Haha, I hear you, a few of the games David mentioned being able to beat in under 20 hours and I'm here going "Geez man, did you speedrun through them?" Some games can be beaten that quickly but are better if you take a little more time to really explore the game and what it offers.
it's not technically a sequel per se, it's more of a spin-off that takes place in the same universe as Koudelka there are a few references from the game in Shadow Hearts as well as probably the ONLY recurring character in Roger Bacon
Almost done with Mother 3 and it's a great game! It's possible to find time. I have a 8 month old and run an Airbnb. Covid helps to find some time for sure...
@@AdamTheGameBoy I thought it was pretty interesting for a short, enjoyable experience. And any emulation of Grandia's battle system is a win in my book 🤷🏼♂️ To each their own I guess.
@@AdamTheGameBoy Child of light lets you enjoy a short game exactly cause it's short and light. Honestly most games in this list is in no way "short" if you delve into all their content. And, it's what most jrpg fans would do.
Yes, a list that speaks to me! As much as I'd love to play RPGs like Persona 5, I look at that 100+ hr playtime and loooong intro and just can't find the heart to start. These RPGs listed are great, and I can't believe that Chrono Trigger was actually so short all along when it felt so long! Maybe all the secrets and endings throw me off, and how it's just paced so well so that there's no filler. I'd throw Vagrant Story in as my recommendation for a great short RPG, though I understand it's pushing the time limit slightly, being about 24 hours on average. Looking forward to the action RPG list!
Persona 5 is definitely not a game for busy adults . I bought the og version in 2018 on Black Friday 2018 but I didn’t thoroughly play and finish it til the COVID 19 pandemic
TheWhiteFang284 honestly I loved the entire game because unlike most jrpgs , it’s set in modern day society . Also a lot of people can relate to most of the characters ,the leveling up personal relationships with the supporting cast and main cast ,the gameplay (I just didn’t like that there’s a time limit to maxed out all the confidants), and the music is 🔥🔥
Damien Knox yes that was an annoying part in the game especially when you finished a palace within the first 2-5 days . But I guess that’s the reason why they had the confidants and Calendar to keep the player engage by using time management
I played Persona 5 and Royal. The original took me 144 hours and Royal took me 160 hours to beat. It was worth it and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I´m still feeling the new game+ itch at this very moment, but I have a full time job and a large backlog so I try to resist. I would highly recommend to give it a chance, just take your time.
I'm glad you included Hexyz Force in this list. It's leesr known, but still really good and I feel it deserves more attention. The two main stories can be finished in under 20 hours each. So maybe for the full experience of finishing both it would be around 30 hours or so.
I came to the comments to say this. It is easily a top five PS2 game for me, but I only ever hear people say negative things about it (if anything is said at all). The only thing holding it back is the music.
I LOVED shadow hearts. I saw it somewhere and put my mind on owning it, but I could never get my hands on it. When I got it I was blown out the water by the atmosphere, the battlesystem, the humour and the story 😀
I appreciate the Dragon Quarter love in the video. I knew the game had been slammed critically but I went in with an open mind. After a few hours I couldn't put it down. Another great video. Thanks for taking my mind off all the craziness going on.
It is a great JRPG. I see the flaws that it has, but criticisms have more to do with the fans who love the previous entries so much that they wanted a different game rather than whether it was a good game or not. It happens quite often when it comes to JRPGs.
I've gotten into the Kemco mobile RPG ports over the past few years. While they're very basic in their presentation, they're still really fun and some of them have much better stories than expected. They usually take 15-20 hours.
Kemco gets a bad rap but people need to understand what they are. They are super cheap (sometimes totally free) and are made for mobile devices. So don't expect DQ11 and you can enjoy them.
My oldest son is 5y and I read for him every single day. Sometimes I choose a game my kids may enjoy watching me playing instead of watching cartoons. Chrono Trigger, for example: I read everything aloud and make voices and let my son run about the places and even grind a bit by pressing X as he runs into regular battles. Simple and fast RPGs can so become bedtime stories, 1 hour each night, and gaming becomes quality time for parent and child. And then there's the pride of having my little kid recognize CT music and talk about the story and characters!
Oddly enough, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest wasn't released as Final Fantasy Mystic Quest in Europe. It was named Mystic Quest Legend, since Mystic Quest is Final Fantasy Adventure. Therefore, it's arguable if it counts as a Final Fantasy-game or not. I personally see Final Fantasy VII as the first Final Fantasy-game to be released in Europe.
There are some good RPGMAKER titles. Here are some of my recommendations: *Lunar Wish* *Everlong* *Laxius Power 1: Random Story* *Aveyond series* (Difficult) *Cassia*
- Lunar: Silver Star Story. The game is delightful and it takes about 25h hours to complete, which is the same lenght I usually spend with Chrono Trigger. Actually, for every game mentioned in this video and the modern rpgs one, I would add more 5 hours for my playing time. Chrono Trigger in 15h hours? Why such a rush?!
I'm really surprised that none of the Ys games were on the list. Ys I & II together probably only take about 15 hours, and have some of the best music and most interesting gameplay of any JRPG
The only 2 games on this list I haven't played were the PSP duel story RPG and that alchemist crafting one you said at the beginning. And length or no, all of these are some of the best games I've ever played. Dragon Quarter is my favorite PS2 game. SaGa 2 is my favorite Gameboy game. Chrono Trigger is the best JRPG ever made. Ect. Good list
I was somewhat surprised to see Chrono Trigger on this list. Maybe because I would grind the crap out of Nu in prehistoric times for that sweet, sweet AP and prehistoric trading items.
I have great memories of playing Revelations TDS before starting high school. I would add to this list Cosmic Star Heroine and Child of Light -- both are excellent short games for the PS4
That would make you the first person I’ve come across to mention this title... was just thinking about it the other day, had a heckin good time with that one!
@@LeoRex13 I remember it was released around the same time as Xenoblade Chronicles - I ordered the special edition for both. Had really cool concept art books for both. I believe it had even more of a limited release than XC. I've never seen it mentioned anywhere. Would love to see it ported to Switch to see it brought to more people I think it would be pretty successful.
theguybrarian yeah I got all into the OP Rainfall thing back when , ended up liking Xenoblade significantly less than the other two... maybe I’m the outlier here? Pandoras tower I think was the third game. You try that one?
@@LeoRex13 I did buy Pandora's as well. Love it but I couldn't get into the motion controls (killed Skyward Sword for me as well). I think I beat the first dungeon but that is def another top tier Wii game that didn't get it's moment.
@@theguybrarian remember that one like a fever dream... not sure I ever finished it either. Beats out my strongest memory of Xenoblade though, which is the horrid sound my wii made when running it :(
I always come away from your videos with new games to play! Thanks! For other short recommendations? It’s technically an RPG (made in RPG Maker, but no combat), but very much in the horror genre: Corpse Party for PSP, 3DS, and PC usually wraps up in 10 hours. I think Parasite Eve can be finished in under 20 (I don’t know how much time the optional Chrysler Building would tack onto that if you chose to do it).
Oh Lawd thanks. I was just playing Zelda OoT but after a bunch of Zeldas in a row I needed some detox so I started Xenoblade Chronicles and during the first 20 mins I was already overwhelmed . There's just so much to do. I needed more streamlined experience and here's some good ideas.
@Tattle Boad oh I know, I was really looking forward to playing it and I know I'll love it, but at the moment I can only do short and sweet and super streamlined or the exact opposite, a la Breath of the Wild, where I don't feel any pressure or feel split between advancing the storyline but also exploring and doing side quests.
Amazing list and huge thank you for doing this :). While the older fair is your shtick here, any chance you can update or do a second video on this for say the PS3 and PS4 console's? Just asking as would be nice to be able to acquire some on the more modern console's. We thank you either way :) was a very fun watch here.
I should probably go back to BoF: Dragon Quarter. I remember getting it in High School and hating it because I loved 2, 3, and 4, and was pissed it was so different. Nowadays, I like to think I’m a little more open minded.
I confess to never having played any of the other BoF games (not for lack of interest, just never did for some reason,) but I loved Dragon Quarter. Takes some getting used to but I’ve beaten it multiple times trying to push my D-ratio as high as possible. Once you get the hang of things you can breeze through subsequent play throughs pretty quickly.
"afraid that FF will take over your life" I started a journey buying and playing all the mainline FF games a few years back. I'm doing 8 atm. Send help. Gud vid.
Great idea for a gaming list especially in this genre. RPGs can take so much of your time and in many cases its hard to know how much. This will likely help people make better decisions for those short on time and that value is important.
Phantasy Star 4 is a great pick. 💪 I actually played 1-3 beforehand and boy are you right about 4 being less frustrating. It's a tough one cause I enjoyed 4 as much as even FF6 and Chrono Trigger, playing it after 1-3 is a huge story&lore payoff. Problem is how difficult Phantasy Star 1 and 2 are and how lame 3 is.. i can't recommend them really.
No the Super Mario RPG is my least favorite of the one I've played. M&L Super Star Saga, Paper Mario N64 & GCN I thought were all better than Mario RPG. I also love action battle from those games, and the way you spend points, and wear badges
M&L/Paper Mario sagas or whatever I just fail to see as the same series as Mario RPG... more so a “and now the gimmick is this” type deal, whereas RPG had no major gimmick to one-up itself with, outside of the fact it existed. That’s Nintendo’s flagship spirit for ya though, which gets the love it deserves :) gotta have a place to dump clever ideas & writing somewhere! Why not a fresh new IP? Because $ maybe?
First horror rpg? what about Parasite Eve? Cool list though, I'm gonna have to check a lot of these out~ As for a recommendation of mine...if you're looking for something WILDLY different, I love the Inazuma Eleven series! They mix Soccer matches with RPG elements in a way that shouldn't work but definitely does in my opinion. But good god if you play them I implore you to play the Japanese version with a guide because the voices/changes in the English version literally cause me pain.
The Megaman Battle Network series was always one of my favorite jrpgs, with a fantastic battle system, gorgeous graphics, an iconic soundtrack, and writing that told solid stories.
My friend you should check out One Step from Eden, it's a roguelite/like so there isn't an emphasis on story, but the combat is literally megaman battle network except theres 9 characters and a deckbuilding system like slay the spire. (or like any mmbn game except instead of over the course of a huge rpg gametime its done quickly after every fight)
Streamed Phantasy Star 4 recently and it was pleasant, first time going through it since the 1990's. Hourai Gakuen no Bouken is at most 15 hours if you take your sweet time doing everything you can find, strange goofy game. Makes me look back at the 100 hour beasts Persona 5 and DQ11 were and I start to wonder.. Nope, happy with their length, it's all about the technique and making the most of what you've got
Shadow Hearts is not the first game in that series. The first one is called Koudelka, and before you ask it has an english release and it's also short. That game's actually more horror than any of it's successors and it's very serious by comparison. Plus the storytelling even compared to shadow hearts is fantastic with lots of very mature dialogues and references(think of this as "In the name of the rose", while Shadow Hearts is "Evil Dead"). Combat is slow but fun and mercifully infrequent and the game's about 10 hours so i can't recommend it enough.
Oh shit, This is a god send for me. I've been following your series trying to find suggestions, but because of work and crap, I keep sorta... spacing out on my adventure. My latest attempt was Dragon Quest VII on 3DS which actually somewhat works despite how insanely long it is. Since it's all divided up in different smaller stories for each island, it's pretty easy to knock out an island in a night or so and continue on at your leisure. I'm actually enjoying it more than I did when I played it a few years ago and got burned out. And it's super high quality, becoming one of my favorite JRPGs ever.
For busy adults surely anything with frequent save points would be suitable. So basically any RPG past the original FF3 era (can only save on the world map? Even the 3DS port was damn near unplayable due to that). Even much longer, time consuming games can be easily divided up into smaller chunks if you can save when you need to.
Great list. Yeah, as much as I love the Persona 5s of the world, it's just too goddamn long. I just don't have 200+ hours to devote to a fucking video game anymore. FF7 Remake was perfect for me. You got in and got out, and the story never lagged Shadow Hearts ❤❤❤
Ohh i think there's another horror rpg in the west for ps1.. Kodelka? My buddy handed me the PAL version, which is now gathering dust. Not sure if it had a US release!
Thanks I had a lot of fun with Evermore! I got so nostalgic playing through, not just remembering my childhood through the game, but my late doggie too.
@@davidvinc i feel you. Honestly i forgot this game. And loved it so much. Crazy. Thanks for playing it. I thought of my dog too. Though it was a frenchie haha. He stand zero chance in that world hehe
20 hours RPG in 1 weekend? Wow man, I'm a single guy , no wife , no kids, but no way I'm gonna sit 10 hours a day to beat the game in a week-end, unless it'll be forbidden to do anything except those games and there will be no internet, no phone, no books, movies etc )))
People should keep in mind though that this list is very iffy. Yes, you can probably beat them all in under 20 hours, but that doesn't mean that you will. If it's your first time playing one of these, then you're most likely going to go over that. If you're a completionist, then you're pretty much guaranteed to go *way* over that 20 hour mark. So yeah, you're probably only going to accomplish the under 20 hours feat if you rush it, at least to some degree. That means not talking to many townsfolk, *very* minimal grinding (if you even do it at all), not being too thorough when you explore dungeons, and ignoring most (if not all) sidequests. Now, you can go ahead and play it that way, but in my opinion it limits your fun quite a bit. I don't like to rush through my games, I like to take my time to enjoy everything they have to offer and look for secrets.
Nice list!! Was really awesome hearing someone do a mention of Sword of Hope 1 and 2 also. I feel like those two are so rarely mentioned by people. One other NES RPG that would be worth considering as relatively short and quite fun is Destiny of an Emperor. Just my opinion :)
Nah, the original Paper Mario is the best Mario RPG, not that MRPG is bad or anything. It's also a short RPG too. Any Custom Robo is also a great and short rpg/tactical arena fighter
I just started up the dragon quest games in the last few days and as a first time playthrough Dragon Quest II its kinda rough if you're going in blind. The town NPCs give you enough to get through to the castle of the dragon lord's ancestor but when the game opens up I quickly got lost and my progressed died, maybe that's just me but so many battles and getting lost on the open world map caused me to stop playing.
Some random points: 1. Mystic Quest was, in fact, the first RPG I played all the way through (a gift from a family friend). It was a good introductory RPG for my age level, and got me into the Final Fantasy franchise. 2. I played a little Super Mario RPG through Blockbuster (before I got Mystic Quest?), but I didn't get very far. After the first dungeon, where Bowser's minions were just obstacles, younger-me though that battles were bad and avoided them, not quite recognizing that leveling was the primary way to make the bosses easier. Also, the precise timing of Action Commands was a real turn-off for younger-me. Therefore, I can't really compare with the Mario and Luigi or Paper Mario franchises, which I played when I was more capable.
6:38, That's actually not true; Revelations: The Demon Slayer(Megami Tensei Gaiden: Last Bible) is actually the second SMT game released in North America in 1999, the first was Revelations: Persona(Tales of The Goddess: Persona) in 1996.
Lost Dimension for PS3/Vita, it does require (at least) two playthroughs to get the true ending, but the playthroughs aren't super long to begin with. Summon Night: Swordcraft Story for GBA-also a pretty short, game, but also easily the best action RPG on the GBA (and just when I thought action RPGs couldn't work on GBA!) Sigma Star Saga, also for GBA-if you like schmups, this an RPG where your battles are schmup sections. Also not a super long game, but may require some grinding if you aren't god tier at schmups
WOW, Phantasy Star IV was my intro to RPGs, and Chrono Trigger was the 2nd RPG i played! :D :D :D i never really thought of Chrono Trigger as a "Short" game, but then again, with the Game+ feature it Can be pretty short AND You can explore All the other play Options!!!
My recommendations are the old Gameboy RPGs Final Fantasy Legend 1-3; you'll likely have to get them on emulator as they weren't released domestically, and even in foreign countries where they did get releases, they have not had remakes/ports in decades (except one Japan only release of FFL2). IMO, these games hold up quite well today, despite their simplicity. they're also in the 3-8 hour range.
Quickest RPG to finish? Mimicry Man on Steam (I guess)! Jk. It's cute and funny, but it doesn't compare to the games mentioned here. And it might be a puzzle game as well. I just think it deserves some love.
Great list David, Probably would have rioted if you didnt include Chrono Trigger, lol. Glad you also included Super Mario RPG and Wild Arms 4. WA4 is probably my favourite in the series also no spoilers for anyone but the ending is a bit bitter sweet too. One correction though Koudelka was one of the first Horror RPGs in the west, also at 12 hours average one I would recommend along with the first Saga Frontier a single scenario could be completed in a afternoon. Not normally one to make a long post but RPGs.
How about just don't play Phantasy Star 1-3, I tried replaying them on Wii (along with other classics like Seventh Saga) and realized it ruined my memory - they aren't like FF1 and DQ1 where there's strategies and knowledge that can get around the flaws of the originals (like certain battle areas that rocket you through levels/money and such).
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is just easy to sit down with, veg out, and get through a game in a pretty short time. It's one of the few games I've bothered playing more than once for this reason. The only other one I can think of is more of an action RPG called SoulBlazer. I probably play through that once every year or two. I also noticed the Revelations thing on The Demon Slayer, which I recall they also put on the first Persona game, too(Revelations: Persona). Those are the only 2 SMT adjacent games that I know of that did that. I've found mention elsewhere that they first marketed SMT titles as "Revelations" overseas, but nothing about why or why it was so short-lived before they thought better of it and changed.
8:00 - That's a little misleading. It's true that if you just go straight through Suikoden, you could conceivably beat it in under 10 hours. But if you're playing the game to get all of the characters (which let's face it, if you aren't then why are you playing a Suikoden game?), then it's going to take about 25 or so hours. Also, IV is the worst game in the series.
Why you gotta downplay Paper Mario like that? Those are fun games too! It's debatable which is the best Mario RPG, but I like both SMRPG and the first 2 Paper Mario titles. It took me longer than a weekend to beat FF1 on PSX, the biggest roadblock was that torture chamber known as the Ice Cave.
I can understand why some busy adults may be hesitant to commit to an RPG that's dozens of hours long. That said, in my experience, length isn't a problem as long as a game doesn't require you to play for a long time in between save points or requires you to play a certain amount each day (the latter mainly applies to MMORPGs). If anything, a long game can be a good investment, even if you don't have as much time to play it. I bought Persona 5 back in 2017, when I had a job (I got laid off some time ago), and it kept me busy for months.
I think the Definitive edition of Xenoblade Chronicles for the Nintendo Switch is quicker than the original. I swear I remember it took me a long while to get to Eryth Sea back then, whereas now, getting things done has never been better: - Picking Ether crystals has no delay - Opening chests also has no delay - It's very easy to track named NPCs - Main and Side quest objectives have pathfinding mmarkers on the map - During collection quest, some item orbs will show quest markers always standing the item you require - Even the quest markers give you a general location of where some of monsters or items actually spawn - the menus are much quicker and more streamlined - Reduced loadtimes - Autorunning while going through long stretches of land or water gives you some time to do anything minor which is a plus for me And so much more quality of life improvments, it's too unbelievable for me! And since it's portable, I think it's really good game to play when you have no time to sink in a lot of game time. I wholeheartedly recommend it
Breath of Fire 2 is surprisingly short (just recently played it again and finished it last night)....i found Crystal Warriors and Shining Force: Sword of Hajya, both for the Game Gear, aren't too long and involved.
Honorable mention, since it technically lacks the J in JRPG: Cosmic Star Heroine. It does a pretty good job of recapturing that Chrono Trigger look and feel while doing its own thing. Steam says I beat it and got 100% of the achievements in 16 hours.
I'm disappointed. All these short games and you didn't mention the shortest, not to mention greatest, RPG of them all: Barkley Shut Up and Jam Gaiden. Its only about 4-5 hours long, but it has combat mechanics that put all other rpgs to shame. It has a dark story that will leave you emotionally distraught and characters you will never forget. The save points alone have better writing than most rpgs. You will Jam, you will Slam and you will cry in this beautiful and totally canon game. Also its legitimately good, please play it.
