History Gush / SquareEnix

** The next set of games, the more loosely connected Zenithian trilogy, is where those experiments with structure and narrative are most prominent; with each game putting its own distinct spin on familiar JRPG concepts (some of which the series itself had [[TropeNamer introduced]] and/or [[TropeCodifier codified]] in the Erdrick/Loto trilogy). Be it the way ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIV'' gives the party members their own introductory chapters (including a neat little PerspectiveFlip that sees you working as a shopkeeper with pay) before having them come together to form the party, the way it has you fight through each phase of the final boss' OneWingedAngel transformation, or the way Chapter 6 in the remakes effectively [[spoiler:gives the game an alternate ending]]. The way the aforementioned ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'' has the hero grow from a child to an adult over the course of the story and has you play out important milestones in his life, including getting married to a female love interest (of your choosing) and having children of his own. Or the way ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVI'' starts InMediasRes with the party already formed and fighting what appears to be the final battle against the BigBad- ''[[CurbStompBattle AND LOSING HARD]]''; segueing into the game's unique take on a light world/dark world set up and featuring a moving amnesia plot from a time when such stories had yet to become tiresome clichés in gaming. Considering how light the Erdrick/Loto trilogy was on the actual storytelling, it makes sense that Yuji Horii and co. focused on beefing up the series' narrative elements with this set of games. That they did it in such a fun, interesting way with each game is the icing on the cake.

** The next set of games, the more loosely connected Zenithian trilogy, is where those experiments with structure and narrative are most prominent; with each game putting its own distinct spin on familiar JRPG concepts (some of which the series itself had [[TropeNamer introduced]] and/or [[TropeCodifier codified]] in the Erdrick/Loto trilogy). Be it the way ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIV'' gives the party members their own introductory chapters (including a neat little PerspectiveFlip that sees you working as a shopkeeper with pay) before having them come together to form the party; or the way it has you fight through each phase of the final boss' OneWingedAngel transformation. The way the aforementioned ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'' has the hero grow from a child to an adult over the course of the story and has you play out important milestones in his life, including getting married to a female love interest (of your choosing) and having children of his own. Or the way ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVI'' starts InMediasRes with the party already formed and fighting what appears to be the final battle against the BigBad- ''[[CurbStompBattle AND LOSING HARD]]''; segueing into the game's unique take on a light world/dark world set up and featuring a moving amnesia plot from a time when such stories had yet to become tiresome clichés in gaming. Considering how light the Erdrick/Loto trilogy was on the actual storytelling, it makes sense that Yuji Horii and co. focused on beefing up the series' narrative elements with this set of games. That they did it in such a fun, interesting way with each game is the icing on the cake.

** The next set of games, the more loosely connected Zenithian trilogy, is where those experiments with structure and narrative are most prominent; with each game putting its own distinct spin on familiar JRPG concepts (some of which the series itself had [[TropeNamer introduced]] and/or [[TropeCodifier codified]] in the Erdrick/Loto trilogy). Be it the way ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIV'' gives the party members their own introductory chapters (including a neat little PerspectiveFlip that sees you working as a shopkeeper, complete with pay) before having them come together to form the party. The way the aforementioned ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'' has the hero grow from a child to an adult over the course of the story and has you play out important milestones in his life, including getting married to a female love interest (of your choosing) and having children of his own. Or the way ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVI'' starts InMediasRes with the party already formed and fighting what appears to be the final battle against the BigBad- ''[[CurbStompBattle AND LOSING HARD]]''; segueing into the game's unique take on a light world/dark world set up and featuring a moving amnesia plot from a time when such stories had yet to become tiresome clichés in gaming. Considering how light the Erdrick/Loto trilogy was on the actual storytelling, it makes sense that Yuji Horii and co. focused on beefing up the series' narrative elements with this set of games. That they did it in such a fun, interesting way with each game is the icing on the cake.

** On the other side of the mood spectrum, ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' has the greatest villain hands-down in the entire series. Kefka's over-the-top flamboyancy and the fact he stands in stark contrast and even [[{{LampshadeHanging}} lampshades]] the heroes' angst and posession of ThePowerofFriendship stand out in this series. Sure, he's an evil, AxCrazy homicidal maniac, but you can't fault a guy for having astronomical job satisfaction, can you?

* ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'', despite the budgetless second disc, is one of the greatest stories ever told in video game format. I pity the person who has not experienced the awesome that is this game. It has everything, conspiracies, [[HumongousMecha giant robots]], [[MagnificentBastard magnificient bastards]], [[TropeOverdosed the works]].

** VideoGame/DragonQuestV is by far one of the greatest games of all time. Despite being released in 1992, the game's story has aged ''amazingly'' well and the characters are so endearing. Unlike most silent protagonists, you actually FEEL like you're the main character and what makes the story so amazing is because its not an epic quest to go killing monsters, but a more personal one. It lacks the recognition and fame it truly deserves. Hell, it's Yuji Hori's favorite Dragon Quest!

** The next set of games, the more loosely connected Zenithian trilogy, is where those aforementioned experiments with structure and narrative are most prominent; with each game taking familiar JRPG concepts (some of which the series itself had [[TropeNamer introduced]] and/or [[TropeCodifier codified]] in the Erdrick/Loto trilogy) and putting their own spin on them. Be it the way ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIV'' gives the party members their own introductory chapters (including a neat little PerspectiveFlip that sees you working as a shopkeeper, complete with pay) before having them come together to form the party. The way the aforementioned ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'' has the hero grow from a child to an adult over the course of the story and has you play out important milestones in his life, including getting married to a female love interest (of your choosing) and having children of his own. Or the way ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVI'' starts InMediasRes with the party already formed and fighting what appears to be the final battle against the BigBad- ''[[CurbStompBattle AND LOSING HARD]]''; segueing into the game's unique take on a light world/dark world set up and featuring a moving amnesia plot from a time when such stories had yet to become tiresome clichés in gaming. Considering how light the Erdrick/Loto trilogy was on the actual storytelling, it makes sense that Yuji Horii and co. focused on beefing up the series' narrative elements with this set of games. That they did it in such a fun, interesting way with each game is the icing on the cake.

** The next set of games, the (more loosely connected) Zenithian trilogy, is where those aforementioned experiments with structure and narrative are most prominent; taking familiar JRPG concepts (some of which the series itself had either [[TropeNamer introduced]] or [[TropeCodifier codified]] in the Erdrick/Loto trilogy) and putting their own spin on them. Be it the way ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIV'' gives the party members their own introductory chapters (including a neat little PerspectiveFlip that sees you working as a shopkeeper, complete with pay) before having them come together to form the party. The way the aforementioned ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'' has the hero grow from a child to an adult over the course of the story and has you play out important milestones in his life, including getting married to a female love interest (of your choosing) and having children of his own. Or the way ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVI'' starts InMediasRes with the party already formed and fighting what would normally be the final battle against the BigBad- ''[[CurbStompBattle AND LOSING HARD]]''; segueing into the game's unique take on a light world/dark world set up and featuring a moving amnesia plot from a time when such stories had yet to become tiresome clichés in gaming. Considering how light the Erdrick/Loto trilogy was on the actual storytelling, it makes sense that Yuji Horii and co. focused on beefing up the series' narrative elements with this set of games. That they did it in such a fun, interesting way with each game is the icing on the cake.

** The next set of games, the (more loosely connected) Zenithian trilogy, is where those aforementioned experiments with structure and narrative are most prominent; taking familiar JRPG concepts (some of which the series itself had either [[TropeNamer introduced]] or [[TropeCodifier codified]] in the Erdrick/Loto trilogy) and putting their own spin on them. Be it the way ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIV'' gives the party members their own introductory chapters (including a neat little PerspectiveFlip that sees you working as a shopkeeper, complete with pay) before having them come together to form the party. The way the aforementioned ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'' has the hero grow from a child to an adult over the course of the story and has you play out important milestones in his life, including getting married to a female love interest (of your choosing) and having children of his own. Or the way ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVI'' starts InMediasRes with the party already formed and fighting what would normally be the final battle against the BigBad- ''[[CurbStompBattle AND LOSING HARD]]''; segueing into the game's unique take on a light world/dark world set up and featuring a moving amnesia plot from a time before such stories became tiresome clichés in gaming. Considering how light the Erdrick/Loto trilogy was on the actual storytelling, it makes sense that Yuji Horii and co. focused on beefing up the series' narrative elements with this set of games. That they did it in such a fun, interesting way with each game is the icing on the cake.

** The Erdrick/Loto Trilogy in particular is surprisingly cohesive considering these games are from the 8-bit era when JRPGs were in their infancy and pretty barebones in terms of storytelling (and especially if you're used to the Final Fantasy method of each game being self-contained with no connection to the other games, which Dragon Quest itself would eventually start doing). The reason is because of the worldbuilding on display. Seeing locations from the first game change throughout different time periods is really cool and gives Alefgard a passage of time that makes it feel like a lived in world. There's also the way each game builds up the legendary hero Erdrick/Loto through their descendants and equipment, culminating in III where [[spoiler:it's revealed at the end that you've been playing as Erdrick/Loto themselves the entire time and that the whole game has been the story of how they became the legendary hero of Alefgard]]; giving the trilogy its own lore. By the time you've finished playing through the trilogy, Alefgard will feel like a fully formed world with its own history and lore, which is impressive considering the actual storytelling is, again, pretty barebones for the most part. Dragon Quest may stick to its conventions, but it's always done cool things with structure and narrative within those conventions.

** The Erdrick/Loto Trilogy in particular is surprisingly cohesive considering these games are from the 8-bit era when JRPGS were in their infancy and pretty barebones in terms of storytelling (and especially if you're used to the Final Fantasy method of each game being self-contained with no connection to the other games, which Dragon Quest itself would eventually start doing). The reason is because of the worldbuilding on display. Seeing locations from the first game change throughout different time periods is really cool and gives Alefgard a passage of time that makes it feel like a lived in world. There's also the way each game builds up the legendary hero Erdrick/Loto through their descendants and equipment, culminating in III where [[spoiler:it's revealed at the end that you've been playing as Erdrick/Loto themselves the entire time and that the whole game has been the story of how they became the legendary hero of Alefgard]]; giving the trilogy its own lore. By the time you've finished playing through the trilogy, Alefgard will feel like a fully formed world with its own history and lore, which is impressive considering the actual storytelling is, again, pretty barebones for the most part. Dragon Quest may stick to its conventions, but it's always done cool things with structure and narrative within those conventions.

** The Erdrick/Loto Trilogy in particular is surprisingly cohesive considering these games are from the 8-bit era when JRPGS were in their infancy and pretty barebones in terms of storytelling (and especially if you're used to the Final Fantasy method of each game being self-contained with no connection to the other games, which Dragon Quest itself would eventually start doing). The reason is because of the worldbuilding on display. Seeing locations from the first game change throughout different time periods is really cool and gives Alefgard a passage of time that makes it feel like a lived in world. There's also the way each game builds up the legendary hero Erdrick/Loto through their descendants and equipment, culminating in III where [[spoiler:it's revealed at the end that you've been playing as Erdrick/Loto themselves the entire time and that the whole game has been the story of how they became the legendary hero of Alefgard]]; giving the trilogy its own lore. By the time you've finished playing through the trilogy, Alefgard will feel like a fully formed world with its own history and lore, which is impressive considering the actual storytelling is, again, pretty barebones (for the most part). Dragon Quest may stick to its conventions, but it's always done cool things with structure and narrative within those conventions.

** The Erdrick/Loto Trilogy in particular is surprisingly cohesive considering these games are from the 8-bit era when JRPGS were in their infancy and pretty barebones in terms of storytelling (and especially if you're used to the Final Fantasy method of each game being self-contained with no connection to the other games, something Dragon Quest itself would eventually do). The reason is because of the worldbuilding. By the time you've finished playing through I, II, and III, Alefgard will feel like a fully formed, lived in world due to the passage of time that's on display throughout the trilogy; along with the way each game builds up the legendary hero Erdrick/Loto through their descendants, culminating in III where [[spoiler:it's revealed at the end that you've been playing as Erdrick/Loto themselves the entire time and that the whole game has been the story of how they became the legendary hero of Alefgard]]. Dragon Quest may stick to its conventions, but it's always done cool things with structure and narrative within those conventions.

** The Erdrick/Loto Trilogy in particular is surprisingly cohesive considering these games are from the 8-Bit era when JRPGS were in their infancy and pretty barebones in terms of storytelling (and especially if you're used to the Final Fantasy method of each game being self-contained with no connection to the other games, something Dragon Quest itself would eventually do). The reason is because of the worldbuilding. By the time you've finished playing through I, II, and III, Alefgard will feel like a fully formed, lived in world due to the passage of time that's on display throughout the trilogy; along with the way each game builds up the legendary hero Erdrick/Loto through their descendants, culminating in III where [[spoiler:it's revealed at the end that you've been playing as Erdrick/Loto themselves the entire time and that the whole game has been the story of how they became the legendary hero of Alefgard]]. Dragon Quest may stick to its conventions, but it's always done cool things with structure and narrative within those conventions.

** The Erdrick/Loto Trilogy in particular is surprisingly cohesive considering these games are from the 8-Bit era when JRPGS were in their infancy and pretty barebones in terms of storytelling (and especially if you're used to the Final Fantasy method of each game being self-contained with no connection to the other games, something Dragon Quest itself would eventually do). The reason is because of the worldbuilding. By the time you've finished playing through I, II, and III, Alefgard will feel like a fully formed, lived in world due to the passage of time that's on display throughout the trilogy. Dragon Quest may stick to its conventions, but it's always done cool things with structure and narrative within those conventions.

** Easily one of the most fascinating (and confusing) concepts for a video game I've heard of. I may have never owned any PlayStations, but that's never stopped me from watching hours and hours of cutscenes. The games for the Nintendo handhelds may be considered "not as good" to some, but that never stopped me from trying them out. Although I didn't grow up with Kingdom Hearts, I did grow up with Disney-- in fact, it defined my childhood. I love the idea of saving and exploring my favorite childhood movie universes; it fills me with nearly as much nostalgia as those lucky bastards who actually did grow up with the series. After playing Kingdom Hearts, I always have a sudden urge to go binge-watch some Disney movies.

** As a 2000's-born troper, I can consider myself blessed that I got the opportunity to play ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI''. I was so impressed with the plot that I now want to become a plot writer for video games in general! I pretty much owe almost all my appreciation for old games (especially JRPGs!) to this game (and maybe ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', too.).

*** FF9 is also my favorite. There are so many nostalgic references to the previous games that are done so well, it almost feels like a love letter to fans of the first 6 games.
* ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' is worth buying again on the DS. So very very worth it.

** Square-Enix has just been bringing the VideoGameRemake love lately. ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' just rocks the house in it's new form. They actually ''made it better''. I'd have sworn it couldn't be done. Do ''VI''! ''[[{{Keet}} Do VI!]]'' And for the love of all that's reasonable, do ''VII''. It's a license to print money, for pete's sake!

** ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' is a case where I don't know where to ''start'' gushing. The fact that it's a time travel story that [[FridgeBrilliance mostly stands up to logic]], the tragic aftershocks of what happened in Zeal kingdom, the music that's [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic heartbreaking and badass and gorgeous]] as the scenes demand, the friggin' awesome combo attacks, the way every time period had a unique and striking color palette...

** Hate me for saying this if you like, but ''VideoGame/CrimsonEchoes'' is full of awesome too.

* In a genre that has stagnated a little, 2010's ''VideoGame/NieR'' is a much needed breath of fresh-air. While the gameplay is subpar and it's lacking polish in some areas, it makes up for this in spades by having a completely unique, highly memorable cast, arguably one of the greatest localizations of any Japanese game ever (with surprisingly natural dialogue and unusually good voice-acting for the most part), an amazing use of game mechanics as storytelling in several ways (Ending D is one of the most powerful moments of any game I've ever played, period), one of the best soundtracks in video game history. The game completely avoids, subverts, deconstructs, and parodies so many aspects of not only [=JRPGs=], but games, in a way that is completely engaging from beginning to end. Even in the areas that it's strongest I don't think it's perfect, but I feel comfortable calling it one of the best JRPG narratives of all time, easily above most of the other games SE themselves have done, even if that's in part because of SeinfeldIsUnfunny. Even the weakest link in the game, the main character, still works in a way that a lot of movie characters do, in that he's not the most complex character, but still very sympathetic and likable, with good relationships with the other characters, especially Yonah. Most [=JRPGs=] usually don't even achieve THAT. It's rather surprising that cavia, a studio known for making mostly terrible/mediocre low-budget games (with one that was [[{{VideoGame/Drakengard}} still arguably bad but at least pretty interesting]]), actually had it in them to create a game that had this much soul in it. When the sequel to the game was announced in 2015 with literally a dream team of talent I'd want working on my dream JRPG, I almost cried. The fact that SE was willing to fund both ''Drakengard 3'' and that game, with such an all-star development team, shows that they are not nearly as bad as some people think they are, because they still have artistic ambitions that matter to them beyond simply making money.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX''. This was my third favorite Final Fantasy. The cast was one of the best, & you could really see how they developed. Wakka got over his hatred of the Al Bhed, Yuna learned that self-sacrafice wasn't the only way to help Spira, etc. Plus, there's Auron. Need I say more? And while Seymour wasn't my favorite antagonist, he had understandable motives, & a well-covered past. He managed to be both menacing & sympathetic. Lastly, there's Sin, who became my favorite non-human enemy in the series. This thing could kill you. It could create monsters that killed you. Monsters would follow it around to kill you. It emitted a substance that messed with your head. It could even fly with gravity magic, & recover within a few minutes of having its arms chopped off, which were the source of its entire locomotion.

** Oh yes the battle system was amazing once I got used to it, and what is a first for me I loved all the main characters (even if Hope did annoy me at first) and it's just so incredibly beautiful to look at. Screw what the haters say about it's linearity, I thought it was incredible. Edited to add: I have hesitated in making my opinion because it is pure Flame Bait, but: FFXIII has the best FF soundtrack ever. The incredible quality and sheer DIVERSITY of the music is amazing. There is dance/J-pop {{EarWorm}}s, beautiful orchestral music, interesting and layered electronica, awesome Jazz to go with EnsembleDarkhorse Sazh and the best arrangement of the the chocobo theme ever in Pulse de Chocobo. There's even rock and BLUES. Plus the masterful use of the piano as Masashi Hamauzu's signature instrument, it's not just good VGM, it's just plain good, nuanced music that sounds all the more amazing on your stereo system. Hats off, Mr. Hamauzu.

** The sequel ''VideoGame/SeikenDensetsu3'' is one of the more unfortunate examples of NoExportForYou. This game has excellent replay value. There are six heroes to choose from and three possible final dungeons and {{Big Bad}}s depending on your choice, and each story is well presented. It has twenty-four final classes and makes them all viable by averting the AntidoteEffect. The music is also great, with a South Asian flair on several tracks.

** This is the game that proved to [[{{@/Fishsicles}} this troper]] that video games are an art form. I hold every other RPG to ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'''s standards, and find myself frequently disappointed. It was not in the awkward graphics era of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' or ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', had some of the best characters in [[Franchise/FinalFantasy the series]], and [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic Terra's Theme]], the "[[Music/OverclockedRemix Freebird of video game music]]". Everyone on the planet should play this game, (and then listen to [[Music/OverclockedRemix Terra In Black]], for extra credit) and try to say, with complete sincerity, that it is not awesome. This is quite possibly one of the greatest video games of all time, and one of the defining points of the genre. [[SophisticatedAsHell I AM NOT FUCKING AROUND WHEN I SAY THAT]].

*** Especially not when he has possibly the best final boss music in the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series.

** This is the game that proved to [[{{@/Fishsicles}} this troper]] that video games are an art form. I hold every other RPG to ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'''s standards, and find myself frequently disappointed. It was not in the awkward graphics era of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' or ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', had some of the best characters in [[Franchise/FinalFantasy the series]], and [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Terra's Theme]], the "[[Music/OverclockedRemix Freebird of video game music]]". Everyone on the planet should play this game, (and then listen to [[Music/OverclockedRemix Terra In Black]], for extra credit) and try to say, with complete sincerity, that it is not awesome. This is quite possibly one of the greatest video games of all time, and one of the defining points of the genre. [[SophisticatedAsHell I AM NOT FUCKING AROUND WHEN I SAY THAT]].
** In [[{{Tropers/VillainFan42}} this troper's]] humble opinion, ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' is not only the best of the series, but of gaming in general. In addition to what the above tropers brought up, I really enjoyed the Magicite system, allowing the player to fully customize which characters learned what magic and make a diverse party of characters, each with their own role and abilities, rather than making the party members interchangeable like Materia ended up doing. In addition, the [[{{Main/Woolseyism}} brilliant SNES dub]] is always a treat.

** [[{{Tropers/Serperoth}} This troper]] is a fan of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX''. The entire game is simply STAGGERING. Gameplay that combines simplicity with depth, breathtaking visuals, a story which is comparable to a Shakespearean tragedy (I'm not exaggerating much), and some of the most relateable characters in video game history., not to mention all the in-jokes, large or small ("No cloud, no squall shall hinder us", Doga and Une, Bobby Corwen...). Kuja is still my favourite villain, but you have to give credit to someone who can appear threatening while wearing a thong, a bra-like creation and a cape. Further Final Fantasy fans, feel free to fortify my favouritism. I'll just add something about the music. IT'S THE BEST MUSIC FROM A VIDEO GAME. Each and every song both fits the scene it plays in (You're Not Alone, Freya's Theme), and is FANTASTIC to listen to. My father, no "deaf, dumb and blind kid", heard that. It remains to this day the only good thing about video games he'll concede to. Nobuo Uematsu toured Europe to gain inspiration for the soundtrack, and only now is he recovering from having overworked himself. 'Nuff said (although feel free to elaborate, of course).

** ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' is a case where I don't know where to ''start'' gushing. The fact that it's a time travel story that [[FridgeBrilliance mostly stands up to logic]], the tragic aftershocks of what happened in Zeal kingdom, the music that's [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome heartbreaking and badass and gorgeous]] as the scenes demand, the friggin' awesome combo attacks, the way every time period had a unique and striking color palette...

** Bartz + pirates = [[CrowningMomentOfFunny epic, epic hilarity]].

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2'', I don't care if you call it {{Fanservice}} incarnate or CharacterDerailment, I truly deeply love this game! It has it all. [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome And]] I [[CrowningMomentOfAwesome mean]] [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming all!]]
* VideoGame/ChronoCross is definitely one of my favorite games and the shining example of EvenBetterSequel in video gaming, VideoGame/ChronoTrigger. First off, the battle system is unique from anything I've seen in any other RPG while still being fun in its own right. The characters manage to be mostly unique and interesting (though, I am a sucker for RPG with [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics large casts]] [[VideoGame/{{Suikoden}} of characters]]). The backgrounds are, in a word, stunning and the art style is one of my favorites in a game. The music, if anything, is even better than Chrono Trigger's. I literally cried when I first heard [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome The Stars, Wind, and Waves]]. In fact, the ''only'' major criticism for this game I can think of is the plot, which is endlessly confusing and has some pretty big plot holes. Still, Chrono Cross remains one of my favorites.
* Haters gonna hate, but I ''loved'' ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII''. The music (not Uematsu, but still good), the story (confusing but epic once you get into it), the character development--holy hell, the ''character development''--the top notch voice acting, the absolutely obscenely gorgeous graphics, the fun and challenging battle system... Heck, I even think the linearity is a great change. The main characters feel like an actual [[TrueCompanions family]] for once, something the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games consistently have difficulty achieving. The ending makes me cry every time I watch it.
** I'll admit that I hadn't played a ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' since ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV IV]]'', but I too loved ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII XIII]]''. Especially the soundtrack. Oh good gods, the soundtrack... And the characters! And, and, the plot! ''And the soundtrack!'' * flails arms*

* Though this may seem like an odd choice of a game to gush about, I adore ''VideoGame/TheatrhythmFinalFantasy''! Fantastic music (of course, it's ''Franchise/FinalFantasy''), an interesting twist on the RhythmGame formula by adding RPG elements, and the Chaos Theatre is just...so...much...fun! I can't stop coming back for more!

** Oh yes the battle system was amazing once I got used to it, and what is a first for me I loved all the main characters (even if Hope did annoy me at first) and it's just so incredibly beautiful to look at. Screw what the haters say about it's linearity, I thought it was incredible. Edited to add: I have hesitated in making my opinion because it is pure FlameBait, but: FFXIII has the best FF soundtrack ever. The incredible quality and sheer DIVERSITY of the music is amazing. There is dance/J-pop {{EarWorm}}s, beautiful orchestral music, interesting and layered electronica, awesome Jazz to go with EnsembleDarkhorse Sazh and the best arrangement of the the chocobo theme ever in Pulse de Chocobo. There's even rock and BLUES. Plus the masterful use of the piano as Masashi Hamauzu's signature instrument, it's not just good VGM, it's just plain good, nuanced music that sounds all the more amazing on your stereo system. Hats off, Mr. Hamauzu.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'' will be loved by me until I die and [[WebVideo/TheSpoonyExperiment Spoony]] and the rest of the {{Hatedom}} can take a hike. I love the love story, I love the non-traditional concept of a main character (he's not "I'll just go and save the world now, tee-hee!"), and I love the character-driven story. I love the Junction system too.

** One of the best video game series of all time! At least, in my opinion. Out of all of the games, ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', especially ''Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix'', deserves special mention. The gameplay is so wonderfully unique that I still have not found another game like it. It might seem like a normal hack-and-slash game at first, but it is so much more than that. The glorious combat and different combos, incredible mobility, the combination of combos with mobility, amazing enemy staggering while feeling the weight of the keyblade, revenge value, magic and items shortcut, fun and challenging bosses like Luxord and Xemnas, and the vibrant worlds make the gameplay absolutely amazing. Combine that with the great story and characters, and this is truly a game to behold. I know some fans think that the story is silly, inconsistent, and whatnot, but in actuality, the story has still remained internally consistent, and I love how the games continue to build upon one another for one of the best Myth Arcs I have ever seen in my life. I love this series!

** One of the best video game series of all time! At least, in my opinion. Out of all of the games, ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'', especially "Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix" deserves special mention. The gameplay is so wonderfully unique that I still have not found another game like it. It might seem like a normal hack-and-slash game at first, but it is so much more than that. The glorious combat and different combos, incredible mobility, the combination of combos with mobility, amazing enemy staggering while feeling the weight of the keyblade, revenge value, magic and items shortcut, fun and challenging bosses like Luxord and Xemnas, and the vibrant worlds make the gameplay absolutely amazing. Combine that with the great story and characters, and this is truly a game to behold. I know some fans think that the story is silly, inconsistent, and whatnot, but in actuality, the story has still remained internally consistent, and I love how the games continue to build upon one another for one of the best Myth Arcs I have ever seen in my life. I love this series!

** One of the best video game series of all time! At least, in my opinion. Out of all of the games, ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' deserves special mention. The gameplay is so wonderfully unique that I still have not found another game like it. It might seem like a normal hack-and-slash game at first, but it is so much more than that. The glorious combat and different combos, incredible mobility, the combination of combos with mobility, amazing enemy staggering while feeling the weight of the keyblade, revenge value, magic and items shortcut, fun and challenging bosses, and the vibrant worlds make the gameplay absolutely amazing. Combine that with the great story and characters, and this is truly a game to behold. I know some fans think that the story is silly, inconsistent, and whatnot, but in actuality, the story has still remained internally consistent, and I love how the games continue to build upon one another for one of the best Myth Arcs I have ever seen in my life. I love this series!

** This is the game that proved to [[{{@/Fishsicles}} this troper]] that video games are an art form. I hold every other RPG to ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'''s standards, and find myself frequently disappointed. It was not in the awkward graphics era of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' or ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'', had some of the best characters in [[Franchise/FinalFantasy the series]], and [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Terra's Theme]], the "[[OverclockedRemix Freebird of video game music]]". Everyone on the planet should play this game, (and then listen to [[OverclockedRemix Terra In Black]], for extra credit) and try to say, with complete sincerity, that it is not awesome. This is quite possibly one of the greatest video games of all time, and one of the defining points of the genre. [[SophisticatedAsHell I AM NOT FUCKING AROUND WHEN I SAY THAT]].

* ''DragonQuest'' is popular in Japan for good reason. The games have great music, unique graphics and most importantly, the ability to stick to tradition without going stale in the gameplay department.

* In a genre that has stagnated a little, 2010's ''NieR'' is a much needed breath of fresh-air. While the gameplay is subpar and it's lacking polish in some areas, it makes up for this in spades by having a completely unique, highly memorable cast, arguably one of the greatest localizations of any Japanese game ever (with surprisingly natural dialogue and unusually good voice-acting for the most part), an amazing use of game mechanics as storytelling in several ways (Ending D is one of the most powerful moments of any game I've ever played, period), one of the best soundtracks in video game history. The game completely avoids, subverts, deconstructs, and parodies so many aspects of not only [=JRPGs=], but games, in a way that is completely engaging from beginning to end. Even in the areas that it's strongest I don't think it's perfect, but I feel comfortable calling it one of the best JRPG narratives of all time, easily above most of the other games SE themselves have done, even if that's in part because of SeinfeldIsUnfunny. Even the weakest link in the game, the main character, still works in a way that a lot of movie characters do, in that he's not the most complex character, but still very sympathetic and likable, with good relationships with the other characters, especially Yonah. Most [=JRPGs=] usually don't even achieve THAT. It's rather surprising that cavia, a studio known for making mostly terrible/mediocre low-budget games (with one that was [[{{VideoGame/Drakengard}} still arguably bad but at least pretty interesting]]), actually had it in them to create a game that had this much soul in it. When the sequel to the game was announced in 2015 with literally a dream team of talent I'd want working on my dream JRPG, I almost cried. The fact that SE was willing to fund both ''Drakengard 3'' and that game, with such an all-star development team, shows that they are not nearly as bad as some people think they are, because they still have artistic ambitions that matter to them beyond simply making money.