They are good games without a doubt, but they are for people who want to invest a lot of time. They go back to some very old roots of JRPGs, where the excitement came from being able to explore a bit further in each dungeon, discovering new things, backtracking to prepare for a new expedition. You had to carefully plan everything. On top of this, you have meaningful choices on how to tackle things and thus build a strategy. These were the fundamentals of JRPGs 30 years ago and they are almost nowhere to be found nowadays.
Technically speaking, a game like Phantasy Star II (1989) has the exact same gameplay loop : very difficult, overwhelming dungeons, uncovering them bit by bit, choosing which character in the team depending on strengths and weaknesses, and choosing which weapon you buy. These are essential aspects that can make JRPGs a fantastic experience, but they have all be streamlined with time : linear dungeons that you go through in one setting, few/no choices in the characters you have or how they evolve, buying all armor and weapons available at once when you enter a new city and none changing drastically anything. Brain Dead JRPGs.
Anybody who plays Etrian and other games in the genre (7th Dragon, VFD is excellent, Strange Journey) in the same way you play a modern JRPG is going to be disappointed because there is no "WOW" factor and progression is not assisted. These old RPGs actually managed to give meaning to every encounter, because the money gained was going to help buy that specific weapon. Or having to backtrack and visit a dungeon in several expeditions, with the decision factor that comes with it (where should I explore next ? do I take the risk of going a little bit further ? etc...)
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