If Ys IX interests you, then I've got some more vids for the series here! kzfaq.info/sun/PLOiA_KESrFhSeWKXNzTar9aJdURookIGy

I know Ys IX is generally not as well regarded as Ys VIII, but man I truly loved every single moment I spent with Ys IX.

Octopath 2 was such an absolute blast. Couldn't put it down until I 100% completed it.

Yep, Octopath Traveler 2 is definitely a gem, so are many of these others. People who love JRPGs should certainly at least one of these games. Nice vid man.

Man, I’m 20 hours into daybreak, still have to go back and finish UO, and still haven’t even touched some of the releases this year like IW or P3R. And now even more games to add to my list. Also it is crazy that FE3H came out 5 years ago now like you said.

Love Monochrome Mobius getting a shout out. One of my favorite games of last year after watching the full Utawarerumono anime. Excited to see what a sequel does.

Megaton Musashi is amazing!! You absolutely sold me on the game in your other video. More people need to play that game.

I agree with Atelier Sophie 2. I really liked the synthesis mechanics and the game doesn't feel like it was dragged on for too long. I still love the other Atelier games but Sophie 2 is peak Atelier for me...

Lots of great stuff in here! Been meaning to get into Octopath Traveler 2 for some time now since I loved the first one so much! I'm surprised Unicorn Overlord isn't in here though!

LET'S GOOOO OCOTPATH TRAVELER 2!!!!! I can't express everything why I love the game so much, you won't truly know unless you yourself try it.

Ys IX brought me to the Ys series. I love its story quite a notch more than Ys VIII actually because the darker mood and it definitely felt like the turning point for his journey when he is being more known and we started to see how his previous actions starting to impact his journey. Being stuck in one city kind of bother me in the beginning but that quickly faded once the game mechanics and the area opened up. Now, I only wish that Monochrome Mobius comes to switch :/

I see Ramizel on thumbnail, I click

Great video. I played most of the games on this list. Now I'm putting Octopath II on my Christmas list.

I generally only play like 2-3 JRPGs a year because of lack of time, but when I say I binged Tales of Arise in like a week I was so hooked. Same with 3 Houses, I remember being unable to put my Switch down. I dropped Atelier Sophie a couple years ago, but I might pick it up again and then play Sophie 2 afterwards. Another game though that I got really hooked on was Tokyo Mirage Sessions- Encore came out in 2020 and while I played the original, the remastered version definitely elevated the game for me!

any plans on picking up persona 3 reload or Unicorn Overlord? Those were my top two experiences of the year so far! Ive had that musashi robot game on my wishlist since you first mentioned it, waiting for a sale

Personally I would recommend *Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Complete Edition (PC/Switch)* as a "modern JRPG" that is a "must-play" for anyone who loves video games! :) (I'm also re-playing *Monster Hunter Stories Remastered* at the moment and having a TON of fun with it too when it comes to collecting monsties and *changing their elements!* :D)

Great list! I've had Monochrome Mobius on my wishlist forever, gonna pull the trigger.

I literally JUST finished Ys IX a few minutes before watching this video. It’s my first game in the series and I genuinely cried by the end. I challenged myself to finish it in a week which I never do and actually did it. It’s a truly fantastic game!

Great video brother !!!! I've yet to play a ys game there next on my collection list an I'm pumped to play them! An I just got trails through day break !!! Trails is my all time favorite series so I'm excited to play it !!!!

Bought megaton musashi after seen your original video and i enjoyed it a lot, thanks!

Playing SMT Vengeance now. Also playing Trails through Daybreak but focusing on SMTV. Finished the demo so I can just continue from Ch. 2. I'm excited for Ys X, even more so than TTD. I also am looking forward to Metaphor Refantazio and Visions of Mana. This year has still got plenty of JRPG goodness.

Amazing, finally a list that doesn’t ad like 6-8 games to my backlog !

Mannn Monochrome Mobius has been on my wishlist all year lol. Between FF7 rebirth (almost done) and now daybreak I have no time still but I wanna grab it eventually Also if I could respectfully add an 11th game to the list I’d put Eternights here. Underrated gem Thanks for another good video TKN

Three Houses and Xenoblade 3, such amazing games they are! Great list dude, loved it ❤️

wow, theres some really good recommendations here! great video!

Megaton Musashi Mentioned 🔥❤ I love this game

Cannot overstate how much I love this channel

I've played Ys IX, FE3H, XC3 and ToA, and I feel the same way about all of them. Almost; I think XC3 has better combat than XC2 (although maybe not than Torna), but that's a detail. As for the others, is Atelier Sophie 2 any good on Switch? I'm looking for a portable game for the holidays.

Great choices as always! Been holding onto Ys IX and X for a while after beating Ys VIII last year, but can't wait to get back into the series!

surprised I didn't see dragon quest 11 on this. it is incredibly simple for a jrpg which is good for new players but is polished to the max. Despite starting as a basic hero journey it very quickly drops a surprise twist to the adventure. Also great supporting cast.

I recently came across someone who told me there's no good modern JRPGs besides Honkai Star Rail because "I can just hop on quicky then hop out" and "I don't want to waste my time in these long JRPGs". I told him, that he both dislikes JRPGs and gaming since he think HSR is good because he doesn't have to play for more than 5min daily and JRPGs are too long. Yet somehow he blamed me for not making sense and left in the middle of the convo. I didn't play too many JRPGs in the last year, but saying both the genre lacks good modern entries and is a waste of time? I sure don't spout such nonsense lol

Yeah, definitely have to agree with Daybreak being a masterpiece. All of the pre-release marketing made out that Van was going to be some edgelord straddling the line between light and dark, but he's actually just a goofball and fits nicely into teh pantheon of Trails leads without missing a beat. It was also really refreshing to have a character not creepily hitting on all the young cast (I'm looking at you, Rean!) Tales of Arise was fantastic. Until the last dungeon anyway, but we won't talk about that because the rest of the game was superb.

I had every game you said except megaton, but its on my wishlist

3 houses was my first fire emblem game I've had the pleasure to play it was amazing !! Can't wait to get playing the others

Such a wonderful list and I can't disagree with anything you've mentioned. I've yet to play Xenoblade, Ateliar and Megaton Musashi. On the topic of Trails, I do agree, Daybreak 2 was... disappointing, and quite possibly one of the weakest games in the series (story-wise), but by far one of the best when it comes to combat. I also noticed they removed "Crimson Sin" from the global version. I've still got my CE preordered and will absolutely play it again in English, as I did for Daybreak 1, which is one of my top favourites. CS4 is also another one of my top favourites in the series, so, glad you agree and F the haters! o7 Definitely excited for Kai No Kiseki in September! Already have my Limited Edition preordered from Falcom. I like seeing your love for Arise too. Arise made it to my top fav Tales game, right besides Berseria. Octopath 2 was my GoTY right next to the juggernaut, FF16. It was that good, so it's an absolutely mandatory recommendation. I've heard a lot of good about the Atelier series, but there's so many games and I'm not sure where to start and where to even begin. Maybe one day I'll get to it.

Ngl, I got so bored with the final dungeon of Tales of Arise, that upon recognizing we were nearing final boss time (and what a final boss) and both thinking I was ready, I spent the next twenty hours finishing the side quests I was now drastically overpowered for. And I’m so glad I did just to get all the character interactions. They were what kept me going.

I’m about to start playing SMT devil survivor

Octopath Traveler 2 is the first game I've bought that actually made me feel guilty for waiting to buy it on sale... 😅 I didn't really like the first one, so I just ignored it for almost a year until I saw it finally go half off on Steam. But half way through, I realized why Steam reviews were "Overwhelmingly Positive." By the time I was done, I seriously felt so bad that I waited so long! The game DESERVES a sequel, and it'd be a shame if low sales somehow prevents that!

Fantastic list, happy to say i've played 6, and have 2 in the backlog all ready to go... i must be on the right track!

Nice video. I'd recommend Chained Echoes if you haven't. A masterpiece in gameplay and story.

Absolutely loved Monochrome Mobius. I agree, the best way to experience the game is have knowledge of the Mask games and excited to see what the obvious sequel will be since Monochrome doesnt line up with Mask of Deception

Excellent recommendations. Thanks for the video

You putting Atelier Sophie 2 a 10 out of 10 earn you a sub, my favorite game in my favorite JRPG series

The SMT V canon of vengeance also has a hidden key item during the third act, where the plot begins to diverge the most, and it is called the Kiou Sword I believe. I’m very close to the end of the Vengeance route, and it seems like that sword can only be used while playing the original canon, yet can only be obtained during the vengeance route. The Robotic demon shows up and says “the sword has no function in the current timeline, let me hold on to it so that it may be passed on back to you in another timeline.” I don’t know how yet, but even the original canon should offer differences if you play it during your second playthrough.

I couldn't agree more that Monstrum Nox should be played. It might top Ys VIII for me, personally. I just liked all the characters that much. And I absolutely enjoyed all the callbacks and references. I still need to go through the Utawarerumono series. I have them all on Steam, but time is a terribly limited resource these days.

Glad to see love given to these great games. Ys9 was probably my 2nd favorite of the series as the gifts and verticality were such a blast to play with. Sophie 2 was my game of the year for 2022 and my favorite of the series I’ve seen so far. I really hope Monochrome Mobius brings more people to the series as imo Utawarerumono is one of the best stories I’ve experienced.

Did you play eiyuden chronicles 100 heroes?

Every time i hear complains about Cold Steel 4 its always about Rean. Some i saw were genuinely offended that he got a happy ending. Im with you i love the game

Might check out sophie 2

Megaton musashi caught my eye when I saw mazinger was in the game. I had no clue that getter robo was as well. I had it on my wish list for a while. Maybe I should go ahead and get it.

I loved xenoblade chronicles 3, but the cutscenes were so long. It felt like every time you ran to a marker on the map, there was a cutscene. The story was confusing but still really good. Plus, the battle system is awesome.

Hopefully Monochrome gets ported to the next Switch console

2:28 precisely the reason why I love Ys IX more than Ys VIII. While the environment of Ys VIII is more colorful and exotic, the story of Ys IX felt more personal to me, especially with that Blue Feather side quest. And also Raging Bull is a lot more fun to control compared to Sahad.

Oh my god thank you SO much for picking SMTVV over Persona 💖

I’ve just started playing tales of arise (I’m at the 4th lord so I’ve been playing for a couple weeks) and it is a really great game! Absolutely hate the dlc practices but the game itself is really quite good

Fire Emblem three houses is outstanding. Can't wait to get into the Ys series when X comes out.

personally i would also recommend Scarlet Nexus, Fate Samurai and Caligula Effect Overdose and 2. Dropping everything in my backlog and going through Daybreak and i am totally enjoying it especially the new gameplay and orbament system, i concur that Cold Steel 4 is also my 2nd favorite with my 1st being Sky SC and 3rd being Azure. Kinda a bit shame that the OST isn't as good as those from past games, though some are good but its a lot less than before, my only issue with CS 4 is that the OP animation and art seems rushed hence why its quality isn't as good compared to the other Trails series but banger song though.

Glad i played and already finished all of these recommendations now on to those backlogs that doesnt seem to go away and just keeps piling up 😅

Serious question: Have you given the SaGa games a shot? The Octopath Traveler series kind of works as a spiritual succesor of those, specifically in the non-linear story part.

Where do I find more time to play these games? I've played some already but there are so many more I'd like to play! I need to find time to play Daybreak soon!

I LOVE Y’s Vlll. I just started my second play through but stopped in chapter 5 because I started Trails through Daybreak. However, I’m lucky and happy that I love Y’s lX too. I know a lot of people didn’t like it but I really really liked it. I agree 8 was better but I still loved 9

Im finishing elden ring dlc so I think ill start trails through daybreak soon

The three games on this list i definitely want try to play are 3 and 7 hopefully one day soon trails through daybreak

The only 2 games that I haven’t played yet (or on my wish list waiting for a sale) were the first 2 games.

Ys IX - Not as good as VIII, but refreshing to see a different entry highlighted. And to be clear, still an excellent game in its own right. Been hearing a lot of very positive things about Daybreak. Maybe I will make it that far in the series eventually. I've been trying to convince myself to go finish up Azure but just cannot find the motivation. Game is boring, sorry. I'm a hair's breadth from dropping it and just trying Cold Steel next year or maybe late this year at the earliest. The Atelier series has sadly been demoted off my "buy day 1" list. Part of it is that I have some older entries I still want to work through. Part of it is that Sophie 2 didn't really grab me at the time, then I didn't like Ryza 3 at all, then Resliana was freaking gacha trash. Once I find time to at least finish Totori, Meruru, and the Marie remake maybe I will give those newer entries another chance. But for now I feel like Atelier is circling the drain (AKA no longer offering what I want out them.) I am largely of the same opinion as you on Tales of Arise. I'm a little more down on it I suppose. I really enjoyed about half of it. Excellent graphical presentation and a pretty decent OST, standard Sakuraba Motoi fare. Most fun combat from Tales I can remember, simple but actually pretty well told story, and a cast of characters that I found to be a mixed bag, but at least they were colorful for the most part. Then "things" happen and it all goes south. The story goes off the rails in the worst way and the enemies get super spongy making combat a slog, capped off by a horrible last dungeon and a highly disappointing finale. That's everything I've played off that list. I do hope I enjoy Octopath as much as everyone else once I finally get around to playing it.

Sophie 2 is the only one of the mysterious games I don't yet have. I played sophie years ago, and recently bought firis and L+S, and working on the firis platinum but plan on getting Sophie 2 at some point. i loved Ys 9, it was my favourite Ys title, I actually liked it more than 8 for the darker atmosphere and characters. I have sakuna but not yet played it, as I still have Ys 10 and Persona 3 reload in my backlog

I love xenoblade chronicles 2 and think the gacha mechanic was done well, plus it's not like people don't tend to grind in jrpgs so grinding for additional party members shouldn't have been a issue. Xenoblade 3 has the best story for me, shame future redeemed is digital only

While I cant really disagree with these, Like a Dragon is in my eyes one of the elite RPGs of the last 5 years. Amazing protagonist (best of the last 5 years for sure imo), great supporting cast. Only real negative is the combat is basic (fixed in the sequel this year) but its certainly not bad.

YS IX was fantastic, such a good action game Having a good time with Trails trough Daybreak recently, its very good Shin Megami Tensei Venceance

I agree about CS IV. I don't get the hate for it. It's my favorite from the CS arc. Such a banger.

@TheKisekiNut I am kinda surprised you liked Monochrome Mobius so much? I was a little disappointed by the poor visual quality and how generic the UI seemed. Maybe I should give it a second chance tho?

Can you recommend me a few with character creation?

Man.....I can't believe Loop8 isn't on this list....😢😂

Ii don't own a Switch but I have all the other games and they're all great!

Still waiting for an sequel after the cliffhanger at the end of "Xenoblade Chronicles X" ... but I guess I'll wait forever

Just curious why you don't recommend any final fantasy title in your channel? Is it overrated or don't like it? just asking.🙂

Trails Through Daybreak and Ys III: Wanderers From Ys remaster that's coming out early 2025.

Did they ever fix the Monochrome Mobius issue with sound not playing?

Thank you for the video!! "Tales of Berseria" is 2 heads above Arise game. Highly recommend.

uhm..... about last one.... I mean, i have tried OT1 and it was a pinnacle of boredom for me, so i actually scared to try second one.

I trust I've been around long enough for you to not think I'm being ugly when I say this, but dawg I think you're crazy when you say Daybreak is one of the worst soundtracks! It's my favorite since at least the Crossbell days, and I actively listen to it more than any of the others the past year. The strong jazz throughline feels like a homecoming to Sky in some ways, while also being completely different. There's 2 or 3 tracks where I'm like "Why on earth is THAT instrument playing that part?" but other than that it is pure gold.

What about the Springwitch R?Not recommam it?

12:29 totaly agree with you, i even think that game is more optimized than the ryza 1&2. like the frames, button inputs, seamless battle transitions, much more to elaborate. but yes because ryza is thikker it casts a shadow on sophie

I see Ramizel in the thumbnail, I clicked.

I didn’t like daybreak until the last few chapters. My favorite characters weren’t part of the group. Couldn’t stand Agnes until last 2 chapters or so. Love Zin and Elaine. I have played all the legend of heroes games besides the liberal trilogy unfortunately. I hope daybreak 2 can get me to like some of the characters I didn’t like in the first one

Megaton available in the west?

Is ‘Megaton Musashi: Wired’ digital only? That’s unfortunate.

Theres nothing wrong with xenoblade 2 designs and only heard people on twitter crying about them

Happy to see FE3H getting some love again. Seems like it’s typically an easy target for content creators recently because of the more obvious drawbacks and differences.but it’s a great game and the one that got me back into JRPGs. I’ve wanted to play Megaton Musashi since I first heard about it because of its namesake but was hoping for an English translation on a physical cart, even if it’s an Asian release.

I like the list but megaton being better then Gran blue? Damn idk about that one my guy.

Not a single Final Fantasy title?, the list is invalid... /jk 😅 For this year alone, eiyuden chronicles i think would become cult classic down the road

Found it a bit funny how you were disappointed by Vesperia and loved Arise, meanwhile I ended up hating Arise (still put around 90 hours into finishing it though) and am looking forward to replaying Vesperia after knocking a few more games from my backlog.

Part 2????😶

I have some issues with Ys IX, mainly parts of the main story being dissapointing and I ended up regretting my purchase at the time, but I am now glad I played it even if it isnt my favorite. I have been meaning to get into Utawarerumono for a long time, but after keeping up with many big series for years I am a bit hesitant to dive in. Fire Emblem Three Houses is absolutely amazing, one of my all time favorite games and one where I have over 600 hours, my favorite FE by far even tho I do love Awakening as well, Engage was such a dissapointment to me. Xenoblade 2 and 3 are masterpieces in my eyes, both have some issues but overall these games and the dozens upon dozens of hours of story they offer, with their rich world and well written cast are among my favorites as well. Trails through Daybreak is an incredible breath of fresh air and a return to form for Falcom to me, I am one of those who isnt a fan of the CS arc as a whole and I do think CS IV is easily the worst in the franchise writing wise, but I adored Kuro I, the protagonist is such an incredible improvement I have no words, the cast is once again smaller and integral to the story, the setting is fresh and it finally takes itself seriously again, or as seriously as Kiseki game can, this game renewed my fate in Falcom after the relative dissapointments of Ys IX and in general CS arc which had dampened my adoration for Kiseki as whole (even if most of them are still at least good on their own, only really CS IV is in my opinion at best average, which is just super bellow par for Kiseki) So I laugh at your badge of "honor" :D But I fully agree with you about Kuro, I am playing Kuro II now, and the first half at least is great, my biggest issue so far is the split PoW, which also is my biggest fear for Kai, I love Van and his group and feel like there is infinite amount of things there is still left to do with this cast yet they already take away from their screentime, no other protagonist has been treated like this. CS really messed up the pacing of the story, with 5 games dedicated to the same cast and now that the franchise fatigue is in full force they have to rush :X Sadly Atelier isnt for me, I tried some of the games in the past but it just isnt my cup of tea, but I can appreciate it, especially with how high a quality the games are with such quick release windows. Arise is contentious for me, I love how it looks as well, combat is super fun and first half of the story (till the fire lady) is fantastic, afterwards it really fell apart for me, especially in terms of where the story went vs how it started and what I thought it would be. SMT V is great, I always prefer Persona personally but I do like some SMT games and this one is really strong. ...never heard of Megaton Musashi, which I guess is on brand given what you said, heh, I will take a look, thanks :) Never played Octopath Traveler either, wasnt that the one that released only on Iphones at first? I know of it but I have very little interest for some reason. Great video. Have you tried games like My time at Sandrock and the like? Its partially a farming/building sim but it also has a really solid and very long story, with plentiful world building and many characters to enjoy.

i see ramizel, i came

I love Utawarerumono and even own MM but never even opened it up yet. Xenoblade 3 is also great. I haven't finished it yet because I was waiting for a certain Mio costume that took almost one and a half years to arrive and now didn't get around to finish it. FE Three Houses is definitely the Switch game I've put the most time in. I also recommend it, but please, everyone, play it with Japanese dub. I've done so many playthroughs, including a Lysithea-only one. As for Daybreak, I don't like it. The story is great as always but the battle system is just bad and a step backwards from the prior titles. And it doesn't help that the text is too small and the arrangement of certain graphics is messy. Well, if I had to name one recent JRPG that everyone should try it's Honkai Star Rail.

Man, I’m slightly annoyed with myself for how I feel about Octopath Traveler 2. I absolutely wanted to adore it. The music is transcendent, each story on its own wonderfully engaging, the visual aesthetic captivating, the battle system enjoyable… but I expected so much more of it. I played and enjoyed the first game, but had a host of criticisms I REALLY hoped the second would address. Namely - (1) weave in much more dynamic narrative overlap between the eight storylines, especially relationship development; (2) make a battle system that required me to diversify my trash-mob tactics beyond the first 15 hours of the game; (3) utterly revise the skill-acquisition and -allocation system to give far more customization and depth; (4) give a truly compelling reason to see the post game, both narrative and also give me new skills/classes to play with that I could grow into throughout the post game; (5) make the passive skills each character has, used to influence the flow of overworld events, much more interesting, less gimmicky feeling; (6) make the towns feel more useful and interesting to explore, with more to discover, with more meaningful and dynamic NPC interactions. In my eyes, OT2 only improved about 15% - 20% on what I wanted for #1, failed completely at #2 and #3, improved maybe 50% on #4 (but completely botched it by the way they changed the soundscape; I couldn’t stand the loss of the gorgeous world and battle themes), and utterly failed at #5 and #6. In the ways I most wanted, the game didn’t improve on the first game. It was still a perfectly enjoyable experience, one I would consider playing again, but it was quite disappointing by the end of it for me. By the end, the world felt soulless (even more so because the story beats in areas were so awesome, and then going back to each area felt devoid of impact or resonance for what had happened in the flow of the story), I was spamming the exact pattern of attacks I’d been using for the past 20 hours for 98% of battles, and I had little to no idea how each character felt about each other despite how long they’d spent together. I’ve been saying it for years now, but I think Trails has spoiled me. If characters don’t develop to a massive degree together in a JRPG, it’s very hard to deeply care about what is happening with it.

Pretty quiet? Bruh..

You miss Omega Quintet & Dark Rose Valkyrie too

PLEASE DON'T LISTEN TO HIM ABOUT NOT PLAYING THE OTHER 2 XENOBLADE GAMES. PLAY THEM IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND XENOBLADE 3