing the crossbell arc and it was well worth the time i invested into it đŻ.
Sakuna of rice and ruin was charming and excellently executed. I wish I could relive the experience. Hell I have 39/40 achievements, only left to clear the aphids, and then this would be my first perfected game. That's how much I loved it
My first impression of Tokyo Xanadu, this game is a prototype graphics for next game Cold Steel and Ys. I really enjoyed it, feels like each chapter is anime episode/movie because of the opening.
Tokyo Mirage is the game that i only wanna play on Switch but i don't have Switch.
Nier Replicant, i have it but i still play No More Heroes.
Ys Seven, i have it same reason as Nier Replicant.
Sakuna, i forget that game is on my wishlist probably gonna buy it on next sale and i remember it.
Lydie & Suelle, i don't have it will buy it if Mysterious Trilogy DX on sales.
BR2, i have it but still to play the first game.
Sky 3rd, that game is great, i play it on PC so i can use japanese voice mod , and i really like the voice of Kevin and Ries the vibe between them is good and yeah the door is great but some of those really time consuming.
For me probably Valkyria Chronicles game is underrated JRPG, maybe i'm wrong.
I never was able to find Tokyo Xanadu any time I looked for it. Is it on Steam? I'll have to go look again now that you reminded me
It's on Steam, the enhanced release that is.
Wow, to think I have played a portion and plan to play literally all of the games you mentioned, id recommend the same.
I love Tokyo Xanadu. I donât know what it is about it, I wouldnât say itâs a masterpiece or anything, but thereâs just something about it that really clicked with me. The music, gameplay, sound effects, itâs honestly one of my favorite Falcom games.
It's a very good game, did a lot of things right. Impressive when you consider it was basically it's own IP!
Yeah I had a similar experience with Radiant Dawn. Played it first but it was because I didn't have a gamecube or a gamecube controller so I didn't have much of a choice. I loved the game so much and to this day I make sure I replay it at least once a year!
Have you played all the other FE games?
Other than the most recent one, I beat them all. Now I want to do the unofficial Tearring Saga and Vestaria Saga a go.
Can't see myself replaying an FE game (outside a remake) for a long time coming, but if I did, I'd replay Awakening.
@@michaelp4122 yup Iâve played every other FE game! Itâs become my favourite series now!
@@betterthanbrooklyn5806 It's a fantastic series. Ever play Shining Force 3? To me it was the N64 Fire Emblems we never got. SF3 specifically is the gem.
@@michaelp4122 oh Iâve heard of it by name but didnât know much. Looking at it, itâs definitely in my backlog now!
@@betterthanbrooklyn5806 I beat it in 2020, english translated patches for scenario 2 & 3 is perfect.
Shining Force in general is ok, but SF3 specifically is really good. Sort of like a Golden Sun twist to Fire Emblem.
I am completely with you for these choices. I love Tokyo Xanadu eX+, and I would LOVE to see a sequel of that (Do you hear me Falcom? đ). I like Tokyo Mirrage Sessions #FE. Sadly, as a PC gamer I can only run it under an emulator. And that locks me out of the Encore version, because that one won't run without problems (cut scenes won't play for instance). I really hope it will come one day to the PC, but I admit those wishes are not very likely honored (sigh). The same goes for Fire Emblem. I would really, really love to play that game, but I can't - End of story.
I liked the first Blue Reflection game, although it's not without it's flaws (long pauses in voice acting and weird animations). The second one showed here was a massive improvement, and a great game. I completely agree with the other games you named. I love the Atelier series, so Lydie & Suelle was a no-brainer. I tried the Final Fantasy games, but could not really "click" with it. I am sure that's a "sort of" defect on my side, but yeah...
Lydie & Suelle, it would have been great if they had not side-tracked the conclusion of the Plachta Story as a small, short, side Event. Older Firis OP (in many elements) and her Sister turning Yandere were quite a sight to behold though.
Still have the Console Fire Emblems on my Backlog, same as Xanadu Next.
Mysterious trilogy feels so... Low stakes and too slice of lifey to me.
Granted i absolutely love sophie 2. Also loved dusk trilogy where there is a huge problem to be solved.
Xanadu Next is a nice one, but also take a lot at the two Zwei games. They are also loads of fun...
I always skimp through these Videos to see if they include Fuga Melodies of Steel.
Marvelous picks. However I'd like to add World of Final Fantasy Maxima and FF Type-0. Especially WoFF as it is rather a full-fledged FF than just another monster taming Pokemon clone.
Ohh and Trails in the Sky The 3rd is a must!!! :)
Radiant dawn is great I'm playing on emulator on my phone but u should definitely make some time for path of radiance it'll make u appreciate Radiant dawn more
Tokyo Xanadu, Tokyo Mirage Sessions, and Nier Replicant (I actually platinumed that one, love it so much) are the only games I've played on this list.
I gotta jump into Tokyo Xanadu ex+. I love action rpgs and it screams play me everything I see it but I got so many games ahead of it on my backlog
Gotta admit, I was not expecting Tokyo Mirage Session when back in the day, it was marketed as a SMT and Fire Emblem Crossover lol. From what I hear, the part in Mirage essentially uses characters from Fire Emblem as Demons/Personas which is pretty interesting.
It suffered from poor marketing that's for sure. It ended up alienating both sets of FE and Megaten fans. If it was its own IP I'm certain no-one would care nearly as much.
One of the big reasons why it was ignored is because Atlus din't learn anything from the Wii release and decided to censor it even more.
I'd summarise TMS as such: A bad crossover (especially on the Fire Emblem side) but a good game in and of itself.
It's no masterpiece, but it's definitely overhated and not given enough credit for what it does well!
The way Crystal Chronicles does multiplayer was always frustrating cuz none of my friends ever had the cable or GBA to play it, and when I heard they were remastering it I was excited but then they screwed up the multiplayer even worse!!! I loved Crystal Chronicles, but I always felt like I was missing half the game because I was stuck playing solo.
As someone who's only now getting into YS by playing YS VIII is it better to go back to games like YS Seven as shown in the video or play YS 9 to be ready for YS 10?
Play them in any order. I'd say the only one you'd lose a bit of appreciation for if you hadn't played other entries is Ys IX due to it being the last game canonically in the series, but references between most of the titles are fairly minor.
@@TheKisekiNut Cheers for the recommendation. Will play Hajimari after YS VIII then get into Ys IX!
Sky 3rd is the best game in the series. Best music, best gameplay, best story.
I love Tokyo Xanadu eX+ as well as I am super Atelier series fan.
as for final fantasy crystal chronicles I love the gamecube version of the game with multiplayer it was very well done but expesnive since you needed game boy advance systems for more then one character to have their own separate menu for the inventory on the controller. I don't know they if they fixed the mountain of bugs with the remaster versions but i heard it was a trainwreck.
I loved Crystal Chronicles. With friends it was a really great game. Wished they had of did better on bringing it to current gen consoles.
I have to say, Radiant Dawn might just be my favourite FE game. Like you, it was my first FE game, so maaaaaybe thereâs some bias, but I donât think so!
I love how you play as the vilains of the first game, and I found the maps and characters to be so fun.
It does have flaws, but overall I think itâs the last time FE had a real story. I miss those days!
I'd still enjoy Radiant Dawn if I played it for the first time now, I have many good memories of that game.
@@TheKisekiNut yeah I just replayed it a few months ago and it still holds up in my opinion
Radiant Dawn is overlooked not because of PoR but it's because it's very difficult, all because of a mistranslation.
Yes, it is very difficult. I have an unfinisjed run on hardmode still open, but my first attempt softlocked me at chapter 1. I couldn't beat the first chapter. I suck at videogames but that was just bad. I then played again on normal and that playthrough I could beat. I then found out almost every secret and even got the secret ending with every character. But only on normal! I could never do that on hard or maniac. And you can get stuck at certain maps if you want every character to live. Which I did and that only made it harder. But yeah, the mistranslation basically made everyone play the game on hard instead of normal first. But hey, everyone who beat the game on hard can be proud of themselves.
2:37 "Speaking of Persona clones, why isn't this labeled as one?" It is. Tokyo Mirage Sessions was a joint production between Atlus and Intelligent Systems to be a crossover of Shin Megami Tensei and Fire Emblem.
thx for the list i love falcom games ys & trails & xanadu
May I ask who the characters are in your thumbnail?
I'll admit, my favorite here was Tokyo Xanadu EX+. Specifically THAT version too, as the original kind of...well it left you on a sour note, given you suddenly encounter a god, and they grant you a miracle. Not to say you don't have to earn it, they are a HARD bonus boss, but still, it kind of grates. EX+ not only gives two different Side Stories hinting at it, AND a cool powerup to the lead (playable) heroine that is VERY nice, but also gives more context for the ending itself, and allows you to finally meet the evil god that started all this...while asking more questions afterwards.
Meanwhile, Nier Remake? No thank you. You will NEVER get me to play that again...that flower quest man. It can get bent. Yes, they removed two steps from it, I know, but it's a PTSD trigger now, and they left in the outlaw family thing. I like Yoko Taro's works, and would LOVE a Drakengard Trilogy edition, even if it means having to face the final boss of Drakengard 3 again to 100% it, but I will never play Nier again, and you can't make me.
Good picks, I definitely agree that Sky 3rd is underrated. Although I would never recommend just *anyone* play without playing the entire Trilogy. It seems pointless to recommend the 3rd when the entire game is -as you said- a Epilogue and Precursor to the rest of the series, making little sense why you'd recommend someone to play.
It was more aimed towards people who have played Sky FC and SC but were considering just jumping straight over it. I would never recommend starting with Sky the Third.
Right, no worries, I must have misunderstood what you meant is all. Nice job on the videos though! Always enjoy watching after a long day or something to have in the background