Japanese style RPG/adventure games, what should I try out?

[GrantM]

With the exception of the Final Fantasy games I've never played any other Japanese made RPG/adventure games for the PS2

With Shin Megami Tensei: Digital Devil Saga coming to the UK next month and the sequel also coming to the UK (I have an interest in the first one), I was wondering what are the best games from this genre I should try out. Keep in mind I'm not a fan of turn based RPG style games and this is the UK we are talking about

[Scirel]

Tales of Symphonia

[GrantM]

Tales of Symphonia

That's only on the Gamecube over here. I know it's on the PS2 but that appears to be Japan only

[FinalDragoon]

It would help if we knew what type of rpg you like to play as far as story setting, combat, and length/replayability....

[Master Moron]

Chrono Cross. It's not really turn based either, though it may seem like it. Pretty much you can attack any time you have enough stamina to attack. You use stamina every time you attack, so you have to choose wisely what move you want to make.

[GrantM]

It would help if we knew what type of rpg you like to play as far as story setting, combat, and length/replayability....

Well so far the UK has/will have the likes of...

http://www.play.com/Games/PlayStation2/GENBRW/3-/619292/La_Pucelle_Tactics/Product.html
http://www.play.com/Games/PlayStation2/GENBRW/3-/145734/Arc_Twilight_Of_The_Spirits/Product.html
http://www.play.com/Games/PlayStation2/GENBRW/3-/880831/Atelier_Iris_Eternal_Mana/Product.html
http://www.play.com/Games/PlayStation2/GENBRW/3-/166176/Disgaea_The_Hour_Of_Darkness/Product.html
http://www.play.com/Games/PlayStation2/GENBRW/3-/632525/Lucifer_Call/Product.html
http://www.play.com/Games/PlayStation2/GENBRW/3-/719539/Musashi_Samurai_Legend/Product.html
http://www.play.com/Games/PlayStation2/GENBRW/3-/866304/Phantasy_Star_Universe/Product.html
http://www.play.com/Games/PlayStation2/GENBRW/3-/922131/Rogue_Galaxy/Product.html
http://www.play.com/Games/PlayStation2/GENBRW/3-/182782/Shadow_Hearts_Covenant/Product.html
http://www.play.com/Games/PlayStation2/GENBRW/3-/904211/Shin_Megami_Tensei_Digital_Devil_Saga/Product.html
http://www.play.com/Games/PlayStation2/GENBRW/3-/918809/Stella_Deus/Product.html
http://www.play.com/Games/PlayStation2/GENBRW/3-/577456/Suikoden_IV/Product.html
http://www.play.com/Games/PlayStation2/GENBRW/3-/879661/Suikoden_Tactics/Product.html
http://www.play.com/Games/PlayStation2/GENBRW/3-/881374/Suikoden_V/Product.html
http://www.play.com/Games/PlayStation2/GENBRW/3-/129028/Unlimited_Saga/Product.html
http://www.play.com/Games/PlayStation2/GENBRW/3-/167024/YS_VI_The_Ark_Of_Napishtim/Product.html

[Eidan]

Knights of the Old Republic I & II.

Oh wait, you said Japanese styled? Eh, do yourself a huge favor and just get those two games anyway. Better than any RPG that's come out of Japan in a long...long time.

[Artimus Gigan]

The Shin megumi games are solid RPGs(I only have Noctourne, I can't find DDS, but it may get a re-release on the PSP ala Magna Carte)

Anything by NIS is farily solid as well, allthough they don't push boundries and are really styled after old school RPGs, they're not offencive and are very enjoyable

Samurai Legend Musashi, I'd avoid, the systems are incredibly rough and jagged, more or less if you want to try it out wait for it to be bargain bin fodder

Suikoden III and Suikoden V are both good RPGs and I'd highly reccomend both. I'd skip 4 unless you want to get the full story with Suikoden Tactics(tactics is very good even on it's own)

Ys: AoN is a pretty solid Action RPG, it's another one that stylizes itself with the oldschool RPGs, allthough it is fairly short the later stages of the game are quite challenging with the boss battles.

Stella Deus is pretty average for what it's worth, it's allright but it's not the best example of it's genre

Unlimited Saga is one to be avoided like the plauge, it's really got nothing redeeming about it

Shadow Hearts: Covinent and Rouge Galaxy are definate pickups, however the original Shadow Hearts is really average, I wouldn't really spend time hunting it down even though Covinent has some connects to Shadow Hearts 1.

[PC!]

Brave Fencer Musashi for the PS1 is a personal favorite of mine. It's a fine action RPG game. While it doesn't play like your traditional turn-based RPG, it's certainly a japanese style RPG/adventure-type game.

[GrantM]

Unlimited Saga is one to be avoided like the plauge, it's really got nothing redeeming about it


Why do people hate this game so much

[Vermunium]

Why do people hate this game so much

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this game. I've gone through it several times, and I liked it. The only reason most people don't like it is because it's so different from the rest of the playing field that they're scared to go too far into it.

[Artimus Gigan]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this game. I've gone through it several times, and I liked it. The only reason most people don't like it is because it's so different from the rest of the playing field that they're scared to go too far into it.

Meh compared to Saga Frontier 2, I thought alot of the ideas it implemented came off half-baked. Essentialy the 7 character story system was misdirected in alot of areas, half the time you weren't even sure what you were supposed to be doing(the NPCs did not offer you any worthwhile advice). The Battle system with the slot machine is incredibly similar to Shadow hearts and the Judgement Ring, not that the similarity is a bad thing, but more or less even the battle system suffers from being luck based instead of any actual skill or pre meditative thinking. They also made the simple commands needlessly complicated.

Pretty much recent games like Generation of Chaos and Lunar DS suffered from needlessly complex commands. Certain things like character attribute customization can be expanded upon, but things like world exploration or even aquiring items do not need grids, ratios, and the like.

[Gokou Ruri]

Chrono Cross was turnbased from what I remember..

As for non-turnbased Japanese RPGs.. there's the Tales series (Avoid Tales of Legendia like the plague) and Star Ocean series. Otherwise I'm not to sure what to reccomend, because I don't care for turnbased RPGs either.

[GrantM]

Speaking of the Tales series I forgo to mention Tales Of Eternia for the PSP, I'd get it but I bet that the US release will have stuff not on the UK release

[NewGenious]

If you can find a copy of Vagrant Story, buy it.

[GrantM]

If you can find a copy of Vagrant Story, buy it.

I have that game...one of the few non-Final Fantasy games Square actually released in the UK back then

[NewGenious]

I have that game...one of the few non-Final Fantasy games Square actually released in the UK back thenGood man, I remembered that it was released there. Liked??? no Like???

[GrantM]

Good man, I remembered that it was released there. Liked??? no Like???

I liked it, but I've actually yet to complete it, I got to a point well into the game where I got too weak to beat the harder enemies IIRC

[NewGenious]

RPG backlog...my old friend...anyway.

If it released ther check for a game called Arc The Lad: Twilight of the spirits. I think the story in it is really good and the battle system is interesting enough to keep me playing.

[guinaevere]

Knights of the Old Republic I & II.

Oh wait, you said Japanese styled? Eh, do yourself a huge favor and just get those two games anyway.
Except those are Xbox, not PS2. Grant only has a Sony, if I read the OP right.

[GrantM]

Except those are Xbox, not PS2. Grant only has a Sony, if I read the OP right.

My brother has an Xbox and he has both those games