Legend of Dragoon is not only the game that got me into JRPGs...
It's the game I have to thank for even making me a gamer.
Until I came across a demo for it (back when demo collection disks from Toys R Us were a thing), I had always considered video games to be dumb time-wasters for kids that I'd eventually grow out of. But then I encountered LoD... 4 delicious disks with 20 hours' worth of content each. Man, what a fucking ride. It was like... the Wheel of Time of JRPGs.
I will never, ever, EVER forget that game.
Now that my fangirl explosion is done, some others:
Wild ARMs (1, 3, and 5 are my favorites)
Persona (3 and 4)
Star Ocean (3 and 4... I don't care what people say about the plot/terrible dub, I enjoyed The Last Hope)
Eternal Sonata (beautiful game)
The World Ends With You (a DS gem)
Kingdom Hearts (1, 2, and Chain of Memories... Don't care for the other three spin-offs)
Chrono Trigger (should be self-explanatory)
Golden Sun (1 & 2, GBA gems... don't care for the DS one)
Honorable Mentions:
Lost Odyssey -- SURPRISINGLY good (and DEPRESSING) story undermined by a really sluggish first half, and a combat system some may dislike
Drakengard/Drag-On Dragoon 3 and Nier (either version) -- Okay, I confess. I haven't played either of these. The gameplay... leaves much to be desired in either, imo. But I adore their plots, characters, and soundtracks. The world building and composition was amazing in both of them.
It's the game I have to thank for even making me a gamer.
Until I came across a demo for it (back when demo collection disks from Toys R Us were a thing), I had always considered video games to be dumb time-wasters for kids that I'd eventually grow out of. But then I encountered LoD... 4 delicious disks with 20 hours' worth of content each. Man, what a fucking ride. It was like... the Wheel of Time of JRPGs.
I will never, ever, EVER forget that game.
Now that my fangirl explosion is done, some others:
Wild ARMs (1, 3, and 5 are my favorites)
Persona (3 and 4)
Star Ocean (3 and 4... I don't care what people say about the plot/terrible dub, I enjoyed The Last Hope)
Eternal Sonata (beautiful game)
The World Ends With You (a DS gem)
Kingdom Hearts (1, 2, and Chain of Memories... Don't care for the other three spin-offs)
Chrono Trigger (should be self-explanatory)
Golden Sun (1 & 2, GBA gems... don't care for the DS one)
Honorable Mentions:
Lost Odyssey -- SURPRISINGLY good (and DEPRESSING) story undermined by a really sluggish first half, and a combat system some may dislike
Drakengard/Drag-On Dragoon 3 and Nier (either version) -- Okay, I confess. I haven't played either of these. The gameplay... leaves much to be desired in either, imo. But I adore their plots, characters, and soundtracks. The world building and composition was amazing in both of them.
