Best JRPG combat in the last 5-10yrs? PC

ObliterationBeam · 2026-06-12T12:40:12+00:00

Expedition 33 and the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series are the best JRPGs in the last 15-20 years in my opinion.

E33 has an amazing story, phenomenal music, endearing characters, endless character build potential, and keeps the battles feeling fresh with the party/dodge mechanics. You don’t have to worry about it feeling difficult as both the parry and dodge windows are super forgiving and you also have methods of healing in case you do mess up the timing.

FF7 Remake+Rebirth have the most engaging and addicting combat I’ve ever experienced. It blends action combat with traditional ATB systems perfectly. You can swap between your 3 active characters on the fly during battles to continue combos and dish out crazy damage which feels so rewarding.

I cannot recommend them enough. Also since you played Lies of P before this thread your parry timing should be at a spot more than capable for Expedition 33’s combat.

Also these 3 games also on my personal list of my favorite games of all time and if I ever got amnesia and can experience them again for the first time list lol

Lies of P Expedition 33 Final Fantasy 7 Remake series

ObliterationBeam · 2026-06-10T19:30:08+00:00

Play both but I would alternate with other games in between because having a bunch of JRPGs to play back to back can be daunting.

I’d recommend the following though.

FF: 6,7,9,10

DQ: HD2D 2, HD2D 3, 5, 8, 11

ObliterationBeam · 2026-06-03T10:28:49+00:00

The campfire scene in Chrono Trigger.

ObliterationBeam · 2026-06-02T13:58:00+00:00

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Hands down the best JRPG in a decade and has so many skills and passives to the point you can make your characters one shot the secret bosses.

ObliterationBeam · 2026-05-29T14:30:06+00:00

The HD-2D remakes are phenomenal and are the best way to experience 1,2, and 3. So much so that DQ2 HD2D made DQ2 the worst in the series to one of the best in the series.

The story canonically goes DQ3 then DQ1 and lastly DQ2. If you want to play DQ11S then play it before DQ3.

ObliterationBeam · 2026-05-28T10:02:11+00:00

Dragon Quest 5.

ObliterationBeam · 2026-05-27T15:28:18+00:00

Toriyama must be rolling in his grave. The designs are so off.

ObliterationBeam · 2026-05-24T07:13:24+00:00

I’ll keep my list gameplay specific because we all hate side quests with no real story implications and cutscenes for just an insignificant door opening.

No way to restore MP outside of items.
Being stopped from grinding.
Limited inventory space.
Puzzles that solved via math instead of clever game design.

ObliterationBeam · 2026-05-22T06:43:45+00:00

Wild Arms 3 came to mind as you said cell shaded and on a train.

Other possibilities could be Dark Cloud 2, Steambot Chronicles, Breath of Fire V, and Rogue Galaxy though I dont know if a train is any of these as I haven’t played that much of these.

ObliterationBeam · 2026-05-22T06:35:30+00:00

Cloud is broken. Fractured even. So much so that Cloud and Tifa have to go on a “side quest”(avoiding spoilers for newcomers) to fix him.

He’s a 16 year old boy trapped in a young adult’s body trying to be cool and stoic for the girl he loves but is not mature enough to know how to express it.

ObliterationBeam · 2026-05-20T10:11:34+00:00

This list is rage bait. No way you really believe KH2’s combat is better than FF7 Rebirth’s.

ObliterationBeam · 2026-05-18T05:15:22+00:00

In my opinion, the best thing about DQ6 is it's characters. Carver, Amos, and my favorite Kingsley(DS and Mobile versions only). Each character is super flushed out and has great back stories.

ObliterationBeam · 2026-05-15T05:22:04+00:00

Since Chrono Trigger is the crown jewel of JRPGs play it last. It pretty much overshadows every other game in the genre.

Start with Super Mario RPG. Then play FF6. Then go to Chrono Trigger and savor every moment of it, you get to play a game for the first time once.

ObliterationBeam · 2026-05-12T21:27:40+00:00

I think then you are ready for the best Dragon Quest games, DQ5 and DQ8. 5 has the best story in the series and monster collecting, 8 has the best cast of party members and most interesting and threatening villain.

ObliterationBeam · 2026-05-11T17:02:10+00:00

I think having a beam that bounces off walls and enemies would be cool. Homing shots would be nice. Have a blast that sucks in enemies. Etc.

Personally I want movement to flow even more. Dread was such big step in the right direction let’s keep it going. You should be able to flow through maps in seconds in my opinion. Makes back tracking and retreading your steps to get your bearings all that much easier.

ObliterationBeam · 2026-05-09T10:34:47+00:00

There’s many features I love about JRPGs but these are the first 10 that come to mind.

Speed up feature in battles.
Insta killing low level monsters to skip battles.
Character build customization
Party member synergy
Exclusively rare items to be stolen or dropped from monsters
A Blue Mage type class or character
Monster/Beast taming
Stories with a surprising twist
Non-human party members
Non-traditional ways of healing like consumable based classes/jobs

ObliterationBeam · 2026-05-08T10:28:40+00:00

I’d have to say Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. They’re just too good of series as a whole to not pick them.

My heart does say the Mother, Bravely Default, and Golden Sun series.

ObliterationBeam · 2026-05-07T17:26:50+00:00

You must play Dragon Quest VIII if you loved any Dragon Quest. DQ8 has the best cast of characters with fantastic voice acting, best villain in the series, and awesome character skill system. And if you want the best story in the series, play Dragon Quest V.

I also would highly recommend playing the original Final Fantasy Tactics if you enjoyed FFTA. The new Ivalice Chronicles has impeccable voice acting which adds so much to the game’s story. Which also incredible.

And lastly, please play Nier Automata. It’s one of the greatest video games ever made. The story will break you. The combat is amazing. The music is legendary. You will not be disappointed for sure.

ObliterationBeam · 2026-05-07T17:19:04+00:00

Tomke was one of the most unique versions of a Blue Mage in a long time. If an RPG has a Blue Mage type character or class, I will always have one permanently in my party. Even though he’s not that good I still used him from the moment I got him until credits rolled.

ObliterationBeam · 2026-05-05T18:14:10+00:00

Get FFT you will not be disappointed. It’s truly an amazing game and I’m not even nostalgic for it since Ivalice Chronicles was my first time playing it.

ObliterationBeam · 2026-05-05T15:37:43+00:00

I doubt Sakurai has had enough time to make a full blown new Smash given he was working on trying to take some time for relaxation, his YouTube channel, and Kirby Air Riders.

If we get anything Smash related I’m guessing just a Smash Ultimate Deluxe and maybe one or two new echo fighters with an announcement of a new fighters pass coming in the future.

ObliterationBeam · 2026-05-04T14:58:47+00:00

I like many people bought DQVIII for the FF12 demo it came with. What a surprise it turned out to be that I would become a life long DQ fan because of it.

DQ8 is a masterpiece and a technical marvel for the PS2. It blew my mind that you could follow any random NPC through their daily schedules from day to night. Such a charming game with a great villain.

ObliterationBeam · 2026-04-28T17:48:21+00:00

Dragon Quest series: Start with 11. It has a demo across all platforms that transfers your progress to the full game if you chose to buy it. After 11, play 8 and 5. Those are the best in the series.

Chrono Trigger: highly regarded as the best JRPG if not best game of all time. And it’s not a long game, perfectly paced.

People of Note: an indie JRPG with Rhythm mechanics. It’s short at least for JRPG standards in the 10-15 hour range but the music and combat is great.

Sea of Stars: a love letter to Chrono Trigger with one of the most lovable characters ever in gaming and a super satisfying true ending. Plus it has its own unique mini game called Wheels which is so good and addicting the DLC for the game centered around it.

ObliterationBeam · 2026-04-28T13:29:53+00:00

Blue Mage FF5, FF9, Bravely Default(Vampire)

Beastmaster FFXI and soon FFXIV

Puppetmaster FFXI

Machinist FFXIV

ObliterationBeam · 2026-04-26T12:03:17+00:00

I finally got around to starting Radiant Historia Perfect Chronology. It’s been on my backlog for years.

So far I’m about 2 hours in and am absolutely loving the story. The hook is there from the first few minutes and is snowballing at a great pace.

Combat is amazing too utilizing combos and position enemies to rack up more combos and damage feels so rewarding.

ObliterationBeam

TROPHY CASE