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[Neonivek]

I am in the mood for a good and fun JRPG lately.

Most of my favorite ones are... kind of dead or unrecognizable now (FFT, Tactics Ogre, Suikeoden, Final fantasy, Star Ocean, Sword of Mana, Front Mission)

While others are far FAR too anime. Tales games especially... and I am not going to say the Tales games are bad (because they are good...), they just don't hit me right in that JRPG zone... They almost feel like separate entities I'd call "Anime RPGs"

Is there a good and fun JRPG I can get for the PC that:
1) Isn't trying to be an anime
2) Isn't retro (at least needs to feel like it came from the late 90s... not early 90s with early 2000 sprites)
3) isn't too gimmicky (AKA: One Minute Hero... which is once again "good" but not the right punch to the gut)

[Bouchart]

Septerra Core

[Neonivek]

Septerra Core

Wow, now that is an ancient game.

[neotemplar]

Etrian Odessy... All of them, but they are more wizardry than jrpg.

[Hawk132]

Chrono Trigger.

[Virtz]

What exactly does the OP mean by anime, tho? Like what aspects are bad in particular? Cause it's kinda hard to find a jRPG that'd avoid ALL of them.

Like I guess there's Anachronox, which I've often heard referred to as a western jRPG.

I'd recommend Radiant Historia, but I'm not sure if that's overly anime or not.

[SeriousConcentrate]

Probably one that does not have a JPop theme song, the 1000+ year old loli, unnecessary fanservice, etc. I'm with Neo as far as that goes; I guess I'm just used to the more classic jrpgs like FF4 or Phantasy Star 4, so I'm curious too.

[Bouchart]

Septerra Core

Wow, now that is an ancient game.

It was made in 1999.  That's ancient to you?

[Hanzoku]

That is 16 years ago, so by computer standards, it is indeed ancient.

Granted, I'm someone that goes back and plays the Gold Box AD&D games, so I don't mind breaking out the mining pick to get to games better classified as fossils.

[Neonivek]

Doesn't help that Septerra Core aged really badly due to being 3d in the days where 3d didn't look good. Well in the graphical compartment.

Though I might give it a try, I honestly thought I had a copy but apparently not.

Like I guess there's Anachronox, which I've often heard referred to as a western jRPG.

I'd recommend Radiant Historia, but I'm not sure if that's overly anime or not.

Ohh GAWD Anachronox. I liked it and everything but that game is waaaaay too easy even on the highest difficulty setting. I got so bored playing it I think I stopped after the third place. shame too.

Also yes Radient Historia is a good game and not too anime. Mind you its excessively young cast (Only one PC isn't a teenager and two are children) suggests it wanted to be anime at one point, but luckily that really is as close as it gets.

---

It is kind of hard to say what a anime RPG is... but the game I'd use as an example is just about any modern Tales game... You get anime skits, a very glossy anime aestetic, anime characterization... it is all very... anime.

[PrimusRibbus]

Hmm, so I absolutely can't stand anime and your list of favorite JRPGs includes many of my favorite games. Problem is that my honest recommendation would be the Tales games, so I'm not sure whether we'd see eye to eye on things.

What I can provide is advice against picking up any game in the Agarest series. People will try to tell you that they're just like FFT or Tactics Ogre, but they're not. They're barely comparable to FFT/TO on a gameplay level, and the polar opposite on a thematic level. Agarest games are ultra-simplified tactics-like cupcake games that try to jam every single trope from teen animes down your throat at the same time.

[TempAcc]

Agarest? You mean Agarest: Generations of Anime? :v
Yea, that game is pretty terrible and is just bunch of anime waifu tropes bundled togheder into a really terrible "tactical" rpg that looks like it was made for a mobile, and is padded as all hell. Its a game that tries to be disgaea and FFT while failing completely at both. Its also repetitive as all hell.

In regards to "jrpg" that isn't trying to be "anime", I recommend legend of mana for the PS1. The artstyle is very much japanese while also being different from ~regular~ anime style. Its also an action RPG with a fair bit of customization involved (you can't customize your character's appearance apart from sex, but you can eventualy make your own weapons, breed your own pets, make custom golems and even grow your own produce). Its also nonlinear (in a way) which is a rarity for JRPGs.

There's also the shin megami tensei games, which haves a different artstyle from persona, which is way more anime, and tends to be more focused on the plot and the gameplay itself rather than the characters. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne is easily the best one in the series.

There's also the valkyrie profile series. Its intro is animated an really does look like an anime, but the plot is rather dark and has quite a serious tone, and the games are all pretty unique in regards to gameplay, at least in comparison to other jrpgs. You are a valkyrie trying to gather heroes for ragnarok, you have limited time to do so, and if you screw up you can easily end up failing to recruit a lot of people. The sequels get progressively more "anime" though, but are still good.

[Neonivek]

Dang it people stop listing amazing games! I love Legend of Mana! and heck Nocturne, while relentlessly difficult, is also an amazing game.

Except Agarest... which I remember I mentioned before as one of the best and worst JRPGs of all time? I can't remember what I said about it. I doubt it was that glowing but at the same time the game isn't ALL bad.

[TempAcc]

If you can get past the really anime aesthetic, the original (though updated) version of disgaea is comming out for the PC through Steam next february, and its easily one of the most amazing tactical RPGs ever made. Hell, even grinding on that game is fun.

Also, not sure if it even counts as a JRPG, but I'm going to mention it since its an RPG made by capcom: Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen is getting its PC release on january, as well. Its the least anime RPG game I can list off the top of my head.

There's also Dark Law: Meaning of Death, a really obscure jrpg for the snes set in a dark fantasy world and with a rather dark end of the world plot. Pretty good, if you dont mind it being a snes game.

[Neonivek]

If you can get past the really anime aesthetic, the original (though updated) version of disgaea is comming out for the PC through Steam next february, and its easily one of the most amazing tactical RPGs ever made. Hell, even grinding on that game is fun.

Ehh I watched the Disgaea anime I know how it could be worse

Besides it really isn't all that "Anime looking"