Topical Ten: seraph's finest jrpg of decade

There's no doubt that there are many big changes happening in video games industry, as much as the technology evolve over the last 10 years. I started to get involve in gaming around 2001, taking interest heavily in jrpgs (but at the same time still enjoy other genres). Over the decade, there are many jrpgs I've played, and among those, I decided to pick 10 which I personally love the most. Despite this list, there are still a few games that I thought deserve a mention, such as Front Mission 4, Tales of the Abyss, Grandia 3 and Suikoden 5.

edit: the reason I listed out my top 10 of the decade rather than to 10 of 2009 is because, well, I didn't play enough games on 2009 that I could barely make a top 10 list based on games I played last year alone. School, dota and anime pwnt me D :

10. Final Fantasy X (PS2)

Info: Final Fantasy X
Release Date: December 2001 (NA)

I'm sure there are many other better jrpg than this, but I'd put this on the list simply because it is the very first game I bought for my ps2. And one of FF that I enjoy the most, everything from the voice acting, graphic, turn-based gameplay and especially the music composition. Mind you, I would personally rate FFX higher than the overhyped FF7, or FF12. The only downside I could think of this game is the lack of sidequests and bonus dungeon. And the Sphere Grid system is kinda broken, because when fully unlocked (clear useless spheres and fill all with +4 stats/luck/hp etc), your character became ridiculously powerful.

09. Xenosaga episode 3: Also Sparch Zarathustra (PS2)

Info: Xenosaga episode 3
Release date: August 2006 (NA)
Talk about Xenosaga, talk about Friedrich Nietzsche's phylosophy. Xenosaga franchise was one of the earliest jrpg that I ever played. As the trilogy title implies, the story were influenced greatly by Nietzsche's work. Released in 2006, Xenosaga 3 is the final release of the series, which is quite a disappointment because the story is nowhere near complete by the end of the trilogy. Decent graphic and character/mecha concept (KOS-MOS is one of my favorite video game character :3), and I love the gameplay which improved greatly since it's predecessor, Jenseits von Gut und Böse.

8. Persona 4 (PS2)

Info: Persona 4
Release date: December 2008

I personally don't enjoy other Shin Megami metaseries that much (Digital Devil Saga, Devil Summoner etc), but I really enjoy Persona and especially the latest PS2 release P4. Unique graphic, great school-life theme and the Japanese voice actress are simply delicious (Ami Koshimizu+Yui Horie+Rie Kugimiya = win). The gameplay and persona system hadn't improved much since P3 and the Inside TV exploration is slightly stricter than P3's Tantalus, but that doesn't matter much for me. The downside of the game that I could think is the tedious dungeon exploration, because as mentioned, it conflict with the character's daily routine and hence best did all at once, which means I'd spent something like 6+ hours straight inside once I went into the dungeon.

7. The Last Remnant (xbox 360)

Info: The Last Remnant
Release Date: November 2008

The Last Remnant is sorta a hit and miss - you either love it a lot or you hate it a lot. That's what I feel when I first try the game, I really feel that the battle system is retarded. But give this game another try a few weeks ago, and end up completing the game at 1000/1000G. Massive sidequests, massive bonus dungons, great story (one where we are not bound by the typical jrpg romance), stunning graphic (it's from Square Enix, what would you expect). As stated, the gameplay is probably what makes you either love or hate The Last Remnant because it's not a regular turn-based, neither is it a real time combat and sometimes you don't get the command that you want although your union have plenty of AP, which can be frustrating. There's also PC version of this game, and I've observed some quite distinct differences between the two versions, which are listed here.

6. Infinite Undiscovery (xbox 360)

Info: Infinite Undiscovery
Release date: September 2008

One of the first 2 games I bought for my xbox 360, alongside tales of vesperia, which coincidentally is one of the reason I'm so keen to buy a 360. As a Tri-Ace fan, this game is a must for me. Great real time combat system combined with spectacular graphic made the game so enjoyable for me. Cons: The story is too short, and map exploration is a pain in the ass because there is no way to go from one end of the world to another except by foot :( But hey, at least there are still Seraphic Gate and the lovely Ethereal Queen waiting inside :)

5. Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope (xbox 360)

Info: Star Ocean 4: TLH
Release date: February 2009

Again, another Tri-Ace's game made into my list. I remember the game being released (or to be precise, arrived at my home) right on my first day of new semester. Tough luck finding time to play the game. As in other Tri-Ace's game, I definitely enjoy the real time combat system, the spectacular special effect used in combat and the abundance of sidequest. Some of the characters are lovable (I really like Reimi and Arumat) while others are rather detestable, although their capabilities in battle cannot be argued (Meracle and Sarah for example). That being said, I have never play a game with voice acting as worse as Lym's in Star Ocean 4. Seriously her EnglishVA is so terrible that everytime she opens her mouth, my ear feel like bleeding.


4. Shadow Hearts: Covenant (PS2)

Info: Shadow heart Covenant
Release date: September 2004

Another classic turn based rpg, and one that I like a lot. The graphic might not be the best that Shadow heart series can offer, but the first time I play Shadow Heart 1, I got attached to the innovative Judgement Ring system, and this was greatly improved in Shadow Hearts II: Covenant. Although the overall gameplay was further improved in the 3rd game Shadow Hearts: From the New World, I personally like SH2 among the 3 because of the unique, touching story and character personalities and development (Karin Koenig is love :3). Not to mention the ending song Getsurenka is awsm, fits really well with the mood.


3. Star Ocean 3: Till The End of Time (PS2)

Info: Star Ocean 3: Till the End of time
Release date: August 2004
One of the first real time jrpg that I play and instantly become one of my all time favorite jrpg. In term of battle system, quests and world exploration, I believe Star Ocean 4 did a better job than SO3:TTEoT but if I'd pick one, SO3 get my vote because for some reason I feel more attached to SO3. Maybe because I like the character more than in SO4, and some of the musics/bgm outclassed SO4's by miles (Cutting Edge of Notion and Divine Spirit of Language are simply the best :D). If there's one thing I don't really like about SO3, it's the mess in 2nd disc and vague ending.


2. Valkyrie Profile: Silmeria (PS2)

Info: Valkyrie profile Silmeria
Release date: September 2006
Yet another Tri-Ace game, and the best so far in my book, not even Star Ocean or Infinite Undiscovery can surpass it. The graphic is simply beautiful, the gameplay is exciting and enjoyable (albeit it's hard for newcomer and those who don't understand how it works) with mouth-watering special effects, and the fact that it is based on Norse's mythology made it even more awsm. Lacks of sidequest might hurt this game a little, but there are still Seraphic Gate to cover this deficiency. Simply one of the best jrpg I've ever play, and I'd say one of the most underrated games out there. Ever wonder why it received "Best Game No One Played" award in 2006 by IGN?


1. Tales of vesperia (xbox 360)

Info: Tales of Vesperia
Release date: August 2008
My pick for the finest jrpg I ever played. This game is phenomenal, I love just about everything it offered - anime-esque graphic and character design, best ever voice acting, enjoyable real time combat system, side questing, story, humours. The characters (the female one, I mean) really are adorable, and I really love their english voice actress. Although the gameplay is indeed enjoyable, at the same time it is also overpowered, or maybe I should say that the gameplay/overdrive system is broken. Yuri with Tension skill = endless combo; Rita with Tidal Wave = endless spell, Estelle with Eternal Support = endless invincibility. Another downside of the game is that as there are many sidequests in the game, many of them are easily missable and hence without proper guide, player can easily lost track on what they're supposed to do.
ps: Yuri Llowel is probably one of the best main hero I've ever played. Very cool and calm, never let emotion get the better of him and always judge situation wisely, unlike so many stubborn, idiotic hero we found these days.


That's it. I know there are still a lot of jrpgs I have yet to play/finish especially on the console I don't own (DS/Wii/PS3), but in the end of the day I can only rate what's in front of me, and even then I still have a lot of games I 'd like to include. Who knows what kind of jrpg will we see next year, let alone next decade..