If you haven’t heard already, tri-Ace was recently purchased by Nepro Japan, a mobile company. As a result, the studio will most likely turn their focus to exclusively develop games for smart phones instead of the traditional consoles like the PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii U. A lot of fans were not happy with the acquisition since tri-Ace is known as one of the best developers in the JRPG genre, especially for the home consoles. You are missing out on some great games if you have not yet played any of their previous titles.
So what are the best console JRPGs developed by tri-Ace that you should experience? Find out with our newest rankings below.
5. Resonance of Fate
Resonance of Fate is the second HD JRPG release developed by tri-Ace, following the disappointing Star Ocean: The Last Hope. The new I.P. is, thankfully, a better experience due to its unique battle system that utilizes turn-based and real-time elements. Instead of your typical swords and staffs, the party members use pistols and machine guns. If you jump in with an open mind, then you should end up enjoying this unique and overlooked game.
Resonance of Fate came out for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on March 16, 2010. You can purchase it from Amazon with this link.
4. Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
Till the End of Time is the third mainline installment for the most well known tri-Ace series, Star Ocean. The sequel further refines the real-time battle systems found in the first two games as the action is a lot quicker and offer more overall depth. While the story is good (up until a certain plot twist that kind of ruin the buildup), you will spend most of the time exploring dungeons and in combat with the excellent battle system.
Star Ocean: Till the End of Time was released in North America on August 31, 2004, as a PlayStation 2 exclusive. You can buy the JRPG here.
3. Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria
Another tri-Ace JRPG with great gameplay is Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria. During exploration in both towns and dungeons, the game resembles a simplified Castlevania. In battle, you are put in a 3D battlefield where you can position your party members against the group of enemies. Like the first game, each member are assigned to a face button, allowing you to pull off devastating combos if you timed your attacks correctly. While it does not offer much in terms of story, its gameplay alone makes Silmeria a great game. You can read more about the game in our review.
Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria was launched for the PS2 on September 26, 2006. You can purchase the sequel with this link.
2. Valkyrie Profile
Although the gameplay of the second game is arguably better, Valkyrie Profile simply has more soul. This is largely due to the substantially superior story when compared to the sequel as you get to experience an epic overarching end-of-the-world conflict as well as the personal (and tragic) stories of your party members. It also uses a time limit, adding urgency and consequence to your actions that you normally don’t get to feel in a JRPG. Along with a rather obscure path to getting the best ending and some hard boss fights, Valkyrie Profile is a game that should feel quite rewarding to beat for for hardcore fans of the genre.
Valkyrie Profile was first released on August 29, 2000, for the PS1 before being ported to the PSP on July 18, 2006. The original release is very rare and costly. We suggest getting the updated PSP version (which has the title of Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth) instead, which you can do so with this link.
1. Star Ocean: The Second Story
tri-Ace just about got everything right with the second game of the Star Ocean series. Star Ocean: The Second Story mixes sci-fi with medieval to create an epic adventure that rivals the likes of Final Fantasy. Similar to the other games from the franchise, the combat is deep as you need to carefully plan out the attacks and positioning of your team, especially during the tough boss battles. Based on your relationships with certain allies, there are also a hundred endings to unlock. So, if you are looking for the quintessential tri-Ace game, make sure you check out Star Ocean: The Second Story.
Like Valkyrie Profile, the original PS1 version of Star Ocean: The Second Story (which was released on May 31, 1999) is quite rare and, therefore, can be expensive to acquire. Instead, you should buy the PSP port, titled Star Ocean: Second Evolution, with this page.
As you can read above, tri-Ace has created some amazing JRPGs over the year. Fans of the genre, or just gaming in general, should definitely check out the games we mentioned.