I can't read Japanese!

Get Eternal Sonata! It had a decent story...and a really cool battle system and an epic soundtrack!!!

Blue Dragon is a solid game, but i really didnt dig it story or art wise.

I haven't finished Valkyria yet, so far the driving part of the game has been in it's gameplay and not story but maybe I need to get a bit further, I'm on Chapter 8 I believe. Personally I loved Blue Dragon, I felt like it held all the aspects of the original JRPG; open world to explore, turn based battles, actual level system, airship, etc. When was the last time a game has been released that felt like NES Dragon Quest, Genesis Phantasy Star, or Lunar Silver Star Story.

To me the amazing part is how different Blue Dragon is from Lost Odyssey, personally I can't play through LO again it's a great game and one of my favorite RPGs this gen but it's also extremely heavy and dense, there were times I came close to tears. Blue Dragon is like the exact opposite, a whimsical tale about children given a special power in a colorful world.

Thirding the recommendation for Skies of Arcadia. Blue Dragon is one of the games I'm currently playing actually. I didn't really care for the game for a while as I felt the story was bland and battles seemed repetitive. I kept at it though, and while I'm still not really into the main story, there's enough throughout the world to keep me going. The battles are much more interesting with all of the skills I've unlocked, and although items are largely useless(something I find in most RPGs) there's actually great reason to use magic instead of just Attack Attack Attack. Oh and it has a few insanely difficult achievements in the form of button mashing that I hope to never see again.

Well, i can't remember exactly but i think there are 18 Chapters + side missions. I personally got really attached to the characters and a certain point in the game almost had me crying, you haven't reached it yet if you are only on Chapter 8. But it hasn't happened to me since MGS3

Blue Dragon's main problem for me was just the characters. I couldn't get attached and found them annoying. Maru Maru probably has the most annoying voice in any game ever. The battle system, levelling, artstyle and world itself was awesome. But with an RPG i need to like my party otherwise my heart just isn't there.

Infact, i think Suikoden 5 would be perfect using the Blue Dragon game engine.

Carl did you play Lost Odyssey?

Some scenes in LO can be very sad and depressing. JRPGs can be very exhausting.


Persona 4 not only took me 75 hours to beat, but some of the bosses are very frustrating. Playing it is worth it though for the story and characters(talking about P4 but LO is still good in this area).

Blue Dragon is pretty good. The characters can get annoying at times, but the gameplay and music are both solid and even though the story is your standard "kids trying to save the world," some aspects of the story and world were surprisingly original.

If you liked Dragon Quest IV, you'll probably love V. In my opinion, it easily has the best narrative in the entire series. I would also try a Shin Megami Tensei game if you're looking for a good plot and great writing. Maybe Strange Journey (March 23) would be a good place to start.