10 RPGs for Beginners and 5 to AVOID!

If you’re new to turn based RPGs, there’s a lot of noise to sort through. And you want to make sure you start off on the right foot. It’s easy to fall into the trap of jumping into games you hear are incredible but end up biting off more than you can chew, or on the other end of the spectrum, try RPGs made for beginners that just downright suck! So, in my ongoing efforts to share my love for the RPG genre, lower barriers to entry, and banish the gatekeepers, I have been curating a list to help you on your way! Because if there’s two things that I’m good at, it’s coming up with concise titles, and coming up with lists, and these are 10 beginner-friendly Japanese style turn-based role-playing games interspersed with five that you should avoid either because they suck or they’re good but bad for newcomers!
00:00 Sub if you like chapters! (Hey, it was worth a shot! 😅)
00:52 Try: SMRPG
02:06 Try: PLGP
03:55 Avoid: FFMQ
05:51 Try: CT
07:49 Try: DQXI
09:42 Avoid: OT
11:24 Try: FFX
13:04 Try: P4/P5
14:14 Avoid: EB
15:55 Try: DCTTT
17:10 Try: YLAD
19:15 Avoid: LoH:TFZ
21:07 Try: NNKWotWW
22:35 Try: SPSOT
23:42 Avoid: OGCs

[@azuretony]

The irony of the most beginner-friendly jrpg (Pokemon) existing because of the most unfriendly beginner jrpg (Megami Tensei) is absolutely hilarious to me. Good list man.

[@SuperDerek]

Thanks Tony!

[@brotbrotsen1100]

Was that actually the reason for that?

[@azuretony]

@@brotbrotsen1100 You mean Pokemon only existing because of Megami Tensei? Yes.

[@brotbrotsen1100]

@@azuretony That's neat, i mean the gameplay is very clearly inspired by smt, i just didn't knew that they made pokemon because smt was so hard to get into.

[@azuretony]

@@brotbrotsen1100 Yeah I was surprised when I found out. And they didn't make it, the people behind Pokemon have said that the inspiration for the game in the first place was the original Megami Tensei on the Famicom, While I love about anything Atlus I do agree it can be harder to get into the SMT mainline games. Especially how utterly brutal they can be.

[@bireland2012]

Persona is probably a game you play after finishing a couple of jrpgs first. It’s really dialogue heavy and some people might find it stressful by not knowing what they should be doing in their free time.

[@SuperDerek]

That's a good point!

[@marcosdheleno]

there's an even bigger issue with persona(well modern persona) games. the calendar based progression. the fact the games force you to play at its pace, really tarnish the experience for non jrpg players, added to that, it actually being a pretty hard game in its own way. and you will end up feeling like you must grind, but also that the game feels punishing because you decided to grind. so many things to do, and yet, barely any time to do them. what to focus. what to do next. sure, for more experienced players this is a non issue, and you do have more than enough time to play leasurely. but for someone who does not have experience with the genre? persona 3-4-5 feel like one of those rooms where the celling is slowly dropping down, while the walls are also closing in. its NOT something i would advise a begginer to start with.

[@bireland2012]

@@marcosdheleno for sure. The first time I played Persona 4 Golden on Normal I hated it for a lot of the reasons you stated. 3 Reload and 5 are a lot more accessible but still not games I would recommend to people who are brand new to rpgs.

[@shaginus]

@@bireland2012 I don't think you would feel lost There are always Social Links messages to remind you almost every day during free time what you can do a lot of dialogue also suggested what you should do today The gameplay part are super newbie friendly as long as you keep fusion demons

[@kylehashem5898]

Persona is garbo

[@leosee-through6147]

My friend casually starting his rpg journey with Stramge Journey...

[@hnslashj64_]

Lmao, I started my rpg journey with Shin Megami Tensei 4, I don't regret anything.

[@leosee-through6147]

@@hnslashj64_ You have great taste, it's my favourite mainline SMT. If it wasn't for DDS it might be my favourite SMT game

[@hnslashj64_]

@leosee-through6147 SMT IV became my favorite game of all time. Not only did it open my taste to RPGs but also a lot of things with similar themes. Also, I would love to play the DDS and the Kuzunoha games. I hope these get a remaster of some kind soon.

[@femtrooper]

Awesome list! Really enjoyed this and the contract with what not to start with. Great stuff as always, Derek!

[@SuperDerek]

Thanks Paige! :D

[@Onebie]

FF Mystic Quest was my first RPG, too young to understand any great stories at all, so i just enjoyed the music and game, basic as it was.

[@SuperDerek]

I'm glad to hear you dug it! Trouble with this recommendation for beginners _today_ is that there's just not a simple way to play it, if you're not already one of use collectors with a SNES. And something like Destiny Connect might work better for modern kids who are less interested in that nostalgic pixel graphics look. :)

[@cam9144]

FFMQ's music goes hard. The game gets a lot of grief but I totally love it for what it offers

[@kedrixdotnet]

I loved Mystic Quest, it was a nice deviation from the usual Final Fantasy and wasn't hair pulling out inducing.

[@nickwick35]

Stick of Truth is one of my all time favorite games. The story is completely packed full of jokes and every single mission is hilarious. Highly recommend to anyone plus Fractured But Whole is a good, not great, follow up to play afterwards.

[@stefanobutera2800]

I love your channel 😊 great job as always 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@SuperDerek]

Hey thank you Stefan!! I appreciate that. :)

[@TarvouldsQuest]

Predicting #1 as Mystic Quest. Then watching. Edit: OH no.

[@SuperDerek]

Glad my list could provide some surprises. :)

[@ArkAynJoel]

That intro was perfect! 😂

[@SuperDerek]

Nailed that concise title, didn't I? 😆

[@CaseyWilkesmusic]

Subbed because of chapters. It worked

[@Zarathustra-rj4yz]

FF Mystic Quest is essentially SaGa 4. The team who developed FF legend 3 did it and it shows in so many ways. Lots of assets etc.

[@kickpuncher1892]

Sweet vid Derek! Always great content. I love Hit Point too! Cheers!

[@SuperDerek]

Thanks Kickpuncher! Appreciate you watching! :)

[@PowerPandaMods]

A lot of great insight here! When I started my wife on JRPGs, I gave her my DS with Chrono Trigger. I had forgotten that I had FFV in the GBA slot, because I mainly used it as a dust cover. She played FFV instead, and has barely touched a JRPG since. That being said, Child of Light was a game she put almost 60 hours into.

[@Eagleknight815]

This is a great video for reference. Especially the kid friendly games like Super Mario RPG and destiny connect. I think it's a great thing to keep JRPGs/RPGs in general in a kid friendly bucket meanwhile having more mature and difficult games in a different bucket.

[@robbycahyadi9920]

Hii! I'm impressed with your list so far and have a question about a game recommendation. I have a deep love over the Suikoden series and unlike others i started with Suikoden Tierkreis, 5, 4 and 3. The ones most of the fandom considered failures 😭 (never played 1,2 and tactics, have read the entirety of the lore though). I have been struggling to get into other franchise because none can match the intensity of emotions i get from their stories. I started tales of Arise a while back and got bored real quick, pushed myself to play 15 hours but yea. Eiyuden is out and i enjoyed the new combat system in rising, however the hundred heroes version got many comment on the bad transition and scared me from actually playing the game. Because of your video im planning on trying out a some of the series you have mentioned. I really miss a world with a deep-lore and interconnected storylines though (persona is great but all the games just exist in the same space, not much connection between series), do you have any recommendation for someone like me?

[@nelsonramos9456]

Loved this video @superderek. I’m more of an intermediate rpg player and have been thinking about playing trails series but don’t think I want to start for sky. Might start from zero see how I like it. I feel sometimes you go too retro and can make me not like the series and heard zero can be a good starting point

[@GoBoSox20]

I loved mystic quest when I was a kid. I would have played anything with the name final fantasy back then.

[@creamu2roblox]

Very well done 👍

[@alexcducati76]

Great video Derek! I’d also recommend Lunar as a great beginner friendly TBRPG. I introduced my wife to the PSP version almost 13 years ago and she’s been hooked ever since!

[@tralijntje1540]

i am a new gamer and you helped me a lot with dragon quest and final fantasy ,i could not see through the mountains of games in those series . how is finals fantasy chronicles to start with? as a overal new gamer i started with harvestella and ryza (atelier) and i can recomment them too for starters . i never even thought about mario rpg .very helpfull list ,thanks !

[@quetzadrake]

To be fair to FFMQ, it was my first JRPG when I was around 5 or 6, and I enjoyed it quite a lot at the time. So if you're that young, it might be an option if you for some reason have access to it as a 5-6 year old in 2024 and don't have access to much better options that are available these days.

[@peachymiku6432]

Those are some good choices! I actually have two recommendations to add if you don't mind. First is Miitopia. Sure the post game will have it's difficulties, but the main game is pretty solid. It's a silly little RPG that has its own dark moments when you think about it. I would also recommend it because of the AI controlling your teammates. It's actually one of the few games I can stomach that force it on me. My second choice is the Rhapsody series, especially the DS version of the original game and Rhapsody 2, now out in English! These games are a little more light-hearted, but also has its serious moments. Occasionally, they break out into song! This even gets lampshaded in a different game where a character named Myao is questioning why people don't randomly break out into song around here! The reason I recommend the DS game for the original is that the combat system may be a bit easier to follow. Cornet even gets more abilities for helping the puppets. The second game handles things very differently and the main difference is how use magic. Casting magic costs money in this game! So as long you have money, you have access to the magic spells between the puppets and monsters currently equipped. Of course you will want to get equipment and maybe some extra items. Speaking of which, I would ask a beginner to avoid Disgaea games for a while. I can't even wrap my head around playing these games. But these games have been very difficult and I acknowledge for me, it could be a me problem. While I love the differences and the stories these games come up with, they are anything but easy.

[@SuperDerek]

Absolutely, I don't mind _at all!_ This is the sort of thing I love t see in the comments, thanks for your two cents! :)

[@peachymiku6432]

@@SuperDerek You're welcome!

[@obake6290]

Rhapsody is a great suggestion! Not just an introduction to JRPGs, but also an introduction to tactical JRPGs. Plus it's just cute and simple fun.

[@peachymiku6432]

@@obake6290 I know right? I love the Rhapsody series so much! I'm glad the second and third games finally got an English release!

[@derekminna]

​@peachymiku6432 i love seeing Rhapsody fans out there. There arent many of us left lol.

[@Callisto1117]

I think another jrpg that intermediate players should play is Shining Force. I don’t really care for the first game, but I really like Shining Force 2. You take control of the hero Bowie(you can name him), who is just a kid in the kingdom of Granseal, when a thief steals these ancient jewels from this ancient tower that seals the demon Zeon, who wants to destroy the world. Due to you and your classmates being nosey and following your teacher after he is summoned to the castle to look after the King after he falls ill. You end up traveling the world to try recruiting others in the fight against Zeon and to rescue the princess Combat is turned based, but you and the enemies move almost like on a chess board and spells/skills are learned with levels. Spells are AOE to discourage clumping your character together on the field. The different terrain you stand on adds a def boost but affects how many spots you can move. The earliest you can promote(evolve) your party is level 20 and certain items affect what job they promote into. Some grinding may be needed because there a couple difficulty spikes, but i think they are needed. If you do some of the side quest you should be more than good enough without grinding. I would give Shining Force 2 an 8/10

[@ekurisona663]

great idea for a video! ty!

[@Kinda_ANastyDood]

Mystic Quest was one of my first JRPGs as a kid. It was my first Final Fantasy game, it wasnt til 7 that I became a devote FF fan boy.

[@Parallelepiped2]

Great list! I tried FFMQ recently and thought it was too boring, I agree it is not a good starting point for newcomers

[@GreyWolfLeaderTW]

LOL, the first two games that came to my mind as good beginner RPGs were the first two immediately listed. Of course, I only get a tin star for thinking of the blindly obvious. I am a little surprised at no mention of Golden Sun (to be fair, you have to either get a GBA or have a Nintendo Switch Online account with the expensive Expansion Pass to be able to access it), but that is another very fitting starting point for the genre.

[@SuperDerek]

Oh yeah, Golden Sun would also have been a great choice! The Psynergy system might be a little confusing, but I bet newbies could figure it out eventually. Solid pick!

[@jamesz28]

Great idea and perfect timing with this list, Derek. I've recently been going over some game options to introduce my 6 year old son to the jrpg genre. I think it's going to be Mario RPG or Let's Go Eevee.

[@SuperDerek]

Awesome! Good luck and have fun! :D

[@drackyslime]

Some I would say Try: Dragon Quest 4 Dragon Quest 8 DQM the dark prince Fire Emblem 7 Fire Emblem Path of Radiance Final Fantasy 4 Suikoden 1 Shin Megami Tensei 4 Golden Sun Avoid: Live A Live Star Ocean 1 or 2 SNES SMT trilogy SMT Strange Journey Parasite Eve Fire Emblem Echoes Final Fantasy 5 Final Fantasy 8 Final Fantasy 12 Chrono Cross Dragon quest 6 Dragon quest 7 Bravely Default 2

[@MiamiSunrise]

I agree with every pick 100%, I think they all deserve a shot and would be good starting points. I only have one thing I disagreed with and that is your comment about the PS4 port of Trails From Zero. I played through that game fully on PS4 and it plays perfectly fine and looks and sounds good as well. It does not have the amount of total work put into it as the Switch and PC ports but the extra text options they added for those other platforms you dont even really consider when you play it through. I would still consider it a perfectly fine option if Sony is who you spend most of the time with. Fantastic list and well made Derek! I will reference others to this video if I'm discussing with beginners!

[@SkywardChocobo]

Fantastic list and engaging video as always Derek. Your production value continues to improve and impress as the years go on. Huge fan my dude. 😎 An additional game I'd add to the list would be Lunar Silver Star Story.

[@SuperDerek]

I would love to agree! That would be a great one for the list, but it's just not available on many modern platforms. I hope they do a collection/remaster like they did for Grandia, then it would be a shoe in! :)

[@SkywardChocobo]

​@@SuperDerek ahh fair point, it is quite inaccessible to play nowadays. A collection/remaster or any re-release would be a dream come true.

[@4jandsons]

Some great stuff. The "avoids" are great but can be daunting if you're new to the genre. Personally I'm really enjoying my sons introduction to rpgs as he wants to start from the origin (FF1 for example) and work his way up. But he's weird like his dad. Some games are not as newbie friendly and can be overwhelming. Like handing someone brand new to rpgs wizardry or Etryian Odssey their head might explode. Another really good intro game I'd suggest is Terra Memoria. We did a video on it and while I didn't love it, if you're new to RPG's it's not too long and easy to get into.

[@SuperDerek]

As a huge Breath of Fire fan, Terra Memoria has definitely captured my attention! :)

[@4jandsons]

@@SuperDerek It's a very Breath of Fire inspired, with dashes of Zootopia and Dark Cloud.

[@maugzsr556]

I'm super happy to see Ni No Kuni on this list! I still own my original PS3 copy and I'm thinking of revisiting this game soon because I never got to finish it due to life

[@robertlauncher]

Chrono Trigger is so good, especially the soundtrack. I grew up with the SNES sound chip, but even among a lot of classic osts, Chrono Trigger stands tall.

[@1DangerMouse1]

Thanks for the Pokemon recommendation. I never played a Pokemon game and have been wondering where to start. I was thinking of Pokemon Soul Silver, but buying a copy is expensive and emulating it isn't the same.

[@YellsAtTheCloud-ir4ci]

Soul Silver is my favourite Pokemon game, but it does require some level grinding, especially for later in the game, so bear that in mind.

[@markasscop]

my go to answer was always Nintendo RPGs, but really it's whatever game seems the most appealing to you if you're willing to put the time and effort to learn to play it, although all the more better if there's an easy mode

[@smgofdvld]

Something turn based for sure I started off with Pokémon and went on to mega man battle network now I’m playing the sky trilogy 😅

[@johnnytrash2839]

I was already a fan of JRPGs (thanks, Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior) by the time I had played the triple threat of Final Fantasy III (6), Chrono Trigger and Earthbound in '95 and '96. Great list!

[@ATG913]

Great vid.

[@uppernimbus]

Great list of games, Pokemon is always one of those perfect examples of being a beginner-friendly JRPG!

[@SteveO1887]

My first JRPG was Super Mario RPG then I tried Chrono Trigger and the rest is history.

[@YukeWeiss]

My obscure starting point RPG is a PSX game called Guardian's Crusade. Stellar soundtrack, blocky graphics but still some cute innovations for 1998. It's very simple turn based combat and the world map/exploration is a bit like Ni no Kuni where the main thing you use in battle is Living Toys. Definitely one of my favourites and with Pokemon is what got me into the genre.

[@YouOweMeAPizza]

I’m amazed that Chrono Trigger manages to be super accessible while also being one of the best JRPGs ever. I do remember there being some difficult boss fights, though, specifically the first Magus fight. I actually stopped playing there the first time I played it because I was just too weak.

[@James-gj8rn]

My pick for a Beginner RPG is Persona 4 Golden, i would also say Yakuza Like a Dragon is a good choice but there is a difficulty spike, anyone who has played it will know what i'm referring to and Dragon Quest XI too such a wonderful game

[@termitesc.aardwolf3644]

Two OG classics than are beginner friendly are Light Crusader and Phantasy Star IV (once you get a handle on what the spell names mean) for the Genesis (both have Switch ports). Phantasy Star II and III would be a nightmare for beginners, though.

[@Darule514]

You should do part 2 for beginners friendly (Level 2 in terms of RPG) for little more challenge but not too hard.

[@SuperDerek]

Ooh! That's a nice idea!

[@klocks2543]

Like many others, Pokémon was my intro to JRPGs as a kid. I think the early titles hold up surprisingly well and could even be a good intro for a crowd who has some history with the IP. I know they’re not as accessible these days with the 3DS eshop closure. But I found the Let’s Go titles to be too different from what I like about Pokemon and JRPGs. I’d personally recommend Shining Pearl/Brilliant Diamond on the Switch. Or Alpha Sapphire/Omega Ruby on 3DS. You can get any of these games for $30-40 and they’re great remakes that have the spirit of what I think makes Pokemon special, plus quality of life features for newer players.

[@joshuacastro85]

Bahahaha, that opening title was hilarious!

[@cj_skywalker]

I want to say that while you said to avoid the OG classics, they actually remade the OG Final Fantasy 1-6 games in the Pixel Remaster series which has some quality of life improvements like boosted EXP and money, turn off encounters and always run.

[@slowroTX]

You nailed that title.

[@MagicIsaacSage]

I say if you must pick a OGC to start with/recommend, go with Final Fantasy IV. It has the least amount of complications, while having the most amount of what makes the OGCs, classics. And even the optional 1/64 drop items you trade in for the best gear are actually optional to feeling like you're strong enough to take on al challenges. The pixel remaster does a great job with the soundtrack as well.

[@infernofoxgaming10]

EXCELLENT choices overall! I do feel Paper Mario on the N64 is another great choice for beginners. I got a number of people into jRPGs because of that game alone. And as a fellow early Millennial, I agree with you on NOT recommending the OG classics. Just because they may have worked with us doesn’t mean that we have to indoctrinate others in the same way. We’re spoiled for choice on RPGs, and this is a good thing! Let’s recommend games that are friendly ways to get people into the genre; the more people who play, the more the genre flourishes.

[@MrQ12elve]

a decent really simple game i enjoyed was "costume quest" can't go wrong as an entry point hahaha

[@cam9144]

Costume Quest 1 and 2 are seriously underrated and wholesome.

[@TheMyn00ts]

Mystic quest!! I was so happy to see it, beside pokemon, it was my first real j-rpg! AMAZING point of entry for that genre!! Especially when you are a kid! Because like you said, dungeon design is extremely simple. I'm kinda sad it is in the "avoid" section though. I would totally recommend it for people who want to try the genre :o

[@1DangerMouse1]

I think Paper Mario is a better entry point than Super Marior RPG. It's more straightforward. There were a couple parts of SMRPG that people don't seem to mention where people could get stuck and frustrated.

[@TimBitten]

Okay, but there ARE some classics that have a charm and fun factor that has rarely, if ever, been replicated: Suikoden I & II, Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen, Final Fantasy Tactics on PS1, Final Fantasy 7, Wild Arms on PS1, Breath of Fire IV, Parasite Eve, and all the Shining Force games are just simply excellent games in every respect, worthy of anyone getting into.

[@SuperDerek]

Of course! Half of my videos are encouraging people to check out these exact games! But there are probably better "first-timer" RPGs out there, if only from the perspective of ease of acquisition.

[@snervin]

When you mentioned Trails from Zero, I immediately thought “whoever tells you start with the Kiseki series to get you into JRPGs is insane, or has it out for you” that said, as someone who primarily plays the big name modern JRPGs and has been playing through the major RPGs in order of their releases to see if I really like them or not (currently on FE1, FF4, & SMT1), great list. Also, love your content Derek ❤

[@Krendall2]

Good call with EarthBound. The game is, indeed, excellent, but I wouldn't suggest it to someone who's never played a JRPG before, especially an old-school turn-based one.

[@KamenOOORider]

Late and great Akira Toriyama is a phrase that will hurt for a long time 😢

[@stilelits]

13:00 thank you for pointing that out! so many people miss that the laughing scene in FFX is meant to be awkward...it makes sense in context, and it's actually kind of heartbreaking, even if it's goofy when you see it outside of the game

[@cam9144]

It almost bothers me with the amount of people that don't understand the laughing scene.

[@swilliams21231]

FFX is probably not the FF game to start with. The battle system was pretty complex with certain enemies needing to be targeted by certain characters, and the need to constantly swap your party members on the fly to make sure that everyone leveled up was an additional layer of complexity. Not to mention the sphere grid. That game was not very beginner friendly at all.

[@obake6290]

Great list and great reasoning for the picks. I'm not positive I agree with FFX though. Before a couple years ago I totally would have based on memories of the original. But then I replayed it via the HD remaster and oh man is that game a struggle if you don't sit and grind for long periods of time. I just don't have the patience for that these days, so I actually ended up turning on the supercharge mode for a good chunk of the game. Sure there's challenge runs to not use the sphere grid or whatever I'm talking normal people and I didn't think it was a good experience at all. What do you think about Bravely Default for this list? Genuine question as I never finished one. But it presents as a throwback RPG in all the right ways and I think it could be decent for beginners. For the avoid, I would definitely avoid the FF Pixel Remasters. They slot right in to the OGC suggestion, but I think still worth mentioning as they are recent releases. Maybe you could get away with FF6, but nothing earlier

[@Xenaximus]

Pretty good list of choices. The first JRPG I played was one of my dad's games, Phantasy Star, but I was too young to understand much and never got too far. But later on when Breath of Fire released on the SNES, it became the first JRPG I played all the way through and beat. With its sequel and also Chrono Trigger releasing not too long after that, I've been hooked on the genre ever since.

[@lemoncat9329]

Bravely Default is the game that made me fall in love with the genre.

[@tecnoskills2261]

i played persona 3 a bit and pokemon games and i want to play FF VII, it is a complicated game to start? Im not a big fan of jrpg but i will like to play it. ty

[@SuperDerek]

Sure! If you've played Persona and Pokemon, then I think Final Fantasy VII should be just fine. Have fun! 😁

[@juanchiapa2882]

Oh man, the music from Breath of Fire 1 was a lovely surprise in this video❤❤❤ Greetings from Mexico

[@SuperDerek]

Breath of Fire is just so good! Yoko Shimamura did such a great job on the soundtrack! :)

[@Entropic_Alloy]

I think when someone is ready, they can go back to some old games to get historical perspectives but also maybe get an experience that hasn't been replicated yet.

[@SuperDerek]

Absolutely! 💯

[@madhatter55778]

Great list man. You are spot on with octopath traveler. I absolutely love the game , but it is very in depth and holy shit can it get hard!

[@SuperDerek]

Thanks Mad Hatter!

[@xanastarYT]

Very cool vid, would just highlight Earthbound IS fairly accessible for affordable prices, because it's included with Nintendo Switch Online, which makes it super accessible in terms of getting your hands on it. But I agree, it's tough to recommend to newcomers to the genre even for me who also adores the game.

[@xRocketzFighterx]

One of the best rpgs for tactical games would be Shining Force 2, it's very easy to get into and more enjoyable than the first game. I'm glad you didn't add SMT Nocturne to the avoid list since it annoys me when people keep on saying the game is too hard because it's difficulty too exaggerated to the point that players sound like drama queens.

[@cam9144]

Not arguing but I enjoy SF1 a lot more. I feel it has better sprites, characters, no map wandering with random encounters. SF2 has some cool maps and bosses tho.

[@martinomagic9230]

Earthbound was my first JRPG that I completed, while I did attempt to play dragon warrior when I was like 5 you can imagine how that went lol. In fact, dragon warrior was so harsh on me that I swore off rpgs because of it. But later on in life when I was about 9 or 10 my mom tricked me into renting Earthbound by saying it was a multiplayer game. In reality, she just wanted to play it, but it ended up on hooking me on JRPGs for life. I actually think at the time it was an extremely good beginner RPG at the time as it came with the guide, and it had some quality of life features that I wish games nowadays had. Like I wish every single JRPG game had the ability to just instantly kill a group of weaker enemies, "here is looking at you Eiyuden Chronicles, Octopath Traveler, and many more". Imagine how many games you had to back track in or go somewhere while facing annoying mobs that are way to underleveled.

[@SuperDerek]

I love that story! Sounds like your mom had excellent taste in games!

[@martinomagic9230]

@@SuperDerek She was great haha! She secretly bought all the NES rpgs also, and I didn't find out until later once I got into RPGS. She would play when I went to sleep or while I was in school when she had a day off.

[@Some_Random_Guy]

as someone that played FFX back on the PS2 and was only a little familiar with JRPGs at the time, I would personally not recommend it to a beginning. one of the biggest sticking points for me when I first played it was trying to figure out the sphere grid. that and the fact that I was able to use summons as a crutch for most of the game meant I wasn't leveling my party evenly, which made certain encounters PAINFUL and ultimately lead to me dropping the game. that's just my own take based on personal experience

[@chisaten]

Different things work for different people. FFX was my first JRPG, and I loved it. I put hundreds of hours into the PS2 version, and was even writing my own guide for some parts to keep track of things. Even now on PS4, I am pulling out some of those old sheets of paper that are 20 years old to help my current playthrough.

[@WilliamScavengerFish]

Romancing saga 3...now that's a toughie

[@DuoBeard]

I couldn't agree more with this list

[@SuperDerek]

Thanks Duo, thanks for watching! :)

[@iggypop2026]

Nice one

[@TheDecatonkeil]

I know it's old af and thus may be unappealing to modern audiences, but boy, I can't really think of a better introductory JRPG than Golden Sun. It was my first Pokemon Red and Silver notwithstanding and, despite being somewhat generic and there being more mature, deeper and probably better games... it did become something of a gold standard for me. I've liked many JRPGs after it, but I've missed a lot of its elements like the puzzle based dungeons and exploration of towns (including mind reading) or its world based on our ancient past in other games.

[@SuperDerek]

If it available on more platforms, I'd definitely agree! Unfortunately it's behind a subscription service for Nintendo Switch right now. Otherwise, Golden Sun would be solid though! :)

[@omegaman182]

This list is great! Now I have kids I'm desperate to get them to play they games I loved, you know so I can re-experience them through said children. But they seem to be resistant to the joys of RPGs and just want to play Minecraft, and yelling at them "play xenogears or your getting no more sweeties" was just making them cry... Kids right? Anyway id love to see a list like this about retro gaming as I think that has quite a few barriers.

[@pedrobeckup456]

Sometimes my little brother likes to see me playing Xenoblade, I know he will never play it but at least that is something

[@TBoneTony]

Skies of Arcadia deserves a mention. Get it via a Emulator. Avoid trying to find the original hardware as it was only released on SEGA Dreamcast and Nintendo GameCube. Both are systems hard and expensive to find, both are Region Locked so you need to get the right copy region.

[@rpg_haven]

Completely disagree with avoiding the OG classics. They're usually much shorter and mostly hold up today. Plus you can use speedup and save states to make them less sluggish feeling-even on official versions thanks to certain re-releases. The remake of the first Dragon Quest that's on Switch is perfect for an RPG newbie, for example.

[@ssjdennis6058]

Also very beginner friendly; The Legend of Nayuta Boundless Trails and Monster Hunter Stories.

[@SuperDerek]

Oh! Those would be fantastic! Especially now Nayuta now available on switch!

[@gabrielcalderon6715]

​@@SuperDerek and stories coming soon

[@johnnytower6169]

It’s funny how you have to avoid the OG’s of some genres but for others you absolutely still want to play them Take Ultima underworld for fps-wrpg’s. That game is amazing, it’s gameplay is sharp, story interesting, it’s intuitive and also rewards players for speaking to characters or experimenting, for instance combining corn and fire makes popcorn. You can be told this or find it out yourself. It provides less nutrition but it’s preserved longer Yea you might need help understanding the controls but when you do you’ll have a blast

[@HappyRatKaiser]

I sometimes wonder if we worry too much about giving new players the "perfect" experience. I played Ultima Underworld when I was nine years old. My neighbor owned a computer, and when my grandfather would go down the street to visit, said neighbor would let me play on it while they did whatever two 60+ year old men did for entertainment back in the early '90s. Did I just wander around half understanding the game, getting lost and annihilated by enemies? Sure did. But I still loved every opportunity I got to play it, as well as other PC games that I struggled to understand (Civilization, Conquered Kingdoms, Master of Orion, Sword of Aragon, etc). I just don't know if a game needs to be "understood" and "beatable" for a player to have fun with it. Then again, I was 9... Maybe the problem is that as we get older, we become less tolerant of being confused, of failing. Personally, I find such games to be something else altogether: intriguing. So I guess what I'm saying is, introduce your friends to JRPGs with SaGa!

[@japanimationman4442]

I think I pretty much agree with all of this. Though I would add Phantasy Star 4 and Shining Force 2 to the recommended list. They are both very approachable, forgiving, and easy to access on every modern console, (and most outdated consoles, too) thanks to Genesis collections being released all over the place. And I always want to spread the love when it comes to Sega RPGs. Mystic Quest is such a weird one. I think that back when it came out it would have been a great introductory game, but like you say at the end of the video, so much has changed since then. Who that game was designed for, were kids who had played Mario and Zelda, which was basically every SNES owner at the time. The game is quite cleverly designed to use Mario's overworld map and Zelda's dungeon puzzles as a way to teach people RPG mechanics. But the genre has developed so much, and even Mario and Zelda don't really work like that anymore, so it won't give anyone a good learning experience now. The dumbest part is that Square called it Final Fantasy. So the only people who bought the game were already RPG fans who didn't need an introduction, and anyone who had already decided they didn't like Final Fantasy would have avoided it. It could have been a great introduction to the genre, but alas, it was marketed to all the wrong people.

[@cam9144]

The ONLY reason I'd argue to avoid PS4 for beginners (and it's somewhat minor) is that the spells/skill names aren't obvious to what they do. I've replayed it about 4 times, years a part, and each time I'm always confused.

[@WizardoftheGhost]

Is it iroic that final fantasy mystic quest, sword of hope (gb), and phantasy star 4 are the rpgs i actually beat and loved as a 7-11 year old. I also played illusion of Gaia to near completion but I remember getting pretty bored from time to time with this game

[@philippedussault5346]

One of my favorite is Lufia 2 on SNES.

[@paulkinder8440]

My first i think was Dragonforce on the Sega Saturn which i did beat, but i cannot recall how difficult it was back then. Panzer Dragoon Saga was my second jrpg, i beat but again i don't really recall how difficult it was back then.

[@fireguardiancoty]

I applaud you for not recommending Trails from Zero to a beginner (starting from Trails in the Sky is a must) but I wouldn't write off the PS4 version. If that is someone's preferred platform then it is perfectly ok to play that version. They wont be missing out on anything.

[@HybridAngelZero]

Honestly, one of the best lists for this kinda thing I've seen! Even though the last one hurt me personally xD As much as I hate to admit it, most classics just aren't gonna be as timeless as Chrono Trigger or FF6... even my beloved Breath of Fire III. It's also hilariously ironic to me that Mystic Quest has almost exclusively become a historical curiosity that's mostly of interest to long-time RPG verterans... basically being the diametric opposite of what it was designed for

[@pressuridion]

mana series, Grandia 1+2 , shining force should have been been in that list

[@thatonegeeksite5251]

Man you showed Shining Force in the intro but didn’t recommend it lol. Love those games so much and being able to escape battles at any point made them such chill experiences.

[@SuperDerek]

Yeah sorry! I really enjoy the game, and Shining Force would probably be a great way to start playing Tactical RPGs, assuming it was more widely available. However I wonder if Strategy/Tactical RPGs can be good for absolute newcomers? I feel like that's the sort of direction you go if turn-based RPGs just don't feel "tactical" enough? 🤔

[@RwnEsper]

I think Shining Force has plenty of story, secrets, and exploration for an intro to RPGs. It's so player-friendly compared to most RPGs, much less other tactics games. Availability is not an issue - the Sega Genesis Collection is available on everything, and frequently on sale.

[@SuperDerek]

Whoa, I _completely_ spaced the Genesis Collections. I kind of forgot those compilations existed, but I hear they're _stellar!_ Solid points, @RwnEsper! May need to start thinking of a follow-up list! 😁

[@PengWinDood]

This is a fun video

[@SuperDerek]

Thanks Dood! :)

[@miorionomichi]

I have to argue that Nino kuni Wrath of white witch is not beginner friendly. Its coat of cute ghibli artstyle doesn’t change the fact that its not an easy game and doesn’t really teach you some of its mechanics and strategy

[@In-hoc-signo-vinces]

hello derek. hope you're well.

[@Aoi2012]

For a minute I thought "wait, no Terranigma, wtf". But you saved the best for last 👍

[@SuperDerek]

Oh you mean on the Action RPGs list? Hehe, yeah I had to keep one curve-ball for last. :)

[@PAINNN666]

Rhapsody: A musical adventure or whole Marl Trilogy

[@MichaelTaylor-qp2xf]

I've been playing JRPGs since Final Fantasy IV on SNES and Chrono Trigger is my favorite video game of all time. Persona 4 Golden is where I started and fell in love with the Persona series. I enjoyed 5 a lot too, but as a whole, I found it a lot more daunting and it took me about 60 more hours to beat than 4 Golden, which already was the most number of hours that I had ever put into my first playthrough of any game upon first beating it.

[@shadowmaksim]

I'm kind of really surprised to see "Destiny Connect" on here. I mean, it does fit in since it's very beginner friendly but it's just a game that almost nobody really knows about. Heck, the only reason I know about it is due to me being a huge NIS fan. And even then, most people wouldn't expect this to be something from them since it's so outside of what they usually are known for. The only caveat is that it might be a little too simple. There is no epic narrative going on, just a simple story about, essentially, family. A "Pixar movie turned into an RPG" is quite apt of a descriptor after all.

[@SuperDerek]

I've got a little soft-spot for this one for some reason, and like to keep it as a kid-friendly title in my back-pocket whenever the opportunity comes up. Kind of a left-field title, but what fun is a list full of stuff you already knew about, right? :)

[@dustincompton992]

Can’t say that Destiny Connect was the greatest game I’ve played, though I don’t really hate it. For the most part it just felt very “Fine”. But then it also allowed me to class change my robot friend into a firefighter, and if nothing else, that was a new one for me. Can’t say I’ve played any other RPGs that let me do that one.

[@Ranemoraken]

Jack Move would probably be a good turn based RPG - and not overly long.

[@evertoncd1]

the second nino kuni is better than the first one for beginners, i think

[@evertoncd1]

oh, and i missed Sea of Stars on this list too

[@brotbrotsen1100]

I bought my 15 year old sister mario rpg remake and she loved it so much that she helped out my mom at work on weekends to make enough money to buy the final fantasy Pixel renasters lol Told her that it originally came out when FF 4 was the newest one and it is a beginner friendly version of these old FF games. We are also looking through old boxes to find my old Gamecube since i found my old copy of tales of symphonia at my house and she already watched the majority of the cutscenes on KZbin.

[@riyuphoenix4533]

Grandia 1 and 2, are my recommendations.