I think most of us play JRPG’s only once, often for the story as well. But are there games for you you already have played a few times and could start that any time?
My most played game at all is probably Final Fantasy X, hadn’t much games as a child and my sisters always deleted my safe state. Even today i play i all 4-5 years. And i guess every Fire Emblem for me because i try to beat different challanges. Iron Man or only certain chars, nothing to hardcore.
Chrono Trigger
Bit of a stretch of the definition of a JRPG, but Final Fantasy Tactics and/or Tactics Ogre.
I wouldn’t say it’s a stretch. Tactical games are always quite easy for me to repay in general. Played FF tactic a few times as well
I’m not sure why, but there’s always been a cadre in the JRPG community that excludes tactics/strategy games from the genre.
There are also a lot that exclude action games from the Genre. It’s up on everyone to decide what they see as jrpg, because there is no clear definition. I just want to point out that i would like to see a wider definition of it included to this community.
Star Ocean 2
After years of replaying the PlayStation game, I’m working through the remake on Switch.
I have a rotation of Final Fantasy 4-8 and Chrono Trigger that I play on my phone. Sometimes I go a few years without playing, but overall I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve played in the 10 years I’ve had a smartphone.
I’ve definitely played through 7 about 15 times. 8 and 9 twice.
Mario RPG I knew like the back of my hand growing up, I had played it so much. There’s been a few others as well.
Legend of Dragoon got a few play through. Grandia II as well.
Rude sisters!
My most replayed one is probably Final Fantasy VI, although I think as I’ve gotten older I’ve come to love FFX just as much. Four replays later, the game still makes me super emotional.
If I could put Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure into one mega-game, that would definitely be a candidate, too.
The SaGa series are pretty good JRPGs, both in terms of gameplay and story. My personal favorites are:
- Romancing SaGa 3
- SaGa Scarlet Grace Ambitions
- Romancing SaGa 2
Octopath Traveler is really good too, with the second one in the series being the best one.
I played the first Octopath Traveler for about 80 hours. Quite good game but i wouldn’t play it more often because i always thought it’s level scaling is not perfect, switch between hard and very easy parts. But can’t say something about the second one.
Chrono Trigger and both Golden Sun games back to back. I do all of those every few years. Love’em to death.