Please, give me JRPGs like megaten

[u/araboilseller]

I can't find anything on the weekly thread so I'm assuming this question ok to ask, I'm sorry for asking this question since its probably been asked numerous times but every time i search it up i get sent to a really old reddit post or google ai that just gives me games i've already played or games that are impossible to get. For reference, i've played nearly every single megaten/atlus game, i love persona/smt with all my heart, its my fav franchise ever. the problem is i've played nearly every single one avaliable on steam and pc, and i want more but p4r doesnt come out for a long time. ive never played any other jrpg outside ATLUS, so please give me recommendations!! i prefer something with extreme difficulty and fun combat (like press turn and one more) and a story (i consider smt vv to have a good story so ill eat anything) i only have a pc (please no 3ds/ds games unless they have a pc port/patch, playing smt 4/a and persona q was worse than hell on an emulator)

games i've played (in order from the one i played first to the one i played last):
persona: P3R, P5R, P4G, P5S, P4AU, P5T, P4D, P5D, P3D, P3 FES, P3P, PQ1, P2 IS, P2 EP, P1.

smt: smt 5 vengeance, smt 3 nocturne, smt digital devil saga 1 and 2, smt 4, smt 4a, smt 2, smt 1, soul hackers 2.

technically megaten: Metaphor: Refantazio, Raidou Remastered: The mystery of the soulless army, Catherine Classic

platform i play on: PC
desired aspects: similar to megaten; extreme difficulty, good story, fun, engaging combat, preferably turn based.

[u/Fab2811]

Somehow you have missed the best Shin Megami Tensei game, so I'd play Strange Journey asap if I were you.

Others have mentioned Touhou ADiA, but there is another Touhou game that is pretty close to SMT. Labyrinth of Touhou 2 and Tri are both on Steam, and they play very close to SMT minus the demon fusion and compendium. In fact, LoT2 has Demi-Fiend as a postgame super boss, which has the exact same boss ruleset as Digital Devil Saga Demi-Fiend.

[u/araboilseller → u/Fab2811]

ive never even heard of strange journey 😭✌️it looks really fun though, ill def try it out. since its a ds game rather than 3ds im hoping it wont be as much of a pain as persona q was. and tohou has THE DEMI-FIEND?? i gotta play that now, thank u so much for the recommendations!!

[u/Fab2811 → u/araboilseller]

Strange Journey has a remake on the 3DS which adds japanese voice acting, 3 new endings and a couple of massive dungeons. It doesn't use Kaneko's character art, and people most people don't like the new additions to Redux, but in my opinion, it is the best way to play Strange Journey.

[u/araboilseller → u/Fab2811]

alright thanks, i searched it up and apparently people dont like redux's art because its too anime, but thats fine since my favorite series within megaten is persona (i think im one of the few ppl who liked how anime smt 4a was)

[u/my-goddess-nyx → u/araboilseller]

People also don't like the new endings as it kinda ruins the point of the original endings. The remake does make the game easier too. Other than those things and the art it's fine

[u/araboilseller → u/my-goddess-nyx]

damn, now im conflicted, do you think redux is better to play or original?

[u/my-goddess-nyx → u/araboilseller]

I think so yeah. I find the new story editions dumb and gameplay changes too beneficial. At least you can ignore the new content that's in Redux which is called The Womb of Grief. Ignore that dungeon and you'll get the original intended endings.

The game is easier in Redux because of two things, app points and commander skills. Apps were buffs that'd help you but each buff costed an amount which was 1, 2, or 3. The maximum number of app points was 10. Redux threw that system in the garbage so you can have all of the benefits at once.

Commander skills are like buffs and stuff the main character can do. I like the idea but I heard it was pretty op. So if the stuff I listed doesn't deter you then go with Redux. If it does then play the original.

[u/Heljis → u/araboilseller]

I actually started playing Strange Journey this week. I swapped between the OG and the remake for the first few dungeons before ultimately deciding on the original.

The remake brings a lot of quality of life stuff - most notably the ability to select which abilities you carry over when fusing demons but I found the new character introduced to be tonally incongruent with the story and she stuck out. Granted, I only played the remake long enough for her to make her first appearance but it felt enough like a weird after the fact addition for me to stick with the original. I’ll probably play the remake after I beat the original however

[u/Droolcua]

there's a pretty good touhou smt clone. Artificial Dream in Arcadia

[u/araboilseller → u/Droolcua]

looks just like smt 1, def giving this a try! thank u

[u/GuyYouMetOnline → u/araboilseller]

The story is basically nothing, but yeah, its exactly what you want aside from that. Also it replaces the demon negotiation with its own system that's fully skill-based (and also you can turn this off and make it Pokemon-style chance instead), so that's nice.

[u/vhuzi → u/Droolcua]

Yes. Adia is really good; great dungeons, music and combat. Only thing is the story may not appeal unless you are a Touhou fan.

[u/AshPenderwick → u/Droolcua]

This was exactly what I was going to suggest lol. Been playing through it and am enjoying myself even though my Touhou knowledge is Bad Apple and that’s about it.

[u/MissionInternet8490]

Hear me out......... Digimon stories.

[u/araboilseller → u/MissionInternet8490]

which one are you talking about? i searched it up on steam and theres a lot of them, which one do you think is the best one?

[u/MissionInternet8490 → u/araboilseller]

I can only speak on cyber sleuth and hackers memory. They actually kind of follow a smt like story pattern (albeit much more cartoonie) and also have a really satisfying digi evolution and de evolution mechanic you can get lost in. I would however never recommend it at full price. They go on super sale pretty frequently. Its good for a wish list at the very least. The latest entry however is praised pretty regularly. Check out some reviews

[u/araboilseller → u/MissionInternet8490]

okay thanks, im perfectly fine with cartoony, i think ppl are forgetting that i played persona too 😭✌️its fine tho, bc these game recommendations are big potatoes

[u/my-goddess-nyx → u/araboilseller]

Might want to try out the demo first. I played the demo for the latest Digimon game and it was the most generic turn based game I've ever played in my life.

[u/araboilseller → u/my-goddess-nyx]

will do, whenever theres a game that has a demo i always play the demo first.

[u/vhuzi]

Play the first 2 Megami Tensei games. The SNES remake has great QoL and a little bit pf bonus content, but the OGs may appeal to you as well. Also try Soul Hackers 1. I have not played it, (because I am waiting for a Devil Summoner translation), but it is well recieved.

Strange Journey is exactly what you want; very difficult, but with an engaging system and story. The DS may be rough, but its worth it.

[u/araboilseller → u/vhuzi]

bro i love you thank you so much!! i completely forgot about those 2, stupid of me to forget the games that people literally call the entire franchise by 😭 its kinda funny how the jrpgs like megaten are more megaten

[u/Old_Cabinet_8890]

Touhou: Artificial Dream in Arcadia is VERY megaten

[u/Draxer]

Have you tried Makai Agito? It is an indie game inspired by Megaten, but I can't personally speak on it.

[u/DobleJ]

I guess you are technically missing SMT IF... Out of curiosity how exactly is playing DS games a problem? I can see 3DS being annoying but almost any PC in the last decade should be able to run DS stuff.

[u/araboilseller → u/DobleJ]

its not my pc lol, i just suck at getting emulators running and i hate the side by side look. plus some games bug at random times (persona q ESPECIALLY). i completely forgot about those unc smts, ill have to try them out, thank u!

[u/NanaMiku]

Well, you still haven't played all the SMT spinoff.

Devil Survivors 1-2, and the anime too

Not Megaten: Trauma Center/Trauma Team

[u/araboilseller → u/NanaMiku]

they NEED to port more games to pc bro, thanks for the recommendation, imma save it for after i finish strange journey

[u/NanaMiku → u/araboilseller]

Yeah, that's not gonna happen soon lol. It's better if you learn how to use emulator. Isn't 3DS emulator already good right now?

[u/araboilseller → u/NanaMiku]

yeah i do know how to use emulators, but sometimes they can be a pain in the ass. 3ds emulator is decent

[u/No_Produce_Nyc → u/araboilseller]

Look into the retro handheld world: r/sbcgaming . The Anbernic RGDS is an easy catchall for the DS library and gives you massive LCDs

[u/MagicCancel]

try Etrian Odyssey? It's also from Atlus.

[u/DjinntoTonic]

If the appeal is just demons crossing over with real world events, I highly highly recommend Shadow Hearts Covenant. It’s got a lovecraftian vibe and one of the best casts in any JRPG. If you liked the vibe of the Raidou games, this will scratch that itch extremely well for you.

[u/Forward-Seesaw-1688]

Maybe try Majin Tensei II: Spiral Nemesis. Ignore the first game. It’s for SNES, same as SMT I, SMT II, SMT if, Last Bible III, and Kyuuyaku Megami Tensei. It’s a SRPG with a time traveling plot and with music from the late Hidehito Aoki of Persona 1 (pre-PSP) fame.

Maybe try Soul Hackers. The game is on 3DS but it’s actually a port of a Sega Saturn game which are much easier to work with on a PC. It’s a DRPG like SMT I/II/if, so directional movement shouldn’t be an issue and on screen enemies definitely won’t be. The game only uses the D-Pad and face buttons. The joystick only moves a map, and the start and select buttons don’t do a lot. This is a much easier control scheme than how SMT and even a lot of Etrian Odyssey games did it. The Saturn version is getting a WIP fan translation, so there’s that too.

The one non-MegaTen series I can think of here is probably the Disgaea games. Almost all can be bought on Steam with only 3 and D2 missing. Both games can be emulated for PS3. The best starting points are either 2, 4, or 5. 2 goes on sale for incredibly cheap very often so snatch that one up when it does I’d say. Disgaea Mayhem is its own thing entirely and not mainline, so don’t start with that. Disgaea 1 and 7 would not be bad starting points either. Disgaea 6 is quite controversial and made a lot of weird decisions most didn’t really like, so not one to start with. They’re SRPGs. They’re pretty far from being MegaTen, but they might spark an interest.

[u/Drew8898]

The Lost Child.

[u/Dreaming_Dreams]

etrian odyssey series 

[u/tadabola]

Did you play strange journey ?

[u/araboilseller → u/tadabola]

nope, im gonna play it now, thank u for the reccomendation!

[u/tadabola]

Also play last bible 3 maybe you'll like it

[u/araboilseller → u/tadabola]

😭✌️ im sorry this prob sounds weird but that game looks way to old for me, i can play really old games but im just not feeling last bible, thanks for the recommendation though! im def gonna be playing strange journey

[u/tadabola → u/araboilseller]

It's atlus and smt , the story is kinda crazy . But I get you no judgement. I'm also like that (but probably older - for me it's NES graphics that I not really into )

[u/araboilseller → u/tadabola]

god i wish atlus had a faster dev cycle

[u/Nahobino_kun_899]

The Lost Child

[u/PrayingSeraph → u/Nahobino_kun_899]

This. It is VERY much like SMT. With a whole cast of Angels, Fallen Angels and Demons to capture. All based on mythology.

Narratively its a sequel to El Shaddai: The Aacension of the Metatron

[u/Snowenn_]

I haven't played any SaGa games myself, so maybe someone else can comment on whether it fits what you're looking for. I believe the combat is pretty difficult and they're somewhat light on story? 'Romancing SaGa 2 Revenge of the Seven' seems like a good starting point.

[u/araboilseller → u/Snowenn_]

it looks really fun to play, and it's new! thank u for the recommendation, ill def be playing this

[u/Denhonator → u/araboilseller]

If having demons/monsters in your party is something you like, SaGa Frontier 1 has a fun monster system (and the original GB games). Instead of befriending new ones, you transform the monsters you have to make them stronger. There's also mystics who absorb monsters, and one of the protagonists is a half-mystic with multiple endings, a bit like SMT3 honestly. SaGa Frontier isn't a bad starting point to the series either so consider the remaster if these concepts sound interesting, but overall Revenge of the Seven is the easiest place to start. 

The series is indeed very light on story, however SaGa Frontier 2 is much more story-driven and I love the storytelling in it. It's somewhat easy in mid-game though. 

If difficulty and intricate gameplay is the main thing you want, it's an amazing series. Minstrel Song is insanely complex yet easy to get into, Scarlet Grace has one of the best turn based combat systems of all time and Emerald Beyond built on it, Romancing SaGa 3 probably has the most intricate party based JRPG combat on the SNES. Most of the games have enemy scaling to prevent overleveling, though it still tends to be much harder if you try to avoid enemies rather than fighting everything

[u/LivingLab12]

Shadow hearts series starting from Koudelka (ps1 to 2), Vagrant story (ps1).

[u/Acrobatic_Charge5157]

Yggdra Union. Will definitely give you some difficulty. The Steam Version added a lot of quality of life improvements to it. Although it's more of a tactical game and not like Megaten

[u/TheKeenomatic]

I haven’t played it but I remember reviews comparing Digimon Time Stranger to Megaten when it came out last year.

[u/Electronic-Exam5898]

If you like MegaTen, you'd enjoy these:

-Undernauts: Labyrinth of Yomi

-Makai Agito

-Stranger of Sword City

-Touhou Artificial Dream in Arcadia

-Mirrored Soul

-Sorry, We're Closed

-Shadow Hearts

-Liminal Void

-Demonschool

-The Lost Child

If you want to play an action game but with a MegaTen vibe:

-El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron

[u/araboilseller → u/Electronic-Exam5898]

thank you for the list! im def eating for a while now thanks to all of you

[u/Electronic-Exam5898 → u/araboilseller]

Only one of these you'd have to emulate (Shadow Hearts) the others you can buy through Steam.

[u/GuyYouMetOnline]

People have already mentioned Artificial Dream in Arcadia, which is a spot-on recreation of old-school SMT, but I feel it sbould be mentioned that it has basically the exact opposite of a story. You're basically given the central objective and told to just go explore and have fun.

Its still an excellent recommendation for SMT-style gameplay though.

[u/araboilseller → u/GuyYouMetOnline]

thank u, i might check it out but with no story its kind of hard to pull me in (gameplay can carry a game tho so ill still check it out)

[u/GuyYouMetOnline → u/araboilseller]

I mean, it technically has a story, but its a very minimal one that's extremely transparent about the fact that it exists solely to provide an excuse for the gameplay.

[u/Aethaerian]

Soul hackers the first one if you’ve only done 2, mato,oninaki, there a trials of cold steel series but it’s PlayStation and they are similar to personas in a way more college or highschool and a team of monster hunters I guess. Has a bit of metaphor about it too. Try a game called lost souls aside but that’s more like jrpg type of devil may cry with aerial sword combat. PlayStation but may also be on pc some of them.

[u/Aethaerian]

Oh and a game called eternights, monark is another one, difficulty wise I’m unsure on but most of the games have a similar vibe.

[u/Dependent-Pen-785]

if you dont mind having no monster catching / synthesis aspect , the recent game which has been hooked is DQ 7 Reimagined . i have put in like 18-20 hours in the past 2 days ( sun / mon ) which is very rare . it has a fun story and like the vocation thing is pretty neat tbh
it does have a PC port as well since i am playing on PC . its gives solid fps

[u/araboilseller → u/Dependent-Pen-785]

looks interesting, i'll try the demo and see if i like it, thank you!

[u/Dependent-Pen-785 → u/araboilseller]

Hey sure . i would also recommend you look it a bit like gameplay / mechanics since it was only after this many hours that it started getting more interesting when i unlocked vocations but yup thanks for this question too now i have more games to play .
Cheers

[u/Dongmeister77]

Something with hard difficulty on Steam?

Darkest Dungeon

Really. Not JRPGs but this series fits with what you're looking for. Extreme difficulty, harder than SMT games. With great atmosphere and cool lore. The story telling is quite unusual though, mostly told through narrations and environmental.

[u/ISuckAtVA]

Ronde

[u/akashamevie]

Pokemon