Why I Will Always Play JRPGs

[@robertusmaximus42]

I rediscovered my love of jrpgs within the past 2 years. I moved to a new state where I had no friends or support system, got my wife pregnant, my mom's cancer took a downward spike unexpectedly, and my dad started getting sick to. JRPGs presented a sense of normalcy and escapism in one. My weeb side always loved the idea of the power of friendship, and boy did I need friendship more than ever before. I grew up loving the strategy and stories of rpgs, and during this time it clicked that jrpgs had what I loved. They've helped me through some real dark times for sure.

[@joshstoffel9455]

Which games did you turn to?

[@captainkidd22]

Hopefully things are going better brother

[@robertusmaximus42]

@joshstoffel9455 I think it was Persona 5 and a mix of Digimon Cyber Slueth and pokemon Legends Arceus that resparked my love

[@robertusmaximus42]

@captainkidd22 thank you! I'm in a pretty stable place now thankfully

[@TheKisekiNut]

I'm glad to hear you're back in the saddle, bud! Thanks for sharing!

[@mystic865]

I will also play jRPGs forever because this genre gave me a lot memorable stories, amazing characters, great soundtracks and good battle systems.

[@reinerei8294]

When i play jrpgs i feel like playing an interactive anime. best of both worlds

[@Mclearmountain]

Exactly! JRPGs are even better than Anime due to the engagement it provides. I’m not just sitting there staring at a screen succumbed to the will of the showmaker’s pacing. I can read dialogue as fast as I want. I can press a button to skip the conversation along if I am done reading a text box. I can move my character around a world. I can choose where to go and who to talk to. Not to mention the gameplay, combat and mechanics of it all. Video games are more engaging, and it feels like you are PLAYING an Anime. Not just watching it sitting there like a potato.

[@lilxlaopride]

couldn’t have said it any better. exactly how i feel.

[@ddavis504]

It’s like going to each new town is like starting a new arc (mini arc maybe) in an anime. That’s how I about it when I had progress thru DQ11. Each play session was like a new episode in my mind.

[@jairekambui7738]

Jrpgs are way better than modern manga and anime. I just wish my anime fan friends would understand that.

[@slipknotsoad86]

2 things 1: Thanks for putting game names over footage, always appreciated. 2: I really enjoy this more personal content, you sum up why this is one of the greatest genres perfectly.

[@waynegilliam3805]

My aunt was the jrpg member of the family. so when I would go to her house I would see her playing these huge games with big stories that I would only see a slice of. So when I got older I looked for those feelings over and over again. Awesome video by the way

[@swisdom9117]

Where is your aunt now.?

[@Mr_Deku_Scrub_]

What got me into them is when I first played Final fantasy X HD(PS4). Never really been one to stay hooked on MP always was the odd friend out who was never that into games like COD, Battlefield e.t.c. then 2015 happened and I remember playing Fallout 4 as I have always liked the series with Fallout 3 and NV. I was juggling FFX and Fallout 4 back to back. And after only playing Fallout 4 for around 6 hours I found myself around 35 hours into FFX. I was blown away that a game from a PS2 era could have so much story, combat depth, beautiful art direction and the music was just incredible. It truly felt like something I had never experienced in gaming. I then went on to play Tales of Xillia, pretty much every FF game, Chrono games, Nier, Legend of heroes, YS, Persona. It pretty much changed my entire gaming life and I do not regret it in the slightest.

[@freddyinferno2]

As I’ve gotten older and a lot of my friends have stopped playing video games I’m the one that has gone even deeper into them. I’ve bought most of the major releases this year and have prolly put over a thousand hours into my PS5 and switch this year. I’m glad I’ve gotten to enjoy my gaming this year with a focus on JRPG’s and story based games.

[@TheBigBruvv]

Beautiful video and very well told man, I love how the vast of majority of JRPG fans have a story to tell about what got them into the genre, It's a genre that pretty much sticks with you for life and there aren't many genre's that pretty much stay the same there's always a new experience to be had on every game. There's not very many games out there that can take you on a literal journey, some JRPGS start from when you are literally a child and you grow with these games. They all tell such unique stories no matter if they may all have a similar premise. JRPGS will be a genre of games I play for life and have given me some of my fondest memories I have had with gaming, they can take you out of mental slumps, they can make you feel emotional highs and lows, they can make you smile, laugh and cry, JRPGS are such a unique genre and i'm happy the slew of JRPGS releasing are introducing newer fans to some amazing titles, worlds and characters.

[@TheKisekiNut]

Well said, mate!

[@markphillips8605]

I understand exactly what you are saying. I've been playing games since the early 90s but have always felt happiest in JRPGs. I briefly flirted with MMORPGs - always on a roleplay server - including WoW, but I really don't need the drama and competition of playing in those sort of environments anymore. JRPGs feel like being home if that makes any sense at all.

[@OwainBigGuy]

Im currently taking a break from video gaming to focus on life stuff, but in 2020 my friend introduced me to the Trails series and it became my favorite game series ever. I beat reverie (i still gotta do the postgame haha) last july and absolutely loved every game. Very very excited for daybreak this summer and that's probably when i'll get back into gaming. I agree with all of your points in this video and it's really nice seeing someone appreciate my favorite genre in very similar ways that i do.

[@TheKisekiNut]

Take it easy! Games will always be there!

[@LaMereACaniche]

I played persona 4-5 last year, these two completely reignited my love for JRPGs, I had played a fair share of them waaay back, during the FF7-10 era but stopped playing them for a long time. This year, I've discovered the trails and YS series and I'm having a blast. We share a super similar background, though we have to swap League for DotA / DotA 2. At one point I realized that competitive multiplayer games weren't for me anymore (Outside of fighting games) and were a big part of why I felt what I like to call "gaming fatigue". Didn't play games for quite some time during that period. I'm glad I got to rediscover what amazing single player experiences feel like!

[@roselemke77]

JRPGs started for me in the NES era. I can't help but get the feeling they were made for me. By that, I mean i was an only child raised by a single working parent. They took me away from the boring, uneventful life I knew. Here was a little unknown me, and here was my chance to be the hero of a story. Looking back on it now, I can see how they were so much more. They were my mom, my dad, the siblings I never had. They filled the void of a family for me. They cultivated my imagination. They helped me open my mind to other ways of thinking. They showed me that there were many sides to a story, many different points of view. Now, almost to 50, JRPGs have become kinda like a security blanket to me. They have always been there to keep me safe, take me away to a different world, and give me friends and family to care about. They are and always have been a safe and warm experience.

[@ADAMAGAYAN]

my first RPGs when i was a kid were FFIX and Chrono Cross, so no wonder i fell in love with a genre ever since then ❤ oh, that sweet PlayStation one boot up sound 🎮

[@tobiasbracknagel4998]

Being in my late 50s, I come from a different angle. ;) My first JRPG was a small unknown dungeon crawler on the Sega Megadrive / Genesis called Shining in the Darkness. I had read about it in a German gaming magazine and decided to give it a try. And I got hooked. After this entry drug, I grabed any game that seemed to resemble SitD at least a little bit. And that way I was introduced to games like Shining Force, Phantasy Star, Land Stalker, Warriors of the Sun, Warsong, Cadash, Immortal.... the possibilities seemed endless back then (and were even enhanced later on on the Mega CD with Lunar, Shining Force CD and Vay). But roughly a year later the SNES came along and single-handedly destroyed my delicately managed timetable for the next years: Final Fantasy, Shadowrun, Solstice, Soulblazer, Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, Breath of Fire, Ogre Battle, Terranigma, E.V.O., Brain Lord.... the onslaught of JRPG greatness on the SNES was simply overwhelming and would never been topped again. Right? Wrong. Along came not a spider but the Sony Playstation with its later sheer exhaustiv JRPG libary. And then came the Saturn. And then the PS2. And the Dreamcast. The Gamecube. I think I'll stop here as you surely get the gist of it. I might not play as much today as I used back then, but I am still hooked on JRPGs - preferably those with a turn-based battle engine. And thanks to Atlus and Falcom (and - to a degree - Square Enix) I won't run out of stuff to play anytime soon. Thanks for the vid, it was fun as always.

[@DiabolicCrusher]

For me it's for the most part experiencing the stories, watching a character or party of characters depending on game grow from weak to literally unstoppable, the flashy cool-looking finisher skills(think s-crafts or hi-ougi/blast calibers from tales of games), bonus points if the game has great atmosphere and immerses player in it, or has a really entertaining gameplay loop like ys. And don't get me started on music, some of my favorite tracks to this day i discovered through videogames, most of which were from jrpgs.

[@P.CălinFlorin]

Please share those tracks! I wanna listen! Ty

[@eliotwildermann]

This is a very open and articulated way of expressing your love for video games thank u for this 😁

[@thecognitiverambler8911]

What a wonderful story. Thanks for sharing! Ours are impressively different here. For me, JRPGs are sort of in my DNA. I was born in 1987 - the very same year the first Final Fantasy released. My dad and my uncles liked video games - most especially JRPGs - so by the time I was old enough to have long-term memory, I was already completely in love with the genre from my early childhood exposure. JRPGs are the what inspired me to learn how to read - well before children generally do - and it put me ahead of the curve with my reading skills for the rest of my school days. I loved everything about them: The bright colors, the adventure, the progression, the sense of being a hero . The sort of "continuousness" of them. Back then, JRPGs were the only games largely that had "saves". Most games were designed to be beaten in a single sitting, or if not, would have some sort of dreaded code with an obscene amount of characters to write down. The idea that I could embark on an adventure that would take a fair amount of time engrossed me. I'd later (oppositely to you) come to dabble with FPS games, and yes, League, but JRPGs were always "home" for me. I was homeless for a while in the late 00's and early 10's because I didn't own any consoles, and JRPGs didn't seem to be popping for me. My love for the genre was rekindled when, on my 27th birthday in 2014 I whimsically treated myself to "Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky FC" on steam. The game shattered every single expectation I possibly had, and my love for JRPGs came flooding back to me thanks to that game. It's a big part of why Trails is so special to me. My love for JRPGs went dormant for the better part of a decade, and that one game brought it all back.

[@lukasvitroler2178]

I will never get tired of JRPGs. I just start missing them more and more the older I get and the less time I have for games

[@lunar-exe433]

I remember so vividly how I started playing JRPG’s. I was 8 and my neighbor friends and I loved playing knights and pretend pokemon out in the fields. One of my friends mom showed me breath of fire 3 and the field song, causally overworld just made my day and when i saw it’s combat I was thinking we do stuff like that outside🤣 and I loved the battle music too. When I rented the game a year later it clapped me sideways but I spent hours just listening to overworld music and has always had it on wherever device I had at the time. Thanks a single song is how I got into the genre.

[@LightMageMike]

I hear you in regards to the single player focus of JRPGs and the kind of competitive nature of a lot of other genres. I just don't feel competition in the same way as others; I care more about giving my all and having fun than winning, so those kinds of hyper-competitive genres aren't for me. I've really wanted to get into fighting games before, but I just don't care enough to 'get good'. And the story aspect is definitely part of it for me too. I mean, I'm a writer -- even if a kind of half-baked one at this point -- stories are really important to me. And that comes across in all mediums. Historically I liked reading books the most, but as I grew older things like movies, manga, and video games filled a similar role to me and I find JRPGs just, like you said, tend to have the most generally focused stories as a genre. While stories are important to me, the ones I like the most are fantasy and JRPGs usually do the best job of putting me in another world like that. Though when I really ask myself 'why JRPGs', it's kind of hard to put a finger on it and I think that comes down to a lot of how close they are to me in a lot of ways. While certainly not a JRPG, I grew up (as in some of my first memories are associated with) playing the Heroes of Might and Magic series (II and III, mostly). And that's what really planted the fantasy bug in me. I was just always dreaming of things like knights and dragons, magi and necromancers. So then when I was ten-ish and picked up Wind Waker (still not really a JRPG, per se, but it fills the role) it really hooked me. It was a game that had so much of the fantasy I liked, so much of the classic almost fairy tale or Chivalric Romance story of a heroic knight facing a true evil (and even then, the 'true evil' in Ganongdorf gets a good deal of fleshing out as a person rather than a threat), that it became probably the first game I was truly obsessed with. And so that kind of led me to the path of other games like it and into JRPGs as a whole. I think it comes down to JRPGs acting as the most fluid expression of something I've always felt, the most concrete depiction of ideals I've always admired, and that's kind of the best way for me to put it. Sorry for the ramble. As ever, thanks for the video! Always enjoy being able to take a breather each weekend with these videos.

[@TheKisekiNut]

It is difficult to articulate why we enjoy the genre, you just know when something 'clicks'.

[@makikuma91]

I like that Idea playing a jrpg based on your current mood, I'm so fixated on staying on track with mostly 2 different jrpg's at a time just because I know that if I take a longer break I will completly forget what happened and how the game works. That happened to me recently with tales of arise. I was so focused on only playing Tokyo Xanadu and Sea of Stars. I wish could go about this like you, but it's definitly interesting to hear you talking about this.

[@TheKisekiNut]

I used to stick to one game religiously, but it got to the point where I would pick up a game that I couldn't stand and it would kill my productivity. It was also at a time where I normally finished all games I picked up too. Agarest pretty much changed my whole mindset on the subject, the one positive result it had on me as the rest of the experience was miserable.

[@Llortnerof]

@@TheKisekiNut I usually try a few games to see what my current mood is most resonating with and am perfectly happy to just abandon one if it gets to boring to play. Seems a reasonable way of treating it to me. Like currently i can't really deal with bleak games, but an off the wall ridiculous game like Like A Dragon 7 hit just right. To bad i ran out of game there. Oh well, back to seeing what in my backlog fits my mood.

[@drewboi2001]

Great video! I'm able to relate with you on how I got into not just JRPGS, but single player games in general. I too spent an enourmous amount of my time in the past with league of legends. The game used to be fun (especially with friends) and to this day (even though i stopped playing) I still think it is a greatly designed game. The biggest issue for me was the toxic community. After dealing with a lot of competition and toxicity with online games, I started to question myself what gaming is to me. "Gaming is supposed to be fun, but why do I have to feel bad about it?". This led me to think back on the first time I started playing games. Ever since I started my passion for gaming playing the "The Legend of Zelda" on the NES, gaming for me was something thats supposed to be fun, relaxing, and something that makes you feel like you are the main character where you get to do your own thing. Thinking back, I've realized how much fun I had during my childhood playing Final Fantasy 7, Tales of Symphonia, Suikoden, and so on. After quitting league, I took a break from gaming due to life duties calling me and such. After some time, my passion for gaming was still lingering and as such, tried to get back to it. And believe it or not, the moment that got my gaming vibe back was the day when I first started playing "Trails in the Sky FC" on Steam. The narrative and the gameplay was so fun and engaging for me that I almost lost myself into it. This game helped me get back into gaming in general and before I realized, I was buying all the other sequels and having fun again playing games. I love Falcom games so much that I now own all the Trails and Ys games up-to-date 😆. I just love the engaging narrative and world-building in these series. I also enjoy playing other single games within a variety of genres whether they be on PS5, Switch, or PC. To this day, I am really grateful that I found the trails series because it helped me realize the things that I consider important when playing games, especially JRPGS (the feeling of relaxation, playing at my own pace, engaging narrative, being able to delve into a world where I can play and do my own thing without contraints). If you love JRPG's and haven't tried the a Trails game, I highly recommend it! Anyways, thanks for reading my long gibberish! 😊

[@jmporkbob]

"jrpgs are mommy" - tkn, 2023

[@chexmixkitty]

Your fall from league is similar to me in that I can't really stomach mp games anymore. Only one I still love is Monster Hunter. I play it mostly solo, but will play with randos if I need help with a tough hunt.

[@johnciano3524]

Jrpgs just bring such a comfort to gaming you can lay down relax get comfy and get into a amazing story and transport to a different world with minimal stress involved unless boss battles

[@LordZoth6292]

5:23 Apex Legends had just come out. My buddies and I were dropping in having a blast. In my last game, my two teammates push on one group, while I attempt to flank them around a cliff. I got stuck/lost and didn't get the drop on the other team, and my team mates died and just were salty about the whole situation, saying I wasn't there for them. I haven't played a serious multiplayer game with them sense, and have almost mainly gone to single player RPG-esque games. Last game I played with friends was Tony Hawk. I like Fallout 76 a bit because it's basically single player.

[@nickmaestro]

I’m an orchestra director for middle and high school, and I also play professionally with symphony orchestras. It was actually the music of Final Fantasy X that not only spurred my desire to study music more intensely, but also got me into JRPGs. So if the music of a video game can get a classically trained musician to listen, then you KNOW it’s good. One of the most memorable moments in my career was being hired in 2015 to play viola with a professional orchestra for Zelda: Symphony of the Goddess. Best, easiest, and most enjoyable $400 I made in one sitting. Literally had a 3 hour rehearsal morning of and 2 hour show that night. I also played Video Games Lives, and I’m hoping to get hired for Distant Worlds and Nier concerts.

[@Sondi]

Eerie how similar our stories are with LoL and transitioning to SP games. Once I got out of MMOs and Lobby based games like LoL, PUBG, etc; I've started to go back and play all those games over the years that i missed. JRPGs for me as a kid were always the standout titles for me, because I get immersed in a game. I fall in love with the characters and the world and want to see it through. You hit the nail on the coffin with the anime style also being a big draw. Back as a kid when it was either DBZ and Naruto or "That weird stuff", being a die hard anime fan back then these were the games that drew me in compared to white dude with gun 4.

[@chickenfillets]

Hearing that you chose to play Sonic Frontiers is an utter win! It was because of Crisis Core on PSP that got me back into JRPGS, and like you I wanted single player experiences! Plus I am utter dire at multiplayer haha

[@TheKisekiNut]

Frontiers was sick!

[@huh5950]

its mainly to watch the interacrion between characters but with the familiar Japenese abime tropes. Its like watching anime intwractively so I can speed up or slow down the oace unlike when watching the story unfold and actively finding out parts of the lore. Same reason why through the years I shifted towards manga and novels over anime. I have more control over the pace at wich I take in the story and connections between characters characters

[@uppernimbus]

Even though I'll play many different kinds of games out there, JRPG's are definitely my favourite and in my opinion the best genre. JRPG's just have this sense of epicness which other gaming genres don't always succeed in capturing. The stories, music, gameplay, character designs and worlds are so mouthwatering within JRPG's. Great video dude, well done 👏

[@valk5041]

I will always be grateful to you for me getting me into Ys8 and leading to me getting into Trails. Started from Sky FC at the start of 2023 and finally finished Kuro 2 yesterday and I just feel empty now. Thanks! 🗿

[@EndlessIX]

Playing multiple games at the same time is wild, I personally can never do that. I don't like playing games from the same genre back to back too, I try different genres to keep thing fresh and experiance all this industry has to offer, doing it that way enhanced my enjoyment from gaming by a lot.

[@TheKisekiNut]

I used to stick to one game at a time but it just didn't work for me. All it took was one bad game to stop my progress (Agarest in this case), so my whole mindset changed. I started to play multiple games at once, and I was no longer afraid to drop a game if it wasn't clicking.

[@JonBlack413]

@@TheKisekiNutI might start doing this myself.

[@michaeldelloro3148]

I remember when I tried my first JRPG during my first year of high school. I used to only play Zelda, Pokémon and Ace Attorney. I was getting sick of Pokemon but was craving games with interesting mechanics and battles framed within a decent story. I remember getting both Bravely Default and Bravely Second on 3DS and sinking 100 hours each on both of them. From that moment, I was hooked on JRPGs especially now that there's quite a selection on the Switch. While my favorite franchises aren't JRPGs (Zelda and Ace Attorney), I mostly play JRPGs to relax, specifically JRPGs by Square Enix, Nihon Falcom, Bandai Namco, and Atlus. My favorite JRPGs are those published/developed by Square-Enix post-merger and also Ys.

[@thomasffrench3639]

I just like RPGs in general. It doesn’t really matter if it is western or eastern, they are all great. It doesn’t bother me that Dragon Quest III doesn’t have this in depth story, it’s still one of the best RPGs of all time. I like Dragon Quest III for the same reasons I like Dark Souls, even if many people consider them completely different.

[@TrvisXXIII]

I haven’t finished yet, but I’m sure the reason is the same I have for not being into any other genres, namely platformers, FPS, and Sports games. The ones that’s dominating the mainstream right now.

[@statesminds]

I have loved and played jrpgs since i was a kid and im 32. Trails is one of my favorite series but i do just like rpgs in general bc mass effect is also one of my favorite series. Also love dragon age origins, baldurs gate 3, etc

[@onatgz]

moral of the story: why leave comfort zone. just get a blanket and get cosy.

[@supersmallchibiwolf872]

I love JRPG's. JRPG's take so long so I either play a lot of shorter games before or after so I can take my time to admire and enjoy the JRPG game all the way through. I love new games a lot but the classic games are so wonderful. I love many JRPG's spanning different gaming consoles and I enjoy that no matter what you play there are amazing JRPG games out there for everyone. Cool video. ^_^

[@shaneos2727]

Love your channel party because I don’t really have any close friends who’re into jrpgs and videos like this are in some ways, even cozier than jrpgs themselves

[@immortal846]

Ive always loved rpgs ever since the gb color days, with dragon quest and such. Rpgs will always be my go to for gaming, especially turn based more so than action

[@MikeShyy]

The xenoblade series and unironically changed my life. This has led to me trying so many other Jrpgs that have been impactful to me. From the rest of the xeno franchise to keseki. I actually just beat trails to azure last night and OMG what an amazing game. No other form of media has ever been able to make me feel the way Jrpgs do. I learn life lessons from these games that I use into my personal life. Jrpgs will always be my favorite genre and that will never change. Also the music omggg they are so gooooooodddfddd

[@happydeathtv150]

did you try older JRPGs? O .o PS1 probably was the best JRPG era

[@truthseek3017]

Did you like pokemon sapphire/ruby/emerald? Chrono Trigger? FF6? Earthbound? Mother 3?

[@rannel7644]

If you mostly play JRPG's for their impactful stories give some highly rated Visual Novels a chance their stories are usually on par if not outright better that said JRPG's and their worldbuilding is almost always better than what Visual Novels can achieve

[@centurionstrengthandfitnes3694]

My first JRPG was Phantasy Star 2 on Genesis/Mega Drive, and it was like nothing I'd every played before. Eternal Sonata, Ni no Kuni, Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey... so many JRPGs since have been gaming experiences that really stayed with me, moved me and/or inspired me since (I'm listing less known ones, of course. I've played my share of Final Fantasy, etc.). Recently, I've stepped away from them because of the time involved, but I still try to keep up with what's new in JRPG-land. Good video, man. I could really relate.

[@jeffreydean5112]

I've gotten back into them this year and have played Tales of Arise, Ys 8, Bravely Default 2, Octopath Traveler 2, Sea of Stars and I will be working through Octopath Traveler 1 at some point soon. The music, atmosphere and stories are top notch!

[@kagekun1198]

I too, had my fill of competitive play with the likes of DOTA, but JRPGs just fulfill me in ways competitive play never can. My first introduction to it was Final Fantasy VIII, and I considered it the gold standard of video games. Then I played FFVII, Suikoden, then Suikoden II opened my eyes to the amazing storytelling potential of JRPGs. From then on I never looked back. Ar Tonelico, Persona, Valkyria Chronicles, and the life-altering Trails series. All are games with amazing moments that will stay with me for life. I still have the odd interest in Western titles; Ghost of Tsushima, Fallout New Vegas, Cyberpunk 2077. All amazing games in their own right. But JRPGs have a special priority lane to my heart.

[@jamesrule1338]

The "play at your own pace" aspect of JRPGs is the winner for me. They're very chill. I still play other games. Warframe devours my time. I still love Western RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3 (and I can't wait for Rogue Trader). But JRPGs are my comfort games.

[@ashleyward3277]

I mostly play single player games (JRPGs, boomer shooters, platformers, Metroidvanias, action-adventure games like Zelda, etc) and avoid anything with an online element like the plague. JRPGs are my favourite though, for many of the same reasons mentioned in this video. If I made a list of my top 10, 20 or even 50 games I can pretty much guarantee that JRPGs would make up most of those lists.

[@elwourmo993]

simple; good story. As a lover of well done stories/characters and also more inclined to turn based/stat based systems, JRPGs are just such a big concentration of that. I don't play them exclusivly but tbh for every 4 western titles in that niche (mass effect, Witcher and baldur's gate (both 1+2 and the recent 3rd for example) there is 12 jrpgs which give me deep stories with interesting combat systems that I can enjoy.

[@joshuasmith3114]

I play jrpgs because they are games that u experience, u feel! I have no idea how many times now trails has made me cry or get emotional i legit care for ALL the characters other games u dont really care for the story or characters rpgs is def where its at!

[@alwaysdrunk5461]

My first JRPG was Legend of Legaia back on the PS1 when I was about 13 years old. Then I was hooked. It was over from then on. JRPGs is what I always wanted but never knew I needed. Ofc before I played stuff like GTA, NFS etc. with my friends, but these games were never really something I looked forward to playing coming back home from school. With JRPGs though, I‘d be drooling at school and couldn‘t wait to get back home. And here I‘m now, 31 years old and still play JRPGs. I also ofc like western RPGs. But games liie Legend of Legaia, Wild Arms, Suikoden, FF (especially FF XII), Dragon Quest will always have a special place in my heart. Currently I‘m playing Cyberpunk, which is in the Top 3 for me and next stop is looking into more tactical rpgs and more jrpgs. Thanks for the video. It made me remember my first experiences with the JRPG genre and appreciate them for the warm and good childhood memories they blessed me with and do today as well.

[@Tetrium]

I think we got into JRPGs in a similar way, but I didn't quite put words on it as well as you just did. The music is definitely the main thing that brought me to the genre, after hearing notably the Ys soundtracks and some FF tracks. I also used to love to grind for XP/levels for some reason.

[@Uncle_Devil]

I've seen a few of your videos before, but this one! This one sums up loving JRPGs SO well! Thank you for putting a voice to my thoughts

[@leandrabarros3582]

The thing you said about getting into the genre because of the music is so true. I got interested about Baiten Kaitos because of Sleepy's Shut In JRPG playlists on youtube. I literally bought an Wii just to play them. Music is truly a powerful thing.

[@chozochiefxiii3298]

Im desperately trying to get back into jrpgs/rpgs because more often than not my current favorite genre (single player fps) are getting very samey to where they have to really stand out in terms of mechanics, artstyle, weapon types for me to actually pay attention to it. Action games as well. Ive played the devil may crys to death and kingdom hearts. I used to love rpgs as a kid and a larger variety of games as a whole. In recent years some rpgs would get me to play them (ffviir,kh3, ys viii) but i havent got that itch to dig deeper and just play more. Even though i want to. I think it's a backlog problem. Even though its not the only genre i have this issue with (2d/3d platformers and metroidvanias) i only enjoyed specific games in those genres too. I dont know whats wrong with me or if i will be able to deep dive into rpgs again.

[@aegisaingeal222]

Also a survivor of the league grind haha. At 38 now, life is different. JRPG's always had lovely art, stories, mix of either turn base, action, tactical. They always seem to hit that itch I have. And through the years they keep getting more complex but simple all at once. Forever magical. And the soundtracks are ALWAY iconic.

[@waveplay3978]

It's great to find what you like and stick to it and be content. But I find that the occasional game out of one's comfort zone can hit all the harder, especially indies can deliver fresh, special experiences

[@dontmisunderstand6041]

Characters are the core of every story, no matter what type of story it is. And no game genre is more focused on characters than JRPGs.

[@NivrA_Benchmark]

I truly love JRPGs. It all began when I played Wild Arms on the PS1; I still play it today and never get tired of it.

[@skynet0912]

My own journey was kinda weird... I initially played basicly nothing but racing games, but at some point, i decided to play something i had never tried before! So i went to my local game store and spent like 30 minutes debating which title i should get... I eventually settled on Final Fantasy 13 for the PS3, because i was at least familiar with that series, and i really liked the style on the cover. I played for a good while, and despite understanding basicly nothing that was going on, due to me not being very good at english yet, i felt like, even if i wasn't entirely sold on that game, it did make me want to try another. I eventually found a cheap copy of Eternal Sonata, and it became my favorite game for quite a while, and after that, i have gravitated towards JRPGs, and especiallt turnbased ones!

[@SargeWolf010]

Out of all Generes of games: Sports, fighting, Online MPGs, Visual novels, and few others I cant think of are not my jam 😅

[@TrvisXXIII]

For me, I had a friend who owned a GameCube when it first released and we’d play whatever he had during sleepovers every weekend, the best times I honestly took for granted back then. Any title that had up to 4 players he would buy it and return it if he didn’t like it. One game in particular was Phantasy star online. I was always into Pokémon and its light RPG elements, but PSO and the equipment management, addictive leveling and rare item grind, plus the mag system had me hooked. I secretly started playing other games that gave me that feeling and got into Final Fantasy, crystal chronicles was technically my first game since that friend made us play it, but I went and got X-2 and loved the combat. Then played 12, loved the gameplay as well, and fast forward to today after getting frustrated by Pokémon’s terrible release output, I ventured off into more games like SMT, Persona, Xenoblade, DragonQuest, Ni No Kuni, the list goes on

[@jimkirk2527]

I will always play JRPGs because I simply love to play the hero-story and the maybe not so hero-story with a group, friendship and everything in between and beyond. My first JRPG was Shining Force on the Game Gear - I was 10 and it was 1991. My parents lost everything, the whole world turned up and down and I was fighting battles on strategic battlefields. Followed by Zelda 1-2-3 with a pause until PS1-awesomeness. The genre is still my favourite and I'm sad that I've "lost" 10 years to World of Warcraft :( . I'm so glad that I found your channel - your videos tick with me like the games we all love :)

[@MysteryBounty]

To me JRPGs are like diving into a great book, they are a chancd to completely lose yourself in a new world, to meet new characters and experience their story but a story you have some control over. In my opinion some of the greatest stories ive ever experienced come from JRPGs and you can form bonds with the characters like they were your own friends.

[@naram07]

My journey is similar to yours in that I used to be BIG into FPS games when I was younger but as I've found myself now I just don't have the time to play them nor do I find much enjoyment out of them. JRPGs are like all I play now lolol for the same reasons as yours. They're just so special in that uniquely Japanese developer way (if that makes sense)

[@SlRNIGHTINGALE]

For me personally it has to be the narrative and fantasy aspect that I look for in my games. As one who served in the military, you honestly think I want to get off work go home and play Call of duty or Sports games, if anything it would just be more stressful for me. The first RPG I can remember actually playing back when was probably Final Fantasy 1&2 advance and 4 which my uncle owned on gba.I think the first official RPG I played was Paper Mario 64 if that counts. I was 7 had no clue what the heck I was doing especially growing up playing games like Sonic and Mario, however I loved the aesthetic of it. As I got older I say the first true RPG that honestly got me addicted to them probably would have had to have been Tales of Symphonia on the GameCube i never played anything quite like it, and at that age i started realizing i loved narrative in my games. I was in middle school at that point and I remember finding a copy for dirt cheap at blockbuster ever since then I've been hooked

[@Outshinedsg]

I definitely agree with your viewpoint. There came a time as I got older where I realized I had too many adult responsibilities to invest the time to be competitive in highly skill based multiplayer games like FPSs, MOBAs, RTSs, fighting games, etc.. I appreciate the more relaxed pace of a turn-based single player game which I can approach on my own time, and put down whenever I need to attend to real life. But the nice thing too is that, if you really want to go for that hardcore skill based mentality, you can still do challenge runs, like completing 100% on the highest difficulty, or trying to complete with some kind of intentional handicap. The skill-based option is still there, it's just that you don't have to invest infinite time into it if you don't want to. I actually think that more games should be designed such that they respect the player's time and provide a high quality experience for 20-80 hours; I feel like the prevailing mentality of infinite content promotes bloated game design and an unhealthy approach to gaming as a hobby/lifestyle.

[@Wabasi]

For me I'd say the biggest draws of JRPGs is the length of the average game in the genre, character growth and narrative. There's not really another genre that scratches that same itch of feeling like I've completed a journey along with the cast. It's a double edge sword though since it requires that time commitment as well but I rarely feel regret pouring hours upon hours to see the credits roll after watching the cast go from delivering a sandwich to defeating a god lol.

[@Jay6x]

Ever since my first JRPG in my childhood, which I believe was either Pokemon Red, Lufia, Super Mario RPG, or Final Fantasy IV (I don't terribly remember), I had always longed to play more of these. I am nearly done playing through all of the mainline Dragon Quest series, and I'm starting the Trials series where I'm only on Sky 3rd. The entire Xenoblade series had just some of the best gaming experience I've ever had. So yeah, I love JRPGs, and will always love them.

[@Gloryboyquan]

...definitely on of my fav gaming genres after fps ... I Been playing Monster hunter frequently got over 200Hrs + ILOVERPGS❤

[@DanteCrowlley]

I do still play western RPGs as well, but the game philosophy of jrpg just won me over time, a lot of experimentation, there's a game or series for almost all flavors if you really dig in, not everything is actually goob the concept alone can blow your mind, while the western RPG has its own qualities but not as much of experimentation as the Js have, you might say BG is probably the most wild RPG we have in the west in terms of gameplay variety, n I would say yes since I barely know any western RPG at all, not to say jrpg is objectively better or not, it really depends on personal tastes

[@burningknuckle26]

Jrpg is the best. Story, gameplay and old school feel

[@HealyHQ]

My favorite genre as well! Never gets old. Been playing JRPGs since childhood. Mid-30's now and still enjoy them just as much. I'll be in my 80's in a rocking chair and still playing these games about goofy, colorful young adults saving the world lol

[@YennyStark]

I’ve come to realize that for whatever reason Multiplayer games give me anxiety. JRPGs offer an experience that doesn’t really give me any anxiety and instead gives me feeling of peace, which is what mainly draws me in I think

[@PikaSquadFilms]

i wholeheartedly agree with your point in single player focus, i dont like playing game with other people because i just not having fun for keeping up with them great video!

[@jameswalterthethird]

I love the challenge you can create with jrpgs…. Wanna do a solo run in a fire emblem. Go for it. Want to do a play through without certain abilities or combos? Boom makes the game harder…

[@ShiroKuroNao]

Hey, I'm always watching your video, but now i need to comment. Your point on this video is really on the mark, i love JRPG because is Unique Anime Style, Narative that represent that title, and the OST. And I agree that JRPG will help you to spend your time with your own pace, and can help you to enjoy your moment from reality a moment. Thank you for the video, JRPG is really my favorite genre of game ❤❤

[@robertmoorhead3731]

YOU NAILED THIS!! Also, I'm finally in TF Reverie!!! My God, this might very well be the best Trails game. WOW it's good.

[@gkyhahaha]

Totaly got your point here as 2 kids' father. Gaming is more for relexation and family entertaning for me and the family. However, I do enjoy TFT as a relevent slow phase PVP game, but it still has strong strategies and randomization of luck.

[@martinocampo1624]

a lot of your points echo with my own reasons for loving JRPGs

[@Rayce_Istanus]

The crazy worlds is what i love about Japanese games. Nier Automata, Scarlet Nexus and Code Vein are probably in my top 5 games of all time.

[@damonke79]

I experienced something very similar. Got hooked on Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3. I started off horrible but there was always an appeal to get better at the game. I would watch videos on the guns and attachments and finally the game slowed down for me, I learned how to read the map and I could tell where people would spawn from. I learned when to aim down sight and when not to. I learned what setups worked the best for me and I got to be pretty good. Not great, but I was a solid 1.5 k/d. I plateued there and suddenly realized I just wasn't having as much fun. The period from when I was terrible to when I was pretty good was a lot of fun but suddenly I EXPECTED to have good games...and it became frustrating when I had a bad game or my team lost...and that frustration just lingered. I had a falling out with my friend at the time and realized how much free time I had if I wasn't going to be playing Call of Duty. I decided to go back and play all the classic games I missed growing up. Doing that has been an incredible decision. I've had so much fun. I recommend anyone feeling the same to change the games they play and try something different

[@AnaatthiGozo]

I want to thank you for this video for giving me the peace of mind that I'm allowed to play multiple jrpgs at the same time. Even when they're all in the same genre, I shouldn't force myself to finish one just to be allowed to move to the next, when I could be playing them side-by-side

[@qrowthebird7496]

Most of games I play are jrpgs and I have on multiple occasions almost gotten burned out from the genre. Only to play the right game at that point in time to remember why I fell in love with the genre in the first place

[@clay.invictus]

This had me smiling until the end of the video. You put into words what I couldn't utter. JRPG all the way! P.S. The first part of the video is so relatable. I have real life priorities now and I schedule my gaming time.

[@ahmedfalahy9337]

Liked RPGS ever since I played Final Fantasy 1 on the PS1, the anthology version that had FF1&FF2 But my love for JRPGS blossomed when I played Tales of Symphonia. Got hooked on that game from start to finish. *Epic plot, deep characters and engaging battles. The trifecta of a good JRPG*

[@hagashi5663]

I'd love to see a video of yours with what you consider to be the best character designs in jrpgs

[@GLOW3524]

My first jrpg adjacent game was FFXIV in 2017 as a young adult. I mainly played Sims and platformers as a kid. I prefer single player and loved the art style, story and world more than the mmo aspect of FFXIV. I then discovered turn based RPGs and fell in love with that style of gameplay. These days my favorite franchises are Dragon Quest, Atelier and Final Fantasy. I’ve taken a hiatus from FFXIV but it will always have a special place in my heart and has been a great comfort in tough times.

[@emillabkhedetoft3772]

Just want to say this is peak. I can relate in every single point. Though I might find my views differently (of the importance of each) than yours, JRPGs just always come away with one thing for me: One player, one complete game, one purpose; Enjoy and play what the game evokes in you and the enjoyment and satisfaction you get from it.

[@JohnSmithlol2584]

I can rarely play anything besides JRPGs since 2018. It mostly started because I'm a huge weeb but eventually I grew to love them

[@JohnSmithlol2584]

Also went through the same league stage as you 🤣🤣 funny enough YS8 brought me back too

[@jpicksantos]

First JRPG was Paper Mario the Thousand Year Door, didn't really think of it as a JRPG of mario game, also I was 7 years old at the time. Years later, I picked DQ 11 on Switch and fell in love with JRPGs, I started exploring other games in the genre. Then SMT 3 Remaster releases and it fueled the love for JRPGs further for me, and also taught me how to use my turns and buffs/debuffs wisely. More years later, I get FFX Remaster on Switch, and it made me a Final Fantasy fan, and also I consider FFX one of my personal favorite of the series. Then more and more years later, I was at a stop of playing JRPGs for awhile, tried picking it back up but lost that fire to continue. Then I picked up playing Trails of Cold Steel 3, (I had the game the longest time, it was sitting in library for awhile, rarely touched) I was curious about the game and I started to commit myself into actually playing it and seeing this through, through the end. Now I have rekindled that flame for JRPGs!! All thanks to the Trails games!

[@BenBom2013]

My love of JRPG is come from my dad, he play lot of JRPG, even before I was born. I just love watching my dad played it. But when I was a kid, I wasn't' too force on JRPG, I am more into Nintendo game as me and my brother got N64 for Christmas and we just play that, a lot. I start playing JRPG when I had finished university (same as you) and the game I had start is few games that my dad have played before, Persona 3 FES and Persona 4. Since then, I been playing JRPG mainly, with some other game like Nintendo games and some shooter game.

[@gjg5789]

I played JRPGs in my formulative years. Games like FFT, FF9, Ogre Battle and Lunar gave me great moments and memories. I haven’t found any recent games that give me that same feeling, either games now are too different or I’m just too old now!

[@craigcowie3671]

I kind of fell away from them until Octopath Traveller. Then ended up playing FF 6,7,8,9, & 10. Ill always love turn based JRPG's

[@rodelcorton8815]

Once i played my 1st jrpg FFVII everything else was history. My primary reason for that was when i was younger we were just making ends meet and jrpgs was the perfect genre because of its length and just buying 1 game i can play it for months but as i grew older and life getting better i tried lots of genre but nothing else grab my attention as much as jrpg

[@TaiketsuG]

In my younger years i put a lot of time into LoL and even ff14 but after being frustrated with certain things i stopped playing co-op or multiplayer games in general and tried different games. Somehow most games ended up being JRPG and i enjoyed them a lot so much i dont even know the last time i played something that wasnt a JRPG. Im not against trying other games but it must hook me from the get go but JRPG i can almost always pick up without a regret. Also thanks to u recommending so many different games i came to like a few of those i can play. In terms of OST dunno if western game OST dont fit my tastes but JRPG always have something that i enjoy a lot

[@andr0zzsenpai]

As long as a game has great themes in their story / narrative / lore you can count me in. In the past couple of years I haven't touched any game that doesn't have an interesting premise. I.e. I used to play a lot of Mario games and Fanservice Musou games but nowadays I don't anymore, I find a game like Klonoa more interesting than any Mario because they have an interesting story/premise. Of course this is just me, JRPGs just happen to have what I'm looking for in abundance.

[@richardcantrell1100]

As I play games, I'll go through times where I'll play fps games Western rpgs, but I always come back to JRPGs. It's a special genre.

[@MagikarpUsedOmnisplash]

I actually come from a pretty similar background, but my game was CSGO. To me the best thing about JRPGs is the music, story and art style. For example Trails's art style gives me nostalgia. I used to watch anime a lot in high school and as I'm playing through Trails series, I can't help, but to reminiscence the good old days when life was stress free

[@panaceaartist]

great vid very warm and romanticised take on art and art preferences

[@mikec5400]

i remember my brother got mad at me one time when i was a kid cause the only games i ever wanted were fantasy jrpgs