Games That Changed My Life: Final Fantasy X

A long time ago, I wrote about how much Persona 4 Golden changed my life. Even now, it's still one of the most significant JRPGs I've ever played and I can safely say if I hadn't played it when I did, I don't know if I'd be making JRPG content at all. But before Persona 4 Golden, there was another JRPG that struck a chord in me that made me realise video games were much more than just finding gems and beating up bad guys. That game was Final Fantasy X. I've probably mentioned on here before many reasons why Final Fantasy X is so important to me, but I don't think I've dedicated an entire post to it. My journey with Final Fantasy X is significant enough to get its own post, as my first story-driven JRPG, my first video game addiction and the first one that moved me.

I discovered Final Fantasy X when I was around my early teens at a friend’s house. A slightly older friend was playing it and it was one of the prettiest games I'd ever seen. As someone who had mostly played kids games like Spyro and Crash Bandicoot, the world of super detailed graphics and tons of voice-acted cutscenes was pretty much new to me. Partnered with the big summons and overdrives making it visually stunning at the time, Final Fantasy X was probably the closest I'll ever get to love at first sight. I had to convince my parents (who would've preferred me to play a game that wasn't M15+ in Australia) to get it for me and thankfully thanks to the lack of blood and gore, I was allowed to play it and only got in trouble when Yunalesca showed up on screen (and I'll never like her because of that).

Whether it was the graphics, the deep story or the turn-based mechanics, I instantly adored Final Fantasy X. In fact since I was so young and impressionable at the time, I'm probably not exaggerating when I say I loved everything about it. It was different to everything I'd experienced in video games. I was connected to the characters on a whole new level, with Tidus’ outbursts catering well to the angsty teen in me and the story covering romance, life, death and friendship was what I never knew I wanted from a game. It was like a movie, except it felt like I had some control over where it went. Most of all, the characters taught me some weirdly good life lessons, such as laughing when things are hard or not just accepting bad situations. I didn't know at the time, but I'm pretty sure these things subconsciously influenced some of my high school and ultimately life decisions as there are things and values in Final Fantasy X that are still important to me now.

Final Fantasy X also was the perfect thing to set my developing completionist tendencies on fire. I'd already completed all the Spyro games to completion, but I found doing quests and finding extras in Final Fantasy X much more rewarding since completing things had the potential to reveal more cutscenes and more story. I still haven't completed Final Fantasy X 100% to this day, but the amount of things to complete and do in Final Fantasy X will probably always impress me and I know I've spent hundreds of hours trying to do them all.

Other than helping me become the completionist I am now, it was my first story-driven JRPG. If it wasn’t for Final Fantasy X, I wonder when, or even if, I would love the Final Fantasy series, which is almost strange to think about with my current Final Fantasy XV addiction. And without my love of turn-based JRPGs, would I have even been interested in Persona 4 Golden or even knew that it existed? JRPGs are such a big part of me now, so I'll always be grateful for Final Fantasy X starting my love for them.

Final Fantasy X was a standout game for its time and will always be a standout game to me. Falling in love with its world and characters are some of my fondest gaming memories and my love of it drove me to my love of Final Fantasy, which led me well down the path into JRPGs being one of my favourite things ever. It put me on the path to being a JRPG fan and for that, I'm forever grateful and can safely say that Final Fantasy X definitely changed my life.

You can pick up Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD at Play-Asia.com!

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What JRPGs have changed your life? Which Final Fantasy game was most significant to you?

Leave a comment below, send me a tweet at @JRPGJungle, hit me up on Facebook, Youtube or Instagram and let's talk!

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How Playing Games in Japanese Made Me Appreciate English Dubs

A short time ago, I could play JRPGs in subbed and dubbed forms no problem. JRPG voice actors are high quality in both Japanese and Western voice tracks nowadays, and I was lucky to be playing subbed JRPGs at all, right? There are certainly characters I have a voice preference for, such as Tharja from Fire Emblem Awakening's low creepy voice in the Japanese version and pretty much anything Erin Fitzgerald does a cartoon-style voice for in Western JRPGs including Chie Satonaka from Persona 4, but this usually never stopped me from enjoying the other version.

My opinion on subbed or dubbed games changed after I played Final Fantasy X HD in Japanese for fun study. I chose Final Fantasy X to play because I knew the story so well and could already play the game well enough to focus on the language learning for my Japanese. I found it really interesting hearing the Japanese voice track and actually preferred quite a few of the Japanese voices, not because the English voice acting was bad (I don't even mind the infamous ‘hahaha’ scene), just because of personal preference. I got very used to trying to get some sort of meaning from the Japanese which was great for when I play games in Japanese only, but pretty much ruined subbed games for me.

I'd like to stress that subbed games being ruined for me isn't anyone's fault but my own for the most part. What's happened is that now when I play a subbed game, I'm still trying to get meaning from the Japanese and during this, there’s a chance I’ll get completely wrapped up in the concept of exact translation vs localisation. I get tied up in really small localisation tidbits, not because I know better than the wonderful people who localisation, but just hearing minor differences. I can't think of any specific instances recently as I've been strictly using dubs for a while but it could be the difference between something in the Japanese track saying ‘yes’ and the English track changing it to ‘Yes sir’ or ‘Yeah man’. The meaning is the same but the personality being displayed in the speaking style is enough to set my brain into overdrive. For a lot of people this probably is a non-issue, but for me it really pulls me out of being immersed in the game.

And that's what I've come to appreciate about dubs: the true immersion they provide. I think most people would agree that hearing, reading and seeing something you 100% understand makes it much easier to take something in. Especially in cutscenes, being able to focus on the entire screen and not the line of text lets me pay attention to the small details the make a scene go from great to amazing. A non-JRPG example I've noticed this with is the Danganronpa 3 anime dub. When I watch the dub instead of the sub, my eyes are free to look for clues to the mystery. On top of this, English voice acting is at a very high standard at the moment and the voice actors in games do a great job of doing justice to the Japanese versions, often using similar pitches and tones to create the most faithful experience to the original character. I’m a bit of a purist at heart, so being able to feel like I’m getting something as close as possible to the source material makes me enjoy dubs even more.

Despite this, it hasn't completely ruined subbed games for me. If it's the only option between not having the game and having a subbed version, I will gladly take a subbed game any day. One of my favourite games of last year, Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth, is only available in English in subbed form. Even though it had a few very minor typos here and there, the deep gameplay and fun story was enough to keep me absorbed and hearing the great Japanese voice acting was a nice bonus. An English dub would have been nice but with all the Digimon to voice alongside the main characters, it would no doubt be expensive and for a smaller game, I can see why they saved the money and just released the sub.

It's fantastic that a majority of JRPGs offer both a subbed and dubbed option nowadays. There are definitely people who prefer one over the other and as a person who used to not be bothered, it's nice to be able to choose more often than not depending on what I'm feeling at the time. At the moment, I'm really enjoying the full immersion I feel from dubbed JRPGs and hope for more JRPGs to get dubbed for others who feel the same. Above all, I'm just happy we're lucky enough to get all these great games localised for our enjoyment!

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Do you prefer subs, dubs or the native experience? What's your favourite dubbed-JRPG?

Leave a comment below, send me a tweet at @JRPGJungle, hit me up on Facebook, Youtube or Instagram and let's talk!

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The Ultimate Dilemma: Naming Your JRPG Protagonist

There's a part of JRPGs that is a small struggle and it's not a boss battle. It's a highly personal decision that subconsciously can affect the JRPG story experience considering how often it pops up. The decision I'm talking about it naming the character, whether it be using the name provided, creating a new one or making an all new name to embody your new character. It may seem like a small decision, but this is the character that'll be presented to a new world for potentially hundreds of hours. The right name must be chosen to go alongside a hopefully great gaming experience and although a simple task, there's nothing worse than going through character interactions saying ‘I hate my name.'

What made me think about this was my dictionary playthrough of Persona 5. Since my playthrough is based around story, I absolutely needed the supposed real name of the protagonist to witness the story properly in my eyes. I found myself Googling his name, which was a little strange to me because I’ve done all of the naming methods at some point but I’ve recently found myself looking for the Default button. Perhaps it's because I see games more now as individual stories as I play more, or I've gotten less creative with my naming. What I noticed most is that there was a certain mindset between each way I played. These are some of the mindsets I found myself go through when naming my characters and are what I think are the pros and cons of these methods.

Using Your Own Name

The way I started playing games with a naming feature as a kid was with my own name. Whether I wanted to actually be the person with the sword or not, I gave the character my own name as a way of putting myself into the game. This had mostly good results since a lot nameable of characters are designed with a blank canvas mentality. When a lot of customization is available, it can be a lot of fun to see your own name on the screen. Take Persona 4 Golden for example, the protagonist (known as Yu Narukami to some) has a little bit of his own personality in the game, but has plenty of dialogue choices that make it feel more like you. Being able to choose which girl I wanted to date or the answers to the questions on my school test really made it feel like I was in the drivers. When NPCs would say ‘You’re amazing, Tara!’ I really felt like it was more because of me than because of the protagonist.

A game I love that I don’t think suits the character naming is Final Fantasy, namely Final Fantasy X. Final Fantasy X was one of the first JRPGs I fell in love with while playing as Tidus, who I had given my own name. But Tidus makes it clear a number of times in the story that it's his story and because of the story is pretty linear, there are things he did that maybe I wouldn’t have. While it didn’t ruin my playthrough, the whole time I was playing I was very aware that I was a small part of the story compared to Tidus’ choices and always refer to my character as Tidus when I’m talking about Final Fantasy X, whereas when I talk about Persona 4 I find it much easier to talk about decisions as my own. When a game puts you in the drivers seat, using your own name feels great but when it doesn't, it feels a little strange.

Making A New Name

There was a small point in time where I didn't use my name or the default name in JRPGs. I made up a totally separate name, away from any characters I loved or usernames I had. I tended to do this for big, open world games such as Final Fantasy XIV or the Western RPG Skyrim where I really wanted to be apart of the huge fantasy world and using my own name felt too close to reality. I often went with the name Aurora because I thought it sounded cool, but I hit a point where that name felt so established in one world that I felt like I needed a different name for another. I realised how many names I’d have to think of if I kept doing this, so I abandoned this method mostly for that reason. It was a fun idea for big games where my decisions were a large part of the story, but in a regular JRPG I’m happy enough to use my own name or the default instead.

Using the Default Name

My latest method of naming characters is simple: just using the default name. I was pleasantly surprised in a recent Twitter poll I did that a majority of my followers also do the same thing. The creativity of inventing a name can be fun, as can the immersion of using your own, but using the default name definitely has its place, especially if you’re a fan of witnessing a story above all else. I talked about my experience with Final Fantasy X when using my own name and feeling strange, so in my second playthrough of Final Fantasy X I played as 'Tidus' instead. That way, the story felt entirely like his and while I was influencing his decisions, I knew that I was only a part of the story I was watching unfold. This is how I love to play through story-driven games and since a majority of JRPGs are more about experiencing a story than creating my own, I find myself using the default name much more often than not these days.

The most recent time I did this was with my new Persona 5 playthrough that I mentioned, although I’ve done it plenty of times in other JRPGs such as other Final Fantasy games, Conception II and Persona 3 and 4. Frankly nowadays, even if it’s a more customised game experience, I feel more comfortable playing as the default now. I’d miss being able to name my character if the option was gone, but since a lot of games have it, I’m okay with not choosing a more unique name. For me it takes out the careful consideration of creating a new character name while avoiding the decision influence if I’m using my own name. I think all the methods have their own value, but for now like most of my JRPG friends, I’ll be hitting that default button with no regrets.

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How do you name your characters? Is being able to name your character important to you?

Leave a comment below, send me a tweet at @JRPGJungle, hit me up on Facebook or Instagram and let's talk!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Make sure to follow the blog here, follow @JRPGJungle on Twitter and Instagram, like JRPG Jungle on Facebook and Subscribe to the mailing list for updates on content and random musings on JRPG news and games. You're awesome! <3

Special thanks to those who took part in the Twitter poll!

5 Times JRPGs Kicked My Ass

As much as I love video games, I don’t claim to be the best at gaming. While I can pick up most mechanics, my varying degree of skill with some games has made me no stranger to the Game Over screen and I've had to hit the Retry button in some of my most played games (such as my complete inability to complete the Omega Ruins in Final Fantasy X). Recently I’ve been playing the Roguelike JRPG Sorcery Saga: The Curse of the Great Curry God, a fun but tough dungeon crawler that has found me sent back to its town without my items on multiple occasions with a small bit of my dungeon confidence eaten away. This made me think back to some of the many fails I’ve had while playing JRPGs and while these are only a small selection, these are some of the biggest fails I’ve had while playing or more accurately, times I’ve had my ass kicked while playing JRPGs.

Note: I’ve kept spoilers to a minimum by mostly not mentioning boss names and story circumstances, but there are some minor spoilers about significant boss battles in this article. Proceed with caution!

Final Fantasy X’s Final Boss

If there’s one thing Final Fantasy is good at, it’s bosses with multiple forms or stages. I’m not referring to the final boss battle that you pretty much automatically win, I’m talking about the true final boss of Final Fantasy X, the one with more than one stage and an overdrive gauge that can quickly wipe out any unprepared party. There are a bunch of bosses like this in Final Fantasy X but when I played the HD Remaster a couple of years ago, I was reminded of that feeling of total horror when you think you've won the boss battle, but oh no, let's put multiple status ailments on all your characters, shatter a couple for good measure and knock some out because I'm definitely out of Phoenix Downs. It was horrible, but the satisfaction I got after grinding a little more, taking advance of any possible status vulnerabilities, winning and crying like a baby to the ending was definitely worth the struggle.

You can pick up Final Fantasy X HD Remaster from Play-Asia.com*!

Persona 3 FES’s Final Boss

Persona 3’s boss battle is one of the absolute harshest boss battles I have ever experienced. If Final Fantasy X was bad for bosses with multiple forms, Persona 3’s boss is just plain unreasonable. When I played Persona 3 this year, I assumed that it would be harder than the previous bosses I’d faced, all of which had been difficult but not impossible, but the absolute uphill struggle I faced was definitely beyond my expectations. The final boss really ramps up the difficulty, with over 10 different forms to fight and without a proper strategy, any party will be quickly annihilated. I can’t even begin to tell you how many online guides I read and Youtube videos I watched just to check if winning was a possibility and to work out how to defeat that thing with what I had. I must have tried it over 20 times and definitely saw a lot of Game Over screens, which are just a little more crushing when you're almost at the end of the game. It took a lot of persistence and a little grinding, but eventually I did it. I hope to never face a boss that slays me that hard again.

You can pick up the original Persona 3 FES for PS2 from Play-Asia.com* or pick up the PS2 Classic from the Playstation Network Store!

Final Fantasy IX’s Plant Brain

I think I had a lot of luck when I versed Final Fantasy IX’s Plant Brain for the first time, because I had no problem beating it. However something happened - either my Vita ran out of power or I turned it off without saving - and somehow, I lost my save, meaning I had to do the boss battle again. Fine, I said. Piece of cake, right? Wrong.

Older JRPGs are different to the standard beginning of a modern JRPG. They don’t try to make you feel like a god in the first few battles so that you keep playing. They’re not scared to kick you around and knock out a majority of your party, which is exactly what happened to me. I wasn’t expecting to use any healing items because it was one of the first boss fights in the game and I repeatedly kept getting knocked down and finding myself at the Game Over screen thinking I was a better gamer than this. Going from winning on my first try to absolutely struggling was kind of a shock, but I accepted it was going to be a tough battle, put my pride aside and healed my party. It did however let me understand that Final Fantasy IX was going to be a little more challenging than other Final Fantasy’s I played, so it served as a good introduction for what was ahead.

You can pick up the original Final Fantasy IX for PS One from Play-Asia.com* or pick up the PS One Classic from the Playstation Network Store!

Sorcery Saga: the Curse of the Great Curry God’s Chapter 4 Dungeon

Ah, my week long dilemma. Every dungeon in Sorcery Saga is a little punishing, but with the amount of potential enemies that can surround you, surprisingly strong bosses and devastating traps in the 25 floors of this fourth dungeon, Sorcery Saga is definitely working against me in my quest to win this dungeon. Since Sorcery Saga is a Roguelike JRPG, I’m also starting fresh each dungeon run so if I lose, my next run is even tougher because I may not have my best sword anymore. And even if I go in with the best equipment in the world, there’s potential for it to get cursed or eaten by an enemy or Kuu (your friendly dungeon pet) if he's super hungry. It seems like I need a lucky run and to use Kuu and the area as perfectly as possible. For now, my dungeon crawling confidence is waning, but I will not give up!

(Fun fact: before this article went up, I won the dungeon through excessive grinding on each floor and risking dungeon collapse. Yay! Currently slowly going through the last dungeon so I don't you know...die.)

You can pick up Sorcery Saga: the Curse of the Great Curry God from Play-Asia.com*!

Persona 4 Golden’s ‘Legend of Inaba - Max Out All Social Links’ Trophy

I’ve spoken mostly about getting my ass kicked in battle in this article, but there are plenty of ways JRPGs can make things hard for the player, such as the simultaneously heartwarming and patience-testing Legend of Inaba trophy from Persona 4 Golden. Social Links are an enjoyable part of Persona 4 Golden, but to max them all out in one playthrough requires thorough planning and execution, something I failed at multiple times. This trophy pretty much took me three playthroughs, and with a playthrough of Persona 4 Golden being over 100 hours on average, I don’t need to tell you it was hard work. I had to make sure I said the right things to each character or else I may not be able to fully get them to the next Social Link rank in the next interaction, which would cost more time. Memorising what days characters were available, on top of keeping the dungeon crawling part of the game afloat was a true challenge, but at least it was a fulfilling one as it's probably the most immersed I've felt in a story. Persona 4’s well-written characters thankfully made this worth it and I’m forever happy about the 300+ hours I spent with Persona 4 Golden, even if it was tough.

You can pick up Persona 4 Golden from Play-Asia.com*!

Some JRPGs might be ruthless difficulty-wise, but I never think it’s a bad thing. It’s the persistent battling and desire to beat challenges that make completing a JRPG so rewarding, like I truly worked for the experience I gained. I honestly think sometimes the persistence I’ve had encouraged in JRPGs has also become apart of my everyday life, as I look to be challenged in real life situations and in a weird way I enjoy the struggling challenges presented to me in JRPGs as working them out feels truly satisfying. Knowing that all the challenges in JRPGs are conquerable keeps me going and I’m looking forward to whatever the next JRPG struggle I face is, even if it's a temporary kick to my confidence as a player. In the end, it's worth it.

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Have you had a memorable JRPG ass-kicking? What was your biggest JRPG challenge?

Leave a comment below, send me a tweet at @JRPGJungle, hit me up on Facebook or Instagram and let's talk!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Make sure to follow the blog here, follow @JRPGJungle on Twitter and Instagram, like JRPG Jungle on Facebook and Subscribe to the mailing list for updates on content and random musings on JRPG news and games. You're awesome! <3

Any link marked with * is an affiliate link that helps supports the site, so if you use it, thank you!

The Struggles of Being A Completionist At Heart

You could say I was once a completionist. When I was in high school, I remember multiple years in a row my Nanna came over to babysit and said 'Are you still playing that?!' because she saw me playing Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy X again. I was always hunting for some kind of weapon or an enemy in order to explore every inch of the game. You could say I definitely still have completionist tendencies, with my constant urge to get the Platinum Trophy for every game I love. I love playing new games as much as any other gamer, but I also crave the satisfaction and fun that comes from exploring every corner of a game. But with the amount of games that are around these days, it's sometimes hard to choose between being a crazy completionist or trying the constant stream of cool games being released every month.

JRPG Appreciation Post: Final Fantasy X's Sphere Grid

Revisiting old games definitely has it's perks. Not only do you get that cool, video game nostalgia feeling, but you also get to remember why you loved that game in the first place. There are always things that stand out as what we appreciated most about the game and revisiting them can almost feel like being with an old friend again. For me, as I take myself on another Platinum trophy journey, Final Fantasy X HD is being that game for me once again.

Final Fantasy X was a notable change in Final Fantasy's direction, with areas and visuals being beautifully upgraded when compared to it's predecessors and voice acting being added for the first time. I loved the game's story, but with this game being my first 'big kid' JRPG (when compared to something like Pokemon that I played as a kid), the Sphere Grid system was a breath of fresh air from the grind and level up formula I was so used to. Many years and many JPRGs later, I know it's not the only skill tree type leveling system around, but these are a few reasons why it remains one of my favourite leveling mechanics of all time.

It's Linear, Yet You Have Control

For the most part, once the sphere grid is completed, you'll end up with the same stat increases across all your characters, just at a different pace due to the different starting points of the sphere grid. But even though you're bound to the same skills and stats, you do have control over the order you get them. Thanks to Level spheres, you can break the locks that make the standard sphere grid so linear as soon as you get one. This allows you to turn Auron into a mage for awhile or make Yuna a combat beast early on in the game and can make for a very different gameplay experience to the easy path set out. This welcome choice makes leveling much more interesting and creates an importance in choosing the right stats for the right point in the game. I usually find myself following the main path (the one not closed off by locks), but I love that point after finishing the main story of breaking into another characters grid and sharing their abilities with another character.

It's Huge and The Whole Process Is Kinda Intricate

With all the level blocks, ability and character placements around the board, completing the Sphere Grid isn't a small feat. And beyond that, limit break (that awesome ability that allows you to deal over 9999 damage) isn't even on the board, adding an important extra step! Even if you goal isn't to complete the Sphere Grid, the sheer size of the sphere grid is just enough to show the amount of stats on the board and it's long journey encourages much grinding and strategy to get as much EXP as possible and as many sphere levels as possible. Then there's going back and filling in the empty nodes with even more stats by using Teleport spheres!

Even Though It Takes Forever, It's Still Fun To Watch The Characters Progress

Each unlocked node or stat shows you exactly what has been upgraded to your character. I love unlocking a stat and noticing the effect immediately in battle. A little bit of extra strength can go a long way, as can an ability or a little HP. Other game's leveling mechanics just show you a quick summary of your characters improves but in the sphere grid, because you unlock it yourself, you're way more involved and it's awesome.

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Feel like a trip down memory lane but in beautiful HD? You can buy Final Fantasy X HD from Play-Asia.com!

What's your favourite JRPG levelling system? Leave it in the comments below, I may just play with it!

Did you this type of post? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter and I'll do more of them!

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Six JRPGs With Great Music (Volume One!)

JRPGs have unique gameplay, brilliant stories and lovable characters. Most of them also have music that brings these experiences to new heights in the form of catchy emotive tunes and pumping battle melodies. Some of the best, most unique pieces of music can be found in JRPGs and luckily there are many games full of them. Here are six of my current favourite JRPG tracks from JRPGs full of great music.

Ar nosurge: Ode to an Unborn Star

I love the music in the 'nosurge' games. The interesting mix of melodic and tribal vocal styles against a complimentary mix of orchestra and electronic sounds is like nothing I've ever heard before. One of the best parts of Ar nosurge's soundtrack is that each track is significant to the game's story because the game revolves around the power of Song Magic, making music and singing a big part of Ar nosurge's story.

There are so many tracks I could have put here (special shoutout to the beautiful Russian vocal track 'em-pyei-n vari-fen jang;'), but the soundtrack's standout track has to be CLASS::Exsphere nosurge. It's featured in multiple important parts of the story as powerful song magic and there's enough variation in the tune to notice something different every listen. I love the experimental feel and use of white noise to show the feeling of the song's user and the track's many changes make it sound like an epic, destructive journey. Honestly one of my favourite video game tracks ever.

CLASS::Exsphere nosurge - Composed by Morrigan

Kingdom Hearts

All of the Kingdom Hearts games have brilliant soundtracks, with a perfect a mix of songs from famous Disney franchises and new original songs that capture the magic of Disney while creating the right mood for Kingdom Hearts' story. The soundtrack creates a great feeling of nostalgia mixed with playfulness and also throws in a pumping battle theme.

Out of all of the versions of this song (including Utada Hikaru's original version, the dance remix and the orchestra version above), the orchestra theme to Kingdom Hearts' trailer is my favourite. Whereas the Ar nosurge track perfectly fit it's scene, Hikari is a reflection of Kingdom Hearts' journey - gentle and sweet at times, but strong and powerful, with a hint of magic. This song is brought to life by the incredible orchestra and is one of my favourite video game themes of all time.

Hikari - Composed by Yoko Shimomura (based off Utada Hikaru's song for the game)

Persona 4 Golden

Spanning many genres and moods, Persona 4 Golden expands upon an already great soundtrack for Persona 4. Each track is filled with emotions that reflect the characters feelings, which is fitting for the rich story and characters. Most songs are fun and upbeat, mixing jazz and rock sounds with beautiful melodic themes, and give the game a youthful feeling. With all the fun tracks, it's no wonder the series now has it's own rhythm game.

-Reincarnation- I'll Face Myself features some of the best music from Persona 4 Golden, specifically the battle themes mixed with some of the more emotive themes. The opening melody gave me chills the first time I heard it and the scene it's featured in feels 100% more epic, thanks to the feeling of nostalgia created by using many tracks from the game and the pumping, rock orchestra.

I'll Face Myself (-Battle-) - Composed by Shoji Meguro

Final Fantasy X

Nobuo Uematsu, the mastermind behind most Final Fantasy soundtracks, created a diverse soundtrack for Final Fantasy X. With his unique melodies, the mood of Final Fantasy is set with a mix of ambient, melodic music and heavy rock tracks (such as the awesome 'Otherworld'). The soundtrack's music also plays a big part in the games famous scenes. I hear 'Suteki da ne' in my head everytime I see a photo of the famous Tidus and Yuna scene and the below, slightly gloomy track To Zanarkand is a great opening theme to the game that captures the story's theme of longing.

To Zanarkand - Composed by Nobuo Uematsu

Child of Light

As French singer/songwriter Coeur de Pirate's first video game composition, her piano based tracks and beautiful melodies are a perfect match with the feeling of the magical, unique world of Child of Light. Feeling of loneliness and strength are heightened with each track thanks to the unique melodies.

Boss Battle Theme 2 (great name) is a great example of the strong orchestra pieces in the game. Coeur de Pirate steps outside her signature lighter piano sound and adds a booming orchestra to heighten the tensity of the battle. When I was playing Child of Light and this track came on, I felt like I was concurring the world in the most epic way possible.

Boss Battle Theme 2 (With Chorus) - Composed by Coeur de Pirate

Disgaea 5

LieZe Rock - Tenpei Sato

Spoiler alert - I haven't played Disgaea 5 past the first cutscene in the demo. I put this track here mostly as a reminder to myself. Whenever I'm visiting my family, my brother is playing really cool video game music most of the time and he's a big Disgaea fan. Everytime I hear the epic-to-a-ridiculous-extent music, it reminds me that I want to play the game, if not for it's crazy opera rock, theatrical sounds.

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Credit/shoutout to the composers of these tracks and the people who uploaded them to Youtube!

I love finding new music (and games of course), so comment below with some of your favourite music pieces from the JRPGs above or your own favourites!

Thanks for stopping by and make sure to follow @JRPGJungle on Twitter for updates on content and random, shorter musings on JRPG news and games!

JRPG Jungle's Top 5 Games of 2014!

Happy holiday season to all! Since 2015 ends very soon (a mere few hours for me), this means the beginning of a new year and most importantly for anyone reading this, new games will be coming soon (cough Persona 5 cough)! But this year was also full of some unforgettable games, so before the year is done, I think it's only fair to remember them.

Here are my top 5 games of 2014, all released this year! Enjoy and leave your own list below.

5. Freedom Wars (PS Vita)

Admittedly I haven't owned Freedom Wars for much more than a month, but it has taken over my Vita quickly enough in a short amount of time to make this list.

In Freedom Wars you are granted a 1,000,000 year prison sentence for rudely losing your memory and thus wasting resources. One may think this game centers around chipping away at that sentence and in some ways it does, but more of the game is about your character's experience in the Panopticon and the missions you partake in to protect it. Your goal is to be a valuable resource to your Panopticon and this fast-paced third-person action JRPG makes it fun with its challenging abductor enemies, use of shooting mechanics and the unique thorn mechanism which allows your to drag down enemies or climb to a more advantageous shooting point. Partnered with the amusement gained from getting a 10 year prison sentence for being silent for too long, Freedom Wars is a worthwhile addition to the action genre.
(Side note: I need this Beatrice Nendoroid in my life. New Years Resolution: Buy more figures!)

Available for purchase at Play-Asia.

4. Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD (Playstation 3 and PS Vita)

Final Fantasy X as a standalone game is one of the must play JRPGs for all fans of the genre, for many reasons. The refined turn-based battle system, Tidus and Yuna's love story and the conflicts between life, death, religion and a world that needs saving make this game stellar. Throw in some HD visuals, an updated soundtrack and X-2 and this HD remaster is worth playing the game again to remind yourself of just how good it was.

The HD remaster includes trophies, the international content from both X and X-2 (Eternal Calm for X and the ever-so-fun strategy Last Mission for X-2) plus a new slice of story in the form of Final Fantasy X -Will-.

Missed out? Don't worry, it's coming to PS4 in Q2 2015.

Available for purchase and PS4 pre-order at Play-Asia.

3. Ar nosurge (PS3)

Read my review here!

Nothing has caught my eye in a long time like Ar nosurge's stunning trailer and it seemed like a game I had always dreamed of. Although its production wasn't the most polished, Ar nosurge has a strong cast with a passion to build a brighter future for their planet and its people. Its battle system is also highly addictive and if you enjoy games such as Persona which have social sim elements, the Genometrics system and its visual novel feel are rather enjoyable and in-depth.

New Years Resolution? Learn enough Japanese to play Ciel nosurge (its untranslated prequel) and hunt down a physical copy of the the breathtaking soundtrack.

Available for purchase at Play-Asia.

2. Persona 4 Arena Ultimax (PS3)

While I haven't fully finished the story, the P4 side of Persona 4 Arena Ultimax has me hooked and ready for the rest (I'm only putting it off so I can finish Persona 3 and the original Arena game). I feel strongly about mentioning this game because between me and my partner, it is our most played game in the house. Arc System Work's games never seem to disappoint in giving a slick and unique battle system and with its roster including more Persona characters plus game changing Shadow forms of nearly all characters, fighting game fans and Persona fans need this game.

Available at Play-Asia.

1. Child of Light (Most platforms)

Read my review here!

While I write about mostly Japanese RPG games originating from Japan, Child of Light is at its roots heavily inspired by games such as Final Fantasy VI and plays like a JRPG and was the most innovative game to come out in the genre this year.

Simply put, Child of Light takes the beautiful visuals, touching story elements and turn-based systems of a JRPG but only takes the cream. The game is innovative by taking the battle system and turning it into a perfect balance of active and turn based and the story and music made me feel like I was inside the best story book I've ever read. It's a must play for fans of JRPGs and great games alike.

Currently available PRETTY DARN CHEAP on Steam.

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Honourable mentions:

• Hyperdimension Neptunia: Producing Perfection for making me giggle and being one of the few localised Idol games this year.
• Persona 4 Golden for being my first platinum trophy.
• Conception II for making me forget I'm playing a dating sim and subsequently making me feel shameful once I remember that fact.
• Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn for showing me MMOs can be super fun and can take up my entire annual leave period.
• The hilarious touch mechanism added to a lot of Japanese games.
• Square Enix and Atlus for understanding how to empty my wallet (along with their backlog of Final Fantasy and Persona games that I need to finish)

And of course....

THE WONDERFUL GAME STUDIOS, LOCALIZATION STAFF, DEVS, STAFF AND PUBLISHERS WHO KEEP US GAMING!

AND THOSE READING THIS!

Happy 2014 everyone. Let's make 2015 even better.

-Tara/JRPGJungle

Edit note (2018): a few formatting and grammar edits have been done so I can link this in a more recent article. :)

Review: Final Fantasy X HD Remaster

Do you remember the game that made you fall in love with video games? That one you sat down for days upon days, hours upon hours finding every kook and cranny in the game and then going back to do it all again,  just for fun. The one you thought about after playing, that gave you the craziest itch to pull all-nighters and kill your social life for multiple weekends because you just had to beat that last boss. Final Fantasy X was that game for me. I am pleased to say that Final Fantasy X HD Remaster gives a more polished experience to something that is nearly as magical as the first time I played it.

Our story begins in the futuristic city of Zanarkand, with the upbeat and sporadic Blitzball player Tidus (the game gives him the option of being renamed and never uses his name in the game, but let's face it - he's Tidus to the fans) as our protagonist. The story doesn't waste much time getting started - after a few stunning FMV sequences, a monster called Sin rips apart the town, you learn how to fight and are sent off to the world of Spira. Once Tidus finds his way to Besaid, with nowhere else to go, he joins summoner Yuna on her journey to defeat Sin.

Tidus is the perfect person to be giving the point of view in the game as he is a total outsider. You find out about the nature of the world of Spira just as he does. Tidus' inner thoughts not only tie you to him as a character but also point out the many flaws of Spira. This makes it easy to connect emotionally when something may be wrong morally in the game. The world of Spira is very complex - it is deep rooted in religion and tradition based on a thousand year old war and is up against Sin, a nearly indestructible monster that can attack their well-being at anytime. Religion is further tied in with summoners such as Yuna, whose job it is to destroy Sin by going on a pilgrimage to Zanarkand and collecting strong Aeons along the way to become stronger.

A lot happens in the story and it only becomes deeper as you go further into the game. There is a sense of urgency throughout the game that really encouraged me to prepare for each battle and each part of the story. Against some modern video game stories, the story of definitely Final Fantasy X still stands strong with it's solid cast of characters and in-depth story that challenges themes of love, politics and religion and introduces what I still think is one of the best video game romances to date. While Tidus and Yuna are great main characters, the other main characters all have a back story and create a colourful cast full of people with different ideas and personalities.

Final Fantasy X HD is a Remaster and not a Remake. While the HD visuals definitely improve upon the more jagged PS2 visuals, sometimes you will see textures that haven't been re-done and will be briefly reminded it was a PS2 game. You can really notice the effects of the remaster in the landscapes, boss enemies and the faces of the main cast, which have been noticeably redone to be more expressive and more dimensional. This was a nice touch although amusing next to their flat-faced NPC counterparts. The music of the game has also been remixed to be more dynamic - I mostly noticed more layering of instruments and I really enjoyed the difference to the still great soundtrack.

The turn-based battle system of Final Fantasy X is a treat, with many different mechanics such as various Overdrives, Aeons, Status Effects and Weapons able to switch the odds within seconds. Turn-based battle systems have the potential to be very simple (think Pokemon), yet these attack options really make it very complex and strategic. I also still enjoy the freedom of the Sphere Grid leveling system and for those wanting to customise their characters more in the earlier stages of the game, the Expert Sphere Grid can be a lot of fun.

Speaking of the Expert Sphere Grid, if you've never played the International version of Final Fantasy X, along with the new Sphere Grid you will be treated to new features and challenges such as Dark Aeons and the Omega Ruins. These weren't actually new to me, but I'm much more enticed to put the time into them now that trophies are involved. They are not for the faint-hearted though - they require lots of grinding and strategy, which gives a new challenge to old players. Also included in the Remaster is the video Eternal Calm, which occurs two years after the end of Final Fantasy X. It's basically a prequel to Final Fantasy X-2 and while it isn't groundbreaking, it's still cool to see once you've finished X.

If you loved Final Fantasy X ten years ago and feel the itch to play again, you will definitely not be disappointed. For a game that was already great, Final Fantasy X HD Remaster's improvements and new features make it even better and give old players new things to explore. If you've never played Final Fantasy X, this is a story you don't want to miss, especially in it's best form.

Score: 9.5/10

I played 50+ hours over a month and that's not including the amount of boss battles I had to redo because I forgot to level grind.
Definitely still one of my favourite games of all time.

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Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster is available for PS3 and PS Vita from Play-Asia and other retailers.

Follow @JRPGJungle on Twitter to keep up to date with our news, reviews, articles and JRPG musings!

Review: Final Fantasy X -Will- (Audio Drama featured in Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster)

Final Fantasy X -Will- is the plot twist I never expected. For long time fans of the series, prepare to have the foundations of everything set up in Final Fantasy X and X-2's endings shaken. The audio drama gives lots of dynamic twists but in it's successful efforts to hook the listener in, it forgets to finish the story.

Before I begin my review, it's important to state that there is a background story to this audio drama. There is an official Final Fantasy X-2 novella, called Final Fantasy X-2.5 ~Eien no Daishou~ that occurs six months before Final Fantasy X -Will-. This story hasn't been officially translated into English (although I'm sure if you looked hard enough, you could find a fan translation) but Final Fantasy's Wikia and this post from Powblock will fill you in. I warn you - this will already begin to break the foundations of what you thought was Final Fantasy X/X-2 and Japanese fans weren't too happy about this novella, with it's Amazon page holding two stars. I haven't read it myself (although I would love to read it one day just to see if it's as crazy as everyone says) but it does provide some needed background to Final Fantasy X -Will-.

Final Fantasy X -Will- is set a year after the end of Final Fantasy X-2. Spira seems to be in a unusual state, with unsent reappearing and senders having to clean up the mess. Yuna is back at Besaid Temple praying as priestess to the Yevoners. Lulu is the mayor of Besaid and Wakka is basically Lulu and Yuna's assistant. Tidus is also a star Blitzball player and his voice opens the story. We are quickly introduced to Chuami and Kurgum, two new characters who are members of Spira's Council. Kurgum is a soft-spoken sender and Chuami is his hot-headed assistant, although she acts as if she's the real leader of the two.

Chuami is the real star of this audio drama, with her bold questioning of Spira and Yevoners ways actually raising some good questions about what has come of Spira's people. Her lineage in the story gives just the right amount of surprise and believability and she would be a valuable character if Square Enix ever decided to expand upon this outlandish story.

Without giving spoilers, my problem with this story is basically it takes a huge step backwards and stops before explaining it's self. The story throws everything at you - relationships ready to fall apart, Spira's peace becoming endangered again, a character that challenges every bit of Spira's new society and favourite characters either lying to each other or acting in ways we never expected. And then it ends, with Spira's holding very similar problems to the one's in featured Final Fantasy X. And there's no 'To Be Continued...' in sight. Does this mean Spira is just left in a state of disarray and potential destruction? I certainly hope not, as after playing through Final Fantasy X and X-2 and working to save Spira twice, that's a strange way to end things.

Can we just go back to this?

Unless this is a set up to a new game in the Final Fantasy X series, while the story was certainly interesting, it felt like a killjoy. All that work in Final Fantasy X and X-2 just to feel like the world is basically back to where it started? This will never make sense to me. I don't dislike the story, but if it's not a prequel to something new then I don't really understand it's place in the series, except maybe as an alternative ending.

If you've just finished Final Fantasy X and X-2 and are dying to find out what the characters are doing, I would approach the audio drama with caution and a pinch of salt. No one knows if this story will be continued. As a stand alone story, while still managing to maintain interest throughout 30 minutes, Final Fantasy X -Will- introduces too much and forgets to explain itself, leaving the listener either in a state of suspense or disappointment.

Score: 6.5/10

Certainly interesting, but it feels incomplete.

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Final Fantasy X -Will- appears on Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster, available from Amazon and Play-Asia.

Follow @JRPGJungle on Twitter to keep up to date with our news, reviews, articles and J-RPG musings!

Sunday Musings: Remember That Time When Narcissu Broke Me?

Hey everyone!

This week was ridiculous and not really in a good way. I wish I could say it was because I got trashed, won the lottery and accidentally shaved my head, but that wasn't really it. Instead I went to work, worked my butt off outside of work and weeped like a wounded animal when I finished reading Narcissu 1.

I also posted my review on Child of Light this week (I loved it!) and there wasn't a heap of news to cover. I feel E3 brewing something. I would love to think it's Persona 5. Please E3, give us a longer trailer!

You know you want it.

May next week be full of more JRPGs, kinder bosses, no late work hours, sleep and smiles. And winning the lottery so I can buy even more JRPGs.

Games I Played This Week!!

Blazblue Continuum Shift Extend (PS Vita. Available on PS3, X360 and PC)

All Blazblue games have amazing posters. Fact.

I 100% completed Makoto's story, which was brilliant by the way. Everyone, please watch her family scene. It's totally ridiculous and that's exactly why you need to see it.

Getting 100% completion in Makoto's storyline put me on a very big sidetrack - I realised this game wasn't Persona 4 Arena and I didn't have to unlock more characters to get 100% on characters. So the completionist in me went on a crazy rampage through Ragna and Noel's stories before I realised that deep down I just wanted the true ending. I am sorry Blazblue true ending, I'm coming for you!

Narcissu - Side 1 and 2 (PC, free on Steam!)

I feel really sorry for my boyfriend. There we were, lying in bed Tuesday night. He was reading his book and I had my laptop out to read Narcissu. This was probably a really nice peaceful moment. Then I got to the end of Narcissu. Then I became a ball of snot, tears and sniffles that only got louder the more I tried to suppress them.

The thing about the ending is the entire story sets you up for it. You know exactly what's going to happen really early on. I think the anticipation made it worse but it was still a good read. I'm reading the second one now. So far, no tears.

Final Fantasy X HD (Available on PS3 and Vita. And in non-HD, on PS2)

I'm in the last part of the game and I'm getting destroyed and punished for the JRPG sin (no pun intended) I have committed - no level grinding. I KNOW I KNOW - It's half the reason to play these kinds of games right?!

Honestly, I got excited to play X-2, so I didn't grind. It was a mistake. Now I'm stuck on the first of the last bosses, getting slowly destroyed. I am however making more strategical decisions in battle and I hope this is making me a better gamer.

Steins;Gate (in Japanese on iOS. Also available on PS3 and PS Vita)

This week I translated two sentences in one session. I felt like a Japanese god. (I'm not)

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Also, worth noting - this blog is now on Twitter as @JRPGJungle! Please follow for updates on posts and random posts about what I'm playing. Let me know what you played in the comments or on Twitter!

I'm looking to review more games as well - if any of you would like to tweet me or email me (jrpgjungle@gmail.com) games you would like reviewed, please do and I'll do my best to make it happen if I get enough requests. I'd love to have a big, healthy database of JRPG reviews to help you guys find games and I always happy to play a JRPG for the greater good of my readers.

Have a lovely week everyone!

-Tara

PSN: guittaraxx