Ever since I was young, I’ve had a strong love for video games. I started out when I was about five when I opened up a nifty little green Game Boy and a “Pokemon Blue” game. It was this introduction to video games that defined the sort of games that I would play. As I progressed into my adventure of video games, I came into contact with a sub-genre of video games called JRPGs, or Japanese Role Playing Games. As you can guess by the name, these are games made in Japan that are in fact RPGs. You take control of a character or multiple characters and move along in any given storyline, linear or otherwise.
Now, this genre of game isn’t the most popular in the States. They aren’t as highly publicized, so the audiences they reach are somewhat more limited than, say, a game like “Call of Duty,” which millions have been playing for years. But if you were to jump into JRPGs, where would you start? You could start with one of the many “Final Fantasy”s, which is arguably one of the most well-known JRPGs to hit this side of the globe. But with that series being so daunting in size, it might be easier to start with some other games, such as...
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1. The “Tales of…” series.
Perhaps my favorite game series of all time, the “Tales of…” series is exactly what I look for in a series of games. These games, unless stated otherwise, are standalone games with their own stories. You’ll sometimes find Easter Eggs—you can think of it as a callback to prior games for players to enjoy—in these games, but that’s usually the limit between game references. I’ve played most of the games that have come to the States, my favorites being “Tales of Symphonia” and “Tales of Graces F,” which can both be found on the PS3.
These games almost always take place in fantasy settings and deal with problems that we can find in our actual lives. These games deal with issues like race, slavery, and segregating between the poor and the rich. The gameplay has also evolved in recent years, being exceedingly fun to play and not too hard to pick up. The most recent game to come out for the series is “Tales of Zestiria” for PS3 and PS4.
2. The “Persona” series.
If you’re looking for an RPG where you want to really take command the character that you play, look no further than the “Persona” series. In these games, you take control of a silent protagonist whose name you can decide for yourself. By making the character silent, the game allows you to put yourself into their shoes and choose what you think they should say, which is one of the things this series is known for. Choices you make end up impacting the way the game progresses, but only sometimes.
The “Persona” series takes place in a Japanese city, each depending on the game you play. In the games, you take control of a high school character and live a high school life, where you may join clubs, hang out with friends, or just be by yourself. But you also go along a usually very dark storyline, almost always dealing with the inner workings of a human’s psyche. This series tackles how people put up different personas to be perceived in a different light. “Persona 4” is the most recent of the main games to come out, and “Persona 5” is coming out in February for PS3 and PS4.
3. The “Fire Emblem” series.
The “Fire Emblem” games are for those who have a love for the strategic. In these games, you command armies of people, all with their own unique fighting style, weapons of choice, and class, which is a character type. In these games, it is your job to choose who fights, how they fight, and when. And if a character dies, they’re gone for good.
While having some intense gameplay, these games tell stories in a fantasy world where war is all too common. In older games, you control whatever character that game’s main protagonist is -- they come with their own name and history. But with the last two games, “Fire Emblem Awakening” and “Fire Emblem Fates,” you make your own character and choose pretty much everything about them. You choose their strengths, weaknesses, fighting style, and what class you want them to be. They are fantastic games that you can play on a 3DS.
These are just three different series in a sea of wonderful JRPGs. Hopefully you’ve found something that piqued your interest. Good luck finding that golden game, and happy hunting!
