Ranking the Best and Worst JRPGs | Cannot be Tamed
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- čas přidán 21. 07. 2024
- Today I'm ranking JRPGs. This is a genre I have a complicated relationship with and I do have certain things I look for to make one enjoyable to me. I rank about 40 games from different eras.
#jrpg #ranking #videogames
00:00 Intro
00:18 What is a JRPG
01:30 What I look for in a JRPG
03:23 .hack games
06:27 Arc the Lad Twilight of the Spirits
7:26 Chrono Trigger
08:23 Costume Quest
09:15 Cthulhu Saves Christmas
10:06 Dragon Quest VIII
11:17 Final Fantasy 4
12:26 Final Fantasy 7
13:25 Final Fantasy 8
14:28 Final Fantasy 9
15:28 Final Fantasy 10
16:25 Final Fantasy 10-2
17:26 Final Fantasy 12
18:29 Final Fantasy 13
19:24 Final Fantasy 7 Remake
20:17 Fire Emblem: Three Houses
21:31 Kingdom Hearts
22:36 Legend of Dragoon
23:17 Lost Odyssey
24:18 Lunar Silver Star Story Complete
25:25 Magna Carta: Tears of Blood
26:16 Monster Sanctuary
27:13 Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
28:27 Nier Automata
29:36 Parasite Eve
30:38 Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure
31:42 Shadow Hearts
32:42 Shadow Hearts: Covenant
33:48 Shadow Hearts: From the New World
34:23 Star Ocean: First Departure
35:41 Star Ocean: Second Story
37:01 Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
37:49 Star Ocean: The Last Hope
38:29 Suikoden
40:02 Suikoden 2
41:27 Yakuza: Like a Dragon
43:05 Final Rankings
Here's the template if anyone's interested: tiermaker.com/create/ranking-...
Video footage is from game trailers. Music in the video is from Suiokden.
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Intro artwork, logo and banner by: @theMagdalenRose
"Cantina Blues" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
creativecommons.org/licenses/b... - Hry
Costume Quest over Chrono Trigger. I get that is your list but wow. The story, characters, combat are def more complex in CT.
Yeah, everyone is welcome to their opinions but putting Legend of Dragoon over Chrono Trigger is basically a war crime :P
People like you were called out less than five minutes in to the video yet you still chose to make your brain-dead comment 🤡
@@slugbones Yes I like to see her opinion on games. Don't have to agree with it.
I was thinking the same thing..
Chrono Trigger is one of my all time faves, but I can see somebody playing it for the first time in 2022 not liking it.
Video games have evolved quite a bit since then.
I was getting worried there wouldn't be a video this week. I always appreciate your thoughts in your ranking videos.
Thanks so much!
Love these ranking videos! Always walk away with interesting perspectives on stuff I’ve played and inspiration for new games to check out.
As someone who felt more or less the same way you did about Ni No Kuni, I’d honestly recommend giving the second one a shot. It’s still cute but not as excessively so, and I think the story and most of the characters are really well done, I got way more emotionally invested in it than I expected to. The combat is much more action-oriented and there’s WAY less grind. There’s a SUPER fun base-building aspect and a fun simple strategy war-game mini game thing. And it’s got an incredible score by Joe Hisaishi!
Great video. I haven't played most of these but it's pretty impressive how much you remember about all of them.
Glad you enjoyed!
Respectfully disagree with your opinion of Chrono Trigger, its story and characters are still something I think about to this day. While they *might* initially appear pretty shallow, each character in your party has their own backstory and quest relating to the them. The fact that your actions and choices can affect the ending (so many endings), was something that kinda blew my mind way back when I first played it (around 98/99).
You say that you played it while travelling, have you ever gone back and given it another try?
No.
@@Cannotbetamed1 Oh, that's a shame :(
yes, she gives opinions about what she doesn't know
Good list, Pam! I'd recommend Legend of Mana, on PSX but recently remastered, for an enticing ARPG experience with multiple, separate plot lines and rather mature themes that push the boundaries of the typical good vs. evil didactic. The protagonist is silent, and without immediate purpose, though they feel like a supporting character in the other characters' plots and lives--which are as compelling as they are charming. Lovely artwork and the soundtrack by Yoko Shimomura (KH2) is top-notch as well.
One other rec: Radiant Historia, on DS/3DS, has a creative, strategic combat system, and a plot technique of traveling to different points of time between two realities in order to exploit or affect one or the other. The protagonist, a spy for the empire, is definitely not silent here, and while the supporting cast is small, they're all memorable and easily emotionally investable. I played it on DS for the (IMO) better character art, but the 3DS has expanded plot stuff, which is cool, I guess, but not for me. Soundtrack also by Yoko Shimomura!
I’m surprised at your opinion of “DQ VIII”! It is one of my all-time favorite games, not just JRPG’s, of all time. I loved the characters and the story. While it was definitely “basic”, it was “basic” done at an incredibly high level of polish.
It could be that she is playing the game in more recent times. I got this game and absolutely loved it day one when it was released. I must admit there are parts in the game we're just drags but that can be fun in its own way if other things about the game are enjoyable to you But if nothing about the game is enjoyable than you're not going to have a good time.
I have to agree with her. I thought the game was incredibly polished but also incredibly bland and nothing that hasn’t been done before. There are better ones out there. Just my opinion
@@cojack1686 in a way the game is incredibly bland but nobody does incredibly bland like dragon quest games do. It's the reason why I play them is because not a lot of complicated mechanics to learn or understand it's just enjoying the game and it's story.
I kinda get it, dq8 is like all dq a "play a while then get on with life", it's not that addictive.
Hi Pam! Do you use any websites for cataloging/rating games or you do from memory?
I use Grouvee to track my games.
That Arrested Development reference at the Dragon Quest mark really got me. Great vid, Pam.
Hi there! Thanks for your videos! I wonder if you have any experience with/opinion of Grandia 2?
Where did you get that Hollow Knight shade figure... thing? I NEED it.
It's from Fangamer
I've spent years searching for a novel that had a similar setting to the world in Final Fantasy VII. I just love that blend. So far, no luck. Any recommendations, perchance?
Having watched a few of your other ranking videos, it's genuinely a breath of fresh air as it's based on.. well your enjoyment as a whole as opposed to say "fan favorite". It's just nice seeing varying opinions!
Be it videos like this to your reviews, to even your collection videos, keep up the amazing work Pam!
That CT ranking is even more absurd than your Metroid Dread review, but that kind of thing is why I follow you. I appreciate a dissenting opinion.
I basically stopped playing JRPGs after Tales of Symphonia on the Gamecube so yeah. FF7, Chrono Trigger, and Grandia 2 are my GOATs.
Since you seemed to like the shadow hearts games maybe you’d like the precursor to it Koudelka. It kinda like Parasite Eve has that survival horrory aesthetic with a creepy mood and location with the classic fixed camera angles. It kinda plays pretty standard rpg wise (there’s a kinda pointless grid system) but the voice acting is great and the ost is beautiful (tho the game was directed by someone that composed music at square soft it is weirdly lacking in music) so maybe it’s not totally up your alley but it’s personally one of my favorites!
I agree, Koudelka is a pretty sweet game for the PS1. I played it for the first time just a few years ago and it still holds up if you're someone with a bit of patience.
@@philberto78 glad you enjoyed it!
Great choice of Suikoden soundtrack for background. OST is god tier. have you played Alundra and Wild ARms yet?
If I had they would be in here.
I just discovered Alundra. I believe its the team that made Landstalker on Sega and I loved that game so I am getting ready to dive into it.
@@Cannotbetamed1 if you are looking for those or any other games on Ps1 I recommend Duckstation emulatory - I was really surprised how well it works and am playing Vagrant Story for the first time. Love your channel - from Northwest Territories
the audio quality / your voice sounds great on this. nice work!
Thanks
Very interesting list, different from most others.
As a PS2 fan, it warms my heart to see so many PS2 games.
I really recommend checking out *SMT Digital Devil Saga duology.* Very interesting setting, intriguing premise, nice combat system, great soundtrack. Characters can be hit or miss though.
yeah, not a single SMT, spinoff, or Persona game?
Nocturne is better imo
@@Xhanatos Nocturne had really obtuse dungeons and a really high encounter rate. SMT5 for Switch is my favorite, even with its meh storyline, its combat, exploration, and overall gameplay was just soooo addicting.
@@hepwo91222 Digital Devil Saga had higher Encounter rate. Also in Nocturne you can use Estoma early too turn random encounter off if your level is high. The dungeons in DDS were much more boring too, the teambuilding was more boring.
@@Xhanatos I think what I liked about DDS over Nocturne was the story. SMT5 is my favorite SMT game though and its story is nothing special, just luv the combat, exploration, and overall gameplay.
Bravely Default games are screaming for you to play them! Great list btw, I enjoyed playing FFX-2 but never managed to finish it 100% :(
It's so difficult to get those final few tenths of a percent
are you gonna check out the Suikoden 1 or 2 remaster?
No.
Would definitely like to hear your opinions on Grandia 1&2 and Panzer Dragoon Saga (I don’t think anyone would blame you to emulate the latter).
now this is a great list that I agree with
...it's not because you have my merch on I swear
Pam!!! I love jrpgs. They’ve been pretty much my “main” genre since 1998, when I fell in love with Xenogears/Final Fantasy VII. Though I will say, the last couple of years I haven’t been as into them. The new ones just don’t seem to capture that same magic..
Final Fantasy X-2 I will argue eternally is the most fun you can have playing a turn based game. It’s so damn fluid and smooth. And really cool to see Shadow Hearts get some love from you. THAT scene from the second game always gets me a little choked up. Such a great story!!
Thanks for making this awesome vid! It’s got me in the mood to seek out a new jrpg to try! Take care.
I'm convinced people who look down on FFX-2 just don't like fun. Okay, if they don't like the lighter story, or some other sillier aspects, but gameplay wise it's so much more interesting than most games in the genre.
I don't play JRPGs that much and often I don't manage to finish them. Even if I want to like them.
But recently I played Ara Fell and I really loved it: It's not overly complicated but all the stuff that's there is really enjoyable: Main protagonist is a young girl who always wanted to explore the world, and at the beginning of the story is kinda forced to. But soon she realizes that it is not like how she always imagined it. She has just three companions, but all of them are quite well developed and their banter is very enjoyable. Combat is quite simple but you spend a lot of time thinking about which skills to advance and what gear to upgrade so that characters complement each other well.
Really recommended!
Great video, it's interesting to see someone actually say hey the gameplay matters and a lot of JRPGs have similar mechanics which I just don't enjoy that much. Story beats can just vibe with different people so I get why people just wouldn't think certain games are all that great.
I would love to see your opinions on Western RPGs especially the Elder Scrolls and Bioware games
Edit: wow so I just found your CRPG rankings and a lot of games I was wondering about are on that list. I guess it would still be interesting to see how you rank games such as the Mass Effect series, Elder Scrolls, Dragon's Dogma, maybe even Gothic
I've been waiting for this one Pam. I can always count on you!
This is a nice breather/break from my 140+ hour playthrough of Xenoblade Chronicles 😵
Good vid, I've a few new ones to check out and we agree on the PS1 era ones almost completely.
Some of my faves that you haven't played are Mother 3, Lunar 2, Langrisser 2 (basically all combat though), Shining Force II, Final Fantasy V (worth it more for the customization and combat)-VI and Phantasy Star IV.
Also Terranigma, Secret of Evermore and Front Mission: Gun Hazard for ARPGs though those are all 16-bit and SoE is better with a balance hack.
Glad to see you overall enjoyed Like a Dragon! So many PS2 games I've never had the ability to play 😭
Hello Pam, thank you 🙏 for letting me know about Tiny Tina. I saved about 50% because the games original price is 69.99 in the PlayStation store which is insane. The game right now is at 34.99 due to back Friday. So I’m going to wait till the game drops.
Wow, we have really different tastes hahaha. All of your points made sense, though. Ultimately it's a matter of liking or not those things you pointed out. I'm really glad you gave a chance to games like .hack and Dragon Quest!
Edit: If you have time, try giving a chance to Breath of Fire 4. It's my favorite JRPG, and the story is amazing!
BOF 4 is the best PS1 JRPG.
@@erikw792 No isn't its way to easy, you can just spam the same spell combo the whole game every fight and win without much issues.
@@nzeusman8215 What JRPG isn't easy?
@@erikw792 Just because allot of them are easy doesnt mean they have the same levels of difficulty. I have played many jrpgs and altho bof4 is great on many levels its just such a shame that theres barely any challenge, bof 3 had more challenge, i still love bof 4 as wel tho, music, graphics, chars, did like the dragon system from 3 better tho.
What's that shirt's logo? I feel like I've seen it before..
I'm sure you'll get some comments about the 16 bit era RPGs and some of the Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest ones but I enjoyed hearing all of your viewpoints as usual
Great video, Pam. I have never heard of Shadow Hearts until today; I was shocked at my ignorance. I'll be remedying that. I wonder whether you'd like FFVI. I love its theme music and its opera scene. It's combat system also has a twist on the usual ATB where several characters have unique mechanics. JRPGs tend to drag after a while though. I don't think I have finished a single FF game except FFXIII-2 (the second half took on a heartbreaking determination), but I did my best at each from VI on. But if there is one game not on your list that I'd recommend: Vagrant Story. I never got around to play it, but I hear it's one of Square's greatest masterpieces.
I was also put off by Chrono Trigger in the beginning because it reminded me a little too uncomfortably of Dragon Ball. But the story grew on me, I love its theme of gloom and hope. And it didn't have that incredibly annoying random monster encounter mechanism so prevalent in the JRPG of that era. What stuck with me was the music though. Just a few years ago, the main theme popped unbidden into my head. That reminds me. You should do a ranking of game music! I am going on Patreon.
My favorite part was the lemons that confused and upset you. 😄Thank you for working that in. You spoil us.
If you enjoyed Cthulhu Saves Christmas, maybe try out Cosmic Star Heroine. It's from the same developer, and it has a reasonably interesting combat system where any attack or technique can only be used once, and then there's a sort of 'pass' action which refreshes them all. It's a little bit board gamey in that respect, and it makes things pretty tactical. Personally I think Cosmic Star Heroine is Zeboyd's best game.
I may have missed something but what are your thoughts on Shin Megami Tensei 3 Nocturne Remaster (what a name)? I love it but would like to hear your perspective.
I have a few recommendations for you based on some of the action RPG’s you put in your top rankings:
Valdis Story
Valkyrie Profile
Xenogears
Vagrant Story
I think the first three are right up your alley; Vagrant Story’s combat system might be a bit repetitive for your tastes, but you should still give it a try.
I enjoyed your video and your list.
You didnt mention it, but what were your thoughts on The Last Remnant?
I have none.
I'm going to have to recommend you check out the shin megami tensei series or spin offs. Persona 5 Royal is pretty good if you're into characters and has other stuff do other than combat. Shin Megami Tensei 5 on the switch is pretty good too if you're into demon collecting and are into a apocalypse setting fighting demons and angels. Strange Journey is personally my favorite of the series due to the heavy sci fi setting. These games are darker than your average jrpg but revolve around demon collecting and fusing them to create stronger demons or personas. Also the devil summoner series on the ps2 has combat you will probably enjoy. Cool vid!
I’m going to go through the whole video but was surprised to not see persona v on the time stamps! Great list
I'll probably play it sometime now that it's on Xbox.
@@Cannotbetamed1 I'm confused, most of the games you ranked are on playstation. So you don't have a Playstation 4 or 5?
Hi again Pam. I was curious what other SNES RPG/JRPG games did you have a chance to play?
Back then we really didn't have many United States released games that were RPG/JRPGs. They could be considered to some as a rare commodity back then.
Have you by chance played Final Fantasy 3 for the SNES?( Actually known later on as Final Fantasy 6 )
If you haven't you I hope you try it out sometime.
There's no silent protagonist in Final Fantasy 6 with many side quests and character development of many of its characters.
Hidden characters to find as well.
I really consider this game to be more well detailed as well with how the characters are fleshed out.
For a SNES game at its time it was really good maybe some believing it was better then Final Fantasy 4.
( personally I love both for all the characters in each one. )
Its a really good game that took the steps of changing the way Final Fantasy games would go from there since it felt more modernized with it
being set in an industrialized era with war mechs .
Plus you get to play a Moogle for the first time who does some awesome attacks with dance stepping too. 😃As Mog would say: Kupo.
At that time I never knew about the other Final Fantasy games we never got from Japan when Final Fantasy 7 was released. 😠
I was confused saying to myself "Huh!? Why is it called 7?"
Back then there wasn't much info on Japan titles since this was pre mainstream internet and only covered mostly in video game magazines.
I personally preferred the old school Final Fantasy titles since some felt more medieval style based, simplified, with some unique areas.
Its just a personal choice thing for me. Everyone has there own in what they like in a game.
( Keep in mind we also never got any Fire Emblem titles localized until the Gameboy Advance. So many titles that we miss out on
during the NES/SNES era. 😞)
Some of the later Final Fantasy titles became more sophisticated such as 7. I'm not saying that's a bad thing though.
It just wasn't for me after 7 until I played 12.
Its just sometimes you just want to get out of the towns/cities and start battling the monsters. Too much talking and visiting in towns before moving on here. lol
You could alone be spending hours just in a city with just doing side quests in a town. Wayyyyy too many. lol
Problem also with some of the later titles if your not careful you miss out on some important items and may have missed the chance to backtrack.
Not to mention the ridiculous grinds you have to do just to level up.
( For the record I personally never beat 7 sadly due to the ridiculous amounts of leveling up you needed before going the point of no return
by the end of the game. )
What I mean here is you know how they do in some video games today where companies are purposely having you spend real money
to just speed up how you level up since they purposely devalue how much EXP you obtain or Gold as you level up to a certain amount.
The earlier Final Fantasy titles 1-6 didn't take as many hours to beat or had this issue. It was just about patience.
Don't even get me started about Final Fantasy 13.
I watched someone playing this first hand and your dishing out over 9999 hits not even defeating basic monsters.
( 9999 use to be the max damage in old school final fantasy games. That was usually overkill back then. )
Basic monsters that are not even bosses or mini bosses here! You may spend even over 10 plus minutes at times in just one battle!!!
It should not take that that long to beat a basic monster(s) early game when your just trying to farm EXP and Gold.
Now if were talking a game like Final Fantasy 11. That's understandable since that MMORPG meant to be played with
other players helping you in teamwork.
If you never played the other japan titles the real Final Fantasy 2 and the real Final Fantasy 3 games you should try them too.
( not to confuse these with Final Fantasy 4 and Final Fantasy 6.
I'm talking about 2 and 3 that were first on the NES, butwe did get later remakes we got here in the United States. )
They had some really dark storylines if you've never played them. Especially 2 which does not have any silent protagonist characters.
Keep in mind these were first on the NES that we never got at that time. Really impressive graphic wise during there release time as well.
Final Fantasy 2 requires patience because of how your stats and magic have to be built up.
( Here's some tips for this game:
1. If your trying to build up there HP and MP fast early on. Your better off having your characters hit themselves.
I kid you not. Not only does it help with hit accuracy with your weapons and spells it will help you get through
some of the hard parts early one too. You don't earn EXP in Final Fantasy 2. Fortunately none of the other titles used this battle system afterwards.
2. Be sure to save often and in multiple saves if you can. There are parts in this game where suddenly your put in an area where you have clear the
part before you can explore the world map again. These areas may have monsters that could easily defeat your party if there too low on max HPs and MPs
and poorly equiped.
3. The last part of this game is VERY LONG!!! You may need to escape and come back. Were talking you needing some realy high HPs, MPs, and well stocked on your basic restoration items. Especially if you want to challenge some of the mini bosses for the better equipment. )
Try to get the PSP version of Final Fantasy 2 since it has more content and extra surprises. Plus you can play it on the TV if you have the hook up adaptor.
Now Final Fantasy 3 is the first time the class system is introduced that you talk about they have in Final Fantasy X-2.
You could slowly become other classes if you wish and even change them as the game progresses.
( Tip: BEFORE you go deep into the 6th or 7th floor ( point of no return here) final part of this game make sure to build up your levels before venturing too deep inside.
Watch out for the Dragons too. There rare, but deadly. You get good exp and a good rare item drop if they your lucky enough to beat them.
Don't push your luck though. Run if you can until you have decent levels.
Once you go through the 7th floor Its an auto Boss fight and THERE ARE NO SAVES POINTS AFTER THIS POINT!!! 😱
Trust me were talking you want to throw out the controller rage because of all the grinding hours you just lost if you have to start all over! lol )
We did get a remaster of Final Fantasy 3 on the DS in a way I didn't care for, but still played it. I really love some of the environments the players explored at that time.
I later versions of Final Fantasy 3 he story is different a little bit since they
removed the silent protagonists party and replaced them with 4 new characters that have a background story.
ALSO if you wanted to get the extra content you had to send letters to another player which is garbage.
If you happen to have 2 DSs with 2 copies of this game you can unlock the extra stuff this way.
But its not entirely necessary if your just interested in playing only the main game story.
( I just prefer the old school way they originally did 3 and not the 3D they did in this remaster )
Sadly the PSP store no longer exists but if you do have it this way KEEP IT since it does come with all the DS content in it
and you no longer need to send letters. Also you get the classic music too if you want to listen to those tracks instead of the remakes.
Good news also is there's many ways now to play these classic Final Fantasy old school titles in remaster form that I may have not mentioned
for those interested in playing these as well. There true classics. Are they better compared to most stuff out there today? lol maybe, maybe not.
Its all about preference.
If anything again these games were the building blocks that got us to where we are today with JRPGS/RPGS and
being able to enjoy playing more localized JRPGS/RPGS then we ever had a chance to play back in the 80s and 90s in the United States video game market.
Trust me on this. I'm very very VERY thankful that we get to play these now and what we missed out on growing up.
Sorry for the long post. There was just so much I wanted to mention when it came to some of these games.
I hope you'll play them sometime.
Thanks again as always for time Pam.
This list includes all of the SNES JRPGs I've played.
Hi ( @@Cannotbetamed1 ) Pam . Thanks so much for replying back. I truly appreciate you for it.
Very interesting. So it appears there's a lot of games you have yet the chance to try out from this era....Hmm🤔
Before answering this question in more detail for you just wondering what about JRPGS/RPGS for the Sega Genesis?
How many from these have you played by chance?
It could can give me an idea of some games I can suggest you try out on both systems. There was a lot of reasonable titles.
Some you can now play on later systems such as the PS3 for example as as part of a completion.
For example do you have Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for it?
If you don't I REALLY recommend this title on the PS3 version because you get a lot of classic RPGs, actions games, arcade games, extra unlockable games/arcades, and practically nearly every sonic game from that time in the Sega Franchise.
Best part its a real money saver too compared to how much you may pay for some of these titles on cartridge now AND you can save state your games
so you can can save some time.
I also recommended the PS3 version because later ones are now trying to lean you to buy the others as purchasable DLC instead of being on the game disc itself. Interesting enough they edited some content on the Switch version too. 😠
( The sadly only one small gripe it did leave out only a few titles that were avialable on the previous PS2 as a different version
called Sega Genesis Collection. But I still consider the PS3 version more superior since comes with ALL 4 Phantasy Star Titles!!! 😃)
In the meantime definitely try to play Final Fantasy 6 if you can for starts if you can.
It is a long game for its time and again no silent protagonists in that one and
some of the characters have some really deep story connections with the events happening in that world later on.
I really don't give away too much but there are more characters you can play as compared to Final Fantasy 4 or 5.
Plus Final Fantasy 6 really had some amazing music as well.
There are many ways to play Final Fantasy 6 as well.
The Gameboy Advance Version has more compared to the SNES version the load time should be fast.
In a ways if you want you could also play this on the Final Fantasy Collection for PS1.
But my gripe with this PS1 version has to do with load times and if you have even one disc scratch in the right place.. is a nightmare😱.
Of course you could also try the SNES version known here as Final Fantasy 3 instead of being called 6 in the United States version.
Maybe more pricy, but the load times are fast for SNES standards.
Personally I would prefer a cartridge version ( SNES or GameBoy Advance) of this game due to load times,
but you do miss the CG scenes from the PS1 version.
However your not missing much with those CG scenes if you just want to focus on just playing the game and its story only.
I look forward to hearing back from you when you get the chance sometime. Thanks again as always for your time Pam.
i remember getting Dragon Quest 7 (Dragon _Warrior_ in the West) for the PS1 and being excited at the prospect of finally discovering what all the hype was about because i too had heard the stories about how this series crippled productivity throughout the country on launch day.
yea, i never finished it, lol, because it just... kept... going... and was not compelling at all.
it felt like a game designed by an algorithm.
and i was a kid at the time, back when i had all the energy & time in the world to play these games and it _still_ exhausted me.
so, yea, Pam, ur not alone. 😆
Hi Pam! Nice to see the Shadow Hearts series get some love. Although I think the first game is the best, the 2nd game is really good too. Love the gothic feel.
The silent protagonist thing is interesting. I guess game designers do that with the hope you’ll project your own personality onto the character. I’ve heard people complain Link doesn’t talk in the Zelda games. I’m glad he doesn’t (at least in the ones I’ve played) and would find it super weird if they have him start talking one day! But yeah, doesn’t work for everyone, clearly.
This was a fun watch, even if the placements of FFXII and DQVIII wounded me fatally lol 😅
Hahaha yeah, same for Chrono Trigger. We need to take a walk, buddy
@@guilhermeviolin Chrono Trigger ruined my JRPG gaming experience. I never found better seriously. Im stuck in 1995 for ever hahaha. Its a S+++ for me.
@@francisladouceur3819 It is also my favorite JRPG of all time. Between this and DQ VIII, I think she also just doesn't like Toriyama's art, which I found just as painful. 🥺
Same lol... I had to stop and come back to this video after the Chrono Trigger rating, I was shook 😅
@@PeteOliva I've never played any DQ man!😯😯... which one should I try first? I tried the DQ11 when it came out but it didnt grab me much.
I really appreciated this ranking, as my main experience with JRPGs was the 8 and 16 bit eras. After that, I got out of video games for several years...So I missed a ton of games from this era.
PS: Parasite Eve needs a high budget remake like the RE games are getting. IMO, it's so much better than the RE games, too...
Very cool video. It's kind of hard to judge the older jrpgs outside of the context of their time. They're simple now but back then they were pretty complex compared to basic arcadey action games...most games didn't even have saves in the SNES era. I'm also nostalgic, and therefore biased, of course.
Have you played any of the mainline Shin Megami Tensei games? They might appeal to you if you like both Shadow Hearts and the Dark Souls games. A lot of things get overcompared to Dark Souls these days, but Shin Megami Tensei is actually a fitting comparison because it has a lot of the same appeal as Dark Souls but in a turn-based RPG format. The combat system is very technical and it requires learning the ins and outs of it in order to succeed in the game, the enemies will hit you very hard but you can also hit back hard with a combination of combat strategy and character building. The SMT games also have a lot of dark and bleak themes in the games and the main narrative tends to happen with a sort of minimalistic approach to storytelling similar to the Souls games. Though like the Souls games, more information on the story and characters in the games as well as the lore behind them can be found by going out of your way to search for more information and through doing side quests. A lot of people pass on SMT because it is much darker and more difficult than what one would typically expect in a JRPG so thin-skinned weebs write it off as something only for edgelords and are only willing to play the much more accessible Persona spin-off series, but mainline SMT is probably my single favorite RPG series and I think it would even appeal to a lot of fans of Western RPGs because of the technical gameplay mechanics and all of the character and party customization that is available in the games.
No, I haven't played any but they always looked interesting.
OF the games on this list, I"ve only played the Star Ocan: Till the end ot time and The Last Hope. I don't remember anything from End of Time, I do remember getting stuck and quitting on a boss in Last Hope. A fight where I had to blindside it and strike it. I could never pull the move on time..
I thought you had played Eterna Sonata. Was hoping to see it on the list.
Classic JRPGs I would recommend :
Lunar : Eternal Blue - An overall better experience than Silver Star. It's still a very basic JRPG though.
Breath of Fire 4 - An underrated gem. They basically polished what they learned from past games.
Lufia 2 : Rise of the Sinistrals - Adds Zelda like elements, which make the dungeons more interesting.
As an old-school SNES JRPG fan, your Chrono Trigger rating left me gasping. The rest all seemed pretty fair though, I also find DQ bland at times and Kingdom Hearts never appealed to me.
There are Fire Emblem games not on handhelds, I bet you'd like Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn but if you want to play them legit on console you need a gamecube and wii and some serious cash for the games themselves. There are also older games on FC and SFC which hopefully will get remakes someday. The new FE game coming out early next year has a really wild design/look but hopefully the gameplay will be solid and it includes heroes from many earlier games so that might be fun and help new players learn more about the series.
Also, since I suggested a game or two, I figured I should finally get around to joining your Patreon so that you have money to try them out when the time comes. Incidentally, it’s altruistic of you to only have the $1 tier but I can’t give you enough to actually buy anything soon that way (although obviously don’t buy either game if you don’t want to try them). So I used the custom option to go for a higher rate (probably for fewer months instead of indefinitely) instead. Cheers!
It hurts to see Legend of Dragoon only get a B. Such an overlooked classic. But honestly there is only 2 camps for the game. Those who love the time based attack system and those that loath it. Honestly I loved it a ton. It wasn't too hard to master after a while. Lavitz had some damn hard ones though. The cut scenes though really sold the game for me. The Divine Dragon had such a cool look and memorable battle on top of the mountain
Absolutely masterpiece, I await the remake forever.
There's also the camp that gives it a B.
I liked the time based attacks.
I always admire your intelligent reviews, and listening to you almost feels like meditation because of your tempo. And while you're not making too many unnecessary words everything is always sraight to the point. Thanks for all these relaxed and competent reviews. It's always a pleasure listening to you, thanks for your great work.
Thank you so much for ranking them Pam!!
Have you ever tried the "Trails" series? I have played the first two "Trails in the sky" and to me they had one of the best world building i've seen in JRPGs. The characters and the story were interesting and the combat system is similar to a strategic game, you have to move your party's member on a grid and reach the enemies to attack.
No I haven't tried them.
Good list. Im excited to see what PENNYBLOOD becomes. Nice to see cthulu saves christmas in there. The tales series has some pretty good games as well as grandia 1 and 2 and perhaps some breath of fires.
I clicked on this expecting it wouldn't be a typical list and I wasn't disappointed.
The biggest outlier here is your take on Chrono Trigger. For that reason it might be interesting if you do a video going through your thoughts on CT in particular, since it wasn't entirely clear to me why you thought the story and characters of CT were less interesting than say the ones in the more primitive FF4.
Completely agree on Nier Automata. I went into this filled up with hype and while the game does has some cool stuff in it and some truly epic moments, the bread and butter gameplay is for the most part quite dull. What makes it worse is they expect you to play through the game several times to see all it has to offer. I don't get why this is so highly rated.
While I do think Suikoden 2 is overall a better game than Suikoden 1, I believe you're right in pointing out 1 did some things better. It has a much brisker pacing making sure it never feels slow, and the rock-scissors-paper war battles are far more exciting than the drawn out grid based battles in Suikoden 2. In fact the war battles in Suikoden 2 aren't very well programmed at all, because depending on your stats you can end up basically softlocked in battles where your DEF is too high for the enemy to hurt you but your ATK is too low to hurt the enemy.
I literally skipped to watch the CT minute just to confirm my suspicion and I won't watch the rest. I knew she was just going to be contrarian without reasoning, aka trolling.
You can say "basic and boring characters/story and battles" or "bad writing" about almost any game. Ty it. Dark Souls, Ocarina of Time, Doom 2016, Elden Ring, Madden, any JRPG before CT and almost any that came after. tlou is mostly searching drawers, cupboards, etc. Name any game and I'll tell you why it's crap.
These "critics" with their non arguments and mindsets. "No game can be a 10", "guilty pleasure" games and so on...
How can you not see ANY value in one of the best in any category imaginable? And how can so many viewers think "I don't like this popular game" is a "breath of fresh air"? Not liking a game is never a "hot take". The vast majority of "gamers" wouldn't touch a JRPG before FFX with a ten foot pole.
What game before CT had better visuals, music, story and characters and managed to combine them into a complete experience? I can see why people now wouldn't enjoy FF6 or anything pre-PS2 but even in the decades since then, barely any game managed to pull it off like that.
Not to mention all the things it did first. Think of the death (before FF7) or even time travel with changes in the past affecting the future, all the cinematic scenes, many endings, inventing NG+ and so on. It's mind blowing from beginning to end.
Even if all she cared about was the battle system, that was revolutionary at the time as well. Calling it basic when half the games above CT in the finished list aren't any more complex in that regard.
Now that I listened to the FF7 part I'm even more confused. Everything she liked about that came from CT (even the motor bike mini game that was a big plus?!) except the setting which is FF6 evolved. Clearly you love what you played first. That's almost always the case. Pick either Persona 3, 4 or 5 then play the other two and your first will be your fav.
But if you voice your opinion you should try to rationalize it.
edit: FF6, CT and FFX are in my top 10 games of all time in case you wondered
@@DerRabenbarde I don't agree with her take on CT, but I don't think she made this whole list to troll CT-fans.
@@Reginmund Of course not, that would be ridiculous. I'm saying "basic, boring, uninteresting" is a worthless take on any game, especially when you contradict yourself a few minutes later with the equally useless take on why FF7 is great ("it has good characters") because you can say these about anything. She could've flipped FF7 and CT and the video and comment section would be the same and that's why I think a long video filled with pointless criticism like this is misleading and not worth anyone's time. Watch proper critiques instead.
Also who hates FF7R to the point of quitting halfway through if they love the characters?
Is she ever clear about what she wants in a jrpg? Seems randomly fine with long story, grinds, not too deep characters, etc sometimes but other times absolutely not. Same with pros like diversions, visuals, sound, etc.
I'm not sure what level of critiques you expect in a ranking video that covers 40 games, unless it's 12 hours long. You are one of the people I was addressing at the beginning when I suggested going for a walk.
@@Cannotbetamed1 I don't need to touch grass to know the video would be too long and you like what you like and opinions on games don't matter because it's all subjective. I'm just trying to understand other's reasons for their opinions on games because it often seems so contradictory. Like how some expect to feel a genuine bond with a character but don't want to spend real time with them and skip dialogue.
You can look at so many jrpgs from FF7 to Persona 5 and point out things people including you generally appreciate in the genre and say "Chrono Trigger did it first" and it's baffling that someone who enjoys both, those innovations we now take for granted, as well as much older, rougher and simpler games doesn't see the value in that or the story, characters, visuals or music.
I too think graphics are less important than the games-age-badly crowd but why draw the line of "too old" exactly before the first 3D games when jrpgs on the SNES used character position on the battlefield(CT), time sensitivity(SMRPG), post-apocalyptic monster collecting(SMT), vast job systems(FF5), tiny minigames for each character's special ability and whatever else a dev could come up(FF6) to spice battles up just like the psx titles of the following years. A system like the dual/triple techs would fit right into any modern game.
It really seems to me like you just assume or misremember that CT is linear with basic combat and no character progression when none of that is true.
I do respectfully disagree with Chrono Trigger, even though your reasoning makes sense: Chrono is a bland protagonist, but I think that is picked up by the rest of the cast. Frog, Magus, Robo, and the world in itself is a great character. OTOH, I absolutely agree on your FF12 rating - Ivalice is an interesting world, but the game itself is just a snooze and grindfest, even with the Zodiac Age re-release fixing the license board somewhat. It's my least mainline favorite FF even below XIII-1, II or III.
If you don't like Chrono, you can get him killed off early in the second half of the game and play without him, he stays dead. What other game lets you do that? lol
@@hepwo91222 Exactly he is not the protagonist if you don't want to
@@NBmad also if Magus is allowed on your party, Frog never breaks his curse to become human form Glen ever again. This game was ahead of its time with NG+, numerous endings, and choices into Magus and Chrono even being on your party at all when you beat the game.
@@hepwo91222 I like to grind Frog a little and give him his final fight with Magus
Hey Pam you should try Racing Lagoon ! Squaresoft's racing/rpg game, the story is cool and its aesthetic is chef's kiss. Theres's a fan translation now. One of my faves ps1 game.
I wish there was a physical repro or better yet, that it came out where I live, in PS1. Thor In High Heels did an excellent and hilarious video on that game.
Very surprising ranking to me, but quite well explained ! Thank you for this interesting point of view.
you seem like an honest reviewer. Would be interested in your thoughts on bravely default and other 3ds/ds games. And no persona?
Ni no kuni is my all time favorite, can't get cute enough 🙂
Here's an odd recomendation, especially since I've yet to complete it, but FF13 3 Lightening Returns. On series X it has 60fps so I replayed 13 and didnt hate it like I did back in the day. 13 2 was better in my opinion with bizzare time travel stuff. But 13 3 uses kinda a dress system like 10 2 and I ended up really enjoying the combat. I however fell off and will have to start over cause I dont know at all how any of my shit was set up, so someday. After I finish Lost Oddessy, which like you said those written stories are awesome, I think some of those stories are better then a lot of games stories out there. But thats my oddball suggestion
I’m so glad someone else echoes my feelings about DQ8. I wasted about 20 hours before bailing due to overwhelming boredom. Yet so many people love it!
I put 60 hours into it, same experience. Had to grind for the boss, hour or two later, still got rinsed. Decided to explore a lot of the world and kill stuff, an excuse to grind, as clearly I needed to grind a lot. I found that the world was dead, empty. Few truly living settlements, few items for sale anymore, just dull. I meant to continue on, but I was playing Etrian Odyssey Untold : Millennium Girl at the same time, everything about it was more interesting and fun, less cookie cutter. I just finished that instead, took 140 hours and a few years though lol. Monster of a game. Was playing Mario and stuff on the side though.
@@eldontyrell4361 Those golden Golems? I must of taken out about 1000.
I hope I see Terranigma and Suikoden 2 on here!
Pam have you played the Xenosaga Trilogy on PS2?
They have great story and gameplay
No.
@@Cannotbetamed1 I see. Episode III is very expensive nowadays
If you like Star Ocean, you may want to check out Grandia… or the early Tales games. They share similar gameplay
Great ranking, I like hearing your strong personal opinions, even where I disgaree
Thanks!
Yes! I’ve been looking forward to this list!
Great review 👻
Hi Pam, thanks for another interesting take. You likely already know this, but just in case: you don’t have to play Fire Emblem games on handheld. Quite a few of them were brought over to the Wii U, but you’ll of course need to jump on them before the online store closes in March, 2023. Since you seem to like tactical combat games, I thought it was worth mentioning:
1) Fire Emblem, the original for English speaking countries
2) Sacred Stones
3) Shadow Dragon
4) Also, Fire Emblem Engage just came out on Switch
You should Maybe Checkout the "TALES OF" Series, Berseria und Arise a really nice i think.
Otherwise, VERY PERSONAL LIST, many weird, but honest Choices, which i prefer as every one ranked the same 3 Games over and over as S-Rank. Had to disagree with Chrono Trigger, but still nice Ranking!
I'm going to comment for the algorithm's sake. I'm surprised you're comparing Chrono Trigger to games like FF7 or FF12 or Nier Automata when it's more akin to Secret of Mana, Illusion of Gaia or Tales of Phantasia. It was novel at the time because it had an active turn based combat system (which changed with speed stat), different party members had different combo abilities, (spoilers) the main character could die and the game would not end, it had multiple endings (unheard of at the time). it was a basis of newer games and better mechanics. Like Super Metroid, it WAS amazing. If you play any game inspired by it, you will find it lacking, BUT the game was an amazing first step away from the turn based, chosen one, four member party, single ending, rut that the genre had found itself comfortable it.
I wasn't really comparing Chono Trigger to any games in particular, just ranked it along with the rest of the games in the genre I've played.
@@Cannotbetamed1 true. I just thought you were going off release dates (or rerelease dates).
if you can get the .hack games cheaply, than its worth it. Loved the whole series and getting the characters, especially from .hack sign. there is a general overarching story through the anime and the games so you get a bit more depth there. the .hack franchise holds a special place in my heart. chrono trigger was such a groundbreaking game when it came out. everything about it is old hat at this point, that being said still S tier for me. FF 4 on the psp had all those expansions, If you can get that full version than it is worth it and I consider that S tier. I gotta mess with that yakuza game tho. I know people have talked about the breath of fire games and the Shin megami games, but you could also use those when you update the list.
The soundtrack alone to some of these games makes them S Tier but sadly this was barely mentioned. Deffo a long way off how I would rank these games but happy to see Suikoden up there 🙂. A good watch.
With about a minute dedicated to each game, music seems like the least important things to talk about. Plus I don't have much more to say than "music good".
The NeverEnding Story should have never ended. Final Fantasy should have had a finale
This is a odd list, especially the B section. I agree with some and disagree with others. Going by the games ranked highly I suggest you trying the Tales series. I personally recommend Tales of the Abyss. Not because it's my favorite, but because I think it lines up with your personal taste the most. You might hate Luke at first though, but he really evolves as a character (for the better). If that one doesn't click with you give Tales of Berseria a try instead.
Your reviews are a breath of fresh air. I really like how you go through and give a synopsis of each game you're ranking and why the game gets a certain rank. I also like seeing a completely different opinion on them (like giving Chrono Trigger a C) that challenges the norm out there.
Thanks!
Wait, whoa, you HATE Nier Automata, my pick for GREATEST GAME EVER MADE????
I thought you were going to give it an S rank for sure. I mean, that game changed my life. It has the best soundtrack since Xenosaga. The best voice acting EVER. It's just full of non-stop insanely entertaining surprises and it's addictive as hell.
Subjective choices for sure.
Here's one I would recommend to check out, and I saw it just a couple years back at a used game and DVD store sealed for 20 bucks, and I want to kick myself for not buying is Tales Of Vesperia for Xbox 360. (now on Steam) That will stand the test of time graphically. Beautiful color palette, great voice acting, fun battle mechanic like Star Ocean, but can be a little too much. It kind of warms out it's welcome towards the end, but a great B tier. Loved the vibrant world, atmosphere. Just awesome overall vibes playing it. 360 didn't get many, but that one was a good one.
I feel like I have similar mind set as you but I don't have an issue with art styles.
At the top of my head a quick ranking
S tier Final Fantasy 7,9,4,6 (9 is best), Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2. Legend of Dragoon. Dragon Quest 8. Chrono Trigger. Shadow Hearts Covenant, Parasite Eve, Ni No Kuni , Dark Cloud 2,KH Chain of Memories
A tier. Chrono Cross, Star Ocean 3, Radiata Stories, Suikoden 1 and 3, Final Fantasy 8, KH Birth by Sleep
B Tier. Final Fantasy 12 PS2 and 10, Persona 5, Final Fantasy 7 remake and Tactics, Fire Emblem on advance, KH Dream Drop Distance,Suikoden 4
C Tier. Final Fantasy 3,5,Shadow Hearts, Dark Cloud, Persona 3, Suikoden 5, Enchanted Arms 360
D Tier. Final Fantasy 10-2, 1,13, Atonement, Golden Sun on DS, Enchanted Arms PS3
F Tier. Final Fantasy 15, Dragon Quest 11 (what I played) , Bravely Default, Octopath Traveler
Lost Odyssey was the very first game I bought for my Xbox 360. It’s still one of the most enjoyable games I have played, in my opinion. I’m glad for the rating you have given. :)
I loved that game so much! Did you play Blue Dragon? I wonder whether that's worth giving a go?
@@hazy33 Unfortunately I haven’t played it before but I have heard about it around that time. Based on what I have heard from other people, it’s a good game and have enjoyed it. So I suggest giving it a go! :)
Have you played final fantasy 6 or Grandia 2? I do agree with ff4, they did a good job with the story. If you ever have the time, you should try and finish FF4 up. I have enjoyed some of the games you mention on the show. Keep up the good work and thank you....
FF6 is peak FF for me, none of the other games after ever lived up to that one IMHO.
I actually love this list and agree with pretty much all of it except for your assessment of Chrono Trigger. I just honestly don't feel like you played the same time as me. It's complex, heart wrenching, replayable, and I find the combat extremely engaging. It would be top of S tier for me.
But I respect your approach even though I just don't think you gave it enough of a shot. Like I said, I actually pretty much agree with most all of what else you said. Dragon Quest VIII, also, the writing was brilliant in my opinion and not liking Toriyama's art style is something I will never understand. 🤷🏻♂️ Good video.
Your opinions are certainly a lot different from mine! Of the ones you listed that I've played, I think the only ones I agree with are the Final Fantasy X games and Nier: Automata. The Final Fantasy X games didn't impress me that much when they came out, but I've come to truly love them with time. And what you said about Nier: Automata not respecting time became apparent to me right during the opening sequence. It took me 40 minutes to reach the boss. He beat me and, since there were no saves or checkpoints, I was bumped back to the beginning. I ejected the disc and let it collect dust for a month before reselling it. I'm an adult and refuse to give my time to games which so blatantly don't want me to play them.
Yeah, no save points until after the boss was bullshit.
If you haven't played PS1's Vagrant Story yet, look into it. Although I'd avoid plot spoilers, here is a great retrospective on it: czcams.com/video/FLIpw5XRpwM/video.html It's one of a kind. Thank me later.
So happy you covered Lost Odyssey! Definitely doesn't get enough talk as it should. I still get annoyed with the reviews it got citing the load times and nothing else about it.
When I think about that game, I do not recall loading times at all.
Absolutely fantastic game. Those stories you come across are so beautiful and poetic.
Chrono Trigger a C?? Nothing interesting happening plot wise? Kingdom of Zeal? BLAAAAASSSSPHEMY!!!!!
lol DQ def does have a blandness to it.
Yeah, spoiler alert, you can get Chrono killed early in the second half of the game and never bring him back and beat the game without him. So if you hate the silent protagonist, you can lets him die for good with Marle sad at the end of the game thinking of her dead friend. Also you can kill Magus and Frog becomes Glen in the ending. So you can beat the game by killing off two party members out of seven and its totally fine!
A Pam list! I love Pam lists.
I always appreciate and respect your opinion gamer
I'm 100% on board with your take on FF7 (that was the game that motivated me to get my first job as a teen back in '97), but I feel like a lot of what you highlighted as the good points on that title are really shared with Chrono Trigger! Like. My one big complaint about FF7 is I think the story is not good, but the story in Chrono Trigger feels a lot better IMO. I'd still have FF7 higher, but at the end of the day, I'd def put Chrono Trigger higher if only for the ability to 'pick your battles' and the replay-ability of that game.
You should try the Persona/ SMT games and if you have access to a 3DS: Radiant Historia, Etrian Series and Bravely Default and Second
I will say that huge time investment and learning curve has resulted in me buying (and rebuying) a ton of RPGs...and yeah after 20+ years I still haven't played them.
I literally have only played Xenogears, Final Fantasy VII, Chrono Trigger in an extensive way. I could only beat Chrono Trigger (with a friend's help), gave up on FFVII in the final dungeon, found a 50+ hours in game-breaking bug that preventing me from finishing Xenogears.
I can't really get into any of the other FF games I own, and I own many. After 50+ hours gave up on FFXIII.
Oh wait, I'm into FF XV, though it's really slow going, not sure I'll ever beat it, because it takes forever to go anywhere or do anything, though it's still really enjoyable.
Hi Pam 👋. Have you ever played legend of Dragoon? Its really good
Yes
Giving Chrono Trigger a C and Nier Automata a D is so unbelievably based. I'm here for it. I actually love Automata, but I think Chrono Trigger is so overrated it's not even funny.
Just because a game is overrated doesn't mean the game is C tier
Fairly chrono trigger is a wonderfully created game and easily S tier or A tier(minimum)
She just said it is boring and generic
And ofc automata is easily S(or A tier) as well
I don't recall any Gamecube games on your list. The system is rather light on JRPGs but it has some quality titles you might like. Skies of Arcadia Legends, Baten Kaitos, Tales of Symphonia, Paper Mario:Thousand Year Door, and others.
Yeah, I never played much GameCube other than the Mario Party games. And RE4.
Great list, which made me wish I still has my old PS2. A lot of classics from that era that you can't find on Steam (Suikoden, Legend of Dragoon, Parasite Eve, etc). The last Final Fantasy game I played was the original VII, though I will likely play FF IX in the near future. It has an upcoming voice-over mod / DLC, and one of my friends (who also narrates my audiobooks) is one of the voice actors. Funny enough, I've been called "sacrilegious" by some friends who are die-hard Final Fantasy fanboys / fangirls, because I think the given character names (especially in VI and VII) are incredibly stupid, so I always rename everyone. It makes discussing plots and characters confusing, because I never have any idea who they're talking about! 😆
Always enjoy your reviews. They make me think, even when I don't 100% agree. I admit to being a bit of a Chrono Trigger fanboy, though your critique was more than fair. I rediscovered it a few years back and honestly still loved the story, even though I don't care for the "silent hero" trope, either. I admit part of it is sentimental, as I named one of the characters after my late wife. I did the same with Final Fantasy VI, which I was surprised to not see on your list, as it's probably the most popular of the entire franchise.
I don't think "very basic mechanics and uninteresting story and characters" is a fair critique any way you look at it. Those, along with the visuals and music, were the best at the time, as well as the base for FF7, which she loves.
You can call ANY game "uninteresting" but if there were games that you couldn't, it would be those that did so many things first or were the greatest at the time, both of which is true for Chrono Trigger.
Also the way she talks about it makes it seem like she hasn't even played it. You know the protag is silent a minute into the game and time travel is in the name. The "critique" could be said about almost any game including FF7. Most things she praises about that one are present in Chrono Trigger, even including the motor bike mini game...
Oh yeah and gave up on Kingdom Hearts, beat Kingdom Hearts 2 (the best game in the series I"m sure).
The BEST RPG I ever played by Square was The World Ends With You. That's a S+ rank game, a top 25 games of all time. Just perfect perfect perfect in every way.
Chrono Trigger is still the greatest JRPG of all time. Reading some of the comments, I can already tell this will be different from my own views
*edit*
My personal rankings of the ones I've finished:
Final Fantasy- C
Final Fantasy III- C
Final Fantasy VI- S
Final Fantasy VII- S
Final Fantasy VIII- B
Final Fantasy IX- A
Final Fantasy X- B
Final Fantasy XII- B
Final Fantasy XV- D
Final Fantasy VII Remake- C
Xenogears- S
The Legend of Dragoon- B
Wild Arms- C
Chrono Trigger- S
Chrono Cross- B
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch- A
Star Ocean:First Departure R- C
Suikoden- B
Suikoden II- A
Persona 5 Royal- S
Parasite Eve- A
Grandia- A
Phantasy Star- D
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky FC- B
Xenoblade Chronicles- C (here's the one people will hate lol)
Not Sure Nier Automata fits but I liked it a lot. I would give it an A
I pretty much one to one agree with you hear
Chrono trigger is the frickin best and ffvi and xenogears are close
One of my favorites growing up was Skies of Arcadia. It was on the Dreamcast which sold poorly and it was on the Gamecube which sold poorly. It is one of those that is severely underrated. The RPG has you flying air ships and combat is interesting. I feel like if they did a mini console of the Sega Dreamcast, that it would sell well. This game hit only those titles and really is underrated.
Okay, your taste is very different from mine, but they overlap. Star Ocean 2 is awesome. But I really enjoy the classic formula and the most basic turn based battle systems. I love DQ VIII and XI, but it's personal preference, of course.
Maybe give Grandia a go. Its battle system is really interesting. It's kind turn-based, but you see the battle order and can knock foes back. You level elements by using magic in order to get more powerful magic and they add to your stats. What I love most about the game is the atmosphere, tho. You're going on a big adventure and the characters are excited. It's so charming. The second game loses that feeling and gets all edgy, but it's still fun as a game. They're not grindy at all, but battles are so much fun.