Do they still make turn based jRPGs for America?

[Pixel_Outlaw]

I've not bought an RPG in a long time and from what I've seen at my friend's houses it seems that turn based role playing has heavily fallen out of favor for this dynamic hack and slash style play.

I on the other hand am still happily stuck in the 90's so I'd like to know of some good jRPGs that maintain traditional menu driven combat.
I own a Playstation 3 and Wii for my current gen consoles. (I probably won't get a 360 until the system is dead and cheap.)

[Ganelon]

I'm assuming by turn-based, you're referring to traditional menu-based turns. Traditional JRPGs have diminished within the RPG world internationally and many of the latest ones are portable-only and aren't localized. But they are still coming out and some, like Dragon Quest IX, have done quite well. And if you count SRPGs, there have been even more lately.

For US PS3, there's:

Cross Edge
Disgaea 3 (SRPG)
Enchanted Arms
Eternal Sonata
Final Fantasy XIII (ATB)
Hyperdimension Neptunia
Last Rebellion
Record of Agarest War (SRPG)
Trinity Universe

And on PSN:

Might & Magic Clash of Heroes (puzzle)
Record of Agarest War (SRPG)
Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment (SRPG)
Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls

The only problem is that of this whole bunch, not one of them would count as a favorite. And based on overall reviews and opinions, it seems most feel similarly. Most of my preferred traditional JRPGs this gen are remakes in fact, a situation that I try to view with a glass-half-full mentality.

[Blackbird]

Depending on your PS3 model, keep in mind that you have also have backwards compatibility to PS1 and 2 games. This opens up a huge library of JRPGs to pick from, including some of the classics.

If you're looking for a more recent game, I know a lot of people really liked Persona 3 FES and Persona 4.

[BryanM]

You have a computer.

16-bit style jRPGs are a large swatch of the indie ecosystem.

[cj iwakura]

The PSP is pretty much king of the genre right now, namely thanks to Legend of Heroes and such, but the DS also has games like Etrian Odyssey and The Dark Spire.

[Pixel_Outlaw]

I see...
Has Square/Enix given up on turn based battle?
My friend was playing some game by them yesterday (I forget the title) where you just ran around and slashed at enemies.
I cringed a bit inside.


Deep down I just want the following.

1. A thin unimaginative storyline about an unlikely hero that through a series of odd events is plunged into saving the world.
2. Menu driven battles with turn based play.
3. Anime styled characters, not highly textured ugly generic looking bozos.
4. Combat and item systems that are not horribly convoluted.
5. Sidequests along a main story path.

[evil_ash_xero]

Valkyria Chronicles on PS3 is pretty amazing, but it's sort of a new kind of Strategy RPG. But i'd give it a look.

[Udderdude]

If you're looking for turn based strategy, my twin's blog has tons of stuff. http://www.tbstactics.com/

[Pixel_Outlaw]

Ah I've never quite been able to get into strategy games aside from Vanguard Bandits and Front Mission.

I'd just like to play the old Final Fantasy psx era like games. Probably the best time for RPGs was the Playstation. I still have mine with many games.
I don't believe in selling consoles.

But I digress, I don't care for strategy games (turn based or not) most of the time.
Just looking for the old back and fourth hits with enemies and colorful anime characters.
I'll look into some of the options people have listed here too!

[Drum]

They still make 'em, but the rise in hardware capabilities and the ideologies/assumptions that go along in tow have made it a niche thing and they tend to be on less capable hardware.

[Casper<3]

I really liked FFXIII. You should give it a shot.

I grew up on super nes rpgs and ps1 ones too. I enjoyed 13 a ton.

[Obiwanshinobi]

The only one this gen jRPG I crave is Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey.
The only one tactical jRPG with battles on a grid I believe everybody should play is the original Shining Force (available on Virtual Console). It has the charm jRPGs have been losing since the PSX days. It's very simplistic and all the better for it (I like complex systems for stat freaks if done well, but this game can get away with simplicity).

[Elixir]

"for America"?

Cross Edge
Enchanted Arms
Hyperdimension Neptunia
Last Rebellion
Record of Agarest War (SRPG)
Trinity Universe
Record of Agarest War (SRPG)

All of these are ridiculously horrible games. Neptune's probably the best of the worst, but the battle system came down to "mash X and R1 until it's over". Neptune II has potential, but considering Neptune was a remodeled Trinity Universe with a bestiary taken from Cross Edge, don't get your hopes up.

Elixir recommends Resonance of Fate, and Tactics Ogre for PSP. They're localizing Disgaea 4, but the series is less about strategy and more about becoming so overpowered that the stages become irrelevantly easy.

[Daigohji]

The flood of strategy RPGs is one of the things that has really killed my interest in the genre in recent years. I enjoyed Final Fantasy Tactics, Front Mission 3, and the first half of Disgaea, but I was bored of the formula by then. The other thing that has killed my interest is that traditional RPGs are now either focusing on their battle systems at the expense of everything else or being willfully retro (where the developers interpret retro as shallow and infested with cliche). The main things I want from an RPG are likeable characters, an epic plot that's had some though put into it, and a varied and imaginative world. All of those things seem to be afterthoughts now.

Given all that, I still think that Valkyria Chronicles is the best RPG of the current generation by a very, very wide margin. It's the one SRPG that's taken the generational leap in gameplay that the genre should have taken ten years ago, and executed it properly. Plus it has a great cast of characters, an engaging story, and gorgeous music and visuals.

[rapoon]

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey - top of my list
others:
resonance of fate
persona 2: innocent sin (coming soon for psp)

[professor ganson]

If you're looking for turn based strategy, my twin's blog has tons of stuff. http://www.tbstactics.com/

My favorite gaming blog by far.

Elixir's comments are right on, imho.

[Blackbird]

The flood of strategy RPGs is one of the things that has really killed my interest in the genre in recent years. I enjoyed Final Fantasy Tactics, Front Mission 3, and the first half of Disgaea, but I was bored of the formula by then.

Tactics Ogre is not just another johnny-come-lately. The original Tactics Ogre on the SNES was the direct inspiration and model for Squaresoft's lauded Final Fantasy Tactics. In fact, Squaresoft pretty much bought out Quest (the company that made Tactics Ogre) to make FFT for them. It isn't a large exaggeration to say that FFT is a clone of Tactics Ogre that expanded upon it's ideas.

The plot of Tactics Ogre addresses serious themes that are rarely explored in games, like ethnic cleansing/hatred as a motive for warfare. The story is told in a credible and extremely dramatic manner. The game has a branched structure that allows the player to make real and significant decisions that actually significantly alter the course and outcome of the game. It was ahead of it's time in this regard.

Tactics Ogre also had a memorable operatic soundtrack that rivaled even later games on the PS1.

In short, it is a classic of the genre.

The PSP remake actually -improves- on a game that is already a classic. The arranged soundtrack is astonishingly good, and arguably among the best soundtracks I have heard for a game. It's that good. Meanwhile, the gameplay was refined, removing some of the tedious elements of the original game while preserving what was good about it.

It's almost flawless - the only real weakness is that the gameplay is more or less the same as it was on the SNES. Fans of strategy games will find the formula very familiar, because it's been emulated in so many other popular strategy games. I find it hard to fault the game for being influential, though =P.

I strongly recommend Tactics Ogre PSP to anyone vaguely interested in strategy games or turn based gaming in general.

[Sumez]

I see...
Has Square/Enix given up on turn based battle?
My friend was playing some game by them yesterday (I forget the title) where you just ran around and slashed at enemies.
I cringed a bit inside.


Deep down I just want the following.

1. A thin unimaginative storyline about an unlikely hero that through a series of odd events is plunged into saving the world.
2. Menu driven battles with turn based play.
3. Anime styled characters, not highly textured ugly generic looking bozos.
4. Combat and item systems that are not horribly convoluted.
5. Sidequests along a main story path.

You're obviously looking for Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon. Basically, a continuation of what Square was doing during the 90's. Lost Odyssey is, in every way, a Final Fantasy game except it's not Final Fantasy. Of course, it's made by the guy who invented the FF series and has an Uematsu soundtrack, so that's almost a given. Too bad you don't have an X360. :\






Otherwise, their latest effort is The Last Story (another obvious pun on FF's title) for Wii - still not confirmed for US release, but it's coming to Europe, so I doubt it'll pass up on North America (don't know where you're living-EDIT-WAIT MAYBE IN AMERICA LIKE IT SAYS IN THE TOPIC).
Same with Xenoblade, from the creators of the Xenogears/Xenosaga people, looks like a real classic PS1-era jRPG, can't wait to play that.
I don't think either of those games are turn based though, but you might want to look out for them, when you "only" have PS3 and Wii.

[greg]

Pixel_Outlaw, I think your best bet is to go for what's on either a DS or a PSP.

Somebody mentioned Tactics Ogre, but that's more of an SRPG than a straight RPG. The DS has Dragon Quest, and DQ9 is still turn-based (with a bit of FFV-style vocationals thrown in). I have quite a pile of JRPGs I've yet to play on my DS, ranging from 16-bit style to 32-bit style.

[Elixir]

Otherwise, their latest effort is The Last Story (another obvious pun on FF's title) for Wii - still not confirmed for US release, but it's coming to Europe, so I doubt it'll pass up on North America

http://www.nintendo-universe.co.uk/2011 ... s-release/

Basically Xenoblade, Pandora's Tower and Last Story have been declined for America. But Last Story and Xenoblade have been confirmed for Europe.

I like Xenoblade, but it's not really what the OP is looking for.

[drunkninja24]

It really makes me sad that Mistwalker basically canned 360 development after Lost Odyssey. I personally loved the hell out of Blue Dragon, and Lost Odyssey was stellar as well. I think having them push out Blue Dragon first kinda hurt them though, since it wasn't exactly the style of game people were looking for at the time.

[denpanosekai]

Yeah I'm currently playing through Lost Odyssey and I haven't been blown the F out by an RPG for such a loooooong time. Pure genius!

Just make sure you don't go for all achievements.

[Horacechin]

Depending on your PS3 model, keep in mind that you have also have backwards compatibility to PS1 and 2 games. This opens up a huge library of JRPGs to pick from, including some of the classics.

Like the Dragon warrior/Dragon Quest series on ps1 and ps2

[Sumez]

Basically Xenoblade, Pandora's Tower and Last Story have been declined for America. But Last Story and Xenoblade have been confirmed for Europe.

I like Xenoblade, but it's not really what the OP is looking for.

Actually, considering his love for the PS1 era Square/Enix RPGs, I think its overall style will appeal to him as much as it does to me, even if the combat system is not turn based. But it's just a hunch - I felt it was worth mentioning anyway.

Also I find it incredible that Xenoblade is supposedly not getting a US release, when it's getting one in Europe. That's a historical first since Terranigma, really. Either way, even if it'll be an import for the US people, it's still getting an official English translation, which is the most important part, IMO.

The Last Story, however, was recently registered as a trademark in US, so there's still a chance here:
http://wii.ign.com/articles/118/1182192p1.html