Nihon Falcom have made quite a name for themselves over the last few decades thanks to their incredible line-up offun and engaging JRPG titles. They would first make their mark on the industry withDragon Slayerreleased back in 1984, and following the enormous success of that game, they would carry forward the momentum by developing a wide array of fantastic titles over the years, the majority of which are rooted in the RPG genre.
These developers are not only admired for their story-writing and iconic characters, but also for how they manage to mix up the core RPG gameplay formula while still retaining the genre’s core mechanics. As a result, many of Nihon Falcom’s games have provided a breath of fresh air for a genre which is already stacked full of games, and when it comes to JRPGs, they have produced some of the best in recent memory.
6Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection
Metascore User Review: 8.2
ThoughZwei: The Ilvard Insurrectionfollows a pretty familiar gameplay loop of participating inreal-time battlesand exploring a vast open world in between encounters, there are a few key mechanics which help it stand out from its peers. For one, experience isn’t gained simply by defeating enemies, but instead, comes from the food that they will drop. Snacking on a bunch of berries or meat to level up a character is easy enough, but players are also able to take the food they’ve acquired to a restaurant to increase the total EXP earned to a much higher amount.
Players will also be able to switch characters in combat by using specific abilities, so if they were to launch a physical attack for example, this will allow them to assume control of Ragna, while magic is handled by Alwen. All of this makes the game feel very unique in how it plays, and although the game’s story is quite short, it’s still packed full of mysteries and unexpected revelations which make it well worth seeing through until the end.
5The Legend Of Heroes: Trails In The Sky
Metacritic User Score: 8.3
The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Skyincorporates a handful of unique features in its turn-based combat which which add an extra layer of strategy to the experience. The biggest and most important of these are Crafts, which are character-specific abilities which can immediately turn the tides of a battle, but because they all vary in how they actually work, it encourages players to try out several characters to see which they feel are the most viable for them in battle.
The excellent combat system is paired with a compelling story which follows Estelle Bright and her younger brother Joshua, who are thrust into the middle of a chaotic political conflict that they must try and prevent from breaking out, before it’s too late. The game contains someshocking plot-twists, and also involves a romance sub-plot which provides a very emotional contrast to the high-stakes of the main campaign.
4The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel
Metacritic User Score: 8.5
WhileThe Legend of Heroesgames have always had well-written and lovable characters, they can sometimes become overshadowed by the larger story that surrounds them. InTrails of Cold Steelthough, it’s clear developers Nihon were placing a much bigger emphasis on the characters and their personal stories this time around, primarily through the brand new Link Level mechanic. This allows players to form closer bonds with their allies which will in turn make them stronger in combat, in a similar vein tothe Social Links in Persona.
3The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel 3
Metacritic User Score: 8.7
Trails of Cold Steel 3’sfun and fluid turn-based gameplay works identically to the previous entries in the series, but it’s also much faster thanks to how streamlined the mechanics are. Being able to attach battle commands to individual buttons makes the battles feel more cinematic and flashy, which is the perfect fit for theanime-style visuals, which look absolutely stunning in action.
The new Brave Points system adds a new layer of strategy to the core gameplay, and with how difficult the encounters are, it’s a game that poses a hearty challenge, which is also complimented by a beautiful story. Being able to visit the classmates who had been around since the very first game once again is a real treat, and Rean is a great protagonist who comes to learn the responsibilities of being an instructor at a military academy as the game goes on.
2The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel 4
Nihon Falcom had been slowly building upon the core formula of theTrails of Cold Steelseries with each new entry, so for the final game, they went all out, not just with the graphical presentation, but also the gameplay, which is arguably the best it’s ever been. Though the traditional turn-based battle system remains intact, there have been some small tweaks which ramp up the difficulty quite considerably. For example, achieving a Break now takes much longer, and Brave orders have been heavily nerfed, but on the flip side, these orders can now be upgraded through trial chests, which helps to make up for this.
As a result, though the game is inherently more challenging thanTrails of Cold Steel 3, Falcom made sure to include extra buffs and tools that can help even out the playing field. The truth is though, the arduous difficulty perfectly suits the high-stakes of the story, which is set just two weeks after the end of the last game. With Chancellor Osborne now in charge of the Erebonian Empire, anda war looming on the horizon, it’s up to Class VII to journey across the continent to ease tensions and resolve disputes to ensure humanity isn’t wiped out for good.
1Ys VI: The Ark Of Napishtim
Metacritic User Score: 8.9
There’s so much to love aboutArk of Napishtim.The game features a wide cast of lovable characters along with a richly detailed world which is packed full of NPCs and side characters to learn more about. Though the combat can seem a little basic on the surface, it can be quite tricky to pull off certain attacks because of their precise timing-window, adding an extra layer of unpredictability and tension to the core gameplay. Every single weapon and piece of equipment in the game also goes a long way in upgrading Adol, and the difference in stats can immediately be felt when jumping into a battle, which makes exploration and grinding very rewarding as a result.
This can be especially useful for the bosses, who are among some of the hardest, but most satisfying to beat, in the entire series, since a single upgrade could be all that’s needed to overcome such a threatening foe.The game is also fairly short for an RPG, clocking in at roughly 20 hours long, but this also means it wastes no time getting into the story and worldbuilding, which makes it hard to put the game down after booting it up for the first time. Players who really want to experience everythingThe Ark Of Napishtimhas to offer should seek out the re-released version for Steam as it has a bunch of new additions, including a “Catastrophe Mode” which is just as brutally difficult as it sounds; perfect for a second playthrough.
