Alex of IrrationalPassions.com writes:
"In a weird way, I Am Setsuna is the JRPG I’ve been waiting for. The pedigree, the style, the look, it all harkens back to an era of 1990s JRPGs that were on top of the world, and I finally got to sit down and play it. Even though I didn’t really learn what the hook here is, I know that Setsuna is exactly what it set out to be, and I’m so excited for something like this to exist again. It’s been so long since the 16-bit top-down JRPGs ruled over the market as some of the biggest games, full stop, and even if this isn’t the one to bring that all back, it’s a loving addition to that roster."
From Xfire: "The golden era of JRPGs has long since passed, with more traditional RPGs having planted themselves firmly under the spotlight for the better part of the past two decades. However, while there's not been as many JRPG games released in recent years, there's still enough of them being released that results in certain titles slipping under the proverbial radar."
Highly recommended if you like FF Tactics. I believe it was Colin Moriarty's (Last Stand Media) GOTY last year.
Most of these are the weak story jrpgs which is why its an easy pass for myself. I don't have love to turn based or tactics battles systems but I enjoy the other aspects of jrpgs. The most important aspect to me is the story. I have put up with playing horrible battle systems and mini games that should never exist to enjoy the lengthy and amazing stories these games have. For some reason around the PS3 days they seemed to think, who cares about story just worry about battle system and crafting. So if those are the things you're looking for then this list is for you.
I’ve been trying to get back into playing JRPGs lately. With the recent release of Persona 5 Strikers, I finally decided to start playing Royal. I don’t know if I can make the time for just any JRPG though, and Persona games are always an experience and a half.
I Am Setsuna came out in 2016 but does Tokyo RPG Factory's debut still scratch that 90s nostalgic itch? Jump Dash Roll lines has ATB in its sights for today's Brutal Backlog.
There are certain smaller studios out there making Japanese games that are gradually growing in notoriety. One of them is Tokyo RPG Factory, a developer that most people probably know as the one that is owned by Square Enix. (Other acceptable answers include “the one that makes sad games” or “the one where all the games look a lot alike.” It’s been five years since its founding in 2014, and the company has kept on trucking. In fact, it has a new game coming out this year! Which means now is the perfect time to figure out more about it and why you may want to take an interest in the team’s games.
