Being a big fan of the RPG genre especially of the Japanese ones and of the golden era of the late 90's i decided to make a Top 10 post of the greater JRPGs that were realesed on Sony's Playstation. This Top 10 list of course is according to my judgement and doesnt mean that it is catholic.
10. The Adventures Of Alundra
Alundra is an action role playing game develpoed by Matrix Software, and features the adventures of an Elf of the clan of Elna, The Dreamwalkers. Led by his dreams that they call him the "Releaser", Alundra is caught up in a storm and his ship is washed ashore the beach a a village. The townsfolk blame Aludnra for the monsters that threaten the village and like this Alundra's adventures begin. Despite its many similarities with the classic 2D Zelda series (one lonely wanderer that his ship is wrecked and the townsfolk save him, pointy ears - elf origin, a whole arsenal likes sword, bombs etc. reminds me soooo much of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening) Alundra has managed to win a place in the Top 10 because of its beautiful graphics, its classic gameplay and its intriguing music. In my opinion the "Nintendo" and "Zelda" fans underestimated it big time back in the days.
9. Star Ocean: The Second Story
Star Ocean is a fantasy RPG that it gives me the impression that its intentions were to look like Final Fantasy VII. Its direction (the photography of the its pre-rendered graphics) follows the same path that FF VII did, and its a very nice mixture of "old" and new weaponry (sword and guns, this is something that japanese developers love it, from anime and games till movies). Its gameplay is treading on the steps of the most of the turn-based rpg out there. Towns, dungeons, battles and level ups are what you should expect to find in this JRPG. The gods have hurled a deadly meteorite into an unsuspecting planet unleasing such chaos that was never seen before! Now its only up to 2 people from different worlds to take a turn to the most perillous journey that they might never make it back from.
8. Xenogears
Dude i loooove jrpgs and in the PSX era they were just keep coming and coming with no end! Awesomeness!
If u want something done right just have a japanese do it for u!!! Now, in Xenogears. A mysterious organization is turning the tides of a century-long war with ancient technology giant combat robots known as Gears. A failed attempt to steal one of these powerful weapons places it in the unwilling hands of young Fei and his dubious allies. Now he is pursued by military governments, royal pirates, spies, the emperor, and his own forgotten past. This is in general terms the plot of Xenogears. With its gameplay following the classic jrpg road Xenogears manages to win a place in this Top 10 and its definitely a game that every jrpg fan that has some respect for himself should play even once in his life.
7. Legend of Legaia
This jrpg developed by Contrail and published by Sony Computer Entertainment, follows the classic path that every psx jrpg of its time that respects its own self does! :Legend of Legaia takes place, where else? in a world called Legaia. Legaia is inhabited by humans and objects called Seru, that once joined with humans, they grant them fantastic powers. Once, Seru and humans co-existed in harmony but about ten years before the game begins, a mist appeared that turned the Seru into monsters and nearly annihilated the human race. Now humans join forces in different regions to hide from the mist! Legend of Legaia is one more jrpg with turn based battle system with a captivative story that really no fan of the genre should miss. Even now that the graphics are quite outdated it worth playing!
6. Breath Of Fire IV
BOF IV is a traditional role playing game with an isometric viewpoint with full rendered 3D environment and 2 dimensional characters. BOF IV like every other game of the series follows the story of a young man named Ryu (armed with the power to transform into dragons) and his teammates that all together try to stop the awakening of an evil emperor that with a dragon form wants to destroy mankind. The thing that makes the 4th installment of the series stick out from its brothers and actually to stray from the path is the fact that it is chinese like designed. The names are chinese like (e.g. Fu-Lu) and the music has a really adventurous chinese feeling unlike all the other BOFs that were set in eastern medieval like worlds with western like epic tunes! If i were you id purchase it right away because very few games are so well designed and with a unique scenario and atmosphere. Its really on of the kind.
5. Parasite Eve
Whoever owned a PS in those days and were a fan of the genre he couldnt have missed (but if he did I pity him) Parasite Eve. Parasite Eve is what I would call a weird combination of Resident Evil 2 and Final Fantasy VIII. Its set in the real world (the world map is that of Manhattan). The characters are fully 3D drawn in a 2D pre-rendered environment and the battles are turn based. A police officer and a possessed woman by an ancient evil that threatening the earth are bond together until something dies. The game beging following the steps of a rookie police officer, Aya Brea, attending an opera concert that very soon turn out to be a demonic holocaust. A magnificent sci-fi rpg from the creators of the legendary Final Fantasy VII that promises compelling plot and a gameplay that will mark ur gaming existence.
4. Wild ARMs
Well what can i say for that epic title?! I really dont know from where i should complimenting. Though its viewpoint is quite zelda like and even back in the psx era could be regarded outdated WA captivates you right from the moment that the intro starts. Basically thats what made me play it in the first place. Set up in a sci-fi western environment that combines perfectly guns swords and magic Wild ARMs takes place in a wolrd called Filgaia (Fargaia in the original Japanese release). A thousand years before the events of WA a war between humans and the Metal Demons was raging and humans prevailed destroying the enemy's "Mother" but not killing her. They managed though to trap her extracting her heart breaking it into pieces and traping them into 3 statues scattered across the land. The gameplay throughout the world is set in a 2D aspect and the battles are set into a full 3D rendered environment. Definitely a masterpiece and the first jrpg to be released in the PSX and totally worth your time. Over 50 hours of gameplay will make you forget games that till now you were considering a must.
3. Final Fantasy IX
If I could I would put FF VII as well in this Top 10 list but there were other that deserve a place here so FF IX is enough for now. FF 9 takes place in the four continents of a world called Gaia. The most of the population inhabits the Mist continents. The other ones are still uncharted (e.g the Outer Continent). The town are inabited by human and non human anthropomorphic races. The games and we see Zidane Tribal and the Tantalus Theater Troupe planning and kidnapping Princess Garnet while on her sixteenth birthday. Queen Brahne pursuits them while they escape on their airship. Going on, we learn that princess Garnet wanted to meet with regent Cid who is the person that Tantalus team were going to take her anyway. An epic adventure begins where we see a mystic figure called Kuja being the actual master of puppets behind Queen Brahne's erratic and weird, aggressive behavior and the efforts of Zidane and his team to stop Queen Brahne's wars against the rest of the Mist's Continents kingdoms. The game has a full 3D world map and 2D pre-rendered graphics in the towns and dungeons where the players tends to spend the most of the gameplay. The battles are turn based and when the encounters occur at random we are transferred to the Battle screen. I won't praise FF IX at all I ll just say that it was one of the few games that really scarred my gaming childhood in the most fairytale-ish way.
2. The Legend of Dragoon
TLOD takes place in a fictional continent called Endiness. It is a geographically diverse land, with each climate zone being home to a different nation. The main protagonist is Dart that he returns home after his long 5 year pursue of the killer of his parents, the Black Monster. When he returns home he finds out that his village was scorched down by the army of Sandora and his childhood friend was captured. He sets out to find her and along the way he meets with several characters. Main role in the game play the Dragoons. Dragoons are spirits that allow humans to take a more powerful form during battle. Like the previous on the list. the characters are 3D while the environments are 2d pre-rendered. The world map is just an map that you just choose ur destination. There are also towns and dungeons and the encounters are random as well and when they happen we get transferred to the battle screen. Very characteristic is the constant flavor of sadness that leaves embroided to your soul something that very few games can transmit!
1. Final Fantasy VII
Though much can be said for that legendary piece of art I ll try to keep it short. We all are familiar with that rpg title that marked more than one generations. It features all the characteristics of the last two games regarding its gameplay (turn based battle system, 3d characters etc.) and the music is unique. It draws you in and captures you. You take control of Cloud Strife. an EX-Soldier that worked for the Shinra company. Now just an outlaw he joins forces with Avalance a terrorist organization that opposes Shinra for being responsible for the dying condition of the planet,Gaia. Avalance targets and bombs the nuclear reactors fuel that are constantly drain the life of the planet, the lifestream. After making shinra almost incapable of pursuing them they start searching for Sephiroth, Cloud's past mentor but now his sworn enemy. Sephiroth wants to use the planet as his mother's vessel and ship to become the medium that will aid her in conquering the universe. A sci-fi jrpg with a so much authentic plot that like this has never been written. After all it was first on Top 10s throughout all these years for a reason wasn't it?
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