DQ XI was so much fun and i couldn’t agree more with your thoughts on the title of my few Platinum trophies that didn’t feel like a slog

Dragon Quest XI is one of my all time favorite games. Highly recommended. It’s like playing an anime, and the party members are like friends. Beautiful game.

Turn-based JRPGs will never die. They are my bread and butter when I enjoy games. Whether it be Persona, Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy and others, they are my comfort food. My go to genre of choice when I want to spend hours upon hours. Excellent list Alex. Very well done.

Now if Square could put some effort and give us HD remasters of Chrono Trigger, Dragon Quest 8, Parasite Eve, etc.

One of my favorite things is, after the success of games like Bravely Default is that they really seem to be letting creators just kind of make something they want to make.

Got Tactics Ogre last January... still playing it even now. I ALMOST gave up on it. After my first 20 hours I felt so frustrated and wanted to give up. It felt impossible. That's when I made a pretty big decision: I restarted the game entirely. This time, I went in prepared, following guides pertaining to the Law route. And once I got Ravness in my party, it's like a door unlocked and everything changed for the better. Now, 200+ hours later, I've been through Palace of the Dead multiple times. I have Warren and Lancelot. I have the Ogre Blade, Armor and Helm, and I can unequivocally say... this really is one of the greatest SRPGs of all time. Glad I didn't give up on it.

World of Final Fantasy is my 'the' favorite FF spinoff 😅 I really hope we get sequel at some point.more people should play it.

Great video. World of Final Fantasy is such an underrated game. I loved every minute of it. I played it on the PS4 but I believe the Xbox version that came out later has extra content, so I’m going to do another run through of that version. Dragon Quest XI was such a great game. I put in over 90 hours on the PS4 version. When do you think we’ll see Dragon Quest 12? Unfortunately, I don’t think till next year.

Great video!! I put down triangle strategy! Just couldn't get into the battles. But I might pick it up again!

Got the plat for WoFF, i love that weird stacking system 😂 beat Bravely Default to the bitter painfully long 7x final boss thing. Currently playing between Bravely D 2, Octopath 1, and Crisis core. Excited to try a few new things from this list - thanks for potentially adding to my backlog 😂. Great vid, new sub ❤

I don't understand how JRPG fans can complain about Square. They have been killing it with the quality of their output for like the last ten years. Props for putting together this video, it's a needed voice amongst the sea of boo-hooers.

Voice of cards still on my wishlist for couple years 😅

octopath brought me back to turn based rpgs. I've always loved them since I grew up with FF1 and have played all the FF's , DragonWarriors(quest) and various other RPGs. When Octopath 1 was released I was stoked. played the demo roughly 3-4x and loved loved loved the music. the voice over work really added to the splendor of the game. I really wish they would redo so many other RPGs of yesteryear in the 2.5 3d hd remakes that Square stared with Octo and ran with when dong Live-A-Live and various other RPGs of that nature.

Man I really loved Triangle Strategy much more then I expected to based on some initial impressions. I really hope square continues the series, but it seems like based on the recent CEO statements this kind of game which is developed externally may be on the chopping block.

I'm usually not a fan of action combat in jrpgs. I've been playing jrpgs since Dragon Warrior 1 and Final Fantasy 1. Turn based is my jam. Unfortunately it seems like what was once my favorite video game franchise is not doing that anymore. Thankfully for me, Octopath has filled that void and then some! And then add in evolutions to other rpg genres like Triangle Strategy (srpg) and Unicorn Overlord (trpg), and Final Fantasy basically dying for me hasn't been anywhere near as tough a pill to swallow as it could've been.

Love those games. All the HD-2D games haven been excellent and better and better. And DQXI is one of the top best games ever made period imo.

If anyone haven't, must play The Last Remnant. It is the most criminally underrated masterpiece of Square Enix. It required a sequel but somehow it never gained enough fame. It is a must play from Square Turn based JRPG

I tried one of the Voice of cards. It was pretty short, but I did really enjoy, and it did surprise me as how good it was. I also have Dragon Quest 11, and never finished it. I don't know I just can't get to DQ titles in general, they never really could hold my attention. Except for Dragon Quest Builders 2, I love that one. I don't know, maybe it's the thing when they often try to really spell out things for the player, like it's guiding a small child or something, that ticks me off. World of Final Fantasy was a big surprise to me too, I was put of by the chibi looks at first, but I really enjoyed the game. And as a big Final Fantasy fan, it was great for nostalgy. Can vouch for Tringle Strategy as well. I really enjoyed it.

Thanks for sharing such a great list.

Hey, this was a really good video, in particular this was really well written. Easy subscribe.

I’m about to play all of these . What is the gotcha he was referring to on nier?

Sad that Nier is ending, but its been a hell of a ride for the last 3 yrs. Dope soundtrack, characters, strategy, and stories.

What about Chaos Rings III: Prequel Trilogy ? It initially came out on IOS but was later ported to the PS VITA.

This video made me want to replay many games. Especially bravely default 2.

Thanks for this video :3 This was a nice selection

Fantastic list and just goes to show how much the genre is thriving!

So many good turn based JRPGs out there, I've probably played around half of the ones on this list. Awesome video, Alex!

Tactics Ogre deserves all the love.

Id love to know for which platforms these games are available.

So great to see somebody talking about World of Final Fantasy. Such an underrated game :)

Where do I get that hoodie?

Such great content 👏🏾

Front Mission its my first turn based strategy game played

The only pet peeve I got with Tactics Ogre Reborn is how you can only pick 4 spells now, that really limits versatility. Tactics Ogre has lot of interesting gimmick spells that doesn't actually really broken powerful but fun to use, if they think it's making the game easy, I don't mind having the forbidden nuke spells with harder requirement such as higher MP cost or anything, but god I love playing around with teleport or even springboard spell. Having only 4 slots restrict me to pick only the useful spells, can't really afford to pick those fun spells. On the other hand we got 8 slots for Finisher moves, that's just too much, my Canopus can live with only 2 axe and 2 bow finishers, why don't they just give that 4 excessive slots to spells instead, 8 spells would be perfect!

Bravely default second layer or whatever was the best one. The one with the new jobs that work differently than the classic jobs

I think I found my community 🎉 Square Enix has always been my favorite studio since I first played Chrono Trigger on SNES

I love every game on this list!! Except that I haven’t played World of Final Fantasy yet haha.

A wonderful selection of games, DQXI and the FF Pixel Collection are both great and all the others I've heard great things about or enjoyed. How about talking about some JRPGs not from Squeenix? Like the newer Persona games, I would say super mario RPG though I suppose that was Squeenix, Disgaea, Star Ocean, I don't know that Ni No Kuni and it's sequel count.

DQ 11 is at the top of my list of best games of all time. Right up there with Chrono Trigger. Octopath 2 is phenomenal and I am anxiously awaiting the DQ remakes. I would love to see them do an HD remake of DQ 1-8. FF did the pixel remasters and DQ is just as iconic. Sea Of Stars proved that a new retro styled turn based RPG is a hit with the game market. Hopefully we see others following the same path and the old names wake up and realize they are missing out.

love to hear your thoughts on Disgaea series.

Link to that Final Fantasy hoodie you wearin' plz?

Loved Octopath traveller Act 0 and Act 1. But once I entered Act 2 I had to run after 1 or 2 mobs. How is it that even today they get the XP pacing so wrong and you have to stop and start grinding just so you don’t hit a wall. Really sad that I had to stop it.

I hope they continue remastering games because their are many I would love to see again, though not all are turned based. The Ogre Battle games are at the top of my remaster wish list. I like Tactics Ogre more then Final Fantasy Tactics but there are far more modern games with similar gameplay to it then to Ogre Battle so I think they should have gotten a remaster or remake first. Besides the first Ogre Battle game is still my favorite console SRPG though I think the main reason Ogre Battle 64 didn't take the slot is I never finished it because I never owned a Nintendo 64 and my one friend who owned the game sold his Nintendo 64 or the game before I had enough time to finish it during visits to his house. As for Square Enix turn based games Saga Frontier II is at the top of my wish list because its the only Saga game released in the US I have never owned (I didn't own Frontier I until it got remastered because I never owned a PS1 and by the time I got a PS2 I couldn't find them locally at a price I could afford.) then Robotrek (My favorite quintet RPG) and Bahamut Lagoon. I'm disappointed and surprised none of the Saga games made the list. Saga/Final Fantasy Legend II was the first Squaresoft RPG I played though not the first one I beat (I got it and Final Fantasy I with my Christmas money one year but mom and I were about to take a trip to visit her family so I didn't play Final Fantasy I until I got back from that trip)

I will recommend the Tokyo Game Factory games when on sale. I Am Setsuna and Lost Sphere, haven't played Oninaki yet. They are solid $20 games, definitely not worth the $60 full price tag though. They are Chrono Trigger knock-offs, and even though not nearly as good, they are solid. Also not turn-based, but I also recommend Harvestella. The Battle System is basically a simplified FF14. The farming element isn't bad, but where it really shines is the characters and story. If I could rate the RPG aspect of Harvestella, I would go 8/10.

not many inspiration for me here, but tactial ogre reborn does look quite neat...

You should check out Chained Echoes if you haven't. Reminiscent of Chrono Trigger but with it's own unique battle twist.

I also enjoyed the Diofield chronicle

You talking about job systems. Despite all the hate it gets and the lackluster story. FFX-2 So fun job class system.

I WAS EXPECTING for you to talk about triangle strategy and im so happy you did, literally one of the best games ever released by square, a masterpiece!!

Maybe add War of the Visions and Super Mario RPG (that's from Squaresoft too, 50% ^^) No other particular recommandation, now just hoping for a remake to FFT. 🤞

i loved the octopath game. im going to get the 2nd one.

Triangle Tragetry I only have enough time for 1 single playthrough so I decided to google it up and go for true ending and be done with it despite the game wanted player definitely to go 2nd playthrough

I just about only play JRPGs and turn based is my preference. I might go outside of that genre and play Story of Seasons or Rune Factory but that's because those are just that good. For me it's just about JRPG or nothing. I've been gaming since 1985 and honestly every other genre just got boring. If I can beat a game in one sitting, I'm not interested. Favorite series is definitely Dragon Quest and it's not even close but there are many others that are almost as good. No one mentions some of the best series such as the Ys series, Tales of series, Mana series or Star Ocean. Funny, none of those are turn based but I love them all. Hopefully they finally release the Dragon Quest III HD 2D remake.

WoFF is one of the most mechanically interesting JRPGs I've played. It's a shame that the cutesy look is a barrier for people, because it really is a quite solid play.

Octopath Traveler 2 is one of the best JRPGs, turn based or otherwise, to release in the last 10 years. I avoided playing it until just last month, then realized how dumb I was for overlooking it!

I don't know why I feel like strategy RPGS should be on there own list as when I think of turn based I don't ever consider them. Great list tho Square Enix know how to make great turn based games.

Honnestly yeah I really wish they one day rerelease Nier Reincarnation, removing the grinding aspect of a Gacha game, while keeping the turn base mechanic, that would be great.

You added more games to my list

Bravely default 1 I put like 320+ hours into.

Good video.

i was so shocking knowing that little machine like 3ds has beautiful game like bravely default... yes, beautiful graphic and simple battle system.... and bravely default 2 is the only reason i want to have nintendo switch and I love it... I wish Final Fantasy I to VI will remake into bravely default graphic style

Minstrel Song ❤

Love all those games... I just hope than DQ XII will not be an action one. Because the developers said in an interview, than they were looking for something more mature and closer to what FF had done in their last games... Turn based is the charm of DQ!

Im 35 years old. It ballfes me talking to co workers that where not alive when some of my favorite games came out. Tell a 20 something year old, that you are older then the internet, and you will blow thier minds

This list made me realize how awful I am! I am the kind of gamer who buys all the latest games that I know I will love and then continues to play something from the 90s again instead. I own most of the games on this list and, with the exception of Octopath Traveler and Triangle Strategy, haven't even taken the plastic off yet! I need to get my butt in gear and actually partake.

Final Fantasy tactics is my favorite game of all time

im a huge fan of the dragon quest franchise love those games

Whelp, I think I'm gonna finally bite on Live A Live. I've played mostly every other game on this list and enjoyed it and have yet to play that one.

Gave up on Tactics Ogre. The interface feels so confusing on the switch. Everythimg feels so clunky with way to many clicks to move.

I do not know if anyone har problems with turn based JRPG. I definitely have not. I have problems with random encounters!

Tactics ogre is a Masterpiece.

Dragon Quest is definitely one of the best rpg series of all time, with the best ones being Dragon Quest VIII Journey of the Cursed King and Dragon Quest IX Sentinels of the Starry Skies.

kinda hoped brave default 2 is continuation of the world of the first games

octopath and live a live for me

The pixel remasters are great but the text boxes being higher res than everything else always throws me off. For me, the PS1 remasters of the first 6 games minus 3 stay the definitive versions.

god pls give us a good turn based FF again :(

Saying that "Bravely Default showed square enix that there still was a market for turn based RPGs" I don't feel is entirely correct. Remember that DQ9 came out only 3 years earlier and outsold Bravely Default, even in the west. Square Enix also always knew there was a market for turn based RPGs, especially on handheld systems, and just because mainline final fantasy went away from being turn based doesn't mean they ever stopped making turn based RPGs. Just the Nintendo DS alone had: Dragon Quest 9 Dragon Quest Monsters Joker Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 2 Final Fantasy 4 heroes of light Final Fantasy Tactics A2 Valkyrie Profile Covenent of the Plume And if you count remakes/ports there is also: Final Fantasy 3 Final Fantasy 4 Dragon Quest 4 Dragon Quest 5 Dragon Quest 6 Chrono Trigger Square enix never stopped making/publishing turn based rpgs The video was still really good! I'm just a bit tired about everyone always going on about how turn based JRPGs died in the mid 2000s, just because Final Fantasy stopped being turn based

Thats upsetting to hear about nier. Maybe cause if the story we can get it bck alla mega man x dive with its offline version once support ended.

Im always buying and dropping jrpgs about 3 hours in. I love the worlds and esthetic of jrpgs. But turne based combat just leaves me feeling bored. I desperately try to break through that wall of boredom but its so difficult. I want to play these games so bad yet each time my party lines up in a horizontal line and the battle menu pops up on screen my ability to focus on the game evaporates like a mirage in a sandstorm.

Its crazy that some of these modern are consider good. As someone's who's been playing since the NES most of these games are average only. World of FF was the worst on this list for me. Dragon quest was the only one on the list that I actually enjoy

Isn't it too late to talk about Nier Reincarnation now ? It has already announced its EoS for April this year

Turn based rpg are the best games.

I know this is a very hot take, but DQXI was very underwhelming for me. I love traditional RPGs and all, but XI showed just how deep the cracks go when trying so hard to uphold 20+ year old design sensibilities, especially in a AAA game. And it showed me that silent protagonists REALLY need to go. They've become a detriment.

For me FFX is the ULTIMATE Turnbased Game. The Spheregrid is such a unique one. I love the game ... not one Game could give me the feeling back i had with FFX :(

I really love that Alex isn't afraid to use the nomenclature "JRPG". Nowadays it seems like a lot of people shy away from the distinctive "J" and instead just use "RPG" especially after Noaki Yoshida had something to say about it. I know it's minor, but I appreciate it.

Modern -> remakes from 15+ yo games 😂 Not dissing though, always enjoy your content but i thought that was quite funny

World of FF was a victim of FF15 because Square Enix was stupid and released them together, despite World of FF was the much better game.

Yes to everything except Nier... I don't like the drakengard/near series. It's too dark and weird and not in a good way like persona.

dont do the post game of DQXI just dont.

Honestly the only reason I'm stick to these people is because I'm an huge Dragon Quest fan. But the fact they haven't done anything to bring the series more attention they deserve like the released of Dragon Quest 3 2D-HD remake or more info of DQ12, focusing too much on Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts and other popular franchise and all the controversy crap they've been pulling off makes me have very low expectations to them. It makes me wish Square & Enix haven't join forces and stick to themselves.

Dragonquest is so basic and boring i quit 3/4 of the way in, it just didnt evolve or introduce anything new tp keep me engaged, it is absolutely for people who like old school turn base rpgs because outside of that its the same old game with nothing new

I didn't like Bravely Default all that much .... played 1 and 2 only to about 2/3rd of the story because it got waaaaaay to grindy to me .... I live classic RPGs but I really hate the insane grind some of them require. Dragon Quest is awesome, would recommend it to everyone. WoFF wasn't mine though .... I did finish it but the fights felt so slow and meh ... also I am not that into the chibi style even though I don't mind it if its done well .... didn't like it here though. Triangle Strategy .... at first I was like "yeah nice finally something awesome again" .... sadly they overdid it so much with story .... don't get me wrong I do like a proper story I even completed lots of the games translated by Falcom which noone else even dared to touch because of to much text BUT playing a Tactics RPG and you have like 30+ minutes "story" which wasn't all that awesome in my opinion, only to play 5 minutes and get another 30+ minutes of text was super annoying. I really want to try Life a Live and Tactics Ogre but didn't have time yet

Kinda sad that about half of this is just remakes/remasters. I miss good turn-based JRPGs. .... I need a modern turn-based Final Fantasy ASAP. Square is the developer that I have been the most disappointed in over the past decade or so.