Arc the Lad
Classic PlayStation JRPGs That Need to Make a Comeback
Rumors have been brewing about Sony making a move to revive its Japan studio in order to work on bringing back some of their beloved JRPG experiences for consoles. There’s plenty of promising titles that Sony has either developed or published over the years, perfect for bringing back with a brand new entry. Keep in mind not everything here is developed by Sony, but they did handle publishing duties and still own the rights to each IP.
Arc the Lad is a series of tactical RPGs that started back on the PS1 and saw a number of releases through the PS2. The games never came to North America, however, until an Arc the Lad Collection was released in 2002. Most of the series focuses on Arc, a young boy that sets out to look for his father who’s been missing for 10 years.
The biggest appeal of Arc the Lad has always been its story, which weaves an intricate narrative filled with characters and lore across multiple games. The series could definitely use an update, both graphically and gameplay wise. The tactical battle system is most comparable to Final Fantasy Tactics or Tactics Ogre, but using some kind of system like Valkyria Chronicles or Valkyria Revolution could definitely work as well. The final game in the series, End of Darkness, switches things up as a real time action-RPG, but the heart of Arc the Lad lies in tactical gameplay, which should be the focus if we ever see the series return.
Wild Arms
Classic PlayStation JRPGs That Need to Make a Comeback
Wild Arms is a fairly successful JRPG series with entries on PS1, PS2, and PSP, and it’s probably one of the most likely candidates to return. The series has always used a kind of western/fantasy aesthetic that’s evident right from the brilliant opening of the original game. Wild Arms follows a band of adventurers known as Dream Chasers, who roam the world looking for fame and fortune. Each title in the series has some kind of turn-based combat, although some games bring more tactical elements into the mix.
The setting is always what has made Wild Arms stand out above other RPGs, along with strong character and some memorable stories. The Wild West like world is a fascinating backdrop for a JRPG, and it’s truly unfortunate we haven’t seen a new entry in the series for almost a decade.
Dark Cloud
Classic PlayStation JRPGs That Need to Make a Comeback
The Dark Cloud games are interesting JRPGs from the masters over at Level-5. However, like with Rogue Galaxy later on, Sony acted as a publisher and does own the rights to the titles. The title is an action-RPG that works in elements of a city building game as you follow the story of a band of adventurers that work together to fight a Dark Genie. The main protagonist, a young boy named Koan, is given a stone by the Fairy King that has the power to completely rebuild destroyed lands.
The mix of gameplay elements works surprisingly well in Dark Cloud, even more so in Dark Cloud 2, known as Dark Chronicle in Japan. This makes the series genuinely unique, along with a cartoony aesthetic and characters that really give the games character. Surprisingly Dark Cloud 2 was a drastic improvement over the already strong first game, with much better graphics, gameplay systems, and a load of activities to undertake. With JRPGs advancing leaps and bounds since the release of the two Dark Cloud games, it’d be great to see how a new entry in the series could blend gameplay elements.
Legend of Dragoon
Classic PlayStation JRPGs That Need to Make a Comeback
Legend of Dragoon is a game clearly inspired by the likes of Final Fantasy VII, featuring a turn-based battle system and story that’d feel right at home in a Final Fantasy game. That doesn’t mean, of course, that Legend of Dragoon doesn’t find ways to separate itself. In fact, there’s quite a substantial base of fans that have been asking Sony for years to make either a remake of the game or a sequel. You play as Dart, a warrior who for five years has been hunting a black monster that murdered his parents and burned down his village. As you can imagine, Dart meets other characters along his journey, which eventually develops into a quest to save the world. There’s two things that make the battle system unique in Legend of Dragoon, however. One is an active input system that has you hitting timed button presses to pull off combos during turn-based combat. The other lets you harness a great power to turn your characters into powerful Dragoons, second forms with special attacks and moves.
While Legend of Dragoon’s main story and characters are engaging, the translation definitely suffered. The game featured a wealth of mistakes and stilted dialogue, which certainly haven’t helped it age well. Because of this it seems like a prime candidate for a remake, fixing any script issues and working to make combat even more engaging. If not a remake, it’d still be great to see a sequel to Legend of Dragoon, as it’s a game that showed a ton of promise that could really be capitalized on now.
Legend of Legaia
Classic PlayStation JRPGs That Need to Make a Comeback
Legend of Legaia is another promising PS1 title released during the golden age of JRPGs. As with many games at the time it features a turn-based battle system, but tries to introduce a few unique elements. Legaia takes place in a world of the same name where humans coexist with creatures known as Seru that they can wear to obtain great powers. Humanity grows to be reliant on Seru, which proves to be the main issue plaguing the world in Legend of Legaia and its sequel, as the creatures go mad.
Legaia’s magic and summoning systems are grouped together, and every Seru you defeat in the game can potentially be absorbed by the Ra-Seru your characters wear. Mutliple actions in battle can link together into “Arts” as well, special combo attacks that deal increased damage. The first title definitely showed promise, especially with its world and lore setup. Unfortunately, Legaia 2, while not a bad game, failed to capitalize on that promise and just didn’t grab players. Still, Legend of Legaia could easily flourish with a second chance from Sony.
Rogue Galaxy
Classic PlayStation JRPGs That Need to Make a Comeback
Rogue Galaxy is yet another stellar JRPG from the talented developers at Level-5. This time around you play as Jaster Rogue, a young boy on a desert planet that finds himself suddenly embarking on a journey with a crew of pirates. Jaster and the rest of the crew are colorful character that have some marvelous backstories and interactions, although the main story never quite lives up to that level. At the same time, Rogue Galaxy featured a fast-paced action combat system that let you control any party member while pulling off basic attacks, ranged attacks, and a number of special abilities. There’s also a ton of customization options with weapons, abilities, and equipment.
Rogue Galaxy’s charming cast of characters and expansive universe are what really gave the game life, although combat is certainly fun and engaging. It was easily one of the very best JRPGs on PS2, and even if Level-5 doesn’t return to make another one, it’d be great to see a sequel or spiritual successor to this memorable title.
Okage: Shadow King
Classic PlayStation JRPGs That Need to Make a Comeback
Okage: Shadow King was co-developed by SCEI and Zener Works on PS2, and it’s another charming gem of a JRPG. Although it received mediocre reviews at launch, it’s developed a bit of a cult following in the following years. The game focuses on a young boy named Ari, who’s often made fun of or verbally abused by others in his village because of his overshadowed personality. At some point Ari’s shadow is possessed by a being known as The Evil King, who forces him to set out on a journey to destroy impostor Evil Kings.
Okage’s quirky cast of characters and main story are certainly unique, something you can see from the story setup alone. Battles in the game are turn-based, but very focused on elements. Each character has an innate element, and using the element enemies are weak to is instrumental in battle. With the title’s cult status there’s plenty of fans that’d love to see Okage come back, and a new entry could look absolutely fantastic on PS4 if done with cel-shading or a unique style.
Folklore
Classic PlayStation JRPGs That Need to Make a Comeback
Folklore was an early game on the PS3 developed by Game Republic (Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom, Knight’s Contract), and published by Sony. In terms of the early games on PS3, Folklore definitely stood out as one of the better and more unique ones. The title is set in Ireland and the Celtic Otherworld from Irish mythology. You play as a young woman named Ellen and a journalist named Keats who work to uncover the secret of the sleepy village Doolin. Both characters are playable from the start of the game, and they featured interweaving plotlines that reveal the entire story.
The pair have to explore the Netherworld to unravel the mystery, a place filled with dangerous creatures known as Folk. The catch, however, is that Ellen and Keats can capture Folk and use them to battle their way through the Netherworld. Folklore’s aesthetic is marvelous, making the game incredibly atmospheric and visually impressive, even if it’s not the most graphically powerful game. The main narrative goes some interesting places, although there’s a strange graphic novel style used to communicate much of it. The themes of Irish folklore and mythology is something rarely explored by video games, and the added power of the PS4 could really work wonders for a fascinating sequel to Folklore.
Soul Sacrifice
Classic PlayStation JRPGs That Need to Make a Comeback
Although the Vita never really got its time in the sun in North America, there were still some great games released for the system, one of which was Soul Sacrifice. The main gameplay loop of Soul Sacrifice could be compared to something like God Eater or Freedom Wars, as it’s an action-RPG with a twist. You play as an innocent bystander enslaved by a dark sorcerer that uses human sacrifices to remain immortal. Probably the most interesting aspect of the title is the sacrifice mechanic, which lets you sacrifice items or even pieces of your own body to unleash deadly attacks. At the same time there’s a layer of choice involved as when enemies or even allies are defeated you can choose to save or sacrifice them, resulting in different effects.
The combat itself was a varied twist on the action-RPG, although AI in the game definitely suffered. Luckily, there are multiplayer options that let you undertake side quests separate from the main story with up to three other players. Although Soul Sacrifice did well on Vita and was a big success in Japan, it’s tempting to think of what the series could really do if opened up to a console. There’s a lot of potential with this series that could really flourish with some technical upgrades.
Demon’s Souls
Classic PlayStation JRPGs That Need to Make a Comeback
The game that started it all, Demon’s Souls is the template for what From Software would create with Dark Souls, and the rights to the intellectual property are still owned by Sony. While From moves on to new projects, fans definitely want another Souls-like experience, something that Sony could definitely deliver on by giving the IP to their Japan Studio. Many of the ideas in Demon’s Souls were improved upon by Dark Souls, such as core combat feel, an explorable world, character creation, the Soul system, and more. Despite this, however, Demon’s Souls remains beloved by fans for its unique aesthetic and particularly challenging gameplay.
While both games are dark fantasy, Demon’s Souls has much more of a Gothic feel to it, while Dark Souls more closely matches high fantasy. Of course, this isn’t an experience for everyone but its core tenets helped to establish what would define practically a whole new genre. For years now fans have been clamoring for a sequel to Demon’s Souls, and it’s hard to imagine we’ll never see more from any of the Souls games.
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