The 25 Best JRPGs of All Time - IGN

swaffles23 said:
Only one game per franchise and my man picks Final Fantasy X.

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I would have picked IX , personally.
 
This is most likely some random intern's list and not the whole of IGN coming together and agreeing on 25 games, which is impossible to believe when every single discussion regarding this can't agree on anything. Their lists are even inconsistent with each other as another post pointed out. Like, I don't know what Pokémon Gold/Silver do to make them the best Pokémon games aside from them being the writer's personal favorite.
 
adamsapple said:
Neither have you, if you think JRPG's are action adventure games. 🤷‍♂️

I'll make it easier for you. Yakuza 0 through 6 and the spin off games are action adventures, Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Infinite Wealth are traditional JRPGs.
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The best all-time JRPGs are not on Game Pass, it's sad you won't get to know any of them.
 
Nice to see Xenogears on the list!!! Choosing FFX over VI VII IX XII is an odd one, Xenoblade 1 and 2 are better than 3, No Skies of Arcadia or Panzer Dragoon Saga is sad.
 
What is up with disagreement about Final Fantasy X - it is definitely one of the best games ever made.

Story, characters, setting, OST, gameplay, visual style, art direction; I mean, the title is true masterpiece even to this day.
 
I hardly ever played JRPGs, but thought Phantasy Star games on Genesis were great. Would had thought at least one of those would make it.

No FF6 and FF7 is weird since people always brings those games up as all time greats. Also that Dreamcast game Skies of whatever I'd hear about too not there.

But dont take lists too serious. Likely done for clickbait debate and every gamer has different personal tastes too.

If someone did a top 25 sports games of all time, I'd probably be the only guy in the world saying Wayne Gretzky Hockey 2 (with sim disk) is a top 3 sports game of all time. Most people have probably never even heard of the game before as it came out around 1990.
 
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The fact that SMT3 is placed dead last automatically invalidates this list, should be #1. Furthermore, this list is completely null and void because it lacks any Phantasy Star games, any Shadow Hearts games, doesn't have Vagrant Story, doesn't have any Souls entries, lacks Final Fantasy VI or Final Fantasy XII and doesn't even have the common courtesy of including a Brandish game.
 
I'd have Wild Arms in there somewhere and I'm pretty surprised of all the FFs they went with FFX. But it's not a terrible list. I don't think any games there are laughable that they're on the list or anything.
 
adamsapple said:




25: Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne
24: Breath of Fire 3
23: Golden Sun
22: Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
21: Lost Odyssey
20: Star Ocean The Second Story
19: Bravely Default 2
18: Live A Live
17: Tales of Vesperia
16: Kingdom Hearts 2
15: Grandia 2
14: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
13: Xenogears
12: Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
11: Octopath Traveler 2
10: The Legends of Heroes: Trails in the Sky
09: Pokémon Gold / Silver
08: Suikoden 2
07: Earthbound
06: Draogon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
05: Xenoblade Chronicles 3
04: Metaphor Refantazio
03: Final Fantasy X
02: Persona 5 Royal
01: Chrono Trigger
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After thinking it over some more, I guess I don't hate the list. If I stayed with the one per franchise rule, I would have swapped:

- Golden Sun for Golden Sun: The Lost Age
- Final Fantasy X for Final Fantasy VI
- Tales of Vesperia for Tales of Symphonia
- Kingdom Hearts 2 for Wild Arms
- Pokemon for Chained Echoes
- Metaphor for Skies of Arcadia

If I was being less objective, I would also swap:
- Ni No Kuni for Valkyrie Profile
- SMT3 for The Last Story
 
I am not familiar with recent titles but I'd say it lacks like Valkyrie Profile.
I get they restricted to one per franchise to be more diverse but it's a bit annoying for an "all-time best" list.

I am not suprised by the hate/disapproval Final Fantasy X gets but it's the best FF for me so I am fine with it being on Top 3.

What bug me the most is the absence of Clair Obscur : Expedition 33. Maybe to recent for the list (and the stupid rule of "RPG made in Japan"... This is the dumbest thing I've heard and I never got the people defining JRPG by where the game was made.)
 
The only position that they got right was the 1st one.

At least on the same level or better than FF X: VI, VII, IX, Tactics, XII.

1 game per franchise is a stupid rule when you have franchises like FF, Dragon Quest, Persona etc.
 
Remove the Atlus stuff (Persona, Metaphor), what do we think the average age of JRPG enjoyers are.

I really doubt young people (Age: 16-24) are buying these stuff. Dad games confirmed ?
 
I like JRPG but haven't play a ton of them and miss a lot of classic (Tales of, Suikoden, Xenogears, Grandia, Dragon quest and the list goes on...) but I though about a list. (Order 6-9 is kind of mixed)

Slowing working on playing the classics and some beloved one. Is Skies of Arcadia that good ? I have a copy on GameCube but haven't play it yet. After looking some reviews, it looks very generic/simple gameplay and that it's more nostalgia that gives it praise so I am not motivated to give it a go. It gave me vibes of Lunar. I heard so much how Lunar was a great classic, then few years ago bought a copy on PSP and it was... very bland and generic.

  1. Chrono Trigger
  2. Xenoblade Chronicles
  3. Clair Obscur : Expedition 33 ( maybe recently biased but it will for sure stay on my top 10 over the years)
  4. Valkyrie Profile
  5. Final Fantasy X
  6. Final Fantasy Tactics
  7. Final Fantasy VII
  8. Final Fantasy XV
  9. Fire Emblem Awakening
  10. Chained Echoes (a bit a filler one. Great game for a "one man" development but not enough to stay on this list)
 
DelireMan7 said:
I like JRPG but haven't play a ton of them and miss a lot of classic (Tales of, Suikoden, Xenogears, Grandia, Dragon quest and the list goes on...) but I though about a list. (Order 6-9 is kind of mixed)

Slowing working on playing the classics and some beloved one. Is Skies of Arcadia that good ? I have a copy on GameCube but haven't play it yet. After looking some reviews, it looks very generic/simple gameplay and that it's more nostalgia that gives it praise so I am not motivated to give it a go. It gave me vibes of Lunar. I heard so much how Lunar was a great classic, then few years ago bought a copy on PSP and it was... very bland and generic.

  1. Chrono Trigger
  2. Xenoblade Chronicles
  3. Clair Obscur : Expedition 33 ( maybe recently biased but it will for sure stay on my top 10 over the years)
  4. Valkyrie Profile
  5. Final Fantasy X
  6. Final Fantasy Tactics
  7. Final Fantasy VII
  8. Final Fantasy XV
  9. Fire Emblem Awakening
  10. Chained Echoes (a bit a filler one. Great game for a "one man" development but not enough to stay on this list)
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Fire Emblem Is a strategy RPG series, otherwise this list would look very different.

For Skies of Arcadia comparing to Lunar... You're not wrong, it is more simple than most of the other games on this list, and the story is pretty generic and trope-y. The biggest thing it has going is the sense of exploration and the sense of going on an adventure with friends, another aspect that Lunar nails. The PSP version of Lunar is inferior to the PS1 version but if you didn't like that, you may not love Skies of Arcadia.
 
25: Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne. Way too niche
24: Breath of Fire 3. 2 is a million times better
23: Golden Sun
22: Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch noce art style game not so much
21: Lost Odyssey
20: Star Ocean The Second Story
19: Bravely Default 2. Hell no way too long
18: Live A Live. Might as well pick octopath
17: Tales of Vesperia
16: Kingdom Hearts 2. Utter sheit
15: Grandia 2
14: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. Joke game
13: Xenogears aged poorly
12: Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
11: Octopath Traveler 2 dumb short stories never felt attached to characters
10: The Legends of Heroes: Trails in the Sky ?
09: Pokémon Gold / Silver red/blue be better
08: Suikoden 2
07: Earthbound. Most overrated piece of fucking shit rpg on the greatest rpg console ever made.
06: Draogon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
05: Xenoblade Chronicles 3. Running in 240P gtfo out with this low res shit
04: Metaphor Refantazio. This game just came out lol.
03: Final Fantasy X. Everything i hated about modern FF. Final fantasy 12 is SO much better.
02: Persona 5 Royal. Weeb sheit
01: Chrono Trigger. Wow they got one right 😂
 
I think I actually threw up a little bit in my mouth as I read through that list. It's that bad, I don't even want to talk about it. Similar feeling to Man Utd's season really.
 
Shifty1897 said:
Fire Emblem Is a strategy RPG series, otherwise this list would look very different.

For Skies of Arcadia comparing to Lunar... You're not wrong, it is more simple than most of the other games on this list, and the story is pretty generic and trope-y. The biggest thing it has going is the sense of exploration and the sense of going on an adventure with friends, another aspect that Lunar nails. The PSP version of Lunar is inferior to the PS1 version but if you didn't like that, you may not love Skies of Arcadia.
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Indeed Fire Emblem is strategy RPG (like FFTactics) but for me I still put it on JRPG genre (and also because I probably because I still need to play more JRPG).

Thanks for your return on Skies/Lunar. It really gives me the same vibes on "generic" JRPG.
Still I kind of appreciated the simplicity and, like you said, feeling to go in adventure with friends. But I got a bit tired of it, and the battle system (on PSP at least) had some problems for me (and overall too simple).

I might give a go to Skies of Arcadia when I am in a nostalgic "classic and tropy JRPG" mood.
 
TintoConCasera said:
Give us your list gaffers. I haven't played that many JRPGs (never had a PSX nor a PS2 until quite recently) but those would be my picks for a top 10:

1. Chrono Trigger
2. Dragon Quest V
3. Digital Devil Saga 1 & 2
4. Dragon Quest XI
5. Final Fantasy V
6. Shin Megami Tensei Vengeance
7. Valkyrie Profile
8. Tales of Symphonia
9. Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne
10. Lufia II
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1) Skies of Arcadia Legends
2) Final Fantasy 7
3) SMT Nocturne
4) SaGa Frontier 2
5) Dragon Quest 8
6) Final Fantasy 12
7) Lufia 2
8) Breath of Fire 3
9) Breath of Fire Dragon Quarter
10) Digital Devil Saga 1
 
DelireMan7 said:
I heard so much how Lunar was a great classic, then few years ago bought a copy on PSP and it was... very bland and generic.
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Both Lunar games are great, but you need to play either the Sega CD or Playstation versions.

The Remasters are fine too.

The PSP version just kills the whole artwork and looks very bland.
 
RobRSG said:
Both Lunar games are great, but you need to play either the Sega CD or Playstation versions.

The Remasters are fine too.

The PSP version just kills the whole artwork and looks very bland.
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Probably but when I was saying bland and generic I was not speaking for the art style. Just the game is very tropey and generic JRPG. I get it, it's a classic and at the time of release it was something. I like to play some old classics but didn't saw much into this one.

I played Final Fantasy VI and VII in the 2010s (and in recent years Valkyrie Profile 1/2, Vagrant Story...) and I was genuinely impressed by those games. They have something unique.

Lunar is more a basic template of what a JRPG is. Nothing bad about it, I don't want to trash the game. Just not for me (and again I have some mood where I appreciate this kind of game).
 
FFVI / VII / IX are better than FFX.
DQVIII > DQXI

No Skies of Arcadia ? No Vagrant Story ?

SMT3 only at 25?

What a shitty list.
 
I can agree with CT. Its pretty much a perfect game. Its not frustratingly difficult, or dragged out. The game takes approx 25 hours to 100%, and the sidequests are extremely good. The combat is fast and properly balanced, its never unfair. Dungeons are never too long either. The pacing is far better than that of FF6 for example.

But FFX however, its too high. Its a very good game with an engaging cast and story, but its not the best FF by a long shot. Nor its the most influential one. FFVII was a landmark. FFVI is usually seen as a better RPG.
 
Liopleurodon said:
What is up with disagreement about Final Fantasy X - it is definitely one of the best games ever made.

Story, characters, setting, OST, gameplay, visual style, art direction; I mean, the title is true masterpiece even to this day.
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Straight line adventure with bad side quests and how quickly they recycle enemies is insane. Tell me how Tidus being a dream of the Fayth without consulting video essayists makes sense.
 
Pretty awful list.
Limiting it to 1 game per franchise is straight garbage. Yeah you would end up with 4 or 5 Final Fantasies on there but better that then this atrocious list.
No Phantasy Star IV? No Secret of Mana/Seiken Densetsu? FFVI snubbed. X is probably the best polygonal Final Fantasy but VI is still way better.
Metaphor Refantazio at #4 is a joke. Even if it was absolutely amazing, which it isn't, it is way too recent to put in the top 10 of any "best of all time" list.

I really like their top 100 list of all RPG's from like 10 years ago. Chrono FFVI and BaldursGate2 as the top 3 is basically my ranking.
 
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