JRPGs Recommendations (preferably no Random Encounters)

[Satoshi Ookami]

Not sure if you've read the entire OP, but here's a quote of what the OP says:

 

You can escape battles in Demon Gaze and there are also fixed enemy spawns, besides that it's one of the best Vita RPGs I've played, so it must be mentioned. There are no random encounters in Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2, as enemies walk in the dungeons. FF13-2 has random encounters in the sense that enemies suddenly appear on the screen, but you can avoid them and players can escape the battle.

I think he means escape BEFORE the actual fight occurs. Not that you have to choose the Escape option

 

Something like... you walk on tile and prompt appears 'Fellow traveler, I know you are annoyed as hell, but if you step on this tile, a random encounter awaits you. Will you step? Y/N'

 

At least that's how I understood it.

Edited September 20, 2016 by Satoshi Ookami

[Dragon-Archon]

I think he means escape BEFORE the actual fight occurs. Not that you have to choose the Escape option

 

Something like... you walk on tile and prompt appears 'Fellow traveler, I know you are annoyed as hell, but if you step on this tile, a random encounter awaits you. Will you step? Y/N'

 

At least that's how I understood it.

Oh I understood it as: *battle starts* -> choose "escape/flee/run/whatever" to get away .

[flashpool23]

Not sure if you're a fan but even then you can try Digimon Cyber Sleuth. If you're strong enough and have the right party types you can null encounters (aside from quest ones) altogether.

[Berryjammy5]

Not one mention of Xenoblade? Come on, guys.

[NullRay85]

Xenoblade Chronicles for Wii or 3DS 

 

Xenoblade Chronicles X for the Wii U

 

 

Both are great games with preset enemies, good gameplay, and great stories (mainly Chronicles)

[MosesRockefeller]

Oh I understood it as: *battle starts* -> choose "escape/flee/run/whatever" to get away .

Satoshi's idea would be cool, actually.

Escaping battle is a not-ideal-but-possibly-okay option for me. The problem is that many games take a while to transition so it's frustrating to be interrupted like that.

The ideal option is having enemies visible on the map so I can choose to attack or not.

I don't mean to sound so picky, it's probably just HDN1 getting on my nerves by being so slow to transition.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions. The nice thing is, since I'm a compulsive buyer of games on sale, I own quite a few of the suggested games already. But this helps me decide which ones to try next, which is an important factor, especially with the Vita having limited space.

[Satoshi Ookami]

Oh I understood it as: *battle starts* -> choose "escape/flee/run/whatever" to get away .

Wouldn't then all games qualify?

 

 

The ideal option is having enemies visible on the map so I can choose to attack or not.

Then my suggestions are the perfect fit

[Remilia Scarlet]

Games with no random encounters:

Phantasy Star series (Ambition of Illuminus /Portable / Portable 2 / Portable 2 Infinity)

Tales of series (Abyss, Symphonia / Chronicles, Hearts, Graces, Zestiria, Xillia 1,2, Radiant Mythology)

Disgaea series (tactical jRPG) 1-5, D2

Hundred Knight

The Guided Fate Paradox , The Awakened Fate Ultimatum

Akiba's'Trip

Mugen Souls /Mugen Souls Z

Legasista

Ateleir Series (Rorona , Totori, Meruru, Shalee, Aesha &  Logy)

All listed games have either preset enemies or enemy avatars that start an encounter only when triggered.

You were supposed to recommend games without random encounters , while Neptunia's have random encounters as does Demon Ggaze and possibly other games you listed.

Mk2 and onward dropped the random encounter function. All enemies now appear on screen and combat is optional.

[Satoshi Ookami]

Ateleir Series (Rorona , Totori, Meruru, Shalee, Aesha &  Logy)

A few corrections.

 

Atelier series.

Shallie, Ayesha, and Escha & Logy

[Dragon-Archon]

Satoshi's idea would be cool, actually.

Escaping battle is a not-ideal-but-possibly-okay option for me. The problem is that many games take a while to transition so it's frustrating to be interrupted like that.

The ideal option is having enemies visible on the map so I can choose to attack or not.

I don't mean to sound so picky, it's probably just HDN1 getting on my nerves by being so slow to transition.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions. The nice thing is, since I'm a compulsive buyer of games on sale, I own quite a few of the suggested games already. But this helps me decide which ones to try next, which is an important factor, especially with the Vita having limited space.

I don't know if it helps, but Demon Gaze has a short transition and the combat themes are nice.

 

Lol, you're welcome. Have fun with the games .

 

Wouldn't then all games qualify?

Maybe .

[lednatius]

Trails of Cold Steel - anyone that plays RPGs at all should play it
Lost Dimension - like Valkyria Chronicles... only pretty-good instead of amazing
 

Ar nosurge - It has random encounters, but the battle system is really unique. I just wanted to mention it because it needs more love.

FYI, HDN1 is faster when the PS3 is set to 480p. In a NG+ speedrun the difference is about 30 minutes total (2:53 in 720p vs 2:22 in 480p). About 30 seconds are saved in the opening cutscene alone. Not sure if you'd notice it much in an individual battle / cutscene though.

[MosesRockefeller]

Then my suggestions are the perfect fit

For now let's stick to localized games to keep things simple... USA PSN has Trails in the Sky PSP, Trails in the Sky Second Chapter PSP, Trails of Cold Steel PS3/Vita, and Trails of Cold Steel II PS3/Vita. Which ones do you recommend (I'm guessing all 4, plus the Japan-only ones  )? The Cold Steel ones obviously have trophies, so that's additional incentive, but I do like PSP games if they're good (like Valkyria Chronicles II). For Cold Steel is there any reason not to go with the Vita versions? I'd rather play on that than my PS3.

For Atelier, is Rorona Plus on Vita a good place to start?

 

I don't know if it helps, but Demon Gaze has a short transition and the combat themes are nice.

 

Lol, you're welcome. Have fun with the games .

By coincidence, I already ordered Demon Gaze a few days ago and have it arriving tomorrow. I was reading about the game and it sounded fun, so having a recommendation by a dragon is a NICE BONUS!

 

FYI, HDN1 is faster when the PS3 is set to 480p. In a NG+ speedrun the difference is about 30 minutes total (2:53 in 720p vs 2:22 in 480p). About 30 seconds are saved in the opening cutscene alone. Not sure if you'd notice it much in an individual battle / cutscene though.

I thought I read before that setting the PS3 to 720p makes HDN1 run faster. I wouldn't mind doing that since the game doesn't run in 1080p anyway, but I'd be pretty desperate to set my PS3 to 480p, especially since it sounds like a minor difference in framerate. I need my pretty graphics!

 

Xenoblade Chronicles for Wii or 3DS 

 

Xenoblade Chronicles X for the Wii U

 

 

Both are great games with preset enemies, good gameplay, and great stories (mainly Chronicles)

Thanks for the Nintendo recommendations (not just you but everyone who did). I play mostly on my Sony devices but my 3DS and Wii U need some love from time to time. I've always wanted to try the Xenoblade series. Oh, and I have tried the Mario & Luigi series which I like, but have so far not finished any games in the series. I always get distracted by something else before I finish. I'm playing Dream Team now so hopefully I'll actually manage to finish it.

 

Fire Emblem Awakening and Fates are Tactical JRPGs. In fact FE Awakening is my second favorite game of all time. Both for 3DS. If you get them, play on classic mode. Trust me, it makes each move count.

I loved Awakening and I'm playing Fates now but I'm not as obsessed with it as I was with Awakening. I need to go back to it.

Maybe it makes more sense to long-time FE fans, but I don't understand the appeal of Classic Mode. I don't want to spend 3 hours on each battle carefully making sure none of my characters get killed permanently. I have too many games to play to want to turn on permadeath. I'm glad the games have multiple difficulty options though, for others to enjoy different playing styles. To me, permadeath is sadistic. 

 

No GC games on eShop, so sadly no. Still, the game is cheaper than it was at launch . (I still have my copy from launch  )

Nintendo was supposed to give us GC games on the Wii U eShop but it never happened, just like GBA games on 3DS for non-Ambassadors (because everyone wants to play GBA games on the Wii U, according to Nintendo ). I'm guessing that feature will now come to NX if it comes at all (also, Nintendo needs to make the NX eShop free or $1 for games previously bought on the Wii U eShop, like they did with Wii to Wii U purchases... but I'm not holding my breath). Nintendo, the company we hate to love!

I would consider playing Baten Kaitos on my Wii with a physical copy, but only the first game is reasonably priced. The prequel is at least $50 for a used copy. I think I'll wait until it hopefully becomes available digitally.

Edited September 21, 2016 by MosesRockefeller

[Satoshi Ookami]

For now let's stick to localized games to keep things simple... 

D'oh :/

 

 

For now let's stick to localized games to keep things simple... USA PSN has Trails in the Sky PSP, Trails in the Sky Second Chapter PSP, Trails of Cold Steel PS3/Vita, and Trails of Cold Steel II PS3/Vita. Which ones do you recommend (I'm guessing all 4, plus the Japan-only ones  )?

Obviously all including Japanese-only ones

 

Anyway, Trails in the Sky (Sora no Kiseki) series is the recommended start. You should play both because FC and SC are one story split into two games (you will realize it, FC ends on HUGE cliffhanger ) similarly to Trails of Cold Steel (Sen no Kisek) You should play both games in both series =D

 

 

Then there's TiTS TC (Third Chapter) which is coming for PC in 2017. It's using characters from TiTS but it's more like a bridge between TiTS and Japanese-only Zero and Ao no Kiseki which are not probably coming west. You can find them on PSP or PSV.

 

Then there are remasters for Vita called xxx no Kiseki EVOLUTION, they are Japan-only and will not be coming west but they are completely voiced. They offer trophies and...

they have trophy guides

 

 For Cold Steel is there any reason not to go with the Vita versions? I'd rather play on that than my PS3.

No. Vita is superior obviously

Kiseki is mainly PC/handheld series, playing it on handheld is the right way

 

For Atelier, is Rorona Plus on Vita a good place to start?

Yep, of course.

Ateliers are divided into trilogies.

 

Arland: Rorona -> Totori -> Meruru

Dusk: Ayesha -> Eschatology -> Shallie

[Dragon-Archon]

By coincidence, I already ordered Demon Gaze a few days ago and have it arriving tomorrow. I was reading about the game and it sounded fun, so having a recommendation by a dragon is a NICE BONUS!

Awesome, it must be fate . have fun with it. I liked it a lot. Demon Gaze doesn't explain much about stats and builds, so if you want, here are the builds I used to beat the game (note that there are more classes to choose from, these aren't the best, just the one I used):

• http://psnprofiles.com/forums/topic/16873-dragon-archons-lair-of-platinums-mkii/page-26#entry1001287
• http://psnprofiles.com/forums/topic/16873-dragon-archons-lair-of-platinums-mkii/page-26#entry1001655

Lol, I can't believe someone took the time to create that video .

[locutus442]

Ni No Kuni

Tales of series

Star Ocean 4 & 5 (yes, I enjoyed both)

Persona 3 & 4

I Am Setsuna

Chrono Trigger

Dragon Quest 9

[MosesRockefeller]

Then there's TiTS TC (Third Chapter) which is coming for PC in 2017. It's using characters from TiTS but it's more like a bridge between TiTS and Japanese-only Zero and Ao no Kiseki which are not probably coming west. You can find them on PSP or PSV.

PC? But I want tits on my Vita! And I don't just mean Vert from HDN.  

 

Then there are remasters for Vita called xxx no Kiseki EVOLUTION, they are Japan-only and will not be coming west but they are completely voiced. They offer trophies and...

they have trophy guides

Well, do the Japanese versions have English subs (I'm guessing not since that only seems to happen through localization most of the time)? I can do Japanese voice and English subs, that doesn't bother me in games without English voices (though as I've said, I like English voices when they have good casting and performances like Persona 4 and the HDN series).

 

No. Vita is superior obviously

Kiseki is mainly PC/handheld series, playing it on handheld is the right way

You and I - and the rest of the members of the Holy Order of the Enlightened Vita Gamers religion ("Vita is Good, Vita is Life, Amen") know the Vita is superior, but some developers don't know that. Sometimes they cripple the Vita version, which is why I asked.

Yep, of course.

Ateliers are divided into trilogies.

 

Arland: Rorona -> Totori -> Meruru

Dusk: Ayesha -> Eschatology -> Shallie

Cool, good thing I picked up the Arland trilogy on Vita when it was on sale recently (Disclaimer: with my huge backlog, "recently" can mean up to 2 years ago ).

Awesome, it must be fate . have fun with it. I liked it a lot. Demon Gaze doesn't explain much about stats and builds, so if you want, here are the builds I used to beat the game (note that there are more classes to choose from, these aren't the best, just the one I used):

• http://psnprofiles.com/forums/topic/16873-dragon-archons-lair-of-platinums-mkii/page-26#entry1001287
• http://psnprofiles.com/forums/topic/16873-dragon-archons-lair-of-platinums-mkii/page-26#entry1001655

Lol, I can't believe someone took the time to create that video .

I'm not a min-maxer RPG player, so I don't worry too much about builds and stats. I typically play the way I enjoy, until I run into a problem and get stuck (e.g. my forum topic on Persona 4 Golden, where I was stuck on one boss for quite a while).

Oh, and I didn't watch the video since I'm at work, but my friend that I played RE5 and RE6 co-op with, had a running joke about that guy talking about "a NICE bonus" every time we started a Mercenaries match. I Googled the phrase and hoped the video conveyed the message.

[Edunstar84]

For now let's stick to localized games to keep things simple... USA PSN has Trails in the Sky PSP, Trails in the Sky Second Chapter PSP, Trails of Cold Steel PS3/Vita, and Trails of Cold Steel II PS3/Vita. Which ones do you recommend (I'm guessing all 4, plus the Japan-only ones  )? The Cold Steel ones obviously have trophies, so that's additional incentive, but I do like PSP games if they're good (like Valkyria Chronicles II). For Cold Steel is there any reason not to go with the Vita versions? I'd rather play on that than my PS3.

For Atelier, is Rorona Plus on Vita a good place to start?

 

By coincidence, I already ordered Demon Gaze a few days ago and have it arriving tomorrow. I was reading about the game and it sounded fun, so having a recommendation by a dragon is a NICE BONUS!

 

I thought I read before that setting the PS3 to 720p makes HDN1 run faster. I wouldn't mind doing that since the game doesn't run in 1080p anyway, but I'd be pretty desperate to set my PS3 to 480p, especially since it sounds like a minor difference in framerate. I need my pretty graphics!

 

Thanks for the Nintendo recommendations (not just you but everyone who did). I play mostly on my Sony devices but my 3DS and Wii U need some love from time to time. I've always wanted to try the Xenoblade series. Oh, and I have tried the Mario & Luigi series which I like, but have so far not finished any games in the series. I always get distracted by something else before I finish. I'm playing Dream Team now so hopefully I'll actually manage to finish it.

 

I loved Awakening and I'm playing Fates now but I'm not as obsessed with it as I was with Awakening. I need to go back to it.

Maybe it makes more sense to long-time FE fans, but I don't understand the appeal of Classic Mode. I don't want to spend 3 hours on each battle carefully making sure none of my characters get killed permanently. I have too many games to play to want to turn on permadeath. I'm glad the games have multiple difficulty options though, for others to enjoy different playing styles. To me, permadeath is sadistic. 

 

Nintendo was supposed to give us GC games on the Wii U eShop but it never happened, just like GBA games on 3DS for non-Ambassadors (because everyone wants to play GBA games on the Wii U, according to Nintendo ). I'm guessing that feature will now come to NX if it comes at all (also, Nintendo needs to make the NX eShop free or $1 for games previously bought on the Wii U eShop, like they did with Wii to Wii U purchases... but I'm not holding my breath). Nintendo, the company we hate to love!

I would consider playing Baten Kaitos on my Wii with a physical copy, but only the first game is reasonably priced. The prequel is at least $50 for a used copy. I think I'll wait until it hopefully becomes available digitally.

I would do Rorona on the PS3, if it's your first Atelier game. I wouldn't play the Plus version, unless you're a huge fan.

 

EDIT: Just read that you already own the Plus versions.

Edited September 21, 2016 by Edunstar84

[HElSENBERG79]

If you love retrogaming i raccomend Xenogears, Chrono trigger and Seiken densetsu 3

Edited September 21, 2016 by Lo_Strigo

[NEV]

Fire Emblem Awakening and Fates are Tactical JRPGs. In fact FE Awakening is my second favorite game of all time. Both for 3DS. If you get them, play on classic mode. Trust me, it makes each move count.

I also recommend you to play Fire Emblem Awakening or Fates if you already like Valkyria Chronicles games. They're like one of best JRPG and Tactical games.

[Satoshi Ookami]

PC? But I want tits on my Vita! And I don't just mean Vert from HDN.

Yea, it was the only viable choice.

 

 

Well, do the Japanese versions have English subs (I'm guessing not since that only seems to happen through localization most of the time)? I can do Japanese voice and English subs, that doesn't bother me in games without English voices (though as I've said, I like English voices when they have good casting and performances like Persona 4 and the HDN series).

Well, obviously no Japanese versions are always Japanese-only.

 

 

You and I - and the rest of the members of the Holy Order of the Enlightened Vita Gamers religion ("Vita is Good, Vita is Life, Amen") know the Vita is superior, but some developers don't know that. Sometimes they cripple the Vita version, which is why I asked.

Don't think western, think Japanese! Japanese love Vita, thus, Vita versions are in majority of cases (screw you, Setsuna) great =D

 

 

Cool, good thing I picked up the Arland trilogy on Vita when it was on sale recently (Disclaimer: with my huge backlog, "recently" can mean up to 2 years ago ).

Then hopefully the actual play won't be that... recently

[MosesRockefeller]

Well, obviously no Japanese versions are always Japanese-only.

Here's an idea, Japanese game publishers should get unpaid interns to write English translations as a way for them to experience the hell of game development, and improve their English skills at the same time!

This is why we need universal translators from Star Trek though. Scientists are always working on Trek-like technology (e.g. hyposprays) but what we really need is the universal translator so gamers can play games from every country without having to learn new languages! Science, get on that!

Edited September 21, 2016 by MosesRockefeller

[Satoshi Ookami]

I was hoping for an exception to the rule. Oh well.

This is why we need universal translators from Star Trek though. Scientists are always working on Trek-like technology (e.g. hyposprays) but what we really need is the universal translator so gamers can play games from every country without having to learn new languages! Science, get on that!

Nah, what we actually need is universal Language -> Japanese translator so everything can be in Japanese

[thegirlruka]

Mk2 and onward dropped the random encounter function. All enemies now appear on screen and combat is optional.

MDN VII has random encounters again. They're on the overworld map instead of the dungeons though.

[Remilia Scarlet]

MDN VII has random encounters again. They're on the overworld map instead of the dungeons though.

 

I see. I haven't played that one yet.

[Dragon-Archon]

I'm not a min-maxer RPG player, so I don't worry too much about builds and stats. I typically play the way I enjoy, until I run into a problem and get stuck (e.g. my forum topic on Persona 4 Golden, where I was stuck on one boss for quite a while).

Oh, and I didn't watch the video since I'm at work, but my friend that I played RE5 and RE6 co-op with, had a running joke about that guy talking about "a NICE bonus" every time we started a Mercenaries match. I Googled the phrase and hoped the video conveyed the message.

Ah ok, that works too. 

 

Lol , you should definitely watch the video.