moogy
Very neat setting and I have a soft spot for ultra-basic oldschool JRPGs like this.
1996
It's SM64. Not rating it because it's so influential that any number I could put on it would be meaningless.
2003
Kamiya's best game.
A lot of fun if you can get into the proper mindset for it. You kind of have to accept that you probably won't see all of the content in a single playthrough (not without using a guide anyway), and just get into the mindset of sort of poking at the seams of the game to see what spills out. It's hard to really call it a JRPG, though, lol.
Probably has the best Sill design in the series.
Probably has the best Sill design in the series.
Script has huge problems that are impossible for me to ignore, but the game itself is actually pretty competent otherwise. Great QoL, arguably the best central cast in any Kiseki game, and a lot of meaningful content. Music is a step down from Sen 1/2 though
Huge step forward from 6-8 in terms of stage and pattern design. First half is pretty much perfect, second half is weaker but finishes off with a major bang. Bombs are probably a bit too OP.
Uniquely grungy atmosphere and a really well-developed setting. The plot is very much a slow burn but the payoff is well worth the wait. Rance himself is pretty far into the asshole side of things in this one, which might turn some people off.
I hope you enjoy backtracking!
This is where the storytelling really started to take a turn for the worse. The gameplay was significantly refined so it's at least fun to play, though. One of the better soundtracks in the Kiseki series overall
Substantially better than any 3D Zelda, despite coming out before Ocarina of Time. Just play this and forget about that series.
Crossbell is cool and it has Azure Arbitrator
Legitimately one of the best (and also most underrated) JRPGs of the modern era. While the story itself isn't really any more flavorful than Sophie's, there's a huge world to explore, and the non-linear nature of the game progression sort of gives rise to a narrative all its own. The core systems are also very solid, as one would expect from the Atelier series; you'll spend just as much time crafting items as you do exploring.
Honestly this is a really wonderful game that left a major impression on me and something I want everyone to play. It's by no means perfect, but there was a ton of love put into this game -- and it has the content to match! The soundtrack is also more or less on par with Sophie's, which is no mean feat.
Honestly this is a really wonderful game that left a major impression on me and something I want everyone to play. It's by no means perfect, but there was a ton of love put into this game -- and it has the content to match! The soundtrack is also more or less on par with Sophie's, which is no mean feat.
Probably my favorite plot/setting in Touhou and one of the best soundtracks too. Design-wise it's all over the place but at least it has PDH.
Stages 4-6 are the coolest stages in any Touhou game on a purely aesthetic level, imo.
Stages 4-6 are the coolest stages in any Touhou game on a purely aesthetic level, imo.
The most JRPG of all JRPGs. I loved it as a kid just for how damn anime it was, and I think it's still okay if you just want the most 90s fantasy anime plot of all time with some JRPG combat along the way. I still get the world map theme stuck in my head from time to time.
Story/dialogue is quite bland, but the gameplay is addictive, to say the least, and it has one of the greatest soundtracks of all time. Almost every single song is a winner.
I also appreciated the more involved combat/character growth in Sophie, and was kind of sad these elements were toned down in subsequent Fushigi games.
I also appreciated the more involved combat/character growth in Sophie, and was kind of sad these elements were toned down in subsequent Fushigi games.