Top 10 Best RPGs OF ALL TIME! 

Great list, but David I have to thank you. From Aug 22 my mom had massive health problems which left her in hospital for a while. I was watching you and fell asleep one particularly difficult night. A nurse checked my phone at moms behest and the games you recommnend are games my mom got my this week as my belated christmas and birthday presents for the last two years. She also.says thank you for giving her laughs when my dad and i were able to be there (ie at work) so. again thank you from mine and my parents hearts. Know that you helped a woman who had to have mutliple life saving surgeries in three days of each other, heal and get back home ❤❤.

Golden sun 1 and 2 are just one of those "once in a lifetime" games. Sure the puzzles have only one solution, but the amount of thinking and preparation to solve it on your own was really a cut above everything else for the time

Wholeheartedly agree with Chrono Trigger being #1 despite it not being my personal favorite. Replayed it recently a few months ago, and I think it's one of the few games in general that I think is appropriately rated and actually lives up to all the praise and hype it has gotten (and continues to get) in the 29 years since its release.

Love it. For me, Final Fantasy IX will always be the best JRPG ever.

I’ve seen all RPGs from 1980-Now what a life of gaming too many to name should have done a top 100 David

My list: 1- FF7 2- FFT 3-10 (not in order): Sukoden 2, Grandia 1, Lunar 2, Tales of the Abyss, Persona 3, FFV, Kingdom Hearts 2, Chrono Trigger.

LUNAR 2 ❤️ I need a remake/remaster on current platforms!

FFT is my favorite of all time, but if someone was to ask me for a game that encapsulates what a JRPG is I’d give them Lunar Silver Star Story. One of my absolute favorite games of all time. I need to beat the second one!

this video reminds me of the david videos i fell in love with in 2018. Love it!

Love this list! I haven't played all of them, but the ones that I have that are on your list are absolutely amazing. Some of them are ones I really want to replay when I have time, too.

So many ideas for games to play in the future! thank you so much David

The other day I was actually wondering if you ever made a video like this, I’m so glad you made this!! All of these games look/are really fun 😍

I'm sure you've done this idea before, but it is nice to have an updated list. (Specially to see what new titles are able to compete with the golden oldies.) Seeing these names again and again makes me rethink if I should pick some of these up that I haven't gotten around to yet.

Great video. It really touched me how you set a goal to allow yourself to play a game. Its great to see someone enjoy the medium so much that they get in shape for it!

Xenogears is not just my favorite JRPG of all times, it is my favorite THING of all times. That game is the ultimate epic culmination of everything awesome about 80s mecha anime from here to Gundam and not to mention the storytelling pretty much surpasses works like Dune and Lord of the Rings even (both of which are some of my favorite stories in sci-fi and fantasy respectively).

I'm always happy when Lunar and Golden Sun are mentioned. There's something magical about both, it feels like you're on an adventure in the best way possible.

I just finished chained echoes and omg. How amazing, just so dense with content and hilarious which is right up my alley. Def deserves the spot on your list.

Thank you David for another great video and mentioned some of the GREAT games I also played while growing up. I would like to give a shout out to the very first Valkyrie Profile on the PlayStation 1. The storyline, characters, music and battle mechanics still give me Goosebumps to this day. Such happy memories...👍💯

Lunar Silver Star Story has a mobile version that they just did a massive update on last year with tons of quality of life features and controller support. Should definitely check it out if you’ve never played this series.

Great list! As a SNES RPG lover, I'm SO glad that this isn't just a "these are the SNES RPGs" list. A really nice and varied mix of old and new, with genuine picks that I'd consider the best of the best (Xenoblade, Chrono Trigger, FF9) and picks that I can see being the top of their own little branches of RPG (FFTactics for the tactics, Chained Echoes for the indies, Golden Sun for puzzle lovers)! The only thing I personally miss is Mother 3, for that is my favourite game of all time 😅

I love seeing Chained Echoes getting the recognition it deserves. It’s absolutely the complete package - battle system, characters, story, pacing, exploration are all top tier. The game really respects your time when it comes to side quests and revisiting areas in ways that other devs need to take note of. FFIX is peak FF and it’s not close.

Great list! Their are so many wonderful rpgs that have shaped our lives in a sense. It's always very hard to choose a top 10 that's significant to you and ones you'd like to share with other

Thats one hell of a cool unique list! Great upload mate. Love the mix of old and newer releases.

Warms my heart to see CE. That game has no business being as amazing as it is.

This was such a blast of nostalgia for me David. Lunar is one of my favorite games of all time, Star Ocean is fabulous, and I adore the remake of trials of mana! Thank you so much for this!

I've been on the fence about few of these titles, guess I finally need to get to them. Great list! Really like how diverse it is despite the obvious SNES/PS1 era bias.

Wonderful list, David. DQV is such a rewarding experience, still think about it now and then

You have great taste! I’ve been playing games for as long as you have, and I would also put final fantasy tactics, final fantasy 9, and chained echoes in my top 10. It’s incredibly difficult to make a true top 10, but I would probably also include the original grandia, persona 2: eternal punishment, shadow hearts: covenant, crystal project, and tales of graces (or abyss)…probably xenogears and wild arms 3 as well

Chained Echoes delivered such a complete experience for me and the fact that I had no expectations truly made the journey feel organic

I really appreciate that you tried to keep it to one game per franchise. A bit sad that a lot of my top franchises were not represented (Tales of, Atelier, Shadowheart, Trails, Fire Emblem) but at least some were.

Great list! It really highlights what you value in games.

Good video. "My" in the title would probably be more welcomed. I like and was surprised with some of the games mentioned, but this is clearly a personal list.

Awesome video! David in a tight shirt was a nice touch too!

Your constant mention of Star Ocean always warms my heart. I hate how underrated it’s become.

Love this list! Playing through Trials of Mana on the Collection now, probably gonna have to try the remake in the future.

Hey David, thanks for the video! I must say that you have quite good a taste in games :) Lunar, I still remember playing them first on the Sega CD. As my other very favorite series is the Phantasy star on sega master and Genesis.

Interesting list brother, and I appreciate the thoughts and insights. Mine would have to include FF6 and the original Phantasy Star games somewhere high up, but I love that fact that you have Lunar 1&2 on there. They never get enough love on lists like this. Stay Awesome

Chrono Trigger & Cross, Suikoden 2, Dragon Quest XI, Star Ocean 2R will always be my top 5 ❤

Great list David. My favorite RPG/Game/Thing in the world is Xenogears. I'm a big FF saga fan, but Xenogears really hit that special place in my heart from the get go. Such and awesome world, an amazing history, such complex characters, i just can't praise it enough. I wish almost everyday that a HD 2D remake happens some day. It would be the best day of my life. Greetings from Argentina!

I love your list. I miss the Lunar games so much. I can't wait for Visions of Mana.

Yeeessss LOVE this list, my friend! Also enjoyed you got a new indie in the mix with Chained Echoes. DQ5 is SOOOO good too, but love that you capped it with Chrono Trigger, probably the best RPG and even video game ever made.

This is an awesome list! Really happy seeing Golden Sun receiving the love it deserves. I also loved Chained Echoes, truly amazing. I’m a big fan of the original Trials of Mana, the remake looks awesome, I really should play it ASAP. As for the top 2, I don’t even have to mention how incredible they are.

Lunar and Lunar 2 are wonderful. I would LOVE to see them rereleased and a third game added; Lunar Origins, set 1000 years before Lunar Silver Star Story Complete, following Dragon Master Dyne. Final Fantasy Tactics is BEGGING for a remaster!!! It is one of the greatest games ever made! Chrono Trigger being your number 1 is SPOT ON! You couldn’t be more right. It is my favorite game ever, and I truly hope we get to play it on the Switch as a rerelease/remaster. PLEASE GIVE US BACK CHRONO TRIGGER!!!!!!???!?!?

Killer list, David! Love seeing the Lunar series in there. And yeah, FFIX is the best in the series as much as I love the others. We must be about the same age because your timeline is pretty in sync with mine. Keep up the great videos!

Definitely agree with this list, with me it’s excruciating to make a list that narrows down RPGs because my whole life has been shaped by them. I definitely would have included Chrono cross, Skies of Arcadia, and breath of fire 4. They still linger in my mind along with all the greats you mentioned and so many others. Great job!

This is why I love David’s channel. He’s been playing RPGs for a while and he still has so many modern games on his all time list, a few that don’t have any turn based combat and plenty of variety otherwise. And this is his list. Let’s all just civilly (lol) discuss the other games we like - chances are he and many others here agree with you :)

I was getting more into PC games and flight sims in middle school but I am really glad my best friend jumped over the lunch table to see the Chrono Trigger strategy guide that one of our friends took out. I had no idea about the game coming out but they were all excited so I knew it must be something special. It led to one of the best games I ever had to rent from the video store multiple times to finish ever. 😂

I seriously love how buff and passionate David is about RPGs.

Great video as always, and challenge accepted! My own top 10: 10. Final Fantasy Tactics 9. Shining Force 3 8. Grandia II 7. Xenogears 6. Might & Magic VII: For Blood and Honor 5. Final Fantasy VI 4. Dragon Quest XI 3. Skies of Arcadia 2. Dragon Force 1. Baldur's Gate 3

Fantastic list. You took on a Herculean task and handled it with great aplomb. It just goes to show how rich the genre is when no Suikoden, Wild Arms, Breath of Fire, Shadow Hearts, Tales of, Fire Emblem, or SMT games even make the list. I’ve still yet to play Chained Echoes, as I have been waiting to receive my physical copy, but can’t wait to play it-especially after Sea of Stars blew me away.

"Best" is always a hard question, so I always go with something like "favorite" or "influential" when I answer the question. That being said, I feel like you nailed it. I loved the mix of game generations, originals and remakes, and different subgenres on your list. Good representation from most of the major series, as well as a few more niche or less known series. Glad to see so much overlap with our conversation last week, as well. Feel like there was a lot of agreement on FFT, FF9, and DQ5 being top tier. :)

Great list! Chained Echoes is really fun tho I wish the OST was stronger it is the main thing deterring me from another run. I understand it was a budget game tho and it is incredibly impressive.

David, wasn't the wagon introduced to the DQ series in #4? Which is my personal favorite in the series, although 11 is very close, and 3 is right behind that one, lol.

I didn’t know you liked Trials of Mana that much! I’ll have to check it out!

Wow! Was NOT expecting “Chained Echoes” to be on this list! Haven’t played it yet but now it’s a must-play! (Btw, checked out the “Keylocker” demo. It’s interesting so far. Great aesthetic)

Really good list. I'd maybe drop Chained Echoes for Lufia 2 (my personal favorite). Not that Chained Echoes is bad, but I have a few gripes that would keep it off my personal top 10.

So glad Chained Echoes made an appearance. Such an amazing game. And my thoughts are the exact same with Lunar. I played it 20 years ago and have some amazing memories. I'm going to try to replay them this year.

Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy Tactics & Chrono Trigger are some of my favorite games of all time, so I’m very happy to seee them represented in this list. Rock on, David!

David bhai mast list. There are so many games which are my fav many which i will try.

That's a great list, even if it's missing my personal #1, Skies of Arcadia. I was on the fence about trying Star Ocean 2nd Story R, but I think I'm convinced.

Very good list. I’d find somewhere for skies of Arkadia and persona 5 on my own list but other than that mine wouldn’t be too different.

Solid list, I agree with most of it. The fact that you picked DQ5 instead of 8 and FF9 over 6 or 7 made me feel like I’m not alone hahahaha

Great video, man. Love the channel.

You sold me on Chained Echoes. I’ll have to check it out!

Very solid list david love that you love chaimed echoes really crazy story and fun gameplay

Pretty nice list, David. Mine is very similar. On yours, I'd remove Golden Sun 1 and 2 and replace them with Valkyrie Profile 😊

It's so great to hear your list. Mine has changed, but my first taste of RPG greatness was the original Phantasy Star. Yes, it has grind. It's also the first game in the genre that did story cinemas that made me imagine the future of gaming with full blown sequences of story, proper animation, etc.

Dragon Quest 8 & 11 would be on my list. Thanks for the video. There are a few games on there that I need to try.

As a kid i had a chipped ps1 so had 100s of games and was heavily into RPGs.. very suprised ive never heard of Lunar.. seems like something i wouldve loved

Love how your list celebrates RPGs of the past that really are hard to top but are used as inspiration to a lot of today's RPG games. FF9 definitely a favorite of mine. I hope they port Lunar series to modern consoles I wanna play that.

I have played seven out of the 10 games that you posted and loved them all. Was thinking maybe suikoden 2 would make it on there but alas it did not. I had always heard great things about golden sun and xenoblade. I’ll have to play them

Great list, I need to check out a few of these still. FFIX is my favorite too! I'd probably include DQ11 as it was my favorite even though its the newest. Also Ys 8 for my favorite action Jrpg (Does a NIS america game count as a Jrpg?). I know these are more modern but to me they're classics.

Without putting too much thought into it, and in no particular order: -Suikoden 1&2 -Final Fantasy 4, 5, & 6 (too close to call and basically made by the same production staff) -Lunar 1&2 -Chrono Trigger -Secret of Mana -Lufia 2 -Breath of Fire 3 -Xenogears -Final Fantasy Tactics -Wild Arms

I always love seeing Lunar getting respect. Such great games, such good times.

I absolutely love this list! I love because it's YOU and extremely unique! I love a lot of the choices, but it's totally not the typical list you always see (FF6...FF7, etc etc.) so it was refreshing to see some of your picks! Awesome video as always, David! Of course you know I'd have Earthbound on my list... :)

awesome list. plain and simple. amazing!

Glad to see SO2R made the list. I've already done 3 playthroughs since its launch, with a 4th one currently in progress. Happy to see Trials of Mana, Golden Sun and Chrono Trigger made the list, too. They're easily in my personal top 10, as well. Lunar isn't quite in my top 10, but it is in my top 20. Jennifer Stigile did an incredible job for the singing vocals!

I loved Golden Sun as a kid. I remember playing the first one and was bummed when i beat the game, and it basically deletes your save. There were still things i wanted to do in the world, so i went back and played through it again and explored the parts of the world i didn't visit. 10 out 10 would do it again.

It's hard to pick just 10 but credit to you, David for making your own list. My absolute favourites are FFX, 9, 7, Persona 5 Royal, Persona 4 Golden, DQ11DE, Chrono Trigger, YS8, Trails to Azure, Lunar Silver Star Story, Star Ocean 2 and so much more. I finished LSSS last year for the first time. Absolutely loved it. Really want to play the second one now.

Hi David! Lots of great games on your list, some of which I have yet to play. Chained Echoes looks like a lot of fun. Some of my favs include FF VI & IX, FFT, DQVIII, SO2, Persona 3-5, Unicorn Overlord, Chrono Trigger, etc. Could mention SO many more, but you get the idea. 😄Have a blessed day!

Awesome list and a great mix of old and new! Personal list isn't much different but I would have tried to sneak in suikoden 2 somewhere. Also FFVI. It was just so unlike all the others in that it had so much dark/shocking moments that literally left me devastated. And it kind of hits different as you get a bit older and have a better world view. Would have snuck a tales game in, likely abyss (MC's character growth was so good.) great world building, characters (even the side characters had so much going on.) and the music is SO good. And the Legend of Dragoon likely would have made my list too. ( please we need a remake.)

Love it that Lunar and FFT are on the list! Have yet to play Chrono Trigger yet though

Your top 2 are also my top 2. My others are legend of mana, odin sphere, eternal sonata and a mix of your other faves. :)

One of the best list ive seen tbh , only thing I could see maybe missing is something like Persona 4 or 5 or a niche like earthbound. amazing list though !

Probably the closest top 10 JRPG list to mine so far. FFIX and Golden Sun will always be my two personal favourites and I’m so glad they’re both included!

The Golden Sun Duology is only Camelot's 3rd best game, behind Shining Force 2 and Shining Force 3.

We had the shining force series as tactical rpgs back then and it was awesome

I'm not sure how ny top ten would go, but I can't argue with a single one of these picks. I must say, pleasantly surprised to see a decent amount of modern games and a few surprises, too!

Square enix need to open a studio called squaresoft devoted to going through and bringing back that eras best

Valkyrie profile lenneth is it for me , Xeno 2 2nd , FF 7 , rest is hard to gage , but the top 3 are pretty much set in stone for me , great list david as always great to see some love for rpgs

Love Chained Echoes making the list. I'm saving my New Game+ for a special occasion down the road. I really rushed the first play through and I regret it. Was hoping someone made a print strategy guide for that one some day.

I'm happy to see Golden Sun in this top. It sure would make my top, too. It was my introduction to JRPGs and RPGs as a whole if we ignore Pokemon's first two generations and Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. There really aren't better introductory JRPGs as those ones. There was a time when I felt a bit inadequate, like an inferiority complex as they weren't as original, edgy, complex and adult as the big league Final Fantasies and the like... but now I look back to them and how they made me interested in mythology, classical antiquity and their magical and idealised version of our (flat) Earth and I can't help but gush over them. I'm currently playing Chained Echoes and, despite finding fault in its dialogue, its overuse of ellipsis, references or indebtedness (to Evangelion, Escaflowne, Berserk, ASOIF, FMA and Final Fantasy games, particularly VI, IX and XII especially, to name but just a few) or overly complicated cosmology that sometimes seems to appear out of nowhere and boggle the mind with however many real, live gods it has and so many lore rules governing its world... wow, that seems like a lot of problems... but I'm genuinely hooked by it and amazed that one guy put together such an addicting game with such quality. The combat, pixelart and exploration are all so compelling.

This is a great list of some fantastic JRPG's. I really want to try out the Lunar series, and I never got to play the 2nd Golden Sun game T_T I really can't decide which is my nr. 1 between Chrono Trigger and Seiken Densetsu 3. I love both games, and have replayed them both multiple times over the years =)

These are great. I need to play most of these still.

I won't lie I don't agree with most of this list, but I really like this video. But I love that about JRPGs. There are so many and they are so varied that these lists are inevitable and it's always a good time discussing them.

This is the list I was waiting for. Love everyone’s personal opinions

Solid list! Chrono Trigger is always going to be my number one but Suikoden II is a very close second for me. Also, Nocturne is probably one of the most underrated RPGs of all time. Shoji Meguro's soundtrack alone really solidifies that game as a classic for me

I bought Lunar 1 and 2 and loved them. I played the GBA version, but your suggestions gave me the incentive to find true copies.

I was able to beat FFT long long ago. I don't think I could ever get close if I tried nowadays. I have so many good memories of it....except that damned fight against Wiegraf. Lunar's music and voice acting was mind-blowing to my teenage self. That alone caused Lunar SSSC to stick in my Top 10 RPGs. Great list, enjoyed the heck out of the vid.

Glad you love DQV David. It's easily in my top 5 Dragon Quest games.